Naruto Uzumaki: Mystic Fox of Young Justice

Written By: Rave Rose of Twilight

Warning: I don't own Naruto, Inuyasha, anything from the DC Universe, or anything from where I get my demon summons from. I also don't own any characters from other series such as InuYasha or Dragon Age. You have been warned.

Author's Note: I know it's been a while since I updated a lot of my stories, but I have been working on transferring them from my phone to my comp. However, I will not post a chapter that I'm not happy with and between my job, family tragedies, and things generally outside of my control, I have only been able to update a few with maybe 100 words a day, if that. So please. Stop reviewing with things like 'Update this fiction' or anything that isn't constructive criticism. I do have a life outside of Fanfiction and I am not about to start spamming updates every day if a chapter isn't finished.

Chapter Six: Independence Day: Trial by Fire and Ice!

Two years have passed since his twelfth birthday and a Zeta Tube had been built in Naruto's home. He'd gone on various missions with a handful of Leaguers, though most of his time was spent with Wonder Woman or his more recent acquaintance, John Constantine. He met Constantine on a mission in London where there was a massive spike in supernatural activity. He was bound to a cross made with steel I-beams and his wrists had been slit. Reluctantly, after getting a taste of Constantine's personality first-hand, he release him and tended to his wounds. Surprisingly, Kurama and Constantine hit it off like a couple of best friends and the fox had managed to convince him to help teach Naruto a few of his tricks.

Naruto would admit, though only behind closed doors and if confronted about it would deny ever saying anything as he proceeded to magically warp the inquisitor into multiple planes of existence while beating the hell out of them, that Constantine was incredibly smart, incredibly talented, and often incredibly lucky. Likewise, Constantine would admit, very begrudgingly, that Naruto had a lot of power and could be a mage on par with the famous wizard Merlin or Mephisto Pheles. Of course, to reach those levels, he would need to be trained quite extensively.

Between missions with Constantine and Wonder Woman, it was only a slight surprise when Naruto had actually been invited to speak with the Greek Pantheon through Wonder Woman, who had received word from her mother that they wished to speak with him.

What surprised Wonder Woman was that Naruto was able to garner the respect of many of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. Hades, Hecate, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, and Poseidon all liked Naruto's personality and his respect of their domains. When Ares and Zeus demanded his respect, they were coldly rejected as he said he only respected those that respected him in turn. This actually turned Hera to his side since Zeus never respected her or her domain by trying to remain faithful to her.

Still, aside from earning the ire of Zeus and Ares, the meeting had ended better than expected and Naruto had earned a great many allies from the Greek Pantheon. Oddly enough, the Amazonian Princess noticed Hecate was doing her best to get close to Naruto every chance she got. Diana wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or not that Naruto was so painfully oblivious to women who were trying to show interest in him.

Literally, short of going out of your way and telling him explicitly that you were interested in pursuing a relationship with him, he was likely to take even the most obvious signs of flirting as simply being friendly.

That wasn't to say that he was not interested in women. Oh no. He was just as healthy as any young man his age. She would occasionally catch him subtly taking small passing glances her way when he thought she wasn't looking. To her, it was actually kind of cute to see him blush and she was flattered that he did not leer at her like some men did. He just seemed incapable of picking up on the signs that there were a few women around his age and a few older, if Hecate was anything to go by, were attracted to him.

At the end of the meeting, it was discovered that since she was a 'minor' Greek Goddess and Naruto was already becoming a powerful individual, that he was able to make a contract with Hecate. When Athena or Artemis tried to do this, it was discovered that he was simply not quite powerful enough to form a contract with major Goddesses and Gods and largely lacked the power needed to summon them. Summoning Hecate would be somewhat easier since she was a Goddess of Magic, but he only had enough power to summon her twice a day. Until he became more powerful, it was agreed that she would be best summoned to teach him Greek Magic using the Mist and as an emergency summon if he needed her to fight alongside him.

Today, a young man stood atop a palm tree, swaying in the cool breeze. He was currently in Florida, but this wasn't typical Florida weather. After all, it isn't often that Florida is covered in ice and snow and a giant floating fortress made of ice was hovering overhead.

The young man placed his fingers to his ear. "Mystic Fox to Justice League," he called.

"Mystic Fox, this is Justice League. Go ahead," called the voice of Superman over the radio.

"Florida's experiencing an ice storm the likes of which are virtually impossible to achieve normally and I've got my eyes on a floating fortress of ice at its epicenter," he responded. "According to Kent and Constantine, there was a spike in demonic and supernatural activity here. My best guess is that the entity causing it is an Ice Demon."

"Understood, but most available Leaguers are busy with similar problems. Can you handle this on your own," Superman asked cautiously. It wasn't that he didn't believe in Naruto's abilities, but more of a matter of how great a threat was being posed. The situation was largely unknown and that was something nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of. If the threat was too great for Naruto to handle, it could end in his death and Naruto had begun to grow on a few of the Leaguers, reminding them why they became heroes in the first place.

"I hope so," Naruto answered. "If the demon is stronger than I hope it is, I may need to call for some backup."

"Alright," Superman answered. "I have a few Leaguers and myself on standby. If you need us, send up the distress signal. Justice League out."

As soon as the radio signal had been dropped, Naruto sighed to himself before donning his porcelain mask. If other heroes were occupied with similar incidents, then it wasn't a far stretch of the imagination that the people behind this event were working in conjunction with the other ice villains. It also meant that this wasn't just a minor supernatural event, but likely a precursor to a more serious event that would happen in the future. Regardless, he needed to deal with the threat now before it got out of hand.

He drew a card from his sleeve and channeled his Mana into it. "I call upon thee from the depths of Hell! Summoning: Kagura!"

In a veil of wind and feathers, a woman appeared before him. She had long black hair tied into a knot with two feather decorations holding it together and crimson eyes that seemed to pierce into ones soul. She wore an elaborate dancer's kimono with one sleeve hanging at her side, revealing another robe worn over a green kosode, a slim yellow obi tied at the front rather than behind, and a simple, yet elegant fan in her hand.

She had a seductive beauty to her that made many men's heads turn. He had met her when he had been directed to a location with a massive outpouring of demonic activity. When he got there, he had been forced to fight one of the most powerful demons he had ever encountered, a former human who absorbed the essence of thousands of demons into his body and became the demon known as Naraku. Kagura had been a wind sorceress enslaved to Naraku. When Naruto finally managed to seal away Naraku into a medallion that he promptly threw into the middle of the hottest volcano in the world, ending the threat Naraku would pose to the world. He returned Kagura's heart and she had, right then and there, sworn her loyalty to him for freeing her from captivity and allowing her to become like the wind she coveted, signing a contract with him and telling him to call on her whenever she was needed.

And now...he definitely seemed to need her.

"How can I serve you," she asked, her voice carrying a certain level of seduction to it.

"We've got to take down that ice fortress," Naruto/Mystic Fox informed her, pointing a finger up to the hovering tower. "I would have summoned Matatabi, but I'm afraid her flames would melt the ice fortress too fast and put the lives of the people of Tampa in danger. Do you think you can get us both up there? If whatever or whoever it is that caused this is too strong, I'll need someone I trust to have my back while I call for backup from the League."

Kagura felt her heart flutter at those words. Naruto trusted her to help him and keep him safe if matters took a turn for the worst. She swore that when she managed to escape from Naraku's grasp, she would spend the rest of her days like the wind: free. After he promised to help her gain the freedom that she sought, she didn't think much of him and expected him to die against Naraku. However, as he fought Naraku, somehow shrugging off his most toxic Miasma and using a powerful Wind Magic to keep it from harming anyone else, she had silently begun to pray that he would win. His power surprised Naraku and it was beginning to irritate him that a human could even stand up to him.

Slowly, but surely, Naruto began to overpower Naraku. No matter how many poisonous demons he sent at Naruto, the boy refused to give up. And as the fight went on, Kagura had actually begun to develop a crush on the obviously powerful human. Never in all of her years of life had she witnessed a human come so close to defeating Naraku until he finally made the powerful demon slip up, resulting in his eventual sealing and rapid demise in the belly of an active volcano.

When Naruto returned her heart, granting her the freedom she had always dreamed of, she knew that she was deeply in love with him.

"I'll do my best," Kagura replied before removing one of the ornamental feathers from her hair and throwing it in the air. It was engulfed by wind. When the wind vanished, the feather had become large enough to be the size of a throw rug. The two of them stepped on the giant feather and with a little bit of Wind Magic, it took off, cutting through the sky toward the ice fortress like a hot knife through butter. As they neared the fortress, a loud boom alerted them to ice cannonballs being fired toward them.

Naruto stood up, as did Kagura. A white hot flame magically appeared in the palm of his hand. "Ready, Kagura," he asked with a smirk behind his mask.

"As ready as you are," she replied.

"Hellfire Blaze," he called in Latin, throwing out a powerful burst of white-hot fire.

"Dance of the Dragon," Kagura called, unleashing a spiraling burst of wind toward the white fires.

Together, they had combined to become a massive white dragon of fire that engulfed the cannonball of ice, leaving nothing behind. Kagura used her power over wind to move the Hellfire Dragon, as she now called it, allowing it to sweep and completely destroy every single cannonball that had been fired from the fortress, preventing them from damaging the landscape anymore than it already had.

Once they had gotten out of range from the cannonballs, they allowed the Hellfire Dragon to fade and touched down at the top of the fortress. The feather erupted in another tower of wind and returned to its normal size, leaving behind a large hole between them as Kaguya returned it into her hair.

The two dropped into the fortress and Naruto's eyes narrowed behind his mask as a silent groan echoed through his mind. "Really," he said flatly, causing the four men in the room to jump at the familiar voice that chorused in their nightmares.

"Gah," cried the leader of the group, his entire body was shaking at the sight of the ever familiar hero before straightening and letting loose an evil cackle. "So my arch nemesis arrives just as I'd expected!"

Kaguya turned toward him, jabbing her thumb at the leader. "Do you know this guy," she asked, causing said leader to squawk indignantly.

"No," Naruto said, feigning ignorance and getting the 'leader' to squawk indignantly once more.

"Don't say something like that so casually," he shouted angrily while pointing his finger in his general direction. "Every time Brother Blood asks me to do his bidding, you always find some way to stop me! You have been a thorn in Brother Blood's side for far too long, Mystic Fox! And he has personally given me the tools to destroy you!"

Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Just...please surrender," Naruto asked. "I've got this thing going on in a few hours and I don't want to be the last one there."

"You...you can't just ask me to surrender," the leader whined. "You're my arch nemesis! We're supposed to have this massive clash of will and power that shakes the foundation of the world!"

Naruto gave the grown man 'the look'. "You read too many comic books," Naruto said flatly. "If you make me late to this thing, the next time I see you, I will make the rest of your life a living hell. You know that, right?"

"Bah," the leader spat, taking a dagger and slicing open his palm. Tendrils of blood touched the bodies of the three other cultists in the room. Their eyes took on a blank expression and their weapons glowed with a crimson hue. "Kill them both!"

Two of the cultists charged Naruto and Kagura, their one-handed sword and warhammer glowing as they swung toward them. However, Kagura had pushed her hand forward and the warhammer had stopped mid-swing. Naruto, focused on the sword-wielding opponent and the bowman, charged up one of the few spells he had mastered to the point of not needing to use Latin to cast it and threw out his palm. Shards of ice that were on the ground rose up and formed a shield that blocked the incoming arrows and sword strike. With a wave of his hand, the impromptu shield flung itself toward the leader, who was forced to dodge with a squeak as the disk shattered upon impact with the ice wall.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots," the leader shrieked. "KILL THEM!"

Kagura drew one of her fans and lashed out with a swipe, sending a burst of air that threw the hammer-wielding thrall into a wall, where he collapsed unconscious. Naruto, however, charged his fist with the power of lightning and thrust it toward the swordsman. The resulting impact cause him to be sent flying back, eventually joining his companion in the realm of unconsciousness.

"Vacuum Sphere," Naruto said in Latin as a dome of wind surrounded the bowman. When the bowman realized that he was not breathing, he struggled to free himself before succumbing to unconsciousness. The vacuum broke before any more damage could possibly be incurred. The two slowly walked up to the leader of the group, who was now cowering behind the ice demoness. "Surrender."

The leader's lip quivered before he hung his head. "Fine," he said weakly, allowing Naruto to mend the wound on his hand after he was bound with his hands behind his back with zip ties to prevent him from casting any more Blood Magic. While Kagura dragged him away, Naruto examined the ritual that bound the ice demoness. She was in the center of a pentagram drawn in what Naruto suspected to be blood. A barrier surrounded her and crimson chains bound her body to the pentagram's five tips. Whenever a jolt of mana passed through the chains, she would release a pained scream which the barrier had barely been able to contain.

Now that he had a moment, he could finally observe the ice demoness with his undivided attention. She had icy blue skin, dark blue hair, white eyes, a pair of small, blue, leathery wings, and a tail common among devilkin. Her skin was slightly crimson where the crimson chains had bound her. All she had on was a loincloth that looked ready to fall apart at a moment's notice. Her body was toned, but not defined by muscle like he'd seen from many male devilkin. Rather, she was incredibly attractive.

If the situation had been different, he might have considered asking her out on a date should she have proven to be benevolent.

Hey! Dating a benevolent demon wasn't against any rules! So don't judge! Not to mention, this demoness was hot. Heh. A hot Ice Demoness. The irony of the statement was not lost on him.

"Don't worry," he said as he further studied the pentagram. "You will be free shortly."

His eyes landed upon a small area of the ritual that wasn't usually found in rituals performed by the Church of Blood. Leave it to that idiot to try and strengthen the ritual and instead end up weakening it. He pulled out a stick of incense, lit it using some mild fire magic, and began to chant in Latin. The barrier seemed to bulge and withdraw into itself the longer he chanted and the Ice Demoness seemed to be pushing her own power through the chains that bound her when she likely felt the ritual weakening significantly enough for her to make an attempt.

He chanted even louder, adding more mana into the cleansing ritual before watching the barrier shatter like glass. The chains shattered and faded into obscurity, letting the ice demoness fall to her knees as she greedily took huge breaths of air to try and regain her strength. Even the blood pentagram began to flake and the wind carried its flakes into the air where they disappeared along with any magic that was within them.

Naruto knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "It's alright," he said softly. "You're safe now."

She looked up and her eyes met his. She smiled softly. "Thank you...for freeing me from their spell," she said, her voice carrying with it a certain level of seductiveness. Again, a common trait among devilkin. It helped them manipulate humans when they met them. "If there's anything I can do to repay you for your help, just ask."

"Actually, I had a few things to ask you," Naruto said. "The first thing I wanted to ask you was if you'd be interested in making a contract with me." Her eyes widened. "I've been learning to summon and form contracts with demons since I started to train and since you're a powerful demoness, I wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to make a contract with me?"

"Of course," she replied happily. "It would be my pleasure to form a contract with you."

Within a matter of seconds, Naruto had received a new card with details on Haku, as he came to understand was her name, and when she would be available. "Now that we're partners, do you think you could get rid of all of the ice, snow, and the fortress, Haku?"

Haku nodded and took Naruto's hand in hers. "Hold on tight," she warned. "This could get disorienting."

Before Naruto knew what was happening, both he and Haku had disappeared in a flurry of snow. By the time Naruto opened his eyes, the two of them along with Kagura and the four idiot Blood Mages of the Church of Blood were laying on the ground unconscious.

As the two demonesses and hero stood overlooking the frozen wasteland of Tampa, Florida, Haku waved her hand across the air. Everywhere her hand passed over, the ice and snow was swiftly carried away by the wind where it melted over the ocean and the magic that held it together returned to Haku. As the mana returned to her, the wounds and burns across her body began to vanish until her skin was blemish free.

"Thank you for the help, Haku," Naruto said with a warm smile. "We couldn't have done this without you."

Haku's cheeks gained a violet tint before she wrapped Naruto in a hug. Kagura cleared her throat in clear agitation when she noticed the hug go on for longer than most casual hugs went. "I should get going," she replied. "Call me whenever you need my help." Then something struck her. She didn't know his name. "I don't think I've asked, but what's your name?"

"Naruto," he replied. "Naruto Uzumaki."

That name caused her to pause. For some reason, she felt like she should know that name from somewhere. It was familiar, yet foreign. Like a memory long since forgotten was trying to worm its way back into her mind. She shook herself from her thoughts and gave a final wave to Naruto before vanishing in a flurry of snow back to her domain.

"I should be going too, Naruto," Kagura said with a smile. Like Haku, she vanished in a pillar of wind that barely shifted the grass beneath her to her domain.

Naruto sighed before placing his fingers to his ear. "Mystic Fox to Justice League."

"Mystic Fox, this is the Justice League," answered the familiar tone of Batman.

"Mission accomplished," he answered. "Florida's no longer a frozen tundra and the Blood Mages are in custody, but I'll need a ride. The closest Zeta Tube is two states away and I don't feel like wasting half of my magic traveling across the country. Anyone available?"

"One moment," was the response and Naruto was put on hold. "Wonder Woman is available. She'll be there shortly."

"Thanks. Mystic Fox out."

Within moments, Wonder Woman aka. Diana Prince, was walking toward him. Her eyes examined the knocked out Blood Mages with some form of disgust. "The Gods are stirring and becoming more restless with each passing day," she said as she looked at Naruto, who had his back to her and his gaze to the sky.

"Because a Darkness is coming," Naruto replied. "Constantine. The old man. Doctor Fate. They can all sense it. With each new Hell Gate that gets opened, more demons and parademons rush through as if the flood gates of Hell are open and it's open season on humanity. And with more Blood Mages showing up, more portals are being opened. Blood Mages are becoming a growing force to be reckoned with. Revelations. Ragnarok. Call it what you will, but the end of the world is growing closer and closer to becoming reality."

Diana frowned in thought. "Is there no way to prepare," she asked, her fist clenched in a mixture of rage and protectiveness.

"There's only so much we can do," Naruto explained. "With the Gods practically forbidding themselves from directly interfering in our affairs, everyone capable of using Magic is doing their best to shut down the portals to Hell, but there isn't nearly enough of us and for every portal we shut down, a dozen more appear to take its place. It's only a matter of time before the Circle of Magi needs to be brought back from the annals of humanity to fight the coming Darkness."

Diana merely nodded, unaware on how to respond to that statement. She remembered mentions of the Circle of Magi from the library on Themyscira. An order of Mages, Demigods, creatures of Fey, and other supernatural beings that gathered together under Merlin and Mephistopheles to combat a powerful force of evil known only as The Darkness that threatened to swallow the world. It isn't known if they were victorious or not, though it was suspected since humanity still walked the Earth.

The two turned away from the depressing notion that humanity's number might finally be up and chatted about other matters in hopes of distracting themselves from darker thoughts. The flight wasn't long. The Blood Mages were locked away with numerous arrays to prevent them from using any form of magic and Diana and Naruto were on their way to meet up with the others at the Hall of Justice.

After all, it was Independence Day...

Naruto, still wearing his uniform save for his mask, which had been placed on his hip, walked through the doors and spotted his friends. Kaldur was the first to notice him and smiled in greeting.

"It's good to see you, my friend," he said as the two shook hands. "I hope Florida didn't cause you any problems."

Naruto shook his head. "No. Just a couple of Blood Mages from the Church of Blood that managed to take control of an Ice Demoness named Haku," Naruto replied smoothly. "After I beat them, I managed to make a contract with Haku and returned Florida to the nice, tropical climate it always has."

"Good to hear," called Batman, who was standing in front of the other founding members of the Justice League save for Superman, who was strangely absent from the scene. "We're going to be discussing the matters of so many ice-themed villains and the Ice Demoness suddenly appearing soon."

"I know," Naruto said gruffly. Batman always kind of irked him. The guy was just too stiff. "I've got to report things to the old man and...Constantine too. They need to know about the Blood Mages." He sighed as he sat down in a rather comfortable chair. "I swear it feels like I've been working myself to the bone to shut down these portals and the Blood Mages. I need a vacation. I can only wonder how Zatanna, her dad, and the other Homo Magi are holding up with all of the sudden demonic activity popping up."

"You've been doing an admirable job in deterring them, Fox," Diana said with pride in her voice. "Forging contracts with supernatural beings. Fighting Blood Mages. Shutting down Hell Gates. For someone your age to have already done so much, it's something to be proud of. But don't run yourself ragged by doing too much. There are others who can pick up the slack so that you can rest and recover."

Ever since he'd been getting mentored by other League members, Wonder Woman, aka Diana of Themyscira, had become a more motherly figure to him. She always encouraged him to do his best and what he felt was right. When he got hurt on the job fighting a powerful force, with the help of other powerful heroes and heroines, she was usually the first one to show up at the hospital and wish him a speedy recovery.

He remembered one time how he, Diana, and Constantine had ended up fighting Solomon Grundy. He ended up throwing up a barrier to try and deflect Grundy's charge, but the force of the impact sent him tumbling away and he ended up breaking his leg against a dumpster he crashed against. He watched as Diana tore through Grundy with a fury he'd only seen when he found himself face-to-face with Ares, the God of War, himself. Of course, he helped her by casting some support spells he'd developed over the years using his personal spell key, but for the most part, he and Constantine were forced to watch from a very safe distance as she completely destroyed Grundy, revealing that a magical artifact had been tied to him and allowed him to absorb their magical attacks far faster than had been recorded prior.

Naruto nodded in thanks with a warm smile as his body finally seemed to relax into the comfortable seat.

He closed his eyes and entered a meditative trance. He'd learned how to do this on long trips in order to prepare for the battles to come. It helped him relax, but also allowed his mind to stay sharp. Meditation was a gift from Athena, he swore to whoever asked about it.

It wasn't even more than fifteen minutes into his trance before it was broken by the sound of a door slamming shut and rather violently. His eyes flickered back to life as they scanned the room, finding it devoid of Speedy, Green Arrow's partner. "Did I...miss something," he asked hesitantly, getting looks from those gathered, including the tardy Kid Flash and The Flash.

"You were meditating," announced Martian Manhunter.

"I was tired," Naruto replied. "Hard to sleep sitting in a chair, so I did the next best thing. That and it's a quick way to replenish my Mana short of actually sleeping."

"You must teach me your technique some time," Kaldur said with a chuckle. Naruto gave a sheepish grin to his aquatic friend.

"Maybe," Naruto said. "So, anyway, what's the deal? We get free run of this place?"

"You have free access to anywhere that is not specified as Official League Members Only," Batman said. "This includes the gym, the lounge, and other areas of the Hall of Justice."

"Sounds fun to me," Naruto said with a grin. "Has the fridge been stocked or is that up to us, cause if that's the case, I don't think I'll be hanging around here often. You know. Got my home in Salem and the Tower of Fate has everything I don't have at my place."

"We figured as much, but we have updated your personal Zeta Tube's coding to grant you access to the Hall of Justice," Batman answered. "Just in case you are needed, of course."

"Wait a minute," Kid Flash interrupted. "He has a personal Zeta Tube?! At his house?!"

"Well, duh," Naruto replied smartly. "If I used all of my Mana teleporting to wherever an emergency is, I'd be pretty useless to anyone who needed my help and expertise. I don't have an unlimited amount of Mana at my fingertips. Aside from that, I do have obligations to attend school in Salem, so I can't just live somewhere like Metropolis, Gotham, or Star City. It'd be inconvenient and annoying to travel back and forth on the weekends."

This got Robin, Kaldur, and a few of the Leaguers to laugh while Wally sulked.

"Superman to Justice League," Came Superman over the main computer screen. "A fire was reported at Cadmus Labs."

"Cadmus," Batman hummed to himself. "This could be an opportunity to investigate them."

"This is Zatara to Justice League," came Zatara as the screen split between himself and Superman. "The sorcerer Wotan is threatening to blot out the sun with the Amulet of Aten. Need full League assistance." Naruto felt his body tense at the mention of Wotan's name. His blue eyes narrowed.

"Superman," Batman asked.

"It's just a small fire," the Man of Steel replied. "The local authorities should be able to handle it."

Naruto stood up. "I'm going with you to fight Wotan," he said harshly, causing Batman to narrow his eyes.

"You two have history." It sounded like a question, but came out like a statement.

"He's one of the people training the Blood Mages we run into," Naruto said. "Unlike the Church of Blood's Blood Mages, Wotan's have been infinitely more dangerous."

"How so," Batman asked.

"Naraku was one of them," Naruto replied harshly, causing many to flinch.

That name was one that was practically imprinted into the minds of the Justice League. A Blood Mage who absorbed demons into himself. Naruto fought him for days before finally coming out victorious, but it was not without injury. Naruto had been heavily poisoned by Naraku's Miasma throughout their battle and he'd nearly died as a result. Even with Kurama purging the poison from his system, he'd been practically catatonic for weeks until the last of the poison had been purged from his body.

After performing a few tests, it was discovered that Naruto, thanks to having been poisoned so heavily by the Miasma, had developed an immunity to almost every poison in the world short of the truly lethal ones. Many of the Leaguers and their proteges who had befriended the young mage-in-training had visited at least once to see how he was doing.

It was no wonder why he held a grudge against the sorcerer. If anyone else were in his shoes, they would likely feel the same. Even Batman understood this fact.

"As much as we could use the support, Wonder Woman's right," Batman said somewhat reluctantly. "You've been running yourself ragged shutting the Hell Gates that pop up and fighting Blood Mages 24/7. Take today off. Go home. Get some rest. We can handle Wotan."

Naruto wanted to argue, but even he could admit that what Batman said was true and the look Diana was giving him to do as Batman said was enough to convince him that doing otherwise would result in a long talk about pushing ones limits.

"I...guess you're right," he admitted, getting a few shocked looks from Robin and Kid Flash, though Kaldur looked more understanding. "Kurama would tear me a new one for going out in such a sorry state and I'm sure...Wonder Woman would be right behind him doing the same thing once he got done." He'd gotten so used to being able to speak with Diana so casually that he almost forgot the tourists who were watching and likely listening in that he almost said her real name out loud. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

In a flash of light, Naruto had vanished from sight. Seconds later, Naruto was laying in his bed, his eyes drooping tiredly as he failed to try and stay awake. Before long, Hypnos had claimed the last energy from him and granted him a blissful nights sleep.

Tomorrow, he would be in for a surprise...