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Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 12: Friend or Foe

The beast roared indignantly at him with its ignited legs on display. Naruto grinned. "Hoh? You think a few sparkles will be enough to impress me?" He returned the challenge with his ready stance. "Bring it, mutt!" Somehow, the beast seemed to understand the jab by tone, and roared once again. Naruto let it come to him with jaws ready to tear him apart. He jumped back a few feet. Confidence exuded from him as he dodged the mouth inches from it. He would have had a hard time getting out from a bite that was as secure as a vault door.

The Grimm rose from its low profile pose, and followed up with a pair of explosions from its feet. The two limbs rocketed off the ground. Naruto carefully watched for its next move, but was pleasantly surprised when it let off another explosion. He didn't think it would waste an explosion that he wasn't in range for -seeing as it was an attacker, not a trickster. The pair of paws fell quicker than before. He was forced to step back when he noticed it planned to explode again.

With distance given, he watched the creature create a flaming crater where he once stood. "Coming with the intent to kill? Perfect!" He grinned from ear to ear. He leaped over to its side, and pummeled it into the ground. The force behind the initial punch bounced it off the ground. He would have followed up, but the beast interrupted him by exploding and forcing the blond on the defensive. He smirked; it learned from the first blow to not let that happen again. His punches were a force to reckoned with after all.

"That's annoying to deal with. Any ideas to try and stop those explosions?"

"If you mean anything else but brute force, not really no. But I can say that I'll do my best to silence this thing." Naruto said.

"Do your best? Please, I doubt you even need your best to kill this simpleton of a monster."

"Now, now. Is that any way to insult a fellow monster?" Naruto happily questioned his partner's wording.

"I'd appreciate it if you focused on the fight!"

Naruto ducked under a swipe. It was surprisingly quick for something of its size. The breeze that came from the evaded attack was a refreshing one inside this oven of a battlefield. However, he had to get his mind back into the fight. As a counter, he rose to have his knee meet his enemy's chin. The beast ducked instantly, which made him soar just above its form. He grinned at the beast's grinding gears. It was perfectly calculated, that dodge. Still…

"Who the hell do you think you're dealing with?!" He shouted cockily. His left arm shot out and expanded to a size that could grab the Grimm up as if it were a toy. Kurama's orange Chakra worked well with his intentions and continued to follow it. He willed the arm to throw the Grimm like a ball. Except instead of throwing it away, he threw it into the ground.

He threw the thing hard enough that it failed to move out of the followup axe kick that came from a brightly glowing foot. Like a meteor, the heel of his foot made contact with the Grimm explosively. "Heaven Kick of Pain! Snow erupted like a white pillar. The ground underneath deformed into a perfectly clean bowl-shaped crater. He kept his foot there for a moment to keep the pressure, but he soon leaped away when he saw it regained enough cognition to push him away via another wall of explosions.

"You know, I'm surprised that you're not all that bothered by the fact that this thing is interrupting your momentum."

Instead of answering his partner, Naruto showed his response. If fighting it head on was an annoyance (quite minor to be honest), then blitzing the sides was an option. He blurred out of existence only to reappear at the Grimm's right side with a punch in tow. A heavy impact shook the forest as the monster did its best not to topple over from the attack that pummeled its ribs. Somehow it managed to stay upright, though not for very long. He ran underneath the Grimm to reach around the other side. With the same power packed into his fist, he struck again. Destabilized and unable to brace for impact, the Grimm rolled over several times. Each time it made contact with the earth, a small tremor shook the battlefield. Dirt, snow, and embers kicked up into the air as it recovered from Naruto's blitz.

Naruto dashed at the Grimm, and jumped to dropkick it in the face. It blocked with its left foreleg. The beast did not buckle. It did not stagger. Unmoving, the Grimm immediately understood that there was a lack of power behind the attack. Naruto saw it stare at him curiously, and in response, he grinned at it. Tree bark crackled and snapped. Hidden behind his form, a tree emerged above his head before he hammered the uprooted tree at the Grimm's head with enough force to shatter it on impact. The Grimm recoiled from the blow, and Naruto took the chance to press the advantage he obtained. A barrage of bone-crushing blows forced the Grimm to kneel and the earth to falter with each strike.

"It's a shame to just beat it down, dontcha think, Kurama?" Asked Naruto as he pummeled the beast into the ground before he jumped away from a wall of explosions.

"What do you suggest?"

From the outside perspectives, every spectator watched with shock and awe that a young Faunus, barely passable as a freshman Huntsman-in-training, proceeded to beat the monster with raw power. His control of said power was just as dangerous alongside his exceptionally cunning mind to dominate this fight. His movements were just as equally awe-inspiring as he weaved himself around the beast, and struck true each time. If they were impressionable children, likely they'd see the blond as a superhero. But they weren't, and the few spectators in the crowd understood the General's fear.

The feints he deployed; the fact his situational awareness was so keen; the force of his hits were so far beyond the norm; the idea that his Aura could be manipulated so easily… These things did not make sense. Rather, simply put, this amount of experience did not make sense at all. Team ALBR was a newly graduated team -four years older than the blond, and likely had more missions that dealt in life or death situations. Yet the Aura master grinned madly at the monster many would run from.

A few of them asked themselves, 'What hell did he come from?'

An Apex is categorized as such because its lived long enough to be a constant threat and because it was an aggressive sub-class to the many 'species' out there. It is a veteran beast capable of handling company after company of soldiers or squads of Hunters. While it sounds similar to an Elder, the disparity lies in the fact that an Elder has self-preservation instincts that most classes of Grimm don't have. It is that and its ability to lead a horde of similar 'species' that cements its threat. The Apex maximizes death and destruction exponentially because it takes a Grimm's basic function and drive to destroy all mankind, faunuskind, and all they make, and take it up to eleven.

To fight an Apex is to expect the end of your days. By itself, one would be hard pressed to slay it. But alongside its horde, the poor soul(s) were doomed from the start.

The squadrons deployed here were trained in handling Apexes and their entourage. The isolate and eliminate tactic in current use held strong; however, the lack of a full team of Hunters led to their current predicament. Without the unconscious Hunters to aid in the destruction of the Apex, the battle turned into one of attrition. It is a testament to their skill that they've entered into their second hour with minor injuries -not fatalities. While the same cannot be said for the devoured squad, the ones holding the perimeter around the Garm slew all and any that attempted to breach and assist the Apex.

With this spectacle of one young adult toying a fearsome predator, all that's been said has been tossed out the proverbial window!

Al and River carefully watched the blond tiptoed around the Grimm's attacks as if this was second nature to him. He knew exactly when to jump away to avoid the explosions, and when he could stay in place to continue his staggering assault. His movements, while acrobatic and swift, had a pattern. It always ended in either dodging left or right. No matter what attack happened, it unfailingly resolved in committing to either of these two directions. And when he initiated, he ducked under, or charged just fast enough to be missed entirely. After a quick combo, he pushed himself off so as to not get caught in the explosive defense the Grimm deployed. If he did managed to get caught by an attack, he blocked the entirety of it through extensive use of his inexhaustible amounts of Aura. Afterwards, he'd make a quick riposte by an extension of his Aura arm.

And all throughout this one-sided battle, there was a small part of themselves that questioned if the predictability they saw was true.

"He looks out of it, Al." River muttered. "His eyes, they're not focused on the Garm."

"Only at times." Al replied. Analytically, the Huntsman gleamed further into the blond's battle expression, locked at a steady stern stare at the Grimm. Yet even from here, his trained eyes could see the gleam in the blond's blue orbs emerge for a fraction of a second. "Part of his mind wants him to go through the motions; we can see that from his consistent movements."

"And yet he has enough cognitive thought to fool a Grimm like that into a feint several times." River noted. She shook her head as she restocked her weapon with the Dust she needed if the fight came to them. "I don't know what's going on through that blondie's head, but he sure is making a spectacle of his fight."

Al inspected the fight further. This time, instead of analytically focusing on the blond, he turned his attention on the Garm. Its furious stomps and insistent use of explosive were lacking. Its flames seemed to flicker out like a dying candle. Before, it took any chance to obliterate the immediate vicinity in fire and brimstone. What had been forceful and broad strikes had become weak, specific, and hesitant. Thus, the Huntsman could only see that the lupine Grimm exhibited a new tactic unheard of in an Apex.

Caution.

An Elder made use of caution for it knew death was possible. An Apex did not; the latter would rather overpower than perform mental gymnastics. They favored that its prey died in glorious combat. Whereas an Elder was tactical, if not smarter in how it handles its upcoming fights. Clearly, the Grimm realized the pattern used (it's hard not to notice when one stares at that motion for the nth time) and acted accordingly. Though its efforts were in vain with each unsuccessful retaliation. It devolved into an unending cycle that lacked any retaliation from the Faunus, and even then the Grimm failed to strike true. Regardless of how many times an attack came that could disrupt the blond's pattern, it had no effect. Its aggressive fervor sank in favor of conserving and calculating as seen through the calming stare that locked onto the blond blur.

"Conditioning." He said, finally realizing what they were seeing. "Call me crazy, but I think he's conditioning the Grimm on a pattern."

River looked at him like he had grown two heads. "This is an Apex Grimm we're talking about. It may not be on an Elder's level, but it has enough experience to circumvent patterns by liberal use of brute force." Al nodded because it was true. Whatever weak point a normal Garm would have was protected from the start. His team capitalized on those vulnerabilities, but and even then they had failed to reach to pierce through its defenses. Furthermore, it's offensive capabilities were evident in the hellish landscape around them.

"Where's that brute force, River? All I see is a monster that can't swat a very annoying fly with a nasty bite." Al snickered at their expressions when they finally saw what he did. The thought would normally be most unbelievable, "By making it think, he's making it hesitate and plan. Normally an unbelievable idea…yes-"

"-He has that much of an effect on the Grimm?" River asked disbelievingly.

"I don't think it's specifically him. Well, not an effect like you said." Al proceeded to correct, "Normally, only a fool would maintain the same battle pattern. For any fight, patterns lead to death. But the blond is just so much faster and stronger; he's making the Grimm into an even bigger fool by just moving around in that suicidal pattern that he can easily modify to evade any attack. The validity of any action the Garm could take is pretty much nil until it figures out a way to catch him off guard." As Al continued his inspection, the newfound information gathered lent considerable support to the General's paranoia.

River smirked as she understood. The blond was a force that it hadn't anticipated in fighting. "I like him." She said. "Too bad that guy is our objective..."

"He has to face the music, River." Al reminded somberly. "As much as I am grateful for his help..."

"By General's orders, he has to be taken in." River supplied the reasoning in a mutter.

Naruto was content in delivering the pattern. He didn't think it was a mindless beast. After all, it did manage to defend itself against a heavily armed group without much punishment before it got caught in a trap. Which pointed to his belief that it was merely slow on the uptake at times. Not even two minutes into toying with the Grimm, it caught on, and tried to punish his telegraphed moves. Thankfully for him, he knew how to get around the broad attacks quickly. He had the experience to handle such attacks.

"You're welcome, partner." Kurama replied lowly. To this day, it was still bitter about the loss.

"Hey, compared to you, this thing's a turtle in both size and speed. It's one heck of a downgrade." Naruto replied with mirth in his voice.

"Yet you're having fun." Kurama noted.

"What else am I supposed to do about the situation?" Naruto fired back with a feigned pout on his face. "Can't exactly go all out now could I?"

"End it sometime soon?"

Naruto blocked a paw without moving an inch out of place. The attacking limb exploded in his face, but he was prepared for it. Protected by Kurama's Chakra, he appeared unfazed by the point blank explosion. He threw the paw away from him, revealing his Chakra mode for that single moment before it receded, leaving the Chakra arms alone.

"You want me to end it? Fine. Consider that wish granted, partner." He leaped towards the Garm in a telegraphed arc. His right fist glowed blindingly white, obscuring the opening act to his offensive from the spectators, who dared not to interfere, and the Grimm in front of him. Thus, the giant creature failed to react in any sort as he slammed his fist onto its skull with the force of a rocket-powered battering ram. The resulting punch drove the creature headfirst into the ground, caving in and conforming to the shape of the blond's fist like a crater far larger than the one formed by his kick. But moments before, just at the point of impact, everyone experienced a punch that stimulated the majority of the senses.

The explosive sound alone indicated just how violent the first strike of the blond's counterattack was. If eardrums could be blasted out like bottle caps, they should have at the concussive wave made upon impact. However, the bright burning orange blight that was his arm drove into the Grimm's head was just as unbearable to witness due to the intensity of the light that managed to seep through their eyelids. As and added bonus, like a hammered nail, the Chakra arm shot out from his torso, and dissolved into thin air from the impact. He drove the momentum and weight into the already bone-obliterating blow, and caused the very air to break apart at the singularity. A visible wall of air struck the spectators full force as if it were a solid object. And for the unfortunate few who had their mouths agape, they had the unfortunate experience of tasting the clumps and particles of dirt that flew away due to the forceful impact.

The blond stood in a crater wider and deeper than the one made by his kick. It was smoothed out; naught a single imperfection marred the surface of ground zero. Aside from him and the partially buried Grimm inches away from his feet. Satisfied by this result, he took advantage of his brief reprieve to scout his surroundings. All the snow was blown away, leaving behind muddy ground. Off in the distance, uprooted trees toppled over one another, which formed a crude fence-like perimeter. The barrier of flames were mere patches obscured by particulates of snow, dirt, and moist debris. He looked for his spectators as well, but found none. If the trees were an indication, then they must have been blown back too. He looked down, and waited for a reaction from the beast to see if he needed to continue his assault.

Naruto felt the ground tremble. A twitch of frustration showed in his left eye. He should have figured it wasn't dead because it failed to dematerialize, but... 'That should have been more than enough… Granny would have been proud of that punch! That would have obliterated a mountain peak and transform it into something similar to a plateau…' He thought vexedly. Nonetheless, he quickly dug a hand into the ground, and reached for the Grimm's head. As if pulling out a weed, he yanked it up to expose its underbelly. He threw his weight into the punch, and struck true. While not as devastating as the previous punch, the kick it had was more than enough to send the beast tumbling outside the revised boundary of trees that marked the area as its battlefield. From his back pouch, he pulled out a pair of kunai. He channeled wind all around the blades; however, his was more inconspicuously performed compared to the norm.

That, and he concentrated far too much on its manipulation. Instead of Chakra making both frame and base of the blade, he called upon the wind to be used as both with his Chakra to guide into the formation of blades. In doing so, he reminded himself of the chainsmoker jounin's teaching in the art of shaping the wind. When done with the recollecting, he held one of the shinobi tools in a reverse grip. The invisible blade of wind of that particular tool followed the direction the true steel pointed to. It dug deep into the depressed soil, and sliced a line that reached as far back as ten feet. The other spun by the handle in a loose grip as he refitted the wrapping around it. When done with the trivial details, he took a step, raised his right arm over his head, and threw the shinobi tool like a javelin.

It soared through the air without any resistance. The trees in its way were paper sheets. Gravity had yet to pull it to the ground. Moreover, the very air itself was pierced through to achieve maximum speed with minimum drag. The lance of wind and steel flew like an arrow as it neared the target.

The Grimm recovered from its series of tumbles. Its claws dug into the snow and soil to reduce its speed. Reeling in pain, the Garm shook its head to rid itself of the double vision it obtained from that punch. It thanked the Mother for her blessing upon it. Had it not obtained the protection that allowed it to endure fatal blows, that strike alone would have ended a century-long life. Sad to say that blessing had reached its limit, and it was left to fend for itself. Wrested from its thoughts, the Garm recovered from the flawed vision it had seconds ago just in time to see the tiny projectile headed for itself. Tiny the weapon may be, the Grimm chose to block it out of consideration that the one who threw it likely was the blond that harmed it to this point. With its left guard the only thing left standing for armor, it braced itself behind it. Surely, this was enough to stop it.

The sound of torn flesh begged to differ. Seconds later, the sense of ungodly pain registered in its head. Something stabbed into its leg -tore into its thick and well protected limb. Pierced it even! The idea that something that small could penetrate its armor was inconceivable. It took the might of supercharged lightning just to disintegrate a chunk of the armor on its right foreleg. But this? A measly knife was all it took to get through its defenses?

"Oi. Get your head in the fight." It heard someone say. Quickly it looked down to see the blond at its left leg. Anger peaked at the sight of that insufferable being. But before it could move to attack at the one that harmed it, pain returned to chain it down.

Naruto never took its eyes off of the Grimm's face as he sliced the kunai out of its legs. To see it cringing in pain was a pleasant sight to see after it got up after a punch that should have obliterated its head. As happy as he was to see such a resilient enemy, it was frustrating as well to have it shrug off that many head-on attacks. Ah, but he was thinking too much -wasting time. He took a step forward.

The Grimm's left leg exploded, and knocked the blond onto his side.

"You can still use that?!" Naruto asked the monster uselessly after he jumped back in time to dodge a follow-up attack. The beast roared back, answering him with fury, flames. Despite the defiant roar, the Grimm was not unharmed by its retaliatory action. It shifted its weight to the right when it realized it took effort to maintain balance with the injured leg. Minute and staggered repositioning allowed the beast to stand on all fours. Upon closer inspection, the wound placed upon it bled a river of flames that leaked without end. Naruto smiled at the effect of the jutsu whereas his opponent snarled and endured the pain. Not before long, it lunged into the air to pounce on him. He shook his head. "Eh… Doesn't matter. At least it's a good time to try out a new jutsu!" He smirked as he looked at his kunai. He pointed the pair of blades away from him, and altered his control of the wind around it. This time, Chakra took root alongside the natural wind, becoming turbulent yet restrained. With a little more focus, the winds took the shape of lances. However, their power was behind the rotations and rotations of wind, morphing the weaponized element into screeching drills.

His hair flung about. The two violent sources of wind scattered a paraphernalia of debris. Embers, insignificant as they were, flew for a short time before they were extinguished. Loose soil was shaven off. Snow flew up towards the pair of vortexes. Tree branches, encumbered by the weight of snow, snapped by the forceful tug of the winds, and the nearest trees were on the verge of being uprooted and fall victim to the gales. Naruto may not have known, but the speeds he used to make his technique were comparable to that of a category two tornado.

And without knowing this, he charged into the air with his bestial enemy prepared to meet him halfway. The vortexes disturbed the surrounding drastically as they moved. Uprooted trees toppled over. Visibility declined as his pair of storms roused the already airborne snow into a frenzy. Despite it all, he thrust the lances of spiraling wind at the Grimm's forelegs with the intent on obliterating the potentially explosive pair of extremities. But his expectations in a head-on clash was cast aside when the beast weaved around his lunge. It swerved to the right, performing multiple rotations through its use of its forelegs. The beast landed perfectly whilst it skidded across the battle torn ground. Naruto was quickly reminded of the Inuzuka clan's techniques, but he thought better than to get distracted by that minute detail. He landed at a tree trunk, and pushed himself off of it at superhuman speeds. Weaponized wind lead the charge, but once again the beast marginally evaded the attack by repeating the motion and direction. Quickly, Naruto reverted the drill-like wind into a blade, and swung at the Grimm's feet.

As if catching on, the Grimm dodged again, this time it performed a backflip, and landed perfectly once more. The hyperactive flames it ejected scattered to the wind, torching anything it touched despite snow scattered around were present to extinguish it.

Blood red eyes looked at the blond's blue pair in amusement before seemingly morphing into one that expressed challenge. Slowly, it stalked the blond by walking in circles to search for an opening.

"What? You trying to make me the fool now? How cheeky…" He said to the Garm.

"Looks like it wants to pay you back for making a fool out of him." Kurama snickered. "I'm all for it making you look dumb, but don't drag this out now, Naruto."

With a small frown, Naruto's focus returned to the battle. His lance of wind spun faster. Stationary air screeched against the wind that grated against them. Powdery snow launched up into the air with each slow and forceful step the lupine Grimm took. Those frigid particles obeyed the vortex, swirling towards the one eye still active, yet never reaching the source. Naruto turned the lone wind blade into a drill once more, and reenergized the second vortex as he prepared to drive the experimental techniques into the beast. This time, he chose to be patient. No point lunging when the Grimm could evade it. All the while, he tore the landscape apart by waiting for that opening.

He could go faster to solve this dilemma he had of missing his target. He could substitute with one of the fallen trees behind it. He could trap it with Kurama's Chakra. And he had plenty of other ways to go about this. But where was the fun in taking the easy way(s) out of things when it also meant he could be exposed for more of his capabilities?

The Garm growled lowly. A muffled clang reached both their ears, but only the beast knew where it came truly from amidst the echoing gunfire around them. It winced in pain, not that the blond could see that with the beast's snarling face on display. The mitigated sound persisted, increasing in both frequency and volume. When the Grimm got what it desired from its efforts, the damaged plates that formed its right leg's armor opened up to blast a pillar of flame. It scorched the immediate surrounding area; obliterated what it touched through propulsive force.

Uncontrolled, the fire that spewed in front of the Grimm lashed at the blond and the forest behind him. Snowy fields melted only to burn in hellfire, and the Grimm continued to blast the area with its flames to make sure anything in front of it was ash. When the Grimm ended the assault, an ignited trail showed the path of destruction. Flames defied death as it burned over nothing. It continued to burn the soil, drying it up to drought-like conditions. The crackles of the flames added to the disharmony of the howling winds and gunfire. Ash flew into the wind, decreasing the visibility alongside the thick black smoke that came from its rampant flames. Everything smelled burnt. The trees, grass, insects, and many others that were touched by its fire obtained a charcoal odor and hue.

Yet the beast could not smell charred flesh of a Human or Faunus. It should have been the first thing it smelled from the aftermath of the blast of artificial wildfire. Frantic, it searched for the blond with its lone left eye. Like some energetic puppy on the search of its toy, it pranced around the battlefield trying to sniff Naruto out. Soon enough, it realized its effort was wasted as it failed to find him. The Garm let off a frustrated growl at how it let prey flee its grasp so quickly. Though that line of thought died quickly at the realization it had something else to prey upon, and those were much easier to kill.

It started to saunter off in the direction battle was present when its instincts kicked into high gear. Killing intent targeted it fiercely. There was no contest in comparing this with the emotions it felt from the weak Humans and Faunus. The latter, no matter how much they hated the Grimm as a whole to death, could never match this murderous atmosphere that only predators ever manage to exude. Proud at the effort, it looked for the challenger, what or whomever it may be.

Surely it would be a more satisfying prey compared to that coward blondie.

It turned to look deeper into the forest, untouched by its hellish firestorm. A small glint of light sparkled. A beacon of sorts from the way it pulsated stronger that before. The Garm immediately understood that the killing intent aimed at itself came from that tiny light. It growled at the daring challenger. With a clear destination, it proceeded to charge.

At least it should have; however, a cacophony of noise overpowered by screeching winds kept it in place. The overwhelming sound harmed the creatures ears enough to paralyze and disorient.

Soon enough, it felt ungodly pain gnaw at its right side. Two distinct punctures ripped into it. Not pierce as one would expect. Rip. Shear. Slice. Every other synonym were also very apt options to describe this pain and its point of entry to its side. The impact alone send it tumbling onto its left side, allowing the weight of gravity to drive the sources of the pain deeper into it. It roared deafeningly at its assailant as it thrashed to pry the attacker off. Each time it failed to eject its enemy, it bucked harder, frustrated that the maggot of an enemy gave it this much trouble.

And it couldn't even look at the sly bastard that managed to sneak past its senses! The idea only made the Grimm flail to its utmost. Unfortunately, all that movement allowed the pain to spread further, dig deeper into its torso. The monster could feel its insides being scraped out, dissolving into black and red mist should they fly away from its body. Its roars turned to wails of pain, and its jerking around devolved into twitches as the beast's strength and will slowly escaped its grasp.

Even if it had Mother's blessing, it knew that it would not be enough to counter an attack that was this sharp and continuous. Enduring did not mean it was impervious to the repeated and nigh unstoppable onslaught.

Not too soon, the drills that dug into its body expanded, tearing apart its torso, spine, and everything else around it. With the last of its energy, where desperation peaked, it thrashed with all of its lingering might. A futile attempt, but admirable nonetheless. Soon, the Grimm perished flailing about. The chaotic winds, reigned in by the caster, quelled and silenced peacefully. The attacker retracted his tools of death, and watched his work. What resembled a torso before was nothing more than two giant and crude holes piercing through it.

Naruto tilted his head left and right to rid himself of the kinks. "That could have gone better."

"Your experiment needs refining. It's a Chakra guzzler compared to your Rasengan because of your lack of experience with it. And with how long you held onto it, you've effectively taken a chunk off. It isn't a significant amount, but it is noticeable that you've used up more than what you usually dish out with that one jutsu alone." Kurama evaluated. "And, you tore up the place..."

"Maybe I should deploy it when I know I'll hit. The noise it makes sure isn't meant for assassination. But practice makes perfect. Heck, I could make this a Chakra exercise. The more I use it, maybe I won't need as much because I'd learn when to use it." He said, ending that conversation quickly to assess the situation in his surroundings. First things first, the orchestra of gunfire was long gone from the looks of things. Either the battle was won or they lost the defensive line. The soldiers did look worse for wear when he got there. Still, to make sure of his suspicions, he stretched the limits of his sensory range to feel countless retreating bodies headed his way.

No words were exchanged between him and his partner. The tools in his hands returned in his pouch; Kurama's Chakra alone was enough for this extermination job.

The sounds of battle died. The ambient noise of the wintry breeze and crackling flames were what was left to fill the ears of one Alabaster Tinsoldat. As he checked up on the soldiers he aided in suppressing the Grimm, he found himself wondering what had happened to the defensive line. The explosive battle between the blond amputee and the Garm ended not too long ago, but that didn't mean the Beowolves that the Garm brought with it could be dispatched that quickly.

An Apex Grimm ruled over more Grimm of its subtype compared to that of an Alpha.

"Al!" River called out.

He looked up to see his teammate rushing to his side. "What do you have to report, River?" He asked as he stood up to meet her at eye level. "Any more Grimm we need to eradicate?"

"The Grimm that the defensive line fought against retreated in the direction where the Schnee summon and the Garm fought last." River replied. "Should we pursue to accomplish the General's secondary mandate? I'm itching to get this over with."

The leader thought deeply in the matter while he mentally went down his checklist of priorities. The contents of the weapons cache brought in for the operation had yet to be investigated for its remaining inventory. It wouldn't be long, but there was no reason to check so quickly while the forest was still a potential battleground. Scouts were on patrol, but from what he was hearing, nothing dangerous so far. His teammates? Still unconscious but fine nonetheless. Lavendel will stay grounded for the time being, but Braende will return to active duty soon with how much her Aura defended her from the Garm's assault. Finally, the soldiers were mostly fine; few were severely injured and the rest were adorned with minor wounds. Someone had called for medical support already; lives will be saved, and that was a weight off of his shoulders. However, the weight of lives lost before he and the rest could eradicate the Grimm was heavy.

Not every life was saved, and that frustrated the Huntsman more. He was sure that more would have died had the blond not arrived. Al bore witness to that brutish strength, not limited by the body's shackles. The General was right to fear. But in the Team leader's eyes, that blond brought a flicker of hope. Deep in his mind, he thought of the guy as a superhero -free to roam and help because he can and willing to aid. After being saved not once indirectly but twice, with the second being of the direct kind, he was sure that the blond wasn't an immediate threat.

But that got his mind thinking. That power the blond possessed was feared. Rightfully so with how much damage was done just to the landscape alone. That power was free as well. Free to or not to use at his choice.

Perhaps… that's the root of the problem. Freedom of choice. The blond obtained a clean slate, being summoned by the younger Schnee sister. Nobody but the blond himself knows of his own origin, and what he's been through to obtain that power of his. And the fact that that summon has a choice to call upon his own power, as fearsome as it is, it is scary in its own right because that choice can be influenced.

But there in lies the question: Was the blond an enemy?

Fact of the matter is, that blond wasn't spiteful when he ran into danger to take on the Grimm by himself. There was no disdain or hesitance to help. The blond just did it. Did General Ironwood see through the blond as some sort of bleeding heart that could be taken advantage of? Maybe he didn't want to be some asset to be abused? Al overheard many times from his superiors about how the General wanted to know the blond's allegiance. The blond's Faunus-like appearance did not do the summon any favors with the General especially when White Fang activities died down weeks ago. The inactivity unnerved everyone, but no more than General Ironwood. Now that the summon arrived... could it spur the Fang in Atlas to rise again?

To claim the summon as part of their organization?

Alabaster tried seeing further into the future with his growing questions. But with his lack of knowledge, all he could really do was speculate about the possibilities of the near future. Speculations aside, his unanswered questions needed closure. Deep inside however, he knew his superior's target was not an enemy of the state. He refused to apprehend a soul that helped others without incentive. With a nod, he said, "Let's find him."

All the while, River dwelled on the same topic her leader did. She was one that thought it was fine for the blond to be elusive. He had no ties to the military, so why should he bother? But with the way he fought -with those chronologically and impossibly tempered skills and strength out of nowhere... That summon had no reason to be that skilled or powerful at his age. Nobody had that kind of raw power. Nobody. There may be the occasional prodigy with a dastardly powerful Semblance, but the one she had in mind had yet to show a Semblance to begin with! While she wasn't one to be spiritually attuned with her soul like most Aura practitioners, even she knew that the best of the best couldn't even replicate what he did with his Aura.

Maybe there was an appropriate reason for the General's order; she could see where the man was coming from. This kind of strength had to be monitored, or even better, conscripted to help make the world a better place. With the younger Schnee's support, of course. And sure, he was a Faunus, but he's a good guy. In her eyes, that had to count for something. He saved Al, for crying out loud!

He couldn't be that bad.

It wasn't hard to find the final battlefield the Garm fought in; the pair of Hunters only needed to find the trail of fallen trees and unyielding flames. And the black wisps of defeated Beowolves strewn across the area as an added detail. As they approached the aftermath of what could have been a war zone, they presented themselves as easy targets. While they had their weapons with them, they were inactive and useless weights at the moment; moreover, neither of the two were in defensive stances. River's surfboard could have been held like a tower shield, but she held onto it with her side and her arm securing it in place. Alabaster's gauntlets didn't have the ability to compress into an inactive state, so the best he could do was to keep his arms down.

When they reached the epicenter of the field, they regained their sense of caution. Newly minted they might be as a professional team, their instincts, honed by multiple exercises and mission, told them that they were trapped.

"Come out!" Alabaster ordered. "We're not here to hurt you, just talk."

A voice echoed around them. "Hah! Talk? You want to talk, soldiya boy?" The voice asked mockingly. "Your General did not sound rike he wanted to talk when we met face to face." A dry cackle reverberated immediately after. It went on for a few more seconds, but the seriousness in his tone returned. "No. No. He wanted to ordah me. I can see it in his eyes. He wants to use me."

Al rebuked the statements, "He wants to know where you stand as a person, that's it."

"By forshing me to cooperate like a soldier? No, that is not how I work. I am no fool." The voice replied. "I know the power I hold is something he needs to conturol. Too viorent in my own hands. Too chaotic. Too ovahwhelming. But he cannot have it! He is not my leadah, he is yours. He cannot ordah me when I have a mastah of my own!" His words were better off being growls rather than be a sentence; the ferocity in his tone told the pair that he wanted to not be near the military or anything related to it. Both Hunters recoiled at the disdain, but nonetheless listened to the response. "My arrigyansu is to my my summonah and to my friends! I will fight for them to protect. And anyone that needs help, I will help."

River chose to speak up whilst she searched for the voice's location. "So if someone begs for your aid, you will help? Even if they are not on the side of good?!"

"…Are you speaking of the Whaito Fang?" The voice responded with some delay. The pair found the lack of anger in his response was a surprising change. The echo was lost too, giving away the speaker's position atop a tilted tree. The pair watched the blond stand perfectly balanced as he continued, "I will not help them. I am not dumb enough to help them terrorize innocents."

Al took his turn to speak up. He positioned himself ready for a fight, but his weapons were restrained. "Is that your trigger to act? Help friends and innocents when they are in danger?"

"Soldya boy." The blond said with amusement. He pointed to Alabaster. "You and anyone else is a friend. Easier to trust the good than to be afuraid of the evil in everyone." The blond said calmly, "I am not your enemy until you make me one."

The Huntsman's fighting form reverted to a relaxed posture. The blond's response was satisfactory, and there wasn't a need for violence at the moment. "So what will it take for you to meet the General in more amicable terms? To stop this manhunt on your person?" Alabaster questioned.

The blond crossed his glowing arms. "Nothing. My trust in that man is lost. He is no enemy, but he is not my friend eitha. He will gain nothing from pasuing me. Tell him that I am not his toy. And that I am not one he can mess with and come out fine." As a show of force, he flared his power for the pair. Simply being near his presence paralyzed the Hunters, but it was his glare that brought the two to their knees.

The anger in his eyes, restrained as it may be, was primal. Gone were those blue eyes. A pair of stark blood red eyes glowed. The blond leaped down from his perch and landed without ever making a sound. From his crouched position, the summon stood straight and proud. More of his "Aura" leaked out, forming a pair of ear-like structures on top of his head, and a tail emerged as if to further accentuate his animalistic traits.

"H-Hey, what's with the hostility?" River questioned. "We seriously just want you to talk to the General on equal footing." The blond frowned at the persistence. "Don't you see how much of an asset you can be to the benefit of the continent? With your power and skills, the army won't have such a hard time fighting the Grimm all around Solitas! You could end conflict with brute force!"

She pleaded even if she wasn't trying to. The summon recognized this as fast as she did. For a moment his eyes widened both in recognition and understanding. She hoped it got through to him, but she knew better. His dislike for General Ironwood was palpable.

"This is exactree why I will not talk." He spoke resolutely.

Both Hunters did not react to the answer. One suspected while the other was surprised.

He bared his teeth as he grimaced. Inhaling deeply, he appeared to prepare himself to shout. "Is that... all I am?" He asked softly, subverting expectations. "Am I just a sword to cut down anyone in your way?" Aura arms clenched their fists. "I am done being regarded as a weapon..." His hushed words seemed to boom in the pair's ears for it was his furious gaze that spoke volumes of his attitude on the matter. "Reave me arone!" He snarled at the Hunters. "What I do with my life is none of your General's business. If he hates my answer, tell him I do not care about what he thinks. I am my own person!" He declared proudly. "And I choose to provide my skills to my summonah! Nobody can have me but her!" He charged at them at blinding speeds that the pair braced for impact.

Winter's airship landed at a clearing a mile away from the edge of the main battlefield. As the military officer in the family, Winter left the vehicle first to meet up with allied forces. She had yet to step foot on the wet ground when she made contact with other soldiers.

"Lieutenant Schnee!"

Winter acknowledged her title, and looked at the tired soldier. A quick inspection of the officer's uniform indicated to her that the soldier was a commanding officer. "Captain, I am here to help. Where is the threat?"

The captain shook his head at the Atlesian Specialist. "You're a tad too late to help, I'm afraid. The hostiles have been dealt with. By your sister's summon in fact." A hint of gratitude leaked out of the man's words. "He was quite the help, taking on an Apex all by his lonesome. A Garm, to be more specific." Several soldiers murmured praise and gratitude for the blond's help.

A female soldier recollected her account of the battle before she said, "A maniac, I tell you, that summon. First an Elder, now this? I'd like to think that guy's Aura was down for the count with the amount he's been dishing out."

"He was a juggernaut!" Said one of the soldiers. "He fought that Grimm unarmed, and kicked its ass handily."

"Heck yeah! The dude was smiling the whole time." Gushed another. The soldier in question was one of the ones who faced the threat up close, if the mud and soot were any sort of indication. "Not even the most reckless of close-combat specialists we have can do that when face to face with one Apex!"

"Excuse me?" Weiss shrieked from the airship's ramp. "He fought a what now?! By the gods that idiot! I should-WAH!" She stomped her heels with each hasty step as she headed to her sister's side. Sadly, she tripped midway only to be easily caught by her elder sister.

"Hm? Are you alright, little sister?" Winter questioned. "You're not the type to stumble so easily."

Recovering quickly from her clumsy step, Weiss answered, "I-I'm fine. Just a bit… tired I suppose."

The prominence in Weiss' voice waned, but only slightly. Not many could tell the change; only those close to her, like Winter, could understand the difference. It didn't make much sense, this state as Winter observed further. The younger of the two sisters was well rested. Abruptly awoken, sure, but rested nonetheless.

'What could this mean?' She thought as she felt her sister's weakened grasp and keenly observed her recovering balance.

Pried away from her observation, Winter heard her sister say, "Winter, let me find him, please. This independence is becoming cumbersome. I'll reign him in, and give him a stern talking to."

"Are you sure it's wise to do that, kid?" Asked the Captain. The sisters looked at the soldier curiously. "The bossman wants him, y'know. And I can tell you the ones not here are searching for him right now to fulfill the bossman's order."

Before Weiss could speak, Winter interrupted. "Speaking of, I expected summons from the General as soon as my sister's summon went into hiding. I haven't and surely should have received one by now with how connected I am to his current troubles. Do you have any idea why this has yet to happen?" She watched the commanding officer scratch his head, and patiently awaited an answer.

"I… may have overheard Colonel Mutsuki say that the General is avoiding your family for the sole reason that it's too obvious of a hiding spot. You could say it's almost a taunt to hide blondie by your side." The Captain answered honestly before he shrugged his shoulders.

"I see. It sounds reasonable enough from what you're hinting at, but it is quite sloppy of him to ignore all options." Winter said, neither hinting positivity nor negativity in her tone.

"Winter, That's asking for trouble." Weiss chastised her elder sister.

"But it's only right to suspect an audience with my superior officer in this situation." Winter said before she countered. "You are his summoner, and he's yet to disappear. In a way, as demeaning as it sounds, Naruto is akin to a runaway guard dog." Weiss frowned. With a cringed expression, Winter elaborated further to not gain the ire of her younger sibling. "Well… a rogue guard dog, but still loyal to you." That somewhat appeased the younger Schnee, but not by much. "Bottom line is that it's only natural that the General should come to us to find him even if he wasn't with us."

Weiss looked down, unable to say anything to that. Or rather she had to stop speaking to prevent herself from leaking out the truth that she hid Naruto in the most obvious hiding place. Such a script was needed to reduce Winter's professional backlash of hiding a person of interest from the General as well as claiming plausible deniability in said individual ever being in close proximity to either of the Schnee sisters.

"Lieutenant Tinsoldat and Marina are currently in pursuit of your "guard dog", but with how elusive he is, I doubt they'll even catch a glimpse of him again." The Captain spoke nonchalantly. "Even I would book it outta here after a major fight with an Apex."

Both sisters refused to relax their postures. Doing so meant giving even the slightest of suspicions a crack in their thinly veiled lie. Still, they were relieved that Naruto was quick to retreat when necessary.

With good news out of the way, Winter asked, "Are you sure that I cannot be of any service?" She prodded in hopes of staying in the vicinity longer without rousing suspicion. After all, the point of coming here was to prioritize finding the organic weapon of mass destruction before helping the soldiers. Well… that's what it was in Weiss' perspective. It was the reverse for the elder sister, obviously. Nonetheless, staying in the area longer was of the utmost importance, and Winter would help her sister in any way she could.

The Captain, not at all confused by the strange insistence of the usually reserved Schnee lieutenant, did not shy away from offered help. Even if the threat was gone, it didn't hurt to have an extra set of eyes looking for remnant Grimm in the woods. "The scouts from both the active units here are investigating the south and west of the battlefield. Sentries are gathered at the town's gates. If you don't mind investigating the north and east with Lieutenants Tinsoldat and Marina, then you can help out."

The sisters looked at each other, unsure of this option. It's a massive gambit for sure to perform a search with others nearby. They couldn't afford to have others trace Naruto back to their grandfather's home should the blond in question be found. But at the same time, the two needed to get him back.

"Very well… I shall aid." Winter responded neutrally. "But my sister comes with me." She added as a last note.

The Captain did not argue. Neither did his subordinates. They knew the ploy the Schnees made. The sisters could try their best to hide it, but their intentions were as clear as glass. Without a doubt, the Captain knew what the sisters were about to do, but he knew better than to send them into a panic. Besides, he owed the sisters the unintentional help. He and his men could let the blondie go. For now. Until the General had a better reason to go and perform a manhunt on a good samaritan (with overwhelming strength), he and his men would leave the family and the summon in question be.

"Of course, Lieutenant." The Captain nodded before turning around. "I'll be off now. You two take care of yourselves on the way. Blondie did a number on the place alongside the Garm." He and his Unit promptly left the two in peace.

The sisters looked at each other. And without a word, they proceeded to perform the task of finding Naruto amidst the torn and scorched forest beyond the operating base.

River grumbled at the fact she and her teammate were fooled so easily. She wasn't one that liked to be toyed with. "Can't believe we got tricked by something so obvious."

"Well… with his strengths, I guess both of us were stricken with fear. For… just that moment." Al said dejectedly. The Huntsman outwardly looked fine. Inwardly however, he was disappointed in himself. That confrontation could have gone better. Much better. But he couldn't do anything now. "Loathe I am to admit it, but we might be in over our heads trying to apprehend him by ourselves. We can count our blessings that he didn't want to fight us at all." His right hand cupped the back of his neck to massage any lingering pain he had from this arduous night of fighting.

River grumbled even further as she crossed her arms. "Guess so… But I don't like it one bit! Look at us two, scared by someone that's no older than any other freshman in the Academies. We're in our twenties, and we got spooked hard." Her grumbling turning into a frustrated whines and childish stomping. "Damn Fox making us look bad; I hate it! And what's with him being so selfish all of a sudden? Can't he see that he's someone the military can depend on for security?"

'And out comes the Vacuo temper in her blood.' Al sighed, knowing full well the troublesome night became even worse if she started rambling. In order to put a stop to that, he said, "We should hurry back to the Units. We can do more there than standing around here."

River frowned. "And the blondie? You just going to ignore him?"

"Call it a failure." He answered promptly. "We can't persuade him; his loyalty is unbending. Sad to say that just us won't be enough to change his mind."

"Are you saying it's a numbers issue?" The Huntress questioned.

Al shook his head. "If it was, then he would have surrendered to the General right then and there in the middle of the Arena, stationed at the center of HQ. This is a trust issue, plain and simple. He admitted it to be so. And forcefully having him, an unnatural powerhouse, see the General's way is a bad idea in my honest opinion." Soon after, verbal silence occupied the space between the two. Only the sounds of soft footsteps, gentle whistling air, and the occasional crackle from smoldering wood graced their eardrums. The Hunters maintained silence as they rushed off towards the operating base, unaware that from above, a pair of eyes stalked the two retreating Hunters.

In silence, the answer left the Huntress disappointed, and all the more determined to uphold the General's order. She could not in good conscience allow a walking weapon of mass destruction alone.

Above them, a pair of eyes watched. A sigh of disappointment was released as the individual disappeared.

Snow gracefully fell from the silver clouds above. Moonlight pierced through the translucent silk, and bathed the area under it in shimmering white. The only thing marring this pristine setting was the black clouds that billowed from the aftermath of battle. Perched up a branch near the treetop, Naruto conversed with his supernatural partner.

"Just soldiers following orders…" He muttered as the memories of his clone enter his mind. "Typical. But not all that bad."

"Indeed. It would have been worse to meet a far more forceful pair. Ending it 'peacefully' was the best you could do for yourself."

Naruto nodded. He didn't need the consequences of killing soldiers in enemy territory coming back to harm him. The two waited in silence, letting the snow pile on top without disturbance. When the blond found a topic to initiate, he asked, "Hey, Kurama, since I'm technically a summon, why don't I go away?"

Kurama paused to think about the question. "If you mean to return from where we came from? I honestly don't know." The Bijū responded. "I would assume it's because of the Shinigami binding you here to this world. But binding alone is far too simple. Binding implies, your bond can break."

"Then there's something being used as payment to keep me here?" Naruto questioned.

"In all likelihood, yes. Problem is, I think you haven't paid anything. Not once did I feel anything being drained out of you."

Naruto hummed. "Then Weiss is the one that pays? She's the caster after all."

"Probably. Problem is… it goes against our rules of summoning. It's a one time thing, the act of summoning. Nothing is paid long after that; just blood and Chakra. To summon Gamabunta, you used my Chakra as supplement." The beast pointed out before moving onto the next point. "You clearly have much more Chakra than that Toad now; to summon you is to summon all the Boss summons and then some! And I'm doubly sure she doesn't have that kind of resource within her to keep you here for days."

The blond clicked his teeth as he walked to the end of the branch and back to the trunk of the tree. "'Aura is the projection of one's soul.'" Naruto recited from one of the books he read earlier. "'Finite, it can be used as a shield, or fuel for Semblances, individual-specific abilities reflecting oneself as one theory explains.'" An unreadable expression formed on his face. "She must have used her Semblance to call me."

"If I'm getting what you're saying, then the Shinigami bound the contract, the summoning circle that brought you to this plane, and anchored you here. And if Aura is used, then that may be the substitute for the blood payment of our world's summoning.

"That has to be the case, right?" Both heads scratched to answer the questions. "Juuusst one thing though... Like Chakra, there's a limited resource for it. Even I can tell that Aura is much more diluted compared to Chakra. But... we were summoned; we're something beyond a Boss summon now, and she called us. Has summoning cost less?"

"I know for sure that summoning you should have cost the majority of her Aura -if not all of it." Kurama growled. "I refuse to believe that calling us from the void has been trivialized and discounted!"

"That's not your pride talking, right?" He heard a growl that explained the beast's point of view clearly. Naruto sat on the branch cross-legged perfectly balanced in the middle of it. In a grumble, he said, "This… Aura has to be the resource being used to pay to keep me here. But just how frequently is she paying for my presence?"

"I'm sure those answers will come someday. Just not tonight."

The blond crinkled his eyebrows as he sighed. "Right… It'll come one day." From his position, he stood up, and looked at his surroundings. With nothing interesting to inspect, he muttered in his native tongue. "Might as well head back to Weiss now. Nothing to do here but kill time that I can spend figuring out this place in those stupid books." Knees bent, he prepared himself to jump.

"And where do you think you're going, child?" Whispered a curious and elderly voice.

Quickly, Naruto pulled out a kunai and poised himself to defend as he faced himself in the direction of the voice. "Who are you, orrud man?" He gripped the handle tight. Somehow, this man overcame his sensing abilities, and snuck up on him. He scanned quickly and formulated a plan of attack; several clones were already manufactured and ready to ambush if it escalated out of control.

The man scoffed as he balanced himself on the narrowest tree branch on his side. Shrouded in darkness by the shade of the tree and by his cloak, the man spoke gruffly. "How rude. I'd thought a fellow of the shadows would welcome a brother." Naruto retained his level of caution. Maybe, he went a little more on the curious and defensive side now that the man reveal he was a dweller of the dark as well. First meetings between assassins don't usually go well.

"Grandmaster." The old man replied as he pointed at the blond. "And you are Naruto."

The summon narrowed his eyes at the knowledge of his name that few knew."Your spies were watching at the home of my summonah's relativu." Naruto's grip on his weapon tightened.

"A dangerous stranger entered the home of my friend. That warrants some digging into." The assassin lord defended himself. "But at least I know how to back off unlike a certain General."

Hearing that, Naruto eased slightly. "Yes... that man is quite annoying." He shook his head. Bashing the General could be done some other time. "You said 'Furendo'. Does that mean the man of the house?"

"Who else, boy?" Grunted the elderly assassin.

"...Well it's just sturangee watching ova someone erusu's famiree." He shrugged. "I would help my furendo's, but only when they were in danja. You... act too much rike a stakah." He gave a slight pause notable enough to be picked up. "But I guess... that is what being an assassin really is. Hiding in shadow is what we usuaree do."

The man laughed lightly. "I suppose it does seem like that, but I assure you, it's a benefit I've personally offered to the family. No stalking, just cautious guarding on my part." Naruto refused to relax. "Though I must say that a soldier you are without a doubt. However, you are no assassin despite how you try to keep your secrets. You stand out far too much, and you painted quite a target on yourself for many factions -as I'm sure you're already aware. The moment you revealed the most outlandish of skills and tested them upon beasts many would flee from, you were thrust into the spotlight." He caught the look of disappointment in the blond's eyes, but he couldn't help but blurt it out.

"I am Weiss' samon. I take her ordahs as a means to resupecto tha contract I am bound to. But that monstah in the mountains was a danger to her and evureeone else. I am her guardian farsto before I am an assassin."

"And the beasts tonight?"

Naruto looked down, embarrassed and ashamed. "...I was curious about tha mareese I felto. And when I saw faiya, I could not ignore innocents."

The man sighed before he mumbled, "Heralded as honest, helpful, headstrong and heroic." He clicked his teeth soon after as he went through physical checks as he observed his spiky blond hair, his distinct whisker-like markings, and the penchant for wearing orange. "By far, you fit the criteria to a large degree."

Naruto tilted his head. "Hm? What are you talking about, orrud man?"

The assassin lord didn't answer the question. Instead, he gave a question of his own. "Are you one that upholds your oaths?"

"Oath keepah?" Naruto whispered. He let the words register before he smiled. "I always keep my word!" Naruto replied confidently with proud blue orbs that shimmered under the moonlight. "To keep that puramisu, I will do evureething I can, and never give up until I can furfirru it!"

The man smiled in return. "'Are you friend or foe?' That was a question I asked myself many times before I chose to meet you." His cloak billowed as a quick breeze picked up behind Naruto. "I thought it just might be coincidence that your name was the same as his -that you weren't him." He muttered just enough for Naruto to barely hear. "But I'm proven wrong tonight. You are the one -the Founder."

Naruto leaned forward. He tested the word in his mouth. "F-Founda?" He questioned the strange man's referral of him. After all, it sounded like he met the man before. Yet he was certain he never did. "I don't know who you are mistaking me fa, but I am not this Founda you are speaking of. I do not think I ave lived long enough to build a forrowing with a member as old as you." He bluntly spoke.

The assassin frowned. However, beneath his cloak, the blond could see a hint of shuddering; he didn't know what to make of it until he sensed the negative emotions that brewed. Disappointment. Silence brewed between the two before the elder of the pair bowed.

"...Regarding more important matters, I do not deem you a foe." He said monotonously as he turned around. "Forgive my mistake. It seems I had the wrong person in mind when I heard your name. But know this, endanger the world purposefully, and I will personally see to your demise." He leaped of the branch just as soon as a circle of void swallowed his form up.

The blond blinked his eyes rapidly to comprehend what he saw. "Well... that's why he got past my senses. And also one faction not coming for our heads... I guess. Hooray?"

"Better not question it. But do question why he seemed to recognize you even if he says it's mistaken identity." Kurama advised.

"I already am..." He replied as he recalled an image stitched into the assassin lord's cloak.

Many could overlook the tiny detail. The material was worn for too long, and somehow still survived for as long as it did. Yet he recalled that image's details all the same. Without a doubt, he saw the ancient portrayal of clouds in paintings. More accurate to say was that he saw the small white emblem of Kumo, barely noticeable by trained eyes, settled nicely against the black material around it.

"I... I am in another world, right? Right?!" His confidence in his earlier conclusion waned further with this piece of evidence alongside his earlier discovery that night.

Winter and Weiss met the two Hunters along the path directed by the other soldiers. The former pair questioned what they saw to return empty handed and bitter. Quickly, the Hunters explained what transpired deeper into the forest. Naruto's motives, alignment, and loyalty were discussed without fail.

Supplied with knowledge they already knew, the pair did not know how to act sincerely to the disclosure of information. Added to that, the problem after was what type of reaction was appropriate to convey. If the General was that desperate to get his hands on Naruto, any dishonest response would lead to an interrogation. Likewise, confirming this 'newfound' knowledge would spur the pair of Hunters in front of them into engaging in more attempts to gleam information.

Winter thought of a response enough to appease both Hunters, and was about to speak. Her sister however, beat her to the punch. The youth revealed the truth that she knew of what the pair revealed. But in defense of the summon, Weiss spoke about his kind heart, his ideals, and his drive. And that to distrust his earnest acts was a slight to the person she knew him to be -even if it wasn't much to reveal.

The female of the pair persuaded Weiss into speaking further. "If you know him so well, then you can at least tell us how he is at his worst."

Weiss didn't know how to respond to that. She knew what he was capable of. He was a mobile cataclysm. Nature's wrath incarnate as she'd witnessed in those dreams; moreover, supported by the fact that he destroyed an Elder, she was sure he was leagues ahead of anyone in this world. But his worst? His most dangerous version? She had no idea. Maybe an inkling of it, but not a clear picture so to speak. "General Ironwood aggravated him to the point his negativity attracted an Elder." Weiss started off. River and her leader listened closely. "If that anger wasn't his peak, then I can only assume that the situation would be far more dire than what we've witnessed. Take it as you will..." Without letting another word go out of the pair of Hunters' mouths, she walked away in search of her summon.

"And where are you going?" Asked the Huntress. "Going to find your pet summon?"

Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't call him that within my hearing range." She snarled at the Huntress. "A summon he may be, but he isn't my lapdog; he's nowhere close to some pet that I can just order around!" Little did she know, the Huntress gave a little smirk at the hostile reaction she gave off.

"Oh? So I am right. We were hoping for some support to chain him down, but you're far better than any backup right now. Talk some sense into him would you? The General wants to make amends."

"Is that so?" She asked rhetorically. "You'd use me as your tool to achieve your own mission? How cheap." Weiss growled as she stared deeper into the forest. "My appearance here is not for your benefit, but for my own. It's true I'm in search of my wayward summon; it's clear as a sunny day that that's my agenda here. From then on, you should be smart enough to infer what my next steps are."

Disappointment marked the Huntress's face. She knew the answer, but she hoped for an illogical response. "...You've gotta be kidding me!" River shouted in anger as her weapon thrummed to life.

Weiss sighed before a bitter chuckle left the Heiress' mouth. "I'm here to take him back with me, and away from anyone who'd dare attack him for simply existing." She grasped her blade's handle firmly while slightly tugging at a button just behind the trigger to make her revolver spin. The revolving chamber whirled around slowly; clicks of metal signaled that it locked onto a chamber before it moved onto another one. With a sideways glance that telegraphed her retaliatory intention, she asked the pair, "Well? Will you stop me from my simple endeavor?"

The older Schnee didn't dare interrupt her sibling's conversation knowing full well how volatile she could be when rubbed the wrong way. However, the contradiction she saw in the self control displayed by her younger sibling was something to be proud of. To show her support, Winter stood beside Weiss with saber in hand ready to repel her sister's obstacles.

"We're leaving." Al spoke softly as he stared into the fiery gazes of the two Schnees.

Once she heard that, the young Schnee properly faced her supposed obstacles. Words failed to form in her mouth. Expectedly and alternatively, her eyes revealed the unlikely surprise she overheard. Despite the claim of halted pursuit, she refused to draw her hand off her blade's handle.

"What? You're not serious, Al!" River protested, and attempted to take a step forward towards Weiss.

Al's arm swung out in front of the Huntress' face. His eyes firmly locked onto hers. "This hunt is a farce. It's demeaning and a waste of our energy." He started. "General Ironwood is paranoid about our target's moral alignment and his extent of loyalty. He wants us to capture and interrogate him when I have little doubt we even have the ability to do that. Not to mention the fact that seeing someone who fought for us just to keep everyone safe about to be treated as a suspicious and threatening individual is baffling to me." He could see some agreement in his teammate's eyes as they opened up just a little bit to register and acknowledge his viewpoint. "I may understand the suspicion against him because of his never-before-seen unrivaled strength, but I don't like it one bit. We've seen firsthand where he stands. It's as he's said, he is loyal to Weiss Schnee, and will help the unfortunate in danger. This is his choice, River. And it's my choice to be chewed out for going against the order in favor of delivering that message to General Ironwood himself."

"And you want to trust the words of a stranger?" River growled frustratingly. "-Mind you, that's a stranger that can obliterate the faction he's chosen to be his enemy at that point in time... Are you crazy?!"

"Listen to yourself! What we're doing is not going to work. Force won't bring him to our side. Fear won't bring him either. And as far as I can tell, he won't do anything until his summoner or the general populace is involved." Countered the leader.

"B-But our orders, Al!"

"Even I have a line I won't cross, River." Alabaster spoke neutrally. "I'm not going to let good deeds lead into some form of punishment."

River scoffed as she held her weapon firmly in her arms. Her knuckles turned white as she held herself back. Disappointment polluted her words. "So, the guy that told the team that he'd follow the orders of the General through thick and thin broke his word, eh? What happened to the earnest and brave leader I had earlier?"

"He's here telling you that we're lucky we left with our bodies whole. The guy let us off with a warning." Al defended the summon fervently. "I'm glad that's what was given to us. In comparison, we're so much better off than the General when he had to face him in his Aura cloak that was shaped into a giant nine-tailed fox." He grimaced as he said his next words. "It's that very confrontation brought an Elder to the northern peaks!" He shook his head, and continued on. Stoic and firm, he said, "Perhaps I'm acting cowardly, maybe a bit wishy-washy, but I don't mind at all not having to face the anger of a horde of Elders and that guy. Besides, I owe him my life for prying me away from the Garm. This is my payment."

River wanted to press forward in favor of following orders. Her face said it quite clearly. However, she restrained herself to at least respect the decision of her team captain. A lingering grimace remained as she thought of the consequences of this, but if she knew her leader, it was that he often shouldered the burden of the team when necessary without any hesitation. He wasn't the type to regret.

But she did. And to spit on the General's order was a punch in the gut for her. With a sigh, she reluctantly agreed. "Fine... go, you two. Find him, and keep him occupied, would ya? Don't let me find him, or I will do as ordered again but with bigger backup." Her stern tone and scowling face did little to intimidate the younger Schnee. She resisted the urge to wipe the smug look she knew was hidden beneath that trademark Schnee frigid stare.

"Don't try." Weiss said as she turned around to resume her search of Naruto. Brisk steps in slush and mud stained her boots and the edges of her skirt, but she cared little for her vanity compared to the safety of her guard. As she walked away from the pair, her final words to the pair were this, "Else you'd find the cavalry you'd bring defeated beneath his feet." Winter walked behind her defensively; however, she herself did not stray her own sword hand from the handle until she felt that she was far enough away from the pair.

Left alone, the pair of Hunters looked at each other. One remained neutral as the other scowled. The free spirit wished to obey the order, whereas the soldier gave away freedom. They knew their stances were reversed. Perhaps, had the blond not interfered they would be on the same page -even with the leader's hesitance. Maybe then, the order would be fulfilled as a team someday. But now? A crevice formed where it should not; they knew that clearly.

"I think the place is clear." Naruto muttered as he finished his final patrol outside the latest battlefield. After that short encounter with the elderly assassin, he thought it best to scour the area once more just in case. A healthy bit of caution -not unlike how a certain General escalates it to- is better than being absolutely careless.

"I think so too. I don't feel them anymore."

The blond hummed. "...Are we finally going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

"Hmm?"

"You know... how those things felt like?" Naruto hinted at. Kurama clamped its mouth shut. "You and I both know we need to talk about it even if I don't want to just to keep my sanity intact."

"No. We're not talking about this." It replied.

Naruto fought back the urge to slam his head against a tree. "Are you kidding me?! Do those things not ring a bell? To this day, I still know how it feels to be-"

Kurama replied back, "It's been quite the night, Naruto. We'll talk about this some other time, okay?" The willful beast spoke softly.

"If not now, then when?" He asked despite his friend's uncharacteristically soft response. "Kurama, I-"

"You think I don't know?!" Kurama boomed as it interjected against Naruto's persistent need to continue this conversation route. "I would like nothing more than to make the obvious conclusion, but even I want my sanity to remain intact!"

The blond took the response with silence. He combed his hair back with his false hands. Admittedly, he knew it was wrong to push the subject. He and his partner knew what they faced. It wasn't the monsters, but rather the essence they radiated at an near insignificant level. Even if it was insignificant, when Naruto activated Sage mode, he uncovered the basic composition of those things. This presence unnerved the pair to a degree for the fact that they knew. They knew just what the people of this world faced every single day. Despite this knowledge, they desired a sample of blissful ignorance.

A temporary reprieve from haunting truths is all they asked for at this nightly hour.

Without a word, the blond glowed as he cloaked himself in Kurama's Chakra. If they can't talk about it, then it was time to go. However, he had a destination in mind much closer than home. The blond felt his summoner's presence nearing him for a while now. This... link he had with her, inconsistent but somewhat solidifying with time, told him of her arrival to the scene during his battle with the remaining monsters in the area. Though... he wondered how she knew he was away. He was confident he didn't wake her up when he left. Was there something else that tipped her off? With questions littering themselves in the back of his mind, Naruto bent his knees, and prepared himself to leap in the direction of his summoner. When ready, he became an orange blur as he traversed the trees to reach his summoner.

Not even a minute into his straightforward search, he found her and her sister treading the once scorched, hammered, and carved earth where he and the lupine Grimm fought. He landed in front of the two without warning. He stepped back instinctually. Good thing too for his arrival was met with a pair of steel that sliced the space he occupied.

"Why are you two here?" He asked before he gave a smile to show how happy he was to see the pair of sisters.

The response he received was a painful yank of his ear by none other than his summoner. "I should be asking you that, Naruto." Weiss growled. "I had a wonderful night's rest until you rudely woke me up with a nightmare of your making!" Sternly, she asked, "Would you kindly tell me why you left in the middle of the night, Naruto?" A sinister smile graced her face as she dug her nails into the tender skin that made Naruto's right ear. She heard sounds of discomfort that she reveled in for a time.

"Hey-eyeyeyeyeyeOW!" Naruto vocalized. "Excuse me for turaying to keep you safe!"

Weiss yanked harder. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Naruto answered Weiss with a, "You would not andastand." Her hold weakened, but not enough to let go. "I left because I wanted to ekusuperimeto. If I turaido and something went wrong, boom. You and evureeone erse will get hurt. Does that exuprain my motive?" The blond looked at his summoner with a look of concern.

"I...suppose." The younger Schnee palmed her face and sighed as she defeatedly asked, "But you couldn't do this in the morning? Why did you choose to leave the house so late into the night to just do this stunt of yours?"

"Who is awake to see me do what I do in the middle of the night?" He asked.

Weiss grabbed Naruto's ear once more, earning a quick yelp of pain. "So that's it? You're doing this because you're being cautious?! Is this because of your hate against the military? I swear-"

The words of the summoner sparked a swift significant memory in Naruto's mind.

"What did you say?" Asked an irate Naruto, who looked up to the face of his cringing master.

Ashamed but serious, his teacher responded with, "Like it or not, part of this training trip is meant to refine your control over the Kyuubi."

"I don't need it!" The blond persisted as he swung his arm out as if the idea was a fly in front of his face. "I'm going to be a Shinobi of my own merits, you damn perv!"

The master lowered his head with a smile. "I'm happy to hear you say that, really, I am. To hear the same words... soothes my conscience." The mellow tone, rarely seen and heard was short-lived. The smile flattened. And his voice returned to a poignant and grave one instead. "But I'm afraid... that you don't have a say. As the holder, you are the village's ace. The one to turn the tide against unfavorable odds."

"Do you think I'm dumb enough to not know my place?!" The blond shouted back as he scraped dirt in order to stand up. "Ever since I could use that Chakra, ever since I've felt that power... I knew the expectations. Kyuubi's power would be needed, and I had to provide." He looked away with a scowl. "There's a weapon of mass destruction inside me -what else is there for me but to be their dog?" A sideways glare froze the teacher in place.

Taken aback by the reveal of self-awareness, the master tried to appease the student, "Whoa, whoa dial it back, kid! I never knew you had a cynical side!"

The glare intensified. The rims of his irises scorched a molten orange. He mustered his pent up frustrations, and aimed them at his master. He made the man feel the oppression he felt with but a simple, passionate gaze; imaginary chains choked the man and restrained his limbs. "Anyone in my shoes will always develop a cynical side! I just chose to ignore mine all the time -but not can think they can use me as they like, but I won't bend. I'll never be their pet monster!"

"I do not hate them, Weiss." He interrupted firmly as he shook his mind out of the memory. "I...just do not want to be theirs to use like I ave said time and again."

Weiss looked at her summon for a while. She gauged his responses and motives with what she knew. Already, she understood that her summon was paranoid and one that valued freedom. "Then why allow me to make use of you?" She asked. "You have all this power... If you ever chose to disobey, I'm sure I can't regulate you. And if I am to guess, I can't order you around if it's beneficial to you."

Naruto straightened up. "Because I am your samon." He answered simply. A small smile framed the edges of his lips before he said something else. "To herup, to be used, and to forro the orders of my contractor -That is exupected of me. I should know, I used to be a samonah, y'know!" And with that, he broke into a wide grin. "Can we go home nao?"

And done. I'm very sorry for a year of drought. Got a PS4 last Christmas -led to wasting quite a bit of time. Clinical hours for my college is effectively work without pay, and takes quite a bit of my time. My summer was nothing but that essentially. And by then, I'm typing only bits and pieces of chapters per other day. I'm making excuses but what else can I say but I'm trying to get my life on track rather than focus on fanfiction. Again, apologies for the late submission.

Review, follow, favorite, I don't care.

This is Azure signing off.