Disclaimer: Juubi no Shinju does not hold any rights to any Naruto or Marvel properties. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Whelp! 2020 Sucked balls. 2021? Slightly better. 2022? Going by fast!
Where have I been?! Honestly...I was in a mood. Mental exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion. Spiritual exhaustion. Take your pick. Probably not the only one, as no doubt other authors are feeling the same way. Things had been quiet on the site for a long while, though things seem to be picking back up.
What say we also regain our energy, neh? XD
Edit: July 4, 2022
Juubi and Chaos here! Just wanted to wish all you beautiful readers around the world a glorious Fourth of July! With any luck, you have all been safe and healthy throughout the past years, and with any luck, we could hopefully put the Pandemic behind us!
Chapter 02: No Way Home
"Anata dare desu ka?" / ("Who are you people?")
The voice of the Avengers Tower's newest and mysterious guest rang through the chamber of Tony's lab, cutting through the tense silence like a hot knife through butter. However, the meaning behind those words was lost to those unable to understand the child's presumably Japanese language, lacking the knowledge to fully understand them. The group of the heroic Avengers stood surrounding a young spiky-haired blond male teen with strange whisker-like lines on his face, wearing dark clothes obviously too big for his size and hanging loose from the neck, with a visible glow coming from his chest. Though they surrounded the boy in the hope to prevent him from running off and prompting another chase scene, the adults tried to appear as non-threatening to him as possible...something that wasn't really working, given the teen's tense shoulders and flickering gaze towards the entrance, no doubt plotting to charge his way towards it if necessary. The only reason the kid hadn't tried to run off, was Janet's hand on his, keeping him in place, like some kind of leash. Her grip was tight and firm, not letting go, no matter how much the young man kept tugging.
Still, Tony wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, this gives him the chance to see if his upgraded translator worked. "J.A.R.V.I.S.?"
"Beginning translation, sir." His faithful A.I. said. On his helmet's HUD, Tony watched as his program worked to translate the kid's words, analyzing the recorded speech from the child's statement and cross-referencing them with known Japanese words and phrases. After a second or two, the translation appeared on the screen. The kid wanted to know who they were. Simple enough translation. Now, how to respond…?
"Alright, begin translating."
"Of course, sir"
Raising an armored hand to his helmet, Tony jokingly coughed, before raising a hand in greeting to the short boy. "Nice to see you up, kid! The name's Tony. Tony Stark!"
"Yoroshikuonegaishimasu, kodomo! Tonī ni namae o tsukemasu. Tonīsutāku!" / (Nice see up, kid! Name Tony. Tony Stark!)
Naruto blinked confusingly at the armored guy, hearing him speak in his strange code like the others. However, to his surprise, he then began to hear familiar words. Well, partially.
"Neh~? Tonīsutāku?"
Tony smiled, glad that his translation system seemed to be working - not that he doubted his genius, of course! It obviously worked to perfection, he built it after all.
"See? Worked like a charm!" Tony exclaimed, gloating a bit as he looked at Steve, who had previously expressed doubts about his system being able to accurately translate the kid's language.
Steve crossed his arms over his chest, holding a lingering expression of doubt. The given evidence wasn't really much proof that the child understood Tony or vice versa. Still, he will give Tony the benefit of the doubt.
The sound of someone snorting got everyone's attention. "If by 'work' you mean confusing the kid even more, then sure, Tony." Everyone turned their heads, and Naruto blushed as he saw who he had thought was a tired/pained-filled delusion of an "angel" as everyone spotted the famed assassin/spy Natasha approaching the group. Naruto couldn't help but observe the woman. She moved in a way that even he, a genin, could tell she was as strong and deadly as Kakashi-sensei, with a feeling of mystery about her. While not in a pervy way, as he ran his eyes down her body, he was reminded of Kiba's sensei, Kurenai, and that strange proctor woman from the Chunin Exam. She possessed an "hourglass body" as Ero-Sennin would say, yet he had a feeling it was more for a distraction than just looking good. Like when he used his Sexy Jutsu, both as a prank, but also as a way to take enemies by surprise. Only, instead of a prank, this woman probably used her body as a weapon perhaps even deadlier than a kunai. Still, he couldn't help but look at her with awe. She really did look like an angel. Especially with her long red hair, mesmerizing him a bit but before he quickly snapped out of it. He fidgeted as her blue eyes looked at him, turning his head away while trying, and failing, to push down his blush. Hearing the other woman beside him giggling, no doubt noticing his blushing, only served to embarrass him even more.
Feeling some amusement from the kid's embarrassment when he looked at her, the corner of Natasha's lip twitched upward slightly, before she looked at Tony, crossing her arms. "Your translation was barely intelligible."
His faceplate snapped open, revealing to Naruto a grown man with short dark hair and an equally dark beard and mustache as Tony pouted at Natasha. "Hey! C'mon, the kid understood me! Right kid?" He asked, turning to Naruto, who just blinked at him.
"Nani?"
"See?" Tony said, thinking the kid agreed with him. Natasha rolled her eyes at him, before looking at the blond teen. She moved closer to him, making him flinch. Kneeling down to get near his eye level, she gave him a small smile.
"Kon'nichiwa. Shinpai shinaide kudasai, dare mo anata o kizutsukeru tsumori wa arimasen. Watashi wa anata ga osoraku konran shite iru koto o shitte imasu. Watashitachi mo onaji desu. Watashitachi wa anata ga subete o rikai suru no o tasukeru tame ni saizen o tsukushimasu." / ("Hello. Don't worry, no one is going to hurt you. I know you're probably confused. So are we. We'll do our best to help you figure everything out.") She told him, earning a frown from him, his eyes reflecting his conflicting feelings. Continuing to smile at him, she placed a hand on her chest. "Romanofu Natāsha" She introduced herself. She then gestured to her team. "Abenjāzu" / ("Avengers")
Naruto glanced at the other adults, the "Avengers" apparently their group was called. Not that it really helped fix the confusion he felt. But presumably, they were the good guys...probably. However, that didn't explain where he was, how he got there from his fight with Sasuke, or what the thing stuck to his chest was!
He took a step back, abruptly pulling his hand out of the shrinking woman's grip, as he narrowed his eyes at everyone. "Uzumaki Naruto! Ima, watashi wa kotae ga hoshīdesu! Watashi wa doko ni iru no? Anata wa watashi ni nani o shimashita ka? Nanda, kore?!" / ("Uzumaki Naruto! Now, I want answers! Just where am I?! What have you people done to me?! What is this thing?!) He demanded, shouting as at the end, he pulled the collar of the shirt he wore down, showing the, unknown to him, Arc Reactor implanted into his chest.
He's had enough! He didn't know where he was! He didn't know these people! He didn't know how he got there! Didn't know what happened to Sasuke or his friends! He didn't know if his friends knew he was alive or not! He couldn't use his jutsu, meaning he couldn't summon his clones or toads to help him! He was defenseless! He knew his limits, he wasn't dumb! Dense? Admittedly yes, but not dumb! He only managed to land a punch on the star guy out of sheer luck!
Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration, scrubbing a hand through his hair. 'I...I need to get out of here! I need to get back to Konoha! I need to see if Chouji, Neji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shikamaru, and Bushy-Brow are alright! Did Sasuke escape?! Was he captured?! Just what happened?! Was anyone hurt?!'
Tony held his hands up. "Whoa! Whoa! Kid, calm down!" He tried to calm the blond down, as everyone watched him starting to look frantic. His sensors picked up his vitals increasing in stress. "His heart rate is spiking! His stress is going critical!"
"Naruto!" Janet called to him in worry. However, Naruto ignored her, ignored everyone as he became lost in his frantic thoughts and worries. Was everyone okay?! Was anyone hurt fighting against those Sound guys?! Was Lee?! He did just get his surgery! Did that idiot Sasuke escape to Orochimaru?! Where the hell was he?! Were these people keeping him hostage?!
JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS GOI-
"Gah!" Naruto let out a loud gasp, gripping his chest as a sudden spike of pain coursed through his body from his chest. The pain was quick, but it was enough to take his breath away, forcing him to fall on his butt.
"Naruto!" Wasp shouted, quickly running to him after snapping out of her shocked dazed, having been unsure of how to help him in his panicked state. She knelt to his side while the others approached them. "Are you okay?" She asked the groaning blond as he rubbed his chest over the Arc Reactor.
"Nantekotta?!" / ("What the hell?!")
Captain America looked at Iron Man. "Tony?" He asked, getting a headshake.
"Wasn't me. One second the kid was having a panic attack, the next, he looked like he got a sudden shock that snapped him out of it." Tony said, his suit analyzing the kid's vitals, watching them settle down.
Cap looked at Thor, but the god shook his head, saying it wasn't him.
Hank shook his head as he helped Janet get the kid on his feet. "Well, whatever it was, at least the child seems okay now."
Tony shook his head, sighing. "Let's get him to the med bay to make sure he's stable."
Meanwhile, in Naruto's Mindscape
"What did you do?!" Kushina shouted, as she and Minato glared at Kyuubi, who while the parents were watching helplessly as their son went through a meltdown from worrying over the wellbeing of his friends, the Kyuubi suddenly slammed one of his tails against the bars of his cage, causing a surge of chakra to shot throughout the chamber and down the pipes.
Kyuubi scoffed at the glares from the couple. "You should show some gratitude for preventing your spawn from imploding his heart with how fast it was going." He shot at them. If he hadn't surged his chakra through the boy's body, causing a spike of pain from the travel through the disconnected coils, his pathetic container would have pushed his heart over its limit, dying from ceasing function.
Minato and Kushina glared at the fox, yet couldn't help but concede. In the end, whether they liked him or not, he did save their son. So they'll give him that, as they nodded in thanks to it, earning a scoff from the beast.
- CoW -
Sanctum Sanctorum
New York
Greenwich Village
Corner of Bleecker Street and Fenno Place
177A Bleecker Street, New York City, NY
To all the citizens of the widespread city, the Sanctum Sanctorum was nothing more than another 3-stories tall ordinary building with a dome roof and chimney. Requiring nothing more than a spare one-second glance as they walk past it in their ordinary, everyday lives.
However, while its outward appearance may resemble that of a normal NY antique structure, in truth it held secrets and wonders within it that would make heads spin. This seemingly normal building, in fact, served as both the personal residence and base of the former neurosurgeon and current magic practitioner and Sorcerer of the Mystic Arts, Dr. Stephen Strange, more commonly referred to as Dr. Strange. The building, or more accurately the location itself, was an area that served as the greatest concentration of mystical energies and phenomena in all of existence, acting as an anchor point to every other known and unknown dimensions and realities.
Within the confines of the building, said sorcerer could be found within his personal chambers within the building, floating several feet off the ground, reading a book while several more floated around him, waiting to be read as well. Of course, should anyone who knew Stephen personally be in the room, they would easily note that in truth, the man was deep in thought, oblivious to the world. An expression of focus on his face, normally worn when he used to perform surgeries. Something that Wong noticed as he entered the chamber, a couple of books in hand. Setting the books down in front of the silent Sorcerer, Wong decided to find out what was on Strange's mind. "Strange. Strange!" He spoke, getting Stephen's attention as he blinked before focusing on Wong. "Strange, what seems to be on your mind? You've been very quiet ever since you returned from your visit to the Avengers. Could it be the boy?"
Strange sighed, setting the books around him down gently to the ground. "Indeed." He rightened himself up, feet on the floor. Turning, he faced the view outside his window. "This event is...troubling. For the first time ever, a being from outside our existence has appeared."
"It's not unheard of for beings from outside the Solar System, or another universe to appear. The Ancient One has faced quite a few of them herself throughout her many centuries." Wong said. However, Strange shook his head.
"You misunderstand. Not outside our universe. I meant outside our Multiverse." Strange said, making Wong's eyes widen. Turning to him, Strange nodded. "Somehow, someway, a young human child, a teenager, no older than 15, managed to not only break the barriers through realities, but also managed to travel all the way from his multiverse, into our own, and not suffer the slightest damage outside of the ones he received prior."
Wong was stunned at what he was hearing. What Strange was saying...it should be impossible for any being outside of a High Level Being or a Deity. "I have never heard of such a thing."
"Perhaps not even the Ancient One, either. I've checked every book and scroll in the library. I've found nothing. Never before has such an event occurred. Neither here nor in any of the known realities of the Multiverse. At least, none that were recorded. And that's not the only thing." He said, getting Wong to refocus on the man. "Call it an old habit, but I used it." He hinted, once more getting a wide-eyed expression, knowing what he was referring to.
"You used the Time Stone?! Strange, you know the consequences of knowing about untold events!" Wong scolded, referring to the powerful Infinity Stone, an object of immense power over time itself, long kept secured by the Ancient Ones throughout history, passed down from Sorcerer Supreme to the next, with Strange being the current keeper and guardian.
Strange held up his hand to try and ease his friend. "It was necessary. We are dealing with something completely new for the first time in...ever. Who knows what this could lead to."
Wong shook his head. "The Universe has rules, Strange. Life has rules and boundaries. All of Existence and Reality. Knowing too much about the future could bring untold chaos and anarchy." The Librarian warned.
"I only peeked, nothing more." Stephen reassured, getting a heavy sigh from the man.
"I pray that's all you did. So, what insight and answers did your peek give you?" Wong asked, crossing his arms.
Strange frowned, thinking his words over. "...A storm." He said, getting a confused raised brow. "No pun intended, but Time is...strange. Unpredictable. It flows in a straight line. Smooth and endless. However, it branches off. Small, thin branches, but still there."
"Alternate timelines. Alternate outcomes." Wong said, with Strange nodding. It sounded normal so far. Time always shifted with every choice every human, no, all intelligent beings made. Be it going left or right, there was always an alternative in some other reality.
"Each mostly still linking back to the main timeline, eventually. Same route, same destination. However..." Strange trailed off.
Wong raised a brow. "However...?"
"Time's been splintered." Strange stated, surprising Wong. Strange shook his head, sighing. "No, not just splintered, nor just small branches forming from it. I saw the main timeline of our universe breaking apart, going in different directions. Sometimes merging with other realities' timelines."
Wong frowned worriedly. "That's impossible, Strange. For such things to happen...it would require an event of immeasurable proportion! An Incursion! What you're describing...it sounds like-"
"Like madness. I know."
"How could one boy cause such a thing to happen?!"
Strange frowned, thinking. Such a thing made no sense. Even if a person from another entire existence should appear in their universe, it wouldn't have caused Time to act in such a way. It was unheard of. Not unless it was an event that was too much for the forces of Balance to handle, causing a ripple to erupt throughout time as a whole! Such a thing should only happen when… Strange's eyes widened. Could it be? "Perhaps because he's not just some boy."
Wong looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"For such changes in time to occur, it means that the boy's arrival sent out a ripple through the whole of time, changing events in ways no one could have foreseen. Not even Time itself. It's as if the Future rewrote itself with Naruto's arrival, adding him into the equation as an immeasurable and uncalculated variable. This would imply that Naruto himself held an important role in his universe, and his transference to our own affected our future."
Wong frowned, not liking what this could mean. "For his arrival to change the future in such an unpredictable way...this could only mean..."
Strange narrowed his eyes. "Naruto's a Nexus Being."
Wong held an utmost serious expression. "Strange, you should know how dangerous a Nexus Being is. Who knows how much that boy's appearance has changed future events. He could have made things better or worse beyond possibility, and we wouldn't even know it! Not to mention the fact of the girl! For there to be two within the same reality?! It could very well destroy all of existence!"
"I know."
"The longer that boy remains on this planet, in this universe, the more he could endanger it."
"I know."
"He MUST be returned to his own universe!"
"I know."
"You must return him immediately!"
"..."
"Strange!"
Stephen hummed, cupping his chin in thought. "...perhaps...he is something we need..." He muttered, recalling the other unspoken details of the futures he witnessed.
Avengers Tower - Tony's Lab
Naruto squinted his eyes in slight discomfort as a spotlight shined down on him as he laid on a metal bed, his shirt removed, fully showing his chest and the implant in it. He looked around in a mix of confusion and caution, looking at the group of men stationed around him, while the armored one stood in front of what looked like some transparent window floating in mid-air. He turned his head to the side where the shrinking woman stood next to the man whose face he kicked twice, once as an act of offense against what he thought to be his kidnappers. The next, out of his own amusement.
Meeting his eyes, the woman who introduced herself as "Janetto" or something like that, smiled at him, waving.
She was really nice it seemed. She's been constantly smiling at him. She was weird.
Looking at the man, "Hanku", he saw the man looking at him with a weird look in his eyes. Smart or thoughtful, reminding him a bit of Shikamaru or Kabuto. Only, not lazy like the former, or evil like his enemy. More like in the way he was wondering stuff about him. Like how Ero-Sennin would look at women.
Only, without the perving. Hopefully.
Turning his head to the other side, he saw the red-haired woman off to the side, "Natāsha", crossing her arms as she looked at whatever the metal man was doing, occasionally glancing at him, her eyes glinting with interest like she was trying to figure him out. She was obviously trained in a similar profession to a shinobi, that much even Naruto could tell. Still, for whatever smile she put on, Naruto's shinobi instincts told him she was as deadly as Zabuza, and to be careful around her.
More off to the side, the older female blonde leaned against the wall. "Kyaroru" (Carol), she was called. She had her arms crossed, which had the possibly unintentional effect of also pushing her breasts up a bit, making them appear a bit bigger, making him quickly avert his gaze to not stare at her too much.
Her outfit could really give Lee's tight jumpsuit a run for its money.
His eyes then rolled to the group of men standing together. He pursed his lips, trying to remember their names. 'I think it was…Samu" (Sam), "Kurinto" (Clint), "Sō" (Thor), and "Sutību" (Steve).' He thought, thinking he had it right. Of course, given the language barrier, and Tony's 'Not-so-100%' computer translation, he was only partially correct.
Meeting his stare, "Kurinto" gave him an annoyed look, while the large man "Sō" smiled kindly at him. Not liking the "Archer Guy's" attitude, Naruto responded by sticking his tongue out at him, making the large blond man laugh, while "Kurinto" lightly scoffed with an eye roll.
Meanwhile, "Sutību" seemed to be talking with the armored man, "Tonīsutāku" about something, not that Naruto could understand.
Sighing in boredom, Naruto just leaned his head back upwards, looking up at the ceiling, remaining still as "Janetto" asked (more like gestured) him to do. While confused as hell about what was going on, he will trust her, and her group, for the moment. At least until he finally got some answers.
While Naruto laid quietly on the table, Tony was finishing off his scanning of the kid.
"Anything bad, Tony?" Steve asked, getting a head shake from the genius inventor.
"Other than some stitches reopening and some scratches, the kid's just fine. The Arc Reactor isn't damaged either and is fully functioning." Tony said, turning off the scanner above the teen, making him blink, looking at the group in confusion. "Though the Reactor will need to be charged." As the Reactor model was his first miniature one ever and built inside a cave using whatever tools and scraps he had available at the time, unlike his following and newer models, the battery supply was garbage in comparison and required weekly charge-ups to function. Only reason he hadn't charged it beforehand was that he needed to wait for the power source to fully establish a sort of link with the kid's strange energy, as well as having to wait for the kid to wake up from his nap to run a proper check.
He just wasn't counting on the kid to wake up far sooner than he should, as well as the wild chase that happened afterward. He was pretty surprised the kid had enough energy to move at all for as long as he had!
With a press on his holo-screen, a round-barrel plug-in charge lowered from the ceiling. Approaching the kid, Tony grabbed the charger and inserted it around the Reactor with a click.
"Nanishiteruno, dattebayo?" / ("What are you doing?") Naruto asked, raising a brow as he looked down at the plug as J.A.R.V.I.S. provided translation.
"Just charging the battery that's keeping you alive, kid." Tony told him. Though even with the words translated, Naruto was still confused. Battery? What battery? He didn't see a chemical jar around.
"How long will the charging take?" Janet asked, moving to stand at the table's side with Hank behind her. She slapped Naruto's hand when he moved to touch the charger, getting a yelp and glare from the teen. "Don't touch!
Tony chuckled at that. "Not too long. A half-hour at best for a full charge."
"Oi!" Naruto shouted, getting everyone's attention as he glared at them. "Mō kotaete moraemasu ka? Watashi ga doko ni iru no ka?" / ("Can I get some answers already?! Like where the hell I am?!")
"He wants to know where he is." Natasha translated before J.A.R.V.I.S. could.
Steve nodded, stepping forward. "We could also use some answers as to what led him to our world." While they got the gist of it from Strange, it was only a short summary he could provide. Hopefully, they could get a better understanding from the source.
Thor crossed his arms. "One thing is certain, however. The young lad is truly a warrior!" He said, grinning as everyone saw the muscles on Naruto's chest and arms. Nothing big like Thor, but it clearly showed that the teen trained his body and physique. Thor would certainly wish to test the boy's skills in a spar.
Janet frowned, looking at the muscles. Sure, there are young children who train their bodies for sports and physical competitions, but this was a child soldier they were talking about. Someone trained for deadly combat and war! It just didn't sit well with her!
Seeing the conflicted look on her face, Hank placed a hand on Janet's shoulder.
Tony nodded, turning to Naruto. "Alright then, let's get some answers from the kid. J.A.R.V.I.S.?"
"Ready to begin translating your words, sir."
Nodding, Tony started. "Well, kid. You're confused, and so are we. So what say we all take a deep breath and calm ourselves and then we can figure things out. Okay?" / ("Sate, kodomo. Anata wa konran shite imasu, soshite watashitachi mo konran shite imasu. Desukara, watashitachi zen'in ga shinkokyūshite ochitsuku to, monogoto o rikai suru koto ga dekimasu. Wakatta?")
Naruto frowned, thinking, before eventually nodding slowly, making Tony smile.
"Great! Now, as stated before, I'm Tony Stark, and right now, we're in my lovely tower, Avengers Tower. And this is my team of heroes, The Avengers!" / ("Subarashī! Sate, mae ni nobeta yō ni, watashi wa tonīsutākudesu, soshite ima, watashitachiha watashi no sutekina-tō, abenjāzutawā ni imasu. Soshite, kore wa watashi no hīrō no chīmu, abenjāzudesu!") He introduced, gesturing to his team, who either gave the teen nods of greeting, or smiles.
Being polite, Naruto bowed to them in greeting, being careful with the cable stuck to his chest.
"Now, what's your name? Where did you come from?" / ("Sate, anata no namae wa nan desu ka? Shusshin wa dochira desu ka?")
Naruto frowned, wondering what he should say. As a loyal shinobi of Konoha, he shouldn't reveal any important information to potential enemies. Though, other than his status as a Jinchuuriki, he really didn't know any important information.
Thankfully, he learned in the Academy, and under Kakashi-sensei about what he should say should he ever become captured by an enemy shinobi or village and be interrogated or questioned. He still was unsure if he should really trust these unknown people, even though they did heal him.
Frowning, he glanced at Janet, her kind eyes staring back at him in confusion, concern, and interest. After a second, she smiled at him, reaching over and grabbing his hand in a comforting move.
It only served to confuse Naruto even more.
Why?
Looking up, he looked at the other adults around him. Some of them smiled at him. Some frowned in silence as they looked at him in curiosity.
But no hostility in their eyes. Just comfort and concern.
Why were they looking at him like that? Shouldn't they be trying to scare him? To make him answer their questions and provide information? Shouldn't they be threatening or torturing him by now?
…But they didn't…they just stared at him with kind eyes. Eyes not unlike the one he'd usually get from Old Man Teuchi and Ayame-neechan, from Iruka-sensei, Ero-Sennin, Shizune-neechan, and Tsunade-baachan.
His frown deepening, Naruto looked down at his lap.
Wherever he was…he wasn't a prisoner.
Closing his eyes, Naruto took a deep breath. Opening his eyes, he raised his head, staring straight at "Tonīsutāku" and "Sutību", who he assumed were the ones in-charge given their body language.
"Uzumaki Naruto tomōshimasu. 15-Sai. Hinokoku no kono wa ga kure no Genin-kyū shinobu. Ninja tōroku bangō 012607. Anata ga watashi o mitsuketa toki, watashi wa taichō ga yokunakatta to omou node, watashi ni iryō enjo o teikyō shite kurete arigatō, dattebayo." / ("My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Age fifteen. Genin-class shinobi of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. Ninja Registration number 012607. I thank you for providing me with medical assistance, as I'm guessing I wasn't in the best of shape when you found me, dattebayo.") He said, bowing as best he could with the cable stuck to his chest.
As J.A.R.V.I.S. translated the teen's words, the team was silent, going over what they heard. "Wait…" Janet said, blinking as something she heard stuck out to her. "You're 15?" She asked, looking at Naruto closely. She would never have thought he'd be 15. He was even shorter than her! She had thought he was around 12 or 13!
"Ha! Ninja Boy's a midget!" Clint said in amusement, taking a jab at the height of the boy who wrecked his room. Even though he didn't understand what "Kurinto" was saying, Naruto felt his brow twitch, having a feeling the teme was making fun of his height.
'Note to self…prank Archer.'
Thor also laughed, only he was more joyful. "Ah! The lad reminds me more of the fierce Dwarves of Nidavellir!" He stared, knowing that even with their shortness in size compared to other races within the Nine Realms, Dwarves were known and praised as both fearsome warriors and near unparalleled craftsmen and builders.
"I guess 15's better than a 12-year-old child soldier?" Sam commented to Steve, uncertain as the WWII Hero frowned with a hum, crossing his arms.
Steve shook his head. "Be it 12 or 15…the battlefield is no place for someone so young."
Carol covered a giggle, finding it hilarious. 'Well, someone's a late grower.' She thought. The 'kid' was about 3 or so years younger than her, as she was 18, with her next birthday around the corner, but for him to be "kid-size"... was pretty funny.
Tony shook his head, deciding to get things back on track, which was storing that tidbit of information for later. "Moving on. What's all that other stuff about?" He asked the kid. However, before Naruto would speak, Captain America answered for him.
"It's his military information." Steve said, getting everyone's attention. "It's a basic warfare tactic. In the army, it is taught that if a soldier's ever in unknown territory and meets with unfamiliar inhabitants, or in worse case, was captured by enemy forces and was being interrogated, to speak only of their base information. Registration number. Squadron leader. Their commanding officer or even their rank. To only give information that is basically useless to the enemy. Sometimes it is repeated again and again in a mantra."
"A failsafe to trick the mind from accidentally revealing any sensitive or important information. Looks like wherever the kid's from, they are of a military-minded fashion." Natasha added in, knowing from personal experience and training.
Janet frowned. "So he thinks we're the enemy?"
Steve, however, shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. More like he is unsure of how to treat his current position. We have not acted hostile towards him, and instead helped patch his injuries, to which he is thankful for. However, that doesn't mean he trusts us completely." He said, looking at Naruto, who stared back at him with narrowed, confused but alert eyes.
Hank nodded in understanding, before frowning, cupping his chin. "Still…to teach a child how to behave if captured? Just what kind of world did he come from?"
"Said he came from some place called…Cohana Gakure, or something?" Sam questioned, raising a brow.
"Konohagakure" Black Widow corrected. "It means Village Hidden in the Leaves. Somewhere in a place called the 'Land of Fire'."
"So obviously not from Earth." Hawkeye pointed out, having never heard of such a place in his many years as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Nor from any of the other realms. I have never heard of such a land, and I've been to all sorts of wondrous and mysterious lands" Thor stated, crossing his arms. 'Land of Fire' made him think of the realm of eternal fire, "Muspelheim", yet he highly doubted the young lad was from there. The thought of a mortal surviving there was laughable.
"He's human, that much is obvious. He just isn't from our Earth." Carol said, placing her hands on her hips as Tony nodded. "There's also the fact he came out of a portal looking like he went through a blender." She pointed out, frowning in remembrance of the state he was in when she caught him.
"Meaning he came from another Earth or a similar planet in another universe or reality. Question is, how did he get here?" Tony asked, looking at Naruto. Naruto stared back with a raised brow, more confused than he has ever been in his life. Tony sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "What a headache~ Aliens are one thing, something I never thought I'd say, but an alternate Earth? The Multiverse Theory being proven? I am not cut out for this!"
Stepping up, Steve placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Take a deep breath, Tony. We're all as lost on this as you." He said, with the others nodding in agreement, even Thor. "For now, let us focus on why Naruto appeared when he did."
"Let me talk to him!" Janet spoke up, getting the other's attention. "He trusts me. I can convince him to tell us his story"
Tony raised a brow at her. "You sure about that? 'Cause he just spent the last half hour running all over the top two floors of the tower, away from everyone." He reminded her. Janet nodded.
"Don't worry! I know what I'm doing!" She stated. Tony let out a sigh, giving her the go-ahead as he stepped back. Taking a step closer to the teen as Tony ordered the A.I. to translate her words, Janet smiled at the shinobi. "Naruto" She said, getting the teen's attention as he looked at her, brow raised. She smiled at him, much to Naruto's embarrassment as his cheeks dusted pink, not used to a beautiful woman smiling at him like that. "Can you tell us what made you appear here? When we found you, you were practically dead! So, what happened?" / ("Koko ni arawareta kikkake o oshietekudasai. Watashitachi ga anata o mitsuketa toki, anata wa jijitsujō shinde ita! Dō shita no?")
Naruto frowned, tilting his head. He didn't know what he should say. What could he say? It was pretty much illegal to reveal mission information without the approval of the appointed leader or a superior, in that case being Shikamaru or Tsunade-baachan. Not to mention, while it wasn't stated, Naruto was pretty sure revealing the attempted desertion of a fellow Konoha shinobi, even more, a member of a high-class clan like Sasuke, Konoha's only remaining Uchiha, could land him in BIG trouble! He could face imprisonment! Torture! Maybe even worse!
Even if these people helped him…Naruto had a duty as a Konoha Shinobi and her protection. So, he stayed quiet, shaking his head negatively, turning his head away defiantly.
Janet frowned, seeing the whiskered teen refusing to say anything. She gave his hand still in her grasp a gentle squeeze, getting him to, while not fully facing her, glance her way out of the corner of his eyes. "We just want to understand. To know what happened. So please…tell us."
"It might be sensitive information, only to be known to the people of his village." Steve said, knowing the routine of military work and how soldiers were forbidden from revealing sensitive details about mission parameters or objectives. Doing otherwise was punishable depending on the information in hand.
Tony hummed, turning to Steve. "Didn't that Strange guy say something about the kid fighting a comrade of his before being sent here?"
Remembering that detail, Steve nodded. "Yeah, if I remember right, Strange said that this 'comrade' of his became a traitor."
Hearing this, Janet frowned, turning back to the silent Naruto. "Did your friend do this to you?" / ("Anata no yūjin wa anata ni kore o shimashita ka?")
That got Naruto to reach, as his head shot towards her, eyes wide, wondering how she knew. After a moment, he frowned, abruptly turning his head away again with a click of his teeth, eyes narrowing in a hard glare at the floor.
'Sasuke…'
Meanwhile, the Avengers all frowned, narrowing their eyes, looking at each other. For a 'friend' to leave Naruto with a large hole in his chest…
Sparks surged over Thor. "That is no such comrade." He muttered angrily.
Sam shook his head. "I've seen some stuff in the force, but what this kid's been through…it's inhuman." He said, shivering at the memory of his state when he first appeared. 'And it was done by a Brother-in-Arms? Damn.'
Natasha was silent, her arms crossed, not having any visible reactions. However, mentally, she had the urge to kill someone, preferably the person who seemed to try and kill Naruto. While being trained as an assassin since childhood herself, with an ocean of blood from the people she's killed through the many years…Natasha always, always had one rule. The one thing that allowed her to keep the last shred of humanity the Red Room had not cut out.
No killing children.
No matter how young or old.
It was the one rule to keep Natasha from forever becoming the monster that the Black Widow was. To allow her to still keep a piece of her soul through all the things she had done and experienced. It was also the one thing that finally broke her out of the Red Room's control. To be more than just a mindless, emotionless weapon.
For Naruto, someone who might have possibly lived a life like her, trained to be a warrior, a killer going by his weaponry…it struck Natasha hard. For it brought back memories she long since locked away.
Memories of that place.
Memories of the 'life' she used to live.
Memories of the people she abandoned.
People like…
"Naruto…" Janet muttered. Naruto didn't look at her. Still, the Wasp continued on. "What happened?" / ("Dō shita no?")
What happened? Naruto wanted to scoff, a sense of anger surging from his gut.
What didn't happen?
Memories of the events he went through prior to waking up wherever he was flashing through his mind. The news of Sasuke's defection from the village to go join Orochimaru, following their abrupt battle on top of the Hospital roof. He and his friends formed a squad to go after him. Running into the Sound Group and being forced to split up one by one to handle them. Him fighting that bone guy. Sasuke coming out of that coffin thing, before all of a sudden running off. Lee showing up to handle the enemy while he chased after Sasuke. Catching up to him in the Valley of the End. Their fight. Nearly dying a couple of times by Sasuke's Chidori through his chest and practically burning alive with a broken neck. The reveal of how Sasuke truly saw him as his friend, before declaring that he would 'break their bond'. Kyuubi's power coursing through him. Sasuke's transformation. Their final attacks colliding. The pain he felt when he came to realize that Sasuke would not give up his goal for power even if he was captured, as well as the pain he felt when he allowed himself to be pierced by Sasuke's attack as an advantage to get closer to him to land a hit. The strange feeling he felt when he was held in the air by a strange force. The sensation that spread through his body, a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt before, then a blinding flash of light. A sense of weightlessness he felt, like he was flying. Then he felt like he was painlessly dying as he opened his eyes and saw "Janetto" and "Natāsha" and then waking up in the metal room.
What happened? A lot happened in just the span of what could have been two days, give or take. However, it all had a single thing in common. A person, who caused everything. Who, due to their stupid action, could have possibly severely hurt his friends!
"Sasuke!" He growled, gritting his teeth in righteous anger as he clenched his hands into tight fists, veins pulsing. It was all because of that arrogant idiot! He did all of that, for power?! From Orochimaru?! The person who launched an invasion on their own home and killed the Hokage-jiji?! What the hell was Sasuke thinking going to him?! Oh, that's right. HE WASN'T! Not when Itachi was on his mind! And he was the dobe?! What Naruto wouldn't give to slam a Rasengan on Sasuke's face right now!
Janet frowned at the hand squeezing her own hard enough to break her bones, but she ignored it as she watched Naruto shaking in anger, hissing the name of what she was assuming was this so-called 'friend' who did this to him. Having moved his glare to his lap, Janet and the others bore witness to the sheer anger expressed on Naruto's face. His eyes, nearly shadowed by his fallen hair, still revealed the storm of emotions the whiskered blond was feeling. Obvious anger, yet also hurt, betrayal, as well as hope.
Whoever this "Sas-kay" was…whatever he or she did, it struck Naruto hard, and Naruto did not like them.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance at the mental image of his teammate, Naruto closed his eyes, taking a DEEP breath to calm himself down. It wouldn't be good or polite to take his anger out on these people when they didn't deserve it. So, breathing in and out, he let out a deep, tired, exhausted, shuddering exhale. By the Log…was he tired. Shaking his head, banishing thoughts of the Uchiha away from his head as he focused on the present, Naruto opened his eyes, frowning a tired frown as he looked at 'Janetto'. "Ie ni kaeritai." / (I want to go home.) He told her. That was all he wanted right now. Home. He wanted his bed. He wanted a hot bowl of ramen. He wanted to see his friends. He just wanted to report to Baachan, give his statement, and forget everything that happened with the mission. To put it all behind him!
Whether the mission was a success or not, he'd worry about it some other time.
Hearing J.A.R.V.I.S.'s translation, Janet frowned. "Um...?" She muttered, looking at the others, unsure of what she should say to that. Tony and Steve mirrored her frown. How were they supposed to tell the kid that they didn't know how to send him back to his home? That for all they knew, he was stuck in their world. However, before Janet or anyone could say anything, someone did it for them.
"I'm afraid that, for the time being, you are stuck here, Uzumaki Naruto."
In a blinding flash of light that forced everyone to cover their eyes or faces, Dr. Strange appeared in the room, his cloak flapping as he softly landed on the ground. He smiled apologetically at the group. "Ah, my sincerest apologies. Perhaps I shouldn't have arrived with this method." He said, not meaning to temporarily blind them with his literal flashy entrance.
"Itai~ Nantekotta i?" Naruto muttered, rubbing his eyes. Blinking the spots away from his eyes, Naruto saw the new person in the room, raising a brow. "Ittai dareda, dattebayo? Soshite, misaki to wa nanidesu ka?" / ("Who the heck are you, dattebayo? And what's with the cape?")
Steven smiled at the displaced shinobi. "Sore wa mantodesu. Watashinonamaeha suto renji hakase desu. Watashi wa, koko ni iru kono hokori takaki otoko to issho ni, anata ga shi kara wazuka 1-inchi hanareta genzai no basho ni saisho ni tōchaku shita toki ni, anata no inochi o sukutta hito-tachi deshita. Sore wa anata ga anata no keiro ga setsudan sa reta nochi ni chakura o morashi hajimeta nochi anata ga ima ikite iru to iu kare ni zokusuru anata no mune no sono mujun no okage desu." ("It's a cloak. My name is Dr. Strange. I, along with this proud man here, were the ones who saved your life when you first arrived at our current location, a mere inch away from death. It's thanks to that contraption on your chest belonging to him that is the reason how you are alive right now after you began to leak out chakra after your pathways had been cut.") Strange explains, gesturing towards Tony, making the man blink, before pointing at the Arc Reactor on Naruto's chest, as the genin went wide-eyed.
"NANI?!" / ("WHAT?!")
Strange nodded. "Mōshiwakearimasenga, anata no keiro ga kanzen ni iyasa reru made, anata wa anata no jutsu o riyō suru koto ga dekinai narimasu. Chakura no mune no mawari ni mukeru kagiride wa arimasen. Sō suru koto wa, anata ga sudeni keiken shita to watashi ga suisoku shite iru hageshī itami o hitotsu dake desu ka?" ("I'm sorry to say that until your pathways are healed fully, you will be unable to utilize your jutsu. Not as long as you channel your chakra around your chest. Doing so, would only cause you severe pain, which I'm assuming you've already experienced?")
Naruto flinched, recalling when he tried to form a Rasengan to break through a metal door, only to feel incredible pain. He frowned. No jutsu?! No clones, or summons?! That meant he had nothing to use should he ever get in a fight! What was he supposed to do now?!
"Watashi ga anata ni tsutae nakereba naranai warui nyūsu wa sore dake de wa nai node wanai ka to omoimasu." / ("I'm afraid that's not the only bad news I have to give you.") Strange said, getting Naruto to look at him, his frown deepening. What else could go wrong?! "Anata no saikin no kozeriai ga genjitsu o kowashita node wanai ka to omoimasu. Yori yoku setsumei suru tame ni, anata wa anata no sekai kara, anata no uchū kara, anata no jigen kara kanzen ni oidasa re, soshite watashitachi jishin ni tōkuhanarete okura remashita. Shibaraku Noida, watashi ga anata o anata no ie ni okurikaesu hōhō o mitsukeru koto ga dekiru made, anata wa kono wakusei de tachiōjō shite iru node wanai ka to omoimasu. Mōshiwake arimasen." / ("I'm afraid your latest skirmish has caused a break in reality. To explain better, you were cast out of your world, out of your universe, your dimension entirely, and sent far off into our own. I'm afraid that for the time being, you are stuck on this planet until I can figure out a way to send you back to your home. I'm sorry.") Strange said, bowing his head down to the blond for his situation.
Naruto stared at him, eyes wide, unable to believe what he just heard. He completely understood half of what the man said, but he got the just of it, he just couldn't believe it! He was stuck there?! He couldn't go home?! No...no no NO! This...this couldn't be happening! It had to be a trick! IT HAD TO BE! His friends! He...he needed to make sure they were alright! And what about Sakura-chan?! Kakashi-sensei?! Ero-Sennin! Tsunade-Baachan! Shizune-neechan! Everyone! They were waiting for him to get back! He couldn't be stuck here! He...He...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Naruto let it all out. His anger. His grief. His frustration. He let it all out in one, big, scream.
The Avengers could only watch on, frowning sadly as the teen who fell from the sky screamed. Janet felt tears slide down her cheeks as she rubbed the sobbing teen's back. She felt so sorry for him. A feeling Captain America shared, knowing what it felt like to be separated from his home and friends. From the people he cared about.
From his special lady.
Everyone was silent, unable to say anything as the cries of a stranded shinobi in a world far from his own echoed through the room.
However, through his cries, through his pain, Naruto made a vow. A promise. He would find a way home. No matter what. He wouldn't give up. He didn't care how long it took. Somehow, someway, he would get back to his village! To his friends!
That was a promise. A promise of a lifetime!
Naruto's Mindscape
Kushina frowned, a tear sliding down her cheek as she grieved for her son's situation. "Oh musuko..." Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked at her husband, who smiled a saddening smile like her, but trying to provide some comfort.
"There's nothing we can do, Kushina. No matter how much we want to." He said, sighing just as sad. To be forced out of one's home? To possibly never see your friends and comrades again for a long time? For someone like Naruto, who grew up an orphan similar to Minato, but while Minato grew up with care from the patrons and strong friendships, Naruto had to suffer loneliness and isolation from adults who feared and hated him. It was only the bonds and friendship he eventually gained that saved him from a suffocating darkness.
However, to suddenly be separated from those very same friends worlds away, right after being forced to battle someone he loved like a brother he never had...Minato couldn't possibly imagine what his son was feeling. He could only hope - pray - his son wouldn't be crushed by the weight of all that has come to pass. Minato doubted even someone as strong of will as his son could handle such overwhelming weight. He had already bottled years of negativity deep inside of him.
He feared this would only serve to push his son to the brink of collapse. Either physically or even psychologically.
'This could cause him to snap, and become like how his friend Gaara used to be.' Minato thought grimly, hoping that didn't happen. The idea of his son coming to think of murdering to fill a hole in his heart...it made Minato shudder. Hopefully, these Avengers would be able to save his son before he drowned in an endless void of darkness.
Behind the seal's cage, Kyuubi frowned, closing his eyes.
'This is quite the turn of events you've gotten yourself into, brat. Now, how will you handle it?'
A whole new world. An entire reality so far and different from his own...it made Kyuubi wonder if his father, the Sage of Six Paths, ever achieved such travel before his end. Or was Naruto the first from the Elemental Nations? It made Kyuubi wonder what sort of things the brat will experience here.
Back in the Real World
His eyes red, dull, and exhausted, Naruto stayed silent and still, not moving as Strange placed two fingers together against the side of his neck, just under his ear. About two minutes or so passed since his brief break in emotion, two minutes before he firmly seized his tear leakage as crying wasn't going to get him anywhere.
Then, all of a sudden, the "Strange" guy began touching him. "Oi, what are you doing?" / ("Ōi, nanishiteruno?") He asked, but not doing anything to push him away. It didn't seem like the man was doing anything harmful to him, so Naruto let things play out. He was just wondering what he was doing. Besides, he was too tired to put up a fight.
"Watashi wa anata no gengo no mondai o shūsei shite iru tokoro desu. Watashitachi zen'in ga otagai o rikai suru yō ni natta hō ga ī to omoimashita." / ("I am just fixing your language problem. I figured it'd be better if we all came to understand one another.") Strange explained, using magic to help Naruto understand English as well as speak it, as it'd be better if everyone didn't need words translated. After a few seconds, he pulled his hand away. "That should do it. How do you feel?"
Naruto scratched his throat. "My throat itches." Whatever the man did, it left his throat feeling itchy.
"Hey! We can understand you!" Janet exclaimed, surprised. Naruto looked at her, blinking.
"Hey! I can understand you!" He exclaimed back, able to understand her words clearly.
Steve looked at Strange. "I assume you helped clear things up and solve the language problem?"
Strange nodded to him. "Yes, I told the boy of his situation and the current inability to return home. I thought being able to understand people could provide some aid to his stay, however long it is. And as you can clearly see, it allowed him to understand and speak our language. Of course, that excludes the ability to read our language, as it wouldn't be right to make things too easy for him right off the bat."
Tony crossed his arms, sighing. "Of course, why should anything be easy?" He stated sarcastically.
Ignoring the grouchy inventor, Stephen looked at Captain America. "By the way, thank you for notifying me about Naruto's awakening. I apologize it took me so long to arrive. I had some things to take care of."
Cap nodded at him. "No problem. Nothing of the sort was broken or damaged too severely."
Clint huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "I beg to differ!" Seriously! A HOLE was on his room floor! C'mon!
Janet smiled at Naruto. "I'm glad you can finally understand me! Though I would have liked it if it was done sooner." She commented, given all that's happened.
Naruto tilted his head, smiling slightly. "Um, yeah." He said, nodding a slight nod, rubbing the back of his head. He then frowned, recalling the chaos he sort of sprung up when he woke up earlier. He supposed he should apologize for that. Turning his head to the others in the room, he bowed as best he could. "Um...I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused you, dattebayo."
Janet giggled, covering her mouth. "Dattebayo? Hehe! What is that, a verbal tic? So cute!" She noted, making Naruto's cheeks burn with embarrassment. Janet then waved him off, "And don't worry, no one was hurt...well, except maybe Hank." She said, turning to her boyfriend, who smiled uneasily, rubbing his nose in remembrance.
Wincing, Naruto bowed to the shrinking man. "I'm really sorry for that, dattebayo!"
Hank chuckled, shaking his head. "It's alright. No hard feelings."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Hanku-san!"
"Um..." Hank said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's Hank."
"That's what I said. Hanku"
"Hank"
"Hanku!"
"It's just Hank, Naruto." Janet cut in. Naruto frowned at her, starting to grow annoyed.
"That's what I said, Janetto!"
"It's just Janet!"
"Janetto!"
"Ja-net!"
"JA-NET-TO, DATTEBAYO!"
Thor let out a mighty laugh as he watched the boy and his small teammate argue, foreheads pressed together as they glared at the other. "I like this boy! He has a fierce fire in his heart!"
Natasha sighed, rubbing her head from the shouting. "Good grief."
As that was happening, Steve, Tony, and Strange conversed amongst themselves. "So, what's gonna happen to the kid?" Tony asked the sorcerer.
Strange sighed. "I'll search for a way to return him back to his world. Unfortunately, due to his place of origin being far outside our own range of reality, it'll take some time."
Tony raised a brow, shrugging his shoulders. "What's the rush? After what he's been through, the kid deserves a break from traveling. Forced or otherwise." He said, but Strange shook his head.
"I'm afraid young Naruto's sudden arrival could bring trouble in the near future." He stated. Cap raised a brow.
"How so?"
"His drop into our universe sent out a ripple throughout time. Events that would have come to pass could be changed. Perhaps for the worse, perhaps for the better, but Time has changed, becoming unpredictable. Now, there is no telling what the future holds for the planet. Or even the universe as a whole."
Tony scoffed. "So no one knows what will happen in the future? How is that any different from before?" He asked. However, Steve looked serious, understanding what Strange was saying.
Because of Naruto appearing, who knows what will happen now. Things could happen that they wouldn't have expected before. If the attack of Graviton was trouble, who knows what could happen now?
In Another Part Of The World - S.H.I.E.L.D. Hovercarrier
"Director Fury?" Agent Maria Hill asked.
Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping, law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), frowned as he stared at the large monitor showing a recording of the large swirling portal over the Avengers Tower. He narrowed his visible eye, watching as the small image of their newest member, Carol Danvers, aka "Ms. Marvel" flew up at the portal, before flying down towards the tower as the portal closed before vanishing. Pressing some buttons on the control pad, the recording was rewound back before replaying. Pausing at the point where Ms. Marvel flew up to the portal, he zoomed in. He narrowed his eye more as he stared at a thick dark spot, having dropped out of the portal.
"Get the engines warmed up! Set course to New York!"
He was getting to the bottom of this, one way or another.
Unknown Location
In the middle of an otherworldly-looking forest, a figure walked down a path. Their features were hidden by a large cloak from any possible eyes. The crunch of grass echoed throughout as the figure walked silently. It would be minutes later that the figure stepped into a wide-open clearing. Taking a few steps forward, the figure paused next to a tree. "I am here." The voice of a woman sounded from underneath the hood.
Just then, a secondary figure, hidden by shadows, stepped out from behind the tree. "Were you followed?" A male voice asked. The woman shook her head. Even with his features hidden, a wide smile could be seen on the male's face. "Good. Is everything ready?"
The woman nodded. "Just give the signal, and the distractions will commence for your attack."
The male chuckled wickedly. "Good. Only one final piece remains, and then the games can begin. I cannot wait to see the look on my dear ol' brother's face as his new beloved home crumbles to dust. How exciting, wouldn't you agree, my dear Enchantress?"
The "Enchantress" was silent for a bit, before nodding, giving a low mutter. "Yes, Loki."
Whether he heard her or not, Loki chuckled. "Oh Thor. You believe your new friends could help you protect your new home? We shall see. I shall make sure your little playground crumbles and you are at my mercy. After the mortal world falls...so too will Asgard." Loki said, reaching behind him. Pulling his hand forward, his grin grew, as his face was lit up by a blue glow, as he held a large blue cube. Unable to contain himself, Loki began to laugh, his laughter echoing through the clearing, while Enchantress just stood there, turning her head away, as she frowned sadly under her hood.
The Moon
A figure stood silently on the massive lunar surface. Standing silent, without a sound, as they gazed upon the planet before it. The figure smiled, as always taken by the beauty of the planet. Its blank eyes stared on, unblinking at the sight, its smile mysterious as if watching something no one else could see. Something they took great enjoyment in watching. Undisturbed. Its form was hidden by a long blue cape covering all but its head.
Its large head.
"What future will you bring about, Naruto Uzumaki?"
End of Chapter
Things have finally settled down with Naruto's sudden arrival and chaotic meeting with the Avengers. Naruto can now hear and speak English, but not read it. However, his arrival could have brought a lot of trouble for the Avengers and Earth. What sort of trouble? We'll just have to wait to see.
As said, I apologize for being silent for so long. I needed some time to come to grips with all that's happened. I think I'm better now. Hopefully, I can make up for all that I've missed.
So please, review if you'd be so kind. Good, bad, lame, or even just to say Hi! I'd appreciate it. Sorry for the short (to me) chapter. I'm getting back into the swing of writing since I've last wrote in 2020. This chapter merely served as a light push to get the gears turning. Next chapter things should start picking up. XD
So again, read, enjoy, review, and stay safe in the world.
Ja ne!