One day, the Source delivered a final message to him.
"The time has come. Your learning here is complete. There is a world that needs you—a world where you will find what you seek."
Naruto closed the Eyes of Origin, his new pupils pulsing softly. He felt a vibration—different from the Source, yet equally powerful. It was the call of another place, another reality. With one last thought of gratitude toward the Source, he focused, and the infinite space opened before him.
He was suddenly thrown into a dark alleyway, the acrid scent of gasoline and dampness filling the air. The blaring of horns and the roar of engines reached his ears—a deafening cacophony after the harmonious silence of the Source.
He had returned to a physical reality, a world brimming with chaos and life.
He was in New York. The city, with its towering skyscrapers and glittering lights, was a stark contrast to the forests of Konoha or the nebulae of the Source. He had no idea what year it was, but the architecture and vehicles pointed to an era he had never known in his former world.
As he began to adjust to this new reality, his Eyes of Origin scanning the environment, he heard rapid footsteps and a rough, determined voice.
"Over here! We've got him!"
A woman appeared at the corner of the alley, her fiery red hair glowing beneath the dim streetlights. She wore a dark, fitted suit and moved with feline agility, her green eyes sweeping through the shadows.
He recognized her instantly—not from any personal memory, but from the vast well of information the Source had granted him.
Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow.
She didn't notice him at first, her sharpened senses focused entirely on the chase. A group of armed men followed close behind, their faces twisted with fury.
Natasha found herself cornered, a brick wall at her back, the men closing in. She drew her electrified batons, ready to fight.
Naruto could have watched, analyzed. He could have remained in the shadows, unseen. But something within him—a remnant of his old thirst for recognition, his deep-rooted desire to help—compelled him to act. He felt different, more powerful than ever, yet the instinct to protect the innocent still burned inside him.
In a flash, he materialized between Natasha and her attackers. The men froze, eyes wide. With his immaculate white hair and cosmic eyes, Naruto was an apparition.
"I don't think so," Naruto said, his voice deeper now, more resonant, but with an unexpected trace of melancholy.
The men hesitated, then the leader—a bald colossus—sneered. "Who the hell are you, kid? Get out of the way before things get ugly."
Naruto looked at them with a strange expression. It wasn't anger, but a kind of pity. He raised a hand, and the Eyes of Origin glowed with an indescribable light. He made no violent move. He launched no attack. He simply looked at them.
In an instant, the men felt their bodies stiffen. Their weapons slipped from their hands. They dropped to their knees, unable to move, their faces contorted with fear. They weren't hurt—but their will was shattered. Naruto had simply… frozen their intent. He had canceled their ability to act with hostility. It was a subtle, yet absolute, manifestation of his control over creation and chaos.
Natasha stared, stunned. She had never seen anything like it. This man—this boy with celestial bearing—had neutralized armed professionals without lifting a finger. His eyes, in particular, intrigued her. They were terrifyingly beautiful, and impossibly deep.
Naruto turned to her, his expression soft and curious. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice resonating through the quiet alley.
Natasha snapped back to herself. She was a spy, trained to handle the unknown—but this unknown was something else entirely. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice cautious, yet with a hint of wonder.
Naruto looked at her for a long moment, the Eyes of Origin seeming to peer into her soul. He saw the past pain, the resilience, the strength hidden beneath the polished surface of the professional. He also saw a spark of kindness.
"I'm Naruto," he said. "And I come from a place very far away." He gave a small smile—a rare gesture for him. "You seem… interesting."
Despite the danger she had just faced, Natasha couldn't help but return the smile. There was something so… pure in the way he carried himself, despite the overwhelming power that radiated from him.
"Well, Naruto from a very faraway place," she said, standing up and holstering her batons, "thank you. I think you just saved me from a tight spot."
He nodded, then glanced at the immobilized men. "They won't be a problem anymore."
Natasha stepped forward cautiously. "I've never seen anything like that. What was it?"
"A bit of control over reality," Naruto replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "They can't do anything that goes against their deepest will."
Natasha frowned. "And what is their deepest will?"
"To live," Naruto said simply. "And not to cause harm when faced with a power they can't understand."
She looked at him, trying to decipher this strange being. Her eyes kept drifting to his—those eyes that seemed to contain galaxies. "You're…" She searched for the word. "You're not human."
Naruto smiled again—a soft, melancholic smile. "I used to be. A long time ago. But the Source changed me." He gestured vaguely toward the night sky. "I'm here because it told me I would find what I've always searched for. What I never had."
Natasha felt an odd connection to this young man. He spoke of emptiness, of loneliness—things she knew all too well. "And what is that?" she asked softly.
Naruto looked her straight in the eyes, his Eyes of Origin shimmering with an unexpected vulnerability. "Love. To be loved. To understand what that feels like."
Silence fell between them, heavy with the weight of Naruto's words. Natasha—the woman whose life was woven with lies and secrets, who had always kept her emotions at arm's length—was moved by the disarming honesty of this cosmic being.
"That's a big thing to ask for," she said at last.
"I know," Naruto replied, his gaze full of fragile hope. "I've never known it. No one's ever looked at me without fear or disgust—except for one person. And there was never space for it."
Natasha sat down on an old wooden crate, her gaze lost in the stars. She—the assassin, the spy—found herself talking about love with a being who had literally come from another dimension. It was absurd. And yet… there was something in his eyes, in his deep yearning, that resonated within her.
"Love," Natasha began, her voice soft and uncertain, "isn't just a word. It's… it's a feeling that can make you incredibly strong and incredibly vulnerable at the same time. It's giving a part of yourself to someone, and letting them do the same. It's caring about someone more than you care about yourself."
Naruto listened intently, absorbing every word, every nuance. His Eyes of Origin seemed to analyze the concepts, integrating them into his understanding.
"It's trust," Natasha continued. "It's showing who you really are, with all your flaws, and knowing the other person won't judge you. It's wanting the other person's happiness—even if it doesn't always work out for you." She paused, a melancholic smile tugging at her lips. "It's a risk. A huge risk."
Naruto nodded slowly. "A risk… but one worth taking?"
"If it's real love, yes," Natasha replied, her gaze meeting his. "It's always worth it."
Silence fell again, but this time it wasn't heavy. It was filled with a new connection, a budding understanding between two lonely souls.
"I have nowhere to go," Naruto said, breaking the quiet. "The Source told me to find you. Or rather, someone like you."
Natasha looked at him, a bold thought crossing her mind. She was supposed to bring those men in to S.H.I.E.L.D., but this "Naruto" was an unprecedented anomaly. And he needed help. Then again, who could help her with her own burdens?
"I could help you," she said, a hint of recklessness in her voice. "Not with love—that's something you'll have to figure out on your own. But… I can show you this world. And maybe, just maybe, help you understand how to navigate human relationships."
Naruto, the young man who could manipulate reality, creation, and destruction, felt a flicker of hope ignite within him. "You would do that?"
Natasha smiled. "I'm a spy, not a monster. And you seem like you have a lot to learn. And maybe… maybe I can learn something from you too." She stood up. "Come on. We can't stay here all night. I have a safe apartment. We can talk more there."
Naruto followed her without hesitation. He had traveled across the Omniverse, mastered cosmic powers, but this was the first time in a long while that he felt such lightness, such anticipation. He had a mission, a purpose beyond survival. He had found someone willing to teach him what no one else ever had. He had found… a connection.
As they walked side by side through the bustling streets of New York, Natasha glanced over at Naruto. His white hair shimmered under the city lights, and his eyes… his eyes were like stars. She wondered what kind of adventures this young man would bring into her life. And for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel so alone.