The group materialized inside the League hideout, the soft hum of the portal fading as the familiar surroundings of Shiva's chamber came into view. The room was dimly lit by the gentle glow of enchanted crystals embedded in the walls, casting serene shadows across the elegant furnishings.
Naruto's eyes immediately landed on the figure lying on the bed.
Shiva.
She looked peaceful—her breathing even, her body untouched by harm, as though she had merely taken a nap. But Naruto, ever cautious, moved forward and gently patted her cheek.
A swift blur of motion—a hand lashed out instinctively toward his face, but Naruto was already expecting it. He caught her wrist with a smirk as Shiva's eyes snapped open, sharp and alert.
She blinked once, her gaze adjusting to the room before falling on Naruto.
The moment hung in the air.
Then, without words, Naruto pulled her into a hug—firm and warm, a release of the tension he had kept buried during their absence. Shiva, momentarily startled, found herself melting into the embrace. Her arms circled around him slowly, with a softness she wasn't used to showing.
Warmth.
Connection.
Shiva had lived a life of logic and cold calculations, a path carved by discipline and strength. But ever since Naruto had entered her life—unpredictable, radiant, unrelenting—something had changed. His presence was like gravity, always pulling others toward him.
What had started as admiration for his strength and leadership had evolved—a quiet longing, one she had buried under layers of restraint.
And when she had given herself to him, when she became his, Shiva experienced something no calculation had ever prepared her for: intimacy. Pleasure. Belonging.
The child had been enough, she thought. A future legacy. But now… now she wanted more.
As she rested in his arms, her voice broke the moment.
"I am happy with this gesture," she said in her usual cool tone, "but why is everyone here? Did something happen to me?"
To an outsider, she sounded indifferent. But those who knew her—Kara, Raven, Donna, Diana—noticed the subtle shift. The ever-present edge in her voice was softer. Her body, more relaxed. Even Queen, usually disinterested, flicked her eyes over and noted the change.
Naruto exchanged a glance with the others. Clearly, Nyx had hidden the truth from Shiva.
He immediately checked her body with a subtle scan of chakra and sensory perception. Her vitals were perfect. Her body was healed… cleansed.
And then he noticed it.
She wasn't pregnant anymore.
His hands paused on her shoulders as a frown crept across his face.
'What did Nyx do?'
He didn't voice it, but the others saw the tension in his eyes.
"Is there anything wrong?" Shiva asked, tilting her head slightly, sharp gaze fixed on his.
Kara stepped closer, while Raven and Donna leaned in with concern. Diana remained composed, but her eyes were observant. Queen remained aloof as usual, arms crossed and posture disinterested.
Naruto finally spoke, his tone careful but honest.
"You're fine. There's nothing wrong with your body… but you're not pregnant anymore."
The statement hit the room like a drop of water into stillness.
Gasps. Confusion. Silence.
Most of the girls stared at him in disbelief. Why would Nyx—or anyone—remove the child? Was there a deeper purpose? A hidden danger?
Naruto didn't have answers, only more questions.
But Shiva—she remained calm, her face unreadable as her mind processed the revelation.
The child she had carried was more than just a product of union—it had been her future, a legacy tied to the man she had finally chosen. To have it taken from her without consent was no small thing.
And yet…
She met Naruto's gaze, her expression composed but her voice laced with purpose.
"Master," she said, without hesitation or embarrassment, "I want you to impregnate me again."
Her words struck with the weight of truth. There was no hesitation. No pretense.
Shiva had never been one to mince words. And this—this was no different.
Unlike the others who danced around affection and courtship, Shiva spoke with conviction and certainty. She had chosen him, and she wanted the bond between them to be sealed once more.
A stunned silence followed, broken only by the faint creak of a shifting chair as Queen turned her gaze away, muttering something about drama.
Kara raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. Diana gave a small nod, as if silently respecting Shiva's decisiveness. Donna blushed and looked at the floor. Raven's eyes twitched, a faint flush coloring her usually unreadable face.
Naruto blinked, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
"You really don't hold back, do you?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Shiva didn't answer with words.
She only held his gaze and let her expression speak.
As Naruto stood silently, absorbing the weight of the revelation, Raven's voice cut through the air, laced with cool rationality.
"She might have used your DNA to make a clone or something. I don't think she's going to stop playing around with you."
Her tone lacked emotion, but the words struck like daggers. She had no doubt that Nyx, as mysterious and unpredictable as she was, was capable of such manipulation.
"Agreed," Kara added, crossing her arms and stepping closer. "That woman was suspicious from the start. Their kind is known for playing with destinies like toys. She might have actually given birth to the child herself. It would explain why Shiva isn't pregnant anymore."
Kara's expression was firm—cold fury simmering beneath. The thought of someone robbing her comrade's future and meddling with Naruto's legacy boiled her blood.
"Your conclusions aren't baseless," Queen chimed in, surprisingly supportive. Her sharp eyes glinted with familiarity. "In the realm of immortals, especially beings like Nyx, these things aren't even considered wrong. A child? A life? To them, it's just a ripple in time."
Naruto let out a slow breath, then turned to Shiva.
"We'll take it slowly, Shiva," he said, his voice gentler now. He reached out, brushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "You're mine from this day forth."
The declaration, soft yet resolute, made Shiva's gaze waver. The subtle warmth in his words soothed the sting of her stolen motherhood.
But Naruto wasn't done.
His eyes sharpened as he activated his inner senses again, this time tracing the delicate remnants left on Shiva's body. His chakra scanned every detail, and then—he found them. Traces. Clues. Hints of what Nyx had done.
Faint, but undeniable.
She had given birth.
Nyx hadn't erased it completely. Perhaps as a sign. Perhaps as a mockery. Either way, she'd left her mark for him to discover.
Naruto's jaw clenched. He turned to the others.
"Your conclusion is right, Kara," he said, his voice calm, though his fists trembled slightly. "Shiva's body shows signs of birth. They're faint, but there. Nyx has my child now."
Silence fell like a shroud over the room.
Even Queen's usual indifference vanished, replaced by thoughtful silence. Diana's eyes darkened with unspoken anger, and Raven folded her arms tightly, lips pressed in a firm line.
"What is your plan now?" Diana asked, tone sharp but measured.
Naruto looked around at the gathered women—his lovers, his allies, his family. He wanted vengeance. He wanted to storm Nyx's realm and tear down whatever barriers she had placed.
But he knew the truth. They couldn't beat her. Not yet.
"We can't do anything to Nyx right now," Naruto admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "She said she won't go far, and I'll trust Gaea to keep her in check... for now. I'll wait for her next move—and when the time comes, I'll be ready to take my child back."
His fingers ran through his hair as he looked up at the ceiling, eyes distant.
Once again, he was at the mercy of a higher power.
Once again, he was reminded of how far he still had to go.
It wasn't enough.
His strength wasn't enough.
Not yet.
But he would change that.
Without warning, Naruto clapped his hands together in a seal. A powerful pulse of chakra surged out from his body, activating the ancient summoning seals linked to every one of his companions.
In a flash of light, the scene shifted—the chamber faded—and they reappeared in the moon base.
The meeting room.
Every member of his extended family was there now—brought by force.
Dozens of eyes blinked in surprise, adjusting to the sudden teleportation.
The air thrummed with tension as everyone looked toward him, waiting for an explanation.
The sudden shift to the moon base had startled many of them, but the moment Naruto began speaking, all thoughts of confusion vanished. His words were grave, laced with a weight that immediately silenced the room. Everyone could feel it—something had changed.
He stood at the center of the long circular room, its high ceiling domed with crystal glass that revealed the cold, silent beauty of space above. The moon base had always served as a meeting point during times of emergency, and Naruto invoking its use was enough to tell them this was no simple matter.
The members of his extended family, his most trusted companions, were now seated around the large round table. Their attire was casual—some were barefoot, others had clearly been pulled mid-nap—but they composed themselves with the professionalism honed from years of battle and loss. Not a single person broke the solemn atmosphere with levity. They were warriors, leaders, immortals, and legends in their own right—and they knew Naruto would not have summoned them unless the need was dire.
Naruto glanced at each of them, eyes pausing a second longer on his wives and closest friends. Then, with a steady voice that cut through the stillness, he began.
"Sorry for the urgent summons, but I need your opinions. We just met Gaea and learned that our world is moving toward a crisis—one that could erase everything. Not just this planet, but everything tied to it. I'm supposed to play a major role in stopping it… but I'm not strong enough."
He paused for breath, tension clinging to his shoulders.
"Gaea proposed something... something drastic. She wants to change my genetic structure—reawaken my ancestral bloodline. Specifically, she wants to take me back to my origin. To the first Otsutsuki. The Progenitor." His gaze swept over the room. "What do you all think?"
As he finished speaking, several shimmering illusions appeared in the center of the table—holographic projections conjured by Naruto's chakra, illustrating Gaea, the potential transformation process, and the historical lore of the Otsutsuki.
The group watched intently. There were no interruptions. This wasn't just about Naruto—it was about all of them.
Veritas, seated beside Raven and Donna, was the first to respond. Her eyes gleamed with scientific insight, but her tone was filled with caution.
"From studying your body, I can confirm your ancestry is incredibly potent. That level of origin... it's a cosmic catalyst. If she can return you to the progenitor state, it would give you power beyond comprehension." She folded her hands, eyes narrowing. "But there's always a risk with such manipulations. Your mind might not remain the same. Worse still, it could imprint a trace of the Otsutsuki King's will. There are examples of similar things—vampires dominated by their bloodline leaders. We must tread carefully."
Before she finished, Blue Battle leaned forward. The quiet techno-knight's voice was firm, backed by the cold knowledge of universal records.
"According to the Reach's database, the Otsutsuki are a parasitic race. Dangerous, cruel, and devoid of compassion. They devour worlds for power, even when they don't need to. They're immortal, but their instincts drive them to hunt living planets. Stars and barren planets aren't enough for them. They enjoy the destruction—the suffering."
He tapped the table, and a star map displayed a record of their known path through the multiverse.
"The Lantern Corps watches them closely. They're considered Tier-One threats to universal stability. And the Progenitor—your potential origin—he's real. He rules a dimension of over 10,000 Otsutsuki and last fought Imperiex. Their battle destroyed a galaxy." He looked Naruto in the eye. "If you go through with this, you'll be closer to him than anyone else in existence. Think carefully."
A hush followed, before Impulse—never one to stay quiet for long—spoke up from the far side of the room. His normally energetic demeanor was tempered, grounded by the seriousness of the situation.
"They're monsters, no doubt. I've met one in the future—talking to them is like talking to a black hole. Cold, arrogant, and completely sure they're better than you." He sat forward, resting his elbows on the table. "But Gaea? I trust her. I've seen what she does even in the future. She's always been a guardian. If she's offering you this, then she believes in your will to remain yourself." He gave a rare, serious nod. "I say go for it—unless you don't trust your own soul to handle it."
Pamela, sitting beside Kushina, raised her hand slightly and added her quiet voice to the mix.
"I've spent time with Gaea. She's guided me when I struggled with nature magic. She never once asked for anything in return. I trust her." Her gaze lingered on Naruto. "But whatever you choose... it will change you."
Kushina then stood, her arms folded, her expression warm yet proud.
"Naruto," she said gently, "you've always walked your path. Not perfectly, but with heart. You don't need my opinion—but I'll say this: I trust you. You make the right calls. Always have."
Several others nodded in agreement, murmuring affirmations. Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Rias, even Queen, who rarely voiced support, gave a slight nod of approval.
Naruto looked around once more, noting how even without speaking, the room had united around him. Their words weren't meant to sway his decision—but to remind him of one thing:
He wasn't alone.
He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.
Gaea had offered him a path filled with unknowns.
But perhaps the answer didn't lie in what the Otsutsuki were... but in who he was.
When he opened his eyes again, they gleamed with resolve.
But he said nothing yet—he would take his time.
"Anyone else?" he asked, giving one last opportunity.
The room remained silent.
No one else needed to speak. Their hearts had already been laid bare.
Now, the decision... was his alone.