DISCLAIMER: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N
Trying out the retelling of folktales concept for myself. This is based on The Princess Frog (Tsarevna Lyagushka), a story I'd grown up with. Of course, I've taken liberties.
If you like this trend/idea, feel free to PM me with requests for retelling of other stories. If I can work with it I'll make it happen and credit you 😊
Hope you like this!
Princess Slug
Once upon a time, many centuries ago, when the world was still ravaged by war there existed a single clan in what we now call the Land of Fire. This clan rose from fire and lightening, wielding deadly eyes and contended for the title of strongest against the legendary Senju. The clan was called 'Uchiha' and they were led by a mighty shinobi named Madara. There was none in the clan who could contend with the lord in his prime, and very few had the slightest chance of surviving him even in his later days.
It was during his last years that Lord Madara began to worry for the future. The Uchiha had yet to gain indisputable supremacy over neighboring clans but the old man, undefeated in battle and unconquered in life, began to feel that his death was drawing near. He had no children of his own, but he adopted the son of his dead brother and watched the man's sons keenly as they grew. Even though neither of the three boys was quite worthy in his eyes, Madara had long known that one of them will have to rise up and take his place as leader – but, since none rose naturally, he'd determined the grand occurrence will be done while he still lived, and on his terms.
Lord Madara summoned his three grandsons and prepared to kick the gears of fate into action. Three young men, black-haired and black-eyed, hurriedly answered his call, stumbling into his hall in the order of their birth. They knelt before his cushioned seat, two pressed their foreheads to the ground in reverence, but the eldest only bowed his head, as was his right.
"Go to the Valley of the End," Lord Madara rasped in his weakened voice, "arm your bows and let loose one chakra-bound arrow each. Follow its trail. Whoever picks up your arrow, she is your destined wife."
Though the command was unusual and didn't make much sense, the three young warriors set out on their way without complaint and followed Lord Madara's will, as they always did. He was their grandfather and teacher, their trust in him was absolute to the point each would've cut out his eyes and sacrificed them for the elder. The three ran without stopping to the Valley of the End, which sat on the outskirts of a large forest overlooking a great waterfall. It was a place of history, commemorating a great battle between the Uchiha and the Senju, the place where Madara and his long standing rival Hashirama had once fought to a draw and eventually signed the neutrality agreement between their two clans.
The eldest grandson, Uchiha Shisui, armed his bow, shot his arrow to the west and followed it to a large shinobi town. He found his arrow in the hands of a ninja clan's heiress, a beautiful, white-eyed woman several years younger than himself. After a lengthy negotiation, the agreement of her patriarch was given and the two set out on their way. Shisui returned home to the Uchiha Clan first and was welcomed by loud cheers, for he brought with him not only beauty, but the secret techniques of the powerful Hyuuga and a de-facto peace treaty with the formidable family.
The middle grandson, Uchiha Itachi, armed his bow long after Shisui disappeared from sight, and shot his arrow to the east. He tracked its path for close to three days until, finally, he came upon the border of Wind Country where he met his own destined wife: a blonde warrior with a pretty face and fierce character. After defeating her in combat, for she would not come peacefully, Itachi led his soon-to-be wife back to the Uchiha Clan's territory. He, too, was welcomed by deafening applause. His wife was a daughter of the leading family from the eastern desert, and her own brother was to be the next ruler of that vast land. Itachi had brought back a guaranteed alliance, trade agreements and fresh, new blood.
The youngest grandson, Uchiha Sasuke, armed his bow last, when both his brothers were far gone, and shot his arrow to the south. This arrow led him far past the borders of Fire Country and into the desolate shores of Whirlwind. Once a flourishing empire, the chain of islands lay in ruin and waste for many decades, its remains overrun by the wild nature. While his older siblings were settling in with their brides, Sasuke hiked through rock shores and slimy coasts, following the trail of his arrow into the depths of a foreign land, long abandoned by mankind after a horrible and destructive war. On the eve of the tenth day, Sasuke reached a desolate swamp at the centre of which bloomed a single pink lotus. This flower was large, beautiful, possessed a healthy glow and was the first sign of life Sasuke had seen in days. Inside this lotus lived a slug, its white body covered with light green splotches, and surrounded by a faint glow.
"Welcome, young Lord," the slug greeted in a voice like bells. "What brings you to my swamp?"
"I am searching for my arrow," Sasuke replied testily. "It will lead me to my destined wife."
"Then search no more, brave Lord," the slug moved slowly to the left and revealed Sasuke's arrow covered in its slime, laying innocently underneath its body. "For I will be your wife."
With the fear of disobeying his grandfather embedded deep into his bones, Sasuke put his indignation and disgust aside, swallowed his Uchiha pride, scooped up both arrow and slug, and began his long journey back home without a word. Unlike his brothers before him, Sasuke was welcomed by the bewildered silence of his family and people. They'd expected a human woman, someone of standing and talents, that would bring good fortune and strength into the Uchiha clan – not a slimy slug.
"I wonder what children you'll have, eh, baby brother," Shisui teased with an open smirk during the wedding banquet. His pretty Hyuuga wife chastised him with a frown and offered Sasuke a consoling look, which did nothing to ease his shame. Itachi's supporting hand on his shoulder and his eastern bride's badly hidden sniggers only worsened Sasuke's mood. Still, he said nothing and proceeded with the wedding as planned, treating the little slug gently and with respect, as expected of a proper gentleman, the way his own mother raised him.
Two days later, encouraged by the restlessness of the clansmen and his own curiosity, Lord Madara summoned his three grandsons before him once again.
"Let us test the quality of the brides you've brought back, hmm?" he grumbled at the young men. "First, let them write up a coded message. We'll see if they can guard the secrets of our clan!"
Sasuke returned to his house and went straight into his room to mope about his bad luck. Much to his consternation, the bedroom wasn't as empty as he'd hoped. The slug was waiting for him inside, perched on a special platform of moss and greens, to keep her comfortable.
"What bothers you, dear husband?" the slug asked softly.
"Our grandfather wishes to test our wives," Sasuke said bitterly. "He orders you to write a coded message that he can't break, to see if you can guard the secrets of the clan. How can a slug write? You have no arms!"
"Do not think on it further, my Lord," The slug assured, "go to sleep. When you wake tomorrow, you'll see your worries become lesser."
With a heavy heart and heavy mind, Sasuke took the slug's advice. His sleep was deep but not restful, filled with dreams of failure and shame. When he woke the next morning the slug was gone, but on his table was a rolled up scroll and next to it a note in careful calligraphy, declaring it the requested code for Lord Madara. Doubtful of its quality but resigned to his fate, Sasuke took up the scroll and went to greet his grandfather along with his brothers.
The members of the Uchiha clan attended fully, tightly packed into the Leader's hall and standing on tiptoes to observe the test. Quiet murmurs filled the room, people shoved and squirmed, all excited and curious about how the three new additions of the family would fare against the grumpy leader who never seemed satisfied with anything. Several sharingan eyes flashed, their owners intent of preserving this moment of shame or glory forever.
As the eldest, Shisui presented his wife's code first, grinning smugly and proudly, while she stood shyly behind him, blushing to the roots of her hair.
"Outdated," Lord Madara deadpanned dryly, after barely glancing at the piece of paper. "Bland and boring. As expected of a breeding mare."
Shisui huffed in indignation and hurried to console his mortified wife, loudly assuring her that she was neither a mare nor only meant for breeding.
Itachi presented his wife's work next, as graceful and detached as always. His wife, for her part, looked equally uninterested in what was going on, leaning on a wall and sharpening a small kunai.
"Passable," Lord Madara grunted after reading her code with a frown, "but it lacks innovation. I take it you're the repetitive type, then?"
Itachi blinked at their grandfather in surprise while his wife snorted, entirely unaffected by Lord Madara's sharp tongue. For a brief moment the old man seemed amused, as it was no secret he'd always demanded and expected most of Itachi, the genius of the generation, but then his eyes sought out his youngest grandson and regained their stern countenance.
Sasuke approached without a word, his expression as grim as always. He climbed the steps to the dais carefully and hesitantly handed Lord Madara the rolled up scroll his slug wife left behind. Lord Madara opened the paper, sniffed and started reading. The minutes ticked by on the clock and Lord Madara still read on, the permanent frown between his eyebrows slowly lessening until, after nearly half an hour, they rose up in wonder.
"This is pure genius," Lord Madara said in surprise, and the whole hall silenced. "I cannot crack it! Magnificent work!"
Sasuke's own eyebrows raised in bewilderment at that.
"You're not supposed to do your wife's work for her, little Sasuke," Shisui chastised sternly.
"This isn't Sasuke's work, brat," Lord Madara snapped, "I'd know. Learn to lose to your betters!"
"Yes, grandfather," Shisui muttered, properly chastised but not pleased about it. "Apologies to your slug wife, brother."
Sasuke nodded dumbly, still amazed by the outcome.
"Interesting as this turned out, I have another test," Lord Madara continued on and everybody hearkened to listen to his orders. "My back ails me. Prepare a remedy. The healers of our clan should have all that you might need."
Once more Sasuke made his way back home in a desolate mood, quite sure that tomorrow it will be his turn to fail as his brothers did today. Sasuke laid down on his veranda and sighed heavily, wondering at how he came to be this way, when his slug wife's voice reached his ears.
"What ails you, beloved husband?"
"You did well for today," Sasuke said quietly. "But Lord Madara was not appeased. He requests medicine for his back to be presented tomorrow. How can a slug mix together herbs when so many can be dangerous to you?!"
"Do not think on it further, my Lord," The slug murmured, "go to sleep. When you wake tomorrow, you'll see your worries become lesser."
Once again Sasuke went to sleep and woke to find his slug wife gone. This time it left behind a beautiful box of white jade, and inside it a pearlescent ointment that smelled faintly of fresh medicinal herbs. Beside the box was a note with instructions, written in the same careful calligraphy as the note from yesterday. Feeling a bit more confident in his slug wife's miraculous abilities, Sasuke took the fruits of her labor with him and hurried to Lord Madara's reception hall.
As before, Shisui's wife went first. Her famed Byakugan eyes activated before the bewildered crowd of Uchiha and she positioned herself behind Lord Madara. With a few precise strikes, a loud crack echoed around the hall and Lord Madara let out a heavy, relieved sigh.
"Acceptable," Lord Madara said. "But you only relieved the symptoms temporarily. Already, I feel my old bones stiffening again."
The woman, whose name Sasuke hadn't bothered to learn, bowed respectfully and descended the dais.
Itachi's blonde wife came forward, carrying a tray bearing a pot of tea. It smelled pleasant enough, and she poured it expertly before handing the steaming brew to Lord Madara. The old man sniffed at it suspiciously, stirred his cup and took a sip. As soon as the scalding liquid touched his tongue, he spat it out with a wild cough and waved Itachi's startled wife away, completely disgusted.
"Stay away from the kitchens, woman," Lord Madara advised tersely. "Now, you, Sasuke. What has your miracle slug prepared for me today?"
"An ointment, honorable grandfather," Sasuke presented his slug wife's work to Lord Madara with a bow and read the instruction from the note aloud. "From what information the clan healers could give, the ailment stems from an injured tendon on your Lordship's back. This ointment will assist in healing the damage and easing the pain, but it is encouraged that you to consider a more invasive treatment trough a surgical procedure, should the symptoms return."
"Oho!" Lord Madara laughed gleefully and pocketed the ointment with much enthusiasm. "Spoken like a master of the medical arts! And where is your slug wife, Sasuke?"
"The climate is too hot for it, my Lord," Sasuke replied politely, though in truth he didn't know its whereabouts.
"Well, she'll have to brave it tomorrow!" Lord Madara harrumphed loudly. "Tomorrow, we shall test the three wives for how well they can defend this clan! It will be a battle of shinobi arts!"
Sasuke stared in horror for a moment and then hurried back towards his home, confident that this time no miracle could help him. For what can a slug do in combat, especially against a human?
"Woe be upon us, wife," Sasuke said sadly as he entered the house and found his slug wife waiting for him by the door. He picked up her small slimy body and sighed. "I fear that tomorrow you will surely die."
"What ails you, dearest husband?" the slug asked curiously. "Was the ointment not to Lord Madara's liking?"
"Your ointment was well received," Sasuke shook his head. "But now Lord Madara commands you to do battle against my brothers' wives. How could you, a little slug, win against the heiress of the Byakugan and a seasoned warrior from the desert?"
"Do not think on it further, my Lord," The slug assured, "go to sleep. When you wake tomorrow, go see Lord Madara. I will follow you later. Should they wonder at my lateness, tell them your little slug must prepare for the occasion."
"But what can you do?" Sasuke asked in despair.
"Worry not, my husband," The slug whispered, "I promise you'll see your worries become lesser."
As he'd done twice before, Sasuke listened to the words of his slug wife and went to sleep. In the morning he woke, and found nothing left for him this time, though the slug was gone. With desperation in his throat but resignation in his heart, the young man dragged his feet towards Lord Madara's personal training grounds, where the fight will take place.
"There he is!" Shisui laughed when Sasuke walked in. "What, no wife? You're wise to admit defeat so early! A simple slug can't beat out the Byaugan!"
"Hush, husband!" his wife cautioned but Shisui only laughed louder.
"Where is your slug wife, brother?" Itachi asked curiously.
"Hiding out, if she's smart," his wife drawled. "Is she smart, then?"
"Smarter than you," Sasuke said sharply, "twice over."
The woman huffed in indignation and walked away. Itachi sent Sasuke one disappointed look and followed after her, but Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to care. Even if the slug were doomed to die today, even if it were only an animal, it was his wife and it had proven to be good to him so far. His honor dictated that he protect it as best he could.
"Where is your wife, Sasuke?" Lord Madara demanded impatiently, "we should begin."
"My little slug must prepare for the occasion, honored grandfather," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "It will be late."
Lord Madara hummed and stood from his seat. He looked like a frail old man, with his wrinkled face and white hair, but underneath the rust he was still a great warrior. The greatest the Uchiha clan had ever produced. Evidently, he meant to test the wives himself, and not pit them against each other, as Sasuke had thought. Quite suddenly, Shisui didn't look as smug and Itachi showed a flicker of worry in his eyes as well. Only Sasuke was unaffected – his own wife wasn't there, and he'd already digested the thought of the little slug dying.
Shisui's bride was defeated roughly and easily, followed by Itachi's wife collapsing under the strain of Lord Madara's sharingan. He showed them no mercy and didn't hesitate to land a damaging strike. As the two dazed women were tended to by their pale husbands, Lord Madara turned to Sasuke.
"Well?" he demanded, "where is your slug wife, boy?"
As soon as he said the words, something tinkled from the entrance to the training grounds and all heads turned to look. A young woman walked confidently inside without hesitation and came to stand by Sasuke's side. She had impossibly pink hair, much like the blooming sakura trees of springtime, and the front of it was held back by a silver clip with little bells. Her eyes were round and very green, her lids painted a luminescent silver similar to the color of Sasuke's slug wife's flesh. On her forehead was a purple rhombus and her lips were painted in a matching shade, as were her nails. She was fair skinned and lithe, dressed in short shinobi gear that revealed toned arms and long, firm legs.
She was beautiful.
"Lord Madara," the woman spoke with the bell-like voice of his slug wife, and Sasuke felt his heart stutter at the realisation. "I am glad my code and ointment pleased you. I apologize for not handing them in person."
"My, my," Lord Madara cackled, as everybody present stared with wide eyes and gaping mouths. "What a pretty little thing you turned out to be! But can you fight, hmm?"
"Test me, My Lord," Sasuke's wife said with a teasing smile.
Lord Madara tested her. Unlike the other brides, Sasuke's wife didn't attempt to dodge the first punch. Instead, she caught Lord Madara's fist in her small hand and flipped him over her head, as if he weighed nothing, and into the ground by her feet. With a loud crash, the ground caved in, creating a deep crater that annihilated most of the training area. People jumped back from the destruction and gaped at the display of monstrous strength. The pink haired beauty blinked innocently at Lord Madara, who sat in the crater but was evidently unharmed, and looked back at her with open awe.
"Child," Lord Madara said, "you are a blessing to our clan."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"Now, help an old man up and tell him how you did this!"
As his family rushed forward and converged around his wife, Sasuke hastily retreated from the crowded training grounds and ran back to his home. He barged in, ignored the ominously silent halls and rushed through the many rooms and gardens, searching for something unknown. Finally, when he entered his private bath, Sasuke found what he was looking for: slimy and jiggling, silvery and almost sheer, slug flesh laid out on the moist floor to keep in good form. Without stopping to think about it, Sasuke pulled on his chakra and unleashed a current of flames onto the offending thing, burning it to nothing.
As soon as he was done an airy gasp filled his ears, followed by the desolate voice of his slug wife.
"Oh, what have you done, my husband?" she called out, "why could you not wait? Why did you not trust in me awhile longer? On the next full moon my curse would've been broken, and I could've remained your wife for the duration of our life! Now I have lost this chance, and I must leave you, my beloved."
"No," Sasuke denied, "you are my wife. I will find you and bring you home!"
"You cannot."
"I am Uchiha Sasuke, I can."
"Then look for me in the northern mountains," his wife's voice sounded far and frail now, and Sasuke could barely make out the words. "At the Twilight Castle of the Monster Snake. Remember! The Twilight Castle of the Monster Snake!"
"The Twilight Castle of the Monster Snake," Sasuke repeated and hurriedly rushed out of the house he'd only just entered. "Wait for me, my wife. I will not fail!"
"I don't get it," Naruto complained. "Why'd the slug lady go away?"
"She was cursed, Naruto," Sakura said through gritted teeth. "She didn't have a choice."
"But! That's such a lame ending, 'ttebayo!"
"The story isn't over yet," Iruka-sensei reassured the gaggle of children who were learning to read with the aid of fairy tales. "There's still the young warrior's quest and his battle against the Monster Snake."
"Well, why'd you stop then?" Ino huffed. "Read it!"
"Yeah!" Kiba hollered. "We wanna know!"
"Not today," Iruka-sensei said. "Now it's time for shinobi history."
"Aw, man," Shikamaru wailed, "troublesome."
"Does he succeed?" Sasuke asked suddenly, speaking for the first time that day and drawing everybody's attention. "The warrior."
"Hmm?" Iruka-sensei raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What do you think, Sasuke?"
Sasuke thought about it, a serious frown marring his face. Iruka-sensei didn't miss the way his dark eyes quickly darted towards the pink-haired Sakura, who was staring at him curiously. He also didn't miss the way the little Uchiha's ears turned red.
"Definitely," Sasuke said stubbornly. "He'll definitely succeed."
'Ah,' Iruka-sensei tried his best not to snort. 'preschool love. Can't wait till their hormones kick in. It'll be hilarious.'