Emperor of Mankind (Naruto X Marvel )

Chapter 107: Chapter 4



The night air carried a sharp chill, but Rogue barely noticed it as she stood frozen in place. The lake rippled beneath the glow of the moon, its surface disturbed by the music and laughter that spilled from the party behind her. However, she couldn't hear any of it anymore—not her scream, not the sounds of the world around her. A strange barrier had muffled everything, isolating her in a space where only she and this stranger existed.

"Relax, I won't harm you," the man assured her, his voice calm yet firm.

Rogue steadied herself, her heart still racing from the shock. She felt her feet touch solid ground again, yet she hadn't stepped forward—he had placed her there effortlessly. Floating.

Her face burned with embarrassment. She had reacted like a frightened child, completely unlike herself. Pushing aside her humiliation, she squared her shoulders and studied the man in front of her.

He didn't look like a normal person—too perfect, too in control. His golden-blond hair seemed to shimmer slightly in the moonlight, his sky-blue eyes glowed faintly, and his presence was commanding yet strangely warm.

"Someone like me... or is he an alien?"

The thought had barely finished forming when he smirked.

"Unfortunately, I am an alien, but that doesn't mean I don't understand your pain."

Rogue's eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation overriding her unease. "Are you reading my mind?" Her tone was sharp, defensive. "And what do you know about my pain?"

She had heard those words before—sympathy, understanding—but they always rang hollow. No one truly got it. No one knew what it felt like to be untouchable, to be feared, to live every day knowing that one moment of weakness could hurt or even kill someone.

Despite the overwhelming presence this man had, Rogue refused to cower. She had never been the type to back down, even when the odds were impossible.

Naruto, however, remained unbothered by her hostility. His smile didn't waver as he raised a hand, and before she could react, the wooden pier beneath them shifted. The planks stretched and reshaped themselves, extending outward to form a small platform. Two elegant chairs rose from the wood, a smooth table forming between them.

"Let's sit down and talk," Naruto offered, gesturing toward the newly formed seating arrangement. His tone was gentle, as if coaxing a wild animal. "Talking is a good way to lower stress and all that negative mojo."

Rogue hesitated, glancing warily at the conjured furniture. The whole situation was bizarre—unnatural. Yet, despite how easily he had displayed power, he hadn't attacked her. He hadn't even forced her to comply.

Still, there was one thing she couldn't let go.

"You still didn't answer my question," she said, crossing her arms. "Are you reading my mind?"

Naruto sighed, resting his elbows on the table as he locked eyes with her. "I have a bad habit of doing that, yeah," he admitted without hesitation. "But you should understand—people aren't always trustworthy, and not everyone knows how to articulate what they truly mean. Sometimes, I have to read their thoughts to avoid unnecessary problems."

His honesty caught her off guard. Most people would have lied, deflected, or tried to make excuses. He simply told her the truth.

"We can argue about that later," he continued, motioning to the seat across from him, "but first, let's tackle your problem."

Rogue stared at him for a long moment. Every instinct screamed at her to walk away, to put distance between herself and this strange man who claimed to understand her. But another part of her—the lonely part—whispered that sitting down wouldn't cost her anything.

She glanced toward the party inside. Even surrounded by people, she had still felt isolated. At least out here, she wasn't pretending.

With a small sigh, she finally moved forward and took the seat.

Naruto smiled as she did.

Rogue sat stiffly, her body tense. This was a mistake. It had to be.

Yet, as she met his gaze again, she found herself hesitating. There was something unsettling about him, yes, but also something strangely reassuring. He wasn't looking at her like she was dangerous, like she was broken. He looked at her like he truly saw her.

Still, her thoughts drifted, her survival instincts kicking in. What if I—

The idea came to her before she could stop it. What if she touched him? What if she absorbed his power? He was clearly strong—maybe even stronger than anyone she had ever encountered. If she could just take a fraction of that strength, she wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.

Her fingers twitched slightly.

Then, as if something inside her rebelled against the idea, a wave of revulsion crashed over her.

"No. No!"

Rogue shuddered, gripping her arms tightly as nausea settled in. The thought of stealing his power felt... wrong. Not because she had never done it before, but because something deep within her instinctively rejected the idea.

Naruto watched her carefully, saying nothing.

For the first time in a long time, Rogue found herself truly unsure of what to do.

 

The night air was still, broken only by the distant sounds of music from the party inside. Rogue remained seated, her arms crossed tightly, her body tense as she watched the man before her.

"Those are your powers, so don't fear them—learn to control them," Naruto said, his voice calm and steady. "I understand your position. I really do. There was a time when, if I had a hissy fit, the entire world would be in danger." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood with a joke, slipping back into his old way of dealing with serious conversations.

Rogue, however, did not share his amusement. Her eyes narrowed, her posture stiffened. "I don't think that was funny." There was a trace of real concern in her voice. "Please tell me you don't have that problem anymore."

Despite her usual detachment from others, she didn't wish destruction on anyone. The thought of someone losing control on such a scale unsettled her.

"Of course not," Naruto assured her with a grin. "That's an old problem, which is exactly why I'm telling you about it. I've learned to control it, just like you can learn to control yours." His gaze softened as he leaned forward slightly. "Think about it—if I had given up, if I had just said 'I can't control my power' after training, do you think that would have made sense?"

Rogue hesitated for a moment before nodding. It made sense. She let out a small sigh, some of the tension in her shoulders easing.

She wasn't used to people treating her like this—like she was normal, like she wasn't a burden or a problem to be solved. Most people either feared her, pitied her, or avoided her entirely. But Naruto? He was talking to her as if she were just another person, capable of more than she believed.

She knew some of her problems were in her head, that not everyone looked at her with fear or disgust, but it was hard to shake those thoughts when they had been drilled into her for so long.

"You were going to talk about understanding pain?" she prompted, her voice quieter now, less defensive.

"Ah, yes." Naruto straightened up. "Let's get back on track."

His blue eyes held hers, unwavering yet gentle. "I do understand your pain," he continued, "because if I wanted to, I could literally feel it. I know what it's like to be shunned—much worse than what you've been through. I've experienced more pain than you can imagine, but even with that, I understand that there are people out there who have it worse. That's why I keep going."

His voice was steady, firm, but not harsh. "If I let those things break me, if I gave in to the pain, that would make me a coward. A disappointment."

Rogue listened, feeling something stir in her chest. The words—words she had heard before from others—shouldn't have meant anything. But there was something different about how he said them. It wasn't just talk; it was truth.

She found herself leaning slightly forward, drawn in. She wasn't sure if it was his words or the way he spoke, but his voice seemed to carry a weight, a warmth that made it hard to look away. It was soothing, hypnotic, like being wrapped in something safe.

What Rogue didn't realize was that Naruto's voice had a subtle influence—his chakra unconsciously weaving into his speech, carrying his emotions and intentions directly to her. He wasn't even aware he was doing it, but the effect was undeniable.

Rogue had never felt anything like it before. For the first time in what felt like forever, the storm inside her quieted.

Then, without thinking, Naruto reached out to take her hand.

The moment his fingers neared her, something inside Rogue snapped.

A jolt of fear surged through her, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. In an instant, she moved—pushing away from the table, her chair scraping against the wooden pier as she put as much distance between them as possible.

"Don't touch me," she snapped, her breath uneven, her heart pounding in her chest.

Naruto's hand froze mid-air before he slowly retracted it, his expression unreadable.

Rogue hated how vulnerable she sounded. Hated that she had reacted so instinctively, so obviously. But the idea of someone touching her—even someone as powerful as Naruto—was terrifying.

She had learned the hard way what happened when she let her guard down.

Naruto didn't speak immediately. He simply observed her, taking in the way she trembled ever so slightly, the way her breathing had quickened, the way her fingers clenched into fists.

He hadn't meant to scare her. He hadn't even considered that holding her hand would be a problem. But now he understood—this fear ran deeper than just worry.

This was trauma.

And it wasn't something that could be erased with words alone.

 

"Sorry for doing that," he said in a gentle, soothing tone. "I underestimated the shadows of the mind. But relax; you cannot affect me with your power. I can block it."

He knew he had made a mistake by trying to take her hand so suddenly. It was easy to forget, after years of ruling, that not everyone followed his lead unquestioningly. He had grown used to people bending to his will, trusting him completely. But Rogue was different—she was scared, hesitant, and carried deep-seated trauma. He had to be patient with her.

Rogue stared at his extended hand, then looked down at her own gloved fingers. Her heart pounded in her chest as she hesitated. The memories of past failures, of the pain she had caused others, flooded her mind. The last time she had touched someone, she had nearly erased him from existence. She had lost herself in his memories, his thoughts, his very identity. It terrified her.

'Should I do it? He doesn't seem bad. Maybe it's the truth. Maybe he can help me,' she thought. Despite her natural pessimism, her mind kept drifting toward hope.

Naruto simply waited, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. He didn't rush her, didn't push. He had already calculated the outcome—he knew she wouldn't be able to resist. Not out of curiosity, but because deep down, she wanted to believe she wasn't doomed to isolation.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Rogue peeled off her glove, her fingers trembling slightly as she inched closer. But before she could touch him, Naruto closed the distance himself, taking her hand in his own.

Her breath caught in her throat. Instinctively, she squeezed her eyes shut, as if not seeing what happened next would somehow negate the consequences.

Naruto chuckled softly, amused by her reaction. She reminded him of a small, frightened child. There was something undeniably cute about the way she flinched, even though she was trying to act tough.

"You can open your eyes now," he said, his voice warm with reassurance. "The world is still running, and I'm still standing perfectly fine."

Hesitantly, Rogue cracked one eye open, then the other. To her astonishment, Naruto was perfectly unharmed. She felt his warmth radiating through their joined hands, something she hadn't experienced in what felt like forever.

His grip was firm, steady, comforting.

Her power should have activated. She should have felt his thoughts invading her mind, his abilities surging into her body. But… nothing happened.

Naruto's eyes gleamed with intrigue as he analyzed her ability. It was terrifying. Even in its dormant state, it had the potential to drain the strength of a planet-level entity. If he had been the Naruto from the Fourth Great Ninja War, she might have drained him dry before he could react. But now? Now, he had long surpassed such limitations. His own ability to absorb and negate energy nullified hers completely.

'Very dangerous,' he thought. 'And she doesn't even realize how much power she's sitting on. With proper guidance, she could reach my level someday. Maybe even beyond, given enough time.'

Rogue, unaware of his thoughts, focused on something much simpler—she could feel his touch.

The warmth of his skin, the steady pulse beneath his fingers… She had forgotten what this was like. Human contact. Connection.

A smile tugged at her lips, something small and genuine. But as the moment settled, her mind caught up, and a flood of new thoughts crashed into her.

'How many abilities does he have? Is he dangerous? Why is he helping me? Oh, shit!'

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized she was sitting across from a mind-reader.

She looked up at him with an awkward, forced smile, as if she could somehow play it off.

Naruto burst into laughter, the rich sound echoing over the lake. "Haha, you are really adorable, aren't you?"

Rogue scowled, her face heating up. "Don't treat me like a child. I'm an adult."

Naruto waved a hand in apology, though his grin didn't fade. "Sorry, sorry, force of habit."

Finally, he released her hand, tilting his head slightly as he studied her. "But do you feel better now?"

Rogue flexed her fingers, still absorbing the sensation of human contact without consequence. She didn't know how to respond.

Did she feel better?

For the first time in a long while… maybe she did.


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