Penglai Island.
Under Naruto's guidance, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts safely landed on the mystic island. The place was now completely sealed off by a formidable barrier—any unauthorized landing would immediately trigger an alarm.
Tony glanced around, then frowned. "What's Su Xiuyu been up to lately? I haven't been able to reach him. It's like he ghosted the world."
Uchiha Shisui, standing nearby, offered a small smile. "Master Xiuyu is likely in training. After his battle with Thor's father, he gained some insights and chose to enter closed-door training."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "So he just dipped without saying anything? Sounds about right."
"What brings you to the island this time, Mr. Stark?" Shisui asked politely.
Tony's expression turned serious. "Earth might be facing an alien invasion. Do you have any intel on Loki?"
Shisui nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard of him through Master Xiuyu. Loki is Thor's younger brother—well, adopted brother—Odin's son by name, god of mischief by nature. Xiuyu described him as someone whose ambition is sky-high, yet his life is fragile as paper. In some timelines, Loki only understands the value of family after dying at Thanos' hands. In others, he escapes into the timestream."
"Wait… adopted?" Tony's eyes widened. "That's news to me."
"I mean, if we catch Loki and take him out… would that fix things?" Tony asked, his voice calm but his suggestion unnerving.
Shisui was momentarily stunned. "Whoa, bold move. You look like a playboy, but damn—cold-blooded too?"
Just then, a voice echoed in Tony's mind. "Tony… Tony…"
He jolted. "That was Xiuyu! He just spoke to me telepathically!"
Shisui didn't question it. "Alright, I'll take you to him."
They made their way to the tallest building on Penglai Island—Su Xiuyu and Chisato's residence. When they arrived, Pepper found herself warmly embraced by a familiar face.
"Chisato! You haven't come to see me in forever," Pepper exclaimed.
"I'm sorry," Chisato replied softly, rubbing her stomach with a gentle smile. "Sister Mito and I are both pregnant, so we've been resting and taking care of the babies."
Pepper's eyes widened in delight. "Congratulations! So you'll both be moms next year?"
"Not quite," Uzumaki Mito interjected with a chuckle. "Our pregnancies will take at least three years, barring complications."
"Three years?" Pepper blinked. "Wait, do ninjas really take that long to have children?"
"It's not a ninja thing," Chisato explained. "It's just that Mito and I are… special. You could say advanced lifeforms take longer to gestate."
Pepper was caught between admiration and envy. "I heard from Tony that some beings can live for thousands of years… Chisato, can you—?"
"I suppose so," Chisato replied. "Xiuyu once mentioned that it's possible. But I've only lived for a few decades. I can't really say for sure."
"Thousands of years… and still look this young?" Pepper whispered, half in awe.
Chisato smiled. "Yes. Eternal youth is real—for some."
Pepper could only sigh. No woman could resist the allure of everlasting youth. Unfortunately, she knew such a gift didn't come easy.
As the two women continued chatting, Tony finally sat down with Su Xiuyu in the inner hall. The air between them instantly grew tense.
"You said you know about Loki," Tony began, cutting to the chase. "How much do you really know?"
Su Xiuyu leaned back lazily. "More than enough. Loki is just a pawn. The real threat lies behind him."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you know who's pulling the strings?"
"Of course," Su Xiuyu said, calm as ever. "The one behind Loki is Thanos—the so-called Mad Titan. The overlord of the universe. Big, purple, and dangerous."
"Overlord of the universe? What the hell does that even mean?" Tony asked, clearly rattled. "We talking alien dictator level here?"
"Think bigger," Xiuyu replied. "Thanos rules on a galactic scale. Dozens of inhabited planets. Maybe more. I haven't crossed paths with all of them."
Tony felt the blood drain from his face. "So you're saying Earth's doomed?"
Su Xiuyu smirked. "Who said that? Earth is technically under Asgard's protection. As long as Odin is around, Thanos won't make a move."
Tony let out a long breath. "Could you not pause mid-sentence like that? I swear, every time you talk it feels like my heart skips a beat."
"But what does 'Asgard's protection' even mean?" he pressed.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Su Xiuyu said. "But Odin doesn't bother much with Earth. We've got our own guardian."
Tony narrowed his eyes. "And who might that be?"
Su Xiuyu gave a cheeky grin. "You're looking at him. I'm the next guardian of Earth. Supreme Mage. Or, if you prefer, the God of Ninjas."
Tony stared at him. "You serious?"
"As serious as your arc reactor, my friend."
Tony sighed and rubbed his temple. "Then we're screwed. If you're our last hope, we might as well pack it in."
"Hey, that's a personal attack!" Su Xiuyu huffed, mock offended. "But fine, let's get to business. You came here to request support, right?"
Tony nodded. "We're going to need backup. Serious backup."
"Fine by me. The ninja forces can mobilize. But there's a price. Strength-based, of course."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. You want me to pay the bill?"
"Nope. Split it with Nick Fury. That old fox will definitely try to make you shoulder it alone."
"And how do you want payment? Dollars? Gold? Stark tech?"
"Not dollars," Su Xiuyu said, shaking his head. "Starting today, Earth's slipping into chaos. Governments will lose their grip. American currency? Worthless. I can't barbecue marshmallows with green paper."
Tony blinked. "Come again?"
"Anarchy's coming, Tony," Xiuyu said grimly. "The alien invasion marks the beginning of global transformation. Heroes, villains—they're about to reshape history. And money? It'll be all about strength now."
Tony's expression darkened. "Why can't you ever just say things plainly?"
"I did," Xiuyu replied. "It's just not the answer you wanted."
He stood, brushing off his robe. "You've got the resources. Stark Industries is strong. But it could be stronger."
--------------------
It wasn't that a nuclear bomb couldn't destroy the Chitauri's main ship—it was just that the odds were abysmally low.
Suddenly, a massive rift opened in the skies above New York. Su Xiuyu emerged from it, wielding the power of space itself. The battle had raged long enough. It was time to bring it to an end.
"Susanoo!"
A complete Susanoo erupted from the ground, towering over the city. Fueled by Su Xiuyu's immense chakra and the power of the Six Paths, its colossal form shot up into the sky—over 3,000 meters high. It was like a second sun had risen.
"That's Master Xiuyu's Susanoo... Is this the true power of the God of the Ninja World?" Kitsuchi whispered, awestruck.
Even though he had witnessed Su Xiuyu's strength before, the sight of a behemoth that rivaled the size of mountains shattered any previous sense of scale. The sheer presence of Susanoo reflected a primal power—something beyond nature, something divine.
"What... what is that? Another human weapon?" one of the Chitauri generals stammered. "Is the Star Destroyer charged?"
"Yes, my lord. Star Destroyer, fire!"
A blinding beam of energy fired from space, piercing through the portal and surging toward Susanoo. But Su Xiuyu merely raised his gigantic palm and blocked the Star Destroyer's cannon blast with ease.
With his left hand, he condensed a glowing Yasaka Magatama, and hurled it directly at the Chitauri's main ship.
"Activate the shield!"
"It's no use! The shield energy is depleted!"
There was a 0.5-second pause in space—then came the explosion.
The Yasaka Magatama obliterated the Chitauri main ship, and the resulting blast created a chain reaction across their entire fleet. One moment, they ruled the skies—next, they were burning wreckage drifting through the stars.
With one swing, Susanoo slashed through the space barrier conjured by the Cosmic Cube. Without someone powerful to control it, the Cube was nothing more than a trinket. The space rift collapsed.
Over New York, the invading Chitauri forces began falling like dead leaves. With the main ship destroyed, all remaining enemies lost control and plummeted from the sky.
Su Xiuyu calmly retrieved the Cube and crushed the outer shell of the Cosmic Cube, revealing the shimmering Space Stone at its core.
The invasion had ended—quietly, but decisively.
Cheers erupted from the surviving citizens and first responders. New York was in ruins, but they were alive.
"Shisui," Su Xiuyu commanded, his voice calm but firm. "Gather all Chitauri corpses and weapons. If Tony Stark wants a sample, he can negotiate later. No one else touches them without our say."
"Yes, Master Xiuyu."
The ninjas swiftly fanned out. Shadow clones popped into existence, scouring the area for weapons, corpses, and any survivors in need of help. But even as the ninjas cleared the battlefield, the aftermath was far from over.
Moments later, the American military stormed into the city.
"Drop what you're holding! This is property of the United States!" a small unit of soldiers shouted, aiming their rifles at several Konoha ninjas.
"What the hell are you talking about?" one of the Konoha ninjas snapped. "Lower your weapons, or we won't be polite."
"This is your final warning! Drop the weapons!"
A ninja holding a Chitauri laser rifle merely raised an eyebrow.
"Fire!"
The soldiers pulled their triggers. Bullets screamed through the air—only to be blocked mid-flight by kunai and wind-enhanced deflection. The ninjas counterattacked with shuriken, striking with precision at non-lethal points. In an instant, the entire squad was down, groaning in pain and begging for mercy.
They weren't ready. These weren't special forces. They were just regular men following orders—and they had chosen the wrong enemies.
Tensions flared. Across New York, more skirmishes broke out between ninja forces and U.S. military squads.
"Stop! Stop this right now!"
Captain America—Steve Rogers—rushed in, eyes wide as he took in the chaos. Though he had reservations about the ninjas collecting alien tech, he also knew they had risked their lives to stop the invasion. They had earned some respect.
"What the hell is going on?! They just helped us save the damn world!"
"Sorry, Captain," one of the officers said. "But we're following direct orders. Alien remains and tech fall under U.S. military jurisdiction."
Steve narrowed his eyes. "You do realize your superiors nearly nuked New York to the ground, right? If not for them—" He gestured at the ninjas. "—this entire city would be ash right now!"
"This isn't what the American military is supposed to be."
The officer flinched at the words. "I know you're right, Captain. But disobeying orders... we'll be court-martialed."
"You're lucky if all you get is a court-martial," Steve said sharply. "If you provoke a ninja, you may not walk away at all."
On the outskirts of the argument, a few Iwagakure (Stone) ninjas stood quietly. They were more reserved than their Konoha counterparts—but not pushovers.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
Several soldiers suddenly sank into the ground, their bodies buried up to their necks in rock and soil.
"Wha—?!"
"Relax," one of the Iwa-nin said. "They're not hurt. Just... restrained. You must be Captain Steve Rogers. We've heard of you."
"I don't want any more trouble," Steve said, sighing. "But you need to understand—these guys aren't playing around."
"We don't want conflict either," the Iwa-nin replied. "But if anyone aims a weapon at us again—we won't hold back. Talk to your people, Captain. Before this gets worse."
The fighting in New York may have ended, but a new kind of conflict was brewing—not between humans and aliens, but between warriors and soldiers. One side fought with honor, the other with orders.
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