Chapter 35

As Naruto drifted into sleep on Kushina's lap, his exhaustion dragged him into a deep, wildly unpredictable dreamscape.

Naruto found himself in a massive stadium, thousands of people cheering as he stood on a grand stage. He looked down—he was wearing a golden ramen-themed outfit, complete with a headband that had the symbol of a bowl of steaming ramen instead of the Leaf Village insignia.

A loud gong rang out, and a giant announcer (who looked suspiciously like Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen) shouted, "WELCOME TO THE RAMEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!"

Naruto's opponents included:

Sasuke, who was swirling his chopsticks like a master swordsman.Madara, whose Sharingan could predictthe best ramen-slurping techniques.The Nine-Tails, who had nine bowlsfloating around him as he chowed down at insane

The challenge? Whoever eats the most ramen in 10 minutes wins the legendary RAMEN SCROLL, which grants unlimited free ramen forever.

Determined, Naruto activated Sage Mode and shouted, "I WON'T LOSE TO YOU, BELIEVE IT!" before inhaling an entire bowl in one gigantic slurp.

But just as he was about to claim victory, Kushina appeared out of nowhere and smacked the back of his head.

"Naruto, stop eating in your sleep! You're drooling all over my lap!"

Naruto groaned and turned over in his sleep, mumbling, "Ramen... my scroll... nooo..."

Suddenly, the dream shifted. Naruto now found himself in a giant rap battle arena, standing in the center while all five Kage stood around him, holding microphones.

Raikage took the lead, dropping a fire beat, while Gaara, Tsunade, and Onoki all bobbed their heads.

Raikage: "Yo, listen up, Naruto, can you step to me? / You may be fast, but I hit like a beast, believe!"

Naruto blinked. Wait, what?

Before he could react, Sasuke burst onto the stage, spinning a microphone like a kunai.

Sasuke: "I'm the last Uchiha, my bars hit hard / You ain't Hokage yet, so stay in your yard."

Naruto gasped. Oh, it's on.

He grabbed his own mic and hit back with:

Naruto: "I got Sage Mode, Kurama, and Rasengan skills / You lost to a log, bro, you got no thrills!"

The entire crowd erupted. Even Madara popped up from nowhere, nodding approvingly.

But before Naruto could finish, he tripped over his own shadow clone, and the dream shattered.

Naruto blinked and found himself dressed in a fancy tuxedo, standing at an altar. The guests? Every single tailed beast was present, sitting politely in seats way too small for them.

Kurama was standing beside him, wearing a bowtie, and looking annoyed.

"Naruto, why the hell am I your best fox?"

Naruto blinked. Wait… am I getting married?

The wedding march started playing, and suddenly, Hinata, Sakura, and a very smug-looking Kara all walked down the aisle at the same time.

Naruto started sweating. Oh no. Oh nonononono.

Then, before he could say a word, Kushina burst through the ceiling with a frying pan.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!!"

Naruto woke up with a gasp, sitting up so fast that he nearly knocked Kushina over. His heart was pounding.

Kushina gave him a look. "What kind of idiotic dream were you having now?"

Naruto blinked, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and muttered, "I… I think I almost died…"

Kara, who had also been sleeping nearby, groggily mumbled, "Less screaming, more sleeping…" before rolling over.

As Kara dozed off near the fireplace, the soothing warmth wrapped around her like a gentle embrace. But instead of peaceful dreams, her subconscious decided to go wild.

Kara found herself in the Hall of Justice, wearing a ridiculous pink apron that said "Super Baker" in bright, glittery letters. Standing beside her were Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and for some reason Darkseid, who was wearing a chef's hat that barely fit over his massive head.

The challenge? Bake the best cake to save the multiverse.

Superman went first, making a perfectly structured cake that looked too perfect. Batman somehow already had a cake ready (because he's Batman). Wonder Woman's cake had a golden glow, and when Kara tasted it, she almost ascended to the gods.

Then came Darkseid. He slammed his fist on the table and declared, "BEHOLD! THE OMEGA BROWNIE!" before pulling out a pan of charcoal-black brownies. One of them growled.

Kara hesitated. "Uh, are they… supposed to be moving?"

Darkseid smirked. "That is the taste of DESPAIR."

Before she could even take a bite, the dream shattered.

Kara now found herself in the middle of Metropolis, standing face-to-face with Krypto, Streaky the Supercat, Ace the Bat-Hound, and dozens of other superhero pets.

But something was wrong.

Krypto was wearing a tiny cape and sunglasses, looking down at her. "Kara, the time of the two-legged ones is over. We, the pets, now rule!"

Kara blinked. What.

Before she could react, Streaky floated up beside him, licking his paw. "Yeah, we're tired of being 'pets.' We demand justice, equal rights… and infinite belly rubs."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kara raised her hands, "What do you mean equal rights? I literally let you sleep in my bed!"

Ace grumbled, "Yet you dare call us 'good boys' in that patronizing tone… You will face judgment."

And then, an army of pets charged at her.

"NOOO—"

She woke up with a gasp, her hands flying up in defense.

A new bright day had begun, but Jaime Reyes wasn't feeling too sunny. The team's dynamic had changed, and not for the better. While some of them still treated him the same, others had a look in their eyes that made his skin crawl.

Mistrust.

It wasn't overt. No one said anything, no one accused him of anything. But the way they watched him, the way they hesitated when they talked to him—it was enough.

After last night's mission failure, it only made things worse. The aliens had wiped their tracks clean, and Jaime couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault. They had managed to capture Green Beetle, but it seemed like their enemies had planned for the possibility.

If they had moved faster… if he had been better…

"Such thoughts are unnecessary. Not every objective can be achieved on the first attempt. Avoid getting affected by pointless emotions, they interfere with combat efficiency."

The voice of the Scarab, Dija, echoed in his mind. The usual cold, logical tone that Jaime had gotten used to. The worst part?

It was right.

Jaime sat in the training room, still suited up in his Blue Beetle armor. He hated to admit it, but after last night, he wasn't in the mood to be around the team in his normal form. He needed time to think—to focus.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had allowed them to link with us."

Jaime sighed internally. They'd gone over this already.

"Preposterous." The Scarab's voice was sharp. "I would never allow such a breach of security, no matter how much you trust them."

"What's the point of such hardheadedness?" Jaime shot back. "It's not like they need your so-called technology."

"You are just a child if you cannot think beyond that. They could easily leave something inside us, something that could compromise our systems at a later time. I do not trust that Bat to simply check and leave."

Jaime winced. He couldn't even argue with that. If there was anyone he expected to pull a stunt like that, it was Batman.

Their silent conversation ended as Jaime focused on training. He conjured up one of his energy blades, slicing through a target in front of him. It felt good to let out the frustration, even if it didn't fix anything.

"Let's just practice and get our powers right," he said. "According to the data, an enemy with similar power almost defeated Paragon while he took us out without even trying."

Dija was quiet for a moment before responding. "That is because you failed to understand my instructions."

Jaime gritted his teeth. "Then work with me properly, Dija. I don't know all the weapons you can create, and in the middle of battle is NOT the time to surprise me with something new. Instead of forcing me, explain things first."

There was another pause. Then…

"Affirmative. Finally, you are showing willingness to learn."

Jaime exhaled. He didn't know if that was progress or not, but it was something.

"There's no other choice now. I don't want to feel that powerlessness again." He clenched his fists. "When I was fighting yesterday, I kept thinking… what if I wasn't enough? What if my family was there? Would I have been able to protect them?"

Dija processed his words. It understood the importance Jaime placed on his family—it was a driving force behind most of his actions. But the Scarab didn't feel the same way about such things.

"Fear is inefficient. Your survival rate increases the more rational you remain."

Jaime scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, you're not human. You don't get it."

Still, as he looked at his hands—hands that couldn't protect anyone last night—he made a silent promise to himself.

That won't happen again.

"Hey bro, what's got you brooding?"

Jaime barely turned his head as Impulse appeared beside him, grinning like he had no care in the world. The speedster's carefree energy was in direct contrast to the storm of thoughts running through Jaime's head.

Looking at the boy from the future, Jaime couldn't help but wonder—had he really become some kind of monster in the future?

Dija had pointed it out before. "The probability of Impulse interacting with you so openly suggests that you become an extremely dangerous individual in the timeline he comes from. Otherwise, his natural instincts would push him to avoid unnecessary engagement."

And… it made sense. Impulse was reckless, sure, but he wasn't stupid. If someone from the future—who knew what would happen—was actively befriending him, then something terrible must have been destined to happen with the Scarab.

Jaime had been keeping that in mind, being extra careful with outsiders ever since. The only way he could truly become a monster was if Dija got hacked or taken over.

At least Impulse didn't look at him with suspicion.

"Just thinking about training," Jaime finally responded.

"Want my help?" Impulse asked, leaning against the wall. "I know a lot about futuristic weapons."

Jaime blinked. Was this a trap?

"Do you really want to give so much power to a suspicious individual?" Jaime asked cautiously.

Impulse scoffed, placing a hand on his chest. "Where is this 'suspicious individual' you speak of? Because all I see is a friend in need!"

Jaime's lips twitched slightly. He wanted to stay in his bad mood, but Impulse's energy made it hard.

"...Fine," Jaime relented. "What do you have in mind?"

Impulse grinned. "How about training with Paragon? He's still training for two more hours, so we could get his help for some combat practice."

Jaime's eyebrows lifted. Naruto?

The idea intrigued him. Jaime was still grateful for the shout-out Naruto had given him during the meeting last night. He had been on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Naruto's words had cut through his anxiety like a lifeline.

"Let's see if he doesn't mind," Jaime said, already feeling more interested.

Impulse laughed. "You don't know the guy at all, do you? He wouldn't mind fighting with any of us—he loves helping others. Plus, it helps him improve too, so never hold back on asking him. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless you see him acting weird."

"Weird how?"

Impulse wiggled his fingers dramatically. "Lost in thought about emotional things. If you interrupt those thoughts, he'll get extra violent—and you'll get some broken bones as a thank-you."

Jaime blinked. "...Are you speaking from experience?"

Impulse shook his head. "Nah, it's from Kid Flash's experience. But don't worry—those days are long behind us."

Jaime wasn't sure if that was comforting or terrifying.

Regardless, he followed Impulse as they left the base, stepping out into the training fields. His nerves were still there, his worries still lingered…

But if he wanted to get stronger, if he wanted to make sure that future never happened, then this was the best place to start.