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Back to Back Problems

"Why are you training again? You already did that yesterday with the old man." Nikki asked while drinking a soda Naruto purchased for her. It only took him a short trip to a nearby village.

Of course, he sent a clone to grab it for her.

As for Nikki, she was sitting on an overturned tree. Her legs flailed against the wooden log.

It was the final day of the weekend, so that meant he would be going back to school tomorrow. The joys of being a high schooler.

They were both currently in a secluded area within the Amazon rainforest. A favored training ground for the half-breed Saiyan.

It was the first time Nikki had been outside the U.S. so it made for a fun trip as well. The two had been here for about three hours by this point.

She didn't have anything to do so it was fine with her.

"Because…" Naruto grunted while absorbing a kick with his forearms. "…I need to get stronger to better protect the planet."

Another punch was thrown to his head which he ducked. He returned an uppercut to the clone he was training with which finally made it dispel.

"But you'd be so much faster and stronger if you turned off that gravity in your suit," Nikki said while drinking her sweet. The Saiyan had activated the increased gravity when they first got there.

"Then there wouldn't be a point in training. I have to train to push past my limits, and improve what I can do." Naruto explained to the young girl.

He had been fighting against ten clones at first, ordering them to attack him at once. That uppercut had dispelled the final clone of the bunch.

Looking over to the side, Nikki saw hundreds of other clones practicing other things.

"So what are they doing anyway?" She pointed a finger at all the clones to the side. Naruto hadn't explained what they were doing, simply summoning them and barking orders when they arrived.

The three hours of curiosity had finally eaten her alive. She needed to know.

Naruto chuckled, "It's about time you asked. They're focusing on other techniques I can use. Things like my elemental and sealing abilities."

He had already mastered the basics such as the Henge, water walking, and other basic skills long ago. That meant he was ready to advance to the advanced stuff.

Sadly, the scrolls his father gave him only had so much knowledge of Jutsu. That meant he tried to master everything handed to him because it wasn't the largest quantity to begin with.

His father had explained that Shinobi on his mother's planet had certain chakra affinities. Naruto didn't know what he was since he couldn't test it but that didn't stop him from trying to learn all of them.

However, if he was being honest, the wind Jutsu came the easiest to him.

"I get that," Nikki nodded. She had seen the occasional puff of fire and spurt of water from the clones as they practiced. "But what about the sealing stuff you were talking about?"

"Ahh, that's what we call Fuinjutsu," Naruto lectured with a finger wag. He pointed over to a set of clones sitting down, carefully drawing seals on a piece of parchment paper. "They're focusing on improving what we can do with it."

"Like?"

"Sealing things mainly," Naruto explained, "But when you get to the advanced stuff, you can restrain people. Create barriers. Even use it to distort space if you're talented at it."

"Wait, did you say distort space? Like, making it change?" Nikki waved her hands around, trying to explain her point.

"Yep," Naruto laughed, "I'm not there quite yet, but it's a work in progress. My mother's family were well versed in it so I wanted to try my hand at it. It's kinda stuck ever since."

"That is so freaking cool!" Nikki shouted. She knew the teen was already powerful but she could've never imagined being able to do all this. It was like he was a jack of all trades.

A small sense of pride filled Naruto. It was only right someone was beginning to appreciate his awesomeness.

"Then what about them? What are they doing?"

Finally, Naruto turned his head to see the last batch of clones Nikki was referring to. These clones were speaking with one another while focusing on energy blasts. An occasional rumble shook the ground when they accidentally put too much power into their attacks.

"Those clones are focusing on Ki manipulation."

"Ke manipulation?" Nikki announced with a tilt of her head.

"Ki, not ke," Naruto corrected with a smile. "It's what allows me to do the flashy stuff you see. Flying, my energy blasts, and other attacks like that."

"Ohh…" Nikki nodded, "So can you make things like a sword?"

"A sword?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, like weapons and stuff," Nikki said while setting down her soda. She assumed if it was malleable, Naruto could make other things with it as well. Plus, swords were cool in her mind.

"I guess…I didn't think about that…" Naruto hummed with a hand to his chin. He had only used Ki manipulation for barriers and his energy blasts.

He knew it wasn't as flexible as creating constructs with it. He wouldn't be able to create a blender in mid-air or form a power drill like Atom Eve could, but maybe he could use it more than he thought before.

"Not a bad idea Nikki, I'll have to work on that,"

Nikki smiled with a goofy grin on her face, happy to help. If she could give Martian Man some ideas, she assumed she could do the same with Naruto.

The girl then asked another question. "Why do you focus so hard on training?"

They had spoken about it before, but Nikki still didn't understand. Naruto put in so much work behind the scenes. Much more than she had seen even with Martian Man.

Sure he had expectations to fulfill as a hero, but she couldn't believe that others put in so much effort as him. He tore his body apart and sacrificed personal time to get better as a hero.

Naruto thought of what to say for a few moments. Walking over to the log Nikki sat on, he gestured for her to make some room.

Nikki scooted to the side which allowed Naruto to sit down next to the girl. She grabbed her nearly empty soda to make more room.

"Let me tell you a quick story…" Naruto began with a soft smile on his face. "…One day, my father explained to me the myth of the Legendary Super Saiyan."

Nikki held on to each word, wondering where this would lead.

"It was a story of how an amazing warrior would emerge from our people. A being so great that it would shake the universe. Their power being unrivaled and overwhelming."

The young girl listened intently.

"However, the last Super Saiyan was seen over a thousand years ago. Its creation has even begun to be a myth among our people. My father thinks it's a story to strive for greatness while I like to take it in a more literal sense."

"A Legendary Super Saiyan?" Nikki said with awe in her voice.

"That's right. Our people are called Saiyans. That's why I have my tail," Naruto pointed to the appendage flowing behind him.

"So that's why you work so hard…you want to become the Super Saiyan," Nikki pieced together while looking into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto blushed a little in embarrassment, "It sounds silly but yes, I want to try and be that person. Even if I'm not some Super Saiyan, just being strong enough to protect what I care about is all that's important to me."

Naruto then crossed his arms and glanced at the sky above, "I won't lie, having the unrivaled power from the myth would be nice. It would guarantee I could protect whatever I hold dear to me. But it's more than that…"

Nikki chose to stay silent. She would've never fathomed a story like this.

"…it's having the power to bring peace. The power to protect instead of conquer. Whether it's as a Super Saiyan or regular Saiyan, I don't care. I just want to make sure my precious people and innocents are safe."

"That's nice…I like that," Nikki said after a second. It was a nice goal, something to strive for.

She could understand why Naruto pushed himself so hard. Having the power of this Legendary Super Saiyan would be nice, but he didn't let it consume him. If it came naturally that would be amazing, but it wasn't his sole priority.

The two shared a wide grin on their faces, basking in the comfortable silence. Crickets in the rainforest chirped loudly while a few birds flew overhead.

Just before Nikki opened her mouth to say something, they both heard a loud beep come from Naruto's ear.

Pressing the earpiece, Naruto heard Cecil's voice come through the other end.

"Kid, I need you now."

Hearing the firm desperation in his voice, Naruto straightened up. Standing up, he kept his finger pressed on the device. "What's going on Cecil?"

"We have reports of villains all over making a mess of things. I've already dispatched the Guardians and a few teams to deal with some of them, but there are some threats they're not ready for. That's where you come in."

"And Mark? Eve? Omni-Man?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

Cecil sighed on the other end of the earpiece, "I sent Mark to aid in a mission to Mars earlier today. It was the first manned mission on another planet. The kid was nagging me for some work so I gave it to him. Didn't know we'd have this shit show today otherwise, he'd be here."

Nikki fell silent, realizing that the teen was shifting into 'work' mode. She had seen it before with Martian Man so she knew it was serious.

"Eve is assisting a few of the teams as we speak. As for Nolan, he's…unavailable at the moment." Cecil explained. "You're gonna be on your own for now. Can you handle that?"

Naruto nodded, "Of course."

"Good. The first thing to take care of is a mad scientist going by the name Doc Seismic. He has a pair of earthquake gloves and tearing down some historical monuments in DC. Try your best to subdue him as quickly as possible, I'm going to need you on overtime today."

"Right," Naruto confirmed. "But I have to ask, why the sudden spike in crime today? Are we under some sort of attack?"

It was odd and rare for so many things to be going on in one day. It was at the point that the Guardians and other hero teams were dispatched, that didn't happen commonly.

"We're not sure. We have our people looking into it but we need to focus on stopping it now." Cecil sighed, annoyed at the fact this was happening. It made no sense why so many villains came out of the woodwork today.

Even worse, he had sent one of his best into space. That was the second time it came back to bite him in the ass.

"Gotcha. I'm on my way to deal with Doc Seismic," Naruto explained with a firm tone of voice.

"Be smart and safe out there kid, we're gonna need you. Keep me updated."

With his final words said, Cecil cut the communication on his end.

Naruto turned to Nikki with a frown on his face, "Looks like we're cutting training short for today. You're heading home with one of my clones while I deal with some things."

He then faced all of his clones who were currently training, "Alright all of you, go ahead and dispel yourselves!"

The clones nodded before doing as told. Puffs of smoke littered the area before it was as empty as before.

A rush of memories flooded Naruto's brain but he was used to the strain at this point. The hundreds of clones only gave him a small headache which he knew would go away in a few minutes.

"Stay at the house and wait till I get back. I shouldn't be long but in case I am just ordering food on the phone. I'll leave my card on the table so you can pay for it."

"Okay," Nikki nodded with a shaky grin. She didn't want to admit it but she was scared. Not for herself, but for the teen beside her.

She could remember the countless times that Martian Man told her the same thing. It made her feel uneasy that Naruto could face the same fate as her previous mentor.

Softening his features, the teen went down on one knee. Placing a hand on her head, he smiled, "Don't worry about me, I'll be safe out there."

"You promise?" Nikki almost whispered the question.

"Pinky promise," Naruto responded while holding out his finger.

Smiling, the girl made another pinky promise with the Saiyan half-breed.

It was official, the hero had to come back in one piece now. He had made a pinky promise after all.

And Naruto didn't break promises, especially the pinky ones.


Washington DC – Mid-Day

"Alright Doc Seismic…where are you…" Naruto said in his mind while flying through the area. He had been told the mad scientist was destroying local landmarks. "C'mon man, I don't have all day…"

That's when he heard it. The sound of screaming civilians.

Thinking it was his best lead, the Saiyan blasted through the air in his iconic suit.

That's when Naruto spotted the mad scientist standing upon the Jefferson memorial. He was a light-skinned, bald man wearing a white coat. His pants were also white while his shirt was a deep red. A pair of crimson bracelets circled his wrists.

"This man was a hypocrite! Someone unworthy of his position of power! He owned over hundreds of slaves, HUNDREDS, but he advocated for freedom!" Doc Seismic shouted out for anybody to hear. Saliva flew from his mouth in a crazed frenzy.

"I have to keep damage to the area minimal and evacuate civilians," Naruto ordered in his head. The experience of previous missions coming to the forefront of his mind. Summoning multiple clones, he ordered them to evacuate the innocents.

That's when Doc Seismic stopped his crazed rant, taking notice of Naruto for the first time. A scowl formed on his face, "It seems they finally sent someone after me."

The teen ignored him, deciding to respond with a quip of his own.

"I have to be honest, when Cecil mentioned gloves I was expecting something more than just some red bracelets…" Naruto said while landing in front of the villain. He had to look up since the older man was standing atop the marble structure.

"Maelstrom…" Doc Seismic hissed in anger. "So you also support the filthy nature of this world! Doing their bidding! Trying to stop my quest in removing the rot!"

"I'm gonna be honest, I don't really know what you're talking about. But, I try to reason with people before it results in violence…" Naruto explained with crossed arms. "Can you please get down from there and stop this madness? Your actions have already created enough trouble for the people here."

"Never! I will not be persuaded from the truth!" Doc Seismic shouted with a crazed look in his eyes. He seemed to tense his body in preparation for an attack.

Naruto noticed this subtle action. Previously he wouldn't have caught something like that but training with Cecil had taught him how to read body language. How to figure out what someone was going to do before they did it.

"Don't be rash Doc Seismic, or else I'll have to put you down…" Naruto warned with steel in his voice. He was trying to reason with him but he wouldn't risk innocents getting hurt.

"You cannot stop what is inevitable!" Doc Seismic screamed with rage. He was done talking at this point.

Activating his bracelets, the man brought both arms together toward the hero. This resulted in a large shockwave being sent toward the teen.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto quickly dodged by dashing to the side. Seeing this, Doc Seismic followed up with three more shockwaves. Once again, Naruto dodged by performing a few flips and dashes, a testament to his improved agility.

Each shockwave hit the grass below his feet, rupturing the earth blow. A show of just how much power was behind each attack.

Realizing this was going nowhere, Doc Seismic decided to switch things up. Shouting loudly, he brought both arms into the air for a charge-up.

"Oh no you don't," Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man. He could see that the next shockwave was going into the memorial, likely to cause more damage and possibly hurt anyone not evacuated yet.

Landing on his feet once more from another flip, the Saiyan half-breed used the momentum to launch off the ground at high speeds. Channeling chakra through his feet and Ki through his body for a faster flight, he speared the madman with his right shoulder.

Doc Seismic coughed out a wad of saliva, feeling the armored shoulder dig into his stomach. A second later, he was lifted from the memorial and into the air. That meant he couldn't destroy the monument he had his eyes on.

"You're done," Naruto said while the harsh winds flew by them. The flight at high speeds was beginning to affect the madman with the limited oxygen.

Growling in anger, Doc Seismic reared his right hand and punched Naruto in the gut.

A fierce shockwave rocketed through the teen's body, causing Naruto to gasp in pain. The sudden punch nearly knocked the air out of him.

The disruption made his flight unstable, causing him to slightly lower in altitude.

Smiling, Doc Seismic followed up with another right punch to Naruto's gut.

And thus, another fierce shockwave passed through Naruto's body. This one managed to suck the air out of his lungs.

With his concentration broken, both tumbled to the ground at high speeds. They spun in a heap before crash-landing on a soccer field near their initial skirmish.

Doc Seismic tried to shake the stars from his vision. The crash landing had been harsher than he expected, meaning he needed a second to collect himself.

As for the teen, he recovered much quicker than the villain and scowled. He hoped the sudden speeds from the flight would knock the older man out so he could safely transport him, but it seemed he would have to lay hands on the man.

The older man was in the process of getting up before a harsh punch landed across his face. The force was so great it jerked his head to the side.

Not risking it, Naruto followed it up with another punch to his face. This time, it jerked his head in the opposite direction.

This put the man out for good as he crumbled to the ground. He lay out cold, not even twitching a muscle.

"I didn't want to risk hurting him too much but damn that guy was annoying…" Naruto thought while rubbing his stomach. While his suit helped absorb some of the impact, it still hurt tremendously.

He had tanked two earthquake punches at point-blank range. Not something he was exactly a fan of.

Turning around, he saw that the two had left a noticeable trail on the soccer field. The large patch of grass had been upturned and dirt was scattered everywhere. It was a mess but it was better than losing lives.

Pressing the earpiece, Naruto spoke, "Cecil, Doc Seismic is unconscious. I'll be sending him your way for lock up."

A second passed before the director responded, "Nice work kid, was able to see some of it from here. Preventing that monument from getting destroyed saved us a headache…although the local soccer team might disagree."

Naruto winced, feeling a bit sorry for ruining their field. However, he didn't really have a choice as they crash-landed.

"We need immediate support for one of our secondary teams. They were dealing with the Lizard League and managed to take care of most of them before a new player showed up. Someone calling themselves Mastermind showed up and started controlling their thoughts. This Lizard League got away but we can still apprehend this new guy."

"A mind controller? This could get tricky…" Naruto thought with a frown.

Someone who could control your body was not someone to take likely.

"Where are they?" Naruto asked.

"Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. All we need you to do is take out this new player and report back."

"On it," Naruto confirmed before cutting communication. He glanced over at the unconscious Doc Seismic who still hadn't moved a muscle.

Summoning a clone, he ordered him to take the madman back to the GDA. The clone agreed and scooped up the unconscious man. A second later, they were off in the sky.

"Off to another one…" Naruto breathed in deeply before launching off the ground. He needed to take these villains down quickly and move even quicker.

Thus was the responsibility of a hero. Even more for one of the best upcoming heroes.


Grayson Resident – Living Room

Nolan watched the breaking news from his house with a frown on his face. The TV showed Maelstrom dealing with Doc Seismic and flying off to who knows where.

Debbie sat beside him concern in her eyes, "Do you think Naruto will be fine out there? He and Mark are still kids after all…"

"He'll be fine," Nolan answered plainly. His bad mood was beginning to show. "He's a hero, he knows what comes with that line of work."

"I still think you should be out there. You can help with all the chaos going on today!" Debbie said with raised arms.

"I told you, these new heroes need to learn how to defend the Earth without me. If the worst comes, I'll go in and handle it."

This seemed to placate Debbie to a degree but Nolan could tell she was still distraught. However, it mattered little to him at the moment.

Cecil had contacted him earlier to help with the threats but he had refused. He told Debbie it was because these new heroes needed the experience, but it was more than that.

Two main reasons floated in his mind for his refusal. First off, it was a reminder that he didn't take orders from Cecil. He never had and never would. He defended the Earth sure, but Cecil's orders never meant shit to him.

Secondly, he was still pissed at Mark going off on that mission to Mars. Call it personal spite, but he had told Mark not to leave on the mission. Despite that, his son had agreed to go off and assist the astronauts heading to the red planet.

He wanted his son to stay on Earth and continue their training. To slowly introduce more and more Viltrum ideas into his head. Yet, he defied him by openly refusing his command to stay here.

On his home planet, that would've earned him a vicious beating. Kids were not unruly on Viltrum because they learned better than that.

Earth was making him disgustingly soft.

If his son thought he was strong enough to defy his commands, then he would let him fight his own battles. It looked like he would learn by Viltrum tradition of pain. It would be his punishment when he returned home.

Before he could continue his thoughts, another headline blared on their TV.

"It seems the new Guardians of the Globe are still fighting a dragon that appeared in Rome earlier today. They have been battling the creature for over an hour now with little to no progress."

Suddenly, the TV switched to a live feed of a news helicopter above the battle.

Shrinking Rae and Dupli-Kate seemed to be unconscious, their bodies strewn around the rubble of a nearby building. Black Samson, Kid Thor, Throwbolt, and Rex Splode looked to be standing but had some form of injury on them.

However, Monster Girl and Robot were the only people on the team fighting the dragon while the others provided support. Sadly, it seemed their efforts were doing little to the dragon giving them trouble.

"What a pathetic sight…" Nolan muttered in his mind with a shake of his head. The previous Guardians of the Globe were an actual threat to his plans. An efficient team that could communicate and delegate roles.

This new batch of heroes did not live up to their predecessors. He thought he might've had to take them out too if they proved to be dangerous, but they were nothing more than fools. People mashed together with no teamwork.

He didn't hold much love for the original Guardians but at least he could respect their power. This new roster was a joke.

They weren't worth worrying about.


Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado

Naruto scanned the beautiful landscape around him with a careful eye. If this new person could control a person's thoughts and body, he didn't want to risk being seen unless necessary.

He had to be smart about this. His usual plan of going in guns blazing wouldn't work.

While flying through the air, Naruto heard an explosion off in the distance. Investigating the source, the teen found multiple heroes causing destruction in the area.

He saw Man Kong, Bolt, Knockout, British Knight, and Atom Eve smashing whatever they could get their hands on.

Multiple cabins in the area had been flattened while cars were smoking from being overturned. Naruto assumed they were from the tourists in the area.

Thankfully, he couldn't see any civilians which meant they had run away by now. No corpses could be seen either, another good sign.

"It looked like this is the team Eve was assisting…" Naruto frowned as he watched his friend form a hammer construct and slam it into another cabin. Splintered wood and furniture went flying across the national park.

That's when Naruto saw who was likely behind everything. A figure wearing an orange puffer jacket, white suit, utility belt, and pale face mask. He had dark skin and thick dreads on his head.

He could see the man bark out some orders before the heroes acted again. That meant he was likely commanding them what to do.

"I can't let him see me, so we'll do this instead…" Naruto charged up a sphere of Ki in his palm. The dark orb floated while he reared his hand back.

He waited for the right moment to send it forward and break this man's concentration. If that didn't free the heroes from his control, then he hoped knocking him unconscious would.

Biding his time, Naruto watched as the heroes destroyed more property in the area. He hated to see it but this Mastermind kept himself surrounded by Man Kong at all times. Likely to prevent any debris from hitting himself.

That was until he ordered Man Kong to lift a car blocking their way. Seeing his opening, Naruto launched his dense orb at high speeds to the unsuspecting man.

An explosion rocketed the area as it made contact. Naruto didn't put enough energy in it to kill him but it would knock him out with a nasty concussion.

At least he hoped until he saw Man Kong protecting the villain. The hero was wincing in pain and had burn marks across his large forearms, but seemed fine otherwise.

"Dammit, I didn't think Man Kong could react in time…he likely heard it whizzing through the air just in time…" Naruto frowned, realizing his cover was blown.

Turning their eyes, each person below saw the Saiyan half-breed floating in the air.

"Ah! Maelstrom! Perfect timing!" The villain spoke in a smooth, joking manner. Almost as if this was a game to him.

"I'm assuming you're the one called Mastermind?" Naruto asked while thinking of a backup plan. He needed to stall for time.

"That's me alright," Mastermind nodded with a devious grin. "Sorry to introduce myself this way but I needed you to find me sooner rather than later. Couldn't destroy much out in this park but I did what I could."

"You wanted me to find you?"

"Yep."

"So then the Lizard League was just a distraction. They were supposed to lure me out and Mastermind would've taken over my thoughts." Naruto deduced it, as a result of his recent training. The only question was why? Why did they specifically want him?

The heroes around them didn't move, simply watching the conversation happening. They almost looked like dolls with the glossed-over look in their eyes.

"Well, now you have me. Let them go and we can talk," Naruto reasoned, hoping it would work.

"Nah uh, that wouldn't be any fun," Mastermind smirked. "How about you join us instead!"

Shooting his arm forward, Mastermind extended the maximum limit of his telepathic abilities. It had a max range of 500 yards, well within Maelstrom's location.

Before he knew it, Naruto felt a wave shoot throughout his body. It was as if a slight shock had run through his nervous system.

"Gotcha!" Mastermind smirked, his plan completed. It looked like this was going better than expected.

Mastermind's ability worked rather simple. He just needed to attach a mental link between him and his victim. Once it was established, all orders from him would be obeyed without problem. Their thoughts and actions were influenced by him.

It was direct access to their mind. Their deepest mental connections.

The only downside was his max range but it was a non-issue in this case. Maelstrom was now his!

Just as he was about to bark out orders, Mastermind frowned. For a moment, he felt his mental link…change. Shift. It was something he had never faced before.

That's when he felt it. Something sinister. Something powerful.

And he had pissed it off.

"GET OUT OF HERE BOY!"

The voice rang out in his head like a gunshot. Blinking, he could see the vision of a large fox before him. Its red eyes pierced into his soul.

His long claws were only inches from his face. The size of the creature was as big as a mountain, towering over his small frame. It growled in his face, eager to rip his skin off.

"W-what is this?!" Mastermind freaked out internally. This was his mindscape, something he had learned to control completely. Yet, he was seeing this freak of nature. This beast could flatten him with one movement.

"I SAID LEAVE!"

The villain saw his death over and over again. Being decapitated. Eaten alive. Torn by the claws. So many potential deaths flashed in his head.

Mastermind fell on his butt, cutting the link between him and Maelstrom. He was shaking, quivering from the experience he just had.

As for Maelstrom, he finally snapped out of his daze. Shaking his head, he collected his bearings.

"Thanks for the help Kyuubi! Even if blasting him with killing intent might've been a little overboard…" Naruto thanked mentally, preparing to take down Mastermind.

This was the same killing intent his father faced on his birth years ago. He had also dealt with it on numerous occasions speaking with the Kyuubi.

"Hmph…foolish human. I only care for myself. I cannot allow some mind-walker to rule over any host of mine," The fox breathed out loudly through its snout, laying its head back down.

The tailed beast made itself as comfortable as possible in its cell. The villain had rudely awoken it from its nap, irritating the Kyuubi immensely.

"What a-are y-you?! You're a devil! A demon!" Mastermind stuttered with fear in his eyes. He had never dealt with something like that before. He certainly didn't expect it from a hero like Maelstrom.

Glancing at the still-idle heroes, he shouted a command, "Go forth! S-stop Maelstrom and take h-him down…!"

The fox and visions of his death still shake him to his core.

Man Kong roared while grabbing a nearby boulder. He threw it at the floating hero with a snarl on his face.

Dodging the large rock was rather easy for Naruto. The harder part was dealing with an enraged Atom Eve flying at him.

Flying back, Naruto narrowly avoided a pair of pink scissors clipping his previous location. The pink construct then transformed into multiple spears, shooting at Naruto in the air.

"Obsidian Shell!"

A dome-like structure erected itself around the hero. Thankfully, it was able to withstand the spears coming straight at it with no issue. The pink weapons shattered upon contact, particles floating in the air.

"Eve, I don't want to hurt you!" Naruto pleaded while keeping his Ki barrier around him. "Don't do this, fight the control!"

Unfortunately, it seemed as if the heroine didn't hear him. She simply scowled and summoned more spears to send his way.

Another boulder was thrown his way courtesy of Man Kong, but it shattered upon impact with his barrier.

Naruto knew this was a dead end. He needed to break Mastermind's control on his allies or else things could get worse.

Thankfully, he had something up his sleeve for this.

Disrupting his barrier, Naruto directly shot up into the sky at high speeds. Seeing this, Eve followed him while shooting her spears forward.

Dodging the sharp object by swerving in the air, Naruto stopped once reaching a certain height.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" ("Shadow Clone Technique!")

Dozens of clones poofed into the sky. Each one identical to the original Naruto. His pursuer followed suit, quickly catching up.

A controlled Eve stopped momentarily, not knowing which one to attack. This was all the opening Naruto needed.

"Restrain her!"

Without seeing if his orders had been followed, Naruto shot back down to the Earth.

The hero assumed his clones must've achieved some success given he wasn't being chased anymore. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicion.

Now focused, Naruto narrowed his eyes while coming back down. He spotted a nervous Mastermind, looking into the clouds with sweat rolling down his face.

No words were said as Naruto shot back down like a speeding train. With an outstretched arm, he angled himself to catch Mastermind by his midsection.

Keeping his momentum, Naruto slammed into a nearby lake within the National Park. The impact was so great it parted the water, shooting high into the sky.

Before the water could come back down, the half-breed Saiyan floated up with an unconscious Mastermind folded over his arm. The villain was out cold, breathing, but down for the count.

"That takes care of that," Naruto concluded while floating back over to the controlled heroes. At that moment, all of his clones in the sky dispelled at once.

The next thing he saw was a pink streak shooting down from the sky.

Eve landed next to her friend, a regretful look on her face. "I'm sorry about attacking you. I could see what I was doing but had no control of my actions."

The other heroes in the area nodded, sorrowful expressions on their faces.

"It's okay, Cecil explained what was going on before I even arrived. I don't hold it against you personally. Any of you," Naruto clarified with a small smile.

"Thanks," Knockout responded, "We were so caught up fighting the Lizard League that this bastard snuck up on us."

"Then it was like lights out," Man Kong added from the side, resting on his large knuckles.

British Knight didn't add to the conversation but nodded alongside Man Kong's words.

"Glad you could catch him. We didn't know how to fight back against his mental control," Bolt added with crossed arms.

"I feel like sneaking in a punch or two for good measure," Eve added while glancing at the unconscious villain.

"I mean if no one reports it…I think we can let it slide," Naruto teased with a grin.

This earned a small chuckle and laugh from the heroes in the area.

"If you ever need a beer, let me know. It'll be on me," Bolt spoke with a smile and crossed arms. His outfit was slightly torn up but looked alright.

The teen didn't have the heart to explain he was a teenager so he settled for a nod instead. Eve chuckled from the side, amused at the interaction.

Naruto then pressed his earpiece, "Cecil, I have Mastermind with me. Everyone is secured and he's out."

A second passed before the director responded, "Gotta say kid, you have some damn good efficiency. Go ahead and send him in along with the heroes, we need them back at base. I'll send a team to clean up later."

"Understood," Naruto spoke. He explained to the other heroes of Cecil's orders which they compiled with. The teen explained his clones would be transporting them back.

After assuring Man Kong he could support his weight, everything was settled.

Cecil then spoke through his earpiece once more.

"I was going to send you to deal with an incident regarding Killcannon back in the city, but one of our secondary teams managed to subdue him. Instead, I want you to head to Rome."

"Rome? Why?"

"The Guardians are facing off against some mythical dragon. They've been fighting for about two hours now and still no sign of luck. Even with our threat response team as backup. Get there ASAP and provide support."

"Understood," Naruto nodded with a firm voice.

"Let me come," Eve said. "I overheard Cecil, let me come. I can help."

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek before speaking into his earpiece, "Cecil, Eve is going to be joining me to help the Guardians."

Thankfully, it seemed the man didn't mind, "That's fine."

"Also, Cecil, you should know something else. Mastermind was sent here to lure me out. He was waiting for me to arrive. He didn't give a reason why but I thought you should know."

Stedman responded right away, "Good to know. We'll have our people look into him and see what we can find."

The Saiyan nodded while taking his finger off the device. The communication died out as Naruto summoned more clones. They all transported the heroes and villains back to the GDA headquarters.

Naruto and Eve nodded before they also took off. It was becoming a busier and busier day.

None of them noticed a certain individual hiding on a mountain. They narrowed their eyes at the scene, watching as each hero departed.

Anger filled their eyes and heart. Mastermind, their pupil, had been snatched away.

"Curse you Maelstrom…you'll pay for this!"

They soon left, eager to report their findings.


Italy – Rome

Eve and Naruto streaked through the sky. A black ki trail formed behind the Saiyan while a respective pink came from the heroine.

They were approaching where the Guardians should be.

"Where's Mark? Shouldn't he be helping out?" Eve asked as they zoomed through the air.

"Cecil told me he's on a mission to Mars. He left this morning so it was just bad timing," Naruto answered.

Before Eve could respond, the duo heard a loud roar reverberate through the sky. Sharing a nod, the two blasted off in the direction of the noise.

They came upon the Guardians of the Globe, or what was left of them, facing off against the dragon. The creature was snarling, standing atop a nearby tower.

The only people still standing were Throwbolt, Rex Splode, and Robot. Every other member of the team was unconscious.

Even the three standing heroes looked to be on the verge of collapsing. Throwbolt was sporting numerous cuts, a busted lip, and a small trail of blood leaking near her temple.

Rex Splode had a black eye, blood trailing from his nose, and holes littered across his suit. His goggles were long gone as was much of the material on his tool belt.

As for Robot, the machine was moving slowly. The occasional spark erupted from its exposed wiring. It had taken quite a beating before they arrived.

"M-Maelstrom. Atom E-Eve. Your presence i-is appreciated."

Robot was the first to notice the pair in the sky, speaking in a broken tone. Likely due to the damage it suffered.

Rex Splode and Throwbolt looked in the sky, finding the two as they slowly landed beside them.

"Oh great…I get my ass handed to me and now this," Rex pointed out with a snarky attitude. It didn't seem any amount of injury could get rid of his attitude.

Throwbolt was much more appreciative, "Thanks for the backup. We could use it."

"Of course, glad we could make it in time," Naruto gave a short nod and smiled in response.

Naruto scanned the area and saw that each unconscious Guardian was sporting multiple wounds. That indicated each one went down fighting, hard. He could respect that.

"You all fought like hell, now let us help," Naruto said while looking at Robot. "I know you're the leader and I don't want to impose, but take a rest. Me and Eve will handle it from here."

"By all m-means," Robot answered, not bothered at all. It was clear they needed the help, refusing it would be illogical.

"I didn't need my ass saved anyway…" Rex grumbled in the back, muttering the words in his head.

"Eve, go ahead and evacuate the unconscious Guardians. I'll make some clones and have them evacuate any civilians lost in the rubble or trapped."

They were in the inner city which made Naruto worry. The various collapsed buildings around him could be hiding corpses for all he knew.

Eve was slightly taken off guard at Naruto taking control but nodded nonetheless. Before the heroine left she asked, "What about the dragon?"

Naruto saw it snarl in the distance, likely losing its patience, "I'll handle it, don't worry about that."

"Yeah sureee…you can totally take care of a fire-breathing dragon that's been fighting for hours nonstop. Be my guest," Rex gestured with an open hand.

Naruto didn't respond but instead summoned more clones to do their respective tasks. He could see Eve out of the corner of his eye taking each Guardian to safety, assisted by Throwbolt.

With that taken care of, he glared at the dragon. Getting a good look, Naruto could see its long body stretched from head to tail. The scales were a dark green while the underbelly was a soft yellow. Red eyes scanned him, staring with nothing but malice.

"Ahh Maelstrom, nice of you to join us…" The dragon spoke with a cocky smile.

Naruto didn't speak, choosing to narrow his eyes. Even after fighting for hours, the dragon didn't seem to have any noticeable wounds or injuries on its body.

That was concerning. Either nothing done so far had left a mark or its regenerative ability was powerful.

He wished it wasn't both.

"I'm hoping you can provide more of a challenge than these 'Guardians' could…" The sarcastic tone in which it said the word wasn't lost on Naruto.

"I would normally ask if we could talk this out first, but I can tell you don't care. You enjoy causing all this," Naruto gestured to the rubble around them. Flames licked around some of the debris.

"What a clever boy…" The dragon spoke once more before deciding the time for words was up. It roared at the hero before launching forth a wave of red flames from its mouth.

Naruto reacted right away. Flipping through the hand signs necessary, he poured chakra throughout his body.

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" ("Water Style: Water Wave!")

A massive amount of water flew from the teen's mouth, spewing in a waterfall-like fashion with a finger to angle it. This basic elemental ninjutsu was flooded with enough chakra to place it in the A-rank class.

Both attacks hit each other in mid-air. The flames connected with the water before dispersing into steam, covering the area around them.

Using the smoke as leverage, Naruto prepared his next move.

As for the dragon, it snarled at seeing his attack stopped. It gave a loud roar to clear the steam away, succeeding in doing so.

However, the dragon wasn't prepared for a dense ki blast to emerge from the dispersing steam cloud. It connected with its jaw, the force slamming its head upward. Before it could regain any sense of thought, a raging Naruto emerged forward.

"RASENGAN!" ("SPIRALLING SPHERE!")

Naruto ground his spinning Ki orb straight into the dragon's side. He heard it roar in pain as the teen forced it deeper and deeper.

The Ki ground against the scales, causing them to peel and making the dragon shout even louder. To finish off his attack, Naruto lurched forward and sent the dragon flying with the sphere attached to his body.

An explosion rocketed through the air right after.

Naruto had modified his father's Rasengan to detonate on command and keep it attached to an enemy if necessary. It took some Ki manipulation and meddling with his powers, but he managed to do so.

When the dark smoke from the explosion dissipated, Naruto only saw a growling dragon. The teen frowned at the sight. Even worse, the dragon seemed to have healed from everything he inflicted.

"That should've left a lasting mark, I literally saw the scales peel away…but nothing," Naruto spoke in his thoughts.

He contemplated using his Bullet Barrage but realized it would be useless. Any damage he inflicted would be shrugged off almost immediately. If he wanted a chance at winning, it would have to be with a powerful technique.

That meant he had to take things up a notch.

"Last chance to back down before I take this up a notch," Naruto warned with critical eyes.

It didn't seem to work.

"No dice!" It shouted back, a snarl ripping from its throat. The warning had fallen apart in mere seconds.

Naruto shot forward at high speeds. In response, the dragon brought down its tail with the intent to slam the teen through the sky. Possibly through some standing buildings in the area.

Instead, Naruto caught the tail on his right side with a grunt of effort. Once again, his suit absorbed some of the impact but he felt a great deal of it.

Digging his hands into the large tail, Naruto began spinning around. At first, the dragon tried to resist with its full body weight.

A struggle ensued between both opponents. It almost looked like a standstill but the strength of the Saiyan eventually won out.

Gritting his teeth, the teen poured a lot of his raw strength into spinning the dragon. To make it easier, he enhanced his muscles with chakra to ensure the dragon wouldn't escape.

Over and over, the mythical creature was spun in the air. Its large size swung rapidly, winds flapping around them.

Once enough momentum was reached, Naruto shouted in exertion before letting go. The velocity of the spin sent the dragon tumbling high in the air.

Following up, the teen channeled dense Ki into his hands. Readying his attack, he let it charge up to increase its potency.

His arms were outstretched to his sides before both of his wrists came together. He aimed right at the spinning dragon above.

"SWIRLING JUDGMENT!"

This was one of his strongest Ki blasts. His father had Shinebomb, he had this.

The momentum of bringing his wrists together resulted in his Ki blast resembling a drill. Two distinct waves of dark Ki revolved around each other, following an intrinsic pattern.

Moments before it connected, the dragon managed to gain its bearings. Seeing the incoming danger, it launched forth another wave of red flames from its mouth.

The two attacks collided but unlike last time, Naruto's attack was much stronger. It didn't even slow the Ki technique by a second. The flames parted as if they were made of paper.

The dragon roared in pain as the Ki enveloped its body. It couldn't escape the dense energy, forced to take the blow head-on.

Its regenerative ability tried its best to combat Naruto's attack, but it seemed the limit was reached. Slowly but surely, injuries were starting to last and scales were flying off its body.

"WHAT THE SHIT IS GOING ON UP THERE!?" Rex screamed from the ground. He couldn't see much due to the clouds blocking the view but he could feel the shockwave produced.

"I-I'm not sure. Whatever it i-is, it must be p-powerful," Robot responded in his usual monotone voice.

After a few more seconds, Naruto could've sworn he saw the dragon beginning to fade. Deciding to stop the technique, Naruto cut the flow of Ki to his palms.

He panted slightly, feeling the effects of such an attack. It wasn't meant to be used lightly, but Naruto didn't have many things in his arsenal that could take down the dragon for good. He had to pull out the big guns for this.

His eyes didn't betray him, the dragon was fading. It was faint at first, barely a flicker. Yet, when another moment passed, he could see it disappearing.

It completely faded from view after the last wisps of Ki burned away.

"Did…did I kill it?" Naruto thought with a lump in his throat. He hadn't meant to permanently dispatch his opponent but instead aimed to incapacitate. That's why he stopped his Ki attack in the first place when he saw it start to fade.

He had always been conscious of how much power and strength he put behind his blows so as to not kill. He didn't want to take lives if he could help it.

It was clear his enemy had been sentient, speaking rationally to him earlier. That made the decision worse in his mind. It wasn't like he put down a raging beast or animal, it had been a sentient creature with some form of thought.

Before he could ponder on it longer, he noticed something in the sky. High above, the dragon was beginning to reform itself. Slowly but surely it formed back in the air like it never left.

"You miserable brat! To think I would suffer such damage at the likes of you!" The dragon roared out with crazed eyes

Despite its intent to hurt Naruto, the teen couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. It looks like he hadn't accidentally killed his enemy.

However, that mean he still had to deal with the problem.

"So it can reform itself. That means I have to restrain it somehow because defeating it over and over won't do anything," Naruto pondered for a moment.

It took him another few seconds before an idea popped into his head.

"Yeah… I can do that. It'll keep him down and prevent him from reforming," Naruto finished, impressed at his quick thinking. With his new plan in mind, the teen prepared to enact it.

Thankfully, he didn't have to make the first move this time.

"DIE MAELSTROM! BURN AWAY!" The dragon shouted while shooting forward. It shot more flames from its mouth which Naruto avoided. Dodging more and more flames, the dragon began getting more annoyed.

The heat radiated around the teen but he ignored it. Not even flinching at how close they came to making contact with his body.

Ducking under a tail swing, Naruto smiled. This was his chance to end the fight for good.

Dashing forward, Naruto flew up and smashed a fist into the dragon's face. The momentum dazed the dragon momentarily, but that's not what Naruto was focused on.

Instead, he placed an open palm on the side of the dragon's body. With his other hand, he formed a single-hand sign.

"Paralysis Seal: Complete!"

Sudden markings raced all over the dragon's body. A series of black symbols laced with one another encompassed the entire body. It almost looked like dark tattoos.

"W-what is this?!" The dragon shouted with concern in its voice. It went from being able to move freely to having its body locked up. A moment later, they began to sink toward the Earth.

It couldn't even support its ability to fly any longer.

Before it could crash land on the city below them, Naruto supported its weight by holding it up. It was heavy, but not unmanageable. The teen channeled chakra in his arms to make it easier.

"That was my paralysis seal. It restricts movement so you're not going anywhere."

The dragon tried to struggle once more, but all it managed was a twitch of its tail. It couldn't form flames either, barely being able to breathe.

"You're coming with me now. You caused why too much damage here," Naruto explained while slowly floating to the ground.

Realizing this was a lost cause, the mystical creature begrudgingly admitted defeat. However, the wasn't without saying a few words first.

"You have NOT seen the last of me Maelstrom. We will meet again…"

Raising a brow in confusion, Naruto was about to respond before he felt the weight disappear from his arms. With wide eyes, he watched as the dragon disappeared before his eyes.

Readying his body for another battle, Naruto scanned the sky for the return. He waited and waited with tension filling his form.

After a few minutes of silence passed, the teen realized it was gone for good. At least for now.

A tired sigh came from his body. There was no time to rest. He still needed to help Eve and evacuate all civilians.

However, it felt good that the threat was done for today. He could use a hot meal and a cold shower right about now.


A secretive meeting regarding the day's events took place with many present. Forms lined a table. Seats were filled as they waited for the meeting to kick off.

Nobody talked and no words were exchanged. Instead, a tense silence filled the atmosphere as they awaited a certain someone's arrival.

It just so happened that they didn't have to wait any longer.

The double doors to the meeting busted open. A small figure followed by a larger man entered with a certain stride in their step.

Everyone in attendance stood up and nodded before sitting back down, a sign of respect. The figure then took their place at the head of the table in their seat, their assistant standing next to them.

"Mister Liu, it's a pleasure to see you."

One of the people at the table announced which was only acknowledged with a small nod from the aforementioned individual.

Mister Liu was an older Asian man, showing signs of balding with short gray hair. He had what seemed like a metal lower jaw and dark eyes. He wore a matching set of dark brown pants and boots.

He also wore a dark brown Tangzhuang with yellow laces. The inside of the Tangzhuang was also a pearly white.

His assistant was a towering Asian man with short black hair. He had sharp features, dark eyes, and light skin. He stood next to Mister Liu with his arms in front.

"Let us cut straight to business," Mister Liu began. "Our plan today succeeded with varying results."

A screen in the middle of the table flashed before the day's events replayed for them.

Naruto's fight with Doc Seismic, Mastermind, and the dragon was displayed for everyone to see. Everyone in the room knew that the dragon was actually Mister Liu's transformation. It was his power.

The screen also showed Killcannon's defeat to Badrock, Savage Dragon, Business Baby, and Big Mildew. The four had taken down the villain in a swift manner.

The Lizard League being beaten by Bolt, Knockout, Atom Eve, British Knight, and Man Kong was shown before Mastermind arrived.

Nobody said a word as they watched the fights unfold.

"Our goal today was to examine if these new heroes posed any threat to us. While I would have preferred to examine both Maelstrom and Invincible, the available footage will suffice."

Mister Lieu paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Lizard League owed us a debt which they paid by assisting us today. I also personally tested the boy's skills myself."

"Sounds like you just wanted an excuse to wreak havoc you old fart…" A certain criminal with an electronic head thought at the end of the table.

"I also need to mention that Insomniac was personally present to see Maelstrom defeat Mastermind. He has a few things to say."

At that moment, a certain figure emerged from the shadows. He had a dark green trench coat and a red spandex suit. The skin around his eyes was stretched open by a device on his head.

"That asshole took my protege into custody!" Insomniac snarled for the room to see, "He is not someone to be taken lightly."

A woman toward the end of the table chose this moment to speak, "Why are we investing so much time and resource into examining this guy? I mean, even Mister Liu personally went out and fought him."

Mister Liu slammed a fist on the table in anger, "Because this Maelstrom is already causing a big hit to our business!"

Some eyes glanced at each other in confusion, causing Mister Liu to explain further.

"Some of our influence around the world is beginning to wane. Our criminal underworlds are facing a decline because this Maelstrom is trying to solve all problems over the world. He has made some people feel as if they don't need us anymore because Maelstrom's clones will be there to fix the issue! Even Omni-Man didn't give us this much trouble!"

Mister Liu took a second to compose himself. He huffed out before speaking again.

"He is beginning to grow into a problem that we need to eliminate…" The Asian man then glanced at an associate in the room, "Machine Head, did you acquire the files for Battle Beast?"

"It's all right here boss," the aforementioned Machine Head said with hints of auto-tune in his speech. The criminal boss upheld a data disc in his right hand.

Machine Head was a light-skinned man who wore a white buttoned suit. His undershirt and pants matched in color. A pink tie and black shoes completed his outfit.

The real thing that made Machine Head stick out was his head and neck, which were entirely mechanical. His eyes and mouth were lit up with pink LED lights while yellow markings traced his mechanical face.

"Good, send it to him and…incentivize his choice to stay on standby for us. It would be good to have extra muscle if needed," Master Liu smiled while speaking. Battle Beast thirsted for strong opponents. The chance of facing this Maelstrom would be more than enough for him.

It was a good thing they decided to have secret recordings of his fights today. All the more footage to send to the feline warrior.

"Right away boss…!" Machine Head said in a cheery voice.

"Now then, let us discuss the other topics at hand," Master Liu changed subjects while glancing at the members. "The Order must remain on top to keep our power strong!"

Thus, The Order discussed into the night.


GDA Headquarters – Detainment Area

Cecil Stedman walked with a purpose in his step as he strode down the long corridor. Turning a corner, he came to a certain room.

This was the detainment area of the GDA. Any criminal or villain transported to the agency was escorted there until they figured out where to ship them to.

In this case, the director had a meeting with a certain someone they contained earlier that day,

Placing his hand on a scanner by the door, Stedman waited until it authorized his biological print. The scanner flashed green before the door opened and he walked in.

A thick layer of bulletproof glass separated him from the person on the other side. The area was padded with thick cushions and a few guards were littered in the room.

On the other side of the glass sat a deranged Mastermind. He sat on the floor while rocking back and forth occasionally. Cecil could hear the occasional mumble come out of his mouth.

"Sorry about the strait jacket but you didn't give us many options when you woke up swinging," Cecil tried to start the conversation but got no immediate response.

Not discouraged in the slightest he continued, "If you answer my questions this will go quickly and I'll be out of your hair."

This time Mastermind glanced up and Cecil got a good look at his face.

The man seemed lost. It was as if his entire system had been flooded with nothing but fear. His eyes darted constantly around the room.

"I can still see it…hear it…" Mastermind whispered while glancing everywhere.

Cecil sighed while holding the bridge of his nose, "Listen I don't really have time for this given the shit day it's been. Either you can tell me why you were sent after Maelstrom or-"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!"

The guards in the room raised their weapons but Cecil waved an arm to back them down. He analyzed the deranged man's behavior.

"What happened out there?"

"I saw it…the demon inside him. It took away my control and showed me visions of my death. I couldn't stop it…couldn't bear it…" Mastermind answered while rocking himself slowly.

Cecil furrowed his brows in confusion, "You mean there's a demon inside Maelstrom?"

"NOT HIS NAME!" Mastermind yelled again with a twitch in his face. "The demon resides in him. It towered over me, ready to kill me…he's no hero, just a devil waiting to strike…"

The director of the GDA contemplated the crazed man's words. While many people might've written them off, it strangely corroborated what Darkblood mentioned. He knew they couldn't have prepped a story because Darkblood had been banished by him and Donald the previous night.

They had never met, but they both mentioned this mysterious power inside of Naruto. Darkblood had been vague, but it seems that Mastermind had taken a deeper dive into it.

Mastermind could dive into people's heads so who knows what he saw in there. Cecil had briefly wondered if Mastermind could've controlled Nolan in killing the Guardians but he quickly scrapped that idea.

Not only had Mastermind been new to the scene, but there was too much overwhelming evidence that Nolan acted alone in the murders. The surveillance on the Graysons was piling up more and more proof against him every day.

"Don't trust him…he'll just kill you all! He'll use that demon's power and kill all of us! ALL OF US!"

"Alright, that's enough out of him. Get him sedated and prepared for any mental institute that can handle him. He's no good to us here."

The guards nodded while a few gathered some sedatives to make it happen.

The director would've preferred to grill him on any knowledge of why he was after Naruto in the first place. However, it just wouldn't happen given his current mental state.

There was no use in talking to the crazed villain.

As Cecil exited the room, he couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his head.

First Darkblood, then Mastermind. Both people claimed that Naruto was holding something powerful inside him. Something that caused concern for both individuals.

Now he just wondered what it was and if it was of any threat. However, one thing was for sure.

The kid was still not telling him everything.


5 Days Later – Beckwell Community Center

It had been five days since the hectic villain overload. Instead of being out on hero duty, Naruto was with Eve, Mark, and Amber volunteering once more.

Amber and Eve spoke on the food line with the occasional giggle. As for he and Mark, they conversed while cleaning up the kitchen.

He even brought Nikki along who sat in the dining area. She was playing on her new phone, passing the time until they headed home.

"…and that's what basically happened."

Naruto had just finished explaining the events of five days ago while sweeping the floor. He kept a few things out but summarized the main things.

Since then, he had just been training and taking on small jobs. Nothing as major as the events of that day.

"Aw man, I basically missed everything! You all got to fight so many villains and I had to fight back some Martians."

Naruto chuckled while shaking his head. "Whatever you say, man, it wasn't as exciting when you're actually fighting back to back all day."

He had been so tired and sore when it was all over. The combination of training earlier that day plus the hero work really made him exhausted.

He even forgot that his suit was set to five times Earth's gravity the entire day! Granted he was moving just fine with it on, but it was reckless of him to forget.

At least the pay from the day's events was good. It had made some of the soreness worth it.

"How about you and Amber? Everything fine?" Naruto asked while sweeping more trash into a dustpan.

"Ehh…kinda," Mark admitted while scrubbing a counter. "She still doesn't know I'm Invincible so she just thought I was on a family emergency the past few days. She was a little annoyed I left her on such short notice so I'm going with her on a college trip tomorrow to make up for it."

"College trip? Are you planning on going to university?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet. It's more of Amber wanting to check it out since she's planning on going there and I'm tagging along. William's going too so we're gonna make a little trip out of it. Do you wanna come?"

"Me? No way," Naruto answered with a playful scoff. "I have no desire to go to college. I'm only completing high school for my Dad then I'm going straight into my hero work."

"Really man, no college? Not even a little desire to pursue higher education?" Mark asked sarcastically with a grin.

"Oh shut up man! You're only considering college to stay with Amber!" Naruto jabbed back with a smile.

"Yeah, that sounds like the only good reason to bear another four years of educational hell."

Before both boys could continue, they heard Amber call out to them.

"Naruto, could you switch spots with me? I need to speak with Mark real quick."

"Sure Amber, give me one second," Naruto answered back while leaning over to his best friend. He whispered lowly to Mark, "Someone's in the doggggg houseeee."

Mark jabbed him with his elbow which made Naruto laugh.

Washing his hands, the Saiyan took Amber's previous spot on the food line. There was no one currently in line so he decided to spark up a conversation with Eve.

"Did you know that Mark is heading to a college tomorrow with Amber and William? Apparently, he's trying to make it up to her since he's been gone for a while," Naruto joked to the heroine.

However, Eve didn't respond. She didn't even glance at the teen, facing forward into space.

Concerned, Naruto snapped a finger to get her attention, "Eve, you okay?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Just had a lot on my mind lately," Breaking out of her thoughts, she gave Naruto an apologetic smile.

"Everything alright?"

"I'm…no, I'm not," Eve admitted with a sigh. She had her apron on and a ladle in her hand but her mind was elsewhere.

"What's up? I'm here if you want to talk," Naruto assured with a soft smile on his face.

"It's just that I've been dealing with my breakup a lot more recently. I finished tossing out the last pictures of me and Rex today. It just got to me more than I thought it would."

"Hey Eve, I understand. You were in a relationship for a long time, don't feel bad about those feelings. That was a chapter in your life, of course, it was important to you," Naruto remarked softly to his friend.

"Thanks…" She smiled softly, "…it's also the fact that my parents have been difficult lately. They're always breathing down my neck about how much they hate my hero work. My dad even gave me shit for breaking up with Rex. It was just so overwhelming."

Naruto couldn't relate entirely to this, since he always wanted to be a hero. His own father was Steadfast, so it was almost in his blood to go down this line of work.

Yet, Eve didn't have that privilege.

"…and school too. You mentioned college and I don't think I even want to attend. It was my goal for so long but I just don't have the passion for it anymore. Even being a superhero is starting to weigh on my mind. I've just been feeling lost lately."

Naruto digested all this information. It sounded like his friend was having a crisis in her life. So many things were tearing apart at her.

So he gave her the best piece of advice he could think of.

"What makes you happy Eve?"

"Huh?" Eve asked with a tilt of her head. It almost felt like the conversation took a left turn.

"What makes you happy?" Naruto repeated.

"I guess…it would be things like this. When we volunteer and see the people we're helping. The smiles and laughs I see."

"Then do what makes you happy. It's simple but it's true. If you don't want to go to college, then don't. If you want to take a break or stop being a hero altogether, then do that. Don't let anyone force you to do something you don't, or else you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Naruto took a pause before smiling.

"Also…I don't want to go to college either. I've already had my fill of textbooks in high school," The Saiyan joked which managed to earn a small giggle from the girl.

It made the teen smile, happy he could somewhat lighten the mental load on Eve's mind. Before they could continue, the double doors behind them slammed open.

"Naruto! Naruto!"

Glancing over, the teen watched as Nikki rushed in before grabbing his hand.

"I want you to meet one of my friends! Come! Come!"

"Okay Nikki give me a second," Naruto chuckled while trying to undo his apron. Unfortunately, Nikki's supreme strength dragged him out by his hand.

Eve smiled behind her hand, finding it amusing to see. The powerful Maelstrom couldn't resist the power of a young girl.

Naruto was led into the dining area, where a family was sitting on a dining bench. They all had plates, likely served by Eve or Amber earlier.

There were three people, a father, a mother, and a little girl. All three stopped their conversation when Naruto appeared.

The father of the family was dressed in a simple gray hoodie and black slacks with a belt. He was bald, dark-skinned, and incredibly muscular. Even while sitting down, he towered over many people.

The mother of the family had black hair, dark skin, and honey-colored eyes. She wore a black jacket, pink undershirt, and gray sweatpants.

Finally, the little girl was a mix of her parents. Her black hair was braided into pigtails, held by orange hair beads. Her brown eyes were wide with excitement. She wore a tan shirt and brown pants.

"Naruto, this is Fiona! She was my first friend that I made here!" Nikki pointed at the little girl, "That's her dad and her mom! I wanted to introduce you since I haven't seen them in forever!"

They had a small age gap, but both girls had come to know each other due to their constant visits to the community center.

Chuckling at her excitement, Naruto extended a hand forward. "Nice to meet you, I'm Naruto."

"Vanessa," The mother said in a smooth voice and calm look on her face. She shook the teen's hand with a light grip.

"I go by my nickname, Titan," The father spoke with a stiff nod, giving a firmer handshake.

Naruto then glanced at the little girl, "I'm guessing you're Fiona then?"

"Yep! That's me!" Fiona shouted in childlike wonder. She tilted her head before asking, "Are you Nikki's dad?"

"Her dad?" Naruto said with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, "No sorry, I'm more like her guardian."

Titan gave a small chuckle from his seat, finding it amusing.

"Oh that's good too," Fiona confirmed with a nod. "Nikki was my first friend I made here, thank you for taking care of her!"

Naruto smiled while placing a hand on Nikki's head, "Well she's a handful, but I've been adjusting to it."

"If she's anything like our Fiona, then I know you've been busy taking care of her," Vanessa joked with a smile on her face.

"Oh tell me about it. I think I've learned to appreciate my free time so much more," Naruto said with a fake sigh. Nikki frowned before kicking him in the leg, making the teen laugh.

Vanessa giggled behind her hand while Fiona asked if she and Nikki could play around the community center.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask your parents," Naruto replied to the young girl. He turned to Nikki as well, "Just make sure to behave yourself."

Nikki nodded with an excited grin on her face. She was finally feeling like a kid again.

Fiona then turned to her parents with wide eyes, "Please, please, please! Can I go play with Nikki?"

Vanessa turned to her husband, "What do you think? I think she's earned it. Her teacher told me she got all straight A's in class."

Titan looked at his little girl for a moment. He seemed like he was about to say 'no' before letting a small smile crack his usual stoic face.

"Alright baby girl, just don't run off too far. Okay?"

"Yes, daddy! Thank you!" She tackled her father in a hug which he reciprocated. "You're the best!"

"Anything for you baby girl," Titan smiled while giving her another tight squeeze.

Fiona ran around the bench before joining Nikki in a mad sprint throughout the community center. Their giggles trailing behind them.

"Nikki! I said behave yourself! That means no running indoors!" Naruto tried to shout from his position.

"He seems like a good kid," Vanessa said in a low tone to her husband. She could see Naruto was trying his best to take care of Nikki.

Titan analyzed the teen before giving a nod in agreement.

How soon their worlds would collide.


AND BOOM! Another chapter is out!

I hope this chapter gave a little more action than the previous ones. Got to see some insight and improvements in Naruto's combat capabilities as well. Looks like all that training does help after all.

We finally got the Kyuubi's introduction! More to come on this aspect.

I wanted to set up Battle Beast's introduction a little better. In my opinion, he was kinda just shoved in out of nowhere in season one with no build-up or reason. Which is fine, not everything needs to be explained, but it was so jarring to me.

If you've read the comics or seen the show, then you know Battle Beast is like the top 5 strongest characters in the Invincible universe. Excluding Viltrumites. Heck, maybe even including Viltrumites.

For him to show up so early is like hiring an end-game boss to fight in the tutorial. That guy is truly a powerhouse. If you think I'm exaggerating then look up some of his feats, he's a strong dude.

Also, the Mars mission was skimmed over and changed a little. It was cut short due to their 'difficulties' which is why Mark returned earlier than expected.

If you're wondering how Minato could be gone for so long by this point, remember, his mission was expected to take WEEKS. Possibly even a month. Realistically, he's only been gone for a little more than a week at this point.

However, I will be diving into it in future chapters.

I've also introduced some more villains and now Cecil is more curious about the Kyuubi. Wonder what will happen there…

Anyway, onto some reviews!

Redlox2: I'm glad you like the insights into both Cecil and Nolan! I try to make their perspective shifts worthwhile, giving a glimpse into what the character is thinking. Giving a reason for their actions. I hope you like this chapter as well because I did a little of the same!

God of Wind 200: Yes, the Kyuubi's chakra does heal Naruto subconsciously. I mentioned it a little in the past chapter regarding his training. It helps heal his muscles as he trains. The only reason he was still sore when heading home was because he over-trained himself, meaning the Kyuubi needed a little more time to heal that extra damage.

Sharker22: I work hard on showing the close friendship between Mark and Naruto so I appreciate that you like it! Thank you for the review!

Miguel.a. : I try my best! Thank you for the support!

Yeetfam79: Honestly, I hadn't even thought of a Frieza arc. I was gonna go down a different path with the other Saiyans but now you've given me some ideas. I might do something with this.

Tanquihuynh74: Like Omni-Man – Are you sure? Just kidding, hope you enjoy the chapter!

That's all for now! I appreciate the reviews!

~ Cheers!