Disclaimer: Ladies and Gentlemen. You have heard it hear first…Ninjas are the winners…the pirates have lost. The age-old debate of who would win in a fight, a pirate or a ninja, has been settled. It is the end of an era…AT LEAST UNTIL NEXT TIME! HAHAHAHAH THE PIRATES WILL NEVER DIE!
I don't own Naruto or World of Warcraft…though if I did…the pirates would be cooler and more frequent, to balance out the large smattering of ninjas. They are yin and yang.
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
Darkness…
That was all Naruto could see. It was like being trapped inside a pitch-black room with a blindfold on. Nothing floated before him in the gloom, no visions, memories, faces…it was all just dark. He couldn't move, either, nor did he hear anything, at first. For someone who is used to moving around, to being in the light, that isn't a pleasant experience. Fear began to well up inside his hazy, feverish mind. Was he awake, or was this just a dream?
The gradually, his senses returned.
First, the darkness began to disappear, replaced with a distant light, filling the corners of his peripheral vision. Then, rapidly, his other senses returned. He could smell the smells of the jungle, so close, but the sounds of the jungle still sounded so far away. Then came feeling.
Naruto wished that particular sense would disappear almost immediately after it returned. He felt a coarse, itchy bedspread beneath him, and a similarly textured blanket draped over him. It was hot, and Naruto found that he had been sweating buckets long before he had regained feeling in his body. It was an almost suffocating heat, too, heavy with moisture and with every breath, it felt like he was inhaling water more than air.
And then there was the pain.
It was fading, he knew, but the pain was still very much there. It centered in his chest, and then spread to his arms and legs, almost like a poison would. But it was not an overpowering pain, which led Naruto to believe that either the Kyuubi had done his best to relieve him of it, or whoever was taking care of him had as well. He didn't want to think how painful it would have been before it had faded somewhat.
By this time, the sounds had completely returned. He heard distant voices, the soft patter of padded feet on the ground, and many sounds associated with cooking and food preparation. He thought at first that the voices were just too far away to hear, but soon realized that they were simply speaking in a language that he had heard several times before, but still never understood.
Trollish.
Having answered the question of who was taking care of him, Naruto worked on opening his eyes. It was tremendously bright, so several times he found himself having to shut them tightly again, before reattempting to open them. He did this for a while, and gradually, the light began to fade, and his vision began to clear. It was around that time that he spotted a figure looming above him. At first, he could not make them out, but as his eyes began to focus, his attention was drawn to the two foremost objects that had entered his vision.
These two objects, being large, round, a light green color, with two dark red spots on the front of each, alerted Naruto's rapidly clearing mind that these objects were things that men would not be able to see unless they were in very specific circumstances. In his life, he had seen very few of these, and even fewer of them not by accident or that weren't in some sort of book that he flipped through on occasion in his youth, in researching for the legendary technique that he was now famous for.
Sexy no jutsu.
In fact, even though he saw them every time he used that particular technique, he was rather used to seeing his "own" and upon sighting another's he found himself in a state not unlike that of Jiraiya doing research.
Goggling stupidly, that is.
The owner of said objects' face soon came into view. She was tall, had the same light green skin that her "friends" did, with blood-red hair, green eyes, and two small tusks, barely an inch long, on either side of her face.
"Oh?" the female troll said, leaning down at him, her "pets" jiggling delightfully from the movement. "Ye be awake. Dat's good, it be almost tree days since I got ye, an' I be wonderin' if ye never be wakin' up."
She leaned closer, placing a hand on Naruto's chest, and felt around, as if looking for something; causing a spike of pain that went unnoticed by the blonde. His attention was far more fixated on the "twins" that were getting nearer to him every second. She then lifted her hand from his chest, and placed it on his forehead, leaning so close that Naruto's face was mere inches away from them.
That did it.
The darkness enveloped Naruto once more, and he was bereft of sense again, as fountain of blood streamed from his nose, ejected him harder into the itchy bedspread that he lay on.
" I don' be understandin' it! Are ye sure dat boy did all dat ye be sayin'?" a voice sounded from a distance when Naruto next awoke. It was darker by this time, and so Naruto found that it was easier to open his eyes. His mind, however, was still hazy, and he had yet to remember why he had fallen back asleep.
Another voice, which he instantly recognized as Vol'jin's, drifted from outside the tent he found himself in.
"I be sure. De reason why de boy pass out again be, as de girl told me, because ye not have ye shirt on."
"I be needin' a shirt? I never be wearin' a shirt in my own village! Why I be needin' to speak in Orcish, too? An' why de boy react like that, he be allergic to bre––"
"De girl be sayin' dat it because he not used ta seein' dem. Put on a shirt, den attend to de boy again. An' ye be needing ta speak Orcish because ye all need ta be practicin'."
"I don' understand 'umans…" the female's voice sounded, before it drifted away, melding with the other sounds of the village.
The tent flap opened, and Vol'jin entered. His eyes fell on Naruto, who was staring at him, with rapidly blinking blue eyes.
"Ah," he said, moving towards the bed. "Ye be awake."
Naruto's mind was still trying to process the conversation that had just taken place, but he put it out of his mind, for the time being, to speak with the troll chieftain.
"Yeah…how long was I…?" Naruto asked, peering at him, as he attempted to sit up. As he did, he saw that his chest was completely covered in bandages. They were made of a very light, soft material, almost like smooth skin. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed them before.
"Tree days," Vol'jin responded. "Ye be wakin' up a little earlier dis afternoon, but ye passed out from loss o' blood."
Naruto's face turned a spectacular shade of embarrassed crimson, and he rubbed the back of his head, not looking at Vol'jin. The troll leader smirked a little, and said, "Ye be givin' her quite de scare. Ye friend, Kira, be sayin' dat most 'umans at ye age not be seein' womanly parts such as dose. We be seein' dem all de time, for our women not be as shy as de other women of dis world."
Naruto only nodded, not trusting himself to answer. 'If Jiraiya were here…' the boy thought, 'he'd never leave.'
The more perverted side of him, of course, would have liked to join the perverted hermit in that area. He quickly squashed that thought, and he looked back at Vol'jin asking, "What happened? Did you guys win…? Where's Kira and Kylia? Are they hurt?"
Vol'jin's smile faded, and he sighed a little. "We be winnin', but a great cost. We be losin' many of our men, and several of de women, as well. Booty Bay be in ruins, and de goblins of de Steamwheedle Cartel, who just be figuring out what be happenin' here, be furious. De Bloodsail Buccaneers be sendin' dere own men to other ports, be posin' as members of de Cartel, and so dey not have any idea of what be happenin' here. De good news be dat dey be acceptin' our help, and de also be very grateful for what we be doin'.
"As for de two girls, dey be in another tent. Dey both be alive an' well, and be wakin' up many days before ye. De girl, Kira, be helpin' out de women attend to de duties of dis village, while de other still rests. De Kira girl be worryin' much about ye, she gonna' be pleased dat you awake."
Naruto nodded, feeling slightly better. They were safe, then. He smiled softly, one of his fears laid to rest.
Then, he voiced another, his eyes solemn. "What happened…to that guy…Blood?"
Vol'jin's eyes grew distant, and he said quietly. "He be dead. He be dyin' after dat last attack. His crew be givin' up, and fleein' after seein' him dead. Den…his body…"
Naruto cocked his head to the side, waiting impatiently.
"His body…be swallowed up by de sea."
FlashbackVol'jin stared down calmly at the ruined body of Captain Thaddeus Blood, who lay before the dock in Booty Bay, upon the soft earth. There was a contented smile on his face, and his eyes were closed. The massive wound in his chest had almost exhausted his body of blood, which had soaked into the ground beneath him.
Vol'jin couldn't help but admire him. Though he hated the human with everything he had, very few found contentment in death, and even fewer in a death like that. Whatever the boy had said to him, and whatever he had done, had allowed Blood peace in death.
For a man with such worldly ambitions, that was a strange thing.
Then, something strange happened.
The soft earth began to give way, and it slowly began to fall away, splashing into the sea. The stone wall that had kept the earth from spilling into the sea in the first place and been destroyed by Blood's entry force, and more likely than not, the blood that had been soaked up by the ground had made it loose and wet. Nevertheless, Blood's body began to slide with it, and for a brief second, Vol'jin almost thought he saw the man's smile get wider, before he disappeared into the cloudy depths of the ocean.
In their search for Naruto's sword, later, they would find no trace of a body. The sea had swallowed him whole.
End FlashbackNaruto couldn't say he was surprised. That man had possessed a tremendous amount of power and skill, and in death, it only seemed fitting that he would be returned to the thing that had taught him to wield that power, and to increase that skill. And his will…he had had the power to complete his dream…Naruto knew that. Maybe he himself had the Kyuubi, and that gave him tremendous power, but the drive that man had…if he had wanted to, he could have conquered the world.
Naruto knew this, because Blood's drive, his spirit, his willpower, had all been exactly like Naruto's. Naruto would never die or give up, until he had made his dream a reality.
"He accomplished his dream…" Naruto whispered, more to himself than to Vol'jin.
The troll raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How?"
"Because…" the blonde shinobi stated, meeting Vol'jin's green eyes. "He would have never given up, if he hadn't. He would have found some way to survive, and continue his dream. Because that's what I would have done, too."
Vol'jin gazed at the boy in appraisal, thinking, 'That is a very naïve view…and yet, I think the boy speaks the truth. That man's ambition, and his spirit, were praiseworthy indeed.'
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted, when a familiar, female troll, dressed in a leather bikini top to cover her "melons". She spared a look at Naruto, who quickly looked away, blushing hotly.
"He be awake den," she stated, calmly, raising an eyebrow at Vol'jin.
"Aye, he be needin' food, I imagine," the troll chieftain replied. He then turned to Naruto and said, "Dis be Ai'lara. She be a good healer and potion brewer. She also be my mate, da daughter of de former Bloodscalp chieftain."
Naruto's eyes grew even wider, and he almost felt the need to pass out again. Vol'jin grinned crookedly at the boy's reaction, while Ai'lara rolled her eyes.
Vol'jin stood to go, before he stopped, and his eyes turned towards him once more. "I be forgettin' somethin'."
He knelt down in front of Naruto, and ordered him to hold his hand out. The blonde did so, confused. His confusion became shock when Vol'jin held his own hand up, and sliced it on one of his long tusks. He grabbed Naruto's hand with his other, and before Naruto could stop him, he sliced it on the other, causing blood to flow steadily out.
He then grasped Naruto's wounded hand with his own similarly wounded one, and stared calmly into Naruto's eyes.
"We be brothers in blood, now. Ye have helped me people in ways dat you don't understand. I can tink of no honor dat is greater dan dis, and I be happy to have you as my blood brother. You be strong, and have a spirit greater dan any I have seen before. You be de first 'uman dat I can truly trust, an' now you are my brother, so you are troll, as well as 'uman, as I am now both human and troll, too."
He then released Naruto's grip, and left the tent, passing by the stunned form of Ai'lara.
Naruto was equally shocked. The wound was quickly healing, thanks to the Kyuubi, but he found that he didn't want it to. There would be no scar, he knew, and he would have liked something to remember it by.
Tears then began to flow, he didn't notice them at first, but when he did, he didn't wipe them away. It was one of the first times that he had cried since he became a ninja…and this time, it was for joy. He now had a brother…it sounded absurd to him, especially since his brother was troll, but he found he liked it nonetheless.
Ai'lara looked after her lover, before shaking her head in disbelief.
"You be very lucky. I didn't tink dat he'd ever be bestowin' an honor like dat on anyone, much less a 'uman. I wouldn't be dwellin' on why, for he always be like dat. He be valuin' oaths and promises more dan any other ting in da world. You be promisin' to free his people, and ye did, so dis be your reward. Ye be a very interestin' person, Nar'uto."
Naruto blinked, and wiped his tears away. Ai'lara had already disappeared, presumably to retrieve something to eat for the blonde.
He blinked again, and said to no one in particular, "Did she just call me Nar'uto?"
Shaking his head in wonder, he began to touch the bandages on his chest. Underneath, the pain was almost gone, and there was no sign of blood. So, he carefully began to unravel them, letting them form a pile next to him as he did. As they disappeared, he caught sight of something he had never seen before in his life on his body.
A scar.
It was a large scar, as well, almost as big as one of his hands with the fingers extended. There were large, root-like extensions from it, so that it covered a large part of his chest. He touched it, and found the pain already beginning to completely vanish. But he wondered something.
'Oi, fox, how come you didn't heal this one? You healed Sasuke's Chidori through the lung, so why would this be any different?'
'THIS IS NOT A WOUND THAT CAN BE HEALED IN THAT WAY. IT ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN UNDERSTAND. THAT SCAR WILL REMAIN WITH YOU FOREVER, I THINK.'
'Forever…?' he thought. He touched the scar again. Maybe…was this…?
'Why would that have fulfilled his dream?' he wondered.
A little ways away from the tent that Naruto was staying in, there was another, somewhat larger one. Within, it was relatively dark, as the only light source came from the two torches that stood on either side of the entrance. The occupant of the room, however, preferred the darkness.
Kylia had curled herself up into a ball and was on her side, the right side of her head pushed as deeply as possible into the itchy, smelly pillow. She made no sound, and was not asleep. She was simply staring towards the back of tent, her face as blank as possible.
She wanted, in all honesty, to drop off the face of the earth. She didn't care how, either. Anything, in her mind, was better than this shame.
Shame…
She fought back tears, and pulled the heavy blanket up closer to her, ignoring the pungent, unpleasant smell it brought. She would never be able to face Kira again. She had done her best to pretend to be asleep for the past few days whenever Kira was in the tent, and so had not yet spoken to her.
For she had nothing to say, what she had done was so shameful and terrible that she wanted to do nothing but die. It would have suited her. She had not been able to protect her mistress. She had failed, and had almost, because of her disgusting weakness, been responsible for Kira's death at the hands of that monster…Shanker. She didn't know exactly what had happened; only that Kira had done the final deed and killed the awful pirate.
Now she would bear the mark of the shame for the rest of her life.
She didn't deserve to be Kira's friend. She was weak, pathetic, and it was because of her that Kira had to commit that terrible act, that Kira had to sacrifice her innocence because Kylia herself had not had the power to protect the wayward princess.
She just wanted to stay like this. Naruto would take care of Kira, she knew. She didn't deserve to be anywhere near the girl.
So wrapped up was she in her sorrows, she did not hear Kira's entrance.
The Princess of Stormwind walked into the dark tent, her eyes filling with concern when she caught sight of Kylia's curled form. She had not yet been able to speak with her handmaiden, and for the past few days, had been waiting for a chance to speak with both her and Naruto. Naruto had only awoken a little earlier that day, before promptly returning to the lands of nod due to the sheer audacity the troll women had.
In all honesty, she had never once seen so many breasts in her life. Not even when she had Kylia had accidentally walked into the baths when a visiting troop of all female acrobats had come to Stormwind several years ago. She had demanded to Vol'jin (or at least asked politely, as Vol'jin didn't look like the type of person to demand anything of) that they put something on, because if they didn't Naruto would likely die of anemia before he was able to recover.
From what she had seen, they had done so, almost grudgingly.
'I'm sure Naruto's perverted teacher…what was his name? Jarya? I'd bet he'd love it here,' she thought sarcastically.
Upon seeing Kylia, however, all thoughts of sarcasm disappeared, replaced by fierce concern. She steeled herself. Sleeping or not, she would take to Kylia. Walking, at first confidently, which soon gave way to nervousness. What could she say? She had just stood there while Kylia, her best friend in the world, had done her best to defend her. She'd even lost an ear to that monster, all in the name of protecting Kira.
How could she face Kylia, when she had been so weak; petrified in the heat of battle, while her friend was almost killed by a deranged, half-dead pirate.
In the back of her mind, she knew she was being foolish, but she was new to this sort of thing. From what she had seen, Kylia was experienced in fighting, far more so than Kira. Because Kira had failed to give her the proper support, Kylia had lost an ear, and had almost died. It was because of Kira's incompetence, her weakness that Kylia had ended up like that. She feared, somehow, that she had lost the girl's respect.
Why else would the girl clearly avoid talking to her, by faking sleep?
Before she had seen Kylia fight in a true battle, she would have laughed at the worries she now held. But after seeing Kylia being so amazing in battle, she had to wonder if the fighting spirit in her handmaiden didn't blame her for the girl's disfigurement.
She unconsciously clenched her fists, covering the two deep black, almost void-like, markings on her hands. And how could she face her friend after committing such a terrible act? She had stained her soul, willingly, in order to destroy that man.
But that was not the crux of her worries in that area. No, it was her reasons for doing it.
'She will not look down on you for what you did,' one part of her mind told her. 'You did all you could to save her.'
'But,' another part chimed in, 'did you do what you did out of fear of not being able to achieve your dreams, or out of fear of her death? Did you do all that for her, or for yourself?'
The most terrifying part was that she had no idea. She wanted to say that she had done it only for Kylia, but she knew, somehow, that was untrue. Had it been both? Had it been one or the other? She didn't know; she could not re-conjure the feeling of rage that had gripped her back then, no matter how hard she tried. Part of her felt that to be relieving, but another found it frustrating.
Yet…regardless of her thoughts, she needed to speak to Kylia. She needed to tell the girl her feelings, and she hoped that Kylia would listen.
"Ky'?" she asked, sitting down on the bed next to Kylia's, so that the unmoving girl was facing her. "Are you still asleep?"
She waited, but Kylia did not move. She sighed, almost getting up to go, but grit her teeth, and remained in her seat.
"Can we talk…? Please?" she asked, softly. She didn't know if Kylia had heard her, but to her surprise, the girl's soft blue eyes opened, and stared into hers. They were filled with a tremendous amount of emotion, almost so much that to display it on her face would likely cause injury.
The girl did not move, but said quietly, "You may ask me anything, mistress." Despite the emotion in her eyes, Kylia's voice was a dull monotone. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk. But it was not for the reasons Kira thought.
"I'm sorry," said Kira, instantly. "I'm sorry I was so weak, Ky'. I just watched while you were hurt…I could have done something, but I didn't. It was because of me that you lost your ear. Then I committed that horrible act…and I don't think it was even for the right reasons…. It won't happen again, Ky', I promise you!"
Tears were leaking from Kira's eyes, and she fought to keep them focused on Kylia's own, which were now wide with shock.
"Mistress…? You don't have anything t-to be sorry about! It was I who was weak! If I had been stronger, I would have been able to protect you! I would have spared you from having to kill that man! I would have…." She fell silent.
Kira stared at her, startled for a second. "Then, you aren't…?" she began to say, before becoming silent once more. Then, suddenly, she laughed.
Kylia blinked in bewilderment, watching as Kira continued to laugh, not loudly, but genuinely. It was not a cruel, spiteful laugh, but one of absurd joy.
"I've been worrying myself for three days whether or not you blamed me for what happened…and you've been in hear worrying yourself over how you didn't protect me…what a pair we are…" Kira muttered, after he laughter had died down.
Kylia finally sat up, but kept her head ducked. There was a large bandage across where he ear had once been, which was more for keeping the wound out of sight than for medicinal purposes. It had long since been healed. She smiled softly.
"Mistress…I am sorry, truly for my weakness…I promise that in the future…It won't happen. I will always protect you."
Kira smiled at her kindly, "It's okay…you can't protect me forever, Ky'. I need to learn how to protect myself, too."
She held up her hands, staring at the markings on her palms. Kylia stared at them curiously.
"These are my marks of shame, Ky'… I'll have them forever…to remind me what happened. They will remind me of my failure to help you…and the loss of something that I knew I could not hold onto forever. I will learn from these marks…and I will become stronger, so that if anything important to me is threatened again, I will know what to do."
Kylia stared at her mistress silently, before she reached up, and with a series of winces, began to rip away the bandages covering her ear. Underneath, there was a small hole with scarred flesh surrounding it. When she had finished tearing off the bandages, she looked determinedly into Kira's eyes.
"Then this is m-my mark of shame, mistress. It will remind me of the time that I failed to protect you…. I will not allow it happen again, and this will help give me the d-drive to do so."
Kira smiled tearfully, as did Kylia, and it was not long before the two girls had embraced, smiling teary smiles and both laughing slightly.
The two embraced for a while longer, before the both of them got into their beds. Both were still smiling, as they fell asleep, and their hearts were at relative peace once more.
Kira now knew what she had done was right. She was no longer innocent, she knew, but her shame had been quelled for the moment. She still had to face Naruto's reaction, and for some reason, she feared it as much as she had feared Kylia's.
"Naruto! You're awake!"
Naruto turned, in the middle of picking at the weird, greenish mush in front of him to see Kira standing in the entrance of the tent, smiling. The girl was dressed far more decently (both to his relief and disappointment) than the trolls were, in a leather skirt and a decent top that covered her unmentionables and kept ones interest from being too aroused (sexual innuendo abound). Quickly following her was the demure, Hinata-like girl, Kylia.
"Hey Kira!" he said, happy to see her. While he was almost completely recovered, he had yet to venture from the tent, most for fear that a chance encounter with a topless troll woman would send him right back in.
"Hey Naruto!" she said, smiling. She walked over to his bed, Kylia following quickly. "So how've you been?"
He grinned, and held up the greenish mush that before he had been trying to eat. "As good as I can with this stuff to eat."
She giggled, and sat down on the bed next to Naruto's. Then she stopped smiling.
"Naruto…can you tell me what happened…with Blood?" she asked.
Naruto blinked, his smile fading as well. He nodded, setting the bowl of greenish sludge on the table next to his bed. Then he began, his voice, not entirely passionate, but not monotonous; it only took him a little while, and he did his best to make it as true and unexaggerated as possible. It wouldn't do the pirate captain justice any other way.
"Oh," the girl responded when he had finished, her eyes wide. "I guess it's sort of fitting…he wanted to be a legend. For some reason, I think he has become one."
Naruto tilted his head in question. "Huh? Why?" he asked, curious about her answer.
She shook her head, giving a shrug. "I don't know…honestly. It just makes me think…none of us will ever forget what happened here. It brought so many changes to all of us, and I think, in that respect, he has become a legend that will live on, perhaps even past our deaths. I don't think the trolls will forget him either. That's what he wanted; at least, in part."
Naruto nodded in agreement, having reached the same conclusion a little while earlier.
Then Kira asked, tilting her head to the side, "Did Vol'jin really make you his blood brother?"
Naruto nodded, grinning proudly. "Yep! Isn't that cool! I've never had a brother before, even if he is a completely different species, and way older than me. It's so cool…" he said, looking at his palm where the bloods had joined.
Kira smiled happily at him. "It is really cool…I'm glad you are so happy."
They lapsed into silence, which was neither awkward nor companionable.
Then, "What happened to you two? I know you guys fought, but I don't know what happened…"
Kira swallowed, and turned to look at Kylia, who shared her indecision. But, seeing as how Naruto had told them the truth, she figured she should tell him the same.
When her story was finished, every gory detail, told as best she could, Naruto was gaping at her. At first, she was afraid that the shock would turn to disgust, and she almost felt like running; but then, when the shock melted away, there was only a bright, proud grin on the boy's face.
"You guys were awesome! That's so cool, storing poisonous knives in your skin! Hahaha! I gotta tell Kakashi-sensei about that! And that you were great, Kira-chan! You defeated the bastard that took me out the first time!"
He almost had a heart attack when he saw that Kira had tears in her eyes.
"You…don't care? I committed that terrible act…and I was so weak…" she whispered, trying to hold back the tears. She clenched her fists tightly, as if they were suddenly going to fly open and reveal the marks for all to see. Naruto knew about them now, but she felt, somehow, that it would be different if he saw them.
Naruto floundered, and began to quickly explain, hoping to whatever god existed that he could explain clearly, so that the tears didn't fall.
He hated making girls cry.
He abruptly grabbed her hands, and they went slack. She almost pulled away, but saw that Naruto had a reassuring smile on his face.
"You weren't weak! I froze up in my first battle too! But all that counts is that you got out of there alive, and what terrible act? That guy…deserved whatever he got. If I had gotten to him…I don't think I would have done much else than tear him limb from limb. He hurt you, and gave Kylia-chan a nasty wound like that. I hate it when my friends get hurt…but you handled it all on your own! You're very strong, Kira-chan, and I don't think you'll make those mistakes again. And these marks," he said, pointing at Kira's open palms, "Who cares about them? I mean I sort of have one too."
He pointed to his stomach, and gathered a bit of chakra. From nowhere, black lines appeared, forming the Shiki Fujin seal that held the Kyuubi at bay.
"See?" he said, grinning at her. "We all have marks of shame…for different reasons, yeah, but you can't expect everyone to look down on your for doing what you needed to do, Kira-chan! I'll never look down on you like that, I promise!"
By the end of Naruto's speech, Kira's tears were flowing down her face, and she impulsively hugged the boy, startling him twice over. She quickly released him, however, to show that it was merely a friendly hug, one of thanks.
"Thank you, Naruto," she said, wiping her tears away. Somehow, it didn't seem right to be sad around him. After all, they were all alive, weren't they?
But somehow, she felt a lot better than before.
Kylia watched the two, smiling softly. 'Perhaps he isn't so bad after all…' she thought, watching the two talk. She had to admit, it felt a bit safer now that Naruto had declared her and Kira his friends. Anyone who could defeat a pirate that was stronger than Shanker had to be one of the strongest people in the world.
"How about we go and take a look at the village? You haven't been out yet, so you should definitely see it! Vol'jin said that this village was abandoned when the Bloodsail Buccaneers came, because it had many tactical weaknesses. So it's completely intact!" Kira said suddenly and enthusiastically.
Naruto didn't share her enthusiasm.
"I'm not going out there," he said calmly.
She blinked, staring at him. "Why not?"
Naruto's face turned red, "Uhh…well…they are all…" he stuttered, trying to find words that wouldn't get him hit over the head, as he usually did when he did something perverted in front of a girl.
Kira waited patiently, before a thought struck her. She slapped her forehead, remembering the reason why Naruto would fear to tread from the sanctity of his tent.
"I had Vol'jin make them wear something, Naruto. They aren't half-naked any more."
Naruto stopped his babbling, and sighed in relief.
Unfortunately, Kira couldn't resist a little needle at him. "Why are you so nervous, anyways? You've seen mine, haven't you?"
The boy turned red and began to stammer protests that he wasn't a pervert, making Kira laugh, and jump to her feet. "Meet you out there!" she cried, and in a flash, was gone.
Kylia quickly followed her, eyes wide. 'W-when did t-this happen! My m-mistress has e-entered t-that type of relationship! With t-that boy!'
The village really was as nice as Kira had made it out to be. Naruto saw dozens of trolls, many of them women (thankfully clothed) and a few children, with larges smatterings of men as well. The village had no real shape to it, simply dozens of huts and tents surrounding a large clearing in the middle, where several fires raged and food was cooking. More than a few turned in his direction when he exited his tent, dressed in the clothes provided for him (which weren't much, mind you. A little before he had asked Vol'jin wear the rest of his clothes were, and he found that they were being washed and repaired, so they'd provide him with some. They consisted of a large pair of brown trousers that flared outwards, forming a kind of skirt, much to his embarrassment; added to this was a similarly colored leather tunic, which hugged his form tightly, almost like one of Gai's suits. Finally there was a pair of sandals for his feet.).
To his surprise, he got none of the dirty looks that he had feared he would get. Obviously Vol'jin had explained to them Naruto's new position. So they were treating him as one of their own.
He felt wanted. It was different from the acceptance that he had from the dwarves and the gnomes. They accepted him because of what he did, and they had all treated him the same as one would treat a guest.
But these people... they treated him as if he were truly a troll. Aside from a passing glance of acknowledgement, they continued with their own affairs. It was… comfortable.
Naruto loved it.
Kira showed him the entire village, which wasn't much, but Naruto enjoyed every moment. He saw several children trolls reenacting a battle, thoroughly enjoying themselves; he saw Trollish women going about their daily duties, which weren't that different from the duties that the women did back in Konoha. He saw many trolls leaving the village and heading deep into the jungle, to find food and resources, most likely. It didn't look, or feel, at all like a war had just taken place.
They met Vol'jin at the end of the tour, standing near one of the large cooking fires in the middle of the camp. Gen'rash was with him, to Naruto's surprise, and he heartily greeted the Skullsplitter, who returned it in his own language (much to Naruto's confusion). Vol'jin gave Naruto a nod when Naruto turned to him, and tore off several portions of the meat that was cooking.
He handed one of the pieces to Naruto, and the others to Kira and Kylia, before gesturing to take a seat.
"I be sendin' word ta Thrall soon, about what be happenin' hear. I be wantin' you to stay, however, for a while," he said.
Naruto, his mouth full of meat, frowned. "Why?"
Vol'jin grinned craftily at him.
"You be forgettin' already? I be teachin' yeh de Shadow style, de Kagesui, and de Shadow-Walk. An' Gen'rash be agreeing ta teach de girl some techniques as well. I be havin' my best axe-thrower, Or'dash, teach de other girl. I take one weak ta' teach all of dis to you, and den you return to Thrall."
Naruto's face split into a by now familiar vulpine grin. "Hah! It'll take me three days to do it, you watch!"
Vol'jin's grin grew at the challenge. "You be sayin' different in a while, boy, dat I know."
'I bet you don't last two days.'
'Heh! I'll show you bast–… huh? You're not the Kyuubi…' Naruto thought, blinking in abrupt astonishment.
Vol'jin noticed Naruto's perplexed look and leaned in, "What be da problem?" he asked.
Naruto looked around, still confused. "I thought I heard something…"
'You did,'The distinctly feminine voice said.
Naruto sat up straighter, looking alarmed. Then, he saw something move out from the many rows of tents and huts. It was small, about the size of a small dog, with shiny silvery fur, and glittering amber eyes. It moved towards him, drawing the attention of several trolls as it walked past, into the center of the village.
It was a fox.
"A…fox?" Naruto said, blinking owlishly.
'I knew you weren't as stupid as you first appeared to be. Can ya' tell me what color I am now?'
Naruto bristled angrily at the barb and shouted, "Who the heck are you, and how can you talk!"
The fox gave the appearance of sighing, and said airily, 'I thought you'd know by now. I am a fox, and I am your spirit counterpart.'
Naruto stared, unbelievingly at the fox, before he quickly said, "But you can't be! Cairn-jiji told me that you guys couldn't speak!"
The fox tilted its head. 'Do you see my mouth moving? I'm not sure why we can do this, but it seems we can.'
Naruto seethed, while the others watched in interest.
"Naruto," asked Kira, "who is that?"
Naruto shot a look at the fox, which had sat down in its haunches and was busy licking its paw. "Its my spirit counterpart, I guess," he muttered.
Vol'jin's eyebrow went up. "I not be seein' a beast like dis in da jungle. I don' recall you blowin' de whistle to call a spirit animal anyways. How it come here?"
Gen'rash stared at the creature in wonder. He had never seen a fox before, and was quite surprised by it. He didn't say anything, simply watching the events unfold.
Naruto repeated the question to the fox, who answered lazily, 'I heard it when you first blew it. But I didn't show myself 'cause I wanted to know if you were worth having as a counterpart. I didn't think much at first of you, but after that battle, I think I can safely say that you might be a good catch. I am female by the way, so stop calling me it."
Naruto grudgingly repeated the answer, making Vol'jin nod. "De fox in your stomach be de one dat here it den."
Naruto nodded in agreement, before looking at the fox. "Do you have a name?"
'Name? Why would I need a name? Call me whatever you want, as long as it is befitting of my nature.'
'WEAKLING WOULD SUFFICE, THEN,' rumbled the voice of the Kyuubi.
'And who asked you?' the silver fox retorted angrily, and not a bit loudly.
'THIS IS PERFECT. I HAVE A STUPID, ANNOYING BRAT FOR A VESSEL, AND NOW I HAVE ANOTHER STUPID, ANNOYING BRAT FOR THE FIRST BRAT'S ANIMAL.'
The silver fox fumed, bearing its teeth. The action startled Kira and Kylia, but Naruto, Gen'rash and Vol'jin just watched. Naruto being the only one able to listen, however, was the only one who knew why she had snarled.
'You're just jealous that I'm out here, and you're stuck in some cage in his stomach. Ha ha ha! Ahhhhh! The air is so fresh out here! Can you smell it? Oh wait, you can't, you're stuck in a cage! Nyah Nyah!'
'ASIDE FROM THE BRAT, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO DIE WHEN I GET OUT,' the demon lord bellowed, clawing at the cage in Naruto's mindscape.
'Say whatever makes you feel better, old man,' the fox said, bearing its teeth again, but this time in more of a grin.
'Is that how I argue?' thought Naruto, suddenly having some sympathy for his teammates when Naruto had gotten particularly annoyed.
"Uh, right, now, for a name…how about uhhh…Yume?"
'I don't mind.'
'IF THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS THE ORDER OF CLICHÉ, YOU'D BE THE LEADER, BRAT.'
Naruto bristled at the fox's taunt and growled, "Fine…how about Tsuki?"
' It doesn't bother me.'
'AS IF THAT HASN'T BEEN USED A HUNDRED TIMES IN OTHER FANFICTIONS.'
Naruto twitched again, his anger beginning to rise to dangerous levels. "Fine…then let's try…Hikari?"
'Sounds good to me.'
'HOW ORIGINAL. THAT WAS SARCASTIC, BY THE WAY. YOU SUCK AT COMING UP WITH NAMES, BRAT.'
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU COME UP WITH ONE, BASTARD FOX!" Naruto roared out loud.
Kira and Kylia had by this time resumed eating, Gen'rash and torn his own chunk of meat from the beast, and Vol'jin had stood up.
"Tell de boy," he said, watching Naruto silently argue with the two creatures, "dat I want him to come to my tent in de very early morning. We begin training den."
Kira nodded, giggling, as Vol'jin moved off. By this time Naruto was forcefully shouting into the air, making him look the perfect picture of a crazy person. He had drawn a small crowd of trolls, mostly children, who were finding the spectacle as enjoyable as Kira, Kylia and Gen'rash (who didn't know exactly what was going on, but got the gist of it).
And that was it. For the next week, Naruto would learn the power of the Shadow style, before returning to Orgrimmar to finally explain to Thrall his purpose for coming. He had gone through a lot in order to earn that honor, and he now bore the scar to prove it.
He was one step closer to his own dream.
Far to the north of the Stranglethorn Vale, stood a massive mountain. This mountain was surrounded by what many would describe as the flames of hell itself. The ground was charred and black, with not a single living plant touching the scorched earth. This was so for miles in every direction, and only once you reached the Badlands, more than fifty miles to the northeast, was some form of plant life able to be seen.
But in place of shrubs and grasses there were craters filled with molten rock, or chasms that led into black pits from which there was no return. The ground was far from flat, and there were tons of crags, small hills, and other distortions in the terrain to hamper the travel of anybody foolish enough to enter the Burning Steppes.
The air was dry and hot, and with each breath, one would more likely inhale ash than breathable air. It was almost like a snowfall in some places, making it tremendously difficult to see in the majority of the land.
But that was not to say that life was not present in this seemingly god-forsaken land. No, it was simply a different type of life. If one searched far enough, one could see that many tiny beetles crawled along the blackened ground, the color of molten lava. These were fire beetles, one of the few naturally occurring creatures in the area. The other few consisted of a creature called the Firetail Scorpid, and another called the Ember Word. These beasts lived in seclusion, and rarely populated the open anymore, for there were intruders into their land; beings that should not exist, and had no right to.
These beasts were massive and hulking, standing at least twice as tall as a man, in many cases more, and were made entirely of stone and metal. There was no flesh, no bones, no blood. Just metal and rock. They were constructs, beings created entirely by chakra, and powered entirely by it as well.
They were golems.
These beasts, along with their masters, surrounded the massive mountain that was mentioned earlier, and yet, the mountain itself held very different creatures.
Very different.
The most recognizable of these were the orcs, and the occasional troll, which inhabited the upper regions.
It was among these orcs, in these upper regions, that a plot was brewing.
Deep in the mountain, called Blackrock Spire, in a gargantuan room; filled and decorated with many trinkets and baubles, standing in front of a large throne; stood a massive, brutish orc, with a single, reddish eye that was filled with enough rage to give even the bravest man pause.
This orc was Rend Blackhand.
He was the Warchief of the Horde.
Though Rend stood in front of the throne, it did not belong to him. No, it belonged to the one that sat in it, a man whose face was cast entirely in shadow, so that even a fly on the wall could not spot any features, save for the terrible, smoldering orange-red eyes that locked into Rend's single red one.
"It is almost done," the Warchief rumbled, grinning so that his many sharp teeth were exposed, and his tusks were completely displayed. "My forces are ready for anything. Now we just need your part of the bargain."
The man sitting in the throne was resting his head on one of his hands, which was propped up on the arm of the throne. His posture suggested that he was bored, but one could never tell, because it was impossible to decipher anything from his face, or even his eyes.
"It Is Already Done. You Will Be Using Zeppelins To Carry Your Forces, And I Have Given You Everything You Need," the shadowed man said, his voice filled with a hotter fire than any on earth.
Rend's eyes narrowed, repressing a shudder from the man's voice. "You said that–" he began, before the man cut him off simply.
"Is Your Mount Not Enough? My Presence Will Not Be Revealed In This Battle. You Possess Everything You Need To Win. You Just Need To Use It Effectively."
Rend growled a little, but nodded. It was true. He possessed more than enough to accomplish what he needed to accomplish. He then grinned; it was a twisted, angry one that seemed to hold more fury than joy, if that was possible.
"You're right, I suppose. He he… this plan won't fail, I don't think. I've planned it for years, and now I can finally put it into action." He looked back into the shadowed man's eyes. "When I finally do it, you'll be rewarded of course."
The shadowed man inclined his head briefly, but said nothing.
Rend swiftly turned, and walked away from the throne, his wrathful eye gleaming in the firelight.
"Thrall, you think you're the rightful ruler of the Horde? Think again. I will show you that it is power, not your foolish diplomacy, which will win this war. I, Rend Blackhand, the true Warchief, shall show you what a true leader must do!"
Whew…another chapter done.
I wasn't as enthusiastic about this chapter…I think that's apparent though. But it was necessary, I know, as an in-between chapter. The next one might have more action, most likely, and as well as further revelations to Rend's big mysterious plan.
I still did, however, enjoy Kira's and Kylia's and Naruto's talks. I hope I did them all justice, as well, and displayed their emotions as adequately as possible. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be as good, considering my enthusiasm wasn't as great. I tried, of course, but I suppose this is the "low" after a "high". That last chapter was the highest of the high, so I did my best not to make this the lowest of the low.
Kudos to all those who know who the shadowed man is.
I hope I did Blood justice with this chapter, I liked the flash back, and how the sea claimed his body once again.
Also, I enjoyed the very positive response from you guys after last chapter! It made my week, to be sure. I hope you aren't too put off by this somewhat boring chapter, especially after that last one. I HUMBLY THANK ALL OF THEE FOR THINE KIND WORDS! THOU ART MY INSPIRATION, AND MY MOTIVATION!
Now, one thing- I need a name for the silver fox that is now Naruto's counterpart. Give me anything that hasn't been used a hundred times for the names of pets... I, like Naruto, suck at Japanese names. (Ask Frankto, he knows this well enough).
Anyways, a few things before we get to reviewer mail.
Character ContestThe winner is…you guessed it, Naruto! He had a whopping SIX votes.
Runner-up is Captain Blood, with Five.
Then Kira with Three,
And Finally a couple more- Golbarn 1, Thrall 1, Kaine 1, and to my surprise Ai'lara (who is introduced in this chapter) 1.
I might do this again…but might not.
Attack namesI was contacted, recently, by a very helpful individual named Frankto, who is an expert at Japanese, who has been helpful enough to provide me with accurate translations of all the attack names that I have been blundering through the entirety of this story. At the moment, none are changed, but I plan to go through the story and replace their names with his.
Please, all give a round of applause for Frankto, who kindly took the time to correct me on my awful translations (some were completely off…Keiei for example…I feel so…Engrish.)
Here is the short list:
Chapter 11-Hyouton: Toukanboruto no jutsubecomes Hyouton (Ice Release)- Hyoushi no jutsu (Arrow of Ice technique).
Tsukuridasu Fuudo becomes Shunshoku (Instant/Blink Meal)
Chapter 14Amatai Henge becomes Taisuu Henge (same meaning)
Chapter 15Ninpo: Naruto Ansatsu Bakudan becomes Ninpo: Naruto Bakuzan (Killing Burst)
Ninpo: Hayashi no Touken becomes Ninpo: Tou no Mori (Forest of Swords)
Chapter 18Naruto Katai Kurippa becomes Naruto Kakuteki (Leg clipper)
Chapter 19Doton: Tsuchidageki becomes Doton: Tsuchidaigeki (Earth shock).
Doton: Jibeta Kasui becomes Doton: Doukasui (Ground Spike)
Chapter 21Ninpo: Komura Bureido becomes Ninpo: Komura no Tsurugi (Thicket of Blades)
Chapter 22Naruto Kiriorosu Rendan becomes Naruto Enshou Rendan (Naruto Falling Ruin Combo)
Chapter 23Naruto Nagareboshi becomes Naruto Ryuusei (Naruto Meteor)
Chapter 24Katon: Gama Yuendan becomes Katon: Gamayu Endan
Chapter 28Raiton: Kusari Raikurai becomes Raiton: Raikousa (Connected Lightning Strike)
Chapter 29Keiei ------- (Means Administration…I've reached an all time low) becomes Kagesui (Essence of Shadow)
Chapter 31-Naruto Aroo Rendan becomes Naruto Yakouheki (Arrow Aggressive Barrier)
Well, that's all the technical stuff for now. Here's some reviewer mail (Lots of reviews this week! Yaay!)
Shadowcriminal- Addressing your final post- I disagree. I don't think any other baddies have to measure up to Blood, because they are entirely different. If I tried to make every new bad guy more popular than the last, than I'd never get anything done. Not all bad guys have to be liked, and I don't think Blood's character could have applied to anyone but him. But thanks for the kind words! I agree with you about the weight training thing…but I'm going to skip it all together.
Dan Inverse- Are they? I have no idea, I'm just using chakra as a base for everything, because it makes sense since it's a Naruto crossover. That's all.
Fu Mon Chu- That's in the anime. In the manga, Wrath is the Fuhrer King Bradley, while Pride hasn't even been revealed yet. He's just a shadow, so far. I like the Manga Wrath better, because he's a hell of a lot crueler and less babyish than the anime Wrath.
Well, that's everything. The next chapter will deal with Naruto's friends back in Konoha's reactions to the fight, and the beginning of Rend Blackhand's plan.
I kind of want, just once, to write a teaser for the next chapter that has nothing to do with it, in actuality, like Kishimoto…but I won't, cause that's stupid!
General Grievous