"Child, I wish there was many things I could tell you…" The old man breathed as he looked at the child in front of him.
Life monitors beeped slower, and slower, "I know grandpa."
"You're not from this world," He told the boy as he held his hand, "You came in a flash of light."
"You've told me this story before, I came in a flash of light, in a cloak of fire." The child replied, gently caressing the old man's hands.
"Yes," his grandfather nodded, "Now I must leave you all alone."
"Do I need to seek out Ozpin still?" The boy asked, moving long strands of blonde hair from his face.
Tears dropped from his eyes, his grandfather's pale face lulling a little. The old man licked his dry lips, and he smiled at the boy. He was childless, never married, resigned himself to living the life a hermit. The old man looked him dead in the eyes, while the boy's azure glow held life, his faded whiteish brow slowly leaked of it all.
"Ozpin will know me by this sigil," The old man stated while holding a toad's pin. "You must cross oceans, mountains, on your journey to face your destiny."
The heavy thudding sound of a spade slapping into the dirt resounded in a clearing. A child with blonde hair, blue eyes, and three whisker marks on his face dug into the earth. Behind him was a large amount of kindling, with logs, he finished digging the large fire pit. Placing a large stone slab underneath, unhuman strength allowing him to lift it. He placed it at the center, and slowly he started to build the pyre.
His final mission from the man that raised him. For fourteen long years this boy was raised, taught, and learned well from this man. He stopped for a moment, looking into the blue skies, and as the final piece of pyre was lifted up. He wailed with it, collapsing down, sobbing against it.
Near him laid a figure covered in a blanket. Naruto took a deep breath, wiping the tears away. He checked the sturdiness of the stairs leading to the top. Checking the doles, the twine tying the logs together, he nodded his head. Indeed, the pyre was sturdy, and as he looked into the sky, which was clear he felt water run down his face.
It as if the heavens smiled, welcoming his adoptive grandfather home…
"I don't believe in destiny, grandpa, you know this." The child spoke softly, still holding the man's hands.
The elder chuckled, "Then I give you a mission, two actually."
"I'm listening," the child sighs while feeling a tear fall over his cheek. "What are these missions', grandfather?"
"In the old way, I wish to be burned to ashes. Spread my ashes, where my love met her end so that I can be with her." The old man licked his lips, "In Menagerie, specifically on her tallest mountain, Red Mountain."
"As you wish, grandfather, I suppose you've already told me my second mission?" the boy figured.
"Aye, I have young one, go to Ozpin."
Carrying the body slowly toward the pyre, the boy took a deep breath. He walked up the makeshift log steps, placing the lifeless body of his mentor on the bed of leaves. He bowed his head in prayer, and then sliced his hand open to mark his grandfather's funeral robe. Writing in kanji, an old language, he signed the words he was taught to sign for the last five years. He wrapped the cut hand up in a cloth, the wound hissing, and popping closed.
Smiling, he wiped his tears off his face.
"Hey old man," he began as before taking a deep breath, "I'm really going to miss you."
"When you get to Red Mountain if you survive the journey through The Grand Abaddon. I want you to spread my ashes at the small lake at its center. Place the ash bag near a makeshift grave and repeat these words I've written inside the bag. Do not at them, until that time. Child, you do not have to see my final breaths." The old man told him.
"From there, I need to go to Ozpin, correct?" the child inquired. "And I'm not leaving you, you never left me."
"Yes, and tell him about my name in case," the old cackles weakly. "Damn this disease…tell him Jiraiya says, 'the lily pad fades in the maelstrom.'"
"Yes sir," the blonde replied, biting his lip as heard the man breathing harder.
Jiraiya smiles, and then closed his eyes, "Heh…Tsunade, stop complaining about me running late, I had to help my boy, Naruto…I'll…be…there soon…enough"
"Tsunade, who's that, old man?" Naruto asked, hoping to hear one more story.
He shook the man, but nothing happened, and then he heard the rattle from the man's lungs. Naruto stopped, and everything stopped with him, and he sobbed as buried his face into the man's chest. Wailing muffled, but he wailed hard, he couldn't even catch his breath sometimes. He raised up, wiping his eyes as he slowly got up.
Naruto had a lot of things to prepare.
It burned hot, bright orange, and slowly it started to consume the pyre. He sat on the ground, watching as the flames climbed higher, and higher. Eventually they fully engulfed Jiraiya's body, and the structure collapsed down with it. It took hours, but eventually all that remained was ashes on the stone slab placed in the middle. Getting a flat rock, and the leather pouch, Naruto scraped the remains into it.
He could've sworn he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ignoring the feeling, he tied the bag onto his belt line of his blue cargo pants. He had pouches sewn into them, each filled with various gear that Jiraiya taught him to use. One of them had a wallet, Jiraiya's wallet, which had enough money for a boat to Menagerie. Getting everything together, he followed his last instructions to the letter. He walked over toward the small hut Jiraiya had built long before him. He grabbed the cloak, a white cloak with red flames at the bottom, putting it on. He pulled the hood over his head, and then removed a small roll of tarred paper from the door. He got a lighter, lighting the ball on fire, and tossed it into the hut.
They've planned for this day, years now, three to be exact. Cancer ate his grandfather alive, he had to watch it all. Despite his powers of healing, they only ever applied to him and him alone. A cruel twist of a blessing, a crueler means of fate, and the cruelest irony while watching the one he cherished most in the world slowly dying.
The first sounds of thunder filled the area, a storm was brewing. Darkness will soon be upon the area, and with it, they would come. They've always came into the light when darkness was close, those demons of the night. Grabbing small narrow sword, placing the scabbard on his back, Naruto took a deep breath, turning one last time to the only home he's ever known. Nodding, watching the hut burn, he stepped forward.
Rustling in the winds of the coming storm, the trees swayed, one would not notice that a young teenager was among the canopies!
Sunflowers.
Written by Blazeraptor54.
The slash of the sword ringed the air. Howling creatures were forced back as he flipped forwards. It had been three days since he started his travels. Yet, those demons didn't wait. Using flames, he twirled in the air with fire radiating from his sword with each swing. The wolf-like creature, a Beowolf, leapt at him. It lost its head as the blonde leapt with it, somersaulting just high enough to slash its head off!
Flames, red hot, burned on the small sword. The wolves scattering, surrounding him, he didn't mind as he walked forwards. The ringing slashes flowed like water as he charged forward, slicing apart one of the creatures. He then breathed, making the flames turn orange hot, and slashed upward. A wave of fire washed over two more of the wolves who tried to tackle him. They burned to black dust before they could reach him, not even staining the white cloak with flames he wore.
Holding the sword out in front of him, Naruto dashed forward, spearing the lead wolf in the chest. Twisting, he pushes upward, slicing a gaping hole in its chest. The creature groaned, whining, and then the blonde pulls his blade out before kicking it into a tree. Turning the blade backwards in his hand, he jumped back, spearing another wolf that tried to come from behind him. The death of this beowolf was instant, the sword stabbing through its head.
Running forward, he dashed up a tree as a large bearlike creature tried to lunge at him. He ran up the tree, turning around mid-run, and slammed the sword down into its head. The fourteen-year-old warrior rolled forward. Cleaning his blade off with a slash into the air that ignited, he deactivated the flames, and stopped moving as he held his hand out. A ball of yellow energy formed in it, swirling around his hand, making the ball screech loudly.
A boar charged out of the forest, spinning on itself, rolling akin to a ball of death. Naruto slammed the ball of energy in his hand against the creature and twisted to the right. The creature screeched, being blasted back, spinning right through a couple of trees. Nonchalantly, Naruto walked over to the creature, bringing his left hand that held the sword down!
It skewered the head of the beast. Killing it instantly, he sighed, sheathing his weapon into its scabbard. Yawning, stretching, and popping his neck. Naruto took a moment, looking at the nearby destroyed caravan. He frowned, walking toward it. These people had the unfortunate timing of crossing into a small horde of the Grimm. These demons had no mercy, and although the blonde didn't the find bodies, he assumed they were there somewhere.
He noted that the caravan he was looking at was part of a much larger one. Perhaps they've gotten separated, perhaps they got ambushed. It didn't matter at this point, he walked over toward one of the trucks. It was full of hunting equipment, no doubt meant for trade in most of the towns and villages of Mistral. He climbed into the truck, taking shelter from the rain. He began scrounging, illegal yes, but rarely did anyone try to recover lost goods in the middle of forest full of nightmares.
Popping open a wood box with his sword, he found a longbow. He hummed, picking it up, pulling the string back. It had a small pull weight of fifty pounds. Which was lower than the typical bow, perhaps it was custom for younger hunters. He found the leather gloves, stuffing them into one of his pouches. He found arrows, they weren't special, just spear tipped. He counted at least forty of them and managed to find a quiver.
Unlike movies, quivers weren't worn on the back, they were worn on the back hip on the lesser side of the person. He attached the quiver to his side, making sure it was tight. He put the arrows in, neatly as to not cause any snagging. His orange aura flowed over them, and his new bow which he placed over his sternum via the string. He'd have to find a Velcro back holster for it. He began searching for it but came up empty handed.
"Damn it," Naruto curses as he couldn't find the holster, "Just my luck I guess."
Rain pelted the outside of the truck; and the storm season of Mistral was always fitful. One moment it would be sunny, clear, and the next was a monsoon. Sighing, he walked over to the entrance of the cargo pod. He reached over, closing the doors. He shrouded himself in darkness but managed to find a lamp nearby that he turned on. Tonight, this would be his home, like it or not. He found jerky in one of the other boxes, and a backpack. He readjusted his gear to accommodate the backpack. He filled it greedily, putting jerky packs, granola bars, bottled water, and even a single candy bar he scoured.
Tightening the backpack around his shoulders, Naruto placed himself against a crate. He ate the jerky, teriyaki flavored, slowly. Savoring the first true meal he has had in about three days, because the damned demons chased game away. With his new bow, perhaps with some luck, deer would be on the menu before too long. Although, that required him having a means of staying at one place for a moment. The Port Town of Himawari laid three weeks away from his current location.
There are several smaller towns along the way. Jiraiya taught him, however, most of the towns leading to the coast were ruled by criminal gangs. The gangs, mostly hired thugs, were a little touchy about who came into town. Slavery was illegal, slavery carried a sentence of ten years minimum, but most Slavers didn't care. The sell of human, faunus, and poached animals was a huge market. Jiraiya always called slaves the oldest commodity in the world, because the only thing ancient people had trade as themselves.
With luck, Naruto would just be able to get sleep, skip a couple of towns while fishing the river. Then again, that storm raging outside was strong enough to make the cargo pod rock a little. Placing the electric lamp on top of a box, he cleared a large wood box, placing a bubble wrap down as mattress. Yawning, stretching, he began to place trip wires at the doors. If someone pulled them open, they'd get a bell ring as their only warning before getting lunged upon by ninety-five pounds of pure fury.
Finishing his preparations, Naruto looked at the watch Jiraiya gave him for his thirteenth birthday. He set an alarm for the early morning, planning to sleep twelve hours. With that, the blonde warrior laid back in the box, using his own body heat to warm himself under a bubble wrap blanket. He then shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
The world was on fire, and he stood on the moon watching. The shattered celestial rock was slowly pulling itself back together. Continents were being flooded, and oceans covered in storm. In his right palm, a shining mark in the shape of a sun. It glowed brighter, and brighter, but then she came. A demoness, a goddess of death and destruction, murderer of civilizations. She rode upon a black dragon, her fiery red eyes gazed down at the moon.
Naruto stood tall, using the light of his mark to repel her, but then the light changed. Slowly, but surely, it grew dark. The shining golden light became a blackish gray. His arm grew black veins, his eyes turned the same fiery red. His hair, golden as the sun, turned snow white like hers. She smiled, holding the same mark up on her palm.
He took his sword, turned to people casted only by color. Red, Yellow, White, Black, Gold, Orange, and Green. He took that blade, igniting it in black fire. They screamed, they begged, called his name. Yet, it didn't stay his hand, when the sword dropped, they too would fall to the flames as well.
Together him, and that demoness, ignited the world!
"Wake up…" A voice called to him.
It was a woman's voice, soft and sweet, "Wake up my son…"
"Who…" Naruto's eyes moved to a figure with red hair, "Are you?"
"You've known me, I know this path, you don't have to walk it…wake up." She continued, walking over to him.
Her figure obscured by shadow, and another figure, a golden-haired masculine figure joined her. Both held his shoulders, both pushed away from the demoness, but then both of them were engulfed black flames. Naruto's form was restored, but all he could do was reach out to the people ahead of him, the ones burning and dying.
He screamed pure agony!
The first thing he felt was the heat. Rain pelting around him, turning to steam, as the fire in the cargo pod raged. Winds lapping at the inside, he awoke, dashing toward the exit. Unburned, not a single of having been in fiery pod. He looked at his shelter, his golden aura shining around him, his eyes glowing blue in the dark. His face reflected on the melted steel, he breathed hard. Steam rose like column on a temple, whatever had just happened, it had happened quickly. Jiraiya, his adoptive grandfather, told him that his flames were his semblance. He had to hone them, lest things like this would happen.
He checked his supplies, his aura covered everything on him. It meant that his supplies were intact, his new bow and quiver still functional. His breathing slowed, and the flames died down against the wailing of the rain. He checked his watch, it was four in the morning, the sun wasn't due up for two hours. Yet, he was alone in the dark, and the dark contained demons. The dying light of the fire was sure to attract them. Wasting no time, he knew that such an outburst caused by the dream would attract. He ran for it, jumping into the trees, staying above ground level. He headed south, following the river nearby that he had seen on the map.
That's when he realized the true loss, his map wasn't attached to him! It was probably burnt to ashes by now, smoldered from the flames. He didn't care for it now, now it was just time put distance away from the wreckage. The howls came, he knew they were arriving there now, perhaps a dozen of the monsters. He could take them, but Gods know what else lurked in the woods at night.
The morning sun beat down hard over the landscape, an autumn fog covered the ground. Naruto's eyes adjusted to the figures in the fog. Aiming his new bow, in the top of the tree, he poured aura into the arrow. Taking a deep breath, he launched the arrow, which sailed past the target. Cursing, he watched as the figures scattered, guttural growling following. He had been hunted all night long, and he knew that these things weren't beowolves.
Beowolves didn't retreat, they just attacked, only planning where to attack, and never retreat. Breathing hard, he knelt on the tree limb, nocking another arrow. Jiraiya taught him, but that was before their only bow broke, the string snapping one fateful day. That was two years ago, and he was rusty.
"Remember, breathe, only hold your breath when you're focusing on a target. Breathe when you are ready to release, don't think about it too much, simply acquire your target on the arrow's head." Jiraiya's words echoed in his head.
The thin figures skittered about the ground, unable to locate their prey in the fog. Finding a target, he stood up, aiming his bow. Taking a deep breath, following the target, Naruto breathed out as he launched the arrow. Flames swirled around the arrow as it flew, impacting and exploding into a fireball. The demonic creature, with spindly limbs, roared in pain before being turned to dark ash.
Four other figures ran toward the noise, the teen took aim again. Launching his arrow, this one struck home once again, destroying the beast as it came out of the fog. The three others split off, and he put the bow around his back. Dropping down from the tree, Naruto unsheathed his blade. The steel rang the air, and with a breath he ignited it. Screeching filled the air, high pitched, as if someone scrapped nails across a chalkboard.
His eyes widened as he jumped up, avoiding one of the tall creatures that tried tackling him from behind. Sharp claws tore through the ground, slashing an oak tree in half. Landing on both his feet, he spun around, launching a wave of fire around him. The creatures backstepped, hissing at him, their long claws scrapping the muddy ground. They were one of the most fearsome Grimm that Naruto knew of something Jiraiya taught him.
Wendigo.
They screeched at him, dashing around him, these were Alpha Grimm. Taking a deep breath, he took time, not even bothering to follow them. They were moving too coordinated to track with eyes alone, and so he used his ears. He heard the splashing, claws on stone, tree bark scarped again, but a fourth sound caught his immediate attention. That sound was a tree limb being broke as something heavy jumped from it!
Slashing his sword upward while moving forward, the blade whistles as it cut through the neck of a leaping Wendigo. That fourth had been hidden since the start of the fight, hunting him in the trees. He never noticed it, wouldn't have either, if it hadn't been so eager. Now beheaded, the spindly creature flopped into the mud as two of its brethren charged at Naruto simultaneously. The boy backstepped, blocking slashes with his blade, dodging those he couldn't. Sparks erupted around the area as his sword's flame was brushed off bit by bit, the claws not burning like their flesh would have.
It was as if they were dancing. Naruto kept out of reach of his would-be partners. Each backstep was met with their forward stepping, slashing their claws, only for sparks to fly from his blade. His heart raced, his anger grew, and then he roared! Flames erupted around him as he stepped forward, slashing the offending arms off his attackers as they tried to attack him at once. The wendigo didn't get a reprieve, they were beheaded with a following spinning slash as Naruto moved past them. Fires erupted from the trail of the sword, igniting the two Grimm. Roaring, he gripped the sword before slinging across the open area. His aim was true, fueled by anger, the blade pinned the last wendigo to a tree.
It twitched, slowly slowing down, and then it lulled its head to the side. He marched over toward the tree, grabbing his blade. Putting it back in its scabbard, Naruto felt the ground rumble. He heard a massive roar, followed by the beast revealing itself. It was a monstrous hybrid, a horse's lower body, with that a horned human. He ran, knowing full well he didn't stand a chance against this monster!
Naruto sprinted for his life as he heard the hooves beating behind him. He found that he was in a ruined village, the structures long abandoned. He didn't bother trying to hide, he knew better. The crashing of a house behind him was all that he needed to know. The beast roared after him, that's when a black hand shot forward, it nearly got him, but Naruto leapt upward to avoid it. He came toward the broken wall of the village, sprinting harder, he jumped over the rubble.
Reaching into his back pouch, he pulled a leather glove out. He put the glove on his left hand, grabbing wire out with it. The steel wire shimmered in the morning sunlight. He got his sword out, attaching the wire to the hilt of his blade. He listened to the sounds of rushing water. Following it, he heard the roar of the beast behind him as it crashed through several trees. A black swept near him, forcing him leap under it.
"Shitshitshitshit," Naruto repeatedly curses as he ran toward the sound, "C'mon!"
He sprinted harder, practically leaping between each step. He saw what the sound was, a large waterfall! He saw the cliff on the other side and finding strength he sprinted the hardest he's ever managed in his life. He felt the claws of the beast scrape over his foot as he leapt! Airborne, the teenager slung his blade toward the opposing cliff. It sunk into the rock, and he found his leather gloved hand straining hard as the line became straight. He swung upwards, the sword pulling out from the rock with a hard pull. It made it into his hand just in time for him to use to slow his descent by slicing it across the rock as he fell.
"SHIT!" Naruto screamed as he held the blade with dear life.
He landed on the opposite ground, hard, he felt his side blister in pain as his aura broke. He tumbled over and over, coming to stop when he hit a tree. Groaning, he slowly got up, a trail of blood running down his lip. He looked up, noting the creature was staring straight at him. Giving into temptation, he held out his right middle finger. Breathed hard, leaning against the tree he had hit.
Nodding, he spoke to himself, "Woo that was a close one."
Hobbling away, his leg screamed in pain, but it didn't matter. He was alive, for the today at least, and today would mark his fourth full day surviving without Jiraiya. He felt his side, feeling the ash bag. He held it in his grip for a moment. Feeling a pang of sadness falling over him. He missed that old man, more than ever.
He never fully appreciated the task set before him until now. It was the most dangerous task, a task that even trained Huntsmen would balk at. Yet, here he was, now down stream from a destroyed village. He took a moment, sat down, and rested his head on a nearby tree. Feeling drained, the young warrior took a deep breath. His eyes lulled open, and closed, he pushed himself to stay awake. He reached into his backpack, getting some jerky out, and began to eat. His aura began to recharge, he could feel it, his wounds healing slowly. Hissing from a small cut on his back, the fading of large bruises.
Naruto just sat there, eating his jerky, looking up toward the morning sun as it rose higher into the sky.
Chapter End.
So, yeah, welcome to yet another new story. This time I need to blame God Of War, because I was playing it, and this is the product of it. Hopefully it was an epic beginning, I am thinking of letting you all explain to me which pairing may work. Throw an option out there, let's see if it'll stick! PM me if you want to as well, thank you all. See you all tomorrow night with Umbra Genesis's newest chapter.
Thank you for the continued support!