Disclaimer: All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, Cressida Cowel, and DreamWorks Animation; cover art belongs to Cheif117John on deviantArt. Seriously...does anyone even read these? PM or review if you noticed the unusual edition. Cyber cookies for those who did.

A/N:

YIKES! It's been, like, two months since my last update. Super sorry, peoples. But anywhoozles, I'm baaaaaaaaack! Thank you to my wonderful readers, reviewers, and to all those who follow or have favorited my story! My heart sings every time I get a notification for a new follower!

This Chapter took foreeeeeevah to write! So much research! GAH! Chakra, and bloodlines, and history, oh my! I did a lot of studying and brainstorming for this particular chapter, and I hope you all like it. I tried to keep as much as possible accurate will still maintaining the element of originality that I am aiming for. I feel particularly proud of the meshing that went on for this. Let me know what you think.

Thanks again everyone!

"Kurama Speech."

"Japanese/Mental Conversation."

It all fell into place; years of questions asked and unanswered, a lifetime of puzzles finally solved. In her heart, Valka felt sure that the gods themselves had planned this unlikely meeting.

"Hiccup," she spoke softly, breaking through her son's stunned stupor. "He's right." The auburn-haired chieftain spun to face her.

"Huh?" he questioned. Valka strode out of the room, calling behind her as she went.

"Just a moment." She headed downstairs to the bedroom belonging to her late husband and moved to the wooden chest she'd discovered in the far corner, hidden beyond a large chair. The woman took a deep and bracing breath. Opening the lid with a shriek of rusty hinges, Valka glanced at the dusty contents. Dented and scratched armour minus a breastplate, a handful of books, and old clothing all lay within as mementos of a lost love kept through these long years by a grieving husband. She swallowed the lump of sorrow that threatened to consume her and removed the items one by one until only a single object remained; a flattened roll of parchment, cracked and yellowed with age.

Gingerly she fingered its edges. The stiff paper ran smoothly over her skin, and the scent of animal hide, paint, and ink rose around her. Valka sighed and scooped the bundle into her arms, setting it carefully on the empty bed. After replacing the other memory-soaked things she stood and returned to Hiccup's room, cradling her prize. The room's occupants hadn't moved, waiting patiently for an explanation. The moment the blond-haired child spied what she carried he gasped and pointed, slit-pupiled eyes narrowing even further. Recognition dawned in her son's and future daughter-in-law's eyes.

"Mom, is that…"

"Ay, it is."

"But how-"

"This scroll is an heirloom, passed down through my family for the last five generations. My mother gave it to me when I was to be married to your father. It came from my great-great-great grandfather. He was a foreigner, don't know exactly where from, but he was certainly no viking. Now...I think I understand." She set the scroll on the small bed just beyond the reach of Naruto's short legs. Cautiously, Valka peeled back the first edge, careful not to rip the aged material. Brilliant colors of ink, albeit dulled slightly with time, were revealed; coloring the paper in twirling spirals, vines, and foreign motifs. Moments later Naruto, Hiccup, and Astrid gasped as there lay a symbol known to them. A leaf, spiraling in the middle with a unique, flame-like quality to it. The little child let out a stifled sob.

"Konoha…" Hiccup's mouth gaped, opening and closing in his shock with Astrid faring no better. Valka traced the design with a slim finger.

"I always knew there was somethin' different about my family, somethin' unlike any other in the village. We were seen as strange folk, coming up with strange and unfamiliar ideas for viking kind. Then of course, there were the dragons." The woman sighed heavily, shoulders slumped with an invisible weight. "Ah, I remember old grandfather tellin' me stories of his days as a dragon slayer. He'd always say how they were the most amazing creature he'd ever seen, how there was an intelligence to each beast's gaze. He never like killin' em, but he did it to protect his family and tribe. Though he had a strange habit of calling it a clan…"

"As is tradition for the Tōkai Azuma. Families intertwined through blood and marriage are seen as one, a clan." The vikings flinched in surprise, having nearly forgot the Ancestral in their shock.

"Ē to... Dare ga kono makimono o tsukutta nodesu ka?"

"Huh?"

"He wishes to know who made the scroll. You forget, he still does not know your language fully yet. Speaking through the mental link will solve that." Valka nodded.

"Well, from what I understand, he changed his name upon settling down on Berk. I know of him as Kynligr Skegg."

"Doesn't that mean 'strange beard'?" Hiccup intoned in a deadpan voice, earning him a sharp nudge from Astrid's elbow.

"Aye," Valka chuckled. "According to what I've heard, the name suited him. There's a spot on the scroll where he supposedly wrote his real title, but I can't make head nor tail of it. Perhaps though, someone from his homeland can." She rolled open the scroll to a certain place and laid it in the blond boy's lap. His sky-colored eyes widened comically as he spotted the neatly inked inscription.

"Senku Hiko?! The mapmaker?!" he nearly yelled within their minds, causing an automatic flinch in them all. "I remember stories about him. He wanted to explore the Forbidden West, but leaving meant he could never come back."

"Why not?" Astrid questioned.

"Well, 'cause it's the Forbidden West!" The viking's eyebrows rose at the tone of obviousness from the child.

"Those of the Hidden East tend to feel very strongly about not coming into contact with anyone outside of their lands. The desire to travel abroad is seen as a rather taboo concept."

"Yup! He left anyways, though, and was ex-exi-"

"Exiled."

"Yeah, that!" Hiccup felt slightly ill.

"He was banished?" Naruto nodded.

"Uh huh. No one ever knew what happened to him, though, not even our dragon scouts could find out. I learned this 'cause his brother is in my tree family."

"Tree...family?"

"He means his ancestry, his family tree." Naruto blushed, nodding.

"Family is important back home, Mommy and Daddy taught me all about ours. It's hard to remember everything for all four clans."

"What were they called, again?" Naruto screwed his eyes shut in a childish manner as he recited from his young memory.

"The Senju clan, brave of heart and of hand; the Uzumaki clan, long-live keepers of the ancient lore; the Namikaze clan, noble warriors with both strength and speed; lastly, the Hiko clan, gentle guardians of the Dragon's Heart." The last description caught Valka's attention.

"The Dragon's Heart?"

"It is a stone that the Hiko clan was charged with guarding by the Otsusuki brothers. Legend says that it is the rightful property of the Ryū Gādian, the Dragon Guardian, and will one day help him defeat a great evil. It disappeared years ago when the Hiko's went into hiding." A sense of foreboding suddenly grew within Valka's heart.

"Why did they hide, Lord Kurama?" A low growl resounded within their minds and a chill seeped into the room.

"Hagoromo bore two sons, Indra and Asura. The eldest, Indra, was a prodigy whilst the younger, Asura, held little natural talent. The divide between them quickly grew as Indra excelled and Asura struggled. The elder's heart soon became cold, blinded by greed and power, choosing to live alone as he felt no one would ever truly be his equal. The youngest valued those around him, though. And while he at first appeared to be a failure, he too gained great power through endless days of hard work and effort. But unlike his brother, he remained humble and beloved by their people.

In the end, Hagoromo chose Asura to carry on his work, believing his youngest son to be the most worthy. This infuriated Indra, and he challenged his brother for their birthright. In the end, neither won, being of equal power and strength. Indra passed on his hatred to his descendants, the Uchiha clan. They are a lineage prone to bloodlust and madness, as well as greed. Asura's descendants, the Senju and Uzumaki, have always been at odds with them.

The Uchiha coveted the Dragon's Heart, feeling that the stone was the key to obtaining greatness, and attempted to bring down their fellow clan. The Hiko were not warriors, so they instead hid themselves, blending in with the other clans around them and secreting away the Heart. As generations passed, the knowledge became muddled as to the stone's true location. Some say the Senju have it, others claim it to be held by the Uzumaki, or even the Hyuuga. But none of these is truly correct. At the moment, only four human alive today know of its location, along with myself and the other Ancestrals. There used to be six who knew, but two recently passed away.

The stone's powers are not precisely understood, as it has not yet been wielded by its true owner. But it is known to grant great wisdom, skill, and strength, as well as being a channel for the prophesied one's own powerful chakra."

"Cha-what?" Astrid interrupted.

"Chakra is the Himitsu word for the combination of outer physical energy and inner spiritual energy. It is used mainly as a tool and weapon by the warriors protecting the Hidden East."

"Like magic?"

"No, Baikingu. Your magic exists only within the realm of your gods. Chakra exists everywhere, in everyone and everything. It is essential for life and comes in many varieties." Valka noticed a gleam in her son's eyes, and a look of sudden realization on his face.

"Wait...you mean, we have chakra too?

"Yes...however, those who wield chakra in the East train from a very young age to use it. The coils of chakra flowing within the body must the stretched and grown, otherwise they remain weak and unusable."

"So...we have it but we can't actually use it?"

"Correct." Hiccup heaved a sigh and folded both arms across his chest, grumbling a handful of words from the side of his mouth. Valka's eyes widened in surprise and Astrid clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle furious giggles.

"Hmph. Be glad that my hatchling is too innocent to comprehend such speech, Baikingu. Now, as I was saying, there are differing varieties of Chakra; nature chakra, elemental chakra, familial chakra, etc. Each living being has its own unique chakra signature, defined by their elemental affinities and their hereditary traits. Clans often have unique chakras that are passed down, called Kekkei Genkai, or bloodline limits. For some, they relate to physical abilities of the eyes or other body parts, some tend towards specific skills within elemental chakra. Due to being the heir of so many clans, Naruto has a particularly...interesting combination of bloodlines."

"Can...can we see it?" Valka questioned, hopefully.

"That will be up to him to show. Naruto? Naruto?" The vikings, separating themselves temporarily from the mental conversation, looked down at the boy. He still sat in the bed, a dragon on either side of him, happily drawing with parchment and charcoal. Apparently having abandoned the discussion in favor of a more entertaining pastime. "Hatchling? Naruto? Little brat...hold on a moment...NARUTO!" They reacted instinctively, all clapping hands to ears, Naruto included.

"ITAI! Sore o kizutsukeru, Kurama!"

"Well, then pay attention next time. They want to know about your Kekkei Genkais."

"Oh, well why didn't you just say so?" Hiding their snickers, the vikings could almost feel the dragon rolling his eyes.

"I did, hatchling."

"Oooh…" Valka's heart warmed upon seeing the embarrassed blush on the boy's tan cheeks, wondering if this is what she could have felt had she returned to Berk all those years ago. As if sensing her regret, Hiccup nudged the woman's side, catching meadow green eyes with his own forest hued orbs. A soft, reassuring smile came to his lips, bringing one to her own. They turned back to the scene at hand.

"Naruto's mother held the chakra bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, which allows for long life and vitality, accelerated healing, and techniques capable of suppressing other chakras. She also had ties to the bloodline of the Senjus, Mokuton, a bloodline that carries a very literal connection to nature, giving the wielder control over plant life. Naruto's father bore the Jinton bloodline of the Namikaze clan, which gave him incredible speed and agility of movement; he was descended from Hiko lines as well. The Hiko Kekkei Genkai is directly tied to their responsibility for the Dragon's Heart. Those of their bloodline have unique connections to dragon's and are capable of understanding and speaking with most of them, even if it isn't in a definite language. The hatchling inherited a combination of them all, accelerated healing, vitality, an affinity with nature, speed, agility, and of course, a special bond with dragons. When his parents realized Naruto had a brand new bloodline, they allowed him to name it." The blond-haired child grinned up at them. His eyes shifted, the pupils shrinking into thin, vertical slits while the blue iris became deeper and more textured.

"I call it Ryū Tamashi!"

"Dragon Soul." Hiccup whispered, almost inaudibly. Naruto turned to him in surprise, nodding slowly.

"Hai. Dragon Soul." Blond brows furrowed in thought. "Hey! I can understand you better now!"

"And we, you." Valka commented. The boy's smile grew, spreading across his entire face.

"Then I want to talk more! Eh, eh! Look!" He held up the parchment he had earlier been scribbling on. It seemed to be a portrait, with nine figures

Naruto stood at the center, a wide smile on his face and bloodline active. Flanking him were a man and woman, each holding one of the boy's hands. The woman had long hair, and wore a high collared, sleeveless dress and apron, while the man wore a short-sleeved, flowing coat over a vest and shirt. Beside the man stood two others; one with short, spiky hair, goggles, and a mischievous grin; the other with longer spiked hair, a short sword across his back, and a mask covering the lower portion of his face. The both wore a headband covering one eye. On the farthest right stood a young girl with straight hair ending at her chin and a short dress and apron, there were also slanted, rectangular marks on each of her cheeks. On the woman's side stood a lady with a low necked top, short pants, and a long-sleeved coat. Her hair laid in two tails with bangs framing her face, and a diamond shape marked her forehead. Next to her was a man with very long and wildly spiked hair, a vest-like jacket and shirt over mesh, and an enormous scroll at his side. The last figure on the left was a balding, elderly man with a short beard and flowing robes, in his hand was a thick staff.

"There's me, with Mommy and Daddy! And this uncle Obito, uncle Kakashi, and aunt Rin! Then here's Granny Tsunade, Grandpa Jiraiya, and Great-Grandpa Hiruzen! It's my family."

"You forgot Iruka, Shizune, and myself." Naruto shook his head.

"No I didn't! I ran out of room first!" It was true, the portrait had taken up the entire page, leaving no more space for further drawings. Hiccup chuckled and strode over to the desk against the far wall.

"Then it's a good thing I always have extra parchment around here." He placed a large bundle of blank notebooks and charcoal pencils in the child's small lap, nearly dwarfing him and the small Terrible Terror. "Use as many as you'd like." The boy froze, looking up at the chieftain with wonder-filled eyes.

"R-really?" Valka winced, recalling what the child's less than stellar history. She watched as her son smiled gently, and placed a soothing hand on Naruto's blond locks, stroking them delicately.

"Yes, then I'll teach you how to make more." A silent tear dripped from blue orbs like a lonely drop of rain from cloudless skies. Naruto threw his arms around Hiccup's waist, gripping tightly. The man returned the embrace, glancing at the two women from over the boy's shoulder. A promise was exchanged between the three of them simultaneously. This new part of their lives would be welcomed with open arms and hearts.

"That's a promise."

Translations:

"Ē to... Dare ga kono makimono o tsukutta nodesu ka?" - "Um... who made this scroll?

"ITAI! Sore o kizutsukeru, Kurama!" - "Ow! That hurt, Kurama!"

"Kynligr Skegg." - "Strange Beard."

Jeez, Kurama talks a lot in this chapter. But he's really the only one who can explain it all. Naruto may be smart in this story, but he's still just eight years old.

p.s. let me know what you think of the chappie! :D