A/N: New pilot for the year…hopefully it's up to par. I take inspiration from the now-deleted story "The Blind Fox" by The Swordslinger for this. I've not followed Final Fantasy for a while now, and now I'm coming back with a new Naruto cross with it. Thankfully, I've got the wiki ready for any snags along the way.

This will encompass a good amount of the "Final Fantasy" lore, primarily the Ivalice series and the job system from "Final Fantasy XI" (may be more later). So expect to find high-jumping Scottish Bangaa Dragoons, as well as Black Mages slinging extremely dangerous spells. Because it's gonna go across a number of "Final Fantasy" series, it will be labeled as a straight-up Naruto story instead of a crossover.

There may even be appearances from your favorite Final Fantasy characters later on. And just to be clear: NO! I will not pair Naruto with Yuffie! I'm a still straight-up Yuffentine shipper.

As per tradition with my stories, the amount of reviews you have will determine if this story is a worthy pursuit, so do please read and review, would you kindly? And do keep it classy.

…

[Unknown Location]

A brown-haired boy yawned as he sat by the fire with his colleagues, the crackle of the embers floating from the flames roasting skewered lizards as he settled down on his log. He was positioned in such a manner as to make it easy for him to keep watch on their objective, which was a cart filled with boxes that they were transporting to a nearby town south of Konoha. In addition, he had to keep an eye on the chocobo to make sure nothing bad happened to it; partly because none of the kids wanted to pull the wagon, but also because that bird was a rental. Because of the bird's importance for the mission's expedience, it was agreed upon that everyone would take hourly shifts to watch the cart while the others slept.

"Well, since we're waiting, how about I tell you kids a story?" asked a white-haired man sitting at the other end of the fire, biting into his lizard. He wore a solid steel happuri with the Konoha crest engraved on the forehead that framed a somewhat stern face, marred with a red mark on each of his cheeks, and one on his chin. He wore a blue, gi and trousers over a body that was well-built for an even balance between agility and strength, composed mostly of wiry muscle. The only serious piece of protection he wore was the mesh armor he wore under his gi.

"What kind of story, sensei?" queried a bespectacled boy with a white scarf.

"It's a story I've been told when I was younger, Homura," answered the man, "This will help pass the time and keep us awake a little longer before we take shifts."

The only girl of the group set aside her lizard in favor of leaning in on her master. "How does it go?"

"Long ago, when the world was young, a ship crashed on this world, carrying the moon-people's greatest champion," began the master, "Stranded, and cut off from his people, the warrior of the moon-people chose to wander the land, meeting many people; those he deemed worthy, he taught the secrets of his people. Those who were wicked, often found themselves at the business end of his mighty sword.

"One day, he encountered a princess that was sitting on a pedestal, waiting to be sacrificed to a titanic monster to save her people. After a long battle, he struck down the monster, saving the princess and taking her back to her village; it was there that he learned that there were more monsters, and that they would come for the village. Undeterred, the warrior of the moon chose to stay, and when the day of battle came, he slew all the monsters, creating what we now know as the Mountain's Grave.

"With the siege broken, and the monsters defeated, the people celebrated, heaping praises upon the moon-warrior. Some called him Susanoo, others referred to him as Fudo, but everyone simply knew him as the Moon Champion."

"What happened to him afterwards, Tobirama-sensei?" asked the girl.

"Nobody knows, Koharu," answered the master, "Any mention of him was lost after that day. Though some say that he stayed in the village he saved and married the princess, then lived happily ever after. Others believe he instead went back to the road, eventually taking on two brothers as his apprentices and raising them as his sons. But I'd like to believe that he found peace."

"So why tell us this story, sensei?" asked the brown-haired boy.

"I just wanted to tell this story to someone new, Hiruzen," Tobirama replied wistfully, "It's rare these days that people know of the Moon Champion anymore, and his story is very close to being forgotten."

…

[Somewhere in Hi no Kuni, generations later]

The silence of the night was broken by the sounds of a baby's cries as a man in a one-eyed spiral mask strode through the forest. He wore a black overcoat with red clouds printed at the bottom, as well as a form-fitting black bodysuit underneath. The only thing that was exposed to the world was the mess of spiky black hair on his head.

The baby in question was a young boy with whisker-marks on his cheeks, crying in a blanket. "It seems I've underestimated the Yondaime Hokage's determination," he mused to himself, "To think he would use his son as a Jinchūriki to deny me my objective. Well, I can only tip my hat off to him for his dedication."

The masked man simply stared thoughtfully at the baby, contemplating his next course of action. After a moment's thought, he set the bundle down on the floor while drawing a kunai. "Sorry, but Konoha must be destroyed and…"

Whatever else the masked man had to say slowed to a halt when he felt a sudden breeze washing over the forest. He looked around the area to see if he'd been followed.

"Leave the child alone," demanded a voice from behind. The masked man turned around quickly to see that he wasn't alone; sitting atop a boulder was a hulking mass of a man that glared upon him with hard, reddish-brown eyes. He had the appearance of a Kumogakure native, with bronze skin and smooth, cream-colored hair flowing the wind. The only articles of clothing he wore were a black leather cape; wreaths of black and red prayer beads on his wrists, left bicep, and ankles; and what appeared to be a black leather kilt. The massive sword sheathed across his back, in combination with his muscular body, gave the appearance of an ancient barbarian warrior that could crush a skull in one of his massive hands. And yet, there was a power coursing within the giant that belied his hulking stature; there was an intelligence in his eyes that belonged to a leader.

The masked man turned his attention to the giant, his voice calm. "This does not concern you, stranger."

"What do you gain from murdering a child?" queried the barbarian, his expression calm with a hint of anger mixed in, "What do you hope to achieve by depriving a newborn of their life?"

"Revenge," the masked man answered simply.

"Against whom?" asked the barbarian, a threatening edge in his inflection as he lowered himself from the boulder. As the barbarian took steps towards him, the masked man could feel his heart racing; it felt as though he were staring down some mighty predator that was ready to pounce at the slightest movement. "If it were against this child's parents, then I can see that you've already had your vengeance, but that's not enough, is it? When will it end?"

As the barbarian came to a complete stop in front of the baby, the masked man was able to appreciate how much bigger he was. On top of the fact that he eyeballed him to be a good 230 centimeters tall, he had the stance of someone that was more than confident in their skills. "You wouldn't understand if I told you."

"You're treading a dangerous path, one you will not be able to walk back from," warned the barbarian, his hand traveling towards the grip of his sword, "Leave the child be; you've spilled enough blood for your hatred tonight."

Both men were silent as they glared at each other. Neither side was willing to back down, until the masked man heaved an infuriated sigh. "Very well then, not like it's worth it to pick a fight with you. Not now, at least."

The masked man turned to leave. After taking a few steps away, he twirled around to fling a kunai at the barbarian with a flick of his wrist, only for his opponent to deflect the projectile with sweep of his cape before drawing his massive sword. The barbarian cleared the distance between them in a single stride in an attempt to cleave his opponent in twain with the black blade of his sword. The masked man managed backpedal just in time to avoid being bisected; he'd barely had time to clap his hands together for a jutsu when his opponent recovered with an upward counter-cut, forcing him to take another hop backward.

Recoiling in pain, the masked man looked down at his right arm, to find that his forearm was missing before glaring back at the barbarian with a mixture of hate and fear his remaining eye. He opened a portal at his feet just in time for the barbarian open his palm in front of him, chakra coalescing into a spherical shape in his hand. The sphere of energy streaked towards the masked man, barely passing over his head as he fell through the portal before exploding in a brilliant flash.

Satisfied that his opponent was no longer in the area, the barbarian sheathed his sword and turned to regard the crying baby. As he studied the boy's features, he began to contemplate his next move; the blond seemed to have massive potential locked away in his tiny frame, though something bothered the barbarian about the lad. Pulling off the boy's blankets revealed a helical ink drawing brushed over his navel, with seals written around it—the mark of a Jinchūriki.

The barbarian heaved a sigh of exasperation. "So you're in possession of a heavy burden? Your life will not be easy."

Thoroughly contemplating his next move, the barbarian hefted the bundle in one arm, smiling warmly at the babe. He knew that Konoha was the most logical place to take him, but he also knew that while there were exceptions, many Jinchūriki had suffered greatly at the hands of bigots they were meant to protect. "Perhaps it is time I had some company," he mused to himself, before finding a word written on the blanket, "Your name is Naruto? Such a strange name. Very well, I will ensure you are strong enough to walk your own path, Naruto."

…

[Nami no Kuni, 15 years later]

There was a dead silence that pervaded the village of Nami no Kuni as the people wandered listlessly through the streets. The only thoughts on everyone's minds were of the horrible situation they had to deal with. Shops were empty of products, with premium prices on what few commodities they were selling. The island nation had turned into quite possibly the world's largest slum district.

A boy walked the streets, looking around the village, much of his body was covered with a high-collared leather cape that went down to his ankles. He had sun-kissed hair, and cerulean eyes that surveyed the town with no small modicum of pity for the villagers. He was tall for his age, and the build under his cape suggested that he lived an ascetic life of hard training. The only thing he carried with him was a long, thin, T-shaped item wrapped in cloth.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" asked a voice from behind. The boy turned around to see a woman in a pink shirt with midnight-colored hair. She studied him with a combination of curiosity and suspicion while holding a pair of grocery bags in her arms.

"Yeah, I came to see the Wave Festival," answered the boy, "Have I come at a bad time?"

"I'm afraid you have," replied the woman, a hint of sympathy in her tone, "We're not holding the Wave Festival this year. Situation's way too bad right now."

The boy sighed in disappointment. "Figures. Do you know of an inn I can stay at?"

"I do, but you'd be paying a hefty sum," advised the woman, "With things as bad as they are, I wouldn't be surprised; prices have been skyrocketing on everything for a while now." As she looked at the boy, the woman noted the cloth-wrapped item he was carrying. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah, it's a sword," the boy replied simply, beaming with pride, "My sensei had it made for me; really nice piece of work too."

"Are you a shinobi?"

The caped boy nodded. "Nah, just a wanderer that can handle himself in a fight."

There was a thoughtful look on the older woman's features, before she smiled. "Well then how would you like some free room and board?" she finally asked, "All I ask is that you serve as my bodyguard free of charge until my father gets back."

After a few seconds of silence, the boy shrugged lightly. "Why not? Nothing else to do." He shouldered his wrapped sword before extending a hand from his cape to shake. It was bare, and rippling with muscles. "You've got yourself a deal, miss…?"

"Tsunami," answered the woman, taking the boy's hand in hers, "And you?"

"The name's Naruto."

…

A/N: And there it is…first completely new story for the year.

Again, I hope it's up to par.

If you have a "Final Fantasy" character you'd like to show up in this story, tell me in a review where you'd be likely to find them in Naruto-verse. And please keep it classy.

…

Vocabulary/References:

The Barbarian━Golbez from "Final Fantasy IV: The After Years."

The Barbarian's height━230 centimeters roughly translates to 7½ feet tall in the US.