Testing, testing, 1,2,3…..Hello, is this thing on?

Note: I. OWN. NOTHING….well, except for my imagination!

Now, onto my very first-official!-fanfic which I have taken to simply call…..

-The-Hunter:-Warden-of-Vytal-

Chapter One: The Hunter

The chirping of early morning birds could be heard across the only clearing in the forest even as the sun had yet to rise. It was soft. Joyous. Tranquil.

And it was the absolute last thing Naruto Uzumaki wanted to hear.

Brief yet powerful memories of war, pain, loss, and betrayal encompassed his mind. He remembered everything. How he got here. When he got here. And why he was here.

Madara. The War.

Kaguya. Her defeat.

Sasuke's betrayal.

Most of his power and strength gone. A portal. And then….he woke up in this new world.

Yes, he remembered it all. Where the only things he had left of his old life were his Sun Mark, his massive chakra reserves, his shinobi headband, the clothes on his back, and his father's Hirashin kunai.

"Gee, really feeling the love here, Naruto…."

Oh, right, Kurama was here too, albeit now no longer sealed inside of him and now the size of an average fox. Yes, an average fox with nine tails and the uncanny ability to control fire. Still grumpy though, but honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way. The former biju was currently resting atop Naruto's shoulders. One could almost mistake him for a fur collar of his scarlet red travelling cloak with orange flame motifs on the very bottom.

"My bad, didn't mean to leave you out." The blond replied.

Over the last three months they came to learn more about his new home, which their now knew as Vytal.

For starters, magic was a thing.

Secondly, there were only four continents.

Lastly, gods were real. No, he's not kidding. Wasn't until his second week in that he found himself joining others on a pilgrimage to the Domain of Light. Only heard bits and rumors about a supposed Land of Darkness, though.

Still, the Light Brother had taken some kind of interest in Naruto-which was enough to send red flags waving off in his head!-and proceed to tell him everything he needed to know about Vytal. Only the bare basics: Magic, Kingdoms, and of course the Grimm.

Which, due to his previous lifestyle, led to finding himself in his newly designated role….

-Flashback-

"Sorry, I don't think I heard you right," Naruto drawled out as he started to clean out his ears, "But did you just offer me a job?"

"Indeed, Child of the Other World. I would not offer this to you if I did not deem you capable." The Golden Brother of Light turned his head to reply. Currently they were the only ones within the god's domain overlooking the golden fields surrounding his shrine and lake. Kurama, of course, was sitting right on top of the shinobi's left shoulder looking at the deity with a wary eye. "Granted I took the liberty of intruding upon your memories, which I would like to apologize for, but I already could tell by the feel of your soul to be a good, caring person. One which would move even mountains to guarantee the safety of others, stranger or not. Am I wrong?"

"Nope, that pretty much fits this brat's file to a tee."

An eyeroll later, Naruto looks down at the ground in contemplation for a moment before looking back up at the Light Brother. "So, exactly what are the Grimm, if ya don't mind me asking?"

"They are my brother's children, the prowlers of the night. Bane of mankind's existence. The Grimm do not have any need of rest, for they know not of fatigue. The only sustenance they require are sources of negativity-the fear, the anger, the hate-in which draws them towards the people like moths to a flame. Their numbers are endless, growing more and more stronger; they sweep across the lands like a plague. They are the ones who know no fear. They are the Grimm."

*whistle* "That's…..that's a real problem." Naruto couldn't help but blink owlishly as the extensive description provided of the night creatures. "And you think I'm the perfect guy for the job….why?"

"Tell me, child. Are you aware of just how pure your soul is?" At the blank expression on the shinobi's face, the god sighed. "I thought not. Every soul always have traces of both light and darkness inside of them. What your kind has come to call morality stems from this very concept. Yet in the end, balance always evens it out." Here he turns to walk toward his shrine before continuing to explain. "It is this balance that is integral to the planet's very survival. For without it, life shall cease to exist. However, your soul is the brightest and most pure that I have ever sensed since your arrival in our world, in spite of your past."

"That's something we're familiar with, goldie," Here the Brother of light was grateful for not having facial features, lest Kurama had seen him twitch in irritation. "But can we please get to the point?"

"My point being, Nine-Tails, was that I was able to sense your untimely arrival in this world….and so, too, has my brother."

Now the pieces in Naruto's head were finally coming together. "Okay. I get it. Balance is the big engine and I'm the monkey wrench."

"Exactly." The god replied, "which is why I'm giving you this offer. My brother is not the benevolent sort nor will he dismiss what he perceives to be an….'monkey wrench', as you put it, to the balance. Meaning he will do everything in his power to be rid of you, child. And he is not above using collateral damage to draw you out. Lives will be lost, I assure you, but the choice is entirely yours."

Narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists, the whiskered blond let out a slow, long breath in anger. "Ya see….when you put it like that, how the hell am I supposed to say no? Alright, you got yourself a deal!"

"Excellent! Now let us begin," The God of Light clapped his hands together as he approached Naruto. "While it is true that mankind has kingdoms and walls and magic, I'm afraid my brother is planning something. Something which would render those very defenses obsolete. I have had many champions over the years defending the great kingdoms, but I need someone willing to venture forth into the darkness. Someone who can strike at the Grimm where others dare not. I may not be able to help recover most of your lost powers, but I can provide you with three gifts."

"Which is where I come in, right? So if I'm not going to be one of your champions, then exactly what am I?"

A pause between the two, then, "You shall be my agent of the frontier. The Night's Bane. You shall be….The Hunter."

-End—Flashback-

And now he was here in the midst of the Northern Arcadian Forest a year later, seeking out a pack of Beowolves terrorizing local travelers. Survivors often tell of an enormous pack led by an Alpha said to have strange abilities. Rumor was that the God of Darkness was conducting….experiments on his own children, granting them abilities and powers that most precieved to be unnatural. As if the Grimm themselves weren't unnatural enough. So, wearing his fur travelling cloak, Naruto stood there. Waiting.

*Rustle!* *Rustle!*

A bush moved…..and then a young Beowulf jumped out at him, intending to rip his body to shreds. Yet all it caught was thin air.

*Shlunk!*

And a knife to the head for its trouble.

As the carcass slowly crumpled to dust, the whiskered blond began to see the rest of the pack slowly bleed out into the clearing, at least numbering sixty strong, the largest he had ever seen thus far. Then he saw it.

It was large, about a good fifteen feet on all fours, canine in appearance, yet with the upper body of a gorilla. Red, angry, beady eyes seeming to glow with a spark of intelligence and malice. Its body heavily coated in fur, with the only bone plating being on its face, jaw, forearms, and back legs. The bony sides of its maw caked with the lifeblood of a fresh kill. That was natural for any type of Grimm. But there was more to this. Its teeth and claws were coated with sparks of embers. White blinding smoke trailing out of its mouth. Its bite meant to melt right through anything unfortunate to be caught within its jaws. Metal. Wood. Flesh and bone.

"A Worg," breathed the former shinobi as he raised his hand to undo the cord holding his cloak together. "I've only ever seen them in the North Continent. They normally don't come this far south."

"It just proves that goldie's suspicions were correct, then. The God of Darkness is upping his game." Kurama hopped off his perch in order to find somewhere else to sleep.

Naruto turned to look at his lifelong companion with a raised eyebrow. "What, not gonna join me?"

"Against small fry? Maybe when something else worth my time shows up."

"Heh. Fair enough." With a gentle tug of the cord, the cloak came off. Naruto was wearing a form-fitting, long-sleeved black shirt with chestnut brown leather spaulders strapped to his upper arms, the face of a stag etched in gold upon each surface. Dark grey pants tucked into black leather boots were worn underneath two chestnut brown leather tassets with burnt orange fur trimming held up by two sets of belts, the golden engravings of Kurama's snarling face on the front. On his wrists were two chestnut brown leather bracers featuring eagle head engravings on top and two small mechanisms fitted on the underside. Flicking his wrists allowed them to spring forth and expand to reveal two dual-edged hidden blades of pure silver able to pivot ninety degrees in whichever direction.

"Alright then," Naruto exclaimed as he activated the special feature on the blades: conducting pure white light to increase length and cutting power. Gripping them as one would a sword, he gave the still horde a daring smirk. "Shall we dance?"

The Worg responded with a chilling howl, causing the pack to charge in for the kill.

Naruto waited as they got closer, and closer. He waited until one of them came right in front, arm reared back as though to slice him to ribbons in one blow. It never got the chance.

*Slash!*

In the blink of an eye, the former shinobi crossed his arms in front of him, charged, and cut through the foul creature with ease. For these were no ordinary blades.

These were the Silver Talons, one of three gifts bestowed upon him by the God of Light as his Hunter. Designed by a former client-now trusted friends and blessed by the deity himself, they allow the wielder to cut through anything in their path, be it man or beast or obstacle. Bathing the blades themselves in pure holy magic allowed the user to change the length of the blade itself as well as amplify its cutting power

So it was with these blades that Naruto Uzumaki cut through the horde as he seemed to dance between the dark masses. To and fro he went, bobbing and weaving and killing the numbers down. Left, right, forward, back. It didn't matter to him how he did it, only that he didn't stop until just the Worg was left.

He had a job to do.

Suddenly the Worg itself as though having had enough waiting, leaped into the fray without warning, causing the blond to jump back a safe distance and land on the balls of his feet, locking calm blue orbs with malicious red. The creature of Grimm roared at him, as though to challenge a duel.

Sighing heavily, Naruto put away his Silver Talons as he reached behind his waist to grab a familiar looking dagger….and yet different at the same time. It was indeed the Hirashin kunai that once belonged to his father, though there were notable differences. Where the hilt met the blade there was a small hilt as though separating the two. Another being that the blade itself now had a gold engraving of an Eastern Dragon with antlers one side, and his parents locked in an embrace on the other. Holding the weapon to his side, he spoke one last time to the creature.

"Well, now you're just making this easy."

Before the creature could even roar, Naruto gripped the kunai tightly, and whipped it out in front of him. The weapon itself then separated….before a glowing golden chain emerged to attach the two together. The chain extended even further as the blade raced out to the Worg and struck it across the face. It howled in pain as the young blond proceeded to guide the chain weapon as one would a whip.

Two strikes to the left arm, three on the right leg. Yet the Grimm circled its enemy, kept back by the chain-whip, waiting for its chance to strike. Finally, there was a lull in the defense, an opening, and the Worg took it. The creature of darkness charged at the blond, intending to rip the human apart.

Only for the whiskered man to leap atop its back, bind the chain around its neck, and start choking the beast to death. The monster clawed at the chain, trying to break free, yet to no avail as its neck finally snapped. Jumping down, Naruto walked away from the fading corpse as he magically retracted the chain to allow the weapon's original base form, then gazing at the now normal kunai.

This was the Morning Star, the second of three gifts bestowed upon him by the God of Light. Using the broken weapon of his father and the remaining traces of his mother's chakra from Kurama, the God of Light was able to create a new weapon for Naruto. Not only are the chains themselves indestructible and able to change length, they also have the ability to sap the physical and mystical strength of any enemy, as well as form an impregnable barrier as needed by splitting apart the chain to make multiple new ones. Truly it was a powerful, useful tool.

"Well, that was disappointing," the blond sighed as he sheathed his weapon behind his waist. "I'd thought they'd take longer to kill."

"What did you expect from garbage? We've fought them so many times that it's not as fun anymore. They tend to die too quickly, nowadays." It is here that Kurama returns from his resting spot, the travelling cloak being carried by his tails. "Still, one things for certain. Worg are only found in one place, and this ain't it."

"True, Kurama, very true." Taking the cloak, Naruto put it on and turned around, allowing Kurama to hop onto his shoulders. In doing so he revealed a symbol on the back of his scarlet cloak.

A crown of antlers surrounding a snarling fox head overlapping two double-bladed axes in an X-formation. All in gold.

The symbol of the God of Light's Hunter.

"Well, guess it's time to head home."

And with a simple shunshin, he was gone.

-End—Chapter-