Night draped over Malibu, yet Tony Stark lay wide-eyed in bed, Ivan Vanko's taunts echoing like bad lyrics on repeat. He didn't buy every word the Russian had spat, but the talk of fathers—Howard Stark and Anton Vanko—hit close to home. If Tony fancied himself the smartest man alive, then Howard was, by self-declared definition, number two.
Sleep surrendered first. Tony swung his feet to the floor, cracked open the battered suitcase Nick Fury had delivered, and let the past spill out. Inside lay reels of film, weather-stained notebooks, and a holovideo labeled "For Tony."
"Hi, son. If you're watching this, you probably need help. I'm sorry work kept me away. You're a true genius—just like me.
I've left you the key to the future. Protect it, and chase the future you believe in."
Howard's voice—half formal, half embarrassingly shy—filled the workshop. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., world-class inventor… yet he still sounded like a dad trying not to fumble his lines.
Tony scanned blueprint after blueprint. The patterns felt off—fragmented, unfinished—until he tossed every page into a full-room hologram. Lines converged, rotated, locked into place, and a luminous sphere sprang to life: a new atomic lattice, something no periodic table had ever met.
"So this is the future, old man." A grin cracked across Tony's face. Sleep became a cancelled meeting.
Orders flew out to Stark Industries' R&D like shuriken—custom magnets, accelerator coils, industrial lasers. By sunrise, the mansion looked less like a billionaire's home and more like a clandestine physics lab. With JARVIS guiding tolerances down to the micron, Tony bolted together a compact particle accelerator the way other people built LEGO sets.
Plasma flared, magnets hummed, and the prototype shrieked toward critical. Red arcs danced through the vacuum chamber—then snapped white-hot.
JARVIS: "Congratulations, sir. Element synthesis complete. Energy readings are… formidable."
Tony: "You're flattering me, Jarvis Keep it up."
JARVIS: "Merely observing. Your invention eclipses palladium by an order of magnitude."
Minutes later, a new Arc Reactor—cool silver core, neon-blue glow—clicked into its housing on Tony's chest. The surge felt clean; the old palladium poisoning vanished like Genjutsu dispelled.
"Laser arsenal, here we come," he muttered. Stark Industries had shelved handheld lasers for years—too thirsty for power. Now they had a reactor that practically begged to flex.
---
Half a world away, in a discreet high-rise suite, Su Xiuyu listened to a masked operative kneel and report.
"Lord Xiuyu, yesterday Ivan Vanko attacked Tony Stark. Justin Hammer's men extracted him en route to the hospital."
"Ivan Vanko…" Xiuyu sifted through distant memories. Anton Vanko, Howard's on-again-off-again partner; an arc-reactor prototype duplicated from scraps; vengeance passed from father to son. Useful skills—a volatile heart.
He issued orders in measured tones. "Shisui, take Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin. Negotiate with Stark for the large-scale Arc Reactor. Keep eyes on Vanko. Hand Tony every scrap of intel we have—then recruit Ivan. If persuasion fails… employ alternative methods. Illusion, subtle rewiring—your call. And bring Kitsuchi; let Iwagakure witness the wider world."
"Yes, Xiuyu-sama."
Uchiha Shisui bowed, sharing only mild curiosity over his master's interest in Ivan. Questions could wait; missions came first.
---
Shisui found the three genin loitering by the floor-to-ceiling windows, devouring the skyline like tourists.
"All right, you've been pestering Itachi for field work—here it is. We meet Stark, we observe Vanko, and we keep a low profile." He paused, eyeing their eager faces. "And yes, that means outside."
"Got it, Shisui-kun!" they chorused, excitement bursting like fireworks. Even Karin—usually the calm one—nearly skipped.
The mission's final member sat cross-legged amid open newspapers.
"Kitsuchi," Shisui called. "Time to move."
The stonelike jonin folded his papers. He'd spent days studying geopolitics, baffled that Earth sustained one-hundred-ninety-seven separate nations. In the shinobi world, five great countries strained to coexist without weekly wars; here, dozens survived with fragile treaties and thinner armies. Daimyō, ninja villages, mercenary balances—it all seemed backwards now.
He rose, stone-steady. "Understood. Lead the way."
---
Malibu. Noon.
Tony, still running on zero sleep and pure curiosity, stared at four young strangers and one broad-shouldered man carved out of granite.
Shisui offered a disarming smile. "Mr. Stark, we represent Su Xiuyu. He's prepared to fund your city-scale Arc Reactor. In exchange, he asks for technical cooperation—and information on one Ivan Vanko."
Naruto waved enthusiastically. "Believe it—your lab is amazing!"
Sasuke nudged him. "We're guests, dobe. Show some restraint."
Karin adjusted her glasses, chakra sensors humming. "Energy density here is… ridiculous. Are you sure this isn't a Tailed Beast core?"
Tony raised both brows. "I have no idea what that means, and I'm not sure I want to. But you lot clearly aren't from around here. Talk terms."
---
Elsewhere, a dingy warehouse echoed with welding arcs. Ivan Vanko hammered plating onto the first of many suits. Justin Hammer paced behind him, already rehearsing press lines about Hammer Drones.
They didn't notice the raven-feathered shadow perched on a cracked skylight.
Shisui's Sharingan turned lazily, memorizing blueprints, watching tempers, planning contingencies. Recruit or remove. Orders were orders.
---
Back in Iwagakure, explosions rattled office windows.
Tsuchikage Ōnoki levitated to the sill, scowling as a clay bird detonated over the practice field.
"Deidara! What do you think you're doing?!"
Distant laughter—half mad, wholly delighted—answered, "Art is an explosion, old man!"
---------------------------
Uchiha Shisui drove a family-sized Chevrolet through the streets of New York. Riding with him were Kitsuchu in the passenger seat and Naruto in the back. They could have traveled faster on foot, but today was about embracing new experiences.
"Brother Shisui, this car is so slow! We could run faster than this," Naruto groaned, sprawled across the backseat.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered beside him. "There are people and cars everywhere. We're in New York, not on a highway. Unless you want to cause a scene."
"Alright, enough," Shisui said calmly, keeping his eyes on the road. "Mr. Kitsuchi is with us. Be respectful."
For Shisui, driving was a novelty—though it paled in comparison to piloting his Susanoo. Still, the experience had its charm.
"We're visiting Tony Stark today—head of Stark Industries," he reminded them. "I trust you've done your homework?"
"Of course," Sasuke replied coolly. "He's our employer. We'll show him due respect."
---
At Marbury Villa, Tony Stark was fully immersed in testing his latest Arc Reactor prototype. Wearing the new Mark VI armor, he was currently evaluating its resistance to electricity. After dealing with Thor and Ivan Vanko, he decided the upgrade was overdue.
It wasn't until the doorbell rang that he remembered—guests were coming.
"Pepper! Can you get that? Should be the team from Su Xiuyu's group."
Pepper opened the door—and nearly got tackled by Naruto, who surged forward energetically.
"Sorry! Are you okay?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head.
Outside stood three teens and two adults. One of them—Kitsuchi—was an enormous 2.17 meters tall and hard to miss.
"Apologies for the sudden visit," Shisui said politely. "I'm Uchiha Shisui, team leader. We're here to discuss the Ark Reactor collaboration."
His calm and courteous demeanor instantly put Pepper at ease. Among the group, the kids stood out: a blond boy with whisker-like marks, a black-haired teen with a smug expression, a quirky redhead, and the towering Kitsuchi. The odd mix almost made Pepper chuckle.
"Please, come in. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No thank you, Miss Pepper. We're fine," Shisui replied with a respectful nod.
"Uchiha... Shisui? I know Chisato. Are you two related?" she asked curiously as she handed them refreshments anyway.
"Uh… Chisato is one of our clan's elders," Shisui replied a bit awkwardly.
"But she looks younger than you," Pepper said, puzzled.
"Well... appearances can be deceiving," Tony chimed in as his helmet slid back. "Thor, for example—he's over 1,500 years old and still looks like he's in his prime."
Shisui bowed slightly. "Mr. Stark, thank you for seeing us. I'm here on behalf of lord Su Xiuyu to discuss the reactor project. Do you have any concerns?"
Tony leaned back on the couch. "Not really. Su Xiuyu and I go way back. If he trusts you, I'm in. Money's not the issue—cooperation is."
"Perfect. Then we'll coordinate further from here. Also, just so you're aware—our intel suggests Ivan's attack is linked to Justin Hammer. Be careful. He may act rashly."
Tony's expression hardened for a second, then softened. "Appreciate the warning."
After a beat, his mood lightened again. "Actually, since you're here—how about a quick sparring session? I just upgraded my armor. Would love to test its limits."
Shisui smiled knowingly. "That can be arranged. But I won't be fighting personally. I'd like Mr. Kitsuchi to take that role."
Kitsuchi silently nodded in agreement.
"Wait, Brother Shisui! Let us go first!" Naruto said excitedly. Sasuke and Karin exchanged glances. Clearly, they were all eager for action.
"These three are our elite juniors," Shisui said to Tony. "Still young, but highly capable. Would you mind giving them a quick test?"
Tony chuckled. "Sure. Let's take it outside."
---
The cliffs by Marbury, overlooking the sea, offered a perfect battleground. The sun was high, the breeze crisp. An ideal setting for a friendly skirmish.
"Alright, kids. Let's see what you've got."
Sasuke struck first, launching a flurry of shuriken. They clinked harmlessly off Tony's armor.
"Nice try," Tony said, unmoving. "This suit's layered with gold-titanium alloy. Regular blades won't leave a scratch."
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Dozens of Narutos charged Tony all at once. Calmly, he raised both arms, firing pulse blasts that scattered clone after clone in bursts of light.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Naruto launched himself forward, landing a solid kick to Tony's helmet—only to yelp in pain and roll backward, clutching his foot.
"Seriously?" Sasuke stared in disbelief. "He literally told you it's reinforced. You still kicked him?"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Tony sidestepped the slow-moving fireball with casual grace.
"Too sluggish," he muttered.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"
Naruto followed up from behind. The invisible blade of wind sliced across Tony's armor, leaving a faint scratch.
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