Naruto looked around himself. Thick mists, the ground being mostly broken gray stone, the sound of the surf in the background, and overall quite dark. "Where am I?"
"The twilight of the gods, young hero. Ragnarok has come and gone. Yet an elder god has put forth an offer." This voice was younger, but sounded so very very tired.
"He is young," said a young-sounding feminine voice. "He has many enemies who seek his death. His heart is strong. His judgement not so much."
"He has a sense of justice in a land where justice is all but unknown," said another gruff-sounding male voice.
"Stop talking about me like I ain't here!" protested Naruto.
"Apologies, child of prophesy," said another voice, this one male and young-sounding.
"Where are you guys anyway?" asked Naruto, looking around.
"We are gods who are dead or dying," said the first voice. "However, we have an opportunity here."
"As do you, child," said the young male voice.
"If you accept, you will gain gifts from each of us, that something of our will and power will live on," said that first voice. "We ask in turn for a shrine to be built. That a rite of renewal be done to gather some of that power."
"Not the whole blood sacrifice thing," said the young male voice. "Maybe the occasional cow or goat, but then do it as a big feast. That way you're not wasting things."
"Feasts are good," said the gruff voice that was neither young nor old. "Have a few friends over to participate."
"I don't know how to cook," said Naruto, thinking he also didn't have the budget to do feasts.
"Oh," said an older woman's voice. "THAT I can help with. Shall we give this a try?"
"I guess," said Naruto before he dropped to his knees and held his head. "Ow. Ow. Ow."
[
"Sorry," apologized the elder woman's voice. "Haven't done this whole Chosen thing before."
"It's fine, Frigga, though I don't know that the boy will make use of that talent."
"Oh, so that's how you do that," said Naruto. "Can I make awesome ramen though?"
"Sorry," said the old woman's voice. "I've never eaten ramen."
"You've never eaten ramen?" asked Naruto, feeling incredible sympathy for someone who'd lived a ramen-less existence.
"Well child, when you next have ramen, we'll both know more of it." The old woman sighed. "Interesting."
"So child? Will you accept our gifts to become more able to control your destiny and confound those who seek to kill you?" asked the gruff voice.
"What kinda other things can I do?" asked Naruto. "I mean, being able to cook stuff is useful I suppose - but if I got enemies I don't see how that's gonna help."
"Well," said a deep baritone that hadn't spoken before. "So much for giving him great fishing skills."
"From Frigga, you gained skills in the kitchen," said the older gruff voice. "Shall we bargain then?"
"I'm finished with this side," said Sasuke.
"Done here," said Sakura.
"Yeah, finished," said Naruto.
"It's about... time?" Sakura blinked. "Naruto? Are you using a henge to look taller?"
"Ah. Musta hit a growth spurt," said Naruto. "Let's turn this in. Maybe we can get missions repairing this place later on. It beats babysitting and weeding gardens."
"Naruto! Those are valid D-Rank missions too!" stated Sakura, deciding to ignore that growth spurts did NOT work that way. He had to be using a henge or something. Stupid Naruto.
Sasuke considered repairing this place versus some of the other D-Ranks that they normally got. Yeah, all things considered - that wouldn't be so bad.
"So, some tarp or something over the holes to keep the rain out," said Naruto. "Support posts get replaced or repaired first?"
"Okay, my little genin, I - Naruto how did you get taller?" asked Kakashi.
"Growth spurt," said Naruto.
"And add at least twenty pounds of muscle?" asked Kakashi.
"Eating right and regular exercise," said Naruto.
"It's only been about four hours, Naruto," stated Sakura drily. "Drop the henge."
"Okay," said Naruto, using a henge to look like he had before entering the shrine.
"Better," said Sakura.
Kakashi, however, knew what Naruto had just done and wondered what had happened while he'd been reading.
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(Posted Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:45)
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"Oh, just something I picked up. Seems like a cool weapon."
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