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-Hidden Ninja Village-

It was in the middle of a mountain that a man observed the small, secret civilization where warriors of good lived. Men, women and children walked the streets with a sense of belonging. Hard work was recognized and properly rewarded, loyalty to their fellow shinobi was valued, and self-improvement was always encouraged. Unfortunately, everything has a side it tries to keep away from sight or, in this case, destroy out of spite, jealousy, anger and even sorrow. Those who could stand above such basic desires can be admired or hated. One such person was the chief of the village.

"Sir, did I hear right about how you-"

Bringing a hand up, the leader blew a ring of smoke out of his traditional Japanese pipe and stared at the people gathered before him. Old and wrinkled, he looked like a furless monkey with spiky white hair sticking out the sides of his head and a pointy goatee. Resting on his forehead were four flame-shaped marks, a motif for his outfit. Clad in a red robe under a large white kimono, he could be confused for a retired elder. A closer look to his sharp eyes would tell anyone to take him seriously, for he had seen countless battles and lost enough to harden himself.

"Keep in mind I've made my choice," the man told his soldiers. All of them were shinobi, clad in black outfits with green combat vests, black sandals, and white, wooden animal masks, "Yes, I know Naruto may not behave, but I consider such failings to be part of his environment."

"Chief, he is still a rogue asset, and-" one of the ninjas tried to object, but the elder had none of it.

"You know as well as I that it is my intention for Naruto to not end up like his father," the elder announced. "The sins of the parents should not be carried by their children. Naruto's no exception. What that demon did should not be held as something for that boy to atone for. Being here was meant to help him find a life better than the legacy of his kin."

"While that's a good sentiment, he's still causing ruckus," one of the ninja growled. "He… That brat pissed on my son after dropping him into a pit… And the smell just-"

"Trust me, I've learned about it," the chief nodded with his eyes tightly shut, regrettably recalling the story. "I have decided his punishment already, a fitting one."

"Really?" one of the shinobi asked a tad too eagerly.

Yet another ninja had to conceal his surprise, "Sir, what could you do to him now that will work unlike all your other actions to get him to behave?"

"Naruto has to go to a certain realm to make real friends," the chief told them.

"Are you kid- ahem, sir, are you serious?" a man tried not to snap, but it took him too much effort to catch himself at the last second.

"Faith in him will be needed, but I have one strong belief," the chief answered, taking a drag out of his pipe. "That child… He is a lonely boy thanks to us, our resentment towards his family's past. A true friend, someone or a group of people who can accept him and show him the kindness we failed to give him, could change him for the best."

"Do you truly believe such a thing, sir?" despite his wisdom, some people still doubted the idea given who they were talking about. "No offense, chief. That is no normal boy. He is, after all, a demon."

"Even the smallest show of kindness can be a chance to change for the better," the elder answered, blowing more smoke through his nostrils. "I shall admit that it will be a test of Naruto's character how such a thing will affect his decisions. With that said, I have faith in that child, though."

Seeing his grin, one of his soldiers had a pressing question, "Why are you so sure, chief?"

"Because the child has had the choice and chance to truly do us harm, but instead resorts to pranking those he butts heads with," the man told them almost nostalgically. "Those are not the actions of evil demons. Maybe the acts of a prankster spirit, but he's never chosen to cause pain to those who he feels have never wronged him."

"Okay, so…" a ninja started, looking him intently. "Where did you send him?"

"Hm, where indeed?" the chief quipped, rolling around his wrist to make the smoke from his pipe move in an upward spiral.

-Meadows in the middle of nowhere-

"Damn that chief," grumbled a teen to himself as he stood alone in a near limitless field. Putting on a deep voice, he mocked said chief, "Naruto, you still haven't made true friends, so you aren't allowed back in the village. Yeah, right. Old coot saw his chance to get a vacation without me and took it. Just where did that wrinkled sack of bones send me?"

He was a short 14-year-old blond with a spiky mane, deep blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Everything about him had a foxy look like his sharp canines and eyes, even his hair and the shape of his face had the traits of a kit. The boy's body possessed a slim, fit build typical of a fighter despite his young age. For the purpose of blending in, he wore an orange gi, black hakama pants with both ankles inside a pair of orange greaves, and black, fingerless gauntlets. On his forehead were a pair of green goggles with circular lenses, the one thing he refused to change and which clashed with his ninja look.

"Bah," at least he had company in the form of strange creatures in the form of goats with a frog's eyes and maw.

Sitting down, the teen looked into the distance, using a hand to shade his eyes, "Old geezer really sent me to a new world, huh?" he commented before looking at the fire next to him and the other frog-like goats who shivered in a terrified, tied bundle, "At least you guys are good eating."

Reaching for the roasting critter he caught, the blond tore a leg off and bit into it without a care. His fangs, for his canines couldn't be considered regular teeth, easily ripped the meat and bone. Eating the creature like a true carnivorous beast, the whiskered boy stared at the others. A bunch of quivering… whatever in blue blazes they were. Frankly, he didn't give much thought to them, hunger won over reason. On that grim note, he recalled that survival's more important than sentimentality, so he pondered on which of the other creatures he saw eating grass to turn into his next meal, and which would be dinner-

"Hold it there, mister!" yelled an old man.

Looking back, Naruto blinked at the farmer clad in overalls, a sweaty shirt, and a cowboy hat brandishing a crossbow, then stared dully, "Do you mind? I'm in the middle of lunch here, old timer."

"You cheeky poacher!" the man snapped, steadying his aim. "After eating my grog, you dare put that attitude?!"

"Grog?" Naruto echoed, finishing his meal quickly as the man talked. "As in, frog and goat? Huh, no wonder they had that odd, frog-like taste… Well, at least they're not poisonous."

"Curse you, cheeky poacher!" the farmer was about to fire, only for the blond to disappear right in front of him before he could squeeze the trigger. "Whatta?!"

With a single motion, the blond snatched the arrow out of the crossbow as he appeared in front of the man with a snarl, "Don't even think about it." Breaking the arrow by snapping it in his grip, the whiskered boy growled out a question, "Now, you'll tell me all I need to know about this place."

"Huzzhat?" the elder blinked in shock.

"I'm asking you where I am besides the emptiest field ever," Naruto raised his voice with a glare and a dangerous grin. He was forcing himself to smile despite his anger, "I've been in this place for what feels like hours and I haven't found any sign of a freaking city, and then you just pop out of nowhere to try to shoot me. You will explain, won't you?"

Every sense in the elder's body told him to nod as quickly as possible, which he did with a thick layer of sweat on his brow, "Uh, um, sorry, youngster, the nearest city is a few days off thatta way, through the woods."

Pointing to a seemingly random side, the farmer waited with a ragged breath for his release or demise, "Good." Letting the man go, Naruto tried to clear his mind, crossing his arms with one hand holding his chin, "This realm certainly isn't like the village or that place with regular humans the chief sent me to. Making friends, huh? Is that why I'm really here for?"

Grumbling to himself, the youth put his goggles on while the elder ran to his grogs, "Oh, my girls, are you alright? Who's missing? You cheeky poacher, do you know what you've done?!" Not caring about the man's despair and anger over the missing animal, the blond leapt forward… clearing about fifty yards in that single jump! "Huzzat?!"

Naruto landed on his feet and threw his arms back, racing with his body leaning forward akin to a roadrunner, leaving behind him a gale of wind and a blur. Dashing through the fields at a neck-breaking speed, the whiskered kid soon found the forest he was told about. It was certainly not what he pictured. Mostly because it couldn't be called a forest. Right in front of him was what would best be described as a wasteland. A veritable land of death with soil so poor that only dust grew out of it.

"Just… what the Hell is this?" he asked himself as he walked through the gray, dry ground. To his surprise, trees were covered in strange, purple vein-like vines which glowed with a sickly light, "Ugh, it's none of my business. The old chief told me to find some sucker to befriend… How will he even know that works?"

Questioning that flaw, the blond furrowed his brows, eyes squinted into tiny slits which made his appearance all the foxier. Unfortunately, he'd have trouble finding answers. Every sense in his body tingled at the sound of the ground cracking under someone's weight, a lifeless cold around him, empty eye sockets locking gazes with him, and a scent of rot so potent he could taste it. Surrounding him were creatures that had no life in themselves. There were six in total, all with the same look in their hollow eyes. It was not hunger, but a desire to harm. Of course, the blond was tense, as anyone would. Naruto wasn't nervous, though.

"Grr…" the pack leader growled, the skeletal remains of a wolf with nothing save for the gray bones that formed its hunched form.

Several more appeared out of the woods, seemingly glaring at an annoyed Naruto, "I hate mutts…" More growling alerted him of his surroundings, finding no less than half a dozen of the undead wolves around his annoyed self, "And you brought friends, great…"

Reaching into his gi, the blond was about to grab for a useful item, but the nearest skeletal wolf lunged at him, "Graaarrr!"

"Stupid mutt!" Naruto exclaimed as he flipped in the air over the attacking canine, bringing his leg up for an axe kick to the skull with enough force to crack it. The others attacked at once the moment their comrade fell into a pile of bones, "This is why foxes don't get along with you, mangy flea bitten mutts!"

Ducking under a claw swipe from a nearby wolf, the blond got on all fours with his own teeth bared, crouching like a beast. Running forward, basically crawling at high speeds, the boy got right on another undead wolf's face and punched him. His small fist had enough force to knock the jaw right off its hinges before he leapt over another charging skeleton about to bite into his neck. Once in the air, the whiskered boy took a simple scroll out of his gi and flung it open, unraveling several seals into the air with a flourish. Upon landing on the floor and surrounded by the canines, the kid placed a hand on the parchment, the ink reacting to his touch with a glow. And then, as he landed opposite the undead pack, things got crazy.

With a spontaneous cloud of smoke, all the skeletal wolves stopped in their tracks, watching a shape hidden in the white clouds before them as the alpha appeared to snarl, "Grruuuff!"

"I don't want to waste time, so get lost!" Naruto's voice snapped as the smoke dissipated to reveal the short kid was even less normal than he appeared.

Clutched tightly on his hand was a strange short blade about the size of a man's forearm. Its handle was a ring made of the same raw iron as the rest, but it was easy for him to grip. The slightly blade was akin to that of a scythe with the inner part of the curvature having the sharp edge that could cut off a head. Hefting the unusual weapon on his shoulder, the boy revealed that it was a rather thick. With a glare and a snarl of his own, he bared his elongating canines at the leader and the others. A quick glance made his frown turn into a smirk.

"Ruff!" the skeletal wolf may not have had flesh or eyes, but it was definitely glaring.

"Try scaring someone who can't fight back," Naruto quipped. "You're going to stop being flea chow and start being a worm playground."

Motioning for the wolves to go at him, the blond watched as they all had formed a line for him to dash forward. He swung left, right, up and down with each step. Dashing around the skeletal wolves, he delivered a myriad of swift slashes that cut the air. And it was over in an instant. To the naked human eye, it was a blur of speed. Even elves with their kin eyes would've barely caught a glimpse of the foxy boy pausing to strike a wolf before he was gone to deal with the next.

"Grr…" the alpha staggered as it was missing two ribs while its comrades crumbled into sliced bones.

Twirling the odd sickle in his hand, Naruto smirked at the pack leader, "Your call, Fluffy. You've still got a tail to run with between your legs."

"Raaarrrroooo!" it howled and lunged at the blond.

In response, the kid threw his weapon… only for the wolf to jump over it and keep rushing with its fangs ready to tear the brat's throat to shreds and-

"Heh, stupid mutt," Naruto mocked it as his weapon unfurled, revealing that it was a large shuriken when three more blades popped. It was like the blades of a windmill, but the air didn't move them, they cut the wind and creating dangerous gales to slice anyone near them, until they returned to the boy for him to effortlessly catch them, "Anyway, that was a workout, but what is this rotten purple goop?"

Rolling the shuriken on his hand, he flicked his wrist to collapse it yet again, just in time for the alpha wolf's skull to be split in two along the rest of its body. Paying it no mind, Naruto kicked one of the strange roots on the floor with a puzzled expression and a quirked eyebrow. It seemed that he'd have quite an interesting time in the quest he was given.

"Freeze…" he heard someone the stoic voice of a girl behind him.

Looking back, Naruto saw a creature he didn't expect to see, green eyes trained on him, "An elf?"

"…or you won't like the way the wind will blow through your hole-filled body," the girl coldly told him.

His attention turned to the elf who emerged from the side of a rotting great tree, her green cape opening to reveal a quiver strapped to the back of her waist. She wielded bow with three arrows already notched. It seemed far more flexible than a normal bow as the solid black wood melded and morphed as she affixed the arrows, accommodating notches forming in the organic wood to hold them. He expected an elf to be exactly like the pointy-eared forest dwellers his village chief told him about: pale, blue-eyed, blonde, generic green clothes and a boring old bow.

He got a tall, dusky-skinned girl standing at least two heads above him with good part of her height being long, slender legs. Her head was a rat nest of wild red hair blooming out behind her like a lion's mane with long, sharp ears poking out the sides. It framed a lean face which seemed designed to never smile despite flawless fleshy lips. Bandages went up her ankles but didn't reach the knees, openly exposing slender thighs with curves that could go on for miles. On her feet she wore soft white wrappings, the heels exposed as were the toes, leaving only her soles and ankles covered. For modesty she wore an olive green loincloth which went to the ground and revealed curvy hips, covering mostly the front. A thin, low-cut, black leather bra propped up half-apple sized breasts with a beast's tusk as a clasp; little left to the imagination.

Aiming the folded shuriken at her, the whiskered boy glared, "How about you tell me who you are?!" Naruto snarled, and then grumbled, "I need a way to insult you."

Lowering her eyelids in either anger or indifference, the elf spoke up, "You're the one trespassing elf territory."

"Elves want this dumpster?" Naruto questioned her, lowering his weapon due to the disbelief. "Like, you seriously want the place with the walking skeletons trying to maim people?"

"It's a long story which doesn't concern you," she either warned him or just didn't like him, and he was willing to bet it was both. "Take whatever business you have wherever you can get lost."

"Seems like a stupid way to not thank whoever took care of your pest problem," Naruto's snarky retort didn't increase the intensity of the redhead's gaze. "I just want to get through here. Got a problem there?"

"Do you always talk this much?" she asked irately.

"You could say something nice for a change," he snarled. "All I want is to find the nearest city and get done with a stupid chore my village chief sent me on. I didn't ask to be lectured by you, lady."

Narrowing her eyes even more, the elf spoke up, "I'm fourteen."

Jumping back slightly from the shock, Naruto looked her up and down, "As in my age?! What do they even feed you?! You shouldn't be this much taller than me, you string bean!"

Feeling an incoming migraine, the archer shut her eyes and flicked her wrist, which revealed her bow was collapsible as it turned into a more manageable size to place inside her quiver, "I see you're not a danger to the forest, just a headache waiting to happen. I can let you go, so long as you step away from business here."

"Can you at least tell me what made you hate me?" he growled, annoyed by her unfeeling attitude. "You know, besides being born as a massive-"

"Zip it, Whiskers," she finally glared. "You've talked enough for me to hear and study your heartbeat."

"How does that even work?" Naruto questioned her with a quirked eyebrow. "I mean, I have great hearing, but not that good. Any better and I'd be driven crazy."

The girl pointed to her ears, their length and sharpness like a dagger's, "Elven ears are magically attuned. Focusing on specific things with our hearing, we can find and even listen to lies."

"Note to self, do not scam elves in card games," Naruto mumbled under his breath.

"Listening to your heartbeat means I can hear you whisper to your own dumb self," the redhead pointed out.

Growling at her attitude, Naruto wanted to lash out, but the boy knew he'd get in trouble with the chief yet again or have a platoon of elves after him, "Well, how about you tell me what's going on or even give me a name? This isn't the kind of woods you elves tend to, right? At least, that's what I heard."

Closing her eyes for a moment, the girl thought on her next words, "Thyme."

"Huh?" Naruto owlishly blinked.

"You wanted a name, that's mine," she answered with a flat tone.

"Did your parents actually name you after an herb?" he retorted.

"It's polite to give someone your name," Thyme replied.

"Fine, name's Naruto," the foxy kid answered, arms crossed with his brow still furrowed.

"So, your parents named you after a soup ingredient," she pointed out with a deadpan tone.

"Okay, that's it!" Naruto stomped to her… but realized he was too short to look her in the eye once he reached Thyme. The archer lifted an eyebrow when he looked around, walked to the side to pick up a stump with strength that surpassed any boy his size, and stood on said piece of lifeless wood to be on eye level with her, "You have a problem with me. Say it to my face and stop stalling already."

Analyzing him with her green eyes as cold as ever, Thyme spoke up, "You're… not human, are you?"

"Can you get to the point I want to get to?" he angrily groaned.

"Give me a straight answer," Thyme stood her ground without getting fazed by the boy's antics. Although, she was trying hard to not lose her patience, "You are an animal spirit, aren't you?"

"Oh, I'm a hundred percent solid handsome fox, thank you," Naruto quipped with a smug smirk, then snapped. "Wait, what's that got to do with any of this?!"

"Hm," rubbing her chin with a hand, the elf studied the boy with inquisitive if still cold eyes. "If you said your chief sent you here, then maybe I can help you."

"Make up your mind already!" Naruto threw his hands up, then ruffled his hair with both, scratching his spiky hair in frustration. "First you want to kill me, then you want to date me?! Are you bipolar or what?!"

"Zip it, Whiskers," she coldly replied. "We can work together, that's all there will ever be to it. You want to go to the city, and I think you could be an asset for something important."

"This important thing being your dying forest?" Naruto questioned her.

"Quite so," she nodded with a monotone.

Naruto felt his eyelid twitch, "Could you at least answer me in a way that clears all doubts and isn't condescending?"

"Follow me, Whiskers," Thyme ordered him as she turned, her cape flowing and giving him a brief glimpse of perky buttocks like a ripe peach with only the strap between round cheeks covering her modesty.

Blushing, Naruto shook his head and grumbled behind the girl, "I've got a name, String Bean."

It was obviously the start of an annoying partnership.

-Forest town-

"Please behave, Whiskers," Thyme asked the blond as they neared a small town.

Large trees reached the skies, their vibrant leaves letting enough sun pass to nurture the soil but covering enough to never bother anyone's eyes. In front of Naruto were plenty of elves like Thyme, minus the cape, with the adult females donning similar outfits while the males preferred simple loincloths and nothing else. All of them had differences to the younger elf besides the age and being two heads taller, thus making him feel even tinier. Most if not all had braids on their bushy manes, and carried white war paint to adorn their faces, arms, and legs. One would have trouble believing they lived so close to a wasteland of death.

Fortunately, while Naruto stood out like a sore thumb with his golden hair and lighter skin, none were up in arms, but… "They could learn to keep their eyes to themselves."

As usual of an outsider, he got looks from the forest elves. They worked building treehouses, picking the fruits and bringing the beasts they hunted to eat, carrying water from springs in jars, making weapons from clay, wood, stone, and magic. It was the magic which Naruto paid attention to, observing as they created glyphs in the air with their hands, conjuring the magic circles to manipulate the elements. But they stared.

"Keep walking, they won't attack you if you don't cause trouble," Thyme told him.

"Heh, like they could even do a thing," the blond boasted, causing the redhead to roll her eyes.

Thyme approached an adult female elf, one whose hair was done in a single but massive braid with white paint over her eyes akin to a domino mask, "Hello, Faye, have you seen my father around?"

Before answering, the older elf noticed Naruto and blinked in surprise, "I didn't see him around the forest as usual, but he must be around the spots where the Rot is more prominent. Did you, uh… bring this boy?"

"Yes, I did," Thyme's cold attitude was her way of being, because the other woman blinked in surprise but didn't reply in the same passive aggressive manner.

"Well, I understand you know what you're doing, but be careful," the woman said. "You're young, and your mother-"

"I have to get going," Thyme cut her off, surprising even Naruto. "Should you see my father, tell him I am fine and that I made a friend."

"Oh, I see, that is wonderful," the woman forced a smile, looking at Naruto with some hope. "It's nice to meet you. Thyme doesn't usually hang around others, let alone outsiders."

"Can't imagine why," Naruto quipped.

Right before the woman could try to start a proper conversation, Thyme moved forward, "Let's get going, Whiskers."

"Don't forget me name…" the blond groaned but went after the elf, only to see her climb a tree with the grace of a leopard by leaping from branch to branch, her feet light as feathers.

"Wait for me, I won't take long," Thyme asked him before going into what Naruto assumed was her house, a nice place with two stories and a large balcony.

"Now what?" the whiskered boy looked at elves using their magic, then leaned on the tree with his arms crossed. "Is anything going to make any sense?"

Looking at a nearby forge, he noticed two female elves working on it. Blacksmiths with the proper aprons, made of thick leader, with one conjuring a spell to control the fire and the other sliding a slab of steel into the coals. As the magic runes fanned the flames, the other woman pulled out a small blade with prongs, placed it on an anvil, and a male elf got to work on it with hammers. Off to the side, a fourth elf was using a simpler set of tools such as a file to smoothen a bone handle for a dagger. Naruto pondered on asking for a favor, but then stopped himself.

"Something the matter?" the man with the hammer asked after pounding the steel for the two women to return to heating it up.

"Just waiting…" Naruto started, and considered calling Thyme a friend… but he had to be realistic, "...though, I don't know why I bother."

"Ah, trying too hard to be aloof," the man chortled, hefting his hammer on his shoulder. "Don't. Trust me, don't. Should you want to do yourself a favor, enjoy the little things in life."

"Hmph," Naruto looked away, causing the man to chuckle before getting back to work. However, as the group kept working, the foxy boy felt compelled to speak, "I-"

"Done," Thyme landed right next to him, causing the blond to hop back in surprise.

"Could you give a heads up next time?!" he snapped, but then noticed the large sack she carried. "What are you carrying there?"

"If this doesn't work, you can leave," she told him flatly before walking off. "Just follow me. This is the last stop, I promise."

"Fine, but I expect answers," the blond growled, done with her attitude. Usually, someone like Thyme would've made Naruto and any regular, sane person turn around and leave her on her own, but the boy had come so far and he was curious about what the elf girl would want, "So… where is it we're even going to? Is this about that black stuff on the woods?"

"Yes," Thyme nonchalantly responded as she looked back at the boy close behind her.

"Why not let the others do their thing?" Naruto questioned her logic. "I mean, they must see it, right? And their magic's not for show."

"That's… complicated," Thyme groaned. "Whatever this dark magic is, it's zapping away the life from these woods. However, since it's not affecting us directly, no one… They just don't seem to care."

"Ever thought of, I don't know, showing them?" he retorted sarcastically.

Glaring as she turned, Thyme bit back a growl, "You see how they act despite the danger, right? I've told them about the dangers of the rot but none listen."

"So, all this just to say adults suck?" Naruto replied with a snarl. "Come on, there's more to it than that, isn't it?"

Closing her eyes for a moment to regain her temper, the elf took a deep breath before nodding, "True…"

"Mind spiting it out?" Naruto impatiently demanded.

"Do you have no tact or empathy?" Thyme flatly asked.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!" the blond roared back. "A nice lady tried to talk with you and all you did was treat her like dirt! You don't even want to tell me what's going on!"

"Because it is personal," the elf growled, trying to contain her irritation.

"Well, excuse me, but if you want to save your woods, then stop focusing on your precious feelings and solve your problems!" Naruto bared his teeth. "If it has something to do with your mother, just get over it!"

Everyone gasped at the boy's words, the silence deafening the forest… until Thyme relented, "Fine."

Naruto stomped forward, "Oh no, don't give me any crap and-" he stopped in his tracks, blinking in shock. "Wait, what did you say?"

Shaking her head, Thyme turned and looked at the point she was going, "Listen, you can either follow me or go on your own. I'm sure someone here will tell you how to get to the city if you ask."

It was a brief moment, but he saw her eyes faltering when she left, "What was that?"

A female elf approached him, a disappointed, sad look on her face, "Poor thing, that's why she doesn't earn her markings."

"What do you mean earning markings?" he questioned her, puzzled.

Pointing to her face, the woman explained, "We elves don't just paint our faces as a sign of warriors. This is a sign of maturity and of reaching adulthood. If Thyme keeps this up, she'll be stuck without hers."

"Yeah, but you must have seen what's happening to the woods," Naruto started.

"We have, but there's nothing to worry about," the woman stated with a smile. "After all, Thyme's mother is looking for answers. She'll find them, eventually."

"Do you even know when?" Naruto interrogated her, but the woman did something he never expected.

She shrugged, casually, "It's not like it affects us. We elves have lived here for longer than Thyme has been alive. The forest protects us as our guardians protect it."

"As in, you're just going to blindly believe someone will solve your problems, just like that?" Naruto was getting madder.

A male elf nodded as he joined the conversation, "Yeah, we just have to do our job. As long as we fulfill our duties and endure the harsh changes, our elders and leaders will fix everything."

Naruto heard enough, but then he saw more. A man was shunned outside a group due to lacking the markings, the other elves acting as if he did not exist. Men and women alike formed lines around the hunters to get a share of the meal, each one granted a minuscule amount that would be half of what a normal person would need. One conversation in particular caught his attention.

"If we don't finish the house soon, you'll have your work deducted from your next meal!" one woman barked at the construction elves using their magic to put together a new treehouse. "Hey you, the markless kid! Either pull up your weight already or we'll deduct twice your pay!"

"Yes, m-ma'am," an exhausted young man gasped as he formed a glyph, but the bags under his eyes and the bones sticking out of his body showed that he had no energy to even help.

Just then, Naruto understood Thyme a lot more than he wanted to admit.

-Depths of the woods-

Gritting her teeth, Thyme walked forward and glared at the rotting forest. In her mind, Naruto's words bounced back and forth, echoing during the entire trip to the heart of the elven territory. With a heavy sigh, a firm grip on her bow, and a hand hovering over her quiver, she advanced. All around her she could feel the animosity of the dark vines covering and sucking the life out of the trees. Knowing she needed to focus, it was with a resigned sigh that she concentrated on her careful steps. Of course, it was never healthy to bury things deep down.

Replaying an unwelcomed memory, she clenched her jaw, "I'll fix it, even if everyone else won't bother… I can fix it…"

Moving forward, the girl advanced through the forest until she found it. An open clearing was covered not with the dry, gray soil, utterly dead dirt from which nothing would grow. Pulsating, glowing, black roots covered the ground, emanated a dark purple light, and surrounded her target. Bones of different animals and even the skulls of fellow elves littered the floor, adorning a large tree. One glance showed that the tree sapped the life from every and all life forms around it. Years of prosperity gone because of a black, twisting trunk which had no branches, its shape like a serpent reaching for the heavens.

"Chirp, chi-" Thyme froze when a bird passed above her, perching itself on the tree… and immediately fell lifelessly on the floor.

With a heavy heart, she stepped forward and notched an arrow, observing the source of the corruption of her land with steely eyes, "Forest spirit, will you tell me at last about what changed you?" she asked the tree, forcing herself to be calm. "I beg of you, tell me what has corrupted you that my fellow elves refuse to see? Why don't you-"

Before she could ask more, a voice interrupted her, "It's not allowed to answer."

Turning to the side in shock, Thyme was shocked to see Naruto land right beside her, his large shuriken on his right hand, "When did you-"

"I've got my tricks like you've got yours," he replied with a frown. "Listen, that tree is not the spirit you knew."

"As in, someone replaced the forest spirit?" Thyme asked more than a little surprised. "How do you-"

"Hearing is your elf thing," he retorted before flicking his wrist and unfolding the windmill shuriken. With a smirk, he cupped a hand near his mouth, "Mine is dealing with monsters like this. Speaking of… Hey, you oversized twig! Yes, you, the thing that looks like what I flush down a toilet!"

And then… it hissed, the large, seemingly rotten bark shuddered as the top let out a hiss.

"It's a monster…" Thyme gasped, taking aim while Naruto spun his shuriken in his hand.

"Nah, that's a puppet, and the work of a demon," he corrected her. "Although, I don't think that's why your people are so cozy in denial."

"We can talk later, you made it mad," Thyme retorted and pulled on her bow.

Wood cracked and moved, revealing that the bark was nothing but thick, rugged scales. From the top of the three, slits opened to reveal sharp fangs and sharp, slanted yellow eyes with slit pupils. The earth shifted to reveal a long tail was buried all along, the pulsating roots briefly breaking free from the beast before them. As Thyme gulped in nervousness at the size, Naruto bared his teeth in hatred and slight disgust.

"I hate you snakes so much," he growled before racing forward, just as the giant black serpent slithered toward him, maw open.

"Hey, we need a plan!" she growled, but the blond was gone.

Quickly taking action, Thyme launched three arrows in rapid succession into its opened jaws, impaling the roof of its mouth with a dark, purple ooze coming out of the wound. Her arrows flew in a split second, but the beast wasn't even slowing down despite the damage. It kept racing at Naruto, but glared at the girl, as if it either didn't feel the pain or easily accepted it. She liked neither option and gabbed a handful of arrows on one hand, running to the side to find a proper opening. And during all that, the foxy boy cleared the distance with a jump at the last second.

"Open wide," Naruto threw his shuriken at the opened maw, the blades spinning like a buzz saw. And, just as he expected, the snake's jaws were split wider open with the rotating death blades, making its maw far bigger… until the shuriken stopped after a few feet, "What?!"

The snake lashed out with its tail, nearly striking Naruto had he not jumped over it, while Thyme took her shot, "Galadriel, guide my arrow."

Giving her quick prayer, the projectile nailed the snake in the eye… but it didn't stop nor even flinch as it lashed its tail yet again at Naruto, who snapped, "Oh come on, it should be dead three times over now! This is another reason to hate snakes!"

Contemplating his words, Thyme had to agree, "Like you said, it is a demon's doing. Even if it bleeds, it's nothing but a puppet. It appears that it's not even alive…"

"So, we just cut off its head like other undead?" Naruto guessed.

"That's worth a shot or two," the girl said, then frowned. "Will you do well without a weapon?"

Pulling out another scroll, Naruto smirked, "I've got my tricks."

Unleashing five shots in even faster succession at the snake's lower jaw, Thyme watched as the first three bounced off its thick scales at first before the fourth ripped off part of the hide and the last sunk into flesh. More blood poured out, but the reptilian monster focused on attacking Naruto, its only eye glaring at the whiskered boy. She was surprised when the blond leapt high over the serpent, smirking as he placed the scroll between his teeth and put his hands together in a strange sign… And then, he was swallowed whole!

Everything stopped for Thyme, her eyes wide in horror as she nearly dropped her arrows, "Naruto!" Due to her cry, the snake turned to her, slithering at high speeds and snapping her back to reality. With a glare and her bow steadier than ever, she snarled, "Be gone from this world, you monster!"

Firing an arrow straight into his nostril, she hoped it'd reach the brain and either incapacitate or, hopefully, kill it… "Open wide!"

Increasing her shock, Thyme watched as the snake's maw exploded in an orange sea of… fur? She blinked in disbelief as out of the maw came nine lashing tails which spread the jaws of the reptile, one even catching her arrow before it hit the owner. The elf girl had to remind herself to breathe as a child-sized fox with green goggles on its forehead popped out. And in the familiar vulpine creature's mouth was Naruto's shuriken.

"A nine-tailed fox?" she gasped in disbelief… "He's a demon?"

"Ora!" Naruto roared as he swung his head, using his real form's strength and the sharpness of the blades to decapitate the black serpent. Landing next to Thyme, the fox flicked the shuriken in its mouth, folding it in one swift motion before turning to the girl who still stood two heads taller than him, "Yo."

Blinking in rapid succession, Thyme pointed at him, "Naruto?"

"The one and only," the fox declared as he used a tail to pull off the shuriken off his maw. He stood on his hind legs, his fur glistening slightly while his belly carried a strange, spiral-shaped seal she had never seen, "Didn't you guess I was an animal spirit? I already told you that I am a fox."

"Not a nine-tailed one," she stated. "There's a difference. You're… well, you are a…"

"Demon, say it," he grunted and shut his eyes. Shaking his head, he placed the scroll in his mouth and put his hands in the seal he used before, "Fine, I guess this form is easier to talk to."

In a spontaneous cloud of smoke, the demon kit was replaced with the blond boy she met earlier, "Your magic is unlike the one we use in this world… Then again, you're not even from this realm."

"And I could use a thank you or a helping hand to turn the oversized worm there into a fine pair of boots," he told her with snark to spare. "Actually, I'm considering eating it grilled."

"Fine, I guess I owe you a thank you for this," she admitted. "Thank you."

Suddenly, Naruto felt himself shiver, looking her up and down, "Ugh, what's this odd feeling? Stop that!"

"How am I- forget it," Thyme rubbed her face, feeling a migraine incoming. "Listen, we should get back. See what's changed in my town."

"Right, sounds-" Naruto cut himself when he felt a presence prickle at the back of his neck. "Behind us!"

Getting on all fours, the blond unfurled his shuriken just as Thyme readied another arrow, the two turning to the headless snake as its body shuddered. Black scales melted, turning into a rotten, foul-smelling ooze which slipped into the floor. And from the rapidly decaying corpse, something emerged. Fumes of purple smoke and black fire erupted from the carcass, taking the shape of yet another serpent which flew high into the sky and over the woods. Once it was gone from sight, the dark tar it left behind merged with the forest floor, staining it and keeping the corruption alive.

"No…" Thyme ran to the ground, placing her hands in the air to conjure a magic glyph. She attempted with all her might to revive a blade of grass… but just as the green returned to it, a purple spark of dark magic sapped its life away, reducing it to dust, "No, no, no… All of that was… for nothing? Every time I talked, I wasn't hearing the forest spirit because a demon turned it into a monster… And now…"

"Hey…" Naruto felt awkward, not knowing what to do with a kneeling, sobbing elf. "I don't know what you wanted from all this, but if you want to catch whoever did this to your forest, we can track them."

"Are you… are you sure?" Thyme asked, rubbing her eyes to not let the tears that threatened to slip to roll down her cheeks.

"Well, I've got nothing better to do, and I don't think I was just sent here out of a whim," the blond stated.

"Right, right…" Thyme stood up, then glared. "If you tell anyone you saw me cry, you'll become someone's new pelt."

"Love you too, String Bean," he sarcastically told her with a growl. "So, what's the plan?"

"I think you're right, we have to track whoever's behind this," Thyme started, then nodded at him. "My plan was to leave regardless of what happened here. Hopefully, someone in Scarborough may have answers about this corrupting, dark arts."

Crossing his arms, Naruto arched a brow, "Scarborough? Is that like a city or a temple?"

"A city, yes," Thyme answered. "It's also where High Guardian Academy is located. Enrolling there was a plan to see if any of the guardians and teachers there could shed any light or answers on this…"

"But…" Naruto wasn't granted magical hearing, but he could read the tall girl.

"You said it's a demon's work, and that magic went there, to Scarborough…" she started, letting him catch on.

"Meaning, the snake behind this is there," he affirmed with a frown.

Looking at the sky where the dark magic flew, they knew an adventure was awaiting them…

-TBC-

And that's my rap!

In all honesty, the show deserves indifference rather than hatred, another bad story with the only thing worthy of attention being the controversy behind it. There are positives, like some of the side characters who are fun with Parsley as the best written of the main cast. However, yes, they are underutilized for filler scenes. With all that said, I will put effort here using what I learnt from criticism to improve my own writing.

Before anyone asks or says this isn't the real Naruto, I am using the prototype version from the pilot manga with some liberties. Why? Because that's perhaps the best idea for a story I've heard in a while, tasking a demon to make real friendships to teach him to be a better person. And all because someone with every reason to hate and curse him had enough of a heart to want to see him do better.

Yes, that manga has flaws and some questions and world-building moments which aren't properly addressed, but mainly because it is the pilot.

Swordslinger out!