NARUTO

Maoyū

Trolls, Dragons and Draugr

(Midnight)

(Elsewhere)

Somewhere in the northern parts of Hi no Kuni and deep in one of the forest areas residing in the hilly regions of the nation, a rather frightening event was currently taking place. Under the gentle glow of the moon and the twinkling veil of stars high above, a lone female figure- with long, wavy hair as black as the flames of Amaterasu, chestnut brown skin, and adorned in a revealing jacket, top, and shredded pants that gripped tightly at her body- could be seen sprinting through the woods at full speed, panting heavily and reflecting an expression of utter panic.

The sandals of her feet crushed the grass and twigs with every stride she made, propelling her body heedlessly through whatever undergrowth stood in her path. Even the presence of several heavy, low hanging branches, which would've normally given other people pause, were carelessly batted aside by the woman as she barreled through the forest.

As to why she was running with such haste through the dead of night was clearly shown by her current state and condition.

Thanks to the very skimpy attire she was sporting, not only did it reveal her tall, curvy figure with traces of powerful muscles underneath, but it also exposed the deep burns she had all along her left side. This included the two arrows lodged in her flank and in the space behind her left shoulder.

Due to the weapons baring an unusual design compared to the projectiles used in the Elemental Nations- as they were covered in red, Nordic runes all along their wooden shafts- it was clear that whatever it was she was running from was no ordinary enemy.

And whatever it was that was chasing her, it was still in hot pursuit.

This was made apparent when the beautiful, yet gravely injured woman stumbled to a stop beside an oak and leaned against it on her good shoulder. Taking in deep heaves of forest air as sweat trickled down the front of her pain-wracked face, the dark-haired beauty looked up at the forest through her piercing yellow eyes. The slatted pupils stretched as they adjusted to the darkness ahead of her, moments before they snapped over her shoulder.

When she looked back through the woods in the direction she'd come, the female spotted a series of orange lights glowing in the distance, which were growing closer and closer by the second. Growling when she realized she was still being followed, the tough-as-nails female bit her bottom lip, picked herself up from her post, and continued to haul ass through the wilds, stumbling on her first few strides before eventually falling into an even sprint.

By this point she didn't care that she was trailing blood. She just had to get away from there.

After dodging yet more trees and ducking under low-hanging branches, the woman soon happened upon a cliff at the edge of the woods. Skidding to a stop just before the drop, the dark-haired female then peered over the side to see where she'd ended up. What she was immediately met with was a ridiculous fifty story drop down into a forest-covered valley, with a winding river that stretched far into the distance.

As the woman stood there, breathing hard and glaring over the side, more details of her figure was soon revealed by the rays of moonlight shining down on the country. Aside from the obvious cleavage and curves she had exposed through the tattered, thin black jacket hugging her shoulders and the open-front crop top, she also had- quite surprisingly- a long tail extending from her lower back. Unlike the fluffy tails and appendages ordinarily seen on other anthropomorphic creatures, the extremity she possessed was of a large, reptilian creature, with plated spines running along the top of it, and two aerial fins protruding close to the tip.

Based on these attributes, as well as the fact that her eyes weren't normal, clearly showed that she was not human.

Her appendage whipping about behind her, the woman continued to grip her side as she glared over the cliff in distress. Seconds later, the sounds of trees crashing behind her drew the female's attention back to the forest she'd been running through.

When her serpentine irises fixated on the tree line, the tired woman suddenly saw a group of thin, black figures alit by an ominous glow, come staggering out of the woods en masse.

The creatures, though humanoid in appearance, had the stench and look of rotting corpses about them. While each and every one of them were adorned in plated armor from a time long forgotten, their bodies were twisted, warped, frail, and boney in appearance, with skin falling off of them in various places, and cartilage plates growing out of random patches of skin like coral. Despite the fact that these people should've been long dead by whatever forces had killed them, they were somehow being kept alive by the same, bright orange light burning from their exposed chests, which not only lit up the veins in their arms and legs, but also the orifices in their faces. In addition to this, as the platoon of undead humans marched out of the forest and into the moonlight, each and every one of them carried with them some kind of weapon.

Some carried Viking swords, others carried spatha, others spears, and the ones that remained furthest to the back were armed with bows and arrows. Those with large axes and shields dragged their blades along the ground, grinding them against the stone and tearing trenches through the earth in a sinister manner. All the while the horde maintained a state of aggression and battle readiness.

The second the squads of creatures exited the woods, their haunting, glowing eyes fixated on the woman positioned at the edge of the cliff. Stopping just a few feet from the forest, the detachment of undead figures remained in place, watching as the woman turned to face them bravely.

At first the woman thought that all of her pursuers had finally emerged. But then, a few moments later, a loud stomping of approaching footfalls suddenly filled the air- the vibrations shaking the ground for many yards and rattling the armor of the collection of undead warriors.

After watching and waiting for several moments in unwanted anticipation, the exhausted woman's eyes widened when she saw the tree line burst apart, and a massive, hulking figure smash his way into view. His frame practically blotting out a portion of the sky when he coasted to a stop alongside the zombies, the woman was forced to crane her head upwards in order to get a better gauge of the newcomer.

The juggernaut's body was covered from neck to toe in rippling muscles, and was sheathed in a coat of deep grey skin that was as tough as steel. Aside from a couple of scars crisscrossing several places of his body, the figure was also bedecked in glowing, golden circles and runes tattooed in multiple places, giving him a very mystical, archaic-feel to him. To top it off, not only was he adorned in a pair of fur boots and a leather battle skirt, but his thick belt was also weighted with multiple trophies, pouches, and skulls. His sheer size and complexion also indicated that he wasn't human either, a fact that was made more obvious by two enormous, ram-like tusks curling out from his cheeks, alongside two slightly smaller ones- one of which had been broken off. Most likely in a battle.

The strength he possessed was also made quite apparent, as the giant of a humanoid was lagging a massive stone totem over his shoulder- a monolith that was quadrilateral in shape with a sharpened tip, illustrating that it may have been buried in the ground at one stage. It too was covered in a series of golden symbols and runes, displaying magical properties unlike those found in the Elemental Nations.

The beast's long, scraggly beard, woven together with decorative beads and ties, did little to conceal the fearsome, angry face of the monster beneath. The creature's orange eyes flared brightly through the dark as they set upon the tailed woman.

Giving a low huff, the hulking titan huffed deeply before allowing a sinister smirk to tug across his cracked lips, "Done running, Kiyohime-san?" When he saw the injured woman take a cautious step back but stagger at the cliff, the giant beast continued in his loud, booming voice. "Good. This makes my job so much easier." Upon saying this, the beast heaved forward the large totem from his shoulder and slammed the flat edge of it into the floor, causing a loud boom that split the earth and shook the trees for several hundred meters in all directions.

The strength he exerted with that simple gesture was quite literally monstrous and enough to cause a chunk of the cliff they were on to give way.

In response, the dark-haired woman sneered angrily, her golden eyes quickly darting from the troll to the undead warriors accompanying him. Quickly taking count of their numbers, while also discreetly noticing the soldiers in the tree line silently aim their bows and arrows at her, the tailed-woman realized right then and there that she was trapped.

A hot breath of steam gushed out of the ogre's fang-lined mouth as he watched the female in front of him steel herself. "Hunting down humans has always been my favorite pastime. But going after other spirits and creatures from different realms is a completely different kind of game. Even with all those wounds on your body, you were still able to give me quite the runaround." A chuckle then left his lips at the end. "Guess I have my draugr bowmen to thank for that."

Not wanting to be captured by this fiend or his horde, the mysterious woman no identified as Kiyohime quickly assumed a fighting stance. Bringing her arms out to the sides and curling her fingers into claws, she tightened her glare and flared her energy. This in turn caused the veins in her plated spines running down the top of her tail to light up a bright blue, with portions of her back and the sleeves of her forearms also flaring up in a similar manner.

Seeing their injured prey bare her fangs at them caused the giant troll to laugh with amusement. "Please. In the state you're in, I doubt you'll be able to put up much more of a fight. Even someone as mighty and powerful as you can still be beaten… especially after being ambushed in her own home." Clenching the top of his totem tightly between his fingers and causing the stone to creek, the troll then leered at the angry woman as she panted where she stood. "As much as it would please me to kill you here and now… Oda Nobunaga-sama has ordered me to bring you in." The beast then shook his head. "Nobunaga-sama didn't say in what state though. So what's it going to be? On your feet or in a box?"

Snarling through her teeth, the woman with the dragon's tail huffed twice before, with a mighty roar, she darted towards the troll with a growl. Her launch was marked by a sonic boom that cracked the cliff behind her as she propelled herself at the giant creature.

Almost at once, the draugr soldiers in the woods opened fire on her with their enchanted arrows, sending flaming bolts shooting through the air like a hail of bullets. Despite their deadly aim, the blinding blue blur that was Kiyohime's fast-moving body managed to avoid all of them- even managing to smack a few out of the air with her claw before leaping through the air and diving straight towards their leader.

In response, the troll growled and swung his totem up. Like a bat, he attempted to smash the woman out of the air when she came within reach. A loud shockwave then rang out when Kiyohime intercepted his blow with a kick, knocking the beast stumbling back while she flipped through the air in a long arc.

Touching down several yards away, the woman then quickly charged a mass of pulsating energy in her mouth. Embers gathering into a sphere in an instant, she then fired a powerful beam of fire straight towards the troll, who promptly brought his totem in front of him and drove it into the floor. The block of enchanted rock acted as a shield when the laser struck, splitting and deflecting the energy bolt as it shot off in multiple directions.

The forest and several mountains got hit by the beams, with one edifice having its top sliced off and sent tumbling to the ground, while another part of the beam detonated against a hill and incinerated it in a sphere-shaped blast.

Snarling angrily, after feeling the attack die out, the troll, yanked his totem out of the floor, held up his hand, and unleashed a golden ball of flames towards the still lively Kiyohime.

Her form transforming into a blur, the injured female dodged the attack and once again charged at the troll. When a group of the undead soldiers beside the beast rushed at her, Kiyohime cut through them with her claws and smashed them to pieces, while simultaneously dodging several more arrows fired at her from the woods. Barely avoiding a headshot while at the same time smashing away another draugr with her tail, the woman then gave a howl as she lunged towards the troll with her claw extended and fins aflame with blue energy.

However, just before she could come within reach of the beast, the horned warrior grin widened. Charging up his totem once again and causing the seals on his weapon and body to light up, the juggernaut then raised his foot and slammed it into the floor, sending a shockwave blasting into the approaching woman at pointblank range. "Vindur!" (Wind) The invisible attack hit her with the force of a speeding locomotive.

Letting out a yelp of pain through the deafening blast of force that distorted the air around her, the airborne Kiyohime was knocked clean out of her jump and sent crashing into the floor. Tumbling violently across the earth, the woman then stopped right at the edge of the cliff close to where she'd started her attack, where her body quickly fell limp.

Coughing out blood and gasping for air, the female painfully attempted to get back up. When her arms nearly buckled in her efforts to rise off the earth, it was clear that the damage done to her had been too much.

With a smirk and a grunt, the troll heaved up his totem, deactivated the seals, and beckoned the draugr on his left flank forward. "She's done. Take her." Doing as instructed, the remaining undead warriors once again started marching towards their prey.

Looking up fearfully to see the platoon of soldiers approaching her, the woman now bleeding from the head and mouth quickly looked between them and the cliff next to her. Upon giving both obstacles a total of four desperate glances, the wounded Kiyohime quickly came to a decision.

Standing up as fast as she could manage, the dragon-tailed female staggered towards the edge of the cliff, before promptly throwing herself over the side. The undead soldiers sprinted to the cliff to try and catch her, but only made it just in time to see the woman's body dive head-first towards the river far below.

The surprised troll, marching over to the cliff to join his soldiers, also peered over the edge. When his eyes landed on the winding river below and the tiny splash that occurred- indicating the woman had dove right into it- the giant beast gave a low growl of frustration. In a clear vent, the creature drew back his foot and kicked a couple of the nearby draugr over the side, smashing them to pieces and sending their remains plummeting towards the valley below. After which he then stomped away and back towards the forest, before being followed by his undead squad.

"Shit," the troll cursed angrily.

Now his hunt had become an even more difficult chore.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: This is the start of the next arc before the main one. This was one I'd planned on doing before the first Chunin Exam arc, but wanted to do the Chunin Exam arc first to set the stage for the training to come.

This small arc before the New Wave Arc will help establish another character in the main group.

Here's a quick rundown:

Historical figure profiles (Part V):

Draugr – (4500 BC to 17th Century) Draugr or Draug are undead creatures that can be found in Norse mythology. The Old Norse meaning of the word are 'Revenant' or 'Undead Man' or 'Phantom', which can be traced back to the Proto-Indo European Era of Ancient Europe. Draugr live in their graves, often found guarding their treasures in their burial mounds. Unlike ghosts, they have corporeal bodies with similar, physical abilities as possessed in life.

In Naruto: Maoyu, the draugr function as their real-life counterparts do, acting as the soldiers that they once were. These ones in particular are being controlled by a troll, another Norse mythological creature, who by extension is working for Oda Nobunaga.

Trolls – (800 to 1300 AD) Trolls are a class of beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In Old Norse, these types of beings are said to dwell in isolated rocks, mountains or caves, live together in family units, and are said to rarely help humans. Moreover, particularly in Norse mythology, troll can also refer to other mythological or uncanny beings, including ogres and giants.

In Naruto: Maoyu, one such troll whose name is unknown but taken directly from one of the Norse tales, is seen hunting a spirit with a group of draugr. Possessing incredible strength and magical prowess, this beast stated that he was working for Oda Nobunaga, who has somehow managed to conscript him and several of his kind to his cause.

The fact that he has recruited such a powerful beast into his forces indicates just how much of a reach Oda's influence has stretched to other cultures, further emphasizing his power.

Kiyohime – (11th Century to 15th Century) According to Japanese folklore, Kiyohime or Kiyo was the daughter of a village headman/landlord named Shoji, on the Hidaka riverbank. The family was wealthy enough to entertain and provide lodging for travelling priests, who often passed by on their way to a shrine famous for ascetic practices. In the story, the beautiful daughter Kiyohime attracted the attentions of one of the priests who pursued her passionately, but eventually left her. When he attempted to escape, Kiyohime became enraged and attempted to follow him across the river, where she transformed into a serpent or a dragon. When the priest hid in the temple inside of a bell, Kiyohime coiled around the bell and melted it around him, killing him.

In Naruto: Maoyu, Kiyohime shares the exact same traits as her real-life counterpart, though her origins differ slightly. Though not much about her is known as of yet, she comes from the exact same race as Tamamo-no-Mae- Naruto's white fox familiar- and is exceptionally powerful. This means she can use Seishin energy just like Tama. She was apparently ambushed by a group of other mythological creatures- a powerful troll and a draugr- and forced to flee.

Her current state is unknown.