Chapter 6

He had been questioning why the man decided to take the girl to the watchtower rather than a hospital until it was disclosed that the girl was his cousin, who had been placed into a coma due to a cryostasis chamber.

Batman brought her to the batcave's safety, leaving him alone for the remainder of the afternoon with a quiet Martian and a restless Martian for companionship.

With Green Lantern unavailable, Naruto was summoned to tidy up in the batcave after the recently awakened girl had wrecked fifty thousand dollars' worth of gear.

Usually, he would decline or at least decline to do it without payment, but Batman's annoyance at having to allow him to finally enter the batcave made tidying up the mess worthwhile.

He managed to extort Batman for a sum of a dozen thousand dollars for disposal and also got a good view of the naked Kryptonian.

His initial guilt had faded when she turned out to be older than even Superman.

Things had proceeded quite normally after that, but he still felt down about not being able to see someone he had been looking forward to.

By the time his shift concluded, Manhunter had Zeta'd him far from his home. That indifferent jerk.

Either the alien had started to appreciate the humor in poorly timed pranks or Batman had bribed him to feel that way.

Regardless, it was a lengthy and monotonous journey back home. A jog that became even more bothersome when a heavy downpour began just as he arrived in his city.

And there he sat, with a complete bowl of ramen on his table, his laundry in the dryer, his doors secured, and the anti-intrusion seals engaged.

He'd engage in some training before going to bed and discovering what the next day would bring. He began getting ready to employ the Hiraishin that would lead him to his underground training chambers when a knock sounded at his door.

'It better not be some Junior League member looking to stay at my place again,' he thought with annoyance. He eternally lamented the day he allowed the group of apprentices to rest and recover in his home.

A few of them now appeared whenever they felt too lazy to travel to the closest Zeta beam. The rain would serve as a solid reason for them to rely on this evening.

He approached the door, berating himself for not setting up a camera outside and channeling his chakra in case he needed to call forth a kunai.

He cracked the door open a bit and glanced outside. He narrowed his eyes momentarily before they grew wide at the sight of who he recognized.

"Dinah?" He questioned in disbelief. Certainly, she would frequently visit his home, but she hadn't come at this moment and never without prior notice.

Dinah Lance looked back at him from the other side of the door, her clothes drenched, her shining blond hair a bit frizzy from the rain, and an air of mild agitation surrounding her.

She was breathing lightly, indicating that she had hurried here but from only a short distance. It's probable that an event occurred that caused her to arrive here. Based on her attire, it seemed unrelated to 'work.'

"Hello, Naruto," Dinah said to him with an obviously strained smile. No grin, that was an ominous indication. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Um, of course," he swung the door wide and stepped aside to allow her to enter. He observed that her steps lacked the typical confidence.

Whatever upset her enough to dash through the rain to his home must have been something significant.

She draped herself on the couch, her figure leaning forward as she closed her eyes. Naruto observed her moment with a hint of concern. What was going on with her?

She didn't murder anyone, did she? Certainly, she was aware of how to kill, but the knowledge and the act itself were primarily distinct. He sat down next to her.

"Well...what's going on with you?" "You've never come to see me at this hour before," he began. "Your actions are quite concerning."

She widened her eyes and glanced at him. "Not a lot, honestly." Thank you for allowing me to enter. It's simply...one of those unfortunate events that occur in life."

Naruto lifted an eyebrow. Given that she scolded him nearly every time he swore, it felt odd to hear her do it too. What a hypocrite she is.

"Awful stuff, isn't it?" "Could you please explain what that unfortunate thing is?" He inquired. "I may just have an incredible solution to present."

"Lan-" she halted in the middle of her word, glancing at his smiling face. A tiny smile appeared on her face. "Honestly, I don't believe I'm in the mood to share with you."

"Then I'll make a guess." "Let me guess... you were let go?"

"I'd be drowning my sorrows at the bar if that took place."

"Did you take someone's life?"

"What do you mean?" No. "What made your thoughts reach that point?"

"I'm not sure; errors occur." It's similar to trying to share your girlfriend's explicit photos, but they accidentally get mixed with your sister's, leading you to unintentionally post parts of both.

"I'm uncertain about it.. just.. that's not it." Dinah shot him a peculiar glance. Her smile had grown wider, but she gazed at him as if questioning why he wasn't in Arkham or elsewhere.