21

Chapter XXI: Life's Difficulties.

Last Time.

"There's nothing you can ever do that'll make me stop loving you." He pulled her so she was straddling him, and gave her another kiss making her moan. As he pulled back, his hands drifted lower to grope her ass. She gasped just as the door opened up, to show Artemis walking inside, and narrow her eyes. "And just want do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing," Naruto replied until Artemis pointed at his hands.

"Really? It seems to me like you're corrupting M'gann." She replied before walking over and yanked Naruto out by his ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, Artemis, dear, honey! That hurts like hell, OW!" He yelled as she twisted it harder.

"No buts, I'm not going to have you corrupt sweet little M'gann… At least until she's eighteen." She finished as Naruto grinned.

"She's technically in her forties." A blushing M'gann watched as her sister took Naruto out before closing the door.

As Naruto was being pulled away, Artemis told him a better rundown of what occurred in the simulation and Naruto could not have been more proud of his daughter than before. She was strong and had stepped up to be the leader that was needed in a desperate situation.

Even having to pull an idea from the tales he told her about the 4th Shinobi War and was glad he did tell her that to help them out in that situation. He will need to talk to her later since it is obvious that she will need to be cheered up from her current state. No doubt Diana will want to know about this whole situation. 'Boy, is Batman gonna be getting an earful from her.'

Now.

Gotham, Naruto's Penthouse; October 17, 7:00 EDT.

Naruto walked into the kitchen where M'gann, wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt, was making breakfast slowly and saw Conner walk through the door, and down the hall.

"It was nice of you to let them stay here Naruto."

Naruto looked to see Paula walk in and sighed. "I just didn't want Donna, M'gann, Starfire, Blackfire, or Conner to be alone in the Cave, especially after what they went through... I already gave the others time off for the week. They'll be going back on the 23rd for a therapy session with Dinah." He finished before walking over to M'gann and hugged her from behind. "Feeling any better today M'gann?"

She looked at him and gave a sad smile, but didn't reply, making him frown as he let go and walked back to Paula. "Why aren't you down like they are?"

"Because I already went through something similar," Naruto said making Paula blink.

"What?"

Naruto nodded before speaking. "Yeah, I was in a great war before coming to this dimension... In fact, out of all the ninjas that fought, I was one of four that was left to fight at the end. After defeating the mad goddess that wanted to enslave my world, I woke up here." Naruto looked to see Paula staring at him slack-jawed. "What?" He asked as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the next room.

"Don't 'What' me, young man! How come you've never told me this?" Naruto sighed before leaning on the wall.

"It's... Something I don't like to talk about alright? It's a deeply personal matter that I'm still working through. I haven't told anyone about it except Diana and Donna. After all, Diana's been through wars herself, and Donna wanted to know about all the great battles I've been in. Mind you, I focused more on how the Nations put their differences aside and worked together."

"The only reason I never told you, Artemis or Jade was because you never really asked about how I ended up here. I didn't think it mattered at the time." Naruto finished glancing out of the room as Donna and Stephanie walked into the kitchen in their pajamas. "Uh, girls we have company. You may want to get dressed." Naruto said before looking back to Paula.

"I actually still have night terrors, to be honest." She walked up to him with a mixed worried and shocked look.

"What? I've never even hear-" She was interrupted by Naruto who raised his hand.

"I have silencing seals in my room so I won't wake any of you-" He stopped as she hugged him. "Hey, enough about me," Naruto said pulling back from the hug. "But thanks anyway. So, what about you, Paula? Been seeing anyone?" She deadpanned at him causing Naruto to gain a shocked look. "You have, haven't you? And when you have such a sexy man living with you."

She sighed before bringing her hand up to her face. "I swear, you must have a thing for older women... That or you really do just hit on anything with a skirt."

"I think it's because the women from my world were all hot as hell. There was this one chick, Anko, who wore practically nothing but a mesh suit, and Tsunade who was a bombshell with the biggest pair of tits-"

Smack!

"Ow!" Naruto yelled as Paula slapped the back of his head. "Artemis has been slapping the back of my head a lot recently... Have you two been watching the NCIS Marathon that comes on USA Network a couple of days of the week?" He asked rubbing the back of his head as she smiled.

"I've caught the last moments of it when Artemis switches to it for that wrestling show that comes on Mondays. She's getting pumped up for the pay-per-view that's coming up, by the way."

Naruto chuckled at that. "Yeah, they've also been promoting a cartoon mystery movie they're working on that's coming out soon." He said before remembering something. "Oh yeah, that reminds me." He reached for a seal on his arm, unsealed an envelope, and set it on the kitchen table. "Give that to her when she gets up. It should help bring her out of her funk."

Mount Justice; October 17, 9:00 EDT.

"Recognized Kage, 17."

Naruto in his costume walked into the empty Cave. He sighed before Sphere rolled over to him. "Hey, Sphere... The others will probably be away for another day or two." Sphere beeped before rolling to the hangar where a sleeping Bio-Ship floated, making Naruto sigh. "At least, I hope."

(Flashback.)

Mount Justice October 16, 20:00 EDT.

Naruto rubbed his ear as he walked past an empty room, and heard a crash, followed by Diana yelling at Batman. "Of all the stupid things I have ever heard! You should have told them what the training exercise was, or at the very least what would have happened inside!" Naruto quickly walked past, effectively dodging a lamp, before seeing everyone leave with their mentors.

He looked over at the hanger, found Donna sitting at the ledge, and walked over to her. He sat down beside her and looked at her, as she looked down at the water. "See anything interesting?" He asked as she brought her knees up to her chest. "Look if it's about what happened in that... 'Training Simulation' it wasn't-"

"I used Kurama." She said cutting Naruto off. "I... Went into that mode you went into after coming back from training, and attacked everything in sight; friend or foe." Naruto looked down at the water as she continued. "I'm afraid of what might happen if that happens for real. I still see myself like that... The thing that went berserk."

Naruto was about to speak up before Diana, in black pants and a red shirt with the Uzumaki logo on it, sat down on the other side of Donna. "That's not what I... What WE see." She said moving a strand of hair away from Donna's face. "I see a true Amazon, a warrior that's willing to do anything for her friends. Her family."

"And I see a leader, a ninja. I see a daughter who makes me... US so very proud, every day." Naruto said wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in a hug.

(Flashback End.)

He smiled before walking to the debriefing/training area and brought up a holo-screen before typing on the holo-keyboard. He brought up a man in full orange and blue-trimmed outfit with a mask. "Cluemaster... He just entered a warehouse in Gotham after visiting Stephanie's old apartment."

"Recognized Batman, 02."

Naruto glanced to his left as Batman walked into the Cave and over to him. "We need to talk." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that before replying.

"If it's about Diana, you can forget it. That's directed at you." Naruto replied seeing Cluemaster walk out of the warehouse with a group of thugs.

"That's not what I want to talk about," Batman said as Naruto sighed. "

Can it wait? I kind of need to find out what Cluemaster's doing." Naruto said before putting Cluemaster's coordinates into his glasses and turned off the screen. "Plus, I'll be meeting Talia fo-" He stopped as Batman puts a hand on his shoulder.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about... I don't think it's a good idea for you to date her." Naruto turned his head to look towards him.

"I don't think it's any business of yours to tell me who I can, and can't date," Naruto said pulling Batman's hand off of him who just stared.

"Naruto... Personal feelings aside, Talia's not someone you should be getting involved with."

Naruto just sighed before looking at him. "I know the two of you have a... Close history with each other. I know you think that she's no better than her father, but believe me, she is." Batman just stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"She's not! Believe me, I've tried!" Batman looks down before continuing. "So many times I thought I could bring her to our side, and every time she went back to her father and the Shadows. I've long since given up on bringing her to the right side."

Naruto just snorted at that. "That's just it, Bruce. You've only seen her as being Ra's daughter or just another shadow. Just like everyone else who she's tried to be with. You forget that's the world she grew up in, the only one she's ever known. What you believe is right, doesn't mean that it's the same thing for her."

Batman glared at him before speaking. "Are you saying that wiping out humanity is considered right?!"

"Hell no! And neither does Talia. Both of you have never spent a lot of time outside of the battlefield, but I have. I've talked with her, gotten to know her. It's been long enough that I can safely say she doesn't blindly believe her father's path to peace, unlike his other followers." Naruto said as Batman sighed.

"...Do you care for her?" Batman asked as Naruto looked at him for a moment.

"Yes, I do," Naruto said as Batman sighed before walking past Naruto and into the Zeta-Tube.

"Then be sure you can give her the happiness she deserves."

Gotham Bank; October 17, 14:00 EDT.

Naruto dropped down in front of the entrance where he saw it was broken by a blast. Walking inside, and past the Police tape, he stopped seeing large writing on the wall behind the tellers' area. "The answer is in the pyramid," Naruto said as he saw a dollar bill as the period in the end. He picked it up and examined it for a moment with his glasses.

He saw ink come through it before turning it over and saw writing above the pyramids. "So he's robbing another bank a few miles away," Naruto said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Later, Naruto jumped to the roof of the bank and went into a vent cover. Crawling down, he heard Cluemaster talk about taking the people hostage. Looking out of the vent, Naruto saw a group of people tied up in the middle of the main room with several men holding rifles walking around with Cluemaster at the vault.

Naruto quickly crawled to an opening, pushed it off, and landed on a gargoyle a foot under it. 'I swear every public building in Gotham has these.' Naruto thought before seeing one man under another gargoyle across the room and jumped over. Naruto dropped down, quickly tied the man up, and brought him up to the gargoyle to hang.

"Help!" Naruto jumped to another gargoyle as the other men ran to the one hanging. "It's Batman!"

'Why does everyone think it's him? I work from the shadows, and gargoyles too... I even helped out with the Asylum breakout last year! But nooo… Batman gets all of the credit around here! I should consider moving to a different city.' Naruto thought with a tic mark before seeing two men walk away to the entrance. Naruto quickly jumped over and dropped behind them. He smashed their heads together, knocking them both out before jumping back up.

'Four guys, counting Cluemaster...' Naruto thought as '3' came up in an infobox on his glasses. Naruto took out three arrows and fired them down at the three men's feet. Green smoke came out of them and knocked the men out as Naruto dropped down.

"Kage."

Naruto looked up to see Cluemaster walking out of the vault. Naruto got in a stance as Cluemaster jumped over and threw a blue pellet at Naruto that exploded in bright light. Naruto shielded his eyes before being kicked away. Naruto landed in a crouch, and dashed at Cluemaster, punching him several times. Cluemaster dropped a pellet at Naruto's feet, and glue exploded out of it.

Naruto blocked a punch before dropping a dissolving pellet and broke out of the glue, before punching Cluemaster back into the vault, knocking him out cold. Naruto caught his breath before turning around and untied the hostages.

France, Paris; October 18, 19:00 CEST.

Naruto, in a black suit with a dark red undershirt and matching pinstriped tie, lifted his glass as Talia, wearing a black backless dress with a slit on the right side, lifted hers.

They clinked their glasses together as fireworks went off at the Eiffel Tower. "Beloved... I don't think I've ever been this happy before." Talia said as Naruto smiled.

"I aim to please... Darling." He smiled as she blushed at that before standing from the table and offered his hand. "Care to dance?" She took his hand and walked to the middle of the deck outside, where they slow danced. Talia rested her head on his chest and hummed in content. She looked up to Naruto and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

Naruto blushed before looking down at her. "Let's wait, Talia... I think at least part of the reason you want to do that so soon is that Ra's has been pressuring you for an heir." She looked down in shame, making Naruto frown before moving his hand under her chin, and lifted her to look at him.

"I've told you, darling... I see you, and you alone. I don't care who your father is... I'm not going to leave you. I only want your word that you won't force our children into the Shadows until they're old enough, or respect their wishes if they don't want to join." He rested his forehead on hers before pulling her into a kiss.

To Be Continued.