AN: My newest fic, and one I'm unbelievably proud of because I believe it's awesome. (Though feel free to constructively disagree. XD) Now, let me nip something in the bud; I'm well aware that some, indeed maybe even most of the ideas I'm going to use in this fic have been used before. Ergo, I make no claim to being their originator. I merely wanted to try my hand at writing a story like this. Also, this will be a harem story with the odd tasteful(or tasteless. ;D) lemon. What can I say, I'm a hormonal male. ;D And now, without further ado, I present;
Naruto: The Valkyrie Alliance
Naruto couldn't remember much; there had been a party, the same one held every on his birthday, though it wasn't for him. There had been a drunk who would spot him, hidden at the edges of the crowd and incited a mob after him...the same as every year. Ordinarily, the ANBU or the Hokage would have prevented the mob from harming him, or he would have escaped them himself. This time, however, the ANBU were nowhere to be seen, the Hokage was visiting the Fire Daimyo and he accidentally slipped into a dead-end alley, thus preventing any chance of escape. He had never been caught before, but he knew what was coming; he had heard the comments from the villagers whenever he left the orphanage. He turned to face the villagers and curled up into a little ball as they proceeded to beat, burn, slash, stab, choke, gore, gouge, and mutilate him to within an inch of his life, all the while the same thoughts had run through his head...
"Why me? What did I ever do to them?"
He didn't cry out during any of it, refusing to grant the villagers any sign he felt the pain. And as he had felt sweet unconsciousness take him, he only hoped their murdering of him would be swift. But what he hadn't hoped for was the feeling of a warm bed underneath him, and the odd, prickling sensation of all his wounds stitching closed on their own. Two voices slowly filtered into his consciousness, and he paid close attention to them, trying to find out what had happened.
The first voice was female and, though soft-spoken, carried an undercurrent of power, like a rain shower that held the threat of a raging thunderstorm. "Has he recovered?"
This voice was answered by another female voice, one that was stoic but had sprinkled hints of concern.
"Mostly, though he'll have a few scars. Which is better than I can say for those villagers." She finished darkly.
"That's right. I never asked you what happened."
"Well, when 'Monkey' and I got there, the leader of the mob was just about to finish him off. I personally stopped him. After he was an incoherent, shattered, babbling mess, 'Monkey' carefully picked up Naruto while I dealt with the rest of the crowd," A wry chuckle was heard, "They're dead now, and trust me, it was a mercy killing."
"I…see. And the Hokage?"
"He has been sent a notice that Naruto will train with us for six years before returning and showing his true power. And I believe that everyone else is just about back from their missions as well."
The sound of approaching footsteps proved the second voice right and Naruto strained his hearing in the hope of learning the exact size of this group that had apparently saved his life. He could hear what sounded like six pairs of footsteps, meaning the group was no larger than eight people at present. A slamming sound erupted, which indicated that the door had just been flung open heavily, "So, has the gaki recovered yet?" This was yet another female voice, but this one was far different from the previous two.
This voice was loud, blunt, and abrasive sounding. A herd of rhinos stampeding across the savanna would be an apt comparison.
The stoic voice sighed, before replying, "Yes, 'Monkey', he's completely healed. Now we're just waiting for him to wake up."
"Grrr, I thought I told you 'Gothy', don't call me 'Monkey'!"
"And I told you, I'll stop calling you 'Monkey' when you stop calling me 'Gothy'."
"Fat chance of that you grey-toned hag!"
"What did you say, you pint-sized reject?"
"You heard me!"
"Friends, please! We must not fight like this!" A new voice, perky, tinged with an accent, and again female rang out.
"They can't help it Kory. They just like to irritate each other." Spoke another new voice, one that was once more female, though this one was young and chirpy sounding.
"I know that 'Shadowcat', but this arguing among friends is most disconcerting." Kory replied.
"Eh, they'll quit soon enough." The one now identified as 'Shadowcat' replied nonchalantly.
The stoic voice spoke out again, "Kory's right though, we shouldn't be arguing like this. I apologize for offending you."
"Whatever." The angry voice replied, though her tone softened slightly compared to her previous outburst.
"Not to interrupt this mushy display of emotions," Shadowcat quipped, "But how did the thievery mission go?"
Yet another new female voice spoke, wisdom, playfulness, and confidence laced into her tone, "It was easy. Their guards were laughable and their protection seals were powerless to stop us. We copied every technique on that so-called 'Scroll of Sealing', and, coupled with our training, he'll be unstoppable. Of course, we also planted several traps to cause chaos among the villagers. They'll be cleaning dye out of their underwear for weeks!" She finished as she started to snicker.
"My lady, you should not have done that. We don't want the villagers' rage to amplify." This admonition came from another new female voice, one that seemed clipped and controlled but with hints of exasperation.
"Aw, lay off 'Shaolin', I was just having some fun. You really need to loosen up."
"As you wish, my lady."
The wise voice groaned in defeat.
One last voice made itself heard at this point, "He's awake." This last voice, yet again female, was whispery and crystalline, containing both soft beauty and harsh hardness.
Naruto opened his eyes slowly, cautiously optimistic as he revealed his apparent saviors.
He would later regard the moment as one of the happiest, and yet strangest of his life.
To his immediate right sat two of the group. The one closer to him appeared to be a pale skinned woman no older than twenty. Her eyes and hair were both a shade of light violet and a red diamond was lodged into her forehead. Her outfit consisted of a purple leotard, cloak, and hood, all of which were several shades darker than her own features.
Directly behind her was another woman who also appeared to be about twenty. Her eyes were a startling jade and her hair was a color perfectly suspended between orange and red. These two striking features helped to illuminate yet another; her skin was tangerine orange. She was wearing an indigo short-sleeved shirt that was cut to end just under her breasts, a similarly colored pair of shorts, and a set of metal-plated gauntlets and boots that were the same color.
To the second woman's right and back a few paces was what appeared to be a young girl. She had blond hair split into two spiked pigtails, brown colored eyes, and a glare on her face. She was wearing a red jogging suit with a symbol on it he didn't recognize. She also possessed one very unusual feature, a fang sticking out of the upper left side of her mouth. Somehow, it made her look both cute, and intimidating.
The next one he saw was the only other one seated. Her shoulder length hair was pure white, a stark contrast to her mocha brown skin, and her eyes were nearly the same light blue as his, being only a shade darker. A form-fitting black body-suit bearing a strange symbol on both its sleeves and right shoulder enclosed her body. She appeared to be one of the elders of the group.
In the corner behind her stood a young Caucasian woman with brown hair, arranged into a ponytail, and hazel eyes. A black sweatshirt encased her torso, and a dark-blue jacket and pants combo completed the look, with the same strange symbol that was on the previous woman covering her clothing as well.
Leaning against the doorway wall were two more of the group. The first Naruto saw was a chocolate-skinned woman of indiscriminate age with violet hair, yellow, cat-like eyes, and a grin splayed across her face. Her clothing consisted of an orange sweater with beige arm-warmers, and black, skin-tight pants.
The second of the two was light-skinned, with storm blue hair, arranged into a boyish cut, but with two long ponytails trailing down to her mid-back. A white, formal looking garment sat on her shoulders, covering a black skintight outfit of some sort. She was also of indiscriminate age, though the haggard look in her eyes suggested she'd seen her fair share of life.
Finally, a humanoid fox was crouched in the corner closest to his bed. She had a pointed face offset by two ice blue, intense eyes. Her fur was yellow with white splotches on her tail, feet, and chest and a set of purple gloves covered her hands.
Naruto looked around at them, his thoughts a mixture of apprehension, confusion, and a few small twinges of residual fear. As if sensing this internal tumult, the woman in the purple leotard spoke, "Do not worry Naruto-we mean you no harm." Naruto turned to face her, feeling strangely reassured by her statement, and asked the question burning in his mind.
"Who…who are you all?"
The woman with the cat-eyes spoke in reply, "We, Naruto...are the Valkyrie Alliance and you are now our student."
AN: Now then, a challenge to all my readers: The first person who can tell me the names of all these women in a review, will be allowed to pick Naruto's Alpha Female for his Harem from this list-Ino, Temari, Tenten, or Tayuya. May the fastest and most well-read reviewer win! XD
P.S. If Temari or Ino are chosen, there is a good chance the other will end up with Shikamaru. I haven't determined yet. XD
Beta'd by MarHeavenAngel.