Chapter 34 - Family comes first

When Naruto reached Bruce Wayne's manor, his thoughts were all in disarray. He didn't know what to make of what happened on the boulevard a few minutes before.

The moment he decided to kill the Joker and cause the Arkham Massacre, he had resolved himself to become enemies with the entire world if necessary. He had expected the entire world to see him as a murderer, a dangerous criminal. Yet...what he witnessed only a few minutes ago was...

'I believed that I no longer cared what people thought about me...'

But when he was met with the immense crowd of people, he could not shake off the indescribable emotion that took over him.

'It's like when I saved Konoha after Pain razed it to the ground.'

However, the difference was that Naruto felt like he had deserved it back then. After all, he had saved so many people and had even made the enemy return them all to life. This time around though?

'I've killed over 100 prisoners in Arkham Asylum, tortured the Joker to death, caused a bloodbath on the Prison Island and I also killed a few tens of mercenaries at Orochimaru's secret base... I've literally bathed in the blood of my enemies.'

Ironically, in his previous life, where he had fought in 2 wars, of which one was a world war, he had killed less than 5 people. Yet, in this life, the body count was nearing 400... and that in less than 3 years.

'I am a killer...what do all those people see as heroic and worthy of praise at me?'

So distracted he was by his thoughts that he barely even paid attention to the beautiful scenery of the courtyard and the grand architecture of the building. It was only when he arrived in front of the main entrance and an old gentleman dressed in a butler attire greeted him that he finally focused on the matter at hand.

The old butler spoke to him politely and Naruto handed him over the letter of invitation. As he followed him inside, Naruto couldn't help asking:

"Someone like me meeting your master...are you not worried in the least, old man?"

Despite Naruto's rather rude form of addressing him, a small smile appeared on the butler's face when he turned to look at him.

"My master is not as simple as he appears to be. And I trust him completely." he said, his loyalty inwardly surprising Naruto.

Scene break

"The leader of the Russian Federation that has ruled for the past 30 years with an iron fist has been confirmed deceased."

"Igor Ivan, 70 years old has been found dead in his mansion together with his wife, 2 children and 5 grandchildren. They had been celebrating his birthday."

In normal circumstances, Naruto would have not given a second look at that piece of information. While still not very common, country leaders being assassinated was not unheard of in a world overrun by metahumans. However, after his meeting with Bruce Wayne, his disinterest disappeared.

Naruto changed the TV channel. Once again, it was a show debating the Russian leader's assassination. The entire world was in an uproar. Similar to the United States of America, the Russian Federation was considered a major superpower on Earth. That even someone like Igor Ivan had been successfully assassinated, it was like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown on the heads of all the important political figures of the moment. They realized that no matter who they were, they were in danger. If someone like the president of the Russian Federation could be killed then so could they.

"What are you up to, old man?" Naruto muttered.

He could still vividly recall Bruce Wayne's words at their meeting: that Sarutobi Hiruzen was alive and that he was the leader of one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the world.

Naruto sighed. He wasn't as shocked as Bruce Wayne had anticipated him to be. To Naruto, it had always looked rather dodgy that his grandfather, a martial arts legends was killed with a gun of all things. But, after years of his suspicions not being confirmed, he accepted that he really died. That said, while he was surprised by Bruce Wayne's revelation, it wasn't to an unreasonable level.

"Still, to think that a useless playboy like Bruce Wayne would be the Batman...a shinobi has to look underneath the underneath, huh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Throwback

"What are you aiming for by telling me all of this? Also, why have you exposed your identity? Are you not afraid that now that I know your real self I could kill you any time I wanted?"

Bruce Wayne brought his hands together, interlocking his fingers.

"You've had my life in your hands before. And you spared me."

"That's not a solid argument."

"I know." Bruce Wayne admitted "But while the rest of the Justice League sees you as a rabid animal that needs to be put down -" Naruto's eyebrows started twitching at that "- I know that there were reasons behind every time you killed someone. All these years I have followed your movements closely... Never have I seen you killing an innocent. And you've never attacked someone unprovoked."

A cruel smirk made its way on Naruto's face and his blue eyes became slit without him even intending it.

"You're almost making me look like an antihero of sorts, just like the crowd of people still chanting my name in the centre of the city...but while they are unaware of my recent deeds, you know the truth... what do you say about that 13 year old kid that I killed a few days ago? Shazam. What about the death of Hawkman and Aquaman? Or that of Red Tornado?"

For a while, Batman looked like he couldn't find his words. But then, he said:

"If someone tries to kill me or harm my family...do you think that I'll just give them a pat on the back? Be it a man, be it a woman, be it a kid, be it elders, be it a priest, be it a nun, be it the president of the United States...be it even a god...none of that matter to me! And none shall be spared... according to Doctor Fate, this is what you said back then."

After a small pause, Batman continued:

"The Justice League had resolved themselves to cross 'the line' by creating that punitive force. Superman and Flash would have most likely tried to avoid that from happening - you being killed. After all, these two men truly are some of the most pure-hearted people I've ever met."

"However, others like the Hawkwoman, Green Lantern or Wonder Woman would have not hesitated to deal the final blow themselves."

"I'm not saying that what you did was morally right... but, on the battlefield, there are no morals. There are only winners and losers. Had you lost, your fate would have not been much different than that of Captain Marvel. You would have been killed."

None of them spoke for a long while.

"You have changed...You have changed a lot, Batman." Naruto said, not quite realizing it himself that he was the one that had produced that very change in Gotham City's Dark Knight.

The one in question brought his hands in front of his chin, obscuring half of his face.

"I took up the mask and the cape in order to help and protect the innocent...my dream had always been to create a world where no innocents would be hurt...a world where no other 8-year-old boy would lose his parents because of a punk with a gun." Bruce Wayne said bitterly.

Naruto was rendered silent at his words. He could feel that that was the innermost desire of his heart. The bitterness in Bruce Wayne's voice could not be faked.

"But I was too soft... there are many other superheroes that can remain soft and enforce the justice in their own way, from the light. However, sometimes, the justice has to come from the dark..."

"If I have to cut off a serial killer's arms in order to stop him from committing other atrocities in the future, then so be it!"

"If crushing a paedophile's genitalia means that no other kids would be raped and traumatized for life, I am more than willing to do it!"

"If killing someone like the Joker would prevent another few hundreds of innocent people dying again in a bombing, I won't hesitate in the least. Not again. Not anymore."

"A few years ago I used to think 'Killing a killer would not decrease the number of killers in the world. It would remain the same.' But if I were to kill 10 murderers, won't the number of criminals be reduced? That without even counting how many tragedies would be prevented from happening in the first place."

Naruto actually snickered at the last bit. Still, despite his words, Batman had not reached to that level yet. He had not crossed the 'last line' yet.

"Uzumaki Naruto... I am making you an offer, similar to the one I have made you nearly 3 years ago. Though, this time, I won't ask you to work for me. This time, I'm asking you: let's work together!"

To say that Naruto was surprised would be an understatement.

"Oi, oi... what about your league of superfriends? Won't they all get pissed off at you betraying them and allying yourself with the one they see as their mortal enemy?"

Bruce Wayne replied calmly:

"You can't have the cake and eat it. It's either one or the other."

Naruto let out a sigh.

"Look here, man... while I actually admire you for what Gotham has become in the last two years after your change of mentality... I'm not interested in becoming a superhero. To be honest, I don't care about other people. While it's true that I will never kill someone for fun nor will I ever harm innocents, that doesn't mean that I will suddenly start acting like a hero and actively protect them."

"Then what about what happened in Gotham City only half an hour ago? ...thousands of people are still gathered there, shouting your name and calling you - 'The hero we need'." Batman countered.

Naruto shrugged.

"I've never asked for that. And I never cared for them. Because more than anyone, I know how fickle crowds can be. They will praise you today and stone you to death tomorrow."

"The only ones I care about are my sister and my fox companion -"

"Then what about your grandfather?" Batman interrupted.

"The old man made a choice. I don't know what his plans are but I only know one thing: he faked his death and abandoned Misaki and I. For him, whatever his plans were, they were more important than his family. And, for me, that is a more than enough reason to wash off my hands in regards to him."

Naruto's words about his grandfather were cold and harsh but with the memories of his past life, there was no way he would feel the other way around. What Sarutobi Hiruzen did in this life was similar to what Minato Namikaze had done in his past life: he had condemned his newborn son to a life of pain and suffering only to ensure that his village would be protected. For Minato Namikaze, Konohagakure no Sato was more important than his family. That's why Naruto was now uncaring about his grandfather's fate. Once Sarutobi abandoned his family, he became less than a stranger for Naruto.

"That said, thank you for your offer, but no thank you. For the foreseeable future, my plan is to just enjoy a normal life together with my sister. God knows that the last three years had been hell for me."

"I think it's finally the time for me to live my life."

Naruto sat up to leave.

"Before I go, though, can you give me Barbara Gordon's address, please? It would save me a lot of trouble in searching for her."

Scene break - New Year's Eve

The doorbell rang insistently.

"Just who could possibly be at this time?" Barbara Gordon muttered to herself.

It was the evening of the New Year's Eve and most people would be together with their loved ones, celebrating.

Still, she couldn't just ignore it. With a grumble, she sat up from the sofa and went to the door. She had been laying like a lonely shut-in, watching the TV since she had nobody with whom to spend the New Year. Her red hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was dressed in some sloppy pyjamas. Still, Barbara Gordon didn't care about tidying her appearance before going to the door.

When she opened it, however, she stepped back in both surprise and fear.

"W-What are you doing here?"

Spiky and wild blonde hair, blue eyes and 3 pairs of whisker-like scars on his cheeks. It was a face that nobody in the entire USA would dare say they couldn't recognize.

"Is this how you greet your childhood friend, Barbara? I'm hurt." Naruto said jokingly, the tips of his lips curling into a small smile.

That action, however, made the red-haired girl gulp audibly.

Naruto was not truly aware of it but his appearance made his otherwise nice smile terribly intimidating. Putting aside his feral-looking facial features, his tall and muscular frame was an intimidating factor by itself. When those were coupled with the knowledge of what he had done in the past, it was no wonder that an ordinary person would be terrified. Furthermore, in Barbara Gordon's memories, Naruto used to have the built of an Asian teenager, being rather short and a bit scrawny...not looking like a man over 6 feet tall, packed with muscles.

Seeing the girl not reacting to his light joke, he scratched his right cheek troubled.

"Barbara...I'm not here to hurt you." Naruto said, trying to speak in a gentle voice. "Since little, have I not always protected you as well along with my sister?"

It was true. Just like Misaki, Barbara has also been a very popular girl in high school. Whenever the two of them went out on one of their money-squandering shopping sprees, countless heads turned after them. Both redheads and both very attractive - they were like magnets for trouble and men. Barbara being the daughter of Commissioner Gordon eased the danger for her a bit but not many people were actually aware of her identity. Had it not been for Naruto, for a girl as beautiful as her, life wouldn't have been that smooth in a city like Gotham.

Hearing his words, Barbara looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Still, she was not an ungrateful person, nor was she someone who forgot her friends. Although still secretly afraid, Barbara gathered her courage to speak to him

"Where have you been all these years? I thought that..."

Her eyes misted. Unconsciously, she raised her voice when she asked again:

"Where have you been all these years? ...N-Not even once have I seen you at Misaki's grave!"

Tears started to fall down her cheeks as old pain started to resurface.

"M-Misaki's grave?" Naruto asked, his voice hollow.

So absorbed he had been by his own sorrow and rage that Naruto had forgotten that he wasn't the only one that had been grieving over his sister's presumed death. Looking at how Barbara's body was being shaken by her crying and how tears fell from her eyes, a pang of guilt stabbed at his heart.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly and stepped towards the crying young woman.

Naruto was not very adept at socializing or other types of human relationships but it didn't take a genius to understand how distraught Barbara was in that moment. Although rather hesitatingly, Naruto lifted his arms and brought her into his embrace.

Barbara didn't back away. Instead, she buried her face into his broad chest, starting to cry louder.

'Oh man, what the hell...'

By hugging her Naruto thought that he would bring a measure of comfort to the crying woman.

'Why did she start to cry even harder?!'

He didn't understand her reaction. Awkwardly, he brought his hand to her head and tried to caress her hair.

"H-Hey...don't cry... it's ok... look, Misaki is actually not dead. She is,"

Whatever Naruto was about to say was left unsaid as the situation became eerie when Barbara's desperate crying abruptly stopped.

The disbelief in her following question was almost palpable:

"W-WHAT...?!"

Scene break

It was a tearful reunion for the two best friends. The moment Misaki appeared in Barbara's eyes, she tackled her in a tight embrace, not letting go of her for a long time. When Misaki "died", for a long time, Barbara had been devastated. She struggled with depression for months and she would often visit her grave, not leaving until her eyes could no longer shed any tears. Her social life crumbled at a fast pace and, in no time, she became a shut-in. When instead of following her initial plans of becoming a programmer, Barbara chose to not go to college anymore, conflicts arose with her father, fact which, in the end, led to her moving out and breaking contact with him. After that, she focused her entire energy in keeping the appearance of rather introverted librarian at her job while secretly acting as Batgirl, a local hero in Gotham City, for the sake of stopping crime in her free time.

That being said, Misaki's "death" had completely turned Barbara's life upside down. Now that she found that she was alive, Barbara couldn't help holding onto her as though she were her lifeline.

What Barbara thought it would one of the most pathetic New Years that she had ever experienced, turned out to be the happiest moment of her life. Together with Misaki, Naruto and Kyuubi, they feasted on the heavenly food provided by the 5-star hotel where the Uzumaki lived and, when the middle of the night came, Naruto and Kyuubi took her and Misaki to the central plaza of Gotham City.

As the brilliant fireworks illuminated the night sky, Barbara took hold of Misaki's hand, intertwining her fingers with hers and leaned onto her shoulder. Initially holding in his embrace only his sister, Naruto willingly extended one of his arms to bring in Barbara as well. He could see that Misaki craved Barbara's touch just as much as the other girl did. Naruto wasn't much for showing physical displays of affection to other people than his sister, but it was a special moment. Watching Misaki's face radiating with happiness, he thought:

'Anyone that can make my sister smile like that is worth protecting.'

'I want to protect that smile. I want Misaki to never be sad again.'

If protecting his sister's smile meant that he had to extend his care and friendly affection towards Barbara as well, Naruto was more than willing to do it. Because he knew that Barbara's feelings for his sister were also genuine as well.

Not one to be left out, Kyuubi jumped onto Naruto's shoulder and, to Naruto's surprise, the fox wrapped his furry tails around his neck.

Had it been any other moment, Naruto would have immediately said a rude joke and made fun of Kyuubi's action, but, at that moment, he decided against it. Since even a royal tsundere like Kyuubi willingly expressed his affection, Naruto did not want to not ruin the moment. Because despite the noise made by the fireworks exploding, Naruto could still hear the sound of purring coming from the fox hugging his neck. Content and happiness could be felt from him - ever since the Sage of the Six Paths died, Kyuubi had never had someone he could call a friend, let alone family. Although in his past life he had bonded with Naruto for a few days during the 4th Shinobi World War, it was in this life that the two of them became true partners. It was only now, after more than one thousand of years from the death of his creator, that Kyuubi was finally experiencing again what having a family felt like.

Naruto noticed the fluctuation of emotions from Kyuubi despite the fox not showing any outward signs of it. Due to the two of them having shared the same body for decades, they had developed a telepathic link. Through it, although blurred when the link was not active, the two of them could still vaguely perceive the general mood of each other.

Leaving Misaki's waist for a moment, Naruto's hand came and rested on top of Kyuubi's head. No words were spoken, but the fox's act of leaning into his touch was all that Naruto needed to know.

Scene break

While the Uzumaki siblings, Kyuubi and Barbara Gordon were experiencing a magical moment together in the main plaza of Gotham City, somewhere in Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico, Galatea was feeling completely the opposite.

For several days, Galatea had flown at top speeds to all the secret bases Orochimaru had planted all over the world, all the while using her X-ray vision to scan for him. Eventually, she found him in the secret base from Mexico. However, unlike what she had been expecting - to find him terrified and trying to hide - it appeared that he had been waiting for her in a relaxed manner.

But, when she finally entered the room where he was, the sound of a blade being thrust into one's body was heard. Under her disbelieving eyes, Orochimaru plunged a long dagger straight into his own heart!

Before coming there Galatea had been boiling with anger, eager to torture him, to send him to his death in the worst way possible... but when the one that had created her committed suicide right under her eyes, she was petrified. Without her noticing, tears started to trail down Galatea's soft cheeks.

"Why?"

That was the only thing she could bring herself to utter.

A sound akin to a mix between laughter and someone choking came from Orochimaru as blood started to leak from his mouth.

"Kuku... I didn't want my daughter to kill her own father..."

Galatea wanted to scream at him. To tell him to cut the bullshit about him being her father. She wanted to make him tell her why did he kill her. But no words came out of her mouth.

"I know what you think... but that was not me..."

"...Back then, it wasn't me..."

Life was slipping out of his body along with his blood. He was having trouble forming his words and he knew that he only had a few seconds left.

"The notebook... on the desk... read it... my last words... Galatea... my daughter..."

He looked like he had wanted to say more but his lips became still. Orochimaru died.