Brothers Of A Different Kind

Just wanna thank everyone who turned out for my return, and reviewed the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

– I Do Not Own Naruto or Marvel –

– Previously –

After the duo had finished eating their fill, and Naruto packed the leftovers, they hit the town, hand in hand. They hadn't entered any of the other establishments setup for the festival, as nothing had caught Brünhilde's eye, that is, until they came across a blacksmith.

The child-like excitement quickly faded after entering, where she began to inspect every piece of armor and weapon. She was not impressed, and she let the old blacksmith know. Her criticisms were not kind. He had to take her away before she completely shattered the man's confidence. After walking for a few minutes, they found themselves back on the beach, about a mile or so away from the location they first appeared at.

Taking a seat on some stone steps nearby, a comfortable silence ensued as they looked out into the ocean, calmly just watching the waves crash on the beach. She laid her head down on his shoulder.

"...I know I don't have to say this, but thank you." she said. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Click!

The two of them turned to find a man behind them, camera in hand. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I work for the festival committee, taking photographs to commemorate the event, and when I noticed the two of you, silhouetted up against the moon, staring out into the ocean, showing affection, I just had to capture the moment." he explained. "Here, take a look."

The couple took a gander at the photo on the digital camera, and they were both impressed. The man had caught them at the perfect moment. Naruto took a look at Brünhilde and noted the excitement in her eyes when she looked at the picture. He looked back at the man.

"Can we get two copies of the photo."

The man nodded. "I can have two prints ready for you in an hour, if that's okay?"

Naruto looked at his watch. Reminding himself he was in a different time-zone, he nodded. They could wait a little while longer. "We'll wait. Where do we meet you to pick them up?"

"You can't miss it. It's the biggest building in town." he explained. "Meet me there in an hour."

The two nodded, and watched him walk away. Brünhilde turned to him. "Why did you ask for two? We can just get one big one and put it in the house."

"We can do that, but if you'll allow me to be selfish for a minute." Wondering where he was going with this, she gave him a nod. "...I don't want to share our time together here with anyone else. What we did here is for us, and us alone. The two of us having a copy will serve as a reminder of our time together here every time we look at it."

Brünhilde let out a soft laugh. "I find it amusing how everyone who knows you personally thinks they know you best, when in reality they don't know a thing about you. Not like I do." she said, caressing his cheek. "That the man known to few as Nathan, many as Naruto, and to all as Kagebōshi is actually a hopeless romantic at heart."

Naruto grinned. "What can I say. I've a very loving person. Come on, let's head back to town. We can kill some time there just walking around before we pick up our pictures and head home."

Interlocking her hand with his, the two began their trek back into town, ready to cap off their already great day with a captured memory that will last a lifetime.

– Now –

New Rochelle, Naruto's Home – June 15th, 2003

"Damn necktie!"

Laura gasped. "Swear jar!"

"How the hell do people tie these damn things!?"

Naruto had fought in all sorts of battles, and all manner of foe, over the course of his life, but none had given him quite as much trouble as a simple necktie. He was currently getting dressed for his trip down to Florida. His meeting at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and with Carol Danvers, was upon him.

Fed up with his incompetence, Natasha, who was going with him, stepped in. "Let me do it."

"Oh, thanks." he said, surprised. "I didn't know this was a skill you knew. If I'd know this, I would've brought you in sooner."

The redhead smiled at his thoughtfulness. "It only became a useful skill when I could use it to acquire what I needed from my targets. Before eliminating them." she added quietly.

The blonde thought about that for a second, and nodded. "Hm, makes sense."

Jessica was present, but she wasn't traveling with them. No, she was staying behind to watch Laura for him until Doreen, Laura's sitter, arrived. After that, she was off to Avengers Tower, or whatever it is she did in her spare time. He really didn't want to ask Doreen to come in, since it was Sunday, but he didn't have anyone else.

He briefly considered asking Steve to come over, but seeing as his older brother was not only becoming more, and more, involved with SHIELD, moving into his own place, and leading the Avengers, the man was being spread thin enough as it is, super-soldier or no. Maya was out as well, seeing as the woman no longer lived with him as well, though that wasn't the reason why he decided not to call her. Like Elektra, the deaf woman was also out on a personal mission of her own. A vision quest she called it.

Brünhilde would've been the best choice in his opinion. Unfortunately, a week after their date, she was summoned to Asgard, and he didn't know how long she'd be gone this time. The last person who was in his home, and who was going with him, was Daisy Johnson. He silently watched as the young-woman played with his daughter, and couldn't help but think back to his conversation with Fury about her.

– Flashback –

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?!" questioned Fury. He was very busy at the moment.

"Naruto."

"Come in!" The one-eyed man looked up from his paperwork at his predecessor. "What do you want?"

No point in beating around the bush. "Who is Daisy Johnson?"

Fury stared into the eyes of his fellow super-soldier. "What does it matter who she is? She's apart of SHIELD. End of story."

The blonde held his hands up. "You don't need to defend your decision to me, Fury." he said. "Because far be it from me to tell you who you can, or can't, bring in to SHIELD." Case and point Jessica Drew. "I honestly don't care who she is, but what I would like to know is why you decided to give her a level ten security clearance?"

Fury frowned. The man in front of him is the only human being in the world who can question him like this. Not because he was the previous director, or because the man knew as much, if not more, about the world than he did, but because the man in front of him was one of only a few he could actually call a friend.

As if reading his mind, the blonde spoke. "The agents might not question the decision openly, but you can bet they will behind closed doors, which can possibly lead to dissension." he explained. "Maybe not from them personally, but all it takes is one message to the World Security Council for you to lose your position as director."

The one-eyed man grunted. The blonde made a valid point. He was going to have to have a talk with the world leaders at some point about this. Better they hear it from him than from a disgruntled agent.

He released a sigh. "You may not care who she is, but it certainly played a factor in why I gave her a high clearance level." explained the one-eyed man. "The main reason why I brought her in is because I want her loyalty." he revealed. It was much the same way the blonde operated. Only difference being that the man in front of him could do it naturally, whereas he could not.

"And what exactly makes her so special that you're going so far to gain that loyalty?"

"I initially believed her to be a mutant after a few earthquakes were recorded with her at the epicenter of each one." he said. "Her DNA tests say otherwise. Part of her is human, the other is unknown. And that's the part that worries me."

Naruto now understood what was going on with his friend. The man was afraid, and rightfully so. All manner of sorts visited Earth from time to time, did they try to vet 'em all, sure, but there were going to be times when even they missed a few. So with Daisy being part of a race they knew next to nothing about, did that mean she was the first of her kind? If not, where were the others?

The older super-soldier took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Let me see if I got this straight. You gave her a high clearance level to gain her trust so that in the event the rest of her race does arrive one day, she sides with you, not them." he explained. "Right?" Fury tapped his nose. Naruto sighed. He understood this man's mind so damn well it scared even him.

The blonde didn't bother to ask what the man would do if Daisy betrayed that trust, because he already knew what the man would do.

"Is that all you came here for, or is there something else?"

"There is. I want Daisy on my team."

"Done."

Naruto was surprised by the sudden answer. After that whole preamble about loyalty and whatnot, for him to just let Daisy go that easily confused him. The one-eyed man could understand that confusion.

"Apart from gaining her loyalty, she's still an unknown, and untrained." he explained. "These are the only reasons why I'm agreeing to let her join you, for the time being. Not only are you going to watch over her, but she's also going to receive training from you, so by the time she comes back to me, she'll be ready for what I have in-store for her."

– Flashback End –

The super-soldier suddenly felt himself being choked, and peered down at Natasha. The necktie around his neck was very tight.

"I've been saying your name now for the past few minutes."

"What is it?"

Natasha looked at him concerned for a moment. "I'm finished. We can leave whenever you're ready." she said, fixing his necktie so it rested comfortably on his person. "Laura's sitter also arrived, so Jessica took off already." she added.

The blonde had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry. I was thinking about something that came to mind. Anyways, thank you for the help, and thank you for informing me of all that happened." he told her. "Can you please bring the car around."

The Black Widow nodded, and began making her way towards the side door in the house that led to the garage. Daisy fell in step right behind the red-haired woman. As they left, the lone super-soldier took a knee, and Laura approached.

"I'm leaving on a business trip, but I'll only be gone for a few hours, so be a good girl for Doreen."

Laura nodded. "Will you bring me a souvenir?"

Naruto grinned, and gave his daughter a hug, which she reciprocated. "You bet." Giving her a kiss on the forehead, he bid them goodbye, and exited his home. Hoping into the back of his car, he handed the redhead a piece of paper. "Those are directions to Westchester County Airport. My jet is there waiting for us."

Nodding, Natasha stepped on the pedal, and they were off.

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida – June 15th, 2003

"That's a lot of people." remarked Daisy.

Naruto nodded, agreeing with the young-woman. Having since landed in the Sunshine State, the three were picked up by military personnel, and immediately taken to meet with Cape Canaveral's top brass. Which mostly consisted of men and women with scientific and military backgrounds.

'Wow.'

That was the first thought that'd crossed his mind when he laid eyes on one Carol Danvers. That photo of hers he had back in his office did this woman no justice, because it was one thing to see a person in a photo, and another to actually see that person in real life. He noticed one of the scientists approach with his hand out. It was a man, much like him, except a head taller.

"Afternoon. My name is Dr. Walter Lawson, and on behalf of everyone here, welcome to Cape Canaveral."

The super-soldier shook the man's outstretched hand, and was surprised by just how strong a grip the man across him had. It felt like he was shaking hands with Steve. He made a mental note to look into this man once he returned, because his frame didn't suggest such strength, even if he did work out. Perhaps it was his paranoia kicking in, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The shorter blonde nodded. "Thank you for the welcome." he said. "As you know, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, CEO and owner of Uzumaki Industries. This here is my assistant, Natalie Rushman." The red-head nodded politely. "And this here is Skye Bennett, an intern at my company, but a fast rising star as well." Daisy nodded politely as well.

Naruto was here under the guise of business, obviously, as someone who wanted to invest his time and money in what was going on down here, but more so in their space programs. Much in the same way he did with Reed Richards' project. Speaking of the man, Richards and crew had a successful launch, and were now off exploring the cosmos.

Dr. Lawson nodded, and began to introduce the men and women behind him, some of whom worked at the Kennedy Space Center, and others at the Air Force Station across from it. He shook hands with all of them, until he arrived at the one person he was actually here to see.

"Unfortunately, our Head of Security can't be here right now." said Lawson. "He had a situation that needed his entire attention." he explained. "So he sent a replacement instead. This is Carol Danvers, a very good friend of mine."

He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Carol shook his hand, and simply nodded. Naruto raised a brow. As far as first impressions went, while certainly not the worst he'd seen, since she was courteous and professional enough, it wasn't the best either. Well, time to begin the evaluation.

"Now, if you'll please follow me, we can get down to business."

Naruto didn't follow. "Actually, before we begin, I'd like a tour of the facility." he requested. "Reason being because I like to acquaint myself with anything I plan on getting my business involved with." he explained. "Which I'm sure all of you can understand." The men and women across him nodded. They understood. They didn't like it since they believed it was a waste of time, but they understood. "And I'd like it from Ms. Danvers."

The beautiful woman finally showed signs of life at the mention of her name. She looked at the blonde man oddly. "Why from me?"

He simply smiled at her. "As former Head of Security, you're most familiar with the Air Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center, no?"

Carol's eyes narrowed as a frown marred her face. 'This guy's mocking me!'

Just as she was about to say something, and wipe that smug smile off his handsome face, she noticed her superiors giving her a look, and she stopped herself. She was a prideful woman who didn't take shit from anyone, be they rich, famous, or whatever, but at the same time, her pride didn't feed her, pay her bills, her rent, or do any of the other things this job did. She sighed.

"If you and your assistants will please follow me. We can begin the tour."

The trio of visitors nodded, and followed after her. If the blonde hadn't been a trained soldier, he would have missed the moment Carol's eyes sought out Dr. Lawson's. He had to wonder what the relationship between the two was, and whether it would play a factor in Carol deciding if she still wanted to be part of SHIELD or not. Well, he'd have his answer soon enough.

After ignoring all of Carol's history lesson so far, which clearly annoyed the woman, he decided to continue the evaluation he began at the entrance. "I have a question."

Carol came to a stop, took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned to face him, annoyed. "What?" She did not like being interrupted.

"Are you happy with your current lot in life?"

The temperature in the room they were in suddenly seemed to drop as Carol's blue orbs narrowed quite sharply. Before she could tell him to mind his own damn business, however, she was interrupted again.

"I'm asking because from what I've seen, the way you carry yourself, and interact with others, sans Dr. Lawson, tells me you're unhappy." he explained. "I also know about your time as a Combat Controller, along with your time in Air Force Intelligence." he said. "You're overqualified to be working security, and yes, it's at Canaveral, but it's still security. Don't you still want more out of life than just patrolling hallways day in and day out?"

Earlier, she'd been cowed by her superiors, not because she was afraid to speak her mind, but because she needed this job, but that was then, this is now. Part of her was going to lash out at him, and tell this man to fuck off, but at the same time, he did bring up a valid point, and a question she hadn't asked herself in a very, very, long time. Was she happy? The answer was obvious. No, she wasn't.

Naruto studied Carol for a few seconds, and breathed easy, glad the woman hadn't blown up, which he tried to make her do. She came very close, but in the end, she regained control of her emotions. He had his answer.

"You pass."

Distracted from her thoughts, and the life choices that led her to this point in life, Carol looked at the businessman strangely. "Pass? Pass what?"

Naruto looked her right in the eyes. "My evaluation." he answered. She was still confused. "I received your SHIELD application." Carol's eyes widened, and he nodded. Yes, he was from that organization. Now that he had her undivided attention, he continued. "Do you still have the drive to join? Or has your fire been extinguished from being here to long?"

Carol stood up much straighter, looked him dead in the eye, and gave a firm nod. "Yes. I still have the drive to join."

The super-soldier was glad to see her fire still burned hot. He nodded. Good. "In a few days time, I'm going to send someone down here to teach you the ins and outs of what you'll need to know." he said.

The blonde bombshell looked at him confused. "They're going to teach me how to enter SHIELD?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. I know you've got the talent to pass whatever SHIELD throws at you. The person I'm sending here is going to give you a crash course on my unit specifically."

Carol got the gist of what he was saying without having to say anymore. "Thank you, truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart." she said. "Not only for the opportunity, but for the help as well."

He nodded. "You're welcome. Now then, if you'd be so kind as to take us back so we can get this farce of a business meeting over and done with. We need to be on our way."

Danvers nodded. "Follow me." She didn't care if her superiors blamed her for the man beside her leaving an hour after being here. She'd just been given a second chance, and there was no way any of them could ruin this moment for her.

New Rochelle, Naruto's Home – June 22nd, 2003

In what was a very rare occasion for him, Naruto had actually spent the entire day at home today with Laura. He wasn't on vacation, and it certainly wasn't an off day, since no one at the organization even knew what those were. To put it simply, he just hadn't been needed today. He put work in at his office of course, but that's about as far as it went. Anyways, today had been the longest amount of time he spent with Laura in a long time, and he loved every second of it.

Daisy was over as well, though there was a reason for that, aside from the obvious. Laura had seen this as a good opportunity to get to know a new friend better, especially since Jessica hasn't been around in a while. Neither were Brünhilde, or Elizabeth. He didn't know what either of them were doing, but he made excuses for them nonetheless. As for Jessica, he did in fact know what she was up to.

She was currently down in Florida, teaching Carol. This was as much for Jessica's sake as it was for Carol's benefit. He wanted Jessica to take a break from wearing the spandex, and make a friend who wasn't him, Laura, or the Avengers. Despite the protests she made in the beginning, the first report he received from her told him different. Both she and Carol were getting along swimmingly, and were fast becoming best friends.

"It's your turn, daddy." said Laura, handing him the dice, and snapping him out of his thoughts.

Seeing as it was a little later at night, and soon her bedtime, Laura had decided to cap off the day with s'mores, and her favorite board game. Something called "Escalators and Eels". It was from some kids show about a talking sponge. He shook his head.

He didn't understand kids shows these days. Whatever happened to Loony Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Speed Racer, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, The Herculoids, Space Ghost, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio! Sure he may not have always had time to watch more than a few episodes, but he knew for a fact they were still better than what kids had on television these days. Kids today didn't know what a true classics was! He suddenly stopped himself. A light chuckle escaped him.

It didn't happen often, but there were still times he found himself forgetting just how old he really was. Then again, staring at a youthful face in the mirror for the past eighty-three years will do that to a man. Anyways, he knew the board game wasn't called that. Hey may be old, but that didn't mean his memory was going just yet. He just enjoyed seeing Laura get angry over his mispronunciation of it. He couldn't help it if he found it cute when she was angry.

He threw the dice, and the second they touched the game-board, the lights in his home went out. 'What in the world?'

Seeing as Laura was starting to get freaked out, she knew she had to do something. "Dice skills be so powerful the power went out." commented Daisy, trying to lighten the mood with some humor.

The super-soldier sent Daisy a grateful nod, appreciating the attempt at trying to comfort his daughter. Because as much as he wanted to be the one to do it, he couldn't, not at the moment. He needed to figure out what exactly was going on, because unless the electric company forgot to mention something to him, the power shouldn't have gone out. The generator he had came to life, giving the inside of his home light.

He signed some signals to Daisy, who nodded, and began to concentrate. Ever since learning what her power-set was, the super-soldier made it his mission to train her in them, especially those that allowed her to feel vibrations in the ground, which acted as a detection system.

Looking back at him, the young-woman subtly informed him there were six people outside of his front door. He nodded, but before he could give an order, the front door was suddenly blown off it's hinges, and he reacted just as quickly, covering the two.

The dust and small debris settled. "...Are the two of you okay?" The two nodded. "Good." He made to go outside, but didn't get very far.

"No! Dad, lets call the cops and just leave!"

He knelt down. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then trust me when I say this. I won't let anything happen to you." he said. "I love you."

"I love you to."

Embracing the other, he looked at Daisy, and gave her a silent order. Protect Laura. The young-woman nodded, already planning on doing just that. Once the two separated, she brought the girl closer to herself.

Stepping out from the gaping hole were his front door used to be, the six individuals Daisy had warned him about came into view. The first was a man, probably late thirties, early forties, who had a helmet on his head, and a cape on his back. The other five stood directly behind him.

One was a slimeball looking man, another an extremely overweight man, next to them stood a younger man with metallic armor on, and to the left of him stood the last man, who wore orange-red armor. The last person, however, was the one he couldn't tear his eyes away from. It was a young-woman. Blonde hair, red lips, and blue eyes. By all accounts beautiful, and he knew her from somewhere. He just didn't know from where.

"Greeting brother, my name is Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants."

The man began to introduce the rest of his brood for some reason, yet his eyes still remained locked on the young-woman. The names Toad, Blob, Avalanche, and Pyro may as well have gone in one ear and out the other. That's how little he cared for them. All he wanted to know was the female's name.

"Lastly, may I introduce Regan Wyngarde, Lady Mastermind."

His eyes widened a fraction. Now he understood why she seemed so familiar to him. The young-woman in front of him was Jason's daughter.

"Our reason for coming here tonight was to extend you an invitation on joining-"

"I decline."

His refusal was so quick, the others opposite him didn't have time to register their surprise. He didn't need the sharingan to see just how furious the others were with his decision. It seems they didn't take rejection well.

The one known as Pyro took a few steps towards him. "Why are you choosing to side with the humans when all they do is persecute, and kill, our kind!" he questioned angrily.

Unfortunately, while he knew there was truth behind the angry young-man's statement, it might as well have all been white noise to him right now. He only had the lone Wyngarde in his sights. No sooner had her surname crossed his mind did he feel someone try to enter it.

'It seems the girl took after her father in ability.'

Unfortunately for her, skill and power were not hereditary. Forcefully expelling her from his mind, and activating his Mangekyō, he got to work. The others, who were still busy questioning him, and where his loyalties lied, stopped when they heard Regan scream, and watched as she collapsed onto the floor. The blonde himself just returned from his Tsukuyomi world.

As much as he wanted to kill Jason, this young-woman, this child of his, was not him, and as such, he had no quarrel with her, which is why when he gathered everything she had on her father, he was out. At best, the young-woman would be bedridden for a few days with a massive headache. At worst, she'd be unconscious for a week. He also made sure to erase all memories of himself, Laura, Daisy, and what took place tonight.

Thanks to her, however, he now knew for a fact that Jason still lived, and had in fact retired to living a comfortable life, which he didn't buy for a second. Even at his age, the man had an ego the size of New York. There's no way he'd given up on a life of grandeur. Either way, all he needed to do now was find the man.

He'd been thinking of what to do to the man for a very long time now. At first, he just wanted to kill him and be done with it, but a thought occurred to him. Death was a release, and if there's one thing he did not want to do, it was release Jason. Not until the man suffered like his victims had suffered. Like he'd suffered for failing to save Adriana from death all those years ago at the hands of the Void. Thankfully, that monster was gone, or as gone as one could become.

The Void was once more buried deep within the confines of Robert's subconscious, and who himself has returned to a life of normalcy, but only after extreme precautions were taken. Like erasing his memory of him ever becoming the Void, which also meant, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who was asked, his memories as the Sentry as well. New memories were then implanted in his head courtesy of his Mangekyō, and just as his own precaution, the seal he'd placed on him all those years ago was still on him as well.

Fury took it a step further, and gave the man a job within a SHIELD subsidiary, not that Robert would ever know that since the subsidiary was disguised as some small business. This "business" was located in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, one of the least populated states in America. So, not only was the man being watched 24/7 by trained agents, but his environment was as stress-free as possible, because no one wanted to take the chance of him regaining his memories, and returning with the Void in tow.

"She's alive but unconscious!" exclaimed Pyro, having been the closest to her.

"It's his fault!" accused the one known as Toad. "His eyes changed just before our friend collapsed!"

Naruto said nothing, and merely stood there, indifferent. Not liking the fact one of their own was down, and the one responsible was just standing there, feet away from them, they decided to attack. Naruto's eyes easily tracked Toad's tongue, and grabbed hold of it. Using his strength, he swung the man around and directly into Pyro, knocking him down.

Just then, the ground beneath him began to shake, and knew it had to be the one known as Avalanche. Having expected this, since the young-man was clearly dumb enough to name himself after his own power, he used his own earth abilities to not only steady himself, but launch the incoming freight train known as Blob high into the air, and right on top of Avalanche, stopping the seismic activity. No sooner had he beaten the four did his instinct kick in as he ducked underneath a straight thrown at the back of his head.

"Multiple Man!"

'They call out his name as if he'll somehow make a difference in this fight.'

Aside from not liking the fact that Daisy had missed sensing an individual, this was nothing for him to worry about. He easily defeated the man when two more suddenly came at him, and before they could reach him, both went down all of a sudden. That's when he noticed Daisy join him, which sped up his heart-rate. It doubled in speed when she refused to look him in the face.

"Do we have your attention now?!"

Hearing the slimeball' nasally voice, he turned to face him, and what he saw made his anger skyrocket beyond belief. He had his daughter in his clutches.

"I'm sorry! I was ambushed by a lot of the multiplying guys when one took Laura, and-"

She was cut off by the blonde when he raised his hand. "Just help me get Laura back. Her safety is all that matters now. If you can help me do this, all will be forgiven."

Magneto, who'd been watching everything from the side, decided to speak up. "If you join, your child will be returned to you unharmed." he said. "If you don't, well, who knows what Toad will do."

To emphasize his leader's point, the slimy man licked the side of Laura's face, making her cry. Naruto's lips thinned into a straight line, and he subtly gave Daisy an order, but to move on his mark.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life."

Looking at Daisy from the corner of his eye, he gave her a near non-existent nod. Quickly following the order, the young-woman induced a vibration within the heads of five of the six, leaving Toad as the only one standing, per Naruto's request.

Of the five on the ground, only Magneto exhibited signs of movement, and that's only because the man began to transform into a red-haired, blue skinned, woman. Filing that away for later, he used this as an opportunity to appear before Toad, whose eyes were wide with fear.

Before the man could flee, or attempt to throw his daughter to distract him, he grabbed the man by the neck, hoisted him up, and began to choke the life out of him. Looking down at his daughter, he smiled sadly at her. He never wanted to show this particular side of himself to her. Unfortunately, it was taken out of his hands, and a conversation he planned on having years down the line was going to happen a lot sooner.

He locked eyes with her for a brief second, and she was out. Prying Toad's remaining hand off of her, he handed her to Daisy. "Take care of her for the time being." he said. "I'll be done in a few minutes." She nodded.

Turning his attention to the struggling worm in his grasp, he realized he was at a crossroads. He could kill the man, which he really wanted to do, but then he knew Laura would ask what became of the man. And he didn't know what would be worse. Telling her the truth, that he did kill him, possibly frightening her of him, or lying, and telling her he didn't kill him, when he actually did.

After taking a few seconds to think it over, he came to a decision. He was going to test Toad's worth. He loosened his grip just a bit, and allowed the man to breathe. If the man provided him solid information, he'd live. If he didn't, then who knows what would happen to him. Locking eyes with the slimeball, he peered deep into his mind, and quickly learned that his name was actually Mortimer Toynbee.

Pushing past his basic information, he went deeper, but quickly came to the realization that Toad didn't know a damn thing about his own group operations. Either that, or he wasn't trusted. The only useful pieces of information Toad was able to provide him with was a name, and a power-set that belonged to one of those who was present, but actually wasn't.

First off, Magneto was indeed real, per Toad's memories, and the man had control over magnetism, a deadly power if there ever was one, what with all the metal used in the world. The name that had been provided belonged to the red-haired woman, whom he now knew was a shape-shifter, and a damn good one at that. Her name, Mystique. If either of these two could do more, then Toad didn't know.

The blonde released a sigh. Toad had given him just enough to not outright kill him, but just not nearly enough to stop him from stabbing him in the stomach, and tossing him aside. He made sure to erase all memories consisting of himself, Laura, Daisy, and everything that occurred tonight while he was inside of his head. His eyes sought out the remaining five mutants on the ground, and did the same. He also made sure to make them think they'd been fighting some generic mutant hater.

Gathering chakra, he called forth a bit of water, and threw it at six of the seven. Normally, he wouldn't be doing this, but seeing as Laura had already gone through so much tonight, having the organization, and Fury, here wouldn't be doing her any favors. So, against his better judgment, he was letting these people go. For Laura's sake. They just better hope they never crossed paths again.

Of those on the ground, five stood, albeit shakily, with Mystique being the first up, quickly followed by the others.

"Leave." said the blonde.

All of them looked at him with hatred in their eyes, not moving an inch. He sighed again. "Listen, I've got all the time in the world, so if you wish to continue, so be it, but I want you to be aware of the fact that your friend over there on the ground doesn't." he said, pointing them in the direction of Toad, and the still unconscious Regan. "While his blood will certainly be on my hands, it will also be on yours, if you don't help him. Choose wisely."

His words made the conscious mutants pause. All of them looked to Mystique, waiting to hear what her answer would be. "...We're leaving. Grab Regan, and Toad." she ordered. The four young-men behind her did just that, and slinked away into the shadows, her not far behind.

After waiting a few minutes, to make sure they really were gone, he made his way back inside, as Daisy had taken Laura inside, to avoid anything that might've happened. He entered.

"How is she?"

"She's doing fine." answered Daisy. She grew quiet before speaking again. "...You know she's going to ask questions about what happened tonight, right?" As was Fury, when she reported this.

Naruto nodded. "And I'll do my best to answer all of them, but that's a conversation to be had another day, both of them." he replied, easily able to tell what she was thinking. "I just want tonight to be over already."

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, because before he could cover the hole where his front door used to be, someone had knocked. And in walked one man he did not want to deal with right now. He sighed.

"What do you want, Logan? Because in case you haven't noticed, I'm missing a front door."

The gruff Canadian held his hands up. "Relax, bub. I ain't here to chat with ya." he responded. "But a friend of mine here is. I'd like to introduce ya to Charles Xavier."

A bald man in a wheelchair entered his home, followed closely by five individuals, all of whom he took note were young-adults. A frown marred his face. He knew Charles Xavier, not personally, but he knew of him, and what the man really was. He had to presume the five behind him were the same.

"Hello, my friend." said Xavier.

Naruto did not reciprocate. "...Why are you here?" he asked. It was honestly the only thing he wanted to know.

The five behind Charles obviously didn't take kindly to him disrespecting the man, and the one with the visor on his face opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced when Charles raised his hand.

"My team of X-Men and I are here to assist you."

A scathing remark was on the tip of his tongue, ready to roll when he heard that, but was somehow able to hold himself in check. He didn't need more trouble right now. Before he could inform the man that he had the situation under control, for whatever reason, the man told his team to introduce themselves.

"Cyclops."

"Marvel Girl."

"Beast."

"Iceman."

"Angel."

Naruto could genuinely say for once in his life he was at a loss for words, and merely nodded at each one, not sure what to say to them. He decided to address Xavier instead. "Everything is under control."

Charles nodded. "I see. Apologies my friend. We would have been here sooner, but my team and I were dealing with something else that needed our attention. By the time we finished, and realized there was trouble elsewhere, it was over."

Naruto merely nodded. He didn't have anything else to say.

The man in the wheelchair sighed, dug into his breast-pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it over to him. "If you ever have any questions, or you need something, do not hesitate to call me." Xavier turned to his team. "It's time to leave. Return to the Blackbird. The rest of the team is waiting for our arrival."

Despite the fact he was tired at the moment, and the fact he didn't want to prolong the conversation any further, his need to know something got the better of him.

"Actually, I do have a couple of questions."

Everyone who'd been leaving stopped, and turned back around. Wheeling himself around, Xavier gave him the go-ahead to ask what he wished to know.

"How does the Brotherhood of Mutants know me?" he asked. He already knew of course, having taken a stroll through their minds, Mystique being an exception. There was something familiar about how her mind defended itself against him. He had a hunch, but until he knew more, he wasn't going to make any wild guesses. Either way, the rest of them knew of him the same way the Maximoff twins did, but what he wanted to know is, did Xavier, and by extension his team, know of another method. "And just how did they locate me?" This he did not know, and was hoping the group across him did.

Logan took that as his cue to speak. "They probably know ya the same way all the younger generation does." he answered. "As fer how they located ya, well, I'd say that was all Mystique's doing. I'm pretty sure ya noticed, but in case ya didn't, she can transform into anyone, and no doubt did that to get some information on ya."

The blonde sighed mentally. He already knew this. "Will she talk?"

He wasn't worried about himself per say, since he's positive his situation would be somewhat similar to Stark's. What he was worried about was Laura, even if she didn't share his surname. He wanted her to be able to protect herself before something like him ever getting ousted to the public happened.

The Canadian shrugged. "It depends on what she knows, and only if she's positive she can use it to her advantage." he explained.

Naruto frowned. "How do you figure?" questioned the blonde. Let's see if he was right about his hunch proving correct.

"Because she used to be a former operative. So she knows how valuable information can be."

It seems he was correct after all. When traversing through her mind, he quickly came to the realization that her mind was trained to defend against telepaths, and mind-walkers, seeing as he couldn't find out anything about the woman, not even her name. Or how she knew of him, and had to presume it was the same way her subordinates knew of him.

Odds were also high she had a way of getting around his mind wipe, whether it be with methods used by the organization that trained her, or a telepath she knows. Because any operative worth their weight in salt had a contingency plan in case something ever happened to them, whether they remembered it or not. At the very least, he'd bought himself some time to try and locate her, which was going to be easier said than done.

As if reading his mind, and what he planned on doing, Logan spoke. "Be careful around her. She knows something we don't if this attack is anything to go by."

Naruto frowned, not liking the sound of that. "What makes you think that?"

Logan sighed. "You and I have known the other has existed since the forties, right?" Naruto gave the man a nod. "Well, I've known Mystique since the early twenties, and I know she has a friend who can see into the future."

"...And you know this how?" He was honestly surprised the man was so forthcoming with this type of information, not only towards himself, which there was a reason for, but the others as well. Either he really trusted them, or he just didn't give a damn who knew. Considering it was Logan he was dealing with here, it was probably both.

A faraway look overcame the gruff Canadian. "Because after our time together came to an end in the twenties, Mystique and friend came to me for help twenty years later, during the 2nd World War." he explained. "And during our time together, I overheard 'em talking to each other about preventing an event from coming to pass."

"Did they?"

The man shrugged. "I can only guess they did, because when the war was over, and they left, they looked completely pleased with themselves."

"I see."

Charles chose this moment to re-enter the conversation. "Is there anything else you with to know" he asked.

The super-soldier nodded. "Yeah." He looked at the entire group standing opposite of him. "Where were the X-Men during the Chitauri invasion?"

Not liking the tone he used, Cyclops was about to answer him, but was interrupted by Charles. "You must understand, my friend. It's better if only a few of our kind make themselves known at the moment. The world as a whole simply isn't ready for the full scope of our race." he answered. "You know how it is."

The blonde did indeed know. While most were thankful for the Avengers, there were those who weren't. Then there were those who were thankful yet weren't at the same time. And in his honest opinion, they were the hardest to deal with, because while they still lived, someone close to them didn't. He couldn't even imagine how it'd be for an entire race.

He noticed Xavier looking up at him, clearly wanting to ask him something. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

The man in the wheelchair nodded. "Yes. It's about your daughter."

"What about her?"

"I know she's a mutant, as are you, albeit different ones." he said.

"Just what are you getting at here, Xavier?"

"I run a school for children like her, and with your permission, I'd like to enroll her." he offered. "Not only will she receive a top-notch education, but training as well."

The shinobi was taken aback by the sudden offer. "I...Thank you for the offer, but this isn't my decision alone to make." he said. "I'll speak to Laura about it, and if she wants to join, you'll hear from me in the future."

Charles nodded. "Of course. Till we meet again then."

Seeing the group out, Naruto got a look at this Blackbird that was mentioned earlier, and he could say without a doubt it was nicer than the Quinjet, bigger to. He watched as it lifted off, and flew off into the night, losing it soon after it entered it's cloaking mode no doubt.

"I think that's my cue to leave as well."

Turning around, he spotted Daisy behind him, with Laura in arms. He carefully took his daughter from her arms, and watched her leave.

"Get home safely." he said.

Once she was gone, he went inside, and covered the missing portion of his front door with a small earth wall. He sighed. "What a long day..." Walking upstairs, he took Laura to his room, and laid her down on his bed. Carefully, without making noise, he made his way over toward his bathroom so he could clean himself up.

"Daddy!"

He immediately stopping what he was doing, and rushed back into his room only for Laura to meet him halfway between bed and bathroom door. She hugged him tightly.

"Are the bad people gone?"

It absolutely broke his heart having to hear her voice sound so frightened. He nodded. "They're gone, and they won't hurt you anymore. I made sure of it."

Laura nodded, feeling more secure now that she heard that. "What did the nice people want?"

His eyes actually widened, such was his surprise. He looked down at Laura, and studied her for a few seconds. 'It seems my illusion wore off much sooner than I anticipated.' Either that, or she'd broken it herself, albeit subconsciously, which could only mean two things. She used chakra, or her mutation had finally manifested. He wasn't about to test either theory, at least not now.

He knelt down, and brought her closer to him. "The nice people are friends of mine who came to help me beat up the bad people." he explained. "One of them even offered you a place in the school that he owns." he added. A pensive look that came across her face. "You don't have to decide right now. We'll talk about it later." The pressure suddenly placed on her was alleviated when she heard that. "Let's clean ourselves up, and when we're finished, we can hop in my bed, and go to sleep together. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great."

After they both cleaned themselves up a bit, they got into his large bed, and Laura began to snuggle in closer to him. She was facing him.

"I love you daddy." She leaned in, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

The blonde smiled. Everything he's ever done, and gone through, none of it compared to the love he felt from his daughter right now. "I love you to." He gave her a kiss on her forehead. She slowly drifted off to sleep. He sighed. Tomorrow was the beginning of her new life. He'd wanted her to remain a child for as long as possible, fate had other plans. "Sweet dreams, princess." He soon fell asleep as well.

End Of Chapter Nineteen

As of this chapter, mutant-kind has not fully revealed themselves yet. Only groups, and certain patches of humanity know they exist. They will be fully revealed in time. I have a stage set for them in the future for that.

And before anyone says anything about Laura using chakra, relax. She not going to use it in the same way Naruto does. Because if I don't like it when authors give chakra to characters that aren't supposed to have it, why would I ever put it in a story of mine. I'll explain things as best as I can in the following chapter. And if anyone is curious, the X-Men are between the ages of 25-26.