CHAPTER 136 — An ignorant response.
The city did not feel like a city anymore.
The streets were broken, split by deep cracks that ran like scars across the concrete. Burned vehicles lay scattered everywhere, tanks, trucks, armored carriers, some overturned, others crushed flat as if stepped on by something far too heavy to care. Smoke drifted between buildings, thick and gray, carrying the smell of fire, gunpowder, fuel, and dust.
Naruto arrived without a sound.
He landed lightly on the broken street, his feet barely making a mark and a sound.
Sage Mode was active.
The orange markings around his eyes stood out clearly against his skin, his pupils flattened like a frog's. Despite that, his expression remained calm. His breathing was slow and steady. Every sound came to him with clarity, the crackle of distant fires, the creak of damaged buildings, the faint echo of heavy footsteps somewhere ahead.
He could feel powerful presences.
Not hostile.
Not friendly either.
Just heavy. Solid. Like mountains that had decided to move.
Naruto did not rush forward.
Instead, he stopped and looked.
Ahead of him, the street stretched wide, cleared in a rough path. On both sides, buildings were damaged, windows blown out, walls torn open. Military vehicles lay in pieces along the road.
And there were bodies.
Soldiers.
Many of them.
They lay where they had fallen, some near their vehicles, others in the open street. Their uniforms were torn, weapons scattered nearby. It was clear there had been heavy fighting here.
Naruto felt a small tightening in his chest.
Not anger.
Not shock.
Just a quiet sadness.
They were soldiers. They had chosen to fight. He understood that. He had lived his whole life as a ninja, trained to kill when needed. killing was not new to him.
But seeing the cost was never easy.
He pushed the feeling aside and focused.
Ahead, moving slowly but steadily, was a massive figure.
Titus.
The giant warrior was pulling a large military truck with one arm. The truck's wheels dragged uselessly along the broken road, sparks flying as metal scraped concrete. Inside the truck were people, captured officials, officers, and personnel. Naruto could sense their fear clearly.
Walking near Titus were three Bladeguard.
They moved in perfect formation, their steps matched, their weapons ready but lowered. They scanned the surroundings constantly, alert but not aggressive.
Behind them stood the Dreadnought.
The massive war machine was silent for now, its towering frame casting a long shadow across the street. Its armor was scarred, marked by battle, but it stood steady, like an unmoving fortress given legs.
Naruto's eyes lit up slightly as he saw them, recognizing familiar people.
he took a breath and raised his voice.
"Hey! Uncle Titus!"
The sound carried clearly through the street.
Titus stopped immediately.
The massive truck slid a short distance before coming to a halt. The three Bladeguard stopped at the same time, turning in unison. Their movements were precise, controlled.
Weapons stayed lowered.
The Dreadnought shifted slightly, its sensors focusing on Naruto.
For a brief moment, everything was still.
Then Titus turned fully.
His helmet locked onto Naruto, scanning him. Naruto knew he looked different now. Sage Mode always changed how people saw him, his posture calmer, his presence heavier, more focused.
But there was no hesitation.
"...Naruto," Titus said, his deep voice steady.
Recognition was immediate.
Naruto smiled a little and gave a small wave. "Yeah. It's me."
The Bladeguard relaxed slightly, though they remained alert. They recognized him too. Naruto had been around Gaius. He was not a stranger.
The Dreadnought finished its scan.
No weapons activated.
No warning tones.
Not an enemy.
It detected unknown energy within the boy's body, but since he was not hostile. He Classified it as a friendly force, it remained still.
Titus watched Naruto closely. Questions formed in his mind. Naruto was from another world. He should not be here. This world was different from Naruto's, so he knew this was not Naruto's world.
Could it be because of Captain Gaius? If he had the ability to bring them here, perhaps he also had the power to bring people from other worlds.
But Titus did not speak those thoughts.
He could feel it too, the massive battle happening kilometers away. Even here, the air trembled faintly from distant impacts. Energy waves rolled through the city like distant thunder.
Captain Gaius was fighting something powerful.
Titus had already considered moving to assist.
But he had orders.
And the mission was not yet complete.
Naruto's eyes moved over the scene again. The broken vehicles. The fallen soldiers. The captured people in the truck.
He did not accuse.
He did not judge.
But he was curious.
"What are you guys doing?" Naruto asked calmly.
The question pulled Titus out of his thoughts.
Because it was Naruto asking, Titus answered honestly.
"We were ordered to capture this city," Titus said. "To force this country to comply with our demands."
Naruto listened quietly.
"We require resources," Titus continued. "Food. Meat. Supplies."
Naruto nodded slowly.
He did not say he agreed.
But he understood.
Gaius' people ate very poorly. Naruto had learned something about their diet, and now he realized Gaius was taking this opportunity to gather supplies in this world. He even seemed to approve of it, at least slightly.
"I see," Naruto said.
Then he looked up, meeting Titus' gaze.
"Gaius asked for assistance," Naruto said clearly. "So I came."
That stopped them all.
Titus paused.
The Bladeguard froze for half a second.
The Dreadnought reacted immediately.
"Captain Gaius requested assistance?" the Dreadnought asked, its voice deep and mechanical.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah."
He turned slightly, already preparing to leave. "I'll go now."
The Dreadnought did not hesitate.
"I will accompany you," it said. "To assist Captain Gaius."
It turned its massive head toward Titus and the Bladeguard.
"You will continue the mission," it ordered. "Follow Captain Gaius' orders."
"Yes," Titus replied at once.
The Bladeguard answered together, "Understood."
Naruto looked up at the Dreadnought.
He hesitated, then scratched the back of his head slightly.
"Um… sir?" Naruto asked. "How fast can you go?"
The Dreadnought was huge and bulky, and it seemed to move slowly, which made him hesitate.
The Dreadnought answered without pause. "Running speed: twenty kilometers per hour."
Naruto blinked.
He did not really understand what that meant. But something about it felt… slow.
"How can I make you go faster?" Naruto asked.
The Dreadnought looked down the street toward where Gaius was fighting. The road ahead was clogged with cars, trucks, debris, and wreckage.
"If the path is cleared," the Dreadnought said, "I can reach full charge speed. Approximately twenty-eight kilometers per hour."
Naruto turned toward the street.
"Then let's go," he said.
He formed hand seals quickly.
Hundreds of shadow clones appeared at once, spreading out across the road.
They moved fast.
Some pushed cars aside like toys. Others lifted and flipped smaller vehicles. When they encountered large trucks or heavy obstacles, several clones worked together, forming Rasengan and smashing the blockage apart.
The path cleared rapidly.
The Dreadnought responded.
Its internal systems roared to life. Heavy mechanical sounds echoed as it shifted into a running posture.
Then it moved.
Each step shook the ground. Concrete cracked deeply under its weight, leaving large pits behind. Buildings rattled as it passed.
It looked less like a machine and more like a walking building in motion.
Together, Naruto and the Dreadnought advanced toward the battlefield.
Meanwhile, missiles filled the sky.
Gaius, Superman, Tony, Batman, and Diana all looked up at the same time.
The missile formation was dense, coming straight toward them.
Tony reacted first.
"More Missiles," he said sharply.
Micro-missiles burst from his shoulders, streaking upward. They detonated enemy missiles mid-air, bright explosions lighting the sky.
Superman joined in, firing precise heat vision beams. He was careful, adjusting his angles, making sure no blast would hit them below.
Gaius drew his bolter and fired with perfect timing, each shot detonating a missile before it could reach them.
Batman moved instantly, diving for cover. He pressed himself behind broken concrete, knowing his body could not survive explosions that close.
Diana stood ready but did not act. She had no long-range options, and the others were handling it.
Missiles aimed directly at them were destroyed.
Those that were not exploded nearby, shaking the ground and tearing apart more of the city.
Then, finally, the sky cleared.
Silence returned.
"Missiles," Gaius said calmly.
"An ignorant response."
"They will pay for this."
Batman stepped forward, clearly disturbed by Gaius' statement.
He understood that the government had acted wrongly. But Gaius' retaliation would be catastrophic.
He looked up at Gaius.
"What is your men's purpose?" Batman asked.
Gaius looked down at him. His blue optics showed no emotion.
"They follow my orders," Gaius said. "Their purpose is to capture this city. To force compliance. To secure supplies."
Batman took a breath.
"Then stop your men," he said. "I will supply you instead."
He did not know if he truly could.
But he was Bruce Wayne.
Gaius was silent for a moment.
"If this were earlier," Gaius said, "I might have agreed."
"Now," he continued, "they have attacked. Punishment is required."
Batman stared at him.
Then he turned away.
Diana and Tony remained by Gaius' side.
Superman hesitated.
He disliked Gaius' methods. The slaughter.
He also disliked the government's actions.
He felt grateful to Tony for locating his mother.
Ultimately, he chose to stand with Batman.
So he followed Batman.
~~~
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