Disclaimer: I spelled this wrong the first time I typed it. I don't own Naruto or World of Warcraft.
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
--
The great hall was almost empty, save for the two slight figures near the back, half-obscured by shadow. Kira wasn't sure they were there until Jiraiya greeted them. They appeared quite suddenly. No sound, no sign of movement, like wisps of smoke drifting on the wind.
She'd never get used to it.
"We're here, Tenzou," Jiraiya said, with a grunt and a nod in the man's direction.
"Yamato, Jiraiya-sama," Yamato said, with a stiff bow and no expression. "Just Yamato. Where is everyone?"
"Naruto'll be back tonight," said Jiraiya. "Kakashi's back in Konoha with Lee. I suppose you've heard about Gai
Yamato gave a very soft nod. "Briefly. I wish I could've paid my respects sooner."
"I'd rather he hadn't died at all," Jiraiya said, shrugging. He glanced behind him at the two girls, as they came in. "Sakura, would you mind rounding up the troops? Benedictus is on his way over but I'd like whoever's left in town to be here as well. This'll be relevant to them too."
Sakura nodded. "Right." She nodded briefly to Sai and then disappeared in much the same way Yamato and Sai had appeared. Kira had forgotten she could do that.
Jiraiya glanced at her. "You should probably sit down. We might be in for a wait." As she did, he returned his gaze to Yamato. "So what's up?"
"Shouldn't we wait?" he said, looking patiently at Jiraiya, hardly moving.
"I'm too damn curious. I also need some time to think about it before we do anything."
Yamato nodded. "The organization known as The Syndicate is indeed involved with Akatsuki." His tone was clipped as he fell into "debriefing mode." He didn't like to embellish, though he knew Jiraiya was somewhat the opposite.
"How?"
"They seem to be subordinates," Yamato said. "They hold to a rigid, set routine, which as far as I am aware, seems to be entirely based around gathering money, or the equivalent in precious metals, and perhaps weapons as well. Every day we were there they would arrive with more goods, and they would tally it all up, meticulously and without fail after every sundown. They seemed to have a quota which needed to be filled every day, and would send out more men if this quota was not met by the end of the day. They had no breaks, and acted business-like in every interaction with each other. No camaraderie, no carousing, not even polite conversation, nothing."
"What connects them with Akatsuki?"
"We observed a member there," Sai broke in. He wasn't smiling, which to Yamato, and only him, was odd. "Dressed in their staple cloak. He was very careful, using only code in his interactions, as if he knew we might be watching. I think he instilled this mentality in them—I think he was their organizer and leader."
"He might've been," Jiraiya muttered. "What village?"
"Waterfall."
"Big guy? Wore a mask? Strange facial features, dark skin, even darker eyes?"
Sai nodded.
Jiraiya glanced at Kira. "Sound like anybody you know?"
Kira nodded quickly. "Very much like the one who attacked us. The one that Naruto killed, but whose body—"
"You never found," Jiraiya said, nodding. He frowned, staring somewhere between Yamato and Sai but at neither of them directly. "Then again, you have the still-living head of a man in your dungeon. I guess it's not totally unheard of for a man to come back after being killed." He paused. "Especially here. What else?"
"There is a third party," said Sai, before Yamato could. The boy barely smiled at that, but quickly crushed it. "Also involved with Akatsuki."
"Who?" Jiraiya said, his gaze as intense as a raptor's following its prey.
Kira blinked. The man, whom she hardly knew and what she did know was through Naruto, was nothing like the perverted stranger she had expected. Short, direct, quite serious, nothing like the "ero-sennin" that Naruto spoke of. But then again, he was said to be one of the best shinobi. Ever. If that was measured in their terms, then there was far more to him than just battle strength.
"We are not sure," said Sai. His face twitched, but no smile appeared. He was evidently trying, thought Kira.
"Description?"
"Purple robes, and a symbol embroidered on the breasts of their cloaks." Sai lifted out a piece of paper, which he handed to Jiraiya. The man opened it, scanned the paper, and frowned.
"Never seen it before in my life," he said. He glanced at Kira. "Have you? Here." He handed her the paper. It took Kira a minute to recognize the mark, smeared as it was by the long-dried rain. She gasped.
"That's…Dalaran…?" she said. She looked at the paper, turning it a bit, and then at Sai, confused. "You sure it was this? You couldn't have mistaken it?"
"No," said Sai. Again the twitch, but again he restrained himself from smiling. "Is something wrong? What is Dalaran?" He cocked his head to the side, his eyes curiously squinted as if he was smiling, but not.
Aware that Jiraiya was watching her keenly, his eyes slightly narrowed in concentration, Kira hurriedly explained. It was hard when such an intense gaze was focused on her, and she couldn't forget Naruto's continued mentioning of the man's weird 'habits.'
"It's a city—a city-state, to be more precise. It is far north of here, at the foot of the Alterac Mountains. It might have been the most powerful city to have existed in the past, where all of the mage-lords lived and where nearly all jutsu created in the past two centuries was developed. It was run by the Kirin Tor—a council of the most powerful magi in the world. It was attacked during the Third War by Arthas Menethil and his Scourge, and nearly destroyed. But since they have erected a time-space wall around it, protecting it and allowing them to rebuild…they have since not been seen by anyone, save for a few chance sightings around the area of the dome." She thought a moment. "As far as I know, at least. They were highly respected, though, and most of the human world consider them allies."
"Magi—they're jutsu users, like us, right?" Jiraiya's eyes were frighteningly intense.
"Yes," Kira said. "In a way, I suppose." She fidgeted. She'd never felt quite so on edge when talking with somebody. There seemed to be power in everything he did or said. Much like Tsunade, but without her womanly tact.
"In a way?"
She nodded, brushing hair out of her eyes, avoiding his gaze. "They are not physically trained, only mentally. They practice your ninjutsu and genjutsu, but nothing else."
Jiraiya nodded. "So they're with Akatsuki, then? Interesting."
"That doesn't make sense," Kira said.
"Why not?"
"They would not ally themselves with a group like that—especially a group that has such intentions for the world."
"You said it yourself that they've holed themselves up for ages, so what would they know about the current world?"
"I—" Kira stopped short, feeling foolish for overlooking something so obvious. She had no answer, and her face burned because of it. It struck her then that Benedictus had never had much kind to say of them. Weak-minded, overambitious fools he had called them, despite using their techniques with abandon.
Jiraiya seemed to take pity; he gave the girl a light smile and then turned back to Yamato.
"Anything else?"
"Yes—"
The doors slammed open, flooding the room with the light of the hall, and in echoing din and lingering creaks, Benedictus, attended by Kylia, hobbled into the room. His golden eyes flashed as brightly as Jiraiya's black ones, as he stopped before the much taller, barrel-chested Jiraiya, looking a thousand years older.
"Starting without us?" His voice was gruff, annoyed. His breath was short as he hobbled past to a chair and sat down, growling and panting.
"I couldn't wait," said Jiraiya, watching him.
"That is what old men do," Benedictus said. "Just because you can walk does not mean you are a young man. Have some patience."
"Are you alright master?" Kira muttered, walking over to him. She bent down, looking into his eyes. Though intense, they were much easier to look into. Perhaps it was because she knew him so well, perhaps because she knew him not to be quite so taken with ladies that she could meet his eyes squarely. But it was a different sort of intensity, not driven, focused like Jiraiya's, only angry and annoyed, already slightly fading.
"I'm fine," he breathed. "Just old and useless." He glanced at Kylia, who stood at his side. "Thank you, Kylia. A young girl like you should not have to wait on an old man hand-and-foot."
"It's fine," the girl said quietly, smiling just as softly.
"You were saying?" Jiraiya's voice drew attention back to him.
Sai nodded.
"They vanished as soon as an exchange between the Akatsuki member and the Dalarans was completed. But before that, he killed one of his members. I do not know how, but a lot of blood was expelled. The man's body was gone when I checked the shack, but there was enough blood to say that he was dead. I found bone fragments as well, though only a few."
Jiraiya nodded. He frowned.
"What is going on?" Benedictus snapped. "What has happened?"
"Tell you later," said Jiraiya. "Let's wait for the others to arrive. I've got some things to think about." He nodded to Yamato and Sai. "Thanks you two. Think you can do it one more time?"
Yamato nodded shortly. Sai finally lost it, and broke into a wide smile. "Of course," he said.
There was not much talking until Sakura arrived fifteen minutes later. Jiraiya sat by himself with knitted brows, and he seemed older, as old as Benedictus. The only movements made in the room were Sai's attempts to rein his cheery, empty smile and Kira's ever-moving eyes. She felt nervous, impatient, and her thoughts did nothing to relieve this.
She knew that Dalaran must have had reasons for joining with Akatsuki—the most obvious being that they knew nothing of the organization's dealings in Naruto's world and only of their power and array of unique abilities; any mage would be intrigued by somebody who could survive mortal wounds or make puppets from human beings. Their alliance might be purely a chance to study the 'creatures' that formed Akatsuki, strange and unique as they were.
But she didn't think so. Perhaps Akatsuki had infiltrated their ranks? She didn't know how, but if they had managed to get a traitor into Ironforge—the most secure of any fortress in the world—then maybe they had slipped one or several into the Kirin Tor. These traitors, if numerous enough, could do anything the remainder of the council might oppose. Such was the fault of their magocracy, or indeed any council.
But still…
It unnerved her that this group, originating solely in Naruto's world, had such a handle in her own. The Syndicate, perhaps even its affiliate—the Defias Brotherhood—had once been a terrible nuisance for both the Alliance and the Horde, and that had only been when they had been run-of-the-mill thieves and highwaymen, pillaging the surrounding villages for a purpose that they had long since forgotten. If organized by a group of cunning and extremely powerful nukenin—themselves thieves and highwaymen, only worse—then the odds were they would be even more dangerous, especially since they had regained purpose in their actions, no longer the simple acquisition of wealth and esteem.
But where else could they be?
Where else in this world did Akatsuki exist, pulling strings? How could nine people from another world have such power in this one?
And if they had footholds in ever major nation—then did that also include the nations not part of her alliance? Had they snuck and seemed into every corner of every civilization or group in this world, which at once had been so great and far-reaching, and now seemed so terribly small.
Small enough to fit in a metaphorical hand?
She realized that was the greatest problem that faced them. The Lich King was a true and obvious threat, making no attempt to disguise itself, a crawling glacier, overtaking everything in its path.
Perhaps Akatsuki was an iceberg, its tip for the world to see when the real danger lay beneath.
"I have a question, Naruto," Tenten said, growing bored of the endless darkness around them and the nauseatingly monotonous flicker of light overhead. She hadn't spoken much to Naruto since they had gotten into the tram, as they had both been too interested in their shiny new weapons to make much conversation other than low whistles, gasps and loud exclamations to look at a certain part of a weapon every ten or so seconds.
Naruto looked up. He was bored himself, but instead dwelt on past things that he didn't like thinking about, but came to his mind too often to bother shooing them away, so he was grateful when she spoke.
"What?"
"Do you have someone you like?"
Naruto blinked at the question, and a blush rose on his cheeks, making him glad of the poor lighting. "Dunno. Why?"
"Curiosity," she said. "And what do you mean you don't know?"
"I haven't had much time to think about it?" Naruto said, hoping that by phrasing it as a question she wouldn't ask anything else. He shifted a little uncomfortably and glanced out to the speeding darkness, realizing that he didn't have the excuse of staring out the window to stop conversation.
Sure, he liked talking, but he didn't like talking about things like this…
Tenten frowned at him. "You must have some idea."
"I do, but it's…you know…complicated…" he mumbled. "I don't really understand what's going on, anyways."
"Maybe I can help."
Naruto glanced at her, squinting. "Since when are you an expert on love advice?"
Tenten rolled her eyes. "I'm not, I just happen to talk about it far more than you and I've at least attempted to grapple with it before. Have you?" She leaned forwards to get a better look at his face. She couldn't tell if he was frowning or scowling with the obnoxious flickering of passing lights above.
"Not really," he confessed, feeling a needle of worry lance his stomach. To be honest, he was surprised with himself. He hadn't made any attempt at anything since his youth, before he'd even been to this world. He hadn't even asked Sakura out on a date. He'd forgotten completely about that part of himself.
It was probably everything that had happened. The alliance was so much work and he'd been in so many fights that a time to think about things such as dating and girls hardly ever came up, and when they did, it hardly seemed appropriate to think about them. He had hardly given it much of a thought beyond a few moments when he was near—
"I have a feeling that you might," she said. "And you can't be so thick as to not know what I mean when I say that."
While Naruto didn't think of himself as thick, it still took him a few seconds to realize what she was talking about. "Yeah, but, it's not that easy…"
"You must prefer one over the other, at least to some degree," Tenten said, smoothing back her hair and playing with the contents of her weapons pouch. "I mean, which one do you think is cuter?"
"It's not that easy…" Naruto said. "Really." He slumped back, frowning at her. "Besides, it's not like I can really say which one of them is cuter. They're both very cute, but in different ways."
"Which one do you like being with the most?"
He frowned at her. "That's basically the same question."
"No," Tenten said, "it isn't." She sighed. "It's no fun talking to guys about this sort of thing."
"Why am I the only one talking, anyways?" Naruto said. "What about you and Neji?"
Tenten shook her head. "There's nothing." She paused. "At least right now. I thought there'd been something before, but I guess there was nothing."
Naruto didn't have to ask before what. "You sure there's still not something?"
"I don't know," she said. "I guess I'm still under the assumption that things like that—you know, bring people together or something. Make people closer. I kind of needed it, in a way, after it all, but he was just…"
"Just what?" Naruto drew his legs up closer to his body, gazing keenly at her. She flushed and looked away, and when the embarrassment had passed she looked paler than usual.
"Just a dick," she said, slowly. "He hardly said anything at all and he barely even looked at me. It's why I came here instead of staying with him. I couldn't deal with it or anything like that."
She looked up to find him staring at her, his frown darker.
"What's wrong?"
"That idiot," Naruto muttered. "You'd think at least was smart enough not to do something like that."
"He's never been very smart when it comes to those sorts of things," said Tenten, laughing a little, feeling better to have someone agree with her. It seemed completely different when it wasn't somebody like Sakura or Ino, as well.
Somebody with no experience and a completely different outlook, and especially someone as honest and pure as Naruto.
"Neither was Sasuke, I don't think," Naruto said. "Must be a broody guy thing."
"Or a genius thing."
"I don't do that sort of stuff."
She giggled. "I don't have to say anything to that, do I?"
"Hey!"
They fell silent for a while, before Tenten spoke again. "You'll probably have to figure it out soon."
Naruto glanced at her. "Why?"
"Just a feeling," Tenten said. "They won't want to wait, at least. And the worst thing you could do is be indecisive."
Naruto muttered something, nodded, but didn't speak further. The thought of having to choose anything wasn't something he had given much thought. In fact, it was something he hadn't even given much thought period. Who did he like? He didn't know himself.
So how could he choose? And no matter how he thought of it, choosing at this point in time seemed stupidly inappropriate. He wasn't even sure either of them really felt anything for him. He'd seen hints—which could easily be taken for close friendship and nothing else, especially where Sakura was concerned, but nothing definite. Other than Tenten's beliefs of course, and in Sakura's case, her observations of Kira.
But that was…strange. The thought of him and Kira was just…not bad, but weird. He'd never thought of them as anything more than friends, companions, partners…they'd built this alliance together and for him that was enough.
But she was cute, and nice, and it wasn't too hard to imagine them being together, but even that thought wasn't a typical. How would it work? It was much easier to imagine him and Sakura (he'd done it all his childhood, after all), but even as he thought about that, what about the looming legacy of Sasuke? She'd said she was over it, but was she really? She could be, but he knew enough about women to know that when they said one thing, they might be thinking something completely different.
He looked up, and saw Tenten watching him. He flushed. "Right. I'll get on that."
She nodded.
Their conversation branched from there into lighter topics, though it wasn't long before the tram came to a rough stop, the tracks squealing metallically and the lights becoming a welcome solid shine. After a moment of stretching they left the tram with some reluctance. It'd been a good conversation.
"We should have another one like that sometime," Tenten said, feeling a new sort of comradeship with the boy she had hardly ever spoken with before. It was a nice feeling.
Naruto flashed her a wide grin. "Definitely."
The hallways beneath Stormwind were as empty as always, as was the cramped stairwell leading up to the main floor. Upstairs, a pair of passing guards directed them to the Great Hall, telling them that a meeting was taking place for two shinobi who had just returned. It didn't take long for them to figure out whom.
Naruto threw the doors open and walked in, unabashedly, while Tenten followed somewhat timidly.
"Hey guys, you're—" He stopped, frowning. The room was still and silent, and he noticed that he had the entire room's attention; some stared at him with surprised delight, though it was mixed with confusion and a little worry. He couldn't think of what he'd done to warrant the last look, and assumed it was left over from the topic at hand.
"What's up?" he said, crossing his arms and looking to Jiraiya.
"Couldn't you have arrived a little earlier?" the sage groused, standing up. "Never mind. I'll brief you on everything later. We should probably get going on the plan, eh, old man?"
"I shall have everything ready on the morrow, when they arrive," Benedictus said, standing up with a series of cracks and winces, while Kylia took him by the hand. "My Word, I can see why we humans persist in seeking a solution to old age and death—not even the oldest chair in this castle creaks as I do!" He glared at Kira. "Mark my words, girl, there might be on bright side if we lose this war. Perhaps you shall never have to suffer the sting of old age, bad breath and shrunken bladders."
Kira laughed weakly at the humor. "Goodnight, master."
Benedictus nodded at all the rest, and as he passed Naruto, he grinned.
"Have fun, my boy." His smile became less a smile then, and he continued, "It is the last you might experience, in a good while…"
Confused, Naruto stared after him, calling out, "Whaddya mean, old man? What are you talking about, hey! Hey!" He whirled. "What's going on? What's up with the old man—old men?" he corrected himself, eyeing Jiraiya.
"Quite a lot," Jiraiya said, with a sigh. "I'm a bit too tired to explain it again right now, but Naruto, we've got something to talk about, so come with me." He stopped, and glanced at Kira. "I'll have him back later to talk."
Kira flushed a little, but nodded. Jiraiya walked off, grabbing Naruto by the shoulder and hauling him off, protesting the whole way.
When they were gone, Tenten looked around. She was met with a majority of similarly confused faces.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened to you guys?"
Ino gave a half-hearted shrug, and then smiled.
"It's weird. I don't think I've been ordered to do something like this before, is all."
Chouji nodded, though he was grinning as well. "I wonder what kind of food they'll have?"
"Food?" Tenten said, confused. She was ignored.
"Local delicacies, maybe?" Shino retorted, with a small shrug that made his bandaged body quiver a little in pain.
"This'll be awesome!" Kiba roared, pumping a fist up. "Wait 'till we tell Kurenai, eh, Hinata?"
Hinata smiled weakly, making a small noise of affirmation.
Sakura looked at Kira. "I guess we should talk about this?"
"That would be best, I think," said Kira, with a quick nod and a nervous smile.
"Oi, oi!" Tenten said, louder now. "What's going on?"
Ino looked at her, and grinned.
"Jiraiya-sama just ordered us to be normal for a few days." Her grey eyes shined like that of a hopeful child's.
"What?" Tenten said, staring wide-eyed at Ino. "What do you mean, normal? As in—"
"As in," Sakura said, "for the next two nights, we have no shinobi duties at all. We're normal teenagers." She looked at Kira. "And there's going to be a fayre."
Tenten blinked. "A what? Fayre?"
"It's called the Darkmoone Fayre," said Kira. "One of the strangest, and I'm told most fantastic, experiences you will find here. And it arrives tomorrow."
"So what's up, ero-sennin?" Naruto said, as the older man stopped, standing before a row of flowers bathed in silver and discolored by darkness. They were in the garden, alone.
"How's that training with Tenzou going?" Jiraiya rounded on the boy, his voice quick and sharp.
"Haven't done much of it lately. He hasn't been around." Why was he using the tone he only reserved for when speaking with either enemies or when he was lecturing Naruto? There was something on Jiraiya's mind that was obviously troubling him, something beyond what he'd spoken of in their last meeting.
"I mean before that."
Naruto shrugged. "Fine. Slow, but fine."
"Damn." Jiraiya turned again, and shook his head. "I was afraid of that."
"What? Why?" He walked a few steps forwards, the moon striking his face particularly hard.
"Because I suspect you'll need more than just 'fine' soon enough." Jiraiya looked at him. "Especially if what you say about Sasuke is true. I've been learning about this Lich King in the past few days. Much of it is probably just nerves, but if he—or rather, it—can not only live for countless years but has also created an army that spans half the world, an army that is for all intents and purposes dead, then I think somebody with your power might be needed very much."
"It's too dangerous," said Naruto. "I've seen what I can do with that…" he shook his head, his face closing a little. "It's impossible to control."
"Not so," said Jiraiya. "You just need to work at it."
"Nobody's controlled one of these things before, have they?"
"Aside from Shodai, no," said Jiraiya. "But nobody's ever sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko either. It was the one bijuu that the Shodai controlled directly. The Fourth was the only one who possibly had the ability to seal anything like that. Furthermore, the seal—"
"Has changed," Naruto said. "Remember?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Doesn't matter. It's principles are the same, are they not? Most of what the Fourth did remains, it was just repaired and slightly augmented by this new seal."
"How do you know?" Naruto said. "I only showed it to you once."
The man flashed him a roguish grin. "I've got ways. I'll tell you some other time."
"But—"
"In any case," said Jiraiya, poking Naruto in the forehead, making the boy recoil slightly. "What's the status on your new technique?"
"Not finished," said Naruto. "Hurt's a hell of a lot, and it's gonna be responsible for a lot of shouting on Ino's part in a few minutes."
Jiraiya laughed. "Keep at it. Also, keep at that summoning as well."
"Which one? I got two now," Naruto said.
"Both," said Jiraiya. "Work at it, develop it. If you combine your ninjutsu with your summoning, you'll be able to do a hell of a lot more. That's one of the reasons why we're called the Legendary Sennin, kid, it's because we were the first to do it so effectively."
"Yeah, but Tsunade-baba doesn't use slugs that often."
"You haven't seen her fight dirty," Jiraiya said. He blushed. "She gets…nasty when she does that. In any case, though—it's a useful technique and if you can use it more effectively, with more versatility, then you'll be able to get a lot more done without taking your normal damage. You're a good taijutsuist but you leave yourself open to your healing abilities far too much."
"Is this the training you were talking about?" Naruto muttered. "'Cause it sounds just like you're criticizing the way I fight."
"I am," said Jiraiya. "Because that's training in itself. I want to start your training again, before I forget. It'll have to start soon enough, as well. Two days time, actually."
"Why two days?"
Jiraiya ignored the question, and continued. "You're right, though, what I wanted you to do is a bit different."
"So what is it?"
"Let's talk to that fox."
Even in the darkness, Naruto's face was easy to read. Jiraiya hardly even needed to look at it.
"Why?"
"I want to talk to it a bit," said Jiraiya. "And I'm pretty sure you might want to as well. I want to ask it a few things."
"About what?"
"The world."
"They must be growing nervous, do you not think?"
Thrall's eyes snapped up to meet Sasori's. They always did; he never failed to look the shinobi in the eye when addressed, not once. Sasori thought it amusing. It showed the Warchief's desperation, his desire to retain some sort of control in his rapidly shrinking world, which would soon be no bigger than his soul. There would be nothing for him to care of outside of that small space, because it would no longer be his to worry of. Sasori couldn't think of a better existence. What else could be better, than to have no cares in the world, not even the care of moving or breathing or functioning?
He would have the easiest job in the world.
He would simply have to exist.
"Who?"
"You know," Sasori said.
"Yes, I imagine so." Thrall conceded.
"What of your guards? Do you think some of them have abandoned you? Because you sent them away, abandoned them?"
"You would know this better than I," Thrall said. "Your 'partner' is doubtlessly aware of everything that goes on."
"Which one do you call my partner?" Sasori said, frowning.
"The one with the mask," Thrall said. "With the evil stink about him. The one that isn't there at all."
"Tobi," Sasori said, with a nod. "How did you come to the conclusion that he is my partner?"
"Because the other one cannot stand you, and is in much the same position as I," Thrall said. "Did you do the same to him as you intend to do to me?"
"I am slightly impatient," Sasori said. "As a person. So normally, I would say yes. But in this case, I'm afraid it will not be as easy as that. What I did to him is very much like what I am doing to you, but it took less time, and I must admit, I have less control. He is like a prototype, you will be the finished product. A result of the most fantastic technique ever created."
"Technique…?" Thrall said. He uttered a low, feral growl, his eyes churning with built-up rage, broiling like chemical flames. "What is it that you intend with this technique?"
Sasori stood. He moved silently, as if drifting on the invisible strings that he believed guided everything. He kept his pretty little smile in place, cocking his head inquisitively to the side.
"A number of things, some personal, some professional," said Sasori. "And here I wonder if I should break from tradition?"
Thrall scoffed. "Tradition of what?"
"Should I explain this to you?" Sasori asked. "I don't know. I shouldn't think so, but I'm tempted to. I am confronted with the dilemma every powerful person must face at some point—explaining himself to his enemies, extolling my own virtues and the details of what I intend to do. It is present in every popular story, at least these days."
He descended the dais and walked past Thrall, towards the exit. He waved his hand, and Thrall turned, tottering like a child after him. The door opened and Sasori took them into the hallway that lead to the entrance hall and the Kok'ron coven—where the shaman of Orgrimmar conducted their most private rituals, where they listened to the world's many voices, and the spirits they believed in spoke to them in silent communion.
The hallway was deserted, so was the entrance hall, and had been for some time. It was dusty and the air was musty and stale, devoid of life. No torches burned, the only smell greeting them was that of dust and warm rock and old leather. The lightly furnished entrance hall—a circular room in the center of which was a descended sitting area clad in leathers and pillows. Sasori sidestepped this, making for the hanging beads over a door to their right. Beyond it was dark, but the smell of incense still burning greeted them as they passed into the dimly lit hallway.
"I shall speak only specifically, I've decided," Sasori finally said, turning to look at Thrall, who burned with the humiliation of his weak, tottering steps. "The technique's purpose is obvious enough—to take control of you and to use you for other means. I have other such techniques that do that, but none as subtly or as amazingly as this."
Thrall waited, baring his teeth and trying to move the parts of his body that were no longer his.
"Your purpose is much greater still, and once that has been accomplished, I might turn you into one of my collection, to preserve you. That said, your purpose must have been clear to you from the first time you and I spoke." Sasori's smile was infuriating, possessing no quality save for the irritation which Thrall was throwing upon it.
"I have been ordered to destroy this alliance of which you are apart of." Sasori said. "Though it extends far beyond that."
"How far beyond?" Thrall said.
Sasori gave him a pleasant smile.
"Far enough that in time the only relations that this world will possess will be that of enemy against enemy, locked in ever-lasting, world-changing, ordered war."
--
It seemed no different from the last time Naruto had visited; dark and moist with dripping rot and sewage, things that he shouldn't be able to even smell, as he had no nose within his mind. Things that he had never thought his mind contained.
It stank like an old sewer, and water sloshed at his knees, feeling as real as if he were standing outside in knee-deep swamp-water. He could hear nothing but his and Jiraiya's heavy breathing, and the deep, almost musical hum coming from the path straight ahead, the path that he had never dared to follow to its brightly lit end.
Instead, he and Jiraiya turned right, down into the cramped passage that led into the Kyuubi's prison.
"This place has changed," Jiraiya said, as he observed the statues of elven gods on either side of the cage, and the crescent moon sigil emblazoned on its front, above the word "seal", so much more permanent in metal rather than paper. "I like the décor. This was done by that woman?"
"Tyrande," Naruto corrected, nodding. They slowly approached the cage, slogging through ever-deeper water, the smell of the wild overcoming the rankness of the sewer.
"How?"
"I dunno," Naruto said. "She and a few of her priestesses did it. I was in here." He glanced back at his master. "I don't really wanna stay. Let's get this over with."
Jiraiya nodded, watching as Naruto stopped just before the cage. He stared through the bars of the cage, at the darkened figure within. Chains rattled, coupled with deep breathing, rhythmic and slow from within. It was only a darkened mound, no different from towering landfill (and smelling almost as bad), but it was moved slowly, the more they watched.
"Oi," Naruto said, softly. He knew the creature could hear him. He didn't feel the need, for once, to shout.
The beast didn't answer. The living darkness did not move beyond its breathing.
"Oi," Naruto said, a little louder.
There was breath, slow and constant.
"Oi!"
More breathing. The darkness did not stir.
"OI! FUR BAG!"
Naruto was greeted with a blast of hot breath, which stank like death and blood and beasts, and a glowing red eye as big as his body, and so very close, towering over him. The world seemed somehow darker in the face of the eye, hotter, worse.
"WHAT IS IT?"
Its voice was ragged, unused, different from how Naruto had remembered it. It seemed less cocky, less sure of itself, more suited to the chains that bound it to the floor of the chamber that wasn't there, more suited to the cage and its impenetrable bars. Through the bars Naruto couldn't see anything but its eyes, wide and red and terrible.
"We need to talk," Jiraiya said, stepping forwards.
"YOU," it said. "THE TOAD HERMIT, IS IT? HOW ARE YOUR BRETHREN OF THE MOUNTAIN? I HAVEN'T EATEN THEM FOR YEARS NOW… AND HOW GOOD TO FINALLY MEET THE ONE WHO MADE THAT MAN WHO HE WAS. COME CLOSER, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR HEAD OFF."
Jiraiya snorted. "I doubt it. That seal's pretty good. Not even a demon like yourself can get free. Amazing, no?"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" The chains began to rattle as the beast shifted itself up, so that its form took up almost the entire area of the cage, still barely a vague outline in the faded light from the torches that hung on the wall.
"To know where you come from," Jiraiya said, making Naruto turn abruptly to look at him, frowning.
"WHY?"
"Curiosity, among other things."
"WHAT OTHER THINGS?"
"Like what your purpose to Akatsuki is. And how you're linked with this place."
"WHY WOULD I KNOW? THEY ARE HUMANS ACTING INDEPENDENT OF HISTORY. I KNOW NOTHING OF THEM." The beast lay down again.
"What about the one who summoned you to Konoha?"
Naruto turned to Jiraiya again, his eyes wide. He wanted to speak, but whatever he might've said was drowned out by a vicious barking laughter from behind the cage.
"THAT ONE? I KNOW NOTHING OF HIM, OTHER THAN THAT HIS CHAKRA IS PURELY DARK. ODDLY ENOUGH, HE ORIGINATES FROM ANOTHER PLACE ENTIRELY. A WEAK-MINDED FOOL, NO DOUBT, CLEARLY NOT HUMAN."
"Which is where?" Jiraiya's breaths were quick, and through his stern façade Naruto could hear traces of interest, bordering on desperation.
"EVERYWHERE," it roared, laughing again.
Jiraiya sighed, deflating. "How about this world? What do you know of it?"
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I KNOW OF IT?"
"You're old," Jiraiya said. "I figured you must know. These worlds, clearly, haven't been resting beside each other for this short a time. People from our world know of this place—Akatsuki, for one thing."
"DID IT NOT OCCUR TO YOU THAT THEY MIGHT BE FROM THIS PLACE?"
"It has," Jiraiya said. He paced in front of the cage, not looking at the demon. It's eyes didn't follow him, and it kept them firmly on Naruto, who was puzzling out what Jiraiya was trying to ask it, what he was trying to find out. It must have been a strange sight.
"But if they came from this place," Jiraiya turned back to the demon, affixing one of its titanic eyes with a steady gaze, "What are they trying to do in our world?"
"PERHAPS NOTHING. PERHAPS EVERYTHING."
"What do you know about this place?"
"IT IS A WORLD NOT ANY OLDER THAN YOURS."
"Have you seen it before? Before Naruto brought you here, I mean?" Jiraiya's eyes were narrowed, his face cold.
"YES."
Jiraiya's breath hitched, and he exchanged a brief glance of surprise with Naruto. "When?"
"I CANNOT RECALL IN HUMAN TERMS. AGES PAST."
"How did you get to our world?"
"I WAS BORN THERE. IT SEEMED FITTING THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO RETURN."
"Born, how?"
"SOME THINGS HUMANS ARE NOT MEANT TO KNOW." It laughed.
Jiraiya closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. He nodded a few times.
"One more question."
"I BORE OF THIS. ASK."
"How are these worlds connected? Why are they connected? What purpose does it serve and why do we have to share the dangers of this world with them?" He waited for the beast to fault him when he realized that it had come out as three questions, not one.
But the Kyuubi laughed, though more softly than before; it was a low, dark chuckle, and an unseen smile spread palpably within the chamber as the demon stared at the two ant-sized humans before it.
"THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONNECTED," it said.
"ALWAYS SHARED A PAST. THEY ARE WORLDS UNLIKE ANY OTHER, CREATED IN PARALLEL. I HATE BOTH OF THEM. SHARE THE DANGERS? YOU HAVE NO SUCH OBLIGATION. IT IS SIMPLY THE WANT OF THAT BRAT, WHO IS UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE TO THINGS SUCH AS THIS. PERHAPS HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THESE WORLDS MUST CONTINUE TO SHARE A HISTORY. THEY ALWAYS HAVE."
Jiraiya nodded. "Right," he said, drawing it out. He glanced at Naruto as he did, and the boy met his stare with bafflement.
"Thanks, furball."
"WHEN YOU DIE, I WILL PISS ON YOUR ASHES, AND IF I CANNOT, I WILL STILL LAUGH."
"I have no doubt of that," Jiraiya turned and they were soon gone from the chamber, and the chamber was soon gone as well, returning to the darkest corners of Naruto's mind, hazy and indistinct until Naruto returned his mind to it again.
The air of the garden was much cooler when they came to. Naruto was sweaty, the humidity of the not-chamber still getting to him, even if it hadn't been real. Jiraiya sniffed himself and wiped some sweat from his forehead. Both of them were glad to be back in the cool air, to hear the pleasant rustle of the garden and the distant sounds of the town.
It took a few moments to recover before Naruto spoke.
"Why'd we do that again? How did you know that that thing would be able to…?" He'd thought of asking the creature something like that for a while. It seemed to know quite a lot about this place, and he recalled a few things it had once said, hints as to how this world worked.
Jiraiya snorted and spat a logy into a patch of flowers beside him.
"I've been thinking about a few things for a while," he said. "Since Yamato and Sai have returned, especially. Things about this world. I just wanted to confirm some of them," Jiraiya said, watching the moon as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "It was a bit of an unplanned thing to do that just then, but I'd been wanting to talk to the beast for some time."
"How'd you know it had been here before?"
"I didn't," Jiraiya said, frowning. "I felt that Akatsuki's presence here wasn't an accident, like yours had been. I felt that there must have been some other reason for why they were here, and what purpose they had here, and I knew that the bijuu might have something to do with it. I'd like to start researching a bit about this place—history and the like. I'm sure I could find something about the bijuu here. Not in name, but at least in description, behavior. They've all been here, at some point, I think."
Naruto watched him carefully. "Does that help with anything?"
"It does," Jiraiya said. "I'm beginning to understand why Akatsuki is taking such an interest in this place. A permanent interest."
"And why is it?"
"Because it's as the furball said." Jiraiya's stare was piercing.
"These worlds are the same. And if they want one world, then they'll almost certainly want them all."
He got up, dusting himself off, waiting for Naruto to do the same. They began to walk back towards the castle entrance, as Naruto turned to him.
"What were you guys talking about before I came in?"
Jiraiya grinned lazily. "A bit of an unplanned excursion tomorrow. Something to give you guys a bit of a break. As it stands, I hardly think two days will matter, and you might need them after this."
"Two days of what? What're you talking about?"
"Fun, brat," he said, laughing. "You have to get ready for two days of fun."
--
A city lay sprawled before him.
Towers of gold, iron, steel and even violet rose sky-high around him, of all sizes and shapes—no general form, no order, nothing. Below them lay endless streets, nearly empty, and far more apparent—the zigzagging canals that carved across the city like the mindless doodles of an infant.
Like the towers, there was no order to their layout; they seemed to have no specific purpose. No boats floated upon them, no houses had been built at their sides. At points the water was smooth and brilliant as if made of delicate glass; but elsewhere it rushed as if in eternal flood, murky, dark, and dangerous to look upon, threatening at points to even overflow into the contrasting orderly and straight streets.
Where the canals led it was impossible to tell, for they were maze-like, unending. It was easy to tell where they began, however—at the center, beneath the tallest tower. They flowed below it out of obscurity, from the dozens of pipes and drains that lay at its foot like the roots of a massive tree, but that spread up its entire length like vines, giving the great tower no uniformity, as chaotic as the rest of the city.
The tower itself seemed to be no more than a mesh of these pipes, of all different colors—gold and silver and darkened iron, some even tinged violet like the evening sky or deep green like the foliage of the murkiest of swamps. There was too much happening within, nothing agreed, there was nothing uniform about the entire tower.
The tower didn't seem whole or complete. It appeared broken, disheveled, orderless.
Once, it had been called the Violet Citadel. Or perhaps, the Salamander's Lair, or the Terrace of Light. Now they called it The Seat—an abbreviation for its full name, which few mentioned, because to speak of it was blasphemy…
The Seat of God.
He might've laughed, had he been any other man. But he saw no humor in it. It might've been slightly amusing, but then again, he expected nothing else. Only the unexpected was amusing, nowadays. But he rarely found anything amusing anyways. Humor meant that there was something joyful in the world. He had seen so much evidence to the contrary that he saw no point in laughing any longer. There was little point hoping for something that would never come to him.
There was no point in pretending. He did far too much of that anyways.
The Voice called from behind.
"They have returned."
He turned, the shaggy red locks moving like a field of autumn wheat touched by wind. His eyes, electric blue, gleaming aquamarine and a lifeless grey at all once, made of concentric circles that spiraled into nothingness—or perhaps infinity—alighted upon the woman walking towards him. She was graceful, expressionless, and with the beauty mark above her lips and the heavy make-up over her eyes she looked more like a high-class courtesan than his partner, a shinobi.
"I see," he said, standing up. "So?"
"Kakuzu is angry. He believes that they were seen before they disappeared. He has slain several of his men, before returning to his lair."
"By whom?"
"His guess is Konoha ninja."
"Just a guess?"
The woman shrugged, and said nothing.
"What do the earnings amount to?" he asked, after a moment's silence, in which the sky rumbled with thunder as clouds began to roll over the endless stretch of the chaotic city.
"Over 800,000g, if our bartering with the goblins of the Undermine is done well enough, and the black shops in our world accept the weapons we have collected."
"Good," he said, with a quiet nod. He walked towards her, staring into her eyes, but they wouldn't meet his. He walked past, towards the arched doorway.
"Is something wrong, Konan?" he asked, before disappearing through the doorway. He didn't turn around, just stopped.
"I do not like this place," she said. "It stinks too much of blood."
"I suppose it does," he said. "So why do you not follow?"
"I don't like the smell, but," she said, turning. "The memories are not unpleasant. This was the beginning, wasn't it?"
"Of course not," he said. "It was far earlier."
"When you left, Pein?"
He nodded. "If it was Konoha ninja, then they will discover Dalaran's involvement soon enough."
"It doesn't matter, does it?"
He shook his head, very slowly.
"Of course not. There's nothing in this world that matters much, anymore."
An angry wind blew past, ruffling his cloak and hair. She seemed untouched, immaculate. Her eyes went past him, into the doorway.
"They are angry today."
"It is not understandable," he said. "I am sure They can hear us."
"I am distressed…there is so much that can go wrong. It never leaves me that at any moment—"
"I wouldn't worry about it," he said. "I won't let anything happen. Our reach is always extended by our desires and wants. That's why I decided to do this in the first place, isn't it?"
"I still cannot believe it."
"There is no point in belief," he said. "Just watch, and you'll see."
He was gone before she could respond. Konan's eyes turned to gaze across the city, which was now obscured by a veil of heavy rain and rolling fog. The sky was dark and shook with thunder, and the rain-drenched city had never seemed so beautiful.
--
A strange chapter, I agree, but I quite like it. I've taken a few criticisms to heart and tried to shorten the paragraphs for you guys—I was rightly told that it's fairly pointless to put in large ones since most of you won't take the time to read all of them anyways. This makes things go a bit faster as well. I'll make sure the quality stays the same, though :)
Next chapter—The Darkmoone Faire with a healthy twist…and since you asked for it…more romance abounds…
See you soon!
General Grievous
Weapons Pouch:
The Unnamed Blade of Ragnaros: Given to Naruto by the dwarves of Ironforge, while not as indestructible as his previous, the blade has far more power contained within it. It's true powers have yet to be revealed…
The Unnamed Gauntlets of Ragnaros: There owner has yet to be determined, but they might possess as much power as the blade.
The Bangles of Ragnaros: Simple armlets, but which provide protection and power to those who where them.
The Seals of Ragnaros: Rings whose properties have still yet to be identified, but whose promise appears to be limitless.
Bingo Book:
Konan (Humanoid)(Boss)(S-Class Nukenin): The only female member of Akatsuki, though she appears to be the healer of the group, as evidenced by her attending Deidara after his defeat at Naruto's hands in an earlier chapter.
Pein (Humanoid)(Boss)(?-Class Nukenin?): Okashira (leader) of Akatsuki. Present in Dalaran, at the top of the Seat. His place there remains unknown.