Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Don't worry, I'm not too upset about it. I don't cry myself to sleep at night, sit on the toilet in a lucid daydream, or type up fantasy ideas for future projects. Well, I don't do one of those things. Okay, now I'm sad.

-x-

Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I don't really have a lot to say about this new chapter other than I hope you guys like it. I recently just finished the third season of Daredevil, and dear Xenu was it glorious. I'd say it's my favorite season out of any of the Netflix MCU shows. When you can somehow make me love Karen Page's character after years of hating her, then that's damn impressive. Comparable to when Game of Thrones made me actually sympathize with Jaime Lannister. They just really fleshed out her character who actually had to face the consequences of trying to be a hero. That was my one beef with the Spider-Man video game. They essentially made Mary Jane into this hard-hitting reporter who needlessly puts herself in danger in Spider-Man's shoes, and she never has to face any consequences for that. She's never hurt, let alone anyone else. It was really annoying to hear her argument for why she should be able to help more. Should she? Sure. But stop pretending you're invincible, you know? It's like she's gotten so used to being saved she just assumes it'll happen every time. Maybe that was intentional by the writers of the game, but it really didn't feel that way. Huh, I've really gone on a tangent here.

-x-

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Change Is Gonna Come

-x-

Date: March 29, 2015

Location: Winchester, Virginia

-x-

The roar of a barely maintained engine was muffled out by the various mutters and whispers of the passengers within the bus the engine powered. The blocky vehicle chugged along down the street at a tedious pace, causing one of its occupants to grown in annoyance.

"Why are we taking a bus again?" Illyana groaned.

"Because there are no taxis here and I don't want to rent a car. It's not my fault you teleported us to some random building in the city." Naruto answered from his seat next to her.

"And it's not my fault that there's no picture of the place he works on Google. And I picked the first picture I saw when I Googled the town." Illyana muttered.

"Well, then it's clearly no one's fault, and we're just gonna have to accept the fact that we're riding a bus." Naruto said curtly, folding his arms over his chest.

Illyana looked over at her partner, sighing as she said, "Sorry."

Sighing himself, Naruto said, "Me too."

"This is..." Illyana admitted, "I should've just let you do this alone like you wanted."

Naruto shook his head, "No, you've got every right to come along. That and…"

"What?"

Naruto sighed, "Well, things have been...well you know. It's been awkward as fuck. And I think we just need to break the ice a little bit, you know? So, I figured this was the best way to do it."

"Right." Illyana said slowly. Turning to him, she said, "I agree. I mean, yeah sure, we made a huge mistake-"

"Huge." Naruto reassured.

"But, we're adults. And we're friends. We're a part of a team. And when you're all of those things, sometimes there's gonna be a bump on the road."

"And this was just one of those bumps?" Naruto asked.

"Exactly!" Illyana reassured, "We've just gotta stop being weird."

"Weird like when you almost got into a fight with Jessica Jones when we went to go talk to her about helping us out?" Naruto offered.

Illyana looked away at that, "She was being…well, an asshole."

"I mean, technically she was, but that's just everyday Jessica. She wasn't actually trying to be rude." As soon as he said that, Naruto corrected himself, "Okay, well that's probably not true…but you get what I mean."

"I just don't like her." Illyana rationalized, "The way she talks to you just pisses me off."

"Well she's been helping me out, and will continue to help me out if I pay her." Naruto said.

"Why don't you just make her a member then?" Illyana asked, though she was glad he hadn't yet.

The blonde man shrugged, "Because I know she'll say no. She's a lone wolf kinda girl."

"Yeah well, she's a bitch alright." The sorcerer mumbled much to Naruto's hidden amusement.

With that, the two entered a slightly more comfortable silence. As the bus trekked on and on, a thought suddenly came up to the Master of the Mystic Arts trainee.

Looking at Naruto, she asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Naruto answered with a shrug.

"Why didn't you learn any kind of magic from the Ancient One? Like, you could've learned how to use a Sling Ring and teleported to yourself home. Hell, a good chunk of the things I've learned could be useful to you." Illyana observed.

The blonde laughed to himself, scratching the back of his head, "Do you know how many people have asked me that?"

Illyana raised an eyebrow, "No?"

"Freaking everyone that is aware of my relationship with the Masters of the Mystic Arts. Every. Fucking. One." Naruto explained.

"Well make it one more then." She said with a helpful smile.

"Fine." He relented, "I can't do it, that's why."

"You…can't?"

"Yup. I can't"

There was a thick pause as Illyana gave Naruto a blank look. Finally, she muttered, "That's hilarious."

Naruto lowered his head in defeat, "I'm not joking." Looking over he explained, "I asked AC to train me in the ways of the Mystic Arts and she told me that I wasn't capable of learning anything she had to teach…magically. She helped me get up to date information wise, but other than that all I did when I was at the temple was sit around and spar with anyone willing."

"But…you can breathe fire and walk on water." Illyana wondered.

"That's not magic, that's chakra. Chakra is the combination of the physical and spiritual energies my people are all born with. As you probably know, the magic you learn is dependent on a kind of energy called personal energy. Technically, personal and spiritual energies are brothers in almost every way, but my people are unable to separate our spiritual energies from the physical. The two are forever bonded to make chakra. They're symbiotic of each other in that sense."

"So…you have the thing necessary to learn, but you can't use it the way you need to actually learn it." Illyana summarized.

"There're two others, universal and dimensional, but those are some advanced studies that require years of study and discipline after I get an understanding of personal energies." Naruto said with a shrug, "In other words I'm literally incapable of learning from the Masters of the Mystic Arts."

"Wow." Illyana mumbled, "That sucks."

"That's exactly what I said." Naruto said.

Illyana pauses for a moment before looking over at the blonde again, "Why do you call her AC?"

Naruto gave a large smirk, "AC equals Ancient Chick."

The blonde mystic blinked at the stupidity of what she just heard, "You call the Ancient One, one of the most powerful sorcerers ever known, Ancient Chick?"

"AC for short."

"That's so lame."

His smile growing, Naruto said, "That's what makes it perfect."

She blinked again, "Does she know that that's what it means?"

"I dunno." Naruto said with a shrug.

Illyana looked up as the bus came to a stop, "I think this is our stop." Pulling the cord above them, the two got up and exited the bus. Stepping off, they looked around before spotting their destination.

Pointing, Naruto said, "There it is, that's where he works."

Illyana looked at the average sized grocery store in front of them, "I can't believe someone who's ranked by the world government to be as dangerous as Bruce Banner works at a local grocery store."

"Well, in his defense he is an ex-con who'd been in prison since he was nine years old. It's not like he's going to come out with every opportunity available to him." Naruto defended.

Walking into the store, Naruto looked around for an employee. Spotting someone behind the customer service desk, the two quickly walked over as Naruto asked, "Excuse me ma'am, but do you know if Owen Reece is working today?"

The woman, her lips smacking as she tore away at the gum in her mouth, asked, "Owen? Yeah." Looking them over she asked, "You his parole officer or something?"

"No, just some old friends." Naruto lied smoothly.

Seemingly believing him, the woman pointed towards the back of the store, "He works over in the dairy. Just knock on one of the doors if you don't seem him."

Walking to the back of the store, the two looked around for the man that matched the picture in the SHIELD file. Not seeing him, Illyana walked over to the row of dairy doors as she gave a sharp knock on the glass.

"Can I help you?"

The two turning around, they found the man they were looking for behind them. A lanky young man around Naruto's age with a dark complexion, he looked at them with barely reserved annoyance, his eyebrow twitching in both curiosity and impatience. His body was hunched in and his clothes disheveled, with barely kept hair and wrinkled work shirt that looked to be a size too big.

"Are you Owen Reece?" Illyana asked.

"…No." Owen said after some thought, trying to walk passed them.

He stopped at Illyana said, "We read your file, Owen. What you can do…is incredible."

Owen narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Are you guys with SHIELD or something?"

"No." Illyana said, "We just wanna talk about a common interest we all have."

"And what's that?"

Naruto and Illyana shared a look. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Illyana opened a portal the size of a basketball right next to her, another of the same size opening next to Owen. Placing her hand through the portal next to her and out the other, she tapped Owen's shoulder.

Owen, his eyes nearly bugging out of his skull in shock, looked back at the two in a new light.

"Think you can take a break so we can talk?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah…sure."

-x-

Owen, a cigarette in hand, leaned up against the building as he took a drag. Having taken them outside to the back of the store, Owen told them they could talk freely there.

"So…you both got powers like me. You want me to join your club or something?" Owen asked as he released a breath, smoke pluming from his lips.

"We read your file." Naruto said, "Your powers…they're pretty scary. If you were to master them…I can't even describe what you could be."

The man took another drag, "You know, I've heard this speech before. And, out of all of them, yours is probably the worst. And trust me, I ain't no hero. What kind of club are you guys again?"

"We're building a team to hunt down and protect a collection of items called the Infinity Stones." Illyana answered.

"Never heard of 'em." Owen dismissed.

"You wouldn't have." Said Naruto calmly, "But trust me when I say that they're dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Trust you huh." Owen said, "And how do I know that you're not the wrong hands."

"I understand if you don't trust me. And, in all honesty I didn't think you'd be up to join right away. Instead, I'm going to give you an opportunity." Naruto stated, "Let me teach you how to use your powers."

"Use my powers?" Owen asked.

"That's right."

Owen took another drag, "You read my file, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"Then you know why I got locked up. I hurt people. I lost control, and because of that people died. After that I hated using my powers." Owen explained as he released the smoke from his lungs.

Naruto ran his hands through his hair, "Yeah, yeah I read that. That's why I want you on my team."

Owen's brow scrunched in confusion, "What?"

"I know what it's like to hurt people with a power you can't control." Naruto said softly, "I've hurt people, people I loved. I know what it's like to hate that power and to shun the idea of using it. I know what it's like to fight for every inch of control, all in the vain attempt that maybe one day you won't have to hurt anybody else. I had to literally fight with myself over control. But in the end, it worked. And I don't have to worry it anymore. My curse became my blessing. I can help you do the same thing."

The cigarette smoked down to the butt, Owen looked it over as he said, "My mom used to call my powers a blessing too. Something would break around the house, and I'd be her big helper by fixing it good as new. But she was afraid of what the world would say about me if they found out. This was all before people with gifts were expected to become superheroes. This was when you expected to get ostracize. I grew up thinking I'd never be the world's heroes. My mom always made sure to tell me that. But she thought I needed to use my gifts, that I needed to be a hero of something. So, she replaced herself with the world. I became her hero."

The cigarette butt in his hand began to glow, quickly reforming into a full cigarette, good as new. Bringing it to his mouth, the tip on the other end lit up for a moment, lighting up the cigarette. Taking a long drag, he finished, "Then she died. And I hurt people. That kinda put a damper on the whole hero business."

"If you hated using your powers, how did you learn to do that?" Illyana asked, impressed at the small display.

Blowing another cloud of smoke, Owen answered, "I was in solitary confinement for my entire sentence. The only human contact I had was with Mr. Pierce, the warden, and a physician named Dr. Kirby. Mr. Pierce would try and sell me on how I should use my powers, and Dr. Kirby would make sure I wasn't killing myself when I used them. Both of them would come by once, maybe twice a month. But the warden? He'd come in on a weekly basis. He'd ask me to train or use my powers in some way with the promise of a reward. Make ten copies of a brick, I'd get a softer mattress. Make the blocks disappear, I got a better meal that night. Make his clipboard bigger, he'd give me some school books to study. Make some evidence disappear, I got a bigger cell with a window. If I refused or failed to do what he wanted? He'd take those things away."

"That's terrible." Illyana said.

Owen shrugged, "It made me learn the basics I guess."

"Then how about you come and learn the advanced stuff?" Naruto offered.

Taking one last puff, Owen flicked the cigarette away, "When the warden had me doing all that stuff, I told myself that if I ever got out of that I'd never be anybody's monkey ever again. I'm not gonna dance for you man."

"Then don't do it for me. Do it for yourself. Trust me when I say that getting the weight of that burden off your shoulders is the greatest thing you can do for yourself right now. Because if you don't, you're just holding yourself back." Naruto tried to argue.

Owen seemed to be getting agitated as the conversation continued to go in circles, "Look man, I can't just go off with you guys. I've got the FBI all over me after SHIELD fell apart, that and I've got my job. The job I need to live. So, unless you can make all of those things go away-"

"We can pay you." Illyana cut in, "We've recently gotten a benefactor whose family is literally the richest in the world. That means a place to live too."

"Okay, but-"

"I'll take care of the FBI." Naruto assured confidently.

Owen looked at him as though he were an idiot, "You can't just 'take care of the FBI.'"

The warrior smiled at the challenge, "If I do, will you agree to at least come over and let me teach you?" Naruto offered hopefully.

Sighing in pure agitation, Owen rubbed his face with both hands, "Look, I…gotta get back to work." Walking passed them, he stopped as he was about to turn the corner. Having an almost physical fight with himself, Owen finally relented as he turned back around, "If you do all the shit you said you'd do, I'll do it. But only then."

With that, Owen turned the corner as he jammed his hands in his pockets.

Looking at each other, Naruto gave a wide victorious smile, "I think we just got a yes."

-x-

A Month Later

Date: April 23, 2015

Location: Washington D.C.

-x-

"I can't believe he's late."

"I can't really say I'm shocked. He's a busy kid."

"A busy kid that can replicate himself." Captain Rogers shot back.

Tony shrugged, "He'll show."

The two were sitting in a waiting room within the Headquarters of the CIA. Steve was sporting a standard black business suit, a pristine white dress shirt under the sharp jacket and a matching black tie wrapped around his neck. Tony was a little more casual, with a dark tan suit with a grey dress shirt that he'd neglected to button all the way and lacked any kind of neck piece to tie it together.

Rogers squirmed in his seat, "You told him the meeting was at eleven, right?"

"Yup." Stark answered as he adjusted his shades.

"In the morning?"

"Pretty sure."

"What do you mean, pretty sure? Either you did or you didn't." Steve barked in annoyance.

Tony shrugged again, "I'm not gonna pretend to know exactly what I said when I told him last week. If I didn't, I assume that he would assume the meeting would be in the morning. Who has a meeting at eleven at night?"

"Well you know what they say about assuming." The captain muttered.

"That it makes an ass out of you and me?" Tony asked rhetorically.

"No," Steven looked at him incredulously, "Not to do it. Jeez."

"Oh. Well yeah, I guess that's true too." Stark admitted.

Their back and forth was cut off by the door coming from the lobby swung open, revealing a rather disheveled Naruto as he asked, "I'm not too late, am I?"

Walking forward, he quickly tried to smooth out his impossibly messy hair before straightening his jacket. Wearing a dark blue business suit, Naruto looked strangely professional.

Tony smirked at the younger of the three, "No, no you're right on time."

"Well, technically he is late." Steve corrected, "We just haven't been called in yet."

Stark waved him off, "Exactly. We're fine."

Sitting down next to Steve, Naruto muttered, "The boss kinda lost track of time and totally spaced on when to send me."

"The boss?" Steve asked, only to quickly realize with a frown, "You're a copy, aren't you?"

The Shadow Clone turned his nose up in indignation, "We prefer the term, clone, sir."

"Well what's he doing that's so important that he couldn't bother showing up in person?" Rogers demanded.

"He's raiding a Hydra base." The clone answered, "And he'll swap with me as soon as he's done."

Tony raised an interested brow, "And that couldn't wait, why?"

The shadow clone smirked, "We found the dead trickster god's scepter, that's why."

-x-

Moments Earlier

Location: Novi Grad, Sokovia

-x-

Perched upon a luscious European mountain range, the massive compound once called Orlovoto Gnezdo, or Eagle's Nest, shook as a massive tremor ripped through the nearby area. The brick laid walls shifting back and forth, dust and loosened rubble bursting from the seams. Hanging light fixtures danced as another quake shook the facility.

"Who's attacking?!"

"Is it the Avengers?! It has to be the Avengers!"

"We're not seeing the thunder god, Stark, Agent Romanoff, none of them are showing up on our feed."

"Then who the hell is tearing through our men like this? It's unreal!"

Standing amongst the chaos was a man of true stoic façade. Noticeable taller than his subordinates, the man was dressed in a stiff dark green military uniform, a Hydra pin shining on his left breast. Running a hand over his shaved head, he turned his attention towards the large array of computer screens.

"It's not an Avenger." The man claimed, the monocle sitting on his right eye gleaming in the flickering light, "I'd say it's something just as bad."

One of the men occupying a computer turned to his superior, "What could possibly be worse than an assault by the Avengers?"

Glaring down at the center most screen, he lazily pointed out, "Him, the Maelstrom."

Everyone turned their attention towards the screen he was pointing at, their eyes widening as a man covered in a golden fire stampede passed a squad of Hydra soldiers like a locomotive. Coming to a stop, the man somehow managed to spot the camera recording him, turning to it before giving a one fingered solute and a goofy smile.

"I can't believe it." Whispered a well-dressed, middle aged man, "Why is he attacking?"

"Perhaps he heard about your experiments, Doctor List." The monocle baring man answered.

List glared, "Surely you meant our experiments Wolfgang. You're just as guilty as the rest of us."

Wolfgang von Strucker sighed, "Indeed."

"What are our orders, sir?" Asked the closest soldier to Strucker.

Strucker turned at attention, "All outside forces are to converge onto the southern sector, that seems to be where he's heading. Tell every superior officer in that sector that they are to hold off the Maelstrom for as long as they can while we secure as much data as possible. When we have what we need, they'll hear a call to retreat. At no other point until then are they to try and flee, no matter what he throws at them, understand?"

"What of the laboratory, sir? The research?"

"We'll get what we can, leave what we can't. We can't afford to be killed or captured. Not now after all we've accomplished." Strucker advised.

Doctor List stepped into the conversation, "And the miracles?"

Strucker scoffed, "They're not ready."

"They're the perfect weapon to distract him with. If we leave it to the men, he'll be here any minute." List concluded, "You've seen the footage from the invasion, you know what he's capable of."

Hydra's number one thug ran his hand over his scalp once again. After an intense internal debate, he sighed, "Fine, send them out. If they're overwhelmed, they're to retreat. They only need to hold him off."

List smiled as he gave a smooth Hydra salute, "Yes, sir."

-x-

Naruto landed in a crouch, his head ducking low just in time to avoid a tanking unloading a shell directly at him. Shooting off towards it, ignoring the hefty explosion that went off a good distance behind him, Naruto expanded the chakra around his arms to increase the mass of his cloaked appendages, and heaved the massive war machine onto its side with a horrendous thud.

Hearing another group of soldiers heading his way, Naruto extended his arm out with his hand shaped to look like a gun. Taking quick aim, bullets of pure wind zipped from his finger tip, passing through the three soldiers as though they were tissue paper.

His senses telling him that a battalion of men were heading his way from the east and west, Naruto quickly clasped his hands together as he chanted in his head, "Acid Style: Wisdom Wolf Decay!"

He then took a massive breath in before releasing a thick wave of pink corrosive acid into the large group of men coming from the west. The acid wafted passed the trees and foliage, melting it as it did, quickly crawling towards the oblivious Hydra soldiers.

Drowning out the screams of pain that came afterwards, Naruto continued on his path.

"You gonna finally let me out, brat?" Kurama asked, clearly excited at the prospect.

Naruto shook his head, "Sorry buddy, this needs a bit more finesse then you're capable of."

"I don't know whether to be insulted by that or not." The fox muttered.

"I thought you always took my thoughts towards your more destructive side as praise?" The Jinchuriki wondered to himself.

Kurama shrugged, "Whatever, at least you're finally doing something destructive."

"I destroyed what was pretty much a small town of militants like a few days ago."

"Yeah well maybe if you'd let me out more I wouldn't feel the need to criticize your lack of bloodlust." Kurama observed.

"Maybe if you'd stop bitching about it, I'd consider it." His container shot back.

"I hate you so much right now."

"Hate isn't a strong enough word to describe your feelings for me." Naruto quipped.

The beast made of chakra nodded in acceptance, "You're right, how about abhor? Maybe loathe. Oh no wait, despise. Yeah, yeah that's good."

"Love you too bud-"

His thought was cut off as Naruto was suddenly knocked off his feet by a sudden blow to the back of his head. Tumbling forward, he quickly made to stop himself as he landed on his feet after a few smooth rolls. Squaring himself, Naruto looked around for whatever managed to hit him, extending his senses outwards as he did.

Suddenly, he heard what he could describe as someone's feet hitting dirt at an incredibly rapid pace. It wasn't a second later that he ducked his head under what would've been a nasty left hook as a blur of silver and blue blitzed passed him.

The blur coming to a sudden stop, Naruto blinked at the man that looked to be around his age. Sharing a similar build as himself if only a bit bulkier, his brown hair was swept back from the speed he'd been going, silver streaks freckled along his hair line.

The man raised a curious eyebrow, "You saw that coming? Wow?" He said with general surprise, Naruto recognized his Sokovian accent, "You're that man, right?"

Another voice came from behind them, this one feminine, "Of course he is, Pietro. Just look at him."

Keeping his stance on the now named Pietro, Naruto partially turned his attention towards the newcomer. Like the human blur, she was around his age, standing just under his chin with long brown hair decorated with scarlet red highlights. Her hands positioned out in front of her, Naruto raised an eyebrow as a strange red energy slowly enveloped them, her eyes glowing a matching shade.

Pietro scoffed, "I told you not to call me that when we're working, Scarlet."

The woman shook her head as she kept her eyes on the blonde, "I'm not calling you Quicksilver, so you can just forget it." Her eyes shifted over to Pietro to give a quick glare of warning, "And don't call me that."

The blur raised his hands up in a placating manner, "Fine, I just thought you'd like a cool codename like mine."

"I'm sorry." Naruto interrupted, "I don't mean to cut into…whatever this is, but who are guys exactly?"

"Who we are doesn't matter." The woman answered, the energy around her hands flaring, "All that matters is that we stop you."

"Oh, I get it." Naruto nodded slowly, his knees bending in preparation, "You're with Hydra then."

Pietro shook his head, "We're with whoever points us where we need to go."

Naruto glared at that answer but decided not to push it further. Instead, he quickly stomped his foot on the grass bellow, a column of earth rising up from the ground and throwing the woman into the air.

"Wanda!" Yelled Pietro, only to get a fist to the face as Naruto blurred into his vision. Stumbling back, he grunted, "Damn, you're fast." As he said this his fist shot out like a bullet into Naruto's guard.

The blonde ninja could admit to himself that Pietro was fast. His speed was comparable to Rock Lee or Guy-Sensei. But even then, it wasn't fast enough for Naruto to lose track of him. He could see him just fine, it was just making sure he was quick enough to dodge the bone shattering strike.

Sidestepping the punch, Naruto let Pietro swing passed him, pressing his hand into the blur's back and shoving him forward. Off balance, Pietro was sent tumbling into the dirt. Coming to a stop, he was refused any reprieve as the Jinchuriki grabbed Pietro by his shirt and threw him into a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of him.

The sound of energy being projected caught Naruto's attention, allowing him to see Wanda shoot up into the air using her strange ability. Landing right next to him, she threw her hands in his direction and weaved them upward. Feeling something grab ahold of his ankle, Naruto cried out in shock as he was thrown into the tree line, crashing through two trees before coming to a stop on the third.

Wanda's red energy grabbed ahold of his throat, causing him to choke out in shock as he was pulled up to into the air, hanging limply as Wanda ran up to her brother's side.

Choking as the energy's hold grew tighter, Naruto quickly exuded Kurama's chakra, breaking the hold. Falling to his knees, he coughed as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Damn, she's strong." Kurama observed.

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, didn't see that one coming at all."

Kurama nodded, "The other kid's fast too, but you can deal with that as long as you stick to any of the Cloaks. She's a bit trickier though."

He wasn't able to answer, as another grappling of energy wrapped around his arms and legs, keeping him still as a silver blur came rushing in, pummeling him in the face before coming back with a shot to the kidney. Each hit cracked bone, blood spurting from Naruto's mouth as he pushed out his own energy once again to break the hold.

Catching the third punch, Naruto glared at the shocked Pietro as he drove his fist into his stomach, doubling the man over as he gasped for air. Grabbing him by the throat, Naruto let out his frustration with a large battle cry, lifting Pietro up into the air before slamming him down with enough force to crack the ground.

His small victory was cut off by yet another wave of energy rushing into him, sending him flying from the duo of Hydra compatriots. Landing on his feet, Naruto shot off towards Wanda, a Rasengan in hand as he went in for the finisher.

Wanda somehow seemed to expect a counter attack, as a thick wall of energy quickly came up in front of her just as he was on top of her. Slamming his signature attack into the shield, Naruto blinked in shock as the wall of energy actually managed to fight off the ball of spinning chakra. The pressure building up from within, the Rasengan burst in an explosion of chakra, sending the two flying back.

Bouncing off the ground harshly, he tumbled to a rough stop. Grunting as he got up, Naruto dusted the tree bark off his shoulders and hair.

His eyes landing on the downed Wanda, he slowly made his way to her side. Kneeling next to her, he reached over to check her wounds, only for her energy clad hand to shoot out and grab onto his head.

In that moment, Naruto felt himself get sucked into his mindscape against his will, gasping as consciousness left him.

-x-

"Where am I?"

Naruto blinked as he realized he was in Kurama's seal. Looking over, to see a very confused Wanda standing next to him. Huffing, Naruto answered, "We're in my mindscape."

Jumping at his voice, Wanda quickly threw her hands up in what he assumed was her go to stance. Realizing nothing was happening, she blinked as she shook her hands as though she expected them to be faulty.

"You can't use your powers here, intruder. This is my world after all."

Startled, Wanda jumped again, her eyes landing on the giant nine tailed fox sitting within a cell that accommodated his massive state, "Wha-what? What the hell are you?"

Kurama smirked, "I am Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox. My tails cause natural disasters, my roar can destroy entire cities, and my mere presence is a challenge to the gods themselves. I am the harbinger of hatred, death, and despair. Most hate me, all fear me. So, don't even think about challenging me, intruder. I will not hesitate to obliterate you and everything you love."

As Wanda stared up at Kurama with a mixture of fear and wonder, Naruto laughed, "I think that's the best speech you've given yet, Kurama."

Said Tailed Beast looked down at his partner, "Of course, after all the best kind of boast is when it's the truth."

Wanda went back and forth between the two, blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Finally, she landed on Naruto, "What…what the hell are you?" She repeated.

"I'm just…a guy." Naruto said with a shrug, "What exactly did you do to me?"

"I assumed you did this." Wanda admitted as she looked at Naruto in suspicion, "My abilities, they've never let me do this before."

"Hmm, well I'm gonna guess that you were trying to do some kind of mind thing to me." Naruto said. Wanda didn't answer, instead continuing to glare at him, "Well if that's the case, I've run into a lady who fucked me up mentally before. After that, me and the big guy over there set up a safe guard."

"Safe guard?" Wanda couldn't help but ask.

Naruto nodded, "Anyone that tries to brain rape me gets sent here to chat with us."

Wanda breathed in and out as she began to calm herself, "So, I can't leave until you let me." She concluded.

"Yup."

"My brother won't let you keep me here for long." Wanda threatened.

Guessing he was the super fast guy he was fighting, Naruto said, "This whole conversation is moving at a speed way faster than outside. By the time we're done, it'll have only been a few seconds out there. That's how this seal works."

Wanda cursed to herself silently. Pulling from deep within herself, she dug as deep as she could into the confines of the energy gifted upon her.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as the woman closed her eyes in concentration, then gasped in shock as flecks of red energy began to leak from her hands and eyes.

Feeling a familiarity with the strange energy, a realization suddenly dawned on Kurama, "Naruto, that energy, it's Cosmic-"

Everything around Wanda instantly faded away, the dreary backdrop of the sewer like cage disappearing.

Feeling as though she was in a free fall, Wanda opened her eyes to see the ground rushing up towards her. When her feet finally reached it, she came to a quiet halt. The sounds of birds chirping and children laughing immediately caught her ear, the woman looking over to see what looked like a bunch of kids meeting up with their parents after school. Feeling a presence next to her, she turned her head to see a young boy sitting on a lone swing set, his body positioned in the wrong way so that he could look over at the other children.

"Stop it." The boy muttered.

Wanda blinked, "What?" Looking around she asked, "Where is this?"

"Stop it." The boy repeated himself.

Getting a better look, Wanda realized that the boy was a younger version of Naruto, around five or six if she were to guess. A look of anguish was on his face as he stared over at the children and their parents.

Closing his eyes, he muttered, "Please…stop."

"I don't-"

His eyes swinging open in a rage, he screamed, "I said stop!"

Feeling a sudden shift in the air, Wanda used her energy to try and calm the boy down before the realm fell apart. In doing this, a sudden flood of partial memories came pouring into her mind.

A man with a scar across his nose leaning over a scared Naruto, blood flowing from his back. A pretty girl in a pink dress talking about protecting what's precious. A boy with a bowl styled hair cut being attacked by a wall of sand, the mobile grains wrapping around his arm and leg before crushing it to pulp. A raven-haired boy shoving his lightning covered fist into Naruto's chest. An older Naruto talking angrily to a crippled man with long red hair about vengeance. An even older Naruto kneeling over what looked like a giant mass grave stone, crying as he etched another name into it.

But as quickly as they came, they were gone, and just like that the ground left Wanda's feet once again, sending her into another free fall. Once again, the ground came rushing upwards, this time much, much faster. Bracing herself, she closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable impact. Only it never came. Her eyes creaking open slowly, she sighed when she was back in the cage.

Naruto, huffing from having his mind tampered with, within Kurama's seal no less, glared at the woman, "What…who…how did you do that?"

"I don't-"

"Those powers." Naruto interrupted, "You're using Cosmic Energy. It's diluted, but when you use enough of it, it's pretty obvious. Where did you get them from? Your powers."

"Why would I tell you?" Wanda demanded immediately. Huffing in desperation she asked, "What was all that?"

"My past."

Wanda looked at Naruto in shock, "That was real? You lived through all that?"

Naruto paused, "How much did you see?"

"I saw enough…I think." She mumbled, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Naruto wondered.

"I saw you talking to the man who killed your teacher, and you forgave him. How can you forgive someone who did something like that to you?" Wanda demanded.

The ninja rolled his shoulders in thought, "I didn't see the point in continuing such a stupid cycle. If I killed him, the people of his village would've wanted to kill me in turn. And if they'd somehow succeeded, my friends would've wanted to kill them, and so on and so on. Catharsis doesn't come from the end of a blade, but at the beginning of an olive branch."

Wanda shook her head, "You make it sound like it's easy. It's not. Not when nearly everything is taken away from you, and the person responsible gets off just because they claim to have had a change of heart. That kind of person doesn't really learn from their mistakes. His victims aren't given retribution."

"So you have to take that retribution into your own hands then, am I right?" Naruto asked, shaking his head, "There's no such thing as retribution! Nothing can replace what's taken from you, ever."

The woman narrowed her eyes, "I will never forgive Tony Stark."

Naruto's eyes softened, "You asked me how I forgave him, earlier."

Wanda kept quiet, allowing him to continue out of curiosity.

"I never forgave him. He took away my master and destroyed my village. When I finally met him, it took everything in me not to kill him." Naruto frowned as he said, "But I recognized that all I was doing was feeding the thing I hated, that I wasn't following my master's teachings. I didn't forgive him. I simply replaced my hate for him with something else."

"What's that?"

"Understanding." Naruto answered.

Wanda scoffed, "And if that's not enough?"

Naruto shrugged, "Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes, it's best to try and move on rather than let someone else's life consume yours. You don't have to listen to me, I'm just an asshole who hates the concept of revenge. It's destroyed so many people's lives, a lot of them people I love." Looking to Wanda he asked, "What do you expect to get out of it?"

Wanda, at first so sure, caught herself hesitating. Before long, she was speechless as she tried to think of a valid answer. Finally, she said, "All I want is for it to feel like it wasn't for nothing."

"It's always for nothing." Naruto said softly. Walking up to her, he slowly rested a hand on her shoulder, "I think it's time we left."

-x-

Wanda swayed back as consciousness finally returned to her, having to catch herself so as to not fall onto her back. Looking around, she saw her brother getting up as he glared over her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Naruto who had gotten up and was dusting up his pant legs. The man was looking back at Pietro, a stern look on his face.

"I'm done fighting you two." Naruto called out calmly, "Get you sister and leave."

Pietro growled, bending his body in before he dashed forward at an impossible pace in an attempt to tackle the man of fire. Naruto easily sidestepped him, the blur shooting passed him with an audible whoosh.

As Pietro came to a stop and made to charge again, Wanda yelled sharply, "Pietro, enough!"

Stopping, he looked at his sister in shock, "Wha? But Wanda we-"

"I'm done fighting him." She declared, "Let's just go."

"What about the base? We have to-"

"We don't have to do anything for them anymore." Wanda said, "We got what we wanted from them, let's go."

Pietro struggled with this, cursing to himself before saying, "Okay." Dashing to her side, he picked her up bridal style, "Where to?"

"Anywhere but here." Wanda answered. Giving Naruto a parting glance, she said, "Goodbye, Naruto Uzumaki."

Her brother raised an eyebrow, "How do you know his name?"

"I'll tell you later." She said, though her attention was still on the frowning blonde.

"Oh, uh, okay." Pietro mumbled before sprinting away, the blue and red blur gone as grass and dirt burst from the launch zone.

"Well that was annoying."

Naruto, his gaze stuck where Pietro and Wanda had been standing, muttered aloud, "They weren't all that bad."

Kurama scoffed in his seal, "You mean she wasn't all that bad."

"Come on Kurama, let's go."

-x-

Strucker looked over the screen, frustration wrinkling his features as he slammed his hands down on the table next to him, "The ungrateful rats!" He cursed, throwing his glare over to List, "I told you we shouldn't send them out! The first sign of adversity and they flee!"

List sighed to himself, "I figured their resolve was stronger than that." He admitted, "I never expected them to run from a challenge given their new gifts."

"It doesn't matter-"

"You're right. It doesn't."

Everyone in the run jumped in absolute shock, looking over to the corner of the room to find Naruto, his cloak deactivated as he lounged along the wall nonchalantly.

Giving a lazy single finger salute he blurted out a simple, "Sup."

Blinking rapidly as he tried to calm his nerves, Strucker stuttered, "Ho-how…how did you get in here?"

Naruto chuckled, "I swept through your men like the plague, and you want to know how I snuck into a room? You need to get your priorities straight man."

List, practically shaking, took a step back, "What do you want?"

"Loki's scepter." Naruto answered plainly.

Strucker swallowed the lump in his throat, "We don't ha-"

The man gagged as his throat was put into a vice grip by Naruto's hand. The last shinobi lifted Strucker up off the ground, glaring up at him as he growled, "You don't even know what you have. Give it to me before you accidently mess with something you have zero understanding of."

"We understand enough!" List insisted, "With the scepter's artificial intelligence, we can push the advancement of humankind forward by decades, if not centuries. We've managed to scratch the surface of this intelligence, if given more time-"

"Enough!" Naruto shouted impatiently. Taking several calming breaths, he glared at the doctor, "If by scratch the surface you mean passing on the scepter's energy onto people, onto human experiments, then I don't want to hear it."

"If you can't understand the reason for making miracles happen, then-"

List was cut off by a bullet made of wind driving into his skull. Dropping with a sickening thud, everyone looked over from the former doctor to the blonde-haired warrior. His hand was extended outward, his hand forming a handgun.

Naruto reigned his glare in on Strucker, "Where's the scepter?"

"In…i-in the laboratory." The Hydra Agent choked out, "Down in the laboratory…I'll take you."

Dropping him down, Naruto looked around at the room, everyone shocked into silence. Giving a strangely sincere smile, he said, "Now don't any of you guys go anywhere."

They all gave quick nods of confirmation. All of them knew the kind of extreme consequences that lay in wait should they disobey.

Following Strucker over to a seemingly normal wall, Naruto raised an eyebrow as the man pressed his hands up against it, the wall caving in slightly before swinging open.

Slowly, the two walked down the long set of stairs. As they eventually reached the bottom, Naruto raised a surprised eyebrow at the sight before him, "How the hell did you get a Chitauri Leviathan? Scratch that, how'd you manage to get it and stuff it down here?"

Hovering over them was the massive corpse of a Leviathan, the whale like Chitauri warship strung up above them. Bellow it, the lab station was filled with several stations filled with incomplete robotic limbs and mechanics. Walking over to the nearest table, Naruto picked up a metallic head, it's blue eyes glowing in the dimly lit room.

"We built this section of the fort over the creature." The baron wheezed out, his throat very much bruised, "We've been using its armor as a resource."

Setting the head down, Naruto looked the room over. Hearing a subtle humming sound coming from the corner of the room, he finally located the scepter, the weapon being contained in force field, electricity arcing around the field at random intervals.

Reaching his hand out, Naruto used Magnet Release to attract the scepter to him. Giggling with the field for a moment, it finally flew towards him with a sudden thwang. Gripping the scepter at the staff, Naruto grinned as he looked at the large jewel situated at the base of the blade.

"The intelligence you found…do you want to know where it came from?" Naruto asked.

Strucker looked at the man curiously, "You know of its origin?"

Looking the scepter over, Naruto muttered, "This scepter was given to Loki of Asgard by a man I doubt you've ever heard of. To Loki, it was a sign of trust. For the man, it was a sign of doubt. The man knew that without the scepter, Loki would most assuredly fail his mission to dominate the Earth. In the end he failed anyway, and two Infinity Stones flew out of his reach and into the hands of Earth. Into my hands."

"Infinity Stones?" Strucker wondered.

His eyes now focused on the jewel that held the Mind Stone at bay, "This jewel is meant to hide the power of what it holds, the power of the Mind Stone. That's the intelligence you found, though only a small margin of it I'd say."

"Jesus." The Hydra Agent breathed, sweating at the thought of what he had. He simply couldn't believe he'd held an object of such power without knowing it. The things he could've done.

Naruto gripped the jewel and yanked it apart from the scepter.

In a puff of smoke, the jewel was gone. Grinning at his victory, Naruto thought, "Now all I gotta do is seal it with the rest."

"You can do that anytime." Kurama muttered, "You're running late to that meeting, remember?"

Naruto blinked, "…oh shit."

Quickly creating a Shadow Clone, the blonde rubbed the back of his head, "There, that should cover me for a bit. I should go drop the Stone off at Stark Tower real quick though, I promised Tony I'd let him take a look at it."

"I can't believe you're letting that monkey look at something like a fucking Infinity Stone." Kurama growled in annoyance, "A smart monkey is still a monkey. Give him a stick and he's more likely to use it to poke himself in the eye."

"Ah come on Kurama, I said he could look at it for a week to see what made 'em tick. What's the worst he could do?" The blonde rationalized nonchalantly, "Tony may be a monkey to you, but to me he's as smart as they come. Him and Bruce should be able to get something useful from it. It's a win-win."

Kurama scoffed, "And how exactly is this a win-win?"

"Simple. They get to look at something cool from space, and I get them off my back about me having two-"

"Now three."

"-Three objects of mass destruction in my pocket." Naruto explained, "I know I don't have to, but I need allies, and allies usually tend to like to share."

As this conversation went on in Naruto's head, Strucker slowly began to creep backwards away from the seemingly distracted blonde. As he finally crept near the stairs, he came to a halt as his back pressed into someone behind him.

Slowly looking back, he tried to pull off a charming smile, "You wouldn't happen to want to let me go now?"

Naruto smiled back, "No. No, not really."

Sighing in defeat, Strucker turned around and held his hands out in front of him, "Fine."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto asked, "Oh, you thought I was going to arrest you?" He chuckled, "No. That's not how this works."

"But…but you're an Avenger. You don't just kill-"

"I'm not an Avenger." Naruto interrupted, "And you lost my sympathy after I found out what you guys were doing here. There are a lot of things on the list of shitty things I'll forgive, but human experimentation? No. No, I don't let that slide."

Before Strucker could argue his case, the scepter was driven into his chest. Gasping in shock and pain, he nearly collapsed onto his knees but was held up as Naruto gripped his collar.

Glaring down, Naruto continued, "You and everyone that helped you in this place died the second I found out your address." Twisting the blade to give the final blow, Naruto watched with satisfaction as the man of Hydra gurgled his last breath.

Dropping him down, Naruto said aloud, "Hey Kurama, how'd you like to stretch your legs out a bit?"

"God dammit kid, you really know how to spoil me." His partner answered with excitement.

-x-

Present Time

Location: Washington DC

-x-

Naruto blinked as he did a quick switcharoo with his clone. Looking around the waiting room, he asked, "What'd I miss?"

Tony and Steve looked at the blonde in confusion, "What?" Stark asked, quickly noticing that the ninja wasn't wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing before.

Coughing to clear his throat, Naruto answered, "I'm the real one. I'm…you know, me."

Looking around the room, Steve leaned in, "How did you do that…exactly?"

"If I answer that, can you tell me how you get the shield to always come back to you after you bounce it around?" Naruto challenged.

Steve gave the blonde a momentary stare before leaning back, "Fair enough."

Tony decided to answer the blonde's original question, "We've been sitting around waiting to be called in for the last thirty minutes. So, to answer your question, nothing. You've missed nothing."

Looking down at his clothes, Naruto realized that he'd been wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing during his raid. Going through his clone's memories, he quickly transformed his clothes into what he'd been wearing.

This proved to be just in time, as the door opened to reveal Secretary Ross coming through. Walking with him was a man of a similar age, though shorter in stature and pudgier in appearance. His hair was slicked back and well groomed, a thick beard wrapped around his face.

The three got up, Steve and Tony shaking the two's hands.

Rogers was the one who spoke, "Secretary Ross, Director Norris." He greeted.

Ross nodded along, "Captain Rogers."

CIA Director Norris took Tony's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Sorry for the wait." Ross apologized sincerely, his eyes on Naruto the entire time, "We ran into a bit of a mishap."

"Mishap?" Steve asked.

Ross still had his eyes on Naruto, "There was a…blimp in Sokovia." When the blonde didn't blink under his stare, he turned to the other two with a smile, "Well, follow me."

The three followed after them, being led into a large conference room. Sitting at the large table in the middle of the room were two others. Ross decided to do the introducing.

"For those of you not familiar, this is Director of National Security, Douglas Chapman." He motioned to the man sitting on the left. A lanky man of African complexion, he gave a small smile as he stood up and shook the three's hands.

Looking over to the woman sitting a few seats to Chapman's right, Ross finished his introductions, "And this is Agent Jessica Drew of the CIA. I'm sure Captain Rogers and Mr. Uzumaki are familiar with her."

Jessica remained seated, though she gave Rogers and Naruto a costumery nod of acknowledgement.

The three heroes took a seat across from the other four, with Naruto situated in the middle with Tony to his left and Steve his right.

Ross cleared his throat as he began, "Before we get started, I just figured we'd explain why we were forced to make you wait."

"You mean the little mishap." Tony interpreted. Leaning back in his seat he said, "Yeah I think we all figured out what you were referring to."

"Who you were referring to." Steve added. Deciding to take the lead, he continued, "Who being Naruto, what being his raid on a Hydra base in Sokovia."

Chapman cut in, "Were you aware of his intention to raid said Hydra base?"

"Obviously not." Tony answered, "Otherwise we would've helped him out. More than likely that's why he didn't tell us."

"He told us after he showed up." Steve clarified, "We had no clue it had happened until then."

"Did you have any clue that he planned to wipe if off the face of the Earth with…whatever it is he did?" Director Norris asked. Seeing their confusion, he directed their attention towards the television situated on the sidewall. Turning in on, he flipped to CNN.

On the screen, a reporter could be seen standing within what looked like a warzone, "-arely thirty minutes ago. From eyewitness reports and recordings made, many have come to the conclusion that the Avenger known as Maelstrom is responsible for the attack here in Novi Grad. Why or who he is fighting is still unclear, but it is clear that he was attacking an old castle within Novi Grad hillside. That castle is now gone after it was attacked by Maelstrom after taking the form of a giant nine tailed fox. Please stand by for more information, we are getting new reports and bits of information with every minute that goes by-"

The TV cut out, everyone's attention back on Norris as he spoke, "So what exactly were you after, Mr. Uzuamki?"

It was Tony who answered, "We already told you, he was raiding a Hydra base-"

"I'm sorry Tony," Ross interrupted as he motioned to Naruto, "But, I'd like Mr. Uzumaki to answer. If we want your opinion, we'll ask for it."

With that, everyone's attention turned to the still silent blonde. Sighing loudly, Naruto closed his eyes in thought, "I raided the base because they had something I wanted. Originally, all I wanted was to get in and go. But then I realized that they'd been using the thing I wanted to experiment on people. So, I blew them straight to hell."

Chapman leaned in, "What were you looking for, specifically?"

"Loki's scepter."

That got the other side of the table's attention, "You…recovered the scepter?" Norris asked.

"Yes."

"And where is the weapon now?" Chapman asked.

"With Doctor Banner over at Stark Tower." Naruto answered nonchalantly.

Ross laughed to himself, "You gave a weapon of mass destruction to another weapon of mass destruction?"

Naruto shrugged, "Well, I took out the 'mass' part of the destruction, so it should be fine."

This confused everyone in the room but the blonde, "What?" Steve asked.

"I took out the thing that made it dangerous." He explained simply.

"And what did you do with the…thing?" Ross asked.

"…I gave it to Dr. Banner?" Raising his hands up when he saw the incredulous he received he said, "Without something to channel it, it's just a really smart rock. All anyone can do is study it to see how it ticks. Tony asked me to let him have a look."

Seeing everyone turning their disbelief onto Tony he sighed, "Thanks kid."

"You're welcome!" Naruto answered cheerfully.

"Well, uh, I have perfect confidence in Dr. Banner's ability to not use the weapon as a weapon of mass destruction." Tony said in an attempt at an appeasing manner, "Besides, if the kid's right then there's not much he or I could do with it anyway other than a quick once over. So, loosen your buttholes please."

Ross sighed in agitation, "What is the thing that powers it? I'll feel a lot better about the situation if you'd at least explain why it's not an issue for an unstable scientist to have it."

Tony cut in, "Technically speaking, Banner isn't unstable. It's the other guy we all have to worry about."

"Anyone that willingly tests gamma-radiation on themselves should be considered unstable." Norris argued.

"Ah, but authorizing and supervising said test is totally acceptable. Got it." Stark fired back quickly, looking at the former general turned politician.

Ross decided to end that line of conversation, "Enough. Now, Uzumaki if you'd please."

Shifting uncomfortably as in his seat, Naruto said, "Look, why don't you just get down to brass tacks already and just get to why you brought me here."

"Fine." Ross consented, though he clearly didn't want to, "But first, I think Director Chapman had some questions for you."

Chapman opened the binder that was set out in front of him. Clearing his throat as he straightened his tie, he began to read, "Mr. Uzumaki, this is not an official inquiry or deposition. You are not being accused of or charged with any crimes you may or may not have committed in the seven years you've been a resident of this planet-"

"Four." Naruto corrected, "I was gone for three years."

"…in the four years you've been a resident of this planet. We simply wish to iron out the timeline of your time here, ask several questions we've gathered, and allow a dialogue between us that hopefully leads to a plentiful relationship for both sides. Is that understandable?"

Naruto looked to Tony and Steve. When he got a nod from them, he gave one of his own, "I understand."

"Good." Chapman said pleasantly, "Now, my first question for you is a little out of order, but I have to admit that I'm very curious of your answer."

"Okay."

The man nodded, "The alien who you fought a month ago, the one who called itself Desak, when he arrived he addressed you by a different name. He called you, Celestial. What does that mean?"

"Oh that? Well uh, Celestial is the name of a race of ancient intergalactic beings that are capable of manipulating the galaxy itself. So, essentially, space gods." Naruto answered in a blank easy-going tone.

The room grew quiet at that.

Eventually, Chapman finally spoke again, "…I see."

Everyone seemed to look at Naruto in a new light, though if that were good or bad remained to be seen.

Norris decided to speak for the still stunned Chapman, "Let's get to the ironing out of your history here."

"Right. What do you want to know, exactly?" The ninja asked.

"The timeline of your arrival here is still unclear." Chapman began, finally gathering himself, "SHIELD records show that you landed on Earth at 2:23 p.m. on April 3rd, 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal. You were recovered by Kathmandu paramedics at 3:09 p.m. and then immediately taken into emergency care. The doctors who worked on you claimed that your body seemed to be healing itself at an impossible rate. The next day, SHIELD Agents were sent to investigate the phenomenon but failed to recover you, the hospital reporting that you'd gone missing the night before. Then, suddenly, you appear in Tonsberg, Norway on July 14th. That's over three months of undocumented time, Mr. Uzumaki."

"Where were you in that time?" Ross asked.

"I was taken in by a monk and her disciples. They helped heal me, taught me your languages and history, and showed me where I needed to go to get home." Naruto answered carefully.

"And where are these monks now?" Chapman asked.

Naruto shrugged, "Don't know."

Norris looked at the man skeptically, "You haven't kept in contact with them in the seven-"

"Four."

"-years you've been here? I find that hard to believe." Norris finished.

Naruto turned his attention onto the man, driving a hard stare his way, "I don't really care what you believe. They don't matter. They don't need to be disturbed any more than they have. That's all there is to it."

"Let's move on." Chapman insisted in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Looking back at his binder he said, "After you met up and allied yourself with SHIELD, it's fairly easy to follow where you were and what you were doing. One specific moment happened on December 11th, 2011. On this date, you decided to intervene in the revolution going on in Symkaria, engaging with revolutionists stationed in Anian and one of their bases situated a mile outside the city. You also assassinated seven members of their government, all of whom were responsible for the revolution in the first place. Then, after all of that, you attacked an AIM facility where you killed several of the people working there. In all, your death toll for that day amounted to 239."

"Is there a question in there?" Tony asked.

"Were you aware that the United States had invested interests in the Symkarian Revolution? Specifically, the revolutionary's side?" Ross asked.

Naruto shook his head, "I was not."

"Were you aware that by thwarting the revolutionists, you upturned several years worth of military planning? That you upset a carefully laid power grab that would've given us an unprecedented strategic advantage in that area?" Ross continued, "So, why did you feel the need to circumvent the United States government?"

The blonde sat in thought for a moment, taking in Ross's rapid fire questions before answering.

"I wasn't ruining your plans." Naruto said softly, "I wasn't making a move against you, or Symkaria, or the revolutionists. I wasn't making a power grab or moving pieces around a chess board. I wasn't thwarting. I was saving a little boy from a situation I put him in. Everyone I killed, everyone I hurt, that happened because they either got in my way, or were responsible for their own misery. If I stepped on your toes, I didn't mean to. I was just putting people down that deserved to sit in the dirt."

Ross looked Naruto over, "But to do so and not even ask for clearance, or explain yourself-"

Naruto laughed. As everyone looked at him with either confusion or indignation, he laughed some more.

"You seem to think I have an obligation to explain myself to you. You seem to think I work for you, or that you're above me. I can tell just from how you talk to me. And it's not that your arrogant. No, no you honest to Sage believe that you deserve to have some kind of command over me." Naruto began, looking at each of the men sitting across from him as he spoke, "You rule over a chunk of this planet. Your flag doesn't cover every edge of the map, no matter how much you wish or think it does. If you did, if your borders really did branch out over the entire planet like Xandar or Hala, then I'd understand why you think you could tell me what to do. I'd actually be more receptive to the idea. After all, this planet took me in in my time of need and helped me get on my feet. I'll always love Earth because of that. But you don't have any kind of pull on me. I didn't land in your country and get adopted by some farmers from Kansas. I landed in Asia and I got help from a super spy agency whose allegiance was to the entire planet, not a single country. My only connection to your country is that most of my friends are from here. That's it."

Everyone looked at him in stunned silence.

Ross was the first to get over the blonde's monologue.

"Perhaps…perhaps we should move on." He said.

"Right." Naruto said, "Let's move on to the real reason I'm here."

Realizing he had the floor, the blonde continued, "Tony's told me that you don't want me to step on your toes anymore, and you don't want me to step on yours."

"Yes." Director Norris admitted, "I think, going off what you've said today, you'd rather keep to yourself but still be allowed relative freedom from government control, am I correct?"

"Yes." Naruto answered.

"Sadly." Ross started, "That kind of freedom isn't something that can happen. You are an alien here. A guest who is running his welcome thin. You kill indiscriminately, and if not that you beat them within an inch of their life, you destroy with your wanton abilities and accept zero responsibility and use our country like a rest stop whenever you want to take a break from breaking the countless laws we've let slide due to your relationship with both SHIELD and the Avengers. However, SHIELD has disbanded, and you've declined any allegiance to the Avengers on numerous occasions. That leaves you in the wind. That's simply not something we can allow."

Chapman decided to intervene, "You have to understand our perspective. You are simply not someone we can allow to roam freely with zero supervision. Your abilities make you perfectly inclined to decimate everything that makes this world run. Political power, military, economy. You can't ask us not to trust you when all that keeps you from ruining the world is your mood."

"Now hold on a second." Steve argued, "Naruto would never set out to destroy America-"

"How can you promise that?" Ross demanded, eyeing the three men across from him, "How can any of you promise us that? No one can predict the future. Right now, he's a neutral party. Two, three years from now we could be on opposite sides. And I don't like our odds. That's why we called this meeting. To try and set ground rules in place. To try and reach a mutual understanding. An agreement."

"And how exactly do you propose we reach an understanding?" Naruto asked.

Ross gave Naruto a careful look, "I understand you're forming a team. Why?"

Naruto sat there, his arms crossed over his chest. Finally, he looked to Chapman as he said, "You were probably going to ask about the four years I was gone, right?"

The older man blinked, "Yes, I was."

"The reason I left was because during the Incident in New York, I managed to talk to the guy responsible." Naruto admitted.

Chapman nodded in understanding, "Loki-"

"No." Naruto corrected, "The man who sent Loki. His name is Thanos. Short version is that his mission in life is to find six ancient objects called the Infinity Stones. The reason he had Loki invade Earth is because the Tesseract being studied by SHIELD was in fact one of the Infinity Stones, the Space Stone to be exact. I used that Stone to get back to my home. After I did that, I travelled around space looking for clues about the other Stones. I managed to find one more before coming back here to fight Desak. It was in space that I learned that Loki's scepter held an Infinity Stone."

"Which is the reason for the raid." Norris deduced.

The shinobi nodded, "I now have three of the six. I'm forming a team to help me find and protect the others from Thanos."

"What happens if Thanos were to get all six of these Stones?" Chapman asked.

"I don't know, that's what scares me. He could literally do anything with them." Naruto responded quietly.

"Where are you keeping the other stones?" Chapman wondered.

"They're in a safe place. No one can get to them but me."

Ross scoffed, "How can you be sure that-"

"Trust me. It's literally impossible or anyone but me to get to them. I'm the last of my people, there isn't anyone else that would know how." Naruto clarified.

The Secretary of State raised an eyebrow, "You're the last of your kind?"

"Yes."

This seemed to ease Ross's mind a little bit, knowing there weren't any more people like that out there, "I see."

Coughing into his hand, Tony asked, "So, why do you care that Naruto's forming a team?"

Ross straightened at that, "I have a proposition. You need official representation from Earth to make your life here a little smoother. If I know we have someone we trust with you, then I won't feel inclined to continuously hound you on your many, many mishaps. They'll be inclined to inform me of them as they're happening which gives us time to react, along with giving us a direct line to you."

"So, your spy." Naruto simplified.

"If you'd like to put it that way, then yes." Ross yielded.

Steve raised a curious eyebrow, "It's a little odd you'd be so forward about wanting to plant a spy in Naruto's ranks."

Ross gave a placating smile, "I've been warned not to try and put one over on this man several times. I pride myself in being able to learn from mine or other's mistakes."

"Who did you have in mind?" Steve asked.

It was then that Agent Drew stood up from her seat, "That would be me, Captain."

"I'm sure you're aware of her abilities, Captain Rogers. You too, Mr. Uzumaki." Norris said, getting a nod from Steve and Naruto.

"Yeah well, I'm not." Tony said, "Mind filling me in?"

"Agent Jessica Drew has been gifted with several abilities due to…complications with her birth." Norris explained, "Enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, agility and senses, she also highly resistant to poison, toxins and radiation. Her hands and feet are capable of secreting a fluid that allows her to cling to solid surfaces. Along with all of that, her body produces an incredible amount of bio-energy, allowing to discharge it from her body. On top of all of these incredible gifts, she is an adept hand to hand combatant and weapons expert, as most SHIELD Agents are. She is our top field-agent."

Throughout the entire run down of her abilities, Naruto and Jessica stared each other down. When the room went quiet, the ninja realized they were waiting on him to reply.

Eyeing her again he asked, "What do you think of all this?"

Jessica straightened her posture as she answered, "I think you need a buffer between you and the government of this country. I can act as your buffer-"

"Fine, I except." Naruto declared.

"Wait, Naruto-"

Steve was interrupted as Naruto said, "But here are my rules. I can come and go from this planet as much as I please. I don't have to tell you where I'm going or for how long. Second, Infinity Watch is my team. We don't work for you, or Earth, or the Avengers. Third, if I ever catch a whiff of you trying to use me or my team to advance you and your county's goals, we're done. Fourth, she can tell you what I'm doing, she can tell me if you don't approve, and she can report to you if I do something she or you don't like, hell she can try and arrest me if she thinks she can, but she's a part of my team now. She doesn't do missions for you, she only does them for me. And by her, I mean only her. I don't want my team to be the new hangout for supped up government agents. And fifth, anyone I choose to be on my team is under my protection. That means people like Owen Reece and Jennifer Walters aren't yours to watch or worry about. They're mine."

"They've joined your team?" Chapman asked, writing their names down.

That question made Naruto falter for a moment as he said, "Well…I'm scouting them. It's a process."

"Are there any more rules you'd like to make?" Ross asked, everyone in the room seeing his frustration barely held in.

"None that I can think of right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something." The ninja answered.

"We'll have to go over this more, but we'll get back to you when we've come to an agreement. And, when we've come up with more rules of our own." Ross informed, "We'll send Agent Drew your way when we do."

Naruto looked around as everyone around him seemed to relax, the thick air that hung in the room lifting slightly as they all got up from their chairs, "Is that it?" He wondered.

Tony patted him on the back, "Yup. Good job kid, you got a little less angry then I thought you would."

"Thanks?"

-x-

"Shall I call for him?"

Sitting over a vast cliff side, an elderly voice broke out passed the sounds of the vicious waves crashing against the cliff wall, "Yes, it is time. I cannot postpone it any longer, I think."

The younger, feminine voice spoke back softly, "I know that this is difficult for you."

"I have made many, many difficult decisions when it comes to my children…you'd think I wouldn't find it so hard to make another. Especially considering the circumstances." The elder spoke, his voice strong yet deeply broken.

"This must be done, my king."

"I know…bring him to me."

"At once."

-x-

"So…explain to me why you're willingly allowing a spy onto your team?"

Naruto sighed at Clint's question, leaning up against a table as the two waited on Bruce and Tony's arrival. Steve had decided to stay behind in DC. Though he was curious when Tony asked him to say hello to Agent Carter for him, he decided not to ask after seeing Steve's bashful reaction.

Folding his arms across his chest, he answered, "Because, I needed to make the compromise. It was either agree to let her onto my team knowingly and control the situation or tell them to fuck off knowing they'd do something drastic in retaliation. I know I can handle any of those situations, but the last one is the more annoying of the two."

"But she's gonna be recording your entire team's strengths and weaknesses, how to use and beat them and you. She's gonna be writing down every law you break and every person you fuck over. She'll have a laundry list on you a mile wide." Clint reason, "Doesn't that bother you?"

The shinobi laughed, "Don't worry, I'll handle all of that."

"If you say so." The archer relented, "Hey uh, I was told to ask you if you wanted to come over for dinner. The misses is making that thing you like."

Naruto's entire attention was on Clint, "Ramen?"

"What? No, meatloaf. How old are you?" Clint demanded.

"I like meatloaf?" The blonde asked.

"She made it for you the last time you were over, you wouldn't shut up about how amazing it was. You literally made her week." Clint tried to remind him, "Look, as long as you give a repeat performance I don't give a shit if you remember or not."

Laughing, Naruto complied, "Sure, I'll come over. We can carpool to your place."

"You have a car?" Barton asked.

"Didn't I tell you about my spaceship?"

"…you're what?"

"My spaceship. She's called the Kushina." Naruto detailed.

Clint stared at Naruto for several seconds before replying, "Oh. Okay."

As the conversation ended there, Tony and Bruce walked into the room. Tony had taken off his jacket and tie, the first few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned to offer some breathing room. Bruce, sporting a lab jacket, walked up to the two, giving Clint a smile and Naruto a nod.

"What's this I hear about a spaceship?" Bruce asked curiously.

"That I have one." Naruto elaborated, "I can take you both out for a spin if you want."

"Definitely gonna have to put a book mark on that one." Tony said enthusiastically, "I think we're gonna be busy looking at this gem for the next couple weeks."

"First, they're called Infinity Stones. Second, we agreed to one week." Naruto corrected with a light glare, "And I'm gonna have a clone on standby to come and pick it up and drop it off with the others, so don't think about trying to bargain for any spare time."

"Right, right my bad." Tony waved off, looking the blonde over, "Where is the Stone anyway?"

"Right over here." Banner answered, motioning towards the table in the lab. On the table sat the scepter and the jewel, the glowing rock situated onto a strange looking stand.

"Wow." Tony gasped.

Motioning towards the jewel, Naruto said, "This is the Mind Stone. Its power lies in the mind. It is literal intelligence. In its diluted state within the scepter's jewel, it can control the mind and make an average-joe as smart as you or Bruce." he explained to Tony, "If I were to take it out of the jewel, if you were to touch it, it would drive you insane from the overload. You'd probably learn the meaning of the universe, but you'd be rendered catatonic. That's why I left the Stone inside, so you can analyze it without having to waste time coming up with a way to contain it."

"This…really is incredible." Bruce observed, walking closer to the table and leaning in to give it a more scrutinizing look, "How will you be able to contain it when you take it out?"

Naruto smiled at Banner as he stared at the Mind Stone, his mind racing a million miles a minute, "The energy you see me use lets me hold and partially control the Stones. I've managed to learn how to hold off their power, but other than that my control of them is pretty shitty. That's one of the reasons I don't like to use them."

"Makes sense." Bruce mumbled, most of his attention on the Mind Stone now.

"I can't believe you have two more of these just lying around somewhere." Admitted Clint as he observed the Stone from a distance. Out of the three Avengers present, he had the most experience with it, and it was safe to say he didn't want to interact with it anymore then he had to.

Deciding to ignore Clint's comment, Naruto created a Shadow Clone before handing it off.

Looking back at Tony, he asked, "What're you planning to do with this again?"

"I just want to see what makes it tick." Tony admitted freely, "If what you say about it is true then it could prove to be a boon for several projects I've got in storage, one in particular coming to mind."

"Nothing nefarious I hope." Naruto said half-heartedly.

Tony made an offended face, "Look at who you're talking to. Have I ever done anything nefarious? Underhanded? Sure. Questionable? All the time. But nefarious? Come on."

"Alright kid, let's go." Clint said, getting bored with the conversation.

"Right." Naruto answered, putting his hands in his pockets as he followed after the archer.

"You guys going out on a date?" Tony teased, "Don't stay out too late you two."

"Why don't you go join your Science-Bro in looking at the rock." Clint shouted back in annoyance.

Bruce looked up from observing the Stone, "…do people actually call us that?" He asked Tony, causing Naruto to laugh as he and Clint left the room.

-x-

"Wow. Just…wow."

Clint, sitting in the passenger seat of the Kushina, looked on in wonder as they blitzed through the air at lightning speed. In order to ignore any air traffic, they'd flown up into the mesosphere and had cruised around for a bit before they flew off to Clint's homestead in Maine.

Naruto smirked, "Yeah, she's something else."

Looking over the distant planet below, Clint asked, "And you got her from a space pirate?"

"Pretty much." The blonde admitted.

"Awesome." Clint looked at him, "Can I fly her?"

Naruto's laugh had no humor in it, "No chance in hell."

"Oh, come on! I let you fly the Quinjet the first time I took you out on it, return the favor!" Barton pleaded.

"Let me my ass! You forced me to fly it as some stupid kind of test!" Naruto shot back.

"Stop being such a brat!"

"I will, when you stop being such an asshole!"

Clint relented in annoyance, "Just take us to the farm damnit. I'm hungry."

The shinobi grumbled but relented, smirking knowing he'd won the argument.

Finally reaching their destination, Naruto rested the ship down in the open field in front of the homestead. As they descended, Naruto quickly noticed a Quinjet that was parked several yards away.

"Who else is here?" Naruto wondered, looking to Clint.

Said archer scratched at his chin, "Well, uh…"

"Clint, who's here?"

Clint's answer had to wait, as the two saw his children burst out of the house and run towards the ship. Opening the back for him, Naruto allowed Clint to run out and greet his kids with a bearhug. As Naruto followed after him, he smiled as the happy kids gripped their father like a life line.

Eventually, they noticed Naruto behind their dad, walking from inside the ship. Letting go of their father, they run up to the blonde shinobi.

The oldest at 11 years old, Cooper, ran up and reached out for a high five. Lila, who was at the cute age of 6, wrapped her arms around his left leg in a tight hug.

"Uncle Naruto!" Lila cried out happily as she looked up at him with stars in her eyes, "You're back!"

"How long have you been back?" Cooper asked.

"Where did you go?" Demanded Lila.

"I heard you went into space. Did you go to Mars or something?"

"Did you make friends with any Martians? I bet you did, but Cooper says they aren't real."

"That's because they aren't." Cooper argued.

Lila glared at her brother in protest, "Are too."

"Are not-"

Naruto decided to cut this off before it got any further, "I've been back for a couple months actually. And no, I did not go to Mars or talk to any Martians. I did however go to space and met some really cool aliens."

Lila had stars in her eyes, "Woah, really?"

"No way." Cooper denied.

"Yes way." The shinobi reassured, "This one guy was made of ice, another looked like a walking tree, and one was pretty much a talking racoon."

While Lila ooed and awed, Cooper looked at the older blonde skeptically, "You're making that up, right?"

"Would I make something like that up?" Naruto asked.

"You made up the story about you fighting a knight over a rock…so yeah." Cooper said.

Naruto lowered his head in defeat, "No respect."

"Why don't you guys give Naruto a little bit of breathing room, I'm sure there's plenty of time for him to try and convince you that he actually met a talking racoon." Called out a voice from the direction of the house.

Looking over, Naruto saw Laura Barton exit from the homestead, walking down the porch carefully as she cradled her bulging stomach. Clint was quickly by her side, giving his wife a hug as he helped her down the last step.

"There actually was a talking racoon." Naruto argued as the kids left his side.

Laura laughed as she looked at him challengingly, "And how exactly did it move its mouth in a way that made it capable of forming proper sentences?"

This left Naruto hanging, unable to explain how Rocket could actually talk. As he tried to form an argument, another set of footsteps came from the door, getting his attention.

And, much to his shock, Natasha peered out from the door frame looking at Laura, "The mashed potatoes are ready."

"Oh, thanks Nat." Laura answered. Doing her best to be subtle, she shifted her gaze back and forth between Naruto and Natasha.

Naruto, who had frozen for a split second, awkwardly said, "Hey, Natasha."

It was then that Natasha seemed to notice Naruto's presence at the bottom of the porch stairs. Blinking several times, astounded, she then gave an accusatory look at Laura then Clint. Surprisingly, it was Clint who backed down as he averted his gaze. Laura simply gave an encouraging smile.

Finally, Natasha said, "Hey, Naruto. Are…are you here for dinner too?"

"Yeah." Was the only thing Naruto could think to say.

The awkward air was cut off as Lila grabbed Naruto by the hand, "Uncle Naruto, I want you to sit with me." She demanded innocently.

Thankful for the excuse to turn his attention to anything else, Naruto smiled down at the little girl as she pulled him up into the house, "Okay, okay I'm coming."

As he was pulled in, something flying close by caught his attention. Looking over, he raised an eyebrow as he saw a raven land on the porch railing. It was larger than what you would call average, with a single glowing green eye staring into his very soul. He wasn't able to think on it too much longer as he was pulled fully into the house.

-x-

The sounds of clinking silverware echoed through the kitchen as the six ate their dinner. On one side sat Naruto and Natasha, with Lila in between them, and Clint, Laura, and Cooper sitting respectively across from them.

In between bites, Laura looked to Naruto, "So, how is it?"

Naruto's smile was wide as he swallowed, "I love it."

Laura smiled back, clearly pleased that her guest was enjoying her cooking. Unbeknownst to his wife, Clint gave Naruto a subtle but appreciative nod and thumbs up.

"Well," Laura began, "I can't take all the credit."

Lila looked up from her plate at the shinobi, "Yeah, Auntie Nattie helped Mommy make it."

"Really?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

The attention now on Natasha, the woman looked up mid-bite. Realizing she was expected to answer she swallowed before saying, "I didn't help out that much-"

"Since when do you cook?" Clint asked skeptically, only to get an elbow jab from his wife.

"I don't-"

"She helped cut up the potatoes, she mashed 'em too." Lila informed.

Natasha continued to try and downplay her involvement, "You cut more than I did-"

"She was very helpful." Laura persisted, though why only she seemed to know.

Naruto could only smile in amusement as Natasha was bombarded with how helpful she was, "I didn't realize you'd become such a good cook." Naruto said.

"You know I can't cook worth a damn." Natasha reminded, "Remember the homemade ramen I tried to make for you?"

The blonde laughed, "Yeah, yeah I remember. You totally butchered it. I don't think I'd ever heard you apologize for something so much for so long."

"It didn't help that you kept laughing at me." The Avenger's assassin challenged, "And then the cake I tried to make for you on your birthday, remember that?"

He quickly remembered that birthday, "Yeah, how did you burn the icing again?"

"I thought you put it on and then cook." Natasha answered.

"Careful, Naruto." Kurama's voice warned calmly.

His partner's booming voice brought Naruto back to reality, noticing that Laura was smiling at their conversation as she pretended to focus on her food.

Laughing with restraint, Naruto said, "Yeah, those were good times."

The mood around the room suddenly got a little tense, everyone entering an almost awkward silence as they began to dig into their meals once again.

It was Cooper who finally spoke, "So Naruto, are you gonna be an Avenger now that your back?"

"Uh, no. No, I'm not." Naruto answered lamely.

"Why?" Lila asked.

"Well…" Naruto said, trying to think of an edited reason for why he refused to join the Avengers, "Well, when I was a kid, I had this one friend who called himself an avenger. He was about your age," He said looking to Lila, "When someone took his family away from him. He was your age, "He said this looking to Cooper, "When he abandoned our home to avenge the thing he lost. He did a lot of bad things to do that, all because he was an avenger. So, I guess the idea of calling myself the thing that nearly destroyed my friend makes me feel…bad."

"Oh." Lila said quietly, "What happened to your friend?"

Naruto could feel Natasha freeze up at that question.

"He…passed away." Naruto said gently.

"Did he ever become your friend again?" Cooper asked.

Smiling gently, Naruto's eyes hazed in sadness, "Yeah, I'd like to think so."

Seeing that her children had finished their plates, Laura cut through the tension, "Why don't you guys take your dishes to the sink and wash up?"

Though they didn't look very pleased, they quickly complied with their mother and got up to do as she asked.

"They've both gotten so big." Naruto said as they left the room.

"Well, it's been nearly three years since you last saw them." Laura said, "They really missed you while you were gone, Lila especially. You're her favorite superhero you know? Action figures and everything."

"I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner." Naruto apologized, "I should've visited at least once. I just…"

"You were busy, I know." Laura reassured, "What's important is that you're here now."

Clint finally decided to speak now that he'd finished his meal, "Is it really true that you met a talking raccoon?"

-x-

Standing on the porch, Naruto leaned up against the railing as he watched Clint play catch with Cooper and Lila, throwing the baseball with supreme accuracy each and every time. In return, both kids returned the ball with surprising accuracy of their own, with Clint almost never having to move his glove to retrieve the ball.

"Did he teach them how to do that, or are they just as freaky as their dad?" Naruto asked.

"A bit of both." Natasha answered, sitting on the porch steps as she watched the sun set over the tree line, "Though I'd say Lila is the more natural of the two. If they don't watch out they're gonna have a Lady Hawkeye on their hands."

Naruto looked over at Natasha, observing her for several moments. Eventually, he slowly got off the railing and trekked over to her, calmly taking a seat next to her.

He only allowed them to sit in silence for a few seconds before saying, "You can pretend to sit here and stare at that sunset for as long as you want, but you and I both know that's not what you're really lookin' at."

Natasha didn't look away from the tree line, "What are you talking about?"

Motioning his head towards the kids, the blonde said, "I see how you look at them."

"Naruto-"

"I think anyone that knows you, knows that that's what you want." He interrupted.

The spy finally turned to head to look at him, "And if you know me, you know I can't have it…even if I did."

"Then let me heal you."

"Naruto-"

"I never offered it to you before because I knew you needed to ask me. If I had asked, you'd have said no, no matter how much you actually wanted me to. So, I backed off and gave you space." Naruto reasoned quietly.

Natasha fought for the right words to say, "Naruto, I can't…why would you do that for me? If it's pity or somethi-"

Naruto shook his head as he said, "I'm not doing it out of pity, or anything stupid like that. I'm doing it because of that look I was talking about. You try and hide it, but after everything we've been through I can read you like a book. And it's because of everything that I know you'll never ask me, because you don't think you deserve it. That you don't deserve to have that happiness."

Wiping her eye, she said, "I really don't deserve it. Not after everything that happened. Not just with you, but…everything. I'm a monster."

"I've seen monsters, Natasha. I've seen the worst of the worst. And despite myself I can't think of you on the same level as them. You're like...three tiers below that. At least." Naruto, giving her a joking smile at the last part.

Natasha couldn't help but laugh. The two sat there for a moment, enjoying each other's company, something they both missed.

"I thought you said you were done with me?" Natasha finally asked.

"Yeah…I did. I guess you could call it a time out if you want." Naruto said with a shrug.

"And how many of these 'time outs' do I get?" She asked, her voice taking on a strange tone of hope.

He shrugged again, "I'll burn that bridge when I get there."

They entered another silence, before Natasha gave a sigh, "Just…let me think about it."

At that, the door behind them opened, "Hey Naruto are you sure…oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Laura asked, looking down at the two as they sat together on the steps.

Naruto got up, dusting off his pant legs as he said, "Whatcha need?"

Laura looked back and forth between the two before asking, "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night? We have an extra guest room, so it really isn't a bother."

"No, thank you I'm good. I'm actually gonna be heading out." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, okay." Laura said, disappointed. Walking up to him, she held her arms out for a hug goodbye, "Well be sure to come again, you're welcome anytime."

Bending down into the hug, Naruto said, "How can I not come back after that awesome dinner?" Leaning in, he whispered, "Maybe next time we'll watch The Parent Trap and you can pick up some tips?"

As Naruto leaned back, Laura gave him a parting kiss on the cheek. Patting the spot she'd peck, she said with a knowing smile, "We'll be sure to do that then."

Walking down the porch steps, Naruto called out, "Hey kids, I'm heading out!"

"Awww." Lila moaned, running up to the blonde and clutching his leg in a death grip, "You can't leave now! You only just got here."

Naruto rubbed her head as he said softly, "I'll be back, I promise."

"…you promise?" Lila asked, her voice muffled in Naruto's pant leg.

"Promise of a lifetime." Naruto answered, slowly pealing her off of him. Leaning down he gave her one last hug. Getting up he gave Cooper a fist bump, "I'll be seeing you later, kid."

"Could you show me how to throw those knives?" Cooper asked hopefully.

Before he could answer, he saw Laura give him the look only a wrathful mother could. His eyes on Laura he said in a loud, awkward tone, "No kid, knives are dangerous. Wait until you're older."

When Laura looked away, satisfied that Naruto had handled the situation, the ninja gave the kid a subtle okay gesture with a heavy wink.

Eventually, Naruto was able to walk up to his ship alone, giving one last wave goodbye as everyone seemed to decide to go inside. Turning to his ship, he said, "You can come out now."

The sound of flapping wings echoed before the one-eyed raven landed at Naruto's feet. Kneeling into a catcher's stance, he asked, "Well, what's your name?"

The raven tilted its head back and forth as it observed the blonde that towered over it. Finally, it opened its beak to respond, "Muninn."

"Well, Muninn. What do you want with me? You've been following me since Wakanda, right?" Naruto asked.

"I was asked to observe you by my master." Muninn informed the blonde, "He wished for me observe until the time he wanted to speak to you."

"And it's safe to assume that that time is now." Naruto guessed.

Muninn twitched its head in a nod, "That's correct."

Naruto stood up straight as he asked, "Who's your master then?"

"My master goes by many names. Lord of the Aesir, Spear Shaker, Wise One, the Raven King. But most know him as the King of Asgard and Protector of the Nine Realms." Muninn recited, "My master, my king, is Odin Borson."

"Well…shit." Naruto said in surprise, "What does the King of Asgard want with me?"

"Our king has a quest for you."

Naruto nearly jumped as a presence suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Standing next to him, draped in a simple long sleeved green gown, was Amora.

The Enchantress.

She seemed to have toned down her appearance in recent years, as she seemed to be trying desperately to come off as average as possible. As far as Naruto was concerned she'd failed in the attempt, because even with then she was still an unnaturally natural beauty. Then again, she was a goddess.

"Enchantress." Naruto greeted with clear caution.

"Don't let that bitch get to close, brat. I don't think I can deal with another visitor today My patience is running thin as it is." Kurama warned with a growl.

"I haven't gone by that name for a long time." Amora informed, "Not after that day."

Narrowing his eyes at the woman, he said, "What do you want?"

"As I said, our king has a quest for you." Amora repeated, "It's of the utmost importance."

"And why in Sage's name would I go anywhere with you?" The warrior demanded.

The Enchantress sighed, "I know that our past is…tricky, but I wouldn't be here if what my king requests of you wasn't important. If I had it my way, I'd have never shown my face to you again. But, I owe my king everything. So, I come before you, knowing that the only thing keeping you from wiping me off the face of the planet is your patience alone. Isn't that enough of a sign that I'm being sincere?"

"Not really." Kurama argued, not that she could hear him.

Naruto, thinking it over for several moments, eventually asked, "What's the request?"

"My king wishes to tell you that himself." Amora answered, "But, what I can tell you is that you are the only who can do what my king needs done."

"Why can't he do it?" Naruto demanded, "Isn't he supposed to be this all-powerful god or something?"

Amora frowned, "He has been…stripped of his power. He is weak and frail. He's…he's in no shape to do it."

"And what about Thor?"

"I can't say. I'll leave my king to explain why." Amora tried to reason.

Taking a thoughtful breath in, Naruto released it as he said, "Fine, let's go."

Amora slowly walked up to the blonde, Muninn flying up and landing on her shoulder. As she reached up to grab his arm, Naruto grabbed her forearm firmly, "If this is a trick, I won't be happy. Understand?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.

Wincing at the vice like grip around her arm, she nodded, "Yes, I understand."

Letting her go, Naruto quickly sealed the Kushina into its seal before saying, "Let's go."

"Right." Amora said weakly as she grabbed his arm.

A strange, otherworldly energy suddenly enveloped them, a flash of green lighting up the field. And then, in an instant, they were gone.

-x-

Waves crashed savagely against the towering cliff side, slowly but surely eroding it away with each and every mighty slap of water. Staring out into the horizon, an aged man sat on a cluster of boulders with a look of pure contemplation on his wrinkled face.

Smiling, he said, "Welcome, Naruto Uzumaki."

Looking around Naruto eyed the beautiful field with actual awe, he said, "And, where am I?"

It was Amora who answered as she walked to sit beside her king, "The Lofoten Islands. I took him here after I found him in New York a year ago."

"Why was he in New York?" Naruto asked.

Amora looked at her king, sadness in her eyes, "Loki exiled him, banishing him into a Manhattan retirement home through the use of spells I taught him. I managed to find him by chance and break the spells, but he's refused to leave his exile. So, I took him here. It's the closest thing to home I could find."

Odin, who seemed to have been ignoring the conversation going on about him, said wistfully, "My son…Loki, is a troubled boy. In his 1,500 years of life, he has lived in the shadow of others. But now, through my exile, I can give him the chance to be out of that shadow, no matter how short that may come to be. I consider it my last gift to him."

Naruto looked Odin over for a moment. He seemed…frail. He was wearing a loose set of beige clothes that hid his body, but his face was all he needed to see to know that he wasn't well.

"You're dying, aren't you?"

The elderly king chuckled, "Aren't we all?"

"How long do you have?" The Uzumaki asked slowly.

"Two years, seven months, two days." Odin said without hesitation.

"Okay," Naruto began, scratching his scalp, "Is that like, a guess or…?"

Odin laughed softly, "I suppose you could call it that. Though I can see many things, there are many things that are cloudy to me. You for instance. Or the future I see. Either way, I find that coming date very worrisome."

Continuing to scratch the back of his head, Naruto said, "Yeah I would too."

"It isn't my death that I find worrisome. No, no something else will happen on that day. What I see is foggy, mysterious, but in a way obvious. Something my death is a catalyst to." Odin claimed, "My death is the movement of a single cog among many, all working down the clock to life itself. That is what I see. Death."

"What does your death cause, exaclty?" Naruto asked, disturbed by the king's words.

"With my death, my power fades. My power is the only thing holding back the Executioner of Asgard. She will bring Asgard and its people to their knees with her power. She will slaughter anyone who gets in her way before she is stopped, if she can be stopped at all." Odin declared, "With my death, my eldest child will be released onto the world."

"You want me to fight your daughter when you die?" Naruto asked in slight disbelief, "Why don't you just ask Thor to do it? This seems like a family issue."

"Thor is mighty." Odin admitted, "But Hela…she is godly. In my prime I could barely defeat her. It was my weakness that allowed her to live, and it was my hubris that allowed me to assume I could hold her off forever. In my youth I assumed I would live eternally, and it wasn't until I grew too old, too weak, that I realized I'd been a fool. And now this new generation must live with my foolishness."

Naruto sighed, unable to resist finding the parallels between Odin and the Third Hokage. Both had allowed monsters to live and died regretting it, "What did she do? Your daughter, Hela, she had to have done something pretty terrible to make you feel this way about your own flesh and blood."

It was Amora who answered, "She committed an unspeakable act against Asgard."

"Unspeakable huh." Naruto muttered, "So what, you expect me to be on call until you finally pass on, so I can fight this super strong she-god, wherever it is she pops up?"

"No. We will send you into Hel as soon as you can, and you will find and destroy her within her prison." Amora corrected.

"And what the hell do I get out of any of this?" Naruto demanded, eyes squinted shut in scrutiny, "It seems to me like you assume I'll do it out the kindness of my heart or something."

"Your reward for completing Odin's quest is the location of the Reality Stone." Amora answered.

That caught Naruto off guard, "You know where it's at?"

Odin stood up from his seat, slowly walking up to much younger man, "Thor had managed to procure the Stone right before my exile. I didn't like the thought of having two Infinity Stones so close to each other, especially considering our previous security blunders. In secret, I ordered Thor and his posy to find someone who was capable of hiding the Reality Stone. While he managed to find someone, I believe I've found someone better." He said as he motioned to Naruto, "My sight has faded much in my old age. Your past and future are as blurry to me as the rest. But the bits I can make out, I know I'm making the right choice in choosing you to take on the quest."

As Odin rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder, the blonde looked into the All-Father's eye. In it, he could see the weight of his burden, that weight almost crushing him in his old age. Seeing that, he sighed.

Why not relieve some of that weight off?

"Okay. I'll do it."

-x-

Chapter Complete

-x-

Author's Note: A lot has happened in this chapter. I'd just like to say that Naruto, as me writing this, is not getting back together with Natasha right now. So, don't go around saying that's what I'm doing. That's really all I have to say, I'm a bit exhausted. Anyone with any questions they want directly answered should PM me, I always try and answer as soon as I can. Please REVIEW, FOLLOW, AND FAVORITE, don't be shy. You guys know I love you, I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter.