The Crimson Speedster

by choejhulkp9

Barry Allen AKA the Flash wasn't the only one who was affected by the particle accelerator. He and Star Labs find another speedster who has similar powers to Barry, yet he's a bit different. Watch as the Scarlet Speedster joins the Crimson Speedster possibly join forces and protect Central City. Naruto x Linda x ?

8. Impulse vs the White Snake

Here is Chapter 8. After the discovery of what Naruto's father actually did for the Nine, he and Jiraiya head to Starling City to stop Orochimaru from leaving and disappearing. Lucky for them, Naruto has some friends in Starling who might be able to help but he learns that Orochimaru has one of his old friends under his control. Hopefully Naruto can get through this and not come out a different person. Enjoy!

Also new, I decided on who Naruto would look like and that's Shannon Kook, but a little taller and more muscle built. For those that don't know who he is, he played Jordan Green on the Hundred and he's been in a bunch of other shows and movies. He's a Half-Asian and Half-South African actor. It felt like a good idea for Naruto because I just felt a full Asian actor who was blonde would look a little weird. I'm Asian-American, being Korean (Korean BBQ is the best food ever, Praise us) I just personally felt that a spiky haired blonde ninja with whisker marks would be mixed. Granted, not all the characters in Naruto look Japanese/Asian so this kind of gave me a little lee-way but it's also a manga/anime so take that into consideration. Not everyone will be happy with this decision but if you don't like it, just imagine your Naruto as whoever you think he would be. This is just how I imagined a real-life Naruto-ish character would look like.

Impulse vs. The White Snake

Late March 2015-Naruto Age-23

Central City, STAR Labs

The mood in STAR Labs seemed to dip in the negative spectrum after Jiraiya arrived and gave Naruto the last piece of the puzzle to his parents' mysterious work that got them killed. There work for the Nine resulted in the criminal world's equivalent of the boogeymen getting metahuman powers. As if regular criminals weren't bad enough, now they had powers that let them do god knows what. And not only that, they had eight extra meta-serums out there right now and could be building up an army. Honestly the thought made his stomach turn. He couldn't blame his parents; they had no idea who they were working for and in trying to expose the Nine they were killed. It was up to Naruto to stop them or else his parents sacrifice would have been for nothing.

It had been 24 hours since the revelation, and he was currently in his personal lab going over the information on his dad's data packet on the Nine and the meta-serum he created. From he could tell, the method of how they got their powers might be different, but the underlying cause of the mutation was the same as Barry's or Linda's powers meaning they most likely had the same meta-gene and that gave him an idea. Jiraiya walked down the hallway and entered Naruto's lab and was greeted with a familiar sight he used to see whenever he visited Minato: sheets of paper all over the place, schematics and formulas written on whiteboards, a garbage can filled with old food scraps, and a recycling can with paper.

"Wow, just like your dad. Smart people really are slobs." Jiraiya said, walking into the room to see Naruto working on something by his desk with his tools.

"That's the tradeoff for all geniuses. We're messy." Naruto replied, using an electrical coder to fix some wires. Jiraiya walked around the lab and saw some armored gauntlets that caught his eye. They were attached to some kind of power source and when Jiraiya picked them up, he noted they were lighter than he originally thought. He looked them over and saw the high-tech palm base and knew these weren't regular gauntlets. "Please don't touch those. They are dangerous."

"What are they?" Jiraiya asked, picking them up and looking them over.

"Armored gauntlets with a high-resonance energy channel that fires high-density energy blasts." Naruto explained, fixing some wiring on the device. He didn't need to look back to know that Jiraiya was confused. "They're high-tech energy repulsor gauntlets."

"Then why didn't you just say that?" Jiraiya asked causing Naruto to exhale in exhaustion. He looked over the gauntlets and seemed pretty interesting. The metal was light-weight yet looked sturdy and durable and if Naruto was telling the truth then having energy blaster gauntlets might come in handy. He slipped one of the gloves on and it fit nicely. He flexed his fingers and the armored gauntlet felt pretty good in his hands. He saw one of the wires connected to the gauntlet had a button on it, so he grabbed it only for Naruto to speak.

"Please don't press that button. The repulsor gauntlets are pretty dangerous." Naruto warned him.

"Oh, please kid. I've handled everything from swords and sniper rifles to rocket launchers. I think I can handle your little gauntlet." Jiraiya pressed the button and the palm base on the gauntlet powered up. It trembled a bit before a small mechanical whine could be heard that indicated the repulsor beam was ready to fire and it did. Jiraiya had his palm facing the ceiling so the repulsor beam fired into the roof, blasting a large hole and the shockwave knocked him onto his ass like he was sucker punched. "Oh, crap."

"I told you." Naruto commented. He got out of his seat and picked up the repulsor gauntlet before putting it back onto the table and reconnecting the wire. "I had them set to the highest setting, so the blast is both powerful and concussive. Even with your enhanced strength, you weren't expecting it."

"Just how powerful is that thing?" Jiraiya asked, getting back to his feet.

"At the highest setting, it could punch through an Abrams Tank and blast a missile out of the sky. But again, the recoil of the blast is the discerning factor here." Naruto told him. "Not to mention the energy needed to power that blast would then take forever to recharge."

"Not a problem for a speedster who can run faster than the speed of sound." Jiraiya pointed out. "All right, what did you find out kid?"

"Well, since you told me that Orochimaru was heading for Starling city to finish up some business before he leaves the country, I began checking anything out of the ordinary and I got something from the SCPD. Several high-ranking members of criminal organizations have disappeared only to subsequently reappear a few days later but dead and their deaths weren't pleasant." Naruto brought up the police and coroner reports and unpleasant was an understatement. The bodies were mangled and torn apart like they were attacked by an animal or run through a food mulcher set on chunkify.

"That's Orochimaru all right. I've run into enough of his messes to recognize his handy work. He doesn't exactly believe in subtle." Jiraiya told him.

"Well, it's about to backfire on him. You said he leaves in four days which gives us that much time to find him. Lucky for us, I happen to have someone in Starling who can help." Naruto told him.

"I hope whoever you have is well trained and has an army as well. Orochimaru is one of the leaders of the Nine so you can bet he'll have an army there as backup not to mention whatever powers he got from your dad's Meta-serum." Jiraiya said. "We should get your speedy boss to help us."

"First of all, Barry isn't my boss/leader and I'm not his sidekick. We're partners. God why is that so hard for everyone to understand. And second, I'm not involving them in this. Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, Linda, and Dr. Wells are staying out of this." Naruto told him.

"Kid, we could use some super-powered backup." Jiraiya pointed out.

"So, what? I'm chopped liver all of a sudden. I don't want to get them involved in this for their own safety. If I have to have a target on my back because of the Nine, then fine but not them. They're innocent in this. This is my problem and my dad tasked us to finish it. We keep this in the family." Naruto told him once again. "Besides, I have something to even the odds against Orochimaru."

Naruto tossed the old man a thick metal cufflink. Jiraiya looked it over and it seemed to be a regular black colored cufflink or bracelet, but he knew there was something else. "What is it?"

"What you're looking at is a Meta-human power dampening cuff." Naruto told him, putting it on Jiraiya's left wrist and locked it into place. When it locked in place a blue light appeared on the device "I managed to isolate the meta-gene that gave me, Barry, and Linda our powers and it turns out that same gene is present in you as well, so I built this to suppress that gene. Essentially, it's bombarding that particular gene with enough subdermal radiation which is preventing you from using your powers."

"You're kidding." Jiraiya said only for Naruto to hand him a wrench. He attempted to break it in half or at least crush it up but found he couldn't. "Son of a bitch."

Naruto chuckled as he watched Jiraiya continue to try and bend the wrench, but his super strength was gone. "There's also this." Naruto stomped on Jiraiya's foot.

"OW!" Jiraiya shouted in pain, dropping the wrench on his other foot and hurting himself. "SON OF A BITCH! THAT HURT! Wait a second…that hurt."

"I told you. Your meta-gene is suppressed which means you don't have your powers. No super strength and no super durability." Naruto unlocked the power dampening cuff with a special USB stick key and Jiraiya felt his powers come back and the pain go away. "We put this on Orochimaru then he's back to be being a Yakuza scumbag. This will tip the fight in our direction and once we do that Orochimaru's finished."

"Sounds good to me." Jiraiya said. "All right. Give me that cuff and the name of your contact and I'll head to Starling."

"You mean, we'll head to Starling. I'm coming with you." Naruto told him, turning his computer off and grabbing his travel bag.

"Kid, believe me I can handle it now that you made that power dampening cuff. You don't need to come. Stay here, live your life and let me finish this." Jiraiya told him with a deep tone of familial love.

"If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I heard some concern in your voice." Naruto said.

"This isn't a joke, kid. Let me handle this. Orochimaru doesn't know about you yet and the rest of the Nine still think you know nothing. Let's keep it that way. If you keep digging, they will come after you." Jiraiya warned them.

"Let them come. I'm sick of this waiting and clawing for clues. I have a real shot at getting the bastard who ordered the death of my parents and I'm not running away from that now." Naruto said.

"I'm serious, Naruto. You do this, you may very well go a hole you can't crawl out of. Believe me, I know." Jiraiya tried to reason with him.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Jiraiya. I'm old enough to make my own decisions and understand the consequences of them and I've already made up my mind. This is not just your fight. It became mine the second those bastards went after my parents and I don't plan to stop until they get justice." Naruto told him. "Now, if you wouldn't mind grabbing that crate in the corner and meeting me in the cargo bay. We've got a train to catch."

Jiraiya couldn't seem to argue with Naruto and did as he was asked and grabbed the large crate in the corner. Normally, you'd need a dolly or some kind of cart to move something that big and heavy but he easily picked it up and carried it out of the lab. Naruto grabbed his STAR labs tablet and placed it in his bag before grabbing some spare tools and walked to the door when he stopped himself. He walked over and placed his repulsor gauntlets in his bag just in case. He walked into the cortex and took his suit and goggles off the mannequin and placed it in the bag before grabbing some extra high-energy/calorie protein bars.

"Going somewhere?" He heard and turned around to see Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Linda, and Dr. Wells gathered together in the Cortex.

"I'm heading to Starling City for a few days." Naruto told them, grabbing a spare med kit from the lab and putting it into his pack.

"Then why are you taking this with you?" Linda walked up to him and pulled out a kunai knife from his back pocket. It was the same knife Mizuki tried to use to kill him.

"Starling City's a dangerous place. It pays to have something to defend yourself with." He replied.

"Something you don't need when you have super speed." Dr. Wells told him.

"Well, the situation may call for it. I'll see you guys when I come back." Naruto said, walking to the exit.

"You won't have to say goodbye because we're coming with you." Barry told him which caused Naruto to stop.

"No, you won't. You need to stay here." He told them.

"Naruto, considering what you're going to be running into you'll need all the help you can get. You can't go by yourself." Cisco said.

"And I'm not. Jiraiya is coming with me. A CIA agent with over 40 years of combat experience and meta-human powers more than tips the odds in my favor. I'll be fine." He assured them.

"I'd believe that if you weren't acting like you were heading off to war." Linda told him.

"If I was, I would hope for at least a better send off." Naruto joked. "I'll be fine and back in a few days. It's nothing serious."

"If it's nothing serious then let us come with you." Linda shot back but Naruto shook his head no. "You know, we've never had to deal with alpha-male macho crap in our relationship and I'll be damned if we start now so we're coming with you whether you like it or not."'

"Forget it!" Naruto shouted. "This is my fight."

"No, it's not it's ours. You're a part of this team and we help each other." Caitlin told him.

"You can't help me with this one, Caitlin. This isn't another meta-human of the week we've can deal with science, this is for real and it's going to get bloody. I'm going up against the leader of a secret criminal organization that's been hidden for years and quite frankly the things we've been dealing with will seem like little league. This guy is going to be gone for good soon and I'm losing my window and I swear to god he's not going to get away from me." He swore to them.

"Then let us come with you and help. If you are going up against a criminal organization then having your partner there to help you is a good idea." Barry pleaded with him. "You've been helping me with everything since we've teamed. It's the least I owe you."

"And I respect that, Barry. Truly I do but this I have to do on my own. My father tasked this to me and Jiraiya to finish and I'm going to. I'm going to find the son of a bitch who killed my family so that he doesn't do the same thing to my new one. I'd rather die than let that happen again." Naruto told them. "I want you to stay here, keep Central City safe, and more importantly…it'll keep you out of the crosshairs."

"Then do the same for you and don't go." Linda begged him. "If you're keeping us here to make sure we're safe then do the same for you and stay here. If you don't go, the Nine won't do anything to you."

"I can't, Linda. I have to fix this." He told her. "Nine of the world's most deadly criminals have meta-powers because of what my father did, and they have eight other serums as well. My father tried to fix his mistake and they killed him and my mother for it. He gave me my powers to fix this and if I don't do it, not only do I dishonor his memory, but a lot of other people will die because of it. I can't let that happen. My dad said this was my choice and I choose to stop them before they do something worse. If stopping them saves a lot more people including you and everyone here, then it'll be worth it."

"Even if it costs you your life?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Well, Jiraiya always used to say I had a lucky star watching over me. Maybe this time it'll bring me back alive." Naruto said before giving Linda a loving kiss on the forehead. "Know that no matter what happens, you're my lightning rod."

Naruto kissed her one last time before looking at the others. "I'll be back." He super sped out of the cortex as Barry and the others comforted Linda. Naruto appeared in the cargo bay where Jiraiya was waiting next to a U-Haul. "Let's go."

They drove to the train station to catch the next one to Starling City. Barry and the others helped Linda in dealing with Naruto leaving when Dr. Wells took a quick trip to find something. In actuality, he went to the time vault because of an alert Gideon sent him. He walked up to the pedestal and activated Gideon.

"Good evening, Dr. Wells." Gideon's holographic head appeared.

"Hello, Gideon. What's the alert?" He asked.

"I've run into an anomaly with the timeline that you should see." Gideon brought up the holographic newspaper from 2024 but something major had happened: the one newspaper article was now two. One of the articles was the same that Wells had been monitoring for years, Flash missing vanishes in crisis, Impulse urges city to keep hope. Everything about the article hadn't changed. The date of April 25th, 2024 was the same, both the pictures of future Flash and future Impulse were the same and the body of the article hadn't changed at all.

The new article is what concerned Wells as it was of the same day but was drastically different. The date was the same of April 25th, 2024 and that was the only thing it shared with the other article. The headline now read; Body count rises after Flash disappearance. Impulse: city savior or grim reaper? The picture showed a black clad speedster Wells could have mistaken for Zoom but the dark orange/red on the boots, arms and mask indicated it wasn't. Unlike Impulse's other costume change, this one was grim and terrifying with the full-face mask making him look like a demon and the blood red on the lightning bolt tips weren't helping. In the picture, Impulse was standing over several bodies of super villains from the future including Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Top, The Trickster original and new, Golden Glider, Abra Kadabra and Cicada not to mention he was holding up Godspeed by the neck like he was a trophy. This grim new future seemed to make Naruto into a super speed serial killer and the body of the article wrote that after the disappearance of the Flash, Impulse's murderous activities skyrocketed without the Scarlet Speedster to stop him. (1)

"Gideon…what's going on?" Dr. Wells asked.

"Naruto's future is in flux given that he is currently going to be confronted with a serious crossroads within the next few days. I'm having trouble ascertaining which possible outcome in 2024 will solidify when this is all over. One possibility indicates the future will remain the same as it has while the other will drastically change his future including yours, Dr. Wells. My scans and simulations indicate that if Naruto goes down a dark path he is unable to come back from, it will not bode well for you." Gideon informed him.

"Why not?" Wells asked.

"Because Naruto won't have any issue with killing you or worse." Gideon informed him. This threw a massive wrench in his plans. "If your plans for your future are to succeed, Naruto must come back from this dark path with his heart intact."

Wells thought over what Gideon told him, and she was right. He knew his time traveling back to this time was dangerous and changed a lot of things, but this was ridiculous. The initial changes to Naruto seemed minimal at first. He was more eager to train and get faster, get smarter and help people. The work with the Arc Reactor and everything he's done for STAR labs pushed him to be better and turn him from the pitiful sidekick he remembered in his future into an actual partner of the Flash. But the consequences of his actions, primarily that of Minato's interaction with the Nine and his and Kushina's subsequent murder at their hands is driving Naruto down a path that could very well turn him into an early version of the Red Death. He needed something or someone to make sure that didn't happen.

Linda was in a spare room training his powers. She had gotten a good handle on them to the point where she was comfortable with them. She was standing at one end of the room with the special made gloves Naruto made for her suit along with the mask. It was nice to know that Naruto made it so the mask auto-tinted when she used her powers. Across the room were a series of metal targets that would pop up and around. A buzzer went off and two targets flipped up. Linda blasted them with her light blasts, putting scorching holes in them and melting the metal a bit. Target after target popped up and she blasted them with ease. Her accuracy was improving.

[Blast-blast-blast] Metal target after metal target was destroyed before a large one appeared in the middle. It was thicker and reinforced, so she put her hands together and fired a stronger, larger beam at it. The metal resisted the heat much longer than the other ones did, but it soon had a massive hole melted through the middle of it. A series of flood lights came down from the ceiling which resulted in Linda absorbing their energy and making her feel better before she fired a light force wave that destroyed everything.

Linda huffed a bit before she walked over to get a drink of water. "Impressive work, Ms. Park." She heard and saw Dr. Wells in the doorway. "Or would you prefer the name Naruto has coined for you, Binary? I'm more partial to Dr. Light."

"Well, I guess I can use both." She replied, wiping her face with a towel. Dr. Wells strolled into the room and saw the aftermath of her training.

"Your progress with your powers is increasing. I believe you've gotten a handle on the traditional aspects so I would recommend your next training sessions should include using your light in other ways." He told her.

"Like how?" Linda asked.

"Theoretically with your photokinesis you should not only be able to shoot pure light from your body but should be able to create barriers with our light, turn photons into hard light, turn invisible and even fly. Something to think about for your next training session. Ms. Park, if you wouldn't mind accompanying down the hall for a second." Dr. Wells said as the two walked down the hallway. "I don't think we've had more than a few minutes of alone time since you and Naruto started dating."

"I guess you're right. This isn't going to be your version of warning me to not hurt Naruto, is it?" Linda asked which made Wells laugh.

"No, nothing like that. Naruto is the best judge of character and I can tell he loves you. And you love him." He said as Linda gave him a look. "I remember what it felt like to be in love once before. And she and I acted similar to how you and Naruto do. Without the powers of course but the point still stands."

"Her name was Tess, right?" Linda asked and Dr. Wells spared her a look. "Naruto's mentioned her a bunch of times whenever he talks about his childhood."

"Well, Tess and I were always around when he was younger. We often looked after him when his parents went on dates and spent the holidays together. She loved him like a nephew." He told her. "She always wanted what's best for me as do I and I know for certain that if Naruto continues down the path he has set in motion then he may not come back the same person we know and love."

"You're saying you don't trust, Naruto?" Linda asked.

"Trust is not the issue. I'd trust Naruto with my life, but I'm concerned that when he returns, he will not come back the same person we know and love. His mind may be set on the right path of avenging his parents' death and all the people the Nine have ruined but I'm concerned he will lose his heart in that battle." Dr. Wells told her.

"We can't stop him now. We tried that and he left. I've known Naruto long enough to know that short of knocking him unconscious, nothing will stop him once he has his mind set on something." She said and he agreed.

"And I agree but the least we can do is make sure that the person who comes back is the same person who left." Dr. Wells looked down at his wheelchair and his legs. "Next to Jiraiya, I've known Naruto the longest out of any of you and he is an incredible human being. He's someone with a true sense of hope for the future and a genuine care for people even if they may not deserve it. I've had the privilege of watching him grow into the man he is, and I couldn't be prouder but I'm also concerned that he is just one bad day away from losing all of that and turning into something horrible."

"What are you asking me, Dr. Wells?" Linda asked.

"What I'm asking you, Linda Park, is how far are you willing to go to ensure that the man you love comes back to his lightning rod with his heart intact?" Wells asked. Linda looked at him for a moment before he handed her a GPS tracking device that was tracking an object on a train. "Be the light that guides our speedster back home in one piece."

Line Break xxxxx (2)

Starling City

At the Kingston Property Depot, a security team was getting an armored truck ready to leave with its contents. They finished up loading and were ready to leave. "Let's go. I just want to get this shipment done." One of the guards said to the other.

"Excuse me. We're looking for the Catoca Shipment. Maybe you could help?" They heard before one of the guards was riddled with bullets. The other guard raised his hands as several men in black masks showed up. "The Catoca shipment. Where is it?"

The robber held the guard's own gun to his head. "I don't know."

The robber looked at his boss who shook his head no, so he killed the guard. They took off their masks and the leader revealed that he had his lips sewn shut. He signaled his second as the rest of their crew arrived. "Boss says check the crates for the Catoca manifest."

The moved around the warehouse to try and find what they were looking for when the Arrow dropped down from the ceiling and took down two members of the crew with arrows. Some of the robbers cut through the lock to the main cargo area and found the boxes they were looking for. They were moving the last of the boxes when a red arrow hit the container to show it was filled with diamonds.

"Drop it!" Arsenal shouted only for the robbers to open fire at him. Before he could fire another arrow, a white and orange blur whisked him away. A hit to the back of the knee, to the stomach, and then the head by the Black Canary took care of one of the robbers while an arrow took down the other. The leader and the rest of his crew sped out of their in a van and were going to run over her when the blur rushed her out of the way. They drove out of the depot only to see a figure standing in their way. The driver sped up with the full intent to run him over only for bullets to hit the tires, causing the car to swerve and crash into a forklift. The driver and the other robbers were incapacitated but the Leader was still conscious. He crawled out of the back of the van with his rifle and turned to leave when Impulse appeared in front of him.

He raised his gun to fire, but Impulse knocked it aside and kicked him into the van. "You have me on a really bad day…well, bad for you."

[Shing-Crack-Smash-glass break] The robber tried to stab him but missed and got his wrist broken, followed by a punch to the stomach and his head smashed through passenger side window. He crumbled to the ground in a heap and Impulse felt kind of good dealing with that scumbag. He kicked the gun away just as the Arrow, Black Canary, and Arsenal showed up. "You missed some." He told them.

"What are you doing here?" The Arrow asked.

"I need your help." Impulse told them.

Oliver, Roy, and Laurel returned to the bunker with Naruto in tow. Felicity got up and hugged him and he hugged back. "Oh, it's good to see you, Naruto. Honestly you're a breath of fresh air." She said when she noticed he wasn't as chipper or happy as he usually is. "What's wrong?"

"It's been a rough 24 hours and I'm sorry for not calling ahead but it's a good thing I showed up when I did or else, they would have gotten away." Naruto said.

"We would have handled him." Oliver told him.

"Sure, when he was driving away after shooting at you." Naruto pointed out.

"You said you needed our help. What's wrong, Naruto?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, and where's Barry? I kind of expected him to be here by now." Dig said.

"They're back in Central City. It's just me. This is personal. We need your help to find someone." Naruto told him.

"Who's we?" Laurel asked.

"Not a bad place you got here." They heard as Dig aimed his gun and Oliver and Roy aimed their arrows at the white-haired mystery visitor who appeared by the staircase with a large container. He was wearing boots, green pants and a shirt with a red vest and a large scroll slung on his back. He strolled in without a care in the world like he walked into his own home while everyone else was on edge. "A little cliché but nice location."

"I thought I told you I would handle this. You can tell they don't exactly like strangers." Naruto told him.

"Yeah, well I figured the sooner we're able to cut through the bullshit the sooner we can get this over with." He said before looking at Laurel and Felicity and all that went away. "Then again, two lovely ladies such as you deserve all the attention in the world. Please to meet you both. Can I just say that black leather and glasses are two of my favorite things? So, I'm glad we're already there."

Before it could go any further, Naruto punched him in the face and sent him crashing into the wall. Everyone was shocked to see him act so rashly. The usual kind and composed Naruto just acted out. "What was that about cutting through all the bullshit?" He asked.

"Naruto, who is that?" Oliver demanded to know who the mystery person is and how he got in his bunker.

"That is my godfather, Jiraiya Osuka, former Cabinet intelligence and Research Officer of Japan, now CIA agent." Naruto introduced them as Jiraiya popped up next to him like nothing was wrong and completely fine.

"You know you're not supposed to tell people I'm a CIA agent, kid." Jiraiya told him.

"As if you weren't going to say it. Besides, I thought you said you wanted to cut through the bullshit. This way, it's faster if they know you're the real deal and not just an old pervert. Oh, wait, you are." He shot back.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Jiraiya commented.

"Anyway, this is Jiraiya. Jiraiya, this is Oliver Queen, Roy Harper, John Diggle, Felicity Smoak and Laurel Lance." Naruto finished introducing them to each other.

"Nice to meet you all." Jiraiya said with a smile before looking at Oliver Queen and noticed the dower smolder on his face. "Relax, Mr. Queen. The Central Intelligence Agency doesn't know about you and even if we did, we have bigger things to worry about than a former billionaire playboy turned vigilante. Whatever Waller does at Argus is her deal so unless you suddenly decide to turn traitor and work for the North Koreans or the Chinese then the CIA couldn't care less."

"Fair enough so why are you two here?" Oliver asked, once again.

"Like the kid said, we need your help to track someone down and we're on a bit of a timetable. We have three days before our targets leaves and we can't risk him losing him or it'll take forever to find him again." Jiraiya told them.

"Find who?" Roy asked.

"Like the kid said it's personal. I've been tracking this guy for a long time and we need to find out where he is in this city before we lose him again." Jiraiya told them.

"How do you know he's in Starling?" Felicity asked.

"Because I'm good at my job. I've been tracking this person for the better part of a decade and I'm good at my job. That and he's left a trail of bodies like breadcrumbs that I've picked up." Jiraiya told him. "We just need to find this guy and we'll be out of your hair so you can get back to your vigilante activities. The kid said we needed your help to track him down so we're here."

"Who's the person you're trying to track down?" Oliver asked, a little hesitant to help with how little information they were given.

"Just someone important, Robin Hood. Now, are you going to help us or not?" Jiraiya asked and Oliver was beginning to get a little annoyed at his attitude. "My godson seems to have a lot of faith and trust in you but quite frankly I'm not sure if you and your little merry band of outlaws can really help us."

"Excuse me?" Oliver asked, getting in his face and was ready to fight.

"Sorry but it's the truth. You've done some good and dealt with some seriously bad people but the things I've done would make you lose your lunch." Jiraiya pointed out.

"I don't know, I have a pretty strong stomach." Oliver replied.

"Not for this, Oliver." Naruto said as they all looked at him. "The thing we're dealing with…it's best if you don't get involved. We just came to get help tracking this guy down and that's it."

"Why? What's so important that you came all the way here from Central City?" Diggle asked.

"Does this have to do with the mystery data file on your father I couldn't crack for you?" Felicity asked as they all glanced at her. "I mean, I worked on it for months and told you I couldn't help only for you to show up here a day later."

"Like Jiraiya said it's personal, Oliver and we just need your help to find him. That's all." Naruto handed her a USB drive. She plugged it in, and it had the information on all the murders Naruto found.

"Oh, dear god. I kind of wish you didn't show me this." She said.

"You're after who did that?" Laurel asked.

"And we have three days before they're gone for good." Jiraiya said.

"Who? Who are you trying to find? A rogue metahuman?" Roy asked.

"The man who ordered the death of my parents." Naruto told them.

There was a moment of silence through the bunker after that realization and Team Arrow wasn't sure how to respond. "I-I thought your parents died in a car accident?" Felicity questioned.

"Kid, you don't need to say anything." Jiraiya said.

"We're going around in circles and wasting time with the whole third-degree separation. The sooner they know then the sooner we can get this over with and find him." Naruto told him. "The car accident wasn't an accident. My parents were targets."

"By who?" Oliver asked.

"Orochimaru, the White Snake." Naruto answered and Oliver immediately understood that this was serious.

"Who is Orochimato?" Roy asked.

Orochimaru." Diggle corrected him. "He's head of the Japanese Yakuza faction that operates in this hemisphere of the planet. He's involved in drugs, murder, trafficking, and assassination. He's one of the most wanted men in the world. Lyla and Argus have been after him for years, but they've never gotten close and no one has ever given up anything. He's a ghost."

"He's not. I've been tracking him for years." Jiraiya told them. "Orochimaru ordered the man who killed Naruto's parents. Before that happened, they gave me the job to find Orochimaru and stop him."

"Why would a Yakuza boss want your parents dead?" Diggle asked.

"Because of what they were involved with." Naruto walked over to the empty mannequin Oliver had set up for his suit back during the whole Captain Boomerang incident. "The encrypted file that Felicity couldn't crack detailed the work my parents did for a group called the Nine."

"Are you serious? You mean, the Nine?" Oliver asked and Naruto nodded.

"Wait, I've heard about them when I first started in private security after I got out of the army. A bunch of the veterans said they were working security for someone who had information on the Nine but he was killed in transit. Supposedly, they're supposed to be some kind of boogeyman, but we thought it was just a legend." Diggle said.

"They're not." Oliver said and they all looked at him. "I've heard stories about the Nine. The accounts vary depending on who you ask but they're supposed to be nine of the most dangerous and powerful criminals in the entire world. They control all organized crime on the planet and every criminal organization report to them or else they're wiped from existence."

"That can't be real. I mean, criminal boogeymen?" Felicity asked.

"They're real." Jiraiya told her. "And all the stories are true. Mafia, Yakuza, Triad, Bratva, Albanians, Ninth Circle, and the Black Hole: They all control it. Any organization that tries to screw with them has been erased and dealt with to even the smallest member. Any of you familiar with the Medellin massacre in Columbia back in 2008?"

"I remember reading about that. Apparently 1000 cartel members and associates were killed over the course of a few days in Medellin stash houses and strongholds all over the city. It was a blood bath with the police and government trying to cover it up but something like that couldn't be hidden. No one was sure who did it, but everyone thought it was some new rival cartel." Laurel explained.

"Believe me it wasn't. That was the Nine sending a message to the Cartel to play nice and remember their arrangement. The only reason they didn't wipe them out is because the leaders struck a new deal to save what they had left." Jiraiya told them. "If they ever act in any small way again then they're all dead just like the Martez Cartel."

"The who?" Roy asked.

"Exactly." Jiraiya told him. "This group is dangerous, deadly, and every other bad D-word there is. More so than typical crime lords because they aren't normal people like you lot. They're like the kid and me."

"Like you…as in they have powers?" Oliver asked as Naruto nodded.

"The work my parents did for them involved genetic research. They took the guise of a former US government agency and my parents thought they were doing work to help people, but it wasn't. They were doing genetic research that not only made them live longer but gave them meta-powers. The Nine are now nine superpowered criminals with eight more meta-power serums because of the work my parents did and when they tried to set it right Orochimaru ordered their death." Naruto explained. "He's in Starling for the next three days before he leaves, and I need to find him. I came to get your help."

"Felicity, find what you can and track him down. Dig, talk to Lyla and see what they have. Roy, hit the streets and see what leads you can dig up." Oliver told them." Don't worry, Naruto. We'll find him. I'll go see Captain Lance and see if he can help."

At the SCPD, Lance walked out the side exit in the alleyway to see a bunch of men tied up. He sighed in exhaustion before looking up at the catwalk and saw the Arrow there. "Brought them over as a gift. I need some information. There's a new player in town that's left a trail of bodies. Bloody and horrific. I need a name."

"Sure thing. And when I catch him, you'll read about it in the papers." Lance told him.

"Detective—It's Captain now!" Lance shouted at him. "When were you going to tell me, huh? Or were you going to tell me. You really going to stand there still pretending like you didn't know my daughter was dead?"

"Uh, Captain Lance…"

"My whole career, my whole life, even when I knew nothing, I at least knew right from wrong. And I knew vigilantism was wrong. The day we take the law into our own hands is a day that we…we become outlaws. And that idea, that idea was precious to me. Almost as precious as my own daughters. I threw that all away the day I threw in with you. You know why? Because I trusted you. But I see the man under the hood now. He lies, and he keeps secrets all so he doesn't have to carry around the weight of his decisions. And I'm done with him." Lance walked back into the precinct without another word and Oliver felt like his day couldn't get any worse.

Line Break xxxxx

The next day, Felicity was at the Palmer Technologies building working on some of the processing data for a project the company was working on. "What would you say if I told you I just connected the virtual TCP to the open source sensor?" Felicity asked.

"Uh, I would say you only think you did because I've trying to figure that out for over two weeks." Ray said, working on his computer.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have been trying for at least two full minutes." She joked.

"Ah! Let me see." Ray got up and walked over to her computer.

"Oh, you don't trust me?" Felicity asked.

"Well, no, I'll just uh…make sure you did it right." He told her.

"Oh, and if I'm right?"

"Then I will take you to the best steak dinner you've ever had. Which I probably do anyway." Ray began looking over the data on her computer.

"Well, I hope it's better than that fusion place you took me to where I needed this microscope to find the food." She told him when they heard a cough and saw Oliver standing by the door. "Oliver. Hey, what are you doing here? I mean, it's nice to see you here."

"Nice to see you again Mr. Palmer." Oliver held out his hand and Ray shook it.

"Likewise. And please, call me Ray." He insisted.

"Ok, Ray. May I speak with Felicity for a few minutes, please?" Oliver asked.

"Uh, absolutely." Ray bid them farewell so the two could take in private.

"I should have called." Oliver said to her.

"No, I'm sorry I should have told you earlier when you got back." Felicity told him.

"You don't owe me anything." Oliver told her.

"That's not true. You're one of my closest friends." Felicity said. Oliver inwardly cringed at that but kept it from showing.

"I wasn't able to get anything, I was hoping you had better luck." He said and she nodded.

"Yeah, I did. I managed to get some IDs on our victims from the file Naruto gave us." She brought up four DMV photos/prison mugshots. "Meet, Jin Hilee Chang, Alfonso Robero, Adam Dragovich, and Alonso Ramirez. Former heads of the Triads, mod, bratva, and cartel in the city respectively. SCPD managed to get them ID. According to a report from one of their CIs, these men went missing a few days ago all over the city and turned up like this a day later. No one is saying anything about what's going on, but they suspected it was a new player in town." She said when she noticed Oliver was hung up about something. "Are you ok?"

"I handed over the men from last night over to Lance. He knows the Arrow knew about Sarah and didn't tell him." He told her.

"What did Lance say?" She asked.

"Some variation on go to hell." He replied.

"Oliver, he just needs time." Felicity assured him.

"No, he's right. I lied to him…for months. I kept something from him, and he had every right to know." Oliver told her.

"Are you ok? I mean, besides Lance and the whole me and Ray thing? And I know the whole Naruto showing up is a little unexpected, but it seems like there's something else going on underneath all that." She said.

"I'm fine. Let me know if you find anything else." Oliver left.

Back at the bunker, Naruto and Jiraiya were sparring. Partially because Jiraiya wanted to see what Oliver Queen taught him and partially because Naruto needed to let out some anger. Naruto was dressed in his jeans and a red undershirt which showed off his new lean and toned muscles from the training he had done at STAR labs, both fighting and speedster related. Jiraiya was in his regular clothes, blocking and dodging all of Naruto's punches, kicks, and attacks with ease thanks to his skill and enhanced reflexes and agility from his powers. Roy and Diggle watched and were impressed with the skill that Jiraiya showed but noted that Naruto seemed much more worked up. Given what they were dealing with, it was no surprised but was a bit of a concern. When Naruto came back to help them with Brick months ago, he could be serious in a fight but this was different.

Naruto threw out a punch, elbow, knee and spin kick that Jiraiya ducked under before throwing out his own attacks that he blocked. Jiraiya finished up with a straight punch that Naruto deflected, spun around in super speed and elbowed him in the back of the head, kicked out his right leg, threw him to the ground and put him in an arm bar.

"Not bad, kid." Jiraiya mock tapped out so the kid would let go. "You've come a long way from the kid in grade school who got his butt kicked by a girl."

"A lot's changed since then." Naruto bluntly replied before going over to the training dummy. He began going through the form exercises Oliver showed him a while ago and was focused just on that so much so that his punches and kicks made the dummy shake. Jiraiya got up and walked over to Dig and Roy with a look of concern.

"I was hoping for a least a snarky reply or quip." Jiraiya told them. "This isn't like the kid."

"The whole not talking thing or how he's trying to kill that training dummy over there?" Roy asked.

"Both." Jiraiya replied. "The kid's one of the most determined people I've met. Once he's set his mind to something, he'll see it through to the end."

"That's an admirable quality." Diggle told him.

"Yeah it is but it's also a double-edged sword." Jiraiya said. "The kid's getting angrier by the second and I'm concerned what will happen when we do find Orochimaru. I've seen that look on his face before with other men…the look of someone who has his mind set on one objective that he's losing who he really is in the process. Even if we come out of this with our heads still on our shoulders and we actually get Orochimaru…I'm concerned the kid won't be the same."

Before anything else could be said, Oliver walked into the bunker. "The victims of the attacks are Jin Hilee Chang, Alfonso Robero, Adam Dragovich, and Alonso Ramirez. Four of the most dangerous and well protected criminals in the entire city."

"Which makes it a little interesting as to how they were abducted and killed a few days later." Diggle said. "Anything from Lance?"

"Lance isn't going to be helping us out anymore." Oliver told her.

"Well, based on the files Felicity was able to hack for us we've got the last known locations of the victims before they went missing. Maybe they're something we can find there but I'm not hopeful." Dig told him.

"Maybe we can use that info another way." Naruto said, walking over from the training area. He wiped his face with a towel and put a long sleeve shirt over his undershirt. "With this information and the location on where the bodies were dropped, I might be able to write an algorithm that can narrow down a likely central location they were taken to."

"We could use Felicity's help on this one, Oliver." Dig told her.

"She's pre-occupied." Oliver told him.

"I'll handle the tech aspect of this. I'll use the STAR labs satellite and it should help narrow down a location." Naruto assured Oliver.

"It might also be a good idea to keep an eye on the police in the city." Jiraiya said as they all looked at him. "In my experience tracking down Orochimaru's Yakuza cells, he usually has a police officer on his payroll or that he's threatening to minimize police involvement. It'd also make grabbing these guys a lot easier with the information the police would have on them."

"Right, I'll look into it. I can drop by the police station and hack into their system before they can even blink. I'll be back later." Naruto walked over to the crate and took a few things out before leaving.

"I've got a few lower level guys who might know something. I'll touch base with them." Roy said.

"I'll go with you, kid. Best to have someone watch your back out there." Jiraiya volunteered.

"That's a good idea." Oliver said as Roy and Jiraiya left leaving him and Diggle alone in the bunker. Oliver was not in a good mood and was dealing with a lot that Diggle was able to see.

"You want to tell me what's going on now?" Dig asked. Oliver grimaced and chuckled sarcastically.

"Ra's predicted this. He said that the city would turn against me and I would die alone. And we come back, and the first thing that happens is Lance is shutting me out and…I see Felicity with Palmer. It's like he looked into my future." Oliver told him.

"Sounds to me like Ra's is playing with your head. Question is, why are you letting him?" Dig asked.

"He wants me to take his place in the League of Assassins." Oliver announced and Dig couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's why he let us go. As a sign of good faith."

"Is there even a world where he can imagine you saying yes?" Dig questioned.

"He said that I can do more as the new Ra's than I could ever do as Oliver Queen or the Arrow. That I would have unlimited resources…that I could make a difference, not just a dent."

"You're not really considering this. Just because Captain Lance is angry, and Felicity is momentarily unavailable." Dig pleaded with him.

"It's more than that. I just…John, tell me honestly what have we accomplished?" Oliver asked and Dig couldn't believe that he would even ask that. "All the people that we put away, John they got out. The city is no better off. The Arrow is not…is not making a difference. And if I just can't be me and the Arrow isn't enough…maybe I should be Ra's al Ghul."

Naruto made his trip over the SCPD to hack into the system to get some more information and he had the perfect plan to get in. He was escorted into the precinct carrying the things he took from the crate in the bunker where he was met by Captain Lance. "Mr. Namikaze, pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you, Captain Lance. And please, just call me Naruto. I prefer it." He told him, while shaking his hand. "Sorry for the abrupt trip. It's not something I typically do but considering I'm visiting some friends I thought a quick visit to the precinct might be in order given what STAR Labs has been doing."

"Yeah, you guys made National news. Must get pretty busy there." Lance said.

"Oh, you have no idea. I was hoping we could take about some things that STAR labs could offer to the fine men at the SCPD." Naruto held out one of the STAR Labs Exo-1 body armor vests from the press conference. "I brought along a few as a gift."

"Well, I won't say no to a gift. How about we take this into my office." Lance suggested.

"Great idea." He replied. When Lance turned around to walk to his office, Naruto quickly super sped to an empty desk and plug in a USB drive before appearing back in the same spot. There was a gust of wind and some papers scattered into the air, confusing a few of the officers and Captain Lance.

"What was that?" Lance asked.

"I think it must have been a breeze." Naruto replied as the two walked into his office to talk about what STAR Labs could offer to the SCPD. Twenty minutes later, Naruto and Lance exited the office after a very nice and pleasant conversation filled with the promise of future involvement to keep the officers safe and help them with their job. Naruto even told him about the possibility of new computer system and software upgrades. "Thank you again for a moment of your time, Captain Lance. I understand that you must be busy, but I think this was a very productive talk."

"I agree. Thank you again for the vests." Lance told him.

"Don't mention it. The rest of the vests will be here within two weeks from STAR labs. I hope they'll help you as best as they can, and should you need anything else or would like to make special requests you have my card." Naruto said.

"I'll keep that in mind. Pleasure meeting you." Lance shook his hand before one of his officers walked over with some files. Naruto left the precinct but quickly and stealthily grabbing the USB drive before he did so.

In the outskirts of the city in a secret hidden chamber underground, Maseo Yamashiro or as he was now known as Sarab was using it as a safe house while he waited for Oliver Queen's answer to Ra's al Ghul's offer. Torches and fires lit the chamber to show that Maseo was meditating in the middle of the room only for him to suddenly stand up and draw an arrow onto his bow. He aimed at the main door as four Yakuza soldiers strolled in with automatic weapons and swords.

"Hold your fire." Someone shouted and the Yakuza stopped in their tracks and lowered their weapons. Orochimaru walked into the chamber followed by Gaara. Once Maseo saw who entered he put his arrow back in his quiver, put his bow away and relaxed a tiny bit but was still on guard. "There's no need for unnecessary bloodshed at the moment. Isn't that right…I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"I am Sarab, loyal servant of Ra's al Ghul." Maseo told him. "And you are Lord Orochimaru of the Nine."

"Ah, so Ra's decided to inform his little followers of me and my organization. Smart on his part." Orochimaru commented. He signaled his followers to stay put while he walked forward. Even Gaara stayed behind. "Now, the last I checked I believe our agreement with Ra's was that so long as we don't interfere in any League business, he will leave us alone. Yet, what am I to make of finding out from one of my associates that he and the League have been quite busy in Starling City? Not only that but here I find you now. So, should I consider this an initial attack by Ra's because if so…it won't end well for him."

"The Demon's Head business in Starling City has nothing to do with you or your organization. That I can assure you. I am merely here to await the answer of Warith al Ghul." Maseo informed him which perked Orochimaru's interest.

"Oh, so the Demon's Head has found himself a worthy heir. This heir will understand our arrangement, if I'm not mistaken?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Of course, but should he accept you must understand that Starling City would no longer be a viable place for you to conduct your business operations anymore." Maseo told him. "When Warith al Ghul accepts the offer, Starling City must die."

"Well, that leaves us with a bit of a problem." Orochimaru told him. "This city does generate some revenue for our organization. Granted, nothing that couldn't be replaced in another city but it's the principle of the idea. So, if Ra's plans to wipe out Starling and its inhabitants which would include the criminal element that we control…then will have some trouble."

"Allow me to send word to the Demon so that you may work out a beneficial agreement." Maseo offered.

"It better be beneficial. I have no qualms with letting a city die but I'm not sure how Pain and the others will react to upsetting the status quo." Orochimaru told him.

Jiraiya was in the bunker sharpening his weapons on the work table when Oliver walked in, having come from a meeting with his sister and Malcolm. Oliver was expecting to see Naruto too, but he wasn't there. "Where's everyone else?" Oliver asked.

"Well, your bodyguard is with your sidekick tracking down a lead the kid found. He managed to get some data from the police on the last known locations of those criminals before they were taken. He ran some kind of program on your computer that highlighted points of interest and possible targets. They went to scope them out." Jiraiya told him while sharpening his katana. "The kid went down to track another lead while his program looked for something else. I don't know, narrowing down possible safe houses and things like that."

"Good." Oliver leaned against the table and rubbed his eyes in un-easement, kind of his nervous tick.

"Everything all right there, Robin Hood?" Jiraiya asked, putting some of his weapons back into his scroll/container. "I'm guessing your dower mood has more to do with the kid and me dropping in unannounced." Oliver glanced over at him as Jiraiya turned around. "Deny it all you want but I've been at this longer than you have, and I know a conflicted soul when I see one. I guess it comes with the territory."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"What, you think you and the kid are first people I've met who dress up in costumes and fight crime? Please, that's been a running gag in Gotham with the Bat for years. Not to mention I might have met a gorgeous Greek brunette who has a thing for armor and swords, granted she tried to take my head off, but I think she belongs to your little club. And I've heard some recent rumors about a flying green man in Coast City and some mermaid guy in the Atlantic." Jiraiya told him. "Guess whether you fight crime and stop bad people the legal way or illegal way it weighs you down, but this is something else. I'm guessing it has something to do with the League of Assassin's and Ra's al Ghul."

"How did you know that?" Oliver asked.

"I may not be fast like the kid, but I can hear even subtle vibrations and echoes from a mile away. That and the kid told me a little about you on the train ride over. Something about you fighting Ra's al Ghul when your team thought you were dead." Jiraiya explained. "But I don't think the kid realized just how complicated your situation really is."

"You know Ra's?" Oliver asked but Jiraiya shook his head no.

"No, but I've heard about him. Officially, the CIA says that the League of Assassin's doesn't exist but unofficially we know how dangerous they are. Lucky for us, they've just stuck to assassinations at the moment but the second they try coups of governments or openly hostile attacks on the US they become a major priority. One of the necessary evils in a very complicated world. I've run into a few of those black clad warriors on a few assignments. They're good but I'm better." Jiraiya told him. "And you must be too considering you're alive right now."

"I'm not sure if it was so much skill as it was luck." Oliver replied.

"I always say never look lady luck down as a bad thing." Jiraiya spared a glance at the far door and noticed it was slightly open. Naruto must have been listening in on their conversation for the past few minutes. "So, why the dower face?"

"Because Ra's al Ghul wants me to take his place in the League of Assassins." Oliver said. "He said that by surviving his sword I proved myself strong enough to be his heir and that I could have unlimited resources to make an actual difference in the world."

"This coming from the mouth of a crazed madman who trains a league of insane and devoted killers. Not exactly the best sales pitch." Jiraiya countered. "Would you be ok with that?"

"I've been an assassin before. There's more than one path to justice." Oliver told him.

"Amen to that. But I'm saying would you really be able to go down that path?" Jiraiya asked. "Look you're a grown man who can do what he wants and we barely know each other so I'm in no position to judge you, believe me. If anything, I'm just trying to get to know you."

"Why?" Oliver questioned him.

"Because the kid respects you." Jiraiya bluntly said. Those five words seemed to give Oliver a little pause. "When the kid told me you and this team, I could tell he really looks up to you. That's a very short and exclusive list. His parents and Harrison Wells are three of them. It says a lot that the kid respects you the way he does. I sure as hell am not on that list and I don't blame him. Meeting you now…gave me a little hope."

Jiraiya gave him a brief smile before heading to the stairs. "I'm going to take a smoke break." The old CIA agent left, leaving just Oliver for about a minute before the far door opened and Naruto walked in.

"Hey, Oliver." Naruto greeted him.

"Did you find anything?" He asked.

"No, but I think I got another lead. I managed to get some traffic footage that is both odd and interesting." Naruto walked over to the computers to show him a still of two black SUV sedans with a black BMW leading. "I went over the footage a few times with a program I installed, and it managed to analyze the cars were outfitted with double straightened titanium carbide plating along with Carbine Nomex windows. Essentially making the three cars bulletproof."

"Not exactly common place for someone to drive around in the city in." Oliver added.

"That was thirty minutes ago. They hit some blind spots so I'm having trouble tracking them down. I'm also running through all street cameras and private closed-circuit cameras of anything with a view to the street to track them down. At the moment, two similar cars were at two of the abductions spots." Naruto told him. "My guess is Orochimaru's little henchmen went into the city to grab them. I'm working on tracking them down using any cameras near the other two abduction zones. Once I have them, I'll have all CCTV footage tracked with those two cars and compare it to the previous one to give me a rough estimate of a location."

"You're getting better at this." Oliver said to him.

"Well, I have some unfair advantages besides the super speed." Naruto informed him. "Hopefully that advantage my dad gave me works out."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not just super smart because of studying and my genetics. Actually, it is in my genetics." Naruto told Oliver which only confused him even more. "I told you before that my parents work with the Nine gave them meta-human powers. After the Nine were given their powers, Orochimaru ordered more serums to give to their followers, henchmen or whatever they wanted. My parents designed ten in total before they were killed. Eight of them were unfortunately given to the Nine and number 10 was given to Jiraiya. It's why he's so strong and good at his job."

Oliver soaked it all in and realized the point Naruto was reaching. "Number Nine was given to you."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded in agreement. "My dad designed serum number nine to give someone a massive growing intelligence on a level that could theoretically be unlimited. He designed it in the hopes that it could help me stop the Nine and fix his mistakes."

"I have experience with the weight of responsibility a father can push onto their son. It's not easy." Oliver told him.

"That's the understatement of the century." Naruto commented. "I still can't believe that my father was responsible for this. Growing up, I always thought he wanted to help the world with science. He told me himself that science is the one thing that can help the world get better yet his work armed nine of the world's deadliest criminals with powers that can do who knows what along with eight other people. I'm having trouble reconciling the person I knew with the person he was."

Oliver honestly felt he was looking into his past as he went through something similar and knew how Naruto was feeling. "Believe me I understand what you're going through." He told him. "My father was not the man who I thought he was either. The man I knew growing up was a successful businessman, a loving father and loyal husband. It was only after the Queen's Gambit went down that I learned the truth about him."

"Was he a scientist who got roped into working for an international group of deadly criminals and gave them superpowers along with injecting his son with a meta-human power serum in order to stop them?" Naruto asked. Oliver paused a second to soak all that in.

"No…but he made mistakes. My father wasn't always loyal to my mother, knew about Thea not being his daughter, almost ran away with a mistress, and helped Malcolm Merlyn orchestrate the undertaking that destroyed the Glades and in trying to stop him he killed himself to save me." Oliver told him and that gave Naruto pause.

"Th-that's a lot to put on someone." Naruto said. "How do you handle that?"

"It's not easy." Oliver admitted to himself. "And it still isn't. I know the man my father really was. He wasn't a saint but, in the end, he did everything he could to set it right and it cost him everything."

"Sometimes I wish that I had stayed blissfully ignorant and didn't know all of this." Naruto told him.

"So, do I but I do know that my father left me my crusade because he knew I could handle it…that I was strong to shoulder his responsibilities and set it right." Oliver said. "I haven't been as lucky as I hoped I would be, but I hope that he would proud of what I'm doing and how I've tried to make up for his and my mistakes."

"Does that include entertaining the idea of becoming the next Ra's al Ghul?" Naruto asked. "You and Jiraiya aren't as quiet as you would like to think."

"It was just an offer, Naruto." Oliver told him.

"Yeah, an offer from the lunatic that trained Malcolm Merlyn and you already know what he's capable of. It's not exactly a proud selling point." He pointed out. "Yet…you seem to think there's some good you could do with it."

"I honestly don't know." Oliver admitted to himself. "Everything Ra's told me about my life was right. The Arrow…isn't enough to help this city."

"But would being the next Ra's al Ghul be best for the world?" Naruto asked. "You heard Jiraiya, even the CIA understands how dangerous they are. And if you accept it, how sure are you that you could change things for the better and Ra's wouldn't just brain wash you. Can they do that?"

"Malcolm said that the League's methods do include a sort of behavior modification." Oliver told him. "I spoke to him earlier and we had an in-depth discussion on the league. He said there is a prophecy that the man who doesn't perish at the blade of Ra's al Ghul shall become Ra's al Ghul. I might not have a choice."

"Dr. Wells always told me that prophecy and fate are just words conmen use to convince idiots that they can't change their lives and the world for the better unless they do whatever they say." Naruto quoted. "He said it's how cult leaders brainwash their idiot followers to do what they want."

"Ra's al Ghul has been around for centuries so he's probably inspired a few cults." Oliver said.

"That's a terrifying thought." Naruto added. "But I think you do have a choice. Screw Ra's al Ghul and whatever he told you to doubt yourself, Oliver. Life is full of hardship, back steps, and moments of self-doubt. Life wouldn't be worth living if it was easy. It only gets harder if you give up."

"Who said that?" Oliver asked, liking the quote.

"My mother, believe it or not. She and my father understand the curveballs life throws at you." Naruto said. "Both of them were children of immigrants who came to America looking for a better life. They fought tooth and nail for it and know that life knocks you down every single day and that sometimes it's easier and appealing to look somewhere else for an easy answer, but life doesn't give us any more than we can take."

"And? What about you?" Oliver asked. "You're not the same as you were a few months ago. You've…change."

"Isn't that the truth." Naruto replied. "Honestly the more I learn about the Nine and the closer I get the angrier I become. I want justice for my parents and all the people the Nine have hurt but I also want revenge."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive in my experience." Oliver informed him.

"Orochimaru ordered their death but I found the person who was in the car that night. His name was Mizuki. He didn't even feel bad about doing it. "Naruto said and Oliver could see the anger and hate in his eyes along with the glint of possible murderous intent. He pulled out a knife from his boot and it was the same kunai he took from Mizuki. "He tried to kill me with this…and I wanted to do the same with him."

"If I were in your position, I would have done the same thing. I almost did several times." Oliver told him. "It says a lot about you that you didn't."

Naruto wanted to feel proud with Oliver saying that but deep down he wasn't sure. "I didn't get the chance. He took a cyanide pill and kill himself, but he said something that's stuck with me ever since. He looked me in the eye and recognized the look I had."

"What look?"

"The look of someone who wants bloody revenge." Naruto replied. "He gave me Orochimaru's name knowing it would send me here. He said it would only end up sending me to my death when I found him, and he knew what path I was heading down…and he was right. I'm one bad day away from being just like him."

"Months ago, you gave me the reassurance I needed when I had some self-doubt about the darkness in me. And a few minutes ago, you may have just given me my answer on the whole Ra's al Ghul situation so let me do the same for you. This person you're terrified of turning into, you could never be him." Oliver assured him.

"How can you be so sure?" Naruto asked. He stood up and ran his fingers through his spiky hair to try and calm down as best he could. "He was right about one thing. I want revenge. I want to make Orochimaru and the other members of the Nine pay for what they did to my family and every other single person they've hurt, and I don't care how I get it. I want him to experience the same pain he's put me through before I plunge this knife into his heart."

"I think it's just the anger in you talking. It's powerful, powerful enough that it drives a lot of people to do a lot of terrible things. I should know because I have that anger in me. I've experienced plenty of times how it can take you over and make you a completely different person to the point where you're willing to do whatever it takes to satiate that anger. But one thing can stop that and it's what you helped me realize months ago, Naruto." Oliver told him. "The light you have inside can stop the darkness and you have the most special light I've seen in a long time."

"I doubt that." Naruto said to him.

"Well, I don't. I watched your press conference a few days ago and it's all the proof I need. You developed technology to help keep people safe, help the planet heal and get better along with pretty much single handily developed a new form of energy that could help our reliance on old methods of fuel. That light should be enough proof for you." Oliver assured him. Before anything else could be said, Roy and Diggle walked back into the bunker. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Not sure if it's what we're looking for but it's something. An old friend of mine in the Glades who runs a specialized garage said he did a custom job for ten black colored sedans and SUVS with custom bulletproof siding, glass, and armored plating. Pretty much turned the cars into armored trucks. The guy was Japanese and from his tattoos he was definitely Yakuza." Roy told him.

"Did you get a good description of the guy?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, here." Roy handed him a still imaged of a security camera from the garage on his phone. "Guy paid in cash and in full a few days ago when he took the cars."

"About the same time when those cars showed up on the streets and those gang leaders went missing." Oliver made the connection. A beep from the computers got their attention which meant Naruto's tracking algorithm must have gotten something.

"Well let's see if my program managed to narrow down a possible staging area." Naruto got into the chair and accessed his algorithm. It used every single traffic and security camera in the entire city and went over their archive footage for the particular bulletproof cars he found before. Roy's confirmation that they were Yakuza meant the time the computer spent looking for them was not in vain. Naruto added in the photo to the facial recognition software and it began getting partial confirmations in various points all over the city. A majority of those spots were tied into places where the cars had been or had been seen leaving including the places where the high-profile criminal head were abducted. After his program finished there were five locations throughout the city that were highlighted as potential hideouts or staging areas for Orochimaru and his Yakuza.

"So those five spots are where Orochimaru and his Yakuza operating out of?" Diggle asked.

"That or we have one spot where Orochimaru's been working out of and the other four are points of interest. They're probably places Orochimaru and the Yakuza frequented a lot in the last few days." Naruto explained.

"That's a lot of ground to cover." Roy said.

"So, we work in teams. Roy, Diggle, we'll start on the warehouse in the Glades." Oliver told them.

"All right, Jiraiya and I will take the old apartment complex on the east side of the city." Naruto added.

"After that we'll work on the other places in the city." Oliver said as they got suited up but not before Naruto gave them some new trick arrows.

Line Break xxxxx

Four casually dressed Yakuza grunts were stationed outside of an old apartment complex to keep watch while an additional spotter was on the roof. They were keeping guard because the apartment complex was a safe house for the organization. A lot of money was dropped off here from their various couriers in the city before being cleaned and the funds transferred to their other safe houses and factions all over the world. One of the guards was diligently standing guard when he noticed rustle of wind carry some leaves. That was a tell-tale sign of things to come as a second later as a blue of crimson and white lightning zoomed in. The blur grabbed the four guards on the street and the spotter on the roof before tying them around a light pole, stripping them of their weapons, tying their hands and feet and knocking them unconscious. The blur stopped in front of the apartment complex when he noticed the nearby street light and outdoor lights of the building went out. Naruto was standing there in his Impulse suit and soon Jiraiya joined him at his side wearing his operative outfit. His black tactical combat uniform, vest and mesh armor and black face mask and forehead protector.

Jiraiya unslung his scroll/container from his back and opened it to take out Naruto's repulsor gauntlets. "There you go." He said.

"Thanks." Impulse replied, putting the gauntlets on and the distinct low-pitched whine signified they were powered up. "Did the EMP do its job?"

"Yeah, shut down all the electronics in the building so they're not sending word out." Jiraiya told him before closing his container and pulling out the specialized blue and black pistols from his belt. "You sure these guns of yours are going to work?"

"Trust me, those Icers will work perfectly. We won't be able to get any information from people you kill." Impulse said, pressing a few buttons on the gauntlets that adjusted their intensity. Now, instead of blasting a hole in someone it'd be like getting a love tap from a gorilla and they didn't require as much of a recharge. "So, do we do this quietly or go in guns blazing?"

"Well with the power out they know somethings up so stealth is out the window. Guess we go in guns blazing." Jiraiya said, gesturing for Naruto to go first. "Show me what you got kid."

"Good. I've got some anger to work out." Impulse strolled right up the front door and kicked it in. "Candy gram for Mongo!"

Three Yakuza grunts who were sitting in the living room grabbed their guns but a repulsor beam blasted them into the wall. Two from the kitchen came in guns blazing with their silenced firearms and lit up the front door but once they stopped, they realized there was nothing there. The two then hit the floor in an unconscious pile because Jiraiya shot them both with Icers. He and Naruto walked out of the kitchen and made their way into the building. One Yakuza tried to blindside Naruto from behind a corner only to get a boot to the gut and kicked into a wall.

Jiraiya blasted a few more Yakuza members with his Icers, showing pinpoint accuracy. One of the guns got knocked away and a Yakuza gangbanger tried to knife him in the face only for Jiraiya to knee him in the gut, throw him up against a wall and blast him twice in the head and once in the gut for good measure. He rolled forward, doing a leg grappled on the next Yakuza enforcer which took him to the ground and blasted him in the chest with the Icer before quickly turning and firing two shots at two enforcers who were on the stairs. They unceremoniously tumbled to the ground as a result.

Naruto ducked under swing and followed up with two punches that hurt a lot more because of his armored repulsor gauntlets before grabbing the man by the back of the neck and slamming his face into the wall. He then sidestepped a knife, knocked it away, broke the arm at the elbow before slamming his head onto the wooden floor. That wasn't the end of that as he quickly twisted his body into a roundhouse kick to the jaw of another goon. Two more goons tried to rush him with guns, but they were soon taken out in super speed with one smashed through a table and another thrown out a window.

"Not bad, kid." Jiraiya commented, loading new clips into the Icers.

"Not bad yourself, old man." Naruto replied with a small chuckle. Jiraiya smiled at that. Guess the kid wasn't gone yet. "Is that all the Yakuza has to throw at us? Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that Orochimaru keeps his operations so sparsely defended.

"This is just the first floor. We've got four more to go through." Jiraiya said, walking over to the stairs. "After you kid."

"No, please I insist." Naruto gestured for him to go first. "Age before beauty."

"Fine." Jiraiya cocked both Icers and walked over to the first step. "Let me show you how it's really done, kid."

Jiraiya took the lead up the stairs with Naruto following behind him and even though there were another hundred Yakuza members waiting for them on three more floors…they didn't stand a chance. If you walked by all you would have heard would be shouting, gun fire, glass breaking, and screams of pain. After about thirty minutes, all of the Yakuza enforcers were tied up or beaten bloody and unconscious after some interrogation but none of them would speak or knew anything important. They looked through the building and found several stash rooms of guns, drugs, money, and women. The police were called to take care of the situation while Naruto and Jiraiya made their way over to the next possible Yakuza front.

The next one turned out to be a front for the Yakuza used to launder their money. A laundry mat, of course. Points for irony. Anyway, that was quickly taken care with the end result of the Yakuza minions being tied up and the owner leaving to call the cops. Jiraiya finished tying up the last of the unconscious Yakuza minions with some rope. Some were handcuffed to pipes, others were tied together in a circle and a few were dangling from the ceiling via more rope. Naruto was hacking one of their computers to get more information about their criminal network for the police and FBI.

Their computer network was protected by some heavy encryption, which made sense given how illegal everything was and how much money it was worth. A quick call to Felicity and she managed to walk him through it. He made a copy of all the information regarding the money laundering and Yakuza contacts when he noticed a pattern.

Jiraiya double checked to make sure he had all his weapons and didn't leave anything behind when he noticed Naruto was still working on the nearby computer. "What is it kid?"

"I've noticed some odd online communication lines to someplace in the outskirts of Starling city." Naruto told him. Jiraiya walked over to the computer Naruto was working at and besides the lines of computer code doing something he had no knowledge to understand, there were emails and phone call logs to a blocked number in Starling. "I went over all the communications that have ever gone through this place whether its email or phone calls and besides the regular ones that make this place look legit, I noticed a pattern of phones call that started to surge within the past two weeks."

Naruto highlighted a number that came up frequently in the call logs. "Yeah, the calls volume picked up substantially." Jiraiya double checked the logs and the calls to and from that number were easily over a dozen a day. "What's that number?"

"Not sure yet as it was blocked but Felicity is working on it now. I went back further and calls to that number were barely once or twice a month over the past few years, but they suddenly picked up in only two weeks. And I can think of a reason that would happen." Naruto suggested and Jiraiya instantly knew what he meant.

"You think it has something to do with Orochimaru." Jiraiya added.

"That I do. And I went over the phone records on the goons we took out at the last place and there were calls to the same number that started to come up in the last two weeks. Either this number is main hub they call for information or someone was calling them for updates and information." Naruto suggested. "I'm guessing with Orochimaru's arrival in the city, the Yakuza got busy and overactive before he leaves."

"Then wherever that number comes from is our next stop." Jiraiya said as Felicity's hack on the number came through and it was tied to someplace in the Starling City Palisades outside the city. "It's in the outskirts of the city?"

"The Palisades. Mostly residential and wooded areas along with the Starling city Dam. The Queen's mansion was there before Oliver and Thea were kicked out." Naruto told him. "Hang on, let me see if I can narrow down the location."

Naruto did some computer magic and after tasking the STAR Labs satellites over the location, he managed to isolate the exact address of the phone number. It took a while as the number seemed to be heavily encrypted and even talking to Felicity, she said it would take up to a day to decrypt it, even if she could. That led him to finding out the location another way by using the city's zoning and housing information to figure out the houses, manors, and places that were registered there. Anyone who was living there especially in that high valued area would be registered with the city's housing charter. He could hack into the city's systems to find out that information. Even if the Yakuza were using the place as a safehouse, holding area or even a place of residence, they would still need to register with the city and that would involve names and such. If it was an alias, then it was a clear sign of the Yakuza and their target.

The police soon arrived so Naruto transferred everything to a tablet he had Jiraiya carry and super sped them someplace else to finish the hack. "Ok, I think I have something."

"What is it, kid?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto brought up the digital copies of paperwork on one mansion in the Palisades.

"There's a large mansion on the end of Blum Avenue. Expensive and costs a pretty penny north of 15 million dollars minimum." Naruto told him.

"Geez. That much money for a mansion. You planning to buy me one of them one day, kid?" Jiraiya asked only for Naruto to give him a funny look. "Come on. You're going to be a trillionaire before your thirty, so I think you'll have over a dozen mansions by then."

"Anyway, the mansion itself isn't the funny thing but according the paperwork it says here the owner bought all the surrounding property within a 5-acre area. The mansion is isolated from any other house and was bought by someone named Masahiko Tanaka." Naruto explained and noticed Jiraiya's eyes twitch slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Masahiko Tanaka is an alias Orochimaru has used in the past. He's only used it when he's personally invested in something or is staying somewhere." Jiraiya told him.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked only for Jiraiya to now give him a look.

"I've been tracking this guy for years, so trust me I know what I'm talking about. If Orochimaru used that name for real estate than either its extremely important or it's where he's staying before he leaves. And Orochimaru always did have a thing for fancy hotels whenever he moved so it fits." Jiraiya said.

"All right, let's go check it out." Naruto grabbed Jiraiya's shoulder and super sped them up to the Palisades. They skid to a stop behind a thick collection of trees and rocks for cover near the large mansion and accompanying grounds. Jiraiya sat on the ground, leaning against a tree and shaking his head to shake off the whiplash while Naruto was peeking out from cover. He put his goggles on to get a clear view of the area. "Well, I think you're right about your hunch, old perv. Something is definitely not normal here."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and peaked out behind cover to see the large mansion that had flood lights all along the outside, high-tech cameras around the perimeter, and armed guard patrols walking around. It was like the outside of the White House if you needed a comparison to draw.

"Sometimes I hate being right. With this kind of security layout and guards, Orochimaru is definitely here." Jiraiya told him. "Quantum Security high-speed night vision cameras all along the perimeter, probably laser sensor trip wires all along the house to check for break-ins, and several dozen armed goons set up on patrols with required check in at regular intervals and if they fail to report in then an alert goes out for more backup. He's stepped up his game a bit since the last time."

"Well too bad that game doesn't account for a speedster. I can deal with all of them with ease." Naruto told him, ready to end this.

"Hold your horses, kid. Even if you manage to take out the patrols around the place then Orochimaru has double the amount inside the mansion. It's a small army not to mention whatever meta-powers your dad's serum gave the snake." Jiraiya said, trying to caution him but could tell that Naruto just wanted to find Orochimaru. "We should call your Emerald Archer friend for backup."

"No." Naruto told him.

"No? Kid, you do realize we're going up against one of the Akatsuki, right?" Jiraiya asked for clarification.

"And that's exactly why I don't want them here. This is our fight and Orochimaru won't be a problem once I slap this on him." Naruto held up the meta-human power dampening bracelet. "I owe Oliver a lot and he has enough to deal with without me putting a target on him by the Akatsuki. At the moment, all he's done is attack the Yakuza and that is no different than normal but if he were to help us with this then that changes. This is our fight, so we finish it. So, take off your high heels, put your purse away and get ready for a fight old man."

Naruto super sped in a blur of wind and crimson and white lightning. Jiraiya peaked out of the cover and all the guards around the mansion were grabbed and tied up together against a tree. Their guns, phones, earpieces, hidden knives and weapons were taken so they couldn't escape, they're mouths were gagged, and they were knocked out for good measure before the cameras were all taken out. "How can that kid be as kind and caring as his dad yet scary and deadly as his mother. Those two had no idea the kind of horror they were bringing to the world with that kid." Jiraiya commented before quickly pulling out the Icers and heading to the mansion.

Impulse stopped outside the front door and tightened his hands into fists. Crimson and white lightning sparked around them, reflecting his emotional state and it was anger and generally being pissed off. His eyes momentarily flickered red before he punched the front door clean off its hinges. "Knock-knock!" He shouted, vibrating his voice so it sounded menacing. He raised his repulsor blasters and was ready to blast some butts into walls but…nothing.

Jiraiya stepped into view and he saw what Naruto saw and there was no one around. They walked into the mansion and it was lavishly decorated with expensive paintings, furniture and various accoutrement that reflect someone of a lot of wealth and class. Not exactly the place you'd expect a Yakuza leader and super meta-powered crime lord to take up residence. Jiraiya and Naruto began to move through the mansion together, heading through the dining room, kitchen, living room and various bedrooms, work rooms, wine room, and other places but no one was around.

Naruto checked upstairs and the bedrooms were clear but there were some moved pillows and clothes in drawers which meant someone was living here. He walked back down the stair and met up with Jiraiya in the foyer. "Nothing, the place is empty. Jiraiya, what about you?"

"Same. Yeah, something's not right here." Jiraiya said when he noticed the leaves on one of the ferns was billowing but there wasn't an open window nearby and from the position of the door it should be blowing in the opposite direction. "Hang on."

Jiraiya walked over to the ferns and felt a small breeze coming from the adjacent wall that had an ornate bookcase and several picture frames hung up. "What is it?" Naruto asked.

"There's a breeze coming from here." Jiraiya checked the wall for any kind of loose panels or indications of a doorway behind.

"Here, let me do that." Naruto placed his hand against the wall and began vibrating it at super speed. The speed shook the entire wall which caused the picture frames to fall down and several books in the bookcase to fall out. Four books fell out to reveal keypad and palm scanner. "Well that is going to make this a little harder."

"Can you crack it?" Jiraiya asked.

"It's a Thompson 800 keypad and palm scanner. It's set up with a unique seven digit keycode and any wrong attempts automatically put the system into lockdown for 24 hours and an emergency notification is sent out, probably to more of Orochimaru's Yakuza men or even to his mole in the police department. Even if we had the keycode, the palm scanner reads fingerprints, creases, skin marks, and judging by that small pin prick on the index finger takes a blood sample as a counter measure against synthetic skin grafts." Naruto explained.

"So, we can't crack it?" Jiraiya asked.

"I don't plan to." Naruto moved Jiraiya to the side so he had plenty of space before he knocked onto the wall with the back of his fist. He tapped in several places and by the sound and feel he could tell the keypad and scanner opened up a steel or titanium security door. "All right, time for some muscle work."

He began vibrating his right fist at super speed. Jiraiya watched with intrigue as the kid's fist began moving so fast that he couldn't keep track of it despite his enhanced eyesight. It eventually became a blur with sparks of crimson and white lightning sparking around it like you would see around a tesla coil…only a lot more powerful.

"I'm gonna take a few more steps back." Jiraiya said, cautious stepping back into the doorway.

"That's a good idea." Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated, taking deep breaths as his speed picked up and his lightning began to flicker more and more. He opened his eyes and they flickered with lightning before he reared his fist back and punched the wall. A loud bang and partial explosion could be heard while a flash of light and ringing rang out, concussing the two metahumans. "Damn, that was loud.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Jiraiya fiddled his finger into his left ear to help alleviate the pain but saw the massive hole carved into the wall from the kid's punch. He managed to punch the metal security door off its hinges and took part of the wall with it. The door crashed down a long staircase into some basement level. "Geez, remind me never to piss you off. So what? You're super-fast and super strong?"

"No, just studied in physics. Force equals mass times acceleration…" Naruto held up his fist and vibrated it again to make his point. "A lot of acceleration. Let's get this guy."

Jiraiya unsheathed a katana from his container and kept an Icer in his other hand as he took point down the stairs. Naruto followed up behind him with his repulsor gauntlets ready to fire and set to a higher setting…the setting to punch a hole through a wall. They made it down the stairs into a torture dungeon that Jigsaw and Pinhead would feel right at home in and judging by the blood stain on the ground, someone used it recently. On the other side of the room was a monitor wall and computer system set up that seemed to monitor a lot of information from foreign stock markets to corporate information to the security feed of the cameras outside. In front of the monitors and computers was a chair and one person, wearing a fancy black suit with slicked-back hair.

"Don't move!" Jiraiya shouted, aiming his gun at the man's head as Naruto raised his repulsor gauntlets. "Let me see those hands, now!"

The man just kept typing and didn't even react like they were there so Naruto fired a repulsor beam and destroyed three monitors with it. "He said he wanted to see those hands so do it!" Naruto shouted.

"All right, no need for further hostilities." The man replied in smooth, docile yet creepy tone. He raised his hands into the air and they saw they were pale. Naruto and Jiraiya looked at one another before they took a few steps forward.

"Step away from the computer and turn around!" Jiraiya ordered and the man did as he was told. Calmly and casually stepping out of the chair and turned around so they could see him. He was wearing a black suit with a white button-up and purple tie, his long black hair was parted to the side so they could see his pale complexion, the unusual purple shading around his eyes and the yellow irises and black angular pupils of a snake. "Orochimaru, the white Snake and one of the most feared men in all of Asia, right in front of me."

"It's a pleasure to meet a fan." Orochimaru replied with a smirk on his face. "And I must say, after hearing all the death and destruction you cause, it's nice to finally meet you face to face…Jiraiya."

Naruto and Jiraiya shared a look but all Orochimaru did was chuckle. "Oh, please. Do you take me for an imbecile? Do you think I would not find out the name of the man who has been single-handily hunting me down all these years?"

"More like heard me say your name out loud from the camera's upstairs." Naruto said, pointing to one of the still images on the computer which was of Naruto and Jiraiya upstairs a few moments ago. Orochimaru must have been watching them and heard Jiraiya's name when Naruto said it. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, aren't you a clever little hero." Orochimaru looked at Naruto with intrigue like a scientist would at a new project. "So, you are the famous Impulse I've heard about. What brings you here after me?"

"A lot of reasons." Naruto super sped forward and slammed Orochimaru into some monitors, making sure it hurt a lot. "I hope that hurt."

"My, if you're going to be this forward at least do the curtesy of buying me a meal first." Orochimaru remarked, completely calm and unafraid. This just pissed Naruto off so he threw him into another wall and slugged him across the face. It was a super speed punch which should have hurt a lot and easily knocked out a tooth but Orochimaru seemed to be unfazed. "Impressive power but your form could use some work."

"Do you think this is a joke? Do you even know why we're here?" Naruto asked, punching the wall next to his head and making a hole to show how serious and angry he was.

"Well, if I had to wager a guess, I'd assume it has to do with my various criminal dealings but that doesn't matter as you and Jiraiya over there have no idea what you walked into." Orochimaru adopted a sly and joyful smirk as Naruto's left leg was yanked out from under him and he was dragged across the floor.

"Kid!" Jiraiya raced over to help him when something hit him from behind and sent him flying into the wall of monitors.

Naruto was dragged across the ground before managing to turn his body and firing a repulsor blast at the person dragging him. He stopped and saw what he blasted but there was nothing there except a hole in the wall. Naruto quickly got back to his feet only for something to yank him into the air and slam him into the ceiling before he was thrown across the room and crashed onto a torture slab. Jiraiya pulled himself out the wall and fired his Icer randomly around the room, hoping to hit whatever hit him. The gun was knocked out of his hand and he quickly ducked to avoid a sword to the head. He spun and blocked the sword and saw it was Orochimaru, using a rare and ornamental Katana blade with the Kanji on the blade hilt spelling out Kusanagi.

"Kusanagi hasn't had a good blood bath in a long time." Orochimaru pushed him back and attacked with series of slashes and stabs that Jiraiya was able to block and parry with his super strength and reflexes but noted that the Nine leader was a lot stronger than a normal person. Jiraiya parried an attack and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back.

"Keep waiting, Snake." Jiraiya deflected a stab to the stomach before swiping at his head. The two attacked and were stuck in a sword lock.

"Well, I won't have to wait for much longer." Orochimaru told him before pulling back from the fight. Jiraiya wondered why he did that when he was yanked from behind and thrown onto the floor. He managed to get a good look at what grabbed him and it was a rope made of sand. The rope constricted before it threw him into the ceiling and then slammed him down on the ground, then the ceiling, then the ground, and then the ceiling again. Naruto got up and saw Jiraiya being tossed up and down like a rag doll by a rope of sand so he super sped forward and crashed through the sand rope, causing it to fall to the ground in clumps and Jiraiya fell back on his ass.

"What the hell is that sand?" Jiraiya asked only for a bunch of sand to wrap itself around Naruto's neck and pull him into a wall before more spread out around his arms and legs, keeping him from moving. Jiraiya got up to help him only for sand to wrap around his ankles and pull him up the stairs back up to the mansion.

Naruto struggled to break free of the sand but it was deceptively strong and kept his limbs from moving. It slowly began to encase itself around his body like it had a mind of its own or someone was controlling it. Orochimaru walked up to Naruto with a smug smile on his face.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have super-powered backup of my own?" Orochimaru asked as Naruto heard footsteps and couldn't believe what he saw. It was a red haired man wearing black boots, grey pants, black shirt with a long sleeve crimson coat and a sand colored gourd strapped to his back. His appearance and judging by the Kanji tattoo for love on the left side of his forehead.

"Gaara?" Naruto couldn't believe his old college friend was working with Orochimaru when a bunch of sand covered his mouth.

"Oh, you know my young protégé. Well, don't worry. You'll have time to tell me all about it soon." Orochimaru gave Naruto a sly smile before sand covered his eyes.

Line Break xxxxx

Oliver, Roy, and Diggle drove up to Orochimaru's mansion in the Palisades because it was the last place Naruto was. Felicity managed to track him by locking in on his suit's GPS tracker and it was currently at that mansion. Oliver and Roy were suited up as the Arrow and Arsenal respectively while Dig was wearing the helmet/visor Naruto made him along with a combat jacket, a Kevlar vest and a belt with his Glock pistol and other special items.

Dig stopped the car van down the street from the mansion as the three got out and took the route through the woods to avoid any scouts. They moved quickly and quietly, using the trees for cover.

"Oliver, I'm not picking up any heat signatures nearby." Dig told him, using the scanner in his visor and it wasn't picking up anything nearby except for them.

"Yeah, this place looks empty." Roy added so Oliver activated his comm link.

"Felicity, is Naruto's tracker still giving out a signal?" Oliver asked.

Felicity, back at the bunker with Laurel, was checking on the signal of the tracker from Naruto's Impulse suit. During their last visit, she managed to get the signal to his suit's tracker and was using the STAR labs satellite to monitor the feed and it was still going strong. "Yes, his signal suggest he's still there but it hasn't moved in the past hour. He could be in trouble."

"All right, let's move." Oliver and Roy moved to the front while Dig went to the back. Once they got to the front door, they got on opposite ends and were ready for a breach when Roy noticed the lock had been busted open. He motioned to Oliver who noticed it and they slowly walked into the large manor with arrows drawn on their bows, ready for anyone who was in their path only to find no one around. The mansion was still furbished but there didn't seem to be anyone around but judging by the massive hole in the far well, Naruto was definitely here. Dig came in through the kitchen, having gone through the back.

"There's no one here." Dig told them when he noticed the massive hole in the wall. "Looks like Naruto was here."

They heard some shuffling and the sound of crunching glass downstairs so they slowly and quietly headed down there, hoping to see Naruto. Oliver saw the shadow of someone moving so he quickly pulled his arrow back and aimed at the person there. "Don't move!"

A bright flash of light made them shield their eyes and a light blast hit the ceiling above them. Oliver fired his arrow but missed and the light died down soon after as Dig, Roy, and Oliver were prepared to fire at their attacker. "WAIT!"

They heard a woman shout as they got a good look at the person in the basement and it wasn't Naruto. Said person was a woman wearing a special mask and her black hair tied into a ponytail. She was wearing a specialized black polymer composite combat suit with white boots, belt, gloves, and shoulder pads, a silver sash-like belt with a star symbol and another star symbol on the chest area. (3)

"I'm on your side!" She shouted as held her hands up.

"Who are you?" Oliver asked.

"Call me Binary, newest member to Team Flash. I'm here looking for someone." She told them as Oliver could guess who so he lowered his bow a bit.

"You're looking for Impulse, aren't you?" He asked and she nodded. "You're a metahuman. Did the Flash send you?"

"Not exactly but he's worried too." She told them as she held up a GPS tracking system device with the program active. "He was here last."

"So, where is he?" Roy asked.

"I don't know. I got here a few minutes ago and the only thing I found are these." She showed them two small lightning bolt emblems. "These were his lightning bolt headset system. It also holds the tracking beacon."

Oliver took one of the lightning bolt emblems and noticed there wasn't any blood which was a good sign but if it was here then what happened to Naruto? That's when he noticed some particles stuck in the circuits. He opened it up and out poured sand.

"Sand?" Dig asked. "Where the hell is Impulse?"

"I don't know. I should have stopped him before he came here. He told me not to worry and that he had to do this. I should have blasted him and made sure he stayed." Binary said to herself as Oliver, Dig, and Roy noted the familiarity she spoke with, more so that Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin.

"You're Impulse's girlfriend, aren't you?" Roy asked. Binary gave them a look, a little afraid that her secret identity was compromised. "We've already met the other members of Team Flash and know who they are. They helped us months ago. Though we didn't see you when we came to Central City."

"I'm a recent member. I just got my suit." She told them. "I don't suppose you guys have another way to find him?"

"We came here because we were tracking his suit's tracking device. What about you?" Oliver asked.

"Dr. Wells gave me this before I left. Said it could track him down but I got here too late." She told them before handing it over to the Arrow.

The tracking device let out a series of three consecutive beeps in rapid succession, indicating that it found its designated target before the program restarted with a command prompt track secondary target?

"What's the secondary target?" Oliver asked as Binary walked over and saw the command prompt.

"I don't know." Binary took out her cellphone and called Dr. Wells. "Dr. Wells, I'm in Starling and I couldn't find Naruto, just his tracking emblems. What's the secondary target?"

"The secondary target is the other tracking device I placed on Naruto." Dr. Wells told her.

"You placed another tracking device on him?" She asked which drew the others attention.

"I know Naruto well enough to know he was going to do something stupid eventually so having a backup tracking device in case the lighting emblems were compromised seemed like the most logical decision." He explained. "When Cisco and I upgraded his goggles, I installed a tracking probe in them for situations like this. The tracking device will be able to track down the secondary probe as well."

"Thank you, Dr. Wells. And can you ask Barry if he's willing to come to Starling?" She asked. "I don't care what he said to us. Right now, he needs our help."

"I'll have him join you as soon as possible. Best of luck, Ms. Park. Bring him back in one piece and don't doubt yourself. You can do this." He assured her before hanging up.

Linda took the tracking device back and activated the secondary target tracking node. It took a minute for the satellite to pick up the probe in the city but soon enough, an active signal popped up at a warehouse near the docks.

"Felicity, we've got a possible location on Impulse at the docks. Warehouse number 45." Oliver called in so she could check it out.

"I'm checking it out now…it's a private warehouse owned by Miyagi tea import company. Used primarily for moving their products in and out of the country." She told him.

"Miyagi team import, does that mean anything to you?" Oliver asked.

"It's a front used by the Yakuza. Orochimaru must have Naruto." She told him. "We've got to get him back."

"We? You're not coming with us." Oliver told her.

"Yes, I am and if you think I'm not we're about to have some trouble." She replied, clenching her fists and light shining through. "That's my boyfriend in trouble and I'm going to be damned if I'm stuck on the sidelines when he needs my help."

"This isn't like dealing with Metahumans, this is the Yakuza and the Nine. You have no idea what you'll be facing." He warned her.

"I'm ready for whatever comes. Look, I may not have been at this as long as Impulse or Flash has or be as well trained as you and your merry men, but I can surprise you." She raised her hand and blasted a two-foot wide hole in the wall so powerful part of the concrete bricks surrounding the hole were red hot. "The man I love went by himself to keep me and our friends safe because of the tremendous weight put on him by his parents. He may want to keep me out of this but I'm not going to let him die. So, we either go together or we're going to have a problem."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He told her as they left.

Miyagi Tea Import warehouse

The Miyagi Tea Import warehouse was Orochimaru's front of choice for his illegal activities and at the moment, all of his remaining Yakuza goons and Nine henchmen were gathered together because they managed to capture the two superpowered individuals who have been causing them trouble with their operations in Starling City. Naruto and Jiraiya had woken up a few minutes ago and the only reason they weren't kicking ass and taking the criminals down with ease was because of the sand coffins constricting their movements.

Naruto continued to struggle to get free, but it was no use as the sand kept him from moving his limbs and said sand user was none other than his old college friend Gaara. Naruto still couldn't believe that the stoic, calm, and slightly unemotional friend who you could count on to help you was working for Orochimaru.

"Gaara, stop! You don't want to work for this guy!" Naruto shouted but Gaara seem undeterred.

"Don't waste your breath, kid. Something tells me Mr. Sandman isn't in control of his actions." Jiraiya told him. Naruto was a bit confused when he saw the metallic collar around Gaara's neck which drew him to Gaara's eyes and instead of their regular green they were greyed over.

"What the hell happened to you?" Naruto asked out loud.

"A little…reprograming, I guess you could say." They heard as Orochimaru walked up to them, looking over Naruto's repulsor gauntlets before putting them on the ground and crushing them with his boot.

"What the fuck did you do to him you fucking snake?!" Naruto shouted only for one of Orochimaru's men to punch him across the face.

"Now, now. There's no need for hostilities just yet. It's clear our young friend here is just worried about his friend but let me ease your mind." Orochimaru walked around Gaara like a coach would his prize pupil. "The collar around his neck helps in the…persuasion factor of our relationship. It makes him more docile and more accepting of my orders which is a good thing. He was such a fine young man which has its places but not as my personal bodyguard. I found this boy doing volunteer work in Hong Kong for one of my charitable fronts. He seemed like an excellent test subject."

"You ruined his life, you sick fuck!" Naruto shouted in anger, desperately trying to get free. "Gaara wanted to help people! He gave up a dream job in New York City to go do volunteer work and you used him like the piece of shit you are! That's one thing you and your son share and I beat his ass twice!"

"Oh, testy. You seem to know him quite a lot. Just who are you underneath that mask?" Orochimaru grabbed Naruto's face in a vice grip, showing off a great deal of enhanced strength before taking his goggles off and throwing them aside and finally pulled his mask down. "Well, well. Part of me is surprised at this, Mr. Namikaze yet a part of me was waiting for this day. Perhaps if Mizuki had killed you that day it could have spared me the recent headaches I've been having."

"Unfortunate for you that he's dead, you son of a bitch! RAH!" Naruto raged and tried to attack him but couldn't move. "And your son is locked up too asshole and I beat his ass twice."

"Kabuto is many things but a decent fighter is not one of them. Still, all these events have brought you to me so perhaps there is a silver lining after all. Perhaps after this I'll go free him and see how he's doing. The last I heard, he underwent a similar…change I did." Orochimaru looked over Naruto's face and smiled. "Tell me…how does it feel to have all that lightning course through your veins when you run?"

"How about I show you, you son of a bitch?!" Naruto seethed in anger that he couldn't do anything. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill my parents?"

"I figured if you had gotten this far that it would have been made obvious but I'm more than happy to tell you." Orochimaru smiled in delight at the memories. "Your parents signed their own death warrant the second they decided to grow a conscious. Although I shouldn't talk too bad about them because they did give me some desirable enhancements and a metahuman that can control sand."

"You used one of the meta serums on Gaara?" Naruto asked. "Those eight serums were given to you for an army."

"Well, as much as I would have loved that unfortunately I could only have one but one of the most powerful." Orochimaru looked back at Gaara. "A metahuman who can control sand is more useful than you might think. Case in point, keeping a speedster from moving. Now that I have you, perhaps two additional metahuman attack dogs would make things more interesting."

"That's not gonna happen." Jiraiya told him and Orochimaru smiled in delight.

"Oh, feisty. It'll be fun breaking you. But for Naruto, perhaps your mind would be best used in completing the job your father left unfinished." Orochimaru suggested.

"Fuck you. That's never gonna happen." Naruto told him. "Do your worst asshole but I'm never gonna work for you or the rest of the Nine."

"Oh, little speedster, you've never seen my worst." Orochimaru turned to Gaara. "Gaara, be a dear and make him more agreeable than his father."

The sand around Naruto began to tighten around his entire body like a vice. "ARGH!" Naruto grit his teeth to keep himself from shouting, not wanting to give Orochimaru the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

"Let him go!" Jiraiya shouted.

"That's up to him. All he has to do is become more complacent and it stops." Orochimaru said.

"F-fuck yo-you!" Naruto managed to shout as the sand got tighter and soon covered his mouth before moving to cover his nose.

"I wonder how long you'll be able to hold your breath before your body bursts from the pressure? Let's find out." Orochimaru smiled as the rest of his men all chuckled. Naruto did his best to hold his breath for as long as possible but with the added stress and pain of the sand vice he was in, he wouldn't last more than thirty seconds. It was time for a Hail Mary so he just began vibrating his body as fast as he could to try and bust out but that wasn't working. The sand was about to cover his eyes when a crimson blur of yellow lighting slammed into Gaara and knocked him across the warehouse. The sand around Jiraiya and Naruto fell to the ground just in time, saving their lives. Naruto coughed up a lung and spit out the sand in his mouth. Before Orochimaru and his goons could attack or defend themselves they were all blasted away by a shockwave of white light. The crimson blur stopped moving in front of Naruto show the Flash and the white light came from Binary in her new suit who rushed over to help Naruto back to his feet.

"What are you two doing here?" Naruto asked, putting his mask back on.

"Saving your butt. Your welcome by the way." Flash told him, handing him his goggles.

"I told you both to stay out of this. This is my fight!" Naruto was not happy they were here.

"Yeah because that was going so well for you already. A second longer and you'd be dead." Binary added. "Look, we get this is personal and that you feel you need to do it alone to keep us safe and we respect that. So, respect our right to help you and make sure you don't die in the act."

She looked up and saw some goons aim their guns at them, so she fired a beam of light at them, knocking them away. "We'll take about this later. Right now, let's show these assholes how Meta's fight." Impulse said, putting his goggles on.

"Sounds good to me." Flash replied as he and Impulse super sped forward while Binary fired a beam of light that melted the guns of some goons before she knocked them away with a light shockwave.

More goons and Yakuza men entered the warehouse from the south side, hearing the sounds of fighting from outside and were about to shoot at Binary when two arrows hit the ground in front of them and exploded in a shower of sparks and light, knocking them back. Some of them fired into the ceiling only to get arrows in the arm, leg or chest. The Arrow and Arsenal dropped to the ground via grapple line while Dig came in through a side door, shooting two Yakuza enforcers down. Four more goons entered from the freight entrance and aimed their guns, but they were sliced in half and taken down with quick strikes to the face and groin before being shot with an Icer bullet. The Arrow looked at Jiraiya who just saved their backs and nodded in respect. Jiraiya nodded back as the four joined the fight against the army of Yakuza enforcers and henchmen.

Flash, Impulse, and Binary were on the other side of the warehouse easily taking care of the human enforcers who were subsequently tied up in groups to prevent them from escaping. Granted, almost all of them knew Naruto's secret identity so maybe they needed to be locked up Oliver's secret island prison but that was for later.

"Where's Orochimaru?" Impulse asked, looking around for him but he seemed to have disappeared in the chaos.

"Uh, I think we have other problems right now." Binary told them as waves of sand began to surround them. She blasted them and they instantly turned into glass but more came out of nowhere and knocked her away. She flew through the air and hit a wall which knocked her unconscious.

"Binary!" Before Impulse or Flash could rush over to help her, a giant fist made of sand punched them and knocked them into a wooden pallet of tea bags which helped to cushion their fall.

"Damn, who knew tea could hurt so much." Flash said as they got back to their feet and saw Gaara standing there in the warehouse. "Isn't that your college friend?"

"Yeah, but he's not himself. That collar on his neck is controlling him and Orochimaru is using him as an attack dog." Impulse told him.

The cork on Gaara's gourd popped off and sand poured out like it had a mind of its own. It circled around him like a whirlwind before some solidified into spears and swords. "That's not good." Flash said as Gaara launched sand arrows at them, so they quickly moved out of the way.

Gaara raised his hands as more sand began to spread out and tried to kill them. Some of it formed into wooden mallet and attempted to squish them while sand swords tried to take their heads off. The two speedsters were able to stay out of harm's way with their speed and quickly charged at Gaara, ready to knock him out only for some sand to move onto the floor and trip them up. The mind-controlled sand metahuman used some sand to form a protective dome around his body while a sand eye floated in the air to keep an eye on them. Waves of sand chased after them and while they were out of harm's way, they couldn't push through for an opening.

Two explosive arrows hit the sand dome and exploded but it seemed to do nothing. There were some scorch marks on the sand but no damage. Several bullets followed up after the arrows but by the ding sound made and the fact that they broke off upon contact, that sand had harden to the same density of concrete.

"What kind of sand is that?" The Arrow asked, quickly rushing to the side to avoid some sand before firing another explosive arrow that managed to disperse some sand.

"The metahuman kind!" Impulse shouted, moving out of the way of some sand. "Don't hurt him. It's not his fault. Orochimaru had some kind of mind-control collar on him."

Arsenal fired an explosive arrow at some sand to clear a path when a sand sword came from above to cleave him in half only for Jiraiya to tackle him out of the way. "So, what do we do?" Jiraiya asked.

"We need to get past that dome!" Impulse held up the metahuman power dampening bracelet he was hiding in his belt. "If I can get this on him then he can't use his powers."

"Easier said than done." Dig fired his entire pistol clip at the sand dome, but it did nothing. "That dome has got to be a thick as concrete!"

"Clear us a path!" Impulse shouted. "Flash, double team accelerated mass punch!"

"Ready when you are!" Flash told him before the two speedsters super sped out of harm's way. The Arrow, Arsenal, Dig, and Jiraiya kept Gaara and his creepy sand eye occupied with bullets and explosives. They managed to clear a path so Impulse and Flash super sped forward, vibrating their right fists at high speed to try and break through that sand dome. Jiraiya tossed a hand grenade at a clump of sand that caused some to disperse and get Gaara's attention. He rushed to the side and dived to his knees, firing a few shots from his Icer to make Gaara focus to the left which left his right exposed.

Flash and Impulse saw their opening and rushed forward, closing the distance and landing two accelerated mass punches to the sand dome. A muffled boom and two huge sand explosions later would be a good thing but not in this case. Their speed gave their punches enough force to penetrate the sand dome but not all the way through. Their fists were stuck halfway into the dome. That ended up being a bad idea as part of the sand dome extended out and sharpened into spikes. They narrowly skewered the two speedsters, but two grapple lines wrapped around them and they were yanked out of the way in time.

The two speedsters hit the ground hard and saw Arsenal and Arrow used their grapple arrows and Jiraiya yanked them free with his super strength. "Ok, your plan didn't work. We need another one." Jiraiya told him before the six of the heroes quickly moved to avoid being killed.

Naruto saw Linda unconscious when he remembered how part of the sand turned to glass after she blasted it. "Keep him occupied!"

Naruto rushed over to wake her up, leaving the others to deal with a mind-controlled metahuman. "I was hoping for a different kind of plan!" Jiraiya shouted, quickly jumping away to avoid getting hit.

"Linda." Naruto shook her a little bit and she managed to wake up but held her head in pain. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, but my head hurts." She said when she saw the others dodging waves of sand coming from the sand dome in the middle. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain later but we need your help. Gaara's sand dome has us at a stalemate. You're the only one who can stop him. Your light can heat that metal into glass. Once you do that, I can put my power dampening bracelet on him." He said.

"I got it." Linda got back to her feet and light shined from her hands and her feet, pushing her into the air and levitating her up.

"Since when can you do that?" Naruto asked.

"I've been training a lot." She told him before she put her hands together and fired a massive beam of light at the sand dome. Gaara attempted to use his sand to stop her but once it made contact with her light beam it superheated quickly and instantly turned hot glass ore. Her beam hit the dome and it soon turned red hot, like the glass ore you would see on the end of a glass blower pipe.

"Ice arrows!" Naruto shouted as Arsenal and Arrow fired their specially made liquid nitrogen arrows at the dome. Those were recent additions to Team Arrow's arsenal that Naruto gave them before they set out into the city to take down the Yakuza fronts. The liquid nitrogen instantly reacted to the molten sand, freezing it instantly and causing a lot of steam to fill the warehouse. Impulse and Flash quickly raced around in a large circle to suck up the steam so they could see, and the sand dome was now a dome of glass.

Impulse kept running around in a circle and raced towards the glass dome, punching through it and hitting Gaara in the face with a powerful right hook. Gaara flew out of the dome and hit the ground in a roll and thud. Naruto raced over to check on Gaara and saw he was unconscious, so he attached the meta power dampening bracelet. "Sorry, Gaara." Naruto then vibrated his right hand and broke the mind control collar in two.

"How is he?" Barry asked.

"Just knocked out. What he'll remember when he wakes up, I don't know." Naruto replied.

"Uh guys, is it me or are all the guys we tied up suddenly gone." Linda pointed out and to her word, the Yakuza goons and henchmen they all took down were gone but in their place were clothes and guns.

"Where did they go and why did they leave their clothes?" Roy asked when something fell from the ceiling and hit the floor. They turned and to their horror saw a whole bunch of bloody skeletons dropped to the ground in a large pile. Roy, Barry, Naruto and Linda covered their mouths in horror and in an attempt to not throw up. They skeletons looked like the bodies were eaten whole and then regurgitated with the skin, muscles, and organs removed. Small strands of muscles and skin were left hanging on some bones and they were covered in some kind of mucus. And by the number of skeletons in the pile, it was all of Orochimaru's henchmen.

"What the hell happened to them?" Naruto asked.

"I don't think we want to know." Oliver replied.

Jiraiya's hearing picked up some movement on the ceiling and from the sounds it was large. He glanced up and could see white scales when a pair of glowing yellow and black eyes appeared along with the glint of a pair of sharp teeth. "MOVE!"

Jiraiya, Naruto, Barry, Linda, Oliver, Roy, and Diggle jumped out of the way as whatever was on the ceiling smashed to the ground in a blur, creating a large dust cloud. Once the dust settled all everyone could agree is that what they were seeing was a monster. It was a large, white scaled, spiky snake at least forty feet long over two feet wide and had to weight over six hundred pounds. That wasn't the scary part, the scary part was Orochimaru's head connected to the snake body. His head had morphed so he had a snake-like nose, an angular mouth with two rows of razor-sharp teeth, his eyes were more angular to reflect a snake and his once long black hair was spiked like a sea urchin.

"What's the matter, heroes? Afraid of a little ssssnake?!" Orochimaru's voice seemed to change into something more snake like, like Jafar's voice after he turned into a massive cobra. He bared his fangs before lunging at Barry who super sped out of the way. Orochimaru turned to Naruto and smile. "I was a little distraught at what your father's serum did to me…but after a while, I realized it was perfect!"

Orochimaru lunged at Naruto with a deceptively fast speed that would seem uncharacteristically impossible for his size. Naruto managed to side step out of the way and Orochimaru's mouth ended up taking out a chunk of the ground. Naruto punched him in the back of the head, but the scales were about as hard as diamonds.

"Son of a bi—UFGH!" Orochimaru bashed him in the gut with his tail and sent him flying into Oliver and Diggle. It felt like getting hit by a thirty-mph car. Orochimaru picked his head out of the ground with a massive piece of concrete in his mouth before crushing it with his teeth and chewing it like it was Doritos.

"Normally changing into this form takes a lot out of me. Good thing I had a big lunch." Orochimaru hissed at them.

"Your men. You ate all your men." Jiraiya said in horror.

"They were tasty and served their purpose. Helping me kill all of you!" Orochimaru spit out a stream of green venom from his mouth that force Jiraiya, Roy, Barry, and Linda to scatter. When the venom hit the ground it instantly began eating away at it like Xenomorph blood. Orochimaru lunged at Jiraiya who raised his katana in time to block the razor-sharp teeth. The impact sent Jiraiya skidding back a bit as he held back Orochimaru's mouth with his sword, but the teeth were beginning to crack the blade, so he quickly dove to the side to avoid getting eaten. Jiraiya got back to his feet and fired his last clip of Icer bullets at the snake but they went splat against his scales. Dig fired his Glock, but the bullets bounced off his skin. Orochimaru brought his tail down on them, planning to squish them but Linda fired a light blast at his face, momentarily blinding him and causing him to miss. "ARGH!"

The large man snake flailed around a bit and hit the three of them with his tail, causing them to fly through the air. Oliver fired an explosive arrow at Orochimaru's face which pissed him off even more and causing him to flail around, causing his tail to whip around and destroy parts of the warehouse like a wrecking ball. He and Naruto dove out of the way of falling ceiling rafters and then again to avoid being hit by Orochimaru's tail. Oliver fired a few more arrows but they either broke off or deflected against his scales. Naruto and Barry super sped around Orochimaru, landing super speed punches all over his body but it seemed to do nothing.

Oliver took out another explosive arrow and fired it at the ceiling. The explosion caused some rafters and debris to fall down as Barry and Naruto super sped out of the way just in time so Orochimaru was buried under it. Linda fired her light blasts and super-heated all the metal, so it melted and Orochimaru was now trapped under a large mound of molten metal.

"Flash, twister arms!" Impulse shouted as he began spinning his arms around and around in a circular motion. His speed picked up and got to the point where he managed to create wind funnels. Flash saw what he was doing and followed suit and the two created enough wind that it began cooling the molten metal very rapidly. After about a minute, the molten metal had cooled down and solidified, trapping Orochimaru in a metal coffin.

"Did we get him?" Linda asked.

"There's no way that guy is getting out of this." Barry said.

"Now what?" Dig asked.

"We wait a bit and when he's unconscious, Barry and I will take him back to Central City and put him in the pipeline. I'll be able to make another power dampening bracelet so he can't use his powers." Naruto told them.

"Good, because I have some questions for this asshole." Jiraiya said.

"The line starts behind me." Naruto said when Oliver felt something.

"Wait, do you guys feel that?" Oliver asked as the others quieted down. They could hear small little bangs and the ground was shaking.

"Oh man, that doesn't sound good." Barry said as the rumbling got louder and Orochimaru burst out of the ground like a Graboid from the movie Tremors. Orochimaru began spitting venom all around them so Barry and Naruto super sped everyone to cover to avoid getting hit. They took cover behind shelves, crates, and whatever they could as the venom instantly melted whatever it touched and even hit Diggle's jacket and began to eat part of it away. "Now what do we do?"

"I'm thinking." Naruto told them before grabbing some explosive pellets from Oliver's strap. "Keep him occupied."

Naruto began racing around Orochimaru to piss him off and disorient him while the others used whatever projectiles they could to keep him busy, granted all it did was piss him off even more because of his diamond hard scales. Orochimaru kept spewing green venom before he switched it up with purple venom that instantly turned into a vapor when it hit the ground. Naruto stopped and threw the explosive pellets at Orochimaru's face and one managed to land in his mouth which exploded.

"RAGH!" Orochimaru screamed in agony as the smoke from the explosive seeped out of his mouth and nose. Naruto used this chance to race up Orochimaru's snake body and landed a super speed punch to his face. The large snake hit the ground with a loud thud, and everyone thought it was over, so they slowly walked over to his body only for Orochimaru to spit out a cloud of purple venom from his mouth that hit Naruto right in the face. Orochimaru smacked everyone else with his tail and sent them all flying away like ragdolls before wrapping his tail around Naruto and constricting him like he was a mouse. "Oh, little speedster. Guess you weren't fast enough."

Naruto would have easily began vibrating at super speed to heat up the scales but found that his mind and body weren't exactly moving right. "Wha—what did yo-u do-?" Naruto felt like his entire body was put in slow motion and his wires were crossed as his limbs seemed to not respond.

"Acidic venom isn't all I can do. Paralysis venom is very useful as well." Orochimaru taunted as he began squeezing Naruto like he was a child with a new plush toy. "Now, let's find out how much pressure a speedster can take before they go pop!"

"ARGH!" Naruto grit his teeth in pain, trying whatever he could to get out, but his body wasn't responding at all.

"Get away from him!" They heard as Linda fired light blast after light blast at the snake, but he quickly swerved his head out of the way each time before slithering forward and headbutting her away. She flew through the air and hit a large industrial shelf that then fell on her.

"NOO!" Naruto shouted as Orochimaru turned back to face him.

"Let's see how speedster tastes!" Orochimaru then clamped his jaw over Naruto's head and torso with his teeth digging into his suit and body as his screams of pain were muffled by being inside Orochimaru's mouth. The large snake then swallowed Naruto whole and licked his lips with a satisfying smile.

"KIDDD!" Jiraiya shouted in horror as the others couldn't believe what they just saw…Naruto was eaten alive. Said speedster was sliding down Orochimaru's esophagus which was gross and was covered in mucus as he made his way down to his stomach to be dissolved by acidic stomach acid. As he made his way down, something inside Naruto snapped and his eyes began glowing crimson and lightning began to surge through his body.

Jiraiya pulled out a shotgun from his container and unleashed hell on the snake while Oliver, Roy, and Diggle helped, firing everything they had after watching their friend get eaten. Orochimaru turned and was prepared to melt them with his acidic venom when he abruptly stopped. His face began to twist and contort, portraying a tremendous amount of pain happening to his body causing him to thrash in pain. Everyone backed up as Barry helped Linda out from under the shelf as they saw Orochimaru seem to have an epileptic seizure when his torso began flowing crimson and white from the inside. The light got brighter and brighter when all of a sudden, a fist punched clean through Orochimaru's stomach from the inside.

"RRAAGGHHH!" Orochimaru let out an inhuman scream of pain as blood and mucus poured out from his wound along with Naruto but it wasn't the regular Naruto. He pulled himself out of Orochimaru's stomach and stood there in the warehouse in a suit of pure white and crimson lightning armor. Barry recognized it as the armor Naruto used to stop Hartley months ago. What they also noticed was that Naruto's eyes were glowing red and his body was vibrating at such a high frequency that he looked like a blur.

Orochimaru's screams of pain echoed into the warehouse before his body began to morph and the 40-foot-long white scaled snake turned back into his human form except with a gaping hole in his stomach and he was just wearing pants. The Nine leader crawled away in pain and shame only for Naruto to super speed forward, grab him by the neck and hoist him up with an impressive show of strength.

"Wha-what are you?" Orochimaru asked only for Naruto to pull him close.

"You're worst nightmare." Impulse replied, his voice vibrated and disguised to sound exactly like Reverse Flash. Barry froze for a moment in horror as Naruto looked and sounded almost exactly like Reverse Flash. Impulse threw Orochimaru across the warehouse with enough speed that he made a massive hole in the wall before he pulled him out and then threw him into the ceiling. He hit with a loud clang and thud before falling to the ground only for Naruto to grab his leg and slam him into the ground over and over.

"Impulse stop!" Oliver shouted but Naruto didn't let up and held up Orochimaru before throwing out speed punches all over his face and body, opening up the stomach wound even more. The only reason he wasn't dead yet was probably because of the enhanced endurance and healing Orochimaru's powers gave him.

"Naruto, stop!" Jiraiya shouted only for Naruto to punch Orochimaru in the face and break his jaw. The punch sent him flying through the air, but Naruto super sped around him, grabbed him by the neck before slamming him into the ground and stomping on his stomach wound with his heel causing the villain to shout in pain and horror.

"Naruto, stop!" Linda shouted but he wasn't listening. "He's gonna kill him!"

Oliver quickly fired a grappling restraint arrow, but Naruto caught it before it exploded. He turned and looked at the group and even though his eyes were glowing, you could tell he was pissed. He super sped past all of them and knocked them away with enough force to send them flying. He even hit Linda. Whatever was happening to Naruto, it seemed to be channeling his anger and hate for Orochimaru and cloud everything else.

The speedster stalked over to Orochimaru and his lightning color began to flicker from a mixture of crimson and white to blood red like Reverse Flash's lightning color. He pulled Orochimaru onto his knees and constricted his hand around his neck. "You ruined my life…hurt countless people…and murdered my parents. You don't even care about the lives you've ruined." Naruto said to him.

"You're right…I don't." Orochimaru replied, coughing up some blood.

"The world will be a better place without you in it." Naruto told him. "And once I'm done with you, the rest of the Nine will follow you to the grave. You are a plague and a pestilence upon this world and I shall cleanse it. Staring with you."

Central City

All the way back in Central City, Dr. Wells was in the time vault watching the newspaper article of the future flicker back and forth between the two possible outcomes. "Naruto, please. Don't go down this path." He said out loud.

Starling City

Naruto raised his right hand and began vibrating it, hellbent on driving it through Orochimaru's head and then heart but Barry quickly super sped and tackled him away, slamming him into a wall.

"Impulse, stop! You don't want to do this! This isn't you!" He told him only for Naruto to knee him in the gut and slammed his head into the wall. Barry was grabbed by the throat and hoisted up in the air.

"If you're not with me…you're against me!" Naruto slammed him into the wall and threw out a punch but Barry moved his head at the last second so he missed and punched the wall instead. Barry looked and saw the massive hole Naruto's punch made and if got hit then it would have seriously hurt. Naruto headbutted Barry in the face and broke his nose when he was grabbed from behind by Jiraiya and put in a rear-naked choke.

"Kid, stop! You're hurting your friend!" Jiraiya tried to reason with him, using his super strength to keep Naruto from moving. So, the speedster began vibrating at high speed creating an intense amount of friction and heat that it caused Jiraiya's arms to burn.

"Throw him!" Oliver shouted so Jiraiya did just that and threw him into the air.

Oliver and Roy fired two grapple line arrows while Naruto was in mid-air and restrained him before they fired two liquid cement arrows and encased him in concrete. "Did that do it?" Jiraiya asked.

"I hope so." Oliver replied. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know but whatever is happening to him we need to stop it." Linda said.

"We'll get him back to STAR Labs. Maybe Dr. Wells can do something." Barry told them when Oliver noticed Orochimaru attempt to crawl away, so he fired his last wire restraint arrow at him, pinning him against a support beam. "Think you're prison on Lian Yu can hold him?"

"With some modifications, it can." Oliver replied.

"Argus will hold him in the meantime." Dig said when he noticed the concrete blob begin to shake. "Uh, guys…"

The concrete began to shake and tremble and the middle glowed, indicating it was heating up. "Use your ice arrows!" Barry told them as Oliver and Roy, shot them at the concrete slab. Barry figured the ice and cold would stop Naruto from moving only it was too late.

"RRAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" The concrete slab exploded, and the shockwave knocked them all back. They looked and saw Naruto standing there, having vibrated himself free of the concrete prison. He didn't even give them a second glance as he saw Orochimaru managed to slide himself free of the wires holding him. Naruto super sped forward and slammed the snake into the wall before tossing him onto the ground. He grabbed him by the neck and reared his hand back, vibrating it to drive through the snake's heart when he was stopped.

"NO!" Linda jumped forward and got in his way, putting herself in front of Naruto's target.

"Linda, get out of there!" Barry shouted but she didn't move, instead taking her mask off so Naruto could look her right in the face.

"Naruto, please stop this! I'm begging you, don't do this!" She pleaded with him as Naruto just stood there.

"Get out of my way!" Naruto shouted, inching his hand closer but she wouldn't move. "Get away Linda! He has to die!"

"No, he doesn't!" She told him.

"He's committed acts of horror to his victims and relishes in the chaos he causes! The lives he ruins, the people he's killed…THE FAMILIES HE'S RIPPED APART! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" He shouted. "YOU WOULD PROTECT HIM?!"

"No, I'm trying to protect you!" Linda shouted. "You're doing exactly what they want, Naruto. Mizuki and Orochimaru, they want you to turn into a monster just like them!"

"Maybe I am a monster?! Maybe it takes a monster to slay monsters?! If that's what it takes to rid the world of people like him then so be it!" He reared his hand back, ready to put it through Orochimaru's head when something stopped him and it was Jiraiya.

"You don't believe that, kid." He said, holding him back with every ounce of super strength he had.

"What would you know? You were never around! You don't know me!" Naruto shouted.

"I do know you and this person in front of me is not him! It's what Orochimaru's trying to turn you into!" Jiraiya pleaded with him. "Look, I get that I've pretty much ruined any chance of earning your respect kid and I can live with that. What I can't live with is you losing everything that makes you who you are! Everything your parents believed you could be! Don't throw it away because of him!"

"He killed them! He ruined my life! All of the Nine deserve to die!" Naruto shouted.

"But not if you lose who you are, Naruto." Linda grabbed his face so he could see her. Tears were starting to form as she saw the man she loved in this state. She just hoped she could bring him back. "You told me that you were scared of what would happen if you went down this path but here I am! You wanted me to stop you if you went too far and I'm right here and I'm not leaving!"

"None of us are." Barry said as he joined them and tried to get Naruto to snap back. "Naruto look I understand what you're feeling right now. Believe me, I do but killing him isn't the answer! You're better than that…better than him."

"He has to die…he needs to die!" Naruto shouted and they could hear the pain in his voice like it was killing him inside.

"Kid, if you do this then you'll lose everything good about who you are and what you've done. The work you've done to try and help the world, the people you've saved…the hope you inspire and the legacy your parents left you will be gone for good!" Jiraiya told him. "I understand the pain you feel and think that just by killing him it would make you feel better or make it easier but all that does is makes it easier for the next kill. And the next one and the next one until you lose track and you lose a small piece of your soul for each one until you're a hollow shell of who you used to be. That's not who you are."

"You begged me that if you went down this path that I would bring you back and here I am now…you're lightning rod. So, please…come back to me." Linda begged him. "Come back to your lighting rod."

Naruto seemed frozen for a moment before the blood red lightning he generated turned back into his crimson and white color and his eyes stopped glowing. Soon enough, his body stopped vibrating and he was back to normal again. "Linda…."

"It's me. You're ok." She told him, hugging him close.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He held her close and begged her forgiveness.

"It's ok, kid. You're back." Jiraiya held him close. Diggle and Oliver walked over and restrained Orochimaru with a pair of handcuffs and wire cables.

"Guys…I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I just got so angry…and the anger just intensified more and more until I couldn't see straight. All this anger, hate, aggression…every bad feeling I had just intensified. It was like…something negative just took over my brain." Naruto told him.

"Hey, it's ok. You're fine." Barry assured him. "You came back and that's all that matters."

"I would have killed him…I wanted to kill him." Naruto admitted.

"But you didn't. That's the important thing." Linda told him. "I kept my promise. You're still here with us."

Naruto looked at Linda and gave her a very passionate kiss. "Thank you, Linda. You brought me back. You are my lightning rod." He told her. "And I'm glad you like your suit."

"It might need some adjustments, but I love it." She replied as she saw Orochimaru being dragged away by Diggle and Oliver. "Don't worry about him. He's getting what he deserves."

"Yeah. His entire Yakuza faction is dead because of him and he'll spend the rest of his life in a cell knowing that the son of the husband and wife who gave him his powers put him in jail. Just desserts." Jiraiya admitted when Naruto noticed Orochimaru's hands fidgeting with the cuffs.

"Wait!" Naruto's warning came too late as Orochimaru managed to break free of the cuffs and wire cables. All the time they spent trying to calm down Naruto gave him enough time to heal from his wounds thanks to his meta powers. He elbowed Oliver in the face and kneed Diggle in the gut before throwing them into Naruto, Barry, and Jiraiya. Linda fired her light blasts but Orochimaru dodged them all. He closed the distance, grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up into the air.

"You stopped Naruto from killing me…and for that I'm grateful. I'll grant you a quick death. All your friends, family and fellow heroes, they won't be so lucky." Orochimaru told her before undergoing a partial transformation that extended his mouth and jaw to bite her head off.

Naruto pushed Diggle off and saw Linda about to die. "NOOO!" He raced forward, drawing on his speed and power and tapping into something…unique. His lightning color didn't change nor did his eyes glow red, but his speed force armor came back and imbued him with even more speed and energy.

He raced forward and instead of stepping around Linda, he ran right through her. He somehow managed to vibrate his body at such a high speed that he passed right through her safely. Once he passed through her body, he extended his right fist and sought only to punch Orochimaru but because he was vibrating, his fist phased through him and came out of his back just as his speed force armor vanished and his speed stopped.

No sound could be heard except for the sound of blood dripping to the ground. Naruto looked in horror as he was in between Orochimaru and Linda and stopped him from eating her…but something went wrong in the process. He phased his right fist through Orochimaru where his heart was, and it had gone through his body and out the back. Orochimaru's smile turned into a frown as he coughed up blood and looked down to see Naruto's fist through his body where his heart was.

"Guess you won…" Orochimaru managed to say as Naruto pulled his hand out of his body. The Nine leader dropped to the ground, blood pouring from his heart and knew he was going to die. He glanced up at Naruto one last time and smirked. "…you had trouble with me…the rest of the Nine…won't…be…as…easy…see…you…in…hell…"

Orochimaru's head fell back and his eyes went blank. One of the deadliest and notorious criminals in the entire world and one of the leaders of the Nine was dead…by accident. Naruto looked down at his right fist and saw it was covered in blood. "What have I done?" He was frozen in pure horror at what he just did, and the others had no idea what to say about what transpired.

Central City

Dr. Wells was in the time vault, looking at the newspaper article as it finally solidified, and the future was now set. He breathed a sigh of relief that the future was back on track the way it should be with the same Flash vanishing after Crisis headline and regular Impulse photo instead of the horrifying murderous one. "Well done, Ms. Park…and well done, Naruto." Dr. Wells sat in a chair and took a sip of Scotch, breathing a sigh of relief that his plan wasn't in danger.

Line Break xxxxx

Starling City

After what transpired at the warehouse, they regrouped back at the bunker. Dig called Argus and had Lyla send some agents to the secure the sight and recover Orochimaru's body. To say she was curious about why Orochimaru was in Starling City, how he was killed and who killed him is an understatement. She asked Dig what happened but Dig told her he didn't know, and they just found his body like that. He didn't want to give up Naruto. Barry took Gaara and raced back to Central City where Caitlin was waiting to look him over.

Speaking of Naruto, he was still grappling with what just happened and what he did. He was sitting in a chair in the bunker in his regular clothes with his Impulse suit on the table next to him. A glass full of Russian Vodka was in his hands as Linda was doing her best to comfort him but it did little to help.

Oliver, Diggle, Roy, Felicity, and Jiraiya watched in worry at Naruto's state. They weren't expecting tonight's event to play out like it did and now that it was over, they weren't sure what to do now.

"I still can't believe all that happened." Laurel said, having been told what happened and was having some trouble processing it. "Look at him…he looks…I don't even know what he looks like."

"The look of horror as you relive the moment over and over again in your head." Jiraiya told them. "That shouldn't have happened. I should have protected him…I failed."

"It's not your fault, Jiraiya. You didn't know that was going to happen." Felicity assured him. "It was an accident."

"Accident or not, the kid shouldn't have been there in the first place. I'm his godfather for Christ sake. I'm supposed to protect him, and I couldn't even do that." Jiraiya admitted.

"It's not your fault, Jiraiya." They heard Naruto say as he lifted his head up to see them. "And I can hear everything you guys are saying."

"How are you doing?" Felicity asked as she walked over to help comfort him.

"Like I'm in a nightmare of my own creation." Naruto replied, downing the entire cup of Vodka in a single gulp. "Stupid metabolism."

"Can you guys give me the room for a minute?" Oliver asked. "I want to talk to him alone."

They all looked at Oliver for a second after he said that. Dig and Jiraiya could tell that Oliver might be able to help Naruto come to terms with what happened. "Come on, guys. Let's give them the room." Dig said as they went upstairs to the club.

Linda gave Naruto a kiss on the head before walking up to Oliver. "Please help him."

"I will." He assured her.

"Come on, Linda." Jiraiya led her upstairs and soon it was just Oliver and Naruto.

Oliver walked over and poured Naruto another glass of Vodka for Naruto who drank it quickly, not feeling anything from the alcohol. "How are you doing?" Oliver asked.

"Like I really wish I could know how to time travel to go back in time to stop myself." Naruto told him. "Honestly, I'm not even sure why I'm surprised at myself. I admitted this before we went into the city. I wanted bloody vengeance and I got him…I'm no better than Orochimaru."

"That's not true, Naruto and you know it." Oliver assured him when he noticed Naruto glance to the side and from his expression, he could tell it wasn't something good. "You're seeing him, aren't you? Orochimaru."

"He's standing right there. Taunting me…saying how right Mizuki was…and how I'm just like him. And he's right." Naruto got up and threw the cup at the wall in frustration and anger before flipping his chair to let it all out. "My stomach is in knots and my heart feels like it's about to burst which is ironic considering that's what I did. I don't deserve to wear this stupid thing!"

Naruto threw his Impulse suit to the ground in despair before grabbing the Vodka bottle and chugging it until it was empty. Given his super metabolism, nothing happened. "Dammit!" Naruto tossed the bottle at the wall in frustration as well.

"Good, I was hoping for this response." Oliver told him.

"Hoping? I just told you how horrible I feel after what I did, I just made a massive mess and I'm pretty sure I'm done being Impulse now. How is any of this the response you were hoping to see?" Naruto asked.

"Because right now it's showing me that you are feeling guilt for what you did. Your first kill…just like I went through after mine." Oliver told him. "It was on the island the first year and like you I did it to protect someone I cared about. I shot him in the chest with an arrow to save her and afterward it was not easy at all to recover. I didn't eat for week, my heart felt like going to give out at any second and I could have sworn I saw him out of the corner of my eye every single time I turned around. Once you take a life…it changes you. It can make it easier to take the next one…or it can humble you."

"How did you get past it?" Naruto asked, wanting to find a way to make this stop.

"I'm not sure I ever did. The path I took, the mistakes and choices I've made…they continue to haunt me. And I wish I could say that this will go away and get easier, but I don't want to lie to you. The guilt you have will feel like a burden and weight but that's a good thing because you know and understand that what you did…and you didn't take it lightly. If you were feeling nothing, then I'd be worried." Oliver told him. "I told you before that you could never turn into the person you're terrified of becoming and that point still stands."

"That was before I killed someone. Oliver, how can I honestly look you and the others in the eye after what I've done? And it wasn't as simple as shooting him in the head or stabbing him in the heart. I wish it was that simple. I vibrated my fist through his heart and despite my speed and everything else that happened at that moment…I felt everything. I felt my hand rip his heart in two and break through his bones like butter." He admitted. "You know the kind of person that does something like that? One who has had darkness in him since the beginning and finally learned to embrace it. I'm a monster."

"I don't believe that, especially with you." Oliver assured him.

"How? How can you be so sure and have so much faith in me?!" Naruto asked.

"Because I do, Naruto. I need to believe that no matter what happens in our lives, no matter how much darkness infects us, I need to believe that we can come back from that much!" Oliver told him. "Everyone has darkness in them, everyone. Just because someone is happy or free doesn't mean it's not there. Some people never encounter that darkness while others let it take over them but those aren't the only options. I've killed, Naruto. I've done horrible things that sometimes I don't recognize the person I used to be, but I carry the weight of those decisions with me every day and it reminds me that all my actions…they aren't what define me. My choices afterward show me who I am. I know it seems that after something like this its easy to lose hope in finding the person you were before but it's not. We're living proof of that."

"Does the guilt ever go away?" Naruto asked but Oliver shook his head no.

"A part of it will stick with you but that's a good thing. It's a reminder that you understand that what you did…you didn't take lightly. I understand killing someone to protect a person you care about, believe me I do. But that doesn't mean it makes you a monster. It means that you're human. This kind of life…it's gonna happen more than you think. It's the same thing I told Barry when he came to me after first getting his powers. He came to me for advice and I told him making mistakes in this line of work comes with the territory but the good you do will far outweigh the bad." Oliver said. "Like Barry, I don't think that bolt of lightning struck you Naruto, it chose you. I'm not someone who really believes in faith or destiny but I think that's the reason you got your powers so you and Barry could be the light this world needs."

"I'm not like Barry, Oliver. Ok, I'm…different. Tonight, is a prime example. You've seen it. Barry and I may share some similarities but we're not the same person." Naruto told him.

"And that's a good thing. Everyone is different and you being different than Barry is another reason that it makes you a better hero. You understand that life isn't always black and white and that it dictates you doing things that others would look down on." Oliver informed him. "When I came to Central City you were willing to learn everything I had to teach you and dedicate time and energy into training. Something Barry fought against and despite the influence of Prism, he didn't need the anger influx to say those things. You, on the other hand stuck with your training and soaked in everything I had to teach you and it's made you stronger and ready for what you have been dealing with. Maybe I did too good of a job."

"No, don't say that, Oliver. If it wasn't for your training things would have gotten a lot worse in dozens of situations. Hell, just last week I had to think like you to turn the tables of General Eiling and his attempts to kidnap my friends." Naruto recounted his adventures when he came to the subtle realization he had been circling for months. "It's not something that Barry would have been able to do but you would have."

"And coming to help keep my city safe while I was gone is exactly like something Barry would have." Oliver added. "The light you have and the good you do will far outweigh the bad. You're helping the planet and thousands of people at STAR Labs and as Impulse, but you also understand just how dangerous this world really is and the lengths it'll go to try and break you. I told Roy the same thing I'm going to tell you. When you survive a crucible, you come out stronger for it…never forget that."

"What now?" Naruto asked.

"Now it's up to you. I wish I could give you all the answers you were looking for, but I can't. Just take your time…and build yourself back up. Be the best you, Naruto and I know the best you have will be more than enough for the world." Oliver assured him.

Naruto smiled and wiped away a tear. He got up and shook Oliver's hand before the two shared a brief hug. "Thank you, Oliver. Just all of this talking…it helped a lot."

"I'm here if you need me. We all are." Oliver said. "If anyone knows what you're going through its us so never think you're alone."

"Thank you." Naruto said before taking a look at his suit and the blood train on the right glove and forearm. He reached into his boot and pulled out the kunai knife he took from Mizuki before putting it with his suit. "Can you do me a favor and burn that?"

"Aren't you going to need a suit?" Oliver asked.

"I want to make a new one." Naruto told him and Oliver nodded.

Jiraiya, Diggle, Laurel, Felicity, Roy, and Linda were upstairs in the club. Thankfully it had been closed for a while, so no one was around. Everyone was at the bar, drinking except for Laurel who was having some club soda.

"How do you think it's going down there?" Linda asked.

"Oliver will get through to him. If anyone knows what he's going through, it's Oliver." Dig assured her.

"He's not the only one." Felicity rubbed Roy on the shoulder, and he smiled at her.

"Do you think he can come back from this?" Laurel asked.

"It won't be easy. I should know." Roy told him. "Killing someone…even if accidental…the guilt stays with you."

"Naruto is just as strong as the rest of us, maybe even more so. If anyone can come back from this, it'll be him." Dig added.

"But having people there to help him through this will make the difference." Jiraiya said. "The kid can come back from this…anyone can."

Jiraiya looked at Roy and Arsenal nodded in appreciation. They heard some footsteps and saw Oliver and Naruto walk over, both of them looking better. Linda walked over and hugged him, and he hugged her back. "I'm sorry, again." He told her.

"It wasn't you." She replied, giving him a quick kiss. "How are you?"

"I'm…on my way there." Naruto told her.

"Thank you, Oliver." Linda said to him.

"Don't mention it." He replied.

"And thanks, all of you. For your help tonight. It could have gone a lot worse." Naruto said.

"We're always here. How are you feeling?" Felicity asked.

"I'm…putting myself back together piece by piece. I'm not perfect but I'll get back there one day." Naruto replied. "I've gone through my crucible, time to see what comes out."

"Well, we're here if you need us. All of us." Laurel told him.

"If anyone understands what you're going through it's us. We're here, man." Dig assured him.

"Thank you." Naruto smiled back. "I think it's time we head back to Central City. I need to talk to Dr. Wells."

"Sounds good to me." Linda replied as they bid Team Arrow a goodbye.

"Thank you again, Oliver, for everything." Naruto said, shaking his hand. "I only wish there was something I could to do to help you with Ra's al Ghul."

"You did. You helped me find my answer." Oliver replied.

"Well, if you ever need us, we're a phone call away." Naruto told him.

"Likewise." Oliver said as Naruto hugged the others and he, Linda, and Jiraiya took the train back to Central City.

Naruto was sitting next to the window on the train as he watched the passing landscape. Linda saw Naruto looking at the window and curled her hand into his. "Hey, you ok?" She asked.

"I am with you by my side." He leaned over and kissed her.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto. If I wasn't there this wouldn't have happened." She told him.

"No, don't even think that." Naruto kissed her. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. You saved me twice today. From Gaara and from myself. You brought me back. You're my lightning rod."

"Now and always." She kissed him once again and cuddled into his side.

Naruto looked out the window and saw Orochimaru and Mizuki smirking at him, taunting him and saying he was nothing more than a monster. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and calmed his mind. They were just manifestations of his guilt. He opened his eyes and they were gone for now, but they would be back. He opened up Pandora's box and let out the monster…but there was hope still there.

Central City, STAR Labs

Gaara was laid out on a gurney in the medical section of STAR labs after Barry dropped him off. Caitlin ran a battery of tests and other then some minor signs of exhaustion and some injuries from his fight he was fine and showed no side effects from the control collar. And a blood test confirmed that he was a meta like Naruto with the ability to control sand. Cisco didn't give out a name given the situation.

The red haired meta groaned in pain before he woke up, finding himself in a high-tech medical room with Naruto sitting next to the gurney. "Easy, Gaara. Don't move too much."

"Naruto?" Gaara held his head in pain so Naruto handed him a glass of water and some Advil. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Naruto told him. Gaara took the pills and drank all the water.

"Where am I?" Gaara asked.

"You're back in Central City at STAR Labs. I had someone look you over and other than some cuts, bruises and exhaustion you're fine." Naruto assured him. "Gaara…what's the last thing you remember?"

"If you're asking what I remember from my time as Orochimaru's attack dog…" Gaara turned to him with a look of both horror and anger at himself. "…I remember everything. The control collar made me complacent and do what he said but I remember what I did."

"Gaara, that's not your fault." Naruto told him.

"I wish I could believe you, Naruto but don't try and defend me. I'm a monster." Gaara admitted. "The things I've done…they're beyond forgiveness."

"No one is beyond redemption, Gaara. You told me that once." Naruto said. "And I know what it's like to be horrified by your own actions. I killed Orochimaru."

"You did?" Gaara asked. "Good riddance."

"You'll hear no argument from me…but it wasn't easy. I'm still not over it and I'm not sure I ever will be. But…some good friends of mine helped me realize that even if there is darkness in somebody that doesn't mean they can't come back to the light." Naruto told him. "Gaara, you were one of the best people I knew in College. You helped everyone and even though you were offered a dream job working for a political campaign in New York, you chose to travel abroad and help people. That alone tells me enough."

"I'm not the same person I was in college." Gaara said.

"Neither am I. I guess we'll just have to figure out who these new people are, but I can promise you this…you have me and a lot of other people to help you through this." Naruto assured him. "I'm not abandoning you now or ever."

"What now?" Gaara asked.

"Now…you rest and get better. You've been through a lot but Orochimaru is dead and so are his henchmen, so you don't have to worry about them coming after you." Naruto told him. "I also called your brother and sister and they're on their way to see you. They should be here tomorrow."

"Thank you, Naruto…and I'm sorry for what I did." Gaara felt bad for nearly killing him and his friends.

"And I'm sorry for the punch to the face. I hope it didn't hurt that much." Naruto said.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad you were there." Gaara said. "Your parents designed the serum that gave me my powers?"

"Yeah…and the serum that gave me mine but when they figured out who Orochimaru really was and what he was a part of they tried to stop him." Naruto explained. "So, now I'm finishing their job. Orochimaru's taken care of which leads the rest of the Nine."

"The Nine…I can help you with that." Gaara said.

"Later, Gaara. For now, get some rest."

"No, I mean I remember Orochimaru meeting with two other leaders of the Nine." Gaara explained.

"Who?" Naruto was now intrigued.

"Um…a red-haired member named Sasori and a blonde ponytail guy named Deidara. They're a pair and Orochimaru met with them while in Asia."

"Deidara and Sasori. Two more to go." Naruto said to himself.

"That's not all…there were two other people with them like me. They had powers and had the same collars around their necks." Gaara said.

"My dad did make eight additional meta serums. Guess the Nine used them to make their own personal bodyguards." Naruto said. "Thanks, Gaara. That's gonna help but for now get some rest, recover and build yourself back up."

"Thank you, Naruto." Gaara laid his head back and tried to rest. It wasn't going to be easy and Gaara had been through a lot…but it was possible.

Naruto stepped out into the hallway to see Jiraiya writing in a notebook. "Keeping a diary?"

"A book, actually. I always promised myself that when I was ready to retire, I'd give writing a shot." Jiraiya replied, putting his notebook away.

"About what? Your various exploits in Intelligence agencies?" Naruto was a little curious.

"No. A romance novel about my own personal experiences of love and rejection…something to give hope to people around the world." Jiraiya proudly replied.

"So, a complete work of fiction and knowing you, a book of smut." Naruto said which causing Jiraiya to send him a glare. "Anyway, you overhead us, didn't you? Who are Sasori and Deidara?"

"Not sure. The names sound familiar, but I'll have to check my sources. But we have two more names and given how long it took to track down Orochimaru, finding them will take even longer." Jiraiya said, dreading how much work this was going to be.

"You don't have to leave right away, do you?" Naruto asked as the two stopped walking.

"Want me to stick around here, kid?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well…you've proven yourself useful in a fight and knowing this group that happens on a regular basis." Naruto admitted. "Plus…I wouldn't mind having your ass stick around a little longer."

"I think I've earned some vacation after everything, so I'll stick around for a bit." Jiraiya smiled at Naruto. "If only to try and score with your smoking hot landlady, Tsunade."

"Try that again and she's liable to send a punch further south and that will hurt." Naruto told him as the two walked in to the cortex where the others were waiting.

Caitlin walked up and hugged him and he hugged back. "How are you doing?"

"I'm better, Caitlin. Thanks." He said as he bro-hugged Cisco and Barry.

"I'm just glad you're all right. Sorry we couldn't be more help." Cisco said.

"No, you guys have done more than enough." Naruto replied as he walked over to Dr. Wells. "You especially, Dr. Wells. I found the tracking probe in my goggles. Thank you."

"Like I said, Naruto, I'll always be there for you. And I'm glad you came back to us in one piece." Dr. Wells replied.

"Pieces but I'm pulling myself back together." Naruto told him.

"How's Gaara?" Barry asked.

"He's awake and is going to need some help and support but he's alive. He's been through a lot but he has us and we can help him." Naruto replied. "And he also gave us something. Deidara and Sasori."

"Who are they?" Linda asked.

"Two other leaders of the Nine. Gaara remembers a meeting they had with Orochimaru. And they also have two other people like Gaara, mind controlled Metas." Jiraiya explained.

"Innocent people whose lives have been turned around because of my parents' mistakes. But I plan to fix that." Naruto told them.

"Careful, Naruto. You're aware of how tonight could have turned out." Dr. Wells caution him.

"I am and I know it'll take some time before we find them. I also know that I would have gotten killed if it wasn't for my family, right here in this room." Naruto said as he looked at everyone who was gathered together. "I told you to stay out of this, yet you came anyway."

"Yeah, and we helped you." Barry told him and Naruto nodded.

"You did. I wanted to keep all of you out of this because I'm afraid of what would happen to my new family. But we're stronger together. The rest of the Nine will get what's coming to them but I'm not going to do it alone. So…we take them down together." Naruto said and they all nodded in agreement. "This isn't just a battle, but a war and we've struck the first blow. Now, we get ready for the next one."

Unknown location

In a hidden location somewhere on the planet, eight holographic silhouettes appeared from eight high-tech platforms. There was a moment of silence as they all observed the ninth platform that wasn't activated.

"Orochimaru is dead." The silhouette in the middle spoke. He was the leader.

"Good riddance. I don't know about the rest of you, but he always creeped me out."

"Who killed him?"

"Unsure at the moment. We'll have our sources dig into it, but all Orochimaru's Yakuza fronts have been under attack lately. It's probably the same person."

"Find out who it is. Whoever they are, they cannot interfere with our plans. The remaining assets of Orochimaru's operation will be divided evenly and those individuals that are still alive will be dealt with. We cannot risk any leaks. Those that followed him in life shall follow him in death." The leader spoke in some kind of twisted version of honor to the fallen leader of the Nine.

"I'll take care of it. Samehada could use a workout."

"Very well. For now, business as usual. And whoever has declared war on us…shall know pain." The leader spoke as the silhouettes began to flicker out one by one until he was alone and the last thing that was seen were purple colored eyes with an unusual circular pattern.

End of chapter 8

1). Imagine Evil Future Impulse's costume as Godspeed's but black and dark red. Full face mask and everything.

2). It's Arrow season 3 episode 16.

3). Black, white, and silver Captain Marvel suit with Thunder's eye mask.

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE! HAPPY 2019 AND A HAPPY 2020!

Sorry if my update took so long but this was bit of a hard one to write. And I'm sorry about my other stories too. I know you guys want more and I'm doing my best but between work and other things, it's hard to find time to write but I'll keep at it.

I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter. It concludes this chapter of the Nine story but more will come later. Naruto has his revenge and Orochimaru is dead…or is he? Is anyone ever really dead? The rest of the Nine wait patiently for their next move as does Naruto. The War has just begun.

Anyway, Naruto has been fundamentally changed after this encounter but not in a bad way. Just in a way that will make him grow. It's up to him to find balance and come out a better person. Not Barry or Oliver but his own person and taking account for his own actions. We got Linda for the first time as Binary and Jiraiya will be sticking around a bit. There's only a few chapters left of season 1 and then things get really crazy.

Next chapter, Naruto's road to recovery is long but good for him as he struggles to find balance. He'll find that as he and Jiraiya take a trip to Gotham City for business and end up meeting with the Dark Knight. The start of an unlikely and future alliance. Plus, the World's Greatest Detective gives him some useful information to help Oliver deal with Ra's al Ghul. Until next time.

Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze AKA Impulse: Age-23

· Actor appearance: Lightly Blonde-haired Shannon Kook or whoever you want

· Casual outfit: friction-proof sneakers, dark blue jeans, a dark-red shirt, black button up and jacket.

· Uniform: Prototype environmental suit. Friction and heat proof developed by Minato Namikaze. High-tech goggles created by Cisco Ramon. (Original Dark Red and White Impulse suit/imagine)

o Armored Repulsor Gauntlets

Current top speed for Naruto Namikaze AKA Impulse: Mach 1.5=1150.9 mph.

Current abilities in bold are unlocked now

· Super Speed

o Can run on buildings and water

· Training in combat by Oliver Queen and Jiraiya

· Accelerated healing

· Enhanced endurance

· Enhanced reflexes

· Improved homeostasis

· Enhanced mental capabilities to speed read and process information quickly

· Superhuman/infinite intelligence

o Current Genius level: Professor Martin Stein

· Speed punches: Mach punch

· Speed force constructs: Draws power directly from the speed force to create solid constructs like armor or even weapons Instinct driven, not learned yet. Only taps into power when near death. Drains stamina incredibly fast if used

o Speed force armor: increases speed and resistant to damage

o Speed force weapons: weapons made up of pure speed force energy, highly destructive

· Molecular Oscillation: Vibrate molecules at high frequency

o Accelerated Mass/Force punch

o Physical disruption

o Air solidification

o Intangibility/phasing

Multiple Pairings: Naruto x Linda Park

· Eventually: Kara Danvers, Sara Lance

o Maybe: Lena Luthor (Depending on where the story goes)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Flash, both belong to their respective owners, I'm just a big fan