Things have gotten really crazy. With me out of work, selling my stuff to make money and paying off a ton of bills - I've managed to pay back my internet which was overdue. Now I have the time to update my story. I will admit that there is no fighting in this one and stands as a chapter to know what's going on and what you might expect in future chapters. I hope you enjoy and once you read the bottom, I'll tell you a secret.
Please review and tell me what you think. NO FLAMES!
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Chapter: An Interlude to Something Else Pt. 2
...
It seemed like Naruto was about to respond but stopped momentarily, seeming to rethink what he was about to say but was met with more silence. Again, he tried and was met with the same thing and more silence. He honestly tried to come up with something but the idea of being offered a job and being a part of the Guardians of the Globe seemed like a trap. On one hand, Naruto had experience with people like Cecil. The secret organization, Black Ops type that would do everything to achieve the victory no matter the cost of lives. But then again, Naruto knew nothing about Cecil personally, and the idea of just reading his heart and mind was out of the question because Naruto believed in giving a person the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, Naruto still did not consider himself a hero because it was an idea that just didn't fit the things Naruto had done. A hero wouldn't have destroyed a planet and the entire populace without looking for some sort of compromise. A hero would not kill and put the law into their own hands the way Naruto had when he played judge, jury and executioner.
"I have no idea how to respond." Naruto admitted.
"I thought I'd be frank and ask." Cecil said.
Naruto thought. He thought more and more. He could appreciate someone being straightforward.
"This feels like a serious talk so..." Naruto didn't waste time creating a Shadow Clone. With a hand on his clone's shoulder Naruto spoke, "I'll leave my clone with Mark, and we'll have a talk somewhere else."
"Are you sure that's a good idea just leaving your clone with your buddy Mark?" Cecil asked, it worked in his favor but that meant the blonde would mean the clone would have to relay everything that transpired in the few moments the original was away. Cecil was fine with getting the answer right now, though Cecil did admit he placed the blonde on the spot with what he asked.
Naruto shook his head. "Not really, I'm fully aware of what my clones do so I'm able to have multiple conversations at a time. And even if that wasn't the case, whenever my clone's poof all their memories transfers right back to me, so I'll know everything that's happened up to that point."
Cecil did not know about that regarding the blonde's clone. And it definitely opened up a whole lot of possibilities to what the blonde could achieve if what he said was true, which was definitely true considering the blonde had perfect control over his powers. If memories could be transferred, that would mean anything the clones learned would automatically have been learned by Naruto as well. And this was just an in-depth understanding about his clones.
The clone knew his orders and went towards the room, leaving Naruto and Cecil to stroll further into the medical facility - Cecil knew where the cafeteria was so it was better to start there.
.
[With Naruto and Cecil.]
Somewhere in the facility was an average looking cafeteria where superheroes and agents alike would eat once they able to walk after their time recovering. This was where Cecil took Naruto to talk. Taking the table in the middle of the whole cafeteria, Naruto and Cecil were sitting on opposite sides facing each other.
"On one hand I feel like if I say no, you'll be incline not to trust me and if I did say yes, I feel like I'm setting myself up with a leash around my neck if I don't follow your orders." Naruto said, though he might not know the full extent of Cecil's intentions Naruto was able to see that Cecil cared about his planet in a morally grey fashion.
"I'm not going to lie seeing as how you can read minds, so yes, that does sound like something I would do if means protecting the Earth." Cecil answered, though the man did raise his brow from how Naruto responded. "You're surprisingly perceptive. Speaking from experience?" Cecil asked. On another note, perhaps this was a good way to get some sort of information about the blonde. The cameras watching them from the cafeteria were already being analyzed the more Cecil continued to talk with the blonde.
"First off I would never read another person's mind unless it's a good reason like when I was fighting the Flaxans. And yes, I have some experience." Naruto admitted.
"One of our departments?" Cecil questioned, the Director of the GDA wouldn't dismiss the idea that Naruto might have been some government kept secret. There were always government conspiracies that tended to be true. But that was out the moment Naruto replied.
"Nope. I'm not from Earth - I mean not the Earth from here but another one in a different dimension."
Cecil snorted with a laugh, not because he didn't believe Naruto but now it would make sense why no one has heard of the blonde until recently.
"Okay, really not what I was expecting but okay. From another dimension, how'd you end up on Earth-Earth?" Cecil questioned, emphasizing to his planet.
Regardless how he or anyone would approach the situation, the number one priority was to protect Earth from all threats, terroristic, domestic, extraterrestrial or interdimensional.
"My version of Earth was in the middle of the... fourth world war. I fought against secret organizations that had unleashed an undead, summoned a primordial god and ended up killing a number of gods until the last one got pissed off and cast me into another dimension so they wouldn't have to deal with me." Naruto half lied; he didn't kill all of them. Just the first four until the fifth one. "I ended up on your Earth by accident. After that I just been living on an island doing my own stuff."
Putting a mental note on what he said, Cecil was taking it surprisingly well. "Accident huh? Alright. You got experience. You've been through a lot. You're actually surprising me with how open you are about this?" Cecil said suspiciously. It was slightly weird how Naruto could be so open about his past life.
"You asked me." Naruto answered as though it was the simplest reason. "I believe in privacy but be honest, what would I gain by not telling anyone? What would you even gain if you did know? And what kind of conversation even starts with something like this? It's not like it'll change anything that's happen on my world. It's not going to change the fact I'm still your Earth. And I can admit I've done bad things Cecil, I've terrible things and I've done a little bit of good. But I don't want to hurt anyone here. I just want to live my life one step at a time."
Naruto's life was complicated from where he was born. But the discussion wasn't about his whole life story it was about where he came from and how he got here. Telling the truth wouldn't have amounted to anything because no one dared to ask and just assumed. Telling the truth wouldn't have changed the fact Naruto was still here on Earth. Telling the truth wouldn't have change the fact Naruto's world was still gone. It served no one, not even Cecil.
There was nothing to gain and nothing to lose. And Cecil acknowledged that.
"I guess not." Cecil admitted. "It's not like you've broken any laws, and you did save thousands of people the other day so as far as I can tell you got some motivation to help people. So, you won't join?"
Naruto thought. He really didn't want to deal with Cecil and the GDA as if they were the Akatsuki. Or the next Akatsuki. And it was more of a problem if he had to deal with them at every turn just because of one decision made them not trust him. 'What would the others have thought about?' Naruto wondered. He remembered the old missions he did with them. They aided some lesser ninja villages and often times betrayed the ones that seemed hellbent on doing something nefarious. Though those were minor with few exceptions. The Land of Snow and the Land of Bears were examples Naruto tried to compare. And then it hit him. At times there was a moment of a truce or compromise. A third option outside the typical two.
"How about this, what if I join but there's gotta be some rules before that?" Naruto asked.
"Rules?" Cecil almost felt offended that he would actually try and set terms for this. But then again Naruto might actually be a lot smarter than he looked, if only Cecil knew that wasn't the case. Cecil was inclined to believe it was arrogance, judging from how the blonde could destroy an entire civilization but this small talk between the two made Cecil understand enough that Naruto seemed more like someone who just happened to have a lot of power. The kid looked like he wore rags with that hoodie and joggers. "That depends on what you're asking."
"No shady business." Naruto's response was instant on that. "If we're going to help people, then it's only helping people. No government Black Ops stuff. And if I do join the Guardians of the Globe, then it's for a limited amount time like a year. A year would give you plenty of time to see I'm not a threat to you or any of the people you work with. A year would be enough to find people good for the job and I'd be able to cover any of the fights they can't handle. There's also the fact I can create clones that I can control remotely and know what they're doing and who they're talking too. I see this as a win in making sure you guys are more inclined to trust me while also getting you and anyone else to know I'm not a bad guy." Naruto said.
Naruto really didn't want to work for the GDA. Seeing that it made Cecil wonder what sort of organized groups did the blonde deal with before. A year would get a lot of data about the blonde and what he was capable of, getting any of the higher ups like himself to have a way to monitor him. Though it made the Director of the GDA question what would the blonde get out of this? He'd be given resources that the GDA would provide and the database regarding all villains and common criminals. Though Cecil didn't see Naruto asking for a lot judging from how he merely wanted to be left to his own devices. There were people Cecil knew who were suspicious of the blonde. With their report talking about how Naruto destroyed the Flaxans, it did in fact make people uneasy knowing the man was more powerful than an atomic bomb - only times those bombs by hundreds of times with his clones.
Cecil sighed. At least the teen was willing to work for him than Nolan when he refused outright.
"Any other ground rules that I should know about?"
"Nothing I can think of right now."
"Then we're in agreement?" Cecil asked with Naruto nodding his head.
The two shook hands in agreement.
Starting today Naruto would work for the GDA until the next year, hopefully nothing would get crazy once a year passes.
.
[With the Clone Naruto.]
With the original Naruto and Cecil gone, the Shadow Clone was left alone to watch and wait until the Greyson family were done.
Naruto, for simplistic sake, leaned against the opened door of Mr. Grayson's room and waited for Mark to call it.
From what Naruto could see, Mark was probably telling his dad about the things that happened after he had been unconscious. Mark's mom no doubt giving a bit of her day about how much she missed her husband.
Once Mark waved his hand, that was where he introduced Naruto to Nolan.
"Dad, this is my friend Naruto. He's the one who healed you." Mark introduced.
For Nolan, it came out as a surprise and certainly an odd experience for the old Viltrumite. There wasn't a point in Nolan's extremely long life where he needed help to recover. Such a thought was ridiculous considering a Viltrumites could heal from extreme damage, there might be some limitations to that fact but very few creatures were able to seriously harm Nolan and his kind. And even if they did suffer extreme damage, not once was there a moment Nolan could recall using their technological advancement in medical technology to aid their soldiers. The times Debbie fussed and worried over the little scrapes he had from battle did not count. There was a part Nolan held back though, the feeling of being insulted that they would ask help on his behalf was insulting to his pride as a Viltrumite. But that other part, the shameful side of sentiment snuffed out that side and made the old Viltrumite understand he was happy his family cared so much.
Not that he would say it out loud or ever.
And now here he was, meeting Mark's friend for the first time. In all honesty, Nolan felt a little underwhelmed. Mark spoke a lot about the blonde, sounding ecstatic from how he described him and that he was strong. Maybe it was the baggy clothes he wore? Maybe it was Mark exaggerating, he was eighteen after all, so it made Nolan's son inexperienced.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grayson."
"Likewise, I remember my son telling me about you... that's quite the firm grip, young man."
Nolan might have been a little underwhelmed by the blonde, but a firm handshake couldn't help but turn a little bit of Nolan's favor. So, he squeezed back. That was a grip strong enough to crunch metal beams easily, but the blonde tilted his head, holding a grin and gave a simple shake. A little bit stronger than his son, Nolan surmised but kept his grin.
"Naruto, seeing as how you helped this family maybe you'd like to join us for dinner." Debbie said. This was a way to repay the blonde for his efforts and also to get to know the blonde just a little bit better. Mark trusted him with this task and in a miraculous way Naruto healed Debbie's husband.
"If that's okay with all of you, I wouldn't mind." Naruto blushed a bit, scratching his cheek. The feedback would surprise the original. Even though the telepathic link was there, every Shadow Clone had an individual will that was merely a fragment to the original. And that small little sense of being a prankster was enough to make the Shadow Clone think about the face his original would make. After all, neither of them would know what to do once it happened. No one ever invited him to dinner.
...
[Elsewhere.]
At Teen Team's base a Naruto Shadow Clone paused suddenly when felt the memories of one of his clone brothers dispel.
"Naruto, you, okay?" Eve was the one who asked, seeing the clone just standing there before he blinked.
"Hey, Eve I have question?"
Sounding uncertain, Eve raised a slender brow and asked what was troubling him. "What is it?" Said Eve.
"What'd you do if someone asks you to have dinner with them?" The clone asked.
Not really the sort of question she was expecting but shrugged at it. "I guess it depends. Is it a date?"
At that the Shadow Clone shook his head. "No. I just sensed one of my clone brothers poof and just got the feedback of what happened. Mark's mom just invited me to have dinner with her and her family. What should I do?" Asked the clone.
Eve chuckled, not believing her blonde friend. The growing silence and the blank look he had said otherwise.
"Wait, are you saying you've never been invited to another person's house? Haven't you met Mark's parents?" Eve questioned.
"I never really thought about it until Mark asked me earlier back at Burger Mart. And I have but it's not the same. Back where I'm from if a person invites you to their home you have to bring a gift. But I don't know what people in America do." Naruto explained.
Eve hummed, pursing her lips and thought. She'd have to talk to Naruto about his social skills because if he wasn't lying who knew what sort of disadvantages he'd might suffer in the future. "Then I'd suggest doing that. I wouldn't say its customary but it's the thought that counts and always be honest."
The clone hummed and nodded with his mind made up.
...
[Naruto POV]
A day after was when Naruto arrived. Ms. Greyson wanted to have the time spent with her husband before she'd make a large meal for him and her family.
Now that the day was here, Naruto was left standing at the front of the door, no longer wearing his usual clothing and instead a simple black shirt and blue pants with red and white sneakers.
Naruto breathed in before breathing out in a nervous sigh. The blonde cursed his clone for pulling this prank on him, not because he wouldn't have said no but because Naruto had no idea how to pull this off. There were a few times where Naruto was offered into the home of another and given a meal - but those were with the leaders of small villages he'd come to protect in his time. Manners were a teaching beaten into him by his friends. But here on Earth, Naruto didn't know what was expected of him. It made him uncertain. It made him scared even. He didn't want to make it seem he wasn't an unworthy friend to Mark.
With the short memory about Eve, Naruto got the small gifts he needed to show his appreciation.
Naruto knocked once, then twice, thrice and then the door clicked and seeing him first was Mark's mom Debbie Greyson.
"Naruto, it's nice to see you again." Debbie smiled, inviting him into her home.
"Annyeonghaseyo, Mrs. Greyson." Naruto gave a small forward bow, something that made the woman chuckled softly at his attempt at greeting her in Korean. Not that she didn't appreciate it, but she was more less on her heritage - understanding it but difficult to speak it.
"I bring you and your family a gift." Naruto had held onto a poorly wrapped item in hand and offered it to Debbie.
Once Naruto stepped through the door Debbie made an oof sound when he handed her the gift. It was a little heavy.
Mark had just come down from the stairs.
"Naruto!" Mark said, together they fist bumped.
"Mr. Greyson." Naruto saw Mark's dad at the table to which he acknowledged with a small wave.
Naruto already took his seat on the opposite side of the table which left Mark and Debbie at the door.
"Ugh, sweetie I think Naruto's a little nervous here." Debbie whispered to her son.
"What makes you say that?" Mark asked. The Viltrumite hybrid honestly could not believe his other best friend could be nervous. But to answer, Debbie tore the paper off the gift Naruto gave her and it revealed to be a solid block of gold.
"..."
It took a few seconds to process with Mark just staring at what he was looking at. "Is that-"
"Gold? Yes. About seventy-thousand dollars' worth."
"..."
Now the two were just staring at each other trying to figure what the hell they were even going to do with it.
Putting that aside Debbie heard the bell ring and she needed to check up on her food.
The start of the dinner was fairly simple, Naruto getting to know the Mark's family and Mark's family getting to know him. Debbie's cooking was a well-made meatloaf with mash potatoes and green peas for sides along with a pitcher full of iced tea. There were some other smaller sides like brown gravy, green beans, and a buttery loaf of bread.
Naruto's food usually consists of fast food most of the time and instant ramen noodles from the store. When he really wanted something to eat it would usually be a trip to Japan and have a simple bowl of ramen from one of the restaurants out in the countryside. It was his first time eating American food.
"So, Naruto where are you from?" Debbie asked, taking a bite of her food.
"Well, if it isn't obvious I'm not from here." Naruto replied.
"As in not from America or..." Mark dragged on trying to get a response.
"As in I'm not from Earth." Naruto said.
How strange? Naruto thought, one moment he was telling Cecil no one ever asked if he was an alien or not. Being so bluntly was just a natural response and lessened things as far as Naruto believed.
"You're an alien? Like me?" Mark said, eyes widening in shock to find that out about his best friend.
That brought Nolan up from his plate, looking at the blonde more closely.
Naruto shook his head. "No. I am human just... not a human from this Earth."
"How does that work?" Nolan decided to ask. A human but not a human from Earth? He highly doubted there could be another planet called Earth.
"I'm from another planet called Earth but it's an Earth located in another dimension."
The Greyson family stared at him for a few moments.
"How come you never told me?" Mark wondered.
"You never asked." Naruto retorted.
Mark wanted to say something but thinking about, Naruto was right.
So, Naruto was a human from another dimension. That was out and shockingly the Greyson family continued with their meal.
"What do you call this again?" Naruto asked Mrs. Greyson when he took another bite of her cooking.
"Meatloaf." Debbie said.
"Meatloaf... I've never had meatloaf. It tastes awesome!" Naruto took another bite, humming in delight after his sense of taste and stomach realized he was eating actual home cooked food. All the months eating instant ramen noodles and fast-food made the blonde realize how out of touch he was when it came to eating food in this world.
"Do they not have meatloaf on your planet?" Mark chuckled.
"Nope. Believe it or not, my version of Earth takes much from Asian culture like Japan and China." Naruto bit into his meatloaf with the mash potatoes caking it. "I've mostly eaten out of rations, old food stands and snacks for most of my life. I haven't had a home cooked meal in years." Naruto sighed when he took another bite.
"I'm sure your mom must have fed you." Debbie offered another serving.
Naruto shook his head. Mid-bite he answered, "not really. The only time I ever met my mom was when I was sixteen. Before and after, it was just me, my brother and my friends on the road."
"You have a brother?" Mark gasped.
"I had a brother." Naruto said lowly, still following on Eve's advice about being honest.
Debbie was quick to pick up on what he said and gave Mark a sign to reframe from continuing.
"Did I do something wrong? You're all quiet?" Naruto wondered, concerned that he may have offended.
"No." Debbie's tone had risen but, repeatedly she said no. "It's just we don't know what to say next. Dinners like these usually go about how someone's day is or talking about their family."
"Isn't that what we were doing? Aren't I supposed to be honest when having dinner with a friend's family?" Naruto wondered.
"You don't have to be that honest, Naruto. Just day you don't want to talk about, and we'll understand." Mark suggested.
Naruto tilted his head. Now it seemed as though Naruto being some alien from another world was starting to show. And that made it a lot more understandable for Mark when talking about things earlier from before everything.
Debbie knew she had to break the ice, so she continued with her previous question on wanting to know about the blonde's mother. "What was it like meeting your mom, Naruto?"
Naruto took a moment, thinking back on the experience. "It was different. I never knew who my mom was or how she looked like, so the first time was a little weird. After she disappeared, she said she loved me and my brother, so I guess it was okay." Naruto shrugged. That whole time of wondering about his mom was a troubling experience when she cried, constantly telling him no matter what - she would always love him and his brother.
That didn't stop him from avenging her later in the war.
"Disappeared? You mean she never tried to stay in contact with you again?" Debbie's brows furrowed, wondering how a mom can say those things and just disappear like that after sixteen years of never being part of her children's lives.
Now that he was more aware Naruto took a moment, trying to understand Debbie's question and then did he realize his mistake. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention my mom passed away when me and my brother were just babies. The person I talked too was a piece of her chakra, her soul. That was who I talked to when I was sixteen. Once it was used up, it's gone out of reach."
"You met a ghost of your mom?" It had been Mark who said that.
"I wouldn't call it a ghost but yeah." Naruto shrugged.
If this was going to be the way their dinner was going, Debbie fully took it as her responsibility.
While she would talk about certain parts in his life, Debbie was able to notice the brightness when his eyes lit up when discussing about his friends and the journey he spent on the road.
So, what was his world like when Debbie asked him? How had it evolved where every human was superhuman. Naruto explained it would be a lengthy story.
"Okay" Naruto clapped his hands, "it starts off one-thousand years ago before my people's history. It was where my version of mankind spent generations fighting against each other and their fear of the God Tree."
"The god what?" Mark found himself chucking a bit. Who the hell names a tree god?
"The God Tree" Naruto began, "it was a thing of worship back in the day but in actuality it turned out to be a parasitic alien plant that digs its roots deep into the planet's core and absorbs the minerals and life energy of the planet."
Now it took a serious and dark turn.
"For one thousand years humanity from my world have been fighting nonstop, waging wars and bathing the land in blood - something that the tree fed on and grew stronger with every death that occurred."
"What humanity didn't know was that a race of godlike aliens called the Ōtsutsuki cultivated the God Tree, planting them on countless worlds and waited for eons until it produced a special fruit called a Chakra Fruit. Chakra being the source to my power" Naruto pointed out and continued. "And like the God Tree, the Ōtsutsuki were a parasitic race of humanoids. And while the God Tree continues to absorb the energy of the planet, it gets worse. It isn't just the life of the planet it's consuming, it's everything on the planet too like animals, insects and people alike which the Chakra Fruit doesn't just have chakra infused with it but also every last bit of genetic material from every creature that was alive. The Ōtsutsuki eat the fruit once it blooms and when they do, it doesn't just give them almighty power, it gives them immortality and grants them evolution - an evolution that would have taken millions of years done in less than hour for them."
The origins to Naruto's power were certainly unlike anything they've ever heard. Not some tale where he developed his superpowers, not some freak accident where he miraculously gained abilities, the true depth to Naruto's roots involved a race of alien invaders that wanted to consume all life on his planet.
"Wow. I- I really have no way to describe how crazy that sounds, Naruto" Mark commented, looking bewildered.
"So, they just go around planting more of these trees?" Debby questioned, "doesn't it seem counterproductive considering that they already have so much power and immortality to stack on it?" It certainly seemed to fit the goal any average villain would have done, and thinking about it what would the villain have done if they achieved their goal?
"It isn't." Naruto shook his head. "Even when they're that powerful they haven't achieved their intended goal yet." Naruto explained.
"And what goal would that be?" Nolan decided to speak, curious about these so-called aliens and wondering if this would be a problem to his future plans. The universe was a big place after all.
"To obtain Godhood." Naruto answered. "Ōtsutsuki have a doctrine that dictates they need to consume all life through the God Tree and continue to evolve passed what they already have. Remember, they've been doing this for thousands of years, constantly destroy civilizations and eating them just so they can evolve and obtain godhood. It was the founder of the Ōtsutsuki Clan who declared this because he obtained Godhood. And for thousands and thousands of years they just did what he told them, sacrificing worlds and getting stronger every single time."
Nolan heard attentively, fork digging into his food but still kept listening on what Mark's friend was saying. The idea that a species could get stronger and evolve further sounded problematic. Yet the immortality and godhood sounded to ridiculous to believe.
Naruto continued with his story. "Then comes along Kaguya, one of the Ōtsutsuki meant to be sacrificed to the tree. It turns out that the God Tree was still young and needed an additional source of chakra in order to mature it properly. Let that sink in, the same God Tree that was already threatening to destroy the world was in its immature state. How crazy is that!? Anyway, Kaguya decided she doesn't want to be sacrificed so she ended up injuring her boss and would go on to eat the Chakra Fruit and gain all the powers - remember this is an immature fruit. And she was able to use her powers to enslave humanity casually.
'Hm. Not bad.' Nolan thought, somewhat impressed.
"Her story gets sketchy because many people called her a benevolent god, and some called her a demon. What is known is that is that Kaguya did find a lover and ended up having two children with a human."
Nolan made a face. Something about that sounded wrong and yet he couldn't help but think that was somehow being directed at him. He was an alien, and he had a human mate.
Mark and Debbie were listening with shocked and taken back expressions.
"Her two children were twins named Hamura and Hagoromo, Ōtsutsuki-Human hybrids that were the only two beings besides Kaguya that was born with chakra just like her. From what I remember about the story, Kaguya hated the idea of sharing her power with anyone - even her own children because she believed chakra belonged to her and only her. So, in the end she tried to kill her own children."
"W-what?" Debbie gasped. What sort of monster was this woman Naruto talked about?
"Dude, that's messed up!" Mark commented.
Nolan remained silent.
"Right?" Naruto agreed with them, still not use to the idea that someone like that could be so horrible. "Again though, the story was always sketchy, but Hamura and Hagoromo were at the peak of their power, so they were able to fend off their mother. The difference to the story though is that most never knew that Kaguya merged with the God Tree and became the Ten-Tails."
"The ten what?"
"The Ten Tails." Naruto clarified. "A monster made entirely out of chakra, a monster said to swallow oceans, carry mountains on its back and would bring about the end of the world."
Naruto would explain further and further about the Sage of Six Paths and how he was the equivalent to Jesus Christ in Christianity. And Naruto would add in the fact that he too fought the Ten-Tails.
"Humanity would use chakra as a weapon and for one thousand years after the death of the Sage of Six Paths, they would constantly fight each other, growing stronger with every generation and develop special genetic mutations, techniques and adaptations. Even I'm an example to that." Naruto said. "I'm actually the descendant of Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths, the clan I come from are the Uzumaki clan."
"Uzumaki" Debbie tested the word. "That's strange. I don't think I've ever heard you mention your last name before. All I've ever heard was just Naruto. Was your father Uzumaki?"
Naruto gave a silent look. "I never really thought about it. And no, it was my mother's last name." Naruto lied somewhat but Nolan knew he lied about the first part just from how his heart skipped a beat.
"Wait? Wouldn't that technically mean you're like a demi-god or something?"
Naruto shook his head. "That's a bit of a yes and no answer. It gets a little crazy because while Kaguya is my ancestor and her influence does still run deep even after one thousand years, the five clans that developed were completely different from each other because of how long it had been - genetic diversity and adaptation and whatnot. The Uzumaki clan inherited vitality and a strong life force from Kaguya. The way you can tell a full blooded Uzumaki was because they all had natural red hair. My mom married someone outside her clan so I would be considered a half-breed. But because Uzumaki genes are so strong, even if I am a half-breed I'm actually full blooded because I still inherited a powerful life force and vitality."
The talk explaining the Uzumaki clan was a little longer than initially believed, but it would soon be revealed that Naruto was the strongest out of his entire clan and that he would live far longer than an ordinary human and an Uzumaki altogether. It was a guess on Naruto's part, but Naruto surmised to himself that with the exotic amount of chakra and influences he underwent, it would be more than likely his chakra and vitality might allow him to reach several centuries before age catches up to him. Or in the worst case, due to the exotic chakra that flows through him he might actually be ageless. Though still were other alternatives and exceptions to his heritage.
Naruto was unsure about his lifespan. Even though he guessed, Nolan knew he was certain he would live a small fraction to a Viltrumite's natural life span. Yet it could allow the boy to grasp just enough to see what will come along in those long years, if he lives. This whole talk somehow made Nolan see some sort of comparison. 'He would have made a natural Viltrumite.' Nolan acknowledged, brows knitting together as he furrowed them. Naruto was powerful and was ruthless - the talk about the Flaxans came in and it genuinely shocked Nolan that the boy was able to destroy an entire civilization. And it was in a day.
Nolan even thought about how he would have tried and saw it more being a week or even a few months.
"Naruto." Mark responded with a low voice, almost unsure what to say knowing his friend, perhaps his second-best friend would live that long.
"It's not a big deal. It's still a long way before I'm that old. Right now, I'm enjoying everything with what I have now. A nice dinner with friends." Naruto gave a smile, taking a bite of Debbie's cooking.
Nolan saw that Debbie and Mark weren't really handling the thought as easily and cleared his throat. "You were mentioning about what came after." Nolan continued the conversation.
"Right. Okay, now comes my generation one thousand years after. There were two distinct clans, the strongest out of the five descended to Kaguya. The Uchiha and the Senju. As it turns out, they have the purest connection to Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths and when their powers are met the Uchiha would unlock a special eye mutation called the Rinnegan which gives divine powers to the one who's unlocked it. And let me tell you it was absolutely broken. The user could tear your soul out and memories, absorbing your power, see in six different directions, summoning powerful animals capable of demolishing countries, control over gravity and have control over life and death. Before Kaguya was defeated, she created a being called Black Zetsu who fooled the Uchiha clan into awakening the Rinnegan and resurrect the Ten-Tails. Every country from my world went to war - calling it the Fourth Great Shinobi World War."
"F-four world wars?" Mark gasped. If Earth's history was anything to go by, the idea of four world wars with super humans running around and blowing up the place would be unimaginable to think about.
Debbie was shocked to. But then something made her think about something.
"Wait, how old were you when this all started?" Debbie has to ask. It concerned her at how Naruto's life and culture was so brutal in comparison to the people of Earth, and it made her think more heavily on Mark's life. Yes, he may be a superhero and yes, he may be as strong as his father but that life and to what Naruto experienced were two separate things entirely.
"I was eight when I enlisted in the shinobi forces" Naruto explained, horrifying Debbie that his people would casually send children off to war. Nolan despite seeming concern was starting to feel impressed at how Naruto's people functioned. A warrior-like military culture. A strong one at that. Even Nolan hadn't entered the war effort until he was at least quarter to a Viltrumite's beginning age.
The more he explained the more it fascinated Nolan of what could be achieved if a Viltrumite soldier had discovered the blonde's planet. Though judging from the explanation it was impossible from the fact Naruto's tale constantly talked about different dimensions - meaning such a place was outside the reach of Viltrum.
'It does make me wonder what sort of children he would have if he mated with a Viltrumite woman?' Nolan wondered. Nolan was no stranger to the rules of interbreeding with other species, Debbie being an example to that, but his Viltrumite DNA would overwrite any trace of human within his son and make him a pure blooded Viltrumite despite his heritage. From what Nolan could guess, Naruto's power was every bit as genetic as it was this magic space power. If what Naruto said was true about his people evolving and getting stronger with every generation born after the previous one, what would that mean for his offspring if such a union happened? Naruto's power despite seeming like magic was a part of him down to the genetic level. Naruto mentioned the fact his power back in the old days was drawn upon by the spirit and physical strength yet would develop specialized organs needed to be produced. It was a part of them. It grew to a question of whether a union between the species did happen, would that make them Naruto's offspring genuine hybrids between the two species? As far as genetics seemed, both were powerful in their own way - especially for the fact Naruto's kind did evolve with additional mutations that could last a thousand years or more without diluting.
Nolan prided himself in what the Viltrumite's were capable of. Yet it could not be ruled out. If it wasn't and his children did not inherit his power, it might not even be possible for Naruto to have children with a Viltrumite.
Nolan frowned a little. Thinking about this left a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Humans were frail creatures, despite the Earth having super powered individuals none could meet the strength of a Viltrumite. Yet humans were suitable in other ways, reproducing to create near perfect Viltrumites. Nolan's world was one thing, but the survival of his people came above all others. The Viltrumite glanced up from his meal and looked at the blonde. Mark cared about his blonde friend. Perhaps he could spare him if he joined in the takeover of Earth - that is of course once Mark agreed to his plan. Nolan was sure he would.
Thinking about that however, that made Nolan feel hesitant. He hated that feeling. Looking at his son and seeing his wife, Nolan felt things he'd never felt in his very long life as a Viltrumite. It should have been squashed. It was weakness. Nolan knew that but every time he saw his son, he felt proud. Every time Nolan saw his wife he felt his heart pace. He thought about her, her cooking and their small little moments of passion. Sadly, Nolan snuffed those feelings inside. He had to focus. He had to see the bigger picture of things.
Being caught up in thought Nolan lost himself in the mid of the story Naruto explained.
"The war started because of two people: Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha. The plan was awakening the Ten-Tails and become its Jinchuriki - a living container to house it and would grant them all that power. The plan was to reflect the Sharingan onto the moon and trap everyone in the world in a powerful illusion that grants a person their deepest desired world. But again, Black Zetsu fooled the Uchiha and instead resurrected Kaguya to the world which would also have the Sage of Six Paths to interact with the living world. Despite being dead for a thousand years, the Sage of Six Paths was able to cheat death because when chakra is at its peak in power it transcends death, and he became a living ghost."
It just kept getting crazier and hard to imagine, especially when Mark and Debbie were getting the basic summary about how chakra in itself could manipulate space and time, control life and death and from what Naruto said about his journey traveling was able to go back in time. It just kept getting crazier that a single source of power could make a person that powerful.
"I was given half of the Sage's power once we talked. He understood that once our talk was over, we would never see each other again. So, I fought his mother and defeated her. My world was left in ruined and most of the countries were gone. I was among the last few thousand shinobi still remaining with much of our population devastated. That's when I encountered more Ōtsutsuki after. I fought five altogether. Thankfully I was smart enough to train with my newfound powers and was able to kill four out of five. It was the fifth one that proved to trouble. And while I killed off his henchmen which were equal to Ōtsutsuki, it was the boss that beat me. He saw I was too much of a problem, so he used a Jutsu on me to cast me through space and time and I found myself here on Earth. And eight months later, here we are."
In all honesty dinner had its ups and downs due to Naruto's previous life being difficult for Debbie and Mark to really understand how anyone could go through life as some child soldier/ninja assassin. Nolan was unbothered by it. Dinner was done two hours later with Debbie still having left over for the blonde to take home.
Mark was upstairs using the bathroom, so it left Naruto and Nolan to stand just outside the front door.
It had been in the late afternoon when Naruto arrived and now it was already dark.
"Mark has told me you've been helping him train?" Nolan said.
"I've taught Mark some hand-to-hand techniques. He's got the superstrength, but he really can't throw a punch when it counts." Naruto replied. Remembering when Mark asked him to hit him really hard.
That was something Nolan chuckled a bit. That sounded like his son.
"I guess he really took my advice to heart." Nolan smiled. It did make him feel bad to hurt his son the first time, but it was a necessary thing if it meant preparing him.
"Because he wants to make you proud, Mr. Nolan. He talks about you all the time when we hang out about how an amazing dad you are." Naruto told.
It was hard to explain what Nolan felt when he heard that. Pride was certain but something else too.
"And what are you two talking about?" Debbie asked before offering come containers for Mark's blonde friend.
"Just some guy talk, Naruto's been teaching Mark a thing or two while I was out."
Debbie gave a look. "By the way, Naruto. You can have this back." Debbie showed the brick of gold.
Naruto didn't understand. "Is it not enough, I can get more."
Debbie tried to explain to Naruto that he didn't have to give them gold as a gift, Debbie would also have to continue on and explain there was no need for a gift.
"Alright then, tell Mark I'm heading out."
"Before you go, I'm actually curious to know how strong you are. Would you be up with a practice fight with me and my son?" Nolan asked, secreting wanting to measure the blonde's strength for himself. The earlier talk made him want to make sure on preparing for any future altercations. Debbie made a face hearing her husband, but she didn't interject.
Naruto grinned, "definitely." Naruto gave a thumbs up and teleported.
...
Thank you for reaching the bottom and please tell me what you think about this. This chapter may not have had any fighting, but it was to give a little bit more insight on Naruto's origins and to show you an upcoming match between Naruto and Nolan. And the next chapter will be just as long because this chapter was over seven thousand words. And IT WILL BE NARUTO VS BATTLE BEAST!