Ninja In Arcadia

by Mumei Mu

There is a new kid on the block...And he can do crazy ninja-like stuff! Jim really can't believe his eyes when he watch the new kid hopping around the goblins while making clones of himself, it's good thing he's a trollhunter or he'll have to check himself into a funny farm. "Awesome-sauce!" Toby grinned up to Jim, "Naruto is a freckin' ninja! What's next? Alien? That'll be cool!"

3. Ninja In Trollmarket

Thank you for the reviews and feedbacks.

Some questions won't be answered to avoid the spoilers and if I miss some questions, sorry!

Most characters might be OOC and there might be some grammar errors but I'm trying my best.

Enjoy the second chapter of NIA!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and Tales of Arcadia or anything mentioned in this story.

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Chapter 2: Ninja In Trollmarket

---

"So you're telling me trolls are real and you're the trollhunter that help the said trolls in a place called Trollmarket while battling the evil trolls that come from Darklands?" Naruto arched his eyebrow at Jim with blank face as the brunette and the chubby teenager chained their bikes to the rack.

"Yeah, I get it if you don't be…" Jim sighed.

"Oh, ok." The blonde shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "I believe you."

"…Huh?" The brunette blinked rapidly together with his best friend.

"You take it pretty well than we thought…" Toby muttered.

"Hey, I have chakra that let me do whatever ninja do and I beat these little green monsters, goblin you call them, regularly for years so why would I think you're crazy with all troll stuff?" Naruto said, the boys told him that they saw him using kage bunshin when they were revealing their trollhunter life to him.

"…Well, now you're putting it that way…" The chubby teenager muttered before he realize something, "Wait…You fought goblins before? For years?"

"Yup, but not the green one." The blonde replied, "I fought white goblins and blue goblins." He always find it strange that he encountered the goblins daily when he lived in Japan but he don't look in horse's mouth because they help him with his chakra training.

"White and blue…?" Jim mumbled weirdly

"…Oh, no." Toby noticed someone in the distance, "Dillweed, five o'clock." They turned to see Steve with his lackeys.

"Lake, Jumbo." Steve jested with loser sign and he knock Toby's helmet as he walked by them.

"They fixed your tooth." The brunette retorted, "Now, all they gotta do is fix your face."

"What did you just say?" The bully glared as he walked backward, "When I get you alone, payback's coming." He clenched his fist then flick it open, "Pooh!"

"Um, don't he mean poof?" Naruto asked as they looked at each other before they head inside. The bell rang by the time they reach their history class and they hear some gossip near their sides.

"I heard he was run out of town by the mob." Mary said to Darci.

"I heard he got a mail-order bride and moved to North Korea." Darci said back.

"As if." The Asian-American girl lightly scoffed before she turn her head to the boys, "Where do you think Mr. Strickler went, Jimmy-Jam? You should know. You were his fave."

"Who, me?" Jim chuckled slightly nervously, "Oh, um…I don't know. He probably just needed a vacation."

"You really think Strickler might come back?" Toby leaned closer to whisper to his best friend worriedly.

"After what went down, he'd be a fool to ever show his face again." The brunette scowled slightly.

"So when are we saving my brother?" Claire push her chair up to Jim's desk with a soft whisper.

"Claire, we can't just waltz into the Darklands." Jim replied.

"We just saved the trolls by keeping Killahead Bridge closed." The chubby teenager leaned in, "Imagine what they'll do to us if they find out we want to open it."

"Guys, this is my brother and Notenrique's driving me nuts." She muttered, "You know how many times I have to change him? He knows how to use the toilet. He chooses the diaper."

"I get it." The brunette said, "We'll get him back. We just can't risk releasing Gunmar."

"Admit it, you're going back on your word." Claire narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not." Jim said.

"You are." She huffed.

"I know it's not my place to say…" Naruto looked between them, "But I don't think it's good idea to be hasty." The girl's eyes snapped widened, she don't know he was sitting next to her and she just exposed the secret! "I mean, Jim here had a huge fight with Buller few days ago and we get no plan…"

"It's Bular." Toby corrected him.

"…Wait, he know?" Claire said to them as she glanced at the new kid.

"Yeah, just now." The chubby teenager replied, "And get that…He's a real ninja!"

"Wha…?" She looked very confused.

"Okay, if it make you feel any better, Blinky said we can bring you." Jim leaned closer to Claire.

"To Trollmarket?" Claire perked up at that, "Seriously? When? Are we going now?"

"After school." The brunette said, "But try not to let the whole world know."

"All right, butts in seats." Lawrence walked in, "You too, Nunez." He looked around with fists on his hip, "Since Strickler's a no-show, I'm subbin' in. We got some book-learnin' to do." He pressed himself against the wall, "Okay, people, who can tell me what happened in the year 1989? No, seriously, I don't remember. It was a crazy year." A crumbled ball hit him, "Really, Palchuk?"

---

The teenagers stand under the bridge as Jim give Claire a gem, "You ready?"

"If this helps me get my brother back, yeah, I'm ready." Claire stared at the wall.

"Just remember, saving Enrique is our little secret." Jim reminded her, "If any of them were to find out…"

"Don't worry, lips are sealed." She cut him off.

"Now, you're gonna want to start drawing a semi-circle." Toby started to draw until he notice that Claire have already draw on the wall, "Oh! You have it. Okay, never mind." The girl touch the wall and it crack in glowing blue light, crumbling away to open up a doorway.

"Wow." Claire stepped inside in awe.

"I'll say." Naruto followed her in with other boys and the stair appear in form of glowing crystals.

"The crystal staircase." She uttered, "This is more than I…I-I never would have…" She suddenly run down excitingly, followed by Naruto.

"Oh…Hold up a sec!" The chubby teenager shouted after them, "We need a few ground rules here, okay?" He quickly run ahead in front of them, "The locals are not friendly to outsiders. The first time we came here, Jim almost got killed." The teenagers ignored him as they head down before the chubby teenager turned to his best friend, "…You think they heard any of that?"

"Not a word." Jim replied, start running to try to catch up with them and the sighing chubby teenager follow suit. By the time Claire and Naruto reach the bottom, they were immediately greeted by the sight of Trollmarket.

"It's…" Claire said breathlessly.

"Bright?" Naruto inputted, "Shiny? Gem-ly?"

"It's beautiful." She finished before she shot the new kid a funny look, "And gem-ly? Really?"

"Welcome to Heartstone Trollmarket." The brunette appeared at their side and Claire take hold of his hand.

"This place is beyond…" Claire dragged Jim into the trollmarket, "It's beyond beyond! I want to live down here. Can I live down here?"

"Mm, yeah, no, I don't think so." Jim said, "I don't think that's a good id…"

"Last one to Trollmarket's a soggy noodle!" The blonde suddenly race to the village.

"You're on!" The girl chased, "And it's rotten egg!"

"Great…" The brunette tilted his head back with a groan.

In Trollmarket, the trolls grumble when they see two more humans run through the village and examine everything. "Is that a fleshbag?" A random troll asked. Claire wasn't looking where she was going until she bump into something big and the teenagers stop in front of two trolls that Jim and Toby had told them about.

"You're…" Claire giggled, "You're…"

"Aaarrrgghh." The large troll answered.

"Well, if it isn't the fair Claire and fearless Naruto." Blinky grinned, "We've been expecting you."

"Blinkous Galadrigal." She smiled widely as the said troll bow to them, "Jim told us you helped him face Draal and slay Bular. And that vespa! Best birthday ever. Your wisdom must rival that of the Venerable Bedehilde."

"You've read A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore?" The six-eyes troll gasped.

"Volumes one through fourty-seven." Claire smirked, "It took me a while to decipher the symbols. But once I got past the Fifth Declension, I started to get the hang of it." Blinky pick her up with laughter and he twirl her around.

"She read the book!" Blinky laughed, "She read the book!" He let her go and the exciting girl run off once again.

"She's a flower." Aaarrrgghh said.

"…Wait…" Toby realize something as he turned his head side to side, "Where's Naruto?" They realize the blonde was missing, "Naruto?"

"Yes?" Naruto suddenly appeared behind them, causing the boys to yelp out.

"Where did you go?" Jim asked.

"Nowhere." The blonde said before a shop near them explode in rain of slime and some trolls scream out. "Oh, Claire, wait up!" He jogged ahead and the group blinks few times before they follow him as Jim wonder what happened in this shop.

"Bagdwella's Fine Gifts!" Claire pointed things out, "Is that where Toby adopted the gnome? What's a Rotgut's? Is it food? Oh, is that the Troll pub?" The teenagers ran inside the pub.

"There goes the market." A random troll grunted out.

Vendel was sipping his drink until he hear a clapping behind him and he turn around to see Claire and Naruto before he spit his drink out. "Wha…" The elder stand up with widened eyes.

"You're Vendel, aren't you?" The girl with blue streak offered him her hand with a smile, "Claire Nunez."

"Yo, Naruto Nomura." Naruto merely lift his hand up in greeting.

"I am so humbled you've accepted me, the first human female in Trollmarket?" Claire said.

"No!" Vendel shouted, "I accepted a human Trollhunter and allowed the pudgy one to stay for moral support." Toby looked offended with hands on his stomach, "But this? A third? A fourth? It's an infestation!"

"Vendel, I, um…" Jim stepped up with a stammer, "I can ex…" Claire suddenly cut him off by speaking in foreign language and the elder troll look surprised.

"She speaks Troll." The elder gasped joyously before he take her hand in a handshake, "And Trollmarket is honored to have you two as well."

'Well, that was pretty easy since I don't do anything.' Naruto shrugged mentally as he receive a handshake from the elder.

"Oh, Blinkous!" Vendel approached the said troll, "If only the amulet had chosen such a learned and delightful fleshbag."

"Hey!" The trollhunter cried and the elder bid farewell to Claire before he leave the pub.

"You speak Troll?" Toby asked bewilderedly.

"Yes." Claire grinned, "Notenrique's been tutoring me."

"That was awesome, Claire." Jim gave her a high-five, "Vendel loves you and he hates everyone!"

"Mr. Blinky, Trollmarket is amazing and there's so many cool things." She approached the six-eyes troll, "But if it's okay, there's one thing I have to see."

"While you go see it, I'm gonna look around on my own." Naruto raised his hand up, figuring that Claire want to see Killahead Bridge for personal reason. He walk away as soon as he receive several nods, "Can't wait to see how the trolls react to pranks."

"…Wait, did he say prank?" Jim looked over his shoulder puzzlingly.

---

After few pranks and one traumatized troll, Naruto met up with Toby, Aaarrrgghh and Claire and they walk into a certain area. "Prepare yourself for the Sacred Grounds, where trollhunters are broken and remade into warriors." Toby grinned widely with few dramatic poses, "The Hero's Forge!"

"Kinda letdown." Naruto muttered.

"Yes, he's right. All this for one Trollhunter?" Claire looked around at the empty area.

"I mean, I train here, too, when we need to up our game, get ripped, maximize our squat cores." The chubby teenager stretched out, "You know, hero stuff."

"Whoa!" The girl suddenly walked past the chubby teenager when her gaze land on something ahead of them, "Is that Draal? Kanjigar's son?"

"In the flesh…Stone." Toby said, "Stone flesh."

"What's that statue he's making?" Claire asked.

"I do not make statues." Draal turned to them, "This is my father."

"Took a while to track down all his remains." The chubby teenager said, "Hate to be there when we have to rebuild Jim, right? What a mess."

"Now, that's wrong." Naruto replied.

"Yeah, I just grossed myself out." Toby agreed.

"You fight in an arena surrounded by the remains of dead Trollhunters?" She arched her eyebrow, "That is…" She turned to the boys with beaming grin, "The most heroic thing I've ever seen. Can we turn it on?"

"Turn what on?" The blonde asked.

"Maybe now's not the best time." The nervous chubby teenager chased after the running girl.

"…Why do I have a bad feeling about that?" Naruto scratched his head and few minutes later, he get his answer when the Hero's Forge's machines went haywire. The blonde quickly leap into action and use kage bunshin to catch his screaming friends, narrowly dodge the deathtrap few times.

"Wait, how do you do that?!" Claire cried out in shock as the clone carries her up to the top with few high jumps.

"I'm a ninja." The blonde clone grinned lopsidedly as if it's a simple answer.

"WHOA!" Toby gasped as Naruto stick to the wall on his feet while holding the chubby teenager, "Awesome! Can you teach me how to do it?!"

"Sorry, only I can use chakra." Naruto replied, his eyes dart at any traps that may come at them any moment.

"Aww." The chubby teenager pouted.

"Guys!" Jim appeared with Blinky.

"We're fine!" Claire called out.

"I swear, I didn't touch anything!" Toby cried out.

"How do we turn it off?!" The blonde hollered before he jump over the swinging ax with screaming chubby teenager.

"The controls!" Draal charge into the lever with his might, "This blasted arm!"

"There's a manual kill switch inside the Soothscryer!" Blinky pointed to the said podium on top of the pillar, "Go, master Jim!" The trollhunter don his armor as he leap into the death course and run upward to the center pillar, dodging the swinging blades and few traps on the way. Jim hurriedly climb up the gaps of the pillar until he reach the top and he draw his sword as he get closer to the podium, stabling it into the ground to boost himself up then he shove his hands inside the mouth of Soothscryer. The arena return to normal and Naruto drop onto the ground with Toby and Claire.

"You two okay?" Naruto asked them.

"Yeah, we're good." Claire blew out, "Is this normal?"

"Nothing's normal around here." Toby replied, "Get used to it, sister."

"I don't know about that." The blonde said, "In your view, it's not normal but in others' view, it's normal."

"What, no…" The chubby teenager paused, "…Well…" The glowering light catches their attentions as Soothscryer glowering brightly.

"It's calling to him, at last." Blinky clasped his hands before the light blind them and they can hear Jim screaming out then the light die down.

"Jim? Jim? Jim?" Toby called out worriedly.

"No Jim." The giant troll shook his head.

"What do you mean, 'No Jim'?" The girl with blue streak threw her hand up, "There was definitely a Jim."

"He has been summoned." Blinky smiled.

"To where?" Naruto asked.

"In the Void." The six-eyes troll answered, "Where he will speak to the other trollhunters."

"What do you mean, he's in the void?" Claire said, "The Void sounds like a very empty word. A bad word."

"Yeah." Toby agreed, "And are these happy ghosts we're talking about here, or soul-sucking poltergeists?"

"…Wait, ghosts are real?!" The blonde's eyes widened in horror.

"What's the matter?" The girl with blue streak looked to him, "Afraid of ghosts?"

"Big time." Naruto had a cold sweat, "How can you fight something that you can't touch?"

"They will not suck his soul." Blinky replied, "They will merely peer into it. He is now under the spiritual guidance of master trollhunters."

"Ghost guidance counselors?" The chubby teenager crossed his arms with a whine, "Jim gets all the cool stuff." Suddenly, the blue light form behind them and they back away before Jim appear, dropping onto his rear with a grunt. "Hey!" They jogged up to him, "You're back from the other side, dude!"

"Wow!" Claire grinned, "So trolls, ninja and ghosts exist. What's next? A Midsummer Night's Dream? Fairies?"

"Aliens?" Naruto added.

"Fairies?" Blinky scoffed, "Preposterous! Fairies lost the war to the pixies centuries ago." He turned to Jim, "What did they say?"

"They said they won't stop us." Jim said.

"What would my father stop you from?" Draal asked.

"From going into the Darklands." The trollhunter answered, "But if we're going in, they said the only way we're getting out alive is if we kill Gunmar. And with Strickler gone, maybe we have a chance." The group discuss a bit until Blinky told them to go home for a rest and come back tomorrow to start the research.

"Hey, since we get nothing to do right now, is it cool if I train here?" Naruto gestured to the arena, "I want to test the limit of my chakra and create more jutsu."

"Wait, you don't know the limit of your power?" Jim looked at him strangely.

"My kaa-san forbid me from training with my chakra because she doesn't want me to, in her word, raze everything to ground with jutsu." The blonde chuckled lightly, "I only know kage bunshin and use chakra to walk up wall and on ceiling so far." He tapped his chin, "I'm kinda curious if I can replicate some cool jutsu from a old anime show I used to watch."

"…Um, sure, if you want to." The trollhunter blinked, "It's open to everyone."

"Great!" Naruto grinned widely, "See you tomorrow!" He jogged toward the arena and do a little warm-up…Which is decking it out with his clones.

"How interesting." Blinky tapped his chin at the sight, "I'm unawake that he know magic."

"…Is it a magic?" Toby questioned, wondering if chakra and magic are same or different. The group leaves few minutes after watching the ninja training and Naruto perform some random handseals to test something out.

"…And add this one…" Naruto set a final handseal before he exhaust sharply, a powerful gust knock dusts up. "…Oh man, I was trying to go for fire breath!" He accidentally learns a wind jutsu instead of fire jutsu. "Let's see…What if I change the last handseal…"

---

The mascot dance to the applauding students in gym as Lawrence shouted into his microphone, "Give me an A! Give me an R! Give me a C!" He shake his head slightly, "This is taking way too long. Give me an 'adia'!" The students chat confusingly, "What's that spell?!" There was a silence before he scoffed, "Arcadia!" The mascot pop up in front of him with jazz hands as the students cheered before the coach push the mascot out of the way, "Go Moles! Go, Moles!" He put hands behind his back, "Before we begin, I have a few announcements."

"And his eye is glowing." Jim told Toby and Naruto about his dream but they weren't listen to him, "And then, the dream just keeps reminding me that I'm completely way out of my league. Right?" He looked to them, "Tobes. Naruto."

"Who is that masked mole?" Toby whispered, "You ever wonder?"

"When is coach gonna mention it?" Naruto muttered to himself.

"You didn't hear a word I said just then, did you?" The brunette asked.

"Sure, I did." The chubby teenager said, "You had no problems sneaking into the Darklands when it was to save Claire's brother, but now that Kanjigar says you've got to face Gunmar, you're having nightmares about him and are freaking out that you're way out of your league. I can multi-task, Jimbo."

"What he said." The blonde muttered, "That and you told us three times already."

"…It's Bill Aronstein." Jim gestured to the dancing mascot.

"Bill moved to Wisconsin." Toby reminded him, "This is someone else's artistry. Someone with feminine wiles."

"What?" The brunette looked at him ridiculously, "What feminine wiles? How do you even know that it's a girl under there?"

"Uh, trust me, dude." The chubby teenager stared dreamily, "I know women, and that is all woman under there." The mascot stumbles backward and bump into the coach.

"Hey!" Lawrence groaned, "All right, mole, that's enough!" He pushed the mascot toward another side, "Go back into your burrow or whatever!" He fixed his hat then take a glance at his clipboard, "Okay. Principal Levit has taken ill with the flu. He's asked me to handle announcing the students the faculty's nominated for the year-end Spring Fling King and Queen. The nominees are…Shannon Longhannon! I'll pronounce it soon, Shannon. Darci Scott! The third and final nominee is…Mary Wang!" The nominated girls cheered, "And now, for the boys…Steve Palchuck!"

"That's right, plebes!" Steve stood up with loud voice as he posed cocky, "Obvious!"

"I know, yeah." The coach rolled his eyes, "Get over here, Steve. Eli Pepperjack!" Some students booed, "Hey, no booing!"

"I have friends!" Eli cheered.

"You're worrying too much about Gunmar." Toby patted Jim's back, "Relax, dude. Now that the play's over, you can focus on your training full time. Learn some cool new moves, master some deadly arts."

"And finally, Jim Lake Junior." Lawrence announced.

"That's you!" The chubby teenager jumped up as he nudged his best friend and some students cheered.

"What?!" Jim dropped his jaw.

"Guess it's not gonna be full time then." Naruto looked at him.

"Our nominees will complete in a series of challenges to win your votes." The coach explained, "Each nominee will propose a theme for the dance." He grabbed the stand with some dance move, "I like disco! I've got to boogie! That is all." He glanced at the clipboard, "Oh, one more thing…" He hardened his glance at the student body, "Whoever spike the coffee pot with mega laxative, not cool! Whoever did it, please come to the office and confess!" He walked away, "Ugh, I can feel it coming…"

"How am I gonna find time to…?" The brunette held his head down, never notice that Naruto was laughing his head off.

"That's not what's important, Jimbo!" Toby picked him up, "Here's what is! You've got a chance to be king of the school! You know what that means?" He gasped, "That would make me duke." He hopped onto a bench with a cheer, "Jim Lake for Spring King!"

"But you know it'll cut Jim's training time, right?" Naruto glanced to the chubby teenager, trying to stop his laughter.

"Oh." The chubby teenager realized.

---

"How long do you think he'll go on for?" Naruto asked Claire and Toby as they sit in Blinky's room with books and they were watching the six-eyes troll pace back and forth with rapid mumble.

"But if I consult Gringold's Grimore, cross-reference it with Axle's Forbidden Almanac…" Blinky poked a page in his book, "Of course, it's there! It's true!" He laughed.

"How long's he been like this?" Jim appeared with Aaarrrgghh.

"Long time." Aaarrrgghh replied.

"Maybe you should switch to decaf." The trollhunter turned to Blinky.

"According to legend, only one scholar, the Dishonorable Bodus, uncovered a method of wounding Gunmar." The six-eyes troll read the book with one finger up.

"The trollhunters just told me there wasn't any way." Jim blinked, "How do you do it?"

"No one knows." Blinky replied, "Gunmar had Bodus and his students hunted down and dispatched in a most unpleasant manner." He smacked the book, "But here, this book, the Final Testament of Bodus…" He snapped it closed, "This is the last surviving copy of his work! This is the key!" His face becomes blank, "And I'm going to burn it." Everyone gasp at that.

"Long time." Aaarrrgghh uttered before the six-eyes troll set the book on fire.

"Blinky, no!" The trollhunter tried to put the fire out but the six-eyes troll block him, "What are you doing? That book might tell us the…"

"Bodus was being hunted!" The six-eyes troll explained, "He knew he had to keep it secret!" He quickly block everyone, "Burn, baby, burn!" Claire suddenly throw blanket over it, "No, don't!"

"Did Blinky just destroy our only chance at getting Gunmar?" Toby ran over as the girl pull the blanket away to reveal a pile of ashes.

"Or my baby brother!" Claire yelled.

"You don't understand." Blinky pushed himself in between them, "Bodus hid the secret within the book. Watch." He blew the ashes away to reveal flaming runes craving into the table.

"It's a message." Claire gasped.

"Aha!" The six-eyes troll grinned proudly, "I am so glad that worked."

"What does it say?" Jim approached the table.

"In darkest tide, when Daylight darest wane, the Myrddin Wylt obscured a Shadow's bane." Blinky read the message out loud.

"What's a Myrddin Wench?" The chubby teenager asked.

"It's an ancient name for Merlin." Claire answered, "Shouldn't someone be taking a picture of this or something?"

"Three forces elemental thou must seek." Blinky continued, "In marshland, caverns deep, and mountain's peak. Where worthy perish, ye will prevail in night and eclipse all who quarry with thy might."

"Anyone else freaked out a little bit by this evil perish poem?" Toby asked.

"No." Jim said, "It said we can prevail! We can win! He hid a Shadow's bane."

"Gunmar's bane?" Aaarrrgghh grunted.

"It's referencing a weapon of insurmountable power, formed by three forces unhallowed…" Blinky walked up to the bookshelves as he take few books out, "Of course! It must be the Triumbric Stones! Three shards of legend tied to Gunmar's lifeblood, lost to the ages. If we seek out these stones…"

"We can kill Gunmar!" The trollhunter gasped, "Blinky, you madman, you did it!"

"We make the weapon and wham!" Toby pumped his fist, "Gunmar is done-mar!"

"Caution." The giant troll uttered with a concern.

"Indeed!" The six-eyes troll agreed, "The Triumbric Stones have been hidden for centuries, but if I can decipher this text, master Jim, then you shall…"

"Eclipse all who quarry with thy might." Claire finished his sentence and everyone look at each other before Naruto groan, causing them to look at him.

"Don't tell me we're hitting the books again?" Naruto begged.

"We're hitting the books." The girl with blue streak smirked and the ninja groan again.

"You can use the arena now since I'm not using it right now." Jim chuckled.

"Alright, I'm out!" Naruto rushed out to the Hero's Forge.

---

"Jim, this is what you're wearing?" Toby glanced up and down his friend's appearance the next day as everyone walk to the gym.

"I wear this every day, Tobes." Jim replied, "What else would I be wearing?"

"New clothes?" Naruto scratched his head, "Wait…Does all American wear same outfits every day or is it just you guys?"

"Um…" The trollhunter opened and closed his mouth few times before he close it with a pause, he never notice that…

"Your costume!" Toby cut his friend's thought off with finger jabbed up to the brunette's nose before he take a deep breath, "In a few minutes, you're selling everyone your theme for the school dance."

"Tobes, look, I'd love to be Spring King." Jim said as they take seats on the benches, "Who wouldn't?"

"Me." The blonde raised his hand.

"Beside you, Naruto." The trollhunter deadpanned before he turn to his best friend, "But I'm just a little preoccupied right now with not getting killed."

"There are fates worse than death, Jimbo." The chubby teenager said firmly before he almost trip over with a yelp, only to pull back by his best friend. "In high school, anyway." He get up, "This is our chance to get the school to finally recognize how cool we are."

"We?" Jim arched his eyebrow at him.

"If you become Spring King, it'll open up a whole new bracket of women." Toby become excited, "I'm talking cheerleaders, senior cheerleaders…" He gasped, "Dare I dream? Community college dropouts." He hopped across the gap to another bench, "If you don't want to do it for us, Jimbo, do it for me and Naruto…"

"Wait, why me?" Naruto looked to the chubby teenager, "I'm not even interested in start a relationship yet…"

"Do it for me." The chubby teenager corrected himself, "I've always felt like I was destined to be a duke."

"Fine." Jim sighed, "I'll try to throw some kind of costume together, okay?"

"Thank you." Toby gave him a double thumb-up, "And put some effort into it." The brunette roll his eyes as he leave the gym.

"…You think he'll show up in his armor?" Naruto sat down with the chubby teenager.

"Oh, I hope not." The chubby teenager shook his head, "That'll be lazy effort."

"Attention, students!" Lawrence tapped the microphone as PA loudspeaker rang, "The assembly will begin in two minutes! Move it!" More students appear and they don't have to wait longer before Steve stride up to the center cocky in Hawaiian shirt. "And now, for the boys, Steve Palachuck!"

"Arcadia Oaks High, I have two words for you." Steve chanted, "Luau! Luau! Luau!" The student body look like they were about to join but…

"That's one word, genius!" Naruto hollered out and everyone laughed.

"SHUT UP, YOU…" The bully growled before he hear the coach coughing, "…Pineapples! Leis! Coconuts!"

"Thanks, Palchuck." The coach facepalm with a sigh.

"Hey, boys, where's Jim?" Claire joined them.

"Oh, he's just throwing together a last-minute costume and theme." Toby shrugged, "No big deal."

"What is he thinking?" She dropped her jaw with widened eyes, "These things take time. You don't just win Spring Fling by throwing something together." She looked up, "Why do I care about this so much?"

"Because it matters, Claire!" The chubby teenager shook her shoulders, "This is the kind of event that can propel us through high school and send us off to college as winners!"

"Um, I thought in college, no one care about your high school life?" Naruto said.

"Shhhh, Naruto." Toby shushed him.

"And now, Eli Pepperjack." Lawrence announced and Eli send the boombox across the floor before he walk up to the microphone sheepishly, the retro music start to play then Eli perform a clingy dance.

"Oh, my god!" A random girl shrieked in horror.

"Awkward." Another girl muttered.

"Hey, the e…" The new kid was about to make a joke before he stop himself, "No, that's sad…Too sad."

"What's up, righteous dudes and dudettes?" Eli said, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters! Let's take a blast to the past! Back to ancient times. The 1980s!"

"Waaaay too sad." Naruto muttered, "I think I won't prank this fella for the rest of school years."

"…Prank?" Claire looked to him with a raised eyebrow before her eyes widened as she realize something, "Naruto, are you the one that have been pulling pranks left and right?!"

"That mean you're the one behind the crazy day!" Toby gasped in mixed of awe and shock.

"I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement in whatever you think I am involved in." The new kid lift a straw up.

"Boo!" Steve shouted at Eli, "Go back to the luau gu…" A spitball flew into his mouth and he drop on his knees with hands on his neck, coughing roughly with dry retching noise.

"Bulleyes." Naruto snickered, ignoring the staring from his friends.

"Mr. Lake?" Lawrence looked around, "Anybody seen Mr. Lake? Well, I guess you forfeit…" Both Claire and Toby ran over to stop him.

"Hey, there!" Claire snatched the microphone from the coach.

"Jim will be here." Toby waved his hands.

"We're his opening act." She giggled nervously.

"Who wants to see some magic?" The chubby teenager pulled a dirty sock out and there was deadly silence.

"James Lake?" The coach snatched the microphone back, "Lake, are you here?"

"Okay, that's gonna work…" Toby stuffed the sock into his hand before he open them to reveal empty air, "Oh, my gosh! It worked! Wait, where'd the sock go?"

"Oh, say, can you see?" Claire sing.

"That is like watching a boat going down." Naruto shook his head and a random student want to correct him on the saying but he decide not to.

"Alright, alright, gimme that." Lawrence take the microphone back again, "Jim Lake is disquali…" They heard the doors swing opened roughly and everyone turn to see Jim in mud.

"What the heck is that?" Toby asked himself as the dirty brunette walked up to them.

"What's going on?" The coach crossed his arms.

"Looks like you've been digging in the dirt, Lake." Steve mocked, "What the heck are you supposed to be?"

"He looks like a mole!" Eli said and everyone start to cheer.

"Mole! Mole! Mole!" Everyone chanted.

"No, no, no!" Jim waved his hand, "I'm not a mole! I'm just…"

"Jim Lake Junior…" Toby took the microphone as he appeared at his friend's side, "Here to present his theme…Mole Mania!" The student body cheered loudly and the mascot slide in with some dance moves.

"Mole Mania is not even a…" Steve shouted, only to have another spitball fly into his mouth and he drop down once again with another rough coughs.

"The people have spoken." Claire took the microphone with a hand on her hip as she grinned, "Jim is the winner!"

"Oh, apparently, Claire's the queen." Lawrence snatched the microphone, god, this microphone sure change hands a lot in one day. "But, yes, Jim wins the challenge! Mole Mania is the theme, but if I see one drop of mud on my gymnasium floor…Just dress like normal! At any rate…" He cleared his throat, "There has been a sudden departure. I have heard word that Principal Levit has taken an indefinite leave of absence. We wish him well. But he sent an e-mail recommending an interim replacement, which we all support. Please welcome Principal Strickler!" He gestured to Strickler as the said person walk out from the shadow and most students mumble to each other.

"I'm very glad to be back and exited to get started." Strickler smiled before his smile become a smirk, "But let it be known, with me in charge, things are going to change."

The trollhunter team trade a look with each other, unsure what to do with their returning enemy.

---

"The teeth tear and chew, grinding the food into paste before it's swallowed." Lawrence looked to the slideshow as the class listen, it have been barely a day since Strickler's return. "Then, it travels down the wind pipe…I mean, esophagus."

"So the reason you were late and covered in dirt was because you were fighting a mud monster?" Claire leaned closer to whisper to the boys.

"And without me?" Naruto said, "Do you have any idea how badly I want to go all out on someone? So many jutsu to test out on…"

"While there was some gnarly troll watching you?" Toby said, "Talk about creepy."

"I know." Jim twisted his torso slightly to face them, "It was like he was studying me."

"To the guts, where the juices break it down into a bubbling nasty soup." It look like the coach decide to go 'fuck it' and lecture in his own words.

"What are you gonna do?" She asked.

I don't know." The trollhunter shrugged with a headshake, "I haven't figured that out yet."

"So after it weaves through this mess, it come out the old…" Lawrence stammered with few coughs, "You know…The back door."

"Coach?" Steve raised his hand up, "Yeah, thank you. Don't mean to 'butt' in, but I'd like to 'gas' a question? Hey, poo's laughing?"

"Watch it, Palchuk!" The coach pointed with a warn, it's good thing that no one was laughing at Steve's poor humor. "This is serious."

"Hey, why don't you shut your hole, Steve?" Jim said before he smack his forehead with a groan.

"Oh, that's it!" Lawrence frowned, "That's it, jokers! Both of you, principal's office, now!" The two leave the class, "…Alright, back to it." He change the slideshow, "Next, when you drink…."

---

"I should have pulled Daylight on him right then and there." Jim remove his helmet with a grumble as the teenagers meet up under the bridge.

"Steve would've gone bananas." Claire crossed her arms with a joking smirk.

"Or shit himself there." Naruto snickered.

"It's probably good you waited." Toby said, "I imagine murdering your principal looks pretty bad on your college application."

"I'll just have to wait and get him alone." The trollhunter dug inside his bag to take a stone out before Claire sharply turn around with a gasp, "What's wrong?"

"…I just got a weird feeling." She said after listening to crows cawing.

"I have those all the time, it's usually after the school lunch." The chubby teenager said.

"I don't think it's the same thing." The blonde said as Jim draw the gate and the girl open it, no one notice a black eyeball roll up into the trollhunter's bag.

"Come on." Jim pick his bag up as they walk inside, "Blinky said he had something urgent he wanted to tell us." They head straight down to the six-eyes troll's room.

"I've spent nights poring over the legend of the stones, decoding its hidden meanings." Blinky tapped the thick book after he cleared everything off the table, "Endless, sleepless nights."

"The Triumbric Stones." The trollhunter leaned on table, "You found something?"

"At first, I combed every library for insights, but there is nothing written." The six-eyes troll said, "Rumors say they are tied to Gunmar's life force. So I searched for stones that would have a significance to his past…"

Aaarrrgghh place books on table, "Birthstone."

"indeed." Blinky steeped his hands, "Such as Gunmar's Birthstone."

"Why is it so powerful?" Jim asked.

"Long ago, trolls lived underground, blissfully unaware of humankind above." The six-eyes troll explained, "Inevitably, our worlds collided. Trolls and humans each wanted the world as their own and fought for it." He showed them the picture from the book, "Blood was shed, and our First Heartstone rotted from within. And from it, Gunmar was born."

"Birthstone, okay." The trollhunter straightened up, "Where would we find that?"

"Birthstone gone." The giant troll glanced over his shoulder.

"It was plundered before any good could come from it." Blinky replied, "But then I remembered this passage. Three forces Elemental thou must seek in marshland, caverns deep, and mountain's peak. Which is elusive, but the clue…"

"Is hidden in the final stanza…" Claire cut him off with a realization, "Mountain's peak. It's so obvious! The stone is hidden in a mountain!" Everyone stare at her, "Sorry. I'm a riddle dork."

"…I don't get it." Naruto scratched his head.

"Me too." Toby agreed with a nod.

"Gatto's Keep!" The six-eyes troll lift the book up to show them a picture of a mountain, "Deep in the realm of the Volcanic Trolls is a vault of the greatest treasures untold. Treasures too powerful for the underworld to possess. Treasures kept locked up by Gatto himself. Treasures like…"

"The Birthstone." Jim cut him off this time.

"So this Gatto has the stone that will help us get Enrique back?" The girl with blue streak looked up.

"If I could just finish a thought…" Blinky said annoyingly.

"When do we leave?" Toby cut him off, "Wait, this sounds like a quest." He threw his arms around the teenagers' shoulders, "This is a quest! Guys, we're going on our first official trollhunter quest!"

"Pack your bags." The six-eyes troll roll his eyes with a sigh, "There's more to see in this world than you know."

"Oh, my!" The chubby teenager squealed, "Trollhunter quest!"

"Quick question." Naruto expanded his index finger up, "If something goes south, can I get the first crack?"

"Yeah, you can." Jim chuckled.

---

After a quick packing, the trollhunter team follow the trolls to somewhere. "Whoa." Toby uttered, "You've never taken us this far before."

"Because out here, Tobias, there is no protection." Blinky said as they walked into a narrow path, "Beyond the barriers of Trollmarket lie unforgiving realms, ripe with lawlessness." They reach a door, "Aha! We're here. Did everyone come prepared?"

"Yeah, I've got my flashlight, horngazel, amulet…" The trollhunter opened his bag.

"I've got a first-aid kit, matches…" Claire said.

"And I got tacos!" Toby waved the said food, "Extra spicy!" They looked at him, "What? I get hungry on quests."

"I've got wires, smoke balls, gas and knives." Naruto pulled out an hunting knife, "A lot of knives…" He stared at the knife with a pause before his head turn to the team, "Quick question…How tough is troll's skin?"

"How in the world do you get this much?" She widened her eyes at the knives in his bag.

"From store." The ninja replied, "I'm amazing that your American stores don't limit how many one can buy."

"What's wrong, wingman?" Toby asked the giant rroll after heard him groan.

"Hate gyre." Aaarrrgghh groaned.

"What's a gyre?" The chubby teenager asked.

"Come with me and prepare to be amazed." The six-eyes troll beckoned them over.

"Seriously?" Jim looked to his best friend, "You brought tacos?"

"I brought enough for everyone!" Toby defended and the brunette roll his eyes as he draw the door, opening it in process. They enter a large room and they barely look around when the floor flip over with some whirring noise to reveal some kind of gyre ride. "That's the coolest troll-y trolley I've ever seen!" The chubby teenager ran up to it with some stammer.

"Gyre." The giant troll shivered.

"Yes." Blinky grinned, "A gyre. Our kind's quickest form of transportation." They climb onboard, "For the last two hundred years, trolls have used the vast network of subterranean sewers to get to any part of the world in record time!"

"Wait, Gatto isn't in Arcadia?" Jim questioned.

"Of course not." The six-eyes troll chuckled as the gyre start up, "He lives under what you humans call Argentina."

"Argentina!" Claire gaped, "That's a whole other continent, Blinky! How long is it going to take to get there?"

"Less time than you think." Blinky said over his shoulder, "Let's burn some tunnel!" He smash a button and the ride zoom into the tunnel at mach speed as everyone screamed and only Blinky and Naruto laugh their heads off, enjoying the speedy ride. Everyone nearly launch forward when the gyre come to a sudden stop. "A new record!" The six-eyes troll step off first with a laughter, "You see? Was that so bad?"

"That was fun!" Naruto stepped off with a chuckle and Toby suddenly run past them to vomit.

"Yes." Jim stumbled out with Claire, "Yes, it was."

"Hate gyre." Aaarrrgghh loomed over Blinky with narrowed eyes.

"Gross, Toby." Claire groaned in disgust.

"Out of curiosity, have either of you ever met this Gatto?" The trollhunter asked, climbing up the stairs with the team.

"Um, no, master Jim." Blinky lift his index finger up, "In fact, I've done everything in my power to avoid him. Very few ever return from his keep. So…"

"Stay close." The giant troll grunted.

"Agh, it's so hot!" Toby sweated, "Why is it so hot?" They were greeted by sight of mine and lava.

"Because we're in a volcano, aren't we?" The girl with blue streak said.

"Welcome to Ojos del Salado, the home of Gatto." The six-eyes troll announced.

"Ojos del Salado?" Toby raised his eyebrow, "Well, that's not gonna be good for my mobile plan." They approached two masked troll gatekeepers.

"Uh, you there, we would most graciously request an audience with Gatto." Blinky called out nervously and the gatekeepers turn with a grunt before one of them point to the top of slacking scaffolds. "Thank you, kind friend." The team starts to climb up the scaffolds and it took some time to get to the top.

"Finally!" The chubby teenager panted heavily before he look around at what appear to be empty, "Are you serious? Okay, where's Gatto? They said he'd be here." He huffed furiously, "Gatto's a real butt-snack." Everything rumble.

"Who has awakened Gatto?" The rumbling voice echoed.

"Oh, no!" Toby gulped as the team look around for the source, "Holy sheesh-kebob! I am so sorry I called you a butt-snack." Jim pulled his amulet out.

"A human trollhunter?" The voice chuckled, "How interesting." They turn around to see a giant magma face, "How unique. To what do I owe this pleasure?" It was none other than Gatto.

"We've…" Jim cleared his throat, "Sorry, we've come for…" He paused when a red troll wheel up a pile of rocks before Gatto swipe the troll inside his mouth with a slurp.

"Agh!" Toby yelped out frighteningly, "Did he just eat a troll?"

"You must excuse me." Gatto smacked his mouth, "I never talk business without something to eat. Go on."

"We need…" The trollhunter stammered, "We need the Birthstone."

"The Birthstone of Gunmar." The colossal troll laughed, "Very powerful. Why should I give it to you?"

"Because we are going to destroy him." Jim answered with determination.

"Why do I care?" Gatto laughed again, "Why should I give it to you?"

"He's negotiating, master Jim!" Blinky shouted over the roaring wind.

"What do you want for it?" The trollhunter asked.

"An answer to a little riddle." The colossal troll smirked.

"That's all?" Toby chuckled lightly, "Whew. I thought Claire was a goner." That cause the said girl to whip her head to him with stoic expression and widened eyes.

"Answer it correctly, the Birthstone is yours." Gatto said, "Answer it incorrectly, I eat you all."

"Eat?" Claire whispered, "Did he say eat?"

"Yup." Naruto nodded.

"Yes, humans." The colossal troll licked his lips, "I hear they have a gamey taste."

"Master Jim, we must not enter into this binding agreement." Blinky whispered nervously to the trollhunter as Toby faint behind them, "I'm beginning to catch on why so few trolls ever leave this domicile."

"We'll play." Jim replied and Blinky froze as the chubby teenager gasp loudly. "We need it to save Claire's brother and, besides, she's good at riddles."

"Not 'bet-our-lives' good!" Claire hissed.

"You're a straight-A student!" The trollhunter said.

"When do we go to riddles class?" She huffed.

"Ah, I am savvy with words." Blinky appeared behind them before he face the giant troll, "Gatto, do your worst. Riddle away."

"What begins and has no end, and ends all that which begins?" Gatto riddled.

"…I have absolutely no idea." The six-eyes troll muttered in daze, "Those words mean nothing. Indecipherable."

"Everyone, start thinking." Jim encountered everyone, "We can do this!" Everyone think deeply.

"Ten more seconds!" Gatto spoke.

"You didn't tell us we're on the clock!" Blinky shouted.

"Wait, I got it!" Jim was about to answer, "The answer is…"

"Is it death?" Naruto asked and there was a pause.

"No, Na…" The trollhunter gasped.

"T-T-That is correct." The colossal troll was stunned, "The answer is death."

"How do you know it?" Claire asked, she got the answer few seconds before.

"I'll tell you later." He whispered quietly.

"No one has ever answered that before." Gatto glared at the cheering team, "And lived to tell about it."

"No!" Jim gasped as the masked trolls appear with their weapons and the colossal troll laugh wickedly.

"You were never going to give it to us!" Blinky glared, "You horde treasures only to lure those into your literal trap!"

"Oh, come now." Gatto spoke as the masked trolls pushed them toward the giant troll's widening mouth, "A mountain has to eat, you know."

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" Jim summoned his armor before he smash the sword on ground to push some trolls back.

"Alright, first crack!" Naruto quickly deliver a high kick to a masked troll's jaw, sending his opponent's head flying backward along with its body over the cliff.

"What do we do now?" Claire asked Jim as the trollhunter keep the masked trolls at bay with his sword.

"I don't wanna be food!" Toby cried out as a masked troll push him and Blinky closer to Gatto's mouth and the team don't react in time when both Blinky and Toby fall inside Gatto's mouth, the giant troll closed its mouth right away.

"Wingman!" Aaarrrgghh charged to Gatto, "Blinky!" He punched Gatto's jaw over and over.

"He ate them!" Jim shouted over his shoulders.

"They still could be alive!" Claire hollered as she wrestled with the masked troll over a axe before she release it, the axe fling up to the troll's face and slip out of its grip. "Coach Lawrence told us how long it takes to digest something, or someone." She pick up the axe to jab the end at the masked troll's face.

"And they may come out in another way if they're bold!" Naruto threw some hunting knives at few trolls, which appear to have no effect on them.

"That doesn't make it better!" The trollhunter retorted.

"Must leave!" Aaarrrgghh growled and Claire stab Gatto's tongue with an ax before the brute scoop the teenagers up, running from the chasing masked trolls.

"They're okay!" Jim said after few minutes, holding his phone out as they race down the scaffolds.

"Wingman, Blinky, okay?" The brute troll asked.

"Yeah, they say they're going for the Birthstone, and they're gonna try to find a way out!" Jim showed them the text, barely notice that Aaarrrgghh toss a ladder over the cliff with a screaming masked troll. "Good! You're alive! Happy face!" He texted.

"Tell them to meet at the gate!" Claire said as the team knock some masked trolls away.

"And take the ass route!" Naruto joked.

"I'm not telling them that, Naruto." Jim can't help but to deadpan at him, "There must be another way." They continue to go down a little more, "They found the Birthstone!" The brute picked the teenagers up then he leap down few floors with hard thuds until they reach the ground and they run for it. "Meet you at the gyre! Send!"

"Jim!" The girl with blue streak warned, "Watch out!" The team stop when a giant hand slam down in front of them then it lift up and they follow the arm to see it was Gatto's arm. The team quickly run under the hand and a random masked troll was unlucky when it come down on the creature. They race faster and Gatto bellow at them.

"Where did the rest of the trolls go that was here?" Claire questioned when they reach a certain area before the magma geysers rise from both sides.

"I think they knew this place was gonna blow." The trollhunter said before his phone chime, "Okay, Toby says they're gonna go out the back door. What's the back door?" He paused, "Oh…"

"Ha, told you!" Naruto grinned cheekily.

"There they are!" She pointed as soon as Toby and Blinky exit a certain hole on a stone stab, following by streaming of lava. Everyone quickly run toward the gate and they hurriedly start the gyre as the lava flooding in.

"Leave it to me!" Blinky mashed the buttons and jiggling the levers, "You infernal piece of…Agh-hh! Aaarrrgghh!"

"Hate gyre!" The giant troll toss the outer wheel up to spin it before he jump inside and the six-eyes troll hit the button with a scream, the gyre took off in time to avoid the lava.

---

Toby place the Birthstone on table in Blinky's room with a hum. "Never in my wildest dreams did I dare think I would ever see such a sight." Blinky said as everyone gathered around the stone.

"I'm never gonna look at food the same way again." Toby muttered.

"And I learn that some trolls shit lava." Naruto added.

"Indeed." The six-eyes troll said, "We were all quite the intrepid heroes today but a special accolade to you, brave Naruto, master of riddles."

"Yeah, it was a team effort." Claire agreed before she look to the ninja, "How do you know the answer?"

"I googled it." The ninja lift his smartphone up with a foxy grin and everyone stare at him blankly. "What? There's no rule about using tech."

"…Beside, we have two more stones to find." The girl turn away with a headshake, "The next ones might not be so easy."

"Easy?" The chubby teenager muttered, "We were eaten!" He moved over to put his hand on top shoulder of Blinky, "I'm pretty sure I was technically digested and then…"

"Tobias!" Blinky stop him, "The less said about our escape, the better. Gorgus forbid we are remembered for that in the history." He sneezed with a heavy breath.

"That was almost grosser than…" Toby snickered, waving hand in front of his nose.

"Don't say it!" The six-eyes troll glared.

"You okay, Blinky?" Jim asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine." Blinky sighed, "Seems I may have been allergic to something in Gatto's belly." He waved his hands, "But nothing a good night's rest won't fix." He sneezed again with a loud fart and a troll waiter walk by with a plate.

"Ooh! Are these salty niblets?" Toby chased after it.

"What happened to never eating again?" The brunette chuckled lightly.

"This is troll food, not human food." The chubby teenager replied, "There's a difference." He ate some foods, "Not horrible. Mmm!" The teenagers laughed.

"Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Naruto get up as they turn to him, "There's some ramen waiting for me at home."

"Yeah, we should getting going now." Jim agreed and the teenagers bid farewell to their troll companions for the night.

---

The next day, Naruto walk to Jim's house with Claire and Toby. "Did you guys get text from Jim?" Naruto asked them as they walk around to the back door, "About Blinky being a human?"

"We'll find out." Claire jogged inside, "Is it true? Is it really true?"

"We came as soon as we…" Toby halt himself when the teenagers see Jim's mother, "Oh, hi, Dr. L." The teenagers' gaze shift to a man between Barbara and Jim and they recognize this man to be Blinky.

"So it is true." The girl with blue streak uttered before she quickly come up with a excuse, "Um, you really can get to here from school in under ten minutes."

"Awesome sauce!" The chubby teenager walked up to Blinky with outstretching hands before he feel the man's face up to Barbara's bewilder and the teenagers cringed at Toby's dumb action. Something catch Claire's gaze from her side and she look over to see Notenrique opening the fridge door with a shiver before he drop down, causing the girl to run into the kitchen with a gasp.

"Uh, I was just introducing my mother to Mr. Blinky, our guidance counselor." Jim stopped Toby.

"Yo, Blinky-san." Naruto raised his hand up to greet the said person.

"Nice to meet you." Toby offered his hand but…

"Good to see you again." Claire appeared to elbowed the chubby teenager, holding Notenrique in human form.

"Huh?" Barbara stared confusingly at the baby in the girl's arm, "Is he…?"

"Do you mind if we borrow your son and Mr. Blinky?" The girl turned to her with a sweet smile.

"We're burning sunlight, Dr. L." The chubby teenager grinned, "You know what I mean?"

"Oh, yes, of course." The doctor smiled, "Go." She see them out before she stop her son, "Honey, did Claire come in with that baby?"

"No, he just walked in here on his own and he asked for a ride." Jim joked, "Come on, mom." He quickly give her a peck on cheek and he join the group as Claire take a look around to make sure it's clear before she toss the baby behind the bush.

"Come on!" Claire glared down at the changeling, "Hurry home before mom and dad notice you're gone."

"It's good thing it's not your real brother or you'll be in big trouble for chucking a baby." Naruto snickered at the sight and the girl send him a light glare.

"So, what now, Blink?" Toby asked, "It's your big day!"

"There's only so much time and so much to do." Blinky rubbed his hands, "I can brunch. I can picnic in the park. Sunbathe at the beach. And dare I say, boogie board." He jumped backward onto a car, "And, oh, my Gorgus! I can get behind the wheel of an automobile!"

"Well, the day is almost over, but I think I know just the place." Claire approached the group with fists on her hip and big smile.

---

"Almost here." Jim said to Blinky as they hike up the large hill through the woods.

"Who voted for hiking?" The panting chubby teenager complained from behind, "I thought we were supposed to be doing cool outdoor activities."

"Hiking's a cool outdoor activity." Naruto grinned lopsidedly.

"Since when?" Toby wheezed, starting following the group.

"Looks like someone had a party." Claire commented after seeing the litters on ground and they were surrounding by few dumpsters.

"It's…" Blinky picked a empty wine bottle up, "Charming?" He give it a sniffle.

"No, she means this." Jim turned the man around to show him the sunset.

"Doesn't get any better than this." She smiled, watching Blinky walk toward the sight in awe.

"It's breathtaking." Blinky almost walk off the cliff but Jim pull him back, "Words cannot describe."

"Did this guy almost walk off the cliff?" Naruto turned to the girl then to Toby, "Did he?"

"Yes."

"Oh, yeah."

"Ah…" The blonde turned to stare at Blinky and Jim standing together in front of sunset, "You think we should get a leash for him, just in case?"

"Like a child leash?" Toby tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"No, that will be too weird." Claire deadpanned at them.

"If only Aaarrrgghh could be here, too." Blinky turned to them, "I'm so anxious to tell him about all of our adventures. Thank you, master Jim." He placed hand on his chest, "Today was a day I will never forget." He hummed, "But if I am to be honest, I have to wonder how many days this will last. And this skin…" He feel his face up, "I am still uncomfortable in it."

"Welcome to being a teenager." The chubby teenager said.

"Don't worry, Blink." Jim approached him again with the teenagers, "Maybe now I can be the one who helps train you." The group take a moment to savor the sunset before Naruto turn to them.

"I'll be going." Naruto said, "Get a part-time job to do."

"You have a part time job?" The brunette turned to him with a blink.

"Yup, just a short one for few days." The blonde gave them a wave as he walk back to the town, "See you guys later."

"Bye, Naruto!" Toby waved back with the others, planning to stick around.

Little did they know is that they will be soon attacked by Angor Rot and his golems.

---

"I should have been there." Naruto gritted his teeth in regret, "If I don't go to my part time job, I should have…"

"It's not your fault, Naruto." Jim put his hand on the blonde's shoulder as they walk in school, "We have no way of knowing that Strickler's creepy pal attacking us and if you were there, it won't change anything. So don't blame yourself for this one."

"But still." The blonde exhaled sharply, "If I ever meet this guy, I'm gonna punch his face in."

"Oh, get in the line." The trollhunter chuckled lightly before he try to change the topic to take Naruto's mind off from yesterday, "Oh, hey, how are you on your…" He tried to remember the word, "Jutsu? Get anything news?"

"Ah, yeah, I sure create a lot of jutsu like henge and kawarimi…" Naruto paused, "Although I don't know where the log come from."

"Oh, is that why I kept seeing a lot of logs in Hero's Forge?" Jim questioned.

"Yeah, but that's not the weird thing…" The blonde muttered, "Somehow I create a jutsu that make my hair grow a bit and shoot needles from it." That earns a biggest 'wtf' look from the trollhunter until they spot Toby talking to Mary.

"Mary, can we be real for a moment?" Toby wiggled his eyebrows as he leaned against the locker on one hand, "A woman like you deserves anything she wants. And what you want is me, as your date to the Spring Fling. It's okay, you don't even have to ask."

"I'd rather choke to death." Mary slammed her locker closed then put her headphone on before she notice Jim and Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, want to be my date for Spring Fling?"

"No, sorry." Naruto gave her a light smile, "Not interested in dating at the moment."

"Mm, your loss." She shrugged, that is not her first time getting rejected for something and she heard that the blonde have turn down several girls and one boy, who thought he must be gay until Naruto told him that he's straight in a polite way. "If you need a date, you know where to find me."

"Mmm, Darcy…" Toby approached Darci, haven't notice his friends nearly. Jim glance over and his eyes met Claire's eyes, the girl tuck hair behind her ear shyly. The trollhunter gave her a clumsy wave and she return it with her wave. Naruto was about to tease him until Toby bang his forehead on lockers in front of them. "Well, I've asked out every single girl."

"They all said no?" Jim said.

"Of course not." The chubby teenager sighed, "I got a few 'as if'. A couple 'not in a million years'. One actually gagged. I took that as a 'not interested'."

"No slaps or 'fuck off'?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, I do get some of that." Toby replied.

"You actually asked out every girl in school?" The trollhunter was shocked.

"Nope!" The chubby teenager smirked, "Saved Claire for you, buddy. I didn't wanna promblock you."

"You mean cockblock, right?" The blonde said and the boys blushed at the word.

"…Thanks." Jim said to Toby before his best friend throw his arm around him, pulling him in.

"You haven't asked her yet, have you?" Toby asked.

"I'm working up to it, okay." The brunette muttered.

"Oh, is that what they're calling wussing out?" The chubby teenager teased.

"Yup, he's being a chicken." Naruto threw in.

"Hey, I'm just waiting for my moment." Jim muttered.

"That's what they call wussing out these days, Wussy!" Toby said.

"Bawk, bawk, bawk!" The blonde teased together with the chubby teenager until…

"They're correct, master Jim." Blinky lean in between them, causing the boys to gasp and they look around as the man put hand on his chest, "I spent the afternoon in the school library and you are, apparently, a popular topic of gossip."

"Blinky, what are you doing hanging out at our school?" Jim asked.

"Well, that's an interesting story." The man was about to explain.

"Wait, you said people are gossiping about Jim?" Toby crossed his arms.

"I don't hear much but the words 'wussing' and 'out' were frequently invoked." Blinky said.

"Why were you in the library of our school?" The trollhunter asked again.

"I exhausted all of Trollmarket's resources pertaining to the mysterious mark Angor Rot painted on your forehead." The man explained with a dramatic swing of his arm, "Then a thought occurred to me…What about the library in Arcadia Oaks High?"

"And?" The chubby teenager leaned closer with his friends.

"Sadly, all I learned was that master Jim is a wuss when it comes to the fairer sex." Blinky hanged his head.

"Oh, really?" Jim muttered with an arched eyebrow and the chubby teenager notice a mascot stride by.

"Look at that hypnotic bewitching allure of that swaying mole." Toby dusted his vest sweater, "Excuse me, seems I was wrong about asking out every non-Claire girl in school."

"Does he even know if a female is in fact, beneath that costume?" Blinky asked as the chubby teenager went off to talk to the mascot.

"I really don't think it matters." The trollhunter deadpanned.

"Maybe he's a furry?" Naruto said.

"What's a furry?" Jim raised his eyebrow and he decide to look it up on his phone before he quickly close it then stow it down his pocket, "…I regret every choices I made…"

"Hey, you!" They turned to see Lawrence pointing at Blinky, "You have a visitor's pass?"

"My dear sir, I dare say, my humanity is my pass." Blinky replied.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work." The brunette patted the man's shoulder, "You might wanna run."

"Why on earth would I…" The man barely speaks before the coach grabs him by collar then drag him off the school ground.

"Say, how come no one report him for hours?" Naruto bring up a good question.

"Maybe because no one care?" Jim shrugged his shoulders.

---

It was time for the trollhunter team to go on another quest to get the second stone, the Killstone. "If Wumpas don't let outsiders into their camp, how do we get the stone?" The trollhunter asked Blinky as they get on the gyre.

"Don't worry, master Jim!" Blinky grinned over his shoulder, "I already have a plan! It's rudimentary. If Quagawumps are hostile to outsiders, we'll need an insider! One of you is going to pretend to be the human reincarnation of the Shattered King! It's genius!"

"What?" Jim smacked his forehead with small headshake, "That's insane!"

"Which is kinda my plan!" Naruto grinned to the man, "That's genius!"

"Thank you, brave Naruto." The man laughed as the gyre took off, "You, Tobias, bear a most striking resemblance to their dead king."

"Me?" Toby squeaked.

"Yes." Blinky replied, "The Quagawumps are short and stout in stature. It'll be a role of a lifetime. Mostly because if they see past our little charade, the time of our lives will end." Three out of four teenagers gulped and the gyre halt suddenly. "Well, we better get a move on!"

"Is that a marshland?" Naruto glanced around the green area.

"Yes, it is." The man stepped off with the team and they walk through the wildness.

"This place is creepy." Claire said, "Where are we?"

"A place renowned for its vast swamps, theme parks and retirement communities." Blinky replied, "Florida!"

"Come on, your eminence." She glanced to the chubby teenager over her shoulder, "Your people await."

"I'm just saying…" Toby muttered as they hopped across few boulders in creek to get to another side, "I'm built to be a sidekick, you know? I'm not…" He yelped lightly, "Leading man material. I'm a wingman."

"Don't be a wuss." Jim chuckled, "Come on." They continue to walk until Aaarrrgghh stop them with a growl, his head rotating around with pounding fists on ground before a group of short green trolls come out from the bushes with chants. The trolls point their spears at the team.

"Mmm!" The lead troll inhaled, "Humans! A taste not common."

"Why are all trolls outside Trollmarket want to eat us on first slight?" Naruto said to himself.

"Toby?" Claire whispered.

"Okay." Toby stepped out with a nervous grin and the green trolls gasp in shock. "It is I, the Shower King!"

"Shattered." Blinky whispered.

"The Shattered King!" The chubby teenager said quickly, "Reincarnated as a human. Whoo-oo!"

"You're not a ghost." Jim whispered.

The leader walk closer to Toby with a harden expression as the creature circle him, "Gunmar kill you. You cannot be. Prove you are he." The green troll get in his face, "Show us great magics, god king." The wumpas chant with spears.

"Ahem…?" Toby glanced at the team, who just give him support in their own ways. "…Okay. All right, now. Stand back." The chanting wumpas stopped, "This one's not for the faint of heart." He lift his hands up, "Abara-cadabara, nothing up my sleeve-ara!" He perform the separating thumb trick and it earn some different reactions. The team gasped at a cheap trick and the trolls…

"He dismembered his hand and then rejoined his flesh and bone!" One of the green trolls pointed at the chubby teenager in awe and shock.

"His magic is so powerful!" The leader nodded, "Hi-yi-yi-yi!" The trolls lift Toby up in air and carry him like a king.

"Nice work, Tobes." Jim called out, "You are leading man material!"

---

"The lost king, returned!" The leader wumpa gestured to Toby as he carried in by the other trolls, following by his team and the wumpas celebrate the return of their king with dances near a large statue of Shattered King who appear to be similar to Toby in a way.

"Um, Blinky, quick question." Naruto whispered to the said man, "About the wumpas…What's their genders? I mean, how can I tell which is female, male or…?"

"Oh, the short Quagawumps are female and the large ones are male." Blinky answered, "You will know it when you see the male Quagawumps."

"Ok, um…" The ninja nodded to himself, not sure what he mean by the last part.

"I don't believe it." Jim stared at the statue.

"Neither do I." Claire agreed.

"Ugh, I know, right?" Toby said to them, "He doesn't even look anything like me." He suddenly yelp out when the wumpas toss him around as they examine him from head to toe. "Hey, watch your hand there. Ugh!"

"So handsome the king is." A wumpa giggled.

"That's what I keep telling the girls at school, but they weren't interested." The chubby teenager said before he get drop down.

"Who are these girls at school?" A wumpa narrowed her eyes as the trolls take up their spears, "We shall hunt them down, and make flutes out of their arms!"

"No, don't do that!" Toby get up with waving hands, "That's very kind of you, but not necessary." The bonfires lit up as the song play and the wumpas start to worship to the chubby teenager.

"A song of a Quagawump." Blinky bob his head to the music with Aaarrrgghh, "No outsider has ever heard such a rare delight."

"Catchy!" Aaarrrgghh said.

"Awesome sauce!" The chubby teenager cheered.

"This song is so beautiful." Claire clasped her hands together.

"Come." A wumpa approached the teenagers, "We feast."

"Oh! What's on the menu?" Jim asked.

"Outsider tried to sneak into camp last night." The green troll said, "Tonight, we eat its heart." They were bought to the grand tables and thankfully, there were some foods that the humans can eat.

"Ah!" Blinky grinned with wiggling fingers as a bowl placed in front of the team, "Fresh swamp maggots." He gobbled on them to Claire's disgust and she look over to see Naruto try it, saying it look and taste like a eel, then she turn to stare at Jim, who took a bite of the long maggot before he pass out.

"You alright there?" Naruto nudged the downed brunette with his foot and help him up to his feet as he glance to see Toby on throne talking to Blinky about something. "Fifty bucks say it all go to his head."

"Toby's not like that." Jim shook his head.

"So the bet's on?" He looked to him.

"You're on." The trollhunter rolled his eyes, it's not like his best friend will get a huge ego from that…Right?

---

"I can't believe it…" Jim sighed into his hand as Toby told the trolls a long story about himself and the team were half-sleeping. "The ego…"

"You owe me fifty bucks." Naruto offer a lazy smirk.

"No, it don't all go to his head." The trollhunter stand up to push himself through the crowd to Toby's side with Claire in tow. "Excuse me, god king?"

"Please, kneel." Toby smiled arrogantly, "It's protocol."

'Fuck, it went to his head!' Jim kneeled down, "What are you doing? I thought you were trying to get the stone."

"I'm their king, man." The chubby teenager replied, "They wanna hear stories. We can't just lie to them and bounce."

"The longer we stay here, the more likely we'll end up on the dinner plate." The trollhunter whispered.

"Fine." Toby huffed, "I'll ask for the stone, after you ask Claire to the dance!"

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"FINE!" Their argument was cut short when they hear some beating and they look up to see dancing wumpas.

"My king?" The leader kneeled after a quick spin, "After journey, what is song you bring?"

"Hmm…" The chubby teenager gulped, "Jim, song?" The brunette backed away from him, "Jim? He faced the wumpas with a gulp.

"Oh good, are we gonna fight?" Naruto grinned as the team looked nervous and his hope was dashed when Toby give them the dance that wumpas enjoy very much. "Oh, come on." He sit down to eat some foods with a grumble, he's just itching for a good old brawl. The ninja ignore Blinky giving Jim some advice about asking Claire out for a dance and the brunette finally go dancing with his crush. 'About time.' He rolled his eyes at Jim's bad dance.

"You're not going to join the dance, neither the Spring Fling dance?" Blinky asked the blonde.

"Nah, not my thing." The blonde shrugged his shoulders, "Beside, there's no girl that catch my eyes anyway."

"So far." The man said, "But you don't need a date to have fun, am I correct?"

"I know, but still." Naruto shrugged again before the music stop as everyone turn to watch Jim and Claire about to kiss but…

"What manner mischief this be?!" A giant green troll stomped up to them with a crown on its head.

"Oh, now I see it." The blonde muttered before he shout out, "COCKBLO…"

"Quiet, you reckless boy!" Blinky covered the ninja's mouth out of nervousness.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Toby stood up on the throne as he pointed at the giant green troll, "Who's this joker?"

"It is Blungo, the pretend king." The wumpa crossed her arms with a glare before she turn to the chubby teenager with a wide grin, "You fight him, eh?"

"Why humans here?" Blungo barked angrily.

"He is our true king." The wumpa gestured to the statue, "Returned!"

"What?" The giant green troll narrowed his eyes.

"Hi, Mr. Blungo." Toby laughed sheepishly before he yelp out as the giant troll pick him up with one hand.

"Shattered King cannot be." Blungo roared, "King was shatter-ed. King am I!"

"My favorite musical!" The chubby teenager giggled nervously.

"…What?" The giant green troll turn his head to him puzzlingly.

"It's like a play with singing." Toby explained before he scream when Blungo yell right into his face.

"Use your magic, my king!" The wumpa shouted, "Cast Blungo away you will!" The chubby teenager use detached thumb trick.

"Dismemberment amuse Blungo." The said troll laughed before he growl, "Now, I dismember you!"

"Oh, boy!" The chubby boy gulped, "Does anybody have a dove?" Blungo toss him up to hold him by legs then shook him up and down, "Hey, please don't kill me, Blungo. I'm not the king, okay?"

"Why you here?" Blungo demanded.

"I only made it up to get the stone." Toby confessed.

"But king you are not?" The leader wumpa said in shock.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." The chubby teenager apologized while Blungo kept shaking him as the wumpa shuffle away sadly, "We only came here for the…"

"Shake, shake, shake." Blungo jiggled the chubby human and Blinky notice something.

"The Killstone!" The man pointed to the stone within Blungo's crown.

"Put my friend down!" Jim demanded as the giant troll behind him prepares to attack.

"Or what?" The giant green troll scoffed.

"Or that!" Naruto suddenly appear on Blungo's shoulders as he yank the crown off the troll's head then jabbed fingers into his eyes, causing the giant troll to release Toby with a painful cry. "Got it!" The ninja quickly jumped off the blinded troll to help the chubby teenager up, ducking under Blungo's wild swinging arm as Jim don his armor on. Before they know it, Angor Rot come down from a black portal onto Blungo's back.

"Augh!" Blungo's slight was recovered in time for him to look into Angor's face, "Who you now?"

"Death." Angor grinned evilly before he plunge his green dagger in Blungo's back.

"W-What happening?" The giant green troll moaned out as his body turns stone.

"Angor Rot!" Jim spin his sword around then point it at the evil troll.

"Boora Nazulrah Char Sha!" The ancient troll thrust his hand out and the mark on the trollhunter's face light up before the sword flew out of his hands into Angor's hand.

"How did you do…?" The trollhunter looked at his hands in stun.

"Daylight is now mine to command!" Angor gloated and before Jim know it, two small blue light orbs shot from his chest then float down to his thighs, the armor start to glowing. Two curved daggers flew out from his legs into air, clicking with each other as it spin around.

"Sweet!" Aaarrrgghh nodded slightly.

"That's new!" Claire uttered.

"The Birthstone, he's unlocked his armor!" Blinky realized what's happening. Jim grab it then threw the new weapon toward the evil troll and Angor barely move as it flew past him. Angor give them a mocking smirk before the weapon flew back, breaking through Blungo's stone body, shattering it in process, and few have to dive out of the way as the weapon flew to Jim's hands.

"Yes!" Jim grinned.

"Smooth move." Claire said.

"Guys, do we fight or make a run for it back to the gyre?" Naruto asked, holding the crown while shielding Toby from possible attacks.

"The Killstone!" Angor spun around to glare deadly at the blonde and he leap forward to the teenagers, only to be blocked by Jim's daggers. They fight each other for a bit until Aaarrrgghh tackle the ancient troll, rolling across the field until Angor kick him up in air then vanish in portal as soon as Jim get closer and he look around until he spot the ancient troll up in the tree, jumping up to battle him once again as Aaarrrgghh join the battle once again.

"Be careful!" Blinky hollered as Naruto quickly brought Toby back to the team on ground, "His blade is poisoned with Creeper's Sun! One cut and you will be turned to stone!" The battle move farther.

"I'm gonna back them up!" Naruto said.

"No, you have to stay here and defend us from possible attacks!" Blinky replied hurriedly, "Without one of you three, we're defenseless as a newborn troll." The ninja frown to himself, as he hate to admit it, the man was right. Who know what Angor will do to break the trollhunter.

"Oh, no!" Toby noticed a stone tree crumbling down toward the leader wumpas and he race over to tackle the troll out of the way as the rubbles crash down. Naruto quickly race over to grab both of them then move back to the group, keeping his eyes on Angor. All of sudden, the ancient troll appear behind the ninja via portal with his black staff out and the evil troll was about to backhand him to get the Killstone but Naruto duck under his attack.

"Don't let him get away!" Jim raced toward them as Angor swat the charging wumpa and few others away. The ancient troll was about to retreat into the portal but Claire suddenly grab his staff before they fall inside the portal. "Claire!"

"SHIT!" Naruto attempted to dive into the portal, only to have it close on him as he crash across the ground. By the time he get up, Claire shot out from a portal as she hug the now-white staff. "Claire!"

"Claire, are you okay?" The team race over to her, checking on her.

"I…" Claire sit up with a heavy pant, "I'm fine."

"I'm glad you're okay and with us." Jim exhausted in relief.

"Indeed, the victory here was survival." Blinky smiled before he gasp at the staff in Claire's hand, "Shadowstaff! Very dangerous! Let me take that from you."

"No way!" She smirked smugly, "I'm keeping this."

"Guys, I know it's all good now but we need to get out of here in case if Rot-Face come back." Naruto reminded them and the teammates nod to him. They were able to make it back safely to gyre and it appear that the green trolls have somehow accept them. No one know that Aaarrrgghh have been cut under his armpit and he was keeping it secret from them.

---

In the Hero's Forge, Claire was training with her staff as she swing it around with loud grunts. "Ugh!" She shook the staff, "Why won't the shadow staff make a portal?"

"Slow down, young one." Draal placed his hand on her hand that hold the staff, "You must learn to empower the staff itself." He tapped his temple, "Focus, imbue it with your will. The stronger the emotions, the greater…"

"I don't get it." Toby practiced punches on Aaarrrgghh's palms, "Claire just joined the team, and she gets to handle the super-sweet, megamatic portal staff?" He faceplant when the giant troll lift his hand up, "Pfft! I've been by Jim's side since day one and what do I get?" He sighed, "At least Naruto don't get any sweet wea…" He trail off when he see Naruto threw kunai at the target practice one after one.

"Hey, Draal, thank for the kunais!" Naruto hollered over his shoulder, "And couple sweet daggers! Now I can have some weapons to use against enemy trolls beside my jutsu!"

"You're welcome." Draal said over his shoulder, focusing on aiding Claire in her training.

"Oh come on!" The chubby teenager groaned.

"Got me, wingman." Aaarrrgghh point to himself.

"Aw, buddy!" Toby waved his hand at him before he watch the only girl twirling her staff around and he decide to copy her action with mop…Which land in Aaarrrgghh's face.

"Why won't this thing work?" Claire grunted furiously as her staff become black and she shot a mini portal.

"She did it!" The giant troll grinned lopsidedly.

"Way to go, Claire!" Naruto threw a bulleye without looking back.

"No way!" The chubby teenager cried, "How did she do that?"

"Whoa!" She bounced up and down giddily, "I made a portal!" She tried to touch it but it vanish, "Did you see that?" The girl turned to Draal, "I made a portal!" She squealed, accidentally pointing the top part to Draal's face and the blue troll gently tap it down to ground as if it's a shotgun.

"Yeah, if we need to teleport an olive or a baby mouse." Toby approached the girl with a snort before he swing the mop, accidently hit Claire in face, "Oops!"

"What did you just say?" Claire doesn't like his tone.

"I said you have an awesome staff and you totally deserve it." The chubby teenager shouldered his mop, "Even through you almost lost the Killstone."

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Naruto turned around with narrowed eyes, "She never had the Killstone because I was holding it the whole time!"

"What he said." The girl with blue streak scoffed at the chubby teenager, "Which remind me, Mr. God King, you were the one in charge of getting the stone and you blew it!"

"Uh, should we stop them?" Aaarrrgghh asked Draal nervously.

"Uh…Nah." Draal replied, "This is the Forge. Let them spar."

"My money on Claire." Naruto crossed his arms with a snort as two teenagers clang their weapons against each other while arguing, "Toby's been an asshole today."

"And who are you calling newbie?!" Claire shouted as Jim returned from his meeting with trollhunters' ghosts.

"I've been eaten by a troll. What have you done?" Toby shouted.

"I've been keeping your butt alive!" She kicked the chubby teenager's rear, sending him eating the ground.

"Oh, yeah?" The chubby teenager swing the mop around, "Well, I've been there for Jim since the beginning." He threw the mop at Claire, which she duck under and the girl become enraged by his action as her staff gather energy.

"Get down!" Jim quickly tackle Toby down as the staff shot large portal near them.

"Oh, my gosh, Jim!" Claire dropped her staff in horror, "I-I didn't mean to!"

"Jim, she tried to kill me!" Toby blamed.

"Because you keep aggravating her in first place!" Naruto stepped in between them with a glare, "All because of your stupid envy!"

"Stop!" Jim shouted, "Enough! The council was right!"

"What did my father say?" Draal asked.

"He said that we need to step it up." The trollhunter answered, "And that's not just coming from him. That's coming from me, too. Our task ahead just got harder. If we want all the stones, the path now goes through Angor Rot. And we all know what that means. Even the council doesn't know to stop him. We all need to pull our weight and that goes for me, too. That means more training, work harder…"

"I'll do whatever it takes." Claire took a step forward.

"Brown-noser." Toby scoffed loudly, "We'll do whatever it takes. But if rookie here gets to rock a sweet weapon, I get to rock a sweet weapon, too!" He ran over to the weapon racks before he pick a warhammer out, "Warhammer!" He attempted to lift it but it barely budge, "One second! Wait for it!" He lift it up, only to fall back under its weight, "See? It's not that heavy!" He dragged it across the floor with grunts.

"Troll…Troll…" A female troll ran up to the group, "Trollhunter, it's urgent!"

"What is it?" Jim asked worriedly, "Is everything okay?"

"I have a package I need delivered to my sister, Sagdwella!" The female troll held a chest box out, "She lives under a trailer in Oo-tah." She shoved it into his hands.

"Wait a minute." The trollhunter blinked oddly, "You want me to mail something?"

"Your post office is more efficient than our carrier mice trolls." The troll replied, "I suppose they don't eat the parcels either." She gave him a big fanged grin, "You're supposed to answer every call."

"I don't think mail is what the trollhunters had in mind." Jim shook his head.

"This is a call." The female troll said firmly.

"Fine." The trollhunter sighed, "Jim the mailman? Why not?"

"The address." The female troll gave him a paper, "Whatever you do, do not open it! I've got my eye on you." She ran off with a giggle and some look at the chest strangely.

"Hey, Jim, look at me!" Toby hobbled around with warhammer up in air, "I got it! I got it!" The warhammer tilted far, "I don't got it! I don't got it! I don't got it, I don't got it, I…" He crashed into something, "Ooh, everything hurts!"

---

"So, what's in the box?" Claire asked Jim at school with the others.

"It doesn't matter." Jim replied, "We're not gonna open it."

"Yeah, Claire, it doesn't matter." Toby goaded before he look up to Jim, "But aren't you curious, though? There could be, like, a tiny creature in there that can't breathe, Jimbo! Or an itty-bitty troll king whose little kingdom needs saving!" He gasped loudly when he see the mascot, "Oh! Or my soulmate!"

"Guys, it doesn't matter because, at lunch, I'm taking it straight to the post office." Jim slammed the locker closed, "Easy win, for once."

"What?" They turned to see Steve stomped up to them, "You think you're gonna win today, Lame Junior? The Touch-A-Truck-athon is mine. It's the ultimate test of endurance, and no one can touch like me. Am I right, Claire?" He tried to take the girl's hand.

"Ugh, in your dreams." Claire swat his hand away and the bully was about to walk away until he hear something that make his face go red.

"…When he said no one can touch like him, does that mean he jerk off a lot?" Naruto looked to other with some confusion, "That's a American slang, yes?" That earn few snickers from his friends and the blushing bully walked faster to get far away from them.

"Oh, man, the Truck-athon's today?" The groaning brunette threw his hands up, "That's gonna take all day!"

"Then let me deliver the package." The girl with blue streak said, "How hard could it be?"

"Uh, you mean, we can deliver it." Toby shoved her away with raised hand.

"Bagdwella wanted me to deliver it." Jim sighed.

"Focus, Jim." The chubby teenager said, "We're trying to win Spring King, remember? We can be cool?"

"You mean, you want to be cool." The trollhunter replied.

"Semantics." Toby muttered, "You already won the first challenge. If you ace this, you'll be a lock to be king. Then I'll be duke. Win this and you won't have to worry about any more of these stupid things. It's a win-win."

"You said we needed to step up." Claire replied.

"Guys, troll mail…" Jim held his forehead with both hands, "Not what I meant."

"This is our chance to show you." She said.

"Just remember, don't open the box." The sighing trollhunter took the package out.

"Don't worry, dude." Toby snatched it, "Postmaster Toby and his assistants, Claire and Naruto, will handle with care." He dropped it when he get the address from Jim, "Oops!"

"Good luck, you two." Naruto waved.

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Claire looked at him, "We need to step it up, remember?"

"I know, but does it have to take three people to deliver a mail?" The blonde shook his head before he lean closer to whisper to her, "And beside, I'm this close to punch Toby if he keep acting like that."

"Ah, gotcha." She nodded, she know this feeling since she already hit the chubby teenager few times already in one day.

"It's fine if you don't have to do it." Jim said to Naruto with a nod, he also believe that one person can deliver a package since it's a easy job that anyone can do and that's not really a trollhunter job.

---

After a productive day at school, Naruto raised his eyebrow at Toby wielding gravity-altering warhammer as he spar with Claire. "…Guess I missed out few things today." He said.

"The curse appears to be stable." Blinky said with crossed arms.

"Sort of." Aaarrrgghh said.

"They look pretty good." Jim put fists on his hip, "Any problems mailing the package?"

"Acutally, master Jim…" The man was about to say until Vendel cut him off with hand on his shoulder.

"Your team did an excellent job." Vendel said, "Your allies are getting stronger. In time, a lot of time, they may actually be…Useful."

"Useful, it's a start." Jim jogged to join the spar, "You got room for one more?"

"Now, since they are sparring, Naruto will come with me for his training." The elder troll said.

"Huh?" Blinky blinked at his leader, "You're training brave Naruto? In what?"

"Oh, when gramps saw me practice with some jutsu, he offer to teach me couple things because he think I can copy few magic techniques with my chakra like this spiraling ball." Naruto answered, "I'm gonna call it Rasengan. Although I'm still on first stage."

"Yes, yes, his chakra is very similar to magic and it has been quite interesting." Vendel muttered as he walked with the ninja back to his room and Blinky scratch his head.

"…Huh, that's interesting." The man said to himself, it's pretty shocking to him that Vendel allow this human to call him gramps when no one else dare to say it to his face.

---

Few days later, Naruto was bored out of his mind when he listen to a lecture in English class and he never notice a tiny light orb zoom around into his ear. "Mm?" He wag his finger inside his ear then resume listening to the teacher until something weird happened. The teacher and students start to panicking as they ran out, screaming about something like their own fears and Naruto blink slowly few times. "Um, oookay?" He get up then leave the class, only to have his eyebrow arched farther up when he see more people running around or curling up, screaming their heads off. "What's going on?"

"Oh, oh, oh!" A tiny glowing figure pops up in front of his face as the light die away, "You're not scared of anything else but lame ghosts, mister?! And you're so like us!" The figure reveals to be a female with blue wings and pointy ears. She have a red hair, yellow glowing eyes and wear blue leotard-like outfit with thigh-high shoes and upper arm-long gloves.

"Um, who are you and what do you mean by 'like us'?" Naruto wasn't sure what he was seeing right now.

"Mischievous!" The little creature threw her hands up in air with a giggle, "You see, when I go inside your head to see what you're scared of and I saw all pranks you pull! They're so funny! Like one where you put this meanie in pink tutu!" She jolt up, "Oh! And I don't have name but I'm a pixie! Call me Pixie!"

"Ah, nice to meet you, Pixie." He scratched his head, "Um, what you just said, is that why everyone are freaking out right now?" He glanced at the screaming people and he snicker when a student ran into the locker face-first.

"Yup!" Pixie giggled, "We made them see their fear! It's so fun to see them act like that!"

"Ah, illusion, huh?" Naruto hummed as the creature bob her head happily, "Can you make them see things other than their fear?"

"We can!" She raised her hand up cheerily.

"…Say, how about you become my partner in crime?" A very mischievous grin stretched out across his face.

"Ooh, I know what you're thinking and I love it!" Pixie giggled madly, "Sisters are going to be jealous that I'm your familiar now!"

"Familiar, how do it work?" Naruto asked.

"Aha, we have to do that…" The creature explained the process of familiar contact to him and everyone that have or will have part of his life feel some chill running down their spines for no reason.

---

"Wait, Rot-face was here?" Naruto frowned at Jim as everyone stand outside the school and the police wave it off as chemical leak, "I don't know that…I should know something's up when it went down."

"Well, you were on the other side of school so…" Jim sighed after he explained the reason why Angor Rot invade the school and the blonde grumbled until the teenagers notice a glowing orb on his shoulder. "Oh, hold still! There's a pixie on you…" He was about to reach out but…

"Oh, I know." The blonde gestured to Pixie as the light fade away to reveal her appearance to them, "This is Pixie, my familiar."

"Familiar?!" The trollhunter blinked rapidly with their friends, "W-What does that mean?"

"It mean she can't be take out with one shot and we can share energy to create a large-scale illusions without her going inside someone's head if we want to." Naruto's grin enlarged, "And that's just one of few perks!"

"…Oh god, no!" Both Claire and Jim said together as Toby backed away from them in fear of seeing Nana in his illusion again.

"Oh god, yes!" Naruto laughed evilly and Pixie smile at them with a giggle. "Genjutsu, here we come!"

"Oh! Oh…" Blinky ran up to the teenagers before he bend down with heavy pants, "By Deya's grace! You're alive! Master Jim, I had to run the entire way, with a lavatory stop or two." His stomach grumble loudly, "Oh, dear. Your automobiles are the most obstinate machines." He grabbed Jim by his arms, "How did you survive Angor Rot?"

"Long story." Jim glanced to Strickler as the changeling spoke to cop, "Have you heard of the Inferna Copula?"

"Indeed, I have." Blinky furrowed his brows until he notice Pixie on Naruto's shoulder, "Oh dear! There's this blasted pixie…"

"Familiar." The trollhunter uttered as the man dropped his jaw, "Again, long story."

---

"Is that good enough?" Naruto asked Pixie as she poke around in a empty lantern on a desk in his bedroom, it was filled with some cloth sheets and two or three mini pillows but he don't add any more since he figure she want to give it a personalize touch.

"I like it!" Pixie singsong, "Very roomy! I can't wait to find more things for my home!"

"That's great." The blonde chuckled at her, the pixie is much like a child, which is common according to Blinky.

"Now that we gave your scary little friend a place to live in…" Toby's voice spoke behind Naruto and he turn to face Toby and their friends, who had been in his bedroom the whole time since they leave the school. "Can we please go back to Strickler?"

"Sure, go ahead." Naruto nodded.

"Okay." Jim cleared his throat, "We wait until he's asleep."

"I use my Shadow Staff to get us in." Claire said.

"And I ever so gently remove the ring from his finger." The trollhunter said.

"Hold up there, Mr. Storyteller." Toby raised his hand up, "Do changelings even sleep?"

"What he said." The blonde jabbed his thumb at the chubby teenager, "Plus, 'gently remove from his finger'? How are you sure if he's heavy sleeper or light one?"

"…Good point, guys." Jim muttered, "New plan. We spike his coffee with extra strength cold medicine."

"I use the Shadow Staff." The girl with blue streak said.

"And I bring my Warhammer in case that doesn't knock him out." The chubby boy added.

"And I ever so gently…" The trollhunter spoke until his crush cut him off.

"Wait." Claire realized something, "What if he's not alone? His office was guarded last time."

"Okay, fine." Jim deadpanned, "We spike the coffee."

"Shadow Staff." She said.

"I use my Warhammer to take out his goons." Toby muttered.

"Then, I ever so gently remove the ring." The trollhunter said.

"What if it's glued on?" Naruto said.

"Yeah, what if it doesn't come off?" The chubby teenager agreed with the ninja.

"Why would it not come off?" Jim looked at them.

"He must put few pounds on." Toby shrugged.

"Can fingers get fat?" Naruto looked at his fingers with few blinks.

"Why would it be glued on, you dingus?" Claire looked to Naruto strangely.

"Oh, a lot of reasons and you'll be surprised why." The blonde replied.

"And you said be ready for every precaution." The chubby teenager pointed out.

"…He's waking up." The girl with blue streak turned to Jim.

"Oh, how is he waking up?" Jim threw his hands up, "This isn't even really happening!"

"Cut off his hand!" Claire said.

"What?" The trollhunter gaped.

"Use your sword." She said as she let her imagination run wild, "Hurry! Do it!"

"No, I'm not gonna cut…" Jim barely spoke.

"Do it! Do it!" Claire waved her fists up and down, "Before it's too late!"

"Ok, ok, I'll cut…" The trollhunter said.

"Wait, wait!" Naruto waved his hands, "What about your kaa-san?"

"If kaa-san mean mom, then yeah!" Toby reminded them, "If you chop his hand off, you chop your mom's hand off too, remember?"

"Oh, I forget!" Jim smacked his forehead with a groan, "Angor Rot's binding spell. We're not ready. There's too much risk."

"But Angor Rot said if you don't get the ring, he's coming back for you." Claire sat up straight on Naruto's bed and Toby tossed some popcorns inside his mouth as Jim gulped.

"Hey, we'll figure this out, Jimbo." The chubby teenager said, "It's not like we don't have a secret Trollmarket right under our feet filled with crazy magic and a real-life ninja."

"Yeah, but most of my ideas end in a lot of pain and bloods." Naruto said, "Not great for Jim's kaa-san."

"Dude, you're a ninja." Toby looked to him, "Why can't you go sneak-sneaky?"

"I'm a different breed of ninja." The blonde crossed his arms, "I like to go all out in open instead of sticking to shadows."

"What kind of ninja is that?!" The groaning chubby teenager stared at him with one raised eyebrow.

"We better get going now." Claire get up with the boys, "My parents are on a weekend trip, so Mary and Darc are coming over for girls' night at my place."

"And we have to hit Trollmarket for ideas." Toby glanced to Jim.

"Naruto, you sure you don't want to come to Trollmarket tonight?" Jim turned to the blonde.

"Nah, I'm staying home to make sure Pixie's comfortable here." Naruto gestured to the said creature in lantern, "And getting know her since she's my partner."

"Oh, okay." The trollhunter nodded before the ninja see them out with few byes then the blonde return to his bedroom.

"Pixie, you hungry?" Naruto asked.

"Mm, a little!" Pixie poked her head out from the lantern.

"Are you okay with human foods?" He asked, "Because I'm going to make some ramen. If not, I can get you anything you want as best as I can."

"I'm okay with human foods." The creature smiled brightly.

"Alright, I'll be back in few minutes." Naruto leave his room to use the kitchen and Pixie duck back inside her home, arraigning things to her like. The human and his familiar spend some bit time getting know each other with basic information.

---

"Oh, come on!" Naruto groaned annoyingly after he failed another attempt with rubber ball, "Pop, you damn ball!" He threw it, only to cry out as it bounce back into his forehead.

"Patience, young one." Vendel picked the ball up then place it in the boy's hand, "It'll take some time until you find the right output to burst it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He grumbled as he resume his training, "Hey, gramps, how come do you know the steps by steps of this one when you don't use it?"

"Ah, I live a very, very, very long life and have seen a lot of things that last fifty human lifetimes." The elder replied, "This spell was one of things I have witnessed when a magician use it in a battle and he keep this technique details secret close to his chest, although he never find a successor to pass it on because of his dense magic energy."

"Really, then how do you come across these info if he don't let anyone else know?" Naruto blinked.

"Oh, I won it off him in a bet." Vendel laughed, "This stupid magician thought he can use magic to fly off the high peak of a mountain…He don't. That was before someone develop a flight magic."

"…Oh." The ninja stared owlishly at him.

"Say, why are you staying here when the trollhunter and his friends go to Gatto's Keep?" The elder stroked his beard with a hum.

"I don't want to go inside Gatto's stomach and come out of his ass." Naruto said.

"…Out of…?" Vendel blinked few times before he groan in disgust, "Please don't tell me…They're going to…"

"Yup."

"And exit through…"

"Yup."

"…I'm going to stay few feet away from them for time being." Vendel shook his head and the blonde just chuckle to himself as he focus on the rubber ball.

---

"Interesting…" Blinky stroked Kairosect in the room with trollhunter team.

"So that's the Kairosect?" Naruto examined the item with his eyes.

"Fascinating…" The man kept looking over it.

"So, how exactly does this thing get Strickler's ring off?" Jim asked.

"That is the conundrum." Blinky muttered, "Perhaps someone should have stolen the instruction manual as well."

"Eh, it doesn't look that com…" Toby said before the man vanish without a trace as soon as he push a button, "Whoa! Where'd Blinky go?"

"Yes! Yes!" The team turned and looked up to see Blinky on top of pillar as he cheered, "Eureka! It works!"

"What?" Aaarrrgghh looked puzzled, "What work?"

"How did you get up there?" Claire asked.

"The Kairosect enables its bearer to step outside of time, affording the opportunity to do this." The man pressed a button on the item then teleport to another side of the room and everyone else find themselves in strange situation like Aaarrrgghh holding three stacking books, Claire held Toby up in airplane pose with her legs, Jim in handstand and Naruto face the corner while holding two gnomes in his hands.

"What just happened?!" Toby gasped out as the ninja drop the gnomes down, the little creatures scramble out with angry chatters. "I feel so violated."

"This is amazing!" Jim right himself up to approached the man while everyone get out of their strange position. "Do you know what this means?"

"So, that's how you get a ring off someone without them knowing." Claire rolled over to get up.

"We'd have so much time on our hands!" The chubby teenager said giddily.

"So many pranks to build…" Naruto's mouth water at the idea of pure chaotic time.

"I don't have to worry about juggling two lives at once!" The trollhunter grinned widely, "I could live all lives I want!"

"We could travel the world in a day!" Toby grabbed the object, "We could get PhDs in everything! Finally learn to play the bagpipes! Become karate masters! Dude, we'd be Renaissance men!"

"Or you could pass Uhl's Spanish test, unless you want to fail his class." Claire said.

"Me olvide." Jim groaned, "I forgot!"

"Ah!" Blinky stepped in as he receive the object from the chubby teenager, "Powers of this device are limited to three rules. According to the inscription, if my Salickacious is correct, the first is that only one person can step outside of time. Secondly, the time-stopping effect lasts for precisely forty-three minutes and nine seconds."

"And the third?" The girl with blue streak asked.

"You can only use it, uh…" Blinky looked sheepish, "Three times." He waved it off as the teenagers dropped their jaws, "Well! Now, we know the rules!"

"Wait!" Toby spoke up, "You just used that thing, like, twice."

"Well, the first, to test its ability." The man muttered, "And the second, to demonstrate it to all of you."

"Blink, you wasted our shots!" Jim cried with index finger up, "Now, we've only got one chance to get the ring off Strickler!"

"In that case, I suggest you assure yourselves of his whereabouts before proceeding." Blinky hummed.

"And I suggest you study for that Spanish final." Claire said to Jim and the trollhunter groan softly as they start to leave the Trollmarket.

---

Naruto approached the boys in front of the lockers and at same time, Claire walk up to them. "We got a problem!" Claire said.

"Oh, great." Jim groaned as the school bell rings, "Now, what?"

"I was thinking last night." She looked around, "Say, you go through with the trade and Angor's free. How can we trust him?"

"What do you mean?" Toby asked.

"He kills Trollhunters." Claire leaned in, "I don't think he's looking to retire."

"But I thought if he doesn't get the ring back to Angor, he's dead meat." The chubby teenager said as Jim answered his phone, "So, what? We don't go through with the deal?"

"I got it!" She ran over to Jim, "What if you take the ring and wear it?"

"You're talking about betraying a troll assassin." Jim covered his phone.

"No." Toby slide in, "We're talking about controlling a troll assassin."

"Oh, I think that's a bad idea." Naruto said as the trollhunter listened to his call, "Rot-face has a lot of spells and curses on hand."

"So, what are you gonna do?" Claire asked and the brunette tried to walk away, only to be shoved back by Steve.

"Spring Fling challenge in one hour, butt-munch." Steve taunted, "Textbook stacking. As my books go up, you go down."

"I can't!" Jim said to his phone.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Toby ran closer to his best friend, "You either wear the ring or make the trade."

"I can't stack gnomes!" The trollhunter shouted.

"Poof!" The bully threw his hands up, "Last challenge, Lake!"

'Man, I hate to be in his shoes right now.' Naruto watched as everyone talk at same time around the trollhunter.

"I'M LOSING MY MIND!" Jim shouted loudly before he ran off and everyone turned to the group.

"…What a freak." Steve muttered.

"We could've been Renaissance men." Toby sighed with hands on his hip.

"Alright, I'm off to class." Naruto walked away with a light wave, "Later, guys."

"Bye." Both Claire and Toby waved back.

---

Naruto whistle a tune to himself as he carry a box toward the teachers' office, he know it's empty at the moment and he can't wait to replace boxes and cans with fake boxes. He can't wait to see their reactions when they trigger the spring-load traps and get doused in itching powder, laced in cream pies. He spot Steve and Eli stacking the books and one of the bullies was about to knock Eli's stack down as the lead bully snickered. Before Naruto know it, one of the bullies end up smacking Steve's stack down and another bully grope Steve's rear.

"Wha…?!" Steve turned around to shove the confusing groper away.

"Eli Pepperjack, for the win!" The nerd cheered.

'Must be Kairosect.' Naruto just carried on.

---

The team met up in Blinky's room as Jim recapped everything. "With the ring destroyed, there's no controlling him now." Blinky, now in his true form, said worriedly before they hear someone walk in and they look up to see Draal with Jim's scooter.

"I saw no sign of Angor Rot." Draal put it down.

"Then he has evaded us for now." The six-eyes troll frowned, "Be wary. There is no saying when or how he'll strike."

"Then we better kick it up more." Naruto crossed his arms with a frown and the six-eyes troll nod.

"Yeah, now that no one can control him, I guess he'll be on warpath." Jim scratched his neck nervously, he remember how furious Angor was when he lost his soul.

"All the more reason to find the third and last stone before he shows up again." Claire said.

"But hey!" Toby circled the six-eyes troll around, "Good to see you back to normal, Blinky. I was starting to miss you there."

"Ah." Blinky hugged his book, "My only regret was that I never had a chance to drive one of your automobiles."

"Say, what was that legend again?" The trollhunter asked.

"Three forces elemental thou must seek in marshlands, caverns deep, and mountain's peak." Claire recited before she notice their stares, "If I can memorize four hundred lines of Shakespeare, I can remember that."

"Check and check on the marshlands and mountain." Toby counted on his fingers before he cover his head with book, "That just leaves us the caverns deep."

"Trouble is, Tobias, all trolls live in caverns deep." Blinky took his book back then put it away, "To search them all would far outlast our life-spans." He glanced around, "Has anyone seen Aaarrrgghh? If we plan on finding the final stone, we'll need all hands on deck."

"I don't know where he is." Naruto shrugged his shoulders before he look to Jim, "Speaking of stones, when are you going to get around to crave Killstone?"

"Oh, I forgot!" Jim picked up the Killstone, "Let's go." The teenagers exit Blinky's room into Trollmarket.

"So the last stone gave you those sweet thigh blades." Toby said, "What do you think this one'll do?"

"I don't know." The trollhunter glanced over Killstone, "We'll have to cut it and then we'll…" The horn blare loudly all over Trollmarket and everyone stop as the power shut off.

"What was that?" Claire looked around worriedly.

"Not sure." Jim summoned his armor, "But stay close."

"Put that sword away." Bagdwella scolded, "Don't you know our guests are sensitive to light?"

"Guests?" The trollhunter blinked until they see marching trolls with glowing lines on their bodies as they carry a female troll on stab.

"Wow." Claire said, "They all look like Aaarrrgghh."

"Yeah, but Aaarrrgghh have green moss-hair." Naruto replied.

"Queen Usurna of the Krubera." Blinky appeared at their side with Aaarrrgghh in tow, "They reside in the deepest caverns under the Earth's mantle. Rarely do they venture this close to the surface."

"Deepest caverns?" Jim jerked his head up, "You don't think that…"

"It's plausible, if not convenient." The six-eyes troll answered, knowing what the trollhunter was going to say.

"Your visit is an unexpected honor." Vendel arrived.

"Vendel." Usurna greeted curtly.

"They're as talkative as Aaarrrgghh too." The trollhunter said under his breath.

"I thought Aaarrrgghh was a Gumm-Gumm." Toby whispered.

"Aaarrrgghh was, but…" Blinky whispered, "He was born a Krubera." He slapped hand on Toby's mouth, "Now hush!"

"Aarghaumont, my kinstroll." The queen approached Aaarrrgghh.

"Mm." The brute bowed his head as they put their foreheads together before she lift her head up first.

"The centuries pass, yet you remain forever in our hearts." Usurna spoke.

"My queen." Aaarrrgghh bowed again as the queen walk past him to Jim.

"Allow me to introduce our trollhunter." Blinky placed hands on Jim's shoulders, "Slayer of Gunmar's son."

"Uh, James Lake Junior, your queen-ness." Jim introduced.

"The human trollhunter." The queen examined him by turning his head around, "I heard stories, but didn't believe."

"Ask her about the stone." Toby nudged his best friend with a whisper.

"Your highness…" The trollhunter spoke, "Lady? I recently heard a story about the deep caverns, and a magical stone."

"A stone?" Usurna tilted her head slightly.

"From a trilogy of sorts?" Toby babbled, "Some might say of the Triumbric variety?"

"That's not how you speak to a queen." Vendel stick his staff out in front of the teenagers.

"Their informality is amusing." The queen chuckled before she shake her head to the boys, "No, trollhunter. We do not have it. But I am familiar with that which you seek. It was once in our possession, but stolen years ago."

"But if you don't have it, why did you come here…" Jim asked but he was cut off by Vendel.

"To celebrate…" The elder spoke with stretching arms, "This rare and momentous visit, I propose a grand match of PyroBligst!" The trolls cheered.

"Then it is wise that I brought with me our tribe's two heartiest trolls." Usurna gestured to two well-built trolls.

"Aaarrrgghh will represent us." Vendel gestured to the said troll, "To be paired with our trollhunter."

"Yeah!" Toby hopped, "Go, Jimbo!"

"Wait, PyroBligst?" Jim shook his head, "What is that? A game?"

"Oh, it is a tradition as old as it is dismembering." Blinky replied, causing the boys to widened their eyes.

"I shall look forward to the game, later this evening." The queen walked away with her trolls and Blinky push the teenagers into a workshop.

"Long ago, in the Old Wars, Gunmar raided the Krubera caverns." The six-eyes troll spoke as Jim grinded Killstone with the teenagers around him, "Gumm-Gumms kidnapped their young to enlist them for their army."

"And Aaarrrgghh happen to be one of them, right?" Naruto tilted his head, receiving a small nod from the troll.

"If the Krubera are so sensitive to light, how come Aaarrrgghh isn't?" Toby raised his eyebrow.

"Aaarrrgghh was forced to adapt in many ways, hardened to survive." Blinky answered.

"Is that why he doesn't speak as elegantly as they do?" Claire questioned.

"Being ripped away from your home at such a tender age, has a way of stunting one's potential." The six-eyes troll said.

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard." The chubby teenager muttered before Killstone start to glowing and Jim halt his work to take the gem up to his eyes. "Whoa!" He tried to reach out for it but Jim kept him back.

"Toby, get back." Jim said, "This is a delicate and sacred ritual. And you're drooling all over it."

"Look at that faceting." Claire said.

"Two stones down, and one more to go…" The trollhunter pulled his amulet to insert Killstone, "Until we can give Gunmar the payback he deserves."

"Now with that out of the way, can we go and see how PyroBlast work?" Naruto said.

"PyroBligst." Blinky corrected him and he guide the teenagers to Hero's Forge.

"So, how do we play this game?" Jim asked, "I really should have asked earlier." He watched two Krubera trolls practice, "Oh, boy."

"The object is simple." Draal appeared behind them, "You and Aaarrrgghh need to get the Gorb past the other team and into the Soothscryer."

"Yeah, but…" Claire bring her hands up, "Where's Aaarrrgghh?"

"I thought he was with Tobias." Blinky muttered.

"Blinkous, where is Aaarrrgghh?" Vendel hobbled up to them with his staff and he ask Jim to give him the amulet.

"He isn't here?" The six-eyes troll whipped his head around, "I hardly noticed."

"It is imperative he play." The elder looked down to the chubby teenager, "You! The big-headed one. He likes you. Go find him." Toby gave him a salute before he go off to find the brute, "Draal, you're in."

"It would be my honor to compete in the Forge once again." Draal bumped his chest.

"Not compete." Vendel grunted, "Win."

"It is only a game, Vendel." Blinky replied.

"This isn't a game!" The elder jabbed his index finger at him.

"Okay, Vendel, can I have my amulet back now?" Jim asked.

"You didn't tell the boy?" Vendel looked to Draal.

"In PyroBligst, combatants must earn their weapons, including your amulet." The blue troll put his hand on trollhunter's shoulder.

"Great." The trollhunter deadpanned.

"You take the small one." Draal carried Jim into the arena, "I'll handle the big guy."

"…Which one's the small?" Naruto leaned to whisper to Claire.

"I don't know." Claire muttered.

"Whelp, he's a goner." The blonde muttered, earn a punch to his shoulder from the girl. They watch the game as it start immediately.

"How was that hit legal?!" The girl shouted out as Jim climb up from the edge with Draal's help, "He nearly killed him."

"Unfortunately, killing is fair play in PyroBligst." Blinky said.

"Oh boy." Naruto muttered, "He better get the amulet." After a while, Jim manage to get his hand on amulet.

"YES!" Claire shook the ninja by his shoulders, "YES! GO, JIM, GO!"

"J-J-Jeez, I'd hate to see what you're like during any sport game." The blonde muttered.

"OH, COME ON!" She shouted after a while as a troll rammed the trollhunter down a bit after the score, "FOUL! I CALL FOUL!"

"Yup, hate to see that." Naruto muttered and it was break time before the second half. They approached the trollhunter and blue troll.

"Well done, master Jim." Blinky jogged up to the said boy's side, "And by 'well done', I mean at least you haven't completely embarrassed yourself, or died."

"Thanks, Blink." Jim replied.

"Aaarrrgghh still isn't here?" Vendel approached them with harden look.

"I tried Toby." Claire said, "No answer. Aaarrrgghh might not make it back."

"We must win." The elder smashed the bottom of his staff.

"I know, for the glory of Trollmarket." Blinky lift his hands up.

"Fools play for glory." Vendel shook his head, "We are playing for Aaarrrgghh!"

"What?" The six-eyes troll gaped in confusion, the other share his reaction.

"If they win, they are taking Aaarrrgghh away forever." The elder glanced at the scoreboard.

"Wait, what?" Naruto widened his eyes.

"They can do that?" Jim gasped, "Why?"

"What! Why! Where!" Vendel spoke, "It doesn't matter. Just win the match." He walked back to his seat.

"We're not gonna win." The trollhunter moaned.

"We may be down, but we're not out!" Draal gave him a pep talk, "This is the Forge where heroes are born."

"We're down four to one." Jim reminded him.

"And we're going to be down one more if we give up on Aaarrrgghh!" The blue troll looked up to the ceiling, "My father watches us from above. Let us make the trollhunters of the past proud. Let us make Trollmarket proud." He rammed his fist into his metal claw, "Let us show our guests the humbling they deserve!"

"Fools play for glory." Blinky repeated the elder's words, "But we play for Aaarrrgghh!"

"For Aaarrrgghh!" Jim shouted with everyone before he enter the field with Draal for the second half as the Hero's Forge power up its dangerous obstacle.

"Does PyroBlast usually go like that?" Naruto asked out of curiosity, wondering why they don't start the obstacle in first half.

"Yes." The six-eyes troll replied as the game resume before he deadpan at him, "And it's PyroBligst."

"That's kinda interesting sport I ever witness in my life…" The ninja said as he watch Jim leap toward his opponent and his armor suddenly summon shield within his forearm. "…Killstone gave him a shield?" Is that an irony or what?

"Since when does Jim…" Claire stop herself when she heard Naruto mention Killstone, "Oh."

"He's unlocked the power of his second stone!" Blinky celebrated and the game continues to point that it's tied with four each. "The next score will end it for all!" In middle of the game, Draal got smashed down into ground by his opponent and the ball went over the border into the gorge. The game was put on hold so they can get replacement ball as the team run over to check on the blue troll.

"Draal, are you okay?" Jim asked with concern and the six-eyes troll push him out of the way to do a proper checkup.

"Am I…" Draal's eyes dart around up to the ceiling, "In the Void? Father? Father!"

"It'll take time for that hit to wear off." Blinky lightly slap the blue troll's face in attempt to snap him out of his daze.

"Problem is, he doesn't have time." Claire said.

"We'll never find a suitable replacement." The six-eyes troll said.

"Then let me in!" Naruto said, "I can…"

"I'm sorry, but it's troll-only, it's the rule." Blinky cut him off with a sigh, he wish the ninja can be allow in the game because of his abilities. "Minus Trollhunter." He glanced to the trollhunter, "You'll have to take them both on."

"By myself?" Jim widened his eyes, "For Pete's sake."

"Not for Pete!" The six-eyes troll make a fist, "For Aaarrrgghh!"

"Good luck." The ninja said to Jim as Claire gave him an encouraging pat and the trollhunter jump back into the game. It look like the trollhunter was getting cornering by his opponents as they roll toward him until Aaarrrgghh suddenly appear, slamming the oppenents' heads into the ground with hard crash. "Aaarrrgghh!" He shouted out together with everyone as the trolls start to chanting the brute's name.

"What fortunate timing, Tobias." Blinky smiled to the panting chubby teenager while supporting Draal up, "The Bligst is nearly over."

"I have no idea what's happening." Toby looked around, "Is that a good thing?"

"If they score, yes." Claire summarized for him, "If the other team scores, no." Jim's armor come undone after a hard hit and he toss the ball up to Aaarrrgghh, who fumble with it before he quickly climb to the top. The opponents jumped on the brute, trying to steal the ball from him but Aaarrrgghh hold on it until he threw the ball into the goal and the firework shot up from Soothscryer. "YES! YES!" She turned to screamed in Naruto's face, "YEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!"

"…" Naruto leaned away from her frighteningly, "Quick question, what sports do you enjoy watching?" He want to know so he can avoid her during any games. The team jog over to Aaarrrgghh and Jim and Naruto almost immediately notice Aaarrrgghh's stone hand when they have a group hug.

"Trollmarket is victorious!" Usurna announced as she walk out with Vendel to the cheering audience, "A Bligst for the ages."

"The time has arrived that we bid our friends farewell." Vendel waggled his index finger, "But first, one last order of business."

"Aarghaumont…" The queen looked to the said troll, "Brother, we know you are not well, but battled honorably. Will you return with us, your family? Or fight your last days here amongst your friends?"

"What does she mean, his last days?" Toby turned to them puzzlingly.

"The choice is yours." Usurna spoke.

"…Your wound." Blinky realized as he looked up to his long-time friend, "Creeper's Sun poison." He barely touch Aaarrrgghh's hand before the brute groaned in pain, "Oh, Aaarrrgghh!" He stroked his friend's hand to soothe his pain, "Why did you not tell us?"

"Didn't want worry." Aaarrrgghh said solemnly.

"Angor Rot must've cut him." Claire put her hands on the brute's arm with Jim and Naruto also place hand on the troll sadly.

"This is my fault." Jim looked away with a furious sigh, "It should've been me that got hurt."

"It's not your fault, man." Naruto said, "That's on Rot-face."

"Not Jim's fault." The giant troll glanced at them, "Don't wanna leave." He look over to Toby, who turn away with quiet sobs.

"The only way you will survive is with your kind." Blinky said sadly, "You must return with them."

"We can always visit." Jim said.

"I'm afraid, master Jim, only the Krubera can thrive in the Deep Caves." The six-eyes troll informed with a sniffle.

"Oh." The trollhunter muttered, "Well…If it means he'll live…"

"Aaarrrgghh." Blinky looked up to the said troll, "What sort of a friend would I be if I demanded you stay?"

"…I…" Aaarrrgghh made his choice, "Will go." Toby cried out loud, "Goodbye." He pat Jim's shoulder with his stone hand and another hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"The times, the laughs…" The upset six-eyes troll whispered.

"For once, he's speechless." Claire place hand on Blinky's upper hand then look up to the giant troll, "And here, we just got to know each other." She hugged him, "I'll miss you, big guy."

"I should have hang out with you more…" Naruto muttered with hand on the giant's back, "Do crazy things together…"

"Goodbye, old friend." Draal approached the giant troll as he put hand on back, "I shall protect them in your stead.

"…Wingman?" The brute turned to his chubby friend with his fist out for a fist bump and Toby was about to give it but he can't do it, running out with tears. "Oh." Aaarrrgghh closed his eyes sadly before he turn to the trollhunter, "Get Gunmar…For me."

"Be well, big guy." Jim squeezed his hand and the brute troll walk toward his queen as the teenagers comfort each other.

"Tell Wingman, he family." Aaarrrgghh looked back, "I, family." He retreat into the dark with Krubera while everyone watch on sadly.

"…I…I'm going home." Naruto said sorrowfully before he exit, following by the others.

---

"Fuck you. I demand thirty ramen bowls for toying with my emotions back there." Naruto crossed his arms with deadly glare as Aaarrrgghh gave him a sheepish grin, "I thought you were gone for good. Don't you do that again!"

"He cried a lot!" Pixie raised her hand high up as she sit in Naruto's hair, "His pillows were so wet!"

"H-H-Hey, don't tell them that!" The ninja blushed embarrassingly as the giant troll unlock the vault and they enter.

"Um, if we're looking to research the last stone, shouldn't we be in the library?" Toby asked.

"Yes." Claire agreed as they approached the broken bridge, "Why did you bring us to look at Killahead Bridge?"

"Before her departure, Queen Usurna suspected a depiction of the last stone may very well be inscribed on the bridge itself." Blinky moved some stones out of the way until he find what he was looking for, "Ah! Ooh! The missing Eye of Gunmar." He gestured to the stone sculpture.

"His eye is the third stone?" The chubby teenager looked aback by that, "What?"

"Indeed." The six-eyes troll dug, "The first stone we procured was affiliated with his birth. The second, his first kill. This stone…" He tried to reach for a stone deep inside.

"I got it." Aaarrrgghh moved him to reach inside and lift an large stone out in front.

"Why, this stone commemorates…" Blinky gestured to the image of Gunmar lunge toward another troll above the armies, "He's vulnerable."

"How do you mean?" Claire asked.

"Before Gunmar took power, Gumm-Gumm were mostly disorganized tribes of savages, taking orders from Orlagk, the Gumm-Gumm warlord." The six-eyes troll spoke, "Gunmar betrayed him in hopes of taking his army as his own. The battle lasted weeks. Gunmar lost an eye. Orlagk lost his head." He cupped his chin, "I fear this may be the most difficult Triumbric stone to find. For if his dark servants worked so hard to steal it from the Krubera, they would not hand it over so easily." Suddenly, the fetch ring come to alive with crackling electricity.

"Wait, the fetch!" The girl warned.

"Something's escaping from the Darklands!" Blinky cried, "Look out!" The fetch make a noise before a gnome crawl out with grunts and moans.

"Gnome Chompsky!" Toby gasped joyously with the trolls, "You're back!"

"Who's this scary creepy man?" Pixie leaned down to look at the ninja.

"I believe that is Gnome Chompsky." Naruto said, "They said he volunteered to go into Darklands to find Clarie's baby brother."

"By Deya's grace, he survived!" The six-eyes troll grinned and Chompsky fall down to the floor.

"Chompsky!" The chubby teenager picked him up carefully, "Hey, bud!"

"Tough little guy." Aaarrrgghh muttered.

"Oh, I thought you were lost forever." Toby nuzzled the creature with his cheek, "Hey, bud. Hey." He put the creature down.

"Chompsky?" Claire kneeled with a smile, "The one who was looking for Enrique?"

"Uh-huh." The chubby teenager noticed the gnome chattering, "Wait."

"Ha-ha!" Chompsky pulled an pacifier out.

"Enrique!" The girl gasped as she take it, "You found him!" She looked at the gnome hopefully, "Is he…Is he okay?"

"Mm-hmm." The gnome gave her a thumb up.

"Thank you for giving me that." Claire squeezed pacifier with tearful smile and the creature bow to her.

"What did you see, my tiny fellow?" Blinky asked, "Did you see…Gunmar?" The gnome jumped with a whimper and Chompsky remove his hat to reveal halved horn. "Gunmar did that? How did you escape?" Chompsky chattering softly as he act out the scenes.

"What is he saying?" The girl asked.

"A game of pantomime!" The six-eyes troll said.

"Panda…Mine?" Aaarrrgghh uttered.

"I think he said that he was sneaking around until Gunmar found him and chase him around…And Um…" Naruto scratched his head as Chompsky nodded rapidly, "I'm not sure about how he escaped." The gnome run over to pounding Blinky's arms.

"Tickling?" Toby guessed, "You escaped by tickling Gunmar!"

"No, massage!" Claire catch on and Chompsky nodded rapidly before he swing a imaginative sword.

"To…To swipe?" Blinky tried to figure it out, "To purloin!" It make the gnome sigh with shaking head.

"Badminton!" The chubby teenager raised his hand before he lower it with some confusion, "Wait, why badminton?"

"No, I think he's saying cutting." The blonde said, "Gunmar cut his horn off." Chompsky hopped with affirmative chatter.

"Ah, Gunmar wants to deliever a message to Jim." Claire grasped the answer as the gnome waved to confirmed her answer, "That's why he's alive. That's how he escaped!" She rubbed Chompsky's cheek gently.

"Then I hope it's a short message because we don't have all day." Blinky crossed his upper arms with a huff, his lower hands on hip.

"Oh, boy…" Naruto scratched, "Why do I have a feeling that it's going be a long night?"

"If we're staying here, I want to play!" Pixie tugged his hair lightly, "Pranks! Or the apps thingy!"

"Don't worry, I'll give you the phone." The blonde took his smartphone out for her, the pixie have become addicted to app games and videos.

---

"Yup, I called it." Naruto sighed into his hand as the team watch Chompsky acting out in Blinky's room.

"He wants to twist Jim." Blinky said.

"Juice Jim." Aaarrrgghh spoke.

"No, I got it!" Claire waved her hand, "Tie him into a pretzel!" The gnome yelled and the chubby teenager notice that his phone have been going off for a while.

"Speaking of which…" Toby answered it, "Yello, Jimbo! You'll never guess who's back." He paused, "Hello? Oh, no!" He hopped around frantically, "Horngazel! Horngazel!" He ran out.

"Did I…" Blinky tapped his chin, "Miss something?"

"I don't know." The blonde shrugged confusingly, "Shall we follow him or…?" They suddenly hear some loud crashing noises outside and they race outside to see Jim dragging his mother, who appears to be injured.

"JIM!" Claire kneel down with a gasp.

"Great Gronka Morka, what happened?!" The six-eyes troll asked worriedly.

"Angor attacked Strickler." Jim replied, "The binding spell!"

"The changeling!" A troll pointed to Stickler as he get out of damaged car, "Let's crush him!" They were about to attack the changeling.

"NO!" The trollhunter cried out.

"Stop!" Vendel shouted from the top of stairs with a hard tap of his staff, halting the trolls. "Not unless you want to kill his mother too." He beckoned the team, "Quickly! Bring them both to the examination dwell."

"You're going to be okay, Barbara." Blinky lift the doctor up to carry her while Aaarrrgghh held Stickler up.

"Mr. Blinky?" The dazed doctor muttered before she passed out.

"Quickly, this way." The elder led the team to the examination room.

"I closed the gate before Angor Rot got in." Toby handed the key stone over to Claire.

"Vendel's going to be able to fix this." Claire put it away, "Right, Blink?"

"Gramps can do it." Naruto said.

"Only the fates can tell now." The six-eyes troll replied, "Barbara's only hope is to break the spell that entwines her fate with Strickler's. If Vendel can, maybe, just maybe, she'll be strong enough to survive on her own."

"Bring the changeling." Vendel said, "I must treat him as well." They bring the doctor and changeling in then wait outside for some certain amount of time until Vendel come out with Strickler, the changeling wearing a sling.

"Vendel, how's my mom?" Jim asked concerning while everyone stand up.

"She is resting, for now, but we must move her to the Heartstone." The elder said softly.

"Blinky says that we need to break the binding spell." The trollhunter said.

"I agree with his assessment." Vendel nodded lightly, "She cannot properly heal while still bound to the changeling. Unfortunately, this is Gumm-Gumm magic and thus, I don't know the proper incantation."

No, but he does!" Jim pointed to Stickler.

"Are you waiting for an invitation, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Toby glared at the changeling with Aaarrrgghh.

"We can't beat him because of Jim's mom." Naruto reminded him before he gave Stickler a deadly glare, "While we can't do it physically, there's always mental beating."

"Ooh, genjutsu time!" Pixie giggled with her hands up, "Let's make him see his biggest fear!"

"No, I do you better." The ninja smirked darkly, "Make him believe that he's getting fucked by…"

"No, no, no." Claire waved at the blonde and his familiar, "We do not know if mental damage will also affect his mom."

"I don't have it…" Stickler paled, "With me." He flinched from Aaarrrgghh's growl, "It's in the Book of Ga-huel. In my office."

"We have to go get it." Jim glanced to his crush.

"We'll have to be careful." Toby said, "That crazy psychopath will be there."

"Oh!" The trollhunter gritted his teeth, "I forgot about Angor Rot!"

"No, coach Lawrence!" The chubby teenager corrected him, "It's the Spring Fling Dance and he's gonna be roaming the halls."

"The Spring Fling, it's tonight." Jim realized, "I forgot."

"Your mom's life is more important than a stupid dance." Claire put hand on his shoulder.

"She's right." Naruto agreed, "While there are always more dance, you only get one kaa-san in a lifetime."

"I know, but I was looking forward to our stupid dance." The trollhunter looked to the girl with blue streak.

"Me too." Claire replied, "Toby, Naruto and I will get the incantation. You need to be here for your mom."

"You must go now." Vendel ordered, "Make haste!"

"We got this!" The girl pulled Shadowstaff out of her bag, "Let's go, Naruto, Toby!" She summon the portal and the teenagers, minus Jim, jump through.

---

The team teleported into a random classroom within their high school. "Made it." Claire glanced back, "Keep quiet. Angor Rot's still out there." Toby fall out with a scream and hard thud before Naruto pop out on his feet. "Shh, Toby!"

"Sorry!" Toby get up with some stumble, "Didn't stick the landing. Come on. Dr. L doesn't have much time." They peek out behind the door, only to duck back in when Lawrence show up with flashlight as he narrow his eyes at two flirting students.

"All right, back to the dance, you two." Lawrence ordered them back to the gym. The teenagers quietly sneak out when the coach have his back turned until Toby's stomach rumble loudly, causing the teacher to turn around and they ran. "Hey, come back here, you hooligans!" He give a chase, "Oh, come on! I see you!"

"Pixie, hit him with disco fever!" Naruto glanced up to his familiar.

"Got it!" The creature singsong before she flew into the coach's ear in her orb form.

"OOOH, TIME TO BOOGIE, BABY!" The coach stopped in one place, performing disco move. "OOOH! OOOH!" He rolled his arms, "OOOOH, OOOH, BABY!"

"That'll keep him busy for a bit while." The ninja smirked as the team get farther away from the dancing coach and they enter Stickler's office.

"That was close." The chubby teenager panted as they start looking around for the book, "Let's make it quick, huh? I'm not a fan of this room."

"Man, Strickler's got a lot of creepy books in here." Claire commented, "Medieval Torture? Cryptography and Secret Codes?"

"I guess it's because Strickler's a changeling and former world history teacher." Naruto went through some books.

"Hey!" Toby poked his head up from behind the desk as he tossed the old book over on desk, "I think I found it!"

"Seriously?" She ran around the desk, flicking the lamp on.

"Here, you speak Troll." The chubby teenager said as Naruto move closer to them, "Have a look."

"Okay, okay." Claire read faster, "Let's hurry." They were so focused on the book that they don't notice Lawrence enter the office after he snapped out of illusion with a slap from Janeth and the coach shine light on them, causing Toby to hugged both teenagers, indirectly caused Claire to be sandwiched between the boys.

"What's going on in here?" Lawrence quipped his eyebrow at them with fist on one side, "Oh. I know what this is. You three sneaking around playing 'romper room' unsupervised!"

"Us?" Claire pushed both boys away with a red face, "No way!"

"Yeah." Toby shook his head, "No."

"No, no." Naruto lift his hands up, "She's not this kind of girl." He wonder where's Pixie right now.

"What is that?" The coach snatched the collapsible staff from the girl, "Give me!"

"No! No!" The girl stretched her hand out, "Coach!"

"It's not what you think it is!" Toby cried.

"What is this thing?" Lawrence smelled it, "This illegal? A tube, tube-ish kinda…" He never noticed the girl tear page out from a book, "All right, that's it. You three…"

"No, it's not illegal." The blonde catch the teacher's attention, "That is...A special epipen!"

"Epipen?" The coach repeated, "For who?"

"Toby!" Naruto pointed to the said person, "He have a extreme rare allergy to a mold that can be found in any old books like that! We need it right now because he's having an attack!" Toby look puzzled until Claire quickly elbowed him.

"Oh! Oh!" Toby's hands flew up to his neck with false gag, "I-I-I need it! I can't breath! Oh…Oh!" The ninja sneakily sweep the chubby teenager's legs up to make him fall down on his back and Naruto quickly kneel down with hand on the chubby teenager's mouth to mute his cry.

"HURRY, GIMME THE EPIPEN!" The blonde shouted and the coach look very flustered as he whip his head around with some stammer.

"W-W-What? W-W-W-Where?" His gaze land on the staff in his hand, "Oh! Oh!" Lawrence quickly tossed the staff to the blonde, "Will he be okay?!"

"He will after I administer it!" Naruto held the staff above his head in a stabling position before he turn to the coach, "Please leave! Because we have to do it anally and it's embarrassing for him to have you see that!" Toby's eyes widened, "CLAIRE, HURRY AND TAKE HIS PANT OFF!"

"GOT IT!" Claire reached down to the chubby teenager's pant legs.

"OH JEEZ!" The coach swiftly get out of the office, "I'll be waiting outside!" The door slammed closed and the teenagers wait a minute before they get up.

"…Really?" Toby glared at the ninja as the blonde quietly gave the staff back to Claire, "Anally? Anally?! Do you have to go there?"

"I have to say something to get him out of here." Naruto grinned sheepishly, "But hey, it worked."

"…Yeah, and now he'll think I have a rare allergy and need to get it up my butt." The chubby teenager whined.

"Sorry." The blonde shrugged.

"I'll take it to Vendel and hope it'll help Jim's mom." Claire shot the portal before she turn to them, "You two should stick around here and make sure Angor don't show up." The possibility of the ancient troll attacking Spring Fling is pretty slim but who know what he'll do without his soul.

"Got it." Toby nodded with thumb-up.

"Sure." Naruto replied as the girl jump inside the portal and he turn to the chubby teenager. "Alright, the coach is outside the door so…"

"Yeah, yeah." The groaning teenager threw his arm around Naruto's shoulder then go limp and the ninja drag him out of the office.

"Are you alright?" Lawrence turned to them worriedly.

"I-I'll be fine…" Toby pretended to breath heavily, "Just give me few minutes…And I'm all good…"

"Now if you don't mind, we're going back to the dance." Naruto dragged the chubby teenager past the teacher with a grin.

"…Wait, where's Claire?" The coach narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, she went home to bleach her eyes out for seeing his butt." The blonde said over his shoulder.

"…Oh, make sense." Lawrence nodded once.

"Dude…" Toby muttered under his breath and the coach didn't notice a pixie flew into Naruto's hair.

---

The boys sit on the benches as the students dance around and Toby feel his phone went off before he take it out. "Is it from Jim and Claire?" Naruto asked.

"Ooh, hey!" Toby beamed, "Looks like Doctor L is gonna be a-okay!" He held his fist out to him, "Mission accomplished, am I right?"

"Right." The blonde bumped the fist, "But I wish Rot-face show his face around here. I wanna punch his ugly mug out for messing around with my friends."

"You'll get your chance." The chubby teenager replied until he spot the dancing mascot, "…Speaking of chance..."

"Go for it, man." Naruto nudged him with a eyeroll.

"I don't know who she is." Toby gulped.

"You wussing out?" He teased, "You're one biggest wuss than Ji…"

"I'm not gonna wuss out!" The chubby teenager mush up some courage to go to the mascot.

"…That easy?" Naruto was hoping to tease him more and the chubby teenager stuttered few times until the mascot took him by hand when the ballad start to play.

"You're not going dance?" Pixie peeked down to the blonde from his hair.

"Nah, that is more a couple thing." He replied with a whisper until the students hear the tapping sounds on microphone as Uhl cleared his throat with teachers near him.

"Hello?" Uhl tested the microphone, "One, two, hello? It's now time for the moment you've been waiting for." He held the voting results, "Announcing the queen and king of Spring Fling! This year's king is…" He looked at the paper, gain a surprised expression on his face. "Naruto Nomura?"

"Say what?" Naruto's head jolt up with rapid blinks along with Toby as most students cheered loudly before the blonde quickly move up to front of the stage, "Wait, wait, wait! How am I chosen a king when I'm not even no…"

"We have fill-in ballots." The Spanish teacher answered as he place the crown on Naruto's head and give him a golden staff with finger.

"But why me?" The blonde teenager looked so confused as the students kept cheering over Steve's angry shouting, something about rigged.

"Oh easy…" A random black teenager shrugged his shoulders, "Eli is weirdo that no one like, Jim is alright guy but way too weird and Steve…Fuck this asshole. You're the chilliest guy in school. Simple and plain."

"Um, ooookay…" Naruto blinked dumbly, his mind can't wrap around it.

"Aw!" Eli moaned, "I really thought this was gonna be the Year of Eli."

"Congrats." Uhl smiled to the Japanese student, it's no secret that the Spanish teacher is soft toward immigrants since he's a one too. "Moving on. And this year's queen is none other than our…" He checked the result again, "Darci Scott." He glanced around, "Where's Darci? Is Darci here tonight?" The mascot remove the headgear to reveal Darci to Toby's shock and she bring the chubby teenager up to the stage while holding hands.

"…Honestly?" Naruto turned to the chubby teenager blankly, "That is the most confusing night of my life…Ever."

"Right there with you." Toby agreed.

---

Somewhere in the woods, a short troll was on her way back to Trollmarket from her gathering task with a key stone before a dagger sink into her back, killing her immediately and Angor Rot step out from the shadow to pick the key stone up with a evil grin. "You cannot hide from me now, Hunter." Angor crackled.

---

"I fear Angor Rot have obtain a Horngazel when he slain Magella." Vendel said to the team in his office, he send two trolls out to look for the missing troll until they come back with her stone remain. "The very key past Trollmarket's defenses." He exhaled heavily.

"What are we going to do?" Jim asked.

"Do we need to have some gatekeepers?" Naruto looked to the elder.

"We might have time." The trollhunter said, "Angor Rot rarely attack during the day…"

"Angor Rot is unpredictable at best." Vendel replied, "And if there isn't anything to stop him from creating havoc in Trollmarket…Then you have just put more than yourselves at risk."

"Trollhunter! HELP!" Strickler's voice shouted and the teenagers rushed outside to see some trolls carrying the changeling upside down by his legs.

"Get out of our way, Aaarrrgghh!" A bulky troll barked.

"No!" The brute narrowed his eyes with firm frown as Blinky stand next to him.

"Let us discuss this matter like reasonable trolls!" Blinky grunted out when a rock hit his forehead, "Ruffians! Who threw that?"

"Where's Jim?" Strickler pleaded, "He gave me his word!"

"Put him down!" Jim barked as the teenagers stand in front of the mob, "He helped save my mother. He's with me."

"He tried to release Gunmar!" The orange troll snarled.

"Get him out of here!" The red troll shook his fist.

"Changelings ain't right in Trollmarket!" A female troll yelled.

"Get rid of him!" Another shouted.

"It's not going to make a difference." Jim tried to calm the mob down, "Angor Rot wants me too, and the protective barrier won't stop him." The trolls exchanged looks.

"What do you mean?" Blinky asked.

"He has a Horngazel." The trollhunter confessed and the mob start to throwing things while shouting. "Look, you have a right to know!" He spun to the angry mob.

"Let's throw them both out!" The red troll shouted.

"And who will defend you guys if you throw a trollhunter out?" Naruto said, "From an ancient assassin with the key to this place?" The trolls paused.

"It's time the amulet calls for another!" A random troll stomped forward with a roar, picking the trollhunter up and carry them away. "Throw them out! Throw them out!"

"When you finish throwing them out…" Vendel walked through crowd, "Come back and throw me out, too." The crowd quieted at that, "Yes, that boy has made many grave errors. But he's come through for us more times than I give him credit for. Trollmarket is in danger…And our greatest defense has always been our Trollhunter. He's earned my trust. He should have earned yours."

"You can throw me out, too!" Blinky stepped up.

"And me." Aaarrrgghh added.

"Us too, though technically, we don't live here." Toby puffed his chest up before he notice the teenagers' looks, "I'm just sayin'."

"Same for me." Bagdwella said, "I've always stood with our trollhunter.

"Oh, okay." The chubby teenager deadpanned, this lady was part of the mob in first place. The trolls start to mumbling in agreement before the red troll release the changeling and trollhunter.

"What now, our infallible leader?" Stickler sit up to glance at the trollhunter.

"Now, we get ready to give Angor Rot." Jim walked up few steps then face the crowd with fist, "The fight of his life!" The crowd cheered with fists up in air and they spread out to set up defense against the incoming invader.

---

"Guys, we have to tell Jim." Claire said to the boys as they take a short break in a room.

"Tell me what?" They turned to face Jim as he entered.

"Tell who what?" Notenrique climbed up onto the girl's shoulder, "Nothing to see here." The trollhunter pushed them out of the way to see Chompsky.

"Chompsky?" Jim grinned happily, "No way! When did he get out?"

"A little while ago." She said, "We were going to tell you, but with everything and your mom…"

"Why would you hold back the great news?" The trollhunter lift his hand up, "He escaped the Darklands!"

"Um, about that…" Naruto rubbed his neck.

"Technically, he didn't." Toby muttered, "Gunmar let him out to deliver a message."

"Jim, Gunmar knows you killed his son." Claire said.

"And he promises to make a river…" Notenrique translated for Chompsky, "No, an ocean of blood from your loved ones. And he's gonna make a throne, with their…I think he said bones." They looked up to the staring teenagers before the little changeling point to the gnome, "His words. Not mine."

"Tell him about the list." The ninja nudged the chubby teenager.

"Yeaaaaaah, he included a list." Toby muttered nervously.

"Tobias." The young changeling listened to chattering gnome, "Claire. Barbara. Blinkous."

"We knew what we were getting into." Claire tried to ease Jim's worries as the changeling continue to list off the names, "After we find the last stone, we'll find my brother and end this once and for all."

"It goes on for a while." The chubby teenager jerked his head at the small creatures, "You don't need to listen to this."

"Yeah, basically he want to murder every single one in this city." Naruto shrugged.

"It's like you said, we shouldn't be focused on the fight tomorrow but the fight today." The girl with blue streak gave trollhunter a gentle smile.

"It's too bad we've been wasting our time collecting stones to kill Gunmar and not Angor Rot." Toby said.

"Or so you think." Everyone turned to see Strickler with a book in his hand, "Maybe you do have a stone. Angor's eye."

"You're saying I can use this in my amulet?" Jim picked a jar up as Angor's eye roll around.

"Jim, you're gonna level up again!" The chubby teenager bounced up and down.

"If cut with the proper guidance." The injured changeling said.

"Show me where to cut." The trollhunter said.

"I'm going to check around to make everyone's ready." Naruto leave the room.

"Same here." Claire squeezed Jim's shoulder before she leave with Toby to follow after the ninja.

---

After his check, Naruto walk up to Claire and Toby as the chubby teenager tugged his weapon around. "Stubborn hammer!" Toby groaned as he tried to lift it up, "We're supposed to be on the same team!" The staff-wielding girl use her weapon to help him lift the warhammer up, "Ah!" He shouldered his weapon with a grin…For a moment before he topple backward under the warhammer's heavy weight.

"He hasn't fully master the power of his hammer?" Naruto asked her.

"No." Claire shook her head slowly and the ninja let out an sigh.

---

When the trolls have completed their preparation for a while, they feel a powerful rumble from above and some noncombat trolls start to run with screaming. "Hurry!" Vendel shouted, "Protect yourselves! Everyone!"

"Is he knocking?" Toby asked nervously as the team get in their spot near the entrance at the bottom of staircase, "Is that some sort of troll war etiquette?"

"I believe he's attempting to intimidate us." Blinky plugged his ears.

"He's expecting us to hide." Jim looked up with a frown, "I say we take the fight to him." He turned to his team, "Draal, hold the stairs. Blink, Claire, Naruto, Tobes, protect Trollmarket. Aaarrrgghh, Notenrique, with me."

"I'm rather comfy where I am." Notenrique gulped as everyone split up with Jim's group up the stairs before he yelp out when Draal push him up with the side of ax blade.

"Alright, I'm gonna make some…" Naruto said before Jim suddenly ran down the stair toward them with his group in tow.

"What happened?" Claire asked, "Where's Angor Rot?"

"There he is!" A grey troll pointed to Angor Rot as the ancient troll walk down the stairs near Trollmarket, "Let's do this, boys!"

"Back breaker!" The red troll charge with a roar, only to be cut down mercilessly by Angor and the assassin swiftly killed a goblin-lookalike troll before the ancient troll look at the third troll with a smug taunting smirk.

"…Power bomb?" The grey troll trembled before he flee for his life and the trollhunter was about to shout the assassin's name but…

"Rasengan!" Angor got blindsided by a spiraling orb to his face by Naruto, flinging the ancient troll into a nearby cart with a hard crash. "Alright! I did it!" He just come up with a little cheat for the final stage of rasengan, which is using a clone to aid.

"Grr…" The ancient troll push himself up with a growl.

"Angor!" Jim shouted.

"Mmm…" The said troll glanced up to the trollhunter, "Trollhunter, I have some friends I'd like you to meet." He threw some golem totems over the bridge and the ground start to rumble before gem golems appear from all surrounding.

"You handle Angor!" Claire hollered to Jim as everyone start to fight the golems, "We got this!"

Naruto use his clones to attack some golems with rasengan to shatter them so he can grab the totems, cutting it up with his kunai. The ninja quickly scan the field before he spot some trolls getting cornered by gem golems and he leap in with handseals, smashing the golems apart with fireball jutsu then he stomp the totems. "Go! Go!" He barked at the trolls as they retreat to patch their wounds up and the ninja turn to see group of gnomes taking a gem golem down with teamworks. 'Wonder if I can do that with kage bunshin?' Naruto duck under blue gem golem's wild swing before he stab his kunai into the golem's chest, luckily destroy the totem within.

"Feel the wrath of the Warhammer!" Toby was about to swing his weapon with a battle cry, only to have his hammer lift him up in air. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" The golem swat him down and was about to curbstomp him but Claire conjure portal under the chubby teenager, dropping him onto another golem. Toby start to bashing the head before Vendel thrust his staff into the golem's chest, destroy the totem in process as it break down in heap of gems and the elder pick the chubby boy up.

"Excellent work, pudgebag." Vendel brushed some gems off the panting teenager's shoulders.

"Oy!" Notenrique leap onto the gem golem after it pick Claire up, "No one lays a hand on my sister! Ya brute!" He smacked the head until the golem threw them away. The golem was about to approach them with some stomps, only to be destroy by Naruto with rasengan.

"You two alright there?" Naruto asked them.

"Yeah, we're fine." Claire replied, "You good?"

"Hai, I'm still good to go." He wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead, "Rasengan kinda drain my chakra pretty fast so I have to limit myself to few clones and couple jutsus." They kept fighting the golems and it appear that they were slowly getting overwhelming by the numerous of golems, almost barely anyone notice that Angor was slowly stalking Toby with his dagger from behind until someone did.

"Toby!" Jim shouted before a golem knock him away with a punch to stomach and Angor threw his dagger toward Toby's back. Aaarrrgghh react faster by diving in front of the chubby teenager and took the hit as the blade's poison spread across his body.

"NO!" Toby ran to the troll as his hands cup the creature's face, "Aaarrrghh!?"

"Wingman." Aaarrrgghh smiled as he becomes a stone statue.

"Aaarrrgghh!" The chubby teenager screamed tearfully and the other teenagers stopped for a moment.

"We are still in battle!" Draal snapped Claire and Naruto out of their stupor.

"Oh, no!" Blinky see his best friend's body when he crawled out under the overturned car before Naruto and Draal pull him out as Angor laughed evilly.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Toby charging toward the ancient troll with his hammer and the laughing ancient troll easily avoid his wild swings as he prepare to attack the boy with a magic blast.

"I destroyed your soul!" Jim shouted to catch Angor's attention, "Your fight is with me! Not them!"

"As you wish, Trollhunter!" Angor turned on him with few blasts and the trollhunter parry them as he run toward a direction, leading the ancient troll.

"Guys, go help him!" Naruto turned to the team, "I'll cover the Trollmarket!" There are still a lot of golems around.

"Get it!" Draal replied before he run off with few teammates and the ninja leap up in air onto the building to get better viewpoint on the layout. The blonde create few clones to send them out to certain locations before he lunge toward the spot that have most golems, taking his furious out on them. It took some time until the rest of the golems suddenly freeze in middle of their actions before they crumble into pile of gems and Naruto was confused until he hear an announcement.

"Angor Rot is defeated!" Vendel held his fist up and the trolls come out of their hiding before they start to celebrating. "Trollmarket is protected once again!"

'So it's all over now.' The ninja breathed out before he frown to himself, he have to get stronger after everything that happened today.

---

The teenagers were mourning in front of Aaarrrgghh's body and Toby squeezed the brute's hand with a sob. "Toby, hold onto that anger." Claire place her hand on his hand, "Save it for the Darklands."

"She's right." Naruto squeezed Toby's shoulder, "We need to make Gunmar and his goons pay for everything."

"…Jim?" The girl noticed that the trollhunter was missing, "Where did he go?"

"I don't know, maybe to see Blinky?" The ninja suggested as he looked around with Toby and the group slowly walk to find the six-eyes troll. "Hey, Blinky. Where's Jim?"

"I'm afraid I don't know his whereabouts." Blinky hummed softly, "I thought he's with you."

"You looking for the trollhunter?" A random troll looked over to them as he carried the rubbles, "I saw this fella headin' to this vault. You know, where the ruins of Killahead Bridge is."

"Why should he…" The six-eyes troll muttered before he gasp loudly, "Oh no, he wouldn't!" He raced to the direction of the vault and the rest follow him. "Master Jim!" He cried out as soon as they run up the stairs and they see Jim closing the vault doors on them.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Toby shouted.

"Jim, don't!" Claire shouted as the door fully closed, "Jim, no! You promised we'd go together!"

"OPEN UP!" Naruto banged the vault.

"The amulet chose me." Jim's voice said behind the door, "I can't lose any more of you." They can hear him running.

"Maybe I can manually override the lock." The six-eyes troll fidgeted around with the door.

"Come on, Jimbo!" The chubby teenager cried, "We're a team! Don't do this!"

"Aha!" Blinky opened the door and they rush inside to see Jim jumping into the portal of Killahead Bridge. The portal swiftly closed, "No! Master Jim, what have you done?!"

"Jim!" Both Claire and Toby cried out.

"FUCK!" Naruto sweared.

---

And that end the second chapter of NIA!

Ugh…Nearly eighty pages of that…And that's just the second half of the first season.

And that end the first season. Now onto the second part of Trollhunter!

So far, Naruto have joined the team along with Claire and while it follow the canon mostly, there was few little changes here and there like pixie and Vendel teaching Naruto rasengan behind the scene but that's it.

With Jim in Darklands, how will the team handle it? Will it follow close to the canon or not? What kind of adventure will it be for our ninja? What will happen next? Let's find out in the next chapter!

Anyway, I think that's all I can say for now. Thank you for your time to read it.

Please leave reviews and feedback here. The flames will be fed to gnomes.