Chapter 10: "Game Over and Beachside Therapy"
(In which Naruto learns that old gaming skills don't translate well to Earth consoles, and being a good listener might just be his greatest ninja technique.)
High above the Earth, where normal people worry about things like rent and TikTok algorithms, the Watchtower of the Justice League hummed quietly. It floated in orbit like some overachieving space hotel—minus the minibar, plus a lot of end-of-the-world meetings.
Inside, gathered around a conference table big enough to seat a pantheon, were several of the most powerful beings on the planet. Heroes who could stop volcanoes, punch black holes, and somehow still never win an argument with Batman.
On the central display screen, a vivid recording of Naruto's recent "friendly" battle with the Young Justice team played out. By "friendly," we mean it was only a little less destructive than a small-scale alien invasion. Clones exploded like confetti. Energy blasts streaked across the battlefield. Lagoon Boy was currently curled in a crater, questioning his life choices. Again.
Superman leaned back in his chair like a dad watching his kid's football highlights, except his "kid" just soloed six super-powered teenagers and summoned a nine-tailed death fox.
"So," he said casually, "what do you all think?"
Diana raised an eyebrow, arms folded. Her expression was somewhere between impressed and calculating—like a queen appraising a new general. "He's too powerful for Young Justice. They couldn't touch him. I'd prefer to spar with him myself for a real assessment."
Green Lantern, lounging like he didn't command one of the most dangerous weapons in the galaxy, whistled low. "You saw how he moved, right? Those energy clones? It's like fighting a teleporting army with ADHD."
Aquaman let out a hearty laugh. "Let's not pretend. I've fought sea gods slower than that boy. And those energy blasts? I'm not ashamed to admit—if I'd gone in there, I'd have ended up a fried fish stick."
Shazam leaned forward, his teenage soul inside a demigod's body practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "What if we just let him into the League? But like—undercover? He could go by a cool code name. Something intimidating. Like... Fox Phantom. Or Vibe King!"
Hawkgirl rolled her eyes. "He's sixteen. No matter what name he uses, it doesn't change the facts. If he joins Young Justice, the others will start treating him like a safety net. The team dynamics would collapse faster than Wally running out of snacks."
Everyone turned, as if on cue, to the Dark Knight himself. Batman, the human equivalent of a walking security clearance, was silent. Watching. Probably calculating Naruto's blood type, shoe size, and chakra output simultaneously.
Finally, he spoke. "Do you trust him?"
Superman didn't flinch. "Yes. He's open about his power. He warns people before he uses transformations. He's emotionally balanced, even in battle. I spoke with him extensively. His intentions seem genuine."
There was a pause as everyone digested that. Trust from Superman wasn't handed out like Halloween candy.
"Then we observe," Batman said. "Pair him with Supergirl. She's powerful, and still solo. We'll get reports from her, and she won't let things slide. If he's the real deal, she'll know."
"Besides," Aquaman said, scratching his chin, "she could use a training partner who doesn't explode from a single punch."
Green Lantern snorted. "That's one way to bond."
Batman nodded once. "We add him to the watch list. Not as a member—yet. But as a wild card."
"Oh good," Diana said dryly. "Because what this team really needed was a blonde, fox-powered ninja wild card with an interdimensional fox spirit and the ability to flatten a mountain with a punch."
The lights dimmed as the footage looped again. Naruto, laughing in slow motion as a wave of clones leapt into battle behind him. Beast Boy was running for his life as a squirrel. Lagoon Boy was face down. Again.
"Tell Kara," Superman said. "And let's hope she doesn't accidentally vaporize him during missions."
And so, just like that, a blonde boy with a dream and a chakra-powered tail became the most discussed name in a room full of legends. What came next?
Well, the universe wasn't ready. But it was going to find out.
Fast.
----------------------------------
If there was one thing that could make even Superman pause mid-flight, it was the sight of Batman sitting still long after a meeting had ended.
The rest of the Justice League had filtered out—Flash trailing popcorn, Green Lantern grumbling about paperwork, and Aquaman doing something dramatic with his cape—but Bruce Wayne, Dark Knight Extraordinaire, remained hunched forward in his seat like the fate of the world was about to be decided via Zoom call.
Superman, who had perfected the art of hovering silently just above the ground (because walking was for mortals), stayed behind. There was something in Batman's expression that said, I'm silently judging the universe, which, to be fair, was his usual setting—but this time it came with extra brooding.
"You have doubts," Clark said gently, arms folded like the universe's most ripped school counselor.
Batman didn't deny it. He didn't grunt either, which was progress. Instead, he steepled his fingers like an anime villain and stared at the now-dark screen that had previously shown Naruto in full chaotic glory.
"This is the first time I've seen you so supportive of someone we know so little about," Bruce said, voice low.
Clark gave a small, crooked smile. "I wouldn't say we know nothing. He let Zatanna scan him—thoroughly. No resistance, no hidden clauses. That alone tells me he's not hiding anything."
Batman arched an eyebrow, which in Bat-speak translated to: Or he's hiding everything and he's just that good.
"Or," Bruce said aloud, "he's powerful enough that he doesn't care if we do."
Superman laughed under his breath. "That's possible. But if you talk to him, you'll understand. He has this... way about him. Like you're not alone in whatever you're carrying."
Batman didn't answer immediately, which meant his brain was going at Bat-speed—calculating, dissecting, probably rewinding through every Naruto interaction like a DVR with paranoia mode turned on.
It was true. Naruto hadn't demanded anything from them. No respect. No status. No suspiciously specific coffee orders like Constantine. He showed up, fought like a hurricane with a smile, got everyone soaked in seawater or punched in the gut, and still ended the day laughing with the team.
He was dangerous—anyone with a giant fox demon and a shadow clone army should come with a safety label—but he wasn't threatening. Not in the way that made Bruce's inner alarms go off.
"He's either incredibly naïve," Bruce said at last, "or he's a being of immense power, deliberately masking himself behind an unshakable sense of purity."
Superman didn't argue. Instead, he stepped closer and added softly, "If it's the second one, wouldn't that still make him valuable? We don't have many like that."
Batman's silence stretched again. It wasn't agreement. But it wasn't rejection, either. Eventually, his lips twitched. Barely.
"Maybe," he muttered, "he'd make a good psychiatrist."
Superman blinked.
Then laughed. Like, full Kryptonian belly-laugh, which echoed awkwardly in the high-tech Bat-conference room.
"You know, Bruce, I was thinking the same thing."
Batman gave him a look that could have frozen molten lava. But he didn't deny it.
Because, truth be told, Naruto did make people open up.
Bruce didn't say anything more, but as the lights dimmed around them and Superman quietly exited, he remained seated for just a moment longer.
Considering things.
Replaying memories.
And, perhaps, wondering what it would be like if Naruto opened a Bat-approved therapy hotline.
(He'd never admit it, but he'd probably call.)
------------------------------
Back at Mount Justice, things had finally cooled down after the sparring spectacle that left half the team sweaty and the other half questioning their life choices. Naruto, having returned to his more casual self—still barefoot and somehow managing to eat an entire bowl of popcorn without a microwave in sight—was sitting cross-legged on a beanbag chair.
The room was filled with the laid-back hum of downtime energy. Superboy lounged on the couch like a big cat pretending not to enjoy company. Nightwing was fiddling with some kind of portable screen-slash-hologram thingy while Static was trying (and failing) to get the popcorn bowl back from Naruto. Beast Boy had declared this the first official "Movie-Night-That-Turned-Into-Teaching-Naruto-About-Earth" session. No one protested.
"Well, first off," Beast Boy said, dramatically clearing his throat as if he was giving a TED talk, "you gotta understand—Earth culture is all about balance. For example: anime and pizza. Yin and yang."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, crunching down a handful of popcorn. "Anime and pizza? That's culture?"
"Dude, yes!" Beast Boy grinned. "Naruto—you're gonna love this one anime I know. It's called One Piece. Sorta. There's food. There's yelling. There's a bunch of pirates—like, a lot of pirates."
Naruto paused, squinting. "Is it a documentary?"
Nightwing snorted. "More like fanfiction meets martial arts soap opera."
"That's the best part!" Beast Boy said. "Also, it's way more polite than real life. No blood. Well, okay, some blood. But cool blood."
Superboy raised an eyebrow. "What exactly is 'cool blood'?"
"You'll see," Beast Boy said, with the confidence of someone who once cried at the Pain arc and wasn't ashamed of it.
Meanwhile, Static leaned in from across the room. "Alright, Naruto, serious question: what kind of movies do you like? Action? Sci-fi? Rom-coms?"
Naruto blinked. "What's a rom-com?"
"A romantic comedy," Nightwing offered, now lazily scrolling through a list of titles on the holo-screen. "People fall in love, but also slip on banana peels."
Naruto considered that. "That sounds like something Jiraiya would watch."
Superboy, who had mostly been silent until now, finally spoke up. "Movies are great and all, but I'm telling you—motorcycles? That's freedom."
Naruto tilted his head. "Is it like a metal toad?"
The room paused.
"A… metal toad?" Static repeated, unsure if he heard that right.
Naruto nodded solemnly. "In my world, I can summon toads. One of them has metal armor. It's fast. Loud. Scares people."
Superboy blinked, then slowly smirked. "Okay. That's actually kind of accurate."
"Right?!" Naruto grinned.
"And you'd love motorcycles then," Superboy added. "You control where it goes, feel the wind, tear across the highway. No seatbelts. Just raw power and balance."
Naruto's eyes gleamed. "That sounds like the Rasengan on wheels."
Beast Boy leaned in. "Do not say 'Rasengan on wheels' too loud or Cyborg will try to make it real."
"Who's Cyborg?" Naruto asked.
"Basically Iron Man if he grew up in Detroit and had more sarcasm," Static explained. "Also, he lives for weird ideas like yours."
Nightwing chuckled. "And if we let Naruto anywhere near Cyborg and a machine shop, we'll probably end up with a chakra-powered go-kart that talks."
"I would ride that," Beast Boy said immediately.
"I would race that," Static added.
Naruto nodded. "I would win that."
Superboy just grunted, but there was a gleam of interest in his eyes. "You ever race on foot? I'm pretty fast."
Naruto tilted his head with a grin. "Wanna test that? Just don't cry when you're eating my dust."
"Oh, he's cocky now," Static laughed.
Nightwing smirked, scrolling down the holo-list. "Alright, let's table the racing till after movie night. I found something everyone can agree on—classic Earth cinema: The Princess Bride."
Beast Boy gasped. "YES. Naruto needs to learn about true love and sword fights."
Superboy grumbled but didn't argue. Naruto, meanwhile, looked completely lost. "What's it about?"
Nightwing leaned forward, his tone dead serious. "Revenge. Pirates. Cliffs. Rats of unusual size. Also, fencing."
Naruto grinned. "Fencing? Count me in."
An hour later, the lights were dim, the popcorn was gone, and Naruto was quoting lines alongside the others like he'd been watching Earth movies his whole life. By the time Inigo Montoya made his final stand, Naruto was on his feet, fists clenched.
"You tell him!" he shouted. "That's how you avenge a master!"
Beast Boy beamed with pride. "See? I knew he'd get it."
Superboy looked over, finally relaxing into the cushions. "I gotta admit… you're alright, Naruto."
Naruto gave him a fox-like grin. "Took you long enough."
Static raised a finger. "Alright, but tomorrow—video game night. You're not getting out of that."
-----------------------------
After the earlier whirlwind of clone-fu, midair kung-fu theatrics, and cosmic dodgeball with Superboy, Naruto was enjoying a rare moment of peace. Not silence, mind you—because Beast Boy had just discovered Naruto also liked anime, and that was basically verbal napalm for anyone within earshot.
"So you've really never seen One Piece?" Beast Boy gasped, practically falling off the couch. "Dude. Dude! That's, like, a crime against pop culture."
Naruto blinked, tilting his head like a confused fox pup. "I don't think I've seen one piece of it."
Beast Boy groaned. "Okay, that pun hurt me spiritually, but I forgive you because we are going to fix this. I'm talking full anime boot camp. Me, you, blanket fort, snacks, and 900 episodes. Let's go."
Static snorted from the side. "You trying to kill him? Or turn him into a hermit?"
Nightwing chuckled. "Give Naruto a break. He's already got the hair for an anime protagonist. Let the guy breathe before you make him fight Kaido."
Naruto just grinned. He liked this. Sitting around, talking about games and stories and food. It reminded him of home. Of ramen nights with Iruka, of game nights at Kakashi's (though Kakashi only played if he could cheat), and of all the loud, silly, real moments that made being a ninja worth it.
Then Superboy, ever the quiet type, stood up and stretched. "Hey, Naruto. You wanna see something cool?"
Naruto raised a brow. "Cool as in cool cool? Or cool as in, 'last time I saw this, something exploded'?"
Superboy smirked. "Little of both."
That was how they ended up in the Mount Justice hangar, where a sleek, black-and-silver motorcycle stood like it was posing for a tech magazine cover. It looked like the lovechild of a fighter jet and a cyberpunk fever dream. It purred with quiet power, and its chrome plating shimmered faintly with what Naruto swore was space energy.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "You built this?"
Superboy gave a casual shrug, but Naruto could see the pride in his eyes. "Yeah. Took me months. The base is alien tech I salvaged. It's linked to my solar reserves, so if I'm charged up, it's charged up. Top speed is...well, fast."
Naruto circled the bike reverently. "You saying this thing moves at light speed?"
"Not quite," Superboy said, scratching the back of his neck. "But it can keep up with me when I'm cruising. Atmospheric lift, dimensional shielding, internal gravity field—so I don't splatter myself if I brake too hard."
"Internal gravity field," Naruto repeated, blinking. "Bro, I was happy just learning how to ride a toad."
Superboy smirked. "Riding a toad sounds...weirder."
"It's not weird. It's tradition."
"Sure," Superboy said, then leaned against the bike. "You ever heard of Lobo?"
"Lobo?" Naruto echoed. "Sounds like a really cranky dog."
Superboy chuckled—though it was more of a dry, 'you-have-no-idea' chuckle. "He's a galactic bounty hunter. Bad attitude, bigger ego, even bigger guns. He once took out an entire asteroid colony because someone stepped on his boots."
Naruto raised a hand. "Okay. Noted. Do not step on space guy's boots."
"Also," Superboy said, pointing a finger for emphasis, "if you ever see him—and I mean ever—run. Do not try to fight him unless you've got, like, a Kryptonian, a Lantern, and a small army backing you up."
"That bad, huh?"
"He rides a space motorcycle that drinks black holes for fuel."
Naruto whistled. "Alright, that's...kinda badass. Scary. But badass."
Superboy nodded. "He was the reason I got into building my own bike. I saw him once, when I was younger. Just tearing across space, this huge chain wrapped around his wrist, riding like the galaxy owed him money. I thought, 'Yeah, I want that kind of speed. But, y'know...without the trail of bodies.'"
Naruto smiled. "So you built your own legend, huh?"
Superboy didn't respond immediately. He looked at the bike again, this time softer. "Yeah. Something like that."
Back inside, Beast Boy was already queuing up Naruto's "Essential Anime Starter Pack" playlist. Nightwing and Static were mock-bickering over which game console was superior. And Bumblebee was rigging up some sort of quantum popcorn machine because, in her words, "Microwave popcorn is for plebs."
Naruto looked around, taking it all in—the laughter, the friendly jabs, the clatter of boots against metal, and the scent of ozone and butter and grease.
Maybe this wasn't his village. But in that moment, it felt close enough.
------------------
Naruto was losing. Badly.
"Again?! Come on!" he yelled, nearly flipping the controller like it had betrayed him in battle.
Static, Beast Boy, and Nightwing burst into laughter as the "KO" screen flashed across the TV for what felt like the thirtieth time that hour. Even Superboy, who usually wasn't the laugh-out-loud type, gave a snort.
"I thought you said you were a champion," Beast Boy teased, leaning back on the couch with an exaggerated stretch. "Did you mean champion of losing?"
"I was the Hokage Tekken Champion back home!" Naruto insisted, his eyebrows furrowing as he pointed dramatically at the screen. "Back then, my hands were fast like lightning!"
Nightwing raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Dude, this is 'MetaBrawl 6'—not whatever you played with kunai and chakra routers. You gotta learn combos. Timing. Strategy."
Naruto looked at the controller like it was a foreign scroll written in chicken-scratch. "I have timing. I fought literal ninjas."
"And still got beat by a green bean," Static added, bumping fists with Beast Boy. They had formed an unspoken alliance of "Let's Make Naruto Humble Today."
"Green bean?" Naruto repeated, deadpan. "I'm gonna remember that one."
To be fair, Naruto had fun. Despite the fact he was losing, the banter, the laughter, the way Beast Boy could shapeshift into a raccoon just to do a mock-victory dance—it all reminded him of home. The Village. His friends.
After a few more rounds (and a few more losses), he tossed the controller aside with a groan. "Okay. Break time before I chuck this thing into the ocean."
Superboy stood up, stretching. "Wanna see something cooler than your kill-death ratio?"
"Anything would be cooler than that," Beast Boy said.
---------------------
Later that night, Naruto had finally tapped out after getting fatality-ed for the thirteenth time. He muttered something about pixelated betrayal and wandered outside for a breather. The sea breeze was gentle against his face as he walked toward the beach behind Mount Justice.
There, sitting near the edge of the water with his legs curled to his chest, was Lagoon Boy.
Naruto paused. The guy was staring into the ocean like it owed him money.
"Yo," Naruto said, dropping into a seat beside him.
Lagoon Boy didn't look at him. "You here to tell me how I lost to a land ninja at water bending?"
Naruto winced. "Uh... no. That would be a terrible pep talk."
Lagoon Boy gave a dry snort but didn't tell him to leave.
They sat in silence for a while, the waves lapping at their feet, stars stretching above them in a sky so wide it could swallow insecurities whole. Naruto didn't push. He just waited.
Eventually, Lagoon Boy muttered, "I'm not like the others. I'm too aggressive. I try too hard. And everyone looks at me like I'm gonna freak out."
Naruto nodded. "I get that. I used to prank my whole village just to get noticed. People thought I was annoying. Loud. Uncontrollable."
Lagoon Boy turned to him with a curious glance. "What changed?"
"I stopped trying to force everyone to accept me and just started acting the way I wished they would. Honest. Helpful. Real. That's when things started to shift."
Lagoon Boy looked down at his webbed hands.
"Also," Naruto added, bumping shoulders with him, "we should totally train together. Your water control's amazing, and I could learn a lot. You're not alone, dude. And hey—training's way better when you have someone to complain about sore muscles with."
For the first time all day, Lagoon Boy cracked a small smile. "You're weird."
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, but I'm the good kind of weird. C'mon—let's go hit the waves tomorrow morning. I'll bring the energy, you bring the water."
As they sat under the stars, Naruto thought about how strange it was—the things that brought people together. A crushing defeat in a video game, a shared moment of insecurity, or just sitting beside someone until the silence turned into trust.
Whatever world this was, Naruto figured he could get used to it. Even if the controllers were evil.