Naruto: Valkyrie
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Norse Mytholgy
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Well, I was planning to work on a chapter of Magik but ended up doing this instead. I want to thank Hakuryuken for helping to inspire parts of this chapter. Again it was totally unplanned but I was on a roll so here is chapter 4. Enjoy!
…
Last Time:
Naruto looked at Elska and said "Be gone deceiver." Elska shed some tears before she became ethereal and vanished. Naruto sighed and sat down on his bed. "Gods, can't my life ever be normal?"
Hinata turned around and looked at Naruto. "She was perfectly in my image. How could you tell she was an imposter Naruto? Was it something she said?"
Naruto looked deeply into Hinata's moonlight eyes and said with a blush, "She wasn't as beautiful as you Hinata. No one has moonlight eyes like you do." 'I really like you Hinata….'
Hinata blushed hotly and said, "I-I had no idea." 'I really like you too Naruto….' "Well, I'm going to bed Naruto. Don't expect me to turn up naked in your bed." She was still blushing from head to toe when she laid down in her bed and faced away from Naruto. Then she said very quietly, "Good night my Lord."
Naruto settled back into his bed now that the adrenalin rush had worn off. He heard Hinata as he looked at her facing away with her indigo hair shining in the moonlight. He smiled softly and said. "Goodnight my Valkyrie."
No more words needed to be said…
…
Chapter 4
Dvergr-Heima Inn
Naruto woke up after a rather restless night's sleep because of the softness of the bed. He opened his eyes and saw Hinata sitting on her bed still in her nightshirt brushing her long indigo locks to perfection. It looked amazingly soft and silky to him and he wondered why he hadn't ever noticed it before. 'She is so beautiful…' he thought to himself.
Noticing Naruto was staring Hinata blushed slightly and said, "Is there something I can help you with this morning Naruto?"
Naruto looked embarrassed that he was caught and said, "Sorry, I just woke up and noticed you were brushing your hair."
Hinata asked, "Is that so novel? I brush my hair often to keep it free of any tangles so it stays nice and straight. Don't you brush yours regularly?" Seeing Naruto's totally dumbfounded look she said, "When was the last time you had your hair brushed?"
"Ummm….never." answered the Lord of Vestmar in a frightened voice.
…
A half hour later Hinata was sitting behind Naruto on his bed with him in a headlock as she brutally battled his untamable spiky blonde locks. "Y-you're killing me Hinata!" choked out Naruto as he struggled to get free from her unbreakable iron grip.
"Stop squirming!" she commanded. "I will make your hair look nice and tangle free if I have to resort to violence!"
"You already have resorted to violence!" he whined as she pulled his head back against her bosom so she could mercilessly assault his tangled bangs.
It was a touching and intimate morning that the young couple shared as Hinata gently brushed Naruto's hair…or maybe not…there were wrestling matches and gladiatorial fights that were far less savage actually...
Due to his rapid healing; after breakfast Naruto's scalp had fully recovered from Hinata's brutalizing it and she was appraising her work. "It's still spiky on top and it front but now that it's pulled back into a low tail it looks quite pleasing to the eye." She nodded in approval to herself. "Now that all the knots and tangles are worked out you need to brush it often. I can't believe you always cut your hair with your daggers when it got too long. I daresay you could pass off for a handsome young nobleman if you'd just wear those nice clothes that Lady Freyja gave to you. I'm quite pleased with your makeover."
Naruto wanted to retort that he'd been through torture sessions that were kinder and gentler than Hinata's idea of a makeover but he feared her brush far more than her saber so he stayed quiet while thinking mutinous thoughts…He also was considering fleeing Scandinavia in general…
…
Dvalin's Forge
Naruto and Hinata returned to Dvalin's Forge later that morning. The master blacksmith sat a safe box in front of them in the center of the table. "I confess I spent all night on this ring. It is enchanted with runes of physical protection and it will change size to fit its wearer. Whoever crafted it seemed to have imbued it with a powerful affinity for water as well. I believe given practice you could learn to control the water element with this ring. You would need to consult a magician to learn such things of course. That also means that it provides a degree of protection against water."
"Is there anything else like a curse or something?" asked Naruto genuinely curious now.
Dvalin shook his head. "It does have an unusual enchantment on it that can be active or passive. It was active when you brought it but I made it passive. Actually it's the most unique thing about the ring. I've never seen the like before. It has an enchantment to prevent having children. I'm guessing Lord Minato had that added after one too many mishaps such as yourself."
Naruto cringed. "It would also explain why my damned half brother never had any heirs. Everyone assumed his many girlfriends were barren -or he was sterile but no one would risk saying that."
"Most likely." agreed the dwarf. "Anyway, I'll show you how to make it active or passive for future use." said Dvalin as he opened the safe box with a runic key. "I polished it up a bit." admitted the blacksmith. When Dvalin opened the box the ring appeared to be gold inlaid with silver with the crest of Vestmar proudly engraved upon it. Both Hinata and Naruto were a bit dazzled considering its former tarnished and beaten appearance and the dwarf was pleased with the astonishment in their eyes. Chuckling a bit at the young people's reaction Dvalin said, "The enchantment for preventing children is quite simple." He rotated the raised Vestmar Crest 360 degrees to the right and said, "Now it is active." Turning the crest a full circle back to the left he said; "Now it is passive. Now you try it Lord Naruto."
The blacksmith held out the ring for Naruto to take and in the blink of an eye it vanished. There was a bustling out in the front of the shop seconds later and one of the attendants yelled, "You there running; stop!" There was a ruckus with several people yelling and another voice yelled "He's outside, catch him!"
After a few minutes of squabbling their way through the crowd Naruto and Hinata made it outside and looked around in the crowd of people out doing their daily things. Hinata looked desperate and said to Dvalin with an angry glare, "I thought your forge was secure dwarf!"
The blacksmith cringed under the angry look of a Valkyrie. "Please don't take my soul Lady Hinata!" whimpered the frightened Dvalin.
Hinata turned even more menacing and growled, "Why I ought to-"
Naruto saw a goateed man casually flipping a certain ring and had a gleam in his eye. The man gave Naruto a jaunty wave and then vanished into the crowds. Naruto said to Hinata, "Stay here Hinata. I know exactly where the ring is." Grinning, Naruto thought, 'Challenge accepted.'
…
Flashback….
A six year old Naruto swept through the crowds in Vestmar and saw a black haired, goateed man in tan clothes with a very obvious bag of gold strapped to his hip. It would be enough for the blonde to eat well for days! After stalking the goateed man for a while Naruto nonchalantly passed the man and took his bag. The goateed man didn't seem to notice and had a big smile on his face so Naruto went on his merry way thinking he could eat this week. Naruto looked down at his prize as he passed a man even shorter than him that also had a black goatee. That's when Naruto realized his bag of money was gone!
Cursing to himself he saw a very tall man with the same goatee and the same bag of money! Naruto narrowed his blue eyes and they flashed with power before he decided to steal the bag back. After four hours of cat and mouse with the size changing man; Naruto finally had the gold in his hands once again. He quickly dumped the gold into a different pouch and filled the man's pouch with dirt to make it appear full. Naruto caught a glimpse of the goateed man as he swept by Naruto and stole the bag of dirt. When the man realized he'd been duped he burst into laughter and wagged his finger at the now hiding Naruto while smiling. Then the odd man left town with a jaunty tune on his lips.
….
From then on every spring and fall harvest the man would come to Vestmar and would rob Naruto until Naruto stole whatever was taken back with interest. As Naruto grew older he looked forward to the challenge of facing the 'Master Thief' as Naruto called him. Every year it grew more and more difficult as Naruto's speed and skill level grew. Even after Naruto went honest and joined the army at fourteen the man came to town to play their little game. Naruto got so good at sleight of hand that he could use the slightest distraction to steal someone's belongings or even plant something on somebody to frame them. Naruto's mastery was to the point he could steal jewelry right off one noble's hands and conveniently place them on another's. Many a brawl broke out among others when 'Naruto the Trickster' was around…
Flashback end…
…
Naruto was glad to see the 'Master Thief' hadn't died in Vestmar. For the next several hours Naruto and his goateed opponent pulled out all the stops by switching rings on various people's fingers, playing cat and mouse and generally having a royally good time running through the alleys, under bridges and even across the rooftops occasionally. Hinata chased Naruto around frantically trying to keep up and warn him about the situation and that the man Naruto was chasing after was morethan dangerous. The goateed man shot by Hinata in a flash before he wagged his finger at Naruto playfully and then vanished into thin air. Naruto trotted up to Hinata with a smile on his face.
The Valkyrie was ready to tear her hair out and looked completely out of sorts. Hinata exploded into a loud whisper. "Do you realize what you've been doing Naruto?! The man you have been causing mischief with all damn morning isn't a man! That was the GodLoki, the Wizard of lies and the Master of mischief and deception! He only was hiding in human form and now he has your ring! What the Hell are we going to do now you imbecile?!"
Naruto said, "No; he doesn't have it." said Naruto calmly as he pointed at Hinata. "Take a look around your neck."
Hinata looked down and was shocked to see she was wearing an absolutely beautiful necklace with Naruto's ring hung around it. Naruto laughed. The next moment the necklace vanished and she nearly shrieked.
Naruto said, "Mmmm….nice necklace he gave you." as he examined it and slid the Vestmar ring off and into his palm. He handed the necklace back to Hinata. "It seems you've received a gift from a God. I always wondered why the 'Master Thief' was so good at what he does."
Hinata gave Naruto a harried look. "You mean to tell me you've met him before?"
"Me and the 'Master Thief' have been playing games with each other from when I was a little kid begging in the streets." said Naruto. "If he hadn't taught me how to steal and be totally unpredictable then I would have died a long time ago of starvation or on the battlefield. You worry too much Hinata; it was all harmless fun."
Hinata was about to hyperventilate. She whispered harshly, "You've been playing games with….Lokithe Trickster since you were a small child? Why are you not totally corrupted?!"
Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he just wanted to help me survive. Maybe he felt sorry for me. I think he just likes having fun." Naruto stretched and yawned. "Let's go back to Dvalin and tell him I've retrieved the ring."
The beautiful Valkyrie wanted to scream. She took a calming breath and said. "What exactly do you plan to tell Dvalin?"
"I'm going to tell him a 'Master Thief' stole the ring and I retrieved it. He doesn't need to know Loki was involved." said Naruto calmly.
"And what if Loki put a terrible curse upon it?" asked Hinata.
Naruto just smiled and said, "Is there no honor among thieves? Come on, let's go back and see Dvalin."
The blonde was about to slide his ring back on when Hinata pried it from his hands and said, "NO; you are not allowed to wear it until Dvalin makes absolutely sure it wasn't cursed! The same goes for this necklace! End of discussion!"
Naruto held his hands up in surrender as Hinata grabbed his wrist and marched him back to Dvalin's forge.
….
Hinata told Dvalin the entire sordid tale. The old dwarf cringed at the thought. "…So that's the story; by some twist of fate you've garnered the favor of the Lord of Lies." said Dvalin. "That's a rather dubious thing Lord of Vestmar. But then again you've gained the favor of Lady Freyja as well. The Fates must have some mighty plans for you. The ring is fine." he said as he (gladly) handed it back to Naruto. Dvalin looked perplexed at the necklace. "This is an exquisite piece of work. It looks like something my good friend Alfrigg would make. You should ask him if you get the chance. He lives a few towns south of here. It has several enchantments of protection on it; both physical a magical. I don't know why Loki would gift you with such a beautiful and valuable thing Lady Hinata but it could save your life. Treasure it well."
…
Asgard, Loki's Hall
Loki entered his Hall where his beautiful wife Sigyn was waiting to welcome him. She kissed the trickster sweetly and said, "Have you been playing with Kushina's son again my love?"
The Lord of Lies looked a bit dumbfounded. "How did you know?"
Sigyn laughed. "You forgot to take off your goatee you always wear when you play with him." Loki face palmed much to his wife's amusement and his goatee vanished. "I heard there were issues with him from the Fates." she said more seriously.
Loki nodded. "Rumor has it the Three Norns meant for him to become a great hero and Lord of Vestmar but someone ruined their complex weave for him." Sigyn looked at him and Loki said, "It was not I. You know I've always had a fondness for the boy. I went down to check on him and he is in top form. It seems all my training I've given him by 'playing' with him has paid off handsomely. He also has a Valkyrie of note with him so I gifted her with a trinket of protection."
"What Valkyrie is that?" asked the Goddess curiously.
"She is known as Hinata of the Moonlight Eyes and is one of Odin's favorites because she can see things that even we Gods can't." said Loki. "If she is busy helping Kushina's son then we do not have to worry about her watching us at Odin's behest."
"I know of her." said Sigyn. "She is talented and beautiful. Freyja seems to favor her."
"Freyja favors Kushina's son Naruto as well for her own reasons." grumbled Loki.
Sigyn chuckled, "Both you and Freyja favoring the same persons. That is unheard of. I will be interested in hearing of Naruto and Hinata's tales as the three Fates weave it for them."
"It will be interesting to be sure." agreed Loki.
…
The base of Yggdrasil
The Norns Skuld, Urd, and Verdandi were watching as Loki left the scene in Dvergr-Heima obviously amused with his young friend. Urd said, "Well, we have been watching young Naruto and Hinata for some time and they have inexplicably gained the favor of both Loki and Freyja due to our weave being torn. Even as we spin the threads anew things keep happening that are outside out the original fate we had for him and thus her."
"It is exasperating seeing our carefully woven threads torn sisters." growled Skuld. "To see Lady Freyja and Lord Loki supporting the same cause is unprecedented! They usually oppose one another just out of principal."
Verdandi sighed. "They are involved for separate reasons and have entirely different motives for helping those two children. There is no reason to even consider Lord Loki and Lady Freyja as some sort of united front. Still, we must weave a new fate for Lord Naruto of Vestmar quickly before his fate starts radically affecting others. One of the few base threads that stayed intact was his ability to cause changes in others directly or indirectly. That's why we curtailed that ability with his original fate of being one of Harald Fairhair's greatest generals. Now he is more or less running wild."
"He is far too important to cut his thread early." said Urd as she glared at Skuld.
Skuld put down her scissors and asked, "Why are you both looking at me?"
Verdandi shook her head and said, "It is because you are too predictable sister."
Skuld just pouted…
…
Dvergr-Heima, Dvalin's Forge
"…And so Lady Freyja asked that I craft both of you new weapons for your safety. She has already paid for them and they are gifts from her." explained Dvalin. Naruto face palmed as Dvalin continued. "While I unravel the mysteries of that accursed arrow I will work on your weapons. It will take a few weeks but trust me when I say they will be some of my finest works. But I need to know what you weapon preferences are and I'll need to gather materials. It isn't like orichalcum*① grows on trees you know."
"Orichalcum?!" asked Hinata with wide eyes. "That metal is only suited for weapons that aren't meant for mortals! You can't possibly be serious!"
"Lady Freyja told me you were to have legendary weapons so legendary weapons you shall have!" stated Dvalin authoritatively.
"Gee, do I get any say in this?" asked Naruto. "I can get by with what I have."
"No, you don't." said Dvalin and Hinata in unison. Naruto face planted on the table.
Naruto suddenly got a mischievous gleam in his eye and got into his large pack. He unwrapped an item and set it on the table. It was one of the fangs Naruto acquired from the bog lurker's skull. "Could you work with this master blacksmith?"
Dvalin picked up the razor sharp fang and looked at it in wonder. It was just the right size and shape to make a saber for Hinata. "What sort of material is this?" asked the dwarf in amazement. "I've never seen the like. He held it up in the light and saw it was semi transparent with a milky white color. "I know it's a fang but what creature was it removed from?" Dvalin saw it had been carefully pried out of a jaw and wasn't broken in any way. "It's the size of the lindworm's fang but it obviously isn't."
Hinata smiled and said, "It's the fang of a massive bog lurker that Lord Naruto slew. What you hold in your hands is the hardest of the crystallized souls from the dead bog lurker's remains."
The blacksmith looked in awe at Naruto. "You killed a bog lurker?! Both man and god alike run from those terrible creatures. Did you have an army with you? It must have cost a hundred lives to slay the beast because I can tell by the fang alone it must have been truly massive."
Naruto shook his head, "No, it was just me. It was either me or it and I didn't feel like dying that day."
Hinata said. "Lord Naruto fought it and slew the creature alone. I've never seen one so colossal before. It was an amazing spectacle to see."
Dvalin was gaping like a fish and said, "How did you kill it? They heal faster than they can be cut and it is said the bleed acid."
"After fighting it for a while I got on the creature's neck and tricked it into biting its own neck in half as it tried to consume me." explained the blonde warrior. "Once it decapitated itself the thing died in an instant and its flesh and acidic blood evaporated on the wind. I pulled the six choicest fangs from the skull before we got rid of it. I wasn't sure what they were worth or if they could be crafted but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Do you think you can make a saber for Hinata out of that fang?"
The dwarven blacksmith smiled and said, "A mighty weapon could be forged from this but even I have no idea what its powers would be. It would all depend on the nature of the crystallized souls contained in it. Lady Hinata, if I might borrow your saber for a moment to see its weight and balance I will forge a wondrous work out of this fang."
Hinata handed her saber over and Dvalin carefully measured it and checked it over. He handed the saber back to Hinata and said. "Yes, I'm going to enjoy making this piece. It seems fitting that one of the Choosers of the Slain would wield a saber made of crystallized souls." A fire of excitement blazed in the dwarf's eyes. "I will set to work immediately on your new saber Lady Hinata. I cannot wait to work the fang of a bog lurker into something truly amazing!"
Naruto and Hinata left shortly thereafter and Naruto said with a chuckle, "Well, Dvalin seemed quite excited. He was so excited that he seems to have forgotten about the cursed arrow."
The Valkyrie smiled. "The creative mind of an artisan sometimes gets them carried away. He seemed genuinely happy to have that fang in his hands. Why did you have him make me a weapon first though? I already have a splendid blade."
"You also already have a mastery over the power of souls as one of Lord Odin's Battle Maidens so you should be well suited to such a blade." explained Naruto. "If I were to have such a blade I might not be able to handle it since I'm a mere mortal."
'You're not a mere anything Naruto. You are far greater than you realize.' thought Hinata as she admired Naruto a bit. 'He is very handsome….' Shaking herself out of her thoughts she said, "You were thinking about that as far back as when you pulled those teeth out of that skull weren't you?"
Naruto nodded. "Believe it or not there is a method to my madness."
Hinata gave him a rather brilliant smile that lit up his day. She said, "Come Naruto, let's go grab a meal. After such an eventful morning I am famished." The young couple went to a pub to eat their fill and Hinata did her best to help Naruto with his eating manners once again. She found it really didn't bother her now. It was annoying at first but now she actually enjoyed helping the young Lord of Vestmar…
…
The Town of Nordrbalkr
…
The Fall of the Alta Kingdom
…My name is Orochimaru; I was the court magician for the Alta Kingdom under King Rasa the Wise and I am the only survivor of that fallen kingdom's court. I write this now because in my old age my memories are starting to fail me and I believe my time is running short. The sad tale is as follows:
Long ago King Rasa the Wise and his family ruled over the Alta Kingdom with a fair and generous hand. King Rasa's wife was the beautiful Queen Kurara and they were blessed with three fine children, the enchanting Princess Temari, the scholarly Prince Kankuro who was fascinated with mechanics of all sorts and the youngest Prince Gaara the Just. I watched as the children grew and saw that of the three siblings that Gaara was the most suited the rule after King Rasa. Kankuro had no interest in ruling and Temari, despite the fact she was a worthy heir had already been promised in marriage to another kingdom.
The castle that the Royal family lived in was deeply recessed in the Sautso Canyon formed by the Altaelva River in the far north. Most castles are built on high ground for protection but King Rasa's ancestors built their keep under a massive cliff overhang which protected the castle from above. The only way to reach the castle was to climb down on the opposite side of the canyon, ford the Altaelva River and then scale the steep cliffs that led up to the castle which made it nigh impregnable. It was a truly marvelous piece of work and the architecture was breathtaking.
As there were always skirmishes along the border King Rasa was often out doing battle and later Prince Gaara joined him in protecting the Kingdom when he came of age. It was in one of these battles that a man, no; a demon arrived from the south. He fought as a berserker and went through leagues of our brave soldiers before he was slain in bloody battle by Prince Gaara the Just. It was said that the demon appeared in rich garb as a king would but he himself appeared almost as a Lich. He looked more dead than alive when he finally fell to our brave Prince.
Prince Gaara then noticed the demon wielded a blade of the darkest ebony. Being curious Prince Gaara picked up the blade and was shocked when it spoke to him. "Were I a man I would cry tears of joy to have been freed from my twisted, evil master who only lived to slay others. You have slain him with your might and I am humbled to become the sword that serves you. I heard from the men in the battle that you are called Prince Gaara the Just. Please take me and I will serve you well as your loyal blade from now on."
"What is your name sword?" asked Prince Gaara amazed. "Surely a talking sword must be of some renown."
"I have had many names through the ages but my true name I cannot tell. Call me whatever you wish Prince Gaara for I will use the name you give me with pride." said the sword humbly.
Gaara scratched his head and said, "Well, I've never been good at naming things. Since you are ebony colored I shall call you Ebony. Is that okay?"
"It is a wonderful name!" praised the enchanted blade. "From now on I am Ebony!"
Over the next three years Ebony served Prince Gaara well and he gained victory after victory in battle. I had been asked to examine the strange sword since I was court magician and found its enchantments were beyond my reckoning. I, Orochimaru was completely baffled. I failed King Rasa. I failed Prince Gaara. But most of all I failed the Alta Kingdom and Princess Temari who suspected the true nature of the blade all along….
Temari said to me one day, "Orochimaru, the blade my brother Gaara wields has an evil influence. Have you not seen how the darkened rings have formed around his eyes? Have you not noticed how he has come to enjoy and even crave battle? Gaara is a peaceful soul. It is not him; it is that sword."
Had I taken her wise counsel I could have saved the Kingdom of Alta from its dark fate. Foolishly I said, "You worry too much Princess Temari. That blade has been used in countless battles over the centuries. It gives wise counsel to Prince Gaara and no doubt the glorious tales of battles it has experienced simply have Prince Gaara a bit enthused. He is young and simply is going through a phase."
Princes Temari remained rather vocal about her opinions and asked Gaara to store Ebony away in the armory for safekeeping. She pointed out that Gaara seemed unwell and that he often was seen talking to himself and holding his head as if in pain. She was earnest and caring with her words but the normally calm Prince Gaara exploded into anger. "You wish for me to put the Alta Kingdom's strongest blade away when we are in a position to actually start conquering the neighboring countries that have caused us so much anguish over the years?! Are you conspiring with the enemy Temari? Why I should-"
King Rasa yelled, "Gaara! Mind your tongue! You know as well as I do that Temari is as loyal to Alta as you or I. I cannot believe the words that just came out of your mouth. You must apologize immediately for such false accusations."
I was shocked at Gaara's words myself. As court magician I was usually on hand at the Royal Family's meals in case of a poisoning attempt. Gaara glowered at his Father before he gave an insincere apology to Temari at his Father's insistence. Later that same evening King Rasa called me into his study and said, "Orochimaru; you have given me wise counsel for many years. What I heard coming out of Gaara's mouth earlier tonight about conquest abhors me. Do you as court magician believe that Temari is right? Could Ebony be putting foul thoughts in my son's head? Is there vile sorcery at work here?"
I was sweating heavily. "Your Highness, I will need to research known swords that can speak back in the library in my old home village Nordrbalkr. My old master Sarutobi who taught me in the ways of magics may have knowledge there that I do not possess. It is about two weeks travel by horse though my King. I fear something may happen during my absence."
King Rasa chuckled. "Do not worry yourself Orochimaru. I can keep an eye on my son while you are away reading." He dismissed me after he once again reassured me things would be fine.
That was the last time I saw King Rasa the Wise alive.
Five weeks later I returned and found the Kingdom was in chaos. King Rasa had died in battle and there had been a war between the siblings as to who should ascend to the throne. For obvious reasons Gaara was the one who stood victorious. His abilities in combat were unmatched. In the end the fair Temari was murdered in cold blood by Gaara himself and Kankuro was cut down when he attempted to flee. Queen Kurara took her own life according to the rumors and many factions fought for control of the castle. Those were the things I heard from the people on the way back to the castle. I sped as quickly as I could back to the castle to help in any way I could.
A week after that I arrived at the castle gates and saw no one was alive. There were bodies of men, women and children lying everywhere. All had been slain by the blade and carrion eaters were all over the place. As I crept around the castle in fear I heard Prince Gaara's deranged laughter echoing throughout the keep. When I finally arrived at the throne room I found Prince Gaara was sitting in his Father's throne. The walls of the room and the throne itself were painted red with blood and the four heads of Gaara's family sat at the base of the throne at Gaara's feet. He looked up at me and we locked eyes for a brief second before he started to laugh at me. I was chilled to the bone.
Gaara spoke in the voice of Ebony. "So Orochimaru, oh so wise court magician; have you guessed my true name?"
"You true name is Dreyrugr; the bloodstained sword." I said trembling.
Gaara once again burst into laughter in both his own voice and that of the black blade. "Correct!" he said as he clapped at me in derision. "Sadly you found out too late. This Kingdom is mine. Gaara is mine. My master is my slave!"
To my eternal shame I ran. I; Orochimaru ran like the greatest coward that ever lived as Dreyrugr's demonic laughter trailed after me…
…
For the next twenty years Dreyrugr in the guise of Prince Gaara the Just made war on all of the surrounding kingdoms. The slaughter was unimaginable and I cannot put it into words. I hid as a hermit in the mountains too terrified to come out because of my fear of the bloodstained sword. At the end of the twenty years of Gaara's reign of terror was brought to an end when all the surrounding countries bordering Alta Kingdom formed an alliance and demolished the castle of the Royal Family of Alta. It was said that Gaara was crushed to death by falling stones still clutching onto Dreyrugr when he died. By the time the news reached me up in the mountains another ten years had passed and I reluctantly came out of my hermitage and returned to my home village of Nordrbalkr.
I did not talk about the war and most assumed I had fought in it. I simply did not confirm or deny it. It is only now that my time is drawing near that I confess to these pages the truth of what happened in Alta. If I am granted one wish despite my cowardice it is that somehow Dreyrugr was destroyed when Alta Caste fell….
-Orochimaru of Alta
…
Sasuke closed the four hundred year old book. 'So it's sleeping in the wreckage of the castle of the Old Kingdom of Alta. It sounds like that Prince Gaara was a weak minded fool to kneel to the will of a piece of metal and this Orochimaru should have been a court jester instead of a court magician. What a damned coward…I will master that blade and avenge my family…'
…
Somewhere in a ruined castle a metallic laughter rang out…
…
Asgard, The Halls of Valhalla
The beautiful Valkyrie Captain Temari awoke from her slumber to the sounds of the metallic laughter ringing in the back of her mind. "So it is finally time again." she thought aloud. "This time I will see you destroyed Dreyrugr and my family will be avenged!"
…
Dvergr-Heima Inn
The elven maiden Elska watched longingly as Lord Naruto went to bed. She was in her tiny fairy sized form as she watched Hinata and Naruto talking animatedly before they both laid down to sleep. 'That Valkyrie doesn't even know the prize she has in her hands! I've been spying on them all day and she could have him all she wanted but instead she makes him suffer alone in a separate bed. She isn't good enough for him and is in my way. I could please Lord Naruto and bring him happiness unlike this Hinata woman. But Lady Freyja favors her. How am I going to remove this obstacle from my path? I wouldn't stand a chance fighting against one of the Choosers of the Slain. What should I do?'
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POSTSCRIPT:
*①: Yep, after researching it I found that the metal from Plato's writings is spelled orichalcum, for years I thought it was orichalcon/orihalcon from games and other genres.
Well, I was able to expand a bit on the black blade's background and it looks like several forces are at work at once. Loki and Freyja both seem to support our heroes for different reasons. Does that mean the gods will be drawn into the conflict with Naruto and Hinata caught in between? Also, is Elska in lust or love for Naruto? Or is she just obsessed with him? See you next time (whenever that is) Blue out. 1/13/16. Remaster 11/02/20
