Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (well, except for a copy of the first volume of Shippuden that a friend got me for a birthday a long time ago), and I do not own The Elder Scrolls (except for a copy of Skyrim bought off of Steam, that I very much enjoy playing on my laptop when it's not broken).
Okay, so I'm going to give fair warning right here, right now. If you want to flame me, keep in mind that I will do like Natsu and eat the flames, and spit them back out in the form of a rant. And don't think that I won't, because I've done it before. And at this point, I'm almost considering posting the rants on my profile page, because they can get quite ridiculous.
If you say anything about me knowing nothing about either Naruto or Skyrim, let me tell you that I have been following Naruto for thirteen years (and have a Naruto fic that follows canon that has over 100k words posted for it so far), and I have BEATEN Skyrim (though not enough for my completionist side to be satisfied, since I'm not a fan of the Dark Brotherhood).
My preferred way of going through Skyrim is as a Bosmer battlemage working for the Thieves Guild (I very much enjoy putting Mercer Frey in his place...drowned in a Falmer-infested Dwemer ruin).
I tend to take the side of the Stormcloaks over the Imperials (since the Imperials are just a re-make of the ancient Romans, and I hate their whole idea of conquest, plus, them and the Aldmeri Dominion are trying to control people's religious freedom, which is just wrong).
And I like keeping my humanity intact when dealing with the Dawnguard.
I also like playing champion for the Daedra, specifically Clavicus Vile (for the Masque of Clavicus Vile, since the reward is awesome, the quest is easy, and Clavicus Vile is a total headcase), Nocturnal (because I like leading the Thieves Guild, despite how hard the last quest is), Meridia (because Dawnbreaker is a really cool sword, even if you have to work through a freaking maze to get it), Molag Bal (because damn that mace is awesome), and Mehrunes Dagon (because that dagger is the greatest one shot killer that you can hide in your sleeve).
Naruto's P.O.V.
As nothing more than a shadow, I race through the darkness, leaping across rooftops with the excitement of a dragon hatchling, or perhaps like one who has a dremora thrall on their tail. I sure hope that I don't have a dremora on my tail. My breath comes out in quiet pants as I run towards the center of the city, towards the tall white tower that lies in the middle of the palace grounds, and towards the fancy looking scroll that is being treated like the next heir to the throne.
I smile softly. "I'll make a fortune from that scroll, and then I'll never have to work again." It's a great prospect for a thief, because all we really want to do it make it rich.
Wasting no time, I use all of the skills that I've learned and honed over the last eight years to drop down into the streets silently, sticking to the shadows to keep all eyes off of me. The scroll is being housed in a locked chest inside of a curtained wagon, easy prey for someone like me. And them transporting it at night to avoid the crowds of people during the day makes it easy for me to sneak across the street and roll underneath the wagon.
Reaching up to the bottom of the wagon, I brace myself between the spikes at the bottom of the metal frame. And looking around, I can already see the flaws in their plan. They don't have anyone covering behind the wagon? Are they really that daft? I shake my head and shuffle towards the back of the wagon, always keeping three limbs pressed to the frame for support.
Once close enough to the back of the wagon, I reach out with my hands and twist my body over, pulling myself quietly into the inside of the wagon, which, as expected, is empty. These guards are overconfident... Now, let's see what I can do about this lock. I'm not the greatest when it comes to picking locks, but sometimes, I'll get lucky with a tough lock, and it'll open, just like magic. I've considered trying to learn some lock-picking spells, but I don't have any appreciable talent for alteration, and to open a lock like the one I'm staring at, I would need quite a bit of power and experience.
So, I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. I slide a lock-pick from my bracer and slip it into the lock, being careful not to jingle it unnecessarily. It clicks quietly as I turn it, searching for just the right- Found it. The lock clicks open, and I withdraw the pick before slowly opening the chest.
Inside is the scroll that I saw them loading earlier. Parchment two feet wide on a golden roll a meter long, gilded like a lady's pretty jewels. Score! This will sell for thousands! This fence is going to pay out more at once than I've seen in my entire career as a thief. Pick-pocketing doesn't pay well unless you're swiping from those prissy rich folks. So it should come as no surprise that I focus solely on them.
It probably doesn't help that I make sure to give a few coins to every beggar that I pass. But I can understand them, because at one point, I was one of them. That's why I give them coin in exchange for their services. As tradition, the beggars are our eyes and ears. They see what most do not, and by giving them coin, we convince them to divulge that information. But sometimes, I hand out the gold, not in exchange for information, but just because they need it more than I do.
I was given to an orphanage as an infant, and stayed there until I was just shy of my tenth birthday. Ever since I ran away from the orphanage, I supported myself by picking coins out of pockets. More than once, I nearly got in trouble with the guards. But when you're a kid, it's a lot easier to outrun heavily armored guards. And it's even easier to find hiding places for a small body.
Then, I picked the pocket of the wrong person. Or maybe I should say the right person. His name was Nuramil, an elven man who introduced me that very same day to the Thieves Guild in the sewers below Riften. I found friends and teachers there, including the sorry old excuse for a perverted guildmaster, Jiraya, a Nord like me. Between him and his second in command, a Breton by the name of Nagato, I learned how to do a lot more than just pick pockets.
Taking the scroll carefully from its case, I strap it to my back and fluff my cloak out of it. Hopefully, it won't seem to suspicious if someone happens to catch a glimpse of me. Not that I'm planning on letting anyone catch a glimpse of me before I get back to Riften. Time to go!
I wait for the wagon to hit a bump in the road, then I slip out of the wagon and crouch down low to the ground. They're moving at a decent pace, and as long as I don't move, they shouldn't see me. There they go... They continue on their way, obviously not realizing that their cargo is no longer where it should be. And once they appear to be half the size they were up close, I turn away and dart into a darkened alley, climb up the most rugged wall, and pull myself back up onto the rooftops.
With the wagon turning out of sight, I am free to run. I won't risk going through one of the gates, where the guards might be inclined to search me, so once I make it to the next ring of the city, I drop from the rooftops and open up one of the manholes, lowering myself into the sewers beneath the nation's capital.
Thankfully, the smell doesn't both me too much, since I'm well used to the smell of the sewers in Riften. The Ratway is not the cleanest of places, not that anyone would ever expect it to be, but thanks to the Thieves Guild hiding within, it's much cleaner than most would expect. And it doesn't smell like there is any explosive gas down here, so it's no trouble to use a flint to light a torch to guide my way.
Keeping my hand to the wall, since it would do me no good to get lost down here, I move as quickly as I reasonably can. Using the layout of the city that I obtained from running across the rooftops, I move out towards the Arcane University, where the sewers connect to the huge moat that rings the city. From walking the streets, I figured that the sewer system is pretty extensive, at least, that's judging by the number of manholes that pop up in the streets.
Several minutes later, I can hear the rush of water. Found it! I surge forwards, heading for the sound of the water. And as the sounds grow louder, faint light appears at the end of the tunnel. So I put out my torch and drop it into the sewer water. No one will find it there, and even if someone does come down here to check, and somehow sees it, they won't want to fish it out of the water to investigate.
I reach the end of the tunnel, and it's not too hard to get the grate off. It's all rusted around the edges, probably from bad upkeep, and with my strength, it takes me all of three seconds and two attempts to kick the thing off. The grate tumbles onto the ground with a clang, but there's no one around but me to hear it. And just beyond the edge of the tunnel is freedom.
Hopping out of the tunnel, I stretch my arms and smile at the sky. Freedom. Then I shift the scroll on my back and grin. Time to get this little treasure home. That old pervert is going to be amazed at what I'm bringing him this time!
Sasuke's P.O.V.
It has been a while since the old man himself has called me in for a mission. What's even stranger is that I'm not the only one. I look to my left, where my older brother walks alongside me. "What do you think he's calling us both for?"
Itachi keeps his gaze focused on the door before us, tilting his head slightly. "I don't know, but it must be important for him to call for both of us." He's got a point, since while it's not unheard of for the two of us to take on a job together, we typically work separately.
"Well...whatever it is, I don't like it." The new Speaker for the Cheydinhal Sanctuary rarely calls his assassins in personally, and I've only seen his face twice myself. That makes me put my guard up. It would be downright foolish of me to approach this with the expectation that I'll walk out of it in one piece. In our line of work, you never go in half-cocked unless you want to get yourself killed.
When we arrive at the door, Itachi raises his hand to knock, but before his skin touches the dark door, a low voice comes from inside. "Come in."
Itachi glances at me warily. "Shall we?" I nod back, and he opens the door slowly, revealing the inner sanctum. "We've come, as summoned." His voice is calm and level, betraying no hint of anxiety, or even caution.
"Yes...so you have..." The old man sitting in the chair watches the two of us from his single functioning eye. "I have a job for the two of you, and it's a mission like no other."
That has my attention in an instant. "And you would entrust it to the two of us?"
He nods. "Not only that, but in addition to the fee you'll get for this assignment, I will see to it that your debt to us is repaid in full." His eye flicks between the two of us. "Both of you."
Now that gets him our full attention. Nine years ago, during the Oblivion Crisis, Itachi and I lost our parents. And in the chaotic aftermath, our inheritance was seized, and the two of us were left on the streets. But thanks to Itachi, we spent barely a few days on the streets. Knowing that we would starve otherwise, he sought out the Dark Brotherhood in Cheydinhal, which was only just beginning to recover from a massacre of their members. He offered himself up to the assassins in return for food, shelter, and training.
A year later, Itachi's growth and training were enough to allow him into the ranks of the assassins. And until he turned sixteen, he provided for the both of us with his earnings from his kills. That's when I joined him among the assassins' ranks. I was only thirteen at the time, but I was determined to prove myself as accomplished a fighter as my brother.
The two of us have served the Dark Brotherhood as assassins ever since, paying off our debt to them, as well as making a name for ourselves within the organization. If this mission will truly clear our debt with them, then it's certainly something to consider taking.
Itachi nods, seeming to silently agree with me. "What are the details of the assignment?" Asking for the details of an assignment is the fastest way to say 'I accept the job, now tell me what it is and don't leave anything out'. He's good at getting right to the point without seeming to be offensive.
Danzo watches us quietly for a moment. "The Black Sacrament has been performed to get rid of a certain thief, and to retrieve something that the thief stole. You do not need to know what the significance of the object is, only that it is a large scroll and very valuable to certain people. You will kill the thief and retrieve the scroll, then bring it to me. The thief is believed to be traveling to Riften, in Skyrim."
It seems like a pretty straightforward mission, if a little unusual. Usually, we are hired only to kill the target, sometimes in specific ways, but retrieving something is a little outside of our normal operating procedures. Then again, since we're dealing with a thief, I suppose that it's only to be expected. We don't usually tangle with the Thieves Guild, and in fact, some of our members have ties with them. So either this thief is independent, or they stole something that they really shouldn't have.
Itachi nods in understanding. "Then we will leave immediately. I assume that we are on a deadline."
"Yes, once the thief crosses the border, it will become difficult to apprehend him before he finds someone willing to fence the item." He is sending us on a dangerous mission, and one that could become very complicated the longer we stay here.
"Very well, then." Itachi touches my shoulder. "Sasuke, let's go."
With one last look at Speaker Danzo, I follow my brother out, keeping pace with him while trying to conceal my eagerness. "So, we're off to the border, then?"
"Yes." Itachi reaches for his daggers, arranged lying across each other on his back. "Be on your guard once we leave. Thieves are tricky, and they're generally well trained, mainly in the event that they run into trouble."
It proves impossible to keep the smirk from my face. "Trouble like us?"
"Trouble like us." Itachi's smile is faint, but it boosts my confidence a little, and does something to stroke both our egos.
Itachi's P.O.V.
The weather is colder here at the border, as is expected when this close to Skyrim. Thankfully, Cheydinhal is much closer to the border than most of the other cities, and with how quickly we managed to get here, we might just have arrived in time to cut off our thief.
"Itachi, I see movement." Sasuke grabs my arm and points off into the trees. "Looks like someone who doesn't want to get caught."
I watch the figure for a moment, and they truly do seem rather suspicious. And no ordinary traveler would go this far out of the way just to cross the border into Skyrim. I believe that we have found our thief. "Be ready to strike, but we move to investigate first. It will do us no good to waste time with another. And it would be in bad taste to kill an innocent." I may kill for a living, but that does not mean that I am a bloodthirsty berserker.
"Alright." Sasuke releases my arm and backs away from me, slipping into the shadows of the trees.
I move forwards, softening my footsteps as I move in on the figure walking through the woods. From their appearance, I would say that this person is male, as tall as Sasuke, though a little bulkier than my graceful little brother. Their movements look practiced, coming from years of training to be light on your feet. But judging by his gait, I would say that this person is used to wielding blades.
Sasuke is no doubt watching from a tree branch, bow at the ready for either a signal or an opportunity. He has always preferred to take out targets from a distance, and slip away into the shadows before anyone can pinpoint his location. But I find that there is less room for error if the deed is done up close and personal.
The distance closes quickly, and there has been no sign yet that he has heard me at all. Not even the rocks beneath my feet make a sound as I move quickly and quietly behind him. I draw a single elven dagger, and hold it to the traveler's throat. "Move, and you fall."
The traveler stays perfectly still, obeying the threat laced into both my words and my voice. "And what are ya lookin' for?" He voice is a little rough, but laced with a gentled nordic accent.
"I think you know what I'm looking for." I shift aside his cloak slightly, and strapped to his back is what looks suspiciously like our mission objective. "That doesn't belong to you."
"Doesn't belong to you either!" Faster than the blink of the eye, he draws a sword, sweeping it up between my dagger and his throat. He leans backward, forcing me to back away, before he whirls around and the cloak's hood falls from his head.
The boy, for he is no more than that, looks no older than Sasuke. His sun-kissed golden hair and bright blue eyes only reinforce his nordic identity. So that is why he runs to Riften. He plans to fence the scroll in his homeland, where he is better protected. If we are dealing with the thieves of Skyrim, then that changes things. It means that the Dark Brotherhood will retain all of it's own ties, and our only hostilities will be with a foreign group far away from our doorstep.
An arrow comes whistling out of the trees, nearly striking the young man in the head. And in fact, it would have struck him in the head, were it not for the boy's incredible reflexes. My brother's attempt to put an arrow into his skull only provokes a grin. "A nice try, I'll give ya that. But tangling with the Riften Thieves Guild is a mistake you'd be better off not making." He looks me up and down, his grin widening. "Dark Brotherhood."
This is precisely what I had hoped wouldn't happen. This thief is clearly trained, and trained well. He's familiar with our organization, familiar enough to recognize us on sight. And we're close enough to the border that if we take too much time, his fellow thieves may start to wonder what is going on. And I would not fancy our chances against an entire guild of well-trained fighters.
His eyes flick momentarily to the trees. "Why don't ya call your friend out, and we'll have a nice little chat..."
In response to his suggestion, Sasuke looses another arrow, and this time, instead of dodging the projectile, the boy slices it right out of the air. Though it was a foolish attempt, it provides me with an opening to slip around the boy's guard. I can see Sasuke sitting twenty feet above in a tree, another arrow nocked in his bow.
I reach for the boy's throat, my plan being to simply slit his throat, break his neck, and give him a quick death. Sasuke may enjoy playing with his food before eating it, but I find it distasteful to leave a victim to linger. though if the client requests that they be left to linger, there is nothing to be done. In this case, there were no instructions as to how he is to die, therefore I will grant him this small mercy.
The boy reaches back and grabs hold of my knife, letting it cut deeply into his palm, before pulling on my wrist, nearly breaking the joint. Another arrow whistles towards us, and I have no doubt that it will not hit me, my little brother's aim is far better than that. But it fails to hit the target either. Instead, it flies straight into the scroll that we've been tasked to recover, bouncing off with a sharp thunk.
The scroll falls to the ground, light spilling from it as it bounces across the stones. Magic...? I'm somewhat versed in illusion and alteration magic, but I have never seen magic like this before. The scroll lies open, runes dancing around in a bright haze on the sheet.
"Sasuke! Run!" I do not know what the scroll is doing, but I would rather not have Sasuke within range of it, whatever its range may be.
"What...?" The boy looks down at the scroll, clearly not understanding just what it was that he had stolen. Not that I know any more than he does, I've never seen anything like this before.
"Itachi!" My foolish little brother, rather than running away from the scroll, drops from the tree, rolls across the ground, and races towards me and the boy as the light grows stronger. "Itachi! Get away from the-"
Light fills the forest, blindingly bright and impenetrable. Then, a rush of wind sweeps in, and I no longer feel anything but the cold.
Third Person P.O.V.
After what seems like an eternity to the three young men wrapped up in battle, the light fades, and a single voice rings out. "What do you think you're doing, and how did you find an Elder Scroll?"