Chapter 21

"So, what are you guys planning to do?" BB finally asked, shaking off his financial woes.

"I'm training and studying at the moment," Naruto answered, his gaze fixed on the cityscape. The artificial beauty of Jump City was a stark contrast to the natural serenity of Konoha. Where his home had been warm and familiar, this world was sleek, modern, and, in many ways, impersonal. The more time he spent observing the people here, the more he noticed a pattern—faces glued to phones, conversations reduced to absentminded nods while fingers tapped away at screens.

It made him wonder if this was the future of his own world. Would they eventually become like this? Detached from one another, more focused on digital interactions than real ones?

More research needed to be done, but Naruto had already reached one fundamental conclusion—most people would always take the easy way out. If a problem didn't directly affect them, they ignored it. Being a hero was easier than reforming the world because changing people's mindsets was the real challenge. Unless he could make life better for the average person, any ideals he introduced would be difficult to follow.

There were two groups that held power—the average person and the influencers. From his journey with Jiraiya, Naruto understood that responsibility didn't rest solely on one or the other. If the leadership was corrupt, it was almost guaranteed that the system itself was tainted. Back home, he had enough influence to start making changes, but here? The superheroes might stand in his way if he moved too boldly.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. If he could find and remove the corrupt individuals within leadership roles, the world might change for the better. Jiraiya had drilled into him the importance of gathering information, of blending in, and using knowledge as a weapon. He'd need to apply those lessons here.

Beast Boy snorted. "Man, you sound like Raven. Studying? Dude, you're turning into a nerd."

Raven, who had been quietly enjoying the nostalgia of being back at Titans Tower, raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is wrong with studying?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all," BB quickly backpedaled. "I mean, I just didn't expect Blondie here to be all 'books and magic' instead of 'punch first, talk later.'"

Naruto smirked. "Hey, I can multitask. Besides, knowledge is power. And also, I punch first when necessary."

Beast Boy crossed his arms. "Okay, fair. But what kinda studying are we talking about?"

Naruto thought for a moment. Explaining fuinjutsu or ninjutsu to BB would probably take longer than it was worth. "Let's just say… magic."

Beast Boy's eyes lit up. "Oh, oh! Then you and Rae should totally team up. She's like, the queen of spooky magic stuff."

Raven gave him a deadpan look. "It's sorcery, not 'spooky magic stuff.'"

"Same thing," BB grinned.

Raven sighed but turned to Naruto. "Not a bad idea, though. We could exchange knowledge and help each other out."

Naruto blinked, surprised. "Really? I wasn't expecting that answer." His expression brightened. "That's awesome!"

Raven crossed her arms. "I don't like owing people. If you're offering something useful, I might as well take advantage of it."

Beast Boy snickered. "Wow, way to make it sound like a business deal, Rae."

She shot him a flat look. "That's how I keep my sanity around you."

Beast Boy gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Oof. Right in the heart."

Raven sighed heavily. "I regret agreeing already."

Naruto chuckled, then suddenly, Raven asked, "Do I really look so unapproachable?"

There was silence.

Beast Boy immediately turned his gaze to the sky. "Wow, the weather's really nice today."

Naruto did the same. "Yeah… really clear sky."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "Really?"

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, fine. I think you look a bit mysterious and dark when your face is covered up by the hood. That dark energy around you doesn't exactly scream 'come talk to me.'"

Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah, you give off this 'I will steal your soul if you talk to me' kinda vibe. Which is cool! But, y'know, not the most inviting."

Raven arched an eyebrow. "So, you're saying I'm intimidating?"

BB grinned. "Nah, I'm saying you're terrifying."

Raven smirked. "Good."

Naruto laughed. "Honestly, I think you look cool. And, not gonna lie, I'd say you look pretty cute too."

There was a moment of silence.

Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "Bro, what? Did you just—? You like the scary goth thing?!"

Naruto shrugged. "What can I say? I've got good taste."

Raven blinked, then recovered quickly. "Huh. That's… different."

Beast Boy gasped dramatically. "Wait, does that mean you're blushing?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "No."

"You totally are!" BB pointed accusingly.

Naruto just grinned. "Don't worry, Raven. I won't tease you about it."

Beast Boy gasped again. "Oh no… he's smooth!"

Raven sighed and pulled up her hood. "This conversation is over."

Naruto chuckled. "Aw, c'mon, you asked."

Beast Boy nudged Naruto. "Dude, I don't know whether to be impressed or terrified for your safety."

Naruto smirked. "Eh, I like living dangerously."

Raven exhaled. "Good. Because if you keep talking, you won't be living at all."

Beast Boy laughed while Naruto just grinned. Maybe Jump City wasn't going to be so boring after all.

The rooftop of the old Titans Tower stood against the night, the glow of Jump City's skyline stretching in the distance. The trio—Naruto, Beast Boy, and Raven—sat near the edge, the wind ruffling their clothes as they shared a rare moment of quiet. The city below buzzed with life, but up here, the world seemed still.

Beast Boy stretched lazily, his green skin catching the dim light. "You know, I think most people would call that 'unique taste.'" He smirked. "But enough about that. How about you tell us about yourself, dude? I mean, we can totally be great friends! And I really owe you one for all this."

Naruto raised a brow. "Owe me? For what?"

"For bringing some much-needed chaos back into my life, obviously," Beast Boy said with a grin. "Anyway, I'll start by sharing some simple things. I like sweets and junk food—big surprise, I know. I love playing games, listening to pop music, and watching anime and dramas. I'm into action and thriller movies, but that's probably 'cause I also act in them! Bet you didn't know that, huh?"

Naruto blinked. "You're an actor?"

"Yep!" BB grinned proudly. "It's fun, and hey, I think I'll make it my stable profession. Getting paid to pretend to be cool? Sign me up!"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Expected that you wouldn't have a favorite book."

BB scoffed. "Excuse you, I do read! I love Overlord!"

Raven's expression remained unimpressed. "Useless books."

Beast Boy's face twisted in exaggerated horror. "Take that back, you wench, or I will wring your neck!"

Naruto held back a laugh as he placed a hand on BB's shoulder. "Calm down, man, it's just an opinion. It can't hurt you."

Beast Boy huffed but grinned. "Yeah, yeah. I was just kidding. Obviously, I'd never actually do that."

"Because you can't," Naruto added with a smirk.

Beast Boy laughed. "That… and because I'm a good boy."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Ignoring the green monkey, my favorite color is dark blue. I read a lot—both fiction and non-fiction. I practice magic because it's a fascinating art, and I also train in jujutsu since I believe the body needs to keep up with the mind."

Beast Boy leaned over to Naruto and stage-whispered, "Psst, she's totally lying about the shows and music. Don't let that dark and mysterious vibe fool you—"

Before he could finish, Raven flicked her fingers, and suddenly, no sound came out of BB's mouth.

Beast Boy pointed at his throat, his eyes wide with betrayal.

Naruto chuckled. Magic really is marvelous. Can I copy that with chakra? he mused.

"I hope you'll find your way and have a bright future," Naruto said, looking at Raven seriously. He could tell she hadn't thought much about it, likely because her life had been overshadowed by the darkness of her origins.

Raven hesitated for a moment but nodded.

Naruto then spoke up. "As for me, I like learning new skills and getting stronger. I love ramen. My favorite color is orange. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and making new ones. I want to help people and make the world a better place. My dream is to become the leader of my village."

Beast Boy, still unable to speak, waved his hands dramatically.

"Oh, right, my favorite song is Blue Bird, and my favorite book is The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja," Naruto continued. "I also love nature, especially now that I'm deeply connected to it. One day, I hope to return to my world… but at the same time, I want to stay here with my new friends. If only I could dimension-hop whenever I wanted."

Raven narrowed her eyes. "Different dimension?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I come from a different world."

"I can help with that," Raven said simply.

Naruto perked up. "Really?"

"I regularly pass through dimensions, so I might be able to help. But I'd have to check first."

"That'd be awesome!" Naruto said eagerly. "Please, check!"

Raven extended her hand, her dark energy brushing against him as she tried to locate his dimensional link. Her magic reached out, searching for any tether to another reality… but found none.

She pulled back, her expression unreadable. "Sorry. It seems you'll have to search for it manually. The link is set to this universe."

Naruto frowned. "Damn. Well, thanks for trying."

Raven hesitated for a fraction of a second. Are you sure that wasn't just a dream? she thought but kept it to herself. She had seen cases like this before—memories altered, lives rewritten. If Naruto truly belonged to another world, why was there no trace of it in the dimensional threads? It was just a possibility, but she didn't want to plant doubts in his mind.

Before she could say anything else—

BOOM!

The city skyline lit up as an explosion rocked the streets below.

Raven turned sharply, recognizing the all-too-familiar sight of a robbery in progress.

Beast Boy, who had just regained his voice, jumped up and shouted, "Teen Titans, move out!"

Raven gave him a deadpan stare. "Not so teen anymore, Beast."

Beast Boy grinned. "Doesn't mean I forgot how to do this!"

Raven sighed but floated into the air, both Naruto and Beast Boy standing behind her, ready to act. Just for old times' sake… she thought as they launched into action.

The scene of the robbery was pure chaos—at least, for anyone not on the team. A group of twenty heavily armed criminals, clad in tactical gear, had taken over a bank, their automatic weapons and rocket launchers pointed outward in a desperate attempt to ward off any interference.

"Alright, listen up!" one of the goons shouted, waving his rifle. "No funny business, or we blow this whole place to kingdom come!"

Naruto, Beast Boy, and Raven landed across from them in the street. A tense silence filled the air.

Beast Boy casually picked his ear. "Man, I haven't been in a proper fight in forever. This is exciting!" He turned to Raven. "Do we get to do catchphrases again? I miss those."

Raven deadpanned. "We never had catchphrases."

"Okay, fine, but what if we did?" Beast Boy asked. "Like— 'Crime doesn't pay, but these fists do!'" He struck a dramatic pose. "Or maybe— 'Justice is served… with a side of pain!'" He turned into a gorilla and flexed.

Naruto snorted. "Sounds like something out of a cheesy action movie."

"Dude, I am in action movies!"

"Enough talking!" One of the criminals aimed a rocket launcher at them. "Move, and I send you flying!"

Naruto sighed. "Really? A rocket launcher? That's your big move?" He casually walked forward.

The criminal grinned wickedly and pulled the trigger. The rocket launched with a loud whoosh—and Naruto, still walking, caught it with one hand.

The entire group of robbers went silent.

"...Wait, what?" the guy with the launcher blinked in disbelief.

Naruto inspected the rocket, then casually tossed it over his shoulder. It exploded harmlessly in the sky. "Yeah, no. Try again."

Beast Boy doubled over laughing. "Dude, that was the most anime thing you've ever done."

"I am from an anime," Naruto pointed out.

One of the robbers, clearly panicked, fired his assault rifle. Naruto vanished in an instant and reappeared behind him, holding the now-unloaded gun. He handed it back. "Here, I think you dropped this."

The robber screamed and ran.

"Oh come on! We practiced for this!" the supposed leader of the gang groaned.

Beast Boy cracked his knuckles. "Alright, my turn!" He transformed into a massive grizzly bear and let out a loud roar.

Half the criminals threw their weapons down and bolted.

"Pfft—seriously? You guys planned for this and still ran?" Naruto called after them.

Beast Boy transformed back, laughing. "They always run! It's a rule!"

"Fine, fine! We still have numbers!" Another criminal barked. "Get 'em!"

The remaining goons tried to rush the trio—only for Raven to sigh and flick her wrist. A wave of dark energy enveloped the entire group, lifting them into the air and spinning them around in a slow, lazy tornado.

"Wheeeee!" Beast Boy cheered. "Raven's got the best amusement park ride!"

The criminals screamed as they helplessly spun in circles.

"I hate all of this!" one of them shouted.

"You should've picked a different career path, then," Raven deadpanned.

"Uh, boss?" One of the last remaining goons hesitantly looked to the leader. "We should surrender."

The leader, his confidence shattered, slowly raised his hands. "Yeah, okay. We surrender."

Naruto stretched. "Man, I was hoping for at least some resistance. This was basically an inconvenience."

Beast Boy pouted. "I was hoping to do more cool moves! I had a whole routine planned!"

"Next time, Beast Boy," Raven said dryly as she neatly dropped the spinning criminals into a pile for the authorities.

Sirens wailed in the distance as police arrived. The officers took one look at the situation—twenty armed criminals reduced to a whimpering mess—and then glanced at the trio responsible.

"Thanks for the assist," one of the officers called. "Uh… I assume they're not too hurt?"

Beast Boy waved. "Nah, just dizzy and humiliated. Mostly humiliated."