— Kakashi Hatake's POV —
The city never slept.Lights burned even after midnight, towering glass structures stretching into the clouds like monuments to human arrogance. The air was thick with the scent of metal, oil, and smoke.
I crouched on the edge of a skyscraper, the wind tugging at my cloak, the faint hum of the city below sounding like static in my ear.
New York City.
If Itachi's intel was correct—and when was it ever not—this was the heart of the Marvel world. A place teeming with strange power signatures, incomprehensible technology, and people who fought their wars wearing masks instead of forehead protectors.
It had been three weeks since we arrived through the portal.
Behind me, the rest of the ANBU materialized one by one—Wolf, Cat, and Hawk. The chakra signature suppressors on their armor kept us invisible to this world's energy sensors. Or so we hoped.
"Report," I said quietly.
Hawk—an experienced reconnaissance shinobi—stepped forward. "We've secured a base, Captain. An old warehouse on the outskirts of Brooklyn. We've upgraded it with sealing barriers and sensory wards. No one will find us unless we allow it."
"Good. What about funds?"
Wolf gave a low chuckle beneath his mask. "Let's just say this world's criminals are generous donors."
I allowed a faint smile. "So you cleaned up a few gangs."
"Three," Cat replied coolly. "The humans here rely heavily on paper currency and digital accounts. We've converted enough assets to operate discreetly. Approximately one million in local funds."
Not bad. Itachi's strategy was working already. We had to blend in before we could begin understanding this world—and if necessary, controlling it.
I activated my Sharingan, scanning the horizon. Chakra was nonexistent here, but energy flowed differently. Some of it reminded me of chakra—dense, radiant, chaotic. Other parts… alien.
"Any encounters with enhanced individuals?" I asked.
"Not directly," Hawk said, pulling a small holo-device from his pouch. The system had synced to this world's networks. On the display, I saw images and profiles—Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange.
"This world's strongest operate openly," Hawk continued. "They call themselves heroes. But we've also detected other factions—organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, and something called The Avengers."
I hummed thoughtfully. "Heroes. Villains. The labels change, but the power struggles stay the same."
Wolf looked out toward the glowing skyline. "Captain, which version of this world is this? It's… inconsistent. We've seen references to aliens, gods, and time travel all in the same news cycle."
"That's what worries me," I said. "Itachi suspected this might not be a fixed timeline. The system mentioned 'Marvel,' but didn't specify which version—movie, comic, or animated. We could be standing in the middle of a merged multiverse."
A long silence followed. The weight of that idea sank in.
We were in a reality where gods from Asgard might walk the streets, where mutants could level cities, and where humans built weapons that could pierce the stars.
But we were shinobi. We adapted.
"Maintain low profile," I ordered. "We observe, gather intelligence, and avoid attention. Our next priority is to map energy signatures—find out who the real powers are here."
"Understood," the squad said in unison.
I pulled down my mask slightly, letting the cool night air hit my face. Below us, the city pulsed with life—chaotic, unaware of the shadows watching from above.
Itachi's vision was expanding across worlds. And it was my duty to ensure that vision succeeded.
I gazed at the faint glow of the moon above the skyscrapers. "This world's heroes may think they protect it," I muttered quietly. "But they haven't met shinobi yet.