Chapter Text
After that day on the terrace, Tony Stark seemed possessed by a new, blazing obsession — understanding Naruto, understanding everything about her world. This wasn’t like his past projects, driven solely by the thrill of a challenge. This was personal. Deeply personal. As if unraveling the mysteries of her universe could bring him closer to her, make him better at shielding her from its shadows.
In the lab, with JARVIS projecting holograms into the air and coffee mugs scattered across the floor, Tony would have Naruto sit beside him — sometimes on the swivel chair, sometimes on his lap, laughing quietly at the exaggerated excitement he showed with every new revelation.
“Alright, recap with me here…” Tony spun in his chair, pointing at the holographic map JARVIS displayed — an ancient-looking thing dotted with names straight out of a fantasy RPG. “Six great nations. Land of Fire, Land of Water, Lightning, Wind, Earth… and Land of Iron? Seriously? What’s next, Land of Plastic? Land of Fluffy Snow?”
Naruto burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.
“It’s not that weird, ‘ttebayo!” she managed between giggles. “The Land of Iron is neutral — home to samurai.”
Tony arched a brow.
“Samurai? And they’ve got, what, ninja plasma magic or something?”
“No. Just swords.”
Tony clutched his chest in mock horror.
“Just? JUST?! That’s a cinematic tragedy, you know.”
Naruto laughed harder, shaking her head. He loved that sound — light, unguarded. It lit up corners of him he’d thought were long dead.
As Naruto explained, Tony scribbled notes and had JARVIS catalog everything. She spoke of how each nation was ruled by a daimyō, while the ninja villages were governed by Kages.
“So it’s like… military presidents instead of civilian ones?” Tony summarized, propping his chin on his hand. “And these leaders get ridiculously cool titles: Mizukage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, Kazekage… Hokage.”
He lingered on the last one, glancing at her with a sidelong smile.
Naruto’s cheeks pinkened.
“The Hokage leads my village, Konohagakure,” she explained. “It was my dream to become one.”
Tony’s grin widened.
“Obviously. You were born to lead.”
It felt effortless to say. True.
But then Naruto delved deeper — into village structures, the shinobi system. How children were trained from infancy to become soldiers. How war forced boys and girls to grow up too soon.
Tony froze. A hot discomfort crawled up his spine.
“Wait—” His voice turned icy. “You’re telling me they sent six-year-olds to war?”
Naruto’s eyes held something between sorrow and resignation as she nodded.
“Yeah. It was… normal. Kakashi-sensei graduated at five. Fought in the war as a child.”
Tony dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated.
“That’s sick.” A low growl. “At six, I was trying to stick glow-in-the-dark stars to my ceiling without Jarvis catching me. And he was killing people?”
Naruto hugged her knees, gaze dropping.
“That’s why… after seeing this world, I want to change mine.” Her voice was soft but steel-clad. “I want a place where kids can grow up without carrying kunai.”
Tony’s chest tightened.
He knelt before her, cradling her small hands in his.
“You will.” The conviction in his voice was a promise — one already spawning a thousand plans in his mind. “And I’ll be right there with you. Don’t even try to stop me.”
Naruto smiled, eyes glittering with unshed tears. She didn’t need to reply; her smile said everything.
The mood shifted when Tony’s curiosity latched onto chakra-based medicine.
Naruto explained med-nins — ninja healers — and how they used chakra to mend wounds that would require hours of surgery here.
Tony’s jaw dropped, nearly knocking over his coffee.
“You’re joking!” he exclaimed. “You’ve got cellular regeneration that makes our best hospitals look like butcher shops?! And no one’s invented, I dunno, a ninja MRI machine?!”
Naruto wheezed with laughter.
“No, Tony! No one cares about tech like that.” She wiped her eyes. “We use chakra for everything. Transport, communication, healing, fighting…”
Tony clutched his chest like a scandalized noble.
“Blasphemy. Technological negligence. This is— this is an outrage to modern science!”
Naruto laughed so hard she nearly toppled off the chair.
Tony watched her, enchanted.
Every laugh was a reminder: she wasn’t just the warrior carrying a world on her back. She was Naruto — bright, incredible, deserving of joy.
They spent hours like this, trading questions, jokes, and knowing glances as time slipped away unnoticed.
But one question still weighed on Tony’s chest. One he’d avoided, despite the way it gnawed at him every time he recalled her past.
In a quiet lull, as Naruto sipped her tea, he finally asked:
“Naruto… Do you still have the Kyuubi inside you?”
The moment the words left his mouth, he saw the shift.
Her smile vanished. The cup froze mid-air.
The very air around her seemed to grow heavier.
Tony held his breath, regretting shattering the fragile peace they’d built — but he needed to know.
---
The lab was bathed in soft light, the hum of computers and holographic projectors filling the air like a quiet undercurrent. Naruto sat on one of the workbenches, legs swinging absently beside her half-finished tea, while Tony leaned against the opposite table, arms crossed and gaze locked onto her.
His question about the Kyuubi still hung between them — heavy, unavoidable.
Naruto exhaled, long and resigned, her shoulders relaxing as she accepted there was no dodging this conversation any longer.
"The Bijuu… they’re not mindless beasts, Tony," she began, voice steady but threaded with something fragile. "They’ve existed since the dawn of my world. Beings of pure chakra. Ancient consciousnesses."
Tony arched a brow.
"Okay, so far it’s sounding like those deities religious folks keep yapping about. Go on."
A faint smile tugged at her lips before she continued.
"The problem is… people fear what they don’t understand. And fear breeds hatred. So they hunted the Bijuu. Tried to control them. Use them. Lock them away."
"Ah yes, because nothing says ‘sound decision-making’ like shoving a cosmic entity into a jar and hoping for the best," Tony drawled, sarcasm dripping.
Naruto huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
"Yeah. In my world, that led to Jinchūriki — people chosen to seal the Bijuu inside them."
Tony whistled low.
"Let me guess… the volunteer list was overflowing."
Her smile dimmed.
"No one volunteered, Tony."
That simple sentence made his fists clench unconsciously. He hated injustice — always had. But seeing the shadow in her eyes made his blood boil in a whole new way.
"In my case…" Naruto’s voice softened. "The day I was born, an enemy freed the Kyuubi from my mother. To save the village, my father sealed it inside me instead."
Tony took two instinctive steps toward her. Every word from her lips was like a knife to his ribs, but he kept his expression light — because she needed that right now, not pity.
He closed the distance and pulled her into a tight hug.
"You’re officially the strongest person I’ve ever met," he murmured into her hair. "And I know the Hulk."
Naruto muffled a laugh against his chest.
"I just did what I could."
"And did it better than anyone else ever could," Tony fired back without hesitation.
He pulled back just enough to see her face.
"Keep going, sweetheart. I want to know everything."
Naruto nodded, inhaling deeply.
"At first, I thought the Kyuubi — Kurama — was just hatred. But over time… I realized he was just hurt. Trapped. Used."
"Classic story," Tony muttered, bitter. "Could make a documentary: ‘How People Ruin Everything: An Eternal Tradition.’"
Naruto gave a weak chuckle, but her eyes shone with gratitude — for his lack of pity, for his understanding.
"I promised I’d help Kurama. Free him. Even when he doubted me… I never gave up on him."
Tony’s chest swelled with pride so fierce it ached.
"Of course you didn’t. You’re stubborn as hell."
Naruto’s smile widened, and she went on.
"During the Fourth War, it wasn’t just him. I earned the trust of all the Bijuu."
Tony raised a hand like he was taking notes in midair.
"Adding ‘universal diplomat’ to your résumé. Seriously, Naruto, competing with you is starting to feel unfair."
She laughed, shaking her head.
"In the end, Kurama had the choice to be free. But he chose to stay with me."
Tony’s heart squeezed. Who else could’ve done that? No one. Just her.
Then she hesitated, voice dropping even softer.
"During the Hiraishin accident… all the Bijuu were with me. Visiting my home in Konoha. So they… ended up coming to this world too."
Tony blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Wait. You’re telling me you brought an army of ancient kaiju with you?"
Naruto bit her lip.
"…Yes?"
Tony dragged a hand down his face, feigning a dramatic swoon.
"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Imagine the headlines: ‘Billionaire Playboy and His Ninja Girlfriend and Her Giant Monsters: Apartment Hunting in Manhattan.’"
Naruto burst into genuine laughter, tension melting away at his reaction.
Tony, still playing it up, planted his hands on his hips.
"Are they just loose out there? Like, Godzilla meets Pokémon?!"
"No, Tony!" She giggled. "They’re inside my seal."
Tony’s brows shot up.
"Inside? Like… inside inside?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. They’re not roaming around. And they’d only manifest if I were in real danger."
Tony sagged exaggeratedly against the workbench.
"Thank god. I was already picturing SHIELD sending helicarriers to hunt multi-tailed foxes in Central Park."
Naruto laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth.
Tony tilted his head, curiosity (and that ever-present sarcastic glint) returning.
"But okay, serious question: Are they, like, tiny to fit in this little body of yours?"
Naruto’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing.
"No! They’re enormous! Some are the size of mountains!"
Tony blinked once more, then grinned.
"Of course. Because when you adopt pets, you go big."
She punched his shoulder lightly, but she was laughing too hard to put any force behind it.
Tony — utterly fascinated, utterly gone for her — stared like she held the universe together.
"So let me get this straight." He counted off on his fingers. "Ninja. Fox Queen. Savior of mythical creatures. And still has time to make me obsessed with her?"
Naruto’s face flushed pink, but she was grinning.
"They’re not pets," she corrected between laughs. "They’re my friends."
Tony winked.
"Right. Friends. Giant. Mythical. Ancient. Even more impressive. Though you are kinda small for all that power, huh?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, and Tony’s heart soared.
"But that’s why you’re amazing," he said, quieter now, voice dropping to a whisper. "You carry all of this and still light up everyone’s lives."
Naruto glanced away, shy, but Tony gently tugged her back.
He needed her to know — without a shred of doubt — that every part of her, even the ones she thought were heavy or frightening, were things he loved.
And it was in that moment, with his usual casual tone but the most serious look he’d ever worn, that Tony asked:
"So let me ask you something, Princess of Monsters… When do I get to meet this Kyuubi?"
The lab fell silent again.
Naruto froze.
And Tony, heart racing but smile unwavering, held her gaze.
Because nothing about her — not even an ancient, mountain-sized fox — could ever scare him.