Chapter 1 – Awakening
Loud screams could be heard throughout the village of Konohagakure. It was nighttime and these screams were keeping people awake. However, not a person moved from their home to investigate. After all, they knew who it was that was screaming for their life to be spared.
Yes, young Naruto Uzumaki was screaming at the mob chasing him to spare his life. He was terrified and had no idea what he had even done to deserve the villagers' wrath. All he knew was that this was his tenth birthday and it was almost over. Looking back on things now, he figured he should have just remained in his apartment and barricaded the door and windows and waited everything out. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought things would turn out like this.
Flashback – Half an hour earlier
Young Naruto had just finished celebrating his birthday with the Sandaime Hokage at Ichiraku Ramen. Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku had gladly fed Naruto, giving him three free bowls of his favorite ramen. Hiruzen Sarutobi had paid for the rest with a bright smile on his face. Yes, the Sandaime cared deeply for the child, but he also worried greatly for him. While the elderly Sarutobi didn't know the full extent of what the villagers had done to him in the past, he knew that their hatred for the boy ran deep, even if it was entirely unjustified.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had wanted to walk young Naruto home, fearing for the boy's safety, but he had been informed of an emergency of some sort that needed taking care of. So, reluctantly, the Sandaime left Naruto with the Ichiraku's and returned to his office to sort things out.
A short time later, Naruto left Ichiraku's and made his way towards home. Sadly, just five minutes away from his apartment, an incredibly drunk man spotted Naruto and squinted his eyes, trying to figure out if he was really seeing the boy he so despised or not. Upon realizing that it was indeed Naruto Uzumaki, he walked up on the boy and slugged him as hard as he could in the face, knocking him to the ground with a hard thud.
"You little shit! It's all your fault she's gone! If only you didn't exist, she'd still be here! You…you…" Hiccupping, the man had to take a moment to focus his thoughts again. "Yeah…now I remember what I wanted to do." Drawing a knife, this simple villager donned a sinister grin. "I decided that I was going to kill you tonight if I saw you. I hope you've prepared yourself to meet your maker, because when I'm done with you, you won't be coming back!"
Present time
As Naruto ran from the drunken man, others joined in the chase. They didn't need a reason. Naruto hadn't actually done anything to any of them. His only crime was existing apparently. If the villagers didn't have a weapon, they either picked one up along the way, collected stones and threw those at him, borrowed from others, or used their fists.
Every time they caught him, Naruto managed to escape somehow before too much damage was done, but that didn't mean he was unharmed. His left arm was hanging limp at his side, the damage to his left shoulder causing it to become inoperable. The many cuts and bruising points on his right leg had him limping along slower than he would have liked to be moving. Naruto's left eye was swollen shut after receiving numerous punches to his face. In fact, his entire body was damaged and he was moving on pure adrenaline, hoping desperately that either somebody would help him or he would manage to escape with his life intact…preferably both.
Sadly, it was not to be as he soon collapsed in the middle of a darkened alley, his leg finally giving out on him. Struggle as he might to make it move, nothing could be done. The mob of angry villagers and shinobi soon caught up and began to beat him once again. When it was finally over and done with, the young blonde was barely breathing and looked as if he was on the brink of death. As the majority of the group began to cheer about finally being rid of the 'Demon Brat', a few of the more intelligent shinobi and villagers decided that they needed a place to dump the body. After all, it wouldn't do to have the Hokage hunting for the killer of someone he was that close to.
Whispering amongst themselves, these villagers decided that they would search for someplace to hide Naruto's body outside the village. There was too big a risk that his body would be found far too quickly inside the village. So, knowing this, two of them grabbed Naruto by either of his arms while the other three decided they would keep a lookout and search for someplace to hide the body. The two that had taken Naruto by his arms didn't even bother carrying him. Their hatred for the boy ran so deep that they instead just dragged him through the streets on their way out of Konoha. They continued to do so the entirety of their search.
Some amount of time later, the group of five finally found a place to hide the body. It was such an out-of-the-way location that they knew nobody would ever find Naruto's body here. In fact, it was someplace they didn't even know existed in this world. The location? An odd cave that led deep underground about fifty minutes outside of Konohagakure. They each had an eerie feeling about this cave, so they didn't proceed too far inwards. Instead, they took him just outside of view from the entrance and dropped him unceremoniously onto the floor. "Tch. Making us drag this little shit." One of the men complained right before the two that had dragged him began to kick Naruto hard over and over again. This lasted until they were out of breath.
When this last beating was finally over and done with, the group of five left the cave and glared at the entrance. The three shinobi in the group turned to each other and nodded. "We need to seal the entrance just in case."
One of the two normal villagers frowned at this and shook his head. "In case of what? The brat's dead, isn't he?"
Another of the shinobi shook his head in response. "Maybe, maybe not. We've given the little shit pretty severe beatings before and we see him walking around the next day in perfect health. Even if he's finally fucking dead, do you really want somebody finding the body and reporting it to Hokage-sama? If he finds out who killed the little shit, we're all in deep shit and you know it." Seeing them nod in response, this same shinobi turned to another and nodded his head. "Do it. Seal the entrance with your Doton (Earth Release) jutsu and let's be done with it."
The final of the three shinobi in the group nodded and flashed through a series of hand seals before slamming his hands palms out onto the ground. In an instant, the entrance to the cave was sealed with a wall of earth. It looked unnatural and didn't fit with the surroundings, but it served its purpose well: Naruto Uzumaki's body was trapped inside and nobody would ever find him like this. Once it was over, they left and returned to the village where they celebrated the fact that they were finally rid of the beast.
Six hours later
Naruto's eyelids shot open and he took in a few heavy breaths as he sat up slowly. His injured arm still hadn't fully recovered, so he didn't bother trying to move it. Instead, he used his good arm to push himself up off the ground. Groaning as he put pressure on his injured leg, Naruto reached up and rubbed his head. "Ugh. At least I can stand. Why do they always, always do these things?!"
Glancing around, the blonde found that it was incredibly dark. Blinking a few times as his eyes began to adjust, he tilted his head to the side. "Where am I? Last I remember, I was in the street." Looking ahead of him, Naruto saw that wherever he was, he was apparently in a kind of dead-end. So, turning around, the boy decided he had only one way to go: further into the cave, though he didn't even know he was in one at this point in time.
As Naruto proceeded further into the cave, it started to look less like a cave and more like a tomb of sorts. The rock wall of the cave changed as he proceeded further in. While in the beginning it had the usual rock wall you'd expect to see when venturing into a cave, it began to look more like a gray brick wall with a smooth stone ceiling up above. Further in and there were intricately carved pillars that lined the rather long hall he now traversed. Even stranger was the fact that this hallway was lit by candles that hung on the walls. It wasn't very bright, but at least he could actually see without having to strain his eyes.
Upon finally reaching the end of the hall, Naruto found a pure black door lined with symbols barring his path. "What the heck is this place? And what the hell is with these symbols?" Reaching up his right hand, the young blonde hesitantly pressed his hand upon the door. Screaming out when the symbols suddenly lit up eight different colors: red, blue, yellow, dark blue, green, brown, violet, and gray, Naruto was forced to cover his eyes with his working arm and wait things out.
When the light finally died down, Naruto lowered his arm and blinked when he saw the door was now open. "What the hell was that?" Deciding not to even think about it, the young Uzumaki child stepped into the room beyond the door and glanced around. The room was large and circular in shape. Unfortunately for Naruto, there was no exit. Sighing heavily, the youngling's shoulders slumped and he decided that it was best to just look around the room for a while.
The first thing Naruto noticed was the strange stone slab located across from him towards the back wall. Frowning as he stepped towards it, Naruto soon covered his eyes once more as the room lit up with a bright light. Looking around in shock, he was unable to find any form of light source. "Okay, yeah. That's not spooky at all." Starting to shake as the room seemed to be growing cold, Naruto stepped closer and soon spotted a woman lying on the stone slab.
Eyes widening, the boy rushed over and reached out with both arms, his left arm having finally finished healing. Shaking her gently, Naruto felt she was cold to the touch and frowned. "Is she dead? She's so cold…" Saddened at this thought, Naruto Uzumaki wished the woman well before turning to look around some more.
What he noticed next were the eight indentations in the wall going in a semi-circle around the room, four on either side of the stone slab. Next to each indentation, a weapon hung on the wall. Within each of these indentations rested small orbs, each a different color. Only one truly stood out to young Naruto however. In fact, if he had to put it into words, it felt almost as if this orb was calling out to him.
Confused by this, the young boy approached the orb and slowly reached out to it. Taking it into his hand, the orb began to glow green and soon became too bright for the boy to even see. When he opened his eyes, Naruto looked back at the orb, but soon recognized something was different.
Looking himself over curiously, Naruto Uzumaki found himself to be clad in beautiful green, winged armor. Grinning broadly, he soon began to laugh. "This feels AWESOME!" Sadly, he couldn't quite celebrate as he felt a presence behind him.
Zipping forward, Naruto grabbed the lance off the wall, spun around and pointed it at the person that had snuck up on him without the boy noticing. What he saw had Naruto lowering his new weapon and blinking in confusion. "You…weren't you dead? What the heck's going on here?!"
Standing before him now was the very woman that had been resting on the stone slab just moments before. She was beautiful, with long black hair and lovely dark blue eyes that just seemed to draw him in. Without even thinking, he just blurted it out. "Wow. Now that I look closer, you're really beautiful."
Raising an eyebrow, the woman folded her arms across her chest and looked the boy up and down slowly. "This is the first time I've seen a Dragoon Spirit choose one as young as you." Sighing to herself, the raven-haired woman approached the Dark Dragoon Spirit and took it into her hand. Slipping it away, she quietly took hold of her weapon and strapped that to her side before turning back to the boy. "I am Rose. What is your name young one?"
Naruto tilted his head ever so slightly as he looked the woman over. Before he could respond, the armor disappeared and he was now back to normal. Blinking a few times at that, the young boy put that oddity out of his mind for now and returned his attention to his current company. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, though a lot of the villagers like to refer to me as 'Demon Brat'." Sighing at that, Naruto walked over to the stone slab and sat himself down. "It's nice to meet you Rose-chan. Why were you sleeping here?"
Rose smiled softly at the child before she went around collecting the other Dragoon Spirits and the weapons that rested next to them. "I was resting. Peacefully I might add. I didn't think I was meant to awaken again, and yet here I am." As she finished collecting the equipment and the strange orbs, Rose moved to Naruto's side and sat next to him. "If the Jade Dragoon Spirit has chosen you, then something must be amiss in this world. I wonder how long it's been since my journey with Dart and the others ended."
As the woman, Rose, seemed to lose herself to her thoughts, Naruto watched her closely. Just as he had stated before, she really was very beautiful. Seeing that she seemed to be almost saddened by whatever she was reminiscing about, the young blonde slowly reached out and squeezed her hand in his. When she looked at him curiously, Naruto smiled up at her and spoke. "You seemed kind of sad Rose-chan. I don't know what happened in your past, but it looks like you need a friend. I'm not sure if you'd really like to have me as a friend or not, but if you'd like, I'll gladly be your friend. I know I could use a friend too." Chuckling quietly to himself, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and turned his gaze downward to the floor as his smile took on a sadder appearance.
Rose frowned at this and moved off of the slab, moving to kneel in front of Naruto so she could look him in the eyes. "Boy…Naruto…why don't you tell me about what led to you being here? I think I deserve to know what brought you here to my tomb."
Naruto shivered at the memory of what happened and nodded slowly. "O-Okay Rose-chan. I'll t-tell you…" And with that, the young boy began to recount his tale to the woman before him.
A short time later
Rose was astonished. Sitting back upon the slab, her face contorting with a mixture of rage and pure shock at what she had just heard, the woman raised a hand to her face and shook her head. "Unbelievable. Who could do such a thing to such a young child? And for what reason? It's just inexcusable."
Naruto chuckled dryly at this and shook his head as he ran his fingers up and down the lance he had yet to relinquish to the woman. "Heck if I know Rose-chan. I can't figure it out. Trust me, I've tried and tried, but nobody will tell me anything. I've asked Jiji before, but he said that he couldn't tell me anything yet." Sighing, the blonde looked up at the ceiling and, after a minute, closed his eyes and laid back. "Sometimes I really wish I could just die."
Rose sighed at that and patted Naruto on the head. "Don't say that. You have a purpose now." Seeing his disbelieving, yet inquisitive look, the Darkness Dragoon pointed at the Dragoon Spirit he held. "You are a Dragoon now, one who commands Dragons. You have been chosen to do great things and I won't have you saying such things." Rising to her feet once more, Rose pointed towards the only way out of the room: through the door he had entered from. "Now let's get out of here. I want to see this village of yours and get some answers. But more than that, I need to see this world and figure out what's happening that the Dragoons would be needed once again."
Naruto shook his head. "I'm all for getting out of this place Rose-chan, but unfortunately there's no way out. I already looked up there and it was blocked off."
The raven-haired beauty sighed and shook her head. "They must have tried to seal you in here after disposing of you. Don't worry about it and just follow me. I can get us out of this tomb." Hoisting the pack of weapons over her shoulder and strapping the bag of Dragoon Spirits to her belt, Rose began her way towards the entrance to her tomb with Naruto hot on her heels.
When they finally reached the entrance, Rose frowned and shook her head. "Whoever these people were, they really didn't want you getting out." Walking forward, Rose suddenly transformed into her Dragoon armor and raised her right hand. "Stand back Naruto."
Doing as he was told, Naruto moved back and watched as Rose began focusing on whatever it was she was doing. When magic began swirling in front of her, Naruto's face lit up and he quickly became excited. However, rather than shout out, the blonde kept quiet so as not to disturb her. Soon, she unleashed her magic and the entrance to the cave exploded outward, debris flying everywhere.
Turning back to her new companion, Rose extended her hand to Naruto. "Come, let us return to your village and see what we can do about fixing your problem. Then we can try to understand why I have awakened." As soon as Naruto took her hand, Rose instructed him to transform again.
Blinking a few times in confusion, Naruto focused on the Dragoon Spirit and, after some moments of concentration, managed to transform once more. It was at this point that Rose took off with Naruto into the skies, much to his surprise. The sun was shining bright in the sky now and it was obvious that it was about midday judging based on its position in the sky. From their position high up in the sky, it didn't take long to spot the village of Konohagakure a short distance away. Pointing it out, Naruto explained to Rose that that was his home and told her they should go to the Hokage Tower to speak with his Jiji. Agreeing instantly, Rose took off through the skies with Naruto alongside her.
Ten minutes later – Hokage Tower
Rose landed alongside Naruto just outside the Hokage's office. Returning to normal, the two of them approached the windows and Naruto proceeded to pound on the window until Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and let the two of them inside.
Quickly activating the silencing seal to keep those outside the office from hearing their conversation, the Sandaime hurried to Naruto and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Naruto-kun! Nobody knew where you were. I thought something terrible had happened to you!"
At this point, Rose practically snarled as she approached the Hokage and gripped him by the collar of his shirt. "Something terrible did happen you old fool. From what Naruto has told me, a mob of about fifty or so people attacked him and left him for dead in my tomb. You've got some explaining to do."
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly threw up his hands and signaled for his hidden ANBU to remain where they were. Staring into the woman's eyes, the Sandaime nodded slowly before gently prying her hands off of him. "I see. Perhaps you could first explain to me just who you are and what you meant by your statement?"
Rose grumbled and reluctantly began to comply with his request. "Fine. My name is Rose. My tomb is located about a twenty minute walk from here if I had to estimate the distance on foot. Do you need to know the full story? No, you don't. Suffice it to say, I was resting for a long time and was recently awakened when this boy, Naruto Uzumaki, was recognized as the new Jade Dragoon. And before you ask, just know that he has an important duty to fulfill. That's all you need to know."
Seeing that he wasn't going to receive any actual information from the woman, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I suppose it's stupid of me to ask this, but that's really all the information you are willing to share with me at this point in time?" When the raven-haired woman nodded in response, the Sandaime grumbled to himself. "Fine, fine. I suppose I should just tell you what I know. Naruto, you might want to take a seat for this."
As soon as Naruto sat in one of the chairs across from him, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. He looked as if he had aged significantly in the past few moments and was now struggling to figure out where to begin. Deciding it best to just start at the beginning, the Sandaime lit his pipe, took a few puffs, and began.
"Naruto, on the day you were born, the village was attacked by the Kyuubi no Yoko (Nine-Tailed Demon Fox), as I'm sure you well know. Well, something you may not know is that the Kyuubi could not be killed. Instead, the Yondaime was forced to seal it within a newborn child. Naruto, you were the child chosen. You are a Jinchuriki, one who carries a bijuu (Tailed Beast) inside of him/her." Seeing the look on Naruto's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly nodded and closed his eyes as he rested his chin in his hands. "Yes. That is why the villagers refer to you as the 'demon brat' as they so often do."
Sighing heavily once again, the Hokage opened his eyes and stared intently at young Naruto. "On the night of your birth, of the sealing of the Kyuubi, a council meeting was held. The Yondaime had wished for you to be treated as a hero as the one who would keep the Kyuubi at bay. Unfortunately, many of those who took part in the meeting began shouting for your death as soon as they found out that you carried the beast inside of you."
Shaking his head in disappointment at this, the Hokage soon continued on. "As far as they were concerned, you were the Kyuubi itself, now in Human form. If only they could see past their hatred and grief, they would have seen the truth. You were just an innocent newborn baby who had yet to commit any form of crime against anyone."
Looking down at his hands, the elderly Hokage took a shaky breath and shook his head once more. "Your parents would be so disappointed if they could see what has become of the village they so loved."
Naruto decided it was time to speak up. "Umm…Jiji? I…" Clearly, he was so shaken by the news that he was having an incredibly difficult time speaking up. Taking a few shaky breaths, Naruto continued on. "Jiji…who were my parents exactly? Are they even still alive? Did they want me?"
Hiruzen smiled softly at Naruto and moved around his desk to hug young Naruto close. "Of course they wanted you Naruto! You're all the two of them even talked about when your mother was pregnant with you. They were so excited to see you and raise you. But…they both died the night the Kyuubi attacked…the very night your mother gave birth to you."
Moving back slightly, the Sandaime looked carefully into Naruto's eyes and wiped away his slowly-forming tears. "Naruto, this may come as a surprise, but your parents were Kushina Uzumaki and the Yondaime himself: Minato Namikaze. You are their only child, and you are very special. Never doubt in their love for you. Do you understand me?"
Naruto slowly nodded and he could feel a mixture of emotions surging inside of him. Unsure of what he could say, or even how he should feel, the blonde boy just remained quiet and waited to hear whatever else his Jiji would say.
Returning to his chair, the Hokage looked at both Naruto and Rose at this point and smiled softly. "I wish you could have been adopted Naruto-kun, but it seems people worked behind the scenes to make sure that never happened. When you were thrown out of the orphanage, I did the best I could to give you a home where you could feel safe. Even that wasn't enough to help you I'm afraid." Looking down once more, he closed his eyes and breathed another shaky breath. "Everything I tried to do in order to help you, there were always people working behind my back to ensure you suffered for something you didn't do. I just didn't realize things had become this bad."
Rose decided it was time for her to speak up. "In other words, you're an incompetent old man making excuses as to why you haven't done anything to help Naruto. I'm just going to give you fair warning you lazy bastard: I'm going to be staying with Naruto from this point forward. If anyone dares try anything on my watch, you will have deaths on your hands. I won't tolerate anyone trying to harm Naruto, not after what I've heard, and especially not now that he's the new Jade Dragoon."
Smirking at the elderly man before her, Rose found herself thinking of a few things she needed to address. "I plan to train young Naruto in the ways of the Dragoon. But from what I understand, this world now consists of villages and people calling themselves 'ninjas'. What I demand from you is that you make sure Naruto is trained in the way of the ninja and finds his way in this world. It's important that we find out what's going on in the world that would demand my presence once more. If Naruto is made a full-fledged ninja, I understand that he'll be able to venture on missions outside of this village to places near and far. If we're to gather information, Naruto's ninja career is important in doing so." Looking down at Naruto, Rose nodded at him before looking back at the Hokage. "He can search for clues outside of the village while I look for information within the village walls and beyond."
Hiruzen Sarutobi simply watched Rose and Naruto for a while before he finally released a sigh and shook his head. "I must ask that you refrain from killing the citizens of Konoha, no matter how despicable some of them might be." Seeing her narrowed eyes, the Hokage raised a handle and shook his head once more. "Let me finish. I want you to become his guardian. I want you to stay at his side and do as you have said. But should there be any trouble, I am sure you can incapacitate his attackers without killing them. Should you kill any of them, it will be hard to explain away and you'll only end up making things tougher on not only myself, but on young Naruto-kun as well."
Rose's lip twitched at the corner and she scoffed. "Maybe a few deaths and savage beatings of their own would make the assholes think twice about coming after him. Did you ever stop to think about that possibility 'Hokage'?" This conversation was quickly turning sour and the ANBU watching were getting anxious. If things escalated any further, they feared they might have to jump in to deal with this strange woman.
The elderly Sarutobi shook his head and sighed. "Is there no way of talking you out of this decision of yours? Is there no way to talk you down from this path of violence and death you've chosen for my people?"
Rose began to glare at the Hokage and slammed her hands down on his desk. "Absolutely none. They tried to murder a CHILD. Not only that, but he's a chosen one, a Dragoon! Whose responsibility would it have been if Naruto had actually died?!"
Hiruzen's lips turned downwards into a frown and he released a heavy sigh before slumping backwards in his chair. "Damn it. I'll admit, you make a good point. As this village's Hokage, I'll admit that his safety is my responsibility and I've failed in that regard. Fine Rose-san, you win. Just…don't make too much of a mess should anything happen. Can you at least promise me that?"
Rose nodded her head and remained quiet as she waited for what he would say next. The Dark Dragoon could tell that he had more on his mind that he wished to speak about and so chose not to interrupt the old man.
"Rose-san. I ask that you tell me about the Dragoons and about what it is Naruto has become. In order to trust you with his safety and well-being, I need to know all there is to know about the Dragoons, who you are, where you come from…I need to know everything. Unless you tell me the truth, I'm afraid I cannot relinquish Naruto-kun into your care."
Rose glared angrily at the old man for a good couple of minutes before she finally released an irritated sigh and nodded her head in the affirmative. "Tell your watchdogs to get lost and then we'll talk. Unless they're out of the room, I'm not saying a damn thing."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in acceptance of the woman's terms. Waving his hand, the Hokage ordered his ANBU to vacate the room. Once they were gone, the Sandaime Hokage nodded to Rose to signify that they were all now gone and would not be returning until he summoned them.
Nodding in turn, Rose sat beside Naruto and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she began her tale. "I do not know how long it has been, but I'm from a time long, long ago. Humans were being subjugated by a race known as the Winglies. We Humans were nothing but slaves to them, and we were a miserable existence. The Dragoons came into existence to combat the Winglies and win our freedom, win our lives back from them." Shaking her head, Rose looked down at this point and sighed again. "The Dragon Campaign, as it was called, turned out to be a bloody affair. Countless people on both sides were injured and killed. It was terrible, but there wasn't a choice."
Looking into the Hokage's eyes, Rose continued her tale. "The Dragoons are able to command the power of Dragons. Each of the Dragoons commands one of eight elements: Fire, Water, Light, Darkness, Wind, Earth, Thunder, and Non-Elemental. I am the Dragoon of Darkness and I command the Dark Dragon. Naruto, as the Jade Dragoon, now commands the Wind Dragon. When needed, we can summon these Dragons into battle. However, Naruto will need training before he is able to draw out the full power of the Dragoon."
As the two males in the room looked on, listening intently to her story, Rose thought back to the previous Dragoons and sighed as she looked towards the ceiling. "After the end of the Dragon Campaign, I spent my time trying to stop an entity known as the Moon Child from ever growing into its power. If the Moon Child had been allowed to live, it would have meant the end of the world, in essence. Tch, I succeeded in my goal 107 times, but failed when I killed the wrong child when the 108th Moon Child was born. The irony of the situation when I realized that my companion and fellow Dragoon, the Dragoon of Light, turned out to be the 108th Moon Child."
Laughing softly to herself, Rose shook her head and looked over at Naruto. "Tell me Naruto, how old do I look to you?"
Naruto blinked at the odd question before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. You don't look that old to me. Maybe 23?"
Rose laughed softly at that before she shook her head and turned her gaze back to Sarutobi. "I'm far, far older than that Naruto. For a little over 11,000 years I remained and took on the role of the Black Monster. I kept the world safe for so very, very long. I experienced so much, including the death of my dear fiancé, Zieg. Fate sure had an evil sense of humor when I finally saw him again."
Shaking her head, Rose turned back to Naruto. "Enough about that though. After all that time, I met those that would become the new Dragoons: Dart, Lavitz, Shana, Haschel, Albert, Meru, Kongol, and Miranda." Seeing the confused expression on Naruto's face, Rose smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, you've been paying attention. That's good Naruto. Very good."
Reaching over, Rose put her hand on Naruto's head and left it there for the time being. "Let me explain. Dart was the new Red-Eyed Dragoon, the Dragoon of Fire. Lavitz became the new Jade Dragoon, Dragoon of Wind. When a Wingly named Lloyd killed Lavitz using a weapon known as the Dragon Buster, his majesty, King Albert, was chosen by the Dragoon Spirit to take his place. They are your predecessors Naruto, and they were great people. Shana was the Dragoon of Light, but she also turned out to be the Moon Child. I suspect that the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit held her dormant powers at bay until they became too strong for it to contain. When it finally became too much, the White-Silver Dragoon Spirit chose Miranda to be its next wielder."
Moving her hand from atop Naruto's head, Rose looked down at her hands and smiled to herself as she remembered more and more of her journey with her friends. "I remained as the Dark Dragoon, as I'm sure you already suspected. Haschel was the new Dragoon of Thunder. Then there was Meru, who became the new Dragoon of Water. We found out later that she was also a member of the Wingly race. As shocking as it was for a member of her race to come into such power, she never used those powers for evil purposes. She remained at our side and was a true force to be reckoned with. Kongol? Kongol was at first our enemy, but he was something special. A member of a race known as the Giganto, Kongol joined us and used his immense strength for the good of the world."
Looking into the Hokage's eyes again at this point, Rose continued. "Then there was the one that possessed the Divine Dragoon Spirit: Lloyd. He wasn't recognized as its true wielder, but he still held onto it for some time. In the end, that Dragoon Spirit recognized Dart and he became the Non-Elemental Dragoon."
Naruto nodded his head in understanding at Rose's explanation while the Sandaime decided to voice a question he had held in since she first explained about the Moon Child. "Rose-san, I have a theory I'd like to run by you real quick." Seeing her nod her head to signify that he should continue, the old man nodded in turn. "Could another Moon Child have awakened? Could that be why the Dragoons are needed once more and why you have been roused from your slumber?"
Rose frowned at this question and shook her head. "That shouldn't be the case. My friends and I stopped Melbu Frahma, the one that planned to use that power to bring destruction upon the world. In fact, Zieg and I gave ourselves to finally destroy that bastard once and for all. How and why I appeared in that tomb and why I am alive again is beyond me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at this and shook his head. "I can think of no other explanation as to why you would remain in this world then Rose-san. Perhaps there is a Moon Child that we do not know about. Say that it is not Melbu Frahma meant to wield this power, but there is a new purpose for the Moon Child. Could that be possible?"
Rose frowned at this and sat back in her chair, looking as if she was deep in thought. Slowly, the woman nodded her head. "If there is another Moon Child, after all this time, there has to be some reason for it. I can safely guarantee that there is no way Melbu Frahma could return, so there's definitely something fishy going on here. One thing is for sure though: if a Moon Child exists in this world, then everyone is in danger. All I can truly say is that we had best hope that there isn't a Moon Child in this world. We should hope that we Dragoons are needed for something else entirely."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded once she was finished speaking and decided it was time to end the conversation. "Alright Rose-san, I understand the situation now. At least to the best of my ability to do so. I want you two to come with me. I am going to take you two to your new home. Rose-san, can I ask you to live together with Naruto and train him in the ways of the Dragoon as seriously as you can? He is like a grandson to me, and I want to make sure he's ready for anything."
Rose rose with Naruto following soon after and she looked down at him. "I had already planned to do both of those things Lord Hokage. I'll take care of Naruto and make sure he's ready for whatever comes our way. But…" Looking into Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Rose smirked ever so slightly. "You must do as I requested and make sure that Naruto is trained hard in the ways of the ninja. Not only would this be a fantastic way to learn what's taking place in the world, but it would provide him with more combat capabilities as well. Do we have a deal?"
The elderly Hokage grinned and nodded his head as he reached out and shook the woman's hand. "Of course Rose-san, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now come." And with that, Hiruzen Sarutobi led the two out of his office and began the trek to the estate Naruto's parents had left for the young man.
One month later
Naruto and Rose had settled into his parents' home quite nicely by now. It was big and homey, and there was plenty of information to be had by reading through his parents' scrolls. In fact, based on some of what he had read during this past month, it seemed there were some jutsu he could try to learn packed in that vault he had found in his home.
As Rose had promised, she had been training Naruto hard in the ways of the Dragoon. At the end of each day, he was so exhausted that he usually collapsed on one of the couches and rested for a time until he could eat, take a shower, and then get to bed so he could get some sleep for the night. Despite how hard the Darkness Dragoon trained him, she would cook for him each night and tuck him in at night. Rose even watched him at night until he finally managed to get to sleep. Afterwards, she would look through the records in the vault for clues on why she had been awakened. If she wasn't doing that, she would either get some sleep herself or venture out into the village and keep an eye on things to see if she could pick out any clues that way.
So far, they had found nothing. At least the Sandaime Hokage had kept up his end of the bargain. Young Naruto had three senseis, each one focusing on teaching him different things. Kakashi Hatake had been chosen to teach Naruto about ninjutsu and genjutsu, and was even working with him on chakra control exercises. Might Guy had been chosen to train Naruto in the ways of taijutsu and was even working with Naruto in helping form a taijutsu style that would fit well with his Dragoon abilities. Finally, there was Yugao Uzuki. This violet-haired woman was in charge of instructing Naruto in the use of his new weapon: the lance. So far, Naruto had soaked up all they had been teaching him like a sponge. In fact, he showed a remarkable degree of intelligence for one so persecuted and mistreated by the villagers.
Of course, Rose actually found herself threatening to tear Guy's testicles off the very moment he had tried to give Naruto a spandex jumpsuit to match his. Needless to say, he learned very quickly not to tick her off, lest he lose parts that were very important to the eccentric man.
Yugao was someone that Rose actually found herself forming a fast friendship with. While she had yet to truly open up to anyone other than Naruto and the Hokage, the two swordswomen got along well enough and had even shared dinners together. Of course, Rose tended to tune Yugao out whenever she began talking about her darling Hayate. Who would really want to listen to that kind of crap anyways?
However, despite how well things have been in the past month, tonight gave Rose a bad feeling. She felt that something bad was going to happen and she couldn't quite help but be on edge. Finding herself feeling incredibly worried for Naruto after leaving him to train with Guy for the day, Rose was now searching the village of Konohagakure for him. Upon hearing anguished screams coming from a couple of blocks away, the Darkness Dragoon felt a sense of rage building within her. These fools were warned a month ago not to attack him anymore. Their Hokage gave a public speech telling them there would be consequences! How dare they go against their leader's orders?!
Rushing off, Rose soon transformed and took off into the sky where she quickly spotted the mob attacking Naruto below. They had clearly waited until his training had finished. After all, he would be exhausted and unable to defend himself very well after the harsh training he had been undergoing ever since she had come into his life last month! Snarling angrily, the Darkness Dragoon swooped down and, in one quick motion, cut one man's head from his body before landing between Naruto and the mob.
As the people watched the dead man's head roll and his body collapse, many screamed and panicked, preparing to run. Others drew weapons and prepared to kill the woman that had dared to get in their way. However, none of them knew just what they had gotten themselves into by attacking Naruto this night. In fact, none would be escaping Rose's wrath. If any got away, they were going to be scarred for life by what they saw this night.
Seeing some villagers trying to run, Rose focused her will and trapped them where they stood with her spell. As they became enclosed in a sort of pocket dimension, she focused harder and unleashed her attack. When the dimension collapsed and the people were freed, the majority of them lay dead upon the ground. Very few had survived her spell, and they would not soon be forgetting what had happened to them this night.
Shocked by what they had just seen take place, a few shinobi in the group quickly went through a set of hand seals and performed a combination jutsu together that utilized Katon (Fire Release) and Futon (Wind Release) jutsu to form a swirling vortex of flame that was sent in Rose's direction. Not feeling at all fazed by the threat the jutsu apparently posed to her, the Dragoon swung her sword and dispersed the jutsu with that simple sword strike.
Glaring at those that dared to try and attack her, Rose decided to unleash her Dragoon Addition and shred these fools where they stood. In fact, they hadn't even had the chance to move, she had moved so fast! By the time she had finished with the two foolish shinobi, their bodies lay in three separate pieces on the ground. Turning to the rest of her enemies, Rose narrowed her eyes and frowned. "You are cowards, attacking a young man after he's exhausted himself. You deserve the death that awaits you this night."
Screams could be heard throughout the village for the rest of the night from all those that had dared to attack young Naruto. At one point throughout the slaughter, Rose had used Astral Drain to restore Naruto's health and destroy a few of her 'opponents'. When she returned to normal, Rose went through a series of Additions, slaughtering villager and shinobi alike until none remained standing.
By the time it was all over, bodies littered the street and alleys where they had tried to corner Naruto. Only three people remained alive, and they were in terrible condition. Looking at the three of them, Rose walked over and knelt down to look them in the eyes. "The only reason you are alive is so you can spread a message. Spread the word that Naruto is not to be attacked ever again. Anyone that dares to try will suffer far, far worse than what you experienced tonight. Have I made myself clear?"
If people had to describe her in this moment, Rose looked very much like the Black Monster she had once been described as. Seeing them nod, Rose rose from where she had kneeled down and turned back to Naruto. "Naruto, let's get you home. Your dear 'Jiji' will deal with this mess. I can guarantee that after tonight, you won't be experiencing anything like this ever again." Seeing him smile up at her, Rose wasn't prepared for what came next. Naruto threw his arms around her and hugged her tight, repeating the words, "Thank you." over and over again before he finally passed out from the exhaustion he still felt. His wounds may have been healed by Astral Drain, but the day had been a long one and he really needed rest.
Smiling down at Naruto, Rose hugged him back and whispered to him that it would be alright. After he had passed out, she lifted Naruto into her arms and made the way back towards the home they shared together. In fact, this was the first night she slept in the same bed with the boy. She wanted to keep him safe and she felt it would be best if he had her close by to watch over him, at least for the night.
Two nights later
After the attack, the villagers had indeed started to leave Naruto alone. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Rose, and Naruto Uzumaki were still waiting to see if they were truly done attacking him, but they weren't holding their breath. Still, things had started to look up for Naruto at the very least.
Needless to say, the Sandaime Hokage wasn't very pleased with having to clean up such a mess that night, but he understood and couldn't fault Rose for what she had done. He just wished she had been a little 'neater' about it. Still, he figured this was probably the best he could have hoped for from the woman.
This night, Rose once more had a dark feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was going to happen tonight, but she didn't know what. So, waiting together with Naruto in their new home, Rose watched and waited, clearly unnerved by this feeling.
Hearing a noise coming from deep in their home, Rose and Naruto rushed off to see who had dared to invade their home. What they found had the two of them drawing their weapons and narrowing their eyes in anger. "Release that this instant! You are not worthy of holding that in your hands you thief!"
The masked intruder stared down at the small orb clutched in his right hand and shrugged his shoulders. "'He' has requested that I bring one of these to him. Apparently these are items of great power, and if 'he' can harness such power, great things can be accomplished. Good-bye." Turning, the man rushed out of the house with the Dragoon Spirit in hand. He didn't make it very far however before a rapier impaled him in the back.
Sadly, despite ending the life of this thief, more of these masked intruders appeared, snatched the Dragoon Spirit off of the ground where it had fallen after their comrade had been slain, and disappeared in a series of Shunshin no Jutsus (Body Flicker Techniques). Screaming out in frustration, Rose glared around and tried to find where they could have gone. "Damn it! That was his! They took the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit!"
Naruto stood dumbfounded behind her as he looked blankly at where the Dragoon Spirit had fallen. Unable to speak so much as a word, he retreated into his thoughts. No. This can't be happening. We haven't found the other Dragoons yet. We need them! Why would somebody steal a Dragoon Spirit from us?! Collapsing to his knees, the blonde just shook his head in disbelief and continued to hope and pray that this was just some terrible dream.
A/N: This is the first chapter of the challenge fic I took on based on Dragon and Sword Master's Naruto/Legend of Dragoon crossover challenge. For guidelines, check the first 'chapter' of this fic so you understand the general rules I am meant to follow. As promised, there will be no Sakura or Kakashi-bashing.
As a lot was left open for the challenge-taker to decide, I'm sure you'll notice certain things I've chosen to do. For one, the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit has been stolen, as you no doubt read at the end of the chapter. That's just complication #1. More hiccups will happen later on in the story, and things will get pretty bad as time goes by. I'll introduce more Dragoons as time passes. The only Dragoon from the video game, The Legend of Dragoon, is Rose. All the others will be picked by me from characters in the Naruto world. Look forward to it, and feel free to guess at who will be the new Dragoons if you'd like. You might get some right, you might not.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I do hope you are looking forward to more. I'll get to work on the second chapter of this challenge fic laterish and hopefully have it up in a day or two. *nods* So keep an eye out, leave some reviews if you'd like, and enjoy!