Naruto stood face to face with a twisted version of himself, wrapped tight in ethereal golden chains.
"Why?" Naruto asked, his voice raw.
Dark Naruto laughed deep and crude. "Really, King? You ask me of all people why I do what I do?"
Naruto stood firmly as he looked into his dark eyes unflinchingly.
"I just want to understand why you did it," he said. "All of it."
Dark Naruto grinned, shaking his head like he pitied him. "I can't tell if you're just dumb or naïve, King."
He stepped forward and the chains groaned.
"I do what I do because you do what you do. Kill, steal, and destroy? That's my inheritance. But hide, lie, pretend? That's all you! You think I'm some secret you can bury and just forget about?"
He tapped his chest. "Spoiler alert: I am you. I'm what's left behind when you decided to go play hero."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, "I'm nothing like you. I protect people, I save people."
Dark Naruto laughed, "You save people? Help them? Fucking hell are you even listening to yourself right now?"
Naruto's sapphire eyes darkened, "Stop."
He leaned forward, eyes glowing with venom.
"Tell me did you save Michelle? Did Miguel make it?"
Naruto's eyes darkened. "Stop."
"Roberto? Lana?" Dark Naruto kept pressing, like a blade against an old scar. "Did you save them, or just bury them? Hell you can't even save yourself, hero!"
"Don't say their names." Naruto's voice cracked like thunder. "You don't get to."
"I am you!" he snapped back. "You don't get to cherry-pick who I am. You wear their deaths just like I do. You just dress them up in guilt and pretend it makes you righteous."
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. The image of blood. Torn limbs. Screams. All of it returned like a flood breaking through.
"And what about the people you pushed away?" Dark Naruto's voice dipped low, intimate and venomous. "You keep pretending you're lonely because no one understands you. But we both know why you keep them at arm's length."
Naruto looked away.
"You're scared, King," Dark Naruto said. "Scared they'll love you, then leave. Or worse, see you as you are and leave anyway."
"I'm.." Naruto's voice faltered. "I'm trying to change."
"But you can't," Dark Naruto said coldly. "You won't. Because deep down, you think you don't deserve it. Love. Friendship. Peace."
Naruto looked up slowly, and there was something breaking behind his eyes.
"I do want it," he whispered. "I want to be loved. I want to stop running. I'm just... scared. Scared I'll ruin it like I ruin everything."
Dark Naruto stared, and for a second, his smirk dropped.
Then he spoke flat, merciless:
"And the real kicker is that your only true friend is a demon fox of malice and wrath. How pathetic!"
Naruto flinched.
"That's the only one who stayed. That's the only one who knows all your shit and didn't run away screaming. SOMEONE TRAPPED WITH YOU."
Naruto's hand trembled. Blood now dripped freely down his palm where his nails dug in.
"But go on," Dark Naruto said, stepping back into the shadow, arms out like a preacher. "Play savior. Let them believe you're a hero.."
He leaned in close one last time, voice barely a whisper, yet sharp enough to slice skin.
"Tick, tick, tick. One of them dies... and I'm free. You'll come crawling back. You always do."
The golden chains flared.
Dark Naruto grinned. "But for now... wake up, King."
Beep. Beep Beep. Beep.
_____
Naruto's eyes fluttered open to sterile white light and the distant sound of beeping. He blinked, chest rising slow, lungs dragging in air like he hadn't breathed in weeks.
Everything was quiet. Too quiet.
Until a loud gasp exploded beside him.
"HE'S AWAKE!" Kamala shouted.
Kate nearly dropped the cup of coffee in her hands, bolting from her chair. In an instant, both girls were on him. Kamala grabbing his hand, Kate practically throwing her arms around his neck.
"You idiot," Kate muttered, hugging him tight. "Don't ever do that again."
"You were out for so long," Kamala said, blinking hard. "I was starting to think you wouldn't ever wake up."
Naruto blinked, dazed. "What... even happened? Did I die?"
"Not on my watch." Nick Fury stepped into view, arms folded, eye narrowed like always. "Though you tried real damn hard."
America stood nearby, arms crossed, chin tipped down, but her eyes were locked on him. "About time, sleeping beauty."
Thor chuckled behind her, massive arms folded, his armor gleaming. "He lives! A warrior's heart always endures."
Naruto sat up slowly, Kamala and Kate helping him steady himself. His body felt light. No pain. No stiffness. Just… empty.
"Where... where's Sentry?" Naruto asked.
Thor's smile faded. The room dimmed with the shift.
"I was forced to slay him," Thor said quietly. "The Void took him over again and attacked you. There was no soul left to save."
Naruto looked down. He nodded once. "I figured... I just hoped..." He didn't finish the sentence.
"The man you fought was no longer a man," Thor said. "You held your own against something only gods dare challenge. For that, you have my respect, Naruto of Midgard. Your valor, your courage, your strength.. These things will be spoken of in Asgardian halls for generations to come."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Dude... I'm being praised by Thor. Like actual lightning-throwing hammer god Thor of Asgard!"
Thor tilted his head. "Indeed."
"I didn't get to fanboy during the battle because, y'know, incoming apocalypse and all.. But bro. You're one of my top five Avengers. No, top three." He pointed. "The beard? The voice? You're a Legend. Some might even say we resemble each other"
Kate and Kamala eyes narrowed, "No one ever said that."
Thor laughed, booming and warm. "You honor me, young warrior."
"Wait, Sif and Valkyrie! Are they okay?" Naruto asked suddenly.
"They live. Wounded, but stronger than ever," Thor replied. "They wished to be here, but relations between New Asgard and your United States are… strained. Their presence may have caused diplomatic discomfort."
Nick gave a low grunt. "Let's just say the paperwork is still bleeding."
Naruto looked around. "What about Fontaine?"
"Valentina de Fontaine is under arrest," Nick said. "Charged with war crimes, facing trial at The Hague. She'll be behind bars before the year's done."
Naruto let out a long sigh and slumped back against the pillows. "Good."
"And her New Avengers?" he asked.
"Detained," Fury said. "Justin Hammer's crying in a cell. Bullseye's… quiet. Too quiet, honestly. But we've got 'em. Plus SHIELD's mine again."
Another exhale. Another weight lifted.
"How long was I out?" Naruto asked.
Kate glanced at the chart. "Little over a month."
Naruto blinked. "What? No way. Felt like a couple days, tops."
America shrugged. "Dimensions get weird like that, especially with time-y wime-y stuff."
Naruto swung his legs off the bed and flexed his arms. "Well I feel… good. Lighter than usual. Like I just took a hot spring bath and a nap at the same time."
Kate raised a brow. "You do heal fast."
"Yeah, but this time I don't even feel sore. Not even my pathways feel strained."
"Don't worry, you all deserve the break," Fury said. "I'm giving you official vacation time. All of you. Team's earned it."
Naruto perked up. "Wait. Wait. Does that mean I'm getting that personal ramen chef you promised me?"
Fury squinted at him. "What?"
Naruto grinned. "You said if I finished the mission, you'd hook me up with a full-time ramen chef."
Kate frowned. "Why do I feel like I'm about to lose money?"
"Because SHIELD's broke," Kamala said.
Fury coughed. "Take it up with Bishop. She's rich."
Kate rolled her eyes. "You're literally funded by the world governments."
"Which is exactly why we're broke," Fury muttered and turned to leave. "Get some fresh air, Naruto. And try not to blow up any buildings."
As Fury walked out, America gave Naruto a short nod. "Good to have you back."
She paused, then jabbed a finger at him. "But next time, you're not going against a cosmic entity without telling the squad first. Got it?"
Naruto smirked. "Scout's honor."
"Don't push it."
Kamala leaned on the bedrail. "So... ramen vacation?"
"Ramen vacation," Naruto confirmed, fist-bumping her.
Kate rubbed her temples. "I swear if you guys eat ramen three times a day.."
"You're paying," Naruto and Kamala said in unison.
Kate groaned. "For some reason I wish I took my chances with the Void"
They all laughed.
Naruto let his gaze drift toward the window. The sunlight felt warm on his skin. He could still feel the phantom pain of the Void's voice. The ache of battle. But also the presence of his friends—real, alive, and around him. That was something worth holding onto.
"Hey, Thor," he said quietly. "Thanks. For everything."
Thor clapped a hand on his shoulder, firm but careful. "You stood in battle with gods and did not flinch. You are no longer just a boy from Midgard."
Naruto grinned. "I still want to test that hammer test sometime."
Thor smiled. "Perhaps one day, young warrior."
___
The arcade glowed like a dreamscape. Neon lights bathed their faces in blues and purples. Chiptune music and machine beeps filled the air, crashing with the occasional scream of victory or defeat from nearby gamers.
Naruto leaned over a claw machine, tongue poking out in concentration as he guided the mechanical arm toward a stuffed fox. His face was tense and serious, like the world depended on him.
Click.
The claw dropped and just barely grazed the toy fox.
"Nooo!" Naruto yelled, slamming the side of the machine. "You were mine, fluffy!"
Kamala giggled from behind him, a giant soda in her hands. "That's like your sixth try, maybe you should give it up?"
"I'm not leaving without him," Naruto muttered. "We've bonded."
"Pretty sure that's just your delusion talking," Kate said, walking up with a tub of popcorn tucked under one arm. She was dressed down for once with plain jeans, purple hoodie, and hair in a ponytail, but still carried herself like a girl who knew exactly how much her shoes cost.
America leaned on the air hockey table nearby, slurping on a cherry slush. "Guy fights gods but loses to a crane game. Peak cinema, anyone?"
Naruto flipped around dramatically. "The gods don't swing left at the last second for no reason!"
Kate grinned. "Maybe the machine just senses your weakness."
Kamala plopped down on a beanbag chair near the rhythm game. "Okay, real talk guys. I know we're out having fun, but... has it hit anyone else how crazy life has gotten recently? Like, this time last year I was sneaking out to AvengerCon with my friend Bruno."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "This time last year, I was in fencing class arguing with my prep school rival about who had the better form."
"I was getting chased by demonic bounty hunters through a collapsing reality," America said flatly.
Naruto blinked. "That's a thing?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, surprisingly."
Kate flopped onto the beanbag beside Kamala. "Okay, rewind. Let's do origin stories. Full team bonding. Who even were we before all this?"
Kamala sipped her soda, then smiled. "Alright, I'll start. Jersey girl, born and raised. Nerd to my core. Comics, fanfics, cosplay, you name it and I've done it."
Kate leaned in, curious. "What kind of fanfics?"
"Nope. Not going there."
"Bet it's Captain Marvel and Black Widow."
Kamala turned red. "That was one time!"
America cackled.
Kamala sighed dramatically. "Anyway. My parents were super strict, always worried about me. I get it now, but back then it felt like prison. School was fine, I had friends, but I never felt... big enough. Like, I wanted to do something that mattered. Something heroic."
Naruto nodded slowly. "You do matter, kickass hero or not."
Kamala smiled at him, soft and genuine.
Kate clapped her hands. "Alright. My turn. Manhattan elite, all-girls prep school, fencing lessons since I could walk, cello recitals since before I could speak."
"Wait, cello?" Kamala asked.
"I was good too," Kate said proudly. "But none of it felt mine. It was just... what was expected. I didn't get to be a person. Just a product of my mother. Then the invasion hit. Chitauri everywhere. And I saw someone, Hawkeye risking his life with nothing but a bow and some gumption."
"Gumption?" America muttered.
Kate ignored her. "That moment stuck. Like, that's what I wanted. Not bodyguards or galas. I wanted to matter. I wanted to be useful."
Naruto smiled. "And now you're both."
Kate gave Naruto a look. "Alright tough guy, your turn."
Naruto leaned against the claw machine, a bag of sour gummies in one hand, his orange hoodie faintly glowing under the neon lights. His usual grin softened.
"I grew up in an orphanage. Queens. St. Martha's Home for Foundlings. Sounds kind of dramatic, but... honestly? It wasn't bad."
That made the others blink.
"I mean, yeah, we didn't have much. Most of the mattresses had springs poking out, the walls were thin, and the plumbing was... questionable," he laughed. "But we had each other. And we had Mother Jean."
Kamala tilted her head. "Mother Jean?"
"She ran the place. Tall, gray hair, always wore these big round glasses that slid down her nose every time she got excited. Which was a lot. She was like this walking lighthouse, no matter how loud or wild we got, she never yelled. She just looked at you like she knew why you were acting out, and forgave you before you even explained."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "She treated every kid like they were her own. And believe me, we gave her hell. Especially me."
"Of course you did," Kate said, smirking.
"No, like, I broke everything," Naruto said, grinning. "Doors. Windows. One time I hugged one of the volunteers too hard and cracked her ribs. Not on purpose! Just... I've been freakishly strong since I was little. Couldn't control it back then."
America gave him a sideways look. "So you were a walking liability?"
"Basically," Naruto shrugged. "Mother Jean just kept telling me, 'Sweetheart, strength is a gift. It's what you choose to do with it that matters.' I didn't really get it back then, but I held onto it. Still do."
Kamala smiled. "She sounds amazing."
"She is," Naruto said. "And she never made me feel like I was broken or dangerous. Just... special. And not in a superhero way, either. Just as a person."
He paused, quieter now.
"Every time I got in trouble at school, she'd be waiting at the gate for me. Didn't matter if I got suspended or if I'd broken another playground set. She was there."
Kate lowered her popcorn. "You ever see her now?"
Naruto nodded, a soft grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah. Whenever I can. She's still there. Same building, same creaky floors."
America leaned against the air hockey table, arms crossed. "She's still doing it all herself?"
"She's got a couple helpers now. Some of the older kids came back to pitch in," Naruto said. "But she runs the place like always. I stopped by last month just to check in, and she looked me dead in the face and told me I looked too skinny. Tried to shove three plates of stew down my throat."
Kamala laughed. "Sounds like real love."
Naruto chuckled. "And she doesn't care that I'm punching gods or saving the world. To her, I'm still the kid who cried because he broke the water mountain."
He paused, his voice going quieter.
"But yeah. I wasn't just some sad orphan in the rain. I had a family. A weird, loud, and underfunded one. But I had her. And if it weren't for her... I probably wouldn't be here."
Kamala gently touched his arm. "She knows you're doing good out here."
Naruto nodded, eyes soft. "Yeah. She always knew I would."
Kate tilted her head. "You know, for someone who went toe-to-toe with the Sentry, you're kind of a softie."
Naruto popped a gummy into his mouth. "I'm like a blonde onion with many many layers.."
____
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