81Magnus: Sorry for the long wait, but with lots of paperwork, and a boss that makes you desire to turn into a murderer, well, I didn't had much time to write, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which contain a songfic! So enjoy! And remember, Read and Review!
Attention: The poll is currently tied between Tsunade and Anko, the poll will be disclosed by today, so I encourage you to keep voting for the pairing for Baldur!
Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto, Too Human or Sengoku Basara, as well as anything you believe is being mentioned in this fanfic
Chapter 5
Traditions, Lore and Weapons
In order to be a Defender, the warrior must have a good armor, a good weapon, and a willpower strong enough to make the sun look dark.
"COME ON, BEAST! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?" Naruto taunted the massive nine tailed fox, again. He was battered, a bloody veil made him hard to see, but he was still standing strong, defying, and with no intention to fall.
His willpower was in fact so bright, that there was no need to boost it anymore, and yet he seemed to increase it with every passing day, proof of that was that his mind scape, once a broken realm with the shape of a rundown sewer, was now reshaped into a colossal stadium. He wanted more, and he'll get it, just to keep going forward. He proposed himself to never have limits, to break any wall that happens to cross his path, and the demon lord inside of him, won't be any different…
"CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU AND THE ONE RISING YOU! BUT HEAR ME WELL! I'LL DEVOUR YOUR SOUL, AND THEN I'LL TAKE YOUR BODY TO REIGN THE WORLD!" Kyuubi shouted with great fury, at first he thought that it was humiliating, to have trouble fighting a kid. Then the kid named himself the son of a god, and showed himself worth of his title, for in this realm, only the willpower of a demigod could stand a chance to last this long against him.
Getting a good armor was no problem, his father doted him with a wide arrange of lone pieces and sets to get used to the weight of the nano-forged steel protection, starting with the sparring armors for the standard soldiers, to the powerful cyber powered suits, and yet, he asked for an epic armor to be able to protect his friends, and his father promised him a godly armor to do so…
"My body, my spirit, my soul and power are my own! And neither you nor anyone else will have it!" Naruto shouted as he managed to stop the Kyuubi from eating him, using his hands and massive strength to force the jaws of the beast to remain open and in place.
But getting a weapon, a very good weapon that could help him to overcome the only weakness of his path, that was the tricky part, for a Defender is not there in the battlefield to deal the final blow, or deal the most damage, but to receive all the hits for the army, which means trading the increased damage of the other specializations for an unsurpassed defense and damage reduction, so, Naruto needed a weapon capable of dealing titanic proportions of damage, a weapon capable of destroying anything and everything on it's own, Naruto needed a sentient weapon. That's why he went here, into his mind scape, to fight the demon that was sealed inside of him, while his father extracted it to create the required weapon.
"GGGRRAAAAHHHH!" Kyuubi growled while trashing around, trying to toss Naruto away. To him, it was the most annoying experience of his existence, but it was to be expected, he had no doubts that that damned Namikaze chose well the vessel, someone with a willpower strong enough to grant him god-like strength inside his own mind scape, should it had been a lesser man, without a doubt his soul would have been eaten already. But he IS the Kyuubi, the Bijuu King, the Demon King! And as such, it was his right to win this battle… or die trying…
Now, Extracting the soul of a greater beast from it's container is not an easy task, because if the container happens to be destroyed, the spirit of the beast will be allowed to flee, and if the container is sentient, it only made it far more difficult, if added to the equation that the container was his beloved son… Baldur was hard pressed to not commit any kind of mistake. Thus, making the process more excruciating for both of them, because with every passing second, Naruto was losing ground to the beast, for even now, his body and mind still had mortal limits.
"That's it! Keep fighting! Show me that you deserve to serve me!" Naruto shouted again, enraging the beast even more, but this was no foolishness, it was strategy, for the feeling of rage masked perfectly the damage done… Kyuubi, on his never ending rage, couldn't feel his power slowly fading away.
"RRROOOOAAAARRRRRRR!" Kyuubi roared once more, summoning all his power, and successfully throwing away Naruto, who fell on his feet once more, looking even more challenging, Kyuubi waved his tails around, trying to create some destruction, but the walls of the stadium kept strong, thing that infuriated him even more, he never noticed that Naruto was being weakened for the long battle, because he was being weakened too. But Naruto noticed it, and knew that it was moment to change the strategy a little.
"Speak thy name, beast." Naruto commanded, and for a moment, it confused the Kyuubi, quite a lot.
"Ignorant fool! How you dare fight me without knowing who I am? I'M AM THE KING OF THE BIJUU! THE DEMON KING! THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE!" Kyuubi roared, presenting himself, annoyed at the ignorance of his vessel.
"I asked your name, not the name of your kind" Naruto coldly replied, crossing his arms to look more intimidating, although he did it because his hands were now shaking.
"What?" Kyuubi asked, dumbfounded by some basic logic used against him. The loss of his power was now visible, his brilliant fur was now pale, and his fiery aura was beginning to fade away.
"What use is to me to know only the obvious, I can say you are a nine tailed fox without you telling me so! What I demand is for you to tell me YOUR name. You are sentient, that much is obvious, and as such, you MUST have a name. Or should I have to name you as if you were my pet?" Naruto asked, now in a more taunting way, making Kyuubi growl, but not attack.
"Insolent! Of course I have a name of my own! My name is… I am…" Kyuubi began, but couldn't finish, his face suddenly looked troubled, anguish was written on his bestial features, he, the King of the bijuu, the Demon King, couldn't remember the most basic knowledge of his existence, his name.
"Something the matter, beast? You better have one, because if you don't, I'll keep calling you beast while I think in a good one!" Naruto said with what seemed to be a mocking voice, his relaxed stance only made it worse, but he wasn't relaxing, he was too weak now to keep a full defensive stance.
"Quiet! I'm trying to remember it! It had been more than a millennia since I used it!" Kyuubi excused himself out of shame, and then redoubled his efforts, unaware that he actually was helping the extraction process.
"Well, go on. But you better remember, because I won't use the name of your kind. Or perhaps you need to remember how to speak your name with pride? Here, let me help you." Naruto spoke, and then cleared his throat, to proceed with the speaking of his name, and Kyuubi showed himself attentive.
"My name is Naruto son of Baldur, son of ODIN. My father is the God of Light and Justice, and I too shall join the ranks of the Odinsons to be like him, like the sons of ODIN, Gods of War!" Naruto presented himself in a booming voice that sounded regal, and Kyuubi seemed to start to remember something.
"Now try it, if you claim to be the king of your kind, then speak your name like a true king!" Naruto demanded now, and suddenly, Kyuubi seemed to realize something…
"A true King? Yes… A true king, for that I am… or was…" Kyuubi said, sounding even depressed, his aura gone, the fur now like ash, and his essence fading away.
"I was human, long ago. I was nothing, then a warrior, then I became King. But I was ambitious, too ambitious. I couldn't stand the idea of losing all what I'd gain, so I researched, and found a way to become immortal, or so I thought…" Kyuubi spoke now, sounding less demonic with every passing second, soon his body started to shape shift, and little by little it became like a man.
"My name is Nobunaga Oda, Demon King, and like you, I used to be the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." Nobunaga presented himself, A tall man clad in demonic looking armor, which seemed to be made of bones instead of metal, nine fox tails waving at his back, and a great sword by his hand… which he used now to stand due to weakness.
"I knew that a Bijuu cannot be killed, because their existence had to be continuous for our world to exist, but, while not kill-able, they can be replaced. And I was foolish enough to do so. We exchanged existences, I became Kyuubi, but lost my own identity… I don't know what sorcery is this… But you seem focused on stealing my power… Congratulations, Naruto son of Baldur, we shall see if you retain yourself with the power of the Kyuubi." Nobunaga explained, chuckling in a very dark way.
"Me? Stealing your power? To become you? What nonsense are you talking about? You have proven strong enough to serve me, it would be foolish to dismiss you." Naruto suddenly said, taking Nobunaga by surprise.
"What? Then, what are you doing to me? Where have all the power gone to?" Nobunaga asked, this was completely unknown to him, to be stripped of his power, and being told to remain as he was.
"What we are doing, is extracting you from my body where you are of no use, and encasing you into a weapon to serve me, and only me in battle. I've heard about all the lives you claimed attacking Konoha without provocation. I've heard about the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage in order to save his people, and while I can't, for the life of it, understand why I was chosen to be your jail, I can't think on a better way for you to atone for your deeds than this." Naruto explained, and Nobunaga's eyes went wide with fear.
"I won't be your slave!" Nobunaga shouted, and then tried to attack Naruto, just to find himself unable to move, for a bright light at his feet was now engulfing him.
"I'd never said that you'll have a choice, Nobunaga of the Oda. Think of it as a way to live forever, and being able to see the world outside with your own eyes, while you serve me." Naruto said with a regal voice, denoting the great honor that the Demon King will be bestowed with.
"No! This doesn't end here! I will never be a servant! I'll struggle to be free for all eternity!" Nobunaga yelled in defiance, but Naruto's next words silenced him.
"That, I do hope with all my heart. It would be really disappointing if you wouldn't do so." Naruto's final words reached an scared Nobunaga, and upon seeing him finally gone, Naruto fell to his knees, unable to keep going.
"Naruto! Son of mine! Are you alright?" Baldur asked, worried for the well being of his son. Naruto slowly opened his eyes, which seemed dull, devoid of the usual energy that inhabited them since before the day he met Baldur, but he was still himself.
"Father? How long was the battle?" Naruto asked, worried for the time spent on this task, and worried for his friends. Baldur couldn't help but to show a tender smile, his son was fine, just exhausted.
"It took from dawn to dusk, but it's over now, you can rest. I'll sent word to your school that you won't be attended for a day or two, as you don't seem to be in conditions to struggle." Baldur replied, patting Naruto's head.
"A day or two? I really look so bad?" Naruto asked, as Defender, he thought that nothing would keep him down, not even this.
"Can you move on your own?" Baldur asked, and Naruto took a few seconds to form a reply.
"Nay." Naruto replied, finally understanding how bad he was.
"Well, the good news is that you'll only need a warm bed, well cooked meat, and some good rest to be good as new… The bad news is that the food dispenser is still malfunctioning, which means that sub-par food will be the only one available until you can cook again." Baldur said, laughing at the end, it's not as if he were really that bad at cooking, but after having Naruto cooking a few times… well, the flavor of brunt meat was no longer favored.
"I think I'll only have mead then." Naruto joked, well, not a full joke, but Baldur laughed nonetheless.
"Nay! You may use it to pass your meals, but not have it as your only source of food. You are still growing!" Baldur said, and then took Naruto away from the diagnosis table, carrying him to his room, Naruto actually wanted to struggle, not liking the feeling of weakness, but didn't had the strength to do so.
A moment later, Baldur went into the forge, and made sure to lock all the exits save one, and all the windows, as well as enabling the automatic defense system, what was coming next, would be proving both challenging and dangerous.
"Status of the greater beast?" Baldur asked aloud.
"Energy core of the subject it's currently in stasis mode. Awaiting for further instructions, Lord Baldur." A female voice replied, and Baldur nodded to himself. The next part of the ordeal will be far more dangerous, unlike Naruto, Baldur won't have the advantage of being empowered ten thousand times and being helped by a synchrony system, and the beast no doubt will try to break free during the process. But Baldur will not fail, he will succeed, for he wouldn't dare to face Nyanna and tell her that he failed to make a weapon for their son.
"Very well. Let's begin. Give me suggestions about the main types of weapons available for the size of this beast." Baldur commanded, and in an holographic display, many large types of weapons were displayed, great swords, war hammers, pole arms and others that were weird even for Baldur.
"This may be… troublesome." Baldur added at the complexity of the first choice…
Three days later…
Word had reached the academy that Naruto would be unable to attend classes for a few days, but no reasons were given. Many speculations were made, from the simple case of flu that it's rather common on the children, to the idea of a mob getting revenge on him for defending the Hyuga heiress, and while rumors like these were quickly dismissed by Iruka, Hinata and Shino couldn't help but to be worried for their dear friend, so, one day they managed to get permission to visit Naruto at his home…
"I still believe you are exaggerating, at your age, any sickness can force you to a day or two of rest, there is nothing to worry about." Shibi said to the children, for he, along another adult, were charged with their security, for Naruto still lived outside the protection of the walls of the village.
"I'm afraid that you are wrong, father. Naruto is not a mere child like us. For him to be unable to attend, a near death experience must have struck him." Shino replied, and Shibi only shook his head in annoyance, his child has obviously been impressed a little too much by Naruto, but he only could hope to meet this supposed God in person, and extract some answers, and return home before the storm forming could fall on them.
"Shino is right. You should have seen him the day after he ascended to Defender… " Hinata added, remembering well that day, how during a practice, Sasuke managed to make a kawamiri, throwing into the backyard a whole downed tree instead of a simple log, endangering the other students, how Naruto stopped the falling tree with his hands alone, the tree was really big, it moved really fast, but it couldn't move Naruto, not even a fraction of an Inch, and Naruto didn't even flinch a little. You don't beat such raw power with a flu, and that worried her to no end…
"Hiashi-sama, what is your opinion on all of this?" Shibi asked to the other adult, who happens to be no other than Hiashi Hyuga.
"Ah? Well… It can't hurt to make sure that HIM is at least being taken care properly, you know that the Hokage has a special interest on his well being." Hiashi replied, evading all the possible responses that were on his head, using the masked topic of the legacy of the fourth to prevent Shibi from doing too many questions… For he still was trying to digest the idea that Naruto was in fact… Minato's son… and not some random sacrifice.
The four kept walking into the nearby forest, until they reached a clear in the woods, it was the place, as Naruto once told them, and just as the kids were foretold, their path was suddenly blocked…
"The path before you is closed, you don't belong here. Speak your linage and purpose." Something, with a distorted female voice stopped their tracks. She was dressed on dark robes, her face covered by a cloth, but her eyes were golden and menacingly bright. For Hiashi and Shibi it was the most menacing thing on the world, she emanated a presence so strong, and yet they couldn't feel it as they feel other shinobi, she was, and wasn't there, in one place, all over the place, and not there at the same time.
"A spirit of the forest!" Shibi was the first to freak out, being his clan so in tune with the nature, the lore about such spirits was a common topic on his clan. But for one of these spirits to be guarding the home of some stranger… It only spoke of greatness, power and authority.
"Speak your linage and purpose." The spirit repeated, but before Shibi or Hiashi could say something, Hinata was the first to step forward.
"Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame. Our parents, Hiashi Hyuga and Shibi Aburame are our escorts. We have come to pay a visit to Naruto son of Baldur, for we desire to have notices of his well being." Hinata spoke without fear, looking directly into the eyes of the spirit, much to the amazement of her father.
"Identification confirmed. Hinata of the Hyuga and Shino of the Aburame, you are allowed to freely walk these grounds and go unto the atrium. Your escort however, is advised to be respectful, this land belong to the gods, and is not for the mortals to taint with their hands." The spirit warned, and then disappeared in multitude of lights, and with her gone, a path made of white stone was revealed, a path that crossed a vast garden, at the end of this path, and in the middle of the clearing, a large structure made of some kind of metal was standing, tall and ominous…
"The Hringhorni… Home of the gods." Shino muttered in awe, not failing to notice some boxes with a peaceful buzzing, bees by the sound of it, but he didn't dare to check them.
"Hiashi! Your daughter has just looked into the eyes of a spirit of the forest, and was granted passage! I would have knelt down on her place!" Shibi whispered to Hiashi, afraid of rising his voice in what he believed to be a holy place.
"I'm just as surprised as you are, Shibi. But look at them, they seem at ease with the idea of an spirit guarding their friend's home… and perhaps the Hokage might like the idea too." Hiashi replied, now curious to see what else was here to defend Minato's son.
The path was straight, and not too long, and they found themselves in front of a large double gate made of a golden metal, engraved with images of warriors wielding swords and shields, with bears and wolves at their sides, and a pair of ravens above them… however, there was no handle to open the gates, neither a device to call for attention.
"I wonder if another spirit has to show up to open the gates for us?" Hiashi asked aloud, not as mockery, but as curiosity. It was Shino now, who gave the step forward, and a floating eye-like machine appeared from a hole above the gates, light came from the eye, and it bathed each one of them separately.
"Access granted. Please restrain from going deeper than the atrium." A mechanized voice came from the eye, and then the gates opened with a soft hiss.
"What the hell was that?" Hiashi whispered to Hinata, in a show of utter confusion, but Hinata only shrugged her shoulders, for neither she knew what was the thing that just scanned them.
The four entered, and found themselves walking on a great hall, with walls made of gold and steel, and a ceiling made of an unknown material, but remembered a clear sky in a night without moon, in the floor were cushions and some structures that may as well could be used as chairs, torches with ethereal flames gave a more mystic essence to the hall, it wasn't intimidating, it was inviting, as if designed to sit and share stories.
"I'll be with you in a moment, please make yourselves comfortable." Baldur's voice was heard, and while it still sounded as regal as always, it sounded more at ease, probably because it was now his home, and not the lands of others. The four made themselves comfortable as Baldur said, the kids took the soft cushions on the ground, while the adults decided to use the metal blocks as chairs, no conversation was shared though, as none felt comfortable, as if every movement was being watched.
"Well, sorry for making you wait, also don't take the warning of the ward so seriously. The only forbidden areas are the forge, the armory, and our private chambers." Baldur said as he entered the hall, being followed by a sick looking Naruto.
"NARUTO!" Hinata and Shino were fast to be at his side, helping him to sit down… at least helping as much as they could, for Naruto still weighted far too much, leaving the three of them quickly on the floor.
"Nyanna would be proud of seeing that you have such kind friends, my son. Anyway, what brings you here? I've already sent word that Naruto need some days of rest." Baldur asked, making the adults stiffen.
"Our children were perhaps too worried for Naruto's well being, and only by coming to see him, they could put their fears out of their hearts." Hiashi stated, without the cloak, Baldur looked as if he were more a king than a god, the clothes seemed like done with the most expensive of the materials, to mix the finest silks with gold, and all decorated with symbols.
"Ah! Very noble from their part. My son will be fine in no time, and thus attending school again. Thank you for caring so much." Baldur said to Hinata and Shino, feeling that it was good for his son to grow surrounding by caring people to care about… unlike Heimdall…
"However, it comes to our attention that Naruto has come to have a formidable strength and resistance, it puzzles me what kind of sickness could affect someone like him." Hiashi continued, and Shibi tried to study Baldur, his insects refused to come out, so, he used old shinobi training to read Baldur's body language.
"Sickness? What nonsense are you talking about? Ah, that's true. As humans, you feel that a child won't attend school due to sickness. I must remember you that my son is far beyond such limitations. Naruto is not sick, he is exhausted, his last battle demanded perhaps too much from him, and as result, he lacks the required strength to stay focused on classes and other curricular activities." Baldur explained, and this time Shibi's curiosity was too much.
"Battle against who?" Shibi asked, perhaps a little rude, if Baldur's frown was any indication.
"With the aid of ODIN, Naruto has just defeated the beast that was sealed inside of him. Now that power will be rightfully placed on his hand to do as he sees fit, earning his place among the Odinsons." Baldur proudly stated, and Hiashi and Shibi froze in horror.
'The Kyuubi? Naruto fought the Kyuubi and won?' Shibi's mind went into a sudden stop, what he has just heard couldn't be possible.
'Minato, your son has surpassed you greatly. AND HE IS NOT EVEN GENIN!' Hiashi thought, not that he had already forgiven Sarutobi for keeping such secret.
"A beast sealed inside of you?" Hinata asked to Naruto, her cute features denoting that she was now even more worried.
"Aye. Big fox with nine tails." Naruto replied, dropping the bomb on the kids and the adults alike, whose minds were suddenly numb.
"How?" Shino asked absently, for he has just heard that his dear friend had the Kyuubi inside, the demon that destroyed half the village, and took the life of the fourth Hokage, a demon supposed to be dead, instead of that, someone seemed cruel enough to seal such monster inside of Naruto… not that it matters now anyway.
"With the aid of ODIN, and the steady hand of my father. If they weren't there for me, the beast would have devoured me no doubt. The battle has taken it's toll on me though, that's why I need some rest, but not with you here and now. Now it's time cheer and be merry, for I treasure you as my friends. The ones who care for me" Naruto stated, smiling at Shino and Hinata, both felt so little, mere children in front of the one who had faced the Bijuu King, and got out of it alive and victorious.
"This is unbelievable! What kind of god is this Odin to grant so much power to a child? A whole army of veteran shinobi wouldn't have lasted against one tail sweep from that demon!" Hiashi finally exploded, unable to accept these facts. Shibi was about to silence him up, in order to ask for a proof that the Kyuubi was no more, or that it won't cause any more trouble, but the minds of the children restarted, enabling them to bring a whole new topic.
"True… Naruto, you promised us that you would tell us more about your grandfather when we could visit your home!" Hinata merrily said, earning a warm smile from Naruto, and a nod from Shino.
"Aye. I do remember. But in my actual state, I cannot do it in the proper way. Alas, father, you may honor us with a song, please?" Naruto begged to Baldur, who couldn't help but to accept, after all, it is always an honor to sing ODIN's tale, either to the children, or to the adults.
"Very well, I'll do it. But remember that it's your uncle Bragi the one who is specialist on this, and not me, nevertheless, I'll do my best." Baldur replied, and quickly brought from another room and object that made Hiashi's heart skip a beat.
'An electric guitar! And a model that I've never seen!' Hiashi screamed inside, although he quickly noticed that there were no wires or amplifiers nearby, so he resisted the urge to ask about the instrument.
Baldur sat comfortably, holding the guitar with his hands, the guitar was pitch black with red accents, and golden trim, it was really slim, and the cords were made of silver light, which gave a rather godly impression. Baldur then cleared his throat, and then, with a passing of his fingers through the light cords, he began to sing.
(AN: The next song is "Odin" by Manowar, you may want to listen to it while reading this part)
In the hall of the slain
Valkyries and heroes attend me
Ravens and wolves at my side
Forever they did befriend me
The power in the music alone was enough to ground them, yet the power in the voice force them to listen, and know more about these gods...
I paid an eye for a drink of mead
And was given wisdom supreme
Granted to me the secrets
Of magic, of life and death
The story didn't talked about a god previously born as a god, only watching from above, uncaring about human affairs, or condemning them for their human behavior...
Aaah… speared, hung upside down
Nine days and nights, no food nor mead
The will to be a sacrifice
Of myself unto myself
But of a man that ascended to be a god through battle, self sacrifice and hard work. Becoming a god capable of understand the heart of the humans, for he was once human...
Wisdom and rhyme
Sorcery, death living inside me
Of life and death I am king
For both do I bring by sword and spear and ring
A God of War, among a village that made a living from battle, Hiashi and Shibi thought that this would cause a serious change on the culture of the village once people started to see them as true gods. Such thought become more solid when Naruto joined the chant...
Raise thy weapons on this day
Ye shall not die alone
Fight and die let Valkyries fly
For they shall take thee home
I promise thee that on this night
Ye shall be by my side
Asgard's halls await with heroes
Brothers that have died
For thee we wait at Asgard's gates
Come join us by our side
Valhalla waits so choose thy fate
For all of us must die!
Thunder sounded with astounding force outside the hall, yet it did nothing to break the shock on Hiashi and Shibi. Sarutobi was right to fear Baldur… These were true Gods of War.
Magnus: Well, I hope you enjoyed it, also I hope you don't mind the use of Heavy Metal during the making of the story, because you'll keep reading more songfics like this one, well, see ya in next chapter