Chapter 67

Kara, Impulse, and Jaime listened as the Naruto Android continued to speak in its calm, neutral voice.

"The Justice League and the vampires were exterminated by the combined forces of heroes, villains, and Earth's military."

Kara clenched her jaw.

"The remaining JL members were killed during the conflict and before it, leaving only Superman."

Impulse felt his stomach drop.

"Superman left the planet after seeing the result of Master's plan, following two years of imprisonment."

Kara's eyes narrowed as she massaged her temple.

"Nothing good came out of that nightmare..."

She muttered under her breath, exhausted from the weight of this future.

Jaime crossed his arms.

"Any clue where Superman went?"

The android shook its head.

"Unknown."

Impulse took a deep breath and asked another question.

"Alright, what about the other heroes and villains? Where the hell are they?"

"They all work under Master or became residents elsewhere. This planet is safe now, so they had no purpose anymore."

Jaime muttered, "No purpose, huh?"

The idea didn't sit right with any of them.

Kara frowned.

"So if we want to find Naruto, we're on our own?"

The android nodded.

"Yes. I will provide you with the latest galactic map. However, there has been no indication of Master's location in the past two years."

"Master is most likely taking a break."

Impulse snorted.

"A break? Your master is a control freak obsessed with peace and harmony."

"So the only thing we need to do is cause chaos."

Jaime raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Impulse grinned slightly, though his annoyance was evident.

"If Naruto really is watching over everything, he'll notice if we shake things up a little."

Kara, despite her initial hesitation, considered it.

This whole situation was too perfect. Too controlled.

They needed to test it.

The android tilted its head slightly.

"I would advise against it."

Impulse ignored it completely and turned to Jaime.

"So, how about we go outside and try blasting a forest somewhere?"

Jaime sighed, rubbing his face.

"You're really gonna make me do this?"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun."

Even Kara, stressed by everything she had learned, was tempted.

If this was Naruto's world, they needed to see just how far his control went.

Would he really let them cause even the smallest amount of chaos?

Kara crossed her arms, her blue eyes scanning the metallic walls of the base. Impulse was already itching to cause trouble, and Jaime was just tired of dealing with his antics.

"So you're telling me," Kara started, looking at the android, "that Naruto made a system so perfect that no one can even think about doing anything bad?"

The android nodded.

"Correct. Any malicious intent is immediately corrected before it can manifest into action."

Jaime raised an eyebrow.

"And what exactly happens if we do try?"

"Your conscience will automatically redirect your thoughts. If your intent is truly harmful, you will be paralyzed until it fades."

Impulse snorted.

"That sounds like some next-level brainwashing."

"It is not brainwashing," the android corrected, "it is enlightenment."

Kara narrowed her eyes.

"That's not how free will works."

The android simply responded with, "Master's methods are beyond conventional morality."

Impulse rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That just makes me want to test it even more."

Jaime groaned.

"Look, man, I'm not getting arrested by future-Naruto for blowing up a tree."

Impulse threw his hands in the air.

"You heard tin-can over here—there is no prison. The system stops us before we even do anything wrong!"

Kara tapped her chin, thinking.

"Then that means if we even try, we'll feel something stopping us."

Jaime sighed.

"And what happens if we don't feel anything?"

There was a brief silence.

Impulse grinned.

"Then that means Naruto's system isn't as perfect as it claims to be."

Kara gave him a look.

"You just want an excuse to break something, don't you?"

"No, no, no," Impulse held up his hands, "I'm saying we need to test this. If Naruto's system is this powerful, it means that he's literally controlling people's morality. That's… kinda terrifying."

Jaime rubbed his temples.

"I hate that you're making sense right now."

Kara took a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's go outside and test it."

Impulse fist-pumped.

"Finally, some action!"

Jaime groaned.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

The three of them flew out of the base, making their way towards a secluded forest near the city's outskirts.

The city of New Konoha looked peaceful—too peaceful. The streets were pristine, the people were smiling, and the entire atmosphere felt unnatural.

Kara, despite admiring Naruto, couldn't shake the same feeling.

Impulse cracked his knuckles.

"Alright. I'll go first."

He walked up to a massive tree and raised his hand, charging up a small energy attack.

Nothing happened.

Jaime and Kara watched him carefully.

Impulse's hand began to shake. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Okay… okay, what the hell?!"

His muscles locked up, and suddenly, he couldn't move. His body refused to let him fire the shot.

"I… I can't do it."

Kara narrowed her eyes.

"You're being restrained?"

Impulse gritted his teeth.

"Not physically—it's like my own mind is stopping me! I want to do it, but I can't!"

Jaime crossed his arms.

"So Naruto's system is literally overriding your intent."

Impulse's hands dropped to his sides as the paralysis faded. He let out a breath.

"That was so weird. It was like my conscience suddenly flipped a switch and said, 'Nope, you can't do that.'"

Kara stepped forward.

"Let me try."

She summoned her heat vision, locking onto a small rock.

She willed herself to fire.

Nothing happened.

A sudden wave of guilt and hesitation washed over her, like a powerful instinct telling her not to.

Kara gritted her teeth.

"It's like my own thoughts are betraying me."

Jaime frowned.

"What if I let Scarab take over? Would it affect him?"

Scarab's voice echoed in his mind.

"This system is bound to your consciousness. If I act independently, the system may still interfere."

Jaime sighed.

"Screw it, let's see."

His armor shifted, and Scarab activated a small energy cannon.

Jaime ordered it to fire.

His body refused to obey.

"Son of a—! Yeah, okay, I feel it now."

The three of them looked at each other.

This wasn't some force field or telepathic attack.

This was their own willpower being rewritten.

Impulse let out a long breath.

"Okay. So Naruto actually did it."

Kara crossed her arms.

"He's controlling morality itself."

Jaime rubbed his face.

"This is insane. How the hell do you fight something like this?"

Jaime rubbed his temples as he stared at the city.

"I guess he wasn't kidding about regretting it," he muttered.

Impulse, however, was far from calm. His fists clenched at his sides, and his foot tapped rapidly against the ground, the sheer frustration bubbling inside him like an active volcano.

"Fuck that robotic bastard," Impulse snarled, his voice sharp with irritation. "I am going to pick him apart if he doesn't give us a straight answer."

He had no time to admire the sheer brilliance of Naruto's system—he needed answers, and he needed them now.

But just as he was about to bolt towards the base, Kara stepped in front of him, her firm grip catching his wrist.

"Wait, let's think this through carefully," Kara said, voice measured and steady. "Maybe we can find a clue."

Impulse gritted his teeth, his body practically vibrating with pent-up energy. He wanted to do something, anything, to break through the oppressive peace suffocating this place. But he couldn't think straight, not with all this negativity clogging his mind like a fog.

Then, a familiar voice echoed in his thoughts.

"Negativity will make your thoughts a narrow passage. Learn to always keep a positive outlook. There is always more than one answer, and if you see only one, then you aren't looking closely enough."

Impulse snorted internally.

"Shut up, dream Naruto."

It was a phrase Naruto always told him whenever they sparred or tackled tough situations together.

Still, he forced himself to take a breath. Rushing in blind would get them nowhere.

Jaime, meanwhile, scanned the city.

"What could be important enough and easy to destroy?" he murmured, his eyes darting between different structures.

Kara's gaze hardened as she followed his line of thought.

"The statues of Golden Dawn or the moon base," she answered.

Impulse's eyes widened slightly. The Golden Dawn statues—massive monuments of Naruto, erected across the city—served as symbols of peace and unity. Meanwhile, the moon base was one of the most technologically advanced locations in the system, a hub for monitoring galactic affairs.

"Can we really do this?" Jaime hesitated. "What if this activates a worse security function? What if we get trapped on Prison Island?"

The mere mention of Prison Island sent a chill through them. Naruto's personal high-security containment zone—completely isolated from the rest of existence. There was no breaking out without a dimensional travel ability, and the place was devoid of resources to even attempt an escape.

"So our options are..." Impulse spoke aloud, processing their choices. "We either search for an unknown amount of time, or we destroy one of these two places in the hopes of forcing Naruto to come to us... at the risk of being imprisoned."

For a moment, silence hung between them.

Then—laughter.

Kara laughed.

Jaime immediately backed away, eyes widening in alarm.

"Why are you laughing? Did you snap from the pressure?"

Jaime quickly nudged Impulse forward like a human shield.

"Dude, I did not expect this from you," Impulse deadpanned, glancing over his shoulder.

Jaime huffed.

"I just think you're more suited to dealing with crazy supergirls."

Kara shook her head, grinning.

"We were being stupid."

Impulse frowned.

"How so?"

"Even if we get captured, Naruto will know about it," Kara explained, her eyes gleaming with realization. "If he knows, then he'll definitely come to us. That's what he does. That's what he's always done."

Jaime and Impulse stared at her, before simultaneously smacking their foreheads.

"Of course!" Jaime groaned. "That was so obvious!"

Impulse grinned.

"Alright, no more hesitation. Let's do this."

Kara nodded, taking command.

"You two handle the statue. I'll take care of the moon base."

Jaime grimaced.

"Wait, why do you get the moon base?"

Kara smirked.

"Because Scarab's hacking skills are needed to break into the city's systems, which means you need to be down here."

Jaime groaned.

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

Impulse smirked, already feeling the rush of adrenaline.

"Alright, time to break something important."

As Kara launched herself into the sky, heading straight for the moon base, Jaime and Impulse took off towards the Golden Dawn statues.

One way or another—Naruto was coming back.

The air crackled with the last remnants of destruction as Kara hovered in the sky, looking down at the ruins she had created. The moon base lay in shambles, its infrastructure shattered beyond recognition. In the city below, the towering Golden Dawn statues were nothing more than crumbling stone, broken beyond repair.

It had been so easy.

Yet now, with the deed done, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest.

'Hopefully, he has a way to fix all this… and hopefully, it's actually worth it.'

Her thoughts barely had time to settle before the world around her shattered like glass, and in the blink of an eye, she was somewhere else.

She found herself standing in a vast field of flowers, the soft petals swaying in the gentle breeze. The air smelled fresh, carrying the delicate fragrance of blooming nature. A lake stretched in the distance, its waters reflecting the starlit sky, and above the surface of the lake stood a traditional Japanese house on wooden stilts, its presence blending seamlessly with the serene environment.

The trees around them were massive, their blossoms a radiant pink, casting an otherworldly glow under the gentle night sky.

Tiny, luminescent fireflies and butterflies of light floated through the air, their soft radiance making the scene seem almost dreamlike.

Kara wasn't alone.

Jaime and Impulse stood behind her, equally mesmerized by the breathtaking scenery.

"He has really good taste. I would never have thought it from his usual choices," Impulse muttered absentmindedly.

Kara turned and glared at him, and he immediately shut up.

But before they could take another step toward the mysterious house, a voice stopped them in their tracks.

It wasn't just a voice. It was a melody, a song carried by the wind, so gentle and yet piercing, reaching into their very souls.

The words wove through the air, touching hidden emotions they had locked away.

🎵 Hotaru (Firefly) - Maiko Fujita

In the midst of the wet season

today after the rain

a lukewarm wind

blows through the quiet night streets

Summer draws near

Shining with light

It steals my gaze

I want to hold it

I want to try touching it

You are just like this firefly

Kara's breath caught. The voice was hypnotic, enchanting, and for a moment, all of her worries, frustrations, and doubts faded into nothing.

Her heart ached with each word, as if they were speaking directly to her soul.

🎵

Are you ready? I still want to look

Are you ready? At that heart

I can't tell how you feel

The more I want, the more it hurts

Even so, I could never hate you

To look at

the fireflies that gently

flutter in the air

from the place where I touched them just a little bit

is what I like the best

quietly, quietly

I can't hold it, I can't reach it

I can't hold it, that heart of yours

Her mind swirled with emotions.

Things she had ignored.

Things she had been afraid to acknowledge.

Things she had refused to accept.

She wanted Naruto.

More than a friend.

More than a comrade.

More than anything she had ever allowed herself to admit.

The realization hit her like a meteor.

The jealousy, the irritation whenever he was around other women—it had never been about concern or possessiveness. It had been because he was supposed to be hers.

She had always wanted him, but she had been too afraid to realize it.

'I can't believe I never realized it.'

"You would have realized it soon enough."

The familiar voice sent a shockwave through her body, and her head snapped up.

There he was.

Standing in front of her, bathed in the glow of the fireflies, was Naruto.

But he looked different.

This wasn't the Naruto she had last seen.

This was a man.

His face was calm, matured, his golden hair longer, flowing slightly with the night breeze. His eyes—those deep, warm blue eyes—held a look of understanding and something deeper.

He looked at her with a gentle, knowing expression.

Before she could even think, his hand grazed her cheek, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

For a moment, she felt lost in him.

She wanted him.

She wanted to hold him.

She wanted to be his.

She started to lean in.

But before she could close the distance, a hand stopped her.

Kara's eyes widened.

"No. He's mine."

She turned sharply—only to see another Kara.

Not a clone.

Not an illusion.

Not an alternate version.

It was her.

Or rather, it was her from the future.

Standing beside Naruto, older, wearing a beautiful traditional Japanese kimono, radiating the same glow as him.

They looked perfect together.

And it hit Kara all at once.

This wasn't just a vision.

This was her fate.