Chapter 20
Home, Sweet, Home
Naruto woke up, the feel of Raven's body snuggled closely up to his tempted him to once again to delve into an earthly slumber…but he knew he had to get up.
He wanted to spend his last day with Titan's awake and smiling…not frowning and moaning due to bad dreams while he slept.
It seemed that his night had been interrupted many a time due to unfortunate dreams of such a like. Dreams of him and Raven leaving each other forever, or dreams of a great battle in a fiery void; he dreamt he had sacrificed himself to save everything he loved.
When he thought about it, it was an appealing prospect…not the whole sacrifice part, but the whole reason for doing so. When he truly thought about it, if he ever were to die, he would want it to be in battle…protecting the ones he loved.
Naruto pulled himself from the soft mattress and flung the covers aside…he blushed.
It seemed he had actually taken off his clothes before going to bed…although he couldn't remember doing so.
When he looked at Raven he felt himself begin to blush furiously…she was lying there in nothing but a see-through nightgown in which he could plainly see the back of her bra-strap and panties.
How they had both ended up dressed like this…he had no idea.
He himself was only wearing a pair of shorts.
Rapidly, he began to get dressed.
Halfway through putting on his black ninja bottoms (made out of a Kevlar type fabric that Cyborg had made for him) Raven began to wake up.
She rolled over and looked at him.
"Naruto?" She said slightly dreamily.
"R-Raven…" He began but lost his balance. Naruto tumbled to the floor and had to struggle to finish putting on the bottoms. He then stood up.
Raven chuckled.
"You can call me Rachel, you know?" She said in a light tone.
She seemed so much different. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and were no longer guarding a well of emotions.
When he had first saw her she had been dark, a lot like Sasuke, she had been almost completely dreary and emotionless…but now…now she smiled a lot, she laughed and chuckled like a young girl should. It was as if she was a totally different person.
And he knew it was all because of him.
He tried not to admit such a thing to himself for fear of sounding vain to…himself. But he had to admit it because it was true. He had changed her.
There were girls back home that he would die to change the attitude of, to get them to notice him with something other than scorn or malice…Naruto truly believed Raven loved him. And he was so glad that he could give her the happiness she had never allowed herself to feel before-hand.
"Okay, well, erm…Rachel, do you know why my clothes were gone." Naruto asked. "And where are yours?" He asked with a blush.
Raven looked down at herself and back at Naruto.
"Erm…well, last night it was hot. You were having a nightmare and you were sweating a lot. I kinda…well, I took off your clothes." She said looking at the floor in embarrassment.
"And your clothes?" Naruto asked curiously with a red face at the subject.
"I was kinda hot too and I didn't think you'd mind…do you?" She asked.
A lump lodged itself in Naruto's throat and threatened to choke him but he managed to force it down.
"Yes, I mean no, I mean yes, I mean…mean…do I have to answer." He whined.
Raven giggled.
"I'm joking." She said.
Raven pulled herself from the bed and Naruto averted his eyes. The dark haired girl shook her head at him.
"You can look ya know. I'm not naked." She joked.
Yep, she was defiantly different today.
Naruto turned to look at her and he felt like his head was about to explode from the heat that rushed into his cranium.
Raven approached him and hugged him softly.
Their lips met and once again, Naruto's blush and thoughts and worries about everything swam away as he closed his eyes and melted into the sweet kiss.
They separated and Naruto noticed that Raven was now dressed in her robe (which was obviously now white due to her touching him).
"How…?" He began.
"My powers. Now shut up and get dressed, I want breakfast and your gonna make it." She said throwing his black top at him.
He caught it with ease and gave her a puzzled look.
"Why am I making it?" He asked.
"Because I said so." She gave him a simple smile and disappeared in a black portal before him.
Naruto was left feeling a little worried.
He thought about the way she had been acting…it had been provocative, dominating, little girlish and…human.
Naruto thought he preferred her the other way…strangely.
Naruto met the other Titan's in the living room, the all looked at him expectantly and with sad eyes, Naruto knew they were all thinking the same thing, because he was too.
'Today's the day I leave.'
Suddenly he was grabbed by the arm.
Raven glared at the others.
"Stop looking so sad, please?" She asked them. "I don't want any sad faces today…even if…even if he's leaving." She said this, her voice slowly changing back to it's normal crackling one as the depression surrounds her.
Quickly she buried the depression and forced Naruto into the kitchen.
"Breakfast, now." She ordered.
"Why are you making him make breakfast?" Robin asked Raven.
Raven shrugged.
"It keeps him occupied, and I'm hungry." She replied simply.
"Raven…are you okay?" Beastboy asked behind her.
Raven turned around and greeted him with a broad smile.
"Why wouldn't I be?" She said, her voice was a little crackly around the edges.
"Well, your…perky…and happy…I know you've been different lately but this is a completely new you." He said, he was a little bit cautious with his words. Probably out of fear.
Raven looked at all of them and saw the same thing in their eyes.
"I just…" She began. "…I mean, I thought…." Her voice cracked.
A dark atmosphere emanated from her and she suddenly burst into tears. A lamp exploded and she flew through a portal she opened up in the ceiling, obviously going to the roof.
"I'll go after her." Naruto said.
He jumped over the partition and headed for the door. Beastboy grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Dude, no offence…but maybe you shouldn't. I think…Starfire should go and talk to her." The green boy said looking over at Starfire.
The Tammoranian nodded sternly and flew off through the door.
Starfire opened the door of the roof and looked around.
Raven sat cross-legged on the floor chanting over and over again, "Azurath Metrion Zinthose!" She spoke the words in a crackled voice that still halted in between sniffles.
She obviously wasn't able to concentrate. Her chants were crackled and she wasn't even floating. She was wiping her eyes constantly and sniffling her misery as the tears poured out.
"Oh my dear friend Raven. Why are you so upset when before you were so disturbingly happy?" Starfire asked as she sat down next to the sobbing girl.
Raven collapsed in Starfire's arms while the orange skinned girl held her simply.
Raven sat there crying for quite a while, it was amazing that nothing had blown up or anything. But then again, there wasn't that much stuff to blow up anyway; after all, they were on a roof. Unless the Tower itself went up in smoke, they were relatively safe.
Slowly Raven began to calm down.
"I'm sorry." She said in her usual gravely voice. "I wanted to be different. I wanted to be happy and a different person for his last day but I messed it up." She looked at Starfire pleadingly. "I don't want him to go!" She yelled as she burst into another round of tears.
The sound of the roof door slamming open met their ears.
They turned to see Naruto walking towards them.
Naruto struggled against Robin and Cyborg as they tried to stop him going to Raven.
"RACHEL!" He called.
"Sit down man, Starfire can handle it." Cyborg tried to console.
Naruto stopped struggling for a second and the two let go with a sigh of relief, suddenly Naruto was off leaving them kicking themselves at letting their guard down.
Naruto ran up the stairs and rushed through the roof door, causing it to slam open loudly as he barricaded through.
Raven looked at him for a moment before rushing up to him and hugging him tightly as she cried.
Together they dropped to their knees in the sunlight as Raven cried her heart out.
"I don't want you to go!" She sobbed.
Naruto cupped her face with his hands and kissed her sweetly.
"I don't want to. But I have too." He explained whilst gazing into her eyes. "I will be back. I promise." He said with whole honesty.
The cool air of the city brushed Naruto's face and he couldn't help but stop to bask in it.
He stood on a medium sized building surrounded by the glistening towers that shone in the rays of the sunlight.
Naruto couldn't help but close his eyes and revel in the feel of the surrounding area.
He didn't know quite what it was, but there was something about this place that felt similar to Konoha.
The more he thought about it, the more it slipped out of his reach. He knew how different it was…everything was different. The air was obviously not as clean as Konoha, and it often caused Naruto to feel a little ill, it was greatly bigger in every way and the technologies where nothing like what they had back home. He figured it out.
That's what it was.
Naruto thought about it for a second longer and figured that he was right, he knew what was similar…what was the same.
They both felt like home.
But there was something here that called to him greater than that of Konoha. That would be his grey skinned beauty. His love.
Suddenly, Naruto heard something. The tapping of feet. Obviously, with him being in a giant city, there were plenty footsteps to hear; but these were different. Familiar. Close.
Naruto jumped sideways and just managed to avoid a blast of purple bolts.
The moment he got up he had to dive again due to another onslaught of bad luck magic.
Jinx attacked again and again.
Naruto managed to dodge them all at first but he was eventually hit and he flew off the edge.
Jinx looked at where he had been and slowly approached. She peered over the edge of the building and saw the body of Naruto below on the tarmac…lifeless.
It went up in a puff of white smoke.
A blade was pressed against the back of her neck. She went stiff.
The blade was removed and she was slowly turned around. Jinx stared into the eyes of Naruto and felt afraid.
Naruto looked at her in confusion.
"Erm, why did you attack me?" He asked scratching the back of his head. "Especially after I let you go once the H.I.V.E. base was destroyed."
Jinx grew angry.
"Because you lied to me!" She screamed. "You lied about who you were. And now your with…HER!" The pink haired girl exclaimed.
Naruto tried to think of something to say, so he thought it might as well be the truth.
"Listen, calm down for a moment and listen. Geez, why do girls always shout." He said shaking his head. "I lied because I had too, I already explained that to you if you remember. As for me and Raven…" He paused. He looked at Jinx and could tell she was hanging on every word he said. "I love her."
Jinx noticeably stiffened at the words.
Tears slowly welled up in her eyes and she collapsed to her knees and began to cry.
"More crying…great." He muttered sarcastically.
"I thought you liked me." Jinx blared.
Naruto felt his heart strings being pulled as he began to do what he really didn't want too. But he had too, if he wanted to be with Raven, he had too.
"Look, I do like you." He said. Jinx managed to slow her whimpering and look up at him. Naruto bent down and picked her to her feet. "But I'm in love with her." He said softly. "I don't wanna hurt you. That's the last thing I want. But I can't be with you while I love her. I'm sorry, I've been made to make a choice between you two…I had to pick her."
Tears still fell from Jinx's cheeks, but her whimpering had stopped and she was now deathly quite. Her eyes were wide, almost pleading.
Naruto leaned down for a second and pecked the pink haired girls lips slightly before drawing back.
"That's just to remember me. Nothing more." He said to her softly.
Jinx looked confused.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "Are you going somewhere?"
Naruto nodded.
"I'm going home. I'll be coming back…but not for a long time."
Jinx hung her head and Naruto backed away.
She looked up and saw him simply walking off, he took one last look at her before jumping off the side of the building.
Jinx ran to the edge and looked down.
Naruto stared back up at her from the street 20 stories below. He gave her a slight wink and walked off.
It was almost time. In barely an hour he would be going home.
Naruto lay on Raven's bed with the girls arms wrapped around him.
"Rachel?" He asked softly.
Raven looked up at him.
"Yes?" She answered.
"Will you wait for me?" He asked sincerely.
Raven nodded simply.
"I will, I promise." She looked a little distant for some reason.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"No," she replied softly. "But I've got something for you."
She reached over him and opened up her bedside table. She brought out a small black box wrapped in a red ribbon.
Naruto took it from her and felt his finger tips tingle as he touched it. He reached for the ribbon. Raven's hand stopped his and held it fast.
"Not yet. I want you to open it once your gone. And think of me when you do." She said with a single tear running down her cheek.
"Rachel Roth." He began. "You don't understand…I will always be thinking of you."
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
Naruto would like to have said that it was almost time…unfortunately, it was time.
The blonde haired ninja stood in the living room with the other Titan's as he said his goodbyes.
Each one gave him a gift.
Robin gave him a communicator: though it wouldn't work in the other world, it was mainly for memory.
Starfire allowed him to keep the Tishmarr: this he greatly enjoyed as he knew it would come in handy.
Cyborg gave him some new armour. It was black, flexible, and made of Kevlar Bi-Weave so it was incredibly strong. It didn't have any technology in it because Naruto didn't want any.
Terra hadn't known Naruto that long so she really couldn't give him anything. She did however, give him her thanks. This, Naruto had said, was worth more than anything else she could give.
When it came to Beastboy, the group had thought it would be a pizza or a joke or something along those lines. But instead it was something completely different. It surprised everyone.
It was a weapon.
Beastboy had given him a sliver gauntlet that had a hidden retractable needle thin blade. What really pleased Naruto, was the design on the top of the blade. It was the symbol of the Hidden Leaf. The symbol on Naruto's headband. The symbol of Konoha.
Naruto felt overwhelmed by this. He rushed at the green boy and embraced him tightly.
He had received great gifts from all of them, Raven's he had yet to open but he knew it would be the best…or at least, he hoped.
Naruto turned to Robin.
"So how am I getting back?" He asked.
Robin smiled.
"Raven's going to open a portal." He said simply.
Naruto turned to Raven.
"Not that I'm complaining, but why couldn't you do that before." He asked her.
Raven was upset, of course, about this whole situation, but she currently forced her emotions away so as not to make a scene.
"I can travel through dimensions, but only if I know what they feel like. Each dimension has it's own signature feeling. I didn't know yours. But now I do." She explained dryly.
"How?" He asked.
"Your headband. Cyborg scanned it and found some residual elements from your own world. Using this I can find it with my powers."
Naruto almost jumped for joy.
"That means you can all come with then." He said happily.
"No, we can't Naruto." Robin protested.
"Why not?" Naruto asked sadly.
"Because just like you protect Konoha, we protect Jump City. We can't leave." Robin explained.
Naruto nodded his head understandingly.
Raven walked up to him and they gazed into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity.
"I love you." He said softly.
"I love you too." She answered.
Their lips met and once again Naruto felt like he would give anything just to stay. Anything but Konoha. He would give anything but Konoha.
They parted softly and Naruto saw tears streaming down Raven's face.
She turned away and pressed her hands together.
"Azurath Metrion ZINTHOS!" She exclaimed. She spread her hands wide and a rush of wind swept from somewhere. A large black void opened up.
Raven turned around.
"Just walk in, you'll be home." She said.
Raven began walking away but Naruto ran up to her and grabbed her.
He pressed his lips to hers fiercely and held her tight.
When they parted Raven was breathing heavily and seemed to be in a world of her own. She was also blushing.
"I love you Rachel Roth, nothing will ever change that."
He turned back to the Titan's and smiled.
"Thank you."
He turned around and walked into the void.
Raven watched him go and the void collapsed. She burst into tears as she felt as though a part of her soul had been ripped away.
The house shook with her grief and lights and electrical objects of all manor exploded around her.
Naruto felt a compressing feeling around his body and a splitting bolt of pain slashed through his head.
He couldn't see anything, probably because he screwed his eyes closed.
He hit something hard and the wind was knocked out of him.
He opened his eyes.
A canopy of familiar looking trees greeted his vision. A single eagle swooped by in the bright blue sky and Naruto knew he was home.
He picked himself up and began to walk. He no longer felt any pain, in fact, he felt peace. A determination.
He would find Sasuke, he would destroy all those that would threaten Konoha, and then he would go back to Raven.
Naruto exited the forest and stood looking off into the distance. He was on a cliff.
Before him lay Konoha, the Village of the Hidden Leaf.
He was truly home.
Naruto suddenly remembered Raven's present. He took out the black box and once again felt the strange tingling in his fingertips.
He gazed at the box for a moment or two before reaching up with his right hand and pulling lightly on the ribbon.
The box opened and the sides fell down revealing the object.
It was a necklace. A necklace made of a strange silvery metal that felt like silk in his fingers. A large purple jewel hung on it and a note sat beside it.
He picked it up.
It said:
Dear Naruto,
I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. You are everything I hold precious to me and I will eagerly await your return. Thank you for showing me a life of happiness, I wish I could return the favour, but I know I never will. For you have done for me more than you know, and more than I can ever repay.
This jewel was made by me, as was it's chain. When danger is near the chain will change to a coarse metal, and the jewel will change it's colour to red.
I hope it will come in use my love,
Yours Forever
Rachel
Naruto stared at the note for a moment.
He pressed the paper to his chest protectively before folding it up and slipping it inside the sleeve of the gauntlet that Beastboy gave him.
He placed the necklace around his neck and looked out at Konoha.
'It's time kit.' He heard at the back of his mind. 'I think we're going to have a lot of fun.'
"Did you do as I instructed?" A dark and gravely voice sounded out.
"I did, Master. Naruto Uzumaki never knew I knew of him. He doesn't even realise I tipped off Slade to his identity when he played the role of 'Shadow'." Said the dark purple haired girl.
"Excellent. You have served me well. Now…you will follow him to his world. There you will lure him to gain what I need. Should you succeed, you will know more power and wealth that you could ever dream." The voice said.
The purple haired girl smiled sinisterly.
She stopped smiling and suddenly panicked a little.
"But wait!" She called. "What if he attacks me? I'm no match for him. And how am I going to get there? What if…"
"SILENCE!" The voice boomed out halting her speech instantly.
"I will grant you your power!" He shouted. "But only a taste. You will receive but a quarter of the power I shall bestow upon you if you succeed. He will be no match. I will open a portal to his world!"
A large fire ball flew at her and she ducked.
The ball erupted on the wall and exploded into a dark red portal.
Suddenly, fire rained down on her and surrounded her. Burning heat spread through the girls body and she tried to scream in pain, but found that she could not. Suddenly it stopped, and she felt…she felt…good.
She looked at her right hand and clenched her fist. A bright red flaming aura surrounded her fist and shone with incredible power.
She grinned.
"Now go, Blackfire. And bring me what I seek." The voice commanded.
Blackfire bowed to the entity before her and said. "Thank you, Master Trigon. I will not fail you."
THE END
PLEASE READ:
A/N: Hiya people. We hope you've liked the story thus far. Yes it's over though. For those of you which have been getting at us about the amount of annoying cliff-hangers…you probably want to kill us right now. Lol.
Okay, here's a few things. It's not over, there's going to be a sequel…two of them. That's right, it's a trilogy.
The comical thing is, many of you have reviewed and given us your personal opinions on what should happen and things like that…well we can say…he he, a lot of you have guessed right. Now don't think we put this stuff in to please you, we've been having a laugh at the fact you've been saying what you want to happen, when we'd already decided AGES ago to do it. Lol.
Now you may notice something, I'm saying WE. That's because there are two of us.
I am not DarkUzumaki. Dark Uzumaki is Asian and has a slight language barrier. I am his good friend who is also a member of this site but I haven't posted any of my stuff yet, though I might later. My name is Cirrax Lankart.
Now, my friend DarkUzumaki is the creator of this story, it is ALL his idea and I am willing to admit the most I have done, is a few idea's and I've written it out for him in a decent writing style with grammar and spelling.
I am also responsible for the replies to the reviews and will continue to be so.
I will continue to help DarkUzumaki so don't fret. The story quality will not diminish.
Thank you for all your kind reviews and stay online, the second part of the story will be up…IMMEDIATELY! MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!...well, as soon as the first chapters done. Lol.
Have a good day. ;)
Here is a link to the sequel. ;) have fun.
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