Chapter 3: Titanic Efforts

It has been seven months since that night. Naruto and Hinata both passed away within hours of each other. The Uzumaki Clan gathered to lay the Boss and his Wife to rest. Naruto had done his best and increase the training for Dick, Raven, and, surprisingly, young Saruto. Now it was up to them to watch each other's backs. Meanwhile, Himawari and Fuyotu were busy coming up with something that will help prepare for the future conflict. The funeral had a somber tone to it. Fuyotu despite her best efforts couldn't help but to break down in tears at their loss. Dick was saddened to see his mentor and grandfatherly figure go. Raven, despite her stoic features, was distraught at losing her grandfather and grandmother, who, in the seven months she known him, grew to become close to them. As they were lowered into the ground, entombed on a hill near the edge of the compound, everyone gave some brief words and sent incense to the deceased.

After the service, Fuyotu, Himawari, and Boruto gathered Dick, Saruto, and Raven in the family room. "Ok," Himawari started, "since you've been training, I've doing work with Fu to figure out our next move in dealing with Trigon." She nods over to Fuyotu who brings out pictures of a small island and schematics for a building.

Fuyotu then takes over the explanation. "This is the island that held a League of Assassin base. After taking care of it, sis bought it. We are working with private contractors from Wayne Industries to build a tower. This will be your hub. Training is important, but, there is little substitute for real life experience. As such, you will be forming a superhero team. Battle experience, team work, protecting your home and learning your patrol areas to give you the homefield advantage, this will all be necessary for the future conflict." The teens were staring at the information, shocked at the plan. "So, now you will need costumes, koso!" Fuyotu squealed with joy.

Himawari nodded, "Yes, in order to protect one's identity, a uniform of sorts is a must. I assume Dick will be using the Red X uniform?"

He shook his head, "No, when it comes to hero work, I am Robin, not Red X."

Saruto piped in, "Then can I be Red X? It's pretty cool!" Robin nodded his agreement to both the question and the statement.

Raven looked down shyly, "I want a purple cape." Everyone looked at her with amusement while she blushes slightly.

"Anyways," Boruto glanced at his youngest, "are you sure about this?"

Saruto nods with a determined fire in his eyes. "I want to help cousin Raven!" Saruto huffed in excitement. "Besides," he says "it sounds like fun. Like what you and mom used to do!"

"Well, that's it," Fuyotu says to the teens, "any questions?" Robin raised his hand. "Yes?"

"Is it just us on this team?"

"No, we actually scouted two heroes here in Jump that have only been operating recently," Himawari places two folders on the table, each had a photo attached to it. One was a young teen whose short and green with elf like ears and a purple and black spandex suit while the other was of a cyborg dark skinned teen. "Beast Boy and Cyborg, aka, Garfield Logan and Victor Stone. They've been working together as heroes recently and seem to be friends. Despite being novices their teamwork is above average, bordering on excellent. They show great potential."

Robin takes one of the files and asks, "so, when do we get started?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy entered the skeleton of a tall building in the middle of construction. The now named Titan Island was currently buzzing with activity. Workers with yakuza dragons, shaped like whirlpool tattoos across their back and little ramen bowls on their neck were working on the building and the foundation. The Uzumaki Clan was in full force. Gar was unaware of the meaning behind these tattoos while Victor had some inkling that they were gang related in some manner. Victor narrowed his eyes at that, but put it on the back of his mind for now as his best friend and partner in heroics was giddily exclaiming how cool everything was. They made their way to an open air room where Robin, Raven, Red-X, and Himawari were sitting at a cheap plastic foldable table. Himawari straightened some papers, giving her a professional businessman's vibe. "Ok, Beast Boy and Cyborg, in order to make sure you're capable and skilled, you will be doing a mock battle against each of the current Titans," as she said that, Red-X created a pair of water clones, "so, you may begin when ready."

Gar stepped up first, charging at the clone as a rhinoceros. The clone dodges to the side, before Beast boy changes again into a large octopus, sailing past as his tentacles grip to the clone's arm pulling Beast Boy towards the Red-X clone. Wrapping around his face, Gar guides the blind and panicking water clone into slamming himself against a nearby support pole, causing the clone to collapse into water. "Piece of cake for the mighty Beast Boy." he said striking a victory pose.

Cyborg went up next. The two opponents glared at each other, and, almost as if through some unspoken word, both fired their weapon of choice at their opponent. Cyborg's right arm turned into a sound cannon and blasted a large concentrated shockwave at the clone while the Red-X water clone tossed four red X shuriken at Cyborg. Red-X clone undid the justsu on the leading weapon causing it to grow in size and blocking the sound wave while the other three went zooming towards their target. Cyborg nimbly dodged them as he charged forward, entering close combat range swift enough to keep the water clone from drawing more of his X shuriken. Cyborg's hits were heavy but was deflected by Red-X. Cyborg's latest hit slammed into the ground which ended up tripping the clone as he used his arm cannon to shake the very earth using powerful sound. He then followed up by slamming a twin hammer fist into the water clone's gut, dispelling it. "Boo-yeah! Whose the man? I'm the man!"

"Humph, that was just a tenth of my power, don't get cocky," Saruto said, pouting under his mask at having had his water clones be so easily beaten.

"Next up is running a rescue simulation. Raven, you're up." Raven got up and took position as the damsel in the center of the room, while Himawari used several jutsus to reshape the surroundings into a maze of hallways and vantage points where Raven's shadow clones all henged into faceless mooks with guns patrolled the area. "You may begin."

Both Cyborg and Beast Boy nodded to each other and hid behind a freshly made earthen wall before Victor took a small drone and flung it high in the air. It drove over the "base" and quickly scanned and located the "hostage" in moments. Cyborg then showed the fully 3D map to Gar who quickly memorized it, turned into a small green field mouse, and scurried towards the hostage. Meanwhile Cyborg creeped to a thinner wall, where two guards were swiftly and silently taken out in a karate chop to their necks. They poofed away before he set charges to the wall to create a doorway. He waited a few minutes for his partner's signal. He then heard the loud caw before he blew the wall out to help extract the "hostage" who was riding on Beast Boy's back in stallion form. Cyborg provided covering fire with his sonic cannon as he too ran towards the safe zone. In roughly 7 minutes from the word begin, the dynamic duo managed to succeed in the second test. They high-fived, loudly celebrating, nearly blasting poor Raven's hoody off from the sheer volume of their celebrations. With spittle on her face she deadpanned and said, "Do you two have a mute button or something?" She started cleaning her face off as she floated back to her chair at the judges table.

After a few minutes of discussing the results, the four of them turned towards Beast Boy and Cyborg. "Welcome to the team," Robin got up and handed them a basic laminated card with their information on it, "you two are now Titans."

Himawari then spoke up, "Now, there is some rules you must follow. First are the standard superhero morals, no killing, no stealing, no using your fame to receive favors or items under threat of not saving them, etc. Second is this, as a team, you must look out for each other, and defend each other at all costs. Of course, trust must be built so I do not expect you to share every single secret, but if it is a danger to the team, you should share it." She then gave her daughter a nod and an encouraging hand on her shoulder, "go on dear."

Raven took a deep breath and explained everything to the duo. They're happy atmosphere was sucked out as the mood turned serious. The apocalypse. That's what they're facing. A literal interdimensional demon hell bent on absorbing earth into his dark kingdom to torment all for eternity. When she finished her story, unable to go on as she herself tried to control her fear, lest her powers go haywire, Gar and Victor immediately tried to lighten the mood with their positivity, a welcome, if annoying break in Raven's mood that distracted her from the doom and gloom her fate seemed to bring. She smiled a bit at their antics, simply cracking a deadpanned delivered joke about their annoying nature.

Over the next few months, Cyborg started upgrading the already finished Titan Tower with state of the art technology and security devices, while the team managed to stop crime and a few villains. The team surprisingly clicked together like a LEGO set, starting to build a wonderful friendship and comradery. Things were looking bright for Raven and the Titans.