The Hero's Maelstrom

I do not own Naruto or Young Justice. All credit go to their amazing owners. Doesn't mean I can dream though.

(Note: The story starts near the end of the final battle between Sasuke and Naruto. The DC Universe when Naruto enters is about two months before Canon.)

[Chapter One]

Valley of the End

Naruto huffed in exhaustion as he glared at Sasuke who was lodged in the wall. The Uchiha pulled himself out and glared back before raising his hand. He didn't understand why Naruto continued to pursue him and be an obstacle in his path. He needed to rid himself of his friend once and for all. Lightning began to spark around Sasuke's hand before it completely encased it. Blood poured from his eye before Amaterasu merged with the Chidori.

"Naruto..."

Naruto shut his eyes as he and his fox held a mental conversation. He understood what he needed to do and what Kurama was going to say. He took a deep breath before his azure eyes snapped open. Determination echoed in them and the power of his aura increased.

"Last chance, Sasuke!"

Sasuke screamed in anger before launching at Naruto. Naruto jumped at Sasuke and drew his hand back. A miniature Rasengan formed in his hand before it began to grow. As he charged forward, he could feel the faith of everyone in his jutsu. Screaming each others' names, they both thrust their hands forward.

Chidori and Rasengan clashed similar to all its previous clashes. A blinding bright light covered the valley and all noise ceased. Naruto looked up to find himself and Sasuke inside their linked mindscape. Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration and glared at Naruto. The same glare he had always given the Uzumaki.

"Why do you continue this cycle?! Why don't you just leave me alone?!" Sasuke screamed to his best friend, though he would never admit it.

Naruto chuckled before he suddenly appeared before Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyes widened and remained that way as Naruto tapped his forehead. The same show of affection that Itachi gave him through his childhood. Sasuke looked Naruto in the eyes before he dropped his head as tears rolled down his face.

"I guess you always were a jerk, huh?" Naruto laughed dryly as his body began to fade, "Let's finish this Sasuke."

The two ninja raised their hands and placed them in the rat hand sign. Applying chakra, they successfully released the Infinite Tsukuyomi. A wave of chakra swept across the land opening the wrappings around the ninjas. One ninja in particular was Hinata Hyuuga, whispering Naruto's name as her wrappings undid. With Naruto almost completely faded away, their last interaction was performing the Seal of Reconciliation.

"Goodbye, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Cadmus - Sublevel 52

Naruto gasped for air as his blue eyes shot open and scanned the room. He looked down to find himself latched to the back of a container tub. On the tub, a fox head symbol in red rested in the center. He didn't understand where he was or how he got here but he struggled to get free. As Naruto struggled, he felt a spike of negative emotion and watched as a man in a lab coat walked up to him.

"Who are you and where am I?" Naruto interrogated the man to get a layout of where he was before he broke out.

"My name is Desmond and this is Cadmus. Your new home and you are in no position to ask questions." The man said and tapped the container.

Desmond smirked at Naruto and moved over to a panel with multiple lights and cords running to his tube. He pushed a button causing electricity to run into Naruto's tube. Naruto grunted in pain but that was all he did. This form of lightning was nothing compared to the pain he felt when he... He couldn't remember.

"How did I get here?" Naruto eyed the scientist who appeared to be unsatisfied at Naruto's earlier reaction.

Desmond gave another dark smirk and began telling Naruto how he found him.

Five Hours Ago

Naruto fell from the sky as red chakra cloaked his body. A wave of dark energy swept across the world, notifying heroes and villains alike. The chakra was due to Kurama trying to save Naruto from the impact of the fall. The only cost was that the boy would go into his three-tailed stage and Kurama may not be able to release him.

He hit the ground causing a pillar of dust, rock, and debris to erupt into the air. It's height reached half the size of a skyscraper. Naruto roared in anger despite Kurama attempting, in vain, to pull his chakra back. As the Uzumaki looked around similar to a cornered animal, multiple vehicles surrounded him.

Naruto growled and swiped at one, sending a chakra arm to hurl it into a building. The other vehicles' roofs opened and a cannon appeared on top. It began shooting tranquilizers darts into him. They pierced all over his body before a liquid was injected inside. Naruto shook his head to try and clear the effects as his body rocked side to side.

He released another roar, sending a shock wave around him causing soldiers to jump out the way of flying cars. He dropped to the ground as his chakra sunk back into his stomach and the soldiers surrounded him. They kept their weapons trained on Naruto before a section separated to allow Desmond to enter. He grabbed Naruto by his hair with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't look that interesting to me, but apparently Cadmus wants you. So, now you're mine." Desmond scuffed before slamming Naruto's head in the dirt and ordering the soldiers to secure him before the heroes appeared.

One Hour After

Batman and Superman arrived on the scene to find scorched grass and multiple vehicles flipped upside down. Batman typed on his wrist computer before scanning some of the vehicles but they came back with no trace. Superman flew up to see if he could pick up the heat signature of whatever happened here. The two heroes found the empty tranquilizers and a small glob of a strange red substance. He collected the substance before calling some of the heavy lifters of the League.

"I'll have Robin analyze the substance while I take a business venture to Cadmus." Batman told Superman while the Batwing swooped down to collect the Dark Knight.

"Understood," Superman nodded before his ear twitched at a cry for help, "Got to go."

Batman and Superman flew away from the ground and each other. Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkman arrived and began disposing of the vehicles.

Flashback End

Naruto stared at Desmond in fear and confusion as he turned a nob before pressing the button again. Unlike the previous shock, this one held more power causing Naruto to scream in pain. He struggled in vain before the pain became too much and his back arched. Desmond lowered the voltage and Naruto's head dropped unconscious. Desmond smirked and pulled out a strange gun.

"You will belong to Cadmus and me." Desmond said before opening the container and injecting something inside Naruto.

Just as the head of Cadmus finished, Naruto woke and snapped at him. Desmond wasn't able to make it in time before the Uzumaki had grabbed a piece of his cheek. He screamed in pain before turning the voltage to the max. Pressing the button, over and over again, the only noise was the sound of sparks and the teen's screaming. Then, it stopped. Desmond watched as the boy's burnt clothes fell leaving him bare.

Looking closer but cautiously, Desmond noticed the very light movement in his chest. He was alive luckily. If the child had died, the Light would have his head. Still holding his cheek in a vain attempt to slow the bleeding, he pressed another button on the panel. Two strange creatures with red glowing horns jumped on top of Naruto's tube. Mist filled it as the glass fogged up, obscuring outsider's view of Naruto.

Naruto's Mindscape

"Naruto... wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Wake Up! WAKE UP! Naruto!"

Naruto's eye snapped open to find himself in a dark sewer and in front of a giant fox with... two... four... six... eight... nine tails? A nine-tailed giant fox. To add to the list of surprising feats. It seemed to be saddened for some unknown reason.

"Hey. Mr, Fox. Did you rescue me and who are you?" Naruto asked and sat down confused.

Kurama sighed and laid down till his head was near Naruto, "You don't remember me, do you?"

Naruto shook his head and watched as the fox stood up in all its glory and walked towards the back on the sewer. It looked back and nudged his head as if telling Naruto to follow. Of course, when a enormous mystical creature tells you to follow them into a dark area, you usually throw caution to the wind and follow. Well, that's what Naruto did. He followed the fox as closely as he could before they came to a stop.

Kurama moved to the side to reveal a giant orb with floating images. He laid on the floor and watched the images with Naruto. They were showing Naruto doing extraordinary things like running up walls, standing on water, and even creating multiples of himself. He gasped in excitement at the prospect that this was what he could do. Seeing one image of himself preforming the sign needed for the multiples, Naruto tried to copy it.

"Shadow Clone Justu!" Naruto yelled out as he stood awkwardly waiting to see if something would happen, "What?"

The fox sighed and used its claw to move Naruto's fingers straighter before he told Naruto to try again. The ex-ninja nodded and concentrated intensely on picturing the clones in his head. Unknown to him, blue chakra began to swirl around him and a mysterious wind began to ruffle his hair. Naruto snapped his eyes open before using all the energy he felt within himself to perform his jutsu.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" So many clones appeared inside the sewer that even Kurama was feeling crowded.

He stood impressed as even though Naruto couldn't remember his past life, he performed the advanced jutsu. Naruto cheered along with the other Naruto before he began conversing with himself. Since none of the clones knew anything about Naruto's past life, the sewer soon filled with the sound of Naruto yapping and a thousand echoes. Kurama grew irritated very quickly and released a roar causing all the clones to burst from the shock wave.

"What was that for?! I was trying to get information!" Naruto yelled at the large fox who narrowed his eyes.

"You can't lie to me! You were just trying to see if your clones knew what you were thinking." Kurama rolled his eyes and rested his head back on the ground.

"Okay, fine. You caught me, Kurama! Happy?!" Naruto pouted and turned to where his back was facing the fox.

Kurama, on the other hand, wasn't focused on Naruto trying to ignore him. He wasn't focused on the brat trying to create more clones he could talk to. What he was focused on what something greater. The hint of hope for Naruto and a sense of relief for Kurama's sanity. The Uzumaki kid had said his name without even realizing it. He may just be getting his memories back. But the chakra demon couldn't get excited as he needed more proof.

"Naruto..." Kurama nudged the boy with the top of his claw.

"Kurama," Naruto asked while staring at something in his hand, "what's this?"

The demon fox tilted its head slightly to the side. Peering over Naruto's shoulder, he couldn't quite make out what he was holding. Getting slightly irritated that Naruto hadn't turned around, Kurama used his claw to spin the boy. Now, Kurama could get a full view on the object of interest. He couldn't believe it but it should have been expected. It was the other jutsu Naruto was known for. The jutsu that had been inspired by Kurama's tailed beast ball. Naruto had remembered and created the Rasengan!

"Naruto! You just created the Rasengan! How'd you do that?!" Kurama stared at Naruto in amazement.

Naruto shrugged and pointed at a random memory floating by of Naruto performing said jutsu. Kurama's eye twitched in annoyance at his jinchuuriki's intelligence or lack of. The Uzumaki boy stared at his Rasengan before slamming it into the floor, blasting water away from him and onto Kurama. The fox swiped its tail, flinging Naruto into a wall and out his mind.

Cadmus - Sublevel 52 - One week later

"Welcome to Rehabilitation! Today you will be working on your obedience! If you don't comply, you will be electrocuted... Like this." After the voice finished it's introduction, electricity flowed through Naruto.

He screamed in pain before it all stopped and his shackles loosened. He dropped from his tube and struggled to stand up only to get a small shock.

"Be careful. You don't want to make any mistakes." The voice chuckled before a loud buzzer sounded and a exit sign lit up.

Naruto smiled and ran to the door but got a shock instead. He dropped to the floor before struggling to continue his way. Stronger voltages coursed through his body before Naruto began screaming in pain as his body stiffened. Once the voltages decreased in power, Naruto collapsed on the ground as his vision began to waver. The last image before he fell unconscious again was Desmond with a wicked grin.

"You'll learn. Bring in the g-gnomes!"

Cadmus - Simulation Area - Three weeks later

Naruto exhaled slowly as he watched the small movements of the training dummies he was supposed to fight. After the first couple of days, Naruto learned there was no escape but didn't stop hoping. If he stop hoping then Desmond would win. As the ninja was stuck in his thoughts, one of the dummies launched at him followed by the rest. He began taking them out with jump kicks, somersaults, and throws.

"Good Subject Fox. Move to the next section. Now!"

Subject Fox was the name that Cadmus had given Naruto to try and lessen his sense of individuality. He grunted in pain at feeling the shock, making the ninja move. Naruto walked up to the next section of the simulation area which was a large tank in the ground. Inside the tank were sharks and piranhas all waiting for Naruto to jump in for round four.

The Uzumaki sighed when he felt metal shackles close around his legs. They were connected to large rocks which would sink him to the bottom of the floor. The objective was to escape from his underwater capture and fight through the deadly creatures. Naruto leaned forward until he was parallel with the water. He did this to see the reaction time of the sharks and today they seemed incredibly slow.

Naruto smirked at the easy victory and fell into the water, sinking to the very bottom. He screamed in silent underwater agony upon feeling a strong voltage. They were trying to cause him to lose focus but that wouldn't happen. He looked down at the chains on his legs before trying a new tactic. Concentrating, Naruto held his hand out before the water began spinning around it. The spinning soon turned into a sphere before Naruto slammed it on his chains.

"Good job, Naruto. Now, let's get out of here." Kurama said proudly as Naruto began swimming upwards.

"Right." Naruto kicked his legs to move faster, "After this, I'll come to see you and we can think up escape plans."

Kurama chuckled and remained proud of Naruto for not giving up. He had expected Naruto to have given into the pain and methods of discipline. The chakra monster should've expected Naruto to pull the unexpected. He always did.

Naruto rushed up to the surface of the water while dodging the shark charges, occasionally kicking one that got too close. Reaching the top, he climbed on top of the water as if it was a floor but jumped away before he became fish food. The sharks swam in circles near the edge waiting for Naruto to come back in. The Uzumaki stuck his head in before his eyes turned red with slits and he growled. The once terrifying sharks swam away from Naruto as quickly as possible.

Naruto pulled his head from the water and shook off as much as he could before chuckling. That should teach the sharks whose boss until the next time he gets the test. Kurama laughed at the looks the sharks gave his jinchuuriki before waiting till the scientist secured Naruto. Once they locked him back into his tube, after some struggling, the fox pulled Naruto into his mindscape and began his training once again.

Published: Feb. 26, 2018