A/N

I try to not make a habit of putting these notes in the beginning of a chapter, but I must warn that this story is significantly darker than any of my other works. If you don't want to read that sort of thing, now's your chance to back out. If you are, please read the second Author's Note at the bottom for a bit of explanation of this chapter.

The Fox Who Tried: Chapter One; Good Things Must Come to an End

It has been a few weeks, and there was still no sign of civilization. The trees brought a feeling of foreboding, as if his every movement was being watched. However, this was not a new feeling to the boy, in fact, he had grown numb to murderous glares long ago. He continued to walk through the thick forest, determined to find food and water. The boy was no older than fourteen, and his once bright orange jumpsuit was filthy and torn apart, exposing his plain black shirt underneath. His pants were soon too big for his shrinking body, so he tied his headband around his waist to hold them up. His stomach rumbled, but he knew nothing about the plants in this strange new world he found himself in.

Yes, he was aware he was in a new world, and it didn't take him long to figure out. The evidence was all there; there was the thick trees that weren't anything like the ones back home, and the fact that he's seen several strange black birds flying around. The boy also didn't fail to see that some of his techniques failed to work properly while he was here. Sure, these could all be easily explained as him being under a genjutsu, but he had stabbed himself and flared his chakra to dissipate any such illusions.

No, what finally convinced him was the goddamn moon. It was half shattered, and he swore that as it waxed, it pieced itself back together. It still gave him the creeps, but he couldn't really dwell on that as he had more pressing matters. He saw the forest beginning to clear, and stumbled upon a road. From the looks of it, it was relatively well used, which sparked some hope. He began to walk down the dirt path, seeing that it was mostly a straight way, and had gentle curves, likely to compensate for large carriages that couldn't make sharp turns. As the time passed, he swore he heard something down the way. He couldn't make it out, but it wasn't a sound any animal he knew would make. Quickening his pace, he ran towards what he assumed to be the first signs of life. As the noises became gradually louder, he saw a white wall surrounding what he assumed to be a small town. Finally seeing his destination, he felt the fatigue set in. It seems that his body was running on fumes, but he pushed on ahead. As he approached the gates, he was stopped by two guards wielding pikes. He was familiar with how his home village would stop new comers, so he did his best to cooperate.

"Where are you heading to, boy?" asked one of the men. Naruto could hear the disdain in his voice, but ignored it. He's been starving for half a month, he could deal with some jerk's poor attitude.

"I don't know, I got lost," he replied. "I'm just looking for somewhere to eat and gather supplies."

"Likely story," the man scoffed. "There's no way you've just been wandering around the forest. These parts are infested with the creature of Grimm, so I'll ask again, where are you heading?"

"Just let the kid through," the other guard sighed. "Faunus or not, this kid is starving."

"I don't mean any trouble," the blond butted, in attempt to diffuse the argument before it started. "I don't plan on staying long, I just want to get some supplies."

"Go on ahead," the second guard said, giving the signal to open the gates. The other guard shot him a dirty look, but didn't find it worth his time to follow around the boy.

"Thank you," he said with a small bow. He walked through gates, and found the town to be rather small. It seems that most businesses housed the people who ran them, in effort to save room. He wandered around for a while, before the scent of, well, something that smelled appetizing caught his nose. Following his nose, he found what appeared to be a small diner of some sort, perhaps even an inn, if the size of the building was anything to by. Heading through the doors, he was greeted by men and women all eating and drinking loudly, all laughing. It seems that they were a rather close knit community, and hoped that his presence wouldn't be noticed. Fate was a cold mistress.

"Who are you?" asked what appeared to be a waitress. She wasn't exactly rude about it, but something about her tone gave the teen the impression he shouldn't be here.

"I'm just passing through," he replied, not wanting to give his name. "I just want some food, I haven't eaten in weeks."

"You poor thing," the woman said under her breath. "Listen, since you're not from around here, these people don't take kindly to Faunus waltzing in here. If you go out back, I'll bring you something, alright?" she asked, as she shooed him away. He walked out and waited behind the building. He clutched his stomach as it rumbled again, and sighed. A few minutes passed, and the same woman came out the back door carrying a tray. Naruto noticed that she had taken off her bandanna and let her short brown hair fall. She had purple eyes, and they seemed to be fill with concern.

"It isn't much, but it's what I could get," she offered, handing him the food. It was just a simple sandwich and roasted potatoes accompanied by a couple glasses of water. The teen grabbed the food and began to scarf it down greedily. It took him about as long as it took to finish his food to register how savage he must have looked just then, and he laughed nervously.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, wiping the crumbs off his face.

"Don't be," she smiled. "Most people in this town don't know what it feels like to be hungry. How much longer are you going to be around here?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. "One of the guards nearly didn't let me in, so I rather not overstay my welcome…"

"It's hard, isn't it?" asked the young woman. "Being a Faunus?"

"I don't know what that is," he shrugged. "but from what little experience I've gone through, I can only imagine."

"You're not a Faunus? But you have whiskers," she said, pulling his cheeks. "Oh, are they drawn on?"

"What, no!" he replied indignantly, pulling his face away. "They're birthmarks! What does whiskers have to do with Faunus?"

"You really don't know what they are?" she asked incredulously. Has this boy been living under a rock?

"No, I don't," he answered. "Do you know where I could find a place to spend the night? I'm guessing that if that tavern won't serve me food, they'd be less likely to spare a room."

"There aren't a lot of people who care for the Faunus, and even if you aren't one, they'll just lump you in with them anyway for the whiskers alone." The waitress has a pensive look on her face.

"I'm willing to work," he replied. "I don't have any money, so if I have to do some odd jobs or anything, I'll do them."

"You wouldn't know how to fix a leaking roof, would you?" she asked jokingly.

"Yea, I've done that before," he nodded. For once, it appears that his D-ranked mission came in handy.

"Really?" she asked. "Our town only has one handyman, and he's always drunk. Well, if you can fix my roof before it rains tomorrow, you're welcomed to stay in my guest room."

"I'll get it done right away!" he said eagerly. "Which house is yours? Where can I get some supplies?"

"I'll show you once I'm off the clock," she giggled. "I have the supplies in my shed. Look, I got to get back to work, my break is almost over. I'll see you around, ok? I'm Viola by the way."

"I'm Naruto," he replied with a grin, happy to see such a kind soul.

Few Days Later

Naruto was true to his word, and had fixed Viola's leaking roof, but the work didn't stop there. It turns out that Viola didn't exactly live in a nice house like the ones that were in plain view while entering the small town. It seemed that those who had money would have their nicer homes in front and center, as if to display to travelers of how well off they are. However, once you walked passed a few rows, the 'slums' as it would be fitting to call, began. They were mostly shacks, and Viola was one of the fortunate ones who had a steady job to afford the small house she had. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough to fix it or move into the 'inner' circle. Naruto had offered to help with whatever he could as long as he was there, mostly to thank her for her kindness, but he also needed something to do. He had spent the first two days wandering the town only to be turned away or be shot disgusted looks. Despite this, he had found a few people who were willing to help him out with supplies, in exchange for work. Naruto took what he could, and began doing everything from feeding their cattle, to shoveling what was left from said cattle. He didn't mind, and his work ethic ensured that everybody was happy. When he got what he needed, he decided to stay a bit longer, in hopes of helping out those who were kind to him, and actually began to make some wages, not much, but he was off better than not having a single Lien in his pocket when he got to the big city.

"Hey Naruto, my boy," said an older man. He was blacksmith, and had taken a liking to the boy. "Can you feed the forge? I'm working on my next masterpiece, and I don't want to lose my inspiration!"

"Sure thing, Gramps," replied the blond. He shoveled some coals and fanned the flames. When he had run out of things he knew how to do, he had taken to learning, and Roy, the blacksmith, had taken him as a temporary apprentice. The old man wasn't terribly busy, but he rarely had more than a few hours of down time.

"Thanks, Naruto," the man laughed heartily. He hammered away at some white-hot metal, smiling the entire time. Naruto knew the man was thinking about retiring soon, but he seemed to love his work too much. "I can't wait to be done with this one."

"What are you making?" asked Naruto.

"You'll see in time, my boy." Roy looked up and saw the sun setting. "It's getting late, shouldn't you be walking Viola home soon?"

"Oh, right, thanks Gramps. I'll be back tomorrow morning!" he assured. The man waved as he left, and looked back down to his work. He just needed a few more pieces left to smith before he could start to assemble it together.

Naruto ran down the streets of the small town and made it just in time to see Viola walking out of the tavern.

"Over here!" he called out to her. Blue eyes met violet, and the two walked side by side. "So how was work?"

"It was fine," she smiled. "Everybody was a bit more rowdy than usual, but that happens every Friday. What about you? How's being an apprentice for Roy?"

"It's alright," he shrugged. "He's been working on something the entire day, but wouldn't tell me what it was. Aside from that, it's not too hard. You know, it's actually kind of weird, most old people I know talk about when they were younger, but Gramps just hammers away at metal all day."

"Well, Roy was a Huntsman, and a soldier," she replied. "He doesn't talk about those days because he was in the Great War."

"The Great War? What's that?" Viola looked at him strangely.

"Even a wanderer should know about the Great War," she said unsure. "It was about sixty years ago. The war began over a bunch of different reasons, and in the end, it was Vale and Vacuo who fought against Mantle and Mistral. I don't want to bore you with a history lesson, but Roy was a teenage soldier and is one of the few still alive from that time."

"I would have never guessed," he thought to himself.

"I wouldn't have either. Apparently a few years ago this town was attacked, and it was Roy who single-handedly held off the Grimm until a wandering woman passed by with some incredible power that wiped them all out. I thought it was just some tall tale, but everybody swears it happened."

"Really?" he asked, a bit amazed. He hadn't seen a Grimm before, but they sounded scary. "So what's for dinner tonight?"

"I managed to get some roast," she said, gesturing to her bag. "It's not much, but I brought more potatoes… I'm sorry, I know you must be tired of them."

"What, no, they're great!" he insisted. They weren't his favorite food, but it kept the hunger away. After the first night, Naruto had sworn to himself that he would never complain about food again, or at least not aloud. "Is there anything else you can use around the house?"

"No, you don't have to do anymore," she said. She felt as if she was taking advantage of the poor boy who had nothing.

"Nonsense!" he replied. "I love helping, and you haven't charged me for staying, so it's the least I can do. I insist!"

"You're a great kid," she smiled. "If you must know, I think one of my windows doesn't close right. It lets in a draft, and it gets really cold at night. It's not too bad now, but during the winter, I might wake up like a popsicle!" she joked. The two arrived, and sat down at her dinner table, which didn't shake anymore from uneven legs, courtesy of Naruto. Viola set the food on the table as Naruto grabbed some plates and utensils.

"What do you want to drink?" asked Naruto.

"Water is fine," she smiled. "Actually, it's Friday, and I have tomorrow off…" She got up and grabbed a bottle of wine that she had brought with her when she moved. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," answered Naruto. "Why?"

"Darn," she sighed, getting a strange look from Naruto. "It's just that my mother gave me this wine before I left home. She said that when I found a man worth keeping, to share a drink with him," she laughed. "Although I'm sure she had something else in mind when I left."

"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto, blushing a little.

"Calm down, Naruto, I'm not flirting with you, I'm ten years older than you!" she giggled. "You've been a huge help around here, and to some of the others too. Now, you might be too young for me, but I think you'll grow up to be a fine young man."

"R-really?" he asked, his flustered state gone. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you," she said, putting the bottle back. "Well, since you can't drink wine, how about we share some juice? It's almost the same."

"Sure," Naruto laughed. Viola grabbed two wine glasses, and poured grape juice into them, so it looked like wine.

"A toast," she said lifting her glass. "To a better tomorrow!"

"To a better tomorrow!" Naruto clinked his glass with hers, and the two took a sip.

"Isn't this nice?" she asked, sighing in content. "I didn't realize how lonely I've been until you arrived." She had already told him a little about her past. Viola came from a small village further away from Vale. She had planned to going there to secure a better job and send money home, but what she had only got her about half way, which is why she remained here.

"Me neither," he replied, thinking back to his time in the forest. He couldn't remember much before that, but still knew that he wasn't from this world. It didn't help that he would occasionally hear a deep voice deep inside his head, but he chose to ignore it.

"Well if you're ever in the area, you're more than welcomed to stay here," she said, remembering that he hadn't planned on staying.

"Actually, I kind of like it here," he said slowly. Viola looked up with a small smile.

"Does that mean you're thinking of staying?" she asked, trying to mask her hopefulness. She didn't want her selfishness to keep the young boy from living his life.

"Well I don't have anywhere to go," he replied. "I know nothing about this place, and even though a lot of the villagers here give me a hard time, it stopped bothering me a long time ago. Now that I'm making a bit of money, I was thinking I could get a place here, if there's anywhere available."

"Unless you want to live in one of those shanty towns," she replied offhandedly. "Oh, you know what, I do know of one place that is a little better off than that, but you'll have a housemate."

"Really?" asked Naruto, a bit excited. "Who?" Viola couldn't help but giggle again at the boy's obliviousness.

"Me," she said, beaming. "You can live here! You're a great friend, and you're super helpful."

"Do you mean that?" he asked, a bit in shock. He felt as if he was being a burden to the young woman, but it seems that she didn't think that way at all. Viola nodded, and let out a small sound of surprise when Naruto hugged her. "Thank you!"

"No need for that," she said, rubbing his back affectionately. She didn't expect to feel her shirt getting wet. "A-are you crying?"

"N-no!" he denied, keeping his face buried in her shoulder. Viola smiled, and shushed him comfortingly.

"It's ok," she soothed. "You've had it hard, I can tell. You can let it out if you want, I'm here for you." It was all it took for the floodgates to open, and Naruto began to cry more than he'd ever had. She took to stroking his hair, but he kept mumbling into her shoulder. "It'll be alright," she assured. The two remained like that for a long time, before Naruto's cries finally died out, and let go of the woman.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away as he wiped his face.

"It's alright, we all need to have a cry every once in a while," she assured him. "You've been bottling it up for a long time, haven't you?"

"I didn't know I was," he admitted. "It's just… I've never had somebody be so kind to me before… You knew nothing about me, and you fed me, gave me a place to sleep and found me some work… even when I felt like I was being a nuisance, you said I can stay with you…"

"Naruto…" she began, a bit concerned. "What have you gone through?"

"I'm just used to people having this hatred towards me everywhere I go," he admitted. "Ever since I could remember, adults would glare at me, pull their kids from becoming my friends, and try to hurt me… I've gotten used to that, so I didn't know how to react to how you're treating me now." Viola walked over to the shorter boy and gave him another hug.

"You poor soul," she said, holding back her own tears. "That's over now, alright? Nobody here is going to treat you like that anymore, or they'll have to go through me! You don't deserve any of that, especially with what a great person you still are."

"You don't have to do anything," he tried to insist. "I'll be fine."

"I can't do nothing, Naruto!" she said, looking the boy in the eyes. "You've gone through so much hatred you've become numb to it! Nobody should ever feel that way, and if those jerks in this village think it's ok to mistreat you, they got another thing coming! Look at me," she said, locking eyes with the boy. "Nobody is allowed to hurt you, ok? Never let anybody walk over you. There are good people in this world, and even if it's hard to find them sometimes, you have to keep looking."

"Th-thank you," he whispered. Viola nodded, and led him back to his seat.

"Now eat, a growing boy needs his nutrients," she said with a friendly authority. Naruto nodded happily, and ate, and unlike the first time he ate in front of her, savored his food. "You can fix the window tomorrow, alright? It's a warm night."

"Are you sure?" he asked, and the young woman nodded.

"I'm going to turn in early," she told him. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Right! Goodnight, Viola!" he said, feeling as if a thousand pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Viola closed the door behind her, and as soon as it did, sat against it. The truth was, the peek he gave her into his life had broken her heart. Even if she was wearing a strong mask now, it was physically painful to hold back tears right now. She grabbed a blanket from her bed, and began to cry into it. She didn't want Naruto to think she pitied him, but in all honestly, empathize wasn't strong enough of a word. Naruto had such a good heart, and to be tried and tested in such manners was cruel.

Several Weeks Later

"Morning, Gramps," greeted Naruto, walking to the blacksmith's shop. "What's on the to-do list for today?"

"Since we finished that huge influx of armor for our guards, I think today is going to be rather fun," grinned the old man. Naruto walked into the room, and saw Roy in front of a display case.

"What's in there?" he asked.

"It's a been my pet project," he replied, moving out of the way. Naruto was amazed at the weapon that was in the glass case. In the case was an elegant broad sword that looked to be made of some sort of volcanic glass, but Naruto knew better. Roy only worked with metal, but the shine on the black blade could not be compared to anything else. Down the center of the blade there was a nearly impossible to detect line that showed that the blade split down the middle for some purpose. The scabbard for the sword was displayed next to it. Both were primarily black, with gold trimmings.

"It's beautiful," complimented Naruto, stepping closer to see more details.

"I modeled it after the sword I gave to my son after I came back from the war," replied Roy, putting a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Listen boy, You've been asking me for stories about the Great War for nearly a week now, and I can recognize that look in anybody's eye. You're a warrior, aren't you?"

"Yea," replied Naruto, knowing that lying to the man was impossible.

"Then why hide it?" asked the man. "A warrior should be proud of his strength and use it to defend those who cannot defend themselves."

"Honestly, I didn't remember," answered the teen. "My memories were really fuzzy when I first got here, but I'm good now. I would join the guards, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let me in anyway."

"You aren't wrong," sighed the man. "The young men of this generation learned hate from their fathers, and their fathers before them. They don't know how to look past one's differences and accept everybody as a person, instead of something stupid like an extra set of ears, or a tail."

"I don't want to fight anymore," continued Naruto. "I've lived through enough battles that I don't want to think of anymore, and I really like it here… Is it awful of me to want to live a peaceful life?"

"Not at all my boy," laughed Roy. "It's quite admirable, really. Most kids your age want to become Huntsman or Huntresses to live an idealized life filled with adventure and glory, only to throw their lives away when they realize that that's not what being a Huntsman is about."

"It's about the protection of the people," replied Naruto. "That much is obvious."

"Yet very few know that coming into this profession," sighed Roy, before smiling at the teen again. "I've never seen an outsider come here and make such a big impact in such little time. Sure, a lot of the 'wealthy' people are mad, but they don't make the laws."

"Who does?"

"Those who live in Vale. They might not be able to enforce their laws so far away from the main city, but they do regularly send out teams of Huntsman to patrol. In fact, they should be here any day now." Naruto nodded, and went back to the sword. He didn't think of his home anymore, as it only made him miss the few friends he had. But now, he had a better life, and although it wasn't as eventful, he had never felt happier. His surrogate mother/older sister figure made sure he had everything he needed, and he would ensure that she was happy. The only trouble came when a guard or two got drunk, and tried to fight Naruto when he'd walk Viola home.

"I've never been one to use a sword," admitted Naruto. "But that makes me wish I did."

"If you want it, it's yours," offered Roy. He had been hoping that his apprentice would want it, given that he would be the only one in that village who would have a fraction of an idea of how much work went into it. Naruto looked at the large man in shock.

"You're giving it to me?" he asked. "Wh-why?"

"You have a good heart, Naruto. Even if you don't want to fight, I know you'd do anything to defend your friends, especially Viola. These fools that guard the city just take the job for the easy paycheck, the only time there was a Grimm attack, half of them cowered in fear. None of them are fit to wield this weapon."

"What makes you think I am? I've never swung a sword before."

"You're still young, you can learn." Roy looked over to the shop and saw somebody waiting to be tended to. "We'll talk about this another time, we've got a customer." Naruto nodded, and grabbed his tools and prepped the forge.

As the day began to come to a close, Roy decided to close up early. He shut the door, and walked in to the back room, where Naruto had finished putting his tools back.

"You want to take it for a test drive?" asked Roy, with a smirk on his face. "There still about another hour of sunlight, so if you decide quickly, you can surprise your wife with some rabbits."

"Viola isn't my wife!" Naruto insisted.

"When you're as old as I am, a decade isn't much of a difference. Now come on, grab the sword."

"How are we going to hunt rabbits with a sword?" asked Naruto, although he listened to the retired Huntsman.

"It's not just a sword," smirked Roy. As Naruto handed him the weapon, Roy activated some mechanism that began to transform the blade. Originally, Naruto assumed the sword would split into two thinner blade, however, he did not expect it to open up with a thin wire connecting the tips and forming a long bow. The guard on the sword seemed to line up perfectly with the opened form of the weapon, making the bow form of the weapon no less elegant than the sword form.

"How, what even, that's awesome!" shouted Naruto, as Roy handed him the weapon. He reached behind the display case, and took out the sheath, although it was now apparent that Roy had hidden the matching quiver. He must have done so to see Naruto's reaction. Roy laughed heartily as the two walked out of the shop.

Several Hours Later

Naruto and Roy had taken a bit longer than they anticipated, given that Roy had severely overestimated Naruto's ability to shoot. Instead of hunting the fleeing rabbits for him, Roy insisted that he hunt at least three before they headed back. Failure after failure, Naruto had ended up breaking and arrow, and throwing the arrowhead at a rabbit with surprising accuracy. Roy assumed it was a fluke, but Naruto confessed to be skilled with throwing knives, rather than bows and arrows.

"I'm telling you, once you get the rhythm of thing, you'll be shooting like a champ!" insisted Roy. "If you can do that with some broken arrowheads, you'll become an excellent marksman. You just need some practice."

"I don't know, I want to learn, but I'm ok with what I can do."

"Nonsense! There is always room for improvement, and to be quite honest, nobody has ever killed a Grimm by chucking a knife at it. If you really want to protect those close to you, you're going to have to use some heavier weapons."

"Is that why you made that sword?"

"Exactly!" the man admitted with no shame. Naruto almost tripped.

"Seriously? You made that for me, so I learn?"

"That's not the only reason, my boy," he answered a bit solemnly. "I'm getting old, Naruto. These last few weeks, I've been feeling my strength leaving…. You have a kind heart, my boy, and tenacity. I can see it in your eyes. My time is coming soon, and I don't want to leave the village without somebody competent to protect them. When you told me you were staying I felt my prayers were answered, and I knew it had to be you. So, if you would be kind enough to grant this selfish old man his final wish, please take this sword and use it to protect."

"Gramps… I…" Naruto was speechless.

"You don't have to answer now," he assured, "I've had weeks to think about this, you deserve the same courtesy. Even if you decline, I won't hold it against you."

Later that Night

"What's wrong Naruto?" asked Viola. "You seem troubled."

"It' nothing," he tried to wave off, but she was unconvinced. He hadn't even touched the rabbit he brought, which was a rare treat for either of them.

"If it was nothing, you'd be asking about my day," she tried to joke. "Or at least tell me about yours."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, "I just don't know what to do."

"Well, maybe I can help you," she offered. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm not sure where to begin," he answered honestly.

"Why don't you start off with what happened today? You weren't this upset this morning."

"Gramps made this sword, it's a piece of art, and he wants me to own it… but I've never swung a sword in my life…"

"I'm sure he'd understand if you told him that."

"You don't understand, it's not that I don't like fighting, in fact, it's one of the few things I'm good at. I've just never really had a weapon before."

"You like fighting?" she asked incredulously. "I've only ever seen you do odd jobs and water plants. I would never suspect you were training to be a Huntsman."

"I'm not…" Viola furrowed her brows in confusion. "Look, when I found this village, it's not because I had somewhere to go… I just woke up in the forest. I had no idea where I was, and I spent weeks trying to find civilization."

"You spent weeks outside the walls wandering around?" she gasped. "But the nearest village is only a week away!"

"I didn't come from another village," he stressed. He didn't want to outright say it, but it was becoming harder to conceal the truth. "Viola… if I told you something insane, would you believe me?"

"How insane?"

"I'm not sure I believe it myself," he admitted. "If it wasn't for certain things, I'd think I was crazy…" Viola felt her heart hurt at the boy's fear. It seems that despite the night she thought he poured his heart out to her, he still had a few secrets.

"Naruto, you've been nothing but good to me, anything you say, I'll try my best to understand. I want to believe you, because I don't see how a kind boy like you could make up something so outrageous."

"I… I used to be a mercenary for hire," he said after a long pause. It wasn't exactly a lie but he felt dimension hopping ninjas was something he couldn't explain. "I had a team who would go out on missions to protect clients from assassins and things of that nature. I'm not some kid who's done odd jobs his entire life, I'm trained to kill… and Roy figured it out."

"Y-you're a hitman?" she asked fearfully. Naruto physically flinched at her tone, which Viola immediately regretted.

"I've never actually killed anybody myself, but I have seen it," he hastily tried to explain, hoping he didn't just ruin the first meaningful relationship he formed in Remnant. "I was trained since I was a kid, and somehow I found myself in the forest around here and I just wandered trying to find food. I wanted to leave that life behind after… this. I've never had somebody in my life like you…"

"Oh, Naruto…" whispered Viola. Even after all he said, all she saw was a boy who grew up in a broken home. The other night wasn't a ruse to get close to her, it was genuinely the first time he's had somebody care for him. Her instincts to comfort the boy completely overpowered the brief doubt she had. "I don't know what you have or haven't done in your past, but I don't care. I'll be honest, you frightened me a little bit when you started saying those things, but you're my friend now, Naruto. I feel ridiculous, because even if you did see these sort of things, Huntsman are celebrated and they've done similar things."

"You're willing to compare me to people like Roy?" asked Naruto, wide-eyed.

"It must have been the reason he offered that sword to you, right?" she asked. "He is a good man, and I'm sure he sees something in you that you might not. I won't tell you what to do, but I'll support you whichever path you take." Naruto smiled in disbelief. The feeling of joy she just made him feel was all he needed to make his decision.

The Next Day

"Good morning, my boy!" greeted Roy with a hearty laugh. He saw the look of determination on the blond's face and knew he had come to a decision. "So, what have you decided?"

"I'll be honored to accept this sword," he replied. Roy raised an eyebrow.

"So, what convinced you?"

"When you gave me the option, I was overwhelmed… but I now realize that there is only one thing I want more than living a peaceful life."

"Oh?" laughed Roy, "and what would that be?"

"The ability to protect that life," he replied with determination. Roy smiled at the young teen, and handed him the sword.

"I'm glad your reasons are so noble," the man said fondly. "You'll grow up to be a fine young man. Now, come. I'll show you the basics. We're closed for today." Naruto smiled, and followed the old warrior to the large opening out back. There, he had two wooden swords and handed one to Naruto. "Now, try to hit me."

One Year After Arrival

Naruto fell to the ground, as his wooden sword flew out of his hand. The sun was setting, and Roy laughed as he helped the boy up.

"You've improved immensely," the ancient man boomed. Naruto smiled at him, as he wiped the dirt off his face.

"I still haven't been able to hit you," he shrugged.

"My boy, none of the guards here can hit me, and they've been trained for decades. You've gotten closer than any of them, so don't feel too bad. How's your archery?" Naruto walked over to shop and came out with a practice bow. Roy reached into his pocket and tossed eight pebbles in the air, which Naruto was able to shoot out of the sky before they began to fall back down. "You are a fine student."

"I wouldn't be anything without my mentor," bowed Naruto. The two of them have grown close over the last year, much to the anger of the villagers. Roy had gotten older, and due to the strain of sparring with Naruto three times a day, he often fell behind on his orders. Unfortunately for them, nobody was willing to complain to the man, knowing he didn't take kindly to those who had mistreated Naruto in the past.

"Well, I have nothing left to teach you, all you need now is actual battlefield experience, which I hope you'll never have to go through."

"Come on, Gramps, I've dealt with life and death fights since I was twelve," he reminded. At some point during their training, Roy grew concerned that Naruto never awaked his Aura, so the boy had to come clean. To say the old soldier was surprised would be an understatement. Naruto had nearly given the poor old man a heart attack; especially when he demonstrated his techniques out in the forest.

"From what you've told me about those times, you had a team to fall back on… out here you're alone. It is easy to become overrun by the sheer numbers of Grimm, never forget that."

"I know," he sighed. "Well, I got to get going, Gramps, Viola said she wanted me home early today." Roy grinned as he waved off the blond student. Once he was out of sight, he let out a series of coughs he had been trying to will away. Looking at his hands, they were covered in blood. Wiping it on his apron, he ignored it and walked back into his shop. Apparently there were a handful of angry customers, to which he sighed. It seems that no matter how much good he tried to do, the old man was destined to make some people angry.

Naruto knew that Viola had taken the day off of work, which was surprising to him, since he couldn't remember the last time she did. As he approached their home, which looked leagues better than then when he fixed the roof, he couldn't help but smile. Before he made it to the door, Viola came rushing out, and tackled him to the ground.

"You're home!" she said happily. "Come on in, I have something to show you!" Naruto laughed as the woman led him in, and a delicious scent assaulted his nose. It smelled sweet.

"What is all this?" he asked, seeing a small round cake on the dinner table.

"Today will mark a year that we've been living together!" she smiled, hugging him from behind. The two had become nearly inseparable. "I know it's not much, but I couldn't think of anything else to do aside from this."

"I love it!" he grinned. Viola smiled, and brought out the two wine glasses they only used on special occasions.

"Does today feel like a grape juice kind of day?" she asked with a wide grin.

"Definitely," he smiled. She poured two glasses, and they sipped on it, savoring the sweet taste.

"When you're of age, we're going to drink that entire bottle," she laughed, pointing to her mother's wine. "I can't wait until then."

"Me neither," he agreed. He looked at his cake, and smiled wider. "So what flavor is it?"

"It's a secret!" she sang. "I'm sure if you smell it, you'll figure it out." Naruto took a sniff, but all he smelled was the frosting.

"I just got vanilla," he replied.

"Nope, try harder!" He got closer and began to take a deep whiff, before he felt her smash his face into the cake. "Surprise! It's chocolate!" Naruto lifted his head, frosting covering it entirely, but he couldn't help but laugh.

"Wow, I can't believe you'd let cake go to waste like that," he chided playfully. It was normally her reprimanding him.

"I didn't," she laughed, as she scooped some frosting off his face and licked it. "See, it's still good."

"Then have some!" he declared, grabbing the cake off the table and splattering it on her face.

"How could you!" she asked, unable to hold her laugh. "I spent all day making this, and you just, just-"

"Nuh uh," he said, repeating her actions, and eating some bits off her face. "Still good see?" The two just shared a laugh as they cleaned their faces off. "I can't believe you wanted me home early to shove my face in some cake."

"That's not the only reason," she teased lightheartedly. She took out a small box and handed it to him. "I had Roy make it while you were doing your drills," she admitted. "I hope you like it." Naruto uncovered the box, and uncovered a small pendant that had the leaf shape symbol that his forehead protector bore. "I put a picture of us in it, so you can look at it while I'm at work, since I know you miss me," she teased. Naruto couldn't contain himself, and hugged the girl and spun her around.

"You're the greatest ever!" he said happily. "It's going to be so hard to top this." Normally Viola would tell him it was fine, that the gift wasn't a big deal, but over the time they have gotten to know each other, gifts had become something of a competition. It started off when Viola had asked when his birthday was, and gotten him a new headband for his forehead protector. Naruto responded by saving up his wages to paint their home a soft blue color that he knew was her favorite. To say she was blown away was an understatement, so over time, they stepped their gift-giving games up.

"Good luck," she laughed. "I spent weeks thinking of what to get you! In fact, I had to ask Roy and Opal for their opinions." Naruto opened his mouth to talk, but there the ground began to shake violently. Instinctively, Naruto dived toward Viola, and held her steady.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and the girl nodded, a bit dazed. "Lock the doors and get under something."

"Where are you going?" she asked, confused by his orders.

"I have a bad feeling… I'm going to check it out." He saw the look on her face, and softened his expression. "I'll be back in a bit, alright? Don't worry, it's probably nothing." She nodded, knowing that he wouldn't change his mind. The boy was nice, but stubborn as hell.

Naruto walked towards the center of the town as several more quakes shook him, but he noticed they came at regular patterns. Almost like footsteps. Falling into a sprint, he headed towards Roy's to see him outside his shop in his heavy armor and two-handed great-sword.

"What's going on?" asked Naruto, confused. It seems that everybody had rushed inside their homes, and only Roy, Naruto and half a dozen guards awaited what was to come.

"Grimm," said Roy seriously. "Big ones."

"Ursa big, or deathstalker big?" asked Naruto, drawing his sword.

"Bigger." Naruto's stomach dropped. "Goliaths." As if on cue, gate was crushed by a massive elephant-like Grimm, who trumpeted loudly, as many smaller Grimm poured through the hole. The guards were frozen in fear, but Roy sprang into action, with Naruto on his tail. With a mighty swing, Roy took out a row of Boarbatusk. Naruto followed suit, and with his smaller sword, began to pick off some of the slower Grimm like Ursai and Creeps. After a few moments, the guards joined in on the fray, attempting to take on the Beowolves.

"NO YOU FOOLS!" shouted Roy, as two of them got too close to the Goliath. With a swing flick of its nose, it sent them over the wall, where their dying screams could be heard.

"Damnit," cursed Naruto, as he blocked a bite from an Ursa, and kicked away Creep. Roy had taken him hunting Grimm a handful of times, significantly far away from the village to ensure it wasn't endangered, but they have never run into a Goliath before. "How do we take down the big one?" he asked Roy.

"We get lucky," he answered solemnly. He ran into the thick of the battle with a battle-cry, and began to mow down the lesser Grimm, as he got closer to the Goliath. Naruto quickly followed, watching his blind spots and even blocking a few strikes from the Beowolves, who out sped the old man. His glory days were long over, and his body could no longer keep up with his spirit, but he refused to back down. Trying to summon as much Aura out, Roy began to glow white, and roared. "Naruto, when you see the opportunity, strike." With no further instructions, the glowing man ran forward and began to disintegrate the Grimm that got too close. Once within range of the Goliath, he slashed at its feet, bringing the beast down to its knees. Naruto immediately ran through the now clear path, and ran up the trunk of the Grimm, and stabbed it in the eye, before jumping as high as he could, and thrust his sword into the skull of the Goliath. Slowly but surely, the Goliath stopped moving.

"The big one's down!" he shouted to the remaining combatants. To his horror, a second trumpet sounded, then a third. "Oh no…" he whispered. From where the first Goliath had come from, no less than twenty were headed straight for them. "Roy! There's more! ROY!" He looked down, and saw the man was no longer glowing, and had chunks of flesh missing from where his armor had begun to fall apart.

"I'm not going to make it," grunted the man with a wistful smile. "Naruto, you have much to live for, remember why you wield that weapon!" The old man stood straight, and smiled, despite all the blood he was losing. "COME GET ME YOU MINDLESS MONSTERS! CAN'T BEAT AN OLD MAN WHO ALREADY HAS A FOOT IN THE GRAVE?!" he boomed, getting the attention from the Grimm who had ran into the village. Most of them had turned back and charged at the dying man. "I refuse to die of old age," he muttered under his breath, lifting his sword once more, and shouting at the beasts once more. "AN ARC NEVER GOES DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT! NOW GRANT ME A WARRIOR'S DEATH!"

Naruto ran into the village, not looking back. He knew exactly what Roy was doing, and it hurt to leave him to die. As much as he wished to help everybody, he had to ensure that Viola was alright first. Was it selfish of him? Yes. Did he give a damn? Not at the moment. Weaving through the streets, he channeled as much chakra into his legs as he could, determined to find her.

He was too late.

When the house was within sight, the doors had been smashed through, and the windows were shattered. Dread filling him, he walked in, his voice wavering as he called out for his friend.

"Viola?" Trembling, he made his way through the now ravaged home. Her bedroom door was ajar, and he could smell a strong metallic scent coming from it. Steeling his nerves, he pushed the door open, and felt his heart shatter. She had been tore apart in the most literal sense. He saw her arm dangling by her window sill, and her lower body was lying somewhere off to the side. Naruto wanted to turn tail and leave, but his body walked in further on its own. Walking over to her bed, the other side revealed the rest of her mangled body, her face still frozen in a horrified expression. "I… I'm sorry," he whispered, closing her eyes. A pointless gesture, but he couldn't bear to look at her dull eyes. Somehow, that haunted him the most. Naruto walked out of the bedroom, and was greeted by a pack of Beowolves slowly walking through the doorway into his home. That last thing he remembered was three of them howling as they prepared to pounce on him.

A/N

Alright, where to begin.

So, if anybody missed it, Naruto arrived in Remnant twenty years before the events of RWBY Volume One: Chapter One. Obviously, he won't meet a lot of the characters we know and love because Naruto will not be attending Beacon.

BTW, Roy was eighty-seven, and he fought in the Great War when he was seventeen until it ended, ten years later.

I didn't want to write a prologue chapter, so I used some time skips and rushed some relationships, but this won't happen in the main part of the story. This chapter served several purposes, which include introducing Naruto to Remnant, setting up the premise, and a few other things you'll have to read on to find out. I'm not sure whether I'm going to make this a giant length story, or go on with my original plan, and break it into a trilogy, so let me know what you guys think would be better, and why so I can consider it.

Concerning my update schedule. As some of my readers may know, Team Monochrome is updated about once a week, although I did mess up and ended up updated a few days late last week. This will not be the case for this story. The Fox Who Tried will be updated, and this is a rough estimate, as the holidays are coming to an end, about once a month. There will not be a set date, so you might receive two updates within the span of a week, or you'd might have to wait up to seven weeks. Again, I'm going to see how things work out, and let you all know accordingly, but for now, that's the plan. Thank you for checking out this new project of mine, and I hope it is something you haven't read before.

~LVR6