Nolan descended from orbit, the red tint of Mars still on his suit as he flew back toward home. The sky was clear, the sun was warm—and for the first time in a long time, he felt lighter.
He stepped through the front door.
Gebbie looked up from the couch, saw Allen floating just behind him—and nearly dropped her glass of water.
"What in the world—Nolan! Why is Allen the Alien here?!"
"Long story," Nolan said. "But... I adopted him."
"You what?!"
From the kitchen, Naruto popped his head around the corner with a grin. "Awesome! More brothers!"
Sasuke gave a small nod from behind him, barely looking up from the book he was reading. Itachi, calmly washing dishes, offered Allen a respectful bow.
Battle Beast stomped in last, shouldering through the doorway, still humming with leftover adrenaline.
Nolan barely had time to explain when the ding hit again in his head.
System Notification:Due to adopting Battle Beast and Allen, requirements met. Rewarding 6 Advanced Legacy Cards:– Hokage Minato– Edo Itachi– DMS Kakashi– Six Paths Naruto– Rinnegan Sasuke
Once assigned, subjects will inherit knowledge, ninjutsu, experience, and strength.
Nolan blinked. "...Holy hell."
He turned to the boys standing in the living room. "Naruto. Sasuke. Itachi. Kakashi. Minato. Come here."
Minato and Kakashi walked over from the backyard, where they'd been meditating. Naruto was already there, eager and bouncing on his heels. Sasuke stood up slowly. Itachi wiped his hands with a towel and joined the group.
"I have something for you all," Nolan said, summoning the cards in his palm. Each one shimmered with blinding chakra energy, swirling with hidden power.
"You'll understand when I give these to you," he said.
One by one, he pressed a card to each of their foreheads.
It was like an explosion of light.
The house shook slightly as chakra surged around the boys. Wind spiraled around them. Allen stepped back with a grunt, Mark just arriving outside and stopping mid-stride. "What the hell is—"
He stared.
Standing in place of the boys were now their adult, future selves.
Minato now radiated the calm strength of the Yellow Flash, his cloak drifting behind him in an invisible wind. Edo Itachi stood like a ghost in flesh, composed and sharp-eyed. DMS Kakashi had a fierce presence, his Sharingan and Mangekyō glowing. Rinnegan Sasuke stood with cool detachment, and Naruto—cloaked in Six Paths mode—grinned with power rolling off of him like heatwaves.
Battle Beast's eyes lit up. "YES! Finally. They're worth fighting!"
Allen stood frozen, blinking. "...They just got older?! How—what?!"
Mark was just as lost. "Wait... that's still Naruto? And Sasuke? But they're grown up now?!"
Gebbie came out, holding a tray of lemonade. She nearly dropped it when she saw them. "...Nolan. What happened to the kids?!"
"They're the same," Nolan said. "Just... more of who they were meant to be."
Minato turned to him with a knowing smile. "Thank you, father."
Nolan looked between all of them, his sons—some born of this world, some from another life, some adopted through strength alone. For the first time, Earth felt less like a mission... and more like a home.