Chapter 8: Recalling

I am writing this chapter solely to offer my support in the only way I can and that is providing you guys and gals something to read during these days of crisis. Please take the precautions seriously and stay home for your safety as well as the safety of your families.

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Watchtower

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"Batman, have you seen Destiny by any chance?" Dinah asked calmly as she approached the dark-themed hero who stood before the numerous arrays of monitors.

Perhaps asking the ever paranoid hero regarding Destiny was the wrong idea but she had no choice at the moment. She had practically asked every single available hero on the watchtower. But maybe asking Batman was much better than Flash who had trouble controlling his eyes.

"Why?"

"Have you or have you not?" she asked blankly. "I am not here to for an interview"

The Dark Knight merely grunted. "He is on the upper deck, by the garden"

"Thanks"

Walking out of the door, Black Canary made her way to the elevator. Sometimes she really hated Naruto's habit of disappearing from the face of the planet without a trace. Each and every member she had asked had claimed to have seen him and yet had no idea where he was.

That literally made no sense!

The only reason she had asked Batman specifically was because he had monitor duty today and the security cameras would no doubt showcase the location of the enigmatic redhead.

Striding out of the elevator to the adjoined floor, the blonde woman instantly became aware of the oppressive pressure slamming down on the tower. Her blue eyes instantly gravitated towards the only individual responsible for bringing forth such effects on his surroundings.

And of course said person was harmlessly seated in a meditative pose, floating a few feet above the metal ground and gazing out of the windows into space. Sometimes it was hard to control ones' gawking when one was eyeing such otherworldly spectacle.

"Come, join me Dinah" came the soothing but deep voice of the majestic hero, snapping Black Canary out of her stupor. "You ought to be considerably tired after searching the entirety of the Watchtower"

"You knew!?" Black Canary voiced out blankly, a hint of accusation dripping from her tone. She had been searching every inch of the large space station in search of him and he had known all along?

"Perhaps"

The humor in his voice didn't go unnoticed by the frustrated heroine.

"So you find this funny, huh?"

"Not in the slightest"

"Your tone says otherwise" the blonde woman countered with a frown as she approached the floating hero.

"My apologizes then"

"Forget it and stop smiling like that"

The ancient King chuckled good-naturedly, offering a simple glance towards the crime-fighter. Children these days had no respect for staying positive it seemed. Kurama seems to be of the same mindset. "You are full of complaints today, Dinah. Might I inquire as to what's caused it?"

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Sometime Later

With a soundless stride towards the Zeta beam platforms, Naruto graciously acknowledged Martian Manhunter's nod and calmly approached the teleportation device.

Turns Dinah had something to consult him about the team's upcoming mission but forgot about the entire dilemma after finding out that he had known of her intentions and purposely let her search the entire Watchtower.

Perceiving Superman from the corner of his eyes, the redheaded King slowed down considerably and patiently waited for the Man of Steel to catch, knowing he had something to discuss.

The timid but powerful life force standing behind the Kryptonian would most likely be the subject of said discussion.

"Hello Naruto"

"Greetings Kal-El" the great King acknowledged softly, turning his attention towards the powerful hero.

"I hope I'm not bothering you" Clark stated sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Here we go again. He really should stop getting under pressure when standing before the redhead. It had been months since his induction for goodness sake.

The redheaded hero merely smiled harmlessly. "Of course not"

"I would like to introduce my cousin, Kara Zor-El" Superman announced with a gentle smile and gestured to a beautiful blonde woman of average height who was timidly hiding behind the gentle Kent.

"H-hello"

The ancient King's blue eyes softened considerably as he turned to look at the young woman behind the tall Kryptonian, offering a welcoming smile as he stepped forward. "An honor to make your acquaintance, Kara"

"I was hoping that you would give her a few pointers on how to control her powers" Superman started hesitantly, hoping beyond hope that the redhead would accept. "Her body hasn't adapted to the yellow sun, thus she has trouble pulling back her punches"

"I see, I shall help her as much I possibly can" Naruto hummed silently, sharp blue orbs scrutinizing the Kryptonian family members with searing intensity. "She is older than you, Kal-El, that is surprising"

Superman, already used to the redhead's knack for saying unexpected things out of the blue and knowing things he wasn't supposed to know, merely groaned inwardly. Kara, on the other hand, almost dropped her jaws in shock.

No one except her dead parents and cousin knew that she was older than him.

Turing to her sheepish cousin, she neared to his ears. "How does he know that? Did you tell him?"

Sadly for the two, Superman didn't have enough time to answer in his language, since Kara had asked him in Kryptonian language.

"Don't blame your cousin, young lady" the ancient king stated in a fluent tone, inwardly chuckling at the shocked expressions of the two when they heard him speak in their language without much effort. "I am somewhat able to tell the actual age of an individual simply by looking at them"

'Why am I not surprised that he knows our language?' the black haired Kryptonian mused blankly. He had long since decided that when it came to the enigmatic redhead, unexpected and impossible phenomenon should be considered the norm.

"Well, that is an …interesting ability" Superman stated unsurely, desperately trying to change the subject. Because one thing he had learned while growing up is that you never ever mention anything regarding age to a woman. "But in this world, I am older than her"

Especially one whose powers are augmented by the dwellers of Mount Olympus.

"Suspended animation does not lessen the actual age of an individual, it merely obstructs the effects of time upon one's body" Naruto retorted softly, much to the continued shock a certain blonde Kryptonian as her most guarded secret was revealed. "She may have been under the effects of the suspended animation before arriving at Earth but it does not change the fact that she is older than you Kal-El"

"How did you… never mind" the gentle Kent sighed in resignation. After all that talk about getting used to the redhead's quirks, here he was trying to wrap his mind around how said man knew all THAT about Kara when she had arrived here just a few days ago.

"If that is all, I shall take my leave." the enigmatic King said calmly, offering a soothing smile to Kara before he glided towards the Zeta Beam platform. "Do not concern yourself over frivolous matters such as age, for with age comes wisdom and experience. It was a pleasure meeting you, young one"

Seeing the tall redhead disintegrate into tiny particles and vanish, Superman turned to his stupefied cousin with a teasing but sheepish smile on his face. "See what I meant by overwhelming"

"Y-yeah" the blonde woman finally spoke, eyes still glued to the empty platform while her mind tried to wrap around the many things she had just witnessed about the most talked about man on the face of this planet.

He knew where she had come from. Understood and fluently spoke her language. Already knew that she had been under suspended animation and quite a few years older than her cousin. All that from simply observing her with those soul-penetrating blue eyes of his!

Since crashing on this planet that her cousin called home, she had met quite the enigmatic and charismatic heroes and heroines. From Batman to Wonderwoman. But this guy … took the cake.

"How do you guys do anything with him around?" she asked blankly. She had been stuck to the ground and had even found holding her breathe to avoid becoming the focus of his eyes.

As if Superman had been expecting that question all along, the black haired hero chuckled good naturedly. "You will get used to him. He may look like he is far beyond our reach in terms of what he does and say, but you will find that Destiny is one of the most humble and kind person around"

The actual meaning of her sentence was lost on the male Kryptonian it seemed. The blonde woman knew that already since only a woman would understand what she meant by that sentence.

"And I thought Wonderwoman was scary" Kara muttered under her breathe.

"Don't let Diana hear you say that" Clark stated teasingly. "Still he called you old; I was kinda hoping you would explode with righteous female fury"

"Don't push it, Kal-El, you may be used to this world's sun but I can still kick your butt" the young Kryptonian growled angrily, before the frown was replaced by a smirk. "Besides, you heard him. With age comes wisdom and experience, thus you should listen to me"

Snorting in a un-Superman-like way, the gentle Kent tried to stifle his laughter. "Pft, wisdom and experience? What wisdom?"

"Wisdom of knowing when to realize that you have feelings for a certain Amazon princess and how to stop making a fool of yourself every time you see said person" Kara retorted blankly, causing the normally stoic man to choke on his spit and fall into a coughing fit. "Struck a nerve, did I?"

"W-where did you g-get that idea from?" the tall Kryptonian stuttered, desperately trying to stop his coughing.

The blonde woman only gave him a pointed stare. "Oh please, practically everyone in the Justice League knows it beside the two of you. In fact, several members have already placed several bets on how long it will take the two of you to ask the other out to what the humans call a 'date'."

"I h-have no idea what you are t-talking about" Superman coughed sheepishly, averting his eyes from the searing stare of his young (older) cousin.

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Throne Room, Crystal Palace

A serenely beautiful hue of yellowish red swept over the lush landscape beneath the giant palace, blanketing the terrain under a delicate shroud of light. The breezy winds enthusiastically moved through the blades of grass, bringing forth within itself a message of the upcoming darkness and the impending reign of the stars.

Observing this otherworldly view of his kingdom slowly succumbing to the might of darkness and letting stars reign over the sky was none other than the ancient King. The redheaded monarch stood firmly beside his throne, piercing blue eyes observing the tiniest bit of movement of his vast kingdom to ensure that all the needs of his versatile subjects were met.

The powerful ruler watched calmly as his subjects hurried to the safety of their respective shelters in order to prepare for the night. Sharp blue orbs of wisdom and experience twinkled in fondness as they focused upon a particularly heartwarming scene.

A mammoth dragon gently descending from the vast reaches of the sky from a full day of flying and searching for food before her hatchlings. For a being of its size and blessed with monstrous strength, the draconian mother gently touched the ground and nuzzled her excited babies with all the love and affection she could muster.

Memories of several hundred centuries resurfaced all at once. The tall King fondly watched the proceedings while thinking back to the time when his children had been small and … hyperactive.

While no matter how strong or old they got, he would always see the image of them small enough to fit in one of his hands. However, the feelings of what humans called nostalgia were still there. The time where he would simply sit far away from the nine siblings and watch them try to crawl, stumble or walk towards him with all the energy, wonder and excitement of mere children was long gone.

Their bouts of mischievousness and childish pranks on one another, attempts to outsmart, outwit and overpower one another were but memories of the distant past.

An amused chuckle escaped the King's lips when he recalled a particularly endearing situation the youngest of his children had gotten themselves into. Only a few short years after their birth and their subsequent familiarity to the human world, he had tucked them into their respective chambers for a good night sleep.

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Flashback

Gently closing the door to his eldest son's chamber, the ancient ruler calmly glided in the direction of his Study, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. Despite how much Kurama liked to act strong and unwavering, nothing could escape his eyes.

He was as insecure and attention-hungry as the rest of his siblings.

Kurama's distrust of the human race was something he was working on, thus the idea of living amongst them was nothing short of an insult in the eyes of the eldest child. But to him, understanding them was an interest of sorts.

The powerful king entered into his Study and gently took a seat in one of the many chairs situated in the dimly lit room. As always, Oken materialized beside the chair in his usual stoical glory, offering a short bow to the seated ruler.

"Lady Matatabi and Lord Shukaku have vacated their sleeping chambers, sire" the tall attendant announced firmly.

"Have they now?"

Detecting a hint of fatherly mirth in the King's tone, Oken looked up at the ancient ruler's amused visage. "What are your orders, milord?"

"Let's leave them to their devices for the time being, shall we?" Naruto suggested knowingly, reaching for a small book on his desk with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

A comfortable silence reigned over the large reading chamber, the only the sounds of burning wood echoing around the room. Alas, the overprotective attendant could not take the silence any longer.

"Pardon the interruption your majesty, but I believe I should probably check up on the prince and princess" the brown haired retainer stated resolutely.

The redheaded King bit back an amused chuckle at the imperceptible hint of protectiveness in his long-time retainer's tone, nodding calmly as he placed the book back on his desk and stood up. He may not show but the stoic bodyguard was extremely protective of the newly born children of his King.

The King and attendant duo walked through the dark corridors in absolute silence, steadily making their way towards the kitchen where the two siblings most likely were hiding. Wordlessly turning around the corner, Naruto gestured for Oken to stay at the doorway and entered into the crowded area.

Fortunately for Naruto, neither had noticed him standing right behind them.

The ancient King's blue eyes lit up in paternal joy when he witnessed his youngest children perched on the porcelain counter of the Kitchen and blissfully eating from a jar of honey. Tails wagging in childish energy and excitement, the two siblings continued messily eating the sugary liquid, all the while releasing moans of euphoria.

That is until Matatabi's multi-colored eyes spotted the unmistakably tall and horned form of their powerful father standing behind them. Chubby little fiery blue paw still dripping with honey and mouth opened in a cute 'O', the two tailed princess gapingly stared at her father like a fish out of water.

Shukaku noticed his sister's strange behavior and waved his stubby paw before her eyes. "What's up with you?"

"Umm… ah" Needless to say, the fiery two tailed cat could not form proper words to warn her brother of their impending doom.

"You act like you have seen father standing right behind us" the tiny one tailed raccoon laughed boisterously, only for his maniacal laughter to slowly vanish when he saw his sister nod dumbly. "He is standing right behind me, isn't he?"

He received another nod, making him sweat nervously.

"I do believe I left you with specific instructions to get some sleep, young ones" Naruto stated calmly as he approached his nervously sweating offspring.

"It was his idea/It was her idea!" the two shouted in unison, pointing honey-coated paws at each other accusingly.

"Now now children, what have I told you about dishonesty?"

The tiny cat and raccoon duo deflated considerably. "To not be"

"Exactly" the redheaded father affirmed gently, before smiling amusingly. "Now do you happen to have room for one more or do I need to fetch another bottle for myself?"

Their jaws dropped in shock. "Huh!?"

Honestly, even Oken, who was standing at the doorway, chuckled in amusement, finding the reaction of the two siblings to be extremely refreshing and adorable. Without answering their unspoken question, the ancient King, much to the disbelief of Oken, gently sat on the marble counter right beside his offspring.

"You can come out now, children" Naruto announced to no one specific, but the addressed subjects soon revealed themselves in the form of 7 supposedly asleep children of the King as they stopped peaking and sheepishly strolled into the Kitchen.

Oken watched in something akin to shock as well as … pride as the nine siblings hurriedly took their seats on their father's lap, giggling and laughing as the ancient King fed them the sweet syrup. Truly there was no end to his King's kindness.

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Oken's abrupt appearance in the throne room snapped the musing King out of his train of thoughts, but still kept his eyes focused on the slowly darkening domain. The stoic attendant will speak up once he is ready, Naruto knew that well enough.

Or at least when he felt that his King was ready to hear what he had to say before actually saying it.

"Pardon the interruption, sire but I have some news?"

"Do not worry, child, go on"

Oken nodded and coughed softly. "According to the reports by my sources as well as the disgusting vile energy spike a few hours ago, it has been confirmed that Ares has reformed"

"Hmm"

Taking that as indication to move on with his report, Oken continued. "Normally, such an insignificant worm wouldn't warrant my attention, let alone yours sire, but the method of his recent revival has left me with questions"

"Is that so?"

"Indeed, normally the so called deities reform on Mount Olympus after being destroyed, but Ares defied the norm and has assimilated in the Underworld"

"That does raise questions" Naruto consented calmly, eyes still focused on his kingdom. "It seems Hades has taken a liking to his wayward nephew"

"It seems the Olympians have forgotten their previous humiliation, especially Hades and Zeus to resort to such blatant act of defiance" Oken commented firmly, a dangerous edge to his tone which the King knew all too well. "What are your orders, my liege?"

"Let's leave them to their devices for the time being, after all it wouldn't be much of an entertainment if we crush their hopes too soon" the ancient ruler stated serenely, crossing a pair of powerful hands behind his back as he turned around to address his kneeling attendant. "Anything else?'

"Not as of right now, sire"

"Splendid" Naruto offered a soft smile. "Oken, be a dear and inform Shukaku as well as Matatabi to meet me at the garden"

The stoic attendant blinked uncharacteristically before nodding firmly. "Of course"

The ancient ruler promptly vanished into thin air.

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