Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or RWBY

Co-author & Beta: Etheral-23

Co-Author & Action scenes: Godospartan the kitsune

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

RWBY belongs to Monty Oum / Roosterteeth

Tribute: I give thanks to the creator of RWBY. You are remembered and your legacy lives on Monty Oum.

Jutsu

Thoughts

Demonic voice

Deity Voice

Chapter 1: Even the dead can get second chances

A long groan rumbles through his throat as a thirteen year old Naruto Uzumaki feels a light breeze shifting over his clothes and hair. Damn it, when the hell did Sasuke knock him out? One of the many thoughts racing through his mind as he soon feels his body lying not in water, or solid ground, but gravel.

Despite how heavy the blond's eyelids feel, he wills them to open. At first his sight is nothing but blurry images and shapes as he takes his right hand to rub his eyes. When his sight adjusts, tiredness is replaced by utter bewilderment. Still lying on the ground, Naruto lifts his head looking up a dark starry sky filled with purple clouds moving at an even pace.

Sitting up, the blond takes notice he is indeed on a large gravel road with a luscious grassland flowing evenly in the wind. The road looks like it could go on for miles as Naruto only looks wide eyed at his current surroundings.

"Where… Where the hell am I?" Slowly standing, Naruto puts his hands to his mouth; "Sasuke..!"

XxX ~ moments ago ~ XxX

"Even if I have to break every damn bone in your body! I am dragging you back home Sasuke!"

"You're special Naruto… But I'm more special than you…"

CHIDORI!

RASENGAN!

"…No… Not like this… NARUTO!..."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Massaging his temples, the blond Uzumaki shakes his head. Why did that teme look so sad? Lowering his hand, the blond freezes as he gazes down to his chest. Stillness claims his very being as his eyes show absolute shock at seeing the fist-size hole in his sternum.

'Mouri paske ou fox jenn gason. Ankò li ki te pa la.(Death came for you fox boy. Yet it was not intended.)'

Upon hearing a smooth strange accented elderly man's voice, Naruto's head shot up as he quickly looks around. "Hello!"

'Fè yon ti avanse tèt ou. Nou pwal rankontre gen... (Keep your way forward little one. We shall meet there...)' another but deeper strangely accented voice speaks in his mind.

Glancing mournfully at the hole in his chest, the blond Uzumaki looks ahead with steely eyes as he begins running down the gravel road. It's so strange; he should be feeling pain shouldn't he? Do you really feel nothing after you die?

He shakes off the thought to keep focus, absently he glances around him. If his mind wasn't racing with so many questions he'd admit this place is beautiful. Besides the vast grassland, Naruto sees hills, trees, even a forest off in the distance.

'Admire ti gason chat. Men, pa patisipe oswa ou ka pèdi la pou toutan. (Admire fox boy. But do not partake or you be lost forever.)'

The smooth elder voice echoes in his mind for which he responses; "How can I understand you Jiji?"

He hears a good natured laugh from both the elderly voice and the deep voice; 'Sa ap paske nou kite nou. Vini non n' a ou pral aprann. (That be because we let you. Come and you will learn.)' The deep voice responds.

In the distance, his cerulean eyes take notice of a large bonfire at a four-way intersection. Around the bonfire he sees four logs, for what people would use for sitting. On them the blond sees two men sitting on two separate logs, watching the fire.

On one log, is an elderly dark skinned man, maybe around Sarutobi-Jiji's age, wearing a long white sleeve shirt with a red vest over it. Black pants and black dress shoes, over his bald head is large brim straw hat, a cane leaning on the log while a lit pipe in his mouth.

Sitting on the log to the elderly man's right, is a taller dark skin man wearing a long tailed black coat. A top hat resting on his long black dreadlocks, black pants, and dress shoes. Black rim shades cover the man's eyes as he hold a bottle of liquor in his hand. His face is painted with a bone white color made in patterns made to resemble a skull.

Slowing his running to a walk, Naruto stops as both men shift their gaze to him. Both soon sigh in tired exasperation before looking to each other muttering dryly in their odd accented language. All he could hear is 'here we go again' and 'same one keeps breaking out of cycle'. Whatever the hell that meant.

The elderly man gestures for the blond to sit beside him; "Lòt gason chat. Nou pale koulye a. (Rest fox boy. We talk now.)"

Seeing he has nothing else Naruto walks over sitting beside the elderly man; "It is so weird how you guys talk but I know what you're saying." Both men chuckle till seeing the melancholy form on the blond boy's face. "Are you guys the Shinigami?"

"Nou pa gen chèf moun nan Mas la. Men, mwen tou Seyè a mouri. (We not be the boss man in the mask. But I be also the lord of death.)" The taller man let the words sink before gesturing to himself. "Baron Samedi…"

"There's more than one," Naruto tilts his head blinking. Both men nod as the blond sits a little bit more straighter. He looks to the elderly man; "you a death god to?"

At that, the elderly man smiles; "Ti chat pa gason. Men kote sa a... Kafoua pou mwen. Sa pral fè rive kote tout domaines ak mondes rankontre. Men, ou fox ti gason ou pa ta vle rete isit la. (No fox boy. But this place... The Crossroads be my kingdom. This be where all realms and worlds meet. But you fox boy, you not meant to be here.)" The blond's eyes widen as the man speaks again; "Papa Legba."

'I'm… I'm not supposed to be here?' At that Naruto could only humorlessly chuckle; 'I can't even die right. This fucking sucks.' Freezing up, Papa and Baron see the blond unzip his orange coat, and reach for the hem of shirt. But before he could check the Kyuubi's seal, Papa's hand stops his.

"Li a ankò. Chat gwo wa a wete men dispersés koulye a. Pwal gen yon tan anvan li retounen. (He be gone. Big fox king be free but scattered now. Will be a time before he returns.)"

A small gleam of hope shines in his cerulean looking into Papa's ruby eyes; "So furball won't just start destroying everything right now?"

Baron shakes his head; "Gwo chat wa pa vle retounen pou yon ti tan. Men, ki toujou kite nou. (Big fox king won't return for a while. But that still leaves you.)"

Tilting his head, Naruto looks to the two gods; "Don't I just go to the underworld like everyone else who dies?" He cast his cerulean eyes to the hole in chest, "I can't believe Sasuke killed me…"

"Mwen te di, li fè sa ki pa gen lide pou touye ou. Verite li te genyen, li te sèlman siyifi nan rete ou. Sou mwen kwè bagay nan men l' chwa ki dwat, li te itilize tout sa ki montre se li ki te pi fò. Men, ou mouri pa sa li vle. (I did say, he did not intend to kill you. Truth was, he only meant in stopping you. Upon believing in his choice was right, he used everything to only show he was stronger. But you dying was not what he wanted.)"

Nothing but shock crosses Naruto's face. Sasuke didn't really want to kill him? All that crap he said about ending his life for that stupid Mangekyō. So there maybe is hope for him after all. His thoughts are interrupted by Baron; "E pandan ke wi. Ou ka deside pou ale kote mò yo ye a. Sa pa gen pou fè chwa w yo sèlman. (And while yes. You could decide to go to the afterlife. That does not have to be your only choice.)"

Naruto lifts a brow as the death god continues; "Menm jan nou te di ou ti. Ou te pa siyifi vini isit la. Men, verite a ou nan crossroads la. Ou ka rete vivan ankò. Men, pa nan vye lavi ou. Sa pòt fèmen. (As we told you little one. You were not meant to come here. But the fact you be in the crossroads. You can live life anew. But not in your old life. That door be closed.)"

Both gods see the boy slump for moment before sitting back up straight. He can never become Hokage, or keep his promise to Sakura-Chan. But given the choice in either remaining dead or live again.

The choice was obvious.

"Heh, well I guess I can make a Kage rank in wherever you guys send me," Naruto smiles brightly which Papa Legba and Baron Samedi soon do the same.

Lifting his bottle to his lips; Baron takes a swig of his drink before lowering back to his side; "Si gen yon bagay nou vle konnen timoun, mande koulye a, ou mouri gen pou yo fè, men, ou kapab pi piti plis sou sa (If there be something you wanna know kid, ask now, your life there be done with, but you can at least know more about it)"

He stared silently into the fire, pondering on what to ask. There were many things he wanted to know, most of them concerning his own life and that of his friends, but one stood out from among all others. He wanted to know about his parents, the people he never knew but was always told by Jiji they loved him. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough. He had no connection to them, nothing to make him miss them, and he ached for one, to feel love for the two people he never knew.

"Can you… can you tell me about my parents?"

Raising his left hand, Papa places his index finger on Naruto forehead. A gasp rips from the blond's lips as he sees them… He finally sees them, but who he sees is completely unbelievable. The hero who fought in the third shinobi war. A man so deeply feared and hated in Iwagakure and Kumogakure. The man he idolized since he first learned of him from Jiji.

It is then that realization, terrible realization as to why the Yondaime, his father, Minato Namikaze, put the Kyuubi within him. Every fiber in his being wanted to hate him, curse Minato's name to the darkest depths of hell. But he couldn't, he finally understood why. The pain and tears in his father's eyes as he held him as a baby.

"I love you my son…"

New images flood into his mind. An ancient clan, long vibrant crimson hair that flows in the wind. The deadliest swords woman and Anbu captain of Konoha. Who fought in the shadows of the third war. A legend that rivals his father's, but kept well hidden. Tears of pure joy streaming down her eyes learning she was with child. Love and warmth radiating from her velvet eyes, looking at her swollen belly.

"Sochi…" his mother's voice soft, warm. He could feel it, he could feel his mother's love just from those words.

Naruto gasps, falling off the log and onto his hands and knees as Papa removes his finger from the blond's forehead. Overwhelming, it is the only word for the tsunami of emotions crashing through his entire being. Happiness, knowing his parents loved him. Confusion as to why no one even told him who his parents were, or that he has a clan. Why was this kept from him? Gnashing his teeth, he soon only seethes with absolute rage.

"…Who killed my parents;" Naruto's voice low as his bangs shadow his eyes.

"Yon moun san konprann ti gason. Mal ak en, tout pou li viv nan yon peyi nan dòmi. E kouri soti nan verite a. Calcul l' va tande, ak anba jijman Bondye. (A foolish boy. Misguided and misled, all so he live in a dream land. And run from truth. His reckoning will be heard, and judged.)"

Taking in Papa's words, Naruto releases a deep breath, his anger fading as sits up on his knees. Tears run from his eyes, as his face remains blank. "Good," the blond says softly. Composing himself as he uses his forearm to rub away his tears, Naruto sits back beside Papa Legba. "I can never see my dad again can I?"

Both gods shake their heads as Baron talks; "Li fè fèmen a kle ale nan tèt moun nan vant plen Mas la. pa gen moun vin tounen lè sa acte fè. (He be lock away within boss man in the mask's belly. no one come back when that deed done.)"

"Wh… What is this place..?"

Naruto froze, that… That couldn't be, could it? The blond neither registers or take notice in both Papa and Baron snickering as he turns to his left. Ankle length crimson hair almost flowing like a curtain in the small breeze.

Her velvet eyes show nothing but profound confusion as she gazes up at the dark starry purple sky above. The wind shifting her high-collared, sleeveless blouse under a long, loose-fitting dress. Her black hair clip holding the left side of her hair framing her round face. Looking back to the ground, the redhead turns seeing a massive bonfire, and three figures looking her way.

Seeing the smallest of the three her body stiffens, It would not matter how old he is… Tears prick her widen eyes as her lower lip quivers to a tearful smile, She would know her son anywhere. Naruto did not even realize his own tears were falling as his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, wrapping her arms around him, on her knees in front of him.

Tipping his hat, Papa Legba only smiles of the mother and son's reunion before him. "Sa te kapab yon bon vi eh vye zanmi? (That be a good sight eh old friend?)"

"Chanje pa toujou yon bon bagay, yon fwa milyenyòm yon fi, de. (Change of pace is always good, once a millennium or two.)" Baron nods while taking a swig of his liquor.

Kissing the top of her son's head, she looks to the two deities; "Who are you two? How am I seeing my sochi?"

"Sa nou kite yo pou ti gason ou pou pi ta. Kounye a biznis nou tout ap diskite. (That we leave to your boy for later. Now business we all discuss.)" Baron's serious tone making mother and son detach from their hug, looking directly at the two gods. "Nou te bay òf pou timoun ou. Viv nan yon lòt moun. (We gave an offer to your boy. New life in a new world.)"

Kushina bit the side of her lip, She did not imagine the hole in her son's chest when she saw him. Which even now she fights herself from crying more. "Men, pa vle di li ale tout pou kont mwen dam. (But does not mean he go all alone my lady.)"Cerulean and velvet eyes widen to Papa's words. "Boon nou bay sa yon fwa. Lavi nou nou rèstore pou yon lòt lavi. (Boon we give this once. Your lives we restore for a new life.)"

However before either Naruto and Kushina could cheer, Baron interjects; "Men, lavi ki te restore an ap vin jwenn yon pri. Se pou ou vin plis pase sèlman moun. (But life restored comes to a cost. You must become more than mere human.)"

Rising to his feet while grabbing his cane. Papa Legba puts his left hand into the bonfire. Pulling back Two medium size azure flames float above his hand. He turns facing the mother and son with stern expression. "Èske ou se vre wi: konprann? Nouvo lavi men nouvo selves. Moun mwatye, lòt mwatye yon bagay lòt moun. Sa ap pri a. (Do you truly understand? New life but new selves. Half human and half something else. That be the price.)"

Turning her gaze to her son, she watches Naruto as he looks to the ground. With a deep breath, his gaze is steely looking straight at the lord of the crossroads. "I never go back on my word Papa-Jiji. I know my mom agrees, as long as I can be with my mom. I accept the price dattebayo!"

'Dattebayo, you really are my child…' Kushina smiles before look to Papa Legba; "Like sochi said. I accept the price to be with my son."

Slowly nodding his Papa smiles along with Baron who speaks; "Tankou granmoun mouri anvan. Ou ap fè fas a difisil nan lavi ankò. Men yo pat fè chimen pou ou mache. Nou pral wè kote ou l... (Like old life before. You face hardships in life anew. But hardships make the path you walk. We shall see where you walk it...)"

Those words said; the two flames descend from Papa Legba's hand and into Naruto's and Kushina's body. In that instant everything went black.

The Baron looks where the mortals used to be with a somewhat bored look. "Fènwa deja gen twòp monnaie gen... Ann mete tout espwa mòso nouvo sa yo ka ede ka kondi li tounen (Darkness already has too many pawns there... let's hope these new pieces can help drive it back)

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The first thing Naruto hears as consciousness stirs is the sound of birds. "…Did they seriously had to drop me face first?" the blond mumbles in the dirt grumpily. He feels every inch of his body protest as he shakily rises up to his feet. Upon the attempt to opening his eyes, the blond groans closing them due to the bright glare from the sun.

Raising his hand to rub his eyes Naruto freezes. The second time he opens his eyes, the blurry haze vanishing, the blond Uzumaki could see everything so clearly. But that wasn't what was bothering him, his body felt… really strange, like he had extra… limbs he shouldn't really have.

"What is this..?" He suddenly stiffened as he felt something strange on his rear. Arching his neck to get a better view, he saw the source of his sudden unease.

It appeared he had a tail now, a long puffy blond furred tail... WHAT THE HELL?!

His mental freak out vanishes hearing a groan behind him, "Sochi..." Sharply turning, Naruto eyes grow the size of dinner plates at the sight of his mother.

Looking exactly like he had seen her in the Crossroads, but with some major additions like his, she sits up. Like Naruto, Kushina has now a long red puffy furred fox tail which sway from side to side. But he also sees two red furred fox ears on the top of her head. Reaching up, no longer feeling his human ears, he now feels his own version of fox-like ears on top of his head.

He shuddered slightly as he felt his fingers stroking two sensitive furry appendages. Testingly, he snaps his fingers and winces at the close sound that slightly hurt his newfound ears.

That settled it, today couldn't possibly be any weirder...

"Ohhh" He heard his mother gushing as she reaches to pet his ears. "You look so cute!"

Either she hadn't noticed or cared, her tail wraps around Naruto's waist, plopping him on Kushina's lap as she just giggles at her son's newfound cuteness. Her velvet eyes show nothing but joy petting her son's fox ears, but seeing the hole in his chest is gone.

Only a scar remaining

Sadness and melancholy was reflected on them as she stared into his own. "We... truly are together now" She lets out shaky breath as her arms enclose around him. "We have a chance to have a life now, as a family"

The reality of the situation hits the blond as he only nods to his mom, rubbing away the tears. "...Yep." His voice hoarse as he hugs his mom who returns it. While the blond was not much for religion. He can say now he is a believer. 'Thank you... Papa-Jiji, Baron-Jiji...'

Holding her son tightly, the redhead Uzu woman soon takes a notice to their surroundings. They are standing right in the middle of a dense forest of red-leafed trees. Their newfound senses catching at least a dozen different sounds and smells, some were too intense for them and found themselves somewhat overwhelmed by it all.

Even the grass they are sitting on is red; "Okay... This place is cool," Naruto says absently. Both stand as now finally, Kushina notices her fox tail.

"Um... So we're Kitsune now eh... Awesome dattebane!" The Uzu redhead watches her long tail sway.

"Joy..." The younger Uzumaki's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Spent most of my life tied to a fox, now I get to be one... But I was just dead moments ago so shouldn't really be complaining at all"

Kushina winks; "Never sweat the small stuff sochi." She looks around; "we better go find some food and shelter before looking for any signs of civilization."

Naruto takes a look at their surroundings. "Where do you think we are?"

"No idea" His mother replies. "But we'll find out eventually"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Leaping through the trees, mother and son find a large lake after an hour. At the water's edge both drool seeing the fish swimming around. Naruto moving for his kunai pouch on his leg, his mother stops him. He looks at her quizzically as she smirks.

"Why use a kunai when I know water nature," Kneeling down she puts her hand on the surface of the water; "My father taught me this."

As she was about to close her eyes, Both Naruto's and his mother's fox ears stand perfectly upright. Slowly both look left while sniffing the air; "What is that... It smells... wrong," Naruto whispers.

Kushina rises to her feet beside her son also whispering; "Will find out, it's coming this way."

Walking past a large boulder both glare as it appears. Twice the size of a normal man, a large black furred humanoid wolf moves to the lake, sniffing the air. But what unnerves them is the bone-like mask with red markings on its head, and the bone spikes protruding from their arms, back, and knees.

Everything about this creature feels so off, wrong. Then it red eyes shift to them. With a start, the creature's roar split the air, quickly changing from migration to battle. Rushing to the two new humans in the area, the creature jumps and scratches the boulder, causing it's strike to lead off from actually hitting the two, whom jump in different directions away from it.

Turning to the one that had more power within them, the large wolf-like humanoid monster charged Kushina, the red-haired woman swiftly flipping over the monsters head and instinctively reaching for Kunai, only to find none. "Shit!"

Though as she lands, her son races past and jumps up, opening with a heavy drop kick to the creature's skull. However, the creature was unmoved besides the quick recoil of the kick, leaving it chance to swat Naruto away with its huge claw, throwing the blonde into the boulder behind him.

Roaring out, the creature soon was being surrounded by more of its kind, all jumping from the trees or moving through the bushes. Kushina scoffs in irritation. "Sochi, get up, We need to stop playing around here!"

Shaking off the cobwebs, the blond Uzumaki snarls before putting some chakra into his limbs. The large wolf humanoid swings at him with its claws, he ducks soon landing a punch at the creature's stomach.

Both Naruto and she are in shock seeing the beast flying fast and hard into a tree. Upon hitting it the tree, it snaps and falls on top of the beast. "... Holy shit" was the only thing that comes from mother and son's lips.

Snapping out of their shock, the two Uzumaki's jump out of the way of the entire pack coming at them, splitting them up. Using his chakra' infused fist, Naruto quickly slams a punch into the head of the wolf creature nearest him. Though the creature was not as affected by his strength, its body hits the ground flat.

Flipping over two wolves, Kushina dodges their flanking strikes and lands on one's head, grabbing its mask and pulling to the side, a heel crushing against the back of its neck. Though its body did not yield, it roars in pain and turns, falling over and thrashing around to kick her off. Finding no way to tear the thing's head off, the red-headed woman jumped off it to duck under another's claw. "What does it take to kill these things? They aren't like anything I've faced before!"

Pausing for a second, Kushina dashes forward at two of the wolf creatures. As both take a swing at her, the redheaded kitsune woman slide under one the beast as they freeze up. Standing back to her feet both wolf monsters are sliced into pieces as Kushina sighs. "Kaze no Yaiba (blade of wind). Use jutsu on them Sochi!"

Time almost stands still as her eyes widen to a large shadow looming behind her. Slowly turning the tallest humanoid wolf stands over her. Instincts kick in as Naruto dashes for his mother.

As the creature raises its claws to slash her, a fist covered in blue flame slams into the wolf monster sending it flying. The blue flame soon engulfs the creature as it hits a boulder. It roars in absolute pain before its body turns to ashes.

A stunned Kushina looks an equally shock Naruto, looking at his hand now coated in blue fire. "W-What the hell was that?" He mutters in both confusion and amazement as the fire vanishes.

Acting swiftly, Kushina jumps over one wolf and grabs it by the shoulders, rolling on its back as it stands up to try and grab her, only for the momentum to flip it into the air, Kushina's strength rising it up and throwing it into its pack, bowling over two of his buddies as all three burn with fire.

Ducking under another wolf, this one charging back, Naruto grabbed it's ankles and tripped it, slamming it into the ground before jumping on its back and punching it's spine in, the creature trashes as it's back is broken. As the blonde finishes it off, another two jump at him.

Jumping up, Naruto slams both feet up and grab the creature's arms, blocking their strikes and kicking both in the face. This causes the two remaining wolves on Naruto to fly back. As they roll back up, Naruto generates a perfect Rasengan in his hand, "Let's end this!"

Raising her right arm, a rasengan encased in blue appears in her palm; "Could not have said it better Sochi!"

Dashing forward, both mother and son slam their respected jutsu into the monsters; Rasengan!

The last of the two monster wolves roar in pain before sent flying, their bodies being torn to shreds. Their bodies began to evaporate in a dark smoke.

Seeing no more monsters both Naruto and Kushina slump to the ground looking up towards the sky. Catching their breath, the redhead Uzu speaks up; "all in favor of getting lunch now say Dattebane."

"Dattebane," Naruto mumbles.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The smell of the trout roasting over the fire his mother had made was simply irresistible for them. Naruto took a bit of one of the roasted fishes on a stick. "So" He mumbled in between bites. "I headbutted the bijuu out of him but they didn't make me chūnin. None us became chūnin really, only Shika got promoted"

While Kushina was very impressed of his son's accomplishment, she does notice how certain areas of his skills weren't what a proper Genin's should be. She had thought that someone at least would have made sure to teach him in more detail. For Jiraiya, she knew even when she was alive he was doing his spy network back then for Minato. But Kakashi, she knew why he kept his distance. She can only hope he finds himself again.

There was one thing in particular she did noticed one thing he lacked; "Sounds to me like you know how to think on your feet, but you don't really make plans or know how to lead. Those are very important things to be a chūnin"

Naruto thought it over and found she was right. "Not like it matters now..." He mumbles

The blond Uzumaki yelps being flicked in the forehead by his mother; "We might be gone from our world. But we are still shinobi. And if you want to be anything in any world, you have to know how to plan, and when a situation calls for it, be a leader."

He rubs his sore head. "Alright, alright..." They remain in silence for a few minutes. "This doesn't feel real you know..."

Kushina tilts her head; "How do you think I feel. The last time I saw you, I just gave birth to you. Now here we are brought back to life into a new world." A smile graces her lips. "Sometimes the gods can be kind, I'm not being poetic here we literally owe our new life to a pair of them" She holds him in a one armed hug. "And you can be damn sure we'll make the most of it okay?"

A small smile appears on Naruto as he nods, His mother soon winks; "Also I intend on training you to be a proper shinobi. I will put you through hell, but will make damn sure my son knows how to kick ass like a true Uzumaki."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

As they continued their path in search for signs of civilizations, they found the lush red forest starting to clear out, whereas the forest had been home to fertile soil and a valley of mountains, now came an ample arid plain surrounded by hills and plateaus.

"Can't tell if we're just getting more lost or we are on our way to find something" Naruto mused.

Tapping her chin, Kushina rubs the back of her head taking in the view; "We might have to keep looking around before even finding a village or a town. Let's keep going."

Nodding, both Naruto and Kushina sprint away from the forest to the arid plains. Glancing around neither really saw anything but take notice in what looks like several buildings and landmarks destroyed and abandoned long ago.

"What the hell happened here?" Naruto mutters while still running.

His mother shrugs; "Could have been a war, or something like those things we fought. We'll know when we find people."

After a quarter of a mile they take notice of a massive cement fence in the distance. "At least we're getting somewhere" As they come closer the realize the size of the fence was at least three quarters the size of Konoha's own walls. The walls of their home village served to defend them from invaders, so it made them wonder to what purpose was this cement fence built. To hold back invaders or perhaps those monsters they fought?

The climbed the walls until they reached the top, from there they could see a large stone structure. Tall walls and towers that had been worn with time showed that place to have been through its fair share of fights.

Both also see a community of people living there. Their eyes widen seeing some people with some unique animal characteristics; "Are they Hanyou like us?" Naruto says quietly. Hearing no response, he looks to his mom who stares intently at not just the people but the surroundings.

"Something is off here..."

"GRIMM!" A person shouts. The people suddenly run for their homes in panic.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "What was that?"

Kushina shrugs. "I-I don't know. I couldn't understand that"

A few other townsfolk, armed with various weapons head for the gate. Again they speak in a language neither one understands.

Naruto blinks as he sees his mother vanish via shunshin and appear again with a strange looking double edged sword; "Saw it on a table. Least I can work with this." She hands her son a double edge blade as well; "I will teach you how to use that later." She stands look outside the wall. "Those things are back."

"Did you just steal that?"

"Son, we're ninja" She said as if that explained everything.

"So, that makes it alright?"

Kushina laughs. "Hell no, it's just an excuse we like to say. And this isn't stealing its borrowing"

At his mother's cheeky grin Naruto just rolls his eyes as he stands. Cerulean and velvet gaze steely while the few armed men and women take to the front gate and take cover behind some trenches.

"Death stalkers!" a brunette haired woman with cat ears shouts out, once more they couldn't understand the words.

They could hear a deep rumbling of multiple stake-like feet pounding over the ground, running over the great fence they went to a position that would allow them to see what was happening. They stop at the sight of dozens of giant black scorpions with multiple glowing eyes. They were two meters in length and one in width; they all had dark carapaces with white bone-like plating on the upper part of their bodies.

One stood out among them, far largest than the rest, which easily dwarfed all the other scorpions by being at least five meter in length and four in width. Its mandibles flared as it let out a foul screech.

Naruto only blinks as his tail sways behind him; "Okay... That's new..."

"Let's go sochi," The blond nods to his mother as both shunshin from their place on top of the wall.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Mary quickly loads another round in her rifle, takes aim and fires, blowing up the head of one of the smaller Death stalkers. Thanks to her feline ears she hears with satisfaction as its skull splatters in a mess of bony shards and black ichor.

To her side, a large man with an equally large mane of dark hair chuckled as he fired a mounted machine gun. "Reminds me of the first time we met" He exclaims with a wide smile, showing rather large incisors. Well, large for a human at least.

"Think there was more explosions that time Jack" She casually says while firing another round.

"Oh... Yeah," Jack lets out a laugh. "We did blow that bus half to hell HAHA!"

Mary only rolls her eyes as both keep firing. "Mary!" The cat Faunus looks to one of the militia. "Nothing is making a dent on that damn big one!"

"Then use high caliber rounds, grenades, throw one of Johnny's awful fruit pies at it-"

"Hey!"

"-but do something! I don't care what, so just-!" The brunette cat Faunus' words died in her mouth as red blur moved in between the Stalkers.

It is a woman, a redhead fox Faunus by the looks of it. She moves gracefully yet with brutality. Jumping right over one of the Death stalkers and jamming a blade over its head, killing it instantly. She dodges the piercing strike from another's tail, cutting it off in one swoop when pulling her blade out of the Stalker she just killed before severing off one of its pincers and ramming the blade through its mandibles.

Mary was about to warn her as she saw another Death stalker coming in from behind, but the woman just back flipped and crushes its head with a stomp.

"...Who the hell is that?" Jack wondered what was on everyone's mind.

"With those moves" Mary reasoned. "She's gotta be a huntress"

Jack sees a small death stalker charging, as he is about to fire at the creature it is sliced in half by what looks like a 13 year old blond haired fox faunus child, also with a basic sword in hand. The boy looks over to large man and gives the thumbs up before dashing to the redhead.

"What is today 'Take your kid to kill Grimm Day'?" He wonders.

The brunette cat Faunus shrugs "I'd mark that on my calendar when we have kids"

With little hesitation, the blonde cut the tail off the Death stalker that was coming after his mother and grabs onto it, using the things own tail to stab into its head. As it thrashes he jumped and landed on another.

Seeing her son jump away and the monster he jumped from in pain, she jumps above it, activating a Rasengan and slamming the tail into the thing, killing it. Turning around, Kushina notices her son riding on one, fighting on its tail and using it to protect himself from the other's pincers. Rushing back she stabbed into the heart of one as her son jams the tail of his mount into the other, cutting the tail off as he does so.

Jack whistles; "Little brat is good, I will give him that."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

"Okay" Naruto says after a moment of catching his breath. "This is kinda fu-Yikes!" He jumps away from a massive golden tipped tail. He sees the giant scorpion screeching furiously at him.

The former jinchuuriki smirks wildly at the monster. "You wanna go to? Your funeral pal" He jumps straight at it, bringing down the blade on its head. What he lacked on skill, he made up for it in strength as the blow was sure to shatter its skull in one blow.

...At least that's what he THOUGHT would happen. He blinks at the various pairs of glowing eyes which seemed to stare at him with annoyance and exasperation, the sword in his hand hadn't even managed to make a dent on the bony plating.

"Well... that could have gone better"

The giant scorpion swatted him away like an annoying fly with one of its giant pincers.

Kushina only cringes seeing her son roll like ball on the ground, and stops, lying on his back with swirls in his eyes; "Yeah I am going to need to teach him how use a sword right."

Snapping back into the fight at hand, the red haired woman jumped out of the way as the large creature attempts to stab at her with its tail. Failing to strike her down it launches at her furiously. Bringing the full weight of her power, Kushina slashes up at the thing as its claws slam down on her like a hammer.

Though neither was hurt, both were at a stalemate. Kicking out from under the weight, roaring with power to push the claws up away from her, Kushina manages to get out of the crushing weight.

Running past his mother, Naruto swiftly jumped onto the thing's head and up its body. As the thing shook its body the blonde jumps off when the tail comes to smack him away. Seeing it start turning he rushes in and went to cut its legs, only for his sword to slink against the scorpion's armored plating and bounce off. "He's not going down easily!"

Coming up with a plan, Kushina looks around for some water. "Naruto, we need to find a weak point or something strong enough to kill it! It's too strong and well defended for a straight attack!"

The blonde bit back a curse he jumped away from its stinger; he saw it piercing right through a large boulder and had to squint as the rays of the sun were reflected by the metallic-like orange of its tip as it recoiled for another attack.

He suddenly got an idea. "That stinger of his looks pretty tough!" He called out to his mother.

Slowly a vicious vulpine grin crosses Kushina's lips; "Oh I like how you think Sochi!"

Though the duo had a plan, they were still having a hard time dealing with this huge scorpion. Circling the creature, Kushina starts to find weaknesses around the tail, noticing the joints to be less protected. Naruto, using the direct approach as always, decides to just jump and dodging its attempt to strike him he grabs on. Slamming his blade along its tail, he groans. "Why won't this thing get loose?"

Rolling her eyes, the red-haired Hanyou cut into a leg, but only slices enough to hurt it a bit. As it screeches in pain and attempts to swing back at her, Kushina hurries to the creature's front and stabs the blade into its eye or one, blinding it momentarily as it thrashes around. Though she jumped out of the way, Kushina still managed to get hit by its claw and slams into the nearby wall.

The duo is not alone as two armed townspeople came in and started firing into the thrashing creature, Looking to Kushina, Mary shouts. "We've got it distracted; find a way to kill the thing!"

Her words had no meaning to her in that odd language, nor were the weapons they carried that seemed to spit fire and metal. But the battlefield was no place for confusion. She only nodded at them and jumped at the great scorpion.

She latched onto the stinger, and began to stab and slice directly at the base where the last joints of the tail connected. Every small clavicle unprotected by the bony plating she cuts, severing tendons and flesh, black ichor drenched the sword until finally the stinger was left hanging, connected only by torn straps of flesh. With a cry she swung the blade and severed it completely, causing the scorpion to screech in pain, as the stinger fell, she kicked it into the air and jumped to catch it.

She spun in midair, positioning the orange stinger to be underneath the soles of her feet. She fell; her course was direct to the creature's head. As soon as they collided her legs flexed, pushing the stinger through with great strength. It pierced through plate and flesh directly through the monster's brain.

The giant death stalker only falls dead as Kushina backflips perfectly, landing beside her son. Both sigh in relief as they hear cheering behind them making them turn. "I don't know where you guys game from" The cat woman says with large smirk. "But we ain't complaining, we owe you two a lot"

The wild haired man sighs in relief shaking his head. "I personally owe you two something to eat, my treat"

Naruto and Kushina could only stare as they still couldn't understand a word. "What are they saying?" He whispers to his mother.

"Beats me" She whispers back. "I think they're thanking us" She deduced by the large smiles they were giving them while some cheered. Deciding to put her best foot forward, she tried to sound friendly despite the strong possibility of these people not understanding her. "It's a good thing we arrived here when we did, I'm glad to see you're all okay"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Jack, Mary and the others townsfolk just stared at them in confusion.

"What the hell is she saying?" Jack wondered.

Mary scratched her head, just behind her cat ears. "I... I think that's what they speak east of Mistral" She turns back to see the others. "Anyone here speak eastern?"

A woman raises her hand. "Old Keihachi does"

"Go fetch him please"

After a long five minutes of awkward silence, the woman brings out a small elderly man with a walking cane; "What the hell is going on? I was sleeping till I heard gunfire," the old man grumbles.

Mary chuckles sheepishly; "We'll explain later." she points to Kushina and Naruto; "These two seem to only speak eastern, could you please help?"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The two shinobi stare as the old man who looks at them in turn, they immediately sigh in relief as they hear him speak in a language they understand, their own. "So, they tell me you can't really communicate with them"

"Oh thank the gods" Kushina says with a smile. "Finally someone we can understand. First, where are we? Second, what were those things? Third and most importantly and please be honest with me or else we might kill ourselves, you guys have ramen right?" Naruto nods desperately at the last part.

The old man blinks his beady eyes; he turns to the rest of his townsfolk. "I think these two have been living under a rock…"