Chapter 32

Naruto and Raven stood on the barren ground, gazing at the battlefield where the Earth's defenders lay scattered. Warworld loomed in the sky, a fortress of destruction that had already torn through the resistance with ease. The heroes and villains alike had fought valiantly, but they were losing.

Supergirl was locked in brutal combat with a metallic Superman doppelgänger, while the remnants of Earth's forces barely held their ground against Mongul's invasion.

Raven's hands clenched into fists as she felt the overwhelming presence of so much death and despair. She had lost friends before, but not like this. She wouldn't let this become another tragedy.

But was there even a way to stop this?

Beside her, Naruto remained calm, but she could feel the sheer force of his will burning within him.

"Do you have a spell that can combine all of my attacks into a single one?"

Raven blinked, surprised by the request. She had plenty of spells to amplify power, but this… this was different.

"I do," she admitted, "but your attacks alone aren't going to change anything."

The battlefield told the whole story. Even the combined strength of the heroes hadn't been enough. Could Naruto, even with all his power, truly tip the scales?

She doubted it.

But then she saw the fire in his eyes.

"You haven't seen my limits," Naruto said, a confident smirk forming. "Let's go to the location, and I'll show you."

Something in his tone sent a shiver through her. It wasn't arrogance—it was certainty.

Raven exhaled, allowing herself to trust him. She nodded once before enveloping them in a portal of darkness.

They arrived just outside the warzone, close enough to see the carnage firsthand.

Supergirl was still locked in battle with the cybernetic Superman. Their blows shattered asteroids, sending debris crashing into nearby moons. The shockwaves of their punches sent ripples through space, like titans warring in the heavens.

The rest of the battlefield was even worse.

The defense forces were decimated.

The League's members were scattered or unconscious.

The remaining heroes and villains fought desperately, but Warworld's forces were overwhelming.

Raven clenched her fists. We're running out of time.

"I hope you have something up your sleeve," she said, her voice laced with urgency, "or we're going to have deaths on our hands."

Naruto exhaled sharply, then grinned.

"Don't sweat it," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm confident that I got this."

He raised his hands, his chakra flaring to life.

A second later—

Thousands of clones erupted across the battlefield.

Each one surged into Kurama Mode, their bodies cloaked in golden chakra, their forms burning like miniature suns. Behind them, massive chakra foxes materialized, roaring as they took shape.

Raven's eyes widened. Even she hadn't expected this.

Just how much power does he have?

For a brief moment, she believed.

"I think… we might actually be able to do it."

She raised her hands, forming a massive floating spell diagram in the air, its glowing symbols locking onto Warworld as its target.

"Shoot everything at the target!"

Naruto didn't hesitate.

He gathered everything—all of his remaining chakra, all of his Senjutsu, and all of the natural energy from the surrounding area.

Every single clone lifted their hands, forming twin Giant Rasenshuriken infused with Senjutsu. The sheer density of power was enough to make space itself tremble.

But that wasn't all.

Each Rasenshuriken had six Bijūdama revolving around it, amplifying their destructive potential to an entirely new level.

2,000 Senjutsu Giant Rasenshuriken.

6,000 Bijūdama.

All of it combined into a single attack.

The sky darkened, as if the universe itself was holding its breath.

Naruto released it.

A monstrous black and gold Rasenshuriken erupted forward, engulfing Warworld. Its core burned with six black and red Bijūdama, each one rotating at insane speeds as the attack barreled toward its target.

Raven channeled her magic, weaving her power into the energy, strengthening and condensing it even further.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The combined power detonated upon impact.

The explosion shattered the silence of space, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

The energy split apart, turning into trillions of razor-sharp energy blades that sliced into Warworld, piercing through its defensive barriers, cutting through its reinforced plating, and burning through its core.

For an entire minute, the battlefield was consumed in a storm of destruction.

By the end of it—

Warworld remained—but it was no longer functional.

Its energy reserves were drained, its weapons were disabled, and its defenses were obliterated.

Mongul, who had watched the battle from his throne, now stood motionless, staring at the remains of his warship with utter disbelief.

The battle was over.

Mongul was captured.

Earth was safe.

But Naruto—

He collapsed, his energy completely spent.

Raven barely caught him before he hit the ground. She could feel the sheer exhaustion coursing through him. He had pushed himself beyond his limits—and it had worked.

She let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

He actually did it…

Far away from the battlefield, hidden in the wreckage, a figure watched in silence.

His cybernetic body was damaged, but his mind was still intact.

"Fascinating…"

Cyborg Superman had recorded everything.

The power levels.

The abilities.

The weaknesses.

His glowing red eyes flickered with curiosity and calculation.

"That boy… Naruto…"

"I will have to keep an eye on him."

And with that, the shadow vanished into the depths of space.

As the last remnants of the devastating explosion faded, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence. Warworld, the monstrous battle station that had loomed over them like an inevitable doom, now floated powerless in the void.

It was over.

Mongul was defeated. Warworld's core was shattered. Earth was safe.

And yet—

Raven didn't feel relief.

She felt ashamed.

Her violet eyes flickered with inner turmoil as she gently cradled Naruto's exhausted form in her arms. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the sheer overexertion of his attack. He had thrown everything he had into that last move, beyond his limits, to achieve the impossible.

And it had worked.

But the bitter truth gnawed at her.

I could have done it myself.

She knew she could have.

Even as she whispered spells of restoration over Naruto, trying to stabilize his drained form, her mind churned with the undeniable realization that she had been too afraid to act.

She had power—immense power.

She had always known it.

Trigon's daughter. The half-demon sorceress. The one who had been taught to restrain, to suppress, to never let go.

And so, she had held back.

Zatanna and Doctor Fate hadn't been able to handle Warworld because Mongul had been deliberately keeping them occupied, hurling waves of relentless attacks at them. Warworld's sheer resistance to magic had made it impossible for them to destroy it.

But I am not bound by normal magic.

I could have ended this before it ever reached this point.

Yet she hadn't even tried.

Not really.

Even when she had realized that her magic alone wouldn't work, even when she had seen Warworld shrug off Fate's divine incantations, she had hesitated.

Because using her full power meant risking the darkness.

It meant becoming something she feared.

Even now, she could still feel the residue of the spell she had woven with Naruto, the combination of his Senjutsu chakra and her dark magic creating something new—something unknown. Something Warworld hadn't been able to resist.

A force that wasn't just magic or chakra.

Something beyond either of them.

A part of her mind whispered:

If you had been willing to go all out from the start, Naruto wouldn't have had to exhaust himself. He wouldn't have collapsed like this.

You wouldn't have needed to rely on him at all.

Her hands tightened into fists.

I was too afraid.

She had let her fear chain her.

And next time?

Next time, it might not just be Naruto collapsing—it might be Naruto dying.

Or Beast Boy. Or Connor. Or everyone she cared about.

She swallowed hard, staring at her trembling fingers. She had fought so hard for control, for restraint, to avoid becoming the monster she feared she could be.

But restraint had almost cost them everything today.

I need to overcome my darkness…

Or next time, I will only see destruction.

A cold shudder ran through her.

Not Warworld's destruction.

Not Mongul's.

But Earth's.

Her friends'.

Naruto's.

She looked down at the blond ninja, still unconscious in her arms. His face was pale, drenched in sweat, his energy completely spent.

He had never hesitated.

Not once.

He had believed in his power, in his ability to change the tide of battle, and he had acted.

Even when it meant risking everything.

Even when it meant putting his life on the line.

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips, laced with self-loathing.

The one person who knows the true depths of darkness… is the one who isn't afraid of his own power.

Naruto had been thrown into battles his entire life, fighting against fate itself—and he had never let that stop him from pushing forward.

Raven had been running from fate her entire life.

Maybe… it was time to stop running.

Her eyes hardened.

The next time she faced a battle like this—

She wouldn't hesitate.

She wouldn't hold back.

Because the next time, she wouldn't let Naruto be the one to shoulder it alone.

Naruto lay still, his body almost unresponsive as the effects of overexertion left his muscles numb and his chakra system fried. Kurama's presence was faint, his chakra reserves completely depleted. If not for the bare minimum chakra keeping him awake, he would have passed out the moment Raven teleported them away from the battlefield.

Above the Watchtower, he could feel the presence of many powerful individuals, some familiar and others new. Even through his exhaustion, he could sense the relief, the gratitude, and the sheer respect radiating from the gathered heroes.

Superman and his team had arrived too late, only witnessing the final light show that had illuminated the sky for the entire world. Had they arrived earlier, they might have helped… or maybe they would have been just as overwhelmed by Warworld's insane firepower.

It was fortunate, incredibly fortunate, that the general public didn't know the source of the attack. If the villains caught wind of it, they would consider him an existential threat. Some might even try to eliminate him before he could become a permanent problem.

The only one who truly understood what had happened was Cyborg Superman—a terrifying thought, but at least the cyborg wouldn't overestimate him. He had seen the truth—this attack wasn't Naruto's normal power level; it was a combined effort, an exception rather than the rule.

Still, none of that mattered now.

Because right now—he saw their relief.

They were glad he was here.

They saw him as one of them.

They saw him as a hero.

Batman, ever the leader, stepped forward, his gaze intense yet appreciative. He rarely expressed gratitude so openly, but today was an exception.

"Thank you for your work, Naruto. You have done a tremendous job and saved countless lives. I can say without a doubt that this incident would have ended in tragedy if you hadn't taken action."

His words were measured, but there was genuine respect behind them.

"Your small acts of kindness brought together this result. My words are not enough to convey my gratitude for your actions, but I will try my best to help you out."

Naruto looked at him, surprised but pleased. He wasn't used to this level of acknowledgment, especially not from someone as serious as Batman. He had never sought validation, but hearing these words still felt… good.

"Thank you for your kind words, but you don't have to repay me." Naruto smiled, his voice tired but genuine. "I've been relying on your help since day one, and this couldn't have been possible without all of you… and Raven."

His gaze drifted toward Raven, and the moment their eyes met, he saw her inner conflict.

She didn't believe she had done enough.

She didn't believe she deserved any recognition.

And that… bothered him.

"I didn't do much in this incident," Raven spoke up, voice low but firm. "I just followed what he said. If it hadn't been for Paragon, I wouldn't have been useful during the fight."

Naruto frowned.

She really believes that?

Raven had done more than enough. She had been the key to their victory. Without her magic, his Senjutsu-enhanced Rasenshuriken wouldn't have reached that level of destruction.

She had been essential.

But she didn't see it.

He wouldn't allow that.

"No need for such humbleness," Naruto said, voice firm yet soft. "Without your powers, we wouldn't have gotten the same result. You were an integral part of the process, okay?"

He looked at her directly, his exhaustion doing nothing to dull the warmth in his gaze.

She hesitated, then felt his emotions through their connection.

He truly believes in me…

It was strange—comforting.

A small, almost reluctant smile crossed her lips.

"Well… I guess I did something."

"Good."

For the first time in a while, she felt acknowledged—not as a tool, not as a means to an end, but as a person whose actions mattered.

Batman, observing the exchange, nodded slightly before speaking again.

"We don't deny your contributions, Raven. We also apologize for our past actions. We were in the wrong, and we will help you with your problem. It concerns us as well."

Raven blinked, surprised.

They were… apologizing?

Not just that—they were taking action before things even went wrong.

For the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't alone in her struggle.

"I look forward to your action plan," she replied smoothly.

"You won't be disappointed."

Finally, Batman turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Now, finally… we have already been considering your membership, and after today's events…"

There was a brief pause, a moment of anticipation.

"…We officially invite you into the Justice League."

The room went silent.

For most heroes, this would have been a momentous honor—a dream come true.

Naruto?

He didn't feel anything.

Not because he didn't respect them, but because—

I never grew up idolizing the League. I didn't dream about joining them.

He respected what they stood for, but to him, the only title that held true honor was Kage.

Everything else?

Just another title.

Still, he didn't want to be rude.

Inside his mind, Kurama observed his thoughts, offering his usual blunt but reasonable advice.

'Just delay it for now.'

Naruto frowned slightly.

'But they've been good to me. It's not like I can't leave later, right?'

'It's your choice in the end. I was just giving a suggestion.'

There was wisdom in those words. Naruto understood that committing to the Justice League meant a lot of responsibilities, and while he wasn't against the idea, he didn't want to be tied down to anything just yet.

After a brief pause, he finally spoke.

"For now, I'm kind of busy with training and my studies, so I won't be able to help out all around the globe. I intend to move around slowly."

Batman gave him a nod. "No problem. You can still be a member and only come when it's an emergency."

That was the reassurance Naruto needed.

"If you have no problem with that, then I have no problem joining you guys."

With a grin, Naruto extended his fist. Batman, ever the stoic, bumped it without hesitation.

It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot.

They see me as one of them now.

"Congratulations."

"Welcome to the JL!"

Applause filled the room as the many heroes welcomed him into their ranks. It was a rare sight—the League wasn't the type to celebrate often, but Naruto's presence had already changed the atmosphere.

He took a seat where Kushina and Beast Boy joined him, followed closely by Nightwing and Kara.

Kara leaned forward, an amused smirk on her face. "Thanks for the last-moment help, but next time, tell me before you leave a clone."

Naruto chuckled. "But I thought you liked surprises?"

"I hate surprises."

"Good to know."

Despite her words, Kara looked comfortable, a rare moment where she didn't seem weighed down by expectations. Sitting in this group, she felt at ease, her gaze drifting toward Raven.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you."

Raven, still adjusting to the newfound attention, gave a short nod. "Indeed."

Naruto, sensing the potential awkwardness, quickly butted in. "She doesn't speak much."

Kara nodded in understanding, and with that, the focus shifted back to the ongoing League meeting.

Batman took center stage, acknowledging the young team's efforts and extending invitations to some of them.

Connor, Megan, Bumblebee, Cassandra, and Donna—all had been given the opportunity to join the League.

To Naruto's surprise, most of them declined.

Guess I'm not the only one hesitant about this.

Nightwing, ever the rebel, had a simple reason when Naruto asked him about his choice.

"There's already a Batman in the League. They don't need another one."

Connor and Megan declined because they felt the Team still needed them, prioritizing their bonds over personal advancement.

Cassandra declined for similar reasons—Connor and their friends still had much to do, and she wanted to be there for them.

Bumblebee, on the other hand, gave up the opportunity for her boyfriend, Guardian.

Man, the things we do for love.

Only Donna joined.

She had been lost, drowning in self-doubt and depression for a long time. But this battle—fighting with her life on the line—it had reignited her flame.

Her pain wasn't gone, but at least for now…

She felt alive again.