Disclaimer: I never have anything cool to say in these disclaimers anymore…that makes me angry…you wouldn't like me when I'm angry…HULK SMASH! HULK NOT OWN NARUTO OR WORLD OF WARCRAFT! THAT ALSO MAKE HULK MAD! HULK SMASH MASASHI KISHIMOTO AND BLIZZARD SOFTWARE!
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
Naruto stood in front of Berlyiro, the blade that King Magni Bronzebeard had called his greatest clutched tightly in one hand. The boy's impossibly blue eyes stared determinedly into the old dwarf's single grey one. Berlyiro clutched in his hands a sword and an axe, both gleaming in the fiery light that bathed Ironforge night and day. The old dwarf's face was stony, perfectly complementing Naruto's determined glare. They stood for several minutes like that, their eyes never leaving each other. Finally, Berlyiro spoke.
"I ain't goin' easy on yeh, laddie. This fight's fer real, no holdin' back, got it?" Naruto nodded stiffly, tightening his grip on the magnificent short blade. Berlyiro got into a ready stance, as did Naruto, and then waited.
Naruto attacked first.
The blonde shot forward, closing the distance between them, his sword raised. He delivered a quick side strike, which was easily parried by the more experienced dwarf, then threw a kick at his stomach, which was resisted by the dwarf's amazing constitution. At this, Berlyiro countered with a swing of his axe, which Naruto took on his "shield sword." Not even a scratch appeared on the adamantium blade as Berlyiro pulled back, and Naruto struck out with his left fist. The dwarf took the blow on the jaw, but was unaffected. Naruto ducked down, trying to sweep the dwarf's legs out from under him, but the dwarf, as if made of stone, took the kick without flinching, and responded by delivering a powerful blow to Naruto's forehead with the hilt of his sword. The blonde was thrown back, and Berlyiro pressed forward, delivering several choice blows on the boy, drawing blood.
Unable to regain his balance, Naruto floundered backwards as the old dwarf assailed him with axe and sword strikes alike. He was able to block or dodge the life-threatening wounds, but he took many smaller ones, both from slow reaction time and careless errors that all beginners with the sword made. He was astounded that the old dwarf was so powerful, as Naruto had been able to best him several times in training.
He really held back…The blonde, finally having enough of it, focused chakra into his feet, and as the dwarf struck out once more, he bent backwards until his torso was nearly parallel with the floor. His feet were firmly planted to the ground, so he didn't fall or lose balance. Surprised, the old dwarf had to turn around, having already advanced past the boy after missing the strike. Naruto avoided another strike by twisting his body to the side, still stuck to the ground, then released one foot, and turned his body towards the attacking dwarf. As he turned, he brought his sword swinging around in a powerful, upwards strike. It streaked along the floor, slicing through it with very little effort. As Naruto finished the turn, the blade exploded from beneath floor and slashed cleanly through Berlyiro's own blade. The old dwarf jumped out of the way, avoiding the hit, but Naruto pressed the attack, following the incredibly powerful strike with an equally powerful kick to the stomach. Berlyiro took the hit with a grunt, stumbling back a little, but didn't fall. He then attacked with his axe, the remaining part of his sword still clutched in his hand.
Naruto parried the blow downwards, and leapt at the dwarf. He landed a series of solid hits on the dwarf's jaw, which felt like punching rock. None of the strikes did much damage, but they managed to knock Berlyiro off balance. The dwarf suddenly threw his weight forward, and slammed his head into Naruto's face.
This was the equivalent of having a rock the size of a soccer ball thrown at your head from a distance of one or two feet.
Naruto shot backwards, pain exploding in his face. He landed on his back, skidding a few feet, then flipped over backwards, and landing on his feet as he did. Blood was dribbling from his nose, but he ignored it, panting slightly as Berlyiro regained his balance, then attacked once more. The blonde lowered himself into an attacking stance, and began concentrating his chakra into his fist, a technique that Jiraiya had begun to teach him before he had been transported to Azeroth. It was a fairly common ninja technique that increased the strength of the users punches and kicks by a fair amount. It was not unlike what Tsunade did, but she actually gathered, focused it into an extremely fine point and then expelled the chakra, causing huge craters and turning stone to dust. That required chakra control that Naruto didn't have. According to Jiraiya, Naruto already did it naturally when he used the Kyuubi's chakra. However, he couldn't regulate the amount he used when that happened, so the old pervert had taught him to do it with his own chakra.
As he did, his fist began to glow slightly, but he concentrated harder, forcing the chakra into a much smaller point, feeling his muscles expand slightly to accommodate the excess chakra. With a roar, he leapt forward, bringing his blade out in front of him. Berlyiro aimed a blow at Naruto's waist, which the boy parried. He readied to throw a punch at the dwarf's head, but Berlyiro brought the remnants of his sword up, and drove the hilt into Naruto's sword arm. He yelled in pain, hearing the bone snap but followed through with the punch. It connected with the dwarf's head, and finally had an effect. The power behind the hit knocked the dwarf backwards, where skidded along the ground for a few yards. As soon as he stopped, he leapt to his feet.
Or at least he tried to.
He felt the cold steel of Naruto's sword against his neck, and saw the boy was right next to him, holding the blade in his good hand, the other hanging uselessly by his side. The blonde was panting heavily as he said.
"I win, old man."
Naruto sat on a wooden table in the training grounds infirmary, a stern looking female dwarf bandaging his wounds. He was protesting rather vociferously that he would be fine in a while, but the matronly dwarf wasn't having it, and continued to bandage his wounds without a thought.
"I told you I'm fine! Are you deaf, old woman! Just let me get some sleep and I'll be fine!" The dwarf glared at him speaking sternly, a hint of frost in her voice,
"Ye'll do wha' I tell ya' too, bairn! Yeh may be fine soon, but not now! It's me job ta' take care o' da soldiers that live here, an' cause yeh not only wounded but yeh're a human, an' their so fragile by the way. Now sit still, an' this'll go by faster, yeh likkle brat!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at her childishly, but stopped squirming. Their conversation was interrupted by a booming laugh, as Berlyiro entered the room, looking freshly cleaned.
"No use tryin' to argue with her, lad. Matron Alwida always gets her way in her infirmary. An' yeh can always take the bandages off if need be." Both dwarf matron and boy affixed him with a glare, though for different reasons.
Alwida said loudly,
"Don'cha been encouragin' the boy, yeh crochety old dwarf! He needs ta' realize that his species is rather fragile compared ta' us." Berlyiro chuckled. Naruto glared at the old dwarf, shifting his body slightly despite the pain and shouting,
"What's the deal with you, old man? You held back all that time! I just barely beat you! What gives?" Berlyiro held up a hand in a gesture of peace saying,
"Now, now, easy lad. It's true I wen' easy on yeh, but that's the way I do it. Yeh were only learnin' the basics for the first part, but yeh learned quickly. I also think tha' if I hadn't gone easy on yeh, yeh wouldn' have learned so much." Naruto's glared lessened a little, and he sat back, staring at the ceiling as Matron Alwida finished bandaging him.
Had he really learned better that way?As Naruto pondered this, Berlyiro thanked Alwida for the unnecessary treatment, to which she responded with a rude Dwarvish swear word. Berlyiro chuckled, and Naruto hopped off the table as he felt the Kyuubi finish repairing his arm and most of the minor cuts. He tore off the sling as he followed the elder dwarf out of the infirmary.
"Lad, yeh did well. It's not everyday that you meet someone with as much talent as you. Yeh learn quickly, adapt to the situation even faster, and yer mind moves at a mile a minute tryin' to think up good strategies ta' use against yer opponent. Yeh've got the makings of a fine warrior, yeh do." Naruto smiled at the complement, shoving the last of the bandages into his pockets as he said,
"Thanks, but I don't intend to be a warrior. I intend to be a protector." Berlyiro blinked at the boy's words, and said calmly,
"Tha's a king's job, lad. Yeh wanna be king?" Naruto shook his head, putting his hands behind his head as they walked out of the training grounds.
"S'not really a king…I'm gonna be Hokage. That's the leader of my village." Berlyiro looked pensive.
"Why?"
"Because I want to be acknowledged…I guess. I've always been seen as something lower than dirt in my village, and I just wanna prove to them that I'm not. I wanna protect them, show them they were wrong about me, and that I am strong. I've always been striving for that goal. I guess a Hokage is sorta like a king, in that he considers the lives of all of his people to be worth something, and that it is his job, to protect them, and their dreams."
Berlyiro looked at Naruto closely, his one grey eye filled with something that Naruto couldn't make out. He abruptly laughed.
"What's so funny?" Naruto asked.
"Yeh are, lad. Here yeh are, barely in yer teens, and yeh already have a man's dream. It's rather suprising, I think. I never really thought of you as someone who could lead a village, bein' all childish as you are," Naruto glared at him, to which he laughed again at.
"But that dream…hold on to it lad. It's our dreams that make us who we are, and one day, I think, yeh will accomplish that. Yeh just need to work hard."
Naruto grinned and nodded, and they lapsed into silence for a while, merely admiring the sights of the city.
It was Naruto's last day in Ironforge. The last few days had past quickly, Naruto going to and from the training grounds each day to learn more on how to use Magni's Pride properly. The rest of the time he usually spent with Undrig or Furnizzle. Furnizzle had shown him many things in Tinker Town, including teaching him a small amount of how several of the machines worked. He had never really been all that interested in machines, but these were so outlandish and cool-looking that it was impossible not to wonder how they worked. Furnizzle enjoyed the company immensely, often going on and on about things that made no sense to Naruto, but he listened to anyways just to make the lonely gnome feel better. He even gave Naruto a couple of schematics that he said might come in handy if he ever met an engineer and ever had some extra cash lying around. The blonde had taken them, not really at all sure about what they did, but promised that he'd find out one day.
They also talked a lot about Furnizzle's family and what it had been like before the Gnomes had left.
"Ah, you should have seen it, Naruto! Tinker Town was full to the brim with Gnomes of every size and shape. There were so many gadget shops, alchemy shops and a plethora of other shops that I can't even begin to describe. It was paradise for many, including my family. When Gnomeregan was captured…well, many took it hard. There were so many refugees here that we had to build hundreds of extra apartments to contain them, and even then there weren't enough…Then his Highness, High Tinker Mekkatorque called us all, here, telling us that we needed to get our home back, and that any Gnome who wished to get it back, should accompany him. He was a powerful speaker, and most followed him to reclaim Gnomeregan. Even people who hadn't originally lived there, they went just to help their brethren. My brothers did so, and I have yet to hear from them. I hope that they are alright…" Despite his cheerfulness, Furnizzle would always drift off into memories of his family, and for Naruto it was just as hard. He had never had any family, so he would never be able to relate to what Furnizzle was feeling.
And he hated that.
Undrig, however, had spent some time showing Naruto the tricks and trades of the Auction House. It was there that he also got his first glimpse of a goblin, a small, dwarf-sized creature with dark green skin, pointy ears, and mischievous and sometimes shifty looks on their faces. They ran the Auction Houses, which apparently Undrig frequented in case he found something he liked, though he rarely did, and even more so did he have the money to pay for it. Naruto found the Auction House too loud and smelly, and he couldn't understand the goblins at all, as they spoke so quickly it was impossible to decipher anything they said. Undrig said that he would get used to it.
Naruto also spent sometimes honing his ninjutsu at the training grounds in the Mystic Quarter. The dwarf's there were impressed with Naruto's mastery of elemental jutsu, and some suggested that he find himself a master to learn even more. Some even offered to teach him, but he said that he had to leave in a few days, and that it would be stupid to have master for such a short time. Instead, he purchased a couple of scrolls with some of his money, and began to learn a couple of jutsu from them. One was a jutsu called Hyuuton (Ice Element): Toukanboruto (Frost Bolt) no jutsu. It was the Ice Element equivalent of Goukakyuu no jutsu, as it shot a large ball of frost from the mouth. It had taken Naruto a few hours to master, but he found he liked it. The other was rather odd ability, but he decided would be immensely beneficial in the long run. It was called Tsukuridasu Fuudo (Conjure Food) no jutsu. This was far more difficult, and required a decent amount of chakra, and control in order to use. The idea was that one could use a piece of organic material, whether it be a rotten piece of meat or a bit of tree in order to fashion an edible meal that could allow someone to survive in the wilderness. It was rather complicated, and used a lot of chakra in order to do. One placed the food in front, and after performing an incredible number of seals, touched the food and poured the molded chakra within the object, while concentrating on the type of raw food you wished to have. If done correctly, the object's molecules will begin to reshape themselves, eventually forming the desired foodstuff. It could only be done with simple foods, however. Bread, various vegetables, and fruit could all be created easily, and if the original object was meat, then it could be changed into another kind of meat. By that very morning Naruto had only managed to create an apple and a few cherries out of a few pieces of wood, but decided that it would suffice.
He couldn't wait to find out what other types of jutsu they had here.
Berlyiro finally spoke up.
"Let's have a drink, lad. We can get that young un', Undrig, an' the gnome. We'll have a proper sendin' off fer yeh." Naruto grinned cheerfully at the statement, and they set off to locate the two in question.
"Here's to ya', lad! We'll be missin' yeh, an' Ironforge'll be a little dimmer without yeh…an' there's to be no one around we can make fun of for bein short, neither."
Naruto glared at Undrig, who was clutching a tankard of sweet smelling ale and grinning a little tipsily. Furnizzle and Berlyiro sat next to him, both grinning as well. They were in a rather crowded bar in the Commons of the Ironforge, all sitting at a table. Naruto and Furnizzle both were clutching a sweet fruit juice, Naruto because he wasn't old enough to drink ale, and Furnizzle because he couldn't hold his, while the two dwarfs clutched pints of ale, both grinning and hiccupping a little. It was clear they were more than a little drunk, but neither Naruto nor Furnizzle minded.
In fact, they were both enjoying the nonsense that both dwarfs would occasionally spout out, and Naruto particularly reveling in the feeling of doing something like this with friends. He had never once back in Konoha just sat around and enjoyed the presence of his friends like this.
He promised to himself that he would do so when he got back.
They laughed and joked for hours, both dwarves getting progressively drunker, and both Naruto and Furnizzle getting increasingly sure that one dwarf or the other would reveal latent homosexual tendencies. However, some of the things the dwarves blurted out made both gnome and human nearly fall out of their seats in laughter.
At one point, Undrig, being far more inebriated than Berlyiro got up and began singing a rather off-key Dwarvish song that had Naruto clutching his sides in laughter, unable to think coherently. Furnizzle had fallen out of his chair, and was in tears of laughter on the ground. Just when they thought it couldn't get any funnier, Berlyiro jumped up, locked arms with the other, and began to sing as well. The whole bar was shouting and laughing at the antics, and both Naruto and Furnizzle felt compelled to join them, even though they weren't drunk.
So they did.
By the time Berlyiro's wife appeared, looking furious at some nameless hour of the night, Naruto didn't think he'd ever be able to stop smiling. He had never had so much fun in his life.
But he knew that it would never last long.
Naruto stood in front of King Magni's throne the next day, his face stern and determined. He was wearing his pair of black pants a pair of leather boots, his orange wool shirt and over that another black leather jacket, full of pockets for his new weapons. He wore a hooded winter cloak over this, and a backpack containing several days' worth of food and drink. Magni's Pride, his kodachi, was strapped to the back of his belt, concealed beneath the cloak. Near the entrance of the chamber, Undrig, Berlyiro, and Furnizzle stood, watching the proceedings. Despite what had happened last night, both Dwarves looked completely alert, and not the slightest bit hung-over. "Hearty" my ass…these guys are fucking invincible!
Magni watched Naruto from his throne, a wide, if somewhat sad looking smile on his face.
"Well, lad, it is time for you to depart, it looks like. You no doubt have spent the last week wisely, and I hope that my gift to you is now usable." Naruto grinned and nodded.
Magni chuckled a bit, and then turned solemn.
"Now, lad, I send you off with these words, which I hope you will take to heart. Travel a day and a half to the west, and there you will find the camp of the Gnomeregan Exiles. They have set up a little ways away from the entrance to the mighty city. When you approach Mekkatorque, you must make sure that he knows that you are not loyal to me. He would consider that my help, and would send you away. You must approach him with the same story you told me. Tell him that unification is the only way we will win this war. He is a very clever creature, lad, and even more prideful than me. To tarnish his honor and his pride he would consider the gravest of insults…that is how Gnomeregan was taken…it is said. Please, help my friend reclaim his honor, and his city. That is something that you must do, or else he will not join, I fear. I believe that you could do this…you have already done so much for people who are not even your own. He may listen to you if you listen to him. Now go, lad. I will send word to the Archbishop of Stormwind, and we will decide what to do next. I can only hope that young Princess Kira will have found away to convince Anduin of this dire situation."
Naruto looked at the King of the dwarves, his shining blue eyes full of the fires of determination.
He would not fail.
He could not fail.
Not when the lives of his new friends, as well as the lives of nearly every dwarf, human, gnome and everything else's lives were at stake.
Naruto grinned, and held up his thumb, striking a sort of pose.
"Don't worry, King-shuju, I won't fail…not when my friends are in danger. It's a promise…and I never break those." Magni smiled warmly at the young boy, who would have to endure so much for people that he should have no right to care about.
And yet he did.
Magni duplicated the gesture, shocking several of the guards, and said,
"Then I wish you the best of luck, for you will need it." Naruto grinned.
"I've always had plenty of luck, so you don't need to worry 'bout that!" he quipped.
Magni laughed, and Naruto turned, making his way towards the entrance to the chamber. He passed Undrig, Berlyiro and Furnizzle, who started after him as he left. They weaved there way through the crowd of weapon and armor crafters who had gathered outside, waving to the boy as he walked by. Reingrin, the dwarf who had forged Naruto's new kunai and shuriken, was waving especially hard near the end of the crowd. He shouted,
"Oi! Come back, yeh hear! I'll make yeh new weapons half price if yeh do!" Naruto grinned waving back at the dwarf as he passed, and they soon had left the Great Forge, entering the Commons.
Many dwarves stopped to wave goodbye here as well, some cheering. Naruto felt his spirits rising exponentially.
He wouldn't let all these people down.
That was a promise.
As Naruto stepped out into the biting cold of the mountains, his three new friends stopped behind him. He turned to meet them, and the three stood watching each other for a few seconds.
Undrig spoke first.
"I'm gonna miss yeh lad. Yeh've made all our lives a bit brighter, e'en if it was just for a week. I hope yeh accomplish what yeh've set out to do. I'll do me best to hold the fort here, so yeh come back an' we'll have another drink." Naruto smiled, nodding.
Berlyiro stepped spoke next.
"I wish yeh could've stayed longer. Yeh're a good student, lad. I meant what I said that you'd be a good warrior. I also now think yeh'd be a great protector as well. I have a bit o' somethin' for yeh, somethin' an ol' friend o' mine gave me. I thought it'd do well on yeh." He handed Naruto a small package, which Naruto opened. Within was a small, silvery loop. It was an earring.
Naruto blinked.
"Uh…I'm not much for jewelry…'Sides, I don't have a pierced ear." Berlyiro snorted.
"Aye, then wha's that pretty stone hangin' around yer neck?" Next clutched it protectively, and Berlyiro grinned.
"Thought so. This is a special earring, lad. It increased a person's hearing ability, makes yeh ear's a sharp as a mutt's. Yer senses are already a bit stronger; this'll help yeh in battle. An' as for the pierced ear, its really simple, jus' poke one of them knives in the lobe, and stick in that afore you heal. Dunno how it works, but its got several runes engraved into it, an' it was forged from magic, I suspect." Naruto gazed at the earring a little more closely, then slipped it into his pocket.
"Thanks." He said, smiling. Furnizzle spoke up next, in a squeaky, low voice.
"I'm going to miss you very much, my friend. I will miss our talks. I must ask you something, however. If you see my brothers, they look like me, and go by the names of Rurizzle and Linkizzle, then please protect them. If they are…well…you know…then can you inform me? I ask you from the bottom of my heart to help my people, Naruto. If you do, I will do everything in my power to help you find a way back to your world." Naruto smiled and nodded,
"Of course, I'll make sure they stay alive, okay!" The gnome blinked looking at him a little shocked. He smiled then, his eyes watering a little, and nodded.
Naruto turned, his eyes shining. His three friends remained in their positions, smiling as Naruto descended the path, not looking back once.
He would not fail.
That was his nindo.
Kira sat in her room, Kylia by her side, brooding.
This couldn't be happening.
Her father had been seduced by probably the greatest of harlots in existence.
Of the Scarlet Crusade no less!
What's more, it was the fact that her father, a person whom she loved more dearly than anyone else, had fallen prey to someone so obviously evil. Several years ago, her father would have never even though about allying with the Crusade. What had happened to him that had caused him to do this?
"Maybe she is casting a spell on him, my lady?" Suggested Kylia from beside her. Kira frowned, but then shook her head a little.
"Maybe…but I don't think my father would fall so easily to that. He is strong in his own right, and his will would not crack to someone, like that woman!" She spat the word with venom, suddenly realizing why her teacher despised them so much.
Speaking of her teacher…
The door suddenly opened, and both girls looked up to see the ancient priest stride in, a grim look on his face.
Kira recognized the look.
"So you've found out, huh?" she said looking at him sternly. He nodded gravely, sitting down next to her.
"I'm afraid so…did I not tell you women could not be trusted? That woman is the epitome of my thoughts. She is a snake, a rat, and a foul little imp. I did not realize that our King has fallen so. He is strong-willed, like his father, and would not submit to mental control, or even suggestions. Especially from such a novice…" Kira looked at him, a little afraid.
"Can't you do something? Please…you need to help him. You could probably defeat her, right? Then my father would see-" He cut her off a simply shake of his head.
"Defeating her will not change anything, child. It would just spark another war between our factions, and your father would likely exile me for treason. No, we must simply lay low about this. You must continue your training. You must also continue trying to get through to your father; I believe that you are the only one who could ever pierce his thick skull. As for the young lad, Naruto, believe in him, as well. I believe that he may be the only one to be able to help us at this point in the scheme of things. We must hold fast, Kira." Kira gulped, and nodded. Kylia looked at her lady with worry, touching the girl's hand in a sign of companionship and comfort. Kira smiled thanks at her, and then turned back to Benedictus.
"Okay. I will not fail." He smiled.
"I have no doubt of that."
A day and half Naruto had been traveling west. The heavy snows and his boots weighed him down, so tree hopping was very difficult, if impossible in some places. So he was forced to remain on the ground, moving atop the snow with chakra enhanced steps. He was making good time, despite all this, and hadn't encountered anything threatening along the way.
During the night, Naruto had done what Berlyiro had said to, and had stuck a kunai in his ear, piercing it slightly. Then, before it regenerated, he fastened in the earring with a bit of difficulty (it took him two tries before he got it right). When he had finished, he was indeed amazed with the results. Not only did he look downright cool, but also he could hear things he had never heard before. Everything was so much clearer, and he reveled in the ability to hear things that nobody else would be able to.
Eat that Akamaru! He thought grinning. He hurried along at a steady, yet quick pace.Any minute now…He thought, leaping up to the crest of a hill.
That was when he caught the smell. It was a combination of acrid, greasy and metallic scents that nearly overwhelmed him. In it the smell of gnome was clearly mixed in. He searched around for a little, following the scent. He ran towards it, speeding up as he did. He found the source tucked in a small valley at the edge of a wide plain.
The source came from a bunch of small huts and tents that littered the valley, almost to the point where there was no space between them. Many of them were exuding puffs of black smoke from small chimneys in the top. He saw what had to be thousands of gnomes scurrying in between the huts, some squabbling in Gnomish, others clearly focused on their destination, not speaking to any. None were idle, and they rarely stopped moving. It was a rather surreal experience, in Naruto's opinion.
He took a deep breath, and moved downwards towards the camp, watching for any signs of hostility. When he reached the edge, he heard several clicking noises, and was suddenly faced with a dozen gnomes, all covered in snow, clutching small L-shaped weapons in their small hands.
Maybe being short isn't such a bad thing…One of the gnomes glared and spoke clearly, if a bit menacingly.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? Speak up, boy!" Naruto, already used to the "boy" thing, spoke as calmly as he could, holding his hands up and away from his body.
"Hold on! I'm not here to attack or anything! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I need to speak to your king…" He looked the gnome square in the eyes, daring him to try and deny Naruto's wish. The gnome frowned, his eyes glancing quickly at Naruto, then to the other gnomes in the group.
"Why do you wish to see his Highness? He is very busy, and cannot idly chat with children such as yourself." Naruto scowled, his little calm reserve breaking as he did.
"I'm not a child! And it's important! Let me see him!" Naruto took a step forward to show that he meant business, and the gnome took a step back, raising his weapon a little. He looked at Naruto squarely once more and said.
"Tell me what you need to tell him, and I will judge if it is important or not." Naruto sighed, and did so.
By the end, the gnomes surrounding him were wide eyed, and the one he was speaking to was frowning in a mixture of consternation and confusion. He then spoke.
"I will speak with his highness, if he decides to see you, then you will meet him. If not, then you will leave." He nodded to the other gnomes.
"Take him to the War House, and I will inform the king." One of the gnomes nodded and gestured for Naruto to follow him. He had white hair, a small trim beard, and a large, pear-shaped nose. He clutched a small sword in his hand, and a small shield in the other. The gnome led him through the camp, causing many gnomes to stop and look at the boy in surprise and suspicion, something Naruto was quite used to. They walked until they reached a large, metal house, far bigger than the rest. They entered through a door in the side, and Naruto was met with the sight of dozens of maps and schematics littering the walls and floor, and the single table in the middle. There were several bookshelves filled to the brim with books of all sizes and colors. The gnome pointed to a chair covered in clutter.
"You may sit there, do not move until one of us returns to inform you of the King's decision, okay?" Naruto nodded, and moved aside some of the clutter, taking a seat. The gnome left and Naruto was alone.
So he waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
He ate a bit of food when he got hungry, but it wasn't until sundown until the gnome returned, his countenance etched with surprise.
"The king has informed us that he will see you. Follow me." Naruto nodded, standing up and following the gnome dutifully.
Geez, you wouldn't think such festive looking little creatures would be so uptight…THEY ARE AT WAR. WAR ALWAYS CHANGES PEOPLE.
Can't argue with that…
I WONDER HOW THEY TASTE…
Naruto sweat-dropped.
They moved across the much less crowded camp, and it was indeed rather dark out. Naruto was led to an even larger metal house, which was puffing out different color smokes from numerous different chimneys. Naruto watched the curious sight with interest, before the gnome cleared his throat, and they entered. Inside, it was just as cluttered as the War House, and there were dozens of gnomes working at small tables, fiddling with gadgets, writing down quick notes, or mixing strange chemicals. Naruto noticed that every one of them was wearing something he didn't think he'd ever see again.
Goggles.
They were of all different colors as well, some green, some purple, some blue. Naruto was amazed by the style of the goggles. He had always been rather fond of goggles since Iruka had given them to him after he had befriended the chuunin. He still had his old pair hanging in his room back in Konoha.
Unlike his own, however, these goggles seemed to serve a purpose. He saw many pressing small dials on the side, and causing the lenses to pop out, focusing on the object they were observing and likely magnifying it. They were amazing.
He was broken from his observations by the gnome, who coughed to get his attention and motioned to follow him. Naruto quickly obliged, and hastened after the miniature creature. They walked out of the room through a small metal door, which Naruto had to duck to enter through, and entered a darker, more secluded looking room. Peering about, Naruto saw strange vials of colored substances on the walls, and only one window. It was pleasantly cool, not ice cold like outside, and Naruto got a distinct, "clean" feeling, like that of a hospital. He guessed it was likely some sort of laboratory.
In the center of the room, was a small table, covered in many vials and beakers, some bubbling and smoking strange colored smokes, others merely sitting placidly, disturbed slightly every couple of seconds by a drop from another liquid. At the end of the said table, however, was a small, clearly gnomish form, hunched over a leather-bound book.
The gnome was old, visible by his lack of hair, and the pale color of his remaining. He wore large, bright-green glowing goggles. He was dressed in dirty brown overalls and brown leather boots, with matching gloves. While the darkness masked a great deal of his remaining features, Naruto could tell by his movements and the scent of sweat that the gnome was hard at work.
The gnome who had led him quickly walked over to the working gnome, and said something to him in a strange, coarse and throaty sounding language, that reminded Naruto slightly of Dwarvish. The gnome who was working looked up at Naruto, frowning in the light that was being emitted from his goggles. The rest of his face was similarly lit up, and Naruto could make his features out quite easily. He had a large moustache and beard, neatly trimmed, as white as the rest of his hair. His face was gaunt looking and was wet with sweat. His face was unlike any of the other gnomes he had so far seen; it was withdrawn and clammy-looking, whereas the others had childish looking ones, with rosy, slightly chubby cheeks. His cheeks were thin, and the skin of his face seemed to grip his skull like a rubber glove. In short, he looked completely unwilling to listen to any type of proposal.
Naruto had a sinking feeling that this was the gnome he was looking for.
The gnome who had led Naruto turned back to him and spoke,
"You are in the presence of the great High Tinker, the King of all Gnomes, Gelbin Mekkatorque. I suggest that you bow, for-"
"Leave us, Knurlig." The High Tinker's voice silenced the gnome in a heartbeat, and he left quickly. Naruto stood perfectly straight, waiting for the gnome to address him in some way. He decided that this wasn't going to be as easy as talking to Magni. From only those three words Naruto could tell that despite his size, Gelbin Mekkatorque was powerful, a true king.
When Knurlig had left, the Gnome King addressed Naruto directly.
"Well, speak boy! I don't have any time to waste, so if you wish to speak, then do it!"
Naruto scowled slightly. The tone was one he had heard many times before, back in Konoha. His schoolteachers before Iruka had always spoken to him that way, as had his landlord and many of the adults where he shopped. Hell, even Neji had spoken to him with it during their fight.
It was a tone that expressed neither kindness nor patience, and professed that its user was overall superior to Naruto.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto spoke confidently and told him what he had come to do, and what Kira planned to do.
"No."
Naruto stopped, having been interrupted halfway through his story. He blinked, and then growled out,
"Why the hell not!" Mekkatorque had already returned to his work, and without even glancing at the boy said coldly,
"Because it is a foolish, naïve and overall incredibly pointless plan. The races of this world cannot coexist as you and that girl think they can. They will always be separate, and if one race cannot even keep its people together, what makes you think they can tolerate others? It is why the Alliance and Horde failed, because our natural differences make it impossible to coexist. Now please leave, I have much work to do." He pointed back to the door, and spoke not a word more.
Naruto was speechless.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
Before, when Kira had been informing him about the history of Azeroth, she had said that the Gnomes were one of the most accepting and tolerant of other races. She had made them sound like it would be just easy to get them to join the new alliance. Even Magni, who had had some doubts about it being so easy, had been hopeful that Naruto would be able to get their support. He had said that Mekkatorque was a reasonable gnome.
And then he had heard this.
The shock, however, soon gave way to a boiling, surging anger.
That bastard!"HEY! What the hell's your deal? You didn't even listen to the entire thing, and you haven't even seen it tried. You're just righting it off as impossible! Stop being so selfish! People are trying to help you with this, and it looks like you damn well need it! Why don't you-"
"Be quiet." The gnome's voice cut off Naruto's tirade, and Naruto found the gnome staring at him once again, his goggles off, his large, grayish eyes flashing and smoldering like miniature raging storms.
"You know nothing, boy. You know nothing of what I must do, and why I must do it. You are nothing more than a stupid, barely potty-trained brat who thinks he can save the world with a worthless and impossible ideal. Now get out. If you do not, I will have you bound, gagged, and stuffed into the back of the next caravan that passes. LEAVE!"
Naruto didn't back down however, his blue eyes glowing with anger. He was about to say more, when two gnomes entered from behind Naruto, both carrying short blades and small shields. They came up on both sides of the blonde, and one said gruffly,
"Come with us, the King doesn't wish to speak with you anymore." Naruto didn't bother struggling, and was pushed out by the two guards, back through the goggled-gnome room, and out into the dark night. When he was outside, Naruto found that the two gnomes didn't leave him be, or escort him towards the edge of the camp. Instead, they took him to a small, dark green tent near the back, and pointed inside.
"You will sleep here for the night. In the morning you will leave." In his anger, Naruto felt a slight twinge of recognition from the gnome's voice. He didn't bother to puzzle over, it, still too mad to think properly, and entered. It was a rather tight fit inside, as it had likely been made for a gnome, but Naruto found that is wasn't bad. The two gnomes closed the flap behind him, and then stood on both sides of the entrance, likely guarding Naruto from escaping.
Grumbling, the blonde sat back, and did his best to fall asleep.
Naruto awoke at first light, shaking off the haze that always came when he awoke. The blonde sat up, rubbing his eyes some, as his brain began to recount last night's events.
He scowled at the vivid memory of Gelbin Mekkatorque's insults.
What a bastard…He simply couldn't believe that someone both Magni and Kira believed was so tolerant and great had acted like that. The guy was just as bad as the old Neji, hell, even worse. He spoke to Naruto as if the boy was just that, a boy. Naruto had long ago stopped considering himself a child, seeing as how from nearly age 7, he had lived by himself in a lonely, broken down apartment. He may have acted like a child on many occasions, but he liked the attention it usually got. He had experienced a lot in his life, more than enough so that if he wanted to, he could beat out both Sasuke and Neji in an angst-fest.
But he didn't want to. He liked to look on the brighter things in life, and to go through each day with a fresh, positive attitude. Sure it sounded a little corny, but it beat wallowing in depression and being bitterly pessimistic about every situation, and never talking.
All things that Sasuke had done daily in his jaunt with Team Seven.
Who was some stupid gnome to tell him what he did and did not know?
As he seethed over the gnome's insulting words, he heard the tent flap being opened, and saw a gnomish face appear.
"You up, boy?" Naruto looked up, and suddenly stopped. The gnomish face that had appeared was a slightly older version of Furnizzle. He had slightly less hair, and several scars had marred his face, but otherwise, it was a rather amazing resemblance.
He must be…"Oi! Are you Linkizzle or Rurizzle?" He said quickly, looking at the gnome intensely. The gnome looked taken aback for a few seconds then said,
"How…who are you? How do you know those names?" The gnome was gripping his sword hilt slightly, and Naruto immediately responded with a shout,
"I met your brother! Back in Ironforge! Furnizzle! He's a good friend of mine." The gnome looked stunned for a second, and then grinned.
"Amazing! You know my little brother? I haven't seen him for almost two years! How is he? Is the business all right? My name is Linkizzle by the way, Rurizzle is outside." Naruto grinned happily that Furnizzle's brothers were still alive, and immediately began to answer the gnome's questions as he crawled out into the light.
The sky was overcast, and Naruto was instantly reminded of where he was when he left the tent. It was very cold out, and he briefly wondered why it had been so warm in the tent.
When he had finished answering the gnome's questions, Linkizzle called to a gnome standing a few yards away, near another, larger green tent. The gnome walked over, looking puzzled, and Linkizzle said with a grin,
"Rur! This kid's a friend of Furn's! He says he came here not only to speak with the king, but to check up on us!" The gnome spluttered in amazement, then laughed happily, sounding like a child as he did.
"That's great! How is the little one? Good I hope, and the business?" Linkizzle grinned,
"He's been doing well, apparently." The other gnome smiled, then turned back to Naruto.
"Sorry about last night, friend. If we had known…well, we would have treated you a bit better. We heard the king shout at you, so we assumed that you were causing trouble." Naruto nodded, accepting the apology. Linkizzle grinned, then jerked his finger towards the larger tent.
"Let's have a bite to eat, shall we? I'd like to here in detail how our brother has been doing." Naruto nodded, and followed the two gnomes into the tent, which was considerably larger than the one he had slept in.
"This is our tent. The one you slept in used to belong to another, but he deserted a couple of weeks ago. We just kept it up, in case he returned." Rurizzle said as he took at seat on one of the small chairs. Naruto nodded, taking a seat on the ground, not wanting to risk ruining one of the chairs.
So they talked. Naruto told them about his short stay in Ironforge, which eventually led to his experiences in the mountains, and then Stormwind, and finally Elwynn Forest. The two gnomes were rather surprised that Naruto was not from this world, but excited as well. The existence of other dimensions was something that had been long proven to be true, but no one had ever achieved it. They peppered him with questions about his world, and though Naruto was happy to tell them about it, he steered clear of any subject that he still didn't feel comfortable talking about.
Such as the Kyuubi and Uchiha Sasuke.
In turn, the two gnomes told Naruto a little of their past, most of which Naruto had heard from Furnizzle, but he was deeply interested in what had happened after the fall of Gnomeregan. He learned foremost, however, what had happened in detail inside the great city, something that he had been in the dark about until Magni had said that it had been an internal problem.
"Gnomeregan is impenetrable from the outside, child. It would take an army of more than several million men in order to penetrate the walls, not even Ironforge was as safe from attack as Gnomeregan. So why was it taken, you ask? Simple, while its walls could not be broken down, if you had already passed them, then they didn't need to be. Gnomeregan was attacked from a direction that nobody expected. Below. Our diggings and expansion led us to awaken something that we were not able to control. That something was…the troggs…" Naruto's ears perked up at that, Magni had mentioned something about them, as had Furnizzle, but neither had really elaborated on what they were.
"The troggs, as far as we know, are a very ancient type of creature, dating all the way back to the creation of Azeroth itself. Legend says that they were created by the Titans to protect this world. However, something went wrong, and the troggs became wicked and hateful creatures. So, the Titans sealed them away in the depths of the world, where they remained for ages; until we dug them up."
Linkizzle shook his head slightly after this, his mind obviously somewhere else. It was Naruto's statement, however, that snapped him back.
"I've been meaning to ask…Mekkatorque, he seems different than what I've heard he's like. Magni and Kira-chan told me that he was a good-natured guy, who tolerated others, you know? He was a complete bastard last night, didn't even give me a chance. Why? What changed him?"
Both gnomes sighed heavily, exchanging depressed looks, before their gazes returned to Naruto.
"That's…difficult to explain, Naruto. At lot has happened to the High Tinker, and it would be hard not to change after what he went through." Linkizzle said, looking down a little. Rurizzle picked up from where he stopped, saying.
"I'm not sure we should tell you this, it feels like a breach on the King's trust. But I guess we could. Here is a tale, Naruto, the tale of the fall of Gnomeregan, and a tale of betrayal of the highest order. This is a tale about our great king, High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, and his best friend, and most trusted advisor, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg."
Gelbin Mekkatorque sat at his worktable in the Workshop tent's laboratory, his eyes focusing on the notes in front of him. To most, he would appear to be reading intently, but his mind was not on the notes in front of him. It was on the human boy who had appeared, rather suddenly, proposing a rather preposterous idea about forming a new alliance with the former members of the Horde. A boy who claimed he was from another world, a boy who had managed to win over Magni Bronzebeard himself who had been one of the most stubborn creatures Gelbin had ever met.
There had been a time when he would have accepted at once, a time where he would have helped the boy in his endeavors in whatever way he could.
But now…
Now, he simply did not care. Now, he didn't want to save the world, or help anyone else, he wanted to take back his home. He wanted to give his people back a proper place to stay.
And he wanted to do it alone.
He had to; it was his fault, and his mistake. He couldn't allow anyone else to intrude on this mission. It was something that he had to do, something that he would do even if it killed him.
And it all stemmed from one person.
His best friend and the person he trusted the most.
Sicco Thermaplugg.
You blasted fool… He thought, anger and misery flowing into him again. Nowadays, he rarely displayed his emotions to others. When around his subjects, he would simply assume a stone-faced mask. When alone, he would let all his raging emotions out, by diving into his work. He hated it, however. He hated how he was living, how he was feeling, and how everything had turned out.
It was all because of him.
Why…why did you do it? Sicco…how could you?
"Before Gnomeregan was taken, our King was elected to the position of High Tinker, which is exactly like the king, only they are chosen by the people. H.T. Mekkatorque was the best of the best. He was a genius both in alchemy and engineering, and during the years before the city fell, he came up with many ways to improve our way of living. He designed many weapons for the fight against the Burning Legion and The Scourge, and many of those weapons remain in Ironforge and Stormwind. Gnomeregan was the greatest hub of creating new forms of technology, bar Gadgetzan.
"Then, in one of our construction sites beneath the city, where we were beginning to build another storage hold, our machines awakened the menace of the troggs. They poured out, attacking and destroying the two lowest sections of the city. At that point, the H.T. shut off the lowest portions, but it would not work for long. The troggs were able to create small tunnels that led into the ventilation systems. This allowed them to get up towards the upper sections, and despite everything our King did, nothing worked.
"It was a godsend, it seemed, when the King's greatest, most trusted friend, Mekgineer Sicco Thermaplugg, proposed a rather, rash idea. Thermaplugg had been one of the big brains behind the newest technological advances, and was likely equal in talent to Mekkatorque. Our King was light-hearted, kind and generous, and always had a smile on his face. Thermaplugg was a brooding, sullen gnome, who was a genius in coming up with new forms of weaponry. The two, despite the differences, were great friends, and after Mekkatorque became the High Tinker, he made Thermaplugg his greatest advisor. Together they should have been an unstoppable, unconquerable force.
The troggs, it seemed, disproved this. It was the threat of Gnomeregan being destroyed that Thermaplugg came up with an idea that he professed would work. He suggested that the only way to destroy the troggs would be to flush and drain the radioactive waste tanks that we keep in order to store the large amounts of waste that our city creates. The theory was that it would destroy the troggs, but the reality was not so kind. While many troggs did die, the majority remained alive, and their bodies became irradiated, making them walking sacks of poisonous energy. The waste also had dire effects on the people of Gnomeregan, the fumes rising through the ventilations shafts and cracks, and killing thousands of gnomes in the higher sections. Those that didn't die became irradiated and poisoned as well.
Mekkatorque couldn't believe at what had happened. His actions had destroyed a huge portion of the city, and killed many of his own people. He ordered the evacuation of Gnomeregan shortly after, and we fled to Ironforge for a brief time. However, Thermaplugg did not follow us. The King later informed us, that it had been his fault.
"Thermaplugg had somehow known of the troggs existence, and yet he had done nothing. He had also known that the radioactive wastes wouldn't have done a thing…
"He betrayed us all, his own people, and more importantly…his best friend."
Mekkatorque's mind drifted back, back to that final day, minutes before he had left Gnomeregan.
Mekkatorque, astride his golden Mechanostrider, made his way quickly towards the control room. He was sweating profusely, his eyes behind the two green lenses of his goggles were deeply worried, and he urged the bird-like machine to go faster.
He arrived at the entrance to the control room, and hastily pushed in his punch card, which unlocked the door in a second, and he entered. The room, which was usually filled with gnomes, checking and monitoring the processes of the city, was almost completely empty. Save for one.
"Sicco! My god, how could this have happened? Our city…it's dying! How did we let it go this far?" The other gnome said nothing for a while, and merely continued to peer out the large window that gave one a view of the entire industrial district of the city. The district was almost completely covered in greenish ooze, now, and the screams of many gnomes filled the air, each one causing the King's heart to ache even more. Thermaplugg was wearing what he usually did, a black jumpsuit and green goggles similar to Mekkatorque's. He was built rather like the other gnome as well, though he was bald and possessed a jet-black beard. It was a time before Thermaplugg spoke.
"Simple…I let it happen, my dear friend." Mekkatorque was caught off guard by the statement, his eyes widening beneath his goggles.
"Wh-what do you mean?" The other gnome turned to look at him, the beginnings of a cold smirk on his face.
"Do I really have to spell it out for you? I knew that this would happen. I knew it, and I encouraged it. I knew of the troggs' existence before you awakened them. Imagine that, eh, Gelbin? I then suggested that you douse them in radioactive wastes, and like the tool that you are, you obliged. I knew full well that it wouldn't work, having done multiple experiments on those brutes before they had overrun the city. So now our city…no sorry…your city, is an irradiated pile scrap metal, with thousands of dead gnomes, dead at your hands, my dear friend. It is really funny how things turn out, hm?"
Mekkatorque was speechless, his eyes the size of dinner plates.
"How…why? WHY? YOU KNEW? YOU KNEW! YOU, HOW COULD YOU HAVE DONE THIS? OUR HOME, OUR CITY, SICCO, HOW COULD YOU HAVE DONE THI-"
BLAM.
Mekkatorque took a few steps back in shock, clutching his side, where blood was dripping from a gaping bullet wound. Thermaplugg held a large, six-barreled gun in his hand, something he himself had designed, and was no longer smirking. His expression was crazed and from behind his goggles his two, black eyes blazed with a great madness.
"You…you stole it from me. You call yourself my friend. You stole my dream…my ambition, from me. High Tinker was my position. Not yours. I did everything, and you got the credit, the rewards, and the praise for it. You are weak. You are nothing. Nothing without me. I decided, right when you were announced High Tinker, that you would pay." He lowered the gun slightly, clutching the side of his head with his free hand, as if in pain. He stopped glaring, and a sudden calm washed over his face as he spoke.
" You are my best friend…but you will die for stealing my dream. I now hold the power that is so rightfully mine. This city is mine now. There is nothing that binds me to you anymore, Gelbin. I do not tolerate weaklings in my city. You are the first that I have 'culled.' Those who survive the radiation will become my subjects; they will help me rebuild this city, in my own way. I cannot allow you, you or anyone else, to get in the way of my ambition. Now, dear friend…you will die."
Mekkatorque stood up, dodging another shot from Thermaplugg's gun. He ripped his small sword from its sheath, the hilt shaped like a wrench, and charged the other gnome at break-neck speed. The other gnome dodged the first strike, and then drew his own small sword.
They clashed, once, twice, then thrice. Gelbin dropped back, a slight wound on his arm, and his stamina fading fast. The blood loss from his first wound was getting to him, and he wished he had a coagulant at the moment. With a cry, he lowered the blade and formed a set of one-handed seals. At the end, he bellowed in a loud voice, "Fire Beam!" A greenish stream of flames shot from the tip of his sword, aimed directly at Thermaplugg. The other gnome swiftly avoided it, countering with a series of one-handed seals as well. He pressed the tip of his blade into the floor, and said loudly, "Electrostatic Blazer!" The ground surged as a wave of electricity shot through it, damage and shorting out everything in its path. The attack would have gone further if the Gnome hadn't held his hands together, molding his chakra, and driving the blade of his sword into the ground in a gesture that duplicated Thermaplugg's. The electricity stopped as it hit the gnome, causing no damage. He lifted his blade to start again, when Thermaplugg raised his six-shooter, and fired.
Pressing a small dial on his wristwatch, Mekkatorque called his Mechanostrider to him. The golden machine leapt in front of its master, taking two shots in its reinforced, metallic body. The Gnome king grabbed onto one of the side straps, and lifted himself on top, hugging the machine's neck in order to make as much of his body as flat as possible. He turned aiming his own six-shooter and pointed it back at his former friend. His first shot missed the Mekgineer, but a second shot proved more accurate. Caught off guard on from the first shot, Thermaplugg leapt to the side, right into the second shot. He screamed and fell, clutching his knee, where the bullet had struck. Mekkatorque nearly squeezed the trigger once more, prepared to finish off his former friend. However, as he stared into Thermaplugg's goggles, images of his past with the gnome flashed before him.
He couldn't kill his friend.
Turning away, Mekkatorque raced out of the control room as fast as his Mechanostrider could carry him.
He looked back once more, his eyes full of sadness. He saw Thermaplugg appear in the control room's doorway, watching him, clutching his ruined leg. The traitorous gnome simply watched him, not lifting his weapon again, as Mekkatorque disappeared from sight.
Naruto eyes were shadowed by his bangs as the two gnomes finished the story. He no longer felt anger at the Gnome king for last night. He couldn't be angry, not when…
Not when he had experienced the exact same thing.
Not when his best friend too, had betrayed him.
That gnome had every right to be bitter, every right to be angry and depressed. They were feelings that had plagued Naruto for weeks after Sasuke's defection.
Mekkatorque had just taken it to a different level, and hadn't let go.
Mekkatorque had somehow given up hope of saving his friend, and it seemed only sought to undo what he had done. It seemed that both his pride as a man, coupled with his own determination had led him to reject all help, and was willing to do almost anything to undo what he had done.
It was like him.
Hadn't he been convinced that he was the only one who could bring Sasuke back? Hadn't he been willing, even after just being defeated by the Uchiha, to go into the depths of Orochimaru's lair to search for him, with or without Tsunade's consent?
It had only been Sakura's words that had stopped him.
"I'm coming with you next time, Naruto, so let's get strong, ok?"
Because of the girl he had feelings for, he had taken the time to get strong, and he knew that Sakura was probably even more determined to get Sasuke back than he himself was. He had let go of the notion that it was only he that could bring back Sasuke, because Sakura was just as valuable as Naruto was in bringing back their wayward teammate.
Mekkatorque had no such person to tell him that he couldn't hold the world on his shoulders. He blamed himself, like Naruto had, for his friend's betrayal, but he just continued to wallow in that, and turned it into a single-minded drive to undo his mistakes, with no one at his side.
Naruto knew what he had to do.
With, or without Mekkatorque's permission, he was going to help take back Gnomeregan.
He was going to prove to the High Tinker that no one had to be alone.
Wow…another chapter done. Longest one yet. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter, even though there wasn't much fighting in it. I like the parallelism between Sasuke and Thermaplugg and Naruto and Mekkatorque.
A couple things to address, I think.
One, the Japanese honorifics that Naruto gives everyone, and the Japanese attack names for World of Warcraft spells. This is because Naruto is using them. There isn't a language barrier between them, though their customs are different, and hence certain things about there languages would be different. Hence, people in Azeroth don't use honorifics, but to show that Naruto isn't from Azeroth, he does. The same is with attack names. Azeroth will use English names, Naruto will be using Japanese attack names. If they are poorly translated, please don't "bust my chops" about it. I use an online translator for them usually.
The word for Frost bolt was actually two words; I just contracted it into one, if that confuses you.
Gnome jutsu- In the Thermaplugg/Mekkatorque flashback fight there were several attacks that don't appear in the World of Warcraft. I'm not even sure what class Mekkatorque is. In this, Gnome's have their own special brand of techniques, all of which involve the use of a mechanical weapon. Naruto will probably learn one or two.
Now, reviewer answers:
blazer-6- Naruto will meet the Nerubians, most likely towards the end, when he treks towards Northrend, which I believe is where they live.
No 1 You Know- Actually, the boy king, Anduin Wrynn, is all grown up and has a daughter (Kira) in this one. I will still include the real King later, maybe, but for now let's see what happens to the current one. As for Naruto learning Priest spells, I don't think so…that's Kira's job. Naruto can't be too powerful.
If that's it, then I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and keep reading!
General Grievous
Next, Naruto convinces Mekkatorque to let him help, and they begin to prepare to assault Gnomeregan.
Spellbook:
Hyuuton: Toukanboruto no jutsu- Shoots a bolt of frost from the person's mouth, Ice element equivalent of Goukakyuu no jutsu.
Tsukuridasu Fuudo (lit. "create food") no jutsu- Transforms a small particle of organic matter into an edible substance. Requires lots of chakra.
Armory:
Earring of Hearing (hah! It rhymes!)-Increases hearing ability of wearer due to the seals and chakra it contains.
