Hello all! This is a brand new story I worked on for about 3 days. I've been in a big Witcher mood and wondered if anyone had done something for it in the Naruto-verse. So, here's my take on it!

A man in a blue cloak rode into the small town, seemingly unnoticed by the populace. The sun was setting slowly and many of the farmers and every folk were beginning to turn in for the night. The local inn and tavern continued to flow with traffic, as Tanzaku Quarters was a frequent stopping point for those coming in and out of Konoha. The hooded man hitched his horse to a nearby pole, hushing the whines the large animal gave to his rider.

"Shush, boy, I'll be back in the morning. Don't cause any trouble." the man soothed the horse with a stroke of his nose before making his way inside the bar. It was a busy night, though it was the weekend, so the man of mystery couldn't blame the inhabitants. Taking a seat at the bar, the hooded traveler tapped the table to get the bartender's attention, ordering a simple sake to take the edge off of his stressful journey. He could feel the odd looks he received from patrons, it wasn't new. Whether they stared at him or the weapons on his back, the man couldn't care less.

"I just need to drink in peace and then go sleep for a while. Kami, let this be a quiet night," he muttered to himself, though it seems his pleas went unanswered as a rather large man from a nearby table decided to address him.

"Oi, this mate must think he's a proper badass, doesn't he?" the hooded man did his best to ignore the jab, but had a feeling acting ignorant would only make it worse. The large man walked over with the rest of his tablemates, and the stranger could hear the multiple weapons that rattled as they approached.

'Kunai mostly, a few shuriken, scrolls, of course, they're shinobi, but from where?' the man took a sip from his sake, now half gone, and glanced behind him, only to suppress a groan. "Konoha shinobi, wonderful…" he growled, downing a larger portion of his drink, savoring the burn and relenting the fact that he wasn't able to feel the prominent effects.

"You got a problem with us being Konoha? What, the big bad swordsman thinks he's better than five shinobi?" the large man was their leader, and with a little chakra sensing, they felt like a standard chunin squad. Another ninja decided to continue the banter.

"He's got two swords on his back, Jiren. What, was one not enough for ya? You don't look like any ninja I've met, and you barely have the chakra of a genin."

The man took one last sip of his sake, setting the empty glass back on the counter and nodding at the bartender in thanks and paying for his drink. "You want to know what my swords are for?" the man started, clearing his throat. He stood from his stool, dropping his hood and making the five back away from his tall and imposing figure. "One of them is made of steel, perfect for wild beasts and men like you," he turned to them and glared, revealing a chiseled face, three faint marks on his cheeks, long blond hair, and piercing red eyes with an animalistic slit instead of a normal pupil. "And the other, well, that's made of silver. A great tool against demons and monsters." he could see the fear in the shinobi's eyes, as well as the other residents of the tavern and cursed himself for doing something so dramatic.

"You… you're one of them, one of those monster hunters…" Jiren, the leader, seemed apprehensive at continuing his verbal assault. But his second in command didn't seem to care or notice.

"You're all talk, demon hunters like you are practically legends at this point. The last Huntsman we had around the Land of Fire was part of the Uzumaki Clan, and they've been wiped out for decades. We don't need any more of those kinfolk-" the slightly smaller man didn't see the fist that flew into his head, nor did he expect to go crashing through the nearest table with such velocity.

"That was for bad-mouthing my clan. I'd rather not put the rest of you in the hospital." the blond tightened his gloved fists, his form still concealed by the cloak that was wrapped around him. The other shinobi were frozen in fear, not even seeing the red-eyed man move and even more scared of the force that he had put into a simple punch.

"Just who the hell are you…" one of the gaping men fumbled with his words, eliciting a fanged smile.

"Name's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm a Huntsman."

"Master Uzumaki! I greatly request your services!" Naruto groaned for what felt like the 10th time, wondering if he was more annoyed at the fact that it was morning or the incessant calls from the old man knocking on his hotel room door.

"Bloody hell," the shirtless man got up and opened the door, his blond hair in a shaggy mess due to his restless sleep. "I told you last night-." the older man didn't seem to register the words dropping to his knees.

"I beg of you sir, please, my daughter is at risk. She's all I have left." Naruto paused, taking a moment to think about his next actions.

'The old man will be upset, but when have I ever cared what he thought.' the monster slayer sighed and leaned against his door frame. "Alright, alright. Talk now before I lose my patience." the black-haired man nearly jumped in joy.

"Oh thank you, Master Uzumaki, I knew your kind were generous! And don't fret, you'll receive proper payment for this, I swear to you."

"Of course, Huntsmen don't work for free. Now tell me what's your problem, yokai have been rarely seen these days." the old man regained his bearing, knowing he had to give the Huntsman the best information to get his daughter back.

"My name is Fenris Hyota, my daughter, Kahori, was with me at the river last night for some fishing, the next thing I know she's being pulled into the water by some monster! Huntsman, I believe it was -"

"A Kappa." Naruto rolled his eyes, civilians always pissed themselves at the sight of even minor yokai. "Fine, I'll take care of it. Though I expect half my payment in advance." a small bundle of Ryo landed in his palm, the blond seeing the desperation in Fenris' eyes.

"Please, she's all I have left, Master Uzumaki, if she's gone…"

"Shouldn't be too much trouble, just need to remember what the old man taught me." the blond Huntsman told himself, cracking his neck as he moved towards the nearby river. Naruto was wearing his full armor, with black hunting boots on his feet followed by black and brown trousers. A reinforced leather jacket and chest piece, both covered in chainmail. Finishing off the outfit with black fingerless gloves and a spiral pendant around his neck. On his back were two longswords, one with a straight handguard and the other with an angled V, with the pommel having the face of a fox for both blades. Looking towards the flowing water, Naruto took a breath and focused his senses, seeing the tracks of Kahori disappear into the water.

"Well he was right, seems like she was dragged off into the riverbank, I doubt the Kappa took her far. There's no blood in the water, which means she might still be alive." the demon hunter took a few steps into the water, sniffing every few steps to see if he could catch the yokai's scent. "Damn it, don't make me swim," Naruto grunted to himself, slowly wading into chest-high water.

"If I remember correctly, it should smell of…" a strong scent hit him, as well as the fading one of a female. "Cucumbers, gotcha." the blond saw a small cave further down the river, happy to finally get out of the water. Walking into the dark cave, Naruto allowed his enhanced senses to consume him, his red eyes glowing in the dark abyss. Soon enough, he heard the faint sobbing of a young woman and the harsh breathing of a Kappa, and couldn't help the predatory grin that appeared on his face. Moving around the corner, the blond slowly drew his silver sword, seeing the turtle-like shell of the Kappa yokai. It was barely 4 feet tall, with two webbed feet and a turtle shell on it's back. The green-skinned beast had a round, dish-shaped head that held water, a weakness it would protect. Seeing the girl he assumed was Kohari in the corner of the small den, Naruto extended his left hand, a small ball of fire forming in his palm before he thrust it forward, a wave of flame shooting towards the Kappa. The yokai howled in pain, turning to the Huntsman with a snarl.

"Come on, let's dance."

Naruto twisted forward, spinning his sword and going for the neck of the demon, an act that was stopped as his blade met the sturdy shell on it's back. Grunting in annoyance, the red-eyed man made another hand sign and forced the beast back with an unearthly gust of wind. The creature only screamed an inhuman howl in response, charging at the Huntsman with claws and teeth bared. Naruto waited for the right moment, turning his sword into a reverse grip.

"You may be trained, you're faster, stronger... even have that beast inside of you, but Huntsmen like us aren't invincible. One wrong move, whether it be a monster or a shinobi, we're dead like anyone else. We're special, not invincible."

In one swift move, Naruto swung upwards, slicing the Kappa's hands off before spinning into a downward motion, lopping off its head with ease. The demon howled in pain but was silenced as the blade cut through its neck. Naruto let out a sigh, he had been too cocky. 'If there had been more than one I would've been in trouble.' he took a hook off his waist and stabbed it into the dismembered head, proof of his kill. He moved over to Kahori who had gone silent as she did her best to see who her savior was in the dark. The Huntsman constituted a flame in his hand, putting on his best smile to ease the young girl. "Shh it's okay, I was sent by your father to save you. Don't be scared, I'm just a Huntsman."

"A-a-a Huntsman? But y-y-you're only legends?" the blond let a foxy smile spread across his face.

"You should tell the Kappa that." Naruto did his best to console the girl, holding her in his arms as they moved across the river towards her home. In a short amount of time, the young girl was reunited with her father.

"Thank you, Master Uzumaki! I'll be forever in your debt. If you're ever in Tanzaku again, feel free to come by my armory! Any repairs or purchases will be on the house!" Fenris held his daughter's head to his chest as she cried, clearly traumatized by the event, but continued to look at Naruto with awe and amazement. "Here's the rest of your payment, you stay safe now, Huntsman!"

The Uzumaki took a slightly larger stack of Ryo, counting it and watching the older man nodded at the silent question. Putting the money away, Naruto thanked the man before whistling for his horse. The stead rode up immediately, the tall Huntsman easily climbing onto his horse's back.

"Stay safe old man, I intend to hold you to that one day. Let's go, Arashi."

Konohagakure - Main Gate

Naruto thought that riding up to the city he had left so many years ago would have a bigger impact on him, but instead, he just felt empty. The blond had been only 5 when Ashina took him, and now here he was, a young man, a changed man. He knew in his heart that he missed the city, but his true home was in the keep, in Uzushiogakure. Naruto put his cloak back on, doing his best to avoid attention. Even with being isolated for 13 years, the Huntsman knew how close he resembled his father. He rode through the large gate with no issues, civilians, and shinobi alike barely giving him a second glance. Making his way to the Hokage Tower, the blond hitched Arashi and made his way inside, stopping at the front desk, slightly amused by the lack of awareness the secretary displayed as she didn't seem to notice him. Naruto stared at the glasses-wearing woman for a few minutes, seemingly hard at work with a stack of papers, and politely cleared his throat.

"Oh my apologies, what's the purpose of your visit today, sir?"

"I'm here to see the Hokage, he's expecting me." the Huntsman watched the woman roll her eyes and seem to dismiss the notion.

"Sir, the Hokage has a busy schedule, not just anyone can walk into his office." she looked up from her sign-in book to see a head of blond hair and slit red eyes.

"I believe I'm not just anyone." Naruto deepened his voice, slowly losing his patience with the woman. To be fair, she was right. But, the dismissal of him without even looking at him was annoying. She seemed to shrink under his gaze, and nodded quickly, shoving her face into her work.

"Go right ahead, sir."

"Thank you." the blond walked up towards the office, slowly feeling more nervous with each step. He hadn't talked to his surrogate grandfather since Ashina had taken him away, and the blond couldn't predict how he was going to feel. Walking through the door, Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat, seeing Hiruzen calmly smoke his pipe, seemingly expecting him.

"Naruto, my, have you grown. How old are you now, 18?" even standing a foot taller than the man, the blond felt like he was a child again.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Sarutobi gave Naruto a look, causing him to let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. " It's nice to see you again too… Jiji." the older man got out of his chair and walked in front of the boy he had lost all those years ago. The blond had hair that resembled Minato in his prime, standing nearly as tall as his late father had.

'He truly does look like a Huntsman, I wonder how Kushina would feel seeing him like this.' the God of Shinobi thought to himself, taking another puff of his pipe before he pulled the blond into a hug. The two were silent, the taller man didn't seem to know how to respond. Breaking the hug, Sarutobi decided to cut to the brass taxes. "I'm glad Ashina allowed you to come home, Naruto, though I must apologize. He often told me of how excited you were to get on "The Path".

The blond in question relaxed at the thought of his teacher and mentor, finally happy the awkward silence was replaced with the reason he was here. "Which I still intend on doing Jiji. At the end of the day, Ashina-sensei said it was my choice. I'm no shinobi, nor do I want to be. There's still demons out there, however few, and they still need to be hunted." Hiruzen frowned, but unfortunately, this wasn't a young boy he could manipulate into staying in the village, this was a full-grown man who had been trained in secret techniques since he was a child. A man who had killed his fair share of yokai and men alike, and who was more prepared to travel the world. Part of the old man knew he couldn't just let Naruto roam, the Nine-Tails was too valuable to fall into the wrong hands.

"But this place is your home, your parents loved this village, your father would want you to surpass him. You're his only legacy." the blond felt his fists tightened and narrowed his eyes, seeing the game that Hiruzen was trying to play, and opting for none of it.

"The only thing this village has done was shun me, I doubt they even realized I left. The only home I've ever known was in the keep on Uzushio. I came here because I owed it to you and Ashina, the last thing I need is you trying to make me one of your lackeys, Hokage-sama." the venom dripped from his voice, and Naruto could feel the tension from the hidden Anbu guard around the room. Hiruzen could see the tension in the blond's body, drawing similarities to how his father would do the same. The style was different, however. The younger man had been trained in the way of the sword and the use of fuinjutsu that was unique to Uzumaki Clan and other Huntsmen Clans around the globe.

Huntsmen were mythical in many ways. A male-only profession, they were originally formed to combat the growing number of yokai attacking early settlements. They were nearly as old as the Hidden Villages themselves, with different schools forming at the same time each village obtained a jinchuriki. The Huntsmen separated themselves from the countries they resided in, however, making sure to stress they were neutral and only had one job, hunting and killing yokai. Out of all the schools, the Uzumaki Clan was the most well known. They had modeled themself after the Kyuubi, becoming the School of the Fox. Many schools had specializations of their own, but all underwent similar mutations that turned ordinary men into Huntsmen. Chakra laced chemicals and elixirs, brewed and perfected to make the essential warrior for combatting demons, and yet the trials had a three-tenths survival rate, leading to the creation of these Huntsman being few and far in-between. Those who survived were gifted with enhanced reflexes, senses, and myriad of other bodily mutations. Their signature yellow eyes, which was a telltale sign of a Huntsman, allowed for better sight in all environments, including at night.

Naruto was a special case, the Third had learned, as the man had joined Ashina to witness the trials occur, both prepared if the unthinkable happened and the Nine-Tails was released. The boy had taken to the chemicals fairly well, barely struggling with the changes. Hiruzen had watched as his surrogate grandson's eyes turned from a bright blue to a yellow, reminiscent to a cat or a viper's. Part of the old man would always regret it, never again being able to see the blue eyes that reminded him of his successor, but he made up for it by how proud and thankful he was that Naruto had survived and adapted so easily. What he wasn't expecting was for Ashina to tell him that the boy was to receive additional enhancements, made from the Kyuubi's chakra, nonetheless. The God of Shinobi was tempted to fight the elder Uzumaki right then and there, but Ashina had assured him that 1) the boy would survive, and 2) that would be a fight he would never win. So the Third Hokage just watched, watched as Minato's and Kushina's legacy was strapped down to a table, watched as Ashina allowed the boy to drink the red liquid, and had to hold back tears as the young boy screamed his heart out, sweating and thrashing furiously under his restraints. Naruto was asleep for three days, waking to find himself not with the familiar yellow eyes of a Huntsman, but with an unfamiliar crimson staring back at him.

Hiruzen stopped his reflection and decided to compromise, hoping that he would be able to ensure he could see his grandson again. "Naruto, you're right, and it would be rude of me to take away what you've worked so hard for." the red-eyed blond relaxed, his Huntsman side becoming interested in bartering. "I know you won't become a shinobi of Konoha, but how about you become our contracted Huntsman. You're free to travel around and do whatever you want, but we'll also offer contracts for you as well. I'll pay you every month and, any yokai you kill around the village or surrounding areas, you can bring to me for an extra reward." Naruto hummed in thought, clearly debating the option. On one hand, it would mean guaranteed income, something many Huntsman struggled with. But on the other, it was taking a side should any conflict start. But to be fair, Huntsman had done so many times in the past. The young Huntsman put his hand out, a warm smile on his face.

"I think we've come to an agreement, Hokage-sama." his tone was more playful now, and Hiruzen couldn't hold back the laugh as he took the man's hand into his own.

"Thank you, Naruto. I suppose we should discuss your payment."

"Now we're speaking my language, old man."

And we're done here! Please tell me what you think of this story, I want to write more in this little universe I've made. More Japanese demons will appear, and all will have weaknesses and strengths. Naruto, similar to Geralt, is a step above his fellow Huntsmen, who we will soon encounter. I'm also taking more from the books than the games in certain areas, and visa versa. He's not a god, and he can get seriously wounded and hurt if he underestimates his opponents. Naruto can just take more punishment than the average man. This will mostly follow the main plot of Naruto, with changes here and there. Please read and review and thank you for your time!