Chapter 15

Back at the Flash Clan's Home

Barry had just received an emergency call about a new supervillain causing havoc in the city, prompting him to excuse himself. His grandson, Impulse, watched him leave before deciding to follow, feeling an instinctive need to keep an eye on the situation.

"Wally, are you not coming?" Impulse turned to his uncle, brows furrowed in confusion.

Wally sighed, shaking his head. "No, I'm good."

"What?" Impulse blinked. "You're THE FLASH, the fastest being alive!"

"No… Uncle Barry is the Flash. I was Kid Flash."

Impulse frowned. "Wally, you're the fastest Flash in all existence. Even I'm going to surpass Grandpa in a few years. You can't just drop out—the world needs you."

But Wally didn't budge. He just sighed again, looking away. "I think you should go if you don't want to miss the action."

It was a dismissal, plain and simple.

Impulse stared at him, searching for some sign that Wally was just messing with him. But no. His uncle wasn't joking. He really meant it.

Wally West—the man Impulse had always admired, the legend he knew was supposed to be a hero—was giving up.

It wasn't hard to see why. Fear had sunk into his bones, poisoning his thoughts. The life of a speedster, of a hero, came with danger lurking around every corner. He had seen too many fall, too many die, and now the fear of death had wrapped around his heart like chains, slowing him down even when he wasn't running.

Impulse clenched his fists but knew arguing wouldn't help. Not now. Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Wally in a quick but firm hug.

"I'll wait for you, Wally," he whispered. "Because you are my hero."

And with that, he was gone, vanishing in a blur of lightning as he raced after Barry.

Naruto had been observing the exchange from a distance, his sharp eyes catching every little detail—the subtle tension in Wally's body, the frustration in Impulse's stance, the sorrow hidden in both of them.

It was painful to watch.

The younger speedster saw Wally as a hero, an unshakable figure, yet here he was—broken, hesitant, afraid. And Wally? He might have convinced himself that he wanted peace, but deep down, Naruto could tell he was confused, lost between what he wanted and what he feared.

Naruto, still in the form of a raven, flapped his wings and took off into the sky, following Impulse while leaving Wally alone with his thoughts.

'If he really is meant to be a hero,' Naruto mused, 'then no matter how far he runs from it, the moment true danger arrives… he'll come back.'

Because some people weren't just meant to be heroes.

They had to be.

Central City, home to the Scarlet Speedster, was no stranger to chaos. Tonight was no different.

A man clad in red armor strode through the city streets, waves of destructive energy radiating from his body in every direction. Each pulse obliterated everything within a ten-meter radius, reducing the surroundings to ruins. Fortunately, he had appeared far from civilians, giving them enough time to flee before the destruction reached them.

The Flash arrived at the scene in a blur of lightning, skidding to a stop as he analyzed the situation. The energy waves never stopped, overlapping in a continuous cycle, leaving no safe opening.

"Not even a second between pulses..." Barry muttered. If he attempted to breach the radius at full speed, he could be vaporized before even making contact.

But before he could make a move, a bolt of lightning shot toward him from behind.

A gust of wind and a sudden impact knocked Barry aside before the attack could land. He turned to see Naruto standing behind him, arm raised.

"Thanks," Barry said, straightening up.

"No problem. It's the least I can do," Naruto replied, his eyes shifting toward two figures clad in black tactical gear standing a short distance away. Their postures were confident, assured—like hunters who had just found their prey.

Barry narrowed his eyes. "Anti-Speed Force gear... that could have been trouble."

Those weapons weren't ordinary—far from it. They were designed specifically to counter speedsters, negating their connection to the Speed Force entirely.

Barry clenched his jaw. Zoom.

That man had tainted the timeline yet again. This technology wasn't meant to exist in this era, but thanks to Eobard Thawne—better known as Zoom—it had been introduced far ahead of schedule, adding yet another obstacle to Barry's already chaotic life.

I hate that man so much.

Zoom wasn't just any enemy—he was a nightmare that wouldn't die. A man from the 25th century who had killed Barry's mother just to make sure his life would be miserable. A monster consumed by his own jealousy, unable to accept that Barry could have a life outside of being the Flash.

And now, he was here again.

"Can you take care of him?" Barry asked Naruto, referring to the armored villain—Neutron.

Before Naruto could answer, another voice cut through the air.

"Flash, get out of the way. This time, I'm here for him."

Barry tensed. He recognized that voice immediately.

Stepping out of the shadows was the very nemesis he had been dreading—Zoom.

Naruto immediately sensed the shift in energy as another burst of lightning crackled to life. Impulse, standing nearby, was glaring at Zoom with pure hatred, his body crackling with unstable energy.

"He hates me because we're related," Impulse said with fury in his eyes..

Naruto arched an eyebrow. "How?"

Impulse didn't take his eyes off his target. "He's my grandpa by blood... but I despise him to the core." His fists clenched as his breathing grew heavy. "This monster killed my parents. He destroyed my life."

Zoom, standing just a few feet away, looked completely unfazed. If anything, he seemed amused by the fury directed at him. His body vibrated with barely contained energy, electric arcs flickering off his form.

Impulse was losing control.

Naruto sighed and placed a firm hand on the younger speedster's shoulder. Instantly, golden chakra wrapped around him, holding him in place like an unbreakable restraint.

"Relax," Naruto said calmly. "Anger will only lead to mistakes. This isn't your battle. Not yet."

Impulse gritted his teeth, but the moment Naruto's chakra enveloped him, clarity returned to his gaze. His breathing steadied, and his crackling energy began to subside.

With that settled, Naruto turned his attention back to the original target—the armored villain, Neutron.

"I'll take care of the other guy," Naruto said, stepping forward.

Neutron, still marching forward, hadn't even noticed their presence. Compared to the battle of speedsters, he was operating on an entirely different level—one that Naruto was more than ready to counter.

Naruto wasn't in the mood for an extended battle. Testing his abilities could wait—right now, he needed efficiency.

Placing his palm on the ground, he channeled his chakra, and a massive golden clawed hand erupted from beneath Neutron. Before the armored man could react, the hand closed around him, trapping him within a golden sphere between its palms.

Neutron continued to release pulses of destructive energy, but the chakra barrier held firm. Seeing that brute force wouldn't work, he shifted tactics, focusing his atomic energy into a concentrated beam. It struck the sphere with full force.

No effect.

Naruto exhaled. Not bad, but this is slowly draining my chakra. He didn't have the luxury of wasting energy—not when Zoom was in play. Deciding to finish things quickly, he prepared to knock Neutron out.

But before he could move, Neutron exploded.

A nuclear detonation of devastating magnitude engulfed the area, but Naruto had already reacted. Channeling his chakra, he reinforced the barrier at a single point, absorbing the brunt of the explosion.

The city remained untouched.

As the dust settled, Naruto assumed the fight was over. But then, from the ashes, Neutron's form began to reassemble.

Naruto barely blinked. I've seen worse back home.

From the side, Impulse stepped forward. "Let me help," he said, eyes on Neutron's unconscious form. "I got something to neutralize his powers, or we'll be right back to square one when he wakes up."

Naruto glanced at him. "You're sure?"

Impulse nodded. He had seen Neutron's future—the man had regretted everything and had even asked Impulse to change his past. This was the perfect chance to stop his suffering.

Neutron's atomic powers were uncontrollable; his body continuously leaked destructive energy. The suit only offered minimal control, preventing him from disintegrating completely. Living like that had driven him to madness. He had hated heroes—envied them—for having their powers and still being able to live normal lives, while he was stuck in a constant state of decay.

Naruto wasn't against helping, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. "Sorry, but I need to be careful," he said. Instead of letting Bart act freely, he controlled Impulse's body with chakra, guiding him step by step toward Neutron.

Impulse scowled. The sensation was incredibly annoying—like being trapped in his own body while someone else moved it. I'm so getting him back for this. But for now, he focused on the task at hand.

With some effort, he removed a small capsule and fed it to Neutron.

Within moments, the unconscious man's energy stabilized. The constant radiation ceased, his body no longer leaking destruction.

Naruto withdrew his chakra hold on Impulse, who immediately shot him an irritated glare.

"Not cool," Bart muttered.

Naruto just shrugged. "Worked, didn't it?"

Central City had witnessed many battles before, but when the Speed Force and Negative Speed Force clashed, the world itself seemed to struggle to keep up. The streets blurred as two crimson streaks zipped through the city, colliding at speeds too fast for the naked eye to comprehend.

They traded millions of blows within seconds, each strike shattering windows and sending shockwaves that cracked the pavement. Neither gained an advantage—their speeds, their skills, their experiences were too evenly matched.

As they fought, their conversation cut through the air, sharp as lightning.

"You never change, do you, Thawne?" Flash grunted as he deflected a rapid series of blows, his arms moving in a blur.

"Why would I?" Zoom sneered, phasing through one of Barry's punches before countering with a brutal elbow to the ribs. "Unlike you, I know my purpose. And today, that purpose is to erase that boy."

Barry gritted his teeth, absorbing the hit and retaliating with a spinning kick that Zoom barely dodged. "Impulse is just a kid, Eobard! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"He's a child of our bloodlines, Barry." Zoom's voice dripped with venom. "You and I? We aren't meant to be connected in any way. A descendant from both our families? Unforgivable."

Barry clenched his fists, sparks of blue lightning crackling around him. "You're insane!"

"Maybe." Zoom smirked. "But at least I'm faster."

Zoom vanished, reappearing inches away from Barry. With a brutal hook to the jaw, he sent Flash hurtling through a building, shattering glass and concrete as Barry crashed through several walls before finally stopping himself with a skid across the street.

Before he could recover, Zoom was on him again. He pressed a foot against Barry's throat, pushing him down against the cracked asphalt.

"You can never stop me, Barry. You will always be a step slower."

Barry's mind raced, his breath coming in short gasps. He knew Zoom wasn't bluffing—the man had spent centuries refining his speed, perfecting his abilities just to torment him.

But Barry had something Zoom never did.

Allies.

"Enough!"

Barry unleashed a burst of Speed Force energy, a blue-white electric pulse erupting around him. The shockwave blasted Zoom off of him, sending the villain tumbling backward.

As Zoom flipped midair to regain his footing, he prepared to charge again—until he felt it.

The presence of others.

"We are stopping you from this goal."

Zoom's red eyes flickered as he looked past Barry.

Green Lantern hovered above, his power ring glowing with emerald light, forming a massive construct of chains ready to bind him in place.

Superman stood beside Flash, his cape billowing, eyes glowing red-hot.

Zoom clicked his tongue. "You brought company, Barry? I thought this was our fight."

Barry wiped the blood from his lip. "When you go after my family, it's everyone's fight."

Zoom's glare hardened. He could take Barry alone. Maybe even Barry and Lantern. But Superman?

Even for him, that was too much.

"You'll pay for this," Zoom spat.

Barry crossed his arms. "What else can you do? You always run, Eobard. Always hiding behind time travel. You'll always be that same pathetic child, throwing a tantrum because your hero didn't love you back."

A flicker of rage twisted Zoom's expression.

"It's Zoom," he snarled, lightning crackling around him. "And it rhymes with doom—remember that."

And then, with a burst of red lightning, Zoom vanished into the time stream, his final words lingering like a ghost in the air.

Barry exhaled, his shoulders dropping as he turned to his allies. "I hate time travelers."

Superman gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You're not the only one."

Green Lantern smirked. "So, do we go after him?"

Barry shook his head. "No. Not yet. He'll be back… he always comes back."

As Zoom vanished into the time stream, Barry remained still, his blue eyes staring at the space where his greatest enemy had stood. The hum of the Speed Force crackled around him, the tension in his body refusing to fade.

He always comes back.

That was the truth, wasn't it? No matter how many times Barry stopped him, no matter how many times he won, Thawne always found a way back.

It didn't matter if he was erased from existence. It didn't matter if he was thrown outside of time. It didn't matter if he died.

Because he always came back.

And Barry knew exactly why.

It was because he let him.

Barry clenched his fists, his body still pulsing with Speed Force energy. If I wanted to, I could end this.

He had thought about it before—more times than he wanted to admit.

If he was serious—truly serious—he could kill Thawne right here and now.

Not by punching him. Not by throwing him into the Speed Force.

No.

By stealing his speed.

The knowledge sat in the back of his mind, a dark whisper that grew louder every time Eobard destroyed something Barry loved.

All he had to do was reach into him, strip the Negative Speed Force from his body, and leave him powerless.

And without that connection, Thawne would die.

Just like that. One second, the Reverse-Flash—the monster who had tormented him, killed his mother, hurt his family—would cease to be.

And the world would be better for it.

Barry let out a slow breath, shaking the thought away.

He couldn't do it.

Because if he did—if he crossed that line—then who would he become?

He had seen it before. He had seen himself lose control, let anger take over, and become something else.

A Barry Allen that the world didn't need.

A Barry Allen that Iris wouldn't recognize.

A Barry Allen that his mother wouldn't be proud of.

Killing Thawne would be easy.

But living with that choice? That was the hard part.

So instead, he closed his eyes, forcing his hands to relax. Let it go.

"Barry?" Superman's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

He opened his eyes, offering the Man of Steel a small smile. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Barry looked past him, toward the city—toward his city.

The battle wasn't over. Not yet.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Let's finish this."

With the battle over, Naruto had a chance to meet Green Lantern, also known as Hal Jordan, and Barry Allen, the Flash. The League took custody of Neutron, ensuring that his unstable energy wouldn't threaten anyone else.

Grateful for Naruto's help, Barry invited him to stay for a while—maybe to get to know him better, maybe just to show his appreciation.

"Thanks for the invite, but this is private time for you guys, so maybe next time," Naruto replied with a casual wave.

And then, just like that, he was gone.

Barry blinked. "Did he just… pop out of existence?"

Hal smirked. "Guess he's got his own way of handling things."

They didn't dwell on it. There were bigger matters at hand.

Back at the Watchtower, the Justice League convened for yet another meeting. The growing threats in the shadows, along with the rising potential of Naruto, demanded their attention.

The data they had gathered painted a clear picture—Naruto was still growing, still evolving. Like Superboy, Kid Flash, and other young heroes, he hadn't hit his full potential. But what was his full potential? That was the question that concerned them most.

"I like the kid," Hal said, leaning back in his chair. "He gets straight to the point. No hesitation, no games. He didn't waste time with Neutron, and he made sure Impulse didn't take any risks either. That's a good mindset for a hero."

"He's a nice kid," Zatanna agreed, crossing her legs. "And very cute. But there's something about him… an obsessive streak. That kind of personality can be dangerous. If he gets fixated on something, it could lead to bad decisions."

"Sounds familiar," Shazam muttered with a smirk.

Batman shot him a glare.

"She's not wrong," the Dark Knight said, his voice cool and measured. "Obsession can be a strength. But it can also be a weakness. The question is which one it will be for him."

Superman, ever the optimist, folded his arms. "Obsession isn't a problem if we guide him. He's already opened up to us more than most. And with his mother by his side, I doubt he'll fall into the wrong path."

"Assuming his mother stays by his side," Batman countered.

No one had a response for that.

After a moment, Batman continued. "We don't need to make a judgment call now. Time will tell if he has the will to stay strong, no matter the cost."

But as practical as his words were, the League was worried. Naruto was strong, but the real problem wasn't him.

It was his clone.

Or at least, the being that claimed to be his clone.

In a possible future, this so-called clone had caused widespread destruction—a level of devastation they could not afford to ignore.

If that future was inevitable, they had to prepare now.

Zatanna took a quiet breath and whispered an incantation.

A subtle, almost imperceptible mark formed on Naruto's soul. A safeguard. A way for the League to track him without him knowing. After all, if their enemies could read minds, the best way to keep a secret was to ensure even Naruto wasn't aware of it.

It wasn't an ideal move, but it was necessary.

With that issue settled, they turned to another matter—one far more concerning.

The second major threat.

Unlike the situation with Naruto, this one was already in motion. It had caused even more damage in the glimpses of the future they had managed to uncover. And this one…

This one seemed unpreventable.

Superman let out a slow breath. "Fine. I'll do it."

The League turned to him.

"If there's another crisis coming, then I can't afford to hold back. I'll increase my normal power output. No more pulling punches."

Hal Jordan gave a firm nod. "Same here. I'll keep my energy levels high at all times. If we get caught off guard, it's on us."

But even as they made these preparations, there was an undeniable truth hanging over them.

They were already spread too thin.

The Light was still moving in the shadows. Alien threats were still present. The world was still constantly at risk.

And no matter what they did, no matter how much they planned…

They just didn't have enough time.