14 Chapter 14: New Gods

Batman enters the cave in a flash of light. "How is the team?" Martian Manhunter and Batman turn to face the Dark Knight. On the screen in front of them is an image of the team. None of the members are speaking. Everyone is standing around in silence.

"I am still distraught over what we wrought. I can only imagine what they are feeling," says J'onn.

"I know it was…traumatic…but I had hoped the team would rally together."

J'onn stares at his friend. "Trauma tends to linger as I know you know my friend." Batman shows no outward emotion.

"Canary?"

A sigh escapes the Martian Manhunter. "She has her work cut out for her."

Break

Canary and Naruto are staring at each other. The two are in a private lounge area where all the cameras have been turned off. "I know you probably think that this is a waste of time…"

Naruto interrupts the woman. "You wish to discuss the trauma I may have faced during the training simulation. Unlike the others, death doesn't cause me any trauma. I am a ninja and I am sure that you among certain other individuals have realized that my life has not been normal. I have seen death many times. I have killed others in order to stay alive." Canary remains calm listening. He is not wrong. She along with Batman and Diana saw from Naruto's fighting style that he was trained to kill. Diana was the first to point out that Naruto's training was focused on killing much like Amazon training is focused on killing one's enemy. Naruto confirmed it this moment that his hands are stained with blood.

"So why agreed to speak with me?" asks Canary. "You must have wanted to talk about something."

"Artemis," starts Naruto. "Her death…bothered…me. I was upset. It reminded me of the first friend that I lost and it caused me a great deal of pain. When she was hurt during the battle against the Injustice League I was concerned, but I felt nothing else. This time it was different."

Curiosity appears on Canary's face. "Did anything happen during the simulation?"

The ninja chooses his words carefully. "Yes, Artemis admitted that she liked me." Naruto scratches the back of his head in a gesture that Canary finds cute. Canary smiles at the nervous tick. "I am not sure if I feel the same way, but I did invite her to spend time with me in Tokyo. Do you think it is okay for me to pursue such an action with a teammate?"

A light laugh comes from Canary. "I am probably not the person to be asking. I am in a relationship with a colleague." Naruto stares at her blankly. "Green Arrow," clarifies Canary. He continues to stare at her blankly. "At least pretend to care about the comparison." A grumble comes from the woman. She was trying to make a connection.

"Congrats," replies Naruto.

"Shut up," Canary rolls her eyes. Naruto gains the tiniest of smiles. "What I am trying to say is that your personal life is your own. It is up to you to balance it with everything else."

"I see," states Naruto. It makes sense. He is free to make his own decisions. Anyone that has a problem with it will be ignored. "Thank you." Standing up, the ninja leaves the room. Canary smirks as the door closes. At this rate Naruto will be smiling much more often. Artemis is a good match for the ninja. She is the type of girl that won't be afraid to speak her mind and challenge Naruto.

Cave – Kitchen

Naruto enters the kitchen to find the entire team standing silent. He ignores them all heading over towards Artemis. Wally's eyes narrow upon Naruto. The ninja ignores the negative emotions directed towards him from the speedster. "Artemis," says Naruto. Artemis looks up at the ninja. "I am heading back to Tokyo. Do you want to come with?"

Robin and Aqualad are surprised at the question. The two share a look. Megan is lost in her thoughts while Connor is staring at the floor. Wally on the other hand is not pleased with the new development. He clenches his hands into fists behind the kitchen counter in anger. Artemis is shocked by the question. She glances around at the others. "Um…" Naruto stares at her in confusion not understanding her hesitation. "Maybe later."

The ninja controls his emotions. A feeling of betrayal and hurt fills him. "Okay." Wally smirks as Naruto turns around leaving the kitchen. Artemis feels absolutely terrible. Why did she turn him down? All that talk in the simulation about liking him and wanting to see Tokyo. Her feelings are in complete whack.

Break

"Everything I was worried about came to life. I was supposed to be the general and I behaved like a soldier. I am not fit to lead," says Aqualad. "I am turning in my resignation."

Canary remains calm. "Who would you suggest take over?"

Aqualad continues to stare at the floor. "Artemis is too untrusting. Miss Martian too eager to please. Superboy is too emotional. Wally is too rash and showy."

"That leaves two remaining candidates, Robin and Naruto."

"Robin is too young…"

She leans forward. "Kaldur, you are all young." Canary stares at him with a knowing smile. "But you didn't give a reason why Naruto shouldn't be leader."

Kaldur thinks deeply on the matter. "Naruto is analytical to a fault. He views the team as a chess game which allows him to make the decisions necessary to accomplish a mission." Canary silently agrees with that assessment. In many ways, Naruto is similar to Batman. "Such thinking might work in an organization like the Justice League, but the team is young. It is about building trust and it is hard to trust someone that is willing to sacrifice its members." A small smile appears on Kaldur's face. "But Naruto is willing to protect the team at the cost of his own life as well. I would feel comfortable serving under his command. But I am not sure that the others would."

Canary folds her hands together. "So what do you plan to do?"

Tokyo

Naruto adjusts his forearm armor. He double checks all his weapons before preparing to leave. Sphere rolls in front of him blocking his path. "Sphere, I am not in the mood." It was true. After Artemis's rejection he was feeling like shit. All he wanted to do is go out there and vent some frustration on some unsuspecting criminals. Fighting always helped him forget about his problems. A revving sound comes from Sphere. The ninja watches in surprise as Sphere begins to transform into a large tank sized motorcycle with several seats. "Impressive," says Naruto. With a small smile, he leaps onto the bike taking a seat and grabbing the handles. The newly transformed Sphere takes to the skies. Wind hits Naruto's face as he flies over the city. Tokyo looks amazing from this high up in the sky.

Sphere makes a sound alerting Naruto to an incoming craft. Naruto spins around to see a flying car heading straight at him. Stopping, the car flies in front of them blocking their path. "Return the New Genesis Sphere and the rest of the technology you have stolen from us human!" states one of the individuals in the flying car.

Naruto ignores the comment taking a moment to look at the five individuals that managed to track him down by tracking Sphere. Four males and a pretty female. Each individual has strange markings on their body, armor, and clothes that he doesn't recognize. His instincts are telling him that these five individuals are not human or from this world.

"Let's keep this simple," says the largest of the group. "That…belongs to us. Give…It…Back!" The others stand up ready to fight. The dark skinned individual receives a message from a small computer device in his hand.

"Forever People stand down! This one did not steal the New Genesis Sphere, he rescued it!"

The one that threatened him earlier smiles in delight. "Apologies, the Forever People embrace you as a friend, ally, and worthy warrior!"

'Strange people,' thinks Naruto.

Mount Justice

"Too tough to talk about it?"

Artemis shrugs looking away. "Whatever, there is nothing to talk about. It was a stupid training exercise. Been through hundreds of those. No big deal."

Canary smiles inwardly. She remembers when she was young and thought that relying on others was a sign of weakness. "Really? Watching friends die seems like a big deal to me. I know that you consider this team to be a second family considering your own family situation," states Canary. Artemis hugs her knees to her chest. "Would it really be so bad to open up to the team and tell them the truth?"

"No!" Artemis stares at Canary with eyes wide in fear. "You can't tell them!"

"I won't," reassures Canary. "But you should." Artemis bites her bottom lip. Canary decides to break the rules. "Naruto already knows." She is surprised when the archer doesn't gasp or make any movement in surprise. "He told you," Canary raises an eyebrow.

The memories of the talk in the cave come back to Artemis. "Yeah." Artemis stares at her feet. "I wanted to know how he was able to save me. As far as I knew I was the only one covering the team from the distance. Naruto told me that he was watching me the entire time. He said I was a valuable member of the team." A smile appears on the girl's face. "I told him I never had anyone watch out for me like that because I grew up in a rough environment like him. That was when he asked if was referring to my sister and father. Apparently, he recognized similar fighting styles between the three of us as well as our scents. Said he didn't care."

A smile is on Canary's face. "Do you know why he didn't care?" Artemis shakes her head. "Naruto is the type of person who judges people on their actions. He grew up alone and had to rely on his own strength to survive. Friendship means more to him than anyone else on the team. Anyone that he considers to be a friend, he will trust no matter what their background is. You have proven to be a member of the team and a good friend. That is all that matters to him."

Artemis's eyes gain a guilty expression. "The truth is, I think I might have ruined that." Canary frowns not understanding. "He came to me a short while ago asking if I wanted to go to Tokyo with him. During the simulation, I admitted that I liked him. And I really do. Naruto is the reason why I am not upset or traumatized by what happened in that virtual reality. He was there for me comforting me with nice words after the death of Aqualad and Kid. Even after I accused him of not caring for us, he showed me that he did. He asked me if I wanted to spend time with him in Tokyo after the mission was over. I agreed, but a short while ago when he asked I turned him down." Groaning, Artemis shakes her head. "I probably ruined everything now."

"So that is it? Going to give up?" Artemis looks up at Canary. "I thought you were made of tougher stuff," smirks Canary.

"I am not weak," glares Artemis.

"Prove it," challenges Canary. "Don't let one little mistake ruin something that could be great."

Metropolis

"We are New Gods from New Genesis, the Forever People. Serifan, Dreamer, Moonrider, and I am the leader Vykin."

The strongman of the team speaks up. "I am named after an animal not known on this planet." Contemplating, the strongman smiles thinking up a good name. "But you may call me Bear," smiles the strongman.

Naruto studies each member memorizing physical characteristics. "Uzumaki Naruto," the ninja introduces to the others. "Why are we in Metropolis?"

Vykin answers that question. "Lately, people have been stealing our technology. Mother Box has tracked the stolen technology to Earth." A beeping sound comes from Mother Box. Sphere and the flying car come to a stop. "Down there, 18 meters below the surface."

Down below is a construction site providing the perfect cover for the large hole in the ground. "It is a construction site next to the Federal Reserve Bank," says Naruto. The Forever People stare at Naruto blankly not getting the implication. "It is a building that holds a great deal of money."

Excitement fills Serafin. He stands up twirling around his futuristic weapons. "It is a heist! Let's go down there and round us up some outlaws!"

"I apologize, he has watched a great deal of Earth western movies," says Dreamer. Naruto stares at her blankly. A light blush dusts her cheeks.

"Let us go down there and take back what is ours!" exclaims Bear.

"I will handle those standing guard."

Naruto forms a hand seal and disappears in a swirl of leaves to the surprise of the Forever People. "What was that?" asked Bear.

"It would seem our new friend has special talents as well," says Vykin impressed.

Construction Site

The three members of Intergang are on the lookout for any police. In a swirl of leaves Naruto appears in between them. A quick blow to the back of the head knocks out each member. Naruto is already walking away before the bodies hit the ground. He walks over to the edge of the hole. The Forever People land on the ground running over to him. The ninja glances at the Forever People before leaping down into the hole.

"I like his style," smirks Bear.

"Hurry," says Vykin leaping down.

Naruto touches down without a sound. He walks forward knowing that the Forever People will catch up to him. Vykin is the first to catch up to him. The ninja gives a signal for them all to remain quiet. Deeper into the cavern walk until voices reach their ears.

Laughter comes from Ugly. "My old man never scored this much for Intergang."

"This technology is making it too easy," smiles Whisperer.

Vykin breaks cover heading straight towards the criminal using New Genesis technology to load up mountains of gold in the New Genesis Drill. "Halt!" The Intergang criminals all stop and turn. "You will return the New Genesis Drill and those crates to us humans," orders Vykin.

Whisperer frowns, "anyone that messes with Intergang better be prepared for things to get Ugly."

"I'm Ugly," smirks Ugly. The backpack on his back morphs into a gun that launches for red disks. Vykin uses his powers of magnetism to raises up a wall of dirt blocking the first two disks. Other members of Intergang activate their own technology firing disks at the Forever People and Naruto. Several disks surround Vykin and begin to electrocute him. Serafin opens fire destroying several disks that were headed at him.

Moonrider launches several beams destroying a couple more disks. One of the Intergang criminals shoots at Moonrider's unprotected back. A disk strikes Moonrider in the back. Suddenly, dirt rises up surrounding Moonrider in a cocoon effectively taking him out of the battle.

Naruto tosses several shuriken protecting Dreamer. "These weapons are not of New Genesis, but of the enemy!" gasps Dreamer.

Serafin destroys the disks electrocuting Vykin. Bear rushes towards the enemy, but two of the Intergang criminals smash their weapons on the ground creating a river of mud. Bear starts to sink into the mud unable to find the leverage to escape. "Time to finish this," smirks Whisperer drawing a pair of fire whips.

"I agree," says Naruto flashing through hand seals. "Doton: Doryudan." A large dragon head emerges out of the mud in front of Bear. It opens up its mouth launch over a dozen balls of mud that travel at high speeds at the Intergang criminals. Screams of pain come from the criminals. Ugly takes a shot to the chest destroying his weapon and slamming him into the cavern wall. Whisperer tries to use her whips to protect her, but that only turns the mud balls into balls of fire that cause even more damage.

"Such power," whispers Dreamer in awe.

The Forever People look on to see their opponents lying all over the cavern wiped out. Naruto punches the ball of mud destroying it freeing Moonrider. Calmly, the ninja walks past several criminals grabbing Whisperer and Ugly. "These two were leading the attack. They will be able to answer questions about your stolen technology," says Naruto.

Ugly is out cold. Whisperer is tosses face first into the ground. Burns on her arms make her wince in pain. "I…am not talking," she grits.

Vykin nods to Dreamer. "You were not asked," Dreamer's eyes begin to glow. Smoke rises out of Whisperer's head taking the form of a deformed man in a red cloak. "Desaad!" Terror fills the Forever People upon seeing Desaad.

"Care to explain?" asks Naruto.

Dreamer turns around to face the powerful warrior. Using her powers, she creates a realistic 3D image of two planets circling each other. "The New Gods hail from two worlds at war. We are from New Genesis that values truth, justice, and peace. Our enemies hail from Apokolips. Apokolips is a world that is filled with murder, degradation, slavery, and anti-life. Desaad, God scientist and chief torturer. His experiments are pure evil, his works abominations, and his master…"

"Unspeakable," laughs Desaad in a dark voice. Dreamer banishes the memory.

"The guy is really disturbed," admits Whisperer.

"Mother Box is getting a location on Apokolips weapons."

Naruto nods, "let's go."

Break

Naruto and the Forever People land on an airstrip. It is completely empty. Vykin checks with Mother Box to make sure that they are in the right location. "Mother Box says that there is a large cache of Apokolip weapons inside that warehouse."

Sniffing the air, Naruto confirms it. "I am picking up multiple scents."

Bear punches his fists together. "I say we go straight through the front door! We shall make them pay for stealing from New Genesis!"

"Naruto, this is your world. We will follow your lead," says Vykin.

"Generally, I would take a more discreet approach." Naruto glances at Bear. "But I am not in the best mood and I like the sound of a more direct approach." Bear smirks widely. The two lead the way straight towards the warehouse. Upon reaching the door, Bear uses his super human strength to punch the door down.

All of them enter the building to find it dark. "No point in hiding," says Naruto. "I can see you all clearly as day." His words surprise the Forever People who are unable to pierce the darkness. The lights to the room flood on revealing over twenty members of Intergang all decked out in Apokolip weapons.

"Kill them!"

Vykin tries to use his powers of magnetism but they fail to work on the Apokolip weapons. Instead he uses it on the crates to take out three criminals. "There are too many!" Serafin is doing his best to destroy all the disks to protect his friends from being hit. "No point in prolonging this battle. Everyone assemble!"

"Argh!" Bear unleashes a battle-cry as he punches a criminal sending them flying into two more. He glances over at Naruto. "This will not take long." Naruto kicks a criminal in the face before leaping onto a crate to observe. He watches as the Forever People stand together before chanting a word. All of them begin to light up as they merge together.

One of the criminals steps forward tossing an item into the transformation. The human criminal splits open to reveal a mechanical body. Desaad steps out of the body with a cruel smile. "Infinity Man is now my…my master's weapon." A tall thirteen foot tall machine looking giant forms as the Forever People merge together. Only one problem, Naruto can sense a massive wave of negative emotions. Desaad gives an order to Infinity Man. "Kill the boy." Infinity Man turns to look straight at Naruto. Lifting up its arm, it launches a powerful beam.

An explosion fills the warehouse blowing out a hole in the side of the wall. Naruto lands outside the warehouse. Infinity Man walks towards him firing several more beams. Dodging, Naruto flashes through hand seals. "Doton: Doryu Taiga." He slams his hand on the ground. The ground turns to a river of mud. Infinity Man starts to sink into the mud, but soon starts to walk on air. Beams fire from its eyes forcing Naruto to flip backwards. Coming out of the flip, he tosses several shuriken at Infinity Man. Infinity Man uses magnetic powers to send the shuriken back at Naruto. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Naruto spits out a half dozen fireballs. Infinity Man creates a barrier to protect it from the fireballs. The fireballs served their purpose. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu." Infinity Man turns around to be struck by a giant fireball. A large explosion fills the airstrip.

Desaad chuckles in amusement. "Your powers are impressive, but you stand no chance against Infinity Man. Infinity Man is a being that gets its power from the Source."

Out of the smoke emerges Infinity Man unharmed. Naruto stares at Infinity Man. Ocean blue eyes turn to red. Sharingan locks onto Infinity Man. The ninja sees that Desaad was not lying. Infinity Man is glowing like a star with power. It is almost comparable to Kurama. A scary thought. Still, Naruto has been wanting to blow off some steam and he has a few new jutsu he wants to try out. Infinity Man is the perfect opponent to do so against. Drawing his katana, he swings it upward. "Futon: Kazekiri no Jutsu!" A dozen small blades of wind arc towards Infinity Man. Infinity Man destroys several of the wind blades but is struck by the others making it take a step backwards. Several more beams are shot at Naruto forcing the ninja to dodge rapidly. He leaps high into the air raising his katana above his head before swinging it downward with great force. "Futon: Okamaitachi no Jutsu." Controlling the air currents all around Infinity Man, the air currents collide with each other forming a large vacuum that starts to strike Infinity Man from all sides.

"Pointless," laughs Desaad. "I do enjoy watching…" Kunai pierce Desaad's arms and legs. Naruto glances back at Desaad. The scientist's eyes widen upon see a pair of blood red eyes.

"When I am done with Infinity Man, I will come for you," promises Naruto. Desaad falls to his knees arms hanging useless at his side. The kunai pierced right at the elbow joints. Naruto turns to face the incoming Infinity Man. Lightning begins to surround Naruto's katana. Infinity Man begins to shoot multiple beams from its eyes. In a blur, Naruto dodges all the beams heading straight at Infinity Man. A magnetic wave stops Naruto's katana from reaching Infinity Man. Beams shoot from the eyes striking Naruto. In a cloud of smoke Naruto turns into a log. Pain fills Infinity Man. Naruto stands behind Infinity Man with his sword piercing its left leg. Channeling the lightning natured chakra he begins to electrocute Infinity Man. It becomes too much and Naruto's sword shatters forcing him to leap backwards. He stares at the broken katana. Higurashi is not going to be happy. And he was really fond of the katana.

Sphere transforms into a bug flying onto Infinity Man's head. Its stinger pierces Infinity Man's neck. Infinity Man changes from red to orange and blue. "Nice work," praises Naruto. "Can you return them to normal?" Sphere acknowledges. Infinity Man glows brightly before splitting into five separate parts. The Forever People lie on the ground groaning in pain. Naruto stomps down on the Father Box destroying it.

Desaad opens up a boom tube. "You will suffer for this! You…WILL…SUFFER!" The scientist is sucked up through the boom tube.

Naruto turns to face the Forever People. Sphere rolls up next to him. "Good work." He pats Sphere.

Vykin is the first to stand up. "Thank you for your assistance." He glances at Sphere. "The New Genesis Sphere will be returning with us."

"No."

Serafin frowns, "why should we leave her here with you? To us she lives, to you she is technology."

"I was not asking for permission." Naruto's eyes bleed red. Sharingan spins rapidly making the Forever People take a step back. "Sphere is my friend. If you wish to have her than you will need to kill me."

Bear looks at Serafin and the two share a smirk. Dreamer, Moonrider, and Vykin all smile as well. Vykin steps forward offering his hand. "There will be no need to fight. You have shown us that you can be trusted to watch over the New Genesis Sphere." Naruto's eyes return to normal sensing no negative emotions from the Forever People. He shakes hand with Vykin.

Mount Justice

"Recognized B06, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto enters the cave with Sphere at his side. Now that he knows that people can track down Sphere he plans to leave it at the cave where it will be safe. The main reason is he doing this is so no one will be able to find him by tracking down Sphere. Besides, there is more room in the cave for Sphere to move around.

"Naruto." The ninja turns around to see Artemis. Artemis walks toward him while nervously rubbing her left arm. He stares at her curiously. "About earlier, I wanted to apologize. I was still shaken up from the whole ordeal with the psychic reality simulation. I may have acted tough but dying wasn't as much fun as it looked. If that offer still stands, I wouldn't mind spending some time with you in Tokyo."

He remains silent staring at the archer. The anger he felt at her earlier rejection starts to disappear. She is not lying to him or he would have been able to sense it. "Stop staring at me like that," says Artemis with a light blush.

"When is a good time for you?" asks Naruto.

"How about Saturday? I have school during the week," smirks Artemis.

Naruto nods. "I will see you Saturday." Turning around, he tosses up a wave before walking away to go meet with Batman. Artemis smirks. This will be her first date. She has to find a good outfit to wear.

October 28th

"I can't decide whether I like the black or blonde hair," smirks Artemis. The fifteen year old girl is wearing a blue jacket over white top, black skinny jeans, and brown heeled boots. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail like always.

Naruto is walking next to her in disguise so no one recognizes him. Instead of his usual golden blonde hair, he possess spikey black hair. A mere transformation jutsu to fool others. He wears a long sleeve light blue shirt, white cargo pants, and black Nike sneakers. "I prefer blonde," admits Naruto.

Artemis smirks taking that as a compliment since she is a blonde. "So we can't see a movie because I don't understand Japanese. Where did you plan on taking me?"

A hint of amusement appears in Naruto's eyes. "Would a movie really interest you?" Artemis raises an eyebrow. "I believe I have found something that you might enjoy." Naruto speeds up a bit making Artemis look at him curiously. Shrugging, she quickly catches up to her date. He leads her through the city towards a large stadium dome.

"Ok, so what is this?"

Naruto pushes open the door gesturing for her to enter. Artemis enters through the doors to see it is filled to the brim. Her eyes look around trying to find out the reason. A tap to the shoulder makes her look back at Naruto who points up. She looks up to see banners with different symbols. One large banner shows two boys in different martial arts stance prepared to fight. "This is a martial arts tournament. Some of the best martial arts in the country and from other places in the world are competing," explains Naruto.

A wide smile forms on her face. "This is sooo much better than a movie," smiles Artemis. Naruto gains a tiny smile that disappears as he gets in line to buy the tickets.

Cave

Robin glances at Wally with a raised eyebrow. "Are you still upset?"

"I am not upset," whines Wally.

"Why do you even care? I thought you didn't like her," smirks Robin.

Wally glares at his best friend. "I don't like Artemis." Robin continues to smirk not believing a single world. "I don't!" A huff comes from the speedster. He grabs a bag of chips and rips them open almost spraying chips on the floor. "He is so lame. I mean he barely even talks. I should be able to get a girl before him."

Kaldur remains silent with an amused expression. He can tell that Wally has a crush on Artemis despite his behavior towards the girl suggesting otherwise. It makes him think about Tula. If he had made a move sooner instead of being distant she might be with him not Garth. Kaldur doesn't blame Garth, Tula is a beautiful amazing girl that any guy would be lucky to have. Garth can't be blamed for pursuing a relationship with such a girl. No, Kaldur blames himself for focusing too much time on his duties as Aqualad and not enough time with the girl he loved. Wally is making the same mistake. Too busy trying to hit on Megan instead of acknowledging his true feelings towards Artemis.

'Naruto may not speak a great deal, but he is very observant. I am sure he will have some ideas to show Artemis a good time.' Kaldur sends a pity look over at Wally. 'I am sorry my friend. I believe you may have already lost your opportunity.'

Tokyo

Artemis cheers loudly with the rest of the crowd. "I so need to learn that move." She looks over at Naruto. Naruto is eating popcorn as he watches the match. It is hard to tell if he is having a good time or not because he acts so emotionless.

"This is a good match," says Naruto. Artemis feels her worries disappear. He glances at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," smirks Artemis. "This was a great idea. So much better than a movie." For the first time since she has known him, she witnesses a smile on his face. It is a small smile, but it makes him look absolutely heartbreaking.

"I am glad you are enjoying it."

Naruto turns back to watch the match the smile vanishing. It didn't matter because for that one second that it existed her heart skipped a beat. Artemis did something bold by reaching over grabbing his hand. He looks at her before interlacing his fingers with her own. Smiling, she goes back to watching the matches.

Watchtower

Batman leans back investigating the report Naruto had given three days ago. A group of children known as the Forever People managed to arrive on Earth in search of stolen technology from their home world, New Genesis. He had been investigating Intergang's activities for some time now. All those heists that Intergang managed to pull off now made sense. Using futuristic alien technology explained it all. Yet at the same time it left him with many questions.

Canary entered into the chambers. "We ran a full diagnostic scan on Sphere. It comes up clean. The machine refuses to open up to us." She walks over to Batman. "What are you hoping to find?"

"Anything," admits Batman. "The Sphere and these Forever People require further investigation."

"Well, one thing you have to give to the brat is that he gives very detailed reports. Almost better than the ones you do," smirks Canary. Batman shows no emotion to her comment.

Tokyo – Evening

"So you are Vietnamese?"

"Yeah, on my mom's side," nods Artemis. She pokes at her noodles. "I wish I wasn't related to that man at all."

Naruto swallows the rest of the dumpling. "I come from a village of killers. So I am not one to judge one's lineage." Artemis gains a small smile. "But if you like, I can cripple him next time I see him."

Laughter comes from the girl. "Thanks, but I would rather do it myself," smirks Artemis. Using her chopsticks, she eats some of the delicious hot noodles. It is almost as good as her mother's cooking. People would be surprised to learn that the former villainess Huntress was an excellent cook. "Were you born with super powers like Superman?"

A shake of the head comes from Naruto. "Where I am from, one must train hard to grow strong." Naruto grabs a napkin and pulls out a pencil from his pocket. He begins to draw a picture of a human with impressive skill. Artemis leans forward as he draws a strange spiral design where the stomach is located. "We are born with chakra coils. In order to use chakra a ninja must train mentally and physically. By learning to harness our power, we are able to use chakra to perform jutsu. These jutsu allow us to perform feats that are considered super." Naruto forms a hand seal. "Ninja use hand seals to properly mold chakra so that I can use jutsu."

"But you are so fast and strong even without your jutsu," says Artemis.

The ninja gains a pensive expression. "I suppose my body is different. Where I am from ninja being able to move at such speed and have such strength is common," says Naruto.

Artemis smirks, "sounds like you are from a different planet."

"Dimension," he corrects.

"Are you serious? But I thought you said village…"

"I do come from a village that is located in a different dimension," says Naruto. "I have my own secrets."

She gains a curious look. "Why tell me?"

"I like you." Artemis smiles with a light blush. Naruto stares deep into her eyes. "Plus, I know your secrets so I thought it fair."

"How did you get here?"

Naruto stares down at his plate. He already told her so much. Ninja usually keep secrets close to the heart, but Canary had told him that talking about issues helps one feel better. It does feel nice to share with Artemis instead of always hiding it. Besides, he knows that she is not going to go running to the League with all this information. She has her own secrets so he sincerely doubts that she will go blabbing about his. "A powerful jutsu. In my world, I was a missing ninja. I was not lying when I said that I grew up on the streets. I ran away from my village when I was six. My village has strict rules and sent ANBU to hunt me down. ANBU are ninja that specialize in Black Ops. Assassination, kidnapping, etc…" Artemis listens intently. "I learned to use the shadows and avoid fights."

Artemis speaks softly. "Why did you run away?"

"When I was a born, a demon was sealed inside me. A demon that had attacked the village and killed many people. In order to save the village a powerful ninja sealed the demon inside a child. I was that child. The village saw me as the demon so I grew tired of the hatred and ran away. Still, the demon is a being of pure chakra and as such the village couldn't let someone else get their hands on it so I was hunted down." Naruto balances the chopstick on the tip of his finger. He is using chakra to make it stick so as not to fall. "It didn't help that I stole several jutsu scrolls from a powerful clan." Artemis smiles in amusement.

"And I thought my life was tough," smirks Artemis. "Sorry that your village treated you like that."

A shrug comes from the former missing ninja. "I learned to survive and I grew strong. In the end, I was able to find a way to get to this dimension so everything turned out fine," says Naruto.

"Yeah, you are like the most popular person in Japan. There are pictures of you everywhere."

"I decided to stop hiding in the shadows. No codename, no masks, I am Uzumaki Naruto. Either people accept me or they don't, but no more running."

'He is so hot when he talks like that,' thinks Artemis. Naruto is unlike any other boy she ever met. He is not afraid of anything especially when it comes to speaking his mind. Her eyes look through the window noticing that it is getting late. "I better head home. My mom will start to get worried and I will need a day to get my sleep schedule right."

Naruto nods in understanding. He signals the waitress and pays the cash upfront leaving a generous tip. Both leave the restaurant. As the two walk down the sidewalk towards the Zeta Portal, Naruto glances at Artemis. "I had a good time. Do you think we can hang out again?"

Artemis smiles, "yes, but you have to ask me out properly. I don't want to hang out, I want to go out on dates."

"Is there a difference?"

"Hanging out is between friends. Dating is for a couple," explains Artemis. "As much as I enjoy being friends, I like you and want to be more than friends."

The ninja gives a small smile that makes Artemis blush. "I see. Very well, would you like to go on another date with me? Next time I can come visit you in your city," says Naruto. He was not sure about his feelings towards Artemis at the start, but after this date he could honestly say that he had grown to like her in a romantic sense. These feelings are virtually unknown to him and he wants to pursue them further by going on future dates with Artemis.

"Definitely."

Artemis surprises Naruto by reaching over grabbing the front of his shirt. She leans forward pulling him into a kiss. It is the first kiss for each of them. Awkward at first, the two soon start to get in the rhythm of it. A moan comes from Artemis as Naruto is an extremely fast learner. The two break apart staring into each other's eyes. "Ok we are going to do that more often," smirks Artemis. Naruto cracks a small smile silently agreeing with her.