Disclaimer: It's time forrrrrrrrr…..THE PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME SONG!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's peanut butter jelly time!
It's I don't own World of Warcraft or Naruto time!
It's peanut butter jelly t–wait…
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
It was late in the afternoon, the very same day that Naruto had passed the test Vol'jin had put forth. The three humans had spent much of the time after that simply enjoying the village in an effort to become as rested as possible for the journey, and to savor the last few hours of the peace that they had created only a week ago. For some reason, it felt like they were in the eye of a great storm– were everything was still, and it was soft and peaceful, with only the distant howling of wind to remind you of the ferocious winds that surrounded them.
But the difference was that they had no idea what the winds were; it was just a feeling in the pit of their stomachs, faint but still noticeable. Naruto couldn't get it out of his mind that he would not be able to see such peace as this for a while to come. He told himself that he was only returning to Orgrimmar, and as far as he knew, Orgrimmar wasn't in any danger; especially with someone like Thrall on its throne.
However, Vol'jin didn't share his optimism; he felt something was amiss, whether it be in Orgrimmar or somewhere else. Something was happening, or going to happen, that had set the clever chieftain on edge. And when the leader of a village is on edge, it is very hard for its people to not share his uneasiness.
But, the three humans made the best of their last hours in the village, speaking to their respective teachers, and saying general goodbyes all around.
Kira, dressed in a dark brown leather top (that covered everything), a Trollish kilt with the markings of a witch doctor (green, blue and purple), and short leather boots, continually thanked Gen'rash, speaking so quickly that it was very difficult for the Skullsplitter to understand what she was saying. So he simply nodded every once in a while, muttering words he knew in Orcish that expressed agreement, effectively recreating what every man does on a date with a girl who talks far too much.
Kylia, dressed in darker clothing, with a short sleeve leather top, dark leather pants with white and silver trimmings, and a long dark brown cloak, stammered her thanks to the giant Or'dash, who just gave a noncommittal grunt, and dropped a leather pouch into her hand.
"Dis' gon'a be 'elpin' yeh. It be poison, mae' from da' roo's o' de' feltrees a'roun' here. Be very helpful, it be," Or'dash rumbled, grinning toothily down at her.
Kylia looked at the poison in surprise and interest. She had already restored her knives to their hidden spots, having Kira heal the wounds instantly and without scarring. The trolls had also given her a new set of knives, which now lay around her belt. She smiled, and tucked away the pouch, stammering yet another thank you to the giant troll, who didn't look as if he was listening.
And finally Naruto, clad in the black and orange jacket (unzipped, his scar bared to all; it was far too hot for anything else, and, in his opinion, it looked cool even if he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath) that the gnomes had made for him; Mekkatorque's goggles on his forehead, and Magni's Pride slung across his back; a pair of black pants, coming down only to mid-shin, with orange markings that designated him a Shadowhunter that the trolls had just made for him, and finally his Konoha forehead protector slung around his belt, stood in front of Vol'jin with a fox-like grin on his face, his spirit animal, the fox Tsuwabuki, by his side.
Vol'jin matched the blonde's grin with one of his own toothy ones, and said calmly, "Thrall be knowin' you comin', as I sent him a letter not to long ago. I be sendin' a few o' my warriors wit ye, de ones dat be wantin' to head back to Orgrimmar first, as dey miss it de most," he then jerked his head in Gen'rash's direction. "He be goin' too, since he be ye good friend."
Kira looked up at Gen'rash, blinking in astonishment. She was about to ask him why he hadn't told them, but Vol'jin had already revealed the answer.
"He not be knowin' de words to tell you," the chief said, grinning at Gen'rash, who grinned back, oblivious.
Naruto, Kira, Kylia and even Tsuwabuki sweat-dropped. It was then that Kira noticed, making her sweat-drop even bigger, that the troll was wearing a large backpack.
'How did I not notice that before?' she wondered, her eye twitching slightly.
'It is me, or does he actually know less Orcish than when you first met him, Naruto?' Tsuwabuki asked, gazing up at the blonde in amusement.
Naruto scowled at her, muttering, "Why couldn't you have been a toad?"
Tsuwabuki looked affronted at the thought.
Vol'jin returned his gaze to Naruto, and said, "Be tellin' Thrall dat I be joinin' him in Orgrimmar, soon enough. I need to be helpin' de villages grow stronger an' more prosperous again down here, an' getting Booty Bay back into shape."
Naruto nodded, before Vol'jin turned and pointed down the dusty dirt road that led away from the village. "Head dat way, it be takin' ye to a zeppelin tower, near de ruins o' Grom'gol. I get de goblins in Booty Bay ta' bring one here, so ye be takin' dat back ta Orgrimmar." Then, his eyes softened, and he smiled widely at Naruto. "Take care o' yerself, bro'. An' be knowin' dat if ye ever wanna come back, ye always be welcome."
Naruto smiled, so brightly that even the sun couldn't compare, and nodded once more. Kira and Kylia said their goodbyes then, and the entire village saw them, along with the dozen or so trolls going with them, off. They continually looked and waved over their shoulders as they walked down the path, before the thick foliage of the jungle obscured their view of the village, and its people.
Their trek to the ruins of Grom'gol took a little over three hours, but the sun was still high and bright when they emerged from the jungle onto the sandy, warm beach of the Cape of Stranglethorn. Sure enough, amidst piles and piles of debris that likely once made up the wall of a large fort, there was a large zeppelin tower, as big as the ones both back in Orgrimmar and near Gnomeregan.
At the top Naruto saw many goblins busily preparing for the arrival of the zeppelin, which, according to a large Darkspear whose name Naruto didn't know, would arrive soon enough. So the group of trolls and their three (four if you counted the fox) companions rested near the base of the tower, basking in the light of the sun, and inhaling the salty sea air.
Naruto could certainly get used to this.
But, even as he rested, he couldn't help but still feel uneasy.
Kira shared his uneasiness, but for an entirely different reason. Her mind was back in Stormwind. She had had similar thoughts over the past week, but knowing that worrying about it would do her no good, she simply shook it off and threw herself back full-force into her training.
But now, with nothing to occupy her thoughts but her injured nation, she wondered what Benedictus was doing to keep everything together.
And she feared that it was quite possible that despite everything he did…things wouldn't hold together as he had promised.
Benedictus sighed, his golden orbs staring calmly forwards. It was nearly time for the Council to meet once more. However, he wasn't looking at all forward to it. Things were terrible in the city, and he didn't need a bunch of foolish, desperate nobles bellowing at him something that he already knew quite well.
Things, as he had predicted, had taken a terrible turn for the worse after his public announcement that the Scarlet Crusade was no longer their ally. Thankfully, there had not been outright rioting, but there had been a massive emigration of people, heading north towards Lordaeron. He had even heard tales of ships, bearing the Scarlet insignia, sailing to pick up many of the people who had left seeking their sanctuary and guidance. He had sent several patrols of guards along the coasts, to prevent such it from happening any more, but it didn't do him or his standing as regent a lot of good.
Thankfully, the majority of the city's people still resided in it; but there was a tremendous amount of distrust. The people were quickly becoming divided. There were those believed it was wrong of Benedictus to have cut their ties with the Crusade, which made up a horrifyingly large portion of the populace, and the ones who believed he had done well, which made up a significantly smaller portion than he had hoped for. At this point in time, the division had not yet spurred on violence. What it did, however, was arguably as bad in Benedictus' eyes.
It divided. It ripped apart partnerships, friendships and even families. While it was still a good step away from violence, Benedictus had been alive long enough to know that relationships divided by such problems were very difficult to mend. Even then, there would be a scar in their relationship, and neither party would be able to forget what had happened for the rest of their lives.
But of course, it ran so much deeper than the issue on the Scarlet Crusade; Benedictus had observed the beginnings of this division soon after the disastrous events at Theramore. It not truly a division of those who believed the Scarlet Crusade had been a worthy ally, and those who believed not. It was a division between the people whose opinion of the leadership and governing of Stormwind had begun to drop, and those who still supported the government, holding desperately onto their old ways.
The ones who generally agreed that the Scarlet Crusade had been a good ally had been shown, through the king's death, Kira's flight, and Benedictus' installation as regent, that Stormwind was no longer in good hands. They were coming to believe that the current government of Stormwind was beginning to show through as incompetent, perhaps even corrupt. The nobles who supported this portion of the people continually told Benedictus that Stormwind belonged to the people, and only they could truly decide what was good for them.
It disgusted him, because in the hundred years of his life, he had never seen a nation's people that had truly known what was good for them. It left a terrible taste in his mouth, in saying it, but he always did.
A nation's people were fools.
They were pathetic, ignorant, and worst of all, prone to violence. They could not decide what was right for them, because they didn't know what was right for them.
That was why they needed a king. They needed a leader strong enough that they could put all of their faith and responsibility in. That man or woman needed also to have the strength, both in mind and body, to bear that tremendous responsibility; or else, the nation would fall.
This mentality was not limited to just humans, however. Benedictus had seen it many times, in many situations. In his experience, for a nation to remain strong in a time of despair, when the world is darker than any night, and every friend could be an enemy, a leader of great strength was needed. Through that leader's actions, the nation would prosper; it would be a beacon in the darkness, for other nations to flock to, and it would always whether the storm of war.
King Varian Wrynn had been a leader of this sort. He had gotten them through the Second and Third Wars, and Stormwind had been transformed into one of the strongest nations in the world. But when he disappeared, and his young son, Anduin had assumed the throne, the beacon of light had begun to dim. To be sure, it was a slow dimming, like a fire dying and turning to burning cinders, but it was dying nonetheless. But for a time, Benedictus had rested easy, hoping that Anduin would grow into a wise king who would lead their people through the slowly amassing darkness as his father had done so spectacularly.
And for a time, his hopes had seemed to be well founded. Though it took a incident like Theramore to do it, Anduin had seemed to fill his father's shoes nicely, marrying the only woman Benedictus had ever been able to trust, and bearing a daughter with the mother's talent and kindness, and the father's and grandfather's spirit and will power. Benedictus had begun to relax, knowing that Stormwind would be in good hands for at least another generation. The fire had begun to burn again, and the other nations of the Eastern Kingdoms: the gnomes, dwarves and then the elves, had approved of Anduin's methods and spirit, and flocked to him, keeping the Alliance up and strong.
But then, as if a bucket of the iciest of waters had been thrown upon the flame, dousing it in an instant, Stormwind had begun to spiral downwards, so quickly that it was almost surreal to the ancient Archbishop. First it had been Kira's mother's death, which had led to Anduin's state of mind's gradual decay into constant, volatile rage. Then the Alliance had begun to break apart, with Mekkatorque and his people heading off to Gnomeregan, then the elves leaving to deal with their own affairs, and finally the final falling out between Magni and Anduin. Then Kira had come to him, displaying the same determination that both her mother and father had displayed throughout their lifetimes, wanting to be trained. Then came the Scarlet Crusade, and finally Anduin's death. Before he had even known it, Stormwind had drifted into a state that he had feared above everything else.
While Naruto's appearance had alleviated some of his fears, more were still steadily piling onto him. He was an Archbishop of the Church of Holy Light; he was not a king.
He didn't believe he had he ability to bear the responsibility that the Wrynn's seemed to have a natural gift for. The evidence for this was clear enough. He was failing in his duty to keep Stormwind from falling apart.
But worst of all, he was failing Kira.
He felt a terrible sorrow within when he thought of that girl. His old body and mind were not meant for this, he knew. He did not have the spirit that she had. He was not meant to sit upon a throne, even as regent. He was meant to be an advisor. He had wisdom, but no charisma, the only thing that bound him to the people of the city was that he was human, as they were. It was the absence of that tie that made him a bad ruler.
Even so, it was because of him that Stormwind was not under the hand of an even worse ruler, who cared only for himself. That gave him a little comfort.
His thoughts were broken when the door opened, and the nobles began filing in; some were grim-faced, their eyes forward as if set in stone; others were red-faced, their eyes burning with barely suppressed rage; still others were merely solemn, their eyes were as tired as his own.
When they were all seated, Benedictus stood.
"There is no need to speak of why I have called you here, for you know it all too well. We must discuss what to do, and that decision must come soon, for we need it more so than ever now," he said, his eyes scanning the group.
Lord Sevenius Coutrend stood, and cleared his throat. "I propose an increase in patrols throughout the city. It is only a matter of time before the people of this city take to arms against each other. It would be best if we prevented this as long as humanly possible."
Benedictus nodded. Thought Coutrend was known for having a sharp, snake-like wit, and had had an almost youthful rebellion against the majority of the decisions that the Anduin had made, he was still a citizen of Stormwind. When Coutrend sat down, Bartholomew Shrund, a well-known supporter of the Crusade, stood, his face red with anger.
"Coutrend's proposition is foolish! We can trust the people to remain placid, for they have no need for violence! They hate is as much as we do!"
Coutrend smirked, "Is that so? Unless I'm mistaken, Captain Schaun has had to put down three large brawls in the streets between those who are outspoken against the crown, and those who support it. They were, in his words, I believe, scant seconds away from becoming riots."
Shrund opened his mouth to retort, but another noble, Dorian Black, spoke, cutting him off.
"Fighting is not needed here, gentleman, any more than it is needed on the streets. I agree with Coutrend's proposition. I also must confess that it would be in our best interests to allow the dwarves back into the long abandoned Dwarven sector. How have the negotiations been going, Archbishop?" he asked.
Benedictus smiled a little. "Well, both Magni and Mekkatorque have been sending messages regularly. They wish to make this work as much as we do." Then, he sighed. "Unfortunately, I would say that calling the dwarves back at this point in time would not alleviate anything. It might even invite more opposition, for those who seem to support the Crusaders."
Marcus Trenillias stood, and asked, calmly, "How many have left this week to head north?"
Benedictus grimaced, "At the least, five-hundred. Many are continuing to flee to their sanctuary, the Scarlet Monastery, and they are happily accepting any who appear. From what Schaun's men have told me, they have sighted Scarlet ships on four occasions in the last week. The reports from Southshore indicate that they have also sent caravans, to pick them up by land."
Trenillias grimaced, and sat down.
A tall man with spindly limbs and a thin, severe face stood. His name was Arcius Ambros, whose family had been advisors for past kings for many generations.
"I, for one, think it foolish to stall as we are now. You all can see it as well as I, that it was the dissention brought on by Archbishop Benedictus' decision to cut our ties with the Scarlet Crusade that is the crux of this problem. I have said it before, and yet I'll say it again. Now is the time for action, and we must seize the chance to unite the people of Stormwind again. What, pray tell, as the Scarlet Crusade done that is so terrible? There is not a person in here that is not hateful of the Scourge and Sylvanas' Forsaken. They have dedicated all of their power to destroying these monsters…these perversions of our noble race. If we bring the Scarlet Crusade back, and really with them, then we can work on convincing those who do not support them. The longer we stall, the more chance there is for violence in the future." His eyes, a deep brown, flitted across the room, as if daring to challenge any who opposed his idea.
Benedictus once another sigh, and said, his voice slightly raspy, "I will stand by my decision, Lord Ambros. So long as I am regent, then we shall not ally with the Crusaders."
The truly horrible thing about it was that he knew his decision was wrong. A true leader would, to stop his people from killing each other, simply ally with them, if only to keep an eye on them. The saying, "Keep you friends close, but your enemies closer" was never so true as it was then.
But, he wouldn't do it. He would not sully Stormwind's reputation, and he would not ally with murderers such as them. It went against everything he had ever believed, as a member of the Church of Holy Light.
It was just more evidence that he was not a true ruler.
Lord Ambros sat down, displaying no emotion on his thin face, but a look of smug triumph in his eyes, knowing that he was right.
Benedictus barely listened to the next council member who spoke, as his eyes had fallen on the seat that was normally occupied by the wondrous Lady Prestor.
It was empty.
'Where could she be…?' he wondered. Lady Prestor, as far as he knew, had been in the castle since the king's death. She had also never missed a council meeting, as far as he knew.
He did not dismiss it. He placed in the back of his mind, alongside the image of her face after Theramore had been mentioned, what seemed like a lifetime ago.
If there was ever a woman who couldn't be trusted, it was that one.
The night air rushed by Kira as she stood upon the deck of the large zeppelin, lost in thought. Though her body was high in the air, her mind was not. It was grounded firmly on the affairs of the earth, and ever since she had begun thinking about it earlier that day, she hadn't been able to stop.
She feared for her nation.
She was beginning to wonder if she had made the right choice in leaving Stormwind, leaving her people. Wasn't the safety and security of the city now her responsibility? That, her father had always said, was the foremost job of a ruler. A ruler who didn't care for the people's safety was not a ruler at all.
But a ruler who cared, yet still didn't provide…wasn't that just as bad?
She sighed again, feeling miserable. Normally, her faith in Benedictus would have been enough to assure her that everything was going to be fine. But the look in his eyes, as she had left Stormwind castle via the Hearthstone, had cracked that seemingly unbreakable faith that she had in her master. Though his words had said to her that he would make sure everything was fine, his eyes hadn't.
It was a person's eyes that revealed everything about them.
Still staring off into space, she didn't notice Naruto walk up beside her, and give a cheerful, "Yo, Kira-chan!"
Startled by the boy's sudden appearance, Kira floundered about for a second, before turning sharply to him, clutching her chest.
"Naruto! You scared me…!" she said, taking a few deep breaths.
Naruto cocked his head to the side, his eyes squinted in a very vulpine way. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked, leaning forwards, so close his face was only a few inches from hers.
Kira backed up a little, flushing red. "No…nothing," she said, her spirits plummeting as her mind went back to the subject of her people.
Naruto, who in most circumstances was gullible as hell, wasn't fooled. "You're lying," he said, sidling up close to her again. "Your eyes are sad, and I think that means that something is wrong."
She looked at him, slightly surprised. So he noticed things like that too….
"Well," she began, turning away from him, back towards the endless night in front of her. "I was thinking of…Stormwind. When I left, so many things were wrong…and with my father's…d-death, things could only get worse. Benedictus told me that he'd oversee everything, but I cannot help but feel worried for everyone in the city. Something is terribly wrong…and I can do nothing to stop it. I know my dream is to unite the people of this world…but I don't think I can put the well-being of my people in jeopardy, if it means accomplishing that dream."
Naruto, by now, was also staring into the darkness. The boy didn't answer her at first, his clear blue-eyes, the color of the sky, slightly misted with the symptoms of heavy thought. When he did answer her, it was surprising.
"Don't worry about it," he said, simply.
She looked at him, blinking several times. "What?" she said.
He turned and grinned at her. "Don't worry about it. You gotta have faith that the people you're gonna rule over someday are strong. You said that your dad was a great leader, and if his dad was king too, he was probably great as well. You told me that Stormwind was destroyed, but the people rebuilt it, stronger than ever. After so many great leaders, I don't think that the people would be that weak. If you have faith in their strength, then they will still be there when you get back."
He turned back into the darkness, and continued. "I'm gonna be Hokage, and a Hokage is the strongest in the village. I have to get strong so that I can prove myself to the people that I am as strong as they are, and that I am worthy of their faith and trust. You do too. If you get strong, Kira-chan, then you'll be able to prove to them that you too are worthy of their faith and trust. That old weirdo…Benedictus or somethin', knew this too, and that's why he sent you away. We're both not ready yet, so we have to get as strong as possible that when the time comes, we'll show them all."
Then, he grinned his infamous grin, and turned to her again. "You gotta trust that weird geezer, and you've gotta trust your people. A leader who doesn't have faith in his people's strength isn't one at all."
Kira blinked, staring at Naruto with wide eyes. Right then…he had sounded so much like her father. He spoke with an air of absolute certainty. After all he had been preparing himself to become Hokage since he was very young. Even after the treatment that he had received from the villagers, he saw only their strength, and their indomitable spirit. He had not stopped believing in them, and probably never would. That was what a true leader needed to do: have faith in his people, and be strong enough to bear the burden of their faith in him. It was an effort on both parts that led to the success of a nation.
She laughed a little, and wiped away a few unshed tears. Naruto was right. She needed to focus, to get stronger, and to complete her dream.
Her people would be waiting for her, when she got back. They were strong, and could whether the terrible storm that had assailed them for so long.
"Naruto…" she said, smiling at him. "Has anyone ever told you…that you're very kind?"
Naruto blinked, a little surprised by the girl's statement. "Uhh…I don't think so…" he confessed.
She smiled, "You are. You're kind… and even though there are so many better words for it, I think that word suits you. You have to be the kindest person I have ever met. You're risking your life so much, just to help me…even when you have promises to keep back home…you're still here, comforting me, and helping me achieve my dream."
By this point, Naruto was blushing from ear to ear, a goofy smile on his face. Honestly, he had never heard such nice words uttered to him before in his life. And it was coming from a girl, no less.
A very cute girl, to boot.
'TAKE HER NOW, BRAT. SHE WILL MAKE A FINE MATE.'
'Argggh! Shut up! Stupid fox!' he mentally howled, blushing even more.
Though she hadn't heard what the demon had said, she giggled a little at the look on the boy's face. He had obviously never had such a compliment before, so she had thought that it would be appropriate to give him one.
If she had been any wiser in the ways of love, she would have realized that her words had sounded somewhat like a confession. But, thankfully, she was as ignorant of those ways as Naruto was of Hinata.
Unfortunately for both of them (more so Naruto) Kylia had overheard much of the final portion of the conversation, having come up to see what had become of her mistress. Hiding behind a couple of boxes that had been strapped to the deck with ropes, she watched the two, her eyes focused with caution on the boy.
'One move…' she thought, gripping a knife in her hand. 'If he makes one move on my mistress…a hand in the wrong place, a kiss on the cheek, or…any such inappropriate action, then I shall have grounds to kill him. He is a very nice person, but I will not let a ruffian like him defile my mistress.'
Fortunately for Naruto, he gave a big yawn, and said to her tiredly, "Hehe…I'm gonna hit the hay, okay? Seeya in the mornin' Kira-chan!"
"'Night Naruto," the girl retorted, giving a little wave as the boy walked back, his hands behind his head, towards the stairs that led into the zeppelin's hold. He stopped on his way by to say a quick goodnight to a shocked Kylia, whose presence he had smelt almost as soon as she had arrived.
'Man,' he thought, cheerfully, giving a little wave to Kylia, who backed away in shock and surprise, 'that girl's a little weird…kinda like Hinata.'
He reached his cabin, and stepping over a sleeping Tsuwabuki, he kicked off his sandals, and dropped onto the rough bed sheets. He was asleep soon enough, his troubled mind at rest. Tomorrow they would be back in Orgrimmar, and the next leg of his journey would begin.
Or so he thought…
Above the numerous winding halls and many smaller chambers that made up the Blackrock Spire, there was a single chamber, so titanic that an army of ten thousand would still have had room to breath should they have been inside it. It was circular, and there were many openings in the wall, each shining with a distant, reddish light: the light of the outside world.
But it was not an army of ten thousand that occupied it at the moment. No, it was only half that number, standing in the very center of the chamber. Surrounding them were thirteen gigantic zeppelins, the thirteenth being at least twice the other's size, each positioned in front of one of the holes. The largest of them was positioned in front of an even larger hole, and it was on the deck of this massive zeppelin, looking over the five thousand or so orcs and the occasional smattering of ogre, that Rend Blackhand stood, in his fullest glory. He was dressed in armor of the deepest black, covering the majority of his body. His grey hair was tied back in two long tails, and across his back was slung a giant sword; it had the shape of an elongated butcher's cleaver, and was glowing with runes. His single red eye scanned the thousands of orcs that had gathered. He could feel their anticipation.
He could feel their bloodlust.
He raised a single hand into the air, and their excited rumblings quieted.
"Today, my brethren…we reclaim that which has been lost to us for years. Today we depose the weakling that is Thrall, and we put Orgrimmar and the Horde under the rule of someone who is truly worthy: Me.
"Today we will rain fire on them, we will prove to the world that the Orcish race is the one to fear, and to respect. Even the Lich King shall tremble in his boots when he hears our name. Orgrimmar is rightfully ours, and it belongs in the hands of the strong: Us.
"Today, my brethren, the natural order of things will be returned, and the Orcish race will become as strong and noble as it once was. We will not falter, for this is our destiny." His voice got louder, and he began speaking even faster, his eyes wide with a crazed rage.
"WHO WILL MAKE THE MOUNTAINS SHAKE, AND THE SEAS RECEDE IN FEAR?"
"BLACKHAND!" they shouted, raising their weapons high into the air. "BLACKHAND!"
"WHO WILL MAKE THE TITANS TREMBLE, THE ELEMENTS QUAKE IN TERROR, THE SUN DARKEN, AND THE VERY SPIRITS OF THIS WORLD BOW DOWN IN AWE AND RESPECT?"
"BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND!" they roared.
"VERY WELL! THEN COME BRETHREN; LET US SHOW THEM THAT THE NAME BLACKHAND IS ONE TO BE FEARED. LET US SHOW THAT WEAKLING WHO IS MEANT TO SIT ON THAT THRONE!"
The chamber exploded into an incoherent frenzy of roars, cheers, cries and bellows. The orcs began to move into the zeppelins, chanting the name of their clan, and consequently their leader, all the way.
"BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND! BLACKHAND!"
Rend's mouth twisted into a smile, and he turned, walking along the deck until he reached the middle. A massive form stood upon it, eagerly watching the events unfold.
"Soon, Gyth, we shall rid Orgrimmar of that tick that is Thrall. Together we shall destroy any in our path!"
The chromatic dragon stood well over ten feet tall, its wingspan twice that size, and was a strange magenta color that seemed to shine many different colors, depending on how you looked at it. It's eyes were many colors as well, with bits of red, blue, green, yellow, brown, and black within them. It let out a terrible roar of anticipation and soon Rend joined it, raising both hands into the air as he bellowed out into the air.
"BLACKHAND!"
That day in Orgrimmar, it was unusually cloudy. It was also unusually cool, and though some enjoyed the chance to frolic about, without the danger of sunburn or dehydration, others began to question if something was wrong. The deeply spiritual, for example, were doing their best to discover the intentions of the spirits, some claiming that they were angry, and others claiming that they were helping out a little. As far as anyone knew, it had never been so unusually cool, especially in this time of year.
There was also a certain degree of tension within the masses. If one were a visitor, and had not lived in Orgrimmar for very long, they would not have seen this. However, those who had lived there all their lives saw it quite well. Something was amiss, even though nobody knew what.
Within Grommash Hold in the Valley of Wisdom, Thrall, Warchief of the Horde, sat upon his throne, brooding. He too felt the tension in the city, and for the life of him couldn't discover what it was.
Nazgrel had come by several times reporting to him that nothing was amiss in the city, save for the strange tension that hovered in the air. His people, he realized, felt it too.
Nazgrel came by once again, several minutes later, his eyes filled with slight concern.
"My lord," he said. "Are you alright?"
Thrall chuckled, "I believe we have had this conversation before, Nazgrel. Everything is alright; with me at least. However, it would seem my fears have somehow spread to my people."
Nazgrel sighed. "Perhaps I should have the guardians prepare themselves for a battle? It is, as you always say, better safe then sorry?"
Thrall waved him off. "No…do not bother. It is likely I am just tired. I have been working quite a bit lately. Tell me, do you have any reports from Cairn?"
Nazgrel gave a swift nod. "He and his people have already succeeded in reversing much of the damage done by the Venture Company. They are working on rebuilding Windshear Crag and replanting the trees that were lost. Interestingly, we have learned that the Venture Co. has broken up, and has formed several independent companies, each one specializing in a different area of expertise. Two of them have even approached us with offers on oil, ore, and lumber."
Feeling better that he had something to discuss, Thrall said, "I hope you turned away that last one. The Warsong Lumber Mill provides us with all of the wood that we need. However, it would not hurt to have more ore in our stocks. I might like to meet with the president of that company, perhaps to discuss an arrangement with them."
"That would be beneficial, my lord," said Nazgrel, nodding. He too felt a little relieved to discuss something other than the tension that everyone was feeling then.
"And what of Sylvanas…has she replied to our offer, yet?"
Nazgrel shook his head, "No, we have heard nothing from her. I don't expect to, either, for she never seemed like a true part of the Horde."
Thrall sighed, "You are not the only one. But I feel that she is a worthy ally, and it would be for the good of the Horde to have her allegiance once more."
Nazgrel frowned, but said, "Perhaps. Know that I will trust your judg–"
Nazgrel suddenly trailed off, and he cocked his head to the side, so that his ear was turned upwards. His frown deepened, causing Thrall to cock his head as well.
He heard something, then. It was the sound of propellers, distant, very distant, but still there. It worried him, for he had never before heard a zeppelin from within the walls of Grommash Hold, especially since the zeppelin tower was outside the city walls.
He stood, his fears quickly escalating. He walked past Nazgrel, who followed quickly, and out of the throne room, and down the long hall. They passed the Shaman's den, and exited the Hold, there eyes immediately skyward.
Thrall's heart plummeted, and his eyes widened. It would seem that his fears were confirmed.
In the distance, high above the city, a group of abnormally large zeppelins flew. They were painted black, with a flaming symbol that Thrall knew only too well over that blackness.
The symbol of the Blackrock Orcs, the symbol of Rend Blackhand.
Then, his fear was replaced with determination and rage. If that fool thought he could attack Orgrimmar, his city, then he was an even bigger fool that Thrall had ever imagined.
His people were stronger than any enemy, and would be more than enough to stop Rend from succeeding in his attack.
But then, he felt something sharp against his neck, not quite piercing his first layer of skin. His eyes widened, and he turned slightly, if only to get a look at the person who had done it.
He growled. "So this is how you treat your lord?" he asked, his voice thick with venom.
High above Orgrimmar, on the largest zeppelin, Rend Blackhand let out a terrific bellow, which was echoed by his sky-high army, all with their weapons drawn, and their mouths frothing with the bloodlust that had overcome them. They were true orcs in their eyes, orcs who fought for the pride and power of their race.
An orc's pride in himself could only be shown in battle. Their power could only be decided by how many times they have killed, and how many battle scars they had. Fighting was the only thing an orc could do, and they were the best of the best in that area.
Today they would prove that to the world.
There was not a soul upon those zeppelins that was not in some way anticipating the forthcoming battle.
Rend raised his hand into the air, and thundered to all of his orcs, "ANY WHO RESIST, SLAY! AND ANY WHO CONCEDE, LET THEM TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST THE FALSE ONE!"
He laughed at the accompanying cheers, before bringing his hand down in a swift arc. The zeppelins then began to descend towards the mighty city, moving as a single creature, a swarm of hate and rage that radiated throughout Durotar, saturating the unusually cool air with the fires of wrath and battle-lust.
Below, those loyal to Thrall were fast working to gather a group of fighters to combat the threat that was drawing closer and closer every second. However, they immediately encountered resistance in the form of many traitorous orcs, who had infiltrated their ranks long ago, long before Thrall had rooted out the moles in the city.
When the zeppelins had gotten to an appropriate height, hundreds of robes descended from them, hitting the ground in loud thumbs. Blackrock orcs began to pour from the zeppelins, climbing down with almost demonic speed, their faces twisted into the glorious joy of battle.
Others, far too excited to waste time climbing down a robe, simply leapt from the zeppelins, landing with thunderous crashes upon the ground, on both feet, unharmed. They were true orcs. They were not weak.
The guardians of Orgrimmar, however, did not plan to let them take the city so easily. They shouted into the air, as they lifted their axes and rushed towards the amassing Blackrock orcs.
"FOR THE HORDE!" they cried.
They smashed into the quickly growing crowd of Blackrock orcs, slashing at the wall with practiced ease. The first row was quickly cut down, but the second row quickly offered a more than competent defense, knocking them back, and charging in like berserkers, there weapons swinging with ferocious zeal, roaring as adrenaline poured through their bodies.
It was there that Golbarn, friend of Naruto, and Orcish Blademaster, found himself, slicing at any orc that bore a flash of the red symbol of Blackhand's Horde.
Golbarn growled, parrying a swift and merciless blow towards his neck. Redirecting the leverage, he pushed the orc off of him, and punched him in the face, before skewering him through the stomach and moving on.
He avoided a large axe directed at his midsection, and decapitated the offending orc with his gore-covered blade. He turned just in time to be slammed in the chest by a gauntlet-covered fist, which drove him backwards with far more force than he had expected. He was surprised by the orc's strength.
The orc that had attacked him ran towards him again, lifting up a large hammer. As he did, more ran at Golbarn from the sides and behind, intending to rip him apart. He held his sword out then, and gathered his chakra into it. With a terrible roar of "BLADESTORM!" Golbarn spun his body, causing chakra to explode outwards, forming a cyclone around him. The whirlwind of chakra expanded outwards, chopping up the charging orcs as if they were fresh vegetables.
But his attack didn't stop there. As the Bladestorm died around him, Golbarn leapt into the air, gathering more chakra into his blade. It began to glow with electricity, and after performing a single seal with his left hand, he brought it down into another group of Blackrock orcs, shouting, "THUNDER CLAP!"
His sword struck the ground, and there was a loud BOOM that was not unlike that of thunder. Chakra poured from Golbarn's blade and into the ground, blasting it apart. Blackrock orcs were flung away from the shockwave of pour, some landing in fatal positions upon their brethren, others simply senseless from the power and suddenness of the attack. It was clear to Golbarn, however, that the attack was not as effective as he had expected it to be. Most of the orcs were getting back up, dazed, but still alive.
'Even against other orcs…' thought Golbarn, eyeing the swiftly recovering Blackrocks. 'This technique should have knocked out, even outright slain more. These orcs are stronger than most…what are they?'
The attack had taken all of them unprepared. That was something that Golbarn didn't like: being caught unprepared. As such, it was difficult for him to adapt to such situations, because for the moment, he had no plan, and in his opinion, that was the worst thing possible in a battle.
Naruto had always proved him otherwise, of course, but the boy wasn't here, and therefore Golbarn was fighting blind.
'I will find lord Thrall…' he thought, gathering another wave of chakra into his sword. 'That will be my plan, for the moment.'
Swinging his blade in a wide arc, Golbarn unleashed a Mortal Strike. The blade of wind and chakra ripped apart a group of Blackrock orcs in front of him, giving him a path. He quickly charged through it, his mind set, already looking towards his goal.
'You'd best hurry here, brat. I don't think we'll be able to do this without you.'
"So, this is how you treat your lord?" said Thrall, his voice thick with venom.
The Kor'kron Elite dug the dagger harder into his neck, and growled in a low voice, "You are no lord of mine, Thrall. I do not serve the weak. My allegiance has always been with lord Blackhand, and it always will be."
Nazgrel, who was a few feet behind and was in a similar situation as his master, gave a snarl. "Such underhanded tactics… I thought Rend boasted that his were 'true' orcs. I see no 'true' orcs, only rats that are dressed within armor of the Elites."
The Kor'kron Elite holding him snorted. "There are no rules in battle, Frostwolf, you of all should be aware of that. We are not above using such techniques in battle."
Thrall heaved a sigh. "You should know that we aren't either."
He stepped forward, into the knife, but seconds before it cut the skin, his body hardened in the Earth form, Kongou. The orc drew his weapon across Thrall's neck, but it didn't even cut the skin. The Warchief suddenly turned, so swiftly that it was as if he had been facing that way all along. He smashed his head into the Kor'kron Elite's armored helm, the Kongou still in place on his upper body. It dented the helmet inwards, so hard that blood gushed from an unseen wound upon the orc's forehead, and he dropped to the ground, dead.
Meanwhile, Nazgrel had pushed off his feet, slamming his entire body into the orc holding him, ejecting both of them backwards. The sudden action startled the orc into dropping his weapon, but Nazgrel didn't stop moving, not even when he slammed hard into the wall of Grommash Hold, repeatedly. The Kor'kron Elite dropped, unconscious, his armor in pieces from the repeated introduction of his body to the tremendously dense wall of the hold.
He turned to Thrall, his onyx eyes filled with a cold fire. The fire of the Frostwolves, some would say.
"What will you do, my lord?" he rumbled.
Thrall turned towards Grommash Hold, seeing the four Kor'kron Elite that guarded the inner sanctum running towards them, their weapons drawn, their faces filled with the maddened rage of a Blackrock orc.
"I shall first retrieve my hammer, Nazgrel, and then I shall find that fool, Rend Blackhand, and show him the true strength of the Horde. What will you do?" said Thrall, turning his glittering, icy blue eyes towards Nazgrel.
The Frostwolf grinned. "I shall be by your side, my lord, as always."
Thrall nodded, and started towards the orcs, who had by now reached the Shaman's den. Making a series of quick, effortless seals, the Warchief of the Horde thundered, "Chain Lightning!"
In a series of flashes, streams of lightning erupted from Thrall's outstretched hand, striking the first Kor'kron Elite in the chest, and then arcing to the next two, which then arced to the final one. The blasts ran more volts than even the orcs could take, and when Thrall walked past them, they lay charred and smoking upon the ground, no more alive than statues.
Nazgrel remained outside, his eyes turned skywards. Above them, the largest zeppelin of them all hovered, and it was there that Nazgrel knew Rend was, most likely staring down at him at that moment.
And he was right.
High above Grommash Hold, Rend stood leering down at the sight. The sounds and smells of battle were ringing in his ears. Nothing would be able to stop them now, he knew. Orgrimmar would see the error in making Thrall leader. He would make sure of that.
His smile widened as he felt Thrall's chakra join the Frostwolf's outside the hold. He turned his head sideways, to face the giant dragon that stood by his side.
"Ready, Gyth, to show them our power?"
The dragon let out a low growl, and Rend, with a grin, leapt from the zeppelin, Gyth following him quickly. The huge dragon dove beneath him, and he landed deftly upon its back as it swooped downwards towards the giant hold.
Gyth landed with a great booming sound, causing the entire valley to shake. Thrall and Nazgrel stood, unaffected by the dust that the dragon had kicked up, and as it cleared, they got their fist look at the terrible orc.
Rend grinned, standing up upon his saddle, and un-slinging his massive sword. His terrible red eye pierced directly into Thrall's, and his mouth had twisted into a terrible grin.
"Hello, weakling. Are you ready to die?" he said.
Thrall lifted the Doomhammer, his blue eyes shining with determination. "I think it should be me asking that question, fool, for it will not be me who dies here."
Rend's grin stretched open even further. He was going to enjoy this very much.
Naruto heard one of the goblins telling the Darkspear, whose name Naruto still didn't know, that they would be arriving in Orgrimmar very soon. Naruto had already known this, of course, as a little before he had begun to recognize the terrain. Rather than taking the purely sea route, the zeppelin was passing over Ratchet, and from then on going by land towards Orgrimmar.
Having been sent to the Barrens for many missions, Naruto easily recognized where they were in relation to the Orcish capital city. He was anxious, as well. The feeling that had gripped him and Vol'jin the previous day was making it very difficult for Naruto to sit still, especially when they were so close to Orgrimmar.
In order to distract himself from this anxiousness, Naruto had busied himself in telling Kira and Kylia (and Tsuwabuki, but she knew quite a bit about it already) about Orgrimmar. He didn't remember a lot of the history behind it, but he did know a lot about it currently. He told them of the many exotic and cool shops and stores. He told them about Sarjak's loon'des, and the different valleys. Kira seemed very interested in it, because she confessed that there was little literature explaining the Orcish city, as no human had supposedly been allowed inside since Jaina Proudmoore, and she had been in Theramore for the majority of her final days.
He also told them about the surrounding area, and what was in it. Kira was particularly fascinated by the tales of the Wailing Caverns, and expressed a wish to see them, if that was possible. Kylia seemed a bit more interested in what lay in Mulgore, so Naruto told them about its peaceful beauty, as well as about Thunder Bluff and the friendly tauren that lay within.
"You guys'll really like Orgrimmar!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "It's a great place, even if it does smell a little funny."
Kira nodded, smiling, mostly in amusement at the enthusiasm Naruto was expressing. It seemed to her like Orgrimmar had become almost a second home to the boy.
"I be agreein'" rumbled the Darkspear from before, startling the three. "Orgrimmar be a great place, be home to many o' my people."
Naruto nodded in agreement, still wondering who the orc was. He was about to ask who he was, when there was a sudden shout from the bow of the zeppelin, which drew the troll's attention towards it. The three humans turned towards it as well, and quickly ran to the bow, along with many of the other trolls.
"What's going on?" asked Kira to Gen'rash. The Skullsplitter didn't speak, only pointed, his face grim.
Naruto pushed past one of the trolls, and looked in the direction Gen'rash was pointing.
He gasped.
In the distance, he could see rising plumes of smoke from the great city, and the smell of blood wafted into his nose.
Orgrimmar was under attack.
BLARGLE! This was most certainly a tough chapter to write. Dunno why…just was. Next one should be better, I think.
Okay, since I missed April Fool's Day, I wrote this omake about the most recent chapter of the Naruto manga…please, if you are under at least 16 years old, do not read it, and salvage your dignity and pride. Also, do not ask me what the significance of the jutsu are, should you not know. They are not appropriate. If you really want to, just go to Urban Dictionary.
Okay, here it is!
Omake (WARNING spoilers for chapter 301!) by General Grievous
Sai was silent as he followed Orochimaru, the cruelest of the Sennin (arguably), and easily the creepiest. He had entered the lair of the Snake Sennin not a few minutes ago, and already he thought the place could use a little more décor.
The massive chamber they entered had seemingly no ceiling; it was consumed by the shadows, as were most of the columns. There were only a few dim torches on the distant walls, barely giving the room any light at all. The effeminate young ninja gazed around placidly, his trained artist's eye noting all of the wonderful shadings in the room, and he made a note to sketch the room as soon as he got a chance.
If he had had emotions, he would've expressed displeasure at the smell of the room. It stank of mold and mildew, and there was a warm dampness in the air. He also caught the pungent scent of sweat, as well as another odor, which he could not identify at that moment.
Then, he caught sight of a figure in front of him, sitting, etched in shadows, in front of a large statue of a massive snake. The figure was almost completely shrouded in darkness, save for his crimson eyes, which were focused on Orochimaru at this point in time.
Sai almost gasped, but then remembered that he had no emotions, and simply raised an eyebrow in what he hoped to be astonishment.
'That is…Uchiha Sasuke,' he thought, feeling the power that the young man gave off, and almost shuddering.
"Hey," Sasuke said, coldly, his piercing Sharingan eyes boring into Orochimaru's golden, snake-like ones. "Teach me a new jutsu."
"Where are your manners?" roared Kabuto, scowling at the second defected Uchiha.
Orochimaru shot a look at the medic-nin, before smirking sweetly at Sasuke, his golden eyes glinting with amusement…and something Sai couldn't identify.
"Now, now, Sasuke-kun," the Snake-Sennin said. "We have a guest today…" he gestured towards Sai, who gave a slight bow.
"I am honored to meet you, Uchiha Sasuke," Sai said, smiling a very fake smile.
"Fuck off!" snapped Sasuke, note even looking at the boy. "Train me, now!" he said to Orochimaru.
Sai blinked, and opened his mouth to speak his apologies, but Orochimaru cut him off.
"Don't bother him," the Sennin said. Then to Sasuke: "Fine, I still have much to teach you, don't I?"
Sasuke snorted, "I've already mastered that technique, 'Egetsunai Sanchez (Dirty Sanchez) no jutsu'" the boy said, his voice laced with arrogant pride.
Sai blinked at the strange name, as Orochimaru smirked and said, "Is that so? Then perhaps I should teach you the 'Shiroi Tatsu (White Dragon) no jutsu' and the 'Houdini no jutsu'."
Sai was growing ever more confused as Sasuke stood up, his piercing eyes still on Orochimaru. The snake Sennin then gestured towards him again, and said sweetly. "He is inexperienced, I think, and might benefit from the training as well. He is to be your comrade now."
Sasuke stared at Sai, who was suddenly awash with a sickening, and naked feeling.
'It's like…he's undressing me…with his eyes!' the effeminate shinobi thought, both shocked and aroused by the look.
Sasuke snorted, "Pff…whatever, he can join us if he likes."
The audible ruffling of clothes being removed was heard, and Orochimaru began to walk towards the shadowed form.
"Wait," the second sequel to the traitorous Uchiha said, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Orochimaru paused mid-step, then sighed, and pushed his hands together, shouting, "Henge no jutsu!"
The tall, dark, and heavily eye-shadowed man vanished, and to Sai' shock, he was replaced with the short, spiky-haired form of Uzumaki Naruto.
"Is this better?" Orochimaru said, even mimicking Naruto's voice.
Sasuke laughed, "Perfect…prepare yourself for my strongest jutsu, slave! Atsui Carl (Hot Carl) no jutsu!"
As the darkness enshrouded the two, and a plethora of sounds not meant to be heard by those in a Teen rated fiction, or by any straight man, Sai found himself smiling truly for the first time in his life.
'I have…entered nirvana!' he thought, clenching his fist and crying in a frighteningly Gai-like way.
Meanwhile, Kabuto was busy slinking away, his hands over his ears, his stomach dangerously close to turning itself inside out.
'And they think I'm weird…' he thought, shuddering. Maybe it would have been better for him to have remained Sasori's subordinate…
I love to hate Sasuke!
Also, we have another Omake by Tatsu! It's a bit longer this time, too.
The (Mis)Adventures of Muhi Tatsu, dimension traveler pt. 2: Tatsu's return to Konohagakure no Sato!
After having helped the Gnomes and Dwarves of Ironforge stabilize their portal, Muhi Tatsu had decided to take their offer of rest for a night. Ironforge was alright, he supposed, but it didn't have any one of his truly favorite things: Oriental foods, sweet drinks, Dragon brandy, manga and women. Well, not human women anyway.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, King Magni had asked him to supply any and all information he had on dimension travel. For what he didn't know, but he at least wanted to repay their hospitality. So, giving them a copy of 'The Hitchhiker's guide to Dimension traveling' had been useful, but not really what they had been looking for. When he had tried explaining how he could perform dimension travel, they hadn't understood, as while the energies utilized were similar to those used by mages and warlocks, most were in Gnomeregan, helping to rebuild.
"It would be useful Mr. Tatsu, if you could travel to another realm. That would help immensely." Furnizzle explained patiently.
"Which one?" Tatsu asked rather bored and sleepy looking. "Hopefully one with good ale. Beer tastes like piss here…. Heck, it tastes like piss anywhere!"
Frowning, King Magni said. "Any will do I believe. And if you don't like our beer, get your own!"
"Any place huh? Well, there is one place I haven't visited in a while…" Tatsu mused thoughtfully. "Okay. When do you want me to start?"
"Now will be fine." A gnome with rather expensive looking equipment squeaked. "Whenever you're ready!"
Tatsu began to go to work. Raising a hand, light began to form in his palm, coalescing into a sphere. After enough energy had been gathered, the light shot out of Tatsu's hand and onto one of the walls of the room they were currently in, becoming the shape of an oval of sorts. The light vanished, and standing in front of Tatsu was a door with a leaf emblazoned on it's front.
"Amazing!" a dwarf exclaimed. "An yoo can go ta any place then?"
"Most, but not every place. I'll have to go in soon, this won't stay up for long." Tatsu explained.
"Uh, right! Good luck Sir Tatsu!" Undrig said.
Tatsu gave a salute, mocking or not they couldn't tell, and opened the door, going through into what could only be seen as darkness.
"You got all that right?" Furnizzle asked.
"Yes chief!" his engineers yelled.
"Good. Do you think he'll come back?"
Looking sheepish, no one replied to that.
TATSUTATSUTATSUTATUSTATUSTATSUTATSUTATSU
Shaking his head, Tatsu walked into another world. As fate would have it, it wasn't any old world, but none other than the ninja world! Right in front of Konohagakure no Sato too!
"Gee this is a little disappointing. Not much has changed since I've been gone." Tatsu mused. Making his way up the forest path, Tatsu slowly walked up to the gate.
"Halt! What is your business?" A guard at the gate had exclaimed.
"I'm here to visit whoever the current Hokage is. I'm an old friend." Tatsu replied.
Both guards raised their eyebrows in disbelief. "Be that as it may sir, I'm going to need some identification."
Tatsu sighed. "Oh well. At least you aren't as bad as American airport security." He mumbled. Feeling through his pockets, Tatsu took out a battered pouch and began rifling through the contents.
"Let's see… Lightsaber, Jet Dial, FOXHOUND unit patch, magic wand, ah! Here it is!"
Tatsu took out a golden medal in the shape of a leaf showing it to the guards. They took one look and their eyes bulged out within seconds.
"That's a Blazing Leaf medal! Only those who have personally helped the Hokage themselves have been given that! Who are you?"
Tatsu smirked. "Muhi…Tatsu."
The effect was instantaneous. "That's not possible! That was almost 50 years ago! That man... He was a living legend!"
"Believe it. Now could I please come in?"
The guards hesitantly let Tatsu through. Walking through the gate, Tatsu paused for a second.
"Shiranui-san, I have to tell you… you're grandfather did the same thing you did, only with a cigar."
Shiranui Genma's mouth opened and his toothpick fell to the ground as he passed out.
NARUTOTATSUNARUTOTATSUNARUTOTATSUFANBOYSRSTUPID
"Good old' Hokage tower. I still hope those lovely couches in the reception room are still as nice as they were before."
As Tatsu made his way up Hokage tower, he failed to glance at the stone monument. If he had, he would have been more prepared, but alas, Tatsu rarely if ever went out of his musings. Finally going inside, Tatsu walked through several rooms, jogging his memory in the process. Remembering where the main office had been, his quickly made his way there. Inside, the room was mostly empty except for a desk (presumably for a secretary) and to Tatsu's delight, the same soft comfy couches, nearly untouched from the day he had left Konoha the first time. Sighing at the fact that he couldn't sleep at the moment, Tatsu got up and knocked on the door, announcing his presence.
Opening twin doors, Tatsu was met with the sight of someone he immediately recognized, but then narrowed his brow.
"If it's been forty years, then how…" he mused.
Making his way around the sleeping Godaime Hokage, Tatsu lightly stepped behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. Immediately, a fist flew on reflex and Tatsu, also by reflex, caught it. Woken by this action, Tsunade opened her eyes quickly and gasped at the sight.
"I must be dreaming… This is a dream, isn't it Tatsu-kun?"
"Erm.. no Tsunade-chan. I'm really back." Tatsu replied.
Tsunade pinched herself, and after a quick yelp of pain, she gazed at him in wonder.
"Tatsu-kun. It really IS you, isn't it? I don't understand though… you're still so young! It's been forty years since you left, how can this be?" Tsunade asked.
Tatsu sighed. "Well, dimension traveling tends to do… very weird things to people. Especially when they can control it. What about you though? You look REALLY good! Find the fountain of youth or something?"
Tsunade blushed. "Um… no Tatsu-kun. It's kind of a delicate issue, I'll explain later." She then grew a sheepish expression. "Sorry for punching at you like that. I thought you were Jiraiya."
"Jiraiya? That letch is still around? I'm starting to think almost nothing changed in my absence!" Tatsu laughed.
Tsunade grew somber. "Actually Tatsu-kun, a lot HAS changed around here. Why have you come though?"
"Well, I'm still traveling and I happened to come across a world called Azeroth. I promised I'd help some people out with some research of a sort, and they just told me to go anywhere. I hadn't visited here in a while, so I decided to see what's been going on, that's really all." Tatsu replied.
Tsunade grew pensive. "I see. You've been gone a long time though Tatsu, why haven't you come back sooner?"
Tatsu became somber. "After Shodaime and Nidaime died, I didn't really have anyone here who just liked me for me. I also saw that Konoha seemed to be doing alright and I didn't think it needed me anymore, so I went off. I would have come back sooner, but I've been quite busy for at least thirty five years or so." After these words, his face grew even more sad. "I guess I thought no one would miss me."
"Tatsu-kun… I missed you." Tsunade said softly.
"Yes, but you weren't even seven at the time. Look at you now, Hokage! I didn't know what type of person you would become, if you would like me or not, if you would have even become a ninja! But… I am sorry Tsunade-chan." He slumped back into his chair. "Thanks though, for missing me." He smiled. "Now, what's happened since I've left?"
In the next half-hour, Tsunade informed Tatsu of what had taken place in both her own life and that of the village. She told him of the ascension of Sandaime Hokage, of the legend of the Sannin, Orochimaru's betrayal, Nawaki and Dan's deaths, the Stone-Leaf war, the Kyuubi and the Yondaime Hokage, the Uchiha massacre, and finally, the bright shining light of hope known as Uzumaki Naruto and how she had ended up as Godaime Hokage. She also mentioned her apprentices, Haruno Sakura and Shizune.
"That's quite a story." Tatsu said in a large amount of surprise. "Continuing Sarutobi's legacy… that's a good and bad thing I suppose."
"Yes Tatsu-kun, but-"
"Tsunade-sama! How could you? Leading me off to find a fake group of reports just so you could sleep again! I can't believe… who is this?" Shizune paused, embarrassed.
Thankful she had a reprieve, Tsunade explained. "This is an old friend of mine and my grandfather's, Muhi Tatsu. Tatsu, this is my apprentice and assistant Shizune."
Shizune blushed at hearing the name of the living legend. "Oh! Tatsu-sama! It's an honor to meet you!"
Shizune's voice rose steadily higher as she began to look at Tatsu's body underneath the coat he had placed over his chair, blushing even further. Tatsu in turn began looking at her through his sunglasses, which had been put on a while before, and blushed as well.
"Shizune-san… this may be presumptuous of me and please forgive me, but I must say it…"
Tatsu glomped onto Shizune even faster than an Android Cat-girl or a Chinese Amazon.
"HEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOO NURSE!"
Tsunade groaned, knowing this wasn't going to be a good day, especially when Shizune began to squeal in delight.
WEE! NOW FOR REVIEWER MAIL! MY FAVORITE PART!
Gaul1- OOOOHHHHH! That helps, thanks. Sorry/
Uchihaitachi13- Mastering stuff to easily? He hasn't yet mastered anything he's learned. Sure, he is definitely strong, but come on, he learned the Rasengan in a week. He learned Kage Bunshin in a few hours. It's obvious he has a talent for that sort of thing. And as to your BTW, really? Kraken's Ghost is one of my favorite authors ever! I'm pretty disappointed that he hasn't continued with Foxhound, but I still feel quite honored that he linked to my story.
Binnybobarino- Hmmmm…not have any reasons for going back to Konoha other than his friends and a promise? Not entirely true, but that's still enough for Naruto, I think. Besides, he still has a dream to complete himself, y'know?
Chibi nko- Nope, no Burning Legion here. You'll find out soon, I think, if this chapter doesn't do it for you!
Well, that's it for this week.
Next week: Orgrimmar under Siege- Who will win, Strength or compassion?
Spellbook-Thunder Clap- Delivers a massive explosive wave of electric chakra, stunning or killing anyone struck by it.
Bestiary-Blackrock Orc (Humanoid)(Elite)- Stronger than your average orc, these beasts are enhanced by a mysterious power, that drives them almost insane with a lust for battle. Loyal to Rend Blackhand.
Rend Blackhand (Humanoid) (Boss)- Leader of the Blackrock Orcs, and possesses a massive sword, and a flying dragon mount named Gyth. His powers are unknown.