Emperor of Mankind (Naruto X Marvel )

Rogue stared down at her bare hand, her mind drifting in a daze. Something about her thought process felt… off. It wasn't that she didn't have control over herself, but rather, she could tell she had been nudged into making that choice. Naruto had subtly guided her, but oddly enough, she didn't feel anger over it.

Annoyance? Yes. He had definitely overstepped his bounds.

Dislike? Not really.

She couldn't deny that his interference had done some good, and that left her with an odd mix of gratitude and frustration. She was happy that she could touch someone without hurting them, but then reality hit her like a freight train—she was still stuck with this power, still trapped by it. The only difference now was that she could touch him.

But Rogue didn't want to be tethered to just one person.

"Thanks for helping me," she said, standing up and meeting his gaze. "But can you help me beyond this?"

She didn't want to get her hopes up too much, but this was the first real clue she had found—her only chance for something different.

Naruto leaned back slightly, looking at her with a calm, appraising expression. "What kind of help do you need?" he asked. "Do you want to train your powers and be someone special, or do you want to lose them and become mediocre?"

The words hit her harder than she expected.

She stared at him blankly, the weight of the question sinking in. A part of her had long wished to be normal—to not have to fear hurting others, to be able to live without this curse hanging over her. But another part of her knew the truth. If she lost her powers, she wouldn't have a choice when it mattered. If danger came for her, for the people she cared about, she would be powerless to do anything.

A normal life sounded safe, but it also sounded weak.

Finally, she made her decision. "I want to know how to use my power without losing control."

Naruto's lips curved into a pleased smile. "Excellent, I'm happy with your choice."

His words carried warmth, like he truly respected her decision. That meant something.

"But," he continued, "even though I accept your request, I'm not exactly an expert on your power. So we'll have to experiment."

He reached out and caught her hand again, his grip firm yet reassuring. His eyes, deep and unwavering, locked onto hers.

"Absorb from me."

The air around them shifted.

The oppressive weight of her own fears, the constant dread that always lingered in her mind, seemed to lighten. The atmosphere had lost its gloomy touch the moment Naruto appeared, his presence radiating something impossibly bright.

It was his Emperor Aura.

Even without trying, his presence shaped the world around him. People within his domain lost their inner darkness, their pain dulled, their burdens lifted. If he so wished, he could take it all away—strip them of everything.

But right now, he simply let his presence comfort her.

Rogue found herself nodding, her movements slower, more natural. She wasn't entirely in control of how calm she felt, but she didn't fight it. She wanted to believe in his help.

Naruto stopped suppressing his energy.

And in an instant, everything went wrong.

It was careless—reckless, even. He had underestimated how overwhelming his power would be.

The moment her ability activated, Rogue's body absorbed a drop of transcendent chakra—energy infused with the very essence of the Otsutsuki, the raw force of the world itself, and the infinite power of an immortal's cosmo energy. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Unlike anything anyone had encountered.

It was too much.

Her mind fractured under the weight of the connection.

The emotions hit her first.

Overwhelming, all-encompassing love.

Not the kind of love between friends or lovers, but something greater, something immeasurable. Love for the world, love for its people, love that stretched beyond time, beyond reason. It was an all-consuming warmth, an acceptance so deep that it tore at the very fabric of her being.

And then came the memories.

Scenes flashed before her eyes—glimpses of a past filled with pain and triumph, of battles that shook the heavens, of sacrifices that defined the fate of entire worlds. She saw bonds formed in blood and war, friendships forged in the fires of loss, an unbreakable will that had carried him through the darkest of days.

Her heart clenched painfully.

Love, love, I want to be loved…

She had never realized how much she needed it, how much she had longed for it.

Her power spiraled out of control.

The emotions twisted inside her, shaping her thoughts, altering her perception. If Naruto had been anyone else—if he had been weaker, if he had lacked the control he had—she might have absorbed more than just energy. She might have become him.

But Naruto moved in an instant.

Before she could lose herself entirely, he caught her in his arms, steadying her trembling body.

With a precise application of his will, he severed the link.

The foreign emotions, the borrowed memories, the overwhelming love—he erased them from her mind as swiftly as they had invaded. Only her thoughts remained, her identity.

Rogue gasped, her vision swimming as she struggled to process what had just happened.

Naruto exhaled, his hold on her tightening for just a moment before he gently let go. His expression had shifted—still calm, still reassuring, but now there was a new understanding in his gaze.

He had learned something important about her power.

At this stage, if she absorbed someone with strong emotions or an unbreakable will, it could be catastrophic. She wasn't just taking power—she was taking everything.

Her body could handle it, could adapt to the energy itself. But her mind? Her soul?

She wasn't ready for that.

"…That was dangerous," Naruto muttered, his voice softer than before.

Rogue's breathing was uneven as she tried to calm down. She looked up at him, her hands clenching at the fabric of her sleeves.

"…What the hell was that?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Naruto gave her a small smile—one that held both amusement and apology.

"That," he said, "was a lesson."

Rogue's body trembled slightly as she stood there, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. The lingering remnants of the overwhelming energy she had absorbed still pulsed within her veins like liquid fire, a sensation unlike anything she had ever known. Her mind, once drowning in emotions that weren't her own, now settled into an eerie calm, though the echoes of what she had seen still haunted her.

Naruto watched her closely, his usually bright blue eyes tinged with concern. His hand hovered near her shoulder, hesitant, as if he wasn't sure whether she needed support or space.

"Are you okay now?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

He wasn't just asking for the sake of it—he was genuinely worried. It had been far too long since he had interacted like this, since he had trained someone who wasn't already at a level capable of reshaping reality. The people in his world had long since surpassed the need for such care; even the weakest among them now wielded power rivaling that of Juubidara from the Fourth War. His strength had grown to such an extent that even a fraction of his energy, a mere drop, was enough to elevate someone to the power level of a cosmic destroyer.

And Rogue had taken in more than just a drop.

"Huff, huff…" Rogue inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling as her heart pounded in her ears. The chaotic flood of emotions had passed, and now that the crisis was over, a new realization dawned on her.

She felt powerful.

No—invincible.

Her muscles thrummed with raw strength, her senses sharpened beyond anything she had experienced before. There was a lightness to her body, a sensation that whispered that if she so wished, she could leap into the sky and never come down. It was intoxicating.

"I'm fine," she muttered at last, forcing herself to meet Naruto's gaze. But she couldn't bring herself to mention what she had just felt from him, the overwhelming warmth of his heart, the sheer depth of his love for the world.

The kindness, the protectiveness, the unwavering devotion to those around him—it all left her with an odd sensation in her chest, something tight and unfamiliar.

And the worst part?

She felt… weird feelings toward him now.

'Is his heart filled with rainbows and ponies or something?' she thought, half in exasperation, half in reluctant admiration.

Naruto, oblivious to her inner turmoil, smiled at her response. "I'm glad. And next time, we won't have this problem, so don't worry." His tone was light, reassuring, but then his gaze sharpened slightly. "But for now, tell me—how does it feel?"

Rogue looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers experimentally. Her entire body felt alive in a way it never had before.

"I feel… powerful," she admitted, her voice carrying an almost childlike wonder. "Like I could fly… like I could do anything I want."

Naruto chuckled softly. He had expected this reaction. The first taste of true power could be intoxicating, especially for someone who had lived their whole life in fear of their own abilities.

"That's good," he said, nodding approvingly. "I'm happy that you're feeling happy. But don't let it cloud your judgment. Always analyze where you stand factually, not based on feelings. Getting drunk on power leads to mistakes."

His words carried the weight of experience, and Rogue could tell that he was speaking from personal history.

She caught the flicker of something in his gaze—perhaps a memory?

Something about those words struck a chord, and she recalled what little she knew about his past. He had been an outcast, once upon a time, hated and feared. Then, he had become the strongest in the world, fused with a beast of unimaginable power. And yet, even then, he had suffered humiliating defeats when he got ahead of himself.

Naruto had felt invincible once before.

And then, he had been proven wrong.

His warning wasn't just a lesson—it was a reminder.

The haze of awe and excitement cleared from Rogue's eyes. She swallowed and gave a firm nod. "I understand."

Naruto smiled at her response. "Good girl."

Then, with a casual glance, he made a small hand gesture.

Before Rogue could react, a faint golden seal flickered into existence over her chest before vanishing into her skin. She felt it immediately—a dampening, a restriction.

She frowned, her body suddenly feeling… lighter. Less overwhelming. The roaring flood of power inside her settled, contained, though still very much present.

"What was that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Naruto smirked. "A limiter."

Rogue's brow furrowed in annoyance. "You sealed me?"

"Temporarily," Naruto corrected with an easy grin. "You're currently at the level of a Jōnin from the new era—which, in simple terms, means you're strong enough to destroy stars."

Rogue's breath hitched. Stars?

"Exactly." Naruto chuckled at her stunned reaction. "You absorbed enough of my power to put you on a level where you could accidentally erase a city just by sneezing. I figured it'd be best to ease you into it, so for now, your abilities are locked at the level of a Chūnin from the old era."

Rogue crossed her arms, pouting. "And what does that mean?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, thinking. "Mmm… Basically, you're about as strong as kid-me before my training trip."

Rogue blinked. "That doesn't sound very impressive."

Naruto just smirked. "Kid-me was strong enough to slap around rogue ninjas, summon giant toads, and survive getting stabbed multiple times, so I wouldn't underestimate it."

Rogue sighed. "Fine. But I better get my full strength back."

"You will," Naruto assured her. "Once you've adapted to it naturally. Power isn't just about having it—it's about controlling it."

Rogue exhaled slowly. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right.

Naruto clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough training for now. Let's relax and get something to eat. We'll continue later."

Before Rogue could respond, Naruto suddenly reached out, lightly gripping her wrist.

Then, without warning, they were flying.

Rogue barely had time to yelp before they were soaring into the sky, the wind whipping through her hair as the world below shrank.

A few feet behind them, unseen to either of them, a figure trailed along in perfect silence.

Hinata, concealed by an advanced invisibility technique, floated effortlessly behind them, her lavender eyes filled with quiet amusement as she watched the spectacle unfold.

This was going to be interesting.

Naruto had the ability to elevate Rogue's power in an instant. With just a thought, he could awaken her full potential, refining her control and making her one of the strongest beings in existence. But he wouldn't.

Power, especially one as unpredictable as hers, required more than just strength—it needed understanding. Without control, without the wisdom to wield it properly, even the greatest abilities could become a curse. He had seen it happen before.

It would be like handing an atom bomb to a baby.

Rogue wasn't ready. Not yet.

She needed to learn, to grow into her power naturally, rather than being forced into immortalhood. If he simply gave her the strength without the experience to handle it, she would never truly master it. Worse—she could become a danger to herself and those around her.

So, for now, he had sealed away the excess energy. Let her adapt, let her train, let her struggle.

True power wasn't just about having it—it was about earning it.