[Talking in Norse]

[Talking regular]

Author's Note: Thank you all! :#) I'm glad you all gave me a chance it means a lot to me seriously you just don't know.


Naruto awoke with a start, shifting his gaze to the hand that was placed on his shoulder. It was Iruka.

Iruka smiled softly before jerking his head towards the exit of the tent.

"I want to show you something," he said softly.

Iruka directed Naruto to a fairly large fire pit, where other Vikings were tending to their meals and drinks. The gentle brunette took a seat gesturing for Naruto to take a seat next to him.

Once Naruto had done so Iruka had reached beneath the belt of his kilt pulling out what looked like a piece of compressed wood.

He handed it to him.

Naruto had taken hold of the circular plank. At first, he did not notice that one side had been carved into it until the pads of his finger brushed across each deep groove. Slowly, he turned the piece over as cobalt depths widened at the replica. Immediately, he squinted at the image only to see a face that eerily resembled his own-

"-She was our Queen. She was beautiful, strong, brave, hotheaded, and extremely stubborn. Even though she left us for Valhalla. Her departure left many broken hearts in her wake. As a consequence, our King has never been the same after that, though he doesn't show it. I know her death destroyed him. He barely eats, sleeps, or even leaves his hollow for that matter…"

Just then, Iruka tilted his head heavenwards gazing at the infinite sea of stars. He seemed almost tranquil as if the cosmos themselves were whispering to him.

"What part do I play in all of this?" Once again Naruto's indigo pools landed on the image of their lady. Subconsciously the pad of his fingers had scrolled over the identical lines on her cheek.

"I believe your presence alone will rouse something in him. He needs to grieve and seeing you might help him with that or it might backfire. Nevertheless, any reaction is better than none."

"Will he kill me?"

Iruka's lips pursed at that.

"Honestly, I don't know."

The youth nodded solemnly his eyes landing back on the image. She meant a lot to them if I can assist them like they support me and my kin. It would be worth the sacrifice.

"I'll do whatever you ask of me," There was something in those cobalt-colored depths as Naruto glanced back at Iruka. A sort of determination that Iruka believed he would never see again. At that moment, Iruka felt as if his Queen was sitting there right beside him.


The following day both Saxons were roused by all the commotion that was happening just outside their haven.

It had been years since they slept this well. Hesitantly, the pair had crawled out from underneath their tent flap to determine what all the commotion was. They stood out in the frigid night air dumbfounded all that whirled around them were Vikings bustling to their own flow.

They were packing their belongings and lowering their tents while spooking a few horses in their pens.

Naruto quickly noticed Shikamaru crouching low. He was taking care of his obligations of binding the tents together.

"What's happening," Naruto had noticed a puff of white smoke leaving his mouth as he spoke.

"We are heading home," the brunette mumbled in his customary bored drawl as he got the colossal scale ropes ready by wrapping them up.

"Home? Is this not your home?"

"We got what we needed now, so it is time to return to Newfoundland, besides I think our King will want to see you for himself. What with you resembling his late wife and all," the brunette had muttered the latter part sarcastically.

"Oy, this is madness! I'm going to die." He had walked off as he warily slid both hands down his face. How could he convince a Viking King to spare his life? He was a peasant that just so happened to resemble their late Queen.

Naruto never considered that their departure would be this soon he was hardly prepared to leave camp. He and his cousin never ventured this far from their village.

Shikamaru had abandoned his duties and closed in on the blonde from the rear. He had placed a heavy hand on the blonde's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Aye, don't work yourself up when the chance has not yet been approached, look at it this way, you have all of us convinced; Especially, Iruka the man who practically raised her."

"All you have to do is be yourself and if he cannot see a good fortune here then he's a fool," their eyes locked.

Shikamaru seemed as if he rather be any place else though his words had truly helped Naruto calm down at least for now.


The Odyssey to Newfoundland had been a long one it had taken only a few days. The Viking ships were, in fact, the fastest ships on the coast.

They weren't like the usual roll boats that he was accustomed to seeing.

It was slender and flexible with the shape of a Hydra's head at the bow that sliced through the sea like a knife to the flesh. It had been his first time at sea and he was just like a kid again discovering a whole new world the entire trip. The voyage took a week.

However, once the shoreline came into view he knew now would be the time to fight for not only his life but his cousin's as well.

Naruto quickly moved to the starboard side of the ship in awe. What he saw was a civilization that seemed to stretch on for eons it was also far more intimidating compared to his village there was a fairly heavy wooden-stake wall that surrounded the Newfoundland borders in a daunting display of power and dominance.

"That is our home, beautiful isn't it?" Iruka said this on Naruto's left.

"I never saw anything like it," he exhaled.

"You see that massive structure in the center," Iruka had pointed in the direction of it, and sure enough there had been a mammoth lodging.

"Aye," The golden-blonde nodded.

"That's where we are going."

"Is that also where …" Naruto's words had died in his throat as the brunet nodded his response. He gazed upon his cousin's face.

Gaara did not seem all that interested. His interest had been settled elsewhere or more like on a particular ebony-haired Viking. Who had been setting the sails, which slowed the ship down? The Viking seemed to have noticed he was being watched but did not seem to mind all that much.

The blonde smirked as his eyes went back to the Viking's homeland.


Once they had docked it took a moment for both cousins to acquire their land legs. There was another Viking who had appeared shocked by the resemblance between the newcomer and their Queen.

They had stopped and stared wide-eyed at the foreigners.

Some had even bowed their heads while others talked in Norse among themselves.

At that point, Naruto was grateful he did not understand what they were saying, because judging by their expression it made him even tauter.

They had marched the dirt path to the center structure.

Naruto was aghast when a few kids hesitantly drew near him and handed him some wildflowers. Naruto had grasped the flowers as both children shyly giggled and ran back to their mother, who had quickly shooed them away.

"They don't know what to make of you," Iruka said from his right while Kakashi remained on his left.

"That could be either good or bad," the golden-haired Saxon chuckled.

The closer they got to the lodge the more shops and merchants he'd begin to see.

So this is it? Naruto wondered as the doors to the lodge grew nearer.

He exhaled at the two heavy pine doors that loomed over them like death itself.

Kakashi turned towards the blonde before taking a step ahead of them.

"I'll take your cousin someplace safe. I imagine now one is enough." Kakashi had said as he opened the two doors.

Neji, Kiba, and Shikamaru were sent ahead to inform their King of Kakashi and Iruka's arrival. They made sure to leave out the captives' part.


The foursome had walked inside the lodge while Kakashi and Gaara stayed behind. The blonde had given his cousin a nervous glance over his shoulder Gaara gave him a comforting nod in the process.

They made a beeline towards the throne room, the floor was covered with burgundy and gold rugs along with hanging torches.

"Come on," Iruka had led the way through the throne room.

Naruto's gaze transfixed on the man seated in front of them. His hair was medium-length and a deep obsidian color that was parted in the front where his bangs fell on each side and short in the back. Even though Naruto could only see the monarch's chiseled silhouette was still bewitching, underneath those torches his creamy skin gave off a natural glow.

Iruka had stood in front of Naruto as he addressed his Kaiser shielding him from sight with his much larger frame; even though the Viking King still sat there aloof on his throne. A pale fist propped beneath his chin. He was clad in brown and white furs, chain-mail, and a thick leather cloak.

Respectively, Iruka had bestowed a slight bow.

Still, his Lord had not acknowledged them. Iruka had cleared his throat. "Erm, I have brought you, somebody, that you might want to see."

"Very well," The King sighed.

Just then, Iruka had stepped aside revealing the blonde. "This is one of the captives that a few of my charges had stumbled upon. His name is Naruto. He and his cousin were on the brink of death. We found them just outside of a small Saxon village."

At first, it seemed as if the raven had not heard Iruka at all.

Abruptly, the King had inclined his head to face the brunette fully. He seemed uninterested in Iruka's words; His lips pursed in a thin line, but be that as it may his almond-shaped orbs had landed on the petite boy, and as soon as onyx orbs started to drink in the familiar sight his pupils began to dilate. Could this be some sort of necromancy at hand?

Briskly, he had removed himself from his throne by now Naruto had bowed his head unsure if he were to make eye contact with their Viking King or not.

His heart was throbbing in his chest as his breath began to ebb. He could hear the thump of footsteps and the cling of chain-mail until the raven-haired king paused just inches away.

The quiet was deafening he could hear his blood rushing to his ears.

The King had slid long elegant fingers through the blonde's hair before taking grasp at the nape and jerking his back whilst thrusting youth firmly against the somber-haired monarch's firm chest. Bright sapphire met burning charcoals. Moreover what Naruto had observed on that smooth face was animosity, it took him by surprise.

Intuitively, his lips had parted as the King's face hovered just a few centimeters away from his own in an almost tantalizing way he could feel their breaths mixing and for a brief moment, Naruto thought that the King might kiss him whilst onyx met bright sapphire.

The ebony-haired royal had shut his eyes, exhaling a shaky breath. He looked torn. The grip on his nape had tightened to the point of making Naruto winced.

Abruptly, the angelic monarch released Naruto's nape of his neck but provided him with a hard shove to his chest sending him falling backward.

"Demon." The King mouthed.

The youth watched with wide eyes as the Viking King reached for his sword.

Promptly he started to scramble on said floor dragging himself away from the king with his hands and kicking his feet.

Iruka tried stopping the ordeal by stepping in the line of fire but he was forcefully elbowed to the side.

"Think about what you are doing Sasuke! You will never have another chance like this." The man yelled while clutching his rib cage.

However, he still advanced toward the youth while fully unsheathing his massive ancestral sword. He raised the hilt of his sword towards the heavens, whilst the point aimed at Naruto, who watched as everything seemed to move in slow motion. He came down with that metallic blade; instinctively Naruto threw an arm up shielding his face.

He noted the loud thwack next to his ear, as the sword penetrated the wood just meters from his head. Unfortunately, a few golden strains weren't so lucky.

His murky tresses had spilled over his face, so he could not see what was on the man's face.

He was breathing heavily as his face hovered over the blonde. His hands still firmly clutched the leather grip part of his sword, but then Sasuke had done the unexpected. He released what sounded like a battle cry before gravely storming off leaving his sword, and a shell shock Saxon in his wake.

"Naruto?" A blur appeared in his line of sight. He assumed it was Iruka's face that had appeared in his line of sight, but his eyes were deeply locked on the ceiling above.

He also knew the man was speaking but he couldn't bring himself to listen. He just wanted to run and never look back.

Instead, he found himself laughing breathlessly despite it all.

He continued laughing until it slowly subsided. "I was convinced he was going to chop my head off just then, and yet I'm still alive. Oy, next time I'm not doing you any more favors Iruka." Chestnut-haired Viking had helped the youth to his five-foot-five stature. "Believe it or not that was the easy part," The man's tone was laced with amusement.

The blonde groaned, "You've got to be joking." He scratched at the flaxen mop on his head.

"Nay, I'm quite serious, now it's up to the both of you what happens next."

"I rather not push my luck. One near-death experience is good enough for me." He smirked. The only thing going through his head was these damn crazy-ass Vikings.

The man smiled while shaking his head. "We shall see..."


Ha! Thought it was going to be love, at first sight, eh? Leave it to Sasuke to make things complicated -nod nod- Hopefully, their next encounter isn't as violent.