Chapter 40

As Naruto walked into the Watchtower's main hall, he immediately noticed the gathered heroes—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash, and the others—all discussing current affairs.

The Dark Knight was the first to acknowledge him.

"I thought you weren't going to show up," Batman said, arms crossed. His voice was neutral, but the underlying message was clear—they had expected him, but they weren't sure if he'd actually come.

Naruto smirked slightly.

"I wasn't planning to, but then the aliens appeared, and I figured we needed to talk."

He looked around the room, his gaze settling on each member before exhaling.

"Also, sorry for acting hastily with the Light."

There was a brief silence.

The League had been keeping an eye on him—they had noticed how quickly he was escalating things, how he had started taking matters into his own hands more aggressively.

Some of them had worried.

But… seeing him apologize, acknowledging his mistake?

That shifted their perspective.

"No problem," Batman finally said. "Every one of us has made that mistake."

Some of the other League members nodded.

They understood how much pressure Naruto was under. He was constantly moving, fighting, planning. Mistakes were inevitable when you were carrying so much.

The Reach Attack – League's Stand

"I assume you're here to inform us about your attack on the Reach," Batman stated.

Naruto nodded.

"Yes. Do you have anything to say about it?"

There was a moment of consideration before Batman responded.

"No. But when you attack them, wear a different suit. You cannot appear as a League member during the operation."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're not stopping me?"

"We have to maintain good public relations," Batman explained. "This would be a clear violation if you act as part of the League. However, if you go as an independent force… that's a different story."

Naruto grinned.

"Got it. I'll switch before heading out."

"Good," Batman nodded.

"And what will you guys be doing?" Naruto asked.

Superman stepped forward, arms crossed.

"We'll handle the aftermath—make sure nothing leaks from that ship. We'll be containing the fallout."

Green Lantern added,

"We also have other threats that need handling. If we focus everything on the Reach, other enemies might take advantage of our distraction."

Naruto understood immediately.

The League had to keep their forces balanced. If they committed too much to one battle, Earth would be left vulnerable elsewhere.

"Then good luck to all of us," Naruto said, nodding to them all before turning to leave.

As Naruto walked away, he could feel their gazes on his back.

The Justice League wasn't interfering.

Not because they didn't care, but because they trusted him and his team to handle it.

This wasn't about approval or disapproval anymore.

It was about necessity.

And right now…

The world needed him to act.

Deep inside their massive mothership—which hovered ominously over the Empire State Building, cloaked from public view—the Reach Ambassador stood in the command center, watching the final stages of their genetic experiment.

On the screens before him, scientists and bio-engineers worked tirelessly, creating a traceless mutagen that would be released into Earth's water supply.

"The process is almost complete, Ambassador."

"Excellent," he responded, his voice filled with sinister satisfaction. "This will accelerate our research. Only the strongest will survive… and those that do will be ours to control."

They had grown tired of waiting for subtle methods to bear fruit. Now, they would force evolution upon humanity.

But then—alarms blared throughout the ship.

A violent tremor shook the entire command deck. The screens flickered, and a Reach officer shouted,

"AMBASSADOR! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

Above New York City inside the alien ship, a massive black portal appeared—a rift created by Raven.

And through that rift came destruction.

Naruto led the charge, his golden chakra cloak blazing like a second sun under the black armor he was wearing. Behind him, his team of warriors, each a force of nature, descended upon the Reach's mothership like an unstoppable storm. All of them wearing different disguise to hide their identities.

Inside the ship, panic erupted.

The Reach had no time to react before they were overwhelmed.

Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) & Raven were the first inside. Jaime immediately hacked into the Reach's mainframe, sending a shutdown pulse through the system, disabling automated defenses and locking down their advanced weaponry.

Raven spread her darkness through the corridors, swallowing entire battalions of Reach soldiers, rendering them unconscious before they could fight back.

Green Beetle was the first major target. Naruto blitzed through the ship's corridors, arriving before the Martian-altered warrior.

Green Beetle barely had time to react.

Naruto's fist slammed into his chest, sending him flying through multiple walls before Raven's magic chains locked him in place.

Black Beetle was still undergoing repairs, and his host body had already perished. A mercy, in Naruto's opinion.

With the defenses down and their strongest warriors incapacitated, Naruto, Kara (Supergirl), and Conner (Superboy) stormed the Ambassador's chambers.

The Reach Ambassador stood there, furious.

"You dare to attack us without provocation?" he snarled. "You savages! Do you understand what you've done?"

Naruto didn't hesitate.

In an instant, he was in front of the Ambassador.

"I understand perfectly," Naruto said coldly. "I just don't care."

His chakra arm surged forward, wrapping around the Ambassador and slamming him into the floor, hard enough to crack the metal beneath him.

The Ambassador struggled but could do nothing. His empire, his plans, had crumbled before his eyes in mere minutes.

"This is justice," Naruto said as he sealed him away in a specialized containment cube.

With the entire ship under their control, Naruto's team freed the humans trapped inside before warping the ship into Warworld's docking bay.

The Reach's research data was handed to the Justice League, exposing their plans for mass mutation and control.

News spread across Earth within hours—the Reach had been caught attempting genetic warfare. Their public image shattered.

The Green Lantern Corps were informed, meaning that if the Reach retaliated, they would risk a galactic war.

The Reach's grip on Earth was broken.

Naruto's swift and brutal efficiency left no room for resistance.

But…

"They will be back," Raven murmured later, as they watched the Reach mothership floating inside Warworld. "They never forget a grudge."

Naruto nodded.

"Let them try."

The dining hall was filled with warmth and the scent of home-cooked food. The victory against the Reach had been swift and decisive, leaving Earth with one less threat to worry about. Now, Naruto and his team sat around a large wooden table, celebrating their success with a meal that felt more like a family gathering than a war council.

Kushina and Raven had taken it upon themselves to prepare the feast, with Naruto helping under his mother's watchful eye. The result? A spread of delicious dishes—freshly made ramen, roasted chicken, sushi, dumplings, and an assortment of side dishes that left everyone more than satisfied.

Kara leaned back in her chair, sipping a glass of juice. She glanced around the room before muttering, "I never thought it could be this easy."

Jaime chuckled, rubbing his shoulder. "Easy? I don't know about that. You didn't get punched through a wall by a Beetle on steroids."

Naruto grinned. "Sometimes taking the initiative makes a big difference. If we'd waited for them to make their move, things could have gone a lot worse. I've learned my lesson from past encounters—if the enemy is visible, take them out before they can act."

Raven, calmly eating sushi, added, "That's true, but only if you're sure of success. We've suffered losses in the past because we didn't investigate properly and let threats grow in the shadows."

Jaime, still chewing on some steak, raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying we should start actively hunting down villains before they become a bigger problem?"

Silence filled the room as everyone paused, considering the idea. It was a bold strategy, one that could change the way they operated.

Naruto tapped his fingers against the table before responding. "It's a solid idea, but dangerous. If we start targeting villains without a solid plan, they'll band together to take us down. We should take things slowly—wait for the right opportunity, then strike hard."

Bart—better known as Impulse—grinned as he ripped into a piece of roasted chicken. "You know, we make a pretty great team. How about we make it official?"

Kara smirked. "What would we even call it?"

Jaime shrugged. "And is it even okay? I'm part of the Justice League now. Wouldn't this be a conflict of interest?"

Naruto waved him off. "There's no problem. You can be in more than one group. The League won't stop you from working with us. If anything, it'll make things easier." He leaned forward, "But I got nothing for a name."

Kushina, who had been quietly listening while enjoying her food, suddenly spoke up. "Golden Dawn."

The room turned to her, intrigued.

"Why that name?" Kara asked.

Kushina smiled. "Because it's Naruto's dream, isn't it? The golden dawn heralding the rise of a peaceful era, filled with hope and joy."

A moment of silence passed before Naruto and Impulse simultaneously nodded in agreement.

"I like it."

Raven smirked behind her cup of tea, knowing full well that Impulse had just changed the timeline—again. In the original version of events, this group wasn't supposed to exist for another five months after Naruto's arrival. And even then, the members were completely different.

Jaime wasn't supposed to be in this team. Nor was Bart.

Yet here they were.

A new path had been forged.

The Golden Dawn had begun.

Bart sat back in his chair, a lazy grin stretching across his face as he watched the team joke and celebrate. His sharp mind processed everything at high speed, piecing together the differences between this timeline and the one he had grown up in.

And honestly? This was better.

Way better.

Jaime was here. That alone was a huge improvement. In his time, the guy had been stuck in a mess of Reach programming and mind control. But now? Now he was laughing, free, and surrounded by friends.

And then there was Naruto. Naruto freaking Uzumaki. Bart hadn't even expected him to be part of the equation, and yet here he was—leading this team, inspiring everyone, and crushing bad guys like it was just another Tuesday.

This was wild.

This wasn't just some slight deviation. This was a complete game-changer.

His future—the one he had grown up in—had been bleak, filled with fear and constant loss. But this? This felt like hope.

For the first time since coming back, he felt like he wasn't just fixing things—he was witnessing something better being built.

"Man," he muttered, leaning back with a content sigh. "If this is what timeline changes look like, I gotta say—I'm all for it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Bart grinned wider and shook his head. "Nothing. Just appreciating the moment."

Maybe—just maybe—this future didn't need fixing.

With the girls off doing their own thing, Naruto, Jaime, and Bart found themselves sitting together at the now half-empty table. Plates were still stacked high with food, and Bart, true to his nature, was already halfway through his third helping.

Jaime leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. "Man, I'm stuffed. I don't think I've ever eaten this good."

Bart shot him a look, eyes wide with exaggerated disbelief. "Dude, we're sitting with a guy who literally eats bowls of ramen the size of bathtubs. And you're calling that good eating?"

Naruto grinned, casually popping a dumpling into his mouth. "Hey, don't diss the ramen. Ramen is life."

Bart smirked. "Yeah, yeah, but I don't see any ramen on this table, do I? What happened? Did your taste buds evolve?"

Naruto dramatically gasped, clutching his chest. "You take that back, you little speedster menace. My love for ramen is eternal."

Jaime chuckled. "I don't know, man. I've seen you eat other things. Pretty suspicious if you ask me."

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "You guys just don't understand true love. A man can eat other foods and still stay faithful."

Bart snorted. "That sounds like an excuse. Next thing we know, you're gonna say burgers are your side piece."

Jaime smirked. "Nah, burgers are too basic. I'd say his mistress is dumplings."

Naruto sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "You guys are the worst."

Bart smirked. "The worst? Or the most accurate?"

Naruto pretended to consider. "...Both."

Jaime laughed, then stretched his arms. "Alright, enough food talk. So, what's next? We just took down the Reach—should we be expecting more alien invasions, or do we actually get some time to chill?"

Bart waved his hand. "Oh, please. You never get time to chill in this life. We took down one evil empire, but I guarantee some other jerk with a superiority complex is gonna pop up any minute now."

Naruto smirked. "Well, if they do, we just smack 'em down like the last ones."

Jaime shook his head with a grin. "You make it sound so easy."

Bart leaned back, hands behind his head. "That's 'cause it is easy—when you have me around."

Naruto and Jaime stared at him.

Jaime raised an eyebrow. "Okay, hotshot. And what exactly did you do in the last fight?"

Bart huffed. "Excuse me? I ran around, distracted enemies, and got some very important hits in. Speedster work is an art, you know?"

Naruto nodded sagely. "Ah, yes. The fine art of running in circles."

Jaime burst out laughing, while Bart scowled. "Oh, ha-ha. You know what? Fine. Next time, I'm leaving you to get shot at, while I go grab a smoothie."

Naruto smirked. "Make sure it's mango."

Jaime wiped a tear from his eye. "I swear, hanging out with you two is like watching a bad comedy show. And somehow, I keep tuning in."

Bart crossed his arms. "That's because we're entertaining. You love this dynamic."

Jaime sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "I hate that you're right."

Naruto chuckled, stretching his arms. "Alright, alright, let's finish up and figure out what's next. I have a feeling we're gonna be busy real soon."

Bart grinned. "Ooh, more action? Count me in."

Jaime groaned. "Can we at least get a week off first?"

Naruto and Bart exchanged a look.

Naruto smirked. "Yeah, probably not."

Bart snickered. "Yeah, sorry, dude. Villains don't believe in vacations."

Jaime sighed. "Of course they don't."

The three of them sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Bart suddenly spoke up.

"…But seriously, I'm getting a smoothie. You guys want one?"