Grail bolted towards the clinic in a haste and her body went autopilot; she switched on the lights, prepped the operating table, and pulled out an ALS defibrillator from the corner of the operating room, just in time for Naruto to barge in with the unconscious alien girl resting in his arms. Once the blond laid the alien on the operating table, he took off his Armani leather jacket and tossed his Jaeger-LeCoultre Tourbillion watch aside.

"Grail! Stop spacing out and turn on that damn thing!" Naruto bellowed, his gaze fixated fiercely at the still-idle ALS defibrillator. Climbing atop the unconscious frame of the beautiful blonde girl, Naruto started performing CPR on the patient.

Despite working as a nurse in Naruto's clinic, Grail still wasn't used to handling exigent operations. It was nerve-wrecking for Grail when Naruto went into his 'doctor' mode, because he became a man who wouldn't tolerate any slip up; God knows how many scolding she endured from the blond when she couldn't find a proper vein in the patient's elbow pit for injection, but his stringent attitude made her stronger.

Swallowing down her trepidation and shaking off her trembling hands, she gave herself a determined nod and readied the defibrillator. "Doctor! 200 joules, ready!"

Naruto took the paddles and dexterously applied shock to the alien girl. "Again!"

Biting her lower lip anxiously, Grail watched in silent awe at Naruto resuscitating the alien, who looked awfully like Sara Underwood than E.T. Yes, Grail used to be an avid fan of Playboy magazines, but nobody could blame her for having such guilty pleasure, because if Naruto didn't carelessly leave stacks of those lewd stuff lying around the house like as if they were decors, she wouldn't have become a closet pervert. Don't judge.

"Grail, you're spacing out again! If you're not gonna be any help, then get out of my OR!"

Snapping out of her trance, Grail stood rigid. "I'm sorry, doctor! I -"

"I don't need your goddamn apologies! I want you to be focus!" Naruto exclaimed heatedly. "Get ECG prepared! Her pulse is coming back, but we need to monitor her heart rate."

"Yes!" Scrambling her way to the electrocardiograph, Grail switched it on, connected the electrodes to the machine, and skilfully placed the pads on Sara Underwood-lookalike's body. Naruto stood aside, observing Grail performing an excellent electrodes placement that even some junior doctors were inept at doing, and she wasn't even a medical student yet.

At that moment, Naruto did not see the monster Grail was born to be, but an aspiring soon-to-be doctor who would be saving countless lives in the future. He couldn't help but smile proudly; she wasn't that homicidal, deranged, and depressed twelve year old girl he adopted all those years ago. Grail had blossomed into something beautiful, and Naruto was glad to turn her life around.

Folding his arms, Naruto raised his chin and gazed at the electrocardiograph, analysing the report with narrowed eyes. "Grail, tell me what you think about her ECG."

Glancing at the data on the screen, Grail harrumphed, brushing strands of raven hair behind her ear. "The rhythm of her heart is too fast and erratic. It's definitely ventricular tachycardia, but her QT interval suggests torsades de pointes."

Arching a brow, Naruto gave Grail a flabbergasted look. Pacing around his small yet well-equipped operating room, the blond placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head. "You have been studying a lot, huh?"

Rubbing a finger across her nose, Grail smiled impishly and pumped out her chest with confidence. "Of course! I wasn't kidding when I said I want to be a doctor like you."

Ruffling her hair affectionately, Naruto grinned. "So, doctor, what do you suggest we do?"

Grail chuckled sheepishly. "I'm… actually not sure."

"You still have much to learn." The blond let out a sigh, but gave the girl a wink. "Go get magnesium sulphate ready."

"Yes, sir!" The daughter of Darkseid gave him a mock salute, stifled a giggle, and ran to the medicine cabinet. While Grail was occupied with her task, Naruto ambled towards the unconscious form of the alien and cupped a hand on her forehead, transmitting pulses of chakra into her body. When the blond had conceived the alien's physiology, he widened his eyes in astonishment and gasped. "W-What the -"

"Whoa! What's with this girl? She shares similar molecular structure like us, but…" Kurama frowned. "Is she a plant or what? Her cellular make-up carries photosynthetic properties. Can we call her… Plant Girl? Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Heh! Now that I think about it, she should definitely be the poster-girl for Plant vs Zombie, no?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, ignoring Kurama's playful snickers. "Doesn't her body's molecular structure reminds you of Hashirama Senju?"

"…Yeah. It sure does, but this one is different."

"We should -"

"Kill her."

Registering Kurama's abrupt request and the blatant venom laced in his cold voice, Naruto was dumbstruck. "What?"

"Kill her before she becomes the next Kaguya." There was no hint of playfulness in Kurama's words, just steel-hard conviction, something that Naruto wasn't used to hearing. "She's pretty docile now, huh? It's gonna be easy to slit her throat. Hell, she's not gonna feel anything anyway. You're a doctor, aren't you? Surely you know where her brachial artery is. One clean slice and we can grant her an easy death."

"Oi, Kurama, you -"

"We can't trust anybody to have such powers. Nobody should attain the power of gods. Put her down, Naruto, before she becomes a rabid dog."

"Kurama -"

"Are you hearing me? Kill her now or I'm gonna do it!"

"OI, KURAMA!"

"DON'T TALK BACK TO ME, NARUTO!" Kurama's furious roar wasn't just blind rage, because Naruto could feel fear and desperation emanating from his tone. "I can already foresee the mayhem this thing will wrought! In case you have forgotten, let me remind you! There were six billion people back in our world when Kaguya attacked! The Mugen Tsukuyomi hit more than 99 percent of the world's population! Let me do the math for you! That's 5.94 billion people dead and gone! And then it became some World War Z shit, because they all turned into zombies and started killing anything that moves!"

Naruto clenched his fists. "Kurama, listen -"

"No, you listen to me! You have seen what happens when someone wields absolute power."

"I wield absolute power, Kurama!"

"It's because you're different, Naruto!"

"What makes me so different from Kaguya? Huh?"

"Because unlike her, you have a conscience!"

Naruto pointed a finger at the unconscious alien. "And she doesn't?"

"Let me be frank with you, Naruto. If Grail led her life astray, I will put her down like a sick dog."

"KURAMA!"

"NARUTO!" Kurama was outright seething. "Don't you dare let your emotions cloud your judgement! Just because you're getting chummy with Grail, doesn't mean she isn't a monster! Her father is goddamn Darkseid! She has both the blood of an Amazon and a Dark God running in her veins! We both know what would happen if you didn't dive into her mind and seal her insanity away!"

Naruto hated to admit it, but he would go as far to say that Grail might become twice the monster her father was if there was nobody to bring light in her dreary life. Grail was born to be a harbinger of destruction, and if she was raised by her father, she would jolly well be a ruthless despot who cared for nobody but herself, but Naruto knew better.

The circumstances of her birth, along with the powers she was bestowed with, had nothing to do with what she was today. It was what she chose to do in her life that determined who she really was. Naruto could empathise with her, because like her, he was born a monster, but he overcame his horrid fate with sheer willpower, and so could she.

Naruto would not allow Grail to become a monster.

Taking in a deep breath, the blond regained his composure. "Then answer me this, Kurama. If I decided to wipe out humanity, will you put me down too?"

"…"

There was a moment of tense silence between Naruto and Kurama.

Neither spoke for a long time, but when Kurama broke into mischievous guffaws and squashed the tension between them, Naruto let out a breath of relief.

"I was just fucking around with you, bro. Chill out, dude! It's just a prank, bro!"

"Are you insane? I almost wanted to beat your ass for being such a dick!"

"Don't get so work up over a little teasing. You know me. I honestly don't care if this world goes to shit. Hell, I will be happily munching popcorn while watching the world burn. But you should seriously see your face just now. You were like so agitated when I went bat-shit insane about being self-righteous and all that. Ha, ha, ha!"

Naruto nursed his throbbing forehead. "Ha, ha, haaa… Fuck you."

"Toodaloo, mothafuc -"

The blond had to shut off his mind after getting punk'd from douchebag Kurama. He should know better than to believe that his happy-go-lucky tenant has even a shred of compassion for the wellbeing of the world; Kurama was too jaded and apathetic to take anything seriously.

"Doctor! Hello! Earth to Naruto!" Grail waved her hand in front of Naruto's daze eyes. "You're the one who reprimanded me about spacing out, but here you are, spacing out like a fool! Hello!"

Suddenly, Naruto's hand shot out and caught Grail's wrist, startling her in the process. "Whoa! Can you not? I almost got a heart attack!"

"Have you prepared the dosage of the magnesium sulphate?"

Grail rolled her eyes, her scowl was still plastered on her features. "Yes. I'm not an amateur."

"Stop rolling your eyes." The blond took the syringe from her grasp. "It's impolite."

Inspecting the needle, Naruto snuck a glance at Grail, who was scribbling down notes on her clipboard and recording data from the ECG.

"Jokes aside, I wasn't kidding when I said you're getting soft, because if she did become a monster, will you have the heart to put her down?"

Diana leaned into her leather chair, scrutinising the pile of files scattered on her desk with frosty gaze. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she seized her glass of Macallan 55-year-old whiskey, gave it a weary sniff, and took an appreciative sip. The soothing melody of Martha Argerich's Beethoven Concerto No. 1 was playing from the speakers situated at the corner of Diana's tenebrous office, and the empowering music enhanced the fragrance and taste of her liquor.

"I am not in the mood to read through all these. Explain it to me briefly, Artemis. Make sure not to leave out the important bits."

Artemis adjusted the tie of her suit and straightened herself. "According to the report, Naruto Uzumaki appears out of nowhere twenty years ago. He was a Harvard graduate who went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army's Medical Corps. He was a field surgeon, serving the Navy SEALs for eight years. After getting discharged from army, he went to the Middle East, North Africa, and subsequently South Asia to be a rural doctor, helping and saving the unfortunate."

Raising a curious brow, Diana chuckled. "Did he preach the gospel while he was at it?"

"No, he didn't, milady." Artemis cleared her throat, not really comprehending her mistress's attempt on cracking a joke. "His work ethics and performance in the army were beyond excellent. He would have been the next Army Surgeon General if he didn't choose resignation. However, there is something suspicious and disconcerting about his… records."

The Princess of Themyscira raised a brow. "Oh? How so?"

"During his time in the army, he was dispatched to Afghanistan to rescue and treat wounded soldiers. However, in one of his many rescue missions, he and four of his men were ambushed by a squadron of Taliban troops. Uzumaki and his squad were trapped inside a tunnel. There was no way five measly soldiers can possibly take down two hundred and fifty-six armed insurgents."

Diana swirled her glass of vintage whiskey and crossed her slender legs. "And?"

"The reports were classified as top secret, but I managed to uncover some truth behind it. Apparently, there is a documentary from one of the soldiers sent to rescue Uzumaki and his squad. He said that upon their arrival to the battlefield, the desert was, and I quote, 'a graveyard of maimed corpses'. Some of the soldiers who saw what happened suffered severe PTSD and were sent to mental asylums."

Arching a curious brow, Diana gazed up at a bemused Artemis. "Are you telling me… he killed all two hundred and fifty-six Taliban soldiers?"

"…According to the report, it is heavily implied that Uzumaki was the one who single-handedly slaughtered the insurgents with his bare hands."

"Bare hands?" The princess was staring in disbelief at her assistant.

Artemis nodded grimly. "I found numerous reports of such bizarre incidents that are currently ushered into the 'don't ask' section in the U.S. Military's archives. The peculiar thing about this is that Uzumaki happens to be the centre of it. Milady, do you think he is a metahuman?"

Stroking her chin, Diana frowned. "Find out why he was discharged from army, what he did during his travels, and why did he return to Metropolis."

Grabbing her Bentley's key fob, Diana stood up from her seat, stalked towards a petrified Artemis, and cupped her assistant's chin; Artemis felt vulnerable whenever her princess stared at her with her predatory, yet beautiful sapphire blue eyes. It was as if Diana was peering into her soul. "I'll be back. Be sure to get me my regular Starbucks. You know I like it hot, right?"

"Y-Yes, milady." Artemis's lips were trembling and she was yearning to be touched by her mistress.

Diana grinned before she strode past the bewildered Artemis.

Some say God's wrath was scarier than a nuclear holocaust, because if He desired, He could make the monsters from Pacific Rim come to life and watch the beasts chomp down civilisations. If God is a fan of George Miller's work, He could even turn the world into a giant wasteland just to make Mad Max a reality, provided that He is a movie junkie.

So, that comes down to one fundamental question: is God wrathful?

Jim Corrigan could answer that question, because he was The Spectre, a persona of God's untamed rage, bequeathed with the power to annihilate all of creations if it was justifiable. In the day, he did God's work by saving people as a doctor, but when the sun fell behind the horizon, he did God's work by terminating evil as an executioner. Donned in a green cloak, Jim oversaw the skyline of metropolis, a city that looked very much like a jungle of great monoliths that were built by glass and concrete.

Taking a puff from his Cohiba cigar, Jim took in the night breeze and narrowed his eyes. "What brings you here, Stranger?"

The Phantom Stranger was someone nobody wanted to see in a night alley, because his top hat and eerie white eyes, coupled with his gruff voice that was deeper than Liam Neeson's, could intimidate even the A-Team. Tipping his hat, the Phantom Stranger grinned. "The usual business. I see that you are doing well, Spectre."

"Your presence always means trouble." Jim sighed. "Surely you didn't come here on your own accord just to have a friendly chit-chat with me. The last time you come to me, I have to go to the Sudan and terminate a covert human-trafficking operation. What does Big-Man-Upstairs want this time?"

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, the Phantom Stranger shook his head. "It seems to me that exercising your role as the Spectre has put a toll on you, no? Do you despise your job that much?"

"Don't get me wrong, Stranger. Any scumbag, any criminal, any rotten piece of junk that I put down, I didn't do it because it was my job. I did it because I like it!" Jim exclaimed, green fire were radiating from his eyes as he grinned darkly. "Hell, I love it! I'll do it again if I have to."

The Phantom Stranger let out a hollow chuckle. "I'm glad that you like your job. I won't beat about the bush any longer than I should. The Boss wants me to deliver a message to you."

"What is it?"

"Back off."

The embodiment of God's wrath furrowed his brows. "What?"

"He knows what you're trying to do with Naruto Uzumaki. He does not want you, or anybody for the matter, to interfere. Walk away from the chessboard… while you still can."

"Walk away?" Placing a hand on his hip, Jim took a puff from his cancer stick, a dangerous grin was formed on his features. "Everybody is born to follow a script. I am destined to be the Spectre, as well as the CEO of Paragon Metropolis Hospital. You were destined to be a betrayer. We all are born with a purpose and nobody is to be left out from God's plan, but do you know what intrigue me, Stranger?"

The Phantom Stranger was confused, so Jim elaborated, "He has no plans for Naruto Uzumaki. It's like free-play for the guy. The Boss did not plan a destiny for him. He did not write a script for him. Hell, He did not even permit his residency in this universe from the get-go, because he does not belong here. Why is that so? I do not know, and I don't think we will even come close to know what goes in His mind, but one thing is for sure."

Jim crossed his hands. "Someone must tie a leash around Naruto Uzumaki's neck. He does not exist within the spectrum of the natural order and his existence in this universe is causing frightening disruption in a global scale. He is changing people's fate unknowingly, tearing up the script that God has made for every one of us, and undoing His work, which begs the question: why hasn't God destroyed him?"

The Phantom Stranger shook his head. "That is not up to us to know. Our duty -"

"There is no 'us' between you and me, Judas. Let's makes one thing clear. Your duty is to tell the Boss that there is a bogeyman living in the closet. That has always been your role." The Spectre tilted his head, a malicious smirk curled up at his lips. "I'm the guy the Boss hires to kill the bogeyman. Right now, Naruto Uzumaki is the bogeyman."

"Why are you so fascinated with Naruto Uzumaki? You were never like this to your targets before. Why now?"

"Stop digging, Stranger." Jim scowled. "It's starting to piss me off."

The Phantom Stranger shook his head. "Perhaps the one who should be kept in check… is you, Spectre."

It was at that moment an overwhelming pressure slammed upon the Phantom Stranger's shoulders, almost sending him to his knees, but he withstood it.

"Have you lose anybody? People that you care about. People that you loved."

The Phantom Stranger clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything.

"I guess not, so don't talk like you know me."

"Everybody lost someone. That doesn't give you the right to defy the Lord."

The Spectre scoffed. "Do you know why Naruto Uzumaki interests me so much? He is like me. A man who lost too much. A man who understood how unjust the world is. A man who is alone and confused. Like me, he possesses transcendental powers, yet he showed so much restraint. Like me, he chose to be a doctor, despite all the odds stacked against him. But, do you know something?"

Thunderclouds from perdition swirled in the night sky, threatening to burst into an array of lightning. Jim glanced up, the intensity of his umbrage was matching the ferocity of the coming storm. "He is one bad day away from becoming a monster like me."

The Phantom Stranger growled. "Spectre, if you go against His orders, you'll pay -"

Abruptly, Jim thrust his hand forward and did a choke-like gesture, as if imitating Darth Vader's infamous force choke. The Phantom Stranger sank into his knees, clawing at his neck to pry off the force to no avail. "Do not threaten me, Stranger. I will not kill Naruto Uzumaki. Where is the fun in that? No, I will manipulate him to do my bidding. I will make him my toy. If you dare interfere with my plans, I will make God's wrath looks like thanksgiving dinner compare to mine!"

Naruto wakes up every morning just to complete one simple routine: push-ups. He would be topless and sweaty as he performed two set of thousand Bruce Lee's one finger push-ups with a 120 kilogram barbell resting on his back. It was without a doubt that the blond was built like a brick shithouse, with scars emblazoned on his body as if they were medals.

Grail was a healthy woman, so she wouldn't let up the chance of watching Naruto do his thing, but she was anything but unproductive. Dressed in just her pyjamas, she would sat on the couch with her Gibson classical guitar resting on her lap. She might be the daughter of a nefarious god, but it was her angelic voice that surprised Naruto.

Till this day, if the blond didn't know any better, he might mistook her voice for Mariah Carey's, because when she sang, he couldn't help but be amazed.

The hypnotic sound of her guitar reverberated throughout the living room as Grail lost herself into the sweet strums of her music, playing Birdy's variant of Skinny Love in the warm morning ray.

"Come on, skinny love, just last the year~"

"Pour a little salt… we were never here~"

"My my my, my my my, my my my my…~"

"Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer~"

"I tell my love to wreck it all…~"

"Cut out all the ropes and let me fall~"

"My my my, my my my, my my my my my…~"

"Right in the moment this orders'… tall~"

"And I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine, and I told you to be balanced, and I told you to be kind, in the morning I'll be with you, but it will be a different kind~"

"Cause I'll be holding all the tickets, and you'll be owning all the fines~"

Naruto completed his routine and let out a sigh of content. Seizing the towel on the coffee table, the blond sat beside Grail and wiped his sweats. "I see someone is up and early?"

Putting her guitar aside, Grail smiled. "I don't sleep in."

"Not even on a Saturday? Did you even listen to Rebecca Black's song?"

The daughter of Darkseid rolled her eyes. "I'm more into the classics."

Naruto pinched Grail's nose playfully and chuckled. "Did you check on the patient before you come down?"

"Yeah. Her vitals are stable." She stretched her limps and let out a yawn. "Unlike you, I actually take my job very seriously."

Grasping his chest, Naruto looked genuinely hurt; if Grail didn't know any better, she might think the blond had graduated from Yale's School of Drama, not Harvard's Medical School. "How can you pick on me like that, Grail? I am your teacher! I'm the goddamn doctor of this clinic! You are my employee, yet I get treated like dog shit! My heart… is aching so much!"

Grail punched Naruto's bicep and giggled. "Go audition for a role in Hollywood, drama-queen."

"I should, actually." The blond stroked his chin, as if taking the idea seriously. "Maybe I could be the next Indiana Jones! I have the looks, the muscles, and the charm to pull it off."

"More like landing a role in a reboot version of Brokeback Mountain."

Naruto raised his fist, as if attempting to bonk her on the head. "Do you want to die? Huh!"

Grail let out a cheery guffaw and a light-hearted chuckle escaped Naruto's lips. He enjoyed mornings like that. There were no worries and no weight on his shoulders, just bliss. All he needed now was a bowl of hot miso ramen and a cup of coffee and he would be invigorated for the day. Folding his muscular arms, Naruto cleared his throat; he knew Grail was dedicated to be a doctor, but there was something he had always wanted to ask her.

"Why do you want to be a doctor, Grail?"

Taken aback by Naruto's sudden question, Grail blinked quizzically. "…What?"

"Is it because I'm so awesome that it rubs off on you?"

"You know why I want to be a doctor," Grail said, almost like a whisper as she tucked her hands behind her knee.

Naruto leaned back into his seat and smiled sadly. "Your mother's death is not your fault."

"You don't know that!" Grail averted her gaze. "I don't want to discuss about this."

"Running away from a problem is not going to solve anything."

The daughter of Darkseid growled. "I'm not running away! Don't you dare accuse me of that!"

"Then answer my question. Why do you want to be a doctor?"

"If I were a doctor like you, she wouldn't have died!" Her eyes were bloodshot, but she stifled the urge to weep. She was done showing her vulnerability to anyone. It had been six years since her mother's tragic passing, but time didn't heal her wounds. For the sake of protecting her sanity, her pain got lessen, but it was never truly gone, leaving an emotional scar behind to remind her what she had been through and survived.

In life, there were so many what-ifs to Grail; if only she could tell her beloved mother how much she loved her when she had the chance, if only she could be stronger and save her mother from their assailants, if only she could hear her mother nagging at her again about doing the laundry, and if only she could express how thankful she was to her mother for being there for her, but she knew better. There were no what-if.

The blond draped a hand over Grail's slender shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Being a doctor is a blessing and a curse, Grail. We aren't gods. We can't save everybody. You were only fourteen when that incident happened. She did what any mother would do for her child."

"I told myself that too. I tried not to blame myself, I -" Grail took in a sharp breath and wiped a tear from her right eye. "I told myself that if I were stronger, I could change things. I am strong now, but I still can't change the past. If my good-for-nothing father put in some effort to find me, mom wouldn't have died! If I -"

"Grail," Naruto interjected. "If being a doctor is something that keeps you breathing, then by all means, go for it. But, if you have lived your life blaming yourself like that, thinking about a thousand 'what-ifs', you wouldn't be the compassionate, kind, and full-of-energy Grail that I know today."

Instead of taking the compliment, Grail was frustrated. "Do you have to make that point now?"

"...Yes." Naruto replied bluntly.

"Yes?" Grail stared at him incredulously, offended by how lightly he was perceiving her plight.

"Your past is eating you, Grail. I don't want to see you miserable and ruining your life like that."

Clenching her fists, Grail released a seething breath. "I'm trying to take responsibility for my mom's death and you think that will ruin my life?"

Naruto straightened himself. "How do you want to take responsibility of your mom's death? Do you think the guy who sent those assassins after you and your mom will feel remorse after what happened? Do you want to catch that guy and force an apology out of his throat? Is that it?"

"Yes." Grail gritted her teeth.

"That guy probably sleeps like a baby after doing such horrible things. I would know because I was once an assassin myself." Naruto said. "But I told you before, didn't I? A sincere apology comes with appropriate compensation. Sorry is easy to say. Giving appropriate compensation is the tough part. People just don't like giving compensation, Grail."

"That's why I'm gonna find that guy responsible for everything!"

"And what are you going to do after that?"

Grail turned to Naruto, her eyes were burning with murderous rage. "I'm going to kill him."

The blond looked away and let out a frustrated growl. The vengeful wrath in Grail's eyes were so similar to Sasuke's. He had seen first-hand what kind of damages such blind and unchecked wrath could inflict on a person. Sasuke went down a dark path of solitude, trying to avenge his deceased family at all cost, because the hope of acquiring vengeance was the reason why he had the strength to wake up every morning, but it turned him into a sociopath too.

"That's why I want to be a doctor, Naruto. That job is my saving grace. Saving people as a doctor is going to preserve my sanity when I slaughter that bastard. In order to beat monsters, I have no choice but to be one too."

Unexpectedly, Naruto responded without haste. "Your mother will not want you to carry hatred in your heart, Grail."

Grail scoffed. "How can you assume what my mother wants for me?"

"Because all sane parents would only want happiness for their children."

That statement almost broke Grail's resolve, but in the midst of her frustration and anguish, she couldn't bring herself to agree to it.

"Don't tell me to forgive those bastards who killed my mother." Grail clenched her fists. "I will never be able to do it."

"I'll kill that bastard for you." Naruto responded coldly. "Will that be sufficient?"

Grail bit her lips. "Naruto, I -"

"Give me some time. I'll help you find the assholes responsible for this mess. I can't have people around me suffer like this. And I sure as hell don't want you to soil your hands like that." Naruto held Grail's soft hands and rubbed it affectionately. "Let me help you carry some of your burden."

Rolling her eyes, Grail looked solemnly at the blond. "You really are smart, aren't you? Do you think I'll give up just because you said things like that to me?"

"You're smart too. I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to imply." Naruto placing a comforting hand on Grail's shoulder and said, "Revenge, destruction, schemes… I'm not that type of person who would get caught up by something like that. I told you that I wasn't from this universe. I told you what happened to my family and friends back in my world. It's killing me not knowing what happened to my wife and unborn child, but I'm not going to fall into misery. I'm not going to give up eating, caring for others, or treating patients just because I met stumbling blocks in my life."

Naruto felt as if his age had caught up to him, but he presented a brave and vibrant smile to Grail. "Time is precious to me, Grail. And it is precious enough for me to cherish the things I did today. To me, I live my life telling myself that there's no tomorrow, because the world doesn't change for me or you. We could die tomorrow, that's why living at this moment is what matters. Your mother doesn't want you to live your life in constant misery. She would want you to be happy."

"But that's how I live."

"I know it takes time to let go off that anger, trust me for someone who knows, so I won't ask you to stop thinking about it, but remember this." Naruto ruffled her hair. "I'll always be here to help you."

What is hell? Some say everybody is living it. To Kara Zor'El, she concurred to that in a heartbeat, because she was forced to watch haplessly as her parents sacrificed their lives just to ensure she gets to live. If that wasn't hell, Kara didn't know what was, so when she woke up from an alluring voice that sounded like it was from an angel, she thought the nightmare she lived in was over.

Kara found herself lying on a pine framed bed. Climbing out of the bed, she shielded her eyes from the brilliant amber piercing through the casement window. Surveying her environment wearily, she noticed the bedroom was furnished with a meagre budget, yet it carried a warmth that reminded her of home.

It was then she realised that she just woke up to a nightmare called reality.

Noticing the soothing song had abruptly halted, replaced by what seemed to be a heated argument between a man and a woman, Kara kept a vigilant gaze around her environment before she approached the doorknob. She was scared out of her wits and the flutters in her chest wouldn't stop, but she had to push through, so she pulled open the door and sauntered towards the commotion.

When she reached the living room, she was greeted by a man with short unkempt hair. "W-Where am I?"

The blond smiled. "I'm glad that you're able to speak our language, giving the fact that you're clearly not local. That makes things a whole lot easier. Anyway, this is my house. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way. You are…?"

"…Kara Zor-El. Is this planet… by any chance… called Krypton?" Kara asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Krypton?" Naruto arched a brow. "Never heard of it."

Kara collapsed into her knees and stared with wide-eyes at the floor. Her world had just stopped moving and everything seemed to be falling apart.

"This is Earth. Judging by your reaction and the fact that you're not from around here, I would assume your world is gone." Naruto raked a hand through his messy golden hair and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Balling her quavering fists, Kara glanced up and glared furiously at Naruto. "Y-You're sorry? What do you know about my pain? WHAT DO YOU KNOW?"

Grail was startled by Kara's outburst, but Naruto was unfazed. He was calm, despite the lamenting blonde verbally abusing him with her native tongue. Plopping down beside the infuriated Kara, he crossed his legs and lifted his chin, offering her a gentle smile. "It hurts, doesn't it? Not knowing what to do next. Not knowing why God cruelly take away the people you loved and cherished? Not knowing how to face all this."

Naruto took in a deep breath. "Believe me, I understand what you're going through. You didn't just lost your family and friends. You lost your norm of life. You lost the peace and bliss you share with those around you, and when everything is cruelly taken away from you, you blame yourself for not cherishing it more than you should when you have it."

The reminiscence used to break Naruto, but his tears were all dried up. He was never a man of angst, so he could not tolerate being down. Besides, he didn't want Kurama to be sad because of him. "I, too, lost many things, and like you, I lost my parents, my friends, the people I cared about… and even my world too. Everything is gone, and you suddenly find yourself alone and empty."

Hot tears were streaming from Kara's eyes as she glanced up pleadingly at Naruto to stop. Clutching her chest, she let out a wail of despair, the agony in her heart suddenly become smothering, suffocating her and rendering her mortified. She was struggling to breathe, and in that moment, she hoped she wasn't.

"You just want everything to be over. You just want… to die." The blond smiled sorrowfully. "The butterflies in your chest, the turmoil in your brain, and the tremendous weight on your shoulders… you just want them all to be gone. And then depressive questions started bombarding you. Why? Why must I suffer like this? Why must I go through so much pain? Why can't I stop hurting? Why me?"

Naruto pulled Kara to a tight embrace, brushing the back of her hair with gentle tenderness. She tried to hammer her fists at his back, desperately venting out her frustration, but her fatigue and despondence overwhelmed her senses. She slowly sank into his warm chest, sobbing harder and harder, screaming till her voice broke, and clenching her fists so tight she dug bloody trenches from her palm.

"I'm not going to tell you everything is going to be okay, because to you, it won't be." Naruto cooed into her ear. "But I will promise you this. As long as I live, I won't let you suffer this pain alone. I won't let you go through what I went through. If you're unhappy, tell me and I'll cry with you till the sun rises. If you want a hug, I'll hold on to you until you fall asleep. If you want someone to talk to, I'll be more than happy to chat with you till the winter comes."

Kara stifled her sobs, allowing the blond to wipe the tears staining her redden cheeks. "W-Why? Why do you care so much? I'm nobody to you!"

Naruto shook his head and he offered her a bright smile. "Loneliness is a terrible poverty that nobody should go through. I endured one too many to know what it's like to smile when I'm sad, that's why I don't want anybody to go through it, because that pain could drive anybody insane. I won't let you go through it, Kara."

The Kryptonian stared blankly at the blond. "Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep."

"I never break a promise."

Grail sighed heavily and squatted beside Kara. "All that crying must have made you hungry. I'll bring you upstairs to get you washed up. In the meanwhile, Naruto can cook us breakfast."

The blond pouted. "Oh? You're the big boss now?"

"Stop bitching, Naruto!" Grail chided, hoisting Kara to her feet. "Go cook us some ramen before I get the squirrel from Ice Age to bite your nut-sacks off!

Naruto would have slapped Grail's forehead for her impudence if she wasn't carrying a distraught Kara. When the girls had left the living room, the blond let out a chuckle and shook his head, his hands were on his waist. "That girl would be the death of me."

"You are a death of me too."

"Shut up, fluff."

"W-What? What did you just call me? Are you itching for a beating? COME DOWN HERE AND LET ME SHOVE THIS LAMP POST UP YOUR -"

"Shutting off communication." Naruto grinned.

"Oi! OI! DON'T YOU DARE PUSSY OUT -"

The blond smiled and ambled to the kitchen. "No matter what, tomorrow will be better."

A red Bentley Continental GT pulled over right beside the porch of Naruto's countryside house. When the engine died down, Diana stepped out of her expensive convertible and removed her Prada sunglasses, gazing nonchalantly at the morning sun. As if on cue, the iPhone in her pocket started buzzing.

She pulled the device out, took a brief glance at the caller ID, and picked up the call. "Yes?"

After listening to what she was told, confusion was plastered on her beautiful features. "You want me to kill Naruto Uzumaki?"

Author note: Thanks for the warm support. I'm glad to know that you guys like the whole notion of Naruto being a doctor. Anyway, I know that some of you readers are concern about my status and why didn't I update some of my stories. Truth is, I'm currently working and studying at the same time. I'm only writing when I got time to spare, but don't worry, because writing is a passion to me, so I'm not going to stop writing.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, DC Comics, and the song 'Skinny Love' by Birdy/Bon Iver.

Pairings:
1.) NarutoXDiana
2.) NarutoXGrail
3.) NarutoXBarda
4.) NarutoXPoison Ivy
5.) NarutoXKara
6.) NarutoXHarem

Drop a review and let me know what you think!