Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Grimm.

A/N: So I haven't felt much like writing lately so I thought a short story would maybe spark some ideas. Enjoy!

The chiming of a door chime pulled Rosalie's attention from the ingredient list she had been reviewing for one of her regular customers.

"Hello," she greeted with a friendly voice and a kind smile. Most of the wesen that frequented her shop were regulars. The non-wesen were usually just curious or looking from something to spice up their lives in one way or another.

"Good afternoon," returned the voice of a young man, probably in his early twenties.

However, Rosalie could stop herself from freezing on the spot at the sound of the voice. It was power and authority and it commanded her attention, maybe even fealty. So when she became aware of herself again she was fully wogued and kneeling.

"Rise child," ordered the young man, a kind smile on his face, and his blue eyes shining.

As if the spell was broken, Rosalie stood though felt completely on edge. "How . . . I don't-"

"Worry not, I mean no harm to you or your mate," he tried to re-assure her.

"What can I help you with?" She finally asked, mentally fortifying herself.

"I seek the local Grimm, I have heard whispers you are . . . friends with him, yes?"

"Why do you want him?"

"I assure you, it is not to bring him harm. I need . . . no, require his assistance."

Rosalie finally felt confident enough to fully observe the young man. He appeared to be in his twenties, his hair was bright blond and spiky almost unnaturally so. His blue eyes shined with a depth of power that she could not fathom or understand. Odd though, he was definitely not wogued but he had three thin lines on each of his cheeks.

"If I call him, what should I tell him?"

"Tell him what you wish, I would seek only to speak with him," the man answered.

"And your name?"

"Hmm, name . . . I know my name but it has been so long since I used it, it alludes me at present but I will remember . . . probably . . . maybe . . . what was it again? Ramen, no . . . Udon, no definitely not. Ah, Naruto, yes, that was my name. You may call me Naruto."

"Last name?"

"Hmm . . . I think so," the now identified Naruto said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Let me think about it. I will do what I can to remember, just let me reflect for a few minutes."

"Right, you do that and I will make a few calls," said Rosalie, the young man now sounding very old, ancient even.

"Monroe, get up here," hissed Rosalie rather loudly down the spice shop stairs, a poor effort to disguise her worry over the current situation. Her husband was thankfully in the shop today or she may have simply abandoned the shop entirely. Something about this man spooked her to her absolute core, and the most worrisome part is that it wasn't fear but light and hope and love and the rational part of her mind was fighting it as hard as it could.

"What is it?" he called back, hearing the worry in his wife's voice.

"Get up here, now, someone is in the shop and . . . I don't know, just get up here," she hissed urgently.

Monroe bounded up the steps with worry. And much like Rosalie as soon as he laid eyes upon the young man he wogued and dropped to a knee.

Rosalie nudged him slightly, then slightly harder snapping him out of whatever trance the man put him in.

"What was that?" asked Monroe, Naruto not even taking notice of his arrival.

"Same thing happened to me, do you think he's a royal?"

"I don't know, but we've met royals before and never done that on instinct before," she replied, slightly glad to know she wasn't the only one.

"We need to get Nick here, like now," whispered Monroe.

"I know but . . . that's what he wants. He came here saying he wants to speak with the Grimm. He, and I quote, 'heard whispers you are . . . friends with him'. I don't know about you but . . . it makes me a bit worried."

"Uzumaki!" he shouted, coming out of his mumbling or thinking. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, ha, I told you I would remember."

"Okay, so Naruto Uzumaki, that sounds Japanese to me," said Monroe.

"Japan . . . hmm, never heard of it," Naruto responded, thinking about the word for a moment.

"Right, I think I'm gonna call Nick now," said Monroe, taking out his cell phone and pushing a few buttons.

"Is that a cell phone? My word, the advances in technology really are something."

The comment got pair of odd looks towards him before Monroe and Rosalie shared a look and a silent conversation before Monroe resumed dialing.

"Would you like some tea?" offered Rosalie.

"Hmm, mmm, that sounds splendid. I would very much enjoy a cup of your finest, thank you," replied Naruto.

"Hello, Nick, it's Monroe, can you come to the spice shop?" said Monroe in the background. "Urgent? Um maybe? I'm honestly not really sure how to classify this." His explanation left a lot to be desired but not exactly his worst ever. "Great, see you soon."

"So Nick is on his way, I guess he needs our help with something also," said Monroe, walking in from the other room in the shop.

"Nick?" asked Naruto.

"The Grimm," replied Rosalie.

"Wonderful, I hope this one can succeed."

"This one?" asked Monroe and Rosalie in one voice.

"Yes," said Naruto, smiling brightly at the pair.

"Succeed at what?" they once again asked in one voice.

"That is for the Grimm," said Naruto, his smile never leaving his face.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," whispered Monroe, his wife nodding just slightly to show her agreement.

Any further discussion was forestalled by the jingle of the bell signifying the arrival of either a customer or friend.

"We should go see who that is," said Rosalie.

"Can we leave . . . him here?" asked Monroe, looking at the young man who was now perfectly happy to study the spices lining the walls.

"I think he's fine," said Rosalie, deciding for the both of them that it was probably best to just leave him be for the time being.

Monroe had little choice but to shrug and follow his wife to greet whoever just entered the shop, with a little luck it would be Nick.

"Juliette," said Rosalie, all too happy to greet a friend. Unfortunately that happiness was quick to shift to worry upon seeing the way her friend was fidgeting and looking around panicked like.

"Hey, what wrong?" asked Monroe bluntly. He knew his wife would dance around the subject if he didn't ask directly. "You sick?"

Juliette looked unsure of how to answer that question before finally answering. "It's the side effects of me becoming Adeline and sleeping with Nick."

"What side effects? What are you talking about?" asked Monroe, a sinking feeling in his stomach bubbling up from his ancient Blutbad instincts screaming at him to be weary.

"Juliette, talk to us," Rosalie insisted, worry evident in her voice.

"I'm . . . I'm losing myself, I need help," she stated, nearly in tears.

Rosalie was about to ask more when the shop door opened again, this time with Nick and Hank entering.

Juliette turned to see Nick and in an instant her fear and worry seemed to magnify.

"Juliette," said Nick, clearly surprised to see her.

"I didn't know you were coming," she replied.

"You told them?" he asked or was it accused.

"No I didn't," she defended herself, the fear and worry giving way to anger. She seemed to study Nick and even Hank for a moment as her anger grew. "You told Hank?"

"Well yeah, he's my partner," Nick weakly defended his decision. Hank was his best friend and his partner, he needed to talk to someone about everything going on in his life.

Now filled with righteous anger Juliette responded waspishly, "So what do you think, Hank?"

Hank though wisely tried to wave off the situation, wordlessly saying 'keep me out of this'.

"What is going on?" demanded Monroe.

"My god, did you guys break up?" asked Rosalie.

"In a way," retorted Juliette, her previous worry long forgotten.

"Why?" asked Monroe, completely befuddled.

"Can somebody just tell us what's happening right now?" requested Rosalie. She was confused about the underlying conversation taking place right in front of her. Add to that the mystery wesen currently waiting on Nick for god knows what reason.

"Tell them," said Nick, his frustration was clear on his face. "If you don't, I will."

Juliette was not clearly pissed off by the ultimatum made a decision that she may never be able to recover from. "Alright, hold on to your hats," she warned, then she wogued and completely threw the room into discomfort.

Rosalie and Monroe but jumped back in shock and surprise.

"It's the new me," she said before releasing her Hexenbiest wogue. "There, it's done, are you happy?" The sadness was clear in her voice at what she had just done to her friends, knowing there was a better way to handle the situation.

"There's gotta be something we can do," started Rosalie, ever trying to be the optimist.

"You always say that, this time you're wrong, there is nothing anybody can do."

"When did this happen?" asked Monroe, still trying to wrap his head around this latest reveal.

"Sometime after we did what we did," answered Nick, the 'what we did' being restoring his powers as a Grimm.

"I made a mistake in coming here, I don't know what I was thinking. You all had a hand in this," Juliette's voice started to choke up a bit, her anger fading and filling with sadness once again.

"This is my fault, not theirs. Don't blame them." Nick tried to protect his friends.

"There's enough blame to go around," Juliette said, turning to leave the shop and her friends, probably forever. Or at least she would have if not for the man blocking her path. "I suggest you move out of my way."

"Calm yourself child," Naruto said peacefully, raising a single hand a waving it placating.

And then, just as with Rosalie and Monroe, Juliette was forcefully wogued into her Hexenbiest form before she started to drop to a knee. And yet, she caught herself or rather the spirit inhabiting her did. Juliette suddenly sprang back away from the man putting herself defensively into a corner of the shop, hissing angrily, no reason at all to it. Just fear and rage at seeing this man, this being.

"My, that is a powerful spirit you have there. And most unruly at that," said Naruto, ignoring the gun Nick and Hank but had now pointed at him.

Naruto merely snapped his fingers on his left hand and both guns melted apart splashing on the ground formlessly, shocking all of the occupants. "Che, I hope this doesn't interfere with my plans but I fear if I do not take care of you now you will only cause more problems later."

Naruto raised his right hand this time, his palm open and aimed at Juliette. "Bansho Ten'in," stated Naruto, his eyes flashing purple for a moment just before Juliette was lifted from where she stood and drawn straight to him, his right hand taking hold of her.

Juliette had no control over herself. Ever since she wogued her body wouldn't respond, instead running purely on instinct. She was terrified of this man and she had no idea why that was so. Even as he held her in a vise like grip, she wanted desperately to escape, but all of her newfound power completely eluded her.

"Kyukon no Jutsu," said Naruto, his left hand closing as if grabbing hold of something and pulling it back, a green ethereal spirit came with it, the biest thrashed and wailed but the man was unaffected. Once clear of Juliette's body, the woman dropped to the ground, unmoving, dead.

Naruto frowned seeing the young woman die having the spirit removed from her. "You are really dug into this one. I suppose I have no choice then. Tell me, how did she become this way?"

"What have you done to her?" screamed Nick, his voice finally working again.

"I removed the Hexenbiest spirit, but I've never seen one so entwined with its host as this one is," answered Naruto.

"Another Hexenbiest took my powers after she became Juliette and slept with me."

"And you didn't notice?" asked Naruto surprised. "Never mind, that doesn't matter. What happened next?"

"Another Hexenbiest came and helped me recover my powers, but to do it, Juliette had to become the one that took my powers and repeat the process. This was a side effect."

"Honestly, those fucking royals . . ." growled Naruto. "I suppose I have no choice then."

Naruto took a deep breath before he wogued, nine massive tails formed behind him, to longish ears formed above his head, a mix between a rabbit and fox, the thin whisker lines on his cheeks thickened and elongated further and last were his eyes they remained blue but had a feral look to them now. He raised his right hand which began to glow bright white. "Kiyomeru no Jutsu," he said as he jabbed his fingers into the biest spirit, the white energy injecting into the spirit.

The others could only watch in awe as the spirit wailed in protest as the energy spread through it, the decay filled in with youth and life until the putrid, aged spirit was replace by a youthful white spirit that appear serene and at peace with itself.

Naruto smiled before guiding the spirit back into Juliette's body. And just like that, as soon as the spirit was returned Juliette resumed breathing again before she sat up suddenly gasping.

"Oh god, oh god, what . . . what was that?"

Naruto breathed out heavily before his wogue faded and he fell to the floor, gasping for breath, sweating profusely, his hold on the others completely relinquished.

The four immediately rushed to Juliette, unsure of what happened.

"Don't mind me, I'm fine," grumbled Naruto, not really concerned that they were more worried for their friend than for his welfare, understandably so.

While his words were ignored it did serve to snap Nick out of his fretting over Juliette. He rushed Naruto, picking him up by his shirt and slamming him into the wall.

"Be careful, I'm fragile after that," pouted Naruto, though the worry in his voice was genuine.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

"That is a very long story," answered Naruto.

"Nick, don't," said Juliette, become more aware. "He . . . he saved me."

Nick let Naruto go, the man dropping to floor once again. Nick went straight to Juliette's side. "What do you mean? How did he save you? What was that?"

"I don't know everything, but he purified her, no that's the wrong word for it. He restored her," explained Juliette clumsily.

"Her? Her who?"

"He called that spirit a biest and that was what she became after centuries of torture and hate. The things done to her twisted her, turned her into that biest and believe me that is the best description for what she was," explained Juliette.

"How do you know this?" asked Rosalie, not understanding everything.

"She's telling me," she answered.

"Telling you? Um, that doesn't sound good to me," worried Monroe.

"It's okay, I promise," said Juliette. "What you know to be Hexenbiest weren't always . . . evil . . . or not good I guess. Once, they were known as Hexenweiss."

"My grandmother told me legend of the Hexenweiss but I never thought . . . are you sure?" asked Rosalie.

Juliette kind of smiled before she wogued. No longer decaying she was looked ethereal, her skin was almost translucent and seemed to have a bit of a glow to it.

"Angels," said Hank. "She looks like an angel."

"You can see her?"

"I wanted him to," said Juliette. "The biblical Angels were all Hexenweiss, and then . . . the royals got involved." Her visage turned a little furious just at the mention or thought of them.

"Okay, so you're an angel, great. But that doesn't explained how he 'restored' you." Monroe couldn't help pointing it out, air quotes included.

"He's-"

"Shh," Naruto hushed her. "That doesn't matter right now. My time is short and growing shorter by the minute. I have risked much to restore you. And I have still not spoken with the Grimm."

"What can I do?" asked Juliette.

"Food, it will give me a little more time, I can only hope it will be enough."

"Rosalie, can you go get food? A lot of it, I'll pay you back but this is important. Especially after everything he just risked," requested Juliette.

"Okay, but don't start explaining anything until I get back. Monroe and I are just going to run to the corner burger shop."

"We are?" asked Monroe confused until he got a look from Rosalie. "Right, we are."

"Juliette, are you sure you're okay?" asked Nick, trying to pull her attention from Naruto.

"I'm sure," she answered. "All the rage, the anger that I've been feeling since the first time I wogued is gone. I feel free, at peace even. I swear, it feels so much better. I guess, now you need to decide if you can be with me as I am now. This can't be undone but I'm also not a Hexenbiest."

"I'm not sure, when I saw you this time. It was different but I . . . I mean you can see my eyes right."

"I can, I did, but I'm not afraid of those eyes because I know I have nothing to fear anymore. The Grimm can never harm a Hexenweiss."

"What do you mean?"

"Hexenweiss they are meant to keep balance with the Grimm," explained Naruto, weakly. "For every Grimm there is a Hexenweiss, or there was. It is also why you feel an uncontrollable hatred for Hexenbiest, instead of keeping you in balance they were turned into your most hated enemy. But now, now you will feel an even stronger draw toward her. You were in love before right? Well now . . . now you will know a depth of love for each other you can't even fathom. So brace yourselves, things are going to get very interesting."

Nick and Juliette shared a look that promised they would talk more about it later.

"So what are you?" asked Nick. "I've never seen anything like that before. I don't think I've even heard mention of you in the books."

"What I am is very old and something both the Royals and the wesen council have worked very hard to make sure has been long forgotten," answered Naruto.

"You said you don't have much time, what did you mean?"

"All will be explained, but first I smell food," said Naruto just as the door opened.

"I hope burgers will due," said Rosalie, setting down a few sacks of food which Monroe mimicked a moment later but twice as many bags.

"Anything will work," said Naruto, perking up slightly and tearing into the first bag of food.

So the five friends sat and watched in morbid fascination as the man devoured the food, all of the food.

"Ah, that was so good," sighed Naruto, patted his full belly.

"So, you've been fed now. You seem to be in higher spirits. Can we talk now?" asked Nick.

"Yes, as I said before, time is short. So, you are a Grimm. And for the first time in many, many years you are a Grimm that looks at a wesen and does not assume the worst. You have learned firsthand that not all wesen are murderous evil bastards just as not all non-wesen are murderous evil bastards. You have a sense of justice."

"What's your point?" asked Monroe, blunt as always.

"I have a mission for you, a quest if you will," said Naruto. "In the world there are nine keys, each one unique and each one holding a piece of a map. This map will lead you to a vault that requires all nine keys to open. I want you to find these keys, open that vault, uncover the truth."

Nick obviously knew of the keys based on how pale he turned at the very mention of them, but that this man would charge him to find them all. It was unbelievable.

"I know, an impossible task but I shall help you, I have a few gifts for you," explained Naruto. He reached into his pocket to grab something. On the table in front of them he set down two keys, similar to those Nick already had, one reddish-purple and the other black as night."

"If you found two already then why not get them yourself?" asked Nick.

"I told you, my time is short. It won't be long before the council catches wind of me and then I will be destroyed and the keys put somewhere they really shouldn't be," explained Naruto.

"Yeah, like with the Royals. They would destroy them if they could," Juliette chimed in.

"There is that too," said Naruto. "My second gift," this time Naruto set a scroll on the table. "Be careful with that, it's very old and you won't find another like it."

Nick picked it up curiously and tried to open it but the seal wouldn't budge.

"Not yet, be patient, you need a key to open that," explained Naruto.

"Key?"

"That's my next gift." Then with a sudden move Naruto jabbed his thumbs into Nick's eyes causing the man to scream in pain. "Sorry for the pain, it will be over in a minute."

Naruto finally removed his thumbs letting Nick free, a sheen of sweat returned to his forehead.

Meanwhile, Nick was holding his face and blinking rapidly trying to adjust to whatever was just done to him.

"What did you do?" demanded Rosalie and Juliette simultaneously.

"A gift, I have just one more for him, well maybe two," answered Naruto, clearly appearing weakened again.

Finally Nick calmed down as the pain faded and his sight returned to normal. "What did you do to me?" he demanded.

"Please wogue," Naruto requested of Monroe.

"Why should I wogue?"

"Please, just do it," snapped Naruto, knowing his time was running short.

Monroe frowned but did as he was asked.

"Now, look at Nick's eyes, what do you see?"

"Their white? Why are they white?"

"White?" asked Nick.

"Good, it worked. In the past, you have had to enrage or scare wesen into woguing against their will. Now, that is no longer necessary. When they do wogue they will see the white eyes, it will cause confusion. But you also have the ability now to see them without a wogue or them knowing."

"How do I do that?" asked Nick.

"It's all about energy, your energy specifically," answered Naruto.

"Energy?"

Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed a little energy into him. "Do you feel that?"

"What is that?"

"Long ago it was called Chakra. It is the balance physical energy gained through training and exercise and spiritual energy gained through experience and knowledge. It is an energy that exists within all living things but very few ever gain control over. I have given you a bit of help to start you on the path of gaining control. Now, that energy starts in your gut. That is where you will feel it first."

"So what, I just feel for it?"

"Exactly. Feel for that energy and try to move it within your body, specifically to your eyes. It should be almost instantaneous. Once you do, your Byakugan will be a tool that you can use as you see fit."

It took a minute but Nick did feel the energy. Then it took a few minutes more to move that energy to his eyes. Once he did, it was like the entire world lit up. He could see everything around him, even the wogue form of Juliette, Monroe and Rosalie not mention he could see through everything. When the information overload got to be too much he lost control and the vision faded.

"What was that?"

"One more gift. You need a way to find the keys. Your hand?" requested Naruto, holding out one his own.

Nick decided it was time to trust this man and took his hand. There was a slight burning sensation but it faded quickly. When Nick looked down at his hand there was a now a compass tattooed on his hand with nine different colored dots.

"This will lead you if you follow it," said a very weak Naruto. He looked paler than before, sounded weaker too.

"What's happening? What is happening to you?" asked Monroe.

"I said time was short," Naruto said with a little chuckle. "But I did it. I completed my mission. Now, I just need to have faith that you'll complete yours."

"You're dieing?" asked Nick.

"Not exactly, just fading," said Naruto. And just like that he disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

"What the? Where'd he go?" asked Monroe.

"I think he was a ghost," said Nick.

"No, a shadow," corrected Juliette. "I shadow of what he used to be."

"And what did he used to be?" asked Monroe.

"He was the wesen god," she answered honestly.

"Wesen god?" asked everyone in one loud shocked voice.

"He created the wesen, and when his creations grew dangerous and out of control, he created the Grimm to police them and when the Grimm became too full of themselves to the point of tyranny he created the Hexenweiss to keep them in balance," explained Juliette.

"So what happened to the Hexenweiss?" asked Rosalie.

"Those who call themselves Royals. They may have been his descendants but they thought themselves above the Grimm and the laws he set forth. They betrayed him, they betrayed us all." She explained, her face, angry and hurt as her spirit communicated the tale to her.

"It was the time of the pharaohs. Egypt was the center of the world them with Rome just a twinkle in their eye. The pharaoh of the time was King Seti I, he was angry and frustrated that the laws set down by his ancestor was preventing him from ruling as he saw fit. You know the story of Moses, how his mother saved him by sending him down river to prevent him from being killed. The slaughter of the Jewish children was a cover, the pharaoh also slaughtered the children of known Grimm families. Entire generations were wiped out. The Hexenweiss children were taken due to their reincarnating. Those spirits were tormented for centuries until they became something so twisted that they no longer recognized themselves. The torment was . . . to have survived is . . . was . . . I have no words for it."

"I think they skipped that lessen at Sunday school," Hank chimed in.

"But he's really a god?" asked Monroe, still trying to wrap his head around the idea.

"I'm not really sure," answered Juliette. "He did create the first wesen, that I know for sure. But as to what he is exactly, I can't really be sure."

"So, Grandpa Naruto gave you a quest Nick, what do we do now?" asked Hank, smiling slightly even as the word 'quest' left his mouth.

"I have no idea. First we have to deal with our hypothermia problem then we can worry about . . . the quest. I can't believe we're calling it that."

"What hypothermia problem?" asked Monroe, Rosalie and Juliette at the same time.