Author's Note: There's another shout out in this fic, this time to another media item. Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what that is?

Let me know in the reviews.

Also, Happy New Year everyone. Consider this to be my last official chapter post for 2018 before moving into the next year.

NARUTO

Maoyū

Rumble in the Jungle

(That afternoon)

When the little white dragon's eyes slowly fluttered open after what felt like days later, when in reality only several hours had passed, she immediately found herself in a place she didn't know or recognize. A white ceiling hung above her- fixed with strong wooden beams- and the floor surrounding her was made up of mats composed entirely of dry grass. Aside from the kitchen and fridge she saw sitting up against one side of the room, there was also a closet and door on the other side, and a line of book shelves and cabinets on the other, all filled with reading materials and scrolls.

She also saw a low-sitting table right next to her, which she saw had a couple of bowls and glasses on top of it.

When the little white dragon's head slowly cleared of the haze filling it, she suddenly became aware of the sounds of people talking around her. Her pointy ears perking up, the feathery western dragon then slowly sat up and raised her head. There, sitting in a circle around the pillow she was curled up on, she saw a group of about three kids, a tiny white fox, and a large spider-girl present in the room.

All of them were gathered around her spot and were looking intently down at her, while at the same time whispering between one another. The moment they saw the dragon stir and her eyes turn towards them, the mood quickly brightened in the six-tatami-mat apartment.

"Hey. She's awake," Tayuya remarked, shuffling back when she saw the little dragon glance between them. "Great. Looks like we got to her just in time."

In response, Naruto smiled and, looking over at his vixen partner, reached over and petted her on her tiny head. "I knew I could count on you. Awesome job, Tama-chan." His praise earned a happy yip and a purr from the white fox, who promptly nuzzled his hand and gave his palm an affectionate lick.

Sakura, breathing a sigh of relief, shuffled towards the little reptile on the pillow and beamed down at her. "You're alright. I'm so glad. Are you feeling better now?" When she saw the now conscious creature blink at her with its wide, yellow eyes, before then looking down at its body to see the bandages wrapped around its waist and shoulder, the pinkette in the two-piece qi pao tilted her head. "Ah. Do you remember? When I found you, you had four arrows stuck in your body and you were completely soaked. I brought you back here to my friend's place and he fixed you right up."

"Well… I didn't really do anything. This one here did most of the work," Naruto corrected, while at the same time gesturing to the kitsune friend on the floor when the dragon turned in his direction. "You know, you were really lucky that Sakura-chan found you when she did. If she hadn't… Kami knows what might've happened to you. You probably would've died of blood loss or shock." He then beamed at his teammate. "You're alive now because of her."

"Oh. I-It was nothing. Really," Sakura said bashfully, rubbing the side of her head before looking back down at the critter she'd rescued. "But yeah. You were in pretty bad shape when I came across the spot you were lying. I managed to get the arrows out of your body and Tama healed you with her fox fire."

"And I made the bandages," the young Jorogumo Aya said, at the same time raising her hand meekly. "My webs are perfect for any kind of wear and tear work, so making some strips and sheets wasn't too difficult." Her statement was back by smiles from both Naruto and Sakura.

Tayuya, now back in her signature varsity jacket and spandex shorts, slipped her hands into her pockets and grinned. "To be honest, with all those holes in you and the amount of blood you'd lost, we weren't expecting you to wake up for at least a month. But it looks like our foxy friend's magic managed to put you right." She then looked across at Naruto and grinned. "That's some pretty potent stuff she's got, huh?"

"Yeah. It is," Naruto agreed.

As the newest visitor to the apartment looked about in a mild stupor, her attention quickly shifted back over to the pink haired kunoichi beside her. She managed to lock eyes with her just in time to see Sakura lean forward and smile sweetly at her.

"Though I'm not sure if you understand any of us, I just want you to know that I'm really happy to see that you're okay now," the female Genin said with the most sincere tone laced in her voice. "Just try to take it easy for now, okay?"

After staring at the pink-haired kunoichi for a few moments, the dragon then blinked when she recognized her as the same girl that'd rescued her. The kindly face of ivory skin and green, angelic eyes, and hair as pink as the blossoms in spring, filled the forefront of the dragon's thoughts as she gazed upon the smiling young girl. Upon which the little reptile wagged her tail and smiled, before giving a shrill yip of happiness. In that instant, she then leant her head down and nudged Sakura's hand gratefully, while also giving her knuckles a lick.

Upon seeing the now conscious little tyke happily sniff and lick Sakura's hand had Naruto and Tayuya stare for a moment, before the former then grinned at his teammate. "I think she understands. She's thanking you."

Sakura's smile only widened at this, as she then gave the little reptile a pat on the head. "Anytime, little one."

When the dragon was done expressing her affections to the pinkette, Tama, who'd been sitting quietly on the sidelines for a majority of the afternoon, slowly approached the little dragon and sat in front of her pillow. Seeing the two together, the group of kids noticed that they were both approximately the same size and had similar eyes to one another, despite being two completely different species. However, from what they were able to observe over the course of the day, the trio of Genin assumed that there was much more to this little dragon than meets the eye.

Their suspicions were soon confirmed when Tama, tail wagging, then gave a couple of light barks to the dragon. When the dragon recoiled in surprise, she replied with a few soft growls of her own, which had the white fox's expression take on a surprised look.

Then, amidst all their animal chattering, the little kitsune spoke in her womanly voice, "Is it really you, Kiyohime-chan?"

Hearing his companion speak caused Naruto to lean forward, "Huh? You know her, Tama-chan?"

The fox looked back at her partner and the girls gathered behind her. "She's an old friend of mine. We came to this world together from ours thousands of years ago, before any of the nations on this land were even formed. After spending a lot of time wandering the human settlements, we then went our separate ways." She then quickly looked back at the little dragon lying on the pillow and gazed at her fondly. "I haven't seen her in so long that I didn't even recognize her in her animal form."

"Oh? So… do all the people from your world have the ability to transform into animals?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Most certainly. Spirits are of the purest and most ancient of races, and have existed since before the primordial era of man. Because of our natural origins, each of our clans have inherited the traits of each of the universe's known animals," Tama replied, while simultaneously smiling back at the little dragon. "My clan for example took on the traits of the fox- the stealthiest and most mischievous of the animal races. And Kiyohime's clan adapted the model of the dragon- the noblest and rarest of the races."

"Sounds very distinguished," Tayuya commented while crossing her arms. She then looked up and gave a thoughtful sigh. "Wish I was born a spirit. You get to live a long and carefree life, go wherever you want, and do whatever you please."

Tama then turned and smiled at the redheaded flute player, "Well, if you wish to be like us, I could also teach you how to draw on Seishin energy to prolong your life and manifest the same abilities that I have. Just like I'm doing for Naruto-kun."

At this, Tayuya perked up, "Really? Y-You could do that? That'd be freakin' awesome!"

Naruto chuckled at hearing his roommate's ecstatic answer, at the same time reaching over to pat the now glowing girl on the head, "Geez, if you wanted to learn how, all you had to do was ask her."

After Tama and her compatriots looked back at the little dragon, the little white fox then nodded to the little reptile politely. "It's good to see you again, Kiyo-chan."

All of a sudden, the group sitting around the pillow then heard the dragon speak in a similarly mature, yet sensuous sounding voice. "And it's good to see you alive and well, Tama-chan." Hearing the little dragon actually speak, but seeing her mouth only move once, caused Sakura and the others to balk in surprise. Clearly they weren't expecting her to use human speech so suddenly, yet at the same time it was a welcome exchange. "The last I heard of you, you had been sealed inside of an enchanted stone on the other side of the continent and hidden away from the world."

Her statement had the fox laugh sheepishly. "Oh, that? Well, I… got into a little bit of trouble with a country lord, who then hired a group of adventurers and heroes to lock me away. That was over three thousand years ago." She then perked up and wagged her tail at her friend. "But I'm out now… as you can see."

"Yes. Indeed," the dragon chuckled, closing her eyes briefly. After which she then looked around for a moment to try and gain her bearings. However, unable to see outside the window due to her low angle on the floor, Kiyohime then looked back at the group curiously. "Umm, pardon my bluntness, but… where exactly is this place? Could you tell me what town I'm in?"

"Oh. You're in Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves) right now- the main shinobi village situated in the heart of Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire)," Sakura answered for the little dragon. "Do you know it?"

"Yes. I'm familiar with the shinobi villages of this area. After all, I'd spent a great many years living in a small cottage on the outskirts of a settlement resting on the banks of the Hidaka River to the north," Kiyohime responded, while at the same time looking back at her fox friend. "How did you end up in this village?"

Tamamo-no-Mae smiled and tilted her head, "When the seal on my prison broke, I found myself wandering the countryside for a while and visiting all the places to see what'd changed over the years. I ended up stumbling upon a Tengu's stronghold in the mountains… and the chief and his clan attacked me. They wounded me… and I wound up limping all the way down here, to Konoha." She then turned to smile across at Naruto. "That's when my friend found me… and nursed me back to health."

The blond delinquent smiled, "I always assumed you'd been attacked by a wolf or a mountain lion, or something. But I guess… Tengu? Another type of spirit?" He'd heard the name before. Tengu were bird spirits, often depicted as human-hybrid demons with elongated noses or men wearing bird masks. So far he'd only heard small stories about them. When he saw the fox nod to his question almost immediately afterwards, Naruto chuckled in response. "You just keep running into all sorts of trouble around this continent, don't you?"

"Well… about the same amount of trouble as you, my mate," Tama chirped happily.

Feeling he was being scolded slightly through the fox's teasing, the young shinobi scratched the back of his head. "I guess I've had my share of problems over the years too, dattebayo. But can you really blame me?"

Looking between the fox and her roommate momentarily, Tayuya opened and closed her mouth a couple of surprise, before quickly looking back at her fellow delinquent. "Wait… did she just call you her-" Did she hear that right? Mate?

In animal terms, that only implied one thing…

Before anything more could be said on the subject, Tama quickly turned back to Kiyohime and frowned at her. "So… how in the world did you wind up so badly injured?" She was of course referring to the recently bandaged wounds adorning her body. "Surely you weren't attacked by a human. There aren't that many warriors around this continent that could possibly take you by surprise."

In response, the little white dragon frowned and looked down at her side, where she could still feel the slight sting of her wounds. "I don't know. I remember I was sleeping inside my home when, all of a sudden, a barrage of fire arrows came shooting into my room from all directions. I got hit by the first salvo and managed to avoid the second. But before I could escape through the window, my entire home was blown up by a flash of light."

When the group of kids looked at one another, Tayuya then turned back to the small dragon with a small glimmer of concern visible in her eyes. "Did you manage to see who attacked you?"

"Was it another spirit… or a demon?" Naruto also asked. Given his experience of the wider world thus far, the only things he knew that could possibly hurt someone of Tama's race and of strength was either one of the biju or another fellow spirit. There had also been that Slit-Mouthed Woman ghost that they'd encountered back in the village, but that was another case of nuts all together.

Kiyohime responded by shaking her head. "No. Normally I would be able to sense other spirits. But the things that attacked me weren't from our world or our race. They were… corpses. Walking, growling, functioning, vicious corpses…"

Almost instantly, the atmosphere within the room ran ice cold, as every single person there stared wide-eyed down at the little reptile curled up in front of them in states of disbelief.

Sakura's face in particular paled at that little snippet of information. "C-Corpses? Like… dead people?" Her fears were confirmed when the dragon gave a nod in response, causing a very unsettling chill to run down her spine. Even Tama was visibly disturbed by the news.

With even more questions quickly starting to bubble to the surface, Naruto opted to break the ice first, and addressed the small dragon inquisitively. "And that's… bad… right? I mean… dead guys walking around and shooting arrows at people in their homes. I doubt that that's a good sign."

"No. It's not," Tama replied, while at the same time turning to look at the kids sitting behind her. "The dead being resurrected to be used as an army of slaves- in any realm or universe- isn't a good sign at all. The practice of necromancy, especially on that level, violates the natural order of things and the very sanctity of life. Corpses being disturbed and uprooted from the grave by unknown supernatural forces usually indicates an acute tip in the balance of the world, as well as a prelude for even worse events to come." Upon seeing looks of terror flicker through the children's' faces, the little fox quickly snapped her head back towards Kiyohime. "Did you manage to find out who or what was controlling the corpses?"

The little dragon clenched her eyes shut for a moment of thought, before opening them moments later. "One. The leader of the undead was an ancient and very powerful troll- one of the last surviving members of the Eyðileggja (Ruin) clan."

Tayuya was immediately stumped. "E-yi… what? What the heck are they?" That tongue twister was a name she'd never heard of before, nor was it something she was going to try and pronounce.

To answer her, the kitsune glanced across at her partner's friend. "Eydileggja. They were once a large tribe of wandering trolls who inhabited the northern lands of primordial Europa hundreds of years ago. They were incredible warriors- very strong and very dangerous, and were chiefly responsible for wiping out hundreds of human communities during the height of their power." Expression tightening in confusion, Tama looked back at her friend. "But… that's impossible. I thought that their kind were hunted to extinction by the invading human kingdoms a long time ago."

"Apparently not. And what's worse, this one was versed in his people's art of sorcery. All of those corpses, including him, were saturated with mana…" The little Kiyohime then frowned as she glanced down at the floor in thought, as she attempted to recall anything else that she remembered. "He and his draugr tracked me to a cliff, but I managed to lose them by throwing myself over the side."

"Draugr?" Sakura repeated, having not heard that word used before either.

"That's Old Norse for 'Again Walker'. Restless ghosts that possess the corpses of men and women who died due to unfortunate circumstances," Tama explained, before blinking in surprise at what she'd said. "Hang on… that isn't right. None of it is-"

Sensing and noticing his friend's concern, Naruto leaned forward in worry, "What? What's wrong?"

"Trolls? Draugr? Here? Two mythical creatures that were once thought to be wiped from this world millennia ago by the new human kingdoms have appeared on this continent. And what's even stranger is that both of them were working with one another… hunting one of my long lost friends," Tama continued, at the same time looking up at her friend seriously. "Are you absolutely sure that what you saw was accurate?"

Kiyohime nodded, "I would stake my life on it. What I saw was what I saw."

Feeling the situation growing more alarming by the seconds, Sakura gulped and spoke to the little dragon. "W-Why exactly were you being hunted? Do you know?"

Inhaling deeply, the reptilian spirit quickly looked across at the kunoichi. "No. But before I hurled myself over the edge of the cliff and escaped my pursuers, the troll told me who he was working for." Kiyohime felt her claws curl tightly as the name of the man echoed through her head. It echoed so loudly that the dragon felt her jaw quiver before uttering it. "A man with a name originating from this continent… a person he called Oda Nobunaga."

At this, both Tamamo-no-Mae and Naruto felt their jaws drop…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

As the sky above Konohagakure started to turn a gentle shade of orange and blue with the encroaching glow of the setting sun, up at the top of one of the hills overlooking the village, just outside of range of the Kanchi Kekkai (Sensing Barrier), a group of figures had emerged from the woods. Almost immediately upon looking at the people assembled at the edge of the small cliff, anyone could tell that they weren't ordinary passers, nor were they human.

The first and most prominent figure amongst them was the same troll that'd been chasing the wounded Kiyohime two weeks ago- his hulking, grey frame and the massive stone totem propped over his shoulders dwarfing the height of some of the nearby trees.

Accompanying the tattooed beast and standing on his right, was another similarly humanoid individual. Aside from standing at least a third of the troll's full height, a full head taller than a full grown man, this second person took the form of a bodacious young woman with a buxom, muscular figure similar to that of an Amazonian- with large breasts, thin waist, and shapely legs- long, wild spiky white hair, and a deceptively pretty face. This was where all of her "normal" features seemed to stop, because on top of the very skimpy outfit she was wearing, consisting of a tiger-skin bandage bra and fundoshi that left little to the imagination, bandages around her forearms, and black sandals with leather straps that ran up her smooth calves, the woman's skin was completely red, her fingers and toes had elongated nails, and her head was crowned by a pair of curved horns that stuck out of her hair.

Just like the large troll standing alongside her, the female oni (demon) was also armed with a unique tool of destruction. Her hand rested upon the pommel of a heavy kanabo (metal stick)- an iron, studded, two-handed war club designed like a bat, with a rounded end that was as long as a staff and as wide as a tree trunk. Needless to say, the red-skinned woman appeared quite intimidating with her impressive weapon, even when standing beside the juggernaut, tusk-faced troll.

And, alongside the pair, not only were the glowing, rotting draugr present with them, but they were also being accompanied by a couple more ogres and beastly creatures. However, judging from their position on the cliff in front of the platoon of undead warriors and non-humans, these two ogres were apparently the leaders of this expedition.

Growling through his teeth, the impatient troll hefting the stone totem grunted, "The tracking arrows led us to this area. That means our target is hiding somewhere down there… in that village." His tone indicated that he was still somewhat mulling over their current situation with a surprising amount of patience.

The woman beside him on the other hand, appearing unimpressed by the large town or her companion's report, scoffed back to him in response, "Hmph. Well, that's not annoying at all, is it?"

The troll's eye twitched as he looked down at the smaller female. "What?" he snarled.

"I'm saying you fucked up, Malak," the female oni replied impatiently, fixing her harshest glare on the giant beside her. "You had one job to do- bag and capture that spirit, and bring her to Nobunaga-sama… alive. But instead of grabbing her when you had the chance, you messed aroud, had some fun, and let her slip through your fingers. And now, after sending a message to us asking for help, you've led us here to this place."

Snarling through his fangs, the bulky troll took a big step around and slammed his foot into the floor, cracking it under his weight. "Hey, it wasn't like catching that woman was an easy task. Even when she was injured by the draugr's enchanted bolts, she was still able to fight back with great strength and flee." He then pointed down at her angrily. "I would like to have seen you do a better job in that situation, Ibaraki-san."

"Oh, I don't need to prove to you that I could've done a better job, because I definitely would have. Since I'm not an arrogant dumbass," the oni- identified as Ibaraki- responded with a firm and aggravated tone. She then turned to face the troll towering over and gritting his teeth at her. "Now, instead of dealing with one foe resting on the edge of a small town in the north of this region, we now have to deal with an even bigger village in the center of the region, with a massive military force protecting it."

The Malak grunted as he turned his nose up and glared back down at Konohagakure. "Whether they have a royal guard or an army, it doesn't matter. You and I can crush them easily. Hel… you could probably do it all by yourself if you wanted."

"True. But there is no honor or glory to be gained from it. I may not look it, but I have standards. I despise fighting and slaughtering small fry," the oni replied with a huff, at the same time glancing back in the direction of their expected target. "And it's not just fighting against an army that's vexing. It's actually finding her in the first place. Spirits aren't easy individuals to track… nor are they easy to capture. I should know." She then narrowed her eyes firmly on the obstacle laid out before them. "Considering the density of this city's population and its location, I also suspect that our wayward foe must have managed to find some help. Probably another fellow spirit."

"Heh. Well that would just be an even bigger inconvenience."

"That's my line, Malak. Don't you dare try to-"

"Oh, shut up, you two," a new voice spoke up from behind, drawing the attention of the two ogres to the third and last person situated on the hill with them. "Honestly… listening to the pair of you bicker and jabber is starting to get on my nerves."

When Ibaraki and Malak turned to the figure that'd spoke, they saw a normal, human male of average height and fit build standing behind them. Wearing only a pair of baggy pants and shin-high boots, as well as multiple belts of cloth, fur and leather wrapped around his waist, the twenty or so year old male's exposed upper body was covered in multiple blue tattoos- most of them circular and filled with dozens of runes of a foreign language. Aside from having a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow, he also had brown hair styled into a Mohawk, which went down the back of his neck and was decorated in several places with beads.

Despite being the least intimidating of the pair due to his skinny build, it was clear from the expressions on the ogres' faces that he too was an equal to them… if not someone of higher stature.

Uncrossing his arms, the man sauntered forward and moved between the two ogres when they stepped aside to make some room for him to cut through. "Regardless of who botched the job, I'm the one that's going to have to clean up this mess- as usual. It's the most I can do after being dragged all the way down here." Stopping between the pair towards the front, the tattooed man turned and glanced up at the massive troll standing beside him, who he saw shudder under his piercing glare. "I'll find where that spirit is hiding and convince her to come along. If all goes well, then the two of you won't even need to get involved in this."

Ibaraki, tapping her fingers against the steel bat she was leaning against, cocked one of her delicate eyebrows at the man. "And… if the target continues to be a nuisance?"

"Then look for my signal. When you notice something is wrong, you have my permission to attack the village," the man replied firmly, which put a smile on the large troll's face. "If you do, feel free to raid, destroy, rape, and pillage as much as you wish. Let the other goblins and trolls have some fun." Allowing a smirk to tug at his lips, he then turned to look across at the red woman. "As for you… if there are any problems at my location, I want you to head straight there. If that spirit has a guard of some kind protecting her, I'll take care of them while you deal with her."

Hearing this put a big grin on Ibaraki's face, who then left up her large war club and propped it over her shoulder. "Sure. I'll come running if you need help."

"Good. Though I doubt you'll have to," the man nodded, before slowly looking back at Konohagakure. After taking in the big, sweeping village laid out before him, including the stone-faced monument on the mountain, the warrior inhaled deeply. When the multiple tattoos on his skin lit up a bright blue, his body quickly became surrounded by a field of blue light. "Wait right here."

Then, with a bright flash and a sonic boom, the man's form shot into the sky and vanished, leaving both Ibaraki and Malak standing on the hill, and following the vapor trail he'd left behind.

As soon as their superior left the scene, Ibaraki turned to Malak and jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "You go in through the wall up ahead with the rest of the legion. Ready the troops." She then started marching down the hill and towards the settlement at her own leisure.

Doing as instructed without objection or fuss, and with a bit more enthusiasm than before, the troll wielding the totem turned to the woods behind him and gave a loud, beastly howl. The moment his voice echoed over the canopy, through the dark of the shrubs and the thick of the undergrowth, hundreds upon hundreds of more orange lights suddenly lit up the shadows. To accompany the flickering of flames that appeared, the clattering of metal and the shuffling of feet further indicated the presence of even more undead warriors arriving on the scene.

In a matter of moments, more draugr came marching into view from the forest, along with the heavy footfalls of solitary rock trolls, and the chattering of dozens of goblins and orcs. Every single one of them, from the shortest critter to the largest ogre, was armed with some kind of weapon of mayhem and war, and each one was eager to throw themselves into battle.

If one was to pan up and gaze over the woods from afar, they would clearly see the entire forest was alight with the glow and shadows of over a thousand draugr and goblins…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

"That name," Naruto whispered, at the same time looking across at Tama to see her glance in his direction. "Isn't that… the same name that Suiro told us a few months back?"

"Yes. It is," Tamamo replied anxiously, which earned her curious looks from not only Kiyohime, but also Sakura, Tayuya and Aijo. "This is… incredibly disconcerting information." In that moment, almost all of the girls in the room felt like they were missing a really important detail in the story, one that was soon emphasized by the bold and sharp-minded flute-player.

"Oda… Nobunaga…" the kunoichi in the varsity jacket repeated out loud, scrunching her face up in a clear indication of thought, before memories of her previous conversations with her roommate then hit her. Tayuya's attention quickly snapped towards Naruto. "Isn't he that same man Suiro mentioned after you defeated him in your battle? 'The Great Unifier', or something along those lines."

The blond delinquent gave a firm nod while reaching up to rub his chin, "I tried researching that name in the library and looking through all the national directories I could find for clues, yet nothing ever came up. But that big turtle said we would be hearing about him soon enough… and I guess he was right."

It was at that point Sakura quickly caught on to what the kids were now talking about. Though she'd only heard about certain parts of the event, she was well aware of the lakeside village battle that Naruto had gotten into during his lone adventure with Tama outside of Konohagakure. While the blond had told her briefly about what'd happened, he may have glossed over some of the details.

Now the only ones who were left completely in the dark over what was now being discussed were Kiyohime and Aijo, who couldn't help but watch and listen intently from their spots on the sidelines.

Still maintaining her composure, Sakura turned to the little dragon once more. "Do you know what this Nobunaga person wants with you?"

Kiyohime shook her head. "No… I'm afraid I don't. But anyone with the ability to figure out a spirit's true identity and locate them, as well as amass a force of archaic monsters from another continent to work for them, is not a person to be taken lightly. I have every reason to suspect that we are dealing with somebody who is very smart, very powerful… and extremely dangerous." When she attempted to stand up, the dragon gave a wince as her forward arm buckled, prompting her to drop to her elbow. This caused Sakura to move her hands towards her in a panic to try and help her, but the little reptile shook her head, and insisted on standing up on her own. "I… I have to get out of here. Right now."

Tayuya and the others sitting around her balked. "Huh? W-Why?"

"You can't leave. You're still injured," Aijo squeaked from where she stood in the main room.

"I'm sorry, but… I have no choice," Kiyohime groaned as she stood upon the pillow while looking around at the group. "That troll and his draugr… they're still out there somewhere… searching for me. If they manage to pick up my trail… it will eventually lead them here. And that's bad news for all of you." She then looked sternly around at the kids, particularly Sakura. "I just… can't bear the thought of putting you… or any of your friends in harm's way."

Sakura, after quickly exchanging looks with the others and seeing the concern on all their faces, then smiled back at the little dragon girl and spoke, "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to worry about us." She then shuffled closer and gestured around the room, "Look. All of us here… me, Naruto-kun, Tayuya-san… we're not the kind of people who would just turn down someone in need or look the other way. Whether they're a spirit, a human, a demon, or a stranger- it doesn't matter. If they need help, we help them."

"Yeah. It isn't in our nature or our code to just step aside and let something unjust happen to another person," Naruto stated, at the same time feeling his grin grow a little as he stuck his chest out. "You got attacked by someone that you don't know for reasons you can't explain. That's more than enough for us to take action. After all, we're shinobi. It's our job to fight for others and protect those who can't fight back… especially when it comes to our friends, dattebayo."

"And since you're a close friend of one of our own… well… all the more reason for us to get involved," Tayuya stated as well, which caused the little dragon to look across at the girl as she raised her fist and pounded it against her chest. "You can trust us. We can defend you from the scumbags who are hunting you down, no matter who or what they are."

After Tamamo smiled at seeing the support from the kids- particularly her partner- she then turned to where Kiyohime was currently standing. When her eyes landed upon the little dragon, she saw the shocked look on the spirit's face and the way her eyes seemed to be wavering as she glanced between all of them. Clearly this was the first time she'd had another group of people stand up for her like this and voluntarily put their lives on the line for her.

Swallowing nervously, the stunned dragon princess spoke, "You'd… really do that… for me? For someone you'd just met?"

In response, Sakura grinned and nodded, "Of course. You can count on us, shannaro!" She shouted while clenching her fist, only to then blush when she realized what she said at the end. When she glanced at the others, she saw Naruto staring at her and Tayuya looking as though she was attempting to hold back a snicker. "Umm. C-Could you guys… forget you heard that?"

Tayuya shook her head, "Nope."

Biting her bottom lip and turning away so that she couldn't see Naruto, who also ended up smiling at the girl's little stutter, Sakura focused her eyes back on the dragon. "So… will you let us help you?"

Upon meeting the young kunoichi's gaze, the little white reptile gulped and, as a light blush filled her cheeks, she nodded to the young lady before her. "S-Since you're being so insistent… how can I refuse? I doubt I'll be able to convince you otherwise."

Hearing her answer had Sakura grin and wink, "Not a chance."

Just before anyone else could do or say anything, almost immediately after the injured spirit accepted the group's aid, a low rumbling suddenly hit their house. The rattling of the rafters and the falling of dust caused the group of kids and the spirits currently in the room to look up in alarm. When the reverberating grew louder and the shaking more violent, the group's immediate thought was that a storm or an earthquake was passing them by. However, when the tremors ended moments later, the answer soon came in the form of a loud knock on the door.

The instant their eyes snapped towards the entrance to the apartment, the kids heard the voice of a man call through the wood, "Come on out! I know you're in there!" The shout caused Naruto and Sakura to scramble to their feet, with the blond slowly and cautiously making his way towards the entrance. "It's no use hiding anymore. I know who you are… but more importantly I know what you are."

Eyes widening, Kiyohime backed up on her pillow- to the point she almost fell off of it, "Oh no."

"Shit. How did they find us so fast?" was the first thought that went through Tayuya's and everybody else's heads. After a hurried meditation, the flute player's eyes widened and she quickly looked towards the kitchen desk, where the four arrows that they had pulled out of Kiyohime were lying on bloodied silk sheets. When she and the others noticed the arrows glow and flicker brightly, they knew instantly what must have happened.

"They tracked us!" Naruto thought before turning to Sakura, gesturing to get her attention, and promptly starting to use Sign Language to speak to her. When the pinkette followed his hand movements, she saw him weave the words 'Hide her in cupboard and get ready.' Nodding in understanding, the kunoichi quietly and quickly rushed over to Kiyohime, picked up the dragon on her pillow, and hurried her over to the shogi doors on the other side of the room.

Upon sliding them open, she laid the dragon on top of one of the folded up futons, told her to stay quiet, before quickly shutting the closet. When she turned around, Sakura then ducked to where the shelves were pushed up under the apartment's main window, and picked up her newly bought axe. The instant she set her weapon into a two-handed grip, she watched as the now standing Tayuya unclipped the holster of her flute, while at the same time Naruto discreetly opened his back pouch. Even Aijo, who was the most silent of them all despite her size and weight, activated her invisibility and slowly crawled up towards the ceiling.

The moment they were ready and Naruto slowly and cautiously approached the door, the man on the other side spoke, "I can hear you moving about inside. Just come on out so we can talk. There's no need for this to get bloody."

Taking a steady breath as he reached for the handle, when the boy felt Tama hop up onto his shoulder and take a defensive stance, he then cranked the knob and opened it. Almost immediately upon swinging open the door, Naruto found himself face to chest with a shirtless man covered in strange rune tattoos all over his upper body, and was standing on the walkway just outside his flat. As his eyes slowly panned up to the stranger's mug, he saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back down at him, as well as a look of mild surprise on the individual's face.

The moment everyone in the apartment got a good look at the individual, they all immediately blinked in confusion, while also unconsciously stepping back out of instinct. Aside from being the strangest-dressed person they'd ever laid eyes on, he also wasn't someone who was born anywhere in the Elemental Nations. This much they could tell from his complexion, appearance, and the odd writing and seals scribbled across his upper body.

Naruto, after taking an additional step back due to how close the man was, cleared his throat while keeping one hand hidden behind his back, "Uhh… hi?"

Glancing the group of kids over for a few seconds, the man with the Mohawk and Nordic tattoos smirked, "Huh… not exactly what I was expecting, considering the location and the population." With a flippant and laidback attitude, the stranger tilted his head at the home's residents and continued in amusement, "But this is the place I was looking for."

After analyzing the man for a moment, Tama's once guarded and taken-aback expression suddenly transformed into one of fright and alarm. "Those markings… and that aura… no way-" In just mere moments, a visible sweat broke out on the fox's profile as her eyes panned up the man that was now standing in their doorway. Through her senses, she saw a cloud of mana wafting off of the figure's body that seemed to climb all the way up into the clouds and tower over the whole district like a titan. Though very similar to the energy reading that the Ryofu girl from Kirigakure possessed, this person's energy signature was so vast, so outrageous, and in such close proximity to the group that even the little kitsune subtly shuffled back on Naruto's shoulder in momentary fear. "One of those people… here? On this continent? Th-There's no way-"

If her memory of the world's history was correct and her judgement on the presence she could feel was accurate, she knew exactly who this man was and where he came from.

When Naruto saw the man leer down at him in a rather menacing way, the blond tensed as his fingers quietly slipped into the pouch behind him for a blade, "What do you want?"

The tattooed man chuckled mockingly, "Oh, you already know the answer to that." He added to this by taking a step forward, causing all of the kids in the apartment to freeze as he moved an inch closer to their threshold.

Feeling the situation growing alarming tense, Naruto decided to break out some of his regular, bad-boy humor to defuse the situation a little, and try to steer this stranger away from his home. Despite the fact the man wasn't armed, the blond delinquent didn't like the aura he could feel coming off of him one bit. It felt foul. "Well… if you're looking to borrow some sugar or a couple of potatoes, I'm afraid I don't have any." He then stepped back and prepared to close the door. "Have a good evening, sir."

Just before he could shut the door half way, the stranger suddenly shot his hand out and slammed it against the wood, preventing Naruto from shutting it. When the blond tugged at it, the Genin became alarmed when it wouldn't budge, and when he looked back up at the stranger he instantly found himself being grinned at.

"Now don't be silly. Those aren't what I'm here for," the man said, slowly pushing the door back open to full width and taking another step over the barrier entrance to better glare down at the boy with the whiskers on his face. "I'm looking for something else… or more accurately someone else. A spirit girl… with dark skin and a tail. Have you seen her?"

Out of reflex, the jinchuriki gripped the handle of his hidden kunai tightly, at the same time Tayuya and Sakura took defensive stances. "I'm sorry. I don't know who you're talking about," he replied.

Then, just as Naruto was counting down in his head to the moment he could stab the man if he tried anything, a flash of blue light from his shoulder followed by a pillar of blue flames exploding into view beside him caused him and the stranger to stumble away from each other. When the fire dispelled a split second later, Tama's dark-skinned, shapely human form, complete with long ears, long tail, and green kimono robes exposing a great deal of her cleavage, marched forward and stood over the noticeably shorter visitor.

Despite her flashy entrance, the look on her face and the fury burning in her golden eyes, told everyone there that she was clearly pissed.

"Stand back, Naruto-kun. I'll handle this," the spirit woman whispered. Sensing the boy nod and do as he was told, the female then approached the tattooed stranger, watching him back up onto the walkway once again so that he could survey the newcomer properly. Sauntering up to the intruder, Tamamo snarled through her teeth. "The person you're looking for isn't here."

"Oh… on the contrary. I believe I'm looking right at her. Hmm… yes…" the blue-eyed man remarked in an impressed tone, checking out the woman's curves and her buxom figure framed in her loose kimono. After nodding in approval, the stranger then addressed her more appropriately. "I thought you'd be bigger… more terrifying. But you're definitely the one." He then tilted his head coyly at her, before asking derisively, "Long way from home, aren't you?"

Tama, keeping her cool as best as she could, moved her head in closer and growled, "Whatever you seek here, we do not have it... nor am I the person you are after. You would be wise to move on." Her statement caused the stranger to cackle in amusement, before then raising his hands in a gesture of mock terror.

"Hahaha. And here I thought your kind was supposed to be so enlightened. So much... "better" than us. So much smarter." The tattooed stranger than dropped his arms in defeat, causing the kids watching from the apartment to blink in confusion as he gestured to the woman in front of him. "But now I'm wondering why master Nobunaga wants anything to do with you- a little, white beast who hides among the humans… like a coward."

Feeling her impatience growling, the transformed Tama waved her tail furiously as she stepped closer to the man. "Trust me when I say this… you don't want this fight."

"Oooh…" the stranger craned his head up in thought, before then bringing his hand up to rub his jaw. "I'm pretty sure I do." Then, without warning, he struck Tama across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her head to the side and causing her to blink in surprise. The sound of the 'slap' reverberating off of the walls caused the girls to cringe, with Naruto gritting his teeth in anger.

When the blond moved forward to intervene, Tama responded by moving her tail around and blocking his path, telling the delinquent to keep his distance. The fox demon then looked back at the man that'd backhanded her and growled. "I'm not going to ask you again. Leave our home… or face the consequences."

The blue-eyed visitor sneered back at the dark-skinned female, clenching his fists and loading up his right arm. "You're going to have to kill me to make that happen… which I highly doubt you can." He then struck her across the face and then the stomach with his left, hitting her with enough force to cause the kitsune's body to lurch slightly. However, due to the dull thuds that rang out, it was clear that he wasn't hitting her with much weight, as evident by how Tama appeared to be unfazed by his blows. When she glared back at him in an irate manner, the man grinned. "So… what are you going to do about it?" After hitting her across the face with another hook, the stranger then drew back his right fist and thrust it towards her cheek for one final taunt.

But, instead of hitting Tama with his punch, the man balked when he had his fist caught by her left hand shooting up from the side.

Clenching his knuckles between her fingers like a vice, the vixen gave a foxlike snarl as she slowly twisted her antagonist's wrist into a submissive position, causing the attacker to groan as she bent him over.

The moment she had him where she wanted him, the slightly bruised Tama hissed, "I warned you!" She then drew back her right fist and drove it across his face with enough force that it knocked him flying off his feet and straight through the walkway's railing. The metal bars were smashed so violently that they exploded into bits of metal as the man's hapless body flew straight down to the garden to slam into the flower bed- crushing the plants in the process.

After witnessing what'd happened, Tayuya stepped forward in shock, "Whoa. Nice punch."

"D-Did you kill him?" Naruto asked, craning his head around to get a better look.

The group was of kids was stopped by Tama holding her hand out. "No. Stay back. This man is incredibly dangerous." As she looked down over the side to see the man roll over in the dirt, groaning all the while from they suspected as a concussion, the transformed kitsune then spoke to her partner and his girls. "I'll try to drive him off if I can. But even with my full power behind me, I don't think I'll be able to defeat him. So if anything happens, I want you guys to run. Understand?"

Following a moment of surprise and hesitation, when she saw Naruto, Sakura and Tayuya nod in understanding, Tama then turned her full attention to the stranger in question. The kids then watched silently from the entrance to the apartment as the white-haired, anthropomorphic spirit woman gracefully jump down from the walkway and into the garden. Slowly walking around the grounded man, who was in the process of slowly standing up and shaking his head from supposedly the impact of the spirit's fist, Tama then stopped beside him, reached down, and grabbed his arm.

When he was yanked to his feet, the man at first appeared incredibly dazed. However, after swaying on the spot a couple of times, the moaning stranger then craned his head up, looked at Tama, and grinned at her through a broken nose and blackened cheek.

"My turn."

Before Tama could react, the stranger suddenly straightened up, drew back his left fist, and smashed her in the solar plexus with such power that the impact caused a sonic boom to explode off of them. The humanoid fox spirit's eyes bugged out as blood flew from her mouth and her body was sent plowing into the apartment building and straight through it. While the ground cratered around the spot where she'd been launched, Tama's body had so much momentum built up behind her from the blow that she quite literally went flying through every single building across the entire village.

Multiple explosions and loud bangs rang out as one after the other, apartment buildings and stores had a hole smashed through them by an indiscernible green blur flying through them. Tama's flight path tore a line straight through the hidden leaf village and, after traveling for several seconds, she ended up smashing into the side of the mountain, directly beneath the Hokage Monument. Her crash was so violent that it was marked by an explosion of dust that sent rubble and debris belching into the sky, as if a small meteor had ended up striking the countryside.

The catastrophe happened so fast and so violently that everyone who was in the vicinity at the time were too stumped to even realize what had happened. All the people could do was scream as their beloved community had a human-sized projectile sent plowing straight through it.

Hearing a couple of the buildings in the distance start to collapse in the form of low rumbling, the flabbergasted Naruto, Sakura and Tayuya could only gape in horror at what they saw happen to Tama. When their eyes quickly snapped down to where the stranger was still standing, they saw him shake out his fist and leer in the direction of the hole he'd formed in a straight line towards Konoha's most famed monument.

After a few seconds of waiting to see what'd happened, the stranger was then pleased to see a white blur shoot up into the sky from the mountain, arc over the village, before slamming down into the floor directly in front of him. When the dust settled, it revealed Tama- her hair a mess and clothing torn in multiple places- snarling at him in full rage.

"Oh? Struck a nerve, did I?" the man chuckled, before spitting out the blood from his mouth before grandly holding out his arms in another sarcastic gesture. "Well then… before we start losing ourselves in the fun of brutalizing one another, why don't we begin by abiding to some proper battle etiquette, and introduce ourselves." He then reached up and placed his hand over his chest, at the same time bowing to the angry spirit in front of him. "My name is Baldur- the Brave God of Asgard… son of Odin, brother of Thor, member of the Aesir…" As he said this, the wounds on his face slowly vanished and his missing tooth grew back. Once his injuries faded away, he then grinned at the stunned spirit before him and the kids watching from above. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: I have a particular way of scaling the power of my characters in my story, since it's basically taken from real-life mythology and legends, a lot of the characters would be pretty high up there on the list. And since Naruto deals with characters who are mostly human, with the exception of the extra-terrestrials the Otsutsuki (who are quite possibly the worst villains in the series), there is a lot of room for me to flex some muscle in here.

One-Punch Man did it quite well with their ranking system: God, Dragon, Demon, Tiger, Wolf. So, I took inspiration from this to compose my own list, so it's easier to follow where characters are classed in this fic, and why I have stated many to be stronger than Kaguya.

Below is pretty much the pecking order in Naruto: Maoyu universe. If anyone has ever asked what my tier list is, here it is:

xxx

Power Scaling:

Tier 9 - Dragon Gods – The beings included in this list are the pinnacle of all beings across creation. The dragons featured here are the ones featured most prominently in mythology, either associated with great events involving either natural phenomena or the destruction or creation of whole worlds. The dragons encompassing this list include: Shenlong (Spirit Dragon - Chinese), Tianlong (Celestial Dragon - Chinese), Gong Gong (Cosmic Dragon – Chinese), Bakunawa (Philippines), Fafnir (Germanic), Nidhogg (Norse), Jormungandr (Norse), Hétfejű Sárkán (The Dragon of Seven Heads – Hungarian), etc.

(Note: These beings will not appear in Naruto: Maoyu, but are only mentioned in the story)

Tier 8 – Titans – Beings of gargantuan size, either spanning multiple planets or even the planets themselves. These beings have shaped the cosmos by becoming the cosmos itself, and have worked in conjunction with the Dragon Gods and the Gods to bring about stability to creation. The beings included here are Kronos, Gaia, Hyperion, Theia (Greek), Jotunn, Ymir, Hodo (Norse), etc.

(Note: These beings are less-likely to appear in the story compared to the tiers below)

Tier 7 – Major Gods/Demons/Dragons – Beings who originated after the founders of the multiverse, blessed with divine powers and enormous strength, and are capable of ending entire worlds and civilizations, or creating them. The list encompassing these creatures are vast, and include multiple beings from Greek, Norse, Japanese, Aztec, Germanic, Scandinavian, Indian, Hindu, and other mythologies. Gods include Thor, Baldur, Odin (Norse), Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite (Greek), Izanami, Izanagi, Ame (Japanese), etc. Demons include Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, Kappa, Oni, Tengu, Bakanekos (Japanese), Asuras, Devas, Yakshas (Hindu), Daemons (Greek), Drekavac (Slavic) etc. And Dragons include Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Four Dragon Kings (Chinese), Drakon (Scandinavian), Python (Greek), etc.

Tier 6 – Demi-Gods/Meta-Humans – Beings who are either half God, regarded as false Gods, or beings possessing such strength and legend that they are almost comparable to Gods. Though some may be as strong as the genuine articles, they don't possess the same advantages that the above tiers possess. But this doesn't mean their powers are to be taken lightly. Several beings in this list can include Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Yue Fei (Chinese), Okita, Musashi (Japanese), Hercules, Achilles, Perseus (Greek), Karna, Arjuna (Indian), Attila the Hun (Mongolian), Fuma Kotaro (Japanese), Roland (France), Alexander the Great (Greek), Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Amazons, Valkyrie, etc.

Tier 5 – Extra-Terrestrials/High Monsters/Lesser Demons – Creatures who are said to have influenced human society and technological advancement across multiple ages, from the Mayans, to the Ancient Egyptians, to Ancient Europa and Asie. While the Gods have had their fair share of influencing humanity, these beings have also scowered the multiple universes of the cosmos, pursuing either knowledge, information, or power. They are also capable of reaping their own levels of destruction and have even created beings composed of different forms of energy, as well as sharing their genes with other races. Beings included in this list are the Otsutsuki main and branch families, Hagoromo, Hamura, and the Biju that they created, smaller level demons with supernatural powers, including ghosts, kaiju, magical creatures, vampires. And also the Roswell Aliens like the ones featured in the forgettable film Indiana Jones 4, because I care about quality science fiction.

Tier 4 – Advanced Humans/Non-Humans – Humans who have pushed the boundaries and gained incredible strength through hard work and natural growth, utilizing the energies surrounding them or within them. Many of these in the Naruto world have attained high ranks in their society, either in office or in the line of duty. These include all of the Kage, Madara, Hashirama, the three Legendary Sannin, most jinchuriki, Hanzo, Mikoto, Kushina, and many other people across the world, including highly trained officers in the western military of General/Admiral/Field Marshall rank, as well as others who practice alchemy, sorcery, magic of a higher level, including Admiral Yamamoto, General Patton, Nikola Tesla etc.

Tier 3 – Semi-Advanced Humans/Non-Humans– Coming closer to normal levels, these are people who have also gained incredible strength through hardwork, and encompass the ranks below those who have attained higher standing through strength and leadership. These include Jonin, Chunin, Genin, and officers in multiple militaries across the wider world of Naruto: Maoyū of ranks Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major. Also included are various armored monsters, beasts, orcs, goblins, and beasts who utilize spell-casting to a certain degree.

Tier 2 – Humans/Animals – From top of the food chain to the bottom of the food chain, ordinary humans have evolved with the ability to hunt, cultivate, and create societies spanning the entire globe through use of their own strength and ingenuity.

Tier 1 – lol. Insects. By this point the tier list has probably become a bit of a joke. Though insects aren't to be underestimated. They may be small, but they've lived in this world longer than you or I can even dream. This is a power scaling list after all.

Based on the mythology that has been thrown in so far, this tier list is quite accurate. Heroes in history defeating Gods, dragons and titans, they are monumental feats and recorded prominently throughout legends. The fact that Naruto has all of these kinds of people coming after him just shows how much stronger he's going to have to get or how much smarter he's going to have to fight in order to win or survive. So at this stage Naruto can barely do anything. But it's his adventures and struggles in this world that will prompt him to grow and develop. Baldur... he's just another challenge/obstacle.

And yeah, if you involve actual Gods in your story (I'm looking at Kishimoto), then you have to have some semblance of balance to it- ergo you include genuine ones or more of them. I don't include characters in my story unless there are ways to defeat them, unlike the original author who didn't know how to get rid of his Madara- which shows just how poorly Madara and by extension the Otsutsuki were designed. They're shit villains with no flaws. Well, I just came up with a hundred ways to get rid of them, and that's every single pantheon across Earth's history.

It's only logical. Considering the Otsutsuki are parasitic aliens (not Gods) because they come from a different planet, became myths, advanced humankind's evolution in secrecy, and steal energy from other worlds, their influence on earth history is very insignificant to what came before them.

Historical figure profiles (part VII):

Baldr (3rd Century AD to present) – also known as Balder or Baldur, is a major god in Norse mythology, and a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg (aka Freya). He has numerous brothers, including Thor and Vali. Over the 12th and 13th Centuries, numerous researchers and scholars have pieced together accounts of Baldur's story from ancient Nordic texts and poems, which reference Baldur's story as both a great tragedy to the Aesir and a harbinger of Ragnarok- the end of the world. In the most famed account of his story, after experiencing a vision of his death in the form of a prophecy, Baldur became severely depressed, leading to his mother Frigg making every object across all the Nine Realms vow never to harm Baldur. All objects made this vow except Mistletoe- a detail which was explained in the texts as being too unimportant an object. The reason for this was argued by one scholar, stating the fact that young people in those days were not eligible to swear legal oaths, which could make them a threat later in life. Thus this creates a loophole in Frigg's spell. When Loki- the god of mischief- heard of this, he made a spear or an arrow of the material. He then hurried to the place where the gods were enjoying their favorite pastime or hurling objects at Baldur, which would bounce harmlessly off of his invulnerable body. When Loki gave the arrow to Baldur's blind brother Hoor, the brother shot the arrow into Baldur and killed him. Baldur's story would inevitably lay the groundwork for the event that would become known as Ragnarok, in which many of the Norse Gods would later be slain in the coming tragedy, and has become so famed in retellings that it was later adapted not only in the film Thor: Ragnarok, but also the 2018 game God of War.

In Naruto: Maoyū, Baldur shares the same traits and character as his real life counterpart. Aside from being one of the major gods of the Nordic realm, the brother of Thor and the son of Odin, Baldur himself is a figure of immense power, charm, and charisma. Just like his real-life counterpart, the spell laid upon him by his mother Freya has blessed him with invulnerability to all threats physical or magical- making him virtually and literally unkillable. The only drawback to this curse is that he is unable to feel anything, which prompts him to seek out greater extremes and wilder sensations- such as battle, emotional clarity, and death. Despite this, Baldur is incredibly loyal to his family, extremely intelligent, and one of the most dangerous adversaries that Naruto and his friends will face. He is so powerful in fact that Tamamo-no-Mae- a high class spirit and a being more powerful than Momoshiki and Kaguya Otsutsuki- expressed fear at the sight of him. Being one of the oldest of gods as well as a genuine one, Baldur possesses great insight and terrifying strength, and is easily stronger than Fuma Kotaro- a human turned demon- and has stated outright that he has the capability of being able to wipe out entire civilizations and nations with barely any effort. His invulnerability allows him to survive any injury or wound, no matter how fatal, and provides him unparalleled regenerative capabilities. Apparently he, along with the trolls and draugr, are working in the service of Oda Nobunaga, who has ordered him to capture and bring the spirit Kiyohime into their ranks.

Ibaraki-Doji (794 AD to 1185AD) – Ibaraki-doji (Ibaraki child) is an oni (demon or ogre) featured in multiple tales within the Heian period, who was said to be based in Mount Oe and supposedly went on a rampage in Japan's old capital city of Kyoto. In many interations of tales featuring Ibaraki, one of them states that he/she was a subordinate of a fellow oni demon named Shuten-doji- who was his/her superior, while others stated that they were separate entities who knew of each other's existence. Together the two of them rampaged in Kyoto together with their gang, and were later attacked by the samurai lord Minamoto no Raiko and his vassals The Four Guardian Kings. While Shuten-doji wound up being slain, Ibaraki managed to escape, with later tales of this demon emerging afterwards. In many versions of this demon's legend, Ibaraki is an oni possessing fearsome supernatural abilities and powers.

In Naruto: Maoyu, Ibaraki shares the same traits and origins as her real life counterpart. Ibaraki-doji is an oni leader and warrior, often referred to as the Demon Princess or Ogre Princess, in the same manner that Tama is referred to as the Fox Princess and Kiyohime the Dragon Princess. She is a spirit/demon that originated from the same world as Tamamo-no-Mae and Kiyohime, and is part of the clan that allows her to transform into an ogre. As such, she is immensely powerful- in the same league as both Tama and Kiyohime, and is one of the only ones capable of speaking to the Aesir God Baldur on equal terms. She, along with Baldur and his legion of Nordic beasts, are working for Oda Nobunaga.