Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else depicted within, I only came up with the idea for this story. So if any of you lawyers try to bug me about this little tale, then I'm afraid that you'll have to be introduced to my friend, Mr. Pencil…

NU: Mad as a Hatter Pt. 1…

"Mad? Yes I suppose that I am quite mad my dear boy. Mad as a Hatter, that is!"

Normal Speech: "Darkness…"

Normal Thoughts: 'Is within…'

Radio in Use: [All things…]

Demon Speech: "You just…"

Demon Thoughts: 'Have to know…'

Other Speech: "Where to look…"

Jutsu in Use: "Kage no Jutsu…"

(Nami no Kuni…)

Naruto and Ino are sitting on a ledge, Naruto holding a spyglass and looking towards the home of Inari… and unfortunately for those who dwell there, a certain clown is watching them intently… "Yeah… He has a mother and a grandfather… though the grandfather looks to be out most of the time. No father, huh that kind of sucks, never done in a whole family at once." Naruto muses and Ino giggles in response, Shikamaru nearby sitting with his legs crossed and a confused expression on his face while looking to the pair of psychotic clowns.

"So what exactly are you planning on doing to give the kid a "Bad Day" if I may ask Joker?" Shikamaru questions of the psychotic clown and Naruto merely chuckles before turning to look at him, a devilish look quickly spreading over his face.

"Oh that's for later on, Riddle boy. In the meantime, did you get what I wanted ready for me?" Naruto questioned with a raised brow and Shikamaru smirked then handed over several sheets of paper to him. "Ooh… now these are good…" Naruto notes before handing a few over to Ino, keeping only one for himself. "Alright Harley, I want you to go and stash these in their proper hiding places for me… Riddler, you go with her to make sure she puts them in the right places." Naruto orders the two with surprising clarity of mind, Shikamaru silently nodding his head, Ino scrunching up her face.

"But Mistah Jay, what'll you be doing while I'm off doing that?" She asked naively and Naruto sighed before giving her a small smile and patting her on the head like a good dog…

"Harley, how many times have I told you, if I have to explain the Joke, then there is no Joke…" Naruto grumbles out through clenched teeth, an annoyed tone ringing and Ino frowns in confusion.

"But I didn't ask you about the Joke, Mistah Jay, I was just wondering what you'll be doing while me and Shika do dis." She reminds and Naruto blinks, then frowns, wondering if he's starting to lose even more of his sanity… cool…

"Oh right. I'll just be dealing with Inari-Kun's dear Kaa-san…" Naruto replies and Shikamaru's eyes widen, riddles placed around all of the village as clues to a location to find, Smilex-Bombs all over the city as well as his acid bombs, a massive chemical-Smilex and Acid bomb in an old warehouse, the boys mother held captive… dear Kami-Sama that was twisted…

"Alright then Mistah Jay! I'm on it!" Ino says with a salute before quickly flipping up to her feet, then whistling loudly. "C'mon Babies, momma's gonna need some protection!" Ino then called out while her paired Laughing Hyena's rushed over to her, jumping and then snarling, as they got close…

"She really needs to train them better…" Naruto notes as Ino screams, pieces of her clothes being shredded by the Hyena's trying to devour her… "You have extra's of those riddles just encase, right?" Naruto then asked Shikamaru and the green clad teen nods his head slowly. "Good, then grab Harley, bat the Hyena's off her, and get to work. We don't have all year to do this; those bombs were preset after all. We have about a week at best…" Naruto reminds the other teen while getting up and shoving off, sliding down towards Inari's home.

Frowning, Shikamaru has a brief feeling of regret for helping to do this, but then shakes his head. As a Ninja, he could do worse if necessary and that was for people he didn't know personally or even like… and he actually did know both Joker and Harley personally, even if one obviously had no idea who he really was. So, shaking his head at the sight of Ino kicking the Hyena's off of herself and then rolling onto her feet, Shikamaru swings his cane at the beasts, them giving off shrill yelps while backing off when lightning starts arching from the curved end of the cane.

"Come now Harley, we both know how impatient your "Puddin" is when he's working on a joke." Shikamaru reminds the girl casually, Ino not paying almost no attention to his words as she instead examines her outfit, a brief moment of clarity appearing in her mind as she looks over the damage.

"My clothes…" She murmurs, most of her ensemble ruined, yet the Leotard Sakura gave her was still somehow fine… and upon realizing the treasured gift from her oldest friend was fine, madness quickly returned and she shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I think I'll get some new duds, this is too important to wear everywhere, and it ain't too durable neither." Ino muses aloud, her Insanity returning full force, much to Shikamaru's annoyance as he misses her old self. Shaking his head as Ino then starts to bound off, flipping and cartwheeling off like a child, Shikamaru muses that Ino is actually much happier like this, despite her insanity. His only real problem with Ino in this state is her "love" for the Joker as it seems rather… dangerous, given his insanity and methodology.

'Fortunately, the Joker doesn't really abuse her… much… of course that's because "Everyone would expect me too, and I like to be funny, what's funny about what everyone expects me to do?" In the end, Joker's own madness has gone down to the way he thinks, but if he becomes any more aggressive he might not even notice he's abusing her… However, even if he doesn't remember his past, his subconscious does and his subconscious has more control over him than his conscious mind, and if I know anything, Naruto wouldn't EVER abuse someone like he was.' Shikamaru thinks to himself before blinking when he notices Ino has come back and gotten a bit too close to him for his comfort.

"Shika, you really need to stop thinking so much, you'll go an' strain somethin' if ya do dat too much, now c'mon lets go! We got work ta do and my puddin' 'll be real cross if we don't snap to it!" Ino says while raising her hands happily, then bounds off once more and starts to hum a nameless tune to herself. Following behind the girl and silently shaking his head, Shikamaru allows a few more stray thoughts to wander through his mind…

'The Joker, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto… they are quite obviously one and the same. Naruto wanted to be Hokage; Joker wants to take over Konoha. Naruto wanted attention, Joker made Ino into an adoring fangirl. Naruto wanted a family… and Joker wants to twist people, and prove they are all like him, that they are part of him… quite an interesting little riddle you are, Naruto. And don't worry about me telling anyone, even yourself… a riddle everyone knows the answer too, is no longer a riddle, but… a riddle that no one but I know the answer to, is the greatest of all riddles…' Shikamaru thinks to himself while twirling his cane and leaning it against his shoulder…

Naruto on the other hand, is now at the home, silently looking around, checking each of the windows to find the woman on the ground floor. Looking into a window to make sure she wasn't in the kitchen he then made his way to the side and started to scale the building with an old pair of Ninja-Claws. Soon coming towards an upper window on the top floor, Naruto stayed low for only a moment listening for anyone and then peering inside, frowning slightly as she wasn't there. Licking his lips, he then pulled out a knife and used it to open the lock of the window before opening it slowly. Entering into the house, Naruto made his way over to the door to her bathroom and placed his ear against it. Frowning yet again he then made his way to her door and peered out into a hall.

Seeing no sign of her, Naruto systematically searched each room upstairs before hearing a creak from below. Ducking for cover and then peering out he heard a yawn as Inari's mother, Tsunami, walked up the stairs, a hand covering her mouth before she smacked her lips with a tired expression. Smirking darkly Naruto reached for something in his pockets and watched as Tsunami wandered towards her room. Producing a gasmask from his pocket, which he then placed over his face, Naruto then pulled a silver orb from his pocket. Weighing it in his hand for a moment, Naruto then flicked it out and ducked for cover as it began to roll along the ground.

Hearing the sound of the ball rolling towards her in the quiet house, Tsunami looked down to see it, and then blinked as it lightly tapped against her foot. Seconds later, three holes appeared on the sphere and a mist of gas suddenly sprayed outwards, Tsunami quickly covering her mouth while a familiar shadow suddenly moved behind her. Looking around, Tsunami suddenly found a pair of arms circling around her, one with a knife to her throat and the other wrapped around her upper torso…

"Well hello beautiful…" A playful, and yet eerily familiar voice whispered in her ear with a filtered tone, obviously speaking through a gasmask. The owner of the voice and the hands then reached up and forcibly pulled her hand from her mouth by her wrist, a quick lungful of gas getting through. "Time for a good nights sleep…" The voice whispered while then prying her other hand from her mouth, more of the gas getting to her. Breathing it in, Tsunami feels an odd sensation, her vision blurring, and the sound of psychotic laughter all that she has around her as everything goes black…

(Konoha…)

Three young teens sit upon the Hokage monument while silently looking out over the city. The first is a young teen with spiky brown hair and a Konoha Hittai-Ate over his forehead, pale skin, and brown eyes, and a light muscular build. He wears a black scarf around his neck with a pair of fingerless black gloves, a red Chinese style shirt, with a pair of dark brown pants and average black Shinobi Sandals.

Next is a girl, her hair is a ginger red color and pulled into a spiky low ponytail, her eyes are a deep chocolate brown, near black color, her skin is fair with a near permanent blush on her cheeks and she had an athletic figure. She wears a Konoha Hittai-Ate around her throat, red short-sleeved shirt with a Koumori symbol over the chest worn over a white long sleeved shirt, a pair of fingerless black gloves over each hand, a pair of dark blue Shinobi Pants that end mid calf, a kunai case on his right thigh, an equipment pouch at her lower back, and blue Shinobi Sandals.

The last boy has chin length brown hair and pale skin, his eyes concealed by the glare from his glasses, and a lanky build. He wears a pair of brown pants, with blue Shinobi sandals, a black Headband around his forehead with a high collar long sleeve black shirt and white leather gloves with bands around his wrists to tighten them, a Kunai case at his right thigh and an equipment pouch at his lower back.

"Sometimes, I worry about the city… and other times I just wish it would all burn away." The first boy comments and the girl merely nodded her head. The two then look to their third friend, seeing him reading a book and both sigh in response. "Udon, can't you put that book down for like five seconds?" The young man grumbles and his friend Udon turns to look at him from the corner of his eye.

"Sorry, but no, I really enjoy a good story every now and again and having to deal with all the hell of this city means I need to unwind quite a bit." Udon replied curtly and the girl leans over to the boy and then looks over his shoulder, a blush spreading over his face as she does so.

"What is this book anyways?" The girl asks and Udon reaches up to adjust his glasses, the light reflecting off of them.

"Through the Looking Glass… it's a western book and the sequel to that older one I used to read…" Udon offers and his male friend plucks the book from his hands. "Hey!" Udon calls out while grasping for the book and his friend rolls his eyes, only for their female friend to slap the back of his head.

"Would you please leave Udon alone already, Konohamaru-kun." The girl pleads with a slight edge to her tone and Konohamaru grumbles under his breath.

"I just wanted to see what was so great about it…" Konohamaru grumbled out in response while handing the book back over to Udon then crossed his arms. Looking out over Konoha, the three teens are silent once more until Moegi sighed sadly and leaned forward, her chin resting over her opened palms.

"I miss the boss…" The girl suddenly says and all three are silent for a moment.

"Me too Moegi-chan, me too…" Konohamaru admits softly and Udon nods his head, all three looking to the plaque that served as their "Boss's" grave. "Stupid council, stupid Jiji… they all screwed him over…" Konohamaru grumbled out angrily and Moegi patted his back for a short moment.

"Calm down Konohamaru-Kun, the Boss wouldn't want us to be so angry." Moegi reminds her friend sagely and Udon takes a deep breath before sighing and nodding his head.

"I wonder, what would it be like if we had never met him… if we'd never known our friend and leader Uzumaki Naruto?" Udon suddenly wondered aloud to himself and Konohamaru looks over at him and shrugs.

"Well, I don't know about you boys, but I have a date." Moegi suddenly says before standing up and stretching out her limbs. "See you tomorrow?" She asks and the two slowly nod their heads to her. Smiling, the girl then sauntered off, Konohamaru frowning in response.

"The guy she's dating, what do you got on him Udon?" Konohamaru asks and Udon frowns as well. After Naruto had died, both boys had sworn to protect each other and Moegi from the forces that were against them. And with the way that Konoha had gotten lately, that had become even more difficult for them…

"Dairyuu Kenji, he's a bit of a prick, known bully, but he's handsome… and blond…" The other teen replies with a slow shake of his head and Konohamaru palms his face with a grimace.

"This is probably the third blond she's dated right…" He grumbles out and Udon merely nods his head in response. "She REALLY misses the boss… then again she did always have that weird crush on him." Konohamaru notes mostly to himself with a frown and Udon nods his head once more.

"Poor poor Alice… she's so confused and lost… Her boorish beau is only going to break her heart or hurt her and yet she isn't able to see the wonders that others could bring." Udon mumbles to himself with a sad look across his face and Konohamaru blinks before looking over to him with a raised brow.

"You okay Udon? You're kind of talking funny…" Konohamaru suddenly asks his friend and Udon blinks before giving a weak grin response.

"Uh, yeah, I just think I need to head home…" Udon replies while rubbing the back of his neck and gets a look from Konohamaru in response.

"Yeah, you do that, I'm making sure this Kenji creep doesn't mess with Moegi… Konoha isn't as safe as it used to be after all." Konohamaru grumbles out to himself before sweeping his spiky hair back and pulling his scarf up around his head like a shroud. Watching his friend leave, Udon sighs before slowly standing up and then crosses his arms, book in his arms. Shaking his head, the young man decides to head home; after all, he had so much work to do…

(?)

Date, ?: As far back as I can recall I've loved odd things. I love the books of Luis Carroll and I love Fuuinjutsu… while everyone else around me always preferred other stories and would always want to learn Ninjutsu. No one cared about Fuuinjutsu, the art of sealing, no one but my Boss and me. In fact, it was my boss who set me on my path and gave me such a wondrous gift. Knowledge was the gift he did bring, and with it I could do anything!

(Udon's home…)

Udon rests upon a seat before a desk in his room, old scrolls and sealing tags strewn across the desk haphazardly. Some papers with new designs and plans are here and there across the room; his bed is neat and tidy with an old top-hat hanging on one of the posts. Also in the room is a small cage where a dormouse is running in a wheel, a larger cage with the door open nearby. Udon himself has the rabbit on his lap, the rabbit is brown with a white muzzle and dark eyes, it is also one of Udon's pets alongside the dormouse. Petting the rabbit gently, the dark haired boy then reached to a plate on his desk and took a carrot which he began to feed to his pet, The March Hare as he called him. Smiling as his pet nibbles on the end of the carrot, Udon then looks sadly to a picture of Naruto and himself.

The picture showed a much younger version of Udon with the blond grinning with a hand on his shoulder. Konohamaru and Moegi were also in the picture with the blond and Udon, all four of the smiling brightly. Udon found himself missing those days before, the days of yore in which he and his friends still had their friend and boss. Glancing to the side Udon then took an old book given to him by his boss, long before Konohamaru had ever met him even as the blond had introduced the two boys and Moegi to one another. Reaching out for the book, a weak smile crossed Udon's lips as he looked at it, the words "A beginners guide for Sealing" emblazoned on the front. "Ahh, boss, no… you were the true King of Hearts, I remember you so well, how you gave me this gift… a gift of knowledge." Udon whispers to himself and closes his eyes, smiling wryly at the memory that plays before his minds eye…

(The Past…)

A young Udon was working on his first seal, a simple storage seal. Finishing, the young boy then took a wooden Kunai and placed it onto the seal before taking a quick breath. As he did, he pushed Chakra into the seal and hoped for it too work… seconds later, the seal exploded and the blunt end of the Kunai hit him in the head. Sighing, the young boy rubbed his forehead before looking at his hands and wondering what he was doing wrong. "Wow, I've never seen a Basic Storage Seal-Array do that before…" A voice muttered and Udon looked up to see a blond haired young man.

"Uh… well… It wasn't supposed too…" Udon replies lowly and the older boy nod his head in agreement.

"You put too much curl in it, also, try lessening the thickness of the seal so it won't take too much Chakra and explode like that." Naruto offers casually and Udon blinks before trying the older boy's way, finishing, and then attempts to put a Kunai into it… and is rewarded when it vanishes in a plume of smoke.

"It worked!" Udon said happily and the older boy chuckled in response.

"Yeah, that one is kind of easy to master if you really know what you're doing with it. Now you should try making a few Explosive Notes next, they're really a blast! No pun intended…" The blond offers with a slight laugh, Udon blinking before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, I'm not so sure I can…" Udon mumbles and the blond rolls his eyes for a moment before reaching into his coat and pulls out a book.

"Here. I learned seals from this, I'll give it too you so you can as well." The older boy offers with a smile and Udon blinks before slowly nodding his head. "Good, then I expect to see you do some great things with Seals then, kid." The blond says with a grin before waving and making his way from the boy…

"Hey! My name's Udon, what's yours?" Udon questions and Naruto halts before grinning as he turns to him.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage! And don't you forget it." He offers with his eyes squinted shut and Udon smiles before wiping at his nose.

"Thanks!" He calls out and Naruto waves it off while making his way off, a grin on his face that makes Udon blink. 'Such a Catty smile… yet a grin without a cat? It's the most curious thing I ever saw…' Udon notes to himself, and then quickly shakes his head, figuring he was just reading his book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" a little too much, then opens the book on seals and starts to read it instead…

(Present…)

After that one event, Udon had dedicated himself to the art of seals. Not so he could impress anyone, but because someone actually expected great things of him, him! His boss had inspired him to reach out for a goal, and that goal was to become the next great seal master and do great things! He'd learned so much, seals that could cast nearly unbreakable illusions; seals that could alter thought patterns, seals that could lock away chakra, seals that could turn an ordinary playing card into a weapon, and even seals that could channel elements!

He'd discovered a veritable wonderland of abilities to have fun merely with Seals! So, as he grew better and better, even when his boss was gone, Udon promised himself that he'd do something so great his boss would see it even from the after life. He decided he'd make a Wonderland on earth! A utopia for himself and for his friends where they could escape from the horrors of Konoha and the rest of the ever-darkening world at large! Shaking his head, Udon suddenly looked to his pet rabbit, AKA The March Hare, and smiled while patting it gently on the head.

"Sometimes Hare, I think you're the only one who ever listens to me." Udon muses to himself before then looking at a seal note he was working on. The seal was odd in design, and Udon was working on fixing it, it was a seal used by AnBu to control people for a short time, but Udon was trying to make it last longer as well as on anything, even animals… Swallowing nervously, Udon then reaches for it and adds some Chakra to the seal before placing it onto Hare's back. "Now then, I just keep pushing Chakra towards it and…" He whispered and for a moment nothing seemed to happen, before March suddenly stood upright and gave a curt bow to the boy…

"It… it worked?" He asked with surprise before shaking his head and grinning. Turning to get some paper to right this down he heard a flop and turned back to see Hare back on all fours… "What?" He wondered then slapped his face and sighed. "Right… I need to keep my hand pointing towards the seal…" He mutters to himself before reaching up and removing his glasses, rubbing his eyes he then licked his lips. "Maybe if I try a different method of control…" Udon mused while removing the note from Hare and then placing the little rabbit back into his cage.

"Good night old friend, I hope you have sweet dreams of Wonderland." Udon says to the rabbit before walking over to his desk and placing his seal down. Looking at it for a moment he then grunted in annoyance before suddenly snapping his fingers. "If I can concentrate my will and my thoughts, into a different seal and use Chakra to transfer them to the smaller seal it might work…" He mused to himself for a bit, and then grimaced to himself visibly.

Chakra transfer with seals was nigh impossible; it was due to the fact that to do so would be to move Chakra into a stream towards another seal without touching it… which in and of it was more or less impossible to do without being at least a Seal Master. "Oh… what am I doing… the only other way it would work would be if I could attach a Chakra battery to it and then…" Udon started to say until an idea suddenly came to mind and he crossed his arms.

"But wait… what if the seal worked by using the wearers own Chakra to activate it, and instead of my will, maybe just verbal commands with Chakra laced into my voice to activate the control seal on the cards… yes… Perhaps I could even… no, I need my rest, and I'll start my work tomorrow when I'm able. Must not forget why I'm studying so hard after all, my friends are my greatest treasure… though none greater than my dear Alice." Udon says to himself then blinks and shakes his head, making a note not to read his book tomorrow, as it seems that "The Mad Hatter's" persona was starting to leak into his own mind…

(Udon's Notes…)

Date ?: I remember him, the person who helped me become who I am today. I remember so much about my friend and mentor. He wasn't like so many others; his heart was so filled with wonders and joy that he wished to share. I wished for once, that I could feel those wonders, that I could see the splendors that he did… But alas, it is not to be, for I am Udon, and I am merely me…

(Elsewhere…)

Sasuke and Hanabi are in their costumes, Sasuke looking out over the city with a frown on his face. The two had been "Teaming up" for a few days now, and with no sign of Koumori, it was a good thing that they started working together, especially when Crime decided to make a sudden boom. "Still no sign of Koumori." He notes mostly to himself with his arms crossed and Hanabi nods her head.

"Well at least that "Batman" guy has been picking up the slack." She offers and Sasuke frowns, wondering why the guy used such a ridiculous name… then again it was no worse than The Joker or something else…

"I'm not so sure he's that Trustworthy himself." Sasuke states and Hanabi rolls her eyes and then looks over to the side.

"Looks like a burglar, you want this one or should I handle it?" Hanabi questions of her Semi-partner with a frown on her face, and wondering why so many criminals seemed to feel the need to be in Konoha.

"I've got a mugging and an arsonist on this side… You can have the burglar." Sasuke offers then opens his glider and swiftly heads off, Hanabi grimacing at the fact they had arsonists in Konoha now.

"Just what we needed, fire happy morons…" Hanabi muttered to herself before throwing a grapple and swinging over to the Burglar. Landing in a crouch, she finds said Burglar grabbed by a shadow, then the sounds of a VERY brief fight before he is strung up by a man in black. "Whoa… you're fast…" Hanabi notes and "Batman" turns around to face her, making her shiver as his nearly glowing white-lensed eyes narrow on her.

"Spoiler." He says in a familiar voice and Hanabi blinks.

"Sensei? Is that you?" The girl asks and Batman nods his head before making his way towards a ledge. "Where have you been! Oh wait, scratch that, what are you doing out here?" Hanabi then asks and Batman stops for only a moment to look at her.

"I'm doing what I need to do in order to keep this city safe." Batman says in a low growl before then firing a grapple and swinging off into the distance, Hanabi grumbling under her breath before following after him. 'The more things change, the more they stay the same. He's no better than Koumori…' She thinks to herself while swinging off after the man as he descends upon a very unlucky mugger…

(The next morning…)

Udon sat in his room working on making some more ink for his seals. He'd learned how to make the ink from some notes in Naruto's old book. 'And it works so much better than normal ink to; it actually absorbs the Chakra it's infused with…' Udon noted to himself while reaching to the side and pouring in another flask of chemicals with the rest in a small pot. A small burner was beneath it heating the chemicals while Udon checked off several words on a list of chemicals he needed to use, a mask worn over his face to stop the fumes, a pair of familiar green goggles worn for the same reason.

'The one problem with this brand of Ink, its fumes are really, really strong…' The boy thought to himself while reaching down and turned the knob on the burner. However something seemed wrong as the pot started to exhume a large amount of fumes, the boy coughing as some smoke managed to get passed his mask. Coughing and sitting up, Udon hurried to his window and quickly through it open, moving his head out and removing his mask as green smoke started to flow out from behind him. Breathing in some fresh air, Udon then removed his goggles and sighed.

"Less heat next time…" He mumbled to himself while opening his eyes, a slight change having taken place in them. Notably, it was that a green ring had formed around the edges of his pupils and the edge of his iris… giving his eyes a slightly manic look to them. Groaning slightly, the youth reached up and started to rub his eyes while his room aired out, green mist flowing out before mingling and dissipating in the open air.

"Hey Udon!" A voice called and Udon looked down to see his friends and teammates, Moegi and Konohamaru.

"Hello Konohamaru! Moegi-Chan!" The boy called out with a wave and then blinked. "What are you two doing out here?" He asked and Moegi giggled into one hand while Konohamaru crossed his arms.

"We were going out to eat together today remember." Konohamaru reminded his friend and Udon blinked before slapping his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry Konohamaru, I completely forgot." Udon said and Konohamaru waved it off while Moegi tilted her head.

"Say, what are you doing in there to make all that smoke?" Moegi questioned and Udon widened his eyes before thinking quickly. He was partially aware of why his brand of ink wasn't normally used or even made anymore, something about it driving people mad or some such thing… though he disregarded that as he was perfectly sane, nothing wrong with him at least, but he preferred to err on the side of caution in this case.

"I was making some smoke bombs!" Udon said quickly and saw both Konohamaru and Moegi stare at him for a moment.

"You make stuff like that?" Moegi asked after a moment and Udon breathed a mental sigh of relief before grinning.

"Yes actually. I also make explosive-tags and other seals. It's really quite simple if you know what you're doing and I could even…" Udon started to say before Konohamaru cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

"Yeah that's nice Udon, but do you think you could drop what your doing long enough to come with us or not?" The brown haired boy asked and Udon slowly nodded his head. "Good, then we'll meet you down the street." Konohamaru offered while walking off with Moegi in tow, Udon sighing as he moved back into his room. Making his way over to the ink he'd been making he looked to see he still had a fairly good bit left and thus turned off the burner before putting the small flask away.

"More ink for more seals. Now to get ready." Udon said to himself while snapping his fingers and quickly got some food for Hare and Dormouse before putting it in their dishes. Finished with that he then grabbed his glasses and a few other necessities and was out the door. Making his way down the stairs he stopped at the bottom to announce he was leaving to his grandmother, and then went after his two friends. Humming a tune to himself as he walked down the street, Udon considered what he should do with his new batch of ink, more precisely, what seal he should work on next…

Udon mulled that over in his mind for a moment, only to sigh when he saw a happy looking couple walk by him hand in hand. 'Oh how I wish I had someone to be with as well…' Udon thought to himself then spotted Konohamaru and Moegi waving him over. "The Ice-burg Lodge?" He wonders upon seeing the establishment, and then follows Konohamaru and Moegi inside. "Why are we here? I thought you hated this place since it bought out Ichiraku-Ramen…" Udon noted with an arched brow and both teens gave him a look in response, the bespectacled teen merely clearing his throat.

"Ayame-neechan works here now; I want to make sure that Penguin creep isn't up to anything funny with her…" Konohamaru replies with a frown, his protective streak for Ayame being nearly as strong as it was for Moegi since she was like an older sister to his friend and their boss. Walking inside, the three looked around the lodge, Konohamaru raising a brow at a plethora of Penguin themed paraphernalia.

"You know, I've never heard The Penguin's real name. What do you think it is?" Moegi suddenly asks while they walk over to a table and sit down.

"Oswald Cobblepot, my young ginger haired dear." A cultured voice comments from behind the girl, making her yelp and turn to see the said Penguin standing behind her, dressed in his usual tuxedo, complete with top hat and monocle, his umbrella pointing towards the ground.

"Uh… that's an unusual name…" Udon notes, though also notes it sounds somehow similar to a few names in his books.

"I'm from the West. I came here to get away from it all and start a new life as it were." Penguin offers while reaching up to remove his monocle and then clean it off with a cloth from his coat pocket. "So what would you three like to have this fine evening, we have many fine cuisines to partake of." Penguin inquires of the three with an arched brow while replacing his monocle, Udon looking at a menu for a moment before he nods his head when he sees something he'd like.

"Mock-Turtle Soup with Tea if you would." He states and Penguin raises a brow towards him. "I uh… I read Alice in Wonderland…" He admits and the Penguin nods his head, instantly guessing he wanted to know what it tasted like to have the soup, and the tea… well… Penguin could tell that the teen had a few of a certain Mad-Hatters quirks…

"Very well my young friend, just don't be too disappointed by it. Now what of you, lad, young lady?" Penguin asks of his other two guests while writing down Udon's order down on a pad.

"Hmm… you got any Ramen?" Konohamaru questioned and Penguin chuckled.

"Yes my boy. I hired in young miss Ichiraku recently, I'm sure she wouldn't mind making you some Ramen for old times sake." Penguin offers with an amused look on his face and then looks over to Moegi.

"Same as Konohamaru-kun. But I'd like some green tea as well." Moegi offers and The Penguin nods once more while finishing with the orders before walking off towards the kitchen.

"Anyone else feel like something about that guy is more than a little fishy?" Konohamaru suddenly asks his friends and Moegi waves a hand in front of her noise with a visible grimace.

"Yeah, his breath…" She admits with a mock retch while waving a hand before her and Udon adjusted his glasses with a frown on his face.

"Maybe nothings wrong with him and you're just looking too far into things Konohamaru." Udon suggests and the other teen frowns deeply, looking over towards where the penguin had left with an obvious glare in his eyes.

"Calm down Konohamaru-Kun, he's just a really eccentric westerner." Moegi offers the dark haired boy and Konohamaru gives her a look.

"My grandpa met with a few westerners, they were never THIS eccentric…" Konohamaru replies while motioning to a pond of live artic animals in the center of the building complete with penguins and seals…

"He does seem to have a very exaggerated fondness for penguins…" Udon notes while looking around, spotting ice sculptures, portraits, and even murals of the bird everywhere in the building.

"I know right! I mean, just how is that normal?" Konohamaru questions and Moegi shrugs her shoulders in response, hey, it wasn't really normal to be THIS fixated on a flightless bird, even with how similar he looked to one. Seconds after this, the said beak nosed man walked back over to them and handed a cup of tea to Udon, and some green tea to Moegi while Konohamaru merely leaned back in his seat, arms crossed as he waited on his Ramen as always…

"It'll be but a few moments more before your meals are ready, if you need anything more, please speak with Cardinal, Raven, or Dove." The Penguin offered with a smile before walking off, Udon blinking then noting a girl with red hair, blond hair, and black hair must be who he had meant…

"Alright, make that fixated on birds in general…" Udon muttered while adjusting his glasses and took a sip of his tea, blinking as he did so. "It's not bad…" He notes before smiling and taking another sip of the tea, inwardly chuckling at a few thoughts of swiping some to share it with Hare and Dormy later…

(Later…)

Udon was once more in his room, this time with a new seal that would absorb and use the Chakra of the wearer to keep it functioning and accept only his verbal commands or his will when he'd channel his Chakra into the Card. Looking at a pair of cards the boy practically grinned in excitement while quickly taking a card and making his first seal. Finishing it, he then scrawled The Mad Hatter's 10/6 mark on the other side and nodded his head. Looking at it for a moment longer, Udon stopped and then looked to a second cage and smirked to himself. Walking over to the wall, he knelt down to a hole and then took a piece of cheese and laid it out within the cage.

Soon enough, a little grey mouse came scurrying out of a small fake rock it had made a burrow in and lunged at the cheese. The mouse was also one of his pets, named Dormouse after the character in the book, just like The March Hare was and both were the "Friends" of the Mad Hatter. "Alright now Dormouse, I need you to test something for me…" Udon said slowly while taking the card and placing it onto the mouse's back. Nodding his head Udon then turned away and went over to The March Hare then placed a card onto his back as well.

Finished with that, Udon turned and went to his desk; working on the final seal he then made a series of them so his own will would be stronger. Making the seals into a circular band he then pulled it on around his head and turned to the two creatures and activated the seals on his pets. Closing his eyes and breathing outwards, Udon concentrated and the seals on the band started to glow brightly, instantly, Hare struggled from out of his hand then quickly landed on the floor before scurrying over to his closet, the boy blinking when he felt Dormouse seemingly fall asleep in his hand…

"By Jove! It worked!" He said in shock before watching The March Hare pull an old brown jacket from an old toy in his closet with his teeth. Laying it out, the rabbit then patted the jacket and Udon rubbed his chin before snapping his fingers. Moving over to The March Hare, Udon placed the little jacket onto it over its frontal arms and watched it nod for a moment. Suddenly, it then slowly managed to stand on its hind legs and give a brief bow before falling forward, only to roll onto all fours afterwards.

Raising a brow for a moment as he watched this, Udon then stood up and placed Dormouse onto his table. As he did he watched it squeak in its sleep, possibly trying to whisper words in its sleep like Dormouse from the book. Frowning to himself, Udon looked over to The March Hare, and sent a short burst of his Chakra with a simple mental command towards him. The hare moved quickly, scurrying to a chair it hopped up, and then pulled its way to the seat before hopping up onto the table.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" He whispered in shock before holding a hand towards Hare, and then commanded it to slap his hand. The rabbit did, and the force of the tiny slap from his pet rabbit shocked Udon greatly, it didn't hurt or anything, but a Rabbit simply couldn't be that strong! "Hmm… it would seem that the seal spreads the natural Chakra throughout the wearer's entire body, thus it also increases their strength… impressive." Udon muses to himself and quickly makes a note of that while then looking at The March Hare.

"I wonder if my seals will be strong enough to effect a human mind in this way as well… after all, no offence to either of you, but I highly doubt it'd be quite as easy to control a human as it is to control you two." Udon muses to himself while looking at the two animals and then has another thought enter his head.

"I wonder if this has any negative effects on you two… can you feel anything unpleasant?" Udon suddenly asked The March Hare before suddenly palming his face. "Oh what am I doing, you can't talk and you certainly don't understand me…" Udon mutters to himself before then looking over at Dormouse and tapping his chin. Smirking for a moment he then used another thought and The March Hare hopped to the side and pushed a teacup over, then pushed a teakettle over as well before sitting down beside it.

"Tea at six o'clock?" Udon asks while looking to the nearby clock and smirks. "Seems fitting but I'll need some fitting headwear if we must." Udon muses before getting up and looking around, frowning when he can't find what he was looking for. "Dear oh dear… perhaps tomorrow March, you two Dormy." Udon muses with a shrug then picks his pets up and puts them back in their cages.

"Perhaps I can learn to be a Hatter, and not go mad…" Udon muses to himself while grabbing one of his pictures of the Mad Hatter and then walks out of his room, out of his home and off to find someone to make him a new hat…

(Udon's Notes…)

Date ?: Ah… Such fun I had, I can have tea with the March Hare and Dormouse for real. I wonder what else I can do, what other wonders I could bring to life? Certainly this will impress my dear Alice; certainly she would enjoy a trip to a place filled with splendor, a place filled with wonder! But alas, I must wait and see, but I do promise you, I'll show you a REAL wonderland soon enough!

(Arkham…)

Croc grumbles as he and the rest of the "Supper Criminals" all sit at a table playing poker, Two-Face off somewhere and ignoring them all. "Ya know, I still don' see why we aint breaking outta this here joint…" Croc grumbles out, as even though the facility was better than a prison, he didn't like being so cooped up.

"Because an opportunity for release has yet to present itself to us." Shino states calmly while Sakura looks at her own hand.

"If I could get near some plants I could mutate them with my blood… that would get us out of here pretty easily." Sakura offers casually and Shino frowns.

"Won't do us much good if we're not allowed outside, besides, there are practically no plants out there for you to mutate." He reminds flatly and Choji frowns as well.

"What about seals? One of you has GOT to be able to do something with those." Choji states and Sakura scowls.

"Nope. Shino can't even use Jutsu. I can't use my Chakra anymore since I became like this, and you… well we all know why you can't break out." Sakura reminds and Choji frowns, though inwardly admits it is true that he can't without any fat to draw energy from or Venom to power himself up…

"What about me?" Croc asks and Sakura frowns in thought.

"Perhaps if we could break something open to the sewers beneath Arkham… yes… with your strength and aquatic skills you could very easily get us out of here." Sakura muses thoughtfully and Shino nods his head. "However, that still leaves the problem of breaking through reinforced Concrete walls and floors…" She then reminds and a grimace spreads over Crocs face.

"Yeah… dats a problem alright…" He grumbles and Shino hums for a moment.

"Freeze. The Pipes in this place weren't ice-proofed during its construction due to the heat of Fire-Country. It wouldn't be cost effective, nor would it be needed…" Shino responds while looking at his hand and Sakura nods her head.

"So even if the walls are made of reinforced concrete, he could freeze the pipes and shatter them for us…" She notes and Choji then adds in his own two scents to that little equation.

"Problem is that we can't GET to Freeze, since he's being kept under permanent lockdown." Choji reminds and Shino frowns while nodding his head.

"We'd need a distraction to get to him." Sakura notes while rubbing her chin and Croc frowns before throwing a card down and taking a few new ones.

"What we need is one a dese idiots on our side." Croc grumbles out and Sakura nods her head.

"What about Clay? He works for Joker after all." Choji reminds and Shino shakes his head with a frown.

"He's waiting for Joker to pull whatever plan he's got in store for Konoha." Shino replied and Choji grunted before throwing his cards down.

"I'm out…" Choji says and Sakura throws hers down as well, looking disinterested as she then watches Croc and Shino stare one another down, Shino sighing as he puts his own cards down.

"You always win…" Shino grumbles and Croc grins widely while showing them an obviously loosing hand.

"You guys gots tah learn how to use a poker face." Croc replies while then shuffling the deck once more…

(Nami-no-Kuni…)

Inari ran into an old warehouse on the outskirts of his home village, the young teen was wearing an odd green / purple gasmask left to him along with a riddle. He was also wearing a utility belt with gear, Kunai and Shuriken mostly, left with an earlier riddle to fend off the now laughing maniacs that had once been the people of his home. Looking back to his village, the boy briefly tensed and clinched his fists while hearing the echoes of soulless laughter. Shaking his head, Inari looked to the riddle he'd found, it was simple really as it had led him to a note to the true location of his mother. Throwing off the gasmask and entering the warehouse, Inari took cautious steps inside the building.

"Kaa-san?" Inari called out while looking around, the entire building dark and foreboding while a pair of nearly luminescent green eyes opened up behind him. "Please be here…" Inari whispered only to hear someone and turned in time to receive a crowbar to the face, knocking him to the ground with a grunt. Looking up to his assailant, Inari saw a strange young man with a grin literally carved into his face, his jade green eyes wide open and gazing at him with a hint of madness.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" The slightly nasally voice of the man wondered, the painted grin over his face wide and disturbing. "A kid all alone and by his lonesome when freaks and psychos are loose? Say it isn't so!" The older teen mock questioned dramatically and Inari grunted while trying to get back to his feet only to cry out as the painted teen slammed his crowbar into his back. "At at ta ta ta… no getting up when I'm trying to teach ya somthin…" Naruto ordered before leaning his crowbar into his shoulder and licked his lips.

"Y-you… you're the one… the one who did all this?" Inari questioned in a pained tone and the painted teen grinned widely, Inari shivering at the look that appeared in the madman's eyes…

"Oh of course I am, who else is around to do all this and take credit for it?" Naruto asked him mockingly before then licking his lips and reached into his coat.

"What do you want, why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you to deserve any of this?" Inari demanded of the teen and he looked down at the younger lad for a moment, jade green eyes seeming to look into his soul. Snickering afterwards, Naruto withdraw something that looked similar to his old "Bolt-Casters" though seemed noticeably heavier than the light weapons.

"Asking such frivolous questions is stupid…" Naruto mused before turning to the side, Inari following his gaze. "When you should be asking about her…" Naruto mused and Inari blinked while a pit formed in his stomach.

"W-who?" He asked fearfully, hoping he was wrong, and Naruto grinned down at him sinisterly before waving a hand to the side.

"SHOW THE BOY HARLEY!" The Mad Teen exclaimed loudly while Ino walked from the shadows, garbed in a new outfit before posing beside a curtain.

She now wears a pair of skintight leather pants, red on the right side and black on the left that have the familiar diamond-pattern on their thighs, a red studded belt hanging loosely from her hips, and her usual black and red thigh high boots with black diamonds on the red boot at the calf. She also wears a skintight shirt that matches the color scheme of her pants down to the diamonds on her right shoulder, a red / black corset / harness overtop it, a pair of forearm length gloves one black and one red, with black diamonds on the red glove and a pair of spiked bracelets. Her face is now painted white with dark red near black lips, and a very dark red domino mask over her eyes that has white mesh to conceal said eyes, the tips of her blond pigtails died red and black, while a single bang still hangs at the side of her face.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" She exclaimed before looking around and crinkled her nose up. "Alright, omit de' ladies seeing as I'm de only one here for da moment." She then offered and Inari blinked while Ino reached to the side and grasped the curtain. "And as such, I am proud to present to you, our guest of honor!" Ino exclaimed while pulling the curtain back, Inari's eyes widening upon seeing his moth strapped to a chair, gagged, and a massive bomb of some kind behind her ticking away…

"Kaa-san!" He cried out only for Naruto to swing his crowbar, knocking him down to the ground. His mother Tsunami struggled in her bonds as he did and Ino happily placed her elbows on the woman's shoulders while her hands were on her cheeks.

"Chill out toots, you's and your little brat aint gonna be taken from each other… right Pudd'n?" Ino questioned with a grin and Naruto smirked while slicking his hair back before kicking Inari in the ribs.

"Course not, why would I ever want to break up such a lovely family… although I couldn't for the life of me find that old drunk anywhere… though it's probably for the best." Naruto mused to himself with a shrug before grinning widely as he gazed down at Inari. "Now then Inari-Kun, lets put on a good show for your Dear-Kaa-san." Naruto said before lifting the crowbar and slammed it into Inari's face from the side, knocking his head to the side before Naruto backed up.

"This is a new toy I've been working on recently, you see a couple weeks ago I saw some Fire-Works and got to wondering, if they can project explosives into the air, what else can the powder used in fireworks do…" Naruto said while twirling the weapon in his left hand for a moment and then aimed it at Inari's left leg. "Well, let's find out shall we." Naruto stated before pulling the trigger of the weapon, a loud bang echoing in the warehouse while Naruto grunted as the recoil from the weapon threw his arm back, snapping his elbow and dislocating his shoulder.

However Inari screamed loudly as a large chunk of his knee is blown out, the bone visible through it and clearly shattered it, the joint bent at an odd angle. Meanwhile Joker's left hand was now visibly burned and blood flowing from a long gash at his forearm. "Mistah Jay!" Ino said before quickly rushing over to the teen and saw him looking at his arm with a frown; his fingers burned and broken while the charred, useless remains of the weapon at his feet.

"Still needs some work…" Naruto decided with a nod of his head while Ino grabbed his arm and started to fuss over it even while she concentrated on, or at least tried to, to use a a healing Jutsu. "Harley I'll be fine, I need you to go and get Riddler-Kun, we'll be leaving after I'm done here." Naruto ordered and Ino looked back to his torn up arm for a moment only for Naruto to level a glare on her. "I said, Go Get Riddler-Kun…" Naruto stated flatly and Ino looked like she was about to protest when he leveled another glare on her.

"Y-Yessir…" Ino said meekly before turning and making he way out of the warehouse, Naruto shaking his head as she does.

"Sorry about that, but good help is just too hard to find these days." Naruto mused aloud before looking back down to a screaming Inari as he grits his teeth in pain. "Suck it up kid, I've done far, far worse to others and they didn't scream or bitch about as much as you…" Naruto stated before kicking Inari to the side and stopped to consider it. "Of course most of them were dead by this point…" He added with a shrug and leaned the crowbar into his shoulder while whistling a strangely bouncy tune as he came closer and closer to the downed Inari. "C'mon kid, why so serious?" Naruto questioned with a tilt of his head, while Inari was unable to answer through the considerable pain he was in.

Inari slowly regained control of his breathing as Naruto did and tried to get up only for Naruto to slam the crowbar into the side of his face, knocking him onto his side. "Wow, that looked like it really hurt." Naruto mused with an amused smirk while leaning the crowbar into his arm, Tsunami struggling with her bonds to try and get to them. Grinning sadistically, Naruto then swung the Crowbar down at Inari, crushing his ribs on one side, causing him to scream out in pain. "Hehe, that looks like it hurt a lot more." Naruto mused to himself before giggling insanely as he then started tapping his crowbar into his shoulder.

"So… lets try and clear this up, okay pumpkin?" Naruto asked with an amused smirk on his face as he tapped the crowbar into his shoulder. "What hurts more?" Naruto asked before raising his arm and the crowbar. "A?" He asked before slamming the crowbar down into Inari's chest, the boy screaming out a choked breath. "Or B?" Naruto asked while swinging the crowbar into Inari's side, causing him to double over while blood began to pool around him.

"Forehand?" Naruto asked while swinging the crowbar into Inari's face with a forehand swing. "Or Backhand?" He asked once more while using the same type of swing to slam into Inari's ribs once more. Smirking Naruto then kicked Inari, causing him to land on his stomach, face down to the ground. Laughing to himself Naruto then watched as Inari turned to look at him mumbling something out. Hearing the sounds Naruto leaned down and listened curiously for a moment before making mocking gasping sounds while raising a hand to his ear.

"A little louder lambchop." Naruto commented before grasping Inari's head with his hand. "I think you might have a collapsed lung that always impedes the auditory." In response, Inari spit onto his face and Naruto frowned for a moment before rearing Inari's head up and slammed it down into the ground. "Now that was rude, my other playmates at least have some manors." Naruto stated while looking to his left arm with a frown, only to watch Inari turn to him with a toothy grin, blood flowing down his teeth.

"I suppose I'm going to have to teach you a lesson so you can better understand the way you should be acting…" Naruto mused before taking a thoughtful expression even as he popped his left-shoulder back into place. "Nah, I'm just going to keep beating you with this crowbar!" Naruto decided with a grin as he raised his right arm and then placed his foot onto the boy's back to hold him down. Chuckling lightly Naruto soon found himself laughing loudly while Inari glared up at him with one eye.

However it was at that moment Naruto swung the crowbar down, slamming it into Inari's right shoulder and breaking the bone there. He then slammed it into his face; a gash forming above his right eye while Naruto then kicked Inari forward. Licking his lips, Naruto then kicked him in the side where he ripped out Inari's rib, forcing a strangled scream out of the boy. Looking to his left arm, Naruto chuckled as red energy formed over it, popping sounds echoing while Inari looked on and his eyes widened in a mix of shock and horror.

"Well would you look at that!" Naruto said to himself as the limb was soon back to pristine condition, though he'd need a new glove and coat since his other's were now ruined thanks to his test run of the weapon. Flexing his fingers and moving his arm around for a moment, Naruto then grinned as he reached down with his left hand and dragged Inari by his hair before depositing him in the middle of the warehouse. "Alright bucko, this is how things work." Naruto started to explain while putting the crowbar into a seal in his trench coat.

"This place is quite clearly rigged to explode." Naruto said while motioning to the ticking bomb behind Tsunami. "You have just enough time to either crawl your way to safety… or try, and fail, to save you dear Kaa-san." Naruto offered before stretching out his arms above his head with a smirk. "But hey, even if you do die trying, you and your dear ol' Kaa-san will never been taken from each other ever again… so, there, that's something at least." Naruto offered the boy before snickering to himself lightly as he walked towards the door before opening it with a yawn.

"Okay kiddo, I gotta go… it's been fun though right?" Naruto asked while looking to Inari as he coughed up blood and then shrugged. "Well maybe a smidge more fun for me than you, I'm just guessing since your being awfully quiet." Naruto mused aloud while straightening out his outfit and then turned his back on Inari and Tsunami. "Oh right, be a good boy, finish your homework, be in bed by ten, and do take care of your dear Kaa-san for me will you…" Naruto asked mockingly before laughing to himself as he slammed the door of the warehouse shut before walking away.

Inside, Inari groaned lightly before looking to where his mother was and crawled his way over to her. Groaning as he did, Inarni hissed as he dragged his wounded leg forward and tried to get closer to his mother. Looking up he saw her shaking her head rapidly and grit his teeth while getting closer to her. He wouldn't leave her here, even if he died too, he wouldn't let her die alone he wouldn't be a coward…

Outside, Naruto whistled to himself while walking away from the building and heading towards where Ino and Shikamaru would be. Reaching into his coat, Naruto then pulled out a watch and looked at it. "Five…" He whispered to himself while replacing the watch into his coat. "Four…" He then added as a smirk crossed over his lips. "Three…" He said in a singsong tone while spotting Ino and Shikamaru. "Two…" He then said while turning around and saw no sign of Inari trying to escape…

"One." He stated with a grin as the warehouse exploded, a cloud of green smoke rising into the air, Acid and Shrapnel flying in every direction, killing the land while debris were thrown into the water nearby. Behind Naruto, Ino snickered to herself while Shikamaru gripped at his cane tightly, staring at the "Joke" with wide eyes. However… Naruto himself wasn't laughing.

"Something… is missing." Naruto said to himself while crossing his arms, Ino scratching her head as he did.

"Really Mistah-Jay? What? Is it cause a dat old man we couldn't find?" Ino questioned of her boss and the insane clown shook his head with a scow.

"No… it wasn't a challenge. This was nothing but annoying… I just blew up a kid and his mother, woo-hoo…" Naruto said flatly while twirling one finger in the air, a frown across his face. "I've annihilated villages, tormented Kages, killed Sociopaths, and murdered would-be gods! Yet for some reason… something was missing this time." Naruto stated while crossing his arms and Shikamaru lightly tapped his cane on the ground while the Joker suddenly stopped, his eyes showing a brief moment of clarity.

"Komouri…" He stated and a scowl crossed his features. "It wasn't a challenge… it wasn't worth the effort… because Komouri wasn't here to try and stop me…" Naruto stated and then growled low in his throat while Ino rubbed the back of her neck.

"But Pudd'n, no one's seen dat Komouri chick in a while from what we heard, dey say she might've even given up da crime-stoppin biz." Ino reminded her clownish boss and Naruto scowled even more deeply, causing her to shrink under his gaze.

"I know that Harley! And that's what makes this even more frustrating!" Naruto stated while throwing his arms into the air, Shikamaru paying intent attention to the blond as he tried to figure out the riddle that was his mind. "She's not here, she's not in Konoha, she's not anywhere! What's the point of me going to all the trouble to make trouble for her, if she won't even show up!" Naruto demanded in a low growl and Ino looked at him for a moment before making a suggestion.

"Dere's always dat Batman guy…" Ino offered weakly and Naruto scoffed before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Batman… no I don't want him… I saw Komouri first… The Joker must have Komouri! Nay, the Joker deserves Komouri! What fun would there be in humbling mere AnBu? I am the Greatest Criminal ever known!" Naruto said mostly to himself before laughing lightly and grinning towards his two compatriots. "And for anyone else to destroy Komouri would be unworthy of me! I can't let Komouri die, and I won't, she will return to Konoha some day soon and when she does… so too will, The Joker!" Naruto stated with a wide grin, Shikamaru shivering slightly despite himself, something about Naruto's behavior was becoming even more erratic than before…

"Then where too next, Joker-San?" Shikamaru questioned with a raised brow and Naruto chuckled lightly while turning to him with a wide grin.

"Why, we're going to go see an old Snake about some chemicals…" The blond clown replied before laughing to himself as he walked off, his soulless laughter rising in pitch and volume as he walked away with the two in tow, their Hyena following them…

Meanwhile, a body slowly slides out of a patch of dirt and into the now infected waters around Nami-no-Kuni, the body is old, aged, and has turned a discolored grey. However as it falls into the glowing green water, its fingers slowly twitch…

THE END…

AN: SO SORRY! I didn't even notice it had been so long since I'd updated this story! Seriously I originally just wanted to wait a while to update, and then it got hard to concentrate on it, and well… lets just say it was hell working on this chapter and leave it at that. In any case I hope no one is disappointed with this chapter, as it sets up for several future chapters while bringing in The Mad-Hatter as a villain! Unfortunately I had to cut this chapter in half for two reasons, one, length, two, so I could actually update this story! Anyways, until next time readers and reviewers, I have much more work to do!

Current Known/Introduced Heroes/Villains/Other

Dokuro/Iyoku-Batman… Intro In: Riddled in Fear / The Dark Knight Returns…

Tenten-Koumori/Batgirl … Intro In: Koumori Begins…

Sasuke-Nightwing… Intro In: Pretty Poison/The Dark Knight…

Hanabi-The Spoiler… Intro In: Riddled…

Naruto-The Joker… Intro In: The Killing Joke…

Ino-Harley Quinn… Intro In: Mad Love…

Shino-Scarecrow… Intro In: Riddled in Fear…

Choji-Bane… Intro In: Pretty Poison…

Shikamaru-The Riddler… Intro In: Riddled…

Sakura-Poison Ivy… Intro In: Pretty Poison…

Haku-(Mr.) Freeze… Intro In: Heart of Ice…

Gaara-Clay-Face… Intro In: Koumori Begins…

Neji-Two-Face… Intro In: The Dark Knight/ Joker's Wild…

Killer Croc… Intro In: Pretty Poison / The Dark Knight…

The Penguin… Intro In: Heart of Ice…

Udon-The Mad Hatter… Intro In: Mad as a Hatter Pt.1…

Ryu-Red-X… Intro In: Red-X Rising…

Two-Bit… Intro In: The Dark Knight Returns…

Possible Additions (I may add them, I may not add them, those decided will definitely be included)… (Each would/will have his or her own introduction chapter unless I decide not to make those/that character(s))

Red Hood 2-?

Batgirl 2-?

Ra's al Ghul-?

Slade/Deathstroke the Terminator-?

The Creeper-?

Robin-?

The Huntress-?

Catwoman- ?

Solomon Grundy-?

The Phantasm-?

Rorschach-?