CHAPTER 119 — A SPAR
The lawn of Wayne Manor stretched wide and clean beneath the late afternoon sky. The grass was trimmed evenly, soft underfoot, and the air carried a gentle breeze that rustled the tall trees surrounding the estate. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting slow-moving shadows across the open ground.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful, some might say, considering what the world was moving toward.
At the center of the lawn stood two figures facing one another, one big and smalll.
Gaius stood tall and still, his golden armor catching the light in dull reflections. His helmet was off, resting nearby, revealing a calm face that showed no tension at all. His posture was straight, balanced, and relaxed, as if he were simply waiting for the day to pass rather than standing before a fight.
Across from him stood Naruto.
Naruto rolled his shoulders once and bounced lightly on his feet. His expression was bright, confident, and alive with energy. His hands were loose at his sides, but his eyes were sharp. He was focused now, not joking, not distracted.
Off to the side of the lawn, a small group watched.
Mindy stood with her arms crossed, her weight leaning onto one hip. Saeko stood beside her, hands relaxed, eyes fixed on the two figures in the center. Alfred stood a short distance away, holding a jug in one hand, calm and composed as always.
They had been at Wayne Manor for three days now.
For most of them, the days had been relaxed. They explored the manor, talked, laughed, watched television, and rested. Naruto was loud as usual, always moving, always hungry. Mindy and Saeko spent time together, asking questions about this world and learning how things worked here.
Gaius was different.
He rarely joined the others unless asked. Most of his time was spent in the library, reading books with quiet focus. Other times, Alfred would see him watching television, studying the screen rather than enjoying it. And sometimes, Gaius would meditate alone, sitting in complete stillness for long stretches of time.
Alfred found him interesting.
At first glance, Gaius looked like a walking weapon. Tall, armored, imposing. Anyone without context would assume violence followed wherever he went. But in these past few days, Alfred had seen something else. Discipline. Curiosity. A calm mind.
A scholar inside a warrior's body.
Now, that same warrior stood across from a blond young man who barely looked serious enough to fight.
Mindy tilted her head slightly as she watched them.
"Who do you think will win?" she asked casually.
Saeko didn't hesitate.
"Why ask?" she replied. "Gaius will definitely win."
Mindy laughed softly.
"You're right," she said. "I just wanted to ask."
Neither of them lowered their voices.
Naruto heard them clearly.
"Hey!" Naruto shouted, turning his head. "I can hear you!"
Mindy grinned and cupped her hands around her mouth.
"So what?" she shouted back. "You can't win anyway!"
Saeko chuckled quietly beside her.
Naruto turned back toward Gaius with a small scowl.
"Hmph," he muttered.
Alfred said nothing. He simply watched.
Naruto took a breath and faced Gaius fully now.
"Gaius," Naruto said, his tone serious but friendly, "watch out."
Gaius nodded once.
No words.
Naruto smiled.
He brought his hands together and moved them quickly through familiar shapes.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
A rush of air burst outward.
In an instant, the lawn filled with Naruto clones. Dozens of them appeared, all moving at once. They rushed Gaius from every direction, their footsteps pounding against the grass.
Punches flew. Kicks followed. Some clones attacked high, others low, working together with speed and energy.
Gaius moved.
Despite his massive size, he was fast. He shifted his weight smoothly, blocking strikes with his forearms and shoulders. Each punch he threw was controlled, precise. Every time his fist connected, a clone burst apart into smoke.
He didn't rush.
He didn't struggle.
He simply worked through them.
Clone after clone disappeared.
But not all of them were attacking.
Several clones stayed back, hands glowing as spinning balls of energy formed in their palms.
Rasengan.
They charged forward together.
Gaius noticed.
He raised one eyebrow slightly.
As one clone came close, Gaius grabbed it by the arm and turned, using his strength to hurl the clone forward. The thrown clone smashed into the others mid-charge.
The Rasengan attacks collapsed instantly, the energy bursting apart harmlessly as the clones vanished.
On the sidelines, Alfred froze.
His eyes widened, and his grip on the jug tightened.
Even though he had spent three days with Naruto and the others, and Naruto had casually mentioned that he was a ninja and very strong, Alfred had never truly taken it at face value. Naruto hadn't shown off much, and he was nothing like the Ninjas Alfred knew of, such as the League of Assassins. Those people were cold, disciplined, and silent. Naruto, by contrast, was lively, energetic, loud, and openly emotional. Alfred had never once thought of him as an Ninja.
But seeing Naruto fight changed that perception.
Alfred reevaluated his assumptions. Still, he didn't think of Naruto as an assassin, not in the traditional sense. If anything, Naruto felt more like a magician: creating clones of himself, shaping glowing spheres of energy in his hands. Powerful, yes, but not an assassin.
Mindy and Saeko stared as well.
They were less shocked than Alfred, but still impressed.
"Damn," Mindy said, eyes wide. "I really want to learn ninjutsu."
Saeko sighed.
"Unfortunately, we can't."
Mindy's shoulders drooped slightly.
"Yeah…"
They had tried before. Naruto had taught them what he could, explaining chakra and control, guiding them step by step. But it never worked. Their bodies simply couldn't do it. They weren't from Naruto's world.
Back on the lawn, Naruto gritted his teeth.
"Okay," he said to himself. "Time to get serious."
He formed seals again.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Even more clones appeared, filling the lawn once more.
This time, Naruto didn't stay back.
He rushed forward himself.
Two clones stayed at his sides as he formed a Rasengan in his hand. The spinning energy grew larger as the clones helped feed it chakra.
Around them, the other clones attacked Gaius, keeping him busy. Punches and kicks came from all sides. Gaius continued to disperse them with ease, his movements smooth and experienced.
Naruto jumped.
High.
Clones leapt up with him.
He stepped off one clone in mid-air, then another, using them like stepping stones. Each clone vanished as he pushed off, giving him more height and speed.
The Rasengan grew massive.
Bigger than Naruto himself.
He dove downward, shouting as he brought the attack down with all his force.
Below, Gaius looked up.
The clones around him were gone now. Naruto had cleared the space himself. There was no one left to block the path.
For a brief moment, Gaius considered simply taking the hit.
He could.
But he chose not to.
Gaius drew in a breath.
And roared.
It was not the Warcry of the Emperor.
It was simply his voice.
But it was enough.
The sound tore through the air like a physical force. The grass beneath them rippled outward. Nearby windows in the manor cracked with sharp sounds.
Naruto was hit head-on.
The Rasengan shattered instantly, the energy blowing apart. Naruto's eyes went wide as the sound rattled through his head. His senses went dark.
He fell.
Gaius stepped forward and caught him easily, lowering him to the ground with care.
Naruto groaned and blinked his eyes open a moment later.
"That was unfair!" he shouted weakly.
Mindy covered her ears, wincing.
Saeko did the same.
They weren't the target, but it still hurt.
"Hmph," Mindy said once the ringing eased. "That wasn't unfair. You just lost."
Saeko nodded in agreement.
Alfred covered his ears as well, then slowly lowered his hands. He took out a handkerchief and wiped sweat from his forehead.
Naruto sat up, rubbing his head.
He sighed.
"…Yeah," he admitted. "I lost."
He looked up at Gaius.
"Sorry about that," Naruto said.
Gaius nodded once.
No words.
The tension faded.
Alfred stepped forward, clearing his throat.
"Since your sparring is done, Sir Gaius and Sir Naruto," he said politely, "would you care to rest and eat something?"
Naruto's stomach growled loudly.
He grinned.
"Yes!"
Gaius nodded again.
~~~
If you're enjoying the story, want to read more, and want to support me in creating more, you can check out my Patreon here:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support means a lot and helps me keep writing!