Naruto: New Dawn Rising (Patreon) (Exclusive) (CH 9)

A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.

This chapter was commissioned.

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Chapter 9: More Clones

Cadmus Lab

Naruto observed Professor Hamilton, whose expression was one of sheer terror. The blonde ninja began to understand why the doctor chose to align himself with Cadmus; he was clearly afraid of metahumans, extraterrestrials, and any beings with superpowers.

To be fair, Naruto recognized the reason behind his feelings; when the Uzumaki first encountered Superman and the powers he received from the yellow sun, it reminded him of his previous confrontations with the Otsutsuki clan.

Naruto looked over at the Supergirl replica, who was struggling to pull out the dagger in a frantic attempt to rescue the Professor. However, with each passing moment, her strength diminished further due to the effects of Kryptonite poisoning.

"What are you really doing working for Cadmus, Professor?" Naruto inquired, fixing the man with an intense gaze as he noticed him reaching under his desk, possibly for a weapon or a panic button. Neither option would be advantageous for him. "I suggest you think twice if you want to keep that hand."

Hamilton paused, then gradually lifted his hand to rest on the desk, wearing an expression of resignation. He understood just how quick Naruto was and realized he would be torn apart before he could react.

"You wouldn't understand my reasons for acting the way I do," Professor Hamilton expressed in exasperation. "With beings like you and Superman out there, how can ordinary people like me find any peace? One day, you might choose to abandon your role as protectors of humanity and instead seek to dominate it. And if that happens, who will be there to stop you?"

Naruto listened to the Professor's lecture and realized that he wasn't just referring to him, but rather to all meta-humans, extraterrestrials, and individuals with special abilities.

"Or what if you were under mind control to eliminate all of humanity?" Hamilton pressed on, his eyes reflecting an almost maniacal intensity. "If that were to occur, how would we be able to stop you? And how could we ever trust you after something like that?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that particular instance; after all, Superman had been under the influence of Darkseid's mind control and had caused significant destruction before he was finally freed from Darkseid's control.

"So, your fear of Superman is what led you to join Cadmus and create a counter against the Justice League," Naruto said, causing Hamilton to flinch. "But I need to understand the reasoning behind creating more beings that you fear." Naruto thought for a moment before adding, "Unless you have a backup plan to neutralize her if she goes out of control."

As Hamilton flinched once more, the Supergirl clone on the ground looked increasingly alarmed as Naruto continued to speak, noticing that the man she regarded as her father wasn't refuting any of his claims.

"Even if what you're saying is true, it doesn't change the fact that you superpowered individuals are still a danger to humanity," Hamilton frowned, realizing he no longer needed to conceal his disdain for those with abilities. Naruto would ultimately inform the league about his feelings regardless. "All of you should be locked away and never released."

The Supergirl clone on the ground went still with widen eyes, she didn't want to believe that Hamilton was including her as the ones that should be lock way but deep down she knew that she was.

"At least you're being straightforward about your feelings, but that doesn't concern me," Naruto replied, sensing the clone on the ground was a blend of confusion, anger, and fear—fascinating. "What I need from you is to reach out to your handler, Amanda Waller. I have a proposal for her."

"Why are you interested in meeting her?" Professor Hamilton inquired, skeptical that anyone would want to engage with someone as unpleasant as her. "And what makes you believe she is involved in all of this?"

"Come on, doctor, do you really think I'm that naive? This whole project has her fingerprints all over it," Naruto said, shooting a glare at the Professor. "She likely came to you with this idea after noticing your clear disdain for people with superpowers."

Hamilton chose to keep quiet, feeling frustrated inside. He realized that if he contacted Waller to inform her about Cadmus being found, she would likely distance herself from the situation, leaving him to deal with the fallout alone.

"I believe you have misinterpreted my presence, Professor," Naruto said, noticing the man's guilty expression. "I’m not here as a member of the Justice League; I'm here as a possible business associate."

Naruto suspected that the Justice League had chosen not to inform the public about his departure from the team, likely to maintain a solid image of unity. He understood that the Justice League was essentially a means for individuals like Batman to monitor superpowered beings he considered a threat.

"I suppose you don't trust me that easily," Naruto remarked, noticing Hamilton's suspicious gaze. "If you’re not going to help, then perhaps your Supergirl duplicate will."

Naruto summoned a clone to keep an eye on the Professor as he neared the fallen clone, which was clearly weakened from prolonged exposure to Kryptonite.

"Listen, I may not know your name, or if you even have one, but I'm going to remove the dagger so you can heal. Just know that if you attempt anything, I won't hesitate to stab it into your neck next time," Naruto said, lifting the clone's chin to meet his piercing blue gaze, emphasizing the seriousness of his words. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

The clone paused for a moment but eventually agreed. She attempted to appear rebellious, yet the agony from the Kryptonite and the shocking realization of her father's animosity towards individuals like her weakened her resolve.

The Kryptonian clone let out a pained groan as Naruto removed the Kryptonite dagger and tucked it away. She gradually stood up, blood streaming from her wound and pooling on the ground beneath her.

"You're in worse shape than I imagined," Naruto remarked aloud. He placed a hand on her back injury, causing her to flinch and prepare to retaliate. However, a wave of warmth enveloped her, prompting a pleasurable moan at the sensation. "That should help."

Naruto closed the wound, understanding that the lack of sunlight in the base limited the clone's abilities, preventing her from healing properly on her own. Therefore, he decided to assist her.

"Now I'm going to bring you and the professor along for a tour of Cadmus," Naruto announced, causing both the clone and the Scientist to raise their eyebrows in surprise. "I've been picking up on some unsettling things since I arrived, so since you’re reluctant to share, Hamilton, I’ll reveal all your secrets to your creation."

"Hold on," the Professor began, but the Naruto clone behind him quickly covered his mouth. "It's too late for a discussion now, Professor. Let's start the tour, after you, clone."

The Supergirl clone appeared furious and irritated. "I have a name, you jerk! I'm Galatea—remember it, or else!" With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Naruto and his clone alongside Hamilton, who was tied up behind the original.

As they strolled through the base, Galatea observed something unusual: none of the guards were trying to stop them. Naruto noticed her expression and provided an explanation.

"When I sneaked into the base, I summoned an army of shadow clones that overpowered everyone there and assumed their identities," Naruto explained, causing Galatea and Hamilton to widen their eyes in shock at his audacity to essentially seize control of the base. "But don’t worry, the people my clones impersonated are secure and locked away in a room."

Naruto came to a halt before a door that Galatea recognized all too clearly; it was the entrance to the Professor's private lab, a place he had explicitly told her to stay away from.

"Well, here we are. Would you do the honors, Professor?" Naruto remarked with sarcasm as his clone aggressively shoved Hamilton toward the door, forcing his eyes open so the security scanner could recognize them.

The door swung open, allowing Naruto and the others to step inside. Galatea was poised to strike, taking advantage of the fact that he had his back turned to her for the first time. However, her gaze shifted to a water tanks filled with what she could only assume were unsuccessful versions of herself, causing her to freeze in place.

"You really are a messed-up individual, Professor," Naruto remarked as he observed the deformed and mutated clones of Supergirl. He thought to himself that if the real one were present, she would undoubtedly tear Hamilton's spine out.

The distinction between Supergirl and Superman lies in their upbringing; she was brought up on Krypton and trained to be a warrior, prepared to fight if needed, whereas he grew up on Earth as a farm boy, despite his immense power.

Naruto strolled past the water tank and felt a small sense of relief upon noticing that all the clones appeared to be lifeless, sparing them from further suffering. However, as he continued on, something unusual caught his attention.

"Who is that, Hamilton? Or maybe I should ask whose clone that is," Naruto inquired, observing a stunning woman with short black hair inside a water tank, dressed in a snug blue and red suit featuring a recognizable S on her chest.

Hamilton appeared anxious, not because of Naruto, but due to the cold, expressionless gaze that Galatea had been directing at him since she stepped into the room. She took in the scene before her, which could only be described as unsuccessful efforts to replicate her. As she utilized her abilities to examine the surroundings, she noticed the dates on the tanks, all of which were after her own creation. It became clear that these attempts were intended to serve as replacements for her, but they had ultimately failed for some unknown reason.

"Why?" Galatea murmured to Hamilton, locking her gaze with his. She could sense the fear in his eyes and the hatred he'd kept hidden while in her presence. Now, everything was evident. "I viewed you as a father, but to you, I was merely an experiment."

"That's not how I viewed you at all, but Cadmus requested that I create additional clones," Hamilton said, attempting to provide a justification. However, now that Galatea was aware of his disdain for her kind, she tapped into her abilities to read his heart and facial expressions, quickly realizing that he was being dishonest with her.

"I understand," Galatea said, observing as Hamilton promptly shut his mouth. He ceased speaking, indicating he wouldn't disclose the nature of the fail-safe. This reaction shattered the clone's heart and filled her with anger at her own naivety for trusting Hamilton and his betrayal.

"Hey, hey, you two can sort out your family issues later. Right now, can you tell me who she is, Professor?" Naruto asked, glancing at the attractive alien girl in the tank. "What’s the matter with her?" The Uzumaki could feel that she was alive, but something was preventing her from waking up.

Hamilton sighed, "She is Project Superwoman." He realized it was futile to remain silent at this point. "She's a clone of Superman and General Zod, meant to be Galatea's successor, but we haven't been able to bring her to consciousness."

Naruto heard this and cringe at the thought of Superman and Zod having a daughter together, it was a thing that fangirl would think up but at the same time he had to admit as a human weapon she would be a force to be reckon with.

"Why is the clone of two men female?" Naruto asked. "If Superwoman is a clone of Superman and General Zod, then by right she should be a he."

Hamilton clarified, as simply as he could for Naruto's understanding, "The clone is female because the sample we received from General Zod was damaged. To create this clone, we had to make her a female instead." Although the situation was more complex, he aimed to keep it straightforward.

Galatea, in her rage, had come to the painful realization that she was merely a disposable asset. "So, I was just a tool for you to use and discard? Well, that ends now! Remove the fail-safe from me, Professor, or I swear I’ll tear her head right off your shoulders," the Supergirl clone declared, her voice echoing with madness.

Hamilton appeared frightened and took a step back, but he was grateful as Naruto and his clone advanced. Galatea's eyes were glowing red, clearly indicating her intention to use her heat vision on Hamilton, a fact Naruto was certain of.

"While watching you melt, Hamilton would be fun. I still need him. Besides, I figured out what the fail-safe was when I heal you," the original Naruto stated, eyeing the clone like she was a wild animal.

"You know what the fail safe is," Galatea asked with a tilted head. Naruto nodded, "Tell me so I can get it out of me."

"Honestly, I don't believe you can take it out by yourself," Naruto said, pointing to the back of Galatea's neck. "There's a batch of Kryptonite embedded there, near your spine. It is covered in lead to protect you from the effects until it triggers the fail-safe; then it will explode. It was placed in that spot because it's extremely difficult for anyone to extract it without triggering the Kryptonite in your system, which could be fatal for you."

Hamilton stared at Naruto in disbelief, his expression clearly questioning how it was possible. Naruto replied, "When I healed Galatea, I examined her body and discovered your fail-safe. Now, can you tell me how to awaken this one?"

Naruto gestured towards Superwoman and inquired, "You don't?" Hamilton replied honestly, "We've done everything possible, but she doesn't react to anything."

Naruto wore a contemplative expression as he instructed one of his clones to monitor Galatea. She appeared to be weighing her options: whether to take the chance of disabling the fail-safe using a mirror and her heat vision or to eliminate Hamilton before he could activate it against her.

"I understand that you're upset because the person you trusted the most has let you down, but I still need him to be alive. So here's what we can do: once I free Superwoman, I'll remove the fail-safe from you," Naruto said, attempting to soothe the clone's anger. It seemed to work, but then Hamilton had to speak up.

"It’s not personal, Galatea, but I have to follow Cadmus's protocols, and letting someone like you roam free without any way to manage you is a disaster just waiting to unfold," Hamilton said bluntly, as if he were talking about a dangerous animal, which earned him a furious look from Galatea.

"So I'm nothing more than a threat to you," Galatea snapped, her voice filled with anger. "You made me believe you viewed me as a daughter, all just to make it simpler to manipulate me."

Hamilton remained quiet, validating Galatea's statements, which only deepened her feelings of sadness and anger at her own perceived weakness. She felt a strong urge to just break the Professor's neck but realized that Naruto would intervene if she attempted it. Taking a deep breath, she decided to focus on Naruto, disregarding Hamilton entirely.

"I accept your offer," Galatea stated assertively as she observed him nod in response. She then turned her attention to the tank containing Superwoman, aware that his shadow clone was closely monitoring her every move, ready to intervene if she attempted to strike Hamilton while the original was preoccupied.

"It's time to wake up and get moving," Naruto announced as he smashed the tank, causing the water and Superwoman to tumble out. He quickly caught the clone in his arms; she was breathing independently, but otherwise unresponsive. "I wonder if I can help you heal."

"What are you thinking? She can't survive outside the tank for long; she's too unstable," Hamilton remarked, yet he didn't intervene to halt Naruto. "You need to return her to the tank before it’s too late."

Naruto disregarded the Professor and placed his hand on Superwoman's chest. Unnoticed by anyone else, a sun-shaped seal manifested on his hand; it was the yang seal he had successfully replicated after arriving in this world.

Initially, there was no reaction, but then Superwoman began to tremble. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she inhaled deeply.

The clone of Zod and Superman glanced around with curiosity before turning to the man who held her in his hand. In flawless English, she posed a single question.

"Is it possible for me to eliminate the human master?" Superwoman inquired, her voice filled with disdain. Everyone was taken aback by her ability to communicate and her apparent animosity towards Hamilton. Noticing their astonished expressions, she clarified, "Although I couldn't express it before, I was always aware of what was happening even when I couldn't move and I know your intentions for me, Professor Hamilton."

Hamilton’s rigid demeanor at Superwoman’s presence made Naruto let out a resigned sigh. It appeared the doctor was courting disaster, having provoked not just one, but two Kryptonian clones.

"Unfortunately, you can't eliminate him; he serves a purpose for me. And why did you refer to me as master?" Naruto inquired, intrigued.

"You were the one who saved me when everyone else was ready to get rid of me and restart their experiment. I owe my life to you, so it’s only fitting that you are my master," Superwoman replied, prompting Naruto to rub his eyes with his free hand, the other busy holding the clone.

"Hamilton, if you don't manage to connect with Amanda Waller in the next five minutes, I'm going to let Galatea and Superwoman have their way," Naruto said, taking a moment to glance at the short-haired woman in his embrace with a contemplative look. "From now on, I'll call you Claire; Superwoman is more of a superhero title than a real name. Anyway, professor, get Waller on the phone right now, or I'll give your creations some time alone with you."

At that moment, Hamilton felt a tremor run through him, particularly when he noticed the identical smiles on Galatea and Superwoman, who appeared to be quite fond of the name Claire directed at him.

Chapter End

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A/N: Professor Hamilton can't seem to get a break from his Kryptonian clones; both want him dead. Next time, Naruto gets in contact with Waller and much more. As always, thank you all for the support, and stay safe. Later.