Chapter 2: Strangers Among Heroes

Chapter 2: Strangers Among Heroes

The battlefield was quiet. The Chitauri were defeated, their massive warships either destroyed or vanishing through the wormhole. Smoke and fire still lingered in the air, the scars of war fresh across the streets of New York. But despite the battle’s end, tension remained.

Naruto and Hinata stood surrounded by Earth’s mightiest heroes. The Avengers watched them with wary curiosity. They had appeared out of nowhere, wielding impossible power. And now, SHIELD had arrived, surrounding the area with black SUVs and tactical units.

From the lead vehicle, Nick Fury stepped out, his single eye studying the two strangers. He didn’t speak at first, letting the weight of his presence settle. Then, he turned to Tony Stark.

“Tell me we know something about them,” Fury said.

Tony shrugged. “Blondie one-punched a space dragon. The quiet one dodged enough firepower to make a guy insecure. Beyond that? Nothing.”

Fury’s gaze locked onto Naruto. “You understand what I’m saying?”

Naruto frowned. The man was clearly asking something, but the words were meaningless. He turned to Hinata. “Still nothing?”

She shook her head. “No.”

J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted through Tony’s earpiece. "Sir, I have analyzed their language. It appears to be an ancient form of Japanese, one that predates modern dialects."

Fury exhaled. “Great. More questions.”

Thor, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. His eyes lingered on Naruto with a mix of curiosity and respect. “You fight with strength beyond mortals. Tell me, from which realm do you hail?”

Naruto just stared, not understanding the words.

Fury glanced at Hill. “Get the translators up. I want to know what they’re saying.”

Hill nodded, relaying orders. But before SHIELD could take the next step—

A single shot rang out.

BANG!

The bullet tore through the air, aimed directly at Hinata.

Naruto’s instincts flared. His body moved before his mind even registered the threat.

CLANG!

The bullet stopped midair—pinched between Naruto’s fingers. His grip tightened, crushing the metal into dust. His expression darkened as he scanned the SHIELD agents.

“Who fired that?” Fury barked, his voice sharp as a blade.

The agents shifted uncomfortably. No one spoke. Then—

BOOM!

An explosion erupted from one of the SHIELD vehicles. From the smoke, a figure bolted out—a rogue agent, his insignia subtly marked with the emblem of Hydra.

Tony’s HUD flickered with alerts. “Oh, great. We’ve got roaches.”

The Hydra agent moved to flee, but before he could take another step—

Naruto was there.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto appeared in front of the man, his arm already moving. One strike. Just one. The Hydra agent flew backward, crashing through the wreckage of a Chitauri transport. He didn’t get up.

Naruto exhaled, his fists clenched. “Cowards.”

Fury’s face darkened. “Hydra… those bastards are still lurking.”

The Avengers remained tense, waiting to see what Naruto would do next. But before anyone could speak, a low hum filled the air. Mjolnir—Thor’s mighty hammer—rested on the ground nearby, still crackling with energy. The god of thunder stepped toward it, ready to reclaim his weapon.

Then, something happened that shouldn’t have.

Naruto bent down and casually picked up the hammer.

Silence.

The Avengers froze.

Thor’s eyes widened. “What…?”

Naruto turned the weapon in his hands, examining it. “Huh. This is pretty cool.”

The wind itself seemed to pause. The sky rumbled, as if the very forces of the universe were acknowledging what had just happened.

Thor took a slow step forward. “You… can lift Mjolnir?”

Naruto frowned. “Is that not normal?”

Tony stared. “No, it is definitely not normal.”

Fury rubbed his temples. “Well… that complicates things.”

Hinata placed a hand on Naruto’s arm. “Naruto-kun… maybe put it down?”

Naruto shrugged. “Fine.” He set the hammer back on the ground with a soft thud.

Thor immediately reached for it, gripping the handle. The moment his fingers wrapped around it, lightning crackled around him, as if Mjolnir itself was reacting. He let out a quiet breath of relief. It still answered to him.

But the fact remained—Naruto had lifted it.

And that meant something.

Fury exhaled. “Alright. Let’s get one thing straight—we are not enemies here. That said, I need answers. Now.”

J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again. "Translation complete, sir. We should be able to communicate now."

Fury turned back to Naruto and Hinata. "Good. Now—who the hell are you?"

Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances. The truth? Too complicated. Too dangerous.

Naruto folded his arms. "We’re from another planet."

Fury sighed. "Of course you are."

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