27 I shall be Released (2/2)

”Yes.” Odin answered softly, ”Baldur was born just as the Nine Realms had been unified. He was a beautiful child, so gracious and cheerful he gave a light that warmed you to your core when you neared it. Many believed him to be the symbol of Asgard's future. Your mother was so fearful that this light would fade, that she used her magic to persuade every object in the Nine Realms to vow to never hurt the Light of Asgard. The only one who refused this vow was Hela.”

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

”Why?” Naruto asked.

The All-Father released a slow breath, ”Since his inception, she was plagued with nightmares of a man made of light bringing about Ragnarok. Every night she watched him tear Asgard asunder, plaguing our lands with fire and brimstone. After Baldur was born, she believed that he was the one she saw, that Baldur was to be the catalyst of Ragnarok. She persisted her nightmares to be visions, and that it was her duty to save Asgard at all costs. And when the nightmares became too much…she strangled the boy in his sleep.”

The room grew quiet after that for a long moment, no one knowing what to say as they swallowed the All-Father's story. That silence was eventually interrupted when the Shadow Clone suddenly exploded in a puff of smoke.

Amora shot up from her chair, ”What happened?”

Following soon after her, Thor said, ”It popped.”

The Enchantress gave the prince a side glace that essentially said, 'No shit.'

”It's as I feared then.” Odin muttered as he stared at the place the clone had been.

Realizing what the king was saying, Amora said, ”You think Nastrond's enchantments have cut off the connection between the Shadow Clone and the Maelstrom?”

”I was not sure if the boy's ability lay within the enchantment's guidelines, but it seems Frigga's spell is more powerful than I thought.” Odin said thoughtfully, ”More than likely any others he has left behind have popped away as well.”

”Do you think he knows?” Thor asked, ”He is supposed to know what they know, the clone said.”

”More than likely he won't know until he leaves Nastrond.” Amora answered, ”If he leaves.”

Odin remained silent, too preoccupied with staring into the fire, watching as figures danced in the flames.

-x-

Naruto raised his hands up over his eyes as he stared out over the vast mountain range he found himself in. The sun, if there was one, seemed to be permanently hidden by the wall of clouds that hung in the sky, leaving the air with a grey hue.

Jumping down the mountain side, he used Magnet Release to push him off of the ground and fly off in search of his query.

Flying at top speed for several minutes, Naruto almost missed the cabin that sat on a large plateau. Hovering directly above it, he raised an eyebrow when he realized the building looked to be made of some kind of black metal or stone. Obsidian? Yeah, sure he'd go with that.

He was about to begin descending when a large slab of said obsidian shot out from the ground, the tip fashioned into a sharp edge.

It came up so fast and suddenly Naruto almost didn't dodge it, shouting in surprise as he contorted his body to avoid the attack.

”Well, this is a surprise. A visitor? My, has father finally sent someone new for me to play with? What was the name of the last one…Hermod? I hope you're more entertaining than that fool was.”

The origin of the voice came from inside the cabin, her strong drawl muffled by the thick stone walls of her abode.

Dropping down to the ground, Naruto quickly ascended to his Six Paths Sage Mode in preparation. Tightening his muscles in anticipation, he waited as the door to the cabin slowly opened.

With steady grace, a lithe figure stepped out of the darkness, her form covered by a loose long-sleeved dress that was same color as her obsidian constructs. Her raven hair long and unkept, she looked wild as she smiled at him with a hungry tint in her eye.

Her bare feet padding against the stone floor, she took several steps closer before stopping just out of arm's length.

Raising her chin up in an attempt to look down at him, her smile grew as she asked confidently, ”I'll admit I'm a little rusty, but isn't it customary for an Asgardian warrior to bow to their Queen?”

Naruto gave an apologetic smile, ”I'm no Asgardian, sorry.”

”Oh?” Hela asked, looking him up and down curiously, ”What are you then? You're not pretty enough to be an elf, and you're too handsome to be a giant or dwarf.”

Blinking, Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he said, ”Oh, well I never really thought of a name for what I am now that I think about it. I guess we can go with calling me an Elemental for now.”

”An Elemental?” Hela tested the word, ”Never heard of you. Though, that would explain you being on fire.”

”You're Hela, right?” Naruto asked.

Raising her arms out in a grandiose fashion, she exclaimed, ”I am Hela Odinsdottir, Conqueror of the Nine Realms, Asgard's Executioner, The Raven King's War Dog. I am the Goddess of Death-”

Hela's introduction was halted by Naruto charging into her, grabbing her by the throat as he slammed her into her cabin. The Goddess of Death didn't seem to mind all that much, looking at the blonde with amusement.

”Name's Naruto.” He introduced, ”I think you know why I'm here.”

”Of course.” Hela returned enthusiastically, ”Let me indulge you, Boy.”

Out of thin air, an obsidian hammer appeared in her hand with a loud 'thwang.' Naruto barely had time to raise his arms up to block before she swung it up into his torso with a shocking amount of strength.

Naruto was sent skidding back from the hit, shaking his arms to fend of the ringing that was currently vibrating through his bones.

”She hits hard, brat.”

”No shit.” Naruto thought back, ”Way harder than I thought she could.”

Quickly, Naruto summoned a pair of Truth-Seeking Balls, shaping them into staffs before giving them a testing twirl.

”Going all out from the get go huh?” Kurama asked.

”She's not someone to underestimate.” Naruto said aloud before charging in.

As he had been recovering, Hela had converted her dress into a tight body suit, running her hands through her hair and transforming it into a strange antler like headpiece. Summoning an obsidian sword to go with her hammer, she smiled gleefully as she charged in to meet the blonde.

Her smirk would fall as her hammer was vaporized by one of the Truth-Seeking Staffs, her instincts screaming at her to dodge the incoming jab from the second staff. A wall of obsidian shot out from the ground, intercepting the Naruto's attack just in time.

As Hela jumped she raised an eyebrow when she saw that the staff had completely vaporized the area it had struck her construct.

”What kind of magic is that?” She asked herself.

Naruto charged in, doing his best to get in a good hit with his highly destructive constructs. Hela proved more agile than the blonde could've thought, dodging and swerving around the staffs with a royal grace.

Taking a hit to the arm, she frowned as she felt the spot disappear, leaving a hole in her bicep. Her healing factor taking over in an instant, Hela jumped back to avoid any more of those blasted staffs.

Twirling her sword, she closed her eyes as she began to draw on her reserves. Naruto raised an eyebrow as what looked like black mascara suddenly appeared around her eyes. He quickly recognized what she was doing.

”She can draw on Natural Energy?” Naruto asked in wonder.

Opening her eyes, Hela looked at the blonde with predatory eyes. Her sword now covered in a dark green aura, she charged forward with an increased speed.

Quickly ducking to avoid the horizontal slash, he felt her cleave off a chunk of his hair. Realizing she was going for a vertical downward cut, Naruto raised up one of his staffs on instinct, cranking up its capability for destruction as high as he could.

He could only watch in horror as her blade sliced through his staffs like butter, the sword coming down on him with the promise of death.

Hela smirked in satisfaction as she cut through his weapon and then him soon after, only to frown as he exploded in a puff of smoke.

”What?” She wondered aloud, looking around the area for the blonde.

Naruto, who was hiding behind a pillar of stone, was going over recent events in his head, ”Of course she can use Natural Energy. Odin said she drew her power from Asgard, I should've known he was being literal. All-Father's aren't metaphorical about this kinda shit.”

”As long as she can draw from this planet…or whatever it is this place is, she can negate the Truth-Seeking Balls. That's one of your big plays brat, what's the plan now?” Kurama asked.

”I don't know.” He admitted with frustration, ”From what Odin said she can heal from any wound, which is why my plan was to use the Truth-Seeking Balls as a get around. Now I'll have to go with plan b.”

”Battle of attrition?”

”Battle of attrition.” He confirmed.

His strategy session was interrupted by an obsidian slab erupting in front of him, driving into the wall behind him with the tip spearing the area right next to Naruto's head.

”That was a warning shot, Boy.” Hela called out, ”Don't make this boring for me, I'd hate to have to send my father's sacrifices after you.”

Walking out into the open, Naruto eyed Hela carefully from across the plateau, ”I never thought I'd meet someone who could use Sage Mode like I can.”

”Sage Mode?” Hela questioned, ”What a silly name.”

”What do you call yours then?” The blonde asked.

”Strength.” Hela answered.

Summoning his chokuto, Naruto flipped it in a reverse grip as he channeled Lightning Chakra into the blade. As he shot off towards her, he quickly created three Shadow Clones who followed after him on the war path.

His blade clashed with Hela's, the blonde grunting as he felt the energy from her blade nearly break though his lightning. The sword lock wasn't allowed to last for long, as one of his clones dived in with a vertical slash towards the crown of her skull.

The clone's life was cut to shreds by an obsidian spear that ejected from the ground into his neck. The two others managed to deflect the spears she'd sent their way, coming in for a slash at her neck and knees respectively.

Blocking the strike at her neck with her other sword, she then summoned another obsidian wall to deflect the slash at her knee, a loud double clang echoing around them.

From the wall, a spike shot out and lodged itself into the clone's stomach.

The expected puff of smoke was replaced by a massive explosion that swallowed Hela and the two Narutos.

”Storm Release: Laser Circus!” Naruto thought as he went through the necessary hand seals. Shoving his hands in front of him, a ball of light soon surrounded his conjoined fists before multiple laser beams shot forward towards the cloud of smoke his clone had left behind.

The force from the beams cleared the smoke in their path, revealing a perfectly fine Hela who was quickly drilled into by the jutsu.

Flying through her cabin, Hela was carried over the plateau and sent careening into to rocky slopes below.

Following after her, Naruto quickly appeared right in her personal space.

”Rasenmori!” Channeling chakra into his arm, Naruto grunted as he quickly summoned his attack before shoving it forward. The spiraling spear of chakra drove cleanly through Hela's torso, the woman grunting in pain as the attack sent her flying into a stone pillar.

Landing next to her crater, Naruto didn't let up as steam began to build along his arm, ”Boiling Release: Erupting Propulsion Fist.” He called out loud as Hela tried to pick herself up. The steam now built up to its boiling point, Naruto finally released the buildup and fired his arm into Hela's face.

The pillar Hela had been lodged in was obliterated, with Hela being sent flying once again.

Pushing herself up, Hela heard the blonde's voice call out, ”Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!”

Summoning a sword and driving it into the ground, she managed to keep herself from being sent flying any more than she already had.

As the wind finally died down, his voice could be heard once again, ”Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!”

Immediately deducing that the attack would be coming from the ground, Hela jumped up into the air to avoid whatever the blonde had in store. She would be disappointed though when instead of an earth-based attack, Naruto instead appeared just above her, a disk of energy in his hand.

Smirking in satisfaction from the surprised look on her face, Naruto heaved his Rasenshuriken into the Hela's direction. With the close distance between them, it only took a second for the attack to make contact, exploding on impact. Due to their close-proximity, Naruto was hit by the wave of wind, popping in a puff of smoke.

Naruto, who'd been watching his Shadow Clone from the ground below, smiled at the successful combo.

As Hera's smoking form descended to Naruto's level, Kurama spoke from within the seal, ”I'll admit, that was a pretty smart move, shouting the names of your techniques out loud so she'd think she knew what was coming only, to pull her into a trap with a fake out. Never thought you'd have it in you.”

”Yeah well-”

”Are you done yet?”

Picking herself up, Hela looked the blonde with annoyance. Patting away the dust and debris that had accumulated around her person, the Goddess of Death asked again, ”Are you done yet?”

”Uh, well-”

Naruto gagged as Hela grabbed him by the throat, slamming him down in the ground with enough force to crater the earth with a sick crack.

Pressing her heel up against his chest with an incredible amount of strength, she said, ”Where's the key, Boy?” Before he could grunt out an answer, she spotted it on the palm of his hand, ”Ah there it is. Hold still while I take that off your hand.”

Summoning a sword with a thwang, she said, ”This'll hurt.”

As she went to cut off his hand, Naruto quickly summoned a hand made out of chakra from his cloak, grabbing the blade in time. Summoning another hand, he drove it into her chest to separate the two of them long enough for him to get up.

”You're not getting this key. You're dying today.” Naruto said softly as he allowed his chakra arms to recede back to him.

Hela scowled at him, ”I'm getting out of here, Boy. Now that I have a way to get out of this hellscape, there's nothing in the universe that's going to stop me.”

”I don't know why you're here, hell I don't know why I'mhere. But all I know is that I can't let someone like you out into the world. I've dealt with enough of that before, I'm not really in the mood for a sequel.” Naruto said.

”We're here for the same reason.” Hela drawled, ”We're here because of that old fool I called my father.”

Naruto and Hela began circling one another, watching for any sign of attack, ”Why did he send you here? You're his daughter, why would he banish you here? What did you do to Asgard that was so terrible?”

Hela summoned an obsidian sword and hammer into her hands, ”I didn't do anything to Asgard. I did it for Asgard. If that fool can't see that, then fine. But I'm getting out of here. When I'm free, Asgard will welcome me back with open arms, Odin be damned. I know it. I'm the reason they're what they are now. I saved them from Ragnarok! I am their Queen!” The Goddess of Death exclaimed with true conviction, ”They'll love me, they'll have to have missed me. And knowing that…knowing that I can't stay here a secondlonger.”

Both at once, they charged into each other.

Naruto did his best to avoid the flurry of blades that came his way, all while trying to get in a good hit himself. For every punishing hit he gave, she returned the favor with a deep cut. Both fought through the pain, the blonde knowing that any sign of slowing down would mean a debilitating blow, and because nothing he did gave her any lasting damage.

As their brawl grew in intensity, time seemed to slow down as each of them found an opening in the other's guard.

With a roar, Naruto shoved a Rasengan into Hela's face.

With a battle cry, Hela drove her energy encased hammer into Naruto's stomach.

The following explosion ripped through the mountain range.

-x-

”You're not doing so good, brat.”

”Shu…shut up.”

As he said this aloud, Naruto grunted as he got up from the crater Hela had sent him in. His chakra cloak having faded, his clothes were torn to shreds, blood dripping heavily down the side of his face, and a red pool had begun to form along his abdomen running down into his pants.

Stumbling as he got up, he flinched as he heard his blood begin to drip down onto the ground.

”Fuck.” He cursed, gingerly feeling his wound. A few of his ribs were poking out of the skin, though luckily Kurama had already begun the healing process.

Stepping forward, the blonde ripped his shirt off his person out of annoyance, grunting as his healing ribs grinded roughly in their partially broken state, ”I'm sure she's perfectly fine…which is just fucking great for me.”

”She can keep up with you in Six Paths Sage Mode, she can negate what's probably your most destructive technique, and anything else you throw at her she can shrug off. She's a doozy, brat.” Kurama observed, ”You've still got Cosmic Sage Mode though.”

Naruto sighed, ”Yeah, yeah I guess. I think I'm gonna tire her out a bit before I pull that out.”

”And how do you plan on tiring her out, exactly?” Kurama wondered.

”That Natural Energy of hers has to run out eventually, she'll be too tired to heal herself like she does. Then that'll give me the opening I need.” Naruto explained tiredly, though admittedly he was feeling better with Kurama's healing.

Climbing up and over a rocky slope, Naruto looked out over the mountain range in search of Hela. Quickly spotting her sitting lackadaisically down below him. Giving him a lazy wave and smile, she said, ”You survived. Congratulations.”

”Thanks.” Naruto said back, squinting his eyes as he scratched the back of his head, ”You're a tough customer, lady.”

Hela laughed, crossing her legs daintily, ”You're not so bad yourself, what's your name again?”

”Naruto Uzumaki.”

”Naruto Uzumaki.” Hela said, testing the name, ”A strange title, I think I'll stick with Boy.”

His eyebrow twitching, Naruto growled out, ”I'd come up with a nickname of my own, but I don't know you good enough to really come up with anything with enough bite to make us even.”

”Hmph.” Hela huffed pompously, ”Perhaps I hit you a little too hard. I've been told I have trouble holding back. But, then again, those were the words of losers. And I have never lost.”

”Never?” The shinobi asked, ”You're here, aren't you?”

”I'm alive, aren't I?” She shot back.

”Right.” Naruto drawled out slowly as his Six Paths Sage Mode reactivated.

Hela was about to respond when she found a fist lodged in her face, with a crippling kick coming not far behind into her abdomen. Her body sent up momentarily into the air, she was then hit with several jabs all over her person, each hit keeping her in the air long enough for Naruto to send another punishing strike.

At first Hela ignored the pain, as she healed herself almost as soon as she was hit, but as the barrage continued, she couldn't help but flinch as the strikes seemed to hit harder and harder. Eventually she grew tired of the onslaught and sent a barrage of her own.

Naruto jumped back as several spikes of obsidian shot out of the ground, sweating nervously as spikes seemed to sprout from the originals, this trend continuing as the wall of sharp obsidian tried to skewer him to death.

Shooting his hands out as he tried to use his Magnet Release to stop the slabs from getting any closer, only to curse when they continued unabated.

”Obsidian isn't magnetic you damned fool!” Kurama shouted, ”Use something else before you get us both killed!”

”Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Naruto thought violently before chanting in his head, ”Lava Release: Kagutsuchi's Wrath!” Slamming his hands together he did a quick set of dodges before slapping them down onto the ground.

Hightailing it out of the way, he smirked as the ground began to shake violently before a massive plume of lave burst out of the ground, melting the obsidian spikes on contact. The wall of lava easily kept the rest of the spikes at bay.

Flipping through another set of hand seals, Naruto thought, ”Haven't tested this one out in a fight yet, but here goes nothing. Storm Release: Light Fang!”

Puckering his lips together, he watched as a thin beam of purple energy shot out of his mouth with an impressive speed. Cutting through the wall of lava and any spikes that got in its way, the thin laser beam locked on to Hela with clear prejudice.

Quickly summoning a sword, Hela raised her sword that was quickly incased in Natural Energy and intercepted the attack, the woman being sent skidding back but still managing to keep her ground.

”Damn.” Naruto thought, ”That should've cut right through her Natural Energy, why the hell do I still suck at this? Complete mastery of chakra my ass.”

Jumping back, he covered his face with his arms as Hela decimated the ground in front of him with her sword slash. Quickly finding himself on the backfoot, he summoned a kunai and added Natural Energy of his own as he did his best to deflect her strikes.

Reaching out with his Magnet Release, he summoned his chokuto towards him. Hela, seeing the sharp sword come flying towards her blade first, summoned another sword before deflecting it.

Hela now found herself on the backfoot, with Naruto attacking from the front while having his Magnet Release embodied chokuto attack from behind.

But the Goddess of Death proved to be a better swordsman than he'd ever be, easily fighting off his strategy with pure skill. Their swords clanging with a vibrating harshness, Naruto pushed her back with his superior strength.

Quickly blowing a stream of fire in her face to get some distance, Naruto followed through by summoning an earth dragon that attempted to swallow her whole, but the woman proved too fast, giving an evasive maneuver before coming in with her own attack.

Green energy covering her obsidian blades, Naruto knew better than to get hit by an attack like that.

Dodging the attacks, he then created a Rasengan in each hand. As a sword swung in for a decapitating strike, Naruto deflected it with a Rasengan, the spinning orb holding off the Natural Energy long enough for Naruto to shove the remaining one into her chest.

The explosion of pure chakra blasted the Goddess off into the dirt.

Coughing as dust managed to get in her lungs, Hela attempted to get up as best she could with a hole in her torso, only to find a pair of hands pressing into her shoulders from behind. Looking up, she found Naruto smirking down at her.

”Magnet Release: Journey to the Center of the Earth!”

In that instant, it felt as though the weight of the world had landed on Hela's person. The weight proved too heavy for even the earth to handle, pushing her into the dirt as though it were water.

She could only scream as she descended into the depths of Nastrond.

Falling on his ass, Naruto caught his breath as he looked down at the Hela shaped hole he'd created.

”Damn brat, that was brutal. How far do you'll think she'll go?”

”Who knows.” Naruto thought with a shrug. Sitting down cross-legged, he closed his eyes in concentration, ”I had to have sent her dozens of miles down, that's a shit ton of weight to get by. When she stops herself, and she will, it'll take a lot of effort to dig herself out. She should be tired enough for me to use Cosmic Sage Mode safely.”

The sound of the ground shattering filled Naruto's ears, with a massive mountain of obsidian emerging from the earth soon afterwards. Not long after, several arms shot out of the loosened ground. Slowly, several women dressed in white and gold armor emerged stiffly. Leading the pack was a man wearing what Naruto recognized as Asgardian armor, a battle axe in his hand.

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto realized these women were undead, going off the fact their flesh had begun to peel and rot away, their sunken eyes glowing a dangerous green.

”She got out of that pretty quick.” Kurama observed as Hela emerged behind her platoon of revived soldiers.

Grunting with clear exertion, Hela emerged with assistance from her obsidian mountain, her once pristine body suit torn and ruined, her head piece gone leaving her wild hair to flutter in the wind.

Glaring murderously at the blonde, the Goddess of Death growled, ”End him.”

The undead needed nothing else to be said, charging forward as they drew the weapons.

”Shit.” Naruto cursed as he shot up to his feet, his chokuto flying back to his hand just in time to deflect one of the women's blades from beheading him. Their blades locked, Naruto couldn't help but take the time to admire the woman's emerald double-edged blade.

Pushing her off of him, he withdrew a kunai to block another strike, only for his eyes to widen in shock as the emerald blade cut through his kunai with ease. Jumping back, he gripped the slash he'd gotten, blood caking along his fingers.

”That's a Dragon Fang, Boy.” Hela warned with a sadistic glint in her eye, ”I hope these Valkyries of mine leave enough of you for me.”

”Valkyries?” Naruto questioned aloud as he quickly dodged a triple attack from three separate Valkyrie, the women doing their best to surround and overwhelm him.

Doing a quick head count, Naruto counted nine of these Valkyries, meaning he had ten of these undead Asgardians to fight including the man who hadn't jumped in yet.

Growling as he continued to dodge nine different razor-sharp Dragon Fangs from cutting into him any more than they already had, he flinched as a few lucky pot shots managed to get into his guard.

”Fuck this.” He growled, pushing his hands out, he thought, ”Magnet Release: Involuntary Suicide!”

With a jolt, all nine Valkyrie stopped mid swing, their blades frozen in place. Slowly, their blades began to move on their own, turning on their masters as the tips of their blades began to point towards their necks. The blades rattled as the Valkyrie did their best to keep from killing themselves, knowing better than to let go of the sword.

But this gave Naruto enough times to form nine hands made of chakra, each hand summoning a Rasengan before shooting off into a predisposed Valkyrie, carefully aiming the Rasengans into the hands that were holding their swords. Taking both their Dragon Fangs and Rasengans to the throats, the undead Valkyrie were blown off their feet.

Naruto was unable to take a celebratory break, instead maneuvering his body around the axe that tried to split him in half like a banana peel. The ground exploded open with the axe's impact, the blonde throwing his hands up to avoid getting hit by debris.

This proved fatal, as the blunt end of the axe found itself lodged in his abdomen. Spitting up blood and spittle, Naruto was sent flying by the brutal attack. Landing on his back, the blonde was thankful he had enough awareness to roll over, missing the axe head that wanted to open his chest up.

Slamming a hand on the ground, the Asgardian was grabbed by a hand made from the earth, a Hiraishin Seal in middle of its earthen palm. Using his Asgardian strength, the man broke free from the grip.

The man looking around wildly, he searched for the now missing Naruto. Hearing a whistle from above, the Asgardian looked up to find Naruto hovering up above him, a mass of black energy in his hands. But, almost as soon as his eyes landed on the blonde, he was gone in a flash.

Grinning viciously as his feet hit the ground, Naruto stood right within the Asgardian's personal space, the man still looking up at where he'd been while in the air. He didn't give him the time to realize what was going on, instead shooting his hands out and unleashing his Tailed Beast Bomb pointblank.

Hela's eyes narrowed as a massive burst of energy exploded from where Naruto had taken his fight with the Valkyrie and the Asgardian warrior once named Hermod.

”Damned boy.” She cursed as the wounds Naruto had given her with that last attack finally healed. She'd wasted a good bit of energy resurrecting those Valkyrie and Hermod.

Running her hands through her hair, she molded her head piece into place.

”I'm getting really tired of you calling me that.”

Turning, she narrowed her eyes when she saw the blonde walking towards her at a lazy pace. He was no longer on fire, his torn clothes and beaten person in full view. Though, there was something different.

His presence was…deafening.

As he walked closer, she realized that he had markings on his similar to hers. Only the color around his eyes was gold with a matching dot in the middle of his forehead, his eyes now royal purple.

”What did you do?” Hela asked, almost warily.

”This is Cosmic Energy. I think people like to call it the Power Cosmic.” Naruto informed as he gave his arms some testing stretches.

Hela seemed floored by this news, ”You can control the Power Cosmic? What are you, some kind of Celestial?”

”Some would think so.” Naruto offered with a large smile.

Giving him another once over, Hela asked softly, ”What is your name?” She asked again.

”Naruto.” He answered helpfully.

”Well then, Naruto, let's see who dies first, hmm?” Hela offered enthusiastically.

Swinging her arm out, a sword appeared with a resounding thwang. Charging forward, she took a might swing into his neck. And just as the razor-sharp blade was about to slice into his neck, it burst into a clutter of butterflies.

Hela blinked, ”Wha-”

A fist lodged itself into her chin.

She'd never been hit so hard in her life.

Blood flew from her mouth, her body in the beginning motions of stumbling back when another fist came and hit her in the face again, followed by another into her stomach that landed so hard a sonic boom echoed through the mountain range.

As Hela was mid-bounce when Naruto seemingly teleported above her, his hands enveloped in a thick purple energy. Thrusting his hands forward, he released the energy into a powerful blast wave.

Somehow, the Goddess of Death managed to dodge the attack, sending a wave reactionary obsidian spears right for the still air born Naruto.

A quick wave of his hand, and the spears were turned into dust.

Following after her, the sage threw around more of his Cosmic Energy to try and vaporizer her. Though he managed to get a few good pot shots in, Hela had managed to do her best in avoiding his powerful attacks.

Flinching, Naruto cursed as he felt Cosmic Energy he'd gathered begin to slip away.

”You know transmutation drains your reserves, brat.” Kurama chastised, ”Now you're going to be wiped out until you can gather some more, idiot.”

”Shut up, Kurama.” Naruto muttered aloud, ”I didn't think it would be so short.”

”It wasn't helpful that you've fired off one large wave of Cosmic Energy after another. Cosmic Energy that she's managed to dodge, by the way.” The Biju grunted irritably.

Sweat began to build along his brow, his breath getting heavier as the last of his Cosmic Energy left him. Quickly creating a Shadow Clone, he didn't bother ordering it to go and gather more, the clone sprinting away from the battlefield with gusto.

Once again, the two stood across from each other. This time though, they didn't say a word, simply glaring at each other as they regained some footing.

Without warning, both charged into each other. Fists, knees, elbows, anything they could use to hurt the other they used it, beating the life out of each other with every ground shattering blow.

Both seemed to lack the energy to do anything other than throw themselves together in a flurry of combos, their vicious and desperate attacks hiding the fact that they couldn't afford to throw anything else for fear of further exhaustion.

Catching an elbow that would've caved her head in, Hela scowled in effort to keep the appendage at bay. Dropping a fist into Naruto side, she smirked in satisfaction as blood shot from his lips onto her face. Wanting to feel that satisfaction again, she drove her fist into his side again and again, nearly laughing as each hit pained him more and more.

Finally swatting away one of her punches, Naruto drove his forehead into her nose, hearing her nose crack from the force. As she stumbled back, her nose reknitting itself slower than it might have at the beginning of the fight, Hela spat out the blood that spilled from her nose into her mouth with an unladylike forcefulness.

Giving off battle cries filled with frustration, anger, and exhaustion, the rushed each other with a murderous abandon. Their hands connecting in the middle, the two engaged in a duel of strength as they tried to force the other into submission.

As Naruto began to push Hela down into herself, he felt the memories of his clone come flooding in. Giving an exaggerated grunt, Naruto muttered, ”Fuck this.”

Like an explosion, energy began to emit from Naruto's person, his Six Paths Sage Cloak flickering to life. Only this time, the flames of his cloak weren't golden, but purple. The markings of his seal now glowing gold, his eyes shined a dangerous red.

Nastrond quaked as his Cosmic Sage Cloak took hold, the ground beneath him splintering from the force of his chakra. The once dark mountain range seemed to find daylight, as the purple sun that was Naruto lit up area around them.

Eventually, the light around Naruto dimmed, the ground was allowed to rest, and the pressure Hela felt submitted enough for her to breath.

Lifting his hand up, Naruto quickly formed a Tailed Beast Bomb in the palm of his hand. Three additional, but smaller ones, followed after, rotating around the center sphere like planets would a sun.

”Survive this.” Naruto challenged.

BOOM!

A viciously blinding light overtook Nastrond, washing away the mountain they'd been fighting on like a wave from the ocean would a sand castle. Lightning swirled, fires raged, rocks cracked and crumbled.

As the explosion of light faded, the sound of pure ozone took its place.

Hovering over the canyon his Planetary Tailed Beast Bomb had created, the blonde searched for any sign of the Asgardian Executioner.

Spotting movement in the distance, Naruto quickly flew down to get a closer look.

At the edge of the canyon, pulling herself out of the rubble with her remaining arm, Hela screamed in rage as she freed herself from the obstructing boulders. Panting as she dragged herself along the ground, she glared up at the glowing presence above her. The longer she stared, the look of anger was slowly replaced by frightened realization.

Raising an eyebrow, he frowned as he looked at the bisected woman, her missing arm slowly worming its way back to its full-grown state, her lower half growing back at a much slower pace than before.

Slowly, Naruto descended to the ground below, landing gracefully in front of the Goddess of Death, the woman starring up at him as she tried to come to terms with what she'd realized.

”I don't have long before this form begins to take its toll, so I guess I should end this now.” Raising his hand up, Naruto summoned a Rasengan in his hand, the sphere of spinning chakra mixed heavily with Cosmic Energy.

”If it's any consolation, I'm sorry.”

Pulling back, he frowned as he readied the finishing blow-

”It's you.”

Only to stop at her whispered final words.

Blinking, he asked, ”What?”

Naruto could truly say he was shocked, as tears began to build along Hela's eyes, her Natural Energy finally fading away, ”You're the one. The one from my visions. You are the one I saw. Not...not…”

His arm lowering, Naruto watched as the Goddess of Death began to wretch, fighting for her words. His face devolving into pity, he asked, ”Not who?”

Collapsing in on herself, Hela managed to fight off unconsciousness long enough to mutter, ”Not him.”

As his Rasengan faded away, the purple fire that enveloped him disappeared, and the Power Cosmic that flowed through him left him, Naruto realized his legs seemed to think they were made of jelly.

Dropping onto the ground, he grunted as an overwhelming wave of exhaustion flooded his body. Sweat dripping down his face, his breathing ragged, and his clothes in tatters, Naruto cursed when he realized he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

”So much for making this quick.” Kurama said with a low sigh.

”Mhmm.” Naruto thought, too tired to speak.

-x-

The crackling of fire eating away wood was what woke her up. The smell of cooking food is what got her attention.

Shooting upright, Hela looked around frantically in an attempt to understand her new situation.

It was night, well more cloudy than usual. A camp fire was burning just a few feet away from her, and Naruto Uzumaki was sitting directly across from her, holding a cup of noodles over the fire with a hungry look on his face.

”When was the last time you've eaten?”

Blinking, Hela made to speak, only to realize her throat was incredibly dry, forcing her voice into a hoarse wheeze, ”What?”

”When was the last time you ate?” Naruto repeated, ”Or drank?”

”Fifteen hundred years, give or take.” Hela offered with a blasé flip of the wrist, only to wince as she realized she'd used her recently regrown arm, the fresh arm still incredibly sore from the rabid regrowth.

Sighing, he reached over to his side and tossed her a bottle of water.

Watching as it bounced in front of her, she raised a questioning eyebrow towards the blonde.

Sighing again, he muttered, ”If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't poison you. I'd just kill you.”

”Then why haven't you?” She demanded with force, ”Why didn't you end it, why don't you now?”

”Because I want to know what you did.” Naruto answered truthfully, ”Your dad didn't bother to share with me before I left, but I managed to gather that it was something big. I'd like to know if you're really so evil that I need to preemptively deal with you before you get released from this hellhole. That there was no saving you from yourself. That you're a lost cause who needs to be wiped away. In my experience, very few are unredeemable. Give me time, and I'd break through to them if I really tried. But if you're just another Madara, or Kaguya, then I'm gonna do what needs to be done.”

Hela looked at him for a long time, her eyes narrowed with clear hesitance. Grabbing the water bottle gingerly, she slowly unscrewed the cap before taking a tentative sip. Tasting nothing extra other than the blood in her mouth, she tipped her head back and downed more of the water.

Smiling as she finished off the bottle, Naruto looked back to his ramen cup. Pulling it away from the fire, he slowly pealed the lid away before adding the seasoning packet to the noodles.

”What is that?”

Looking up from his noodles, he spotted the Goddess of Death eyeing his ramen with a critical look.

”This?” Naruto asked as he raised his cup. When she nodded, he continued, ”It's called ramen. They have this kina thing in Asgard?”

”I wouldn't know.”

”Huh, yeah I suppose you wouldn't.”

Sipping at the broth, Naruto smiled at the familiar taste. As he began to dig it, his eyes would flicker up to see Hela looking at him curiously.

Halfway through with the cup, Naruto lowered it from his lips as he asked, ”You want the rest?”

”Yes.” She said softly after several seconds of hesitance.

Getting up, he knelt down next to her and handed her the still warm cup.

Handling it gently, she brought it up to her lips and began to slurp on remaining noodles and broth.

As she slurped away, Naruto asked, ”Do you like it?”

”It's fine.” She answered with a mouthful.

”Fine?” Naruto tested, shaking his head in defeat as he sat down next to her.

Looking at him from her peripheral, Hela asked, ”Do you think it's smart to sit so close?”

With just a few feet between them, Naruto shrugged, ”Maybe not for you.”

”Hmph.” Hela scoffed, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she said, ”Is my life really hanging on my origin? Do you really think something like that matters?”

”For me? Yes.” Naruto answered matter of factly, ”I need to decide if I'm going to eat the strawberry or try and fight the tiger.”

Hela raised an eyebrow at the blonde's strange sentence. Turning her attention to the ramen cup in her hands, she stared into the nearly empty cup in thought.

”By all accounts, I am the bastard child of Odin Borson. My mother was a lowly giantress who wanted nothing to do with me. My father took me into his house, wanting to use me as a weapon to further Asgard's ambition of manifest destiny. I trained for Asgard. I fought for Asgard. I killed for Asgard. I tortured, betrayed, and decimated for my realm. I lovedAsgard. But I wasn't a part of their world, not fully. I knew it, they knew it. Eventually, after we'd conquered our ninth realm, my father found true love. King Odin and Queen Frigga began to dream of peace, of ending my campaign of war and conquest. And as their dreams came true, they deemed it time to sire a child. By the time peace was brought to the realms, she gave birth to a true Odinson, a boy named Baldur.” Hela paused as she took another sip from the ramen cup.

Naruto watched as she collected herself, allowing her to continue her story.

”He is beautiful, they'd say.” Hela recalled, ”A babe so glorious he shines of pure Asgardian light, a royal purple that emulates his stature. But I refused to see him. Why should I have? This brat had taken my right to rule, he was the symbol of everything I wasn't. Every day, Frigga's handmaidens would request my presence in her chambers, with me giving an excuse to avoid it every time. Eventually, Odin came to me himself, ordering me to see my sibling. So, as any good soldier does, I obeyed. I came up to her chambers, I walked up to his crib, and I took that babe in my arms. I held him and came to a quick conclusion. I was whelmed. I wasn't impressed, nor disappointed. All I saw was a baby. A weak, fragile creature who happened to glow a fun, if inconvenient, color. Then, Frigga told me why she really wanted me there. She informed me that she had cast a spell, asking all objects within the Nine Realms to never harm her precious Baldur and the light he gave off until he was strong enough to defend himself. She told me that due to my strength, she needed to ask me in person. I refused.”

”Why?” Naruto asked, truly curious.

”She asked me the same question.” Hela admitted in thought, ”And I asked her who could possibly be able to hurt such an innocent creature? What kind of monster would do such a thing? I told her that I'd make sure he was strong enough that she'd never have to worry. She banished me from her chambers.”

Swirling the ramen around in the cup, The Goddess of Death continued, ”Then the visions came. I saw Asgard, the place I'd trained, fought, killed, tortured, betrayed, and decimated for, set on fire. I watched every night as my home was destroyed by an unholy force of nature. I watched as a man covered in a purple light stood amongst the flames, letting them consume the realm in its entirety. It didn't take long for me to realize that Baldur was who I was seeing, who could mistake that light for anyone else? I told Odin of my visions, but he scoffed at me, claiming them to be silly nightmares. I held my tongue, hoping he was right. But every night the visions grew longer, more intense. Every night I watched my brother become a monster. I, as Asgard's guardian and executioner, knew something needed to be done to prevent this horrible occurrence. But I needed to be sure. I needed to know for a fact that Baldur was the monster I needed to slay.”

”Was he?” The Jinchuriki asked softly.

”I snuck into Frigga's chambers, came upon the crib, and took him into my arms. But I no longer saw an innocent baby. All I saw was fire and brimstone, pain and suffering, death and despair. So, I wrapped my hand around his neck and strangled the life out of him.”

Naruto could only watch as she set the cup down, lifting her head up in his direction. Clearly on the verge of tears, Hela said, ”But I was wrong. I killed that boy for nothing. I'm not a monster slayer, I'm not the wronged hero. I've spent the past fifteen hundred years thinking what I'd done was worth it, that Asgard would know I'd saved them. That they wouldn't let my sacrifice go to waste. But now I know that if I return, I'd return as the monster who killed a defenseless child.”

It was then that Naruto realized what she'd meant at the end of their fight. Leaning forward he asked, ”You think you saw me, don't you? That I'm the one in your visions.”

”Yes. But my track record doesn't impart confidence.” Hela muttered softly, her eyes still on Naruto as she said, ”Though with that power you showed, I guess you could if you wanted to.”

”Yeah, maybe.” Naruto admitted.

Fiddling with the ramen cup in her hands, Hela asked, ”Do you want this back, you know, before you kill me?”

”No, I think I'll let you keep it.” The blonde said as he got up with a grunt, ”As a memento, I guess.”

Hela was floored as she watched Naruto begin to limp away, ”You're not going to kill me? After everything I just told you? Why? Why won't you just do what everyone wants you to do and end me?! I deserve it, don't I?”

Naruto stopped, turning his head towards her as he frowned softly.

Frowning from her spot near the fire, Hela asked, ”Don't I?”

Turning to her fully, Naruto gave her one of his trademark smiles.

-x-

Sitting within Odin's cabin, the All-Father himself and Amora sipped at their tea in a comfortable silence. That silence was interrupted by a flash of light and a pair of boots landing on the ground.

Amora was out of her seat in a heartbeat as she watched Naruto appear in their cabin, stumbling as he nearly collapsed onto the floor. Clearly suffering from exhaustion, she rubbed his back soothingly as he caught his breath.

”How long…was I gone?” Naruto demanded.

”A month.” Amora answered softly, ”28 days, to be exact.”

”I was gone that long?” Naruto demanded, cursing himself in his head.

”How did it go? Is she…?” The Enchantress asked as she helped Naruto to his chair.

Sighing in relief as he took a seat, Naruto muttered, ”I fought her, I beat her.”

Odin, taking a sip of his tea, muttered passed his cup, ”You let her live.”

”Yeah, yeah I did.”

Amora, a horrified look on her face, asked, ”You let the Goddess of Death live? Why would you-”

”I gave her a choice. She knows I can beat her, I know I can beat her. She's either gonna eat the strawberry or confront the tiger.” Naruto said softly, ”Sage, I'm worse off than I thought if that Hiraishin took this much out of me.”

Odin stared at him with his lone eye, a hard gaze boring into Naruto's soul. Letting up, he took another sip from his tea, ”The Reality Stone is on Knowhere, under the protection of The Collector.”

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto asked, ”You'd follow through with your end, even though I refused to fulfil mine?”

”I see no reason not to.” The All-Father reasoned, though his tone held a cryptic tone that made Naruto uneasy.

Shrugging the forbidding feeling away, Naruto looked to Amora, ”So, did I miss anything?”

A nervous look suddenly reached The Enchantress's face, ”Well...”

”Well what?”