Chapter 70

As soon as the portal deposited them back into their own time, Kara, Jaime, and Impulse stumbled out, each of them looking like they had just gone through the most bizarre rollercoaster ride of their lives.

The moment the time machine stabilized, Impulse immediately turned to the others.

"Okay. First off—WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" he shouted, throwing his arms in the air. "Did that feel like some kind of fever dream to anyone else, or am I just losing it?"

Jaime rubbed his temples. "No, man, I feel it too. That whole trip was like stepping into an acid-fueled multiversal sitcom. What even was that guy?"

Kara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That was Naruto."

Jaime let out a dry laugh. "Naruto? You mean the guy who casually threw out things like 'Oh yeah, you all totally died once' like he was commenting on the weather?"

Impulse groaned. "And don't forget the absolute madness that came after. 'Oh, by the way, Krypton's back, you're all alive, I already fixed everything, lol!'" He waved his hands mockingly. "Like, DUDE! He could've told us that at the start! Instead, he let us freak out for nothing!"

Kara huffed. "I knew something was off when he was being so casual about everything."

Jaime's scarab chose that moment to chime in. "Analysis: Subject Naruto exhibits behaviors of a trickster deity, psychological manipulator, and probable cosmic comedian. Recommended course of action: Never take him seriously."

Impulse pointed aggressively at Jaime's armor. "SEE?! EVEN YOUR SCARAB GETS IT!"

Jaime let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "And then, right at the end, just as I was starting to calm down—BOOM! 'Oh yeah, don't forget to get help from another Naruto called 'The Emperor of Mankind.' Like… how many of this guy exist?!"

Impulse groaned. "Too many, apparently. And somehow, each one is crazier than the last!"

Kara was silent for a moment, arms crossed as she stared into the distance, processing everything.

Jaime noticed. "You okay, Kara?"

She let out a breath. "Honestly? I'm not sure. That whole experience was… surreal. But if what he said is true—if Krypton really is back… then I don't even know how to feel about it yet."

Impulse raised a hand. "Uh, you should be feeling happy. You know, because your home planet isn't a floating pile of space debris anymore?"

"I am happy," Kara said, though her expression remained uncertain. "But it also raises so many questions. What happened to my people? To my family? Is it the same Krypton, or did he change something? I don't even know if I should go see it."

Jaime nodded slowly. "Yeah… I get it. It's a lot to take in."

Impulse exhaled loudly. "Man, I feel like I need therapy after that. Between the time travel, Naruto's insanity, and the casual bombshells he kept dropping, my brain is fried."

Jaime patted his shoulder. "At least he didn't actually try to kidnap and memory-wipe us."

Impulse gave him a deadpan look. "Dude, that was literally his first joke."

Jaime blinked. "Okay, fair point."

Kara shook her head. "One thing's for sure—I am going to tell Superman about this. If Krypton is really out there… he deserves to know."

Impulse sighed. "And I guess we also have to tell our Naruto about the whole 'Emperor of Mankind' thing."

Jaime groaned. "I don't even wanna know what that means. I just hope it's not another guy who thinks messing with us is peak comedy."

Impulse chuckled dryly. "I wouldn't bet on it."

As the three of them stood there, still trying to process the sheer chaos they had just lived through, one thing was clear—this mission had turned out to be way more than they had ever bargained for.

And somehow, deep down, they all knew—this wouldn't be the last time they ran into Naruto's insanity.

The world had barely moved since their departure. Only a few minutes had passed, yet to Kara, Jaime, and Impulse, it felt like they had lived through years of chaos and revelations. With urgency pressing against their minds, the trio split up.

Kara took to the skies, her heart racing, carrying the weight of the future she had witnessed. She had no doubts about where she would find him.

Naruto was sitting on the moon, gazing at the Earth below, lost in thought. His presence, even from a distance, was as serene as it was overwhelming.

Without hesitation, Kara rocketed forward and smashed into him.

"One of these days, I am going to die from this abuse," Naruto groaned, adjusting to her weight on top of him.

"Shut up and listen."

Naruto blinked. Her tone was sharp, filled with something urgent—something he wasn't used to hearing from her. What happened?

Kara took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Then, before Naruto could process what was happening—

She kissed him.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. His mind went blank. He wasn't sure whether to push back or let go, but his heart—the damn thing—betrayed him.

The kiss wasn't elegant, nor practiced. It was a clumsy press of lips, but it was filled with intent, passion, and unspoken words that carried a lifetime's worth of meaning.

When they parted, Kara's eyes bore into his, waiting. Demanding.

"Do you understand?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto stared at her lips, still tingling from the unexpected kiss. His heartbeat was erratic, his mind caught in a whirlwind of confusion and longing.

"I… I understand," he finally muttered.

"Good."

She placed a hand over his mouth before he could ruin the moment with a self-deprecating remark.

"Listen to me, Naruto," she said firmly. "Sometimes, it's good to be selfish and listen to your heart. Some things are simple. Why do you make them so complex?"

Naruto remained silent, but his eyes searched hers for meaning.

Kara continued, her voice steady. "It is good to love many things. That's where true strength lies. And whoever loves much, performs much, accomplishes much. What is done in love is well done."

She kept her hand over his mouth as she felt him about to speak. She didn't want excuses. She didn't want doubts.

"Do you even understand what you're saying?" Naruto finally asked when she released him. "You're acting weird. Did Raven tell you something?"

Kara shook her head. "No. I understand exactly what I'm saying. And I know you love me. You love Raven. You love Veritas. And you've been running away from it, afraid that accepting this would be wrong. But I'm telling you now—it's not. I'm okay with it. I want it."

Naruto looked at her with something unreadable in his expression.

"I trust you," she said. "I believe that you can make us all happy. So stop acting like a coward. Accept that there are weird girls out there who can fall in love with your goofy self."

Naruto swallowed, his throat dry. "You're not going to give me time to think about it, are you?"

"No," Kara answered immediately. "Leaving someone like you alone with your thoughts is never a good thing."

Naruto let out a laugh, half nervous, half relieved. He had never imagined this moment—never thought he would be in a situation where someone would be forcing him to accept happiness.

"Here and now," Kara continued. "Decide."

Naruto hesitated. "What if I only choose Raven?"

Kara narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. "I dare you."

He had no response to that.

Then, he felt something shift inside him—a realization that had been buried under layers of fear and hesitation.

"Live the life of your dreams. Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations and opinions of others."

Naruto exhaled sharply. "I feel like this game was rigged from the start somehow."

Kara smirked. "Maybe it was."

Then, her smirk turned serious. "I met the future you, Naruto."

His expression changed instantly. "What?"

She nodded. "Only minutes ago. He was happy. He had his dream, but his past was filled with pain and loss. He gave us information to prevent a war."

Naruto listened, his mind racing. "What information?"

Kara explained everything—about the vampires, the virus, the stakes of the war that would break out if nothing was done. She left out certain things—things that didn't need to be spoken right now.

Naruto took a deep breath, absorbing the revelation. "So… we can actually do that? Spreading my chakra into pieces across time?"

Kara shrugged. "I don't know, but if your future self figured it out, then yeah. I'd say it's possible."

Naruto's mind spun at the possibilities. But then, another thought struck him. "Is there really no cure for the virus?"

Kara's expression turned grim. "No. He said we can either banish them or find a reality warper to rewrite their existence."

Naruto fell silent for a moment, thinking. Then, suddenly, he smiled.

"Then we won't do either."

Kara blinked. "What?"

"We won't banish them. We won't kill them. We'll stop the process and create a way for them to survive without killing humans."

Kara had expected to argue—expected to convince him why his plan was foolish. But…

It felt right.

Because this was Naruto—the person who always found another way.

She had no idea what part her future self had played in whatever tragedy had unfolded, but one thing was clear—she didn't want that Naruto.

She wanted this one.

"You're not going to call me crazy?" Naruto asked, watching her carefully.

Kara shook her head. "No. Your choice makes sense. The vampires are people of Earth, too. Exiling them would be punishing them for something they had no control over."

Naruto's grin widened. "I'm happy you see that."

"Then let's go. We need to tell the League before we start moving."

Kara turned to leave, but then—

"One more kiss first," she said, giving him a teasing smirk.

Naruto's heart stuttered. Then, he smirked back. "Glad you asked."

This time, he didn't hold back. He pulled her close, cupping her face, and kissed her like his life depended on it.

Kara melted into him, arms wrapping around his shoulders.

In that moment, all the doubts, all the fears—they didn't matter anymore.

Because she had made her choice.

And so had he.

Naruto held her tighter. I'm never letting them go. I will never let them down.

Love was never easy. It never stayed the same.

But it was worth it.

Kara felt her breath hitch as Naruto deepened the kiss, his hands gently caressing the sides of her face. Unlike the first time, this was no hesitant exploration—this was Naruto, her Naruto, finally embracing what had been right in front of him.

She had thought about this moment before, in stolen glances and fleeting fantasies, but the real thing? It was overwhelming.

She clung to him, feeling the warmth radiating off his body despite the cold emptiness of space around them. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his cloak, grounding herself in the reality of his presence.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads touched, both catching their breath.

"Okay," Naruto finally said, his voice slightly raspy. "That was definitely better than the first one."

Kara smirked, brushing a strand of golden hair from her face. "Well, yeah. That one was just to get your brain working. This one was because I wanted to."

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

Kara grinned. "You're just figuring that out now?"

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I was just scared, Kara. Scared of messing things up, scared of making the wrong choice. I didn't want to hurt any of you."

Kara's expression softened. "And that's exactly why you won't mess this up."

She placed a hand over his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. "You're not alone, Naruto. You never were. And you don't have to carry everything by yourself."

He looked down at her hand, then back at her face. "I know," he admitted. "But it's hard to break old habits."

Kara smiled. "Good thing you have me to help you with that, then."

Naruto let out a breath and pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on top of her head. "I don't deserve you."

Kara scoffed. "Oh, shut up."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes, determination shining in hers. "You deserve every bit of love that comes your way, Naruto. Stop acting like it's some impossible thing for people to care about you."

Naruto blinked at her, then let out a small laugh. "You're not going to let me mope even for a second, huh?"

"Not a chance," Kara grinned.

They stayed like that for a while, floating in space, the Earth glowing softly below them. It was peaceful, the kind of peace that only came after embracing something terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

But reality was still waiting for them.

"So," Naruto finally said, breaking the silence, "about the vampires."

Kara exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "Right. That whole situation."

Naruto's expression turned serious. "If we're really going to do this—if we're going to find a way for them to survive without hurting humans—we need to act fast. The League is probably already preparing for war."

Kara nodded. "Yeah, and that's why Jaime and Bart went to talk to them. Hopefully, they can stall long enough for us to get everyone on board with your plan."

Naruto smirked. "We're really about to change the future, huh?"

Kara crossed her arms. "Well, yeah. That's kind of the whole point of time travel, isn't it?"

Naruto chuckled. "I guess so."

A moment of silence passed between them before Naruto turned to her again.

"Thank you, Kara."

Kara tilted her head. "For what?"

"For… everything. For making me face this. For believing in me."

She smiled, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from his face. "Always."

Then, with a playful grin, she nudged him in the chest. "Now, come on. We have a planet to save."

Naruto grinned back. "Right behind you."