Hunting or Bust

by Master Attlon

The paths we find ourselves on. Are they predetermined by fate? Or do we really have the power to change our future? Will we stick to the paths we find ourselves on? Or if a chance presented itself, would you take it? This is a new path. A new chance at life. A...did that kid just spew chunks all over the deck? Yes. Yes he did.

99. When You're Afraid

Hunting or Bust

Dust 94: When You're Afraid

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"What did you say?"

He didn't have to look back. Oscar's tone was more than enough for him to picture what the young man looked like. Probably horrified and shocked by his suggestion that they prioritize their safety over the rest of the settlement.

Naruto steeled himself, "I said we're leaving." He turned and saw he was right on the money about Oscar's expression of disbelief. But he continued, "We're not going back. We can't."

"Why not?!"

"Because we can't stop an entire bandit tribe by ourselves, Oscar. They're armed. They have hostages. Not to mention how strong they were." One look at the masked swordswoman sent chills down his back he'd only ever felt when seeing the most monstrous Grimm. He knew she was strong and that she had no qualms about killing. And if this was the Branwen tribe like everyone was screaming about then that meant she was…

"We don't need to fight them! We just need to help Neji and his people!"

"They're hostages now! If we go down there and try to stop them, they'll threaten to hurt those people and make us stop! Then we'll be captured too!" Naruto argued, "If they just follow what the bandits say and give them what they want then there'll be no reason to hurt them."

"That's the Branwen tribe! Do you know how infamous they are?! Do you think people know them for their mercy and restraint?! If we do nothing then they're all dead!"

Naruto just glared his young friend down, refusing to engage this argument any further. Was he so reckless and blind that he didn't hear what he said at all? That if the Branwen tribe was as bloodthirsty as he expected then that was all the more reason they couldn't get involved. The whiskered Faunus turned and tried to calm his breath-

Oscar started running back to the settlement.

"Oscar!" Naruto immediately chased after his young friend. With a little extra power, Naruto quickly caught up to the aspiring Huntsman and tackled him to the ground-

"Oscar!"

"We have to help them! Let me go!"

"No! Stop!"

"I won't!"

"You can't go down there!"

"We can't just leave them!"

"I'm sorry but we have to!"

"Why?!"

Naruto snarled, pulled Oscar back, and pinned him on the ground, "Cause you'll die! You go down there and you'll die! You won't rescue them! You won't get the bandits to retreat! You will go down there and you will die!" The freckled boy looked up at him startled as he yelled at his face, "And I'm not just going to let you run into your death!"

"But we can help them!"

"No, we can't!"

"You can!" Oscar yelled at him, "I've seen you fight! I've seen you take on Grimm and bandits just like this! Naruto, you can do something to help them! You could save them!"

Naruto stared down at Oscar in silence as his words echoed for a moment before going silent. With his ears, he could hear the faint gunshots and frightened screams of the people in the Hyūga settlement. The noises were getting softer and more spaced out so the fighting was starting to subside for something else. If he was going to do something-

His body stilled and tensed as the ideas started running through his head.

Naruto grunted, standing up and pulling Oscar up to his feet as well. With one arm tightly gripping Oscar's bicep, he started pulling the younger boy along, barely stopping at all against the freckled boy's struggling, "Come on!"

"W-What is wrong with you?!" Oscar yelled as he started slamming his fist down on Naruto's hand. When that didn't work he tried to pry his fingers off, "How can you just walk away?! How can you just forget about them?! A-About Neji and Hinata and Hanabi and all those people?! They're still down there!"

"And you're here!" Naruto growled back, "I'm not going to risk your life and safety! So we're going!"

"But you're a Huntsman! You're strong! You can help them! Why won't you-"

"I'M SCARED!"

Naruto rounded on Oscar and screamed at him, shocking the younger boy into silence as he yelled, "Do you just not get that?! Do you think because I was training to be a Huntsman that I could just fight them?! And win?! And that'd be it!" Naruto roughly grabbed Oscar's shoulders, squeezing them and shaking the little boy who was frightened by his intensity, "What if I can't win Oscar?! What happens then?!"

He used to believe it. With all his heart he used to believe that there was nothing he faced in this world he couldn't overcome with determination and resolve. No problem too big. No foe too strong. As time went on he believed more resolutely in this conviction. And when he was with his friends he believed there was nothing they couldn't handle together. Their track record was pretty damn spotless…

Until it all came crumbling down.

Vale and Beacon fell. Even with his efforts and determination to help it didn't stop anything and may not have even saved his friends. What followed after his foolish decision to fight the Wyvern was weeks upon weeks of sleepless nights and fear. And the first time he helped people again after the Fall, it turned around on him and he ended up on that boat. A blur of pain and suffering and fear that he would lose everything. And once he saved himself and those people captured along with him, they turned and nearly destroyed an island nation in a desperate attempt to regain their lives.

It was a series of bad decisions made by fear, doubt, and foolishness that only made things worse.

Not what the old him would have done. Not what a Huntsman would do.

"If I don't win then we'll be killed! Or captured! And if the Branwen's don't have any mercy as you said then we'll be stuck in hell!" Naruto panted, staring into Oscar's horrified expression unflinchingly as he waited for the freckled boy to answer or retort. With Oscar too nervous to say anything, Naruto let go of him and glared down, "I know it's horrible and cruel but I'd rather leave all those people than let you or myself get caught in it as well. I know it's not what you want to hear, but we can at least save ourselves."

"B-But-"

"No buts!" Naruto yelled, turning before he could hear another word of protest from Oscar. His stomach felt like it was twisting into itself and his head was hurting badly trying to rationalize everything. The idea of leaving Hinata and Hanabi and Neji back there to their fate made him feel sick. But the alternative was something he couldn't stand risking, "I'm afraid. Afraid to do or try anything down there when I know I'll just fail. I know you think I'm a Huntsman but I'm not. We're not going down there and that's final. So come on."

Naruto started making his way into the trees and didn't hear Oscar follow behind. He looked back and saw Oscar's back as the former farmhand looked down the hill.

"Oscar, I'm not saying it again! Time to-"

"I should have warned you. It's quite easy for me to say we should just face our mistakes...but it's in our nature to try and forget them. The hardest thing we can do...is admit how badly we faltered...and make up for them as best we can."

Naruto paused when he heard his friend say those words. Words that were…familiar and resounding in his mind. Something he heard a mentor say what felt like a lifetime ago. The fox Faunus stuttered, "H-How do you know those words? Where did you hear them?"

Oscar turned back to face him and Naruto almost felt like he was facing someone else. It was his friend he was looking at. His body was small and he had his freckles and his unique eye color hadn't changed.

But it was the way he held himself that was different. His stature was firmer and more confident. The tone of his voice was calm and the cadence of how he spoke was nothing like Oscar's. But it was his eyes that changed the most. The look in his eyes was so different from the boy he knew that they felt like they belonged to an old man instead. Oscar simply stared at him and Naruto felt like he was frozen in place.

Until it suddenly changed. He closed his eyes and Oscar's body language and expression all shifted back to normal. With a quick look up at him, all the age and experience vanished from his eyes and Naruto knew he had returned to who he was. But the change had been so jarring that he was left silent.

Oscar shuffled around, "I get it. Going back down there to help is scary. I haven't done what you've done and I'm not as strong as you, and even I'm scared just thinking about it. But…" Oscar gulped and shook his head, "I don't…I can't live with the idea of just abandoning them. Naruto, we can't just leave them."

Some clarity slowly returned to Naruto after his moment of pause. He stared at Oscar before shaking his head, "Oscar, I can't stop them. There are too many of them. I'll never be able to fight them off and protect all the hostages. And that masked woman…I know she's strong enough to kill me."

"Then we shouldn't fight them." Oscar offered, "Getting the hostages out and to safety should be our primary goal." Just as Naruto was about to voice his exasperation Oscar interrupted, "Look I know that's just how it would work ideally, but there are Huntsmen and Huntresses down there as well. Plus people like Neji who are just as strong as you! They were caught off guard but if we give them a chance we could try to turn the tide against them."

"We can't save all of them. People will get caught in the crossfire." Naruto warned him, "People will die, Oscar."

"They'll die if we do nothing. This way we can at least help."

"This way we'll die too." Naruto countered. The freckled boy stayed still under his sharp gaze, "It won't be heroic or honorable or anything. I know that. I was willing to sacrifice my life to save others the day Beacon fell and it didn't work. I didn't stop anything and I only made things worse for myself. I have regrets about doing it. And if you end up getting hurt I promise you'll have regrets too."

The shorter boy tried to calm his nerves but Naruto could tell his words were getting through. Under the darkness of the forest's shadows, he saw Oscar shiver and grip his fists tightly at his side. The whiskered man shook his head, "I'm sorry. I know it will be hard to live with this, and you'll regret it every day, but you'll still be alive. That's important."

Naruto turned, "Come on-"

"Don't you want to save them too?"

Naruto stopped, staring out into the forest as Oscar spoke up behind him, "I know you said you were scared and how we could die, but when you talked about leaving them y-your expression was so sad. So conflicted. I know you don't want to leave them behind but you feel like we have to! I know it's dangerous to go down there but we can still help them! We can still do the right thing! We can do what Huntsmen are supposed to do!"

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are!" Oscar yelled, "You say you aren't but you are! You can try to convince yourself but you won't convince me! You saved me and my aunt that night! I know you said that you just did it to take our supplies for yourself but you did help us! You helped me every step of the way here! I-I know helping people in the past hasn't always worked out for you but that never stopped you from doing it! Not really!"

"You're scared. Of course, you are. I'm scared too! I'm so scared that I'm shaking! But I can't just leave the Hyūgas down there to their fate! And neither can you!" He heard Oscar panting heavily as Naruto's fists clenched at his sides, "I-I know you have this idea about yourself. You think you're this worst, most awful version of Naruto Uzumaki who fails and loses and can't be trusted. Someone who isn't good enough to be a Huntsman. But you are! You looked out for me! You helped people! You are kind and nice! You're still the person you were before!"

He didn't feel like it. He didn't feel like he was the brave, foolhardy, confident kid surrounded by his friends who could do anything. Despite Oscar's uplifting words, he knew they weren't true. He was scared. Desperate. Afraid. He was a coward who wanted to run…

…

But there was a part of him crying out that he should do something. Something to help the Hyūga clan get away from the bandits. A part he had been trying to ignore and silence but only grew more prevalent with Oscar's words.

"If you walk away now, then you will be the person you think and say you are. If that's really what you want then just keep going. But if there's any part of you that still wants to be a Huntsman…that thinks he can still help people…then let's go down there."

Naruto just stared ahead into the deep and sprawling forest before his eyes. He gulped and turned to face Oscar again. The freckled boy looked scared out of his mind but was standing his ground to try and inspire him.

Turn back to the forest, run and live another day…and sacrifice everything he had before.

Or rush down the hill and help save the settlement…with almost certain death waiting for them.

Naruto sighed, "We could die."

"We could not." Oscar held out his hand, "If we all try together…maybe we can do this right."

…

"Please."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

It was clear some of the nomads had far more training than others. And the one she was currently watching was probably trained from a young age to be the strongest enforcer among their settlement.

If there was someone as strong as him in each one then that would prove problematic. And if they had trained each guardian to be as strong as him then there might not have been any hope of victory. Fortunately, it seemed only he was as capable of fighting at this level. And if he was loyal to the clan and its protection, that was just a weakness she could exploit.

She watched the young long-haired man move with almost supernatural grace and speed to counter and intercept each attack from her tribe. He was making them look like amateurs, and she knew she had them whipped into shape so his skills must have meant something.

Several of her people rushed to attack him at once and overwhelm him. But he spun around in time with their approach and whipped his hands around to strike them with palm strikes and concentrated pokes. When a weapon came towards him he parried the arm swinging it and smoothly struck the attacker in their weakest spot. And if someone took a shot he would immediately move out of the way, putting himself between others of their tribe before he attacked again.

As she watched this happen, Vernal came to her side and noted with a chuckle, "Do you want me to step in?"

"Well let's see if we can get his attention." Raven stepped forward, a hand resting on her blade and sheath before she called out, "That's enough!"

Even though she called out and her tribe members followed her orders the young man never once stopped trying to attack them.

She sighed behind her mask, "Well I don't think that will work. Vernal, I'll take you up on your offer now."

Her trusty right-hand dutifully nodded and stepped up from her side. Drawing her weapon, she aimed towards the ground and fired at his feet. The young man quickly jumped back and stood at the ready to fight them off…

But he froze when he spotted what was behind her. Raven turned and looked at the large assortment of people her tribe had rounded up and gathered together. Frightened and nervous and huddled under the sharp gaze of her followers. It looked like they understood the severity of their situation.

"Neji!"

"Father!" Vernal quickly rushed in and smacked the young man across the head with her weapon. He tumbled to his knees and she immediately held her weapon to his head so that he wouldn't risk making a move.

"Father and son, huh? I thought you looked related." Raven noted as she stepped up to the young man seething through his teeth in anger, "I guess name Hyūga clan isn't just a moniker. Now that I look around you share quite a few similarities with some others here." Her eyes focused on the young woman hugging a younger girl at her side as they looked around at their captors. She stepped up and then knelt in front of the young fighter, "Neji, right? I'm Raven. It's nice to meet you."

"I know who you are."

"I'm honored."

"Don't be."

"I will." Raven chuckled behind her mask for a moment as Neji's eyes only narrowed in response. She reached down and lifted her mask to look at him directly. He didn't show any fear or reservation, which meant he was acting brave. Admirable, but ultimately pointless. She smiled, "You're quite strong and capable. Does that fancy handwork do well against Grimm too?"

"They have joints. Weak points. Not hard to exploit that."

"Yes, it certainly is easy to exploit weak points, isn't it?" Neji snarled as Raven chuckled amusingly at her little joke, "It's unfortunate that you have all this strength and ability yet you're forced to expend it only to protect those weaker than you."

"My skills are only to protect my family and clan. They give me strength and I am happy to serve our cause."

Raven shook her head. It was such a shame to see such talent already indoctrinated to such a worthless goal, "Of course you are. Most people believe family is a worthwhile and noble goal to give oneself over to. And many delude themselves into thinking it's worth dying for as well." She shrugged, "But you know you could have gotten away from my people if you tried. You still could right now if you wanted. But those hostages behind me…your 'family'…are a noose around your neck stopping you from doing what you can do." Raven stared at Neji's unchanging expression, "You know we're always looking for strong companions willing to-"

"Can you stop please?" Neji interrupted, shaking his head as he closed his eyes, "You don't want to hear what I say and I could care less about anything you say either. So let's just skip this part."

"You know," Vernal pressed her weapon into the side of his head, "The only reason you can still mouth off like that is that she hasn't given the go-ahead about ending you. How about you show a little more gratitude?"

"Gratitude to the woman holding my people hostage?"

"Gratitude that we're not doing anything to them while we're having a nice conversation with you. Believe me, if you wanted something to complain about we'd give you something to complain about." Vernal was always there to help her smooth things over with their captives that weren't keen on cooperating. The short-haired girl nodded at her, "I've got an eye on him. You can introduce yourself to the rest if you want."

"Yeah," Raven stood up and slid her mask back down, "I think I'll do just that."

Once her face was hidden behind her mask again, she turned to the grouping of people her tribe had collected. Immediately she noticed how the more uncertain ones flinched and cowered under her direct attention. She looked over them before speaking up, "I'm only going to ask once; which one of you is the leader? No lying. Or we'll be upset."

Her threat seemed to stir the people into compliance and the refined man among them sat up a little taller. She stepped up to him as he stared her down, "I figured considering your top warrior called you father. But it would be foolish to just assume without clarifying."

"You already have us gathered. Take our supplies and go. We won't fight."

"Ah, the admission of weakness and the inevitable submission. I do appreciate that and I promise we will be taking everything. And I. Mean. Everything." She leaned and whispered, "I want a map of your routes."

Terror and fright finally seemed to settle into the steel face of the Hyūga leader. His eyes widened and his brow creased before he muttered, "How do you know about those?"

"Oh, we've heard so much about the mysterious Hyūga clan after all these years. How you move in secret to avoid thieves and Grimm as much as possible. How you collect resources and supplies from trusted sources along the way. And how you've split yourselves up between settlements across the four corners of Anima." Raven nodded, "I want the routes for your supplies and your other settlements."

He started to sweat, "You can't possibly think you can topple the entire Hyūga clan."

The Branwen leader shrugged, "I like our chances. Maybe we'll try this exact method a couple more times and see if that works. Because I promise they won't get any ideas from you about what's coming."

"If you're going to kill us anyway why would I bother surrendering my people's secrets?"

"If you tell me I'll kill you but leave the rest of your people to fend for themselves. Better than you keeping the secrets and forcing our hand." Raven warned the man, taking some joy in seeing his stone-cold expression waver in terror from her threat, "I promise you won't like seeing what my people are capable of doing."

The Hyūga leader's eye twitched as he tried to keep his cool to little effect. He closed his eyes and Raven watched as his face stilled and expression hardened. When he opened his eyes he was a man resolved to face the consequences, "Do your worst. I won't tell you anything."

"Defiance." Raven noted, letting out a tired sigh before standing back up, "Admirable, but worthless. Because it's not you that'll experience our worst. Belt!"

One of her followers started to undo his belt and pulled it out before tossing it over. Raven caught it before holding it out for Vernal. She smirked and took it before Raven looked at Neji, "Are you right-handed or left?" The young man didn't give an answer and just glared her down, "Okay, I'll say you're right-handed. Most people are."

Vernal tied the belt around Neji's left arm and tightened it as much as she possibly could. Once it was tight Raven drew out Omen and pressed the tip of her red blade to his cheek. When she felt resistance and saw no visible cut she spoke, "Lower your Aura." He didn't comply, "Lower it or I go into the crowd and start swinging."

Neji's eyes narrowed hatefully but when her blade drew blood she knew he had followed her order. Once she pulled her sword back Vernal raised his left arm out at his side and put her guns back to his head. Raven turned back to the hostages and looked to their frightened leader, "You're going to regret asking for our worst."

"No-"

"Wait!" The youngest girl that looked related to Neji nearly jumped up and cried out, only for her sister to keep a hold of her, "Don't do it!"

"Hanabi!"

"They're gonna hurt Neji!" Her sister pulled her down and hugged her tight as she thrashed around, "Stop it! Uncle, stop them!"

"Enough!" Her uncle called out and looked up at Raven, "That's enough! Put your attention on me and stop threatening to hurt my son!"

She looked down at Neji and scoffed, "Well, like I was telling your son, a family usually ends up becoming the most exploitable weakness a person can have. And by the way," Raven raised her sword and let the glint of her red blade draw their attention, "I'm threatening to cut off his right arm if you don't give me what I want. The left one is just to establish that I'm serious."

"No!"

As the stubborn leader cried out and his people panicked, Raven looked down at her stalwart captive. While Neji glared her down, she raised her blade, "Not even going to flinch?"

He scowled, "Wouldn't give you the satisfaction."

"Well said."

She raised her sword-

Something caught her gaze and she used her blade to block a flying rock. As it ricocheted off Omen and dropped to her feet, Vernal quickly reacted in shock, "Who threw that?!"

It came flying out from the line of trees before she could complete her swing. When she looked in that direction she felt someone's concentrated gaze moving around. Whoever they were they were keeping their distance and moving constantly. She sensed intent and saw something coming her way as she swatted another rock.

"Over there!"

Her tribe aimed and started to fire in the direction of the sneaky interloper. They riddled the trees and foliage with a rainstorm of bullets that chipped through everything. Anyone caught in its path would have been reduced to bloody pieces.

Except she heard the sound of bullets bouncing off of metal as they flew over.

From the shadows of the trees, a young man with blond hair rushed out, cutting and parrying the bullets flying his way. A few of her men rushed in once they noticed the bullets were useless and tried to tackle him. But as they drew closer Raven noticed the strange color covering his arms and legs. Her eyes widened-

"Get away from him!"

Before they could heed her warning the blond leaped up and knocked all of them away with a spinning kick. He landed, twisted around, and spiked his blade at Raven with deadly force. She raised her katana and felt the machete bounce off and clatter on the ground by their feet.

And when she looked back up it was to see the whiskered blond systematically making his way through her ranks. Even though he was alone and now unarmed the way he moved, evaded, and struck her people down so efficiently made it clear he wasn't an amateur.

His movements. His resourcefulness. His ability to handle foes. It wasn't hard to reach a level of ability to fight off others if someone honed themselves well enough, but this level of skill came from years of training and experience.

"A Huntsman," Raven grumbled under her voice, "Dammit."

Vernal heard her and looked at the blond in confusion before clicking her teeth. She cocked her weapon and pressed it to Neji's head, "Then let's get this asshole's attention and make him stop. HEY-"

"HIYA!"

Raven was startled as a short boy in overalls charged into Vernal's side and tackled her to the ground. With her pinned under him, he started to reach for her weapons and pull them from her grasp.

Vernal suffered that foolishness for all of one second.

Her second-in-command swept her arm down on the bend of his arm, drawing him in close and slamming her knee into his ribs. She pressed her foot into his chest and kicked him off before aiming her weapon to end him.

Raven reached down and grabbed her collar to pull her back before the machete came swinging down on her. Neji pulled the weapon back, slid down by the stunned boy's side to grab him, and immediately took off before they could react.

Raven watched them run and noticed that in the confusion the Huntsmen and Huntresses that had been taken hostage had made their move. Her people were being pushed back and attacked to make room for the captives to run.

As her tribe lost the advantage and the Hyūga clan fought back, Vernal picked herself. Raven could feel her nervously looking at her to try and gauge her reaction. Even under the mask she probably could have figured it out.

She was livid.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

These guys were different compared to the other bandits and thieves he had fought before. The ones that jumped him on the paths through Anima were always so impatient and foolish. The ones he had traveled alongside to Menagerie were reckless to a fault.

These were trained to some degree. They attacked in pairs, making sure not to attack at the same time for risk of colliding with each other, and someone was always taking a shot when he was open. They were a step-up from the usual scum of the shadows.

But still scum in the end.

Naruto swung his fist down on the hand of a female bandit swinging for his leg. And as she dropped her weapon in surprise he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close to stop any bullets from coming his way. With their gunfire halted Naruto rushed in, threw her at a group of startled bandits, and knocked another one back with a kick straight to the sternum. A gun was knocked into the air and he immediately grabbed it, firing off some shots at another gang of bandits rushing to attack him so he could prepare himself.

This was crazy. Bat-shit insane. And every instinct in his body told him that this was probably the wrong choice.

What he said to Oscar up on the cliff hadn't been a lie. This could have been the wrong decision and one they would only get to regret for a short time. Maybe the best thing they could have done was to turn away and run.

But Oscar wouldn't have been able to live with that…and Naruto felt the same. Even if they had escaped they would have been haunted by the actions they took forever. At least this way there was some good they could do. He just hoped they would be able to make it out of this long enough to appreciate it.

The bandits drew closer and Naruto raised the gun-

A blur rushed by them, striking their blind spots and flank to make them tumble over. They fell one after another as their attacker drew closer to Naruto's side.

Naruto turned his focus on some other bandits and scoffed, "About time you stepped up. Did Oscar save your ass?"

"Yes he did, and he's fine by the way." Neji said, stepping up and covering his back as they both watched the bandits around them, "I believe this is yours." Neji held his machete out with his fingers on the blade, "I'm not thanking you by the way."

"You shouldn't." Naruto took his machete back and scowled, "The bandits are still here and no one is safe. You can get on your hands and knees and thank me after we're done here."

"Fat chance."

Naruto stood defensively as Neji took a stance behind him. Both men stood ready to respond to any attack from the crowd of bandits around them. No one dared to make a move…

Naruto raised his pistol and fired several shots rapidly at the bandits. It forced them to separate and scramble aside to avoid getting hit. He fired and fired until the clip came up empty then threw the pistol and charged forward.

The machete in his hand swung around rapidly, slicing through gunshots and parrying blades that came towards him. Covering his limbs in Aura, Naruto started to slap away attacks and strike back at bandits when they were open. One larger bandit rushed at him and swung at him with a spiked staff. Naruto avoided it by jumping back just far enough during each swing to evade getting caught in its range. Until finally the staff was just in range enough to hit him.

Naruto raised his foot and stopped the swing completely with his Aura-coated foot, stomping down and pinning it to the ground before it could be pulled back. The blond Faunus jumped and landed a vicious kick across his opponent's face, dropping him immediately and then launching the spiked staff towards other bandits to knock them back.

In the corner of his eyes, he could see Neji blazing his way through the bandits by himself. His fingers were pointed out like blades and his hands were moving so fast they only blurred that devastated the bodies. As much as Naruto loathed to admit it, the blank-faced man he always seemed to butt heads with was more than a match at handling these bastards than even he was.

Naruto started to rush forward and joined Neji's side, helping him attack the bandits that attempted to overwhelm him. With the two of them fighting together they were making quick work of the bandits grouping around them. For a moment it seemed like they might be able to pull this off-

Until Naruto felt his hairs stick up as he heard a blade cut through the air. With a quick swing out he knocked aside a crescent blade that had been sent flying their way. It spiraled up through the air and fell only to land directly in the hands of a purple-haired woman with a spiteful frown on her face. She marched forward and brandished a second curved blade in her hand, "You two have a lot of nerve to ruin a good thing like this!"

She was angry and looking for blood but that wasn't the part that drew Naruto's attention.

What did have his attention was the fact she was joined by the masked tribe leader that started all this madness. She walked up alongside her subordinate and stood still like a statue once she faced both Naruto and Neji. Even the bandits all stood silent and froze as they waited for something to happen.

She raised her hand and whipped it aside, causing all the other bandits that had been at the ready to ease and look between each other, "Recover our advantage and get the settlement back under control. Any longer and we'll have to deal with Grimm on top of everything else."

The other bandits quickly followed her order and rushed away before they could incur her wrath. In the end, it was only Naruto and Neji to face the top of the Branwen tribe.

"So," Raven spoke, drawing out her katana as her follower cocked her weapons, "I have to ask…was there a step 2 to this plan? Or did you just hope for the best?"

Yep…this was regret. He regretted this decision.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Come on!"

Oscar helped someone back up after they had fallen over escaping from the fighting. He ducked his head in a panic when he heard gunfire and felt something whiz by his head. As the person he helped ran to safety Oscar kept looking around at the fight.

The injured Hunters and Hyūga guardians had procured weapons and stood their ground. In retaliation, the Branwen bandits returned fire in an attempt to regain the advantage they lost.

This was so much more terrifying than he could have imagined.

"Media might be able to convey how dangerous and wild the battlefield can become, but they'll never be capable of properly conveying the fear and uneasiness while present - move!"

Oscar immediately jumped aside in time to avoid a stray bullet that would have hit his shoulder. As Oscar caught his breath and looked around he trembled, "T-This is what Naruto wanted to avoid?"

"If it's too much just leave it to me. I've had my fair share of battles and skirmishes."

As unsettling as the feeling of surrendering control of his body had been, Oscar made sure to keep that choice in his back pocket. But first, he had to make sure everyone who wasn't a fighter could escape-

"HAA!"

Oscar's eyes widened and he looked up to see a bandit jumping down at him with a club in hand. The freckled young boy jumped back in time to dodge the downward swing. But the bandit was adamant about landing a hit and knocking him down for good. But as he wildly swung and attacked Oscar the farmboy realized something…

Compared to Naruto and Neji this guy was just so slow. He swung with a lot of power but they were such wide arcs with wasted movement. Enough that he knew he could-

Oscar stepped in as the bandit swung down and tackled the man's chest. As he stumbled slightly Oscar grabbed his collar, jumped up, and reeled his head back…

The hard part to the bridge, just like Naruto told him.

The bandit yelled in pain as Oscar's forehead slammed into his nose at full force. He dropped back on the ground clutching his face in pain while Oscar landed on his face and rubbed his head. He looked at the result of his attack and appreciated Naruto giving him the proper advice before-

"Behind you!"

Oscar looked back to see Hanabi and Hinata attack another bandit that was sneaking up to attack him. The younger sister immediately chewed him out, "Don't get distracted just because you landed one good hit! You're leaving yourself open!"

"S-Sorry!"

"It's not over yet." Hinata said with more composure than expected, looking around diligently while taking an open-palmed stance, "The Hunters we have with us and the fighters among our clan are keeping them back but I'm not sure for how long. And it seems like more of them are coming this way."

This wasn't a great situation and it was quickly getting worse. Which left Oscar with one burning question.

Where had Naruto gone during all of this?

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?! You messed up everything!"

Naruto found himself on the bad side of both a tirade and an unrelenting assault. Raven had decided to work out her irritation on Neji and told Vernal - the woman by her side - to take care of him. And she seemed all too happy to oblige if her rage and ferocity were any indications.

Sparks flew off violently and in quick succession from his machete. The purple-haired woman was relentless in her onslaught, charging at him with every step and swinging her curved blades with deadly intent in each swing. He felt the weight behind every attack reverberate through his arms and knew if he let up for even an instant she would use it to overwhelm him.

"Answer me!"

She swung her curved blade and knocked his arm aside with his machete. Vernal immediately kicked up towards his head and Naruto was forced to somersault away to avoid getting hit. But the moment he had gained some distance she decided to fire, releasing a laser beam at his head. He flipped, again and again, avoiding Vernal's long-distance attacks as he tried to figure out what to do next.

"Stop running!"

Geez, every second the fight dragged on she was only going to get angrier. Naruto finally stopped dodging and jumped, avoiding the laser under his feet and extending his Aura to punch at Vernal. The bandit's eyes widened in shock and she had to leap aside to avoid his attack. His Aura dug into the ground and pulled him in, letting him land at full-speed as he rushed to attack Vernal.

"HA!" She yelled and spiked her curved blade at his feet. Naruto leaped up over her weapon and flew at her in a pounce. Vernal met him halfway, picking herself up and jumping to collide with him in the air. They landed and she immediately twisted around so he was pinned underneath her, "GOT YOU!"

Naruto tried to pick himself up but her fists immediately dropped down on his face. His senses were overwhelmed with her vicious strikes as she yelled, "Can't run now, huh coward?!" His head was knocked aside, "I'm not giving you even a second!" Again she hit, "You're gonna pay for robbing us of such a big score! And even if you begged we won't-"

Her fists finally stopped dropping as the Aura he extended from his hands caught her wrists. She struggled and tried to free herself as he lifted himself. In one fast move, he slammed his forehead into her face before kicking her off, "FUCK! OFF!"

He turned and spiked her roughly into the ground. Vernal bounced off the dirt before finally stopping and picking herself up. She hissed and let out a dry chuckle before picking her weapons back up. Naruto retracted his Aura back around his hands, "Anyone ever told you to control your anger?"

"They did. But after kicking their asses I don't get those complaints anymore."

"Well, aren't you Bandit of the Year."

"Gah!"

Naruto's ears perked atop his head and he spared a look to the side. When he did, he saw Neji rapidly dodge and palm-strike the blunt side of Raven's katana. Instead of the red blade, he had seen before her sword was now green, slashing and blurring around Neji's body as he was forced to sacrifice his offense to stay on the defense. While Neji was a capable fighter and guardian, Raven's training as a Huntress was shining through in the way she didn't give him even a moment to breathe or compose himself.

He twisted and spun on his feet, barely avoiding the path of her sword so that he could get in close to her guard and attack her. But every time he looked like he was going to land a hit Raven stepped aside, blocked with her katana, and countered with a vicious swing. Watching her fight, Naruto knew that while they didn't share the same fighting style, the strength and skill she showed matched Yang's prowess during her training.

It was his friend's mother that was laying siege on this peaceful settlement. He was happy knowing she was not here to see what her biological mother was like.

Raven brought her sword down over Neji's head and the Hyūga dodged aside to avoid it. She turned her katana and swung back up for his neck as he jumped back to avoid it. But even though he dodged her swing the properties of her Dust blade created a powerful gust of wind that slammed into his body and sent him flying away.

"Neji!" He called out to his comrade before sprinting across the clearing to help him. The long-haired man groaned and lifted himself with a grunt as Naruto slid to his side, "You alright?"

"I'm fine!" Neji hissed as he picked himself up and glared down the swordswoman that sent him flying, "She's tougher than I anticipated." He spared a look aside as Vernal slowly made her way over, "Should I assume you're not having it any easier with the other one?"

"Yeah, she is a crazy bitch who won't give me a second to breathe."

"You know," Vernal spoke up, "Flattery will only get you so far." Naruto eyed both women spitefully as he and Neji stood back up to face them, "So my guy is a little scrappier than I originally expected. And what about you?"

"He certainly has quite a lot of potential for someone his age. Unfortunately, that is all it will amount to while he wastes it in the efforts of protecting this clan." Raven noted as she swiped her sword aside and slowly sheathed it, "I think I'll reconvene with the rest of the tribe and get this takeover under control. Do you mind if I leave the cleanup to you, Vernal?"

The purple-haired woman brandished her weapons and smirked, "Ma'am, it would be my pleasure."

Naruto clicked his teeth and held up his machete in preparation for battle as Neji took a stance. As they waited to fight again, he picked up the sounds of people screaming and yelling a lot more clearly now that he was closer. Even though the Branwen tribe's top dogs were being distracted, it sounded like the rest of the tribe was about to make another charge against the Hyūga clan and overwhelm them.

If he had come down here to help save the clan but it all amounted to nothing-

"Go." He said without a second thought.

"What?"

"Go help your clan. Make sure the rest of the tribe is pushed back. I can deal with these two." He said while trying to ignore the cold sweat dripping down his temple.

"You can't fight them off alone!"

"Better than you can!" Naruto yelled at Neji, startling the Hyūga guardian as he tried to catch his breath, "Your people need you, right? And you're supposed to be their protector, right? So stop wasting time and go!"

Neji stared at him deeply before sparing a look towards the bandits. He seemed to argue internally with what to do before he turned and ran into the woods to find his people. Once he was along he focused on the two bandits he was facing.

Raven scoffed behind her mask, "Well aren't you brave and courageous?"

Not really. He couldn't beat both of them but if he tried he could avoid and evade them long enough for the Hyūga conflict to turn. As long as he played this safe-

"Vernal, take care of him. I'm going."

"Wait-"

He tried to call out but he was forced to jump before a laser could cut through him. Vernal stepped in front of him as Raven started to walk away behind her, "You didn't think she'd stick around to deal with you, did you? She has far more important things to focus on them nobody trying to play the hero. I'm more than enough."

Naruto watched as Raven slowly strolled towards the forest without even a look back at him. Honestly, the fact she was leaving left him with some sense of relief. She was dangerous and trying to fight her would have been a risky move.

And if she left he would have a chance. While she reached the clan…and the settlement…and Oscar-

"H-Hey! I was surprised to find out you're Yang's mom!"

Raven stopped in her tracks after hearing his words. She spared a look back curiously, "You know Yang?"

"Yeah. And she wanted to meet you." Naruto chuckled nervously, "But honestly I thought it was a waste of time. I told her I bet you were a cowardly bitch not worth the effort and she was lucky not to know you!" He took a deep breath and chortled, "Guess I was right!"

…

"Oh?"

His survival instincts certainly weren't happy with that.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Oscar swung a club into a bandit's knee and toppled him over. As he rushed through the crowd of bandits with Hinata and Hanabi the former farmhand put his training to the rest. With each bandit, one of the girls disarmed or distracted he followed up with a finishing blow to knock them down.

It was good and steady work, but it didn't look like it was going to secure them the victory if they only continued at this rate.

"If this fight prolongs any longer, I'm worried that our animosity will draw in another crowd."

'That's right! The Grimm will come after us if we don't figure this out! Ozpin, what do we do?!'

"I'm sorry, but I don't have an answer."

'Isn't there some ultimate technique you could use to force them out?!'

"If you don't have a technique you can use right now, I won't either. All I have to offer is experience, not an answer."

"Dammit!" Oscar cursed as he ducked his head, hearing gunfire and dying screams from the side, "This is getting us nowhere!"

"Don't stop now!" Hanabi yelled over the carnage, "It's not over yet!"

"We have most of the civilians back to safety and now all that's left is handling these people!" Hinata added, determination on her face, "We can't give up this close to victory!"

Oscar caught his breath and gripped his club in preparation for the next wave-

Neji flew in from the side, grabbing two bandits and slamming them into the ground before spinning around and throwing several concise strikers to their joints.

"Neji!"

"You're okay!"

Oscar almost let out a sigh of relief before his breath hitched, "W-Wait, where's Naruto?!"

He didn't receive an answer other than a quick point in the direction Neji had come from. Oscar spared a look that way and realized that his friend was that way and probably by himself.

His knuckles turned white around the grip of his weapon.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"So," She unsheathed her katana, now armed with a blue blade instead, and stepped forward, "You knew Yang? I guess that means you were a student at Beacon too?"

"That's right." Naruto nodded, sweating slightly as he hid it with a smirk, "I'm Minato and Kushina's kid too. You remember them, right?"

"I thought you looked familiar!" She said amusingly as she twirled her katana around in her hand, "You know your mother was a pain in the ass back in the day, and your dad is a pain to deal with now. So in hindsight…when dealing with you…" She placed the tip of her katana on the ground, "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS!"

She viciously swung up and created a sheet of ice that jutted up into spikes in his direction. Naruto jumped and rolled aside before the icicles and spikes could reach him. He then quickly picked himself up in a squat ready to fight-

"HA!"

Vernal leaped off the ice and dropped down on him with her weapons swinging down. He slid aside and quickly raised his machete as she turned and started slashing at him. They exchanged strikes, spreading sparks between them rapidly as they tried to overtake each other. Naruto's face grimaced as Vernal's looked twisted and elated at the chance to cut him down.

As he was busy holding Vernal back, his ears picked up approaching movement from the side. Raven rushed around the icicles she created with a brown sword, primed to strike him down while Vernal kept him preoccupied. His eyes widened and he kicked Vernal back, gaining some space and jumping away as Raven's sword slammed into the ground and uprooted all the rock around it.

He flipped back over and over to avoid the spires that jutted from the ground. And with a mighty roar, he enlarged his Aura and slammed it into the ground, shattering the rock before it could attack any further. Digging his hand into the dirt, Naruto yanked out a giant hunk of rock and spiked it at his foes.

Vernal's laser sliced through the incoming rock and let it sail by in two harmless pieces. And from between them the two bandits rushed at Naruto, Raven taking the charge with her katana at the ready as Vernal followed after.

The brown katana swung in and Naruto blocked it with his machete only to find the force behind it to be far more powerful than he expected. His weapon nearly flew out of his hands as Vernal rushed in from the side and prepared to attack him. But Naruto went with the blow and dropped to his back, enlarging the Aura around his legs and slamming them into Vernal's body as he jumped back to his feet.

Raven stepped in and started swinging, forcing him to dodge and retreat. He tried to parry and riposte her strikes but her speed with a katana was unbelievable and he wasn't as adept with the machete as he'd been with his kodachi. The swings he couldn't block in time were ones he was forced to jump and flip away from.

Raven sheathed her blade, activated the revolving chamber on her sheath, and drew out another red blade. The sword set itself ablaze and Naruto had to flip over it as she swung for his knees. He landed behind her and saw an opportunity to strike her blind spot-

A laser hit his hand and his machete flew from his grip. He gasped in horror as Raven spun around with another devastating swing. The red blade was covered in flame and now disarmed all he had was his Aura to defend him. The blade drew closer-

"HA!"

Naruto's hands clamped down on her katana and stopped it from going any further. The blade in his grasp struggled to escape as Raven hissed and tried to pry it out. But with his Aura manifested around his hands he didn't risk letting it go.

The orange Aura around his arms suddenly ignited as it took on the flame properties of her Dust. As the flames around his hands raged and Raven tried to push through his grip, Vernal charged out of the tree line and rushed towards them. He mashed his teeth and looked down at the sword in his grasp-

His hands slipped along the length of her blade before applying pressure. The red blade cracked and then shattered into pieces as Raven suddenly found herself the one disarmed. And before she could restock her weapon and Vernal could join her side Naruto roared and slammed his fists down.

A giant explosion engulfed both women before they could properly react. They were sent flying from the blast and Naruto rushed in to take advantage of the chance. If he hit them when they were down-

Lightning struck. Just a few feet from where he stood. He was blown off his feet from the sudden yet powerful force of nature that occurred out of nowhere.

As Naruto crashed and tried to catch his breath, only then did he notice that the wind was picking up and becoming violent. The gale blew away the cloud of smoke he had kicked up and revealed Vernal and Raven slowly picking themselves up.

The black-haired woman recovered her mask and looked up at him. Naruto was faced with a slightly older, red-eyed version of Yang staring at him in bitter amusement, "Vernal was right. You are scrappy." She fixed her mask back over her face, "But that won't help you for long."

He gulped and steadied his stance, reaching out to retrieve his machete as he prepared to face off again-

"Naruto!"

His ears perked up Oscar's voice through the thick of trees. A moment later he saw his freckled friend run out of the foliage. The moment of relief seeing his friend was alright was squashed as the sound of gunfire and yelling followed closely after him.

Bandits ran out of the forest with Hyūga fighters and recovering Hunters close on their tails. Oscar came by his side while Hinata and Hanabi ran up to, "You're still okay! Thank gods!"

"Glad you're okay too."

"Ugh, you idiots are worthless!" Vernal seethed with anger as she looked between the bandits collecting around her and Raven, "Did you at least take care of the settlement!"

"M-Most of their forces are down, but they retaliated stronger than we expected! If they just-"

"Excuses!" She snarled through gritted teeth and shut every last one of them up. With an exhausted sigh, she looked at Raven, "What do we do now?"

"Well, this certainly didn't go as easily as we planned." She swung her sword aside and detached the remains of the katana he had broken. She sheathed her weapon and he immediately prepared to fight again as both sides waited for her to make a move. Her katana slowly drew out, "But if they want to futilely fight to the end, then-"

"ARRRROOOOOO!"

The monstrous howl echoed through the forest and washed over all of them. Naruto nearly froze as his ears perked on his head and his blood went cold with the realization of what that monstrous sound meant. And it became understood between both sides what was coming.

"Dammit."

"This took too long."

"That's where the others are!"

"Oh, gods."

As both sides fretted over what would happen with the impending Grimm attack, Naruto focused back on the fight at hand and raised his machete-

…

He saw it.

He didn't know if anyone else did but he saw it.

Amidst all the danger…among all the people afraid of what the Grimm's roar signified…even though she was so strong…

Her hand froze before it could draw another inch of her katana.

…

"So what now?" He stepped forward and announced for everyone to hear. His comrades looked at him oddly as the bandits focused on him, "We have Grimm incoming so what do we do? D-Do you wanna join forces and fight them together? We all hold them off, and when they're dead we go back to fighting? And then we do it for the next wave, and the next, and over and over until one person's left standing and they do whatever it is they want?"

Vernal scowled at him, "Watch your tongue."

"You guys came here today to ambush the Hyūga and take everything they had, right? Well, it didn't work. But that doesn't mean it won't again." Naruto laughed mirthlessly as he waved in the direction of the settlement, "You found these people once so maybe you can do it again. Plan better. Be more prepared. Ready to do your worse. But that isn't today. You can't salvage this and the only thing waiting for you now is a fight with us and Grimm. So do the smart thing…"

Naruto pointed in another direction and stared their leader down, "Fuck off and fight another day."

The bandits took exception to his tone and threatened to make him suffer. His comrades quickly came to his defense and prepared to fight them off again. But Naruto ignored them all and focused only on the woman across from him.

He stared into her eyes and waited for an answer. She was strong. Terrifying. And commanded a small army of bandits. But none of that seemed to change what he saw. Because he knew even if a person was strong and capable and seemingly unable to falter…

Even they could be afraid.

She sheathed her sword and turned, "We're leaving."

"M-Ma'am!"

"He's right. The ambush failed. And I don't want to bother dealing with the horde of Grimm to come if the reward afterward isn't worth the time. I liked his idea too; wait until they're weaker and afraid to prey on them again. All the anger and frustration we feel right now…we'll pay back when the time comes."

The bandits still looked annoyed and irritated that all their fighting today would turn up worthless, but they complied with their leader's wishes and stepped away. They stayed wary in case the Hyūga's made a move before Raven called back to him, "I hope you're still with these people when we find them again. Because when we see you we'll make sure you pay for your actions today."

"You're not the first bandit queen to make me that promise."

"Heh. Little shit."

And just like that, the Branwen tribe left before things could take a turn.

Naruto nearly tumbled over when the relief came crashing down on him. Oscar came to his side and shook his arm, "You did it."

"T-That was terrifying."

"Hey, we're not done yet!"

"The Grimm are coming!"

"What do we do about the settlement?"

"We have to help everyone escape!" Hinata announced to everyone as she started making her way back, "Everyone who can fight will hold off the Grimm as we get everyone else in wagons and carts to transport! It's our best chance!"

As the others quickly made their way back towards the settlement, Naruto lagged to catch his breath. The exhaustion from fighting off the bandits was catching up and now he had a battle against Grimm to look forward to.

He felt a nudge at his side and looked down at Oscar, "You ready?"

The whiskered Faunus sighed and spun his machete around, "Gotta see this through to the end."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Come on! We're almost there!"

"Hurry up!"

"GRAWWWWW!"

Oscar flinched and looked back to see Naruto fending off a Beowolf and Ursa at the same time. The freckled boy continued to usher the other settlers into cars and wagons for their safety. He spared a look back as Naruto barreled into the Beowolf and crushed an Ursa's head under an enlarged Aura hand.

"Oscar! Come on!" He looked over and saw Hanabi waving to him from the back of a wagon, "We're the last ones! We gotta go!"

He sprinted to the back of the wagon and climbed in with some help. Once he dropped to the floor he scrambled to look out the back and called out to his friend, "NARUTO! LET'S GO!"

The wagon already started moving as the blond fox sheathed his weapon and started running. Grimm filled the area that was once the Hyūga settlement as they abandoned it to the monsters in a long caravan of escape vehicles.

Naruto jumped into the back of the wagon and laid flat on the floor as he caught his breath. For the first time since they ran down to help the Hyūga, Naruto released his Semblance and allowed his body to go slack, "I-I don't think I could've lasted much longer."

"You held out long enough for us to escape. We cannot thank you enough." Hizashi said as he, Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi joined them in the back of the last cart in the caravan, "We may have lost our settlement but as long as our people are together we can find another home on the path."

Oscar fell back against the side of the wagon and let out a breath of relief, "How - how many people did we lose?"

Hizashi didn't answer but showed a grim expression and shook his head, "Not everyone made it out. But most of our people can live to see another day thanks to your efforts. You both helped save us." Hizashi and his family bowed their heads, "We are eternally grateful."

Oscar stuttered, "W-Wait, you don't need to thank us. I mean Naruto was the one-"

"Shut up." His blond friend sighed as he sat beside him, "Just let them thank you."

"S-So what will you do now?" Hinata inquired, "If you'd like, you're more than welcome to join us in our travels."

"It'd certainly be a lot more fun with you two around." Hanabi agreed.

Neji nodded, "You are welcomed to join us for as long as you'd like."

"We appreciate that, but if you have the time to spare can you drop us off by Mistral?" Naruto asked, surprising Oscar with his request, "We've been putting off getting there for a while."

"Of course." Hizashi nodded, "Let us set up camp again and we'll secure you travel."

The Hyūga family members started to discuss their next course of action as Naruto and Oscar sat silently on the other side of the wagon. The former farmhand looked at his friend with a coy smile, "So a ride to Mistral, huh?"

"Yep."

"You're not just dropping me off, are you?"

Naruto remained silent, hanging his head as he kept trying to catch his breath. He must've been exhausted fighting for so long. As Oscar was prepared to let the issue slide the Faunus spoke, "I might be a little high off our victory right now while considering going to Mistral. So when I calm down or fall asleep, I might come to my senses and decide I can't go there again."

"Okay?"

"So if that happens…" Naruto sighed and shook his head, "You mind kicking me in the ass again and setting me straight?"

Oscar faintly smiled before looking concerned, "But what if you go to Mistral and find out all the things you were afraid could happen…did?"

His hands tightened and he took a shuddering breath, "I need to face things directly. I can't - I won't just run away in fear. Whatever comes next…I need to discover it myself."

"Then I'll be there to help. I promise"

"Yeah. Okay."

…

Naruto's arm hooked around Oscar's neck and pulled him into a sideways hug, "Thanks, buddy."

He smiled, "No problem."

"You know…I'm more tired than I thought I'd be." Naruto admitted, "I was a lot more scared than I thought I was. But," The blond fox showed a small smile, "I forgot what this felt like. I forgot - after all this time that I could still feel like this. Thank you, Oscar."

…

"Doubt and fear burrow into the minds of even the greatest warriors. It can cripple and even kill them. And he very well could have succumbed to that terrible fate too if something hadn't changed. Oscar…thank you. Thank you for saving my student before it was too late."

This world was scarier than he thought. It was tougher than he expected. And sometimes it felt like there wasn't enough of a reason to fight back.

But among people who had been saved and a friend that thanked him for everything he'd done…the aspiring young Huntsman welled up and was grateful he had taken this journey.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Done

Oh man, I've been looking forward to this confrontation for awhile now. First Raven appears as a sudden savior to rescue Blake and Yang, and now Naruto and Oscar see her for who she truly is. The leader of the Branwen tribe is certainly not someone to mess with.

So Naruto takes a step back on the right path with a little help from Oscar. Obviously not everything is settled right away. Naruto doesn't want what happened since Beacon to define his actions but they still happened and he has some work to do. His experiences have made him wary and cautious of what can be done. Which can be a good thing and bad thing.

Bad because he's lost the fire he once believed fueled him as a Huntsman. Good because being cautious can be a great help in the field.

Like noticing when a bandit leader is afraid of Grimm (even if the reason she's worried about them isn't the same reason that most other people are).

Anyway, our boys are on their way to Mistral. And they're ready to face whatever might come with their arrival. What will be waiting…

Well, see you all for the final chapter.

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