Chapter Three: Berserk

Naruto stared at the giant mass of darkness that seemed to be growing. The formless beast roared with enough force to knock him off his feet. Struggling to face his adversary, Naruto let out a sound of frustration. Barely managing to get up, he looked up at the beast's mouth, which had endless rows of jagged teeth. He refused to be intimidated, despite knowing he stood little chance at defeating the strange creature.

"I'm not scared of you!" he shouted, defying the monster any satisfaction. The shadows began to melt, and the strange liquid it morphed into surrounded him. Despite having a firm surface to stand on before, as the liquid surrounded his feet, Naruto began to sink into it. He struggled to get free, but it was hopeless. The tar-like substance began to stick to his skin, causing a burning sensation all over. He tried tearing it off, but his skin was torn with it.

"GET OFF ME!" he shouted, but his voice was warped. He continued to sink until he was completely submerged, and his world became dark. He felt like he was suffocating, but soon found himself freefalling. Panicked, he tried to right himself to land on his feet, but his body felt strange. Without warning, he stopped, not feeling any pain. Dazed, he looked around his new surroundings, and saw tall trees and a familiar village far off in the distance. Nostalgia filled his chest, and he realized where he was. The walls were just as he remembered them, and couldn't help but want to go in. He walked towards the village, but as he got closer, it began to fall apart. His heart sinking, he fell into a sprint, and kicked down the gates. He was relieved to see the buildings were not damaged, but something caught his attention.

"Get the Grimm!" he heard somebody shout. Scanning the area, Naruto didn't see any, but felt something pierce his chest. He looked down to see a spear sticking out his black torso, and it wasn't until he registered what it was did he feel pain. Confused, he looked at his hands, only to see them pitch black with bony white claws at the end of his fingers. He tried to speak, but only growling came out. Before he could further inspect his body, he felt a sharp pain on his legs, and saw Roy slashing at him. Naruto fell to the ground, as he watched the old Arc stalk towards him.

"You foul beast," the man uttered. "You have no place among humans. Now, BEGONE!" His sword began to glow white, and before Naruto could react, his arm fell to the ground, dissipating in a black wisp.

'I'm not a monster,' Naruto thought to himself, afraid of dying to one of his best friends. He ran past the old man as he prepared another swing, and headed to the one place he knew he was safe. He dodged incoming arrows, although he felt a decent number embed themselves into his back. Once he arrived to the backstreets of the village, he stopped to catch his breath. Limping down the familiar path, he headed home. Upon arriving to the torn up house, he felt immense relief wash over him as the door was intact. Steeling his nerves, Naruto began to walk towards the house, but stopped. If Roy didn't recognize him, would Viola? The uncertainty was enough to make him hesitate. He stood there, unmoving, as he felt tears falling from his face. He wiped them away, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his arm had returned to its normal flesh color.

"I'm human again," he said aloud. Now, nothing was stopping him from entering his home. Running in, he began to look for his best friend, the woman who took him in. "Viola! I'm here! Everything is going to be ok! Where are you?"

"Naruto?" he heard her call out. She was in her bedroom, and what's more, she seems to have no clue about the battle going on outside. Without thinking to knock, he rushed inside, desperate to see her smiling once more. He looked around, but didn't see her. "Down here."

"What?" he asked, looking down only for his stomach to drop. She was mangled, and suddenly, blood began to stain everything in the room. Her severed head looked up to him, and began to cry blood.

"You… failed," she whispered. Naruto dropped to his knees, looking at her slowing beginning to decay. Her skin began to peel first, and her voice became raspy. "I'm dead… because of you…"

"Viola…" whispered Naruto, her words stabbing through his heart like a jagged blade. It was exactly what he feared she thought of him in hey dying moments. "I tried so hard…"

"Naruto…" whispered Viola. Naruto couldn't bear to look at her, and closed his eyes, willing the nightmare to go away. Viola's calls got more desperate, which only made him shut his eyes tighter. "Naruto!"

"I'm sorry," he cried, covering his face with his arm.

"NARUTO!" she shouted.

"I'M SORRY!" cried Naruto waking up in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily, and was looking at his trembling hands to ensure he hadn't turned into a Grimm again. He didn't notice the scared young woman sitting next to him.

"N-naruto?" whispered Summer. Naruto flinched at her voice, and backed away, staring at her with panicked eyes. "It was just a bad dream," she tried to assure him. Naruto had calmed his breathing, and sighed tiredly, but he it was apparent that he was still trembling.

"Yea… a bad dream," he repeated in his shaking voice. 'One I will never wake from…' he thought bitterly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly. "You seem really shaken up about it."

"I rather not," replied Naruto, the images burned into his mind. In a pathetic attempt, he tried to change the subject. "Where am I?"

"Oh, I brought you back to the inn we were staying at," she said with a smile. "I didn't know if you had a place to stay, and even if you did, I didn't know where… so I brought you to my room."

"You didn't have to do that," he sighed, "but thank you."

"Don't worry about it," she smiled at him, as she took a seat on the bed next to him. "You know, I thought about what you said the day we met."

"What part?" he asked, hoping it wasn't when he was in his foul mood.

"That as a Huntress, I wasn't doing anything to change the world," she replied, confirming Naruto's suspicions. "I wanted to argue with you, but you were right. I can't change the world by myself."

"Summer, I didn't mean to-"

"I'm not finished," she chided gently. "What I figured after was that even if I can't change the world, I can change somebody's world. You may or may not think I'm making a huge difference, but at the end of the day, I know that somebody might live to see another day because of something I've done. Somebody won't have to say goodbye to their loved one. It may be a small mark in history, one that may never be passed down, but I don't think that glory is all that important."

Naruto sat in silence, a bit ashamed at his previous words. Summer turned to him again, and smiled once more.

"So, that's why I do what I do," she told him, grabbing his hands into hers. "Although you never really asked… but that's not really the point." She scratched her head, and began to wonder. "Actually, I don't know where I was going with that… Heh, I'm sorry, I'm not really that great at talking to new people…"

"You're fine," he told her, now calm.

"Thanks," she smiled shyly. "I guess old habits die hard… Say, my team and I were going to grab some breakfast, do you want to come? We found this diner that is really good, and I think they like us." Naruto looked down to the bedsheets, and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Why are you being nice to me?" he asked suddenly. "I mean, there are other kids out there, what makes me special?"

"I try to be nice to everybody," shrugged Summer. "I'm not saying that you aren't special, but, well… I don't know, there is something about you…"

"Oh," he replied simply. "Thanks, I guess."

"I'm so bad at using words," she muttered to herself. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I can't really explain my feelings sometimes… but they've never lead me astray before."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"Well, what Ozpin told me once was that I tend to follow my heart," she recalled. "That, even if there is a difficult choice to make, if I trust my feelings, I'll always make the right choice. Helping people has always made me feel good, so I decided to become a Huntress." Summer noticed the pensive look on Naruto's face, and her smile faltered. "Naruto… what's the matter?"

"…" Naruto remained silent for a while, weighing the consequences of his next words. If he sought comfort from this woman, would he be trying to replace Viola? Would talking about his best friend to this borderline stranger make him feel any better? Naruto just stared, his mind continuously asking him questions he didn't want to answer. Should he ask her what his nightmare meant? Nothing seemed to be the right answer as so he just remained silent. He found it difficult to mask his sadness with the wide grin he thought he perfected. After a few minutes, he took in a deep breath. "Summer?"

"Yes?"

"There is a lot about me you don't know…" he began quietly, "some things, I rather you not know."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," she tried to assure, "but you can tell me anything you want."

"I don't know where to start," he sighed. Summer sat next to him patiently, doing her best to be a good listener. Naruto looked up to her, and smiled sadly. "Actually, I think I have an idea… You remind me a lot of my best friend." It didn't take long for his story to unravel.

"So I tell you I have a thing for your sister, and a week later, you're sleeping with Summer?!" Tai asked accusingly. Qrow just sighed deeply, knowing that there was no way to explain what happened to his teammate AND have him believe it.

"I didn't sleep with Summer," he replied shortly, rolling his eyes.

"I saw her coming out of your room this morning," he whispered, getting too close for comfort. "Without her cloak. You know as well as I do she doesn't go anywhere without it."

"She didn't have it on when she came in," replied Qrow, only to see his response fueled Tai's rant.

"Sweet, innocent Summer," Tai gasped dramatically. "To think she would go in there not only willing, but… prepared."

"First off, Summer only came to my room because she gave her bed to the kid," sighed Qrow. "Second, she left her hood with Naruto, because she had used it to keep him warm on the way back to the inn. Thirdly, Summer is the same age as us, she's not any less or more innocent than you or I, and finally, even if something went on in there, why do you care?"

"You know exactly why I care," Tai replied, giving him a pointed stare. "You didn't exactly have the best reputation with the ladies back in Beacon. You broke every girl's heart, so excuse me for looking out for my friend!"

"Like you're one to talk," bit back Qrow. "I might have had to turn a few girls down, but you're the one who jumped from one relationship to another within the span of a week! You don't think that's why Raven doesn't take you seriously?" Tai visibly flinched at his remark.

"I told you things were different with her," mumbled Tai. "I know what she probably thinks of me, but that's why I'm trying so hard to make this work!" Qrow regretted his outburst, as he did see Tai's attempt to change.

"I'm sorry Tai," muttered Qrow, unsure how else to move on.

"It's cool," shrugged Tai. "I guess I shouldn't have made such a big deal about Summer and you…" He began to stretch his arms, feeling a satisfying pop.

"That's disgusting," Qrow said with a shudder.

"You have always been the queasy one between us," smirked Raven, arriving from her room. She was already dressed in her combat gear, despite knowing Summer had not planned another patrol today.

"Bite me," he retorted. Tai just laughed awkwardly, as he took a seat near Qrow.

"Anyway, did Summer tell you guys what we're doing today?" asked Tai.

"She just said she wanted to make sure the kid was alright. She's under the impression the teenager who wiped out a horde of Grimm is fragile and helpless," shrugged Qrow.

"Honestly, Summer needs to grow up," scoffed Raven, earning a glare from her brother. "You know it's true."

"I'm not even going to start with you," Qrow replied, a bit annoyed.

"Well, if something comes up, Qrow can let us know, right buddy?" asked Tai, trying to diffuse the conflict. "Come on Rae, I heard from this merchant that the little bakery in the plaza has the best pot-pie in town."

Raven continued to glare at her brother, and simply grunted in agreement with Tai. The blond was a bit taken aback, but didn't miss a step, and led her away. He shot Qrow a thankful look before departing.

"That is not going to end well," he sighed under his breath. He took a look at his scroll to see it was barely noon. 'I really shouldn't…' he thought to himself. He looked around for a sign that was telling him to stop, and was thankful when he saw Summer and Naruto coming out of the room. He stood up to greet them, but he noticed the strange look on Summer's face, and that Naruto was staring at the floor. "You two have a fight or something?"

"Huh? Oh, no nothing like that," Summer replied with a forced smile. She was obviously distracted by something. Qrow then looked over to Naruto, who met him with an uneasy gaze.

"It's nothing," he told the older huntsman.

"Well, usually it's Raven who's doom and gloom," he tried to joke. Unfortunately neither laughed. He knew better than to pry while Naruto was still there, but not knowing was bothering him too much. "So either of you going to tell me what happened in there?"

"It's complicated," replied Naruto, grabbing his forehead as if he was nursing a headache.

"It's… personal," added Summer, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. She looked down to him, but he didn't return the stare. "Qrow… I think I'm going to go for a walk… I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"R-right, of course," answered the confused man. Summer walked out, and let the two alone. "So, um, kid… what's up?"

"I think I'm leaving," he replied suddenly.

"Where to?" asked Qrow. He was hoping he'd answer why, but didn't want to force any information out of him.

"I… I don't know," he sighed. "I just… I can't take being in this village anymore. I've thought about it, and I asked Summer where Faunus can live peacefully, but she didn't really have a answer."

"I see… She didn't mention Menagerie?"

"Yea, she did. The thing is it would take me months to get there. I don't have enough supplies to last a week, let alone take me to the southernmost part of the Kingdoms. That's if they let me in… Summer says that Faunus there have not taken kindly to humans who stuck them in a desert of an island."

"That's putting it lightly…" sighed Qrow. "What do you mean, if they take you… are you not a Faunus?"

"No," he replied simply.

"So the whiskers…?"

"Birthmarks."

"Ah, I see…" There was an awkward silence that followed, as the two stood there uncomfortably. "So… you're human then?"

"I think so," he replied hesitantly. "I mean I know I am, but, there are certain parts that aren't… I would really rather not get into it."

"So if you aren't going to Menagerie, where do you plan on moving next? If it's on the way, you can come with us when we leave to Vale."

"I think I'm just going to head south. That way I'll be closer to Menagerie, even if it is only a few weeks."

"Listen, Summer is the one who is usually good at cheering people up," groaned Qrow. "I just kill Grimm and look good doing it. Tai is the social one, and Raven is… well, you've met her."

"She's your sister, right?" asked Naruto. Qrow nodded, albeit confused. "What does she mean when she says she's interested in you?"

"Did she say that to you?" he asked. Naruto nodded, still waiting an answer. "It just means you've impressed her with your skills. There really isn't any sentiment attached to it. She said the same to Tai and Summer a few weeks after we formed teams. When did she say this to you?"

"Last night," he recalled. "She was waiting where I sleep before the Grimm attack, and just starting saying weird things."

"Such as?"

"She said that I looked like I had an interesting story," he responded, remembering that night. "That I had the same look in my eye as people she knew growing up… some people that might be considered evil. What did she mean by that?"

"Nothing good," sighed Qrow. "You see, Raven and I… we didn't exactly grow up normal, and one of the things you pick up along the way is recognizing other people who didn't either. Raven tends to look too far into it though."

"She's not wrong," admitted Naruto. "I can only think of one person who grew up like I did… and he became a monster." Qrow listened intently, hoping to take a peek into the blond enigma. "He grew up just like I did, with no friends, with hateful stares from strangers, and even had assassination attempts carried out against him. It's a scary reminder, that if I didn't keep trying, I could have become what he did… I was one bad day from becoming a demon."

"You're wrong!" the two heard Summer cry out from the door way. "Naruto, don't say that!"

"It's true!" shouted Naruto back. "I didn't tell you everything, but I was less than one step from becoming the monster they saw me as!"

"I feel like I'm missing something," Qrow mumbled to himself. Naruto and Summer continued to bicker.

"That's not true!" insisted Summer, visibly struggling to keep herself together. "I refuse to believe it!" Naruto gave up, and just walked out of the inn, leaving the two partners alone.

"So are you going to explain what's going on?" asked Qrow.

"I don't know where to begin," she whispered, sitting in the nearest stool. "He's suffered so much…"

Naruto had made it to the town square, and felt the various glares he got from the villagers. He didn't care that they were upset at his violent and loud demeanor, he just wanted them to stop looking at him.

"What are you looking at?!" he shouted at the villagers, unaware that his eyes had turned into a burning red. "You want to say something?! SAY IT!"

The townsfolk just turned away, a bit frightened at the tone of the young teen. Naruto's breathing had become erratic, and he was shaking in anger.

"None of you have a clue," he whispered to himself. "You have no idea what I've been through…"His muscles began to twitch, and vaguely became aware of his darkening vision.

He then remembered those days in Konoha.

-Ten Years Prior-

Naruto, now five, ran down the streets, desperately trying to evade those who wanted him dead. He didn't understand why he was disliked so much, and had tried to make people like him with something that made him happy. This backfired epically. He had been caught red-handed with some paint and rope where he had tried to paint a mural of the four Hokage; the shinobis he looked up to. Instead, several villagers thought he was attempting to deface their property. Although they weren't wrong they didn't see Naruto's intention, and Naruto didn't know any better, and now found himself running for his life.

"I didn't mean it!" he cried, tears flowing down his face. "I just want you all to like me!"

"We could never like a demon like you!" shouted a woman holding a large kitchen knife.

"I'm not a demon," he wailed, as he found himself cornered in an alley. This particular alley used to be clear, but it appears that it was now blocked with tall stacks of boxes. He turned and pressed his back into it, wide-eyed at the menacing villagers.

"Of course you are," said a seething man. "You're the reason my little girl was taken away from me! You are nothing more than a monster who only knows to cause pain!"

"I've never hurt any of you," he denied. He raised his hands to defend himself from the approaching villagers, only to feel a burning sensation all over his body. "AH, STOP IT!"

"What's going on?" asked another woman, as the mob looked on at the boy screeching in pain.

"I don't know, but shut him up!" ordered an elderly man. "If he keeps making this racket, the Anbu will show up!" One of the younger men grabbed the small boy and punched all the air out of his lungs. As the boy fell to the ground, small amounts of blood dripped from his mouth.

"W-why are you doing this?" asked Naruto, gritting his teeth in pain. The burning sensation had not lessened, but he found he couldn't stop it. The woman with the kitchen knife began to get closer, a wicked smile marring her face.

"You killed my husband," she said maniacally, as she brought the knife to this stomach. "Now I will avenge him, Demon." Naruto felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and looked down to see strange black marks appear before he blacked out from the pain. The woman began to laugh, as if all her problems were finally over, when the boy's head snapped up, eyes a burning crimson, and his facial features much more feral. "W-what are you?" she asked horrified.

"It's simple, really," the distorted voice replied. "You've called me a demon, so…"

-End Flashback-

"A Demon you wish me, a Demon I'll be," he cackled, as red began to envelop his body.

"So, what I'm trying to say is, I really like you," slurred Tai, looking at his partner. "I mean, I like like you."

"You realize you sound like a ten year old, right?" asked Raven, her voice full of snark.

"I know!" he replied embarrassed, although his face was already red from being drunk, "I'm not used to not knowing what to say. You're the only one who does this to me, woman!" Raven just smirked at him, and Tai calmed himself down. "Alright, whatever, it's out there. So you want to go out some time, or not?"

"Sure, why not?" she shrugged. She figured that it might piss Qrow off, but if she was being honest with herself, Tai was one of the few people that she knew could handle her. Most others would run scared, but Tai wasn't easily intimidated.

"Come on! Give me one chance," he began. "I know it seems a little weird, but- wait you said yes?" Raven cocked an eyebrow, and gave a slight nod. "FUCK YES!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Just as he did, a cart full of vegetables came crashing through the ceiling and landed in front of the two Huntsmen.

"My cabbages!" cried an old man.

"Did… did I do that?" asked Tai, looking at his fist. He lowered it, and did a second fist pump, and a second cart came crashing down, landing on somebody.

"My leg!" cried another man.

"What kind of godly power is this?" asked Tai, only for Raven to roll her eyes.

"There is something going on outside," she sighed, wondering if she should take back the agreement to the date. She drew her sword, and Tai followed suit, and they left the bakery. Once they arrived outside, they saw something very strange. It was a fox-like Grimm, but it had no bony armor and it was a dark crimson. Behind it waved four tails.

"What the hell kind of Grimm is that?" asked Tai, getting ready to fight.

"It's unlike anything we've seen before," replied Raven seriously. "Tai, call Summer and Qrow. We're probably going to need back up." Tai immediately got his scroll out to call. Very rarely did Raven admit to needing backup, and never had she asked for it before the fight had begun.

"RRAAHH!" the beast shouted, sending a shockwave of sound that nearly took the two Huntsman off their feet.

"It's the same thing from last night!" realized Tai. "It must have escaped before we got there." The fox rushed towards Raven, who was the closer one of the two, and swiped its arm wildly. Raven raised her sword to block, but the power behind the beast was much more than she expected, and was flung across the town square. "RAVEN!" Tai sprang into action, and ran toward the distracted fox, getting a clear shot to its face.

"Eat this!" shouted Tai, landing a solid punch, only for it to be stopped dead in its track. From how little it moved, he expected that the fox had caught his fist, but the creature hadn't bothered blocking. Turning its head slowly, the fox grabbed Tai by the skull and flung him the opposite direction Raven flew. Crashing through the few remaining stalls, Tai landed in a heap, his Aura depleting fast.

"TAI!" he heard Summer shout. The red Grimm looked over to the white hooded Huntress, and cocked its head to the side. "You…You MONSTER!" she screamed, twirling her battle-ax as she closed the distance between the two. Using both hands, she brought the ax down in an overhead swing, only for the fox to catch her wrists with two of its tails. She began to feel the burning sensation of the strange red substance, and tried to break free. Before long, the tips of the tails were severed by Qrow.

"Are you alright?" he asked his partner. She nodded, but her wrist were clearly burned. "What is that thing? Grimm don't have Aura, but that red stuff… it's acting like some sort of shield." Soon, Tai and Raven made it to their side, a bit battered, but still capable of fighting.

"What's the plan, Rose?" asked Raven.

"We have to lead it out of the village," she replied. "After that, we can move the fight away, so other Grimm don't arrive. Once we have it in a clearing, I'll strike it down."

"You don't mean-" began Tai.

"If it comes to it, then yes!" she replied firmly. "Now MOVE!" Without hesitation, team STRQ split up and surrounded the Fox Grimm. They kept a fair distance, but Qrow began to bait him by shooting at it with his sword. The Grimm didn't seem bothered, as the projectiles just bounced off its red hide harmlessly

"How are we going to do this?" asked Tai, seeing how little Qrow was distracting it. Raven switched her sword into a blue blade. With a mighty swing, a wave of lighting shot out, and hit the Grimm, causing him to roar. Raven smirked, and turned to give chase. With the red Grimm on her tail, she fled the village, and team STRQ followed closely behind.

Once they were at least five miles from the village, Raven came to a halt, and switched to a black blade, and slashed at the fox once more. It tried to jump over, but Tai was above it, and ax kicked it right back down into the trajectory of the black wave.

"Did it work?" asked Qrow, seeing that his sister had used her gravity blade.

"There's only one way to find out," Summer replied solemnly. She motioned for her team to stay back, as she approached to plume of dust that had been kicked up from the impact of the fox. As she got closer to the crater, the dust was all waved away, the four tailed fox on all fours, seemingly unharmed.

"What the hell…" whispered Tai. He had seen Raven's gravity blade take down a group of Deathstalkers, but this one wasn't fazed. The fox's white eyes turned to Raven, and let out a frightening roar. For the first time Raven could remember, she was petrified. The amount of animosity she felt radiating from the beast had made her blood run cold. The fear of what it would do to her had made her heart stop, and her eyes widened as the beast created a strange orb in front of its mouth. It's four tails pointed at it, as it began to grow bigger.

"MOVE" shouted Tai, as he jumped in front of the fox, and began to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks that did nothing but annoy the fox. With a single tail, it flicked the brawler away. Qrow and Summer jumped into the fray, having gotten used to each other's fighting style over the years of being partners. As Qrow slashed, Summer hacked, and the tails of chakra seemed to be taking some sort of damage. They both jumped back as the fox swiped it's arm at them ,and felt their stomachs drop when the tails began to reform.

"That thing… is unreal," Qrow said panting. Summer was a bit better off, as she stood straight, her expression not daunted.

"I won't let you hurt my friends," she uttered under her breath, as she felt anger begin to rise.

"Summer, stop!" shouted Qrow, recognizing the tone she was using. Summer shot him a glare and he knew it was too late. She had tears streaming down her face, and her eyes began to glow white. Before either had a chance to say anything, the fox roared again. They looked over, and saw the beast eat the strange ball it had created.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Tai said, his stomach forming a knot. He was helping Raven stand, as she was still out of it.

"TAI GET OUT OF THERE!" shouted Summer, as she ran towards the red beast. Tai nodded, and tried to get out of the way as soon as possible, only to hear a terrifying sound of destruction from behind him. Summer had jumped in front of the two, holding her arms out in a desperate attempt to shield them from the attack, but no harm befell any of them.

"What happened?" asked Tai, looking over to his team. Qrow was still leaning on his sword, and Summer was still standing in front of him with her eyes shut. Raven uttered something under her breath, but he didn't catch it. Summer opened an eye to see what had happened, and was confused to see the fox seemingly growling to itself. If the beast had lips, Summer might be able to make out words, which frightened her. Was this monster intelligent?

"Kill…" the fox uttered. It didn't speak loud, but it was heard by all. "I… will kill… them all."

"What are you?" asked Qrow, struggling to stand without assistance from his weapon. The fox turned it's gaze at the man, and began to chuckle. It's hollow gaze was still eerie, but he refused to look away.

"I'm the only one who can save him," the fox replied, no longer struggling to form words. The tails stopped waving angrily around him, and settled to gently moving with the breeze. "But he has a desire to save you… Team STRQ. Interesting…"

"How do you know who we are?" asked Tai, a feeling of dread washing over him. The four got into their battle formation, standing side by side. The fox, although his face was still masked by the blood red cloak, visibly smiled.

"Are all blonds this dense?" he asked himself amused. Before Tai could take offense to that, the fox's red cloak began to dissipate. Team STRQ looked on as the creature collapsed, and the feeling of death in the air was gone.

"What's going on?" asked Qrow, completely confused. The rest of the team remained silent, their weapons drawn just in case. The four slowly made their way over, and were completely caught off guard.

"Holy shit," said Tai, being the only one to find his voice. Naruto laid in front of them, patches of skin missing from his face. His teeth were visible from the sides, and his hands were nearly stripped to the bone. Weakly, he pushed himself up to face them, and uttered one sentence.

"I told you… I'm… a… monster." He then collapsed, lying face-first in the dirt.

The Next Day

Three of the members of team STRQ sat quietly around a campfire unsure of what to do. The first thing Summer did was pick the boy up and rushed him back into the village, desperate to save him. Unfortunately, they had all refused to treat him, and demanded that the team leave their village along with the 'demon brat'. She had not left his side since. Raven wanted to end his misery there, as she was unsure when she would get another chance to do so. The feeling of pure fear that the fox had instilled in her was unreal, and did not plan on experiencing it again. Tai was conflicted, as he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that a fifteen year old had been possessed by something much scarier than a creature of Grimm. Qrow found himself wondering what they could do. The kid was already a great fighter, and given that he can make a virtual limitless supply of clones, he was essentially a one man army. As if that wasn't enough, there was… something in him that harbored hatred, and wanted everything dead; or at least from what he understood. Apparently Naruto's desire to spare his team had somehow gotten through to his second personality…

"It's almost as if the two were aware of each other," he realized. "Like… they share the same body, but only one controls it at a time…"

"What was that?" asked Tai, looking over to his teammate.

"It's nothing," relied Qrow, "just speculating…" Tai nodded, and went back to his own thoughts.

"He's a danger to us all," Raven stated, breaking her silence. "Summer shouldn't have brought him back to the village. With the fear he put in them, it's only a matter of time before they get swarmed by Grimm."

"It doesn't matter, we'll still protect them," replied Qrow. "It's our job to help them, not to be their friends." The two siblings glared at each other for a moment, but Summer exited her tent. "How is he?"

"He's… alive," she replied. "He hasn't woken up, but he's muttering something in his sleep." Summer looked over to her team, and sighed. "I don't know what we can do to help him, but he's suffering."

"He wasn't our responsibility until he attack those villagers," Raven said evenly. "Now he's a threat, and we have to take care of that."

"He's not," insisted Summer, raising her voice against her cynical teammate. Tai and Qrow were surprised to see how strongly their leader felt about this. "I can figure something out, and I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for-"

"Wake up, Rose!" Raven interrupted. "That kid nearly killed not only some weak civilians, but a team of Huntsmen! What could you possibly do alone that we couldn't have done together? He's a danger to those around him, and himself! Just because he's a kid, it doesn't excuse his actions!"

"Raven," Qrow began, stepping in front of Summer. "We have done similar things before, and Summer forgave us. Isn't it a bit hypocritical of you to deny that same treatment?"

"I'm sure we can all figure something out," Tai tried to placate, but the two women continued to glare at each other.

"If these are you orders, Rose, consider this our last mission together," Raven uttered out. Her three teammates' eyes widened at her proclamation.

"Fine," Summer replied evenly. "If that's how you feel, I won't force you to stick around." Qrow and Tai each walked up to their partner, and tried to talk some sense into them.

"Summer, I know you don't mean that," began Qrow. "Once the kid wakes up, we can talk this through, but there is no sense in trying to fight over his future when we have no place in deciding that for him."

"Qrow, I know she's your sister, but this team was bound to break up sooner or later…" replied Summer. "Back at Beacon, we were getting to know each other so we let a lot of things slide… but that was years ago, and if we keep finding ourselves bickering like this, we'll only end up resenting each other…"

"Why don't we just finish our time here, and we'll discuss this all back in Vale, once this blows over a bit?" suggested Qrow. "Go keep watch over the kid… I'll go find us something to eat, alright?"

"Alright…" agreed Summer. She turned back to her tent, but didn't step forward. "Qrow?" she asked, not turning to face him.

"Yea?"

"You're a good friend," she said. "I hope we don't grow apart." The man smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Summer. Get some rest."

"All I'm saying is that he's just a kid," continued Tai. "I mean I do stupid things all the time, and you don't hate me for it, right?"

"This is different, Tai," growled Raven. "Didn't you feel the atmosphere when we faced him? I could feel a hundred different ways to die from standing ten feet from the monster. Even when that thing isn't in control, the brat still attacked us in that alley! How can you keep defending this kid?" If Tai wasn't trying to keep the woman from leaving the team, he might have noticed the fear in her voice when she spoke of the creature.

"He doesn't know better," he replied. "I know it's a flimsy excuse, but from what Qrow's said, he didn't exactly have role models growing up, and he's recently lost the one person who helped him out. This kid was trained by Roy Arc, of course he's going to be a bit violent; he was taught by someobody who fought in the Great War!" Raven narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't speak.

"You know, you aren't as stupid as I often think you are," she replied, walking towards her tent. Tai smiled a bit, before registering what she said.

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, following her. Once she arrived at her tent, he stopped, as the flaps closed behind her. "No need to slam the door in my face," he mumbled. He turned back to Qrow, who was walking towards the campfire. "Any luck with you?"

"Sort of," replied the scythe wielder.

"Same," Tai answered back. After a few moments of silence, he decided to break it. "Women, am I right?"

"Right," he replied noncommittally. "I'm going to find us something to eat, you mind fetching some firewood?"

"Sure," agreed Tai, hopping to his feet.

"Right, thanks, Tai."

Summer's Tent

"You didn't mean to do that, did you, Naruto?" asked Summer, tracing her fingers on his arm. "There's no way you hurt those people on purpose… You're not a monster…"

The boy stirred a bit, but remained unconscious.

"How can I help you?" she asked, hoping he'd wake up. "From what I've seen, you try to take on everything on your own… it's like you don't know how to ask for help… and that thing… what is that? It looked like it was controlling you, but it still listened to you not wanting to hurt us! I'm so confused, please wake up!" The boy remained unresponsive.

Naruto's Mindscape

"Why did you attack those villagers?" Naruto asked angrily. "They already hated me enough, now they'll never let me back!"

"Good, then maybe you'll stop wasting your life in a this worthless place," the fox growled back. "I don't know how you can stand to live such a dull life. Even if those black creatures are barely a work out, it beats standing around some no-name town trying to blend in with ants."

"What I do with my life is none of your business!"

"It's always been my business!" the fox roared. "I could have let you die countless times, but each time, it was me who healed you when you were on the verge of death. I was the one who took over when you lost the will to fight, so tell me again your life is none of my business!" Naruto flinched at the tone of the Kyuubi. Aside from his unsuppressed rage, there was a hint of something else he couldn't place. "Kit, I've taken care of you your entire life, and you still have the nerve to reject my help."

"Why do you keep doing it?" asked Naruto quietly. "If you really can reform after I die, what did you have to gain by keeping me alive?" The fox lowered his head to make Naruto level to his glare.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, brat," he growled, although the hostility was clearly gone. Naruto wanted an answer, but he felt himself waking up.

"No, Kyuubi, tell me why!" he shouted, as he began to fade.

Summer's Tent

"Naruto?" Summer called out in surprise, as the blond awoke, coughing. "Do you want some water? Are you alright?"

"W-what?" asked the teen. "Where am I?" He tried to stand, but the cool breeze made his patches of missing flesh begin to burn. He began to hiss in pain, and felt two hands push him back down gently. "Summer? Why are you here?"

"Because I'm worried about you, you dummy!" she tried scolding, but the relief in her voice was too apparent. "You gave me a scare there… Please, don't ever do that again, I can't bear to see you like that."

"You… you aren't mad?" he asked in surprise. He remembered the bits and pieces of the fight, and recalled nearly obliterating her and her team. "I… I almost killed you."

"Naruto, whatever was controlling you told us you didn't want to hurt us. Even if it did, you somehow got it to stop," she replied, wiping her eyes as tears began to form. "We can talk about that later, I'm just glad you're alright."

"Why?" asked the whiskered teen. "Who am I to you for you to care so much? You found me in an alley, and I attacked you!"

"It was just a misunderstanding," she insisted. "Just like this was, right? You didn't mean to hurt those people in the village, did you?"

"Of course not," Naruto replied, sitting back up. He ignored the pain that told him to lie back down, and ran his hand through his hair. "It's just… my hatred snuck up on me…"

"Everybody gets mad every now and then," she offered, but Raven came in through the tent.

"Not everybody's temper tantrum causes massive property damage, and injures innocent people," she said coldly. Summer stood between her teammate and the injured teen.

"What do you want, Raven?" asked Summer, uncharacteristically angry.

"I want answers," she replied, locking eyes with her leader. "Are you going to stop me, Rose?"

"Don't," interrupted Naruto. "She has a right to know, Summer…"

"Naruto, you're not well," Summer tried to argue.

"I'm not planning on fighting her!" he scoffed. "Don't baby me."

"Right… sorry," apologized Summer, as she shrank away from the teen. The two teammates looked at the blond, one with a critical expression, and the other with concern.

"What was that?" asked Raven bluntly. "Where the hell did you get that strange power?"

"I've been stuck with it since the day I was born," answered Naruto. "I didn't choose to have it, just like it didn't choose to be sealed in me."

"You're saying that… thing, is its own entity? You aren't just crazy?"

"I wish I was," Naruto said remorsefully. "It would be much easier to deal with… But yes, the Kyuubi is his own being… It was just… sealed away in me. It's a complicated situation, and I'm not sure if I understand it…"

"How did it come out?" asked Summer. "that last thing I remember was you storming off, and a few minutes later, I get a call from Tai saying he needed backup."

"The fox takes over when I give in to my negative emotions," explained Naruto. "Usually it was anger, but… today in the village, it brought up bad memories…"

"What are the chances of it happening again?" asked Raven, eyeing the teen as he fidgeted.

"It's pretty likely, if my life keeps going the way it is," he admitted.

"What does that mean?" Summer wondered.

"I'm surrounded by people who hate me, every day," sighed Naruto. "It's been that way my entire life… well, most of my life. Last year, I met somebody who I thought could change all that…"

"Roy?" asked Summer. Naruto shook his head.

"No, I met him after," he sighed. "It was… somebody else. But after the Grimm attack…I lost her…"

"Oh… I'm so sorry…" the silver-eyed woman squeaked out. It explained a quite a bit about his behavior, especially his hesitance to her concern.

"How do we know you didn't kill her?" asked Raven. Summer looked at her teammate, shocked at her implication, but Naruto spoke up before she could.

"I didn't," he growled, his eyes flaring up, and his canines elongating. "I could never hurt her!"

"Naruto, calm down," urged Summer. Raven saw how drastically his demeanor changed from one second to the next. It would appear to her that it would forever remain a sore subject for him. Instead of riling the teen up further, she just left the tent, trying to keep her breathing steady as she did so. Naruto glared at her until she was gone, then began a coughing fit. Apparently he did sustain some internal damage from that battle with team STRQ.

"Where is my bag?" Naruto asked suddenly. He looked around the tent, and panic began to set in.

"You didn't have it on you," she said confused, but Naruto simply became more desperate. He stood up, wincing as he felt a burning sensation all over his body, but began to walk out of the small campsite. It was then that he realized it was already nightfall. "Naruto, where are you going? You're going to get hurt!"

"I don't care!" he hissed, as his limping began to get worse. Summer wanted to follow him, but the edge in her voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Whoa, when did you get out of bed?" asked Qrow, as he arrived with a sack of dead forest creatures. He took in his state of dress ,as well as his awkward walk, and tried to slow him down. "Hey, kid, you shouldn't be walking around in that condition."

"Out of my way, Qrow," growled Naruto. Qrow was not intimidated by the blond, but the look in his eye spoke volumes of what he was feeling. He took a step to the side, and allowed the blond to pass.

"I hope whatever it is your doing is worth it, kid," he said to him. "It looks like you're going to keel over any second…" Naruto continued to press on, making Qrow sigh with annoyance. "Goddamnit." He dropped the dinner he snagged, and ran over to the teenage ninja. "Come on, let me help you." He grabbed Naruto's arm and helped him walk straight, much to the blond's annoyance.

"I don't need help," he said unconvincingly.

"Well you're getting it anyway," Qrow replied evenly. "If I left you to walk off in these woods alone, Summer would never let me hear the end of it."

"Do you always do whatever it takes to make her happy?" asked Naruto, although his attitude was gone.

"If I can, then yes," replied Qrow easily.

"Do you ever regret it?" he asked, thinking of Viola. Images of her smile flashed through his head, and he felt a pang in his heart.

"Can't say I have. I've known her for a long time, and she's a good person. She has big dreams, kid, and I know if she's ever going to make them come true, she'll need all the help she can get."

"What dreams does she have?" asked Naruto, as the two approached the village gates.

"She wants a world where she can start a family," he replied. "One where she doesn't have to worry about the Creatures of Grimm, or humanity trying to kill themselves… If it were anybody else, I'd say they were crazy… but I think Summer can do it." Naruto remained silent, as the two came in through the gates. "Why are we here exactly? After yesterday, we aren't exactly welcomed anymore."

"I just want my stuff," replied Naruto, as he pointed to where his old shed was. The two blended in easily to the night, and didn't arouse any suspicion. Once they arrived, Naruto began to rummage through the junk, and was relieved when he found the bag untouched.

"That bag mean a lot to you?" asked Qrow.

"The bag not so much," he admitted. He reached in it and took out the plain wine bottle, causing Qrow to raise a brow.

"I though Tai was a party animal… aren't you like fifteen?"

"It's not the fact that it's wine," scoffed Naruto, before looking at the bottle fondly. "It belonged to a friend… it's something I'll treasure as long as I live." Qrow nodded in understanding, and helped the teen limp back to their campsite. It took them much longer than it did to get to the village, as Naruto was no longer in a panicked state.

"You're back!" Summer nearly cried, running to the two and hugging them tightly. She looked over to Qrow, who was looking away a bit nervously. "Thank you, Qrow… you brought him back safe."

"It was nothing," he shrugged, as he helped the teen sit on a log. "He just wanted his purse, is all."

"Haha, very funny," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes. He looked over to the silver-eyed woman, and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she assured. "Just don't do that again, alright? You're still hurt, and I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you got injured further."

"He's a tough kid, Summer, cut him some slack," Qrow replied. "He's fought Goliaths, Beringels, and our team. He can take care of himself."

"I know," she sighed in defeat, "But he's so young… I can't help but worry about him." Qrow was about to argue that they had begun training at a much younger age, but he knew it didn't matter. Summer was a caring person through and through, and using his age was just an excuse. If Naruto was in his mid-thirties, she would likely still be concerned for him.

"So, what is your plan now?" asked Tai, who had been sitting silently on the other side of the campfire. "I thought you were going to live there, but… you know, you kind of almost killed them."

"Tai!" chided Summer.

"He's right," interrupted Naruto, "and I don't know what's next," he admitted. "Maybe once I'm healed up, I'll head south. If everybody is going to mistake me for a Faunus, I might as well learn to live with them."

"They're normal people, Naruto," said Summer. "Some people just don't see eye to eye with them. I knew few Faunus back in our Beacon days, and they were nice people."

"I hope so," he said tiredly. "You know, I'm still a bit sore from… well, you know… I'm going to turn in early." Naruto returned to Summer's tent as the three watched him.

"That poor kid," sighed Qrow. "With how badly he's injured, he'll probably be sticking around for weeks."

"How does something like this happen?" asked Tai. "I mean, the kid is not even old enough to go to Beacon, but he has enough power to wipe out a hundred Grimm on a whim!"

"I don't know, Tai, I just don't want him to be alone anymore…" sighed Summer.

"What do you think Raven is going to think of this?" asked Tai.

"She'll come around," replied Qrow. "If there is one thing that she admires, it's strength… and that little bastard is overflowing with it."

"I hope you're right," Summer whispered. As much as the two argued, Summer still cared about Raven just as much as she did Tai and Qrow, she just had a harder time showing it.

"We should rest up," suggested Qrow. "I'll take first watch."

As the day began, Tai had begun to cook some of the rabbits on the campfire. Aside from having the biggest appetite in the group, he knew they would all need their energy up if anything like the last few days were to happen again. He heard somebody exit their tent, and immediately offered some food.

"Come get them, while they're still hot," he grinned, turning.

"Thanks," replied Naruto, taking a seat across him.

"Whoa, what the hell?" exclaimed Tai. "How did you..? When did…? Dude!"

"What?" asked Naruto, taking a bite. "You offered."

"No, not that! Your injuries, they're gone!" he shouted, pointing at him. Naruto looked down at himself and shrugged.

"What's all the racket?" asked Qrow, peering from his tent. If there was one thing Qrow hated more than Grimm, it was mornings. "Goddamnit Tai, did you bite your finger again? How many times are we going to go through this? Just use a fork!"

"No! It's the kid, he's all better now," explained Tai, a bit more controlled.

"Well, would you look at that," he commented idly. "I'm going back to sleep." Tai stared at his teammate, as his eye twitched. How was he not as shocked as he was?

"I tend to heal quickly," Naruto explained, once it quieted down. "I've had this ability all my life."

"That's one hell of a blessing," said Tai. "Can you regrow limbs?"

"I don't know," Naruto said uneasily, as he backed up a bit. "I've never had that happen to me before."

"You wanna find out?" offered Tai, lifting up a steak knife.

"Hell no!" shouted Naruto, stumbling backwards. "How'd you like it if I cut something of yours off?"

"What is going on out here?" asked Summer. "What's this talk about cutting things off?"

"Tai wants to cut me," Naruto accused, pointing at the other blond. Summer immediately noticed Naruto's drastically better condition, and laughed at his current behavior. She'd have to make sure to ask at another time.

"You little snitch," cursed Tai. "I offered, I never said I was going to do it!" He quickly discarded the knife back into his bag.

"You saw that?" asked Naruto, "he totally just tried to hide it."

"Can you two calm down," Summer said with a laugh. "Honestly, you two are so much alike."

"We're nothing alike!" the two shouted. Summer just giggled, as the two glared at each other.

"Are you two done? We have a lot to do today," said Summer.

"What are we doing?" asked Tai. "Aren't we just on patrol?"

"I talked to Ozpin last night," she explained. "Apparently there has been a lot of Grimm activity west of here. It could take us weeks to get there, depending on weather, but he wants us to check it out."

"Sounds great," agreed Tai, "but what about the village?"

"Professor Ozpin said they shouldn't be in danger anymore," she answered. "They should be fine." Tai shrugged, and went to get Raven, as Naruto began to clean up the campsite. A few minutes later, Qrow came back out, and looked ready to go. Raven glared at Naruto, but didn't speak to him, nor did she acknowledge her brother. She and Tai stayed further back as they walked, Summer leading the way. Naruto seemed to be distracted, so Qrow walked over to Summer.

"You didn't really talk to Ozpin last night, did you?" he whispered. Summer remained silent. The slight movement under her hood was all the confirmation he needed. "Where are we really going?"

"We're going back to Vale," she sighed. "I figured that Naruto might get mad at me for lying to him, but at least this way he can take an airship to Menagerie, instead of walking there. I want to show him that the kingdoms aren't as bad as these small villages."

"Good luck explaining that to him," sighed Qrow, falling behind his leader. While he could respect her wishes, she was never a good liar, and chances were that the truth would come out long before they arrived in Vale. Once he was next to the ninja, he tried striking up a conversation. "So, what else is in that bag of yours?"

"Huh?" asked Naruto at the sudden question. He looked down to it, and shrugged. "Just some personal things…"

"Do they all have a story?"

"Not ones I want to share," he replied. "They aren't exactly… positive. Can we leave it at that?"

"Of course, I didn't mean to pry," said Qrow. He put his hands behind his head as they continued to walk, stretching a bit.

"Hey, Qrow…" began Naruto quietly. "Why did you become a Huntsman?"

"Why? Well, Raven and I grew up in some pretty rough places, and we were forced to do some things I'm not proud of just to survive. We stole, we extorted from people, and on some occasions, we even witnessed a few murders. We didn't want to live that life anymore, so we put our heads together and began to think of ways we could use our skills without hurting people. We didn't have a clue what a Huntsman was until we were about your age… We took an entrance examine when we were old enough, and the rest is history. Why do you ask?"

"Roy told me most people are chasing glory, or fame… I guess I put you all in that category without getting to know you first…"

"Everybody has their own reasons, but it doesn't make their actions any less good," replied Qrow. "If one person saves a life out of duty, and another saves a life out of the kindness of their heart, do you think the people they saved are any less thankful?"

"I've never thought about it that way," admitted Naruto. "I guess there is still a lot I need to learn about this world…"

"Me too. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I guess the old saying is true, 'ignorance is bliss'." Naruto hummed in agreement, and the two continued on in silence.

A/N

Normally I don't respond to reviews at the end of each chapter, but since this is a once a month update, I figured it would be alright.

ARSLOTHES: Pairing Summer and Naruto is unlikely at this point in time, as Summer is about ten years older, and Naruto is still only fifteen.

The Exiled Darkness: I really want to just tell you, but this story's outline is totally planned out, and I don't want to spoil anything. Thanks for pointing out exactly what you enjoyed, I appreciate it.

Ex-StarBurn: At the moment, nobody

YoungJiraiya: I don't want to say at the moment, as it will come later.

Naruto x Sister the best XD: Nobody at the moment

Guest: Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoy Team Monochrome too!

bdgbs: Thanks, I hope this update is enough for another month.

kurama587: In terms of age, Team STRQ has been out of beacon for about four years now, making them all twenty-five, give or take a few months.

Kd23: That is a great theory, and while it does hold some merit, the true reason will be revealed in time. Keep theorizing.

MetalSharkey90: I'm glad your enjoying it! As for Naruto taking the Arc name, no, he will not. While Naruto did hold a lot of respect for him, he as closer to Viola, and he didn't take her name either, so Naruto will remain an Uzumaki.

DLM4: Qrow's soberness is something that will be explored in later chapters, and the pacing will be rather natural, aside from minor time skips in between chapters.

BBWulf: Naruto was displaced when he was 14, which would mean that he arrived in the middle of Jiraiya's trip with him.

THE-Twilight-BlazeKnight: I'm glad you noticed Summer's similarities to (future) Ruby, but I hope she's coming off different enough.

Dr4g0nb411z: I'm glad you saw his slight loss of sanity and I hope that you enjoyed his little episode in this chapter.

SenorCheesecake: I really appreciate that, and I'm happy that even though I don't have a ton of stories written, you still enjoy them.

And that's a wrap.

Now, I'm just going to wait patiently until console gets Orisa on Overwatch... I hope to hear from more of you, and if your review was not mentioned, it's because I didn't know how to respond to it, other than thanks, so thanks!

~LVR6