Chương 154

Tony was busy reading the files when he spoke.

"Who convinced you to join them? I thought you aren't interested."

"I didn't, but Hokage is here, and she wants to participate in the games." Rei replied. Tony who had just turned the page stopped and looked up with both horror and surprise.

"Hokage? Hokage is here? And you are casually telling me this now?" Tony asked. The reaction were to be expected. By now Tony, thanks to Haku and text messages between Kakashi. Yeah Kakashi would ask random questions about the world to the one and only Tony whenever he was here, and Tony would ask the same about his world. So it was a give and take policy. Just with texts.

"Well she was getting bored and decided to have some fun time here." Rei replied.

"She? Wasn't it an old man? What was his name again?"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was murdered in broad daylight by his student so we had to appoint the Fifth." Rei replied. This brought a silence in the whole garage that seemed to never present before, even the robots working around stopped as JARVIS stopped. Coulson was very confused but he was keeping their conversation in the memory as these were all valuable information about the alien world.

He could understand that they were talking about that big- cough cough- woman being someone of real importance as that was what the recent update of files showed about Tsunade. But the previous head being murdered suddenly put the whole thing into perspective for Coulson. [A/N: Coulson hadn't read the updated files yet] Their world was really dangerous, and it was to the max.

"I am sorry." Tony said.

"RIP."

"Yeah, we are sorry too."

"What is her name?" Tony asked after a few moments of silence.

"Tsunade Senju. Grand daughter of 1st Hokage. She is probably the greatest medical specialist the world has ever seen." Rei said.

"Oh she is that good? She is the fourth right? No sorry. Fourth was killed years ago, so she is the fifth. Jesus, you guys really play with death way too much." Tony said. Rei could only shrug his shoulders as Tony finally finished reading the files.

"Stolen cosmic cube. Escaped Asgardian. Global security crisis." He looked up.

"So... another Tuesday for you guys?" Coulson wasn't offended at all by the sarcasm.

"We have called everyone." Tony closed the folder and immediately shook his head.

"No. I've got projects, board meetings I intend to ignore, and Pepper already thinks I spend too much time saving the world. Besides you have a super team if you have Hokage with you guys."

"Yeah, but we don't have a technology expert like you." Coulson said. Before Tony could respond, Haku quietly closed his notebook. He had been on the side helping Tony and also listening to them, but chose silence as that had always been his personality. even Coulson for some reason avoided looking at him. This was Uzumaki no chakra flow condition that Haku was practicing.

"We're going." Tony slowly turned toward his "adopted" son.

"... Excuse me?"

"If this person Loki escaped," Haku answered calmly, "then innocent people are going to get hurt. You've always told me that if we have the ability to help people, then pretending not to see them isn't an option. Besides we are both bored. You need a new challenge." Silence lingered for several seconds. Tony rubbed both hands across his face before pointing accusingly at Haku. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"You see this, Rei, this is what happens when you take your assistant around. They get influenced. He starts using your own speeches against you." Rei folded his arms with an amused smile while Coulson struggled to hide one of his own. Tony looked toward the ceiling.

"JARVIS."

"Yes, sir?"

"Cancel everything. Again."

"Very good, sir." Tony picked up the briefing folder once more before letting out one final theatrical sigh.

"Sigh. Fine I will come. Let me meet your Hokage too." Tony said. Haku joined Rei and Coulson aboard the waiting Quinjet while Tony walked toward the circular armor platform in the center of the workshop. As the aircraft's engines began humming to life, mechanical arms descended from the ceiling and rapidly assembled the Iron Man armor around Tony piece by piece. Within seconds, the familiar crimson-and-gold suit sealed shut with a metallic click.

He raised one hand toward the departing Quinjet before launching through the open garage with a deafening roar, quickly catching up to the aircraft as they climbed into the afternoon sky. The flight back was considerably livelier than before. Haku occupied the seat beside Rei while Coulson sat opposite them, occasionally glancing through the cockpit windows as Iron Man effortlessly kept pace outside.

Every now and then Tony would deliberately fly closer to the canopy before accelerating away again, almost like he was showing off. Haku merely shook his head with a faint smile while Rei chuckled. Even Coulson had grown accustomed to Tony Stark behaving like an overexcited child whenever he wore the armor. Nearly an hour later, the Helicarrier once again appeared above the endless ocean.

This time, however, the flight deck was noticeably busier than before as technicians hurried between parked aircraft while dozens of SHIELD agents prepared for immediate deployment. The Quinjet touched down smoothly before Tony landed moments later beside it, the repulsors beneath his boots slowly fading as the armored billionaire looked around the enormous floating fortress with renewed curiosity. Before anyone could begin walking, a deep mechanical rumble echoed throughout the entire carrier.

Massive turbines hidden beneath the vessel slowly rotated outward while gigantic propulsion fans unfolded from compartments along the sides. The entire aircraft carrier trembled beneath everyone's feet before gradually lifting away from the ocean. Water cascaded from the hull in massive sheets as the colossal vessel steadily climbed into the sky, eventually disappearing into the clouds. Tony simply stared through his helmet for several long moments.

"... Okay. These people do have some brains. I thought I stole all of their intelligence before." He looked towards further had just stepped onto the deck with Steve.

"I officially take back every joke I made about your ridiculously expensive boat." Steve said while handing him 10$ over. A small smirk appeared beneath Fury's eyepatch.

"I'll treasure that compliment." Soon they were inside and in the bridge, where the Team 7 and others were sitting. Naruto spotted Tony almost instantly, his face lighting up before he sprinted across the deck.

"TONY!" Tony barely had enough time to brace himself before Naruto wrapped him in an enthusiastic hug despite the armored suit.

"Kid!" Tony laughed.

"You're somehow even louder and taller than I remembered."

"I trained!"

"I can tell." Sakura smiled warmly before offering a polite greeting.

"It's been a while."

"It has," Tony replied.

"Good to see all of you in one piece." Kakashi finally looked up from his orange book.

"I see you're still exactly the same." Tony pointed at him.

"I was about to say exactly the same thing." Sasuke simply gave a respectful nod.

"It's good to see you again." Tony returned the gesture.

"You too." Watching the reunion, Coulson quietly smiled. The warmth between them wasn't forced or exaggerated. They genuinely regarded Tony as a trusted friend rather than merely an ally from another world. SHIELD's assumptions had once again proven correct. Like him Fury noticed it too but didn't comment. Rei stepped forward before gesturing toward the remaining members of the group.

"Tony, you already know Team Seven. Let me introduce everyone else." He first pointed toward the tall white-haired man.

"This is Jiraiya. One of the Legendary Sannin and our village's intelligence specialist." Jiraiya folded his arms with an easy grin.

"So you're the famous Iron Man Naruto had been talking about. You look young."

"Uhh. I ain't gonna die anytime soon. Don't jinx it. Nice to meet you though." Jiraiya laughed loudly.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Rei then gestured toward the red-haired woman.

"Karin. Sensor specialist and medical support." Karin gave a casual wave.

"I have seen you on television a little too many times than I admit."

"I hope only the good parts had been broadcasted." Finally, Rei motioned toward the towering orange-haired man standing silently behind everyone else.

"Jugo. He is our assault man. You will know why soon." Rei said. A few chuckles spread through the group before Rei turned toward the blonde woman standing calmly at the center.

"And this... Is Lady Tsunade Senju. The Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure." Tony's relaxed expression immediately became noticeably more respectful. Without another joke, he extended his hand toward her.

"It's an honor to finally meet you." Tsunade accepted the handshake with a small smile.

"It's nice to see someone in reality when you see in the front page of morning news. You are quite more shorter than I expected." This earned a small choke from the rest of the people around.

"This must be Haku I have been hearing about. I am sorry about your clan. That ill fated village has really gone down the rails over the years."

"It's an honor to meet the two of the legendary Sanins." Haku replied, not dwelling on the comment on his village.