AN: Hello and welcome back to Naruto: Azeroth Chronicles.
Happy turkey slaughter day everyone! Not so happy for the turkey population, but a hungry Thanksgiving stomach shall not be denied!
So this chapter was supposed to come out on the 30th, but I decided to give my readers a gift in honor of Thanksgiving and the fact that I need something else to think about other than the turkey cooking in the oven right now.
I love meat, which makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. Christmas is OK, but its too cheery for me. Plus that I pay like $100 or more on gifts for family and friends.
So, Happy Turkey Day and enjoy the next chapter of Naruto: Azeroth Chronicles!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Warcraft or any piece of creative work that I like and ruthlessly steal from the owner. Why should you work so hard to create things for a story when you have Google?
Chapter 18
The Armor
After an evasive explanation and a suspicious Tyrande and Malfurion behind him, he quickly made his escape out of the Temple before giving a sigh of relief.
He wanted absolutely no one to know about his former tenant. The perception of Demons in this world is absolute; any demon is a bad demon. Even Warlocks are criticized for calling Demons to their aid; people think that their will, no matter how strong, is not able to control the demon they summoned.
It was one of the reasons he was hesitant to take Krogar on his team. He couldn't show it in front of Thrall though; it would be an insult to the entire Orc race. After all, they are devoting one of their best warriors and assets to this battle against Sargeras. It helped though that Krogar dislikes summoning in general, preferring a more melee approach. It was why he, a Warlock, was called Skullcrusher; he literally caves skulls in with a fire-powered fist.
As time passed, the Knights have loosened up around each other. It was an odd relationship they had; Krogar was usually silent but always had a sarcastic joke ready, Otiros was a bit of the comedy relief, and Selena was the peacemaker. Why was she the peacemaker? Krogar and Otiros often bashed heads, though it was all in good fun.
It was refreshing to see how three people of different races can get along so well. Seeing how easily they get along shows him that while the 'higher-ups' in society wage wars, the soldiers themselves are tired of it. He saw how easily Selena and Otiros accepted Krogar into the team, and he certainly wasn't expecting it. He hoped that the actual soldiers in the main race's military would adopt a similar principle towards their 'enemies' like Selena and Otiros did.
Thinking about how they accepted each other made him think on what their opinion of him is. He tried to deduct his attitude as a leader and comrade to them, yet it is hard to study another person's opinion of your personality. It is easy to interpret your personality one way; it is much harder to understand another's interpretation of his.
Maybe he was overthinking it, or maybe he was becoming soft.
It didn't matter, he muttered to himself.
Deep down, it was the exact opposite. For the first time in very long time, he actually cared what others thought of him. Not very long ago, he had a personality where he didn't care about anything, including emotions. It was a weakness, to think about another's opinion. And, at the time, any weakness was to be destroyed. All that mattered then was the next mission, and the one after that. Along with training, he didn't associate himself with anyone or anything.
Now though, thoughts long repressed and emotions once crushed were surfacing again. He thought he destroyed these weaknesses, yet they are back with a vengeance.
He didn't like them.
To him, attaching oneself to another, even if it is a simple friendship, could mean many things. And unfortunately, most of them were bad. To him, an attachment is a weakness to be exploited. Once one develops feelings for another, a cunning enemy will use that attachment against you. It is a dark world out there; any powerful enemy with enough intelligence and cunning will exploit anything their enemy gives them.
An attachment is giving one of these exploits on a silver platter to his enemies; and they were developing now.
Though, does one become stronger due to these attachments? He thought back all those years ago; back when Shinobi ruled, of how stupid and ignorant he was. His emotions ruled over him, and he routinely fell prey to them during battle.
Yet… every time he was knocked down, even to the brink of death, those attachments he made gave him the strength to continue on.
How?
How did his emotions, weak as they are, drive him to protect people?
'Protect those precious to you…'
Those words… were they wise or foolhardy?
Precious people…what does that mean?
The logical definition would be a term of endearment towards somebody, a symbol of affection given from one human to another.
The emotional definition was something altogether.
Precious people… what did he say?
"When you truly have people you deem precious to protect," He gave a serene smile, "Only then can you truly be as strong as you can be."
Is that when one reaches his true potential? He always thought he was strong, was this what he has been missing? The one factor between him and true power?
No, he thought, emotions cannot be the reason.
But, what is the reason?
He didn't even know where his feet were taking him, yet as he is taken out of his reveries, he found himself at the center of Darnassus, the Temple Gardens. The full moon was out, high above him. He jumped up to the roof above him and sat down.
What is a precious person?
Three hours later
He didn't know how long he was sitting there, mesmerized by the full moon. He heard footsteps behind him and recognized the signature.
"Been a while, Selena."
"Yes," she replied softly, "It has."
Without saying anything, she sat down next to him. There was an odd silence between them; it wasn't uncomfortable but they didn't know exactly what to say.
"What news do you bring?"
She shook her head, "It is always the next mission, the next update, isn't it?"
He was silent as she continued, "Take your mind off the world for now. Even the greatest warriors need to relax."
He shook his head negatively, "Every moment I waste is another moment Sargeras gets stronger."
Hearing his predicted answer, she sighed, "That excuse is overused."
He was stunned into silence as she pressed on, "I have no way to force you to relax, but there are times when one must take time off, even if it is only a day. If anything all this thinking will wear you down until you are useless when we need you most."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I will not force you to stop for a while; just take what I said into consideration. Even the stonehearted Krogar has begun worrying over you." With that she rose up and walked away.
Stopping for a second, she turned and said, "Regardless of what you think, know that all of the Knights respect you as our leader and comrade. We would appreciate it if you show the same kindness back."
With that she jumped off the ledge, a quiet thump heard before she disappeared into the darkness.
He was quiet for a while before muttering, "Leader and comrade…what does that truly mean?"
His critical, overthinking mind never stopped to consider that maybe it was just that; a leader and comrade.
The Next Day
Darnassus Inn
He couldn't get much sleep, but was able to get a few hours of shuteye before daybreak.
Hearing a knock, he grouched his way out of bed and walked over to the door. Opening it, he found the innkeeper at his door.
She blushed at his shirtless body as she handed him a note, "This came from an unknown messenger, he said to give you this note."
He nodded sluggishly as he closed the door. He walked over to his bed and sat down before reading the scroll.
Naruto,
As our earlier agent has told you, we have finished your package. It is ready to be picked up at your coming.
We will hold your package for five days. If you are not here by then, we will destroy it.
Signed,
Dagger
He shook his head, was this where codenames started? He idly wondered if things like 'Dagger' and 'River' evolved into the widely used 'Delta' and 'Alpha' code names.
Reading over the note, he sighed. He had a five day span to do get his package, and he truly needed it now rather than later. Resigning to the trip, he stretched, threw on his dark armor before walking out towards the Temple of the Moon.
He shrugged off the looks he was given on his way there; all that mattered at that point was getting to his package. Reaching the Temple without issue, he was quickly allowed entry by the guards before he walked up to the top floor.
Tyrande was busy talking to a young priestess before she noticed his arrival. She dismissed her as Naruto walked up to her, "Lady Tyrande." he said with a bow.
She smiled at him, "There is no need to bow to me Naruto. For all that you've done for the Night Elves, we could almost be considered equals in social standing."
He nodded as he straightened out, "I will need to leave for a few days."
She didn't seem surprised, "While I'm sure Malfurion wants to ask you some questions, you have your responsibilities. Where should Selena meet you?"
He paused to consider the question, "Tell her to meet me at Astranaar in five days. I will meet her there."
"Where are you going?"
He gave an uncharacteristic smirk, "I'm already there."
With that, Naruto went up in a poof of smoke.
She was too stunned to comment as the smoke dissipated into the air.
Below the river in Astranaar
"How the hell did you come up with this hiding spot? Seriously, how long did it take to make this place without anyone noticing?"
An annoyed Naruto was looking at a smirking guard.
"We had all the time in the world to build this fortress. After all, we all are near immortal."
A grumbling Naruto followed a grinning guard through a maze of dark halls. There were so many twists and turns that even Naruto wouldn't be surprised if he became lost in here.
Naruto gave a glance the guard's way, "Keep someone with me at all times?"
"Unless you want to starve to death."
He sighed as he trudged along with his escort. He didn't like his high and mighty attitude that much, but he should be allowed to boast about it. This was an unknown masterpiece, one of the best underground bases he's ever come across. This fortress would be the ultimate hiding area, bar none.
He became serious though, "Is my package ready?"
"Yes," his tone lost all of the mirth in it, "We put thousands of our monetary resources into this project. Do try to keep it in good condition, alright?"
Naruto just nodded as they continued on into the base.
With one last right turn, he came across a cavern of a room. The walls stretched up thousands of feet high and longer in width. It was so large, almost like a highway for behemoths.
And for good reason.
"This is the D.E.N."
A Blue Dragon flew overhead before landing on a perch ahead of him.
"This… is the Dragonflight's Ebony Network"
There was pride in his voice as Naruto looked on into the humongous caverns. They seemed to stretch on continuously, almost never ending.
"This is the Black Ops of the Dragonflights. Everything that happens in the world, even the smallest killing, is documented here. Through the help of all the Flights, including the Blacks, we document, interrogate, experiment, and even exterminate everything that the Flights in the Dragon Realm are too lazy to do." his tone dropped off as he finished his statement.
Naruto easily noticed it, "You don't prize the Dragon Realm Flights very highly."
His mood turned sour, "We aren't a different faction or anything, we still ally ourselves with the Flights, but as time has passed they have sent more and more work our way. They have become complacent and lazy while we work our asses off picking up the slack for them. It's gotten to the point where recruitment is almost impossible; very few Dragons want to grow up doing our jobs when they could instead stay up there."
"Have you brought this up with the Flights?"
He snorted, "Numerous times. And while the work has lowered for a few years, it all comes back around when they don't want to keep up their amount of work. They are not corrupt; that's too radical. They just don't seem to have the…motivation to work as much as they used to."
"I see."
There was a small silence as the guard pointed him towards a small building, "Your package is in there. The secretary will give you the directions to it. Do you have the pass code?"
"Yes."
"Good. Meet me when you are done. We will do some stretches once you are properly outfitted."
Naruto nodded as the guard walked away, further down the humongous passage. He sighed softly before making his way to the building.
Walking in the building, he saw a rather attractive secretary writing on some papers. For a few minutes, nothing was said as she finished up her last few papers.
She put the pen on the table as she looked up, "Name?"
"Naruto Uzumaki."
That made her pause as she mumbled out, "Pass code?"
"War does not determine who is right – only who is left"
She gave a sigh in relief, "Good. I'd hate to have to kill the eye candy that you are."
With that, she pressed her hand on the desk as a glowing seal appeared, "There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs."
Nothing was heard through the seal, but after a few minutes an aged voice broke through, "…Send him in."
He gave her a weird look as she sighed, "You get used to it after a while. I have about thirty pass codes sitting in my head right now. Go on in and take a left."
A door appeared in the wall behind her. He regarded it warily as he tested the knob.
"Hurry up, the door won't bite…well, don't anger her."
He quickly opened the door and walked in, shutting the door behind him. She chuckled as he disappeared into the darkness behind the door.
Dark Corridors
"I'm here for the package. Code 2137-Wolf."
A voice of acknowledgement came from the dark room. Grumbled curses rang out as he heard unsteady footsteps walking towards a wall before the torches suddenly became alit.
"Stupid brats always turning the lights off. I told them to keep them on, but no, they just had to leave an old man in the dark with naught but a lantern to find his way around here."
The gnome was muttering to himself as Naruto took the time to study him. He was short, as is every gnome, but he had a long beard, huge glasses, and gray, unkempt hair frizzing out in all directions. One would underestimate him looking like this, but Naruto felt this man oozing a deep aura of power, drenching the air around him.
"You!"
The noise brought him out of his studies as he looked to the gnome before him.
He waddled up to him before glaring at him critically, "Height - six-three, check. Hair - unkempt, long, blonde, spikey, check." He pushed his cane upwards with a surprising amount of force to lift his arm in the air, "Arm length…check. Muscle definition…substantial."
This routine continued as he studied every part of his body, from neck width to foot size. It was uncomfortable, but the D.E.N. was surrounded by rules and regulations, so he let it pass.
A part of him hoped that this would end his dealings with the D.E.N. Somehow he knew that they would be very integral in his future.
Oh joy.
"Lastly – teeth."
"Are you kidding me…?"
"Yes! Open up before I jam my cane down your throat!"
He sighed before opening his mouth. He went through the teeth, from molars to his fangs, taking a longer time to study his elongated canines before walking away. He continued mumbling to himself as Naruto sighed.
"Everything checks out. Come, time to show you your package."
He walked off without looking back, making Naruto hurry up to follow him. He caught up to him.
"Malygos sends his regards to you."
That stunned him for a second, "How did that all play out anyway?"
The old gnome made a dismissive gesture, "Minor scuffle between Nozdormu and Malygos. No mortal wounds. Malygos in possession of clutch once again. Interesting that you calmed down Malygos enough to talk. Even more interesting that the clutch survived. Other Bronze Dragons predicted that clutch would die. You seem to make a habit out of giving our Bronze Dragons headaches, hm?"
The influx of information made him silent for a while, "Does Malygos hold any ill will to the Flights, or just Nozdormu?"
"What once would have been civil war between flights has been stopped by your actions."
"Civil War?"
"Some Bronze Dragons predicted that Malygos, deep in insanity would wage war against the other flights, causing a blue-versus-all battle. Once again, the unknown factor changes what is fated once again. Interesting, you are."
There was silence as Naruto processed this information. Bronze Dragons were only able to see glimpses of the future, but even then once they were seen it's almost fated to happen. It's just one more reason why he doesn't believe in fate or destiny – there is always a way to defy them.
As he considered it, the ringing of keys brought him out of his musings. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself for his package inside. If they poured thousands of gold into this project, then it had to be spectacular.
"We logged over four hundred hours into this project. Do keep that in mind when going into battle."
His eyes widened a margin as he took that in. They must have had this project going on for over two weeks.
"This is my finest creation,"
The gnome smiled, holding his hands out in a grand display of pride.
"This… is the Imperius Armor"
The door slid open and Naruto's eyes widened.
The armor set was pure gold, yet was not bright gold. It was a darker shade of it, but it seemed to show the color even better. The chest had intricate designs all over it, but the biggest detail was in the center; it was a sun with its rims pointing out in all directions. The shoulder guards were simple, with the same sun engraved on the center. The bracers trailed all the way up to the elbows, with intricate designs of a fiery blade running down the edge. There were small claws on the knuckles, with the hands being covered in scale mail. The pants had guards on the sides, but there was a series of leather flaps cascading down the center. In the center of the middle flap was a symbol of the Knights of the Tempest, a glowing red standing out in the maroon and brown fabric. The belt was large in the center, a large oval with a small ring in the center of it. Lastly, the boots were plated gold with small blades at the toes of them.
He gave an incredulous look at the gnome who simply gestured at the armor.
"Don't just stand there, try it on!"
(AN: I have a picture up in my profile. It is hard to explain it, so just imagine that armor without the helm and ring at the top. It's from Diablo III.)
Two Hours Later
"You look good. Is it heavy?"
"No," he seemed surprised, "it is nearly weightless. How?"
"Our best Enchanters have worked on this set here. Numerous enchantments are on here. Many Leatherworkers enforced these with Armor kits. Blacksmiths worked hours upon hours of combining minerals and molding them to fit you. We are most proud of this project, be sure you do not waste it."
"How will I explain this to my comrades?"
"Simple. You found this in an underground cave in the forests of Astranaar. Cave collapsed as you ran out. Say it was an ancient altar to angels, and they blessed you with this armor. Numerous odd happenings occur around you, this will be no different."
"Am I allowed to say the real reason on how I found this?"
The elderly Gnome was silent for a short while, "If you deem them trustworthy enough, then yes. Do keep these people to a minimum, hm?"
There was silence as Naruto stretched out, getting used to the new feel.
"Also, Daichi broke in battle for Deathwing, yet hilt still useable. Give me hilt and sword you received from Onyxia, I will combine them for you. Any element you would prefer?"
Some part of him really wanted to point out that the blade broke only a few days ago! It slightly frightened him that the D.E.N. was able to gather such information so quickly. It made him wonder exactly how much the other races know about him.
Regardless, he answered his question, "Ice. I would like a sword with ice abilities."
"Interesting choice. Never has a Rune Forge been used to combine swords into an ice element. Will be done in a few hours. Now you need to get used to your new armor. I will meet you when your sword is done, now shoo! Shoo!"
A bewildered Naruto was pushed out of the corridors as the Gnome grumbled to himself before slamming the door behind him.
Omake: Making Friends (Oacha'noa)
Oacha'noa was bored.
He was one of the very few beings on the planet who were able to break out of the Old Gods' control.
It was such a good accolade. After all, he could tell so many people right?
Not really. Being a sixty foot high aquatic god tends to make people shy away from you.
What most people didn't know was that before he was corrupted, loathed as he was to admit the fact, he was a people person. He would routinely talk to the many denizens of the sea, travelling from each body of water to the next in search of new friends.
While most people were right in thinking that most fish in the ocean were unintelligent creatures, there are a few who have intelligent thought and are able to have a stable conversation with.
Hell, one of his best friends was Big Shirl, an enormous Orca that travels throughout the icy waters of the Howling Fjord.
He and the many creatures of the seas would talk and gamble their time away. He felt bad for falling under the corrupting influence of the Old Gods and was on his way throughout the ocean to apologize to each of his great friends for his mistake.
So when he heard about some young pup taking on and defeating Tethyr, who was an old gambling buddy of his, he had a sudden urge to meet whoever this man was.
And now we find the enormous form of Oacha'noa under the sea gambling with Uzumaki Naruto.
"FUCK!"
Naruto nodded to himself, raking in the pot of his latest win.
"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KEEP WINNING?! I HAD A 20!"
Naruto looked at him through squinted eyes before showing a 21 made out of a king, a nine and a two.
"..."
"And that's five hundred gold for me. Shall we play again?"
"...It's been twenty-six games and you have won every single one...I should kill you for taking all of my money."
Naruto gave a small smile as he sealed away his winnings, "Tell you what; I'll give you three hundred out of the eight thousand gold back if I can call you in for a favor when I need it."
Oacha'noa gave a longing glance towards the the small pile of gold before grunting, "Fine. Give me the gold."
He grinned slightly before bowing, "We have an accord then."
With that, Naruto swam away from Oacha'noa who was tearing up at the small pile of gold on the table in front of him.
As he swam out of earshot he grinned, pulling out his blackjack deck, "And he never thought that it was a forged deck..."
He chuckled to himself before he reached the shores and trekked his way back to civilization.
And cut!
So I decided to start a mini series called 'Making Friends'. It will be about Naruto and the Knights underhandedly 'making friends' with the powerful creatures of Azeroth. As you read, they didn't become 'friends' through social means. Naruto manipulated Oacha'noa's love of money to his advantage. Thus they became 'friends'. I'll put a poll up in my profile if you want to keep it or not.
To those who don't know who Oacha'noa is, PLEASE search up 'Oacha'noa' on Youtube. People say he is the biggest Mob in the game. Hell, Big Shirl is massive too. I'll put pictures of both in my profile but to actually see the scope of it watch the Youtube video.
Oh yeah, I have a picture of the armor on my profile as well. Think of the armor you see except without the helmet and ring.
Even if you don't want to review, you can still go to my profile and vote in the poll.
Well, that's it.
Sseasshark signing out.
