As Naruto sealed away the remnants of Hercules's divine corpse, the golden aura of Olympian energy faded from the battlefield, leaving only the quiet hum of power resonating in his body. The ground, once torn by their battle, began to settle into silence. The wind carried the scent of ozone and smoke, a lingering echo of the intense clash that had unfolded.
Kara floated a little closer, her eyes scanning Naruto's expression as he adjusted to the new surge of immortal energy coursing through his system. His breathing was steady, but his aura pulsed like a sun restrained by mortal skin.
"What's supposed to happen now?" she asked, brushing strands of hair behind her ear, her voice cautious but calm.
Naruto turned his head slightly, eyes still glowing faintly with power as he replied, "There should be contact from above."
His tone was quiet but certain, as though the sky itself would soon acknowledge what they had just done.
Without waiting for anything else, he moved toward Donna, whose figure stood tall amidst the aftermath. Her armor had been retracted, revealing her battle-hardened but now healed form, radiating strength and grace. The fatigue from the battle was hidden behind her proud stance, but Naruto knew better—she had poured everything into this.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a heartfelt embrace. His voice was soft but firm.
"You did exceptionally," he said, his words spoken with the sincerity only warriors could share. "Without you, this wouldn't have been possible."
Donna blinked, the praise warming her more than she expected. She leaned into him slightly, smiling. "Those words make me very happy... but I think you're overselling my contribution a little."
Naruto's armor had receded, reduced now to a black and gold pendant resting against his chest. The battlefield immortal was gone, replaced by the man beneath—their Naruto.
"No need to be so humble," he said, gently letting his chakra flow through her, soothing the microfractures and tension still lingering in her body. "We both did our parts. You proved yourself today. The League was nearly defeated by that monster, but we—just the two of us—brought him down. That's something worth celebrating. So smile. Laugh. Show that fire of yours. I loved the way you fought."
Donna's grin widened with genuine joy, and her eyes shimmered with mischief. "Then I deserve a gift."
Naruto chuckled, already sensing where this was going. "Yes, you do."
"A kiss would do."
Before she could finish the playful tilt of her head, Naruto leaned forward and captured her lips in a tender, passionate kiss. His arms pulled her close while hers wrapped around his neck, then around his waist, until she clung to him like a koala. Her legs locked around him, and for that moment, nothing else existed but their heat, their rhythm, their unspoken bond.
Kara and Raven, watching from the side, smiled knowingly. This was normal by now—Naruto had that effect on them all. Their affections for him weren't something they had to hide or temper. They had learned to embrace it, especially with how deeply he returned their love.
It wasn't just physical—it was spiritual. Emotional. The way they connected during these moments, it was as if days passed within seconds, stretching time itself as their heightened senses allowed them to feel every heartbeat, every breath, every ounce of warmth.
Donna clung to him like she never wanted the moment to end, drunk on the affection that washed over her like a summer rain. When Naruto finally pulled back, letting the kiss end naturally, she was dazed, glowing, and completely relaxed. Her body radiated heat, and her eyes looked like twin stars.
She blinked, remembering where she was—still outside, still being watched—and released a nervous but joyful chuckle as she unwrapped herself from his waist, landing softly on her feet.
"My turn," Kara said, stepping forward with a smirk.
But before she could leap into his arms, Naruto raised a hand gently and caught her wrist, holding her back.
"Not now," he whispered. "She's here."
The words had barely left his mouth when the world around them shifted.
There was no warning—no tremor, no portal, no light.
Reality itself bent and reshaped in an instant. The clouds above turned to swirling galaxies, the ground beneath their feet transformed into a sea of starlight. They were no longer on Earth.
Not one of them had felt the transition.
Even Raven, connected deeply to the arcane and the supernatural, couldn't perceive the change until it had already happened. It was as though they had blinked... and stepped into the breath of the cosmos.
That was the power of a primordial.
Naruto stood calmly amidst the boundless serenity of the realm they had been summoned to—a place that radiated life itself. The air shimmered with celestial light, and the ground beneath was soft like moss yet glowed faintly like stardust. It was nature in its purest and most sacred form, a domain untouched by war or corruption. In his arms, Kara remained close, her presence grounding, but his focus now shifted entirely to their host.
And what a host she was.
Before them stood Gaia, the Primordial of Earth, the living soul of the world and mother to immortals. Her beauty was not merely physical; it was divine—it transcended form and entered the soul. Her aura was calm, maternal, welcoming. It was the kind of presence that made you want to rest, to find solace, to abandon burdens and sleep with your head on her lap, listening to her soothing whispers. Her very existence spoke of ancient forests, endless oceans, and the ever-turning seasons.
But then… there was her.
Naruto's gaze shifted.
Sitting lazily beside Gaia, like a shadow to the sun, was a woman who felt like sin given form. Nyx, the Primordial of Eternal Darkness, eldest daughter of Chaos, and bane of his peace.
Where Gaia made you want to sleep peacefully, Nyx made you dream dangerously.
Long, silky green hair spilled over her shoulders like vines wrapping a statue. Her dark eyes gleamed with madness barely hidden behind seductive mystery. Her body was impossibly perfect—an hourglass figure clad in fabrics that hugged her curves with shameless artistry, leaving little to the imagination. Large breasts, wide hips, smooth legs, and a playful smirk that made hearts race or freeze in dread. Nyx radiated an aura that pulled at the darkest corners of the soul—desire, obsession, fear, and temptation. She was beautiful in the way an abyss was mesmerizing: the more you looked, the more it invited you to fall.
And Naruto… well, Naruto wasn't just some man to be led by lust. He appreciated beauty. He even admired her aesthetics. But he saw through her.
From the very beginning, he had known—Nyx was a dangerous game. A trickster. A manipulator. A sadist who relished in psychological warfare. Her beauty was the least dangerous thing about her.
His eyes narrowed.
"I can understand and I am happy that you gave me another chance at life," he said, his tone respectful as he addressed Gaia. But then his voice hardened, and he turned toward Nyx. "But why is she here? Why is she interfering with me and my people?"
Kara, sensing the slight rise in his emotions, held his hand. She knew he wouldn't strike—not here, not now—but the tension in his aura was unmistakable.
Nyx let out a low, sultry laugh that echoed like velvet through the realm. She rose from her seat and glided through the air with the elegance of a ghostly siren, her bare feet not even touching the divine ground.
"Oh my, that expression," she purred, circling the group like a predator amused by its prey. "I love it. So passionate. So serious."
Her arms wrapped around Naruto from behind, cold fingers brushing his jaw as she whispered near his ear.
"I'm just bored, Naruto. You were the lucky one. I needed a game, a dance, and you? You caught my eye. I want to see how you face challenge, how you react, how you evolve. I want to see everything... But don't worry," she added with a soft chuckle, "I'm not your enemy. Think of me as your… frenemy. I won't go too far."
And just like that, she vanished in a flutter of darkness, returning to her seat beside Gaia as if nothing had happened.
Naruto didn't respond at first. He simply exhaled slowly, reigning in his irritation.
Gaia approached them then, her steps light, as though the ground itself parted before her. She placed a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder, her touch calming.
"I've spoken to her," Gaia said in her ever-gentle tone. "Your subordinate has already been returned safely. Nyx's games are… inconvenient, but she has given her word not to go too far this time."
She offered a light, apologetic bow. "Forgive my kin. Even I cannot bind her nature. But I will ensure you are not truly harmed by her actions. She exists to test, to tempt, to twist—but never destroy."
With that, she gestured toward a circle of stone-carved seats that had risen from the earth itself, beautifully shaped and adorned with ancient runes glowing faintly.
"Please, come. Let us speak of the future—of your path, the world you're helping shape, and the decisions that will echo through eternity."
The group sat in an elegant semi-circle around a beautifully crafted stone table, now brimming with steaming cups of tea, fresh fruits glistening with dew, and assorted biscuits that gave off a gentle warmth. The scene was tranquil, almost idyllic—like a gathering among friends in a sacred grove rather than a summit with deities. But beneath that peaceful surface was a tension so palpable it could snap like a taut bowstring.
Nyx lounged luxuriously in her seat, her long legs crossed, one arm thrown lazily over the back of the intricately woven vine-chair. She didn't bother to hide her amusement, her piercing gaze flitting between Gaia and Naruto with an almost impish glee. Despite the seriousness of the moment, she acted like she was just there for the show.
Naruto sat upright, composed, regal. Even here, surrounded by ancient powers that shaped the very foundation of reality, he didn't bow or waver. Kara mirrored his calm, her hand gently resting on his arm, while Raven clutched his other hand tightly, a silent reassurance as her inner turmoil stirred like a storm behind her glowing eyes.
Across the table, Diana, Donna, and Queen Hippolyta sat with reverent silence. Their expressions were laced with awe, particularly Hippolyta's. To her, Gaea was no less than the soul of the world—the Great Mother—a primordial force who had protected Earth long before the immortals of Olympus ever sat atop Mount Olympus. While the Olympians had tied their fates to mortal worship, making themselves vulnerable to belief, Gaea had remained eternal, untouched by dogma and worship. Her strength never waned.
It was her power, not Zeus's, that had silently kept Darkseid from fully stepping into Earth. The Olympians were relics of a time gone by. Gaea was the earth itself.
Naruto's voice cut through the serenity with unwavering clarity.
"I have finished the task you asked of me," he began, his tone neither demanding nor submissive—simply resolute. "And I believe I've proved myself by changing the world. Now I believe I deserve to know why I was summoned here… and the way back home."
Gaea's soft smile didn't falter. If anything, it deepened with maternal warmth. Yet the atmosphere shifted as her gaze sharpened slightly, revealing the weight behind her words.
"You are correct in your assumption, my child," she said, her voice still melodic, like a lullaby sung by the wind. "I brought you for a reason—and left you alone to see whether you were capable enough for the task."
With a gentle wave, the table shimmered subtly. The tea, fruit, and biscuits gave off richer scents, enhanced slightly with divine essence. She encouraged them with a small nod.
"Please, eat. These are the bounties of the world, prepared by my hands. May they comfort you for what I must now say."
Naruto accepted a sip of tea as a sign of respect, though his focus never drifted.
"I am honored. But… isn't there anyone else more suited for this task?" he asked plainly, his gaze never breaking from Gaea's.
Gaea paused, and then slowly shook her head.
"No. There isn't. You are the only one who can solve this crisis."
The words sent a ripple through the group. Even Nyx, previously lounging with bored detachment, now sat up straighter, her expression darkening with the weight of what was coming.
"I will explain—so please, listen carefully," Gaea said, her voice now stripped of all its gentleness, replaced with the gravity of millennia.
"This universe is in great danger. From a being that surpasses even us. Even Trigon," her eyes flicked to Raven, "cannot match its power. He is a warlord, a conqueror… but this being? It is beyond any individual. It is not a person—it is a universe itself. A living, sentient universe that has begun devouring others."
A stunned silence fell over the table.
"It is not unlike the crisis you faced once before… with the Anti-Monitor. But that event only merged the multiverse. This one… will erase it. There is no merging, no collapsing into one stream. Only nothingness. Universes that encounter it do not fight. They do not scream. They simply vanish."
Naruto's jaw tightened.
"How long?"
"Ten years," Gaea answered. "At most."
Kara and Raven went rigid. Donna exhaled sharply. Diana and Hippolyta paled. Even Nyx, queen of the abyss, seemed disturbed.
"For years I have reached out to others—other Primordials, Cosmic Judges, even the Living Tribunal. We pooled knowledge, possibilities. And all roads… lead to you, Naruto."
"Why me?" he asked, his tone quieter now, but not broken—just seeking clarity.
Gaea didn't hesitate.
"We don't know. Not fully. But the threads of fate and reality knot around you. The outcomes where survival is even remotely possible, you are there. Sometimes leading. Sometimes sacrificing. Sometimes fighting it alone. Always central."
"And my way home?" he asked after a moment.
Gaea looked pained.
"If this threat is not stopped, there will be no home to return to. It will be gone—devoured, like the others. But if we survive… then your path shall be yours to choose. Even I do not have the power to alter that fate. But I can give you the tools, the allies, the knowledge… to prepare."
The table had long since been forgotten. No one touched the food. No one even breathed too loudly.
Raven's fingers gripped Naruto's tighter. She could feel Trigon reacting, whispering wicked promises of using this threat to ascend—but even he trembled in the shadows of what Gaea spoke of.
Nyx let out a long breath, rubbing her temples.
"Well… shit," she muttered with rare sincerity. "That's worse than I thought."
Naruto sat back, arms crossed, a furrow on his brow as he digested Gaea's words. His voice broke the silence with calm skepticism, but there was a tension underneath—one born of disbelief and the heavy burden beginning to settle on his shoulders.
"Okay, I got your point about this threat that is going to kill us. But how am I relevant in such a conflict?" Naruto asked, his tone steady but laced with doubt. "I mean… there's no way I can reach the kind of power you're talking about in just ten years. Even if it's possible, it's—" he shook his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "It's not realistic."
The room was still, the gravity of his words echoing in the sacred domain of the Primordials. The beings around him—Gaea, Nyx, the Amazons, even Raven—watched him closely, each processing the growing storm in their own way.
Kara sat with her hands folded in her lap, but her mind was racing. She remembered it clearly—her conversation with Adult Naruto, the older version who had visited her once. He had spoken vaguely of a great crisis, and he had trained her harder than ever during that time. But he never once said he would face it himself.
'Why didn't he say anything?' she wondered, eyes narrowing. 'He never hides important things. Not from me.'
Before she could unravel her thoughts further, a new presence entered the domain. It was subtle—no burst of energy, no tremor in the world. Just a soft ripple, like a breeze through still air.
And suddenly, he was there.
Everyone turned instinctively, sensing the shift. Even Gaea and Nyx straightened up, their faces hardening as their eyes fell upon the man standing at the edge of their circle.
Adult Naruto.
He stood with casual confidence, dressed in plain clothes—nothing regal or extravagant. His jacket fluttered slightly from the faint breeze that followed him, and with a single motion of his hand, a simple chair of chakra and matter formed beneath him. He sat with the ease of a man who had walked through countless wars and emerged victorious every time.
To the untrained eye, he looked just a few years older than the Naruto who had spoken moments ago. But Kara—and now, the rest of the group—knew better. This was a man who had lived for a century, whose strength had surpassed mortal bounds and who now stood as a Universal Conqueror.
Even Gaea and Nyx, beings of unimaginable power, felt the subtle truth of his presence—they could not even muster the will to fight him if they wished to. There was a natural law that surrounded him, something final.
He was the endpoint of strength.
"Why are you here?" Kara asked softly, breaking the silence as her eyes locked with his.
Naruto—the younger one—stared at his future self. He tried to gauge the weight behind his words, his posture, the tired but kind eyes that watched them all like a father watching over his children.
The older Naruto looked at them all, then at his younger self. He smiled slightly, the warmth in it tempered by steel.
"It's time for you to understand what you're truly up against," he said, his voice carrying the clarity of command but lacking arrogance. "Our survival hinges on this battle. And as you guessed, I haven't faced it either—not yet. But soon… I will. I'm the final shield for this universe."
The group listened intently. The air was thick, almost sacred, as his words carried the tone of prophecy.
"You're wondering—why you?" he continued, turning to face his younger self directly. "It's because the enemy we face is a universe. Not a immortal, not a demon, not a conqueror. A whole, sentient universe that absorbs and replaces others."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "So why me specifically?"
Adult Naruto leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Because this being has a counterpart for everyone else," he said. "All of us—Nyx, Gaea, Raven, Diana, the Amazons, even me—we all exist in its structure, and it will reject us or try to overwrite us. But you... you're different."
A ripple of understanding slowly dawned across their faces.
"You're an anomaly," Adult Naruto said calmly. "You weren't born of this universe's natural flow. You were summoned—your existence here was a break in causality, a divergence. And because of that, you can enter the core of that devouring universe without being rejected. You are immune to its assimilation protocol."
He let that settle for a moment before continuing.
"Not only you, but also those who exist only because of you. People who wouldn't exist if you hadn't been summoned. They are also free to act within that world—like a virus that can't be detected by the host."
Naruto blinked as the implications clicked into place. Raven tightened her grip on his hand. Kara sat frozen, her thoughts reeling.
The silence that followed Adult Naruto's departure was thick with unspoken thoughts. His final words still lingered in the air like echoes of a storm that hadn't hit yet. Even after he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, the weight of his presence remained like an imprint on the soul.
For the first time, they truly understood the scope of the threat—and why Naruto was the only one capable of facing it.
Naruto sat still, his eyes locked on the spot where his older self had stood. After a moment, he exhaled slowly and turned toward Gaea again, his voice steady despite the storm in his heart.
"Okay, I can enter the world... but how am I supposed to stop the culprit?"
It was the question everyone had on their minds but hadn't dared to ask. He had no illusions about his strength. He had grown, yes—but to stop a devouring universe?
Even his counterpart hadn't figured it all out.
Gaea's expression softened as she was about to speak, but it was Adult Naruto's words, now etched into memory, that resonated first:
"I don't have answers to every question, so we will only learn after trying it out. We can only prepare ourselves to the best of our capabilities and hope for the best."
Those words were grounded not in despair, but in realism—and trust.
Trust in Naruto.
As the group took in the implications, Gaea stood up, her movements calm and regal. Her presence remained an anchor amidst their swirling thoughts.
"With this," she began, looking from face to face, "I believe everyone has a clearer picture of our mission. We need to get Naruto to a higher stage before the crisis arrives."
Naruto turned toward her again, this time a flicker of curiosity in his expression.
"How do you plan to do that?"
There was no arrogance in the question, only a genuine desire to understand.
Gaea walked forward, her bare feet gliding silently over the earth beneath them. She paused before Naruto, folding her hands together.
"We cannot simply inject you with massive amounts of power. Doing so risks destabilizing your soul or triggering a rejection from the universe itself. And if you're rejected… everything we've prepared would be for nothing."
Naruto nodded, understanding the caution behind her words.
"So what's the alternative?"
Gaea smiled faintly. Her voice was warm, yet carried the weight of untold eons.
"You fight. You grow. You devour strength the way your enemies would. You climb the mountain, step by step."
She lifted a hand, and an image shimmered in the air behind her—a flowing spiral of galaxies, lifeforms, and battlefields Naruto had never seen before.
"You will challenge powerful beings, and through victory, you will gain strength. But more than that… I will awaken what lies dormant within you. The truth of your bloodline."
Naruto's brows furrowed slightly.
"You mean… the Otsutsuki?"
Gaea nodded slowly.
"Yes. The Otsutsuki are a force unlike any other. A nomadic race of devourers, blessed by the universe to transcend limits. Yet pride, arrogance, and complacency have dulled their edge. Their true potential has never been fully realized. But you—"
She stepped closer, placing her hand gently on Naruto's chest.
"—you can reach beyond them."
The words filled him with a strange mix of excitement and wariness. Power… at that scale? The potential was immense, but it came with risks.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, weighing her offer.
"This is a lot to take in," he muttered. "Genetic manipulation by someone who fooled my senses without effort? Yeah… I'm not gonna rush into that."
His eyes met hers, clear and unwavering.
"Give me a month. I'll think it through. We have years to prepare… and I have my own methods too."
Gaea didn't press. She smiled gently, seeing the spark of determination behind his calm demeanor.
"No problem," she replied with a motherly softness. "I will wait patiently."
Then, with grace befitting her station, she reached out and gently placed her hand on Naruto's face. He didn't flinch. Her touch was warm—like sunlight through ancient leaves.
She pressed her lips to his forehead, and the sensation that followed was like being connected to the very soul of the earth.
"My blessing," she whispered, "will help improve your power over nature. The world itself will respond to you more freely now."
With a gentle gesture, Gaea sent them away. A swirl of light enveloped the group, returning them to Earth, leaving her alone in the sacred realm.
Or so it seemed.
From the shadows, Nyx emerged, stepping forward slowly. Her face was glowing—not with rage or concern, but thrill.
A grin played on her lips, a rare kind that only came from inspiration… or temptation.
Her fingers traced the air where Adult Naruto had stood.
"I could feel it," she murmured with a sultry hum, her eyes glowing faintly violet. "He had my mark… that man… he must have conquered me like he conquered the universe."
She shivered, her excitement impossible to hide.
"I want to play with you so much…" she whispered into the void.
Whether it was a promise, a threat, or something else entirely… only time would tell.