Note: I've been pestered by this idea for over a year now and only just got enough of a plan to start writing it recently. The 13th Warrior gave me a lot of inspiration for where to go with this kind of setting, and the idea of Naruto running away after failing the exam interested me enough to use it.
Now
He stood there upon the bow of the ship watching the horizon as the waves played as a drummer upon the hulls of the dragon masted ships.
The salty winds brushed the sun bleached blond hair and swirled the hides he wore while jingling the mail worn underneath.
A steady drum beat echoed across the open ocean, unlike the waves this one slow and steady rather than the frantic attempts of the waves to pierce the hulls, and played in unison on the massive kettle drums on the ships.
They were almost a kind of magic, keeping the hearts of their force raised even without the power of the drummers being infused as they often did in battle or when they needed to row. But even with just the drum beats, the voices of hundreds among their thousands sang the songs of old to their beat.
For two weeks they been at sea, the power of the winds guiding them across the sea to the lands of seeming bounty and conquest.
They had sought the challenge, the hope that if they fell their destiny would be to travel to Valhalla.
It was a familiar place they were heading, to him at least.
He had left the shores they were heading to nearly fourteen years before, now he returned with the people who had accepted him.
A long blast of the horn signaled what they had been waiting for, land sighted ahead.
Its call was answered from the fleet by a cheer given by young and old, warriors all.
Raised steel and wood, the weapons each wielded waved high, the massive warhammer he had claimed joining them as the drumbeats changed.
They were louder now, echoing the booming roar of thunder as it crashed through the skies, the magic beginning to flow with each beat.
With each note, the skies began to darken to the beat of the drums and fog seemed to raise itself free of the waves and dance to the same beat.
The fleet slowed, positioning themselves in an arc towards the sighted land. The largest ships in the middle of their arcing formation, turned parallel to the shore and stopping while the rest continued in.
He grinned in anticipation as the men moved up, crowding his position, each wanting to be the first to rush ashore into the fray. The archers took up their positions in the rear as torches were brought forth.
It would be glorious to behold their attack.
Their goals were to smash those already there and hold the land for the second fleet three days behind them that carried those necessary to build here.
And then it began as the distant shore became plain for all to see.
The largest ship, pained black opened the massive door upon its flank, the runes letting the ramp remain in position as the other ships did the same.
A roar erupted from the ship and the howl of a wolf echoed through the fleet before the immense creature with fur blacker than the darkest night and eyes that burned as flame charged out with Erik Wolvenhart riding upon its back.
Mounted soldiers upon their steeds followed as soon as the wolf was free, riding easily upon the surface of the water, a dread tide as they blasted past the advancing ships. Cutting as knives through the mists.
Three beats of the drum later and the archers fired their first volley upon the village upon the shore, burning streaks of crimson flame racing like the rain from the sky.
The first screams came from the village only a moment before the shudder ran through the ship, the sign that the longboats bow had slipped to the shore and a war cry erupted from those experienced enough to retain their footing.
Leaping over the bow, he was in the swirling water and sand, joining the charge amidst the horde, hammer ready as they attacked.
They had chosen their first target well, a lightly fortified island whose master had oppressed the people of the country he commanded.
No help should come for him as they attacked.
The thugs that had survived the charge of the wolfriders and the barrage of the archers charged the landing warriors rushing the fortress.
He lashed out with his hammer, the sharp thunderclap as its runes triggered and flared with blue lightning on contact before shattering the closest enemy with a single blow.
The scent of blood and death reached his nose while the markings almost like whiskers seemed to darken against his pale face.
Ahead he could see the enemy pouring from the gates as Erik and his clan continued their assault, the massive wolf rending and tearing men limb from limb while the massive rider pressed the attack with his stout spear.
The crack of thunder while the drums resounded even louder and the sounds of war raged about them. The bodies of their enemies lay strewn about as they pressed the attack, clambering across the fallen following the path of the wolves.
These were merely fools they fought, no real challenge for the raiders leading the charge.
They were the sons of the gods, those leading their people in the effort to be accepted to dine in Odin's hall upon their deaths and fight among the best of their ancestors.
And they had accepted him among their number after finding him wandering the northlands, looking for a place to belong all so long ago.
14 Years Earlier
Naruto had failed again, something he couldn't believe had happened again.
Sure there was a possibility of passing eventually, but there didn't seem to be a real point to trying.
He had wanted to be a ninja, and ninjas were respected.
However, failing three times had shown him there wasn't really a reason to keep trying at it.
People didn't care about him, only a few would even miss him if he left, and he could count on one hand the number of them.
And so, Naruto Uzumaki decided to leave Konoha to seek his fortune elsewhere in the world.
His own belongings were easy enough to pack up, along with what little money he had.
As he hadn't graduated, it was easy to walk out of the gates without a second thought, heading where ever the road would lead him.
"I'm sorry, sir," the masked ninja stated as he leaned back against the door frame, "I lost him."
"How could you lose a twelve year old boy?" Sarutobi asked, a hint of anger in his tone as he dropped his pipe to the desk.
"I'd followed the sightings of travelers to Wave, he apparently boarded one of the merchant ships," the Anbu answered, "There wasn't really anything I could do after that, and we aren't permitted access to the records without direct orders to do so."
The old man grimaced, if it had been in Fire, there wouldn't have been a problem. But in other countries, well, that would complicate things. By the time he'd gotten permission from the locals, the boy would be gone, and with the damage already done to their reputation after the damage from the Kyuubi's rampage followed by two relatively spectacular betrayals, well it wouldn't be easy.
Especially if they asked why he was sending ninjas to track the boy.
Now
Zabuza was worried for the first time in decades.
Wave was worthless, even his own former village knew it. They hadn't bothered to send anyone after him for some time, and Gato had solidified power over the people with his help.
The mans meddling had ruined the very trade routes he sought to control, and people were far more willing to spend the extra days traveling in order to avoid the places that Gato controlled.
What made things worse was that the man was paranoid, the people were to scared to do anything more than scrounge for what they needed for another day and were so far in debt that they didn't care anymore.
Those who could, left, and only the dregs remained.
Now someone had apparently taken an interest in Wave and had the firepower to take it, and the only thing he could think of was an invasion.
From his position, he could sense something similar to chakra, but it was used differently, the music was filled with it and it controlled the rising storm around them while other bursts of it came from all around.
And then there was the wolf, the dread beast seemed to blaze with an unholy energy that left the soldiers Gato hired paralyzed in their tracks.
He believed it to be something akin to the bijou that plagued the lands, but this one had a rider, a sign that someone could control it.
And that was not a good sign.
Cleaver danced as he heard a roar, deflecting one of their swords as he blinked.
The smaller wolves could run up walls, animals with ninja skills were not something he'd ever expected to see en mass, and a mounted cavalry was a horrifying prospect when you added this kind of mobility, especially when the mount was as dangerous as the rider.
At least he could fight something worth battling again.
The heavy blade sliced clean through the rider while he lunged to the side to a avoid the snapping, blood stained jaws of the wolf before kicking it to the side and off the wall he stood atop.
He spun as a brief clearing in the storm clouds gave sight to the rising full moon and something horrifying.
Among the marauders were people who seemed to be growing, and that was impressive as they were already at least five times the size of a normal man, and they were heading towards the fortress with weapons that seemed clad in ice.
However, he barely had time to react as one of their clubs slammed down where he had been an instant earlier, smashing stone to dust and leaving a crater at ground level.
He moved, retreating along the wall, leaping over another of the wolf riders and rolling past a third before the massive weapon changed directions, moving through the wall as if it weren't even there as the supports began to give way.
Nothing could be that strong, but still it was and he ran for it, leaping clear of the outer wall and into the grounds, blade slicing clean through several more of these enemies as he ran, heading for the caverns that held a possible exit.
Haku grimaced as another mirror was smashed and wolves came pouring through the breached gate.
The wolf was still rampaging through any it could reach, and trapped within the walls was not a good place to be.
"Haku," Zabuza yelled, "Move, we need to get the hell out of here."
A nod in response before joining the older ninja on the run through the base.
13 Years Earlier
It had been nearly a year since he had begun his new life.
Volunteering to work on the freighter had been a decent way to gain passage across the sea.
He'd been paid decently enough to start his new life here by the captain, and room and board for the journey had been included while working.
But he didn't want to remain at sea for the rest of his life, and had worked at the docks running messages to the various shops who'd made orders about the ships that came in.
It wasn't much, but it was better than what he'd been living on in Konoha.
A glimpse of a ninja aboard one of the ships spooked him.
Whispering with the dock master and glancing in his direction, something that scared him enough to leave the port city and head out again, making his way towards one of the villages nearby.
The trip was horrific.
He was no stranger to bad weather, but the cold air had made it worse.
Freezing rain leaving a thin layer of ice across the landscape and dropping his progress away from the city to a crawl amidst the frozen forests.
Arguably, it was not the best of coices to shelter in one of the caves, but a lone traveler, especially one as young as Naruto had little choice in where he could await a clearing in the weather.
The fact that he was not alone there was also less aparent until after he'd lit a small fire for warmth and light within the cavern.
Now
Naruto charged, passing beyond the sand of the shore to the harsher sea grasses trampled flat and slick with blood.
His hammer lashed out again with a deafening crack to send another of the fools flying while the archers set aside their bows and drew blades, rushing in to join the melee with the shorter blades rather than risking hitting the initial waves of attackers.
Bram, one of the largest men Naruto had ever seen, charged towards the wall where one of the riders had been cast off to plummet screaming into the void while the frost giants shattered the walls with a blow of their club.
Wearing no armor, Bram was draped in bear skins with his chest visible to reveal the runes painted upon them that seemed to glow a pale blue in the shadows of the thunderclouds that covered the sky.
The man wielded a pair of axes as he barreled through the forces they faced with a roar so much like that of the monster that Naruto remembered seeing the man face off against when they'd first met.
13 Years Ago
It was a bear, something in him knew that as he saw the beast charge from the depths of the cave towards his small fire.
Rolling away and to his feet as the creature, appearing almost as a rampaging devil when it plowed through the flames, narrowly missing the orange clad boy with a paw at least the size of a platter.
A dagger was in his hand in a flash, something that was one of the few relics of his time in the academy.
Kunai were hard to get, so he'd managed to adapt most of what he'd learned with them to the easier to acquire blade, but he couldn't risk throwing the weapon away unless he had to.
He dodged again, losing his footing upon the slick stone of the entrance and tumbling out into the woods as the beast reared up before him as he realized his weapon had fallen from his grip.
Another roar as a slightly smaller figure slammed into the monster as Naruto frantically searched his ice coated surroundings for his blade.
Bram was two things, a warrior and a traveler.
The rumors of his parentage had started because of his size and the fact that his mother never spoke of who his father was had left the people commenting that he had to be the son of a Frost Giant.
It was easy to see when he towered over a head in height above the nearest from his villager he knew. His strength was also greater than any could believe, and those he fought, that had survived the encounter, swore that he could feel no pain.
The roar of a bear drew his attention as he wandered the woodlands with Erik in a quest his companion had desired to bring honor to his clan. He'd desired the challenge the other had spoken of and volunteered to add his axes to his sword brothers spear.
A bear was not the thing they hunted, but it would take the edge off the desire for combat his blood called out for.
With the sight of a child being pursued from the cave and trying to face the beast with a dagger, clearly outmatched in size and strength, his blood boiled and he let the blood frenzy flow red hot through his system.
The twin axes, forged at great cost by the dwarves in his youth and taking the entirety of his winnings in a seasons work in the gladiatorial games in a distant land across the mountains to the east, slipped clear of their lashings with enough speed to make their glistening edges sing in motion.
A charge and howl of challenge as he rushed the beast, letting his cloak fall to the wet and icy earth.
Now
Naruto watched the berserker strike, plowing into one of the larger masses of foes with a battle cry that pierced the air before singing a bar tune he'd long been fond of belting out off key in the mead halls across the northlands.
And with the singing doom upon them, those the merciless tornado of death turned his blades upon had barely time to scream in surprise, if they were lucky, before they would face the possibility of being chosen by one of the Valkyrie if they were lucky enough to be a proper enough warrior to attract the blessings of such things.
His attention returned to another foe as a sword narrowly missed him, steel close enough to brush the hair upon his head as it had struck.
Without a thought, the warrior spun, adding the momentum of the turn to his next strike, before bringing his hammer about, with all the force he could, smashing into the mans back with a flash of lightning.
He was through the gate then, charging the massive doors of the keep where one of the giants was about to smash the ancient oak to give them entrance to face the leadership of their prey.
13 Years Ago
The bears attention turned to the charging berzerker and roared in response to the challenge.
Naruto watched the screaming and axe wielding warrior leap at the bear, passing over top of him and slamming into the monstrous beast with his full momentum.
He scrambled backwards in time to avoid the man and beast from crashing down atop him, spotting his dagger while forcing himself back to his feet.
Backing away, he tried to sort out what he was seeing before another voice reached him.
"You," demanded a gruff voice, forcing him to glance behind him for an instant and catching sight of someone smaller than the first man, "What happened here."
His jaw fell before turning back to the brawl before him.
"Bear," was the only thing he managed to state, oddly enough it wasn't a surprised stammer.
The man unlashed his broad tipped spear from his back and attaching the two segments together for its full length before slipping the shield into position upon his arm.
"Bram, what have you done now."
And Naruto watched the second man step forwards into the fray, thrusting the weapon into the flashing jaws of the monster without a second thought.
The beast jerked its head back, a blood spraying from the damaged tissue before it weaved downwards jaws reaching Brams shoulder before one of the raging mans axes buried itself in the chest get between the ribs.
Again the spear lashed out, driving itself into the neck, burying itself beyond the head in the furry flesh forcing it to release its grip on the larger man.
Its eyes turned towards the humans, meeting the eyes of the boy when the second man threw his entire weight into the weapon, driving it down past its collar bone and into the chest cavity before the anger seemed to fade, replacing itself with shock and pain for an instant that passed to glaze over in death.
Now
Gato was an old man, and a powerful one.
He was as a king to Wave, his every whim followed as the people hadn't a choice other than obey or die.
Now he huddled there with the best of his guards within the inner sanctum of his fortress as the defensed collapsed with the onslaught of an unknown force that simply battered away all of his options.
And where the hell was Zabuza and that brat of his, they were supposed to be his guards.
Of course, a small voice said they either abandoned him or were dead, either way no longer useful to him.
The deafening crash as the doors shattered, ancient oak instantly becoming a spray of splinters that showered the room while a blond figure led the charge of the barbarians into his home.
His men were falling like fruit flies at the attack, blood and ichor staining the floors as they charged.
Time seemed to slow as he watched those he had actually viewed with favoritism fall one by one and the odd calm as he realized that death had come for him.
The blond was right in front of him now and his eyes widened.
"No," he stated as if forcefully stating it would make it happen.
Then it came, the crackling and lightning clad hammer slammed into him with the force of a cannonball, shattering ribs and his back before continuing to shatter his throne and tearing clean of the body.
13 Years Ago
Bragi approached after the sounds of combat ended, save for the struggling of Bram.
When the young boy moved forward to roll the animals corpse free of the pinned man, and he reached out and stopped him.
"What?" Naruto asked the man who waved a hand in warning.
"Let the berserker calm first," the skald commented slowly, "When the blood rage passes, he will be safe once again, but until then, he is a risk to friends if all foes have fallen."
"Why?"
A shrug from the black haired man as he leaned upon his staff, "It is the way they fight, inviting a spirit they call to bond with them and unleash it, it is the way of berserkers and I do not have the inclination to learn that form of combat."
A pause at the spear wielder now stepping in to inspect the cave the bear had come from, "Surprised it took you this long to catch up old man."
"My age was not a part of it Erik, unlike you and Bram, I was not inclined to leave our belongings to brigands nor to be buried in the ice."
"Would you rather I left the giant to die Bragi?"
"No, Erik," he responded with a grin, "But Bram does not have the sense of most men, nor does he actually have the blood of giants in his veins, unless it is so far back to be nearly gone."
"Of course."
The older man turned to face Naruto, the young boys hand shaking as it held the retrieved dagger.
"And you, Lad," the man asked with a grin as a black feathered hawk descended to land atop his staffs knob, "What be your reason for being in the woods on such a day, your clothes are of local make?"
Now
The enemy had been routed, and even there only a few seemed to slip away, and with Bragi sending his hawk to find them.
Naruto observed the men hauling the ships up onto the shore while others surveyed the upper floors and piled the bodies of the dead and those of their foes. He had taken the moment to clean his weapon after ripping a piece of cloth from one of those they had slain over the course of the attack.
The lower levels and several sections of the keep were still possibly dangerous, and a large section was sealed off by the collapse of a wall that buried the entrance in stone, apparently the way to vaults and the jail.
From his position atop the keep, he watched the wolfriders gathering with Erik to run down those who fled once the hawks found them while the warriors without a specific job were either cleaning their weapons and armor, or taking the moment to eat.
"Naruto," Bram yelled from the base, prompting him to push off the rim of the roof to land beside the berzerker.
"Yeah?"
"They found something you might be interested in," the man said holding out a piece of cloth and metal.
Unfolding the thing in his palm, the warriors eyes opened wider as he recognized the etched symbol upon a plate attached to black cloth.
"Konoha."
