"Tony, my suit's out of control! Go! The weapon system is targeting you!"
In an instant, every armored suit on the expo stage swiveled, weapons locked onto Tony Stark.
"Aren't those armors gifts from me? How the hell could they be targeting me?"
"The military… they modified the internal control systems."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a hail of bullets came flying at Tony. All around them were innocent civilians caught in the chaos.
"I'm outta here! Too many people around—I'll draw them away!" Tony blasted into the sky with a full-power burst from his thrusters, leaving the expo grounds behind.
Immediately, every Hammer Industries suit launched into pursuit.
"So it is me they're targeting..." Tony realized grimly. Someone was definitely pulling strings from the shadows.
Meanwhile, inside the expo, Pepper Potts was suddenly attacked by one of the rogue suits.
"Tony?" she called out, mistaking it for one of his new models—until it fired a shoulder-mounted missile directly at her.
"Ms. Potts! Don't move! Leave it to us!" Naruto appeared just in time, grabbing her and vanishing in a blur of movement.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Style: Wind Cutting Technique!"
Sasuke and Naruto launched a combined assault. A roaring inferno enhanced by slicing wind engulfed the armor, turning it into smoldering scrap.
"That was it?" Sasuke muttered, surprised. "This junk's leagues below Tony's designs."
Karin ran up, seeing Pepper cradling a bleeding arm.
"Ms. Potts, you're injured—let me heal you."
As Karin channeled healing chakra, a soft green light enveloped Pepper's wound, closing it almost instantly.
Pepper blinked. "That's... incredible. But do you know what's happening to Tony? This attack—it's meant for him, isn't it?"
"Don't worry," Karin said confidently. "Mr. Kitsuchi's with him. Even a nuke couldn't take Tony down while that guy's around."
Just then, a loud crash echoed through Stark Industries as Agent Coulson and a squad of SHIELD agents burst in.
By the time they reached the office, everything was under control.
"Ms. Potts, are you alright?" Coulson asked, his hairline even more stressed than usual. "We got delayed—another suit went rogue on our end."
"It's handled," Pepper replied. "Thanks to these three."
Coulson turned, eyeing the trio. "And they are...?"
"Uzumaki Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke. Uzumaki Karin," she said without hesitation. After spending days with them, Pepper had grown oddly fond of their company—so much so, the idea of having a kid didn't seem too bad anymore.
Coulson's face stiffened at the names. Uchiha? Uzumaki? Better leave that for Fury to deal with.
"These suits are Hammer Industries' models," Coulson continued. "Justin Hammer's in custody. Looks like Hammer's taking the fall for someone else's scheme."
"Do you need help with Tony?" he added.
"No need. He brought in someone very capable. He'll be fine," Pepper said with conviction.
High above the city, Tony continued his evasive flight. No matter how he maneuvered, the rogue suits stayed locked on him.
"Alright, Mr. Kitsuchi. Your turn! Just… don't damage the black one—my friend's inside. Try to save him if you can!"
"Understood," Kitsuchi nodded, hovering silently before raising his arm.
With calm precision, he unleashed a barrage of Rock Iron Cannons. The air cracked with each shot, and one by one, Hammer's suits fell from the sky like broken toys.
He approached the black-painted armor carefully—War Machine.
In just a few calculated blasts, he disabled the thrusters. The suit spiraled downward.
"Tony! Why am I falling and you're still flying? Save me, damn it!" Rhodes screamed mid-plummet.
"Save me—!"
Just as panic peaked, a tremendous force caught him. Rhodes looked up through his HUD and saw it—Kitsuchi. The same guy who'd shot him down was now saving him.
The suit's shoulder cannon tried to aim again, but Kitsuchi tore it off and tossed it like scrap. Rhodes glanced at his savior, then down at the warped Gatling gun on the ground. Yeah… best not to argue.
Tony landed beside them. "Hold on, Mr. Kitsuchi. I'll fix this."
He quickly accessed the War Machine's systems and found the problem—an override module installed to allow remote control.
"There. Try it now."
Rhodes tested the suit. "All good. Tony—this is crazy. Did Hammer really think he could get away with this? This is basically terrorism!"
"I doubt Hammer had the guts or brains to pull this off. My guess? Ivan. He's still got a bone to pick with me."
"If he shows up," Kitsuchibcut in, "I'd like to handle him."
Tony glanced at him. "You want revenge?"
"No. We want him alive. He's a genius—and we need someone like that. I'll make sure he doesn't pose a threat again."
Tony hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Honestly, Ivan's not worth the trouble—unless he's coming after me. If you can make use of him, go ahead."
"You have my word," Kitsuchi said. "With us, his talents won't be wasted. And neither will his second chance."
---------------------------
"You can rest assured, Ivan won't dare oppose you again," Kitsuchi said calmly. In the ninja world, there were countless methods—sealing techniques, genjutsu—that could reshape a person's will.
And if things got worse? There was always Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami. Not that Kitsuchi knew about it. Aside from Uchiha Fugaku and a few others, only Su Xiuyu understood its terrifying power.
As the group chatted, Ivan finally appeared—though surrounded by the wreckage of his armor. His expression twisted with fury. He couldn't let go of his hatred.
"Tony Stark! Look who's back! I'm here to settle the score!" Ivan growled, activating his upgraded electric whips. Sparks danced across the sharp metal coils.
"Tony, let me handle this. I've got one last missile left—and I want this guy to taste what it's like to be humiliated!"
Rhodes took aim, the launcher on his shoulder clicking into place. The missile—ironically named "Ex-Wife"—launched with a hiss… and promptly bounced off Ivan's chest plate like a spent firecracker.
"Hammer Industries?" Tony deadpanned.
"…Yeah," Rhodes muttered.
"Rod, I suggest you back up. This guy's gonna need more than your toys," Tony snorted over the comms, barely containing his laughter.
Suddenly, Ivan's feet gave way.
"Earth Release—Double Decapitation Jutsu!" Kitsuchi's voice echoed.
The ground beneath Ivan turned soft. A powerful force yanked him down as if he were being dragged into quick-drying cement. The terrain re-solidified instantly, locking his armor in place—only his head remained exposed, jutting from a rising column of rock like a trophy.
Tony and Rhodes stood frozen.
"Wait, what just happened? Are you telling me you people can dig ambush holes on command? What are you?!" Tony exclaimed.
"Just a basic earth jutsu," Kitsuchi said with a small grin. "My name has 'earth' in it. I'm pretty good with terrain."
"He can't escape, right?" Rhodes asked, still stunned.
"Impossible. Chakra-hardened stone. Even if you used a plasma cutter, you wouldn't get through."
Tony exhaled. "Looks like you're really getting used to Earth, Mr. Kitsuchi."
By now, he'd already suspected the ninjas weren't from this world. After months of observation, their odd habits and supernatural abilities were impossible to ignore.
Still, Su Xiuyu had never lied—he simply didn't reveal everything. And in all their time working together, Tony had realized something important: these ninjas, for all their strange powers, lived by unshakable codes. Su Xiuyu never took advantage, never owed favors lightly.
"They're human," Tony thought. "Weird, overpowered humans... but human."
"Mr. Stark," Kitsuchi said with a bow, "I'll bring Ivan back now."
"I'll get that nutritional mixture you asked for delivered soon," Tony replied with a smirk.
As the rock pillar lifted off the ground, carrying the furious and very-much-defeated Ivan into the sky, Rhodes squinted after them.
"You sure about leaving Ivan with them? What if he breaks free later?"
"Rod, the Uchiha don't break promises. That's why I trust them. Oh, and Pepper just messaged me—those three kids you met earlier? Protected her like pros."
"Wait, those were kids?"
"Yup. Geniuses, apparently."
---
Kitsuchi flew across the sky, Ivan still swearing in Russian atop his makeshift stone pedestal. Not that Kitsuchi understood him. He barely spoke English—Russian might as well be bird calls.
Still, he didn't need translation to know Ivan was cursing him out.
He just didn't care.
Arriving at a reclaimed island named Penglai, Kitsuchi descended. The name came from myth—an Eastern fairy island—and was chosen to reflect the cultural mix of those living there.
"Shisui, I brought the target," Kitsuchi announced.
Uchiha Shisui nodded. As always, he was calm and precise. Of all people, he was the most skilled when it came to bending minds—a task Su Xiuyu entrusted only to him.
"Thanks. You've done well, Kitsuchi," Shisui said sincerely.
Over time, the two had built quiet mutual respect. Both were mission-focused, unconcerned with politics or ego. Their cooperation was seamless.
"I'm curious," Kitsuchi asked, "Why go through so much effort to capture Ivan? Or is it something Lord Xiuyu doesn't want me to know?"
"Not at all," Shisui replied. "In fact, Lord Xiuyu said you're someone we can fully trust."
"Then why Ivan?"
"Because he's brilliant. Unstable, yes—but brilliant. He improved his father's arc reactor design on his own and created weapons like the Mourning Whip. Lord Xiuyu plans to repurpose that mind… once it's been corrected."
"Brainwashing him into serving us, huh," Kitsuchi mused. "Makes sense."
And it did make sense. Ivan wasn't evil because he lacked talent—he was dangerous because of it.
---
Meanwhile, Su Xiuyu's strength and vision had attracted more than just ninjas. After Captain Marvel departed Earth, many Skrulls had sought shelter. Some, like the ones Nick Fury worked with, formed alliances with S.H.I.E.L.D. Others went rogue.
But a significant faction—primarily scientists and warriors—pledged loyalty to Su Xiuyu.
They saw clearly: the universe was brutal, and strength mattered more than politics.
With Su Xiuyu's protection, they no longer feared being hunted by the Kree. And in return, Su Xiuyu gained access to cutting-edge alien tech—like the Skrull warships now docked at Penglai.
As it turns out, the ones who understood science the best were the ones quickest to kneel before true strength.
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