"Hey, buddy, I heard you’re back?" Tony Stark’s familiar voice rang out from Su Xiuyu’s phone.
"I am. But cut to the chase, Tony," Su Xiuyu replied coldly. "We’re not close enough for casual chit-chat. You obviously need sothing."
Tony paused on the other end, slightly embarrassed. He did need sothing—sothing serious.
"Yeah, you caught . I need a favor... I’ve got a bit of a health issue, and I don’t know who else—"
"Save it. Co see in person," Su Xiuyu interrupted. "You know where the Uchiha Office is. Get over here."
---
Not long after, Tony descended from the sky in full Iron Man armor, landing neatly in front of the Uchiha Office building. It was sleek and modern, nothing too flashy, which caught Tony a little off guard.
"Quit gawking and co inside," Su Xiuyu’s voice called out through the intercom. "Third floor."
Tony made his way up, his suit clanking slightly with each step. As he stepped into the third-floor office, the first thing he noticed was his Mark III armor—displayed proudly like an oversized collectible figure in a glass case.
He felt a brief surge of pride, thinking Su Xiuyu must have appreciated his design. What he didn’t know was that Su Xiuyu had simply placed it there as a nostalgic nod to Iron Man from his previous life’s movies.
"I’m in bad shape," Tony got straight to the point. "I’ve got palladium poisoning. And I don’t think I’ve got much ti left."
"It’s the arc reactor in your chest, right? Just remove the shrapnel. You won’t need the internal reactor anymore, and the problem’s solved."
Tony blinked, surprised by how quickly Su Xiuyu zeroed in on the issue. "You figured that out fast."
If Su Xiuyu had heard Tony’s thoughts, he would’ve laughed. It wasn’t keen observation—it was knowledge of the plot.
"Unfortunately," Tony continued, "that shrapnel’s lodged too close to my heart. Any attempt to remove it could cause massive bleeding... and, well, death. Modern dicine just isn’t there yet."
Su Xiuyu thought for a mont. That was true in the early stages. It wasn’t until nanotech and the Cradle of Life ca into play that it beca possible.
"I can take it out," he said casually. "It’s simple."
Tony’s tense expression eased up. "Seriously? What’s the risk?"
"Zero. It’s a guaranteed success."
Tony stared. "Who’s performing the surgery?"
"I am."
Tony hesitated. "You are the second-largest shareholder of Stark Industries. You’re not trying to off and take my shares, are you?"
Su Xiuyu let out a snort of laughter, half amused, half annoyed. "Please. Don’t insult ."
Without another word, he pushed Tony to the ground, locking his body in place with an Earth Style technique.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—slow down! Aren’t you gonna disinfect anything first?!"
Su Xiuyu pulled out a kunai, causing Tony to panic. "Don’t ss with , man! I know what that is—I saw Uchiha Madara gut soone with one of those! Step back!"
Before Tony could panic further, Su Xiuyu activated his Sharingan and placed him under a genjutsu, putting him into a deep, dreamlike state. Then, with practiced precision, Su Xiuyu used chakra control and gravity manipulation to extract the shrapnel piece by piece.
As an Otsutsuki with the Rinnegan, this was child’s play.
He followed it up with a burst of Yang Release to fully heal the wound. The only evidence of the operation was a few scattered droplets of blood.
Explaining everything would’ve taken longer than doing it myself, Su Xiuyu thought with a shrug.
With a snap of his fingers, he dispelled the illusion.
---
Tony gasped and sat upright, drenched in sweat. "I just had the craziest dream... You ripped open!"
Su Xiuyu smirked. "That wasn’t a dream."
Tony froze as he looked around and saw the bloodstains on the floor. "Jarvis, what just happened?"
"Sir," Jarvis replied, "Mr. Su removed the shrapnel from your chest. The entire operation took less than three minutes. You were completely unresponsive, likely due to mind control. He also used an unknown thod to seal the wound imdiately."
Tony blinked. "What’s the status of the palladium poisoning?"
"Your levels have dropped to a safe range. With continued care, you’ll make a full recovery."
Tony looked down at his chest, stunned to find it completely intact.
"I... I thought I was dead. I thought there was no way out. I wanted more ti... with Pepper, with everything. I can’t thank you enough. Do you want sothing in return?"
"Relax, we’re not teenagers anymore," Su Xiuyu said with a grin. "If you’re feeling generous, just build a new suit. Doesn’t need weapons—I’m collecting them like action figures. Oh, and I’ve got a cure for the remaining toxins in your body. Mito will handle it—I’m not exactly the ’healing hands’ type."
Despite everything, Su Xiuyu didn’t hate Tony. On the contrary, his affection ca from the lasting impression the character had left on him through the films of his past life. And eting him in person? Sure, Tony had a sharp tongue, but he was a decent guy.
"Could you not knock out this ti?" Tony asked nervously.
"Relax. Mito’s healing technique doesn’t hurt. She uses the Palm Sage Technique—it’s non-invasive. I only knocked you out because I figured you’d freak out the mont I cut into you."
---
Mito Uzumaki stepped forward. Green chakra glowed in her hands as she hovered them over Tony’s chest.
"Wait... will it work without even touching ?" Tony asked, baffled.
"The Palm Sage Technique doesn’t require contact. Chakra guides the toxins out on its own. You’ll be fine," Mito reassured him.
Ten minutes passed in silence as Mito worked.
When she finished, Tony sat up slowly. "I feel... incredible. Better than ever."
He looked genuinely moved, humbled by the experience.
"Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever said that so many tis in one day."
--------------------------
Tony Stark, now free from all illness, felt rejuvenated. If he hadn’t already locked things down with Pepper, he would’ve definitely called up three Playgirl cover models and partied through the night.
As the saying goes, good news brings good vibes. Feeling lighter than ever, Tony bought a huge bouquet of flowers and headed back to his villa, ready to surprise Pepper Potts.
Unfortunately, instead of a surprise, what greeted him was a full-blown shock.
"Hey! You just broke into private property," Tony said flatly, eyes narrowing at the intruder. "Should I call 911, or just shoot you myself?"
Nick Fury, standing in Tony’s living room like he owned the place, struck a pose he thought was commanding. "Long ti no see, Tony. How’s that palladium poisoning treating you?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "I’m fine. Problem’s solved. Now cut the crap—what do you want?"
For so reason, Nick Fury’s face always rubbed him the wrong way.
"Okay, okay, no need to get hostile." Nick held up a tal case. "This is the latest antidote developed by S.H.I.E.L.D. It can help manage the palladium poisoning—but just a temporary fix, not a cure."
He then placed the case on the table and slid it toward Tony.
"This," he said, "is what your father left behind. It contains information that might just save your life."
Tony took the case, surprisingly light for sothing that felt so heavy in his hands.
"How the hell do you have my dad’s stuff?" he asked, his voice turning cold.
Nick gave him a look. "Clearly, you didn’t know your father very well. Howard Stark was one of the founding mbers of S.H.I.E.L.D. He always considered you his greatest legacy. Too bad all I see is a reckless playboy."
He turned away, heading for the door.
"Tony, when are you finally going to take so responsibility?"
With that, Nick walked out, leaving behind Howard Stark’s legacy—docunts and designs preserved ever since Howard and Maria Stark were assassinated. S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept them hidden, waiting for the right mont. Nick thought he was doing Tony a favor. Too bad Tony didn’t see it that way.
Outside, Fury pulled out his comm.
"Coulson, I need a full report. Who’s Tony Stark been in contact with lately?"
Coulson’s voice crackled through the earpiece. "Boss, I already looked into it. Tony visited the Uchiha Office twice in the past few days. He t with Su Xiuyu and even gifted him a new Iron Man suit."
Nick’s brow furrowed. "He gave away a suit?"
"Yep. I saw them myself when I stopped by. Su Xiuyu showed two Iron Man armors—Mark III and Mark IV. He’s treating them like giant action figures."
"Action... figures?" Nick repeated, confused.
Coulson chuckled. "Like model toys. Su Xiuyu thought they looked cool, so he put them on display. I asked if he’d sell one—he said no. Said he didn’t need the money."
"Also, he removed the shrapnel from Tony’s chest. Judging by Tony’s complexion, I’d say the palladium poisoning’s been completely cured."
Nick’s face turned stony. Damn it. He thought he was making a big move, coming in with a solution and Howard’s old materials. But he’d already been beaten to it.
Still, Tony was valuable. Fury still saw him as a future core mber of the Avengers. So, in the end, it didn’t matter if he was late this ti. Tony’s personality was the kind S.H.I.E.L.D. could work with—especially if properly nudged.
What Nick didn’t realize, however, was that he had a habit of treating people like chess pieces, even when he ant well. That tendency to overcalculate and manipulate often rubbed people the wrong way—including Su Xiuyu.
Just then, another report ca through.
"Director, there’s news," Coulson said. "A man nad Ivan has arrived from the Far East. His father worked with Howard Stark on arc reactor research. He could be trouble. Should we warn Tony?"
Nick paused for a beat. "No. I’ve got other plans for that. Black Widow will handle it."
---
anwhile, Tony had finally made ti for a long-overdue dinner with Pepper. After everything that had happened recently, he knew he owed her.
They had a romantic candlelit dinner, and by the end of it, the tension from the past few days had lted away. Tony, now in the pri of his middle-aged charm, was as thoughtful and sweet as ever.
After dessert, Pepper leaned in, her voice turning serious. "Tony, I’ve found you a new secretary. She’s trained in combat, so she can protect you even without armor."
Tony sipped his wine slowly, ntally reviewing his recent behavior. Since officially committing to Pepper, he hadn’t strayed. Not once.
He raised a brow. "Pepper, are you testing ? I thought you were my personal secretary."
Pepper gave him a soft smile. "You handed the whole company over to , rember? I barely have ti to manage everything as CEO. So I found soone who can help with your daily chaos. She’s competent... and very attractive. But you are not allowed to flirt with her."
Tony winced, sensing the trap.
Pepper turned and pointed. "There she is."
A stunning redhead approached with confident strides. Her wine-colored hair frad her face perfectly. She wore a crisp white blouse, unbuttoned just enough to make Tony gulp, and a form-fitting pencil skirt. Her figure was... devastating. Her eyes sparkled with just the right amount of playfulness.
Tony nearly dropped his wine glass.
"Wow. You’re my new secretary?" He grinned. "Has anyone ever told you your hair is as beautiful as amber?"
The woman laughed softly. "Boss, I’ve heard about you. Miss Potts told that if you tried to flirt, I should ignore you."
She extended a hand. "Natasha Romanoff. And just so you know, I’m trained in over a dozen forms of combat. If you try anything... you won’t even get the chance to dial 911."
Tony’s grin faltered. "Noted."
Happy Hogan, Tony’s driver and longti bodyguard, sized Natasha up with a doubtful expression. "You sure she’s got the chops?"
Natasha gave a sly smile. "Wanna find out?"
A few minutes later, they were all in the gym. The match was quick. Happy barely stepped forward before Natasha spun and caught him in a clean, professional chokehold. In less than five seconds, he was on the floor, tapping out.
"Holy shit," Tony muttered, eyes wide.
Even Pepper was surprised. She hadn’t expected Natasha to be that skilled. After all, Happy was no slouch—he’d been Tony’s bodyguard for years.
Natasha casually helped Happy to his feet. "You okay?"
Happy, slightly red in the face, nodded. "Yeah... didn’t see that coming."
Natasha smiled politely, giving him a graceful exit. "You’ve got good instincts. You just need to tighten your stance."
Tony looked over at Pepper. "You really don’t trust , do you?"
Pepper crossed her arms. "Tony, she’s your secretary. She’s here for work—official business. You planning to take her ho?"
Tony smirked, raising his hands in surrender. "Nope. ssage received. Loud and clear."
Pepper leaned in and whispered, "Good. Because whatever you do outside, rember—what happens at ho? That’s between us."
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