Chapter 7

High above the battlefield, inside the Justice League's Watchtower, several of the world's greatest heroes observed the skirmish between Naruto and the Young Justice team. The large display screens illuminated the room with vivid images of the intense battle, showcasing Naruto's overwhelming combat prowess and strategic thinking.

Superman leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the display. "What do you all think?" he asked, addressing his fellow League members.

Diana, better known as Wonder Woman, folded her arms as she considered her response. "He is clearly experienced in battle, and far too powerful for the younger heroes. But for an accurate assessment, I'd prefer to fight him personally. From what we've seen, he held back considerably. His true strength only became somewhat apparent near the end of the fight."

Green Lantern chuckled as he watched Naruto's use of energy projections and clones. "I have to admit, the kid's got some serious skills. The way he fights—using those projections—gives him an incredible advantage. Though, if there's one major flaw, it's that he can't fly."

Flash, arms crossed, shook his head. "Not even Kid Flash would have changed this result. Speed wouldn't have helped here. This wasn't about who was faster—it was about strategy and overwhelming power. And it's not like I could teach Wally how to phase through solid matter just to land a hit. That's an advanced technique, and honestly, it's not something a teenager should be wielding so casually."

Aquaman chuckled, arms resting on the table. "Let's be honest—if I had to fight him, I'd probably lose. He's got speed, power, and those damn clones. Why don't we just invite him to the League?"

Superman sighed. "He's only sixteen—still two months away from his birthday."

Hawkgirl spoke up next, her eyes narrowing slightly as she evaluated the situation. "I don't think he should be placed in Young Justice. He's too powerful for them. Having him around would completely change the team dynamic. They'd start relying on him too much, and others would lose their purpose. Sometimes, it's better to keep certain people out of a team—especially those who can handle entire missions on their own."

Shazam leaned forward, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What if we just let him alter his public appearance? If his age is the issue, we could have him work as an official member of the League under a different identity."

Batman, silent until now, finally spoke, his deep voice carrying weight in the discussion. "Do you trust him?"

Superman didn't hesitate. "From what I've seen, yes. He hasn't shown any suspicious behavior, and he was upfront about his new transformation before the battle even started. He's open, kind, and willing to communicate. I spent time with him yesterday, and our conversations at night gave me the impression that he genuinely wants to help. That said, to be cautious, I suggest we pair him with Supergirl. She's still operating solo, and it would give us an opportunity to monitor him more closely. Additionally, in emergencies, he can act as backup for the Young Justice team."

Batman nodded. "Agreed. We'll put his name on the potential member list. His skillset is too valuable to ignore, and there will be situations where his abilities could be the key to victory."

With that, the decision was made. Superman took it upon himself to inform Kara, knowing that her reaction would be important. One thing was certain—Naruto's presence in their world was going to shake things up in ways none of them had anticipated.

As the meeting adjourned, the League members dispersed, but Batman remained seated, his sharp gaze still fixed on the darkened monitor. Superman, sensing his lingering thoughts, stayed behind.

"You have doubts," Batman stated rather than asked, his voice as unreadable as ever.

Superman crossed his arms, exhaling slightly. "I understand your concerns, Bruce. But I think you're overanalyzing this."

Batman didn't respond immediately. Instead, he steepled his fingers in thought before finally speaking. "This is the first time I've seen you so supportive of someone we know so little about."

Superman smiled faintly. "I wouldn't say we know nothing. He let Zatanna analyze him—without hesitation, without demands. That alone tells me he's not hiding anything sinister."

"Or," Batman countered, "he's powerful enough that he doesn't care if we do."

Superman let out a small chuckle. "That's possible. But if you talk to him, you'll understand what I mean. He has this... way about him. He's empathetic, even to people he's never met. Talking to him makes you feel like the weight of the world isn't just yours to carry."

Batman didn't respond right away. He had studied countless personalities over the years—heroes, villains, those in between. But Naruto was different. Either he was incredibly naïve, or he was a being of immense power, deliberately masking himself behind an unshakable sense of purity.

Still, if Naruto's kindness was genuine, then he might be something the League had been missing for a long time.

"We don't have many like that," Batman admitted at last.

Superman nodded. "No, we don't."

"Maybe," Batman mused, "he'd make a good psychiatrist."

Superman blinked, then laughed. "You know, Bruce, I was thinking the same thing."

Batman said nothing, but the idea lingered. If Naruto truly was as open-hearted as he seemed, perhaps he had a role to play beyond just being another warrior.

Inside Mount Justice, the team stood in formation, their bodies tense as they faced the newcomer. The boy before them had a bubbly, energetic personality, but that didn't mean they took him lightly. Every one of them remained on guard, instinctively preparing for trouble.

Connor took a step forward, his sharp blue eyes locked onto the teen with suspicion. "Who are you, and how did you get here?" His voice was firm, his muscles coiled, ready to strike if necessary.

The boy grinned, placing his hands on his hips as he rocked on the balls of his feet. "Me? I'm Impulse! And I come from the future."

A beat of silence followed before Naruto turned his head toward Nightwing, his golden locks shifting slightly with the movement. "Is that supposed to be normal?" he asked with a raised brow.

Nightwing crossed his arms, giving a half-shrug. "Not very common, but we've definitely seen people from the future before."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "Wow. Your world is messed up."

"Yeah," Nightwing admitted, sighing. "It's very messed up."

Impulse suddenly appeared before Naruto in a blur of movement so fast that only Naruto himself could track it. The speedster's face was unusually serious, his previous playfulness replaced with an intensity that made Naruto pause.

"You're just like Father said," Impulse murmured, his voice quieter than before. "Don't put your life beneath others… and don't forget your origins, or death is the only result."

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

Impulse hesitated for a moment before continuing, "You died young because the wrong people were attracted to your power. Please—wear a suit to cover it all up."

Inside his mindscape, Kurama, the great nine-tailed fox, rumbled thoughtfully.

"Makes sense. Right now, our energy is practically screaming for attention. Sage power is extremely potent, and if someone with bad intentions picks up on it, they might try to use you for their own ends. We should see if they can help us with some kind of concealment gear."

Naruto nodded to himself before responding, "Thanks. I'll fix the mistake. Got anything else?"

Impulse's grin returned, and he gave Naruto a teasing wink. "Yeah—beware the female wrath."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

The rest of the team gave him varying looks of amusement and pity.

"Did anyone understand that?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused.

Beast Boy shuddered. "Might be about relationships?" He crossed his arms, looking slightly haunted. "That phrase alone gives me nightmares."

Deep in his mind, he thought of Raven. The fear of breaking her heart—and the consequences of doing so—was something he tried not to dwell on.

"I'll be careful, I guess?" Naruto muttered, still not entirely sure what Impulse was getting at.

Satisfied, Impulse turned to the group. "So, do you guys believe me now?"

"We believe you," Nightwing said, stepping beside Naruto. "But what are you doing here? And how are you connected to the Flash?"

"I'm here to provide small spoilers so that our future can be saved," Impulse said with a grin. Then, his voice lowered as he added, "Like how Superman should always stay at his strongest level because there's a threat coming—one that will cause death everywhere. Everyone will struggle just to survive."

His words sent a heavy silence through the room.

"…Anything else?" Nightwing asked, his expression unreadable.

Impulse turned to him, his grin slipping slightly. "Yeah—you should fix your relationship with Starfire. She's going to be very important in future battles."

Nightwing's breath caught in his throat. He clenched his fists as those words hit him harder than he expected. He had tried to move on, but deep down, it still hurt.

Memories of betrayal, of heartbreak, of losing someone he trusted flashed through his mind.

We can still be friends. I don't have to let her back into my life… right?

Impulse smirked again, his usual energy returning. "I think that's enough spoilers for today! I'll be heading out now—later, folks!"

And just like that, he was gone, speeding off toward Central City in a golden blur.

Nightwing remained frozen in place, lost in thought. Naruto, sensing the tension, glanced at him but ultimately decided not to say anything. He had no experience with relationships, so he wasn't exactly the best person to give advice.

Breaking the silence, Naruto stretched his arms behind his head. "I'm gonna hit the library. If you need me, you know where to find me."

Nightwing exhaled and nodded. "Before you go… can you send a clone to follow him? Just in case."

Naruto smirked. "Already on it."

A shadow clone flickered into existence and vanished in pursuit of Impulse's signal.

With that settled, Naruto made his way to the library, his mind lingering on what Impulse had said. Someone out there wanted him dead? It wasn't surprising, but hearing it from someone who had already seen it happen made it a lot more real.

Inside his mindscape, Kurama spoke up again.

"Since we have time, let's work on your knowledge. We both know your lack of understanding in many fields is holding us back."

Naruto sighed but nodded. He made another clone, this one dedicated to studying under Kurama's guidance while he himself meditated.

As he closed his eyes, he focused on his energy, letting it swirl within him. Just pure energy alone held limitless potential. He needed to refine it, control it—find ways to use it in battle with absolute efficiency.

Because if what Impulse had said was true…

Then there was a war coming. And he needed to be ready.

Kurama, for the first time in his long existence, realized the true depth of his ignorance. Despite his overwhelming power and ancient wisdom, he lacked a proper foundation in science and technology. He understood concepts in broad strokes but lacked the intricate knowledge to apply them.

He needed a guide.

And so, Kurama—using one of Naruto's shadow clones as his physical vessel—approached the one person in Mount Justice who could help him bridge the gap between raw power and scientific understanding.

Cyborg.

Inside the tech lab of Mount Justice, the soft hum of machinery filled the air. Monitors flickered with complex schematics, holographic blueprints floated midair, and half-assembled devices lay scattered across metallic workstations.

Cyborg was deep in his work, tinkering with an advanced energy modulator when he noticed a certain blond-haired ninja clone stepping into the room—accompanied by another Naruto clone silently trailing behind.

"Yo, what's up?" Cyborg greeted without looking up, his mechanical eye scanning the device in his hands. "Didn't take you for the science type, man."

The Naruto clone smirked, folding his arms. "Normally, I wouldn't be, but this is actually Kurama. He's got questions."

Cyborg finally turned, raising an eyebrow. "Kurama… as in the giant chakra fox inside you?"

The clone nodded, and suddenly, Kurama's deep voice rumbled through the clone's mouth.

"Yes. I require knowledge. You will assist me."

Cyborg blinked. "...That's new."

Kurama's expression was serious as he looked around the lab. "There is much that I do not comprehend. My power is great, but I now see that I lack the understanding to maximize it. Your world's science has made strides far beyond what I ever imagined. It is time I learn."

Cyborg grinned, crossing his arms. "So, the big bad Nine-Tails wants to go to school, huh?"

The Naruto clone sighed. "Can you just help us out? I'm also here to learn alongside him."

Cyborg chuckled. "Alright, alright, I gotcha." He motioned to a large holographic display, pulling up an interactive model of an atom. "Since you wanna start from the basics, let's talk about energy at a fundamental level. You guys use chakra, right? Well, everything—whether it's chakra, electricity, or nuclear power—comes down to energy conversion."

Kurama's eyes narrowed with interest.

Cyborg tapped on the screen, zooming in on subatomic particles. "This is an atom—the building block of everything. Inside, you got protons, neutrons, and electrons, all held together by forces we call strong and weak nuclear forces. Every bit of energy in the universe plays by these rules."

Kurama's ears flicked as he absorbed the information. "And yet… chakra does not function under these laws."

"That's the thing," Cyborg said, pulling up another diagram. "Your chakra seems to be a unique form of energy, one that doesn't fully follow traditional physics. But if we analyze it, we might be able to find a bridge between chakra and known science."

The Naruto clone following them frowned. "Wait… are you saying that if we figure this out, we might be able to manipulate chakra in a similar manner?"

Cyborg smirked. "Now you're thinking."

Kurama sat down, resting a massive paw (or rather, the Naruto clone's hand) on the table. "Teach me everything."

Cyborg grinned. "Then buckle up, big guy, 'cause this is gonna be a long lesson."

And so, the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Shinobi Clone began their scientific journey, stepping into a world far beyond anything they had ever known.

While Naruto's real body focused on training and studying, one of his clones had a different task—socializing.

He understood that being a part of a team meant building trust and forming bonds. So, instead of just isolating himself in books and meditation, he sent a clone to interact with his new allies.

His first stop? Connor Kent—Superboy.

Naruto's clone found Connor outside in the training area, standing with his fists clenched and a frustrated expression on his face. He was still dwelling on their previous sparring session, where he felt outmatched despite his Kryptonian heritage.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Connor turned to see Naruto's clone walking up with a casual smile.

"Yo, what's with the brooding? You look like Batman right now," Naruto teased, hands behind his head.

Connor sighed. "Tch. I'm not brooding. Just... thinking."

Naruto tilted his head. "Thinking about how you lost?"

Connor glared but didn't deny it. "I hate being at a disadvantage. I should've been able to do more in that fight, but my solar energy was running low. I had to hold back."

Naruto chuckled. "Dude, if you think holding back is the problem, then you're looking at this the wrong way."

Connor raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "You rely too much on brute strength. Sure, your punches hit like a truck, but you're forgetting about the other tools in your arsenal. Why not use your heat vision more? Or better yet, your telekinesis?"

Connor frowned. "Telekinesis?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I saw you use it a little, but it felt like you weren't really trained in it. If you could master that, you'd have an extra layer of combat ability—imagine pushing people away mid-battle, stopping their movements, or even pulling weapons right out of their hands."

Connor was silent for a moment, considering Naruto's words.

"And you know what?" Naruto continued. "There was this guy I fought back home named Pain. He had an ability that worked a lot like your telekinesis—he could push and pull anything around him at will. He used it to send entire armies flying, destroy villages in seconds, and even deflect attacks."

Connor's eyes widened slightly. "Sounds powerful."

"Yeah, and if you train properly, you could do something similar. Not to mention, your heat vision could be way more effective if you learned to use it in short, concentrated bursts instead of long streams. That way, you'd use less energy but still deal heavy damage."

Connor crossed his arms, deep in thought. "...I never thought about using my abilities that way."

Naruto smirked. "Then let's change that. Next time, when we spar again, I don't wanna see the same old punching style. Show me something new."

Connor's lips curled into a small grin. "Alright. You better be ready. Once I'm charged up, we're going again."

Naruto grinned back, offering a fist bump. "Looking forward to it."

Connor met his fist with his own, and for the first time since their match, his frustration faded.

Maybe, just maybe—Naruto wasn't so bad.