Wrath of the Elemental Storm: Part 14
TeFlyingWolf: Welcome back folks! Now as for an update. Sorry about double posting the last chapter. I posted it at midnight and I was tired as all hell so I didn't notice that. Sorry.
Naruto: Anyway. What do we do now?
Wolf: Does everyone have shadow armor, weapons, and tools?
Everyone: Yes.
Wolf: Good! Now before we do anything else, I suggest we head back to the base and resupply.
Naruto: On what?!
Wolf: Potions. I mean, how many of you have any health potions left?
Everyone: … … …
Wolf: Exactly my point.
Kiba: But how are we going to get back? It took us two days just to get here!
Wolf: Via Magic mirrors. They allow you to teleport back to your spawn point. Aka: Your beds.
Shikamaru: That sounds… Actually, that's not troublesome at all.
Wolf: Yup. Oh, and here's some heart crystals for you guys. Each one gives you more health.
Sasuke: AND YOU DIDN'T GIVE THESE TO US EARLIER, WHY?!
Wolf: Because it's funny! Whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop! *teleports*
Disclaimers: TeFlyingWolf does not own Naruto or Skyrim.
Naruto slowly woke up in between silky sheets. His whole body felt oddly rejuvenated, even after the last 24 hours. He opened his eyes, looking at his current surroundings. The room was built for large slabs of marble, several pillars held up a ceiling of pure marble. Geez, what is it with Boethiah and marble?
Naruto slowly sat up, the silken sheets falling away from his naked chest. He looked around the master bedroom of the coliseum of Boethiah, shocked to see a vast and ornate room. Her armor sat upon a manikin near a wall, lit by a few of the numerous torches placed all around the room. One part of the wall was covered by thick curtains, hiding the vast out door balcony that Naruto had been out on the night before. Remembering the night previous before things got interesting, Naruto couldn't help but face palm a little. Boethiah should have knocked beforehand.
Naruto remembered the look on everyone's face when Boethiah had appeared from nowhere. Thankfully, things had calmed down before the Daedric princess had showed up, but Naruto couldn't help but groan when she did. He had remembered the promise he had made with her, but had hoped she would've waited til after he was alone to whisk him away for the night. She hadn't. "It's so much fun to see the look on mortal's faces when one of us show up."
Naruto slid out of the bed, walking over to a large metal bowl not far from the bed. The bowl was magically imbued with chilling properties of whatever liquid was placed within it. Naruto picked up the golden chalice next to the bowl and enjoyed some the chilling water.
"A little dehydrated are we?" Boethiah cooed from the bed. Naruto finished off the water and turned back to her as he set the chalice back down.
"To say the least. I'm not sure any man in Skyrim exists that has the stamina to keep up with you." Naruto pointed out as he walked back to the bed.
"Which is why I'm glad you're here. You have no idea how long it's been since I've had a man do the things to me that you have." Naruto wasn't even in the bed when Boethiah grabbed his hand and hauled him back into the bed, sheets falling off her form.
"You know we can't stay like this for long Boethiah. I have to get back to Skyrim and deal with the Thalmor." Naruto stated, causing the daedric princess to pout. "You know I'm right."
The princess lowered herself to lay her head on his chest, "I know you're right. But I still have questions to ask you." Naruto let out a sigh, knowing it would be a game of twenty questions if he let her ask everything. "Ok, shoot."
"Bang." Naruto didn't need to look at her to know Boethiah had a smile from ear to ear. He had to resist the urge to once more face palm. "Just ask your questions."
"Ok, first off, you're a ninja right?" Naruto agreed with her question. "So why is it you use heavy armor? I've felt Ebony armor before and it's not the lightest of all armor."
"I use it for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's very durable, which I need in case I don't have a weapon on me. If I used something like glass armor, it would shatter upon impact if I didn't hold back my punches. Secondly, the armor isn't that heavy to me. Sure it's got some weight, but I'm used to using gravity seals for training so it's not that hard to use. Thirdly, I've been learning a lot of things over this past year, smithing included."
"But what do you mean by that?" Boethiah asked, lifting herself from Naruto's chest to look the blond in the eyes. "I mean I'm a master blacksmith now and I can make my armor lighter, stronger, and better than when I first got it a year ago. A normal set of ebony armor after my modifications would weigh roughly the same as a set of Iron armor." Boethiah whistled, understanding the weight difference between the two. "That's quite an impressive feat Naruto. Although…" She snaked her fingers through Naruto's hair. "… I may have something that you find interesting." Naruto's eyebrow rose at her tone.
"And what, my dear Banshee, is that?" Boethiah blushed heavily at the nickname, but continued regardless. "I have a gift for you. Seeing as how you defeated the previous champion, the armor would go to you." Boethiah snapped her fingers and something plopped onto the bed. Naruto tried to look over at it, but the daedric princess held his head tightly with one hand and covered his eyes with another. "No peaking."
"Why? Afraid to show a man your naked body?" Naruto teased, grinning madly. "You know I have no problem with that. I just want this to be a bit of a surprise." He heard the clinking of metal, almost like miniature chains. "Ok, you can open them."
Naruto opened his eyes to see Boethiah holding up some ebony armor, but it took him a second to realize that it wasn't his. He was about to comment on it, but he spotted the difference. "Is that chainmail?" Boethiah's grin grew even further at his discovery. "And it is something I only give to my champion." Naruto took some of the material into his hand, activating his Rinnegan at the same time. Examining the links in the mesh, he saw that each ring was small but strong. His mind ran with ideas on how long it took to craft just the mesh, marveling in its quality.
"This is some amazing stuff Boethiah. Are you sure you want me to have it?" Naruto asked, genuinely shocked at the gift. "Of course! You are my champion after all." Boethiah went in to take Naruto's lips, but was stopped when the blond's eyes went wide suddenly, followed by a loud groan. "What happened?"
"The summoning wards I placed in The Sleeping Giant just went off." One of Boethiah's eye brow rose at the comment. "Meaning either Torygg, Delphine, or Yorvik needs me. Thankfully, they didn't trip the urgent ward. That's reserved for 'Shit hitting the fan' moments." Naruto tried to move, but the daedric princess didn't move. "Uh, Boethiah?"
"I'm not letting you go that easily. You want to go help your friends? You have to spend one last roll in the hay with me." Naruto flopped back against the bed, mildly annoyed. Sheesh, as if last night wasn't enough…
"Come on Naruto. It's not that bad." Boethiah lay down on top on Naruto, watching the blonde intently. Naruto however, grew a rather sinister grin and opened his eyes. "Then I guess I shouldn't hold back anymore." He wrapped his arms around her, adding flame, wind, and lightning chakra into the tips of his fingers. He began feeding his chakra into the muscles in her back, getting an immediate moaning from her.
"Sorry about this Boethiah, but I have to get back. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Naruto slid out from beneath the daedric princess. He didn't have long before the chakra would flow to the specified points in her body and allow her to move once more. He bolted over to where his armor and weapons lay, activating the teleportation seals written on the inside of the armor, equipping it immediately. Naruto made sure everything was secure, not wanting to leave anything behind. He ran back to the bed, nabbing the chainmail armor before he threw out a portal spell that would take him back to Skyrim. Naruto looked down at the prone form of Boethiah, who was completely speechless at the indescribable feeling coursing through her body.
"What you're currently going through is a technique I created for my wife a long time ago. We had moments in our marriage when I would come home so tired, I had to go to bed right away. Without giving you a long drawn out explanation as to how it works, partly because I have to get back, but mainly because I know it's about to reach maximum potency, I feed some of my chakra into a body in the form of lightning, fire, and wind. The fire and wind chakra work in tandem as they spread throughout the body, relaxing every muscle and massaging them like no mere mortal ever could. The lightning chakra however, seeks out every pleasure center discreetly and waits til the massage is over."
Boethiah began to stir slightly, making Naruto antsy to leave. What was about to happen, no man would ever be able to replicate. "But without further explanation, I should leave." He walked backwards towards the portal, never letting his eyes stray from Boethiah. She began to gain muscle control once more, and lifted herself from the bed, playfully glaring at the blonde. "You're going to have to do better than that Naruto. The massage was amazing, but I think we both know what I want." Naruto smirked, lifting one hand up. "I know. Until next time Boethiah." Naruto leapt back into the portal, snapping his fingers as he did, leaving the daedric princess to enjoy an experience she would never forget.
Naruto stood within the shadows of Sky Haven Temple's inner most sanctum. He watched on as the three figures of Delphine, Torygg, and Yorvik listened intently to the ramblings of Esbern. Naruto recalled there shocked faces when he simply appeared in the hidden away basement of the Sleeping Giant Inn. Everyone was shocked for a minute, but then proper introductions were made.
Yorvik had been the one to trip Naruto's ward in a way to try and get his attention, or so he explained. Naruto listened in to Esbern's rambling about 'Alduin's wall', saying there was a way to defeat the dragon. Naruto kept silent about his real power, knowing quite well that he could kill the dragon if given the chance. As he finished his explanation, the small group decided to go investigate the remains of Sky Haven Temple to see if the wall really did have a way to kill Alduin. Getting to the location of the temple wasn't that hard, only a few days journey from Riverwood. The real problem for them was what they found at Karthspire, the location just outside of the temple.
The forsworn camp they found just outside of the entrance was going to be a problem for the group of five. Well, it would've had they not had Naruto there. For the blond, it was a small scrap seeing as he made a few clones and obliterated their numbers in minutes. As the other four members ran up to him to congratulate him, a roar could be heard throughout the valley. "Oh for the love of…" The small group saw a dragon coming straight for them, roaring in anger.
Naruto asked his companions if anyone had a gold coin he could use, Torygg being the first to offer. The blond then proceeded to place the gold coin in between his right pointer and middle finger, charging an extreme amount of lightning into those fingers. When the chakra was ready, Naruto slammed his thumb into his index finger, the activation switch for the jutsu.
The resounding thunderclap nearly deafened the people standing next to the blonde, but were shocked to watch the dragon's body fall to the valley floor, minus one head. It collided with the river, spraying much of the surrounding area in a mixture of water and gore. "Suck it." Was all Naruto said before heading towards the cave, leaving a very baffled group behind.
Naruto was at the first puzzle, something about three triangular pillars and symbols. He switched them all to one symbol and was rewarded with a stone bridge being let down. The others caught up with him, Delphine being the first to ask him, "What in Oblivion was that spell!" To which Naruto then spent the next few minutes explaining himself.
"The short version is that I use lightning chakra to create something like a complex slingshot. It only works on metal objects, and I've found that smaller objects work better, hence the gold coin." The next few minutes, when not solving puzzles, was a question and answer session for the blond. One to which he was eternally grateful when Esbern just about passed out from sheer excitement when they found what he referred to as "Alduin's Wall". The blond used a small amount of stealth to creep into the shadows at the back, acting as a silent sentry, just in case someone followed them.
He was brought out of his revere when something moved out of the corner of his eye. To most, it would've been a trick of the eye. But Naruto had spent his entire life in the shadows, and he knew something had just moved out of his line of sight. He leapt up onto the wall, using his chakra to stick there and stealthily made his way over towards the source of movement. What he found, was a set of ascending stairs that led to a small area above the wall, but it was who was standing in the shadows that concerned Naruto.
She stood with regality, like a queen who was addressing her subjects. The only thing she wore was a single cloak, gripping her slender form to show off every asset she had. The front dipped down nearly to her navel, exposing a fair amount of skin. The bottom of the cloak had been cut near her hips, exposing much of her smooth, pale legs. The hood of the cloak was up, hiding much of her dark silky hair. Her skin was like milk, white as could possibly be but just as smooth. She stood against the wall, looking up at the blond as if he had a spot light on him, smiling at his prowess. If it wasn't for that raven on her shoulder, I'd assume she's a vampiric harlot here to suck on me.
Naruto dropped to the ground, curious as to the nature of the mysterious woman's visit, as well as her identity. "Hello there." Naruto kept his voice down, knowing this woman, whoever she was, wanted to keep her presence a secret from the others.
"Hello, Naruto Uzumaki. I've heard a lot about you." Her voice was a deep rumble, like rolling thunder, but with a slight purr to it, like the voice of a lover. Naruto strove hard not to look down at the openness of the cloak, nor fall prey to her voice. Geez, whatever this woman is using is some pretty heavy magic. Time to pour on the charm.
"You seem to know me, but I'm sorry to say, I am unfamiliar with your name. May I know it?" Her laughter resounded throughout the chamber, cutting through Naruto far easier than the sharpest blade in Skyrim. He struggled to not show any outward sign of what kind of effect it was having on him.
"They said you were interesting, but they never said you were charming." The way she said 'charming' nearly melted his bones. "And as for my name, I am Nocturnal, the Night Mistress." She stood away from the wall, slowly sauntering over towards Naruto. "And you, Naruto Uzumaki, are in for a surprise." She simply pointed a finger onto his chest plate, lightly pushing the blonde back against the opposing wall. Naruto looked either direction, expecting someone to see the two of them like they were. How the hell would I explain this? Oh hey guys! Don't worry, the daedric princess and I were just talking. Ignore the fact that she's barely dressed and hitting on me!
"Oh don't worry Naruto. The darkness is my realm. You could use a dragon shout right behind them and they wouldn't hear a thing if I willed it." She pressed herself up against his armor, Naruto glad he was wearing it. If I'm reacting like this and she's only talking to me, Kami only knows what would happen if she started touching me. Naruto tried to direct his thoughts away from those kinds of thoughts. It wasn't working out too well. Nocturnal leaned her head next to his ear, speaking right into it. "Sanguine told me all about your… excursion, against the dark brotherhood. I was really impressed." With every word, her hot breath brushed against his ear, driving the blond mad with… Concentrate Naruto! Don't let yourself be taken over THAT easily.
"Y-Y-you were, huh? G-Glad I was able to impress the mistress of shadows." Naruto was breathing heavily, striving not to try and take the daedric princess and… Dear KAMI this is ha… DIFFICULT! THIS IS DIFFICULT! Gotta get to the point quickly! "So w-what exactly is this surprise of yours?" Nocturnal didn't move an inch when she told him, in fact Naruto could have sworn she moved closer to his ear.
"I'm willing to give you a little bit of my power… for a price." Oh dear Kami, what did I do to become the daedras' play thing?
"Naruto?" Yorvik called out into the darkness. "Oh poo. Looks like our time is up here." Nocturnal backed away from Naruto, the shadows wrapping around her, "Later… Naruto." Her voice had a final chilling effect on him, freezing the blond to the spot. His heavy breathing finally eased up, his heart rate dropped back to something considered of a healthy level. The light of a torch came around the corner and illuminated the darkly armored blonde.
"There you are. Hey, you ok?" Naruto didn't dare look at Yorvik. After all, he wasn't sure how he would react to not knowing he was so close to a daedric princess. "Yeah, I'm good. That spell just took more out of me than I thought. Did Esbern find what we came here for?"
"Sure did. You sure you're ok?" Naruto stood away from the wall and composed the last of his nerves. It wasn't every day a woman hits on you and you get all hot and bothered under the collar. "Yeah, just needed to catch my breath."
Naruto was gliding through the air casually, heading straight towards Whiterun. It had taken the party of five a full two days to get to Sky Haven temple and back, thankfully without any other incident. After a quick group meeting, everyone went their separate ways, each with certain objectives.
Yorvik would go to the Greybeards, in search of a dragon shout that would help defeat Alduin. Delphine, Torygg, and Esbern would go into hiding. Naruto however, would return home and prepare for the oncoming storm that would take place eventually. To this, most of his thoughts were aimed at.
Assuming Yorvik figures a way to deal with Alduin, we'll have to deal with the civil war firstly. Don't want him to worry about coming home to a war, because I know he will. So let's see… Naruto's mind began reeling with the possibilities as to what to do, the old Kage in him kicking on as he did.
We'd have to host any kind of meeting in a neutral spot, just to make it seem like we're not holding any kind of grudge or playing favorites. Hmm. Not many of those places in Skyrim. Naruto ran through every location he knew of, but nothing seemed to fit the bill. That was, until his mind wandered back to Yorvik and where he was headed. "High Hrothgar!" Naruto exclaimed. It was perfect! It was roughly at the halfway mark between the two sides, the Greybeards hadn't taken any sides in the war, plus it was secluded and high up so it would be difficult for any soldiers to get up the mountain side.
Well, that solves the location business. We could just invite a few of the high members from either side to do negotiations. Well, we'd obviously get Ulfric Stormcloak for the Stormcloaks, and General Tullius for the imperials. We'd also need the queen for sure, wouldn't want to keep her away from her husband for too long. Naruto grew a devious grin, imagining the reunion they would have. Hey, pranks can have happy endings too. But Naruto's thoughts turned dark as he remembered he had one loose end he had left. And then there's the Thalmor to deal with. They'll surely try to blame me for all kinds of crap, but they're in deeper shit than I ever was.
Naruto's thoughts were broken up when he reached Whiterun, landing softly behind his home. He stored away Dragon's Wind and walked in through the front door. "Hey girls, I'm Home!"
In Skyrim, there are tales of a wind so cold and chilling that it could freeze the balls off of a Nord even if he was wearing a fur coat. One such wind flew out through the door of Naruto's home, nearly freezing the blond in place. He saw the worried and rather pissed off looks of his four girlfriends, all of whom's thoughts were obvious. Hoo boy. Boethiah, you've left me in quite the pickle.
After explaining to the girls what had happened to him when Boethiah had spirited him away for the night, a night that they had protested was theirs, they came to the agreement that Naruto had to make it up.
Which is why Naruto was currently naked, gasping for air on his bed. The girls had just finished and each of them had fallen asleep, lying on the bed with our blond hero. Naruto popped the cork on a small vial filled with red liquid. The potion ran down Naruto's throat, immediately regenerating the parts of him that were sore. Kami. I'm glad I studied alchemy. These regeneration potions would help with any ninja's training.
Naruto formed a kage bunshin and quickly switched places with him. The clone would stay with the girls until Naruto returned home, seeing as the blond knew not when he would return. He quietly and quickly got dressed, ready to go meet Nocturnal in whatever machinations she had planned. He wore a dark grey shirt and black pants, both more than able to stand against a fair wind in case it was cold. He grabbed a black leather coat for extra warmth, the inside lined with light chainmail and fur.
Well, no time like the present. Naruto walked outside, seeing that it was now nearly night outside. "Sheesh, those girls sure can go for a long time." It wasn't even midday when he had returned home. "Well, if ever there was a perfect time to visit a Daedric princess of darkness, then now would be the time." Naruto threw out a portal, hoping it would take him to Nocturnal's dominion.
Naruto walked out into darkness. It took his eyes a second to register what he was looking at, but when he did, his heart nearly stopped. Trees. Trees everywhere. The bark of the trees was a mixture between deep purple and the darkest reds. The leaves on the trees varied from cobalt to deep navy, from lavender to grape. The vast landscape that Naruto could see, was covered in these trees, creating a living ocean of perpetual twilight color scheme. It was a sight to behold. Naruto stood in a clearing from the forest, the grass was just as colorful as the leaves on the trees. One side of the clearing was the edge of a cliff, showing a vast forest. Naruto glanced upwards to see that the sky was still barely illuminated. On one part of the horizon, light still shone brightly, the last rays of sunlight lighting up the clouds in a rainbow of colors. The other part of the sky was pitch black, stars shining through perfectly, and a full moon in effect.
"Wow." Naruto spoke breathlessly. The sight of everything rendered the blond speechless. "Marvelous, isn't it?" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin. He was so enraptured by the beauty of the landscape, that he had forgotten whose realm he was currently in. Much like earlier, Nocturnal wore the same dress cloak from before, only this time her hood was down. Naruto noticed her hair was just barely shoulder length and was more a deep purple color rather than ebony like he had originally thought. Must've been the lighting.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. It's not polite." Nocturnal moved her hand like she was brushing aside a branch. "I am the Mistress of Shadows. It is nearly impossible for me to not to sneak up on someone. But let us get back to the original question. How do you like the view?" Naruto looked back out once again, enjoying every bit of the scenery.
"It's amazing. I didn't know that Oblivion had sights like this." A pair of warm arms wrapped around Naruto, making the blond's heart rate skyrocket. "There are all kinds of sight to behold in Oblivion. What were you expecting? Fire and brimstone?" Breathe Naruto, breathe. Just… don't… freak… "Not really. I just wasn't sure what to expect." The two of them stayed like that for a few silent moments, a gentle breeze creating a wave of flashing colors.
"You know, Boethiah told me all about your night with her." Naruto tried not to react, knowing a game of flirtatious chess had just started. "Really? What did she say?"
"Not much. She said you were, and this is a quote, 'Like a raging storm of feelings and sensations'. High praise coming from the Daedric princess of plots." Naruto couldn't help but smile, "Indeed it is."
Nocturnal shifted herself so that her arms wrapped around the small of Naruto's back, pressing herself against him and stopping only a few inches from his face. "Although, she said it was the ending that left her paralyzed as she was when last I saw her. What did you use?" Naruto used every ounce of self-control in his body not to try something. Even though he was pretty sure that was what Nocturnal was asking for. He took a slow, deep breath to help cool his nerves and lower his racing heart.
"It's a jutsu I developed back when I was married. My job would exhaust me so much sometimes that I would come home and couldn't do anything except eat something rather quickly and then go immediately to bed." Nocturnal smiled playfully, still not moving from her current position. "Sounds like it must have been torture for your wife."
"To an extent it was. So I devised this little trick as a substitute, just in case. I simply call it 'Shifukunoji (Blissful Moment)'." Naruto remembered the few times he had to use it on Hinata, knowing it would sate her lustful desires for a time, but not permanently. Nocturnal sighed, "Sounds like it would be heavenly."
Naruto's mind broke away from the moment, "Uh, so about what we were talking about in Sky haven temple?"
"You mean about me giving you part of my power? Well, I wasn't being totally honest. I'm not going to give you any of my power so much as I'll teach you how to use it." That peaked Naruto's interest. "Teach me? To use what?"
Nocturnal smiled deviously, and backed away from the blond. Naruto was confused as to the sudden change in atmosphere. He noticed the shadows from all around gathered around Nocturnal, slowly converging on her until all at once, they wrapped themselves around her whole form, making her disappear completely. "Impressive. But invisibility isn't that hard to do." Naruto was about to answer with invisibility of his own, but stopped when Nocturnal's voice echoed from all around.
"Oh invisibility is only the first step. Let me show you… the true power of the shadows." On cue, the same shadows from before rose from the ground until they formed a dome, blocking out all light. Naruto soon found himself in complete shadow, no light to illuminate anything. He placed his hand in front of his face and couldn't see anything. "Wow, she wasn't kidding about… wait, what the hell?" He could hear his voice echo through his skull, but his ears couldn't hear anything. "Well… this is new. I can't hear anything, I can't see anything. Pretty good spell Nocturnal!" The shadows dissipated quickly, and Naruto found himself on the ground, the mistress of night straddling him. "Glad to see I impressed you."
"That was really impressive. Not only did you make it to where I couldn't see anything, but I couldn't hear a thing either. Any other 'true powers of the shadows'?" A playful smile grew on her face. "Yes, but you'll have to pay the price first." Naruto understood what she was asking for. "So right here or shall we go to your place?"
Naruto found himself in a courtyard after an extended time with the Mistress of the night. During their interactions, Naruto had gotten fed up with calling Nocturnal by her name, seeing as how it was a little long to blurt out in the heart of the moment. To which, Naruto had scoured his brain for a nickname and eventually came up with an appropriate one.
"Karasu?" Naruto nodded, "Yup, it means Raven in my native language."
"Raven? Why would you nickname me after a bird?" Nocturnal had asked, completely confused. "Well, you tend to have them around. I mean, it was kind of hard to get into the mood when we first walked into your room. It was like walking out onto a stage with all the eyes watching us."
"But you didn't have too hard of a time, Naruto." The blonde glared at the daedric princess who returned the stare with a playful grin of her own. Their stare down ended up with another amorous power struggle. Naruto cleared his mind as best as he could. Ok, so the way that Kara described it, its sounds like how one uses any form of suiton jutsu. Naruto walked over to one of the few trees within the courtyard and placed his hand in the shadows. Feel the shadows. It took him a few minutes to discover that the shadows themselves had a rather chill feel to them. It reminded him of the stones he would find at the bottom of a creek during hot summer days in Konoha, cool and smooth.
Ok, now for the hard part. Naruto extended his chakra into the air and attempted to grip onto the shadows. Just like the stone, it was slick and tough to get a grip on. Naruto attempted a few times more, but eventually he figured out he had to grab the shadows with a hook like method, dragging it along.
The result was the shadows engulfing what part of Naruto's arm was in the shadows, and fading it from view. He still felt it, could still flex it, but he couldn't see it. "Ok, that's just freaky." Naruto couldn't help but laugh at his 'missing' appendage, being able to still feel it. He gripped his invisible right forearm with his left hand, still being able to feel the flesh underneath his fingers regardless of its circumstance.
He let the shadows slide off, letting his arm show up on the normal spectrum once more, laughing all the time. "Oh the pranks I can pull with this stuff."
"It hides everything about you as well." Kara spoke from the shadows of an arch that surrounded the courtyard. Naruto turned to her, perfectly fine with her presence now. "Seems a tad bit over powered, don't you think?"
"Not really. In order to hide your presence, your Ki as you say, you must add an equal amount of shadows to hide everything." Naruto thought about the meaning of her explanation. "So in other words, if I'm trying to hide all of my power, I'd have more trouble doing so in a rocky plain at noon than I would in a forest at the same time, right?"
"Precisely. Now that you have an idea of how to use the shadows to hide yourself, let me show you what else you can do." Naruto held up a hand, "No offense Kara-chan, but I need to get back. The girls will freak out if they wake up and I'm not there." Nocturnal's laugh shook the trees with a deep, rich noise that sent shivers down his spine. "Naruto, didn't you know? My realm is of eternal twilight. Time has no meaning here. You could spend days here, even weeks, and you would simply go back to the mortal plain at the next time of twilight from the day you left."
Naruto was speechless, finding himself blinking. "You mean if I left the mortal plain before morning, I would get back at roughly the same time?" Nocturnal nodded her agreement, to which the blond started laughing so hard, he fell to the ground in fits. It wasn't for a few minutes that Naruto could stop laughing, all the while, Nocturnal was confused.
"Let me explain what's going through my mind, just so you have an idea at why I'm laughing. Firstly, those clones I can make, I can experience everything they do, and thereby cutting down the time it takes to master something by ridiculous factors. What would normally take a normal person a full year to learn how to do, I can fully master in the span of a week if I push my limits. So if you teach me all of the basic forms of shadow manipulation, I could in theory, become a master of shadow magic overnight." Naruto wasn't even finished with his explanation when Nocturnal began laughing as well, understanding the irony of the statement 'Become a master of the shadows overnight'.
It took a while for them to stop laughing at the ridiculousness of Naruto's explanation. Just when they were calming down, only giggles coming out, they would lock eyes and begin laughing once more. Once they finally calmed down, Naruto's training began.
Shadow manipulation wasn't nearly as amazing as he originally thought, but neither was it nearly as straight forward. Turns out the shadows acted much like an extension of one's mind, accomplishing many tasks.
The first thing Naruto set his mind to figure out, was to do a full body shadow covering. It took a few minutes to do, but it was easy to master once he had a basic idea on how to grab the shadows and fade away.
The next thing Nocturnal taught him, was how to absorb shadows from even the smallest of places. "So long as there is a source of light, there will always be shadow." It was like sifting for gold through mud, hard to accomplish but the pay-off was worth it. Being able to grab the shadows from blades of grass was just as difficult as trying to condense water from the moisture in the air. Once Naruto had that part down, Nocturnal moved on to the next stage in his training.
By the end of it all, Naruto could control the shadows to a high extent, being able to wrap them around him and giving shape to them. He didn't know how long he had spent in the Evergloam, but it had to be several days, maybe even a week or two. By the end of his visit and training, Naruto had paid his price to the daedric princess in full, with a bit extra in his mind.
He parted ways with her, thanking her for the chance to visit her realm and basic training she had given him. In turn, she thanked him for the personal time they had spent together. Sheesh, if I'm not careful, I'll turn into the Daedra's plaything. He was about to open a portal back to Whiterun, when Nocturnal stopped him by turning him towards her one last time.
"Beware the coming days Naruto. I know not what will happen, but I have a sense that things will turn dark for you. Just know that if you need assistance, you have allies. Every day you spend in Tamriel, you gain the attention of more Daedric princes. And with each passing day, they begin to cheer you on, willing to help in any small way that we can." Nocturnal grew a kind, heartfelt smile on her face, warming the blonde from a distance. No matter what anyone said about the Mistress of the night, she was a kind soul who worried about her followers like a doting mother at times.
Naruto returned the friendly smile, "Thank you for your hospitality Kara-chan. I'll make sure to take extra precaution in the days to come. And if things do get as bad as you think, I'll make sure to ask you Daedric princes and princesses for help." Without a final word, Naruto kissed her softly and opened a portal back to Whiterun.
The portal closed quietly and Nocturnal stared at where it was for a few minutes more. "Is it going to be as bad as Hermaeus Mora say they're going to be?" She asked the air. A shadowy figure walked out from behind a nearby tree, the shadows falling off him like water in a shower. "He's searching throughout his books to see if there is an alternate path that we may take. The next few days will settle that dispute for us."
"Ugh, I hate waiting." Nocturnal didn't need to turn to tell that it was Sheogorath, Daedric prince of madness. "Don't we all lass. Tell me, was the time well spent?" A blush grew across her face, turning her once milky white skin a deep red. "I'll take that as a yes. As for his training?"
"He took the shadows better than I originally guessed he would. I can see how he was able to sneak into the Dark Brotherhood's base of operation without their knowledge. I can only guess how powerful he'll become once he masters the shadows."
"We may never know the full extent. All we can do is prepare for the coming days and pray that things go well." Nocturnal began to laugh, "Pray? Us? To whom?" She turned to her fellow Daedra and saw his smirk at the madness in his own phrase. "I do not know. Let us hope there is a higher power than us and ask IT to let things go well." He turned to the mistress of the shadows. "Until next time, Lady Luck." Sheogorath disappeared in a flash of darkness and confetti.
"Always have to leave with a crazy exit don't you?" A soft smile grew on her face. "Stay safe Naruto."
Naruto watched as the tree fell to the ground, a clean cut appearing as it did so. The tree fell with a thunderous crash, scaring away many small woodland creatures and small birds. A smile appeared on the sweat covered blonde's face. He was getting the hand of shaping the shadows to his will, but forming them into more than just shapes was proving to be much more difficult than he thought. He had spent the past week just trying to shape the shadows to his will and had only gotten to the extent of being able to shape it around the edge of his swords. He had spent the past day trying to see what extents he could use the shadows as weapons other than just cloaking his swords.
He had gotten the idea of having a range attack for his swords and the newly fallen tree was the evidence of his hard work. "About time. Now to speed up the process." Naruto created two dozen clones and had them practice his trick. If he was lucky, Naruto would have a new ability by sun down. Tired, he walked over to a small rock formation where his bag, shirt, and jacket lay. He had decided a few minutes in that his physical exercise would keep his core warm so he opted to train in shoes and pants.
Naruto sat down and pulled out a green vial, bit off the cork, and downed the bottle in one go. It had a slight apple like aftertaste, which disappeared after Naruto grabbed the loaf of bread and water he had. "So what to call it?" Naruto asked the air. He racked his brain for ideas, chomping off another mouthful of bread.
Let's see, it involves Shadows so that should play a part, as well as Blade or Sword. Hmm. Naruto watched his clones train, a few getting the hang of it quickly. He swallowed the last of the loaf, followed by a swish of water, and stood once more to his feet. Got it!
He dispelled his clones, gaining their experience in an instant. He drew one of his ebony swords, concentrated on his own shadow, adding the power to the edge of the sword. "Let's do this. DAKUEJJI (Dark Edge)!" He swung with a double handed blow, watching the dark energy fly across the field in an ark of dark energy. It sliced cleanly through several trees before dissipating, leaving the forest to a mighty crash as each tree fell to the ground.
Naruto panted heavily, realizing that this new ability took up more energy to uphold it the further it got away from him. "Sheesh. It's like my earlier days with the Rasen Shuriken." A slight pressure in his mind told Naruto that one of the wards in his home was set off, one of the lighter ones. "Wonder what the girls want." Naruto grabbed his gear and used a chain of hiraishin seals he had placed down to get back to Whiterun.
Once again appearing at the rear of the house, Naruto came upon the sight of Yorvik with a stern face on. "Hey Yorvik. Figure out what you needed to whoop Alduin?"
"Yeah I did. Naruto, I need your help again." Naruto nodded his agreement, leading the duo into his home. "This is a conversation is best not discussed in the open air." Once inside, Yorvik explained his dilemma, one that Naruto had already thought of.
"Naruto, if I am to go kill Alduin, I need to have my full attention on doing so." Naruto picked up on what the dragon born was hinting at. "So you want me to deal with the civil war I assume?" Yorvik nodded.
"I figured you would." Naruto ran through his idea on what to do for a conference would look like, who they would invite to it, and how things could be resolved in the easiest way possible. Once he was done with his explanation, Yorvik's serious face turned softer, into a look of contentment knowing the blonde had taken the initiative on it. "Sounds pretty solid. How soon could we do this?"
"Assuming both sides agreed when we ask them, within a week's time." Yorvik sighed as he stood, "Then we better get started."
The gates of Windhelm closed behind two cloaked figures, gathering looks from a lot of the local villagers. The two figures walked with a purpose, giving their goal away to those who saw their path. "They're going to see the jarl." A few parents explained to their curious children.
The guards outside the palace of kings became stiff, ready for anything. With only a few feet between them, the lead figure pulled back his cloak, revealing him to be a blond. The guards relaxed ever so slightly, but still ready in case the stranger started something. "Halt. What business do you have here?"
"I've come to talk with Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak. The business I have and what I have to tell him is only for him to hear." Naruto stared at the guards, measuring them up. Both were skilled swordsmen, but they were brawn with little to no speed. "Only those who are deemed trustworthy have the right to speak with the Jarl. And you are a stranger to both I and the people to Windhelm." The soldier was immediately hit with a wave of Ki energy, choking off any other reply.
"Lad, I am Naruto Uzumaki. Maybe you've heard of me?" The soldier tried to speak, failing horribly. He eventually resorted to a mild nod. "Then let me pass." Naruto walked past the still silent guard, his fellow cloaked figure following suit.
The door opened up into a vast room, a long wooden table occupying the majority of the center of the room. The table was set with an assortment of various food, allowing easy access to any who wanted to eat. At the very end of the hall stood a throne, covered in a blue banner, much like the banners that surrounded the entire stone room. A lone figure sat in the throne, a look of boredom and contemplation evident on his face. He perked up at the approaching duo, curious as to the reason for their visit.
"Only the very foolish or courageous come before a jarl without summons. Have we met before?" The bass voice of Ulfric Stormcloak asked. Naruto stood a few dozen feet away from the throne, making sure not to seem intimidating. "Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the dragon born would like to extend an invite to you to take part in a temporary peace treaty. For the sake of Skyrim."
Ulfric began to laugh out loud, his voice echoing off the walls like thunder. "A peace treaty? For the sake of Skyrim? Lad, I do not know what you are trying to pull, but if you think that there is to be any peace between me and the empire, then you are sorely mistaken."
"I am not mistaken, and I said temporary truce. Just long enough for the dragon born to defeat Alduin. He must keep his thoughts purely on defeating that blasted dragon, not worrying about if Skyrim will change in the time he is gone. Besides, General Tullius has already agreed to attend the meeting."
"If you can guarantee that neither the imperium nor the Thalmor will try any dirty tricks during the talks, then you have my…"
"My lord!" A new gruff voice echoed out. Oh, what now. Naruto thought. He turned to his left, noting a new challenger. At first, Naruto thought it was a small bear walking on his hind legs. Then as the man got closer, he realized he was just a large, hairy man. Naruto had to resist the urge to use a very throaty call at the man. "What proof do we have that these men are sent from the dragon born and not imperial spies trying to lure you into a trap?" Oh for the love of …
"Because we walked into Windhelm with no ill intent, we have come with a peaceful message, and minus the guard at the door that I had to scare, we have not done anything malicious of any form." Naruto stared the man down, mentally asking him to dare challenge him. The man was at a loss for words, until he noticed the other figure, hood still up. "Well if you mean no harm, why is that man's hood still up?"
"Because my friend here was to be my trump card, in case the jarl did not choose to listen."
"Then ask him to reveal his face!" Naruto was getting impatient, the bear man testing his every nerve. "He does not need to reveal himself, Ulfric was just about to…" The man went for Naruto's hooded friend, quicker than most would assume he could move. His hand halted mid grab, Naruto's own hand gripping his forearm in a vise grip. The room dropped in temperature, the blonde's voice echoing with icy malice. "THAT was very rude."
He let the man's arm go, just after tossing it lightly into his chest. "I would like to see his face." Naruto turned back to Ulfric, curious as to the change in heart. "I agree to join your peace treaty talk regardless. I could tell you are a man who can be trusted, even on our first meeting. But tell me, who is your hooded friend?" Naruto smiled widely, glad things had gone as well as they had, even before the bear man had interrupted. He turned to the hooded man, ready for the looks on both men in the room.
"It's alright, so long as you're ok with it." The hooded man began to go for his hood, "I have no issue showing an old friend my face." The voice alone froze Ulfric in his boots. The hood fell back, revealing High king Torygg with a mischievous smile on his face. "Hello Ulfric. It's been a long time."
Naruto stood within the inner confines of High Hrothgar, the conference just about to get underway. Yorvik, the dragon born, sat at the head of a circular table. A roaring fire sat in a stone encasing, warming the whole of the room. Naruto stood to one side, garbed in full ebony armor, allowing what little shadows were left in the room to absorb him and cloak his presence. Standing next to him, cloaked as one of the greybeards, was High King Torygg ready to reveal his presence to all hosting. They stood behind the Stormcloak side of the table, occupied by Ulfric, Delphine, Esbern, and Ulfric's second in command Galmar. Naruto had been introduced to him after Torygg had revealed himself, and after the bear like man had apologized at his rudeness.
On the opposite side of the table, representing the side of the imperium, sat General Tullius, leader of the imperial militia in Skyrim, Legate Rikke, Tullius's advisor, Jarl Balgruuf, Jarl of Whiterun, and two more women. The first was a woman who could only be described as beautiful. Naruto saw sadness and mild age in her eyes, yet she barely looked a day over twenty. It was Elisif the fair, as she was known, also the wife of High King Torygg. Naruto was impressed at the man's steadfastness, glad he had yet to do anything since she walked in. He imagined what it would've been like for him to see Hinata after she thought he was dead, a very tough thing to stand. But it was the last person that had Naruto's eyes.
Her yellow pigmented skin, pointy ears, and dark robe told him everything he needed to know. It was Elenwen, the emissary of the Thalmor, and the real reason that the meeting had been called. Naruto had panned the whole meeting around revealing much about the Thalmor and their true purpose in Skyrim, but he had to wait for the right moment.
The talks went on for what seemed like ages, arguing about wither the Thalmor representative should be present, but Yorvik handled it like a pro, simply stating that she was not to interrupt the meeting and simply observe. That seemed to ease the tension a very minor amount, but not enough for Naruto's liking. Come on Yorvik, you got this.
Arngeir proceeded to make a mildly lengthy speech much ado about 'the spirit of High Hrothgar' and peace in Skyrim. Naruto tuned out, watching everyone intently to make sure no one tried anything dangerous. The talks went as he figured they would, with both sides arguing about who would get what in return for a temporary truce, shockingly Elenwen kept quiet the whole talk. When the terms were agreed, Arngeir asked if these terms were fine with both sides. Time for the big reveal.
Naruto allowed the shadows to melt off his form, making it seem like a fully armored warrior appeared from nowhere. "No, they are not Arngeir. There is still some matters to deal with." All who weren't in on the surprise were quite shocked at the sight of a warrior in full Ebony armor appearing from the shadows, Tullius being the first to voice his dissent. "What the hell is going on here?! What Stormcloak trickery is this?!" He began to stand, but the blonde was quicker. He threw out a hand, applying extra gravity to the general, making him sit back down without his previous agreement. "SIT DOWN." Naruto called out sternly.
"Stay sitting there like a good boy General Tullius, for you're about to hear something rather interesting." The general began to struggle in futility against the extra gravity, barely getting his arms to lift. "I will not listen to some…" Naruto let all the tension that had been building since his first day in Skyrim, scaring the poor general, "SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I have had it up to HERE with all this nonsense! This whole war is nothing more than a plot used to destroy what is left of the imperium!" Naruto relinquished his gravity control, letting the general gain some control, but it had shocked him into silence.
"You've been fooled General. You and all the imperium. You've been a loyal soldier following orders, but you've been following them like a mutt obeys the orders of his master, with no thought or questioning at all. But I hope with what I reveal here, that things will change not just within Skyrim, but also within Tamriel as a whole." Naruto took this time to remove his helmet, showing his face for the first time in the meeting. He watched Elenwen closely, watching for any sign of any emotion. To her credit, she didn't even bat an eyelash. We'll see how calm you'll be by the end of this, Thalmor bitch.
"Let's start with the basics, the civil war that plagues Skyrim right now. It was all started with the White-Gold Concordat, when the Thalmor started hunting worshipers of Talos. That caused some dissension within Tamriel as a whole, but does anyone here know what really got the war going?" Naruto paused for dramatic effect. "The execution of High King Torygg." The tension rose quite quickly, making the blond hurry on with his explanation. He didn't get a chance.
"Before you entertain us all with a wonderful lecture on the history of Skyrim, I have a few questions to ask you. You are Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze are you not?" That's right, play into my trap. "I am."
"Then I must arrest you." Oh please, don't mind me, dig yourself a hole. "On what charges?"
"The charges of freeing a highly dangerous criminal. You see, when I was hosting a wonderful party for a few select guests, someone broke into the Thalmor embassy and freed not one, but two highly dangerous criminals." Elenwen paused, waiting for the fellow blonde to explain. Oh please, don't mind me, keep digging. "And who are these dangerous criminals you speak of? And just how did you guess it was me."
"The name of the criminals are of no concern to you. As for how I know you did it, the job was done by a highly skilled swordsman, an assassin to be exact. One whose strength and speed were more than enough to overpower my men with little effort. Also, the person in question had to be a highly skilled mage, for we found a rather large scorch mark no far from the embassy, the remains of such were that of an Ice troll." Oh this is better than I expected. This moron is playing everything, expecting me to fall for such an obvious trap. "Oh. Well then by your counts, I am the man you seek. And I'll even go so far as to admit it." Naruto took a dramatic bow, stroking the ego of the Thalmor wench.
"Although…" Naruto began as he stood back up. "…you never did say who the criminals were."
"And as I explained, there is no need for that." Time to tighten the noose. "Oh but I think there is. You see, the first prisoner I rescued wasn't dangerous, in fact the man was little more than a thief." Naruto began to move around the table, passing Yorvik as he explained. "The man only knew the location of a certain man here, Esbern to be exact. And your men tortured the man trying to pry his location from him." By this point, there was only empty space between him and the Thalmor, a good twenty feet but nothing the blond couldn't cross in an instant.
"As for the other prisoner, let me explain who exactly he was. I found him in a cell, guarded by more illusion magic than I have ever seen in the likes of Skyrim, locked away by a magical key. The man I found was strung up by chains, inside a box with just as much magic protecting and sustaining his existence, but at the same time blocked anyone from knowing he was there. Anyone want to guess who it was?" Time for the big risk here. The room was deathly quiet, only the crackle from the fire to emit any sound and even that seemed silent.
"The man you chained up, was none other than High King Torygg!" At this, Naruto reached into his cloak and produced a corpse. He tossed it to the ground, landing halfway between him and Elenwen. There was a general gasp as no one expected this, not even the few who knew what Naruto was about to pull. "Here lies the corpse that dear Elisif the fair buried, thinking it was her dear husband and jarl." Elisif stood from her chair and looked at the body. She turned it over, letting out a small shriek as she discovered it was not the body of her husband, but that of some nameless Altmer. Elenwen went silent and stiff, not giving anything away, but Naruto knew he had her.
"You see, the illusion magic in place in Torygg's cell was that to transfer his image to that of another, giving his appearance to this, poor soul. And it was Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak who noticed the change in his King. This change was what caused him to attack the king, knowing he was a fake. Is that not correct, Ulfric Stormcloak?" All eyes went to Ulfric, shocked to see him smiling like the devil himself. The firelight illuminating him didn't help.
"Yes. I knew Torygg as a child and grew up with him. We weren't all that close, but I still knew him better than a fair few. So when I noticed him change one day, I did my research and found him to be a fake. I thought killing him would break the spell and show his true appearance, but it seemed like I was wrong and I believed I even killed a comrade and friend that day. That was, until you showed up Naruto Uzumaki."
"Which brings me back to what else you've been planning Elenwen. You and the Thalmor. You see, your plan was to try and get one of your own on the throne of Skyrim, and then enslave all the sons of Skyrim for the Altmer Dominion. Hence with, you would charge upon what was left of the Imperium, after you had created an army, and taken over Tamriel. But the major factor you never did count on, was me." Everyone looked at the blonde, confused at this information.
"You see, your mages foresaw that I would not only cause trouble for you, but destroy the plans you had been setting up for decades now. So you sent an assassin to kill me. A Dark Brotherhood member, one of your own in fact. But you failed at that. And now all your plans are coming apart." Silence once again ruled the room, until Elenwen began to clap.
"Bravo, Naruto Uzumaki. But you're missing one vital part of your elaborate conspiracy. If the Thalmor truly did capture High King Torygg, where is he now?" Naruto smiled like the devil himself, allowing a perfectly planned plot to bring down the Thalmor's influence once and for all. "I was hoping you would ask that." Naruto snapped his fingers, and the shadows faded away from Torygg.
"I'm right here Elenwen." The general gasp in the room made the fire jump from lack of oxygen. "Torygg!" Elisif sprinted faster than anyone gave her credit for, and leapt into the arms of her husband. Everyone's eyes snapped from the happy, reunited couple, to the now bullet sweating Thalmor ambassador. She looked around the room, realizing just how up the creek she was, until her eyes snapped to Naruto. "That was for Talos." Naruto uttered, adding insult to heavy injury.
"You may have succeeded today, but the Thalmor will rid the world of the false god that is Talos!" Elenwen screeched.
"False god? Now that just hurts." A new voice uttered from behind Naruto. All eyes whipped to the source of the voice, noticing the new individual for the first time. He, like Naruto, had appeared from nowhere, but this individual, no one recognized. He was a grizzled old man, his hair as white as freshly fallen snow. His beard was neatly trimmed, but still could rival most men in a contest. His armor shone as if freshly polished, a shield hung on his left side, and a sword at his right. The air around him demanded respect, and all in the chamber were silenced. "Hello Elenwen. My name is Tiber Septim, also known as Talos, and you've gotten yourself into some serious shit.
TeFlyingWolf: And that's the chapter folks! Sorry I keep taking so long on these chapters, but I'm trying to get them to be their best. Even tho I keep missing some errors here and there.
Naruto: *Teleports* DUDE! You have GOT to stop being such a prankster. THAT'S MY JOB!
Wolf: Oh alright. But can you do me a favor?
Naruto: Depends. What's the favor?
Wolf: *smiles* when I give the word, would you mind throwing that switch right there?
Naruto: Uh… sure? Why?
Wolf: We're going to prank *Teleport* Whoops! Never mind! He's here!
Sasuke: What?
Sakura: SASUKE-KUN! *Clomp*
Sasuke: What the hell?! Sakura? When did you get here?
Wolf: The nurse unlocks after you use your first heart crystal. Naruto, NOW!
Sasuke: *screams*
Naruto: Wow. That… was rather satisfying.
Wolf: Oh, just wait. *Pulls pin* FIRE IN THE HOLE! *Slams trapdoor shut*
Naruto: … Was that what I think it was?
Wolf: Yup! A-badi-badi THAT'S ALL FOLKS! Tune in next time!