LightReader

Chapter 29 - Professor X

Author's Note: I started a Discord community for anyone who wants to hang out, talk stories, swap ideas, or just chill together. If you're interested, here's the server link: /JgHFdDJu2V

___

Naruto walked through the bustling streets of New York like he owned it.

Steam rose from the subway grates. Horns echoed off buildings, music blasted from open car windows, and the scent of halal carts and gasoline clung to the July air. He kept his hood low over messy blond hair, hands deep in his pockets.

The oversized black and orange hoodie hung loose over black joggers and faded sneakers. He passed by a corner bodega without looking, the bell above the door jingling behind someone else. The scent of fried empanadas, incense, and cat food drifted out into the street, thick and weirdly comforting.

"¡Oye, Naruto! You still owe me for that peach soda you swiped last week!" called the owner from behind the cluttered counter.

A wiry man in his sixties with gold chains and a Yankees cap, he waved a plastic spoon in Naruto's direction while stirring a Styrofoam cup of arroz con leche.

Naruto raised a lazy hand without turning. "Put it on my tab, old man."

"You don't have a tab, chico!"

"Then start one!"

The man snorted, muttering in Spanish as he turned back to the tiny TV wedged between shelves of canned beans and bootleg DVDs. A fat tabby cat lounged near the register, barely twitching.

Kurama chuckled low inside him. "They seem like they like you."

"What can I say? I'm charming," Naruto said.

"More like you're a freeloader."

He smirked and kept walking. The noise of the bodega faded behind him, swallowed by the deeper pulse of the city.

Kurama's voice curled through his skull again, gravel dragging against steel. "So are you gonna keep walking like you're in some sad music video, or are you finally gonna talk about it?"

Naruto tilted his head back, watching a pigeon cut across the fire escapes overhead. "…Talk about what?"

"Don't play dumb. In the last few weeks you got 'killed' by that Sentry lunatic, woke up in a whole different world, fought a pack of deranged gods, and then had to punch yourself in the face, literally. Like anyone would walk away from that without traumatic scars. And unlike your little archer and fangirl friends, I live inside your skull. I know exactly when the walls are closing in."

Naruto let out a slow breath, his hands sinking deeper into his pockets. "…Yeah. Hard not to feel it, furball. But I've got more important things to think about."

It hadn't even been a full month since he met Kate Bishop and Kamala Khan before they started getting into the thick of it.

They were a pair of rookie heroes with more guts than sense and a knack for finding trouble easily.

When they first met they were getting pounded by the Wrecking Crew and he was forced by Kurama to step in due to.. Immense duress.

Some bank robbery near Hell's Kitchen, he couldn't even remember the cross street anymore. He wasn't trying to be a hero. Just saw people who needed help.

After that they tracked him down to his boring day job and convinced him to join their newly formed team, with a little help from Kurama of course.

One fight turned into a team-up.

A team-up turned into friendship.

And somehow that turned into them blowing open a trafficking ring. Omega Red's operation, was hidden beneath a textile warehouse in Queens. Children, weapons, stolen identities, and powered people being bought and sold.

Pyotr and Illyana were guarding the place. Just teens with blood on their hands but chains on their backs. It could've gone sideways. It did go sideways.

But they survived. They won. Too bad it didn't stop there.

"Then came Val Fontaine," Naruto muttered. His breath left a thin cloud in the air-conditioned blur of the corner store he passed.

Kurama snorted. "Her and her little daycare full of psychos."

Bullseye. Wearing Clint Barton's suit, killing in his name like it meant nothing. Naruto still remembered the way he moved, psychopathic precision like a machine, eyes dead behind the smug grin.

And Justin Hammer, stuffed into an iron suit like a man playing Iron Man in a middle school play. All of them working under Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The former FBI Director turned SHIELD director with more secrets than the vault of the Vatican.

They tried to drag Naruto and his friends into their mess. He dragged them into the dirt instead.

After that, things got mythological.

New Asgard.

Kate and Kamala were supposed to be laying low. Helping civilians. Instead, they ended up smack in the middle of a divine meltdown. Kate fought Bullseye. This time in the ruins of an Asgardian courtyard, where statues bled and fire danced on broken cobblestones, just only bareilly surviving the encounter.

Kamala went toe-to-toe with Hammer, using all of her wit, strength, and skill to subdue the violent manchild in a tin suit.

And Naruto?

He fought Ares. The literal God of War.

He was the strongest opponent Naruto had ever fought. A swing of his axe split the skies. The wind peeled back the clouds like paper. Every punch Naruto threw could've laid flat a building. But every swing Ares took could've flattened a mountain. It was a fight that wasn't supposed to be winnable. But he didn't back down. He never could.

He didn't win, either. Despite what the official records say.

Because that's when Sentry came. Or rather, when The Void came.

One second it was Robert Reynolds, confused, broken, and powerful. The next, it was something else. Something wrong. The sky turned black. The Earth shook.

And despite teaming up with a group of Gods they had only just barely won and returned The Void back into Robert Reynolds.

Naruto was intent on sparing him, having him face justice for his crimes, but in a moment of weakness, Naruto turned his back and the Void had taken that opportunity to sneak attack him, and..

Just like that Naruto was gone, ripped from that battlefield, and hurled into another dimension like trash through a portal.

"And then came the tower," Naruto muttered. His voice caught on the memory like a knife catching flesh.

A twisting labyrinth or dark halls and banished Gods.

Coyotl, the blood-hound trickster with fire in his eyes. Itzpapalotl, the crazed fangirl who was intent on marrying him and having his babies.

And finally Tiboro, the Mad God, mind draped in chaos, and kept eternally young by the sacrifices of his own people.

Naruto fought them all. Bleeding. Almost dying. Coming back. Again and again.

Just for the sliver of chance to meet his friends again.

And then he met himself.

Or rather, the version of him he never wanted to be.

A silver-haired, horned, winged, and cruel warrior. A version that smiled like it pitied him. A version that whispered every fear he had out loud.

"You're not enough."

"You're pretending."

"You're alone."

And the worst part? That version won.

Naruto had lost. Body stolen. Mind shattered. He drifted in silence, forgotten even by himself.

Until he woke up washed up on that damn space beach.

Naruto stopped at a red light, eyes narrowing at the thought. "The Queen of Nevers," he whispered. "Weird bikini lady. Still don't get what her deal was."

"I'm sure people think the same thing about you, brat." Kurama said.

Just as Naruto stepped off the curb, lost in the rhythm of his thoughts, he bumped into someone.

"Whoa, sorry man."

The man steadied himself with practiced calm. He was in a sleek, motorized wheelchair, dressed in a sharp navy suit with a lavender shirt underneath. His short brown hair was neatly combed, and his expression was serene, thoughtful.

"No harm done," the man said with a kind smile. "Plus you're exactly who I was hoping to find."

Naruto blinked. "Do I... know you?"

The man extended a hand towards him.

"No, but my name is Charles Xavier and I know you Mr. Naruto."

Naruto accepted his hand and shook it.

'This guy must be in the older demographics of my fans.' Naruto said internally to Kurama.

Kurama could have laughed but settled for a scoff, "What fans would a useless brat like you have?" he said.

Naruto frowned, "Aren't you like my number 1 fan, Kurama?"

"Tch, I'm moreso a hater than a fan." he grumbled.

"Well isn't this awkward? I don't have a pen or paper so I can't give you an autograph." Naruto said.

The man laughed heartily, "An autograph? God's no! I'm here to speak with you personally." he said.

He gestured towards a small coffee shop on the side of a building titled 787 Coffee

"May I?"

Kurama narrowed his eyes inside of Naruto at the small gesture. There was no sense of malice or evil in him, but he was still cautious nonetheless.

After the crazy turn of event's he had lately it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I'd be cautious about this Naruto.."

Naruto internally waved him off, "Calm down, furball. The guy is in a wheelchair! How much harm could he do?"

Naruto followed the man across the street, weaving between parked cars and construction cones until they reached the cozy brick storefront of 787 Coffee. The scent of espresso and toasted bread wafted out as the door opened with a soft chime.

Inside, the place was warm and low-lit. Exposed pipes lined the ceiling. Vinyl records hung on the walls beside faded Polaroids and string lights. A few tired students and freelancers hunched over laptops, headphones in, coffees half-drunk.

Charles nodded toward a corner table near the window.

"Shall we?"

Naruto gave a casual shrug and plopped down into the seat across from him, spinning the chair once before settling.

"I'm more of a ramen guy," he muttered, scanning the menu above the barista's head. "But I'll pretend to like coffee if you're paying."

Charles smiled as he parked his chair with quiet ease.

"Of course."

Naruto leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"So… what's a guy like you want with someone like me?" he asked, tone light but eyes sharp.

Kurama stayed quiet. For now.

"Straight to business are we?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Professor Xavier folded his hands atop the small table, the soft clink of his cufflinks brushing against the ceramic. He held Naruto's gaze with calm intent, his posture still and composed despite the noise of the coffee shop around them.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier," he began again, his voice clear and steady, with the kind of authority that didn't have to raise its volume to be heard. "I'm the founder of an institution tucked away north of here, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Officially, it's a private academy. We teach literature, mathematics, physics, art... the usual things. But beneath that, it is something else. It's a sanctuary."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, arms loosely crossed. "A sanctuary for what?"

"For mutants," Xavier said softly.

That word hung there for a moment, unfamiliar and heavy.

Naruto blinked. "Mutants?"

Professor X offered a patient smile. "Yes. Individuals born with what's known as an X-gene. A unique biological factor that, when activated typically during adolescence or moments of extreme stress grants them abilities. Powers. Sometimes small, sometimes immense. But always... extraordinary."

Naruto leaned back in his seat, brows drawn slightly. "So... like Marvel Girl?"

"She's something different," Xavier said. "But similar, in some ways."

Naruto tilted his head, confused. "Okay, but where does that put me? I mean, I can do a lot of weird stuff. Am I not a mutant, then?"

Xavier's tone shifted slightly, more curious now. "No. You're not. And that, Mr. Naruto, is precisely why I sought you out. You do not register on any of our scans. You don't possess psionic brainwaves. Your genetics lack the X-gene entirely. Whatever you are... it's not what we've classified. Your abilities don't stem from mutation. They come from somewhere else entirely."

Naruto's face scrunched up. "So... I'm not a mutant. Not human either, probably. So what am I?"

Xavier shook his head slowly. "That, I cannot answer. Yet."

Kurama stirred in his chest, voice thick with amusement. "You were expecting answers from the random cripple who teaches children?"

Naruto sighed, slouching a little. "Kinda thought I was gonna get a cool label out of this or something. 'Super Duper Mutant' or whatever. Feels like I got benched before tryouts."

Xavier laughed gently, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "You're not benched. You're simply... in your own league."

Naruto huffed, the ghost of a grin twitching at his lips. "Thanks I guess. So what do you want from me, exactly?"

The Professor's expression shifted again, the warmth giving way to something heavier. The air around him seemed to dim ever so slightly, as if gravity had subtly increased.

"I've spent the better part of my life searching for young mutants," Xavier said quietly. "Finding them before the world could twist them into monsters... or destroy them out of fear. I've built a haven. A school. A place where they can learn not just to control their powers but to embrace them. To understand themselves."

Naruto listened closely, his easy demeanor fading.

"But things are changing," Xavier continued. "Dramatically. Before the Snap, mutants were rare. Scattered. Now? They're appearing everywhere. Infants in hospitals shattering windows with a single cry. Teenagers levitating off the ground in classrooms. Even adults manifesting powers they didn't know they had."

He paused, his voice lowering further. "And not everyone is as… understanding as I am."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. People want to lock them up. Or use them, and turn them into weapons."

Xavier nodded grimly. "Some already have. I've spent years protecting my students from the public and... through more discreet means. There have been incidents. Dangerous ones. Entire neighborhoods nearly destroyed because a child didn't understand what was happening to them. We've covered them up, for the sake of peace. Mutant-human relations can be fragile and tense."

He looked out the window for a moment, as if the streets might offer a moment of clarity.

"But lately, something's shifted. Certain parties… government, private interests, maybe even remnants of former agencies have developed more advanced detection methods. They're finding mutants before I can due to the sheer increased activity of them and lack of manpower on our side. And they're actively taking them."

Naruto sat up straighter. His fists clenched lightly on the table.

"Taking them? You mean.."

"Kidnapping," Xavier said. "Disappearing without a trace. Sometimes entire families vanish, possibly murdered while their child was taken away. I don't know where they're being taken. I don't know who's behind all of it yet. But I can't be everywhere. I can't protect them all. And yet I cannot allow this to continue."

The Professor looked at Naruto, and this time, there was no politeness in his voice. Just resolve.

"That's why I need you."

Naruto met his eyes. His voice was flat, but steady. "You want me to protect them?"

"No," Xavier said. "I want you to save them."

The word hit heavier than he expected.

Save.

Not fight. Not destroy. Save.

Naruto leaned back, staring at the swirling foam in a stranger's untouched latte two tables over.

He had came back for a reason.

Maybe this was it.

He looked up at the Professor and exhaled slowly.

"Alright, Professor. I'm listening."

___

AUTHOR's NOTE: If you're enjoying American Alien and want to read up to 20 chapters ahead, come support the story (and me) over on P atreon: at p treondotcomslash banmido.

I update daily, so there's always something new to read! More fights, more chaos, more Naruto being in a world that has no idea what to do with him.

Your support means everything. It helps me keep writing, keep improving, and honestly just makes this thing possible. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here.

More Chapters