Chapter 17: When Worlds Compare Notes
The Hokage's office had seen many strange gatherings over the years—Kage summits, war councils, interrogations that ended with broken furniture—but this meeting felt different. Quieter. Stranger. As though the walls themselves were holding their breath.
The ANBU guards announced the visitors with crisp formality, and a moment later the doors opened to admit four outsiders who looked… almost disappointingly normal.
Peter Parker arrived first, hands shoved awkwardly into his jacket pockets, eyes darting around with a mix of awe and nervous curiosity. Logan followed, broad-shouldered and alert, moving like a man who expected danger even in a room full of paperwork. Susan Storm walked calmly beside Rogue, her posture composed, her expression thoughtful rather than fearful.
They weren't armored. They weren't threatening. They were dressed casually, like people who had wandered into the wrong building by mistake.
And yet, every ninja in the room felt it—the quiet pressure of power that didn't belong to chakra.
Tsunade studied them with a measured gaze, her fingers steepled on the desk. "Thank you for coming," she said evenly. "I apologize for the delay. Matters of war don't end when the fighting does."
Susan inclined her head politely. "We understand. Thank you for seeing us at all."
That, at least, earned her a point.
The two groups seated themselves opposite one another: shinobi on one side, visitors from another reality on the other. Kakashi leaned casually against the wall, one visible eye sharp. Shikamaru sat with his arms crossed, already suspicious. Shizune held her clipboard like a shield. Naruto sat forward, listening intently, the faint hum of restrained power lingering around him like a second shadow.
Susan took a slow breath.
"If we want answers," she said, "we have to start by being honest."
She folded her hands together. "We didn't come here by choice."
That alone shifted the room.
Susan spoke carefully, choosing each word like it mattered—because it did.
"In our world, there exists a being known as the Beyonder."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Kakashi tilted his head slightly. Tsunade did not react at all.
"He is," Susan continued, "a being of such power that… rewriting reality is effortless for him. Universes aren't obstacles. They're toys."
Naruto's breath caught.
Susan went on, describing Battleworld—a planet stitched together from fragments of realities, where heroes and villains alike were abducted and forced to fight, not for survival, not for justice, but for entertainment.
"He brought gods, monsters, scientists, soldiers," Susan said quietly. "All to watch them struggle."
Logan's jaw tightened. "Didn't matter who you were. Good, bad, innocent. If you were interesting, you were taken."
Peter swallowed. "We fought. A lot. People died. Worlds broke. Eventually… we thought it was over."
"And now?" Tsunade asked.
Susan met her gaze. "Now we're here."
Silence fell like a dropped blade.
Then—
"That's ridiculous," one of the shinobi muttered.
Shikamaru exhaled slowly. "A being who can rewrite a universe on a whim?"
Kakashi's voice was light, but his tone was not. "That's a bold claim."
Naruto stared at Susan, his thoughts spiraling. The Otsutsuki devour planets. Some can erase stars. Galaxies, even.
And yet—
This sounded bigger.
Too big.
"You're saying," Tsunade said carefully, "that this Beyonder surpasses beings capable of destroying galaxies."
"Yes," Susan said simply.
Naruto's hands clenched in his lap.
I thought the Otsutsuki were the peak.
His mind reeled, trying—and failing—to scale the difference.
Shikamaru shook his head. "We haven't seen this being. We have no evidence. No chakra signature. No records. No reason to believe such a creature exists at that level."
Logan snorted. "Yeah. That reaction's familiar."
Kakashi glanced at Naruto. "Power like that leaves traces."
Susan nodded. "That's fair. Skepticism is logical."
Tsunade leaned forward now, her voice firm. "We don't take claims like this at face value. If you want us to understand the danger beyond this world, then give us something concrete."
She fixed Susan with an unblinking stare.
"Tell us about your world."
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Susan Storm did not flinch beneath the doubtful looks.
If anything, she seemed to expect them.
"In our place," she said calmly, folding her hands in her lap, "this is usually the part where people assume we're exaggerating."
Peter gave a small, awkward shrug. "Or lying. Or having some kind of collective breakdown."
Logan snorted. "Sometimes all three."
That earned a few raised eyebrows from the shinobi side, but Tsunade merely gestured for them to continue.
"Start simple," she said. "Build the picture."
Susan nodded.
"Our world is… crowded," she began. "Not just with people, but with possibilities."
She spoke of nations first—dozens of them, locked in politics, trade, wars both open and hidden. Superpowers with armies and missiles, smaller countries with secrets buried beneath deserts and ice. Unlike the shinobi villages, borders shifted constantly, not through conquest alone, but economics, ideology, fear.
Shikamaru leaned forward slightly. "No centralized balance of power?"
"None," Susan replied. "Just… friction."
Then came the mutants.
"Some people," Susan said, choosing her words carefully, "are born different. Their genetics awaken abilities—telepathy, control over elements, time perception, reality distortion."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"So… bloodlines?" he asked.
"In a way," Susan smiled faintly. "But unpredictable. A child can be born to ordinary parents and suddenly change history."
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Like kekkei genkai without clan structure."
"Exactly," Peter said. "And because they're unpredictable… people fear them."
That word—fear—hung heavy.
Rogue crossed her arms. "They're hunted. Registered. Experimented on."
Shizune's grip tightened on her clipboard.
Susan continued, voice steady. "Then there's science. Some powers come from mistakes—experiments meant to cure disease or build weapons that went wrong. Radiation. Artificial intelligence. Nanotech. Soldiers turned into living tools."
Tsunade's jaw set. "Weapons created by their own people."
"Yes."
"And aliens?" Kakashi asked lightly, as though discussing bad weather.
Logan gave a dry chuckle. "Plenty."
Susan nodded. "Civilizations older than humanity. Empires that span galaxies. Some benevolent. Some… very much not."
Naruto felt it then—the slow, sinking sensation.
Their world wasn't the center.
It wasn't even particularly large.
"And magic," Susan said next, glancing briefly at Naruto. "Real magic. Not metaphorical."
Naruto straightened. "Like chakra?"
"Similar," Susan replied. "Different source, same danger. Some draw from dimensions. Some bargain with entities. Some open doors that shouldn't exist."
Shikamaru frowned. "Demons?"
"Yes," Susan said softly.
That stirred something old in the room.
"We've encountered them too," Kakashi said. "But the gateway's been sealed for generations."
Susan exchanged a look with Logan.
"That gateway," Kakashi added slowly, "might be connected to others."
The room went very quiet.
Naruto exhaled, long and slow.
"So your world…" he said, voice low, "has people like us. And gods. And monsters. And things even worse."
Peter nodded. "And that's before you get to the stuff we didn't mention."
No one laughed.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, eyes distant now—not fearful, but calculating.
"Our world," she said at last, "has been fighting the same war in a much smaller box."
Susan met her gaze. "That's why we didn't want to overwhelm you."
Naruto looked down at his hands.
For the first time since the war ended, the sky above Konoha felt… narrow.
Not because it was weak.
But because there was so much more beyond it.
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By the time the explanations finally slowed, the Hokage's office felt strangely smaller—like a room that had learned, all at once, how vast the universe truly was.
Kakashi had been quiet for a while, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, visible eye half-lidded in thought. When he finally spoke, it wasn't casual.
"There might be a connection," he said.
Every gaze turned to him.
"Our world once had a demon gateway," Kakashi continued evenly. "Still does, technically. It's on the other continent—deep in what's known as the Demon King's territory."
Susan straightened. "A… gateway?"
"Yes," Kakashi said. "An ancient one. Predates the current villages. Possibly even the Sage himself."
Naruto frowned. "You mean that Demon King?"
Tsunade nodded grimly. "Half human. Half demon. A guardian rather than a conqueror. He's protected the gate for thousands of years."
Kakashi's eye sharpened. "If anyone alive still remembers the world as it was in the Sage's era—or before—it would be him."
A silence followed, heavy with implications.
Peter shifted uncomfortably. "So… big spooky portal guarded by an immortal demon king who knows ancient secrets. Got it."
Logan grunted. "Sounds like Tuesday."
Susan, however, shook her head slowly. "Even if that gate connects worlds… we can't take that risk."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
Susan's voice was calm, but firm. "Because demon realms don't follow consistent rules. Without someone like Doctor Strange—or Ghost Rider—we could make things far worse."
Naruto blinked. "Ghost… Rider?"
"Long story," Peter said quickly. "Involves hellfire and skulls."
Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course it does."
Susan folded her hands again. "Strange understands dimensional boundaries. Ghost Rider understands punishment realms. Without one of them, entering a demon gateway blind would be reckless."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Fair."
That left the obvious question hanging in the air.
"So," Naruto said quietly, "how do you leave?"
Susan exchanged a look with the others.
"We wait," she said. "Reed Richards will find us. He always does."
"And until then?" Tsunade asked.
Logan smirked faintly. "We help."
Peter smiled, a little sheepish but sincere. "Beyonder doesn't drop people somewhere unless he plans to keep playing."
Naruto's jaw tightened.
Susan met his eyes. "If he's watching, then this world matters now. Which means it deserves protection."
The room absorbed that truth slowly.
Tsunade leaned back, fingers tapping once against the desk. "Then you'll stay," she said decisively. "Under observation."
Susan smiled. "Expected nothing less."
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Once the outsiders had finished speaking, a quiet understanding settled over the Hokage's office. It was no longer a room divided by worlds, but one bound by a shared, uneasy awareness: whatever was coming next would not respect borders, planets, or histories.
Tsunade was the first to break the silence.
"Then it's our turn," she said, folding her arms. "If your presence is going to change the balance of this world—and it already has—then you deserve to understand what you've stepped into."
Susan inclined her head. "We're listening."
Kakashi pushed himself off the wall and began, his voice calm and precise, like a man laying out a map.
"Our world is divided into elemental nations," he explained. "Each governed by shinobi villages—military states, in truth. Power here isn't measured in technology, but in chakra."
He spoke of Konoha, Suna, Kiri, Kumo, Iwa. Of alliances forged through war and necessity. Of children trained to fight before they truly understood why. Logan's expression darkened at that, though he said nothing.
Shikamaru added, "There's another continent as well. People there don't use chakra the way we do. Different abilities. Different rules."
"Parallel development," Susan murmured thoughtfully.
Then Tsunade took over, her tone heavier now.
"And above all of it," she said, "stands a truth most of our world only learned recently."
Naruto felt his shoulders tense, though he'd already lived this conversation once.
"The Sage of Six Paths," Tsunade continued. "The origin of chakra. And beyond him—his clan."
Susan's eyes sharpened. "The Otsutsuki."
Kakashi nodded. "They are not gods. They are parasites."
The room grew colder as the explanation unfolded: celestial travelers who planted Divine Trees, harvested planets, consumed civilizations. How Kaguya was not an exception, but a low-ranking member. How defeating one did not end the threat—it only signaled others to come.
Susan leaned back slowly, absorbing it all.
"…They sound," she said carefully, "like Celestials."
That word carried weight.
"In our universe," she explained, "Celestials are born when a planet absorbs enough life and civilization. Entire worlds exist only to give birth to them."
Naruto's breath caught. The parallel was too close to ignore.
"They're not identical," Susan added. "But the philosophy is disturbingly similar."
What surprised the shinobi most wasn't Susan's comparison.
It was that none of the outsiders flinched.
No disbelief. No fear. No dismissal.
Logan scratched his chin. "Planet-eaters who keep coming? Yeah. We've dealt with that kind of nightmare."
Peter grimaced. "More than once."
That—that—sparked something fragile but real in the room.
Hope.
For the first time since the war, the shinobi weren't staring into a future made only of estimates and desperate guesses. These people understood extinction-level threats. They'd faced them. Survived them.
Shizune exhaled softly. "So… we wouldn't be alone."
Susan met Tsunade's gaze. "No. You wouldn't."
She hesitated, then added, "When Naruto first told us about the Otsutsuki, we wondered if that was why we were sent here."
Naruto looked up sharply.
"The Beyonder doesn't move pieces without purpose," Susan said quietly. "If one Otsutsuki falls, others will follow. That cycle won't stop on its own."
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."
Susan smiled faintly. "Extremely."
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Susan waited until the weight of the conversation settled before speaking again. She had the calm air of someone used to rooms full of powerful people, the kind who knew that real authority came not from volume, but from clarity.
"We've talked about this," she said, glancing briefly at Logan, Rogue, and Peter. "If we're going to help this world, it shouldn't only be on the battlefield."
Tsunade's eyes sharpened with interest. "Go on."
Susan folded her hands neatly. "First—barriers and genetics. Your world already understands both at a fundamental level. I've assisted Reed Richards with genetic research and adaptive mutations before. Between your chakra-based biology and our scientific frameworks, we could create defensive evolutions without… losing humanity in the process."
That last part was deliberate.
Tsunade didn't miss it.
Logan stepped forward next, arms crossed. "Materials."
Kakashi tilted his head. "Materials?"
Logan smirked. "My skeleton's coated in adamantium. Strongest metal in my world. I can help test durability—how long things last, how they fail, what breaks them."
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. "You're saying your metal can withstand attacks from beings who consume planets?"
"Cut one," Logan corrected. "More than once."
Silence.
Rogue cleared her throat, stepping in before Tsunade could reply. "I can help with energy absorption countermeasures. Chakra, cosmic energy, life force—doesn't matter much to my power. I can help develop ways to stop it… or redirect it."
Naruto stiffened slightly at that, but she met his gaze openly.
"And," Rogue added honestly, "I can help train Naruto. If I go all out, I can overpower him temporarily. That kind of pressure teaches things fast."
Naruto blinked. "…That's kinda scary."
Peter raised a hand. "And I do tech. Armors, drones, robots—non-lethal options included. I can work with your research teams. I've also done… some genetic work. Accidentally. Long story."
Shikamaru muttered, "It's always a long story."
Tsunade leaned back, fingers steepled. This—this was useful. Dangerous, yes, but useful in a way she hadn't expected.
'…This means,' she thought, 'I wouldn't have to rely entirely on Orochimaru and Kabuto.'
That alone made the offer tempting.
Her gaze returned to Logan, sharp and assessing. "I'm skeptical about your metal."
Logan snorted. "Figures."
"You're telling me it can't be broken," Tsunade continued. "Not by chakra. Not by strength."
Logan shrugged. "Only one way to find out."
Before anyone could stop her, Tsunade stood.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh—Granny—?"
She grabbed Logan's wrist.
Hard.
The room seemed to compress.
Tsunade's chakra flared—controlled, focused, monstrous. The air trembled as she applied pressure, the kind that could pulverize stone, shatter bone, collapse mountains.
Logan didn't flinch.
Tsunade frowned.
She pushed harder.
Her muscles screamed. Her chakra surged.
And then—
Resistance.
Not flexing. Not yielding.
Just… there.
Tsunade's eyes widened a fraction.
She pushed once more—and felt pain spike up her own arm.
She released him instantly, shaking her hand.
"…Unbelievable," she muttered.
Logan rolled his wrist casually. "Told ya."
Kakashi stared. Shizune's jaw dropped. Shikamaru stopped pretending not to care.
Naruto swallowed. "Okay… that's official. That's scary."
Tsunade exhaled slowly, then looked back at the outsiders—really looked.
"This changes things," she said.
Not fearfully.
But strategically.
For the first time since the war, the future didn't feel like a dead end.
It felt like a forge.
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The air in the Hokage's office still hummed with possibility.
Powerful materials. New sciences. Barriers that could defy gods. For a brief, intoxicating moment, it felt as though the future had cracked open and offered them a shortcut—a way to leap forward instead of crawling through the dark as shinobi always had.
Tsunade was the one who ended that illusion.
She leaned back in her chair, fingers tapping once against the desk—not in impatience, but in thought. The room quieted at once.
"Before anyone starts opening laboratories," she said evenly, "we slow down."
Naruto blinked.
Slow… down?
"We don't hand over our most sensitive knowledge," Tsunade continued, "and we don't invite outsiders into the heart of our research without something concrete to anchor trust."
Susan's expression didn't harden. If anything, it softened in understanding.
"That's reasonable," she said. "We had the same concern."
Naruto looked between them, confusion flickering across his face. Weren't we just about to start?
Susan went on, her voice calm but firm. "From our perspective, we're not about to enhance an entire civilization's power without knowing how it will be used. Good intentions don't always survive pressure. We've seen that firsthand."
Logan gave a low grunt of agreement. "More times than I care to count."
Tsunade nodded once. "Exactly."
She leaned forward now, Hokage fully present.
"So here's what we'll do. We'll start with something practical. Something useful. Something that benefits both sides—and doesn't exist in Konoha yet."
Shikamaru's eyes sharpened. "A test project."
"A bridge," Kakashi corrected mildly.
Susan smiled faintly. "I like that."
The atmosphere shifted—not colder, but steadier. Grounded.
Naruto sat quietly, hands resting on his knees. A few hours ago, he would've blurted out a dozen ideas—training programs, cloning facilities, sage-mode schools, planetary defenses.
Now… he didn't.
He watched.
Listened.
Learned.
This, he realized, is what leadership looks like.
Not rushing forward just because you can.
Not overwhelming people with power because you believe in them.
But choosing restraint—especially when the stakes are high.
Tsunade glanced at Naruto, catching the thoughtful silence where excitement usually lived. For a moment, something like pride flickered across her face.
Susan folded her hands. "We'll wait. Build trust the right way."
For once, Naruto didn't feel the need to speak.
He was finally learning when not to.
And that, perhaps, was the most important step forward of all.