Chapter 8

The skyline of Metropolis stretched beneath Kara Zor-El as she floated high above the city, her golden hair catching the sunlight. For once, it was peaceful. No rampaging villains, no intergalactic threats—just the hum of daily life below.

But even as she gazed upon this new world, her heart ached for the one she lost.

Krypton.

The city she once called home was gone, reduced to nothing more than memories and dust in the vast cosmos.

One day, she had gone to sleep in Argo City, and when she woke up, everything was gone. The place she loved, the people she cherished—all of it.

Adjusting to Earth had been... difficult. Superman helped—her cousin, Kal-El, had been a lifeline in her adaptation. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't understand. He had never known Krypton. He had been a baby when their planet was destroyed, sent away in a pod before he could ever form a memory of it.

He could never truly grasp what it meant to lose everything.

Neither could Connor, his clone.

Kara sighed, crossing her arms as she looked down at the people moving about the city. They had their own lives, their own problems. They fit so naturally into this world, and yet, she still felt like an outsider.

That's when her thoughts drifted to someone else.

Naruto.

Unlike Superman or Connor, Naruto understood what it was like to be stranded in a new world with no way back. He wasn't from Earth—at least, not this Earth.

And yet, despite that, he was adapting.

She admired that about him.

She liked talking to him, too. There was no pressure, no expectations. Just two people from different worlds trying to find their place in this one.

Before she could dwell on those thoughts any longer, her communicator vibrated.

Kara picked it up, pressing a finger to her ear. Superman's voice came through.

"Kara, we've decided that Naruto is more suitable for the League than the Team, but for now, we want to see how he works with someone else. If you wouldn't mind, could you let him accompany you on missions?"

Kara blinked, surprised.

She knew Clark had been keeping a close eye on Naruto—they all had. He was an unknown variable, after all. But putting him on League level so soon?

Then again, she had seen him fight.

She had felt the sheer power he radiated when he let loose in battle. It wasn't just strength—it was something deeper. Something primordial.

She hesitated for a moment before replying. "No problem, but... did you ask him? He never said he wanted to join."

"We'll ask him later, after we see how he performs in the field," Clark admitted. "As for helping you, he already offered assistance, remember?"

Kara's lips twitched into a small smile. That did sound like him.

"Alright. I'll go meet with him," she said before adding, "And thanks, cousin."

There was a brief pause before Clark replied, his voice gentler.

"You're welcome. And don't forget—you have a home here."

Kara's heart warmed at those words.

Her baby cousin—**the last remnant of her family—**had grown into a man. A hero. Someone who looked out for her, even when she didn't realize she needed it.

With the call ending, she took one last look at Metropolis before blasting off toward Mount Justice.

The streets of Central City blurred as Impulse ran at speeds incomprehensible to the human eye, his red and white suit leaving streaks of lightning in his wake. In mere seconds, he arrived at the Allen household, where the family had gathered for a momentous occasion—Joan and Jay Garrick's 70th wedding anniversary.

The celebration was in full swing, laughter filling the air as family and friends reminisced about old times. The warmth of the gathering stood in stark contrast to the future Bart Allen had come from.

A future ravaged by war. A future filled with loss.

From the outside, Bart seemed like just another impulsive, hyperactive speedster—a kid who spoke too fast, acted too rashly, and rarely took anything seriously. But beneath that exterior lay a tragic past, one shaped by crisis after crisis.

Bart was a living paradox, the child of two rival bloodlines—the Allens and the Thawnes. His very existence was an anomaly, and because of that, his powers had been unstable since birth. At just two years old, his hyper-accelerated metabolism made him physically resemble a twelve-year-old.

But that was just the beginning of his suffering.

Professor Zoom despised his existence. The Reverse-Flash had tried to erase him from time itself, setting off a chain of battles that led to his family being stranded in another universe. His parents were killed, and he was captured—experimented on like a lab rat.

It wasn't until The Flash, Wally West, rescued him that Bart was able to understand his powers. Wally became his mentor, teaching him how to control the Speed Force and giving him a family.

But that happiness didn't last.

The Crisis came.

And Wally died. Along with most of the heroes.

Bart had lost everything. Again.

Yet here he was, standing in the present, watching the people he loved alive and happy.

With a bright grin, he suddenly blurted out, "Hello, speed demons! I come from the future to vanquish you all!"

The room fell into dead silence.

The entire Allen family turned toward the unexpected guest, their eyes filled with confusion. No one had detected his arrival. He had appeared in seconds, faster than their security measures could register.

Just as some of them prepared to act, Bart laughed and held up his hands.

"Just kidding! I'm your grandson, Bart Allen!"

Before anyone could react, he dashed forward, wrapping his arms around each of them in a tight hug. He held onto them like they were his lifeline—because, in a way, they were.

He had lost all of them in his timeline.

He had never even met his grandfather, Barry Allen, because Barry had died long before Bart was even born.

Barry's eyes widened. He turned to Iris, a questioning look in his gaze.

"My grandson?" Barry asked, exchanging glances with Iris, still processing the claim.

Bart simply smirked, nodding towards Iris. "Go on, grandma. Tell them."

A slow, knowing smile spread across Iris's face. She placed a gentle hand over her stomach before finally saying, "I'm pregnant."

The room erupted in gasps and cheers, the shock melting into excitement.

"Hello, Dad. Aunt," Bart greeted with a wink before pulling Iris into another hug.

Jay Garrick chuckled, shaking his head at Barry. "Congratulations on the twins, Barry."

Barry blinked rapidly, his mind catching up to the revelation. "Wow. I just feel so…whelmed right now."

As the room buzzed with excitement, the door opened again, and another presence entered.

Wally West.

Bart's eyes lit up, and before Wally could react, Impulse was on him, hugging him tightly.

Wally let out a small chuckle, patting the kid's back. "Jeez, kid, what's with the bear hug? Did I die or something?"

The laughter in Bart's eyes dimmed slightly. He pulled back, his gaze more serious than before.

"I… I can't say too much about the future. But yes. Someone powerful took you out. Along with many other heroes."

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Barry, ever the analytical mind, frowned. "How bad is it?"

Bart hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "Very bad. You died earlier than you should have. It all started with a Crisis… caused by a clone of Naruto and Supergirl."

Silence.

Then, Wally scoffed. "Come on, kid. I like Naruto and all, but he and Supergirl aren't nearly strong enough to cause something like that."

Barry nodded in agreement. "Explain properly. The kid isn't on that level, and Kara is strong, but not unstoppable. If they turned bad, we could stop them."

Bart shook his head. "You don't understand. The clone was different. Naruto has the power to absorb energy from the world, and Kryptonians get stronger the more energy they absorb from the sun. Now imagine what happens when you put those abilities into the same body."

Barry's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…"

"The clone didn't hold back. He absorbed an enormous amount of power from the stars, becoming something beyond even Kryptonians—a force of nature itself. He became the Avatar of Nature."**

The weight of those words settled over the room like a storm cloud.

"That power devastated the Earth. Humanity nearly went extinct. The only reason anyone survived was because the heroes and villains united to fight him… to the death."

Wally whistled lowly. "And that was enough to kill me?"

Bart nodded grimly. "Yes. Another enemy got to you in the chaos. I can't say who, but… you didn't make it."

Barry ran a hand through his hair, processing the information. "Great. Just great. Looks like I need to call the League. Again."

As the family digested the grim news, one person stood in the background, silent, unmoving.

Naruto.

His body tensed as he listened to every word, his mind replaying the horror Bart had described.

His powers… had been responsible for the destruction of the world?

His abilities, which he had always used to protect, had instead led to genocide.

A heavy weight pressed against his chest.

'What can I do to avoid this future?'

'Should I lay low? Find a way back home? My presence might be doing more harm than good.'

A part of him wanted to run, to disappear before he became the catalyst for the nightmare Bart had described.

But another part of him, the part that had fought against fate his entire life, refused to accept it.

His fists clenched.

'I will talk to Kurama and decide.'

With that thought, Naruto quietly created a shadow clone. The clone nodded, then vanished in a puff of smoke, carrying the message to the original.

Meanwhile, Naruto remained behind, watching, listening for more clues.

Hidden in the corner of the ceiling, a small spider observed the room.

No one noticed.

Not yet.

Naruto sat beside Kurama, his mind weighed down by the disturbing revelation he had just heard.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Kurama, his massive form lounging within Naruto's mindscape, exhaled sharply. "Definitely troublesome. But do you really want to just sit in the back and watch?"

Naruto clenched his fists. "No. Since I'm already here, I should at least keep this place safe. If I let people die around me, then I'd be the worst kind of scum."

Kurama smirked, his red eyes gleaming with approval. "Exactly. So, what's our first step?"

Naruto exhaled, calming himself. "Bart said this disaster happens a year from now. That means we have time to prepare. I won't just wait for it to happen—I'll make sure I'm strong enough to stop it."

Kurama nodded. "Good. But strength alone won't be enough. We need an escape method in case things go south. I had teleportation on our future training list, but now, we can't afford to delay it."

Naruto frowned, deep in thought. "Teleportation…

"Exactly. If you can master that within the year, you'll always have an escape route. Even if you can't learn the full version, at least develop a technique that lets you vanish instantly when needed."

Naruto nodded, understanding the urgency. "That makes sense. But just in case, I should also keep someone powerful close to me—someone who can track me if anything happens."

Kurama's grin widened. "Now you're thinking. A strong ally who can find you even if you're taken. And maybe set up some contingency plans… just in case."

Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kurama's massive snout in a rare display of affection. "Thanks, Kurama. You really are great at thinking these things through. I would've just fought without thinking about how to fix the bigger problem."

Kurama let out a huff but didn't push him away. "We're a team, Naruto. And I'm not letting you die."