AN: Before I get to this, I will say that this story is a whim, it was brought about by a single thought and a moment of inspiration. I wrote this chapter in the period of an hour with one minor update recently. So this story may not continue, but I do plan to move it along.
Another thing of note, this story is not based on the OC below, it is not based on the Elemental. He is simply the key point of divergence, as well as the general presence of elementals and spirits as a whole.
Prologue: The Elemental
...Heavy footsteps, echoing through the trees, a crackle of fire, muffled by metal, the breath of a bellows. All followed the creature that sprinted through the woods. Moonlight reflected off the silver, a haze of heat wafted fortch, red flame bellowed from its joints, extinguished moments after leaving the body. The elemental ran until it got to the path of destruction, only to sprint down the path, following the destruction until it saw the beast responsible, grasped in the hands of the death dealer itself... the Shinigami. What could only be a sigh of relief echoed through the helmet-like head of the creature, it didn't get there.
Something twisted in the air, the beast wasn't fading as it should, it was being pulled, directed... sealed. Sealed by the human leader of the village. The creature began running again, pushing into a sprint, its purpose unclear as it approached the sealing human and the child to be the soon-to-be-sealed creature's host. A loud clang echoed as it jumped, fire erupting from its feet to keep it aloft before it landed in the clearing, far faster than it had moved prior. The human was dead, the beast was sealed, the child was alone. Not yet alone, another with a similar signature still lived, but only just. They would not last. He'd need to retrieve them.
The creature looked down at the child, so much like the other human. Such a resemblance. His son? Likely. Uncertain. But likely. Another was approaching, too fast for the creature to hide itself. It looked in the direction of the newcomer, an elderly man, white haired, weathered skin, far too frail to move as he did. Chakra... such an amazing substance to allow that kind of movement in one so frail. Then the creature was addressed.
"Who are you?" he spoke with authority, with a right to lead, but he was tired, the creature could sense it. The metal of its body reshaped, bending and twisting to a human frame, allowing it to speak.
"...Forge..." the creature replied in a slow, measured tone, echoed, as if spoken within a metal drum.
The human was unnerved, tense, ready to fight. Now was not the time for a fight. Not for the creature.
"...your intentions?" it asked, the hollow ring of its voice carrying far despite its low tone.
"What?" the human questioned, getting into a fighting stance.
"...your intentions... for the child..." the creature replied again, elaborating and gesturing to the child in the dead man's arms.
The old man glanced at the child, surprised, "he is in my care," the elder replied, resolute.
The creature's gaze never wavered, "...and the demon he holds?" it asked, "...what of it?"
"Contained," the elder was once more on guard, "as it will be for as long as Naruto lives."
"...Naruto..." the creature questions, before a grin forms on the facimile of a face it possessed, "...maelstrom," an echoing chuckle escaped the creature, "...very well... lead on, elder," the creature replied to the confused human.
The human approached the child, cautious of the creature, and took him into his arms, "what is your purpose here... Forge?" the human asked, using the name the creature had given.
"...my purpose?" the chuckle returned, "...the one you call... Maelstrom..." it replied, its features shifting once more to the armored appearance, but its mouth remaining, "...the demon must be contained... the Maelstrom must persist... lest the beast's destruction continue..."
"You intend to protect him?" the elder asked carefully.
"...the Maelstrom must persist..." was the creature's only reply.
The stare from the elder would have unnerved a human, but what he was dealing with wasn't human, it was far more primeval. Far more dangerous.
The creature shifted, looking off in another direction, its senses led to another, fast fading, "..." a noise echoed from its body and it was launched, the elder calling out in surprise as he followed. A burst of flame and the creature landed near another, pierced through and tossed aside.
Her eyes were open, dim, but still alive. The creature approached as the Elder landed. Her signature was so similar to the Maelstrom's... she needed to live on as well, while her spirit still lingered.
"Kushina..." the Elder voiced, barely above a whisper. Forge noted the name, then knelt down to her, setting a hand on the wound, getting a gasp of labored breath from the woman and a startled exclamation from the Elder.
An echoed clang, like a hammer striking metal sounded as the wound began to glow, then echoed again as it started to seal, and again, and again, until the wound was closed. Then blue chains extended up, to a blue duplicate of the woman, the chains brittle, broken, and rusted. More echoed clangs as the chains grew stronger, the rust fading, the broken bits reforged, and then, slowly pulled back down. The blue spirit of the woman reentered the body, out of sync at first. One final clang, an the woman breathed again, her spirit was back in its place. Still unconscious, but breathing easy, he lifted her as the Elder looked on.
"How did you..." the Elder started to ask, before the creature spoke.
"...more approach... their intent is ill..." it stated, getting a flinch from the elder, even as the masked humans arrived, swords at the ready for the creature.
"Stand down ANBU, he is not here to harm us," the elder proclaimed, the proof resting on the creature's shoulder. The Masked all returned their weapons to their sheaths, with only the slightest hesitation. The creature's gaze tore into them, made them feel burdened, before it lifted as its gaze shifted to the next, until it rested on the elder once more.
"Will you accompany us?" the elder requested.
"..." no vocal reply was needed as the creature, Forge, nodded its ascent, and followed the elder the the Masked to the walls of their dwelling. But no, they lead to another... a nondwelling. A tower. Forge followed, its curiosity peaked by the strange place. Humans were always interesting. But these ones. These chakra users. They were more so.
It was a short while before the elder entered a room, large, circular, empty. Not empty, two were here. No, three, the third in shadow. Hidden, welcomed within the dark element. A burst of flame, and the shadows were dispelled, a ball of fire shedding light to cast them away.
The ill intent was back, the nerves were taught, the creature's gaze returned to the elder, "...light to dispel the shadows... I do not care for them... or those that dwell so comfortably in them..." the creature's gaze shifted back to the one previously hidden by the shadows, bandaged, damaged, but twisted.
"You'll find it hard to avoid them, I'm afraid. Ninja favor the shadows," the elder replied. The three others, on guard. The Cautious, the Neutral, and the Twisted.
"...human's don't belong to the shadow..." Forge responded, freezing those there in place with the finality of the statement, "...it is not a part of them as the other elements are... I do not care for those that belong to shadow..."
"We will keep this brief then," the elder replied, getting a slow nod from Forge.
"Hiruzen, who is this man," the Twisted asked; calm, unsettlingly calm, restrained. Just like the shadows he belonged to.
"...not a man..." Forge was first to reply, "...Forge... I am an elemental..." Forge replied, getting all to focus on its presence.
End Prologue
AN: And there you have it, the prologue to my first, hopefully, multi-chapter story. Please feel free to review.