Chapter 1

His hair, blond, was dirtied with a mixture of dirt and blood as he held onto the woman like his life depended on it. He didn't even care as he felt his hands get wet as more and more blood escaped her and bathed his hands in the liquid. Neither did he care as his tears continued to fall and create a small puddle beneath.

'''Nooo! You can't! You can't leave me!'' He pleaded in anguish as his eyes burned with the rate of his tears that fell.

''Ah..'' A soft, feminine finger traced his cheek causing the boy to tearfully look towards the woman, his mother, who weakly opened her eyes and smiled. ''It seems that… it-it's my time to m-move on.'' She rasped while coughing up blood. ''It.. it's m-much earlier than i would l-like. I'm sorry, Naruto, i'll be leaving you a-alone.'' More blood escaped her lips as her breathing grew slower and slower until it eventually just stopped.

Her fingers that were lightly caressing his face fell limply to the ground.

Naruto's eyes widened as it happened. ''No! No, no, no, no, NO!'' He lifted her with trembling hands and cradled the corpse of his mother as her heart had stopped beating. ''M..Mom? ..Please.. don't leave me.. I don't want to be a-alone..'' He choked as he did his best to not outright cry out in anguish.

It was only after moments passed wherein he didn't move that realization finally set in. His mother was dead and he was truly alone. All alone in this fucked up world he lived in.

He didn't even get time to mourn as rubble that surrounded them was pushed to the side.

''Look! Look what we have here fellas a boy and his mother all by himself.''

Fear gripped Naruto's heart as he looked at the newcomers and swallowed audibly as his eyes landed on them. They were small and ugly, their skin was disgustingly green and their noses crooked with pointed ears. They were naked for the exception of the loincloth they wore and each of them carried a weapon, a dagger for the most part.

''Oooh! She looks nice and if we're quick she might still be warm.'' One of them said to the rest and he licked his lips at the prospect.

Naruto's eyes widened as he caught the disgusting looking creature's words. A goblin, that is what they were. Known to attack in groups as they had relied on overwhelming with numbers. They were some of the most, if not outright most hunted beings that roamed these lands and the cause of several smaller villages being eradicated.

And now, hearing them talk about his recently deceased mother and what they were planning on doing to her… Fear was slowly being replaced with anger. An urge to kill he wasn't aware of he even rose to the surface as his hands trembled for a different reason this time.

The group of goblins closed in on them and as they got closer he could smell them. It was absolutely disgusting as they reeked. But he didn't ponder long over that, his anger was boiling at what they were planning on doing.

It was abominable and he wasn't going to allow that. He swore to himself that he would bury his mother, untouched by their filthy hands.

Naruto didn't move a muscle as he held his head down even as they got closer and closer.

The goblins thought he had given up and smirked lustfully at the fun they were going to have. Once they had close enough, to him at least he acted.

Instinct drove him as Naruto shot up and with a burst of speed he wasn't quite sure he had slammed himself into one of the goblins, resulting in both of them crashing into the ground. Caught by surprise, the goblin's grip on the dagger he held slackened just enough as Naruto rammed his fist into its ugly face took the dagger from its hands.

He didn't even blink as he brought his hand that held the weapon down and stabbed the goblin in its head deep enough to the point the blade was no longer visible.

The other goblins that were there finally realized what had just happened and acted quickly as they swung at him. His heart raced in his chest as he rolled beneath one of their swings and lashed out with a kick, the force was enough it send one of them flying through the air with his back crashing against the wall.

Using his hands Naruto pushed himself up before quickly duckling as a shortsword was swung at his head. It catched a couple of his hairs but other than that he remained unharmed before he shot out with his own hand and grabbed onto the green appendage.

With a simple tug he pulled the little goblin towards him before letting go of the hand in favor of grabbing its head. His limbs were a blur as he bashed his knee with full strength against his head, rattling its small brain before rotating just as the other goblin swung and cut down one of his own.

The goblin didn't bat an eye and neither did he as his adrenaline was pumping. The goblin slashed wildly in his direction and Naruto took a couple steps back to stay out of his range. His eyes widened however as he lost his footing and he fell onto his back. He didn't stop moving even as it happened as he rolled to his side just as the green creature performed a downwards stab with surprising strength as the weapon he held struck the earth deep enough it was actually stuck.

Seeing the futile sight of the goblin trying to remove his weapon from the earth Naruto took this chance as he noticed a sharp piece of wood lying nearby and grabbed it. He held it in his hands like he was holding a bat and as he was close enough he swung.

Satisfaction filled him as he saw the brief yet shocked expression the vile and ugly goblin held before his head was bashed in and the wooden makeshift bat broke from the force.

Sure of his kill, Naruto took a couple calming breaths as he realized he had just killed. Despite that he didn't feel an ounce of guilt for what he had just done. After all, he did it to protect not only himself but also to preserve his mother's corpse so it wouldn't end up desecrated.

Making his way back towards her he managed to take a couple of steps before he felt his senses scream at him and acted by turning around. He winced as the knife dug into his flesh and he saw it was of the goblin he had kicked away earlier.

Cursing to himself for forgetting about him he was actually surprised as he had to put in quite a bit of effort to hold the offending arm back from cutting into him deeper.

It grinned at him as they struggled against the other while blood began to drip down from the wound he held. It wasn't until the goblin had the audacity to spare a glance to the deceased redhead after which his grin only widened that a surge of power filled Naruto.

Briefly he slacked his grip for only a second but it was more than enough as the goblin stumbled. The opportunity he was presented with wasn't one he would waste as he punched forward with his left fist causing the goblin's head to move to the side. He then kicked at the hand the weapon was holding and the result was that the weapon flew off to the side.

Seeing as the goblin was still wobbly he once again tackled him and held him down by resting his knees onto its green chest. They only met brief eye contact before Naruto lashed out with another punch, one hard enough the little green creature coughed up blood and spit out a teeth. It didn't deter him though as he lashed out again. And again, and again.

''HAAA!'' Naruto screamed as he gave one last punch to the already dead goblin. Its face now beyond recognition as it was mush from the amount of hits it endured while Naruto's knuckles were coated in a layer of goblin blood.

He panted as he slowly got to his feet, sparing the corpse one last glance before he marched back to where his mother lay. Wiping the blood off his hands using his shirt he managed to lift up his mother's body before leaving the building that was soon going to collapse.

'Kushina Uzumaki, loving mother who met her unfortunate end too soon.'

A soft smile adored Naruto's face as he read the headstone. He stood in front of the grave he had created where he had put his mother to rest all those years ago. It was located on top of a hill that overlooked the village they lived in which was now turning into forest as the fire that had raged had turned the land fertile.

It was a location he would visit yearly and even now, after close to a decade he couldn't help himself as a tear ran down his cheek and splashed on the ground near his feet.

Sighing softly he raised the held he held in his two hands and put it on, adjusting it slightly to make sure it was secure as it proceeded to hide his face. A soft breeze passed by, making both his tattered blue cape of his chestpiece and the plume belonging to his helmet flutter slightly.

Releasing a grunt, Naruto pulled out his weapon from the ground he had imbedded it earlier in. As he did so he stared at blade for several seconds, admiring how beautiful it looked with the light reflected off of it and gave it a blue glow.

Blinking once, he placed the sword on his back, unbothered by its weight as he turned around. A whisper escaping his lips as he walked away. ''Till next time, mom.''

''Tch!'' She clicked her tongue as she stepped to the side, dodging a wild attack before retaliating with a downwards slash which killed the goblin that attacked her.

Its corpse joined the others that littered the area but despite that there seemed to end in sight. It didn't deter her though as she continued dealing with her attacker. She moved with such grace and elegance that to an onlooker it appeared as if she was dancing a deadly dance.

Glints of light reflected off the shining armor she wore, the old blue cloth that made up her dress following her with each move she made. Her eyes were the color of emeralds themselves were shining with such ferocity a lesser man would've thought twice before approaching her.

Two bangs of soft blonde hair framed her face and making her feminine features stand out more than they already did with how they swayed to keep up with her speed. Cut after cut, slash after slash she didn't falter for even a second as they kept advancing towards her and the ground, the grass was painted red.

Gritting her teeth, her energy spiked briefly and wind could be seen starting to swirl around her weapon before she took a single step forward and performed and upwards slash. ''Hiya!'' She gave a small yell as pressurized wind burst forward chaotically from her swing.

Dirt. Stone. Grass. Nothing was capable of withstanding the pressure that being released in the form of a small scale typhoon that reduced whatever it came in contact with into nothingness.

It was unfortunate for the goblins that had just started to regroup as they finally realized they stood no chance attacking her one by one as with a single slash she had reduced dozens of them to all but several pieces that lay about.

Her emerald eyes stared at the few that managed to survive though each having lost a limb of two and were losing blood very quickly. They exchanged glances amongst each other and she watched as they slowly began to retreat. She considered finishing them off but despite how she looked her earlier attack had left her winded more than she had thought it would. There was a chance that if she would go after them they would lead her to an ambush and she didn't want the fate that would await her should she end up captive.

So with that she slowly sheathed her blade once she was sure the area was clear before turning around and gazing at the battlefield with a forlorn expression on her face.

Clink. Kachink. Clink. Kachink.

The sound of heavy footsteps, like ones of a person that was wearing armor reached her ears. The sound came from behind her and she quickly spun around before leaping back while simultaneously unsheathing her blade in less time it took a average man to blink.

''Huh?'' Was all she said as she watched the man move towards. At least she assumed it was a man judging by the armor he wore. Speaking of which, she looked him up and down warily, paying extra attention to his armor which she found rather beautifully crafted and she could see the wear it held, no doubt from the battles he had taken part it.

Next was the sword he was holding. It was huge, almost as long as the wielder himself was! It spoke of his strength as she noticed how casually he walked with the weapon resting on his shoulder. It was beautiful as well, she could tell even from where she was it was crafted by a master of the highest degree. The fact it was still dripping fresh blood did nothing to lessen its beauty at all.

The armor wearing figure stopped half a dozen or so feet away and stared at her, or at least she thought he did as only the lower part of his face was visible due to the helmet he wore and even then his mouth was barely visible.

''Impressive.'' He finally spoke up, his voice slightly distorted while doing so. ''Though you shouldn't have let them off…'' He then shrugged. ''Not that it mattered in the end anyway.'' He removed his greatsword from his shoulder and with a single yet quick movement of his arm flicked away the blood that previously coated his blade.

Unsure if he was friendly or not, she raised her weapon a tad bit as she got in a defensive position. ''What's your name?'' The armor wearing man asked her the question

Opening her mouth to answer, she paused and narrowed her eyes. ''I'll ask once i can see the man speaking with me.'' Another staring contest was started before the man opposite of her placed his sword on his back and reached up and slowly removed his helmet.

The first thing that caught her attention was his bright blond hair. It was like it had been kissed by the sun itself that's how yellow it was. Following that were a pair of deep azure eyes that met her own emerald ones. They belonged to the face of a young man, around her age she estimated which was much younger than she thought he was.

He was actually quite handsome if she had to say so. Nonetheless, he did what she asked so she responded in kind. ''Artoria Pendragon.'' The brief widening of his upon her mentioning her last name didn't go unnoticed.

''Pendragon..?'' Naruto muttered softly to himself as his eyes slid down from her face to the sword she was holding and he had to say, it was a thing of beauty. Even now from where he was standing he could feel the power it radiated along with a sense of tranquility. ''I didn't think there were any survivors after the destruction of Camelot five years ago. And especially not one with royal blood flowing through her.'' He eyes her in new light.

Artoria was a bit uncomfortable from his stare, especially coupled with the knowledge he held. She had made sure to remain under the radar, so to say and had hoped he wouldn't have recognized her from her name alone.

The grip she had on her sword tightened with renewed strength and she looked for any sudden movements he might make. She wasn't sure what he was going to do but if he were to try and capture her she would retaliate with full force, even if it killed her. It be a better fate than whatever might happen to her anyways.

''Easy..'' Her fellow blond raised both hands with his palms facing outwards as a sign of peace. ''I'm not here to do whatever it is you're thinking of. I didn't even expect anyone here, really. If it wasn't for the goblins i managed to come across limping away from this direction i would have slipped right past.''

His words eased her earlier worries but she didn't lower her blade even then and it caused him to smirk. ''Ah, i haven't introduced myself, haven't i? I'm Naruto Uzumaki, last scion of the Uzumaki Clan.'' He gave an extravagant bow that didn't humor Artoria in the slightest.

''What is it that you want then?''

''Nothing really. Well, that's a lie. I initially didn't want anything but that changed,'' Artoria tensed at his choice of words. ''I'd like to ask if you're interested in joining a… guild.'' He paused briefly before finishing his sentence.

''Hah? What are you talking about?'' She questioned him as she let her guard down and stared at him with a tilt of her head.

''Aaaah..'' Naruto sighed. He wasn't really good at this. ''I'm asking if you want to join a guild. I assume you know what a guild is, right?''

''Yes!'' She growled out in annoyance as he was talking to her like she was an idiot or something. ''I know what a guild is, i just see no reason to join one. After all, i've been doing fine so far wouldn't you say?'' Her eyes flickered to the bodies that littered the area around them.

''True… Though there are several reasons someone like you could join. First, we are quite different from other guilds. You can only join if you are invited by someone that is already a member. We don't do ranks either. It's safe to say we are all comparable in strength with a few differences depending on what kind of fighter you are, such as between a mage and a swordsman. Other than that it would give you a place to call home, a roof over your head… sparring partners and the like. You're also given a large amount of freedom as long as you don't forget the main goal of the guild.''

''Which is?'' She asked as she had to admit she was indeed interested. She had heard of how guilds worked but never looked further into it as there wasn't much of a need. She was a princess, she wasn't all the sudden leave her position in favor of joining one. A sparring partner sounded quite nice as well as the goblins she had been killing for the past few years didn't offer much of a challenge even when they were in groups.

''Our goal is to eradicate every single goblin in existence, be they man or child we don't stop until they are completely gone from these lands.''

''Goblins?'' Artoria repeated as if she didn't hear him correct and she had to stifle the laughter that threatened to escape.

Naruto wasn't as amused as her though and he showed it as he released a aura that caused the surrounding area to wither. ''You think this is funny? If you do, you haven't seen the horrors we have. The families that are being murdered and women that are kidnapped, raped and bred to the point dead is a better option. You're probably thinking that they aren't a problem and i agree, as long as they don't come in large groups. This here,'' He motioned to their surroundings. ''This is nothing compared to the amount that are hiding in their caves. I was capable of killing these when i was still a boy. They are mere grunts, small fry when compared to the larger ones. But oh well, if that's your answer i'm done here. I have to report back and turn in my earnings.'' He didn't bother sparing her another glance as he put on his helmet, turned around and began walking away.

''W-Wait!'' He had only taken a few steps before pausing as Artoria called out to him. A second later she was right next to him and he continued his walk. No words were spoken amongst the two, the only sounds that were heard were those of their armor with each step they took.

''I.. I apologize for my earlier actions.'' Artoria said softly as the silence eventually got to her. Her fellow blond just hummed as he spared her a glance out of the corner of his eyes but kept his lips sealed.

Even with their above average walking pace it took them at least twelve hours of constant walking and Artoria could feel her soles sting with each step she took. A quick glance to her side made her frown as she noticed Naruto walking without a care in the world. She wondered what sort of training he had undergone as she could tell he was carrying much more weight than she did.

''We're here.'' Naruto suddenly spoke up, bringing her out of her thoughts as she looked around in confusion.

''Hah? What do you mean? Clearly there's nothing here.'' The sentence barely left her mouth before the surrounding area morphed right in front of eyes. ''W-what!? What is this?'' She questioned and made a move to remove her sword from her sheath when Naruto's hand stopped her own.

She snapped her eyes towards him in rage, thinking he had something to do with this. Well, she wasn't completely wrong as she noticed the blond's attention being focused on something else.

Shifted her own orbs over as well, her eyebrows rose when she spotted a large structure there in a place she swore was empty not even a minute ago.

''Impressive isn't it? Follow me.'' Not waiting for her reply Naruto walked towards the structure in a leisurely manner.

Stepping inside, Artoria took note of the torches that were strung up against the wall and gave the place a light illumination. It wasn't much but more wasn't needed as the inside was completely empty. She expected this structure to be the guild hall but was wrong as a set of stairs that lead downwards were the only thing present.

Reaching the bottom, Artoria let her eyes roam as they were currently walking through a hollowed out cave. On either side of her were large pillars that went from the floor to the top decorated with all sorts of colors. And, shockingly enough, upon closer look she could make out that the colors were due to the pillars being decorated by gemstones.

''I see you've noticed.'' Naruto's voice cut her from her observation.

''Mhm, it's quite… surprising to see.''

''Heh, i can say that i had a similar reaction the first time i saw it. Though it wasn't completely done by then. I can however proudly say i have contributed to this.''

Another set of stairs greeted them, these ones leading upwards and as they walked up those stairs Artoria could hear… music? It was faint and got more audible as they walked but it was definitely music.

Once they made it to the top, Artoria had to blink a few times at the view that presented itself. It was so different, unexpected as the atmosphere was a complete 180 from before.

Her eyes landed on the figure of a purple haired woman who was currently lounging in a chair. One leg was thrown over the other as her eyes, red like rubies themselves, were focused on a book she was reading.

She seemed to have noticed her stare as she paused and looked up, emerald meeting ruby before her eyes shifted over to the man next to her. Artoria didn't miss how her eyes lit up at the sight of Naruto as she clasped her hands together.

''You're back.'' Her voice was soft but Artoria could detect traces of happiness in her words. ''I see you've brought a guest.''

''Yeah,'' Naruto lifted the helmet to reveal his face. ''I came across her when making my way back. She has skills, also, she has blood of Pendragon running through her.'' He talked as he made his way over to the purple haired woman and she followed.

Up and close she got a better chance at inspecting her features and she begrudgingly had to admit that this woman was one of the most beautiful ones she had encountered.

''Pendragon? The same Pendragon as that one kingdom that had been destroyed during an attack a few years back?''

Back then, when she was still a princess she was known for being the prettiest girl in the entire kingdom with dozens of request for her hand each day she had to deal with.

''The very same.'' Naruto nodded.

''I see. Well, if you vouch for her who am i to complain. It's the master you'll have to convince anyway.''

''I'll do that soon. Is anyone else present?''

''No they're all still gone. Our mage left a day or two ago and i'm the only one here bar the master of course.''

''Alright, thanks.'' He turned to Artoria. ''Let's see what the master is up to and if we can get you accepted. Though i have a good feeling he will.''

Chapter End.

AN: Naruto's armor is that of Artorias drom Dark Souls, same as his sword.

Honestly, i wasn't planning on doing this but couldn't help myself after watching the anime. Now i'll be finishing the chapter i've been working on of my Yasaka/Naruto fic which i had started on. I'll try my best but no set date for now as i've been busy with playing Forza Horizon and now the new CoD.