Chapter 49

A few minutes earlier…

Kara's heart had leaped at the news of another Kryptonian's survival. The thought of not being alone, of having one more connection to her lost home, filled her with a flicker of hope. But that hope had been tarnished the moment she learned what H'el had done to Connor.

Violence. Hatred. Rejection.

She understood why he had done it, in a way. Among their people, such a reaction wasn't uncommon. Kryptonians were a proud race, and many would see a clone as an aberration, not a person. Still, it didn't justify what H'el had done. Connor was family—her family—and he had suffered because of a past he had no control over.

Despite everything, Kara still held onto the possibility that H'el could change. If anyone could understand the weight of being the last of their kind, it was her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Naruto turned to her, his usual carefree expression absent. Instead, there was something different in his gaze—seriousness, concern.

"Kara, do you trust me?"

The question surprised her. Naruto had never needed to ask that before. Their bond was strong, forged through battles, shared burdens, and unwavering support. From the day they had started working together, he had brightened her world with his boundless energy.

He was the bright star of her life.

Kara had arrived on Earth carrying the weight of Krypton's destruction, the loneliness of being lost in time. But Naruto… he made it bearable. The dark cloud that had followed her, the sorrow that had clung to her soul, had lifted bit by bit in his presence. He made the world seem brighter, lighter.

"Of course I trust you," she answered without hesitation.

Naruto exhaled, nodding. "H'el is not a good guy, so you will have to take him down. Don't listen to his words or let them affect your mind, because he only has Krypton in mind. And for that, he doesn't care what happens to this world."

His voice was steady, but Kara could tell there was regret behind his words.

"I obviously don't know what he has planned," he continued, "but his evil desire is directed at the planet. And it matches that of Mongul."

That name sent a shiver down Kara's spine.

Mongul was a monster, a tyrant who destroyed entire civilizations without a second thought. For Naruto to compare H'el to someone like that meant that things were bad.

"I'm sorry that you won't have a new Kryptonian friend to hang out with," Naruto said, softer this time. "But when we capture him, I'll try my best to change him."

Kara blinked, then laughed lightly. "Hehe, Naruto… sometimes you're just too sensitive about these things." She smiled at him, shaking her head fondly. "It's sweet of you to think about it for me, but I'm not the same girl I was before. I don't see rainbows at the sight of another Kryptonian anymore. I lived on Krypton. I knew plenty of annoying people. The tragedy might have clouded my memory about home, but spending this past month with you has cleared away that misconception."

Naruto let out a relieved breath. "Phew, that's great then, because I was worried he might cause you depression."

Kara smirked and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Thanks for caring, but I'm made of tougher stuff."

Naruto chuckled, but his mind was elsewhere. Kara knew him well enough to recognize that.

One's days were too brief to take the burden of another's errors on one's shoulders. Each man lived his own life and paid his own price for living it but Naruto took it on himself to take the burdens off others and help them carry it so they could see the light of day instead of seeing the ground beneath them.

'It isn't annoying, their need - it isn't a burden. It's a privilege. I'm responsible. I chose to put myself in a situation where I'm responsible. Wanting to look after them, the small, dependent, vulnerable creatures, it's innate, and I don't even have to think about it. It's like breathing.' That was what Naruto had said and she admired him for it.

Naruto grinned, breaking the moment. "Then let's go. A battle awaits us."

Kara nodded, determination filling her.

Whatever happened next, she wasn't alone.

And neither was he.

As they arrived on the battlefield, Kara saw Clark unleash his heat vision on H'el, a blast that would have melted through most foes. Yet, she knew it wouldn't be enough.

And then she felt it.

Naruto's presence embraced her in golden warmth, his power wrapping around her like a protective aura, filling her with energy, hope, and love.

It was intoxicating.

Sometimes, Kara wondered if one day she might not want to let go.

Naruto knew this battle wasn't his to fight directly. H'el's life force was monstrous—so much so that he made Clark look like a child in comparison. Naruto had faced enough battles to recognize when brute force alone wouldn't be enough. So, he had developed a method specifically for this situation.

A fusion of sorts.

Kara was the only one on his team he could directly enhance like this, supplying her with an unlimited flow of solar energy, empowering her far beyond her natural limits. The concept had come from Impulse's cryptic words about the future—a glimpse of a possibility that Naruto had brought to life.

Now, she stood adorned in a radiant golden armor of energy, her entire body overflowing with raw power. The sensation was overwhelming, like an endless ocean of energy surging into her veins. And yet, it was controlled, guided by Naruto's gentle presence.

It was exhilarating.

"What are you going to do if I get addicted to this stuff?" Kara teased.

Without hesitation, Naruto responded, "I'll take responsibility and feed you every day."

His innocent reply made her blush.

"Be careful what you promise," she muttered, before rushing into battle, her golden aura flaring around her like a supernova.

H'el had teleported behind Clark, fist raised for a devastating strike—

Kara was faster.

Her foot smashed into his groin, the sound of impact echoing like a thunderclap.

H'el's eyes went wide. Agony was an understatement.

'Seriously? I thought you'd never attack like that.' Kara mentally asked in shock, watching H'el crumple slightly.

Naruto's voice rang through her mind, completely unapologetic.

'You forget I'm a ninja. There's no such thing as an "off-limits" target. I'll take you down whether you're sleeping, eating, or in the bathroom. The only thing that matters is that I'm the one standing at the end.'

'You say some scary things sometimes.'

'I think it's just logical. Why fight fairly when it's not a duel?'

'I mean… yeah, it makes sense. But it still feels so wrong.'

'You'll get used to it once we start raiding the toilets.'

Kara snorted, shaking her head as they moved in unison to block a shockwave blast from H'el—one that sent the rest of the team flying.

He was too strong.

Even Clark would struggle to last against him for long. A few direct hits, and most of their team would be down for the count.

'Guess we'll have to handle this ourselves.'

'Isn't it fun leading the fight?' Naruto asked, a little too excited.

Kara smirked. 'You're way too hyped for a guy acting as a coat.'

'What's wrong with that? Even coats have dreams, you know.'

'Dream of a perfect owner?'

H'el roared, his frustration evident, and launched a devastating heat vision attack, slicing through the ground like molten blades. Kara dodged, barely avoiding being incinerated.

She capitalized on the moment, moving faster than light, wrapping her arms around H'el in a tight hold, locking his movements.

"H'el, give up this pointless struggle. You can't win against us. Stop throwing a tantrum like an edgy little kid, or we'll have to do this the hard way."

H'el snarled, his rage unchecked. "You traitorous bitch, corrupted by that parasite! If my plan fails, I will breed you like a mare and restore Krypton myself!"

The sheer disgust that surged through Kara was immeasurable.

Naruto's power flared in response, an unspoken fury coursing through their bond.

"Seriously? Did the hate give you tunnel vision? Don't you know a sick thought can devour the body's flesh more than fever or disease?"

H'el sneered. "Sick? You think I'm insane? I'm quite sane, but you two are the ones who've lost your minds! Choosing these people over your own? What madness has infected you?!"

Kara chuckled darkly, her grip tightening. "You know, the statistics on sanity say that one in every four people is suffering from a mental illness. Look around you. If everyone else seems fine… then it's you."

H'el snapped. His powers surged, his telekinesis latching onto Kara's atoms, trying to rip her apart molecule by molecule.

But it was useless.

With Naruto's limitless energy flooding into her, she was evolving by the second, growing stronger with every passing moment.

H'el's eyes widened in horror.

This wasn't in his calculations.

Kara was far too strong—stronger than a Kryptonian had any right to be. Stronger than him.

"I won't enjoy this, but you forced my hand," Kara said, tightening her grip further.

"Same here. I'm not enjoying this either," Naruto added.

"Paragon!" H'el roared, his defiant cry cut short as Kara shattered his arm with a devastating strike.

Before he could recover, she drove her fist into his chin, an earth-shaking uppercut that sent him flying—except she didn't let him.

Using her sheer strength, she blocked his momentum, ensuring all of the force was concentrated on his skull.

The impact was brutal.

H'el's tongue fell limp as he bit into it, blood spilling from his mouth. His body jerked, then went still. Unconscious.

Kara exhaled sharply, golden chains erupting from the sky to bind him, ensuring he wouldn't escape.

A stunned silence followed.

"Is that really you, Kara?" Diana asked, her eyes scanning the golden-clad warrior before her. The golden armor, the red cape, the undeniable power—it was like looking at something beyond a Kryptonian.

Kara turned to her, her blue eyes glowing with golden energy. "It's not just me." She tapped her armor. "Naruto and I—this is his armor form for situations like this."

Clark stared, his mind racing. He knew Kara wasn't on this level of strength alone—but this?

Naruto had always been a wild card, a powerhouse that defied logic, but this?

He hadn't expected this.

Naruto's voice echoed through the connection. "We can talk later. Right now, we have a battlefield to handle."

Their eyes turned to space, where another war raged.

Raven, Dr. Fate, and Zatanna held back interdimensional horrors, their magic shielding Earth from incoming threats.

Veritas and Kushina fired planetary cannons, cutting down incoming hostiles.

Jaime Reyes, pushing his Blue Beetle armor to the limits, battled hordes of cybernetic monstrosities.

Donna Troy and Martian Manhunter fought through enemy ranks, but—

Cyborg Superman was dismantling them.

He had already shut down all surrounding technology, rendering weapons useless. One by one, he was neutralizing the team, proving that brute force alone wasn't enough.

Kara sighed, glancing at the chaos.

"The story so far," she muttered, smirking. "In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move. So we might need to fix this misinformed perception."

Diana shook her head with an amused smile. Even now, Kara found humor in battle.

Golden light enveloped Kara as she teleported into space.

The moment she reappeared, she saw Raven mid-battle, her shadowy magic flaring like a living storm.

Kara couldn't help but appreciate how useful teleportation was.

"Raven, are you ready?" she asked.

Raven's expression didn't change. "Always."

The sorceress raised her hands, activating the spell circle she had set around this region for emergencies.

And this? Definitely counted.

It was insane. All of Naruto's plans were insane.

And yet—they worked.

By using Kara as his vessel, Naruto absorbed unlimited natural energy, surpassing any normal limitations. He wasn't constrained by a body's natural limits—because he wasn't the vessel.

Kara was.

As energy flooded into her, Naruto shaped it into pure solar energy, focusing it into her eyes.

Golden beams erupted.

The heat vision blast—brighter than the sun itself—pierced through space, striking every target within the spell circle.

Amplified by Raven's magic, the beams tore through the invading forces, vaporizing dozens in an instant.

The tide of battle shifted.

The League, watching from afar, finally understood something.

They had always been reactive.

Always responding after disaster struck.

But this?

This was different.

This was proactive warfare.

And Naruto had shown them the way.