Patronus Maximus
Chapter I: Patronus Maximus
Life certainly had many challenges for Naruto Uzumaki from the moment he was born on October 10 seventeen years ago. His village was attacked by his mother's former Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox while many lives were lost to the creature due to a mad man controlling him.
A mad man by the name of Tobi.
His father, whom he didn't know for the majority of his life, was Minato Namikaze but he was better known as the Fourth Hokage. He had stopped the onslaught and drove Tobi away, but later lost his own life along with his wife's when the couple sealed away the fox in their son. Him.
The childhood was extremely tough for the ninja, but due to his strong will and drive, Naruto never gave up on his ideals nor did he change. He became an official ninja and teamed up with two of his closest friends, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno as Team Seven were led and tutored by Kakashi Hatake, 'the Copy-Cat Ninja'.
Missions came and went but the great challenge of life begun after the invasion on Konoha by Sunagakure along with the Sound Village led by Orochimaru, the Snake Sage of the Legendary Sannin, who later caused the death of the Third Hokage at the time, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Later, it was Team Seven who was affected when Sasuke defected and left the village for power whom Orochimaru had promised if he accepted his tutelage.
After his defeat, Naruto and his friends underwent training regiments for three years while the former traveled the world with his unknown godfather and one of the three Legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage Jiraiya.
The three years had passed and Naruto and company faced a new threat called the Akatsuki. The criminal organization was capturing the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchuriki who housed them in an attempt to use them as weapons of war and change the Shinobi world. There were losses on both sides such as Asuma Sarutobi's death, the defeat of Hidan and Kakuzu, Chiyo of the Sand and most of the Jinchuriki who had their Tailed Beasts extracted from them.
But the biggest cause of loss had yet to come that not only affected Konoha and Sunagakure, but the rest of the Five Great Nations and the Land of the Samurai.
The Fourth Great Ninja War.
The leader of the White Zetsu Army and the undead/reanimated Shinobi of times past was Tobi who was later revealed to be Obito Uchiha, Kakashi's friend who was thought to be dead in the last war and the reanimated Madara Uchiha. To counter this threat, the Five Great Nations formed the Shinobi Alliance and bore headbands with the kanji, 'Shinobi' to show their united efforts and might against the Uchiha menace.
The several battles were small in terms of areas, but the losses were greater than the previous wars. And the Shinobi Alliance felt the table turning on them.
Until Naruto Uzumaki and his fellow Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, entered the war after the Alliance's failed attempt to keep them out of the war. With the new and now-controlled power of the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra along with Killer Bee's own Tailed Beast control, the Alliance began to win and decimate most of the White Zetsu Army and put the reanimated Shinobi back to rest in the afterlife.
The war was reaching its climax when Obito and Madara battled the remaining Shinobi Alliance with their most destructive ally on their side and the origin of the Nine Tailed Beasts. The Ten Tailed Beast or better known as the Shinju.
The Shinobi Alliance fought valiantly but lost to the great Shinju. Naruto lost his friends and allies but he was given a second chance by his great ancestor, Hagoromo Otutsuki, better known as the Sage of the Six Paths. The Great Sage trained his distant descendant and gave him a new task.
Retrieve the four Sealing Keys in the four Major Worlds to defeat the Shinju.
With new training and personal sword, Naruto had traveled to the world where the dead was the dominating race. He had saved a group of survivors whom he met the mother of his children, Saeko Busujima, and left the world for the first Major World. It was here where he was involved in a great conflict between two sides of supernatural creatures.
The Shinigami of Soul Society and the Arrancar led by former Shinigami Captain, Sosuke Aizen.
They weren't the only factions as the Three Factions of the Bible had appeared for their safety in question as well. Here in the world, he received additional martial arts training from a powerful master, Hayato Furinji and also met three girls who later became very important people like Saeko: the eternal Titaness Rhea, the Nekomata Kuroka, and the immortal/former priestess Medusa.
Time went by but the Winter War against Aizen had finally begun with Soul Society and the Arrancar led by former Shinigami Captain Sosuke Aizen with his accomplices, Kaname Tosen, the ever-smiling Gin and Rhea's former husband, the Titan King Kronos along with his brothers, Hyperion and Atlas.
Only one side could emerge victorious and one did. With some of their heroes relaxing for a much-needed vacation in isolation with each other.
Two months had passed since the last battle against Aizen and Kronos. Two months since the Soul Society had entered peace and tranquility with the alliance of the Three Factions. Two months since Naruto came into their lives and changed everything… including his personal life.
"Naruto…"
"Hmm?"
"It's your turn."
"I know…but why?"
In the darkened room that is their bedroom, laying atop of the queen-sized bed underneath the blankets was a familiar blonde who looked sleepy and droopy as he looked at the bulge next to him. When it scuffled and revealed the purple-haired girl he met in the bridge world and his first girlfriend. Laying behind her was the sleeping Kuroka and Medusa who held each other. Behind Naruto was a drooling Rhea who softly mumbled about the amazing night they just had.
Saeko reached for the lower part of Naruto before finding and slightly squeezing it, smirking at the blonde's misfortune. "Because I carried them for nine months while being chased by a maniac and his goons. Then my friends and I crossed over to a different world and before you know it, I went into labor. Now do your part… okay sweetie."
"Y-yes dear." Naruto nervously responded before she released his junk. He sure knows how to pick them. Four of them. As he got up from the bed and kissed Saeko and the sleeping girls, Naruto walked into the next room that was connected to theirs.
The walls were adorned with a combination of blue and pink as pictures of dragons, unicorns, foxes and lions were plastered all over the room. Toys scattered around the floor as Naruto tiptoed around them before he approached the center of the crying in the two cribs.
"Shhh…Shhh…" Naruto smiled after his daughter and son calmed down when they saw him as the infants gave toothless smiles back at him. "What's the matter? You two can't sleep?" He asked in baby talk while carrying both of them in his arms. Naruto then walked out of the room and to the house porch before he sat down on a rocking chair.
They were staying at Poseidon's Cabin where the latter let them recuperate and relax in a vacation after the war and for the children of course. This cabin used to be where Poseidon would take his many mistresses for 'cuddling' over the centuries, but now it's a place for faithful couples only.
It was still night although there was a faint sign of dawn approaching. Feeling them shiver, Naruto hugged his children closer to him and their shivering subsided as they basked in his warm temperature. He still couldn't believe it. He's a father now; father to two beautiful children who made him and their mother the happiest people in the world(s). The events leading to their birth was so crazy, he still remembers it like it was yesterday.
"Hey…" Naruto spoke softly as his children looked at him with wonder. "Have I told you about the day you were born?" Seeing them tilt their little heads made him chuckle a little. "I know you can't understand me now, but it'll be good practice for me." Naruto slowly rocked the chair back and forth as light from the mountains began to rise up. "It all started on that day… The day after the battle…"
-(Flashback Begins-Days After the Winter War)-
Fourth Division Barracks
Seireitei, Soul Society
"Naruto?"
"…"
"Naruto?"
"…"
"Naruto?"
"…"
"I got it." A familiar male voice was near and it wasn't happy by the sounds of it.
The next thing he knew was waking up and countering with a punch in the face of whoever slapped him, much to the shock of everyone present. Naruto rubbed his pulsing cheek before angrily looking at the person through the new wall he just made.
No surprise, it was Ichigo.
The Substitute Shinigami achingly held his bruised face while glaring at the blonde as sparks animatedly clashed against each other from their foreheads.
"You got a death wish, pal?!"
"It was the only way to wake you up!"
"YOU WANT TO GO?!"
"I'M GAME!"
The medical members of the 4th Division stood in complete horror as the saviors of the Soul Society threw punches and hooked each other's mouths despite being in intense battles with a former Titan King and Soul Reaper Captain Aizen. As for Orihime, Uryuu and Chad, they watched the dispute with amused smirks.
Laying on beds opposite from Naruto's bed and covered in bandages, Rhea, Medusa and Kuroka were smiling although they looked to be in pain as well.
"I thought you guys were still in pain." A sweet yet familiar voice spoke throughout the room. The dust cloud of arms and legs stopped to reveal Ichigo's leg on Naruto's crotch while the latter's fingers were digging into the former's throat. The duo plus everyone saw the Fourth Division Captain smiling at them… although the dark aura behind her didn't show her genuine personality. "Please refrain from fighting further or I'll enact more intense restraints."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
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(A Week Later)
"All right, all right!" Naruto shouted to the skies of Seiretei with raised arms. After more rest despite his pleas, he passed all tests and was discharged from the barracks, although he was surprised about how long it took for him to completely recover.
Kronos and Aizen were seriously strong opponents, no doubt about it.
The ninja looked around to see the glancing eyes of grateful Soul Reapers passing by. "Hey, guys."
"Hello, Uzumaki."
Waving them bye, the ninja Shunshined across the rooftops with ease towards the direction of the First Division where Yamamoto had summoned him for a meeting. Since he was technically the Greek Faction leader, he had to go despite his chagrin. Most likely, he'd want a report of the battle against Aizen and Kronos.
Finally making it to the assembly hall, Naruto opened the door and found the Soul Reaper captain in his seat… snoring. A sweat-drop fell on Naruto's brow.
"Seriously?" The blonde walked up to the sleeping Shinigami and suddenly a creepy smile etched his lips. "What an opportunity here." Somehow he pulls a black marker and took the cap off as he lightly scribbled whatever he wanted, giggling the whole time. "Done."
Naruto leaped backwards when Yamamoto snorted awake, yawning and blinking sleepily until he noticed the blonde teenager looking innocent and all. "Ah, Mr. Uzumaki. I trust everything is fine with your recovery."
"Y-yep." He let out a giggle before composing himself. "A clean bill of health."
"That is fortunate." Yamamoto responded genuinely but with a sorrow expression, which Naruto noticed clearly.
"Head Captain? Is there something troubling you?"
Yamamoto looked at his left side where the empty sleeve showed there was nothing there. He'd lost his arm in a last-ditch effort to destroy Aizen, but it was all for naught. Although, it did give Ichigo time to enter his ultimate Hollow mode to push Aizen around like a rag doll... for a while at the time.
"Many things happened since your arrival: Aizen's conspiracy, the Arrancars, the Three Factions, the Furinji Treaty, Kronos and such. Now here we are with victory and I have to say…this is the most exciting time I've felt for a very long time."
Naruto was taken aback with great surprise. So much so that the goofy tongue and the target scribbles on Yamamoto's face didn't make him laugh on the spot. "I—I don't know what to say except… I'm glad I'm on this journey."
"There must be something I could do to help repay you."
"I hope you're not talking just about me." Naruto said curiously.
"Of course, Ichigo Kurosaki and his group will be awarded for their valiant efforts in the battle." Yamamoto admitted honestly. The group had been instrumental towards defeating Aizen and his forces. Their actions cannot go unrewarded. "What is it you desire, Naruto?"
"…" The blonde ninja pondered about his time in Purgatory and looked at the Shinigami. "There is someone I need to save. Can you help me?"
"Of course."
Naruto smiled fondly as he is about to undo the mistake his parents scolded him for doing so. He just prays that they're still safe and well.
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Undead Dimension
Survivor's Island, Pacific Island
"Run!"
"Keep running!"
"Don't stop!"
Running through the thick trees and bushes to a clearing that connects to a cliff, a group was running away from a horde of crazed laughter that seem to follow them. The one behind the group was Takeshi along with Rei and Saya pointed their guns at the forest. Shizuka and Kotha were in the safe distance from the cliff's edge with the former cradling a wincing and very pregnant Saeko who held her stomach.
"Of all times, why now?" Saeko scolded herself as she tried to stand with his sword, but failed when she fell to her knees.
"Life finds a way." Shizuka answered nervously while Kotha laid on the floor as he loaded a bullet into the sniper rifle. Out emerged from the trees was Shido and his group armed with weapons. Most of them was men with crazed lustful smiles as their eyes were glued onto Saeko, Shizuka and Saya.
"How right you were." Shido said menacingly, much to the opposing group's chagrin. "How fortunate of me and my group to find this island and to run into you. Life must have me as a lucky man." His men chuckled at his words while moans echoed from behind. "As delicious as Yuki and the others are, they can only do so much which is why I'm very elated right now."
"Screw you Shido! You're not getting your hands on Rei and the others!"
"And what are you going to do about it? You wasted so many bullets taking down many of my men."
"You monster." Rei spat out in disgust. She couldn't believe about everything that had happened. It was just any regular day on the island. Everyone were living in peace: the scouting parties were out hunting and scavenging supplies from the city while those who stayed helped with houses and resources. That was until the scouting parties came back except they didn't… it was Shido and his group who did.
They had ambushed the party and followed the GPS coordinates that led them straight to the island. As soon they made land, Shido ordered his men to spread chaos. The elderly and children were slain the place they stood, the women were raped until they passed out or committed suicide to end the torture. The only ones left of the island were the original Takeshi group.
"Just accept your fates as part of the new Human race. Stronger and better than the old." Shido pleaded with an outstretched hand.
"Screw you." The group chorused, much to Shido's glee.
"What a shame. Boys…" He looked at his men who were itching to start. "Have fun." The crazed men ran towards the opposing group who loaded their weapons and was about to fire when a portal appeared between them, preventing Shido's men in their tracks. Much to Shido's confusion, Takeshi and his group had relieved smiles on their faces. His men saw their expressions as well and were confused about it, but they were about to see why.
A lone foot stepped out of the portal and out emerged fully was the headband-wearing blonde boy in a black T-shirt and blue jeans who looked confused once he saw Shido's men in front of them. "Who the hell are you guys?"
"NARUTO!"
Hearing his name called out, Naruto looked around until he turned and saw his girlfriend and friends standing there with relieved expressions. "Saeko! Guys! What happened?" He asked in concern.
Gulping down hard, Saeko answered him and spoke of everything that had happened until now. Naruto faced towards Shido's men with furious eyes, so furious that they changed red and slitted in the middle. Shido and his men were unnerved by this until the leader commanded his men.
"Go after them. He's just one man!"
Obeying like a blind-following servant, one of them dashed towards Naruto with a knife in his hand and slashed at him when close enough. However, Naruto leaned backwards and retaliated with a haymaker that landed cleanly… too cleanly. He had decapitated the man as the head flew across the field and landed in front of Shido's feet.
Fear now engulfed the men with their feet shuffling backwards when Naruto took a step forward. "I hope you all burn in Hell." That was the last thing he said before the blonde unleashed chaos among Shido and his men.
-(Flashback Ends)-
"And after getting rid of the bad men and monsters, I brought your mom and friends out to this world which I dub 'Soul Universe' after the Soul Reapers, of course." Naruto said with an amused smile as he looked at his two sleeping children. "My children… I promise to never abandon you and your mom ever again. This also includes Kuroka, Rhea and Medusa of course. All of you are important to me."
"And we think the same about you."
Naruto silently looked around his shoulder and saw Medusa in her pajamas: a pink sports bra holding back her cleavage and black pajama pants. Her arms were folded and helped enhance the alluring aspect of her cleavage.
"Medusa…" Naruto whispered lowly as to not awake the babies. "How long have you been there?"
Medusa whispered back as she walked behind him and his chair. "Around the time you mention about using that Rasengan version of the Thousand Years of Death on Shido's ass."
"Language!" Naruto hissed back harshly but paled when his daughter stirred in his arms. Fortunately, she was still sleeping and her brother didn't look bothered at all given his drooling mouth was any indicator. Getting up and quietly walking back to the babies' room, Naruto gently placed the twins in their cribs before placing blankets on them and kissed them on their foreheads. "Good morning."
Turning around after quietly closing the door, Naruto felt his lips being assaulted while foreign arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist, prompting him to carry Medusa by her waist. Passion between them grew by each passing second until they reluctantly separated. "Feisty, aren't you."
"I need you. Now…"
"Roger that."
Faster than she could process, Medusa found herself pressed against the mosaic-tiled wall of the shower in the bathroom sans her clothing. Naruto works fast regarding passion time. She felt her breasts being kneaded roughly by the large hands of Naruto who attacked her neck viciously.
"T-that… No fair~" She complained huskily as another wave of passion engulfed her. Medusa was turned around and felt her lips pressed against this time. "That's better." Medusa said before Naruto's member penetrated her inner walls, causing her to gasp loudly. "Much better~"
"Good. I aim to please." Naruto whispered husky into her ear while Medusa wrapped her legs around his waist before he moved his hips in rhythm as she moaned in ecstasy. His hips increased in speed, causing the tiles to creak under pressure. "Like that?"
"Yes!"
"Good!"
The moans and grunts were so loud that they didn't notice two occupants stealthily approached Naruto and Kuroka. Wiggling hands approached the duo until they pinched the blonde's butt. The passionate atmosphere was broken instantly as Naruto with the wrapped Medusa turned around and saw the naked Rhea, Saeko and Kuroka.
Kuroka's large breasts were shown all healthy and pink nipples as they defied gravity while Rhea's toned legs and firm breasts were in their prime. Saeko's purple hair was a mess but she still looked beautiful with her slightly smaller breasts compared to Kuroka and Rhea's. They were more enticing and alluring as the showerhead wet from head to toe while their lustful smiles said it all.
"The usual, girls?"
"Nope!" Kuroka approached him as she licked his cheek slowly. When she finished, she said "We want the real you."
Rhea approached him on his right shoulder and whispered in his ear. "After all, the best is the real you."
"Thank you." Naruto looked up at the ceiling before his head was grabbed by Rhea and felt his lips kissed by her own. It was only a second when Kuroka took his head and kissed him just as passionately.
The kids snoozed throughout the multiple moans and grunts of passion from their father, mother and aunts.
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(Noon)
Seiretei, Soul Society
In a flash of light, Naruto and the girls appeared near one of the numerous gates. They walked through the busy streets while observing the bustling scenic view of everyday life. It was like the Winter War didn't happen at all and that was good. Plus, there were notable changes regarding both worlds.
Those changes being the passing Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels conversing and drinking with Soul Reapers like employees after a hard day's work. It wasn't easy at first, but after the war, Naruto had convinced the hardened Yamamoto to allow Heaven, Underworld and Grigori forces to team up with Soul Reapers so they may be more vigilant in the protection of both the Living World and Soul Society.
Of course, there were rules and restrictions towards this. Now new highly ranked and skilled graduates from the academy will get to partner up with other races to make the worlds a better place. The Three Factions relationship was better than they were originally started off, partly thanks to Soul Reapers being the 'neutral' aspect in the squads. Security around the world was more secured and tightly-knitted.
As for the Living World, Takeshi and the others were taken care by the Church and are now living normal lives in Tokyo, Japan where Takeshi and Kotha used their zombie experience to create a virtual reality video game and it was a big hit. As for Rei, Saya and Shizuka, they began a lingerie line for women while the former was working on a book that taught survival skills necessary for all situations. She put Naruto's lessons in the book basically. However, they wouldn't be here if it was for him.
All of this due to one man.
"Who's a cute baby~ You are. Yes, you are~" Saeko purred as she stared lovingly at her daughter's eyes in her arms while her son was sleeping in the carrier against her back.
Naruto looked at them and smiled at them while thinking of the names they chose on their birth. For their son, they named him Ashina after the Uzumaki Clan leader and their daughter… well they named after the most important person in Ichigo's life: his mother. He was surprised of course, but Saeko had told him that they wanted to honor the person who gave him life and made him the person he is today.
On December 25, they were born Ashla and Masaki Uzumaki.
"Are you guys nervous?" Naruto asked while Masaki's tiny fingers wrapped around his lone finger. He smiled when she giggled at him before retracting his finger.
Today was the day Naruto was leaving for the next dimension and this time, he's taking the girls and children with him.
Kuroka shook her head as she wrapped her arms around his right arm. "Crossing dimensions with my hubby is a dream come true!" Her usual attire that displayed her cleavage was drawing attention from the men, but she didn't care since her mate was next to her.
"Oh, Kuroka, for the last time, Naruto isn't your husband!" Medusa scolded with an exasperated sigh. This is like the 50th time she and Rhea told her about this, but like usual, she doesn't listen.
Rhea placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just let it go. She won't listen and besides…" She smirked victoriously at the Nekomata. "Kuroka is the fourth one to be married."
"I don't care since I printed on him. He's my hubby unofficial or not."
Naruto sighed loudly. "Let's just get to the Senkai Gate, girls."
They eventually made it to the Senkai Gate where their friends and allies were waiting for them to say their goodbyes like Poseidon, Hades and Zeus. Michael and his Angels were with him as were Sirzechs and Azazel with their respective forces. The Ryozanpaku dojo, Issei, Rias and the rest of the Peerage along with Ichigo, Orihime and the others also said their good-byes, especially to the babies.
After saying their goodbyes, Naruto stood in front of the Senkai Gate. It turns out to be a perfect conduit to handle his Yang and Yin Chakra unlike the last time he used to cross over to Saeko's world. Channeling the Yang into his right hand and the Yin to his left, Naruto cupped his hands next to him before he stretched them out in front of the Senkai Gate as the white and black chakras merged together just as they hit the gate.
Now a massive version of the portal was now created in front of them.
Hearing a gleeful chuckle, Naruto and company turned around to see Kurotsuchi being held back by Zaraki. "Come on, let me go!"
"Not a chance."
Yamamoto stepped forward and offered a hand to Naruto who accepted it. "Thank you for all your help, Naruto Uzumaki. No doubt you made your teacher proud."
"Thanks, Head Captain, but there's a lot of work to be done. I must still find the other Keys and there's still the danger of the Shinju's agents coming after me." Naruto said before he smiled. "But I know they'll have to go through this world and the one before in order to come after me."
"And we will be ready for them." Ichigo said, getting chuckles from all beings present.
"Yeah." Naruto said lowly before letting go of Yamamoto's hand and leaped towards the portal where the girls were waiting for him. Joining hands together, the quintet walked through the portal.
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New Dimension
Manhattan, New York City, New York
Above the famous skyline renowned around the globe, a humongous and obvious heavily armored object was floating with no problem except for the loud 'whirring' sound its four engines were giving off. It mostly looked like a naval aircraft carrier used by the navies of the countries except this one is flight-capable with four hovering fans: two at the back and two located in the front. Multiple aircraft like fighter jets, helicopters, etc. However, this was owned by the one agency who has access to the most sophisticated technology created on Earth.
The Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division.
More commonly known to all Earthling residents as S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is the international and ultimate spy agency with the task to protect Earth from all threats whether domestic, foreign or extra-terrestrial. That's right. Extra-terrestrial. And that's not the only threat its agents face every day.
Ever since emergence of superheroes with superpowers or highly skilled people, there had been an abundance of super villains with similar capabilities. It had been a challenge to keep up with the universe as it is, but that hasn't stopped the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. from doing his job.
"Director…"
The director was an African-American man with an eyepatch covering his left eye as he dressed in all-black clothing including a trench coat. He had an aura of authority and intimidation that few ever stood up against him. Being Director didn't mean he was nice.
"What is it?"
"A.R.M.O.R. had just detected a space breach in the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts." One of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents said, causing the Director to raise a brow. The Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operational Response Agency or A.R.M.O.R. was a branch of S.H.I.E.L.D, however this agency deals with potential threats from alternate realities or different dimensions. "However, they report that it is very unusual."
The director raised a lone brow. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's… I don't know, but they're requesting additional forces to aid their team that is already out in the field."
"The Thunderbolts?"
"No, sir. Just the regular ground team."
Needless to say, this was not very promising. It was concerning, very concerning. They could be dealing with an unknown and the Director did not like any unknowns at all. They're the most dangerous of threats across the universe. For most people, the only course of action is to terminate them.
However, the Director didn't believe that course of action. If anything, he could persuade the unknown to work for SHIELD and make the world a safer place.
"Send a team to the site and have them set their weapons to stun and bring him or her back alive."
"Yes, Director Fury."
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Forested Area, Boston, Massachusetts
"Well, this is something."
Naruto sighed as he didn't want this to happen. As soon as they made it to the next dimension, the group had to hide when agents of sorts suddenly arrived on their location with incredible swiftness that is only honed by hours of training. They were wearing tight navy blue uniforms with a symbol of an eagle embroidered on the left shoulder while a target symbol was on the opposite shoulder underneath black gear and helmets as strange weapons were held in their hands.
Counting in his head, Naruto totaled the agents around the thirties or so. Not a challenge to him or the girls.
Suddenly, their radio cackled with static for all to hear.
="Any sign of the unknown, Omega Team?"=
"Negative, Eagle Eye. Whoever it was, he or she is gone now. We'll sweep the perimeter and look for tracks."
="Stay vigilant."=
"10-4. Let's go, men."
Naruto and the girls watched from their nest in the thick, high trees where they saw the clearing the agents had converged on their location. "Okay, we're going to leave quietly without alerting them. Kuroka, can you make a portal to the nearest town or city?"
"Of course." Kuroka answered proudly before focusing on drawing the natural energy. Her brow soon pursed in confusion as she opened her eyes. "Something's wrong."
"What?" asked Rhea concernedly.
"Usually I can draw Natural Energy very fast, but it's taking very long to do so."
"Really?" Kuroka nodded and Naruto sighed before saying, "Just draw in as much Natural Energy as you can, okay. All we have to do is keep quiet and—"
"What was that?"
"What was what?"
The group held their voices as two agents had stopped beneath their tree after one of them supposedly heard something. That being Naruto. "I heard voices."
"Here?"
"Yeah." They looked around their surroundings before shrugging their shoulders. Naruto let out a breath of relief until he saw something drop from the corner of his eye. His eyes widen when it was Masaki's binky and dived for it, but he didn't make it in time as it hit one of the agents in the head. "Huh? A binky?"
"What's a binky doing out here?"
"Better question is why would a baby be here?"
"Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up, don't look up!" Naruto pleaded inwardly. He cursed when the agents looked up and waved at them. "Hello." He whispered before letting go of the tree and landed on the men while knocking them out with two swift punches.
="Sir, I heard noises from Charlie 2-3 and 2-4's location."=
="Charlie 2-3 and 2-4, do you copy?"=
No reply came and the Omega leader's voice cackled through the radio.
="All team members, converge onto their last location. Possible hostile presence. Set weapons to stun."=
"Crap!" Naruto thought to himself while he picked up the binky and pocketed it. Afterwards, he quickly grabbed the men's ankles and dragged them into a thick bush. Seeing a shower of flashlights approaching, Naruto turned invisible via Jiraiya's camouflage jutsu and waited for the large squad to appear.
No surprise, they were here via a slow approach. They were armed to the teeth with those advanced weapons that shoot projectiles and protective armor. Their footsteps left little to no sound and their communication was the weird hand signs they showed each other for a moment.
Military signals. And their Omega Team Leader, apparently from the back of squad, formed the familiar hand sign to fire just as their weapons were pointed at him all of the sudden.
"Damn."
A hail of not-so-loud gunfire were fired on the spot and kicked a small dust cloud. The invisible Naruto had Shunshined behind the Omega Leader and kicked him in the back, sending him to crash into a row of his teammates. They were down for the count as they stayed motionless in a heap. The remaining men pivoted swiftly and pointed their guns at Naruto who had already disappeared from his current spot.
Meanwhile, the ladies sat above the thick tree bushes silently as they watched their beloved take down with his ninja stealth when he grabbed one of the men by the ankles and pulled his victim into the ground, leaving out only his head. Kuroka giggled behind her hand upon the sight while both Rhea and Saeko shook their heads in amusement and Medusa noted about a new finishing move she could use against their enemies.
"HELP!"
"Get him out of there!"
"He's in the ground!"
"Switch to live fire!"
Unbeknownst to the terrified Omega Team as their members struggled to free their trapped comrade, their unseen target was standing on foot atop the peak of the tree that housed his lovers and children. So far, he was unimpressed about their skills since it seemed they were reliant on their technology that allowed them to see him in the Invisibility Jutsu. But their teamwork and care for each other was commendable as they formed a defensive circle around their downed man.
"Time to end this." Naruto whispered to himself before he leaped off the tree and knocked the men off their feet after landing on the ground with his legs deep into the ground. "Ninja Art: Human Weapon of Destruction." He thought before raising an open palm and thrusting it towards the men, sending a powerful shockwave in the same hand form. "Furinji Oshi Itte."
The girls above winced when the remaining men crashed against the trees from the shockwave while also being impressed at Naruto's progress with the Furinji Style. After the battle against Aizen, Naruto was approached by the Elder and the latter had apologized for his banishment, but Naruto being Naruto, he forgave the master martial artist and they reconciled along with continuing their training until he passed the test.
That also applied to Medusa and Rhea who continued their training with Shizune and Kensei Ma, but they weren't alone. Even Saeko, after giving birth to her children and time to recuperate, had also asked Shizune to help her regain her physical shape while refining her swordsmanship. Shizune was more than ecstatic to have more disciples to train in her martial art and she even smiled for two weeks straight. She was quite pleased with Saeko's skill and great respect towards the sword.
Before their departure to this dimension, the trio underwent and passed the two masters' test that determined whether they were proficient enough in their skills in their respective martial art styles.
After making sure all the men were knocked out and safely hidden in case from lurking predators, the now visible Naruto signaled the women to come down and they did with no noise from their footfall. "I believe you dropped this." He cooed at Masaki who giggled upon seeing her father and binky together. The blonde cleaned the binky with his shirt before his daughter eagerly took and sucked it happily. "So cute."
"I'm ready." Kuroka said after collecting the Natural Energy around her and created a portal behind them. "Let's get out of here."
"Right." The group choired before they entered the portal, which closed seconds later just as an aerial vehicle approached the area.
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(One Month Later)
Boston, Massachusetts
"Waiter, I want more drinks!"
"Gotcha!" Naruto, in a waiter's outfit, begrudgingly walked towards the customer with an annoyed expression, but hid it with a smile as he arrived at the table. "Your drink, sir."
"About time! And where's my order?!"
"You ate it."
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" The bloated man, smelling like fish and beer, asked irritated. Naruto pointed at his table and he looked to see an empty plate with leftovers. "Oh… well I want another!"
"Yes, sir~" Naruto drawled out before returning to the kitchen. He then looked at the clock and saw that his shift was almost over. "Just five more minutes and I'll be free." Five minutes passed and the eager blonde hastily left the restaurant in his civilian clothes with his headband still tied around his forehead. "Finally, I'm out and better yet, it's payday!"
"And why are you excited about a paycheck?"
"It's a sign of my hard work. Granted I prefer it be a lot more than minimum wage, but it's decent…somewhat."
Ashura then cut in with his words. "But why do you and the girls need to work? The apartment you all live in is loud and dangerous. Very unhealthy for two growing children I might add."
"You guys know why: those S.H.I.E.L.D. guys could lock in on us with that strange technology."
When the group had appeared at something called 'Comic-con' and attracted some attention due to Kuroka's attire and 'cosplay'—her ears and tail—that showed her generous cleavage plus Rhea, Medusa and Saeko's beauty. With some acting, they had barely managed to fly under the radar while enjoying the festivities that is Comic Con. After the event had ended and someone offering a place for the homeless group, Naruto had decided to gain information on the people who almost caught them twice.
With some local and national information from the Internet, the group had learned the people were apparently the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization; the Earth's international security force against local, national, international and out-of-Earth threats. More so, they found out that are people with amazing powers who use them for either good or evil like the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.
S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps tabs on the all super-powered individuals and looks out for any anomalies that might be a threat to Earth. That explained their rapid appearance in the forest and train station. Both Rhea and Saeko theorized that SHIELD might be tracking any anomalies and that meant them using their powers.
So the only option they had was to stay low for the time being. And that meant finding a place to live and work like a normal Human.
"Easy my ass." Naruto grumbled after looking at his paycheck, his frustration grew by the sudden pay cut. "This really sucks. I can't believe people in this world works for wages like this." He sighed in resignation before making his way to his destination. "I wonder how she's doing."
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O'Connell's Bar
"Come on, sweetheart. Come with us. We'll have a lot of fun."
Rolling her eyes, Medusa looked at the man who has been insistent on asking her out for a drink. Given the slurred tone and droopy but leering eyes, the man was obviously drunk. It had been this way since she was offered a job by the manager. She wasn't looking for a job, but one pass by the bar's window changed all that.
"And Naruto needed help." Medusa thought to herself. When they needed to stay low and Naruto was working, the girls wanted to help but he urged them to relax and let him handle it. Of course they weren't happy about it, but some of them had their roles already.
Saeko was a mother and tended to her children with Rhea's help since she's a deity of motherhood. As for Kuroka… she didn't want to do anything except eat, sleep or have fun with Naruto in the shower, but she did offer to work at a strip club. Naruto's reaction was…
"THE ONLY GUY YOU'RE STRIPPING FOR IS ME! I'M NOT LETTING ANY GUY TOUCH YOU IF I CAN'T HELP IT!"
And this was drunk Naruto at the time, which made Kuroka horny that night.
So when Medusa told them about the job offer, she gave Naruto a stern talk about her being an independent woman and he relented. However, it was better since their workplaces were in one direction towards their apartments so they would walk together to work.
"Oi, Medusa. You hear me?"
"Yes…" She said lowly. "And for the last time, no. I have a boyfriend."
The man clicked his tongue in disappointment. "So what? He doesn't have to know." His hand reached out for Medusa's hand, but she reeled it back away from him with a glare. "Oh I like that face you're making. I wonder how you look in bed."
"That's enough, Carl." Medusa sighed in relief as an elderly man walked towards them behind the counter alongside her. It was the manager/owner of the bar. He wore a red-white flannel shirt with blue jeans that clashed with his snow-silver hair. He looked intimidating as his body looked to be in his prime despite being over 50 years old. "You had too many drinks as of late."
"Come on, Connor. This girl is a beauty and you know I'm just joking, right." Carl slurred despite sitting straight up after Connor came along.
Medusa was wearing a black shirt that hugged her body with tight black jeans. That combined with her 'assets' and her unique reddish-orange hair made her the poster girl for the bar and the magnet for being asked out on turned-down countless dates.
Connor knew it since it was originally the reason why he offered Medusa the job, but when he got to know her over the month, he realized that she was smart unlike other ladies he'd seen in his life. That also applies to her boyfriend who was…unique and funny, but also knowledge and dreams of peace in the word. This led to many conversations of peace and the ways to about it while the obstacles that stood in the way.
All in all, they were fortunate to be friends.
"You gotta admit that she's wasting her time with that loser. She should be—" Carl stopped as he felt daggers being pierced into his back. Reluctantly he turned around and gulped when his eyes laid upon the person he was just trashing on. The strained smile along with the tick mark on his forehead didn't help him at all.
Naruto spoke in a not-so-innocent tone. "She should be with…Who? You?"
"Um… Uh…" Carl stuttered before he ran out of there while tripping over a couple bar stools.
The patrons, Connor, Naruto and Medusa chuckled at the little display before the secret ninja kissed his girlfriend despite the onlookers. "How are you, Medusa?"
"Great, but you're a little early."
"Can't a guy come to his girlfriend's work of employment and scare off any drunken idiots from her?" Naruto asked in mock hurt with his hands on his chest. Medusa and Connor shook their heads in amusement with chuckles. He looked at Connor and nodded at him. "How are you doing, old man?"
"Fine, but we need to talk."
Naruto nodded rather sternly. "Ah, of course." He watched the man to his office and returned with a bottle of scotch. The two made their way to the corner booth where they have their talks about life, peace and women. After being handed a glass of the liquor, Naruto sipped the drink and inhaled deeply as he relished it. "…Wow, that's good. What's the name again?"
"A Glenn Mckenna 30-year scotch." Connor replied before sipping his drink as well.
"I know I'm breaking the Three Prohibitions of the Shinobi, but this drink is off the hook!" Naruto reasoned. He had doubts about being a scotch drinker since he didn't even drink sake yet, but this scotch was something else! "Kudos to Glenn Mckenna."
"Kudos."
The two continued their drinking session until it was last call, much to all the patrons' chagrin and Medusa's delight. She put up all chairs on the table and locked the liquor cabinets with the key before meeting with Naruto and Connor who were waiting at the door.
"Here you go, boss." Medusa said happily while she handed the key to the man.
"Thanks, Medusa. You're a real sweetheart you know." Connor admitted with a hearty chuckle. Naruto and Medusa smiled as they intertwined their fingers. "You kids go on. I'll finish locking up."
The couple knew that Connor lives in the apartment above the bar, so he's always here. After bidding adieu, Naruto and Medusa left Connor while the latter closed the door and locked it before flipping the 'Open' sign to 'Closed'.
However, none of them noticed a set of wheels slowly coming to a stop in a valley across from the bar, covered by the natural darkness, or the sound of a gun being loaded.
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The Apartment
"NNNYYYYAAAA!" Kuroka drawled out as she groaned out of boredom before plopping on the couch. "Where are they?" She got a rolled up magazine in the head as a response. "What was that for?" The glare from Saeko silenced her as the head gesture pointed at a room.
The twins' room to be exact. It was located off the side next to the small hallway that connected the other rooms and the living room. The living room was small, but had enough space for a couch and couple tables while the kitchen and dining room was adjacent by the main door.
"It took four hours to get them to sleep. Do. Not. Wake. Them." Saeko warned, getting a nod from the Nekomata. The signs of early parenthood were present on the mother. Little bags started to form under her eyes while her hair lost some shine compared to before. However, it wasn't all bad since Rhea helped her out a lot with tips on motherhood, so technically she and Naruto has it easy.
She chuckled whenever Naruto comes home and dotes on his children with great love like any parents. She loved how he would always talk to them and play with them despite coming home from work, thanks to his great stamina. She and the girls were happy to have someone like him: a person who cares for and always makes time for his/her loved ones.
"HEL—" Naruto yelled, only to be silenced when Saeko glared at him while Medusa chuckled in amusement. "Sorry." He said normally as he kissed Saeko and Kuroka after she jumped on his back. "How are the kids?"
"Sleeping."
"Darn." Naruto pouted with a whimper. "I wanted to play with them."
Saeko placed a loving hand on her lover. "There'll be plenty of time for that later." She said reassuringly before the smell of cooked food entered their nostrils. "Now it's time to eat."
"Yes, it is." Naruto happily agreed before he entered the kitchen and found the one responsible for the aromas. "Hello, Rhea." He got a smile from the Titaness before kissing her in the lips. "How are you?"
"Fine now that you're home."
"Glad to be home."
"Help set the table, please." Rhea said, getting a salute from Naruto before he got the plates and decent silverware to the table that was fortunately large enough for the five of them. After bringing the food to the table, the group gathered to enjoy a fresh and delicious meal courtesy of Rhea with the added bonus of watching television.
"This morning, Boston PD had found another deceased man in his home located at downtown. Detectives on the scene found a gun next to him, but states there is no sign of foul play and had declared it a suicide." The newscaster informed through the TV while the group watched and eat at the same time.
"That's the fifth suicide this month." Medusa said in disbelief. "I don't understand why they—"
"It's not our place to question." Naruto interrupted his priestess girlfriend. "We weren't there in their lives. Let's leave at that."
"…Right."
Rhea looked at her younger rival with a small smile. "Naruto is right, but it does trouble me about this amount of suicide." Her lover and rivals looked at her strangely with raised brows. "All of them has the same common factor; all of them had committed suicide with a gun."
"You think something else is at play?" Naruto asked. Rhea nodded grimly and he sighed while rubbing his forehead. "Truth being told, this has been bothering me since we've arrived here." The girls looked at him with knowing expressions. "I know I said that we should stay low because S.H.I.E.L.D. might find us…."
"You want to help." Kuroka pointed with a gleeful smile. Naruto's eyes widen while she and her friends smiled at his befuddled expression. "We know you hubby."
The ninja wanted to ask, but he knew better than that. After all, he's dating a Nekomata, a Titaness, a former and immortal Priestess and the mother of his children. They did spend time together all the time and learned about each other's quirks among other things.
"…"
"Naruto." Saeko called out gently to her lover as Naruto looked at her. "You are who you are. At first, we were worried about you but you are you and we remembered that. And I'm fairly certain that you were most worried about this coming back to haunt us all. Right?" She asked and he nodded slowly with a solemn expression. "And that's one of the reasons why we love you."
"One of the reasons." Kuroka pointed with her eyes on Naruto's lower half. "The other reason is in the bedroom."
"KUROKA!" They all shouted before quickly covering their mouths in hopes of not waking the children. No sound came from the bedrooms and they all sighed in relief.
"…"
"Naruto?" Rhea asked concernedly.
Naruto smiled with an amused chuckle as he looked at his girls. "I'm a lucky guy."
"Yes you are." The girls chorused happily. They continued their meal while the news on the television continued to inform about the market, the superhero group known as the Avengers, and lastly the upcoming Fourth of July parade.
Just as Naruto was about to change the channel with the remote, his cell phone rang on the nearby table. He discovered that burner phones in this world allows its calls and number be untraceable from the authorities; perfect for people laying low like them. He answered the phone.
"Hello?"
-"Naruto."-
"Connor?" Naruto asked with surprise. His girls looked at him with the same expression as well. "How'd you get—"
-"Don't worry about that. Meet me at the bar now. Come alone"-
"Connor, I—" Naruto heard a click and placed his phone on the table. He looked at the girls for guidance and Saeko nodded at him as a 'yes'. "I'll be back, girls. I think it's nothing though."
"Well…" Kuroka pouted cutely with puffed cheeks. "Hurry up, okay? We want to snuggle with our body pillow."
Naruto smiled and kissed the girls before leaving the apartment with the door slammed afterwards. The girls winced when a chorus of cries penetrated their ears seconds later.
" .To." Saeko whispered with a scowl before she and Rhea got up to calm her children.
As for Medusa and Kuroka, the former went to the shower to rid of the stench of fried food while the latter changed the channel to FX Movies. "Oh, Perfect Pitch is on."
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O'Connell's Bar
The plan was to find out what Connor wanted to tell him, but the two suspicious-looking men in black clothing guarding the entrance of the bar threw that out. This also made Naruto question whether the call was made before or after the men's arrival: if the former was true, then these men must be after Connor for whatever reason and he will do whatever he can to save him.
If the latter was proven otherwise, then Naruto would not go easy on Connor for not only threatening his safety, but the girls and the children as well.
"Time to go to work." Naruto whispered as he pulled the jacket's hood over his head to conceal his identity and put on black gloves. He jumped from the roof of the building he was on and landed softly in the alley where the back door was located. Seeing it unlocked and slightly ajar, Naruto silently entered the backdoor and into the building, hoping to find Connor and information about this weird ensemble.
Once navigating through mountains of boxes and alcohol and the empty kitchen, Naruto walked through the hall where the bar's interior was located and looked through the circular window on the passing door and found the person who called him here. The sight wasn't pretty and he had to restrain anger and his Chakra.
Sitting on a chair surrounded by a circle of blood with droplets on his person was Connor. His head hung down as his body slouched forward while his tied arms were bound against the chair. Naruto watched the circle of men in black around Connor stare at one of their own whose hands were calloused and bruised. He must be the one responsible for Connor's current state.
"Come on, old man. Just tell us where the treasures are and we'll let you live." The man said although he didn't sound convincing. The wink he sent to his chuckling men was also a sign of his dishonesty.
His body tensed slightly before he looked up, revealing Connor's face for the first time. His right eye was bruised and swollen like a balloon; a long scar with a trail of blood was on his left cheek. He swished the blood in his mouth before spitting it into his beater's face in an act of defiance. "Like hell I'll tell you where it is." He got a swift haymaker in response, which made him chuckle in response. "Please, I've taken real hits from people far more nasty than you pansies."
"Still got a mouth, huh?" The beater asked rhetorically as one of his men handed him a towel. He wiped the blood off his face before casually throwing the soaked towel on Connor's lap. "I wouldn't be surprised. After all, from our employer told us, you and your kind are notorious for being vaults."
"His kind?" Naruto thought in his head.
"He's one of those mutants!"
Ashura put in his two cents. "That is a possibility, but shouldn't we help Connor now? Why aren't you doing anything, Naruto?"
"Thinking of a plan of course." Naruto answered back although he couldn't blame his ancestor for that question. His internal thoughts were interrupted by Connor's next words.
"Something we're all proud of. The same goes to fighting people like your employer."
"And what has that done for your people? Hm? They're all dead." The ringleader smirked when Connor tensed a little. "And you know something else: those people on the news were just as stubborn as you."
"Damn you!" Connor glared at him for killing his brothers and sisters. Naruto's eyes widen in shock before they narrowed dangerously as his left hand was covered in sparks of lightning. He looked back and saw the power breaker panel before a plan was formed.
What is a ninja's best friend? Total darkness.
"Just—"
The room suddenly turned dark after a flash of white sparks in the other room. The men were in immediate alert as they pulled out their guns. "Hey, call the other two in here. Looks we have some company." The ringleader commanded. The men outside soon joined them, but they didn't notice the passing door swing back and forth until it stopped. "Turn on your flashlights."
The group pulled out their flashlights and focused their beams everywhere in the room, looking for someone in the room. Minutes later, their alertness slowly waned while they lowered their weapons and turned off the flashlights. "Looks like it was nothing, boss."
"Then go find the breaker and flip the lights on!"
"Sure." The thug walked to the kitchen to find the breaker. It took several minutes of silence, just enough to draw suspicion from the ringleader until… "Found it!"
The ringleader turned around to finish his business with the old man, but when the lights turned on, he found himself staring at a hooded figure. His shocked eyes glanced around and saw that his men were down for the count. "When did he—" His panicked thoughts were cut off when a fist embedded itself into his stomach, sending him to blissful darkness.
"Sweet dreams." Naruto whispered harshly before he turned around and faced Connor who remained alert. Seeing this, Naruto crouched and slowly pulled back his hood just enough to show his whisker marks. "Connor, it's me."
"Kid?"
"The one and only." Naruto fixed his hood back into place before he pulled out a kunai and ripped Connor's binds. Helping the man to his feet, Naruto guided him to a stool before he pulled out his phone to call the police.
Connor noticed the device in the boy's gloved hands. "What are you doing?"
"Calling the police of course." Naruto answered as if it was obvious.
"…Did you hear everything?" Naruto hesitated for a second before he nodded, causing Connor to sigh loudly. "I guess I have to tell you."
"You don't have to, Connor."
"But I do." Connor reiterated passionately, surprising Naruto that he stopped the call. From his years of experience, he had never seen such an incredible display of stealth takedowns from a person. Not even the Great One had ever displayed such skill in any of records. His heart was filled for hope for the first time in a long time. Hope for his Order. Hope for mankind.
"About the treasure?"
"Everything."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked before his ears picked up on car doors being opened and closed outside. "The police are here already—wait! I didn't call them."
"Duck!"
Connor had tackled him to the ground in time before bullets penetrated the walls of the bar with the sounds of 'chachachachacha'. The stools, counter and the multiple alcohol bottles were the unfortunate victims by the shower of bullets including the man in the back if the scream of agony was any indicator.
Apparently, that also served as a sign of the people outside to cease shooting. Naruto took this opportunity to pick Connor up and ran to the back for escape. "Wait!" Connor pleaded as Naruto dragged him to the back and was about to head for the back door to the alley. "Through my office!"
Naruto looked at him like he was crazy. "You nuts?"
"Just do it!"
"Fine!" Naruto relented as they went to the room down the hall. After placing Connor on his chair, Naruto turned around and closed the door before he looked back at the old man and the small room. "Way to trap us, old man." Normally, he would knock the bad guys out easily, but he didn't want to expose his powers in front of Connor.
"What I'm about to show you must be kept between us." Connor stated rather seriously, which Naruto nodded with a raised brow underneath his hood. "Okay then." He turned around to the grandfather clock and fixed the hands to 10 and 2 before stepping back.
The duo watched when the grandfather clock slowly folded and sunk into the wall before it separated like a door, showing a hallway covered in darkness and leading to nowhere.
"Come on." Connor limped inside the hall while Naruto stood there befuddled about what just happened. But then again, he's seen plenty of things back in Ichigo's dimension.
Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto entered the hall as well. When he did, the wall closed behind him and the grandfather clock sprung to its original size just as the door was broken inwards. More men in black entered the room with guns in their hands and surveyed it before they broke into columns against the wall.
Walking through the space in the columns was a muscular man in black leather armor that had a white 'X' in the chest area, black gauntlets and multiple guns of varying size tied to his belt. The most distinct aspect of his costume attire was the silver skull mark on his black mask that covered his face. "Damn it! The old coot got away!" The costumed man shouted as he kicked the clock directly, smashing it completely.
"Sir, what do we do?"
"The deal was to find the old coot and get what we need for our employer." The man turned around and walked towards the entrance of the bar. "Let's draw the moth to the light. And one other thing:" He stopped and turned around to point one of his guns at the man who asked him and shot a bullet in the head. "Don't call me 'sir'. The name's Crossbones."
Without another word, Crossbones left the bar with his men in their armored vehicles before the arrival of police cars blared ever reached their eardrums.
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(Three Hours Later)
"W-where are we going?"
"My home."
Naruto couldn't see the smirk on the man's face, but he had to ask. "What do you mean your home? I thought the apartment above your bar was home."
"Officially yes, but that's just on the papers." Connor clarified. "As you now know, I have enemies who are after me so I use misdirection to aid me. I thought I had taken care of all my enemies, but it seems I was wrong."
"The thug mentioned about you and your kind." Naruto paused momentarily. "What did he mean by that?"
"We're about to be dragged into something here. I just know it."
"We've already been dragged, Kurama." Naruto answered back while Ashura agreed with his statement. Kurama simply snorted in annoyance.
"Ah, we're here."
"What?"
Naruto had to squint his eyes to barely see Connor press something against what is likely a dead-end. However, it was wrong since it turned out to be a door that allowed light into the dark hallway as Connor stepped into it. Naruto followed suit and instantly felt the rush of something that he hadn't felt that was clean for so long.
It was Natural Energy. Pure Natural Energy that was undaunted nor diluted by the pollution by mankind's technology.
Plus, Naruto found Connor standing near the edge of a cliff and walked to him to find an amazing sight to behold. A vast forested area with three rivers cutting through the middle as the main and large one was connected the sea on the far right while mountains were located on the left and where he and Connor were standing. Birds flew out of their nests as they sang their songs over them. The setting sun in the background seem to enhanced the beauty of the area.
It reminded him of Konoha and…
"Is that a house on the hill over there?" Naruto squinted while he had a hand to block out the sun to help him see better.
"This entire area has been my family's land since the time before the American Revolution." Connor said with pride present in his voice as Naruto looked at him. "This is once the base of my kind who fought against those who wanted to control those who are less than them, have no power and no guidance across the globe."
The ninja looked at the man who was standing with a great smile. A smile he had never seen during the time he'd known him.
"Welcome to the Homestead, Naruto."
"Homestead?" Naruto repeated before Connor urged him to take him to the house on the opposite hill.
It took quite a while since Connor was old and recently beaten up, but the duo had finally managed to cross the Homestead and made it to Connor's house. Except it wasn't a house. It was a red-brick manor with two stories that had stone pavements as steps; multiple windows around it; a white balcony over the wooden door; four large chimneys in the four corners of the manor; pale trees with evergreens surrounded the building while the roof matched their color.
"Are you rich or something?" Naruto asked curiously and awed. Connor chuckled as he shook his head before they entered the manor. The door opened to medium dark wooden floors, a flight of stairs leading to the second floor and two rooms on the opposite sides of each other. "Which room?"
Connor pointed down the hall on the left and Naruto complied as they entered the room after closing the door. The duo passed by the two rooms that what looks to be a reading room and the dining room near the flight of stairs. After moving to the left room in the back, Naruto gently placed Connor on one of the chairs that was surprisingly sturdy for its rather old appearance.
Watching the man get situated comfortably, Naruto asked, "Connor, what's going on?"
"I am not a mutant in case you're wondering." The elderly man starkly stated. "As for that punk's statement about my kind including the people in the news, we belonged to an Order that protected humanity's free will, freedom and peace."
"How long? Since the American Revolution?"
Connor shook his head. "Far longer than that. According to my father, the Order has been around since very ancient times."
"How ancient are we talking about?"
"Long before the Roman Empire."
"…Damn, that is old." Naruto said after he whistled in awe.
Connor nodded while he rubbed his head. "Tell me about it. Anyway, according to the myths, our Order was founded by a man who was the younger brother of an leader. The older brother wanted to control his people and later people from other lands once his father chooses him as successor to save Humanity from themselves, but instead the younger brother was the successor. The reason being that the younger brother believed that Humanity can guide themselves with freedom and love."
"I take it the older brother didn't take it well."
"No. He killed his father and framed his brother for the act." Connor paused to take a breath. "However the younger brother had trained himself in stealth since childhood so he escaped. Time passed, but with every step and plan the older brother and his followers wanted to control Humanity, the younger brother along with his followers held them back in the shadows. Finally in old age, the two brothers met and fought each other when their father's empire was destroyed by years of corruption. They died, but their followers and their descendants continued to fight over the centuries."
"So the older brother's followers was…"
"You may have known them as the Knights Templars."
"Seriously?" Naruto asked for confirmation. Connor nodded and the boy sighed. "So what was the younger brother's—your order called?"
"We called ourselves Assassins."
"Really?"
"Yes." Connor replied with a little ire. Naruto raised his arms in a placating manner as the old man continued, "Our factions fought through the centuries until we were utterly eliminated in the two World Wars."
Naruto quickly raised his hand with a little look of fear. "Wait, how old are you?"
"I was born in the 1960s."
"Okay. So why did those guys think you're still part of the Order?"
"Those with connections or bloodlines to the Order had been trained in case the Templars should ever attempt to control Humanity again." Connor sighed deeply. "There have been no words. Radio silence. So my generation retired in the 1990s and we didn't want to involve our children or grandchildren into our struggle. We thought we could live in peace, especially with the emergence of these heroes across the country."
"Until those guys came knocking." Naruto said grimly.
"Yeah."
"So what are you—" A blaring alarm interrupted the blonde while Connor looked worried as it meant something dangerous. "What was that?" Naruto asked while he vigorously rubbed his ears to get them working.
"Something's happening in Boston." Connor informed him as he tried to get up but winced in pain from the bruised ribs. "Get the skull from my desk there." He pointed at the said object behind the blonde.
Naruto turned around and saw the skull all right, but it was the color that threw him off. It looked to be made out of jade crystal with a square slot dug deep into the forehead portion. Carefully picking it up, the alarm ceased as Naruto gave it to Connor who waved his hand over it. "What was that?"
His question was under the bridge as light shined from the skull's eye sockets before it formed a large picture-like hologram. Black and white specks flickered in the hologram until it cleared into a perfect picture and showed the Boston Harbor and its warehouses. It was completely surrounded by countless numbers of squad cars belonging to the Boston Police Department while the helicopters shined their spotlights from above.
The hologram focused when something drew it and the spotlight's attention on the rooftop on the closest warehouse. It was a message smeared in black and white paint across the billboard.
Bring us the treasure in one hour or the mayor and his family dies.
"What the hell?" Naruto asked with great surprise.
Connor snarled. "It's a message for me. They still want the treasure." He slammed his fists on the chair's arm in anger. "I can't do anything while I'm like this. No… I can't do anything at all."
Seeing him powerless hurt the blonde as he glanced between Connor and the crystal skull's hologram. His fists clenched under the pressure of his strength and by the eager pleading of Kurama and Ashura, Naruto said calmly to Connor. "I'll go."
"W-What?" Connor asked with a 'are you mad' look. "Look this is not a jo—" He stopped when Naruto's eyes showed him immense determination and experience belonging to that of a master. A chuckle escaped his lips as his finger pointed at his closet. "Then you're gonna need something better than that jacket."
Naruto, with a raised brow, walked to the closet and opened it to find something very surprising and interesting. He looked at Connor who had a smirk and nudged his head as approval before taking it out of the closet.
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(One Hour Later)
Boston Harbor, Boston, Massachusetts
Crossbones paced around the desolate room in the warehouse as his men surrounded the mayor and his family in a circle with their weapons pointed at them. He looked the moon and used it to tell the time limit had been reached, much to his delight. "Oh how disappointing."
"P-please… just let my family go." The mayor stuttered as he pleaded while holding his wife and daughter tightly. They all flinched as their grip tightened in fear after Crossbones signaled them to load their weapons.
"Not my problem, but I do know the person you could blame for your demise." Crossbones nonchalantly said with his arms in the air. "His name was—" He pulled out his guns and shot several bullets at incoming objects from the shadows in the ceiling. The objects turned out to be shuriken. "Huh?"
Suddenly the shuriken released white smoke vapor that quickly filled the room and robbed everybody of their sight. The men grew weary as they pointed their weapons away from the hostages and around the room to find the hostile enemy. However, they soon fell into a trap. One of them didn't see a hand near his cheek until it clasped over his mouth and pulled him back away from the others.
As one of the men looked for their missing friend, a rope of sorts with a sharp point flew across the room from the ceiling and dug into his shoulder. "AAHHH~" The man screamed in pain before he was pulled upwards to the smoke covered ceiling as his friends pointed their guns at there.
"FI—" The third man was silenced when he felt something sharp penetrate his shoulder followed by a hit to the back of his neck. The last remaining men saw their friend fall to the ground and pointed their weapons at the last known location of their apparent invisible enemy, but before they could open fire, they saw something black entered their line of sight that knocked them squarely onto their faces.
A fist.
"Well hello there."
Crossbones had just stood by and watched the assailant take out his men under the blanket of the smokescreen, but he didn't really care at this point. At least, now he got a good look at his enemy after the smoke finally cleared and with the police spotlight focused on the room. The mayor and his family also saw their apparent savior in clear view as well and they couldn't help but feel intimidated.
The savior was wearing black boots that matched the cargo pants. Around the waist was a thick crimson red sash fastened with a strange symbol that looked somewhat of an 'A', but the lower stands were curved inwards. A white buttoned shirt was worn underneath a white robe that reached the legs and had blue lining alongside the torso as the lower part of the robe was layered as well. Two black gauntlets covered the forearms with attached gloves covering the hands. Lastly was the beaked hood that covered his/her head while also providing a shadow that covered his face from Crossbone's sight.
"I thought your kind died out. Apparently that old man did teach someone after all." Crossbones said with a little glee as his gun was focused at the unknown ninja. He'd heard stories from his employer about these people. Their skills with assassinations and combat was something to be feared. "Where's the treasure?"
"…"
"Did you hear me?"
"…"
"I SAID DID YOU HEAR ME?!" Crossbones shouted with anger, scaring the mayor's daughter. He didn't like to be ignored at all. "ANSWER ME!" He pulled the trigger and fired a bullet just as the Assassin released a shuriken at the same time. The two projectiles clashed against each other and much to the crazed mercenary's surprise, the bullet was cleaved in half by the shuriken.
Seeing him dodge the shuriken gave the hidden Naruto the chance to strike as he dashed towards the mercenary with great speed that surprised the hostages and the former himself. He pushed the gun upwards the ceiling before striking it with his opposite, forcing Crossbones to drop it. At that moment, Naruto entered a fist match with Crossbones.
The mercenary was throwing haymakers, crosses, leg strikes and elbows at the Assassin who countered them easily, forcing him to dodge with some difficulty. Crossbones then leaned backwards to dodge a straight from his opponent and struck back with a high kick aimed at the head.
Seeing it from a mile away, Naruto stopped the leg from fully extending from his own with ease and quickly kicked away the opposing limb and lowered himself to leg-sweep Crossbones' supporting leg, causing him to fall on his back but he quickly recovered.
Both of them stood up with no words exchanged as Crossbones pulled two knives from his belt and held them in reverse-grip. Naruto watched him charged as Crossbones swung both his knives in a crazy and wild way, but he dodged each strikes before he grabbed his wrists, halting the assault.
Smirking, Crossbones reeled his head before head-butting against the hooded Assassin, but it didn't go as he planned. Instead of the Assassin, it was him-self reeling back in pain as he held his forehead to hold back the pain as much as possible. Naruto saw this chance and dashed at him before he thrust his palm on Crossbones' chest.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm." Naruto whispered lowly as a gentle blast of wind sent Crossbones across the room and into the wall behind him that caved in from the power. He turned around and walked towards the hostages before a small blade extended from his right wrist, courtesy of the gauntlets. Seeing the fear in their eyes, Naruto spoke calmly, "It's all right. You're safe now."
The mayor looked at his wife and daughter before he nodded at the hooded figure who cut the ropes around their legs. They all stood up before they were instructed by their savior to run to the authorities as quickly they could. They never ran this fast in their entire lives until tonight.
The hooded Naruto turned around to take Crossbones to the police, but instead found a lone device in his spot… that was counting… "Oh shit."
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"Mr. Mayor, thank goodness you're all right."
The mayor nodded while his wife and child was escorted to the ambulances for diagnostics. "That maniac and his men are knocked out."
"How?"
"It was someone in a hood—"
*BBBOOOMMM*
The entire police force, the chief and the mayor took cover when the familiar sound rocked the harbor, destroying the warehouse and sending the debris across the bay and ground level. After the coast was clear and nobody was hurt, the police chief sent the bomb squad to search for any lingering bombs in the area and later sent the detectives with the CSUs to search for bodies.
Meanwhile, the mayor and his family stared at the destroyed warehouse with the knowledge they escaped with their lives, but their savior was not given that option. They hoped the CSUs couldn't find the body of their savior, but their hopes were squandered when they found eight bodies, but they weren't burned at all.
"What on Earth?" The chief asked in wonder as the mayor walked up to him and saw the unconscious men alive and unburnt although they had black bruises on their persons. "Are these the men?"
"Yes, but is this all of them?" The mayor asked as the police chief looked at him with confusion. "There were two more."
"I'll sent out a BOLO for them. Descriptions?" The chief asked seriously. He will not let the criminals to escape with this crime under their belts.
The mayor nodded before giving the description. "He was tall, had a muscular build, and wore all black clothing that had a 'X' and a skull engraved mask. I think he's one of Captain America's foes."
"But Captain America lives in New York." The chief pointed out. "Why is he here in Boston?"
"Money."
"Of course." The experienced chief said and waited for the description of the second assailant. "Sir? The other description?"
"I think you're mistaken, Tom. The BOLO is for one person."
"Sir?"
"The other person wasn't one of them. He saved me and my family." The mayor said gratefully while Tom looked a little apprehensive.
"A vigilante? We don't need those around here."
"Not today he was." The mayor looked at the night sky where the moon was held high. "Today he was a hero." Tom nodded a second later before the mayor reunited with his family, kissing and hugging each other as much as they can. He soon felt a tug on his clothing and saw his daughter pointing at something.
"Daddy, look!"
The parents looked at the direction where their daughter was pointing and saw their hooded savior standing on the roof of one of the nearby buildings, staring at them. They felt touched that he was making sure they were safe and sound. And to show their gratitude, they waved at him who later disappeared into a swirl of leafs.
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Connor's Manor, Homestead, Boston
Naruto trekked towards the manor before he entered and closed the door behind him. He made his way to Connor's bedroom and saw the man resting on his bed while in pajamas. "You look clean for the first time." He joked after taking off the hood.
"I heard the news. Congratulations, Naruto." Connor praised the young man of his accomplishments. "Although there were some little mishaps like letting the skull mask escape under your watch."
Naruto winced at that since he was better than that. No doubt the man or his allies will come looking for him or put people in danger again. "People make mistakes."
"Hopefully, they don't come back to haunt you."
Naruto chuckled mirthfully as he sat on the chair. "Hopefully."
"Now it is time."
"What do you mean by that?"
"This house…the Homestead…everything here is now yours." Connor informed the young ninja as his breathing begins to labor. "I am pleased… that you will watch over… our world."
Naruto stood up alerted by his labored breathing and words. "Connor, what are you talking about?"
"If you… ever need guidance to… follow my Order…." Connor said weakly while his eyes shuttered. "No… be better than us…lead the world to peace as you mentioned…in our talks" He inhaled deeply. "Every Mentor…is given a name that…defines us as a…a whole." His eyes were on Naruto who had his phone out to call someone. He reached out to stop him, causing the blonde to look at him. "When I watched you… you didn't kill them and saved the mayor and his family. I thought of a name for you…farewell…Patronus Maximus."
"Connor!" Naruto shouted in fear and sadness as the elderly man passed with his last breath. He solemnly closed his eyes with his head hung down as he pays his respects. With a deep breath, Naruto stood up and walked to the window where he saw the moon with clenched fists. "I'll do the best I can, Connor."
Tis not only the night of sorrow and pain, but one of joy and happiness. Tis the night of a successor to an order whose life had begun anew. Tis the night of a hero being born in the city of Boston. And his name was Patronus Maximus.
END OF CHAPTER
Well, there you have it. Part Two of the Traveler series that kicked off in the Marvel Universe and we got to face off against SHIELD and an enemy of Captain America. As for the clothes Naruto wore, they were Connor's Assassin's robes in Assassin's Creed III and I did the best I could to describe them with modern touches. Of course, he will have his own robes/uniform for crime-fighting that will resemble Connor's robes, but much more modern and touches from his world.
Also the name is Latin, so I thought I'd let you know.
I hope you all liked the part two and continuing to support my stories. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!