(This chapter does not pull punches on the ideas of a serial killer, you've been warned, just saying. In fact, if you've seen Fate/Zero then this serial killer is based off Caster from that series, or you know...Gilles de Rais/Blue Beard. You've been warned, this disclaimer is up here for the fact that he was created to be disturbing nightmare fuel...sorry Rio Skyron...)

Nightfall, Naruto was using his scroll, powering it with his aura. Ren was close to him, hiding them both with his semblance, they both looked in the darkness and used the moon to guide them back. Nightly birds chirping, and crickets signaling indicated no predators or Grimm in the immediate area.

Naruto had an arrow readied, having bowstring pulled slightly back just in case, he looked at Ren and whispered. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Ren whispered in reply and then looked at Naruto, "why did you come to save me?"

Naruto smiled, despite his fear, "you're my friend…'

Ren chuckled, somehow, he felt at ease around Naruto, like the blonde Faunus just gave off that aura of warmth around them. It was cold this night, but Ren felt warm, he looked toward Naruto and noticed the boy's orange aura glowing around him.

"Where're your parents at?" Ren inquired as he watched older blonde suddenly, he grew nervous, "hear something?"

"No," Naruto took a moment and then everything stopped, "its what I'm not hearing…"

The birds and crickets from earlier stopped, Naruto took a moment, taking a deep breath. He looked at the tree canopy, seeing a glimmer in it. He suddenly grabbed and tossed Ren away as he jumped away just as a shot rang out.

"Run!" Naruto screamed, "follow the moon!"

He turned around and fired his bow at the killer who was in the trees, only for his eyes to widen as the killer caught the arrow in midair. Smiling with unusually sharp teeth under his mask, licked the arrow with his tongue before chambering another round into his rifle.

"Run," the killer aimed the gun at Naruto, "make this hunt fun."

Naruto put his bow around him and began to with Ren.

Ren ran as fast he could, while Naruto didn't move too far behind, he looked at his scroll. "Why aren't you picking up Anko, please!"

Anko was laying in a bed, clothing was strung about as she raised up, holding her head. "Motherfucker, what happened?"

The man lying by her, Kuro, raised up as well. "Ahh, fuck…you can hold some liquor woman…shit."

"What did we just do," Anko mumbled, holding her head, "why are my wrists hurting so much?"

"We got kinky, you wanted to do it from behind while your arms were tied," Kuro admitted as he rubbed the back of his head, "all in all…pretty fucking wild."

"Yeah, I've been buzzing ever since I got to your place from Haven…wait…I hear buzzing." Anko looked over at her clothing, "fucking shit…my scroll…can you get it for me, kind sir?"

Kuro laughed, getting up, stark naked and getting the scroll. "Hmm, some picture of a man on here, got another side piece of ass?"

"Heh," Anko held her hand out, "you were good, but I am not looking for a relationship."

Kuro chuckled, "then I guess you already know who I am?"

"Course," Anko as she looked at him, "haven't seen you since we were kids…now hand me my scroll please."

She clicked her tongue, Kuro rolled his eyes, tossing her the scroll. She caught, getting up from the bed, stark naked as well. She looked at the caller ID, humming slightly.

"Oh, it's Fishcake. Hang on, got to take this Itachi," Anko swiped to vocally answer the phone.

No way in hell was an eleven-year-old getting the view of a lifetime anytime soon. "Hello, Fishcake~"

"Oh, thank God, Anko, Help! Please, there's a crazy serial killer after us!" Naruto screamed on the line, the sudden sound of a gunshot ringing made Anko's hairs stand on edge.

She got her clothing, rushing to put them on, "where are you?!"

"I don't know, somewhere out in the eastern part in the forest, we're following the moon!" Naruto told her as another shot rang out, "Ren!"

"Ren…" She felt her blood run cold, "just keep going, I swear I will get there!"

"He got Ren, Ren got shot, he's got a bullet in his leg!" Naruto sounded like he was struggling, probably somehow carrying Ren.

Anko looked toward Itachi, the man who identified himself as Kuro, "we need to move, now!"

He nodded, already having gotten most of his clothes on.

Naruto dropped his father's scroll, he had Ren in his arms as he ran, "fuck!"

"Little kids shouldn't curse, hehehe," the killer said from above them.

Naruto's world seemed to slow down as he heard the man chamber another round, he looked down at Ren, who was scared. He could see a laser dot on the boy's forehead. He growled as suddenly he had a burst of speed, with a thunderous boom of wind blasting from his feet.

The shot that rang out afterward was nowhere near Naruto, the killer paused for a second, "wind? Semblance!"

Naruto skidded to a stop on the ground, sliding and leaving a trail of picked up dirt on his hiking shoes. He was breathing hard as he turned toward the killer, backing up as the killer dropped to the ground. He laughed at the blonde-haired Faunus in front of him.

Suddenly Naruto saw something shimmer on the killer's side, it was a necklace of sorts, with teeth on them…canine teeth.

Naruto went back up, but when he felt nothing but hair, he stopped and shook. Looking behind him, there was nothing but a deep gorge, the blonde bit his lip till it drew blood. Shaking profusely while holding Ren, the killer licked his knife as he approached.

"Rape…Murder…it's just a shot away, just a shot away~" The killer licked the blood to its tip, slightly cutting his tongue.

Naruto took notice of the sharp teeth, unnaturally jagged, he looked right at the blonde. "Leave us alone…go away…"

The killer laughs manically, looking at the blonde with drool coming from his mouth.

"That's not how it works boy, you see I hunt you. I hunt you, I cut you open, and eat that sweet little baby fat in your stomachs." The killer laughed as he approached, "and I do so with a gleeful smile as I pluck a canine tooth from you."

"You don't have to do this," Naruto begged as he got on his tiptoes, afraid to jump, but also afraid to move anywhere else.

"I love little children, you're a little old, but that boy you hold in your arms is just ripe for the pickings." The killer pointed his knife at Naruto, "make you a deal."

Naruto shook, "w-w-what?"

"You give me that boy, I will let you get a ten-minute head start. No strings attached, well, save the meat hooks the boy will in." The killer reaches behind him and holds out a large chain with a hook on it while moving his rifle's shoulder strap to where it was behind him.

"Do-don't, please, Naruto…" Ren begged, "don't…"

Naruto scrunched his eyes up, "I won't…"

The killer laughed as he approached. "Oh, adorable, I guess I'll have foxtail soup…a la carte meat pie."

He then laughed as he looked right at Naruto, "but I'll think I'll baste you first…"

The killer bent down, laughing as scraped his knife on the ground. "One-two I'm going to get you, three-four your arms fall to the floor, five-six better put the eyeballs on the sticks, seven-eight you will be raped, nine-ten…The Wendigo comes again~"

"Ren," Naruto looked at him, "you trust me, right?"

"Yeah…" Ren looked up at Naruto, "why?"

Naruto took a deep breath, clutching his friend close to him as he looked right at the killer. "Game over…"

The Killer shrieked in anger as Naruto jumped backward, he ran and tried to reach the blonde, who jumped to far away. The blonde dropped down the gorge, clutching Ren closely, the killer all the while screamed in frustration as he looked dead at the boy.

"You little bastard!" The killer screamed.

Suddenly the Wendigo snapped around and saw a woman standing there, her eyes wide in horror. "You…bastard…"

She got her sword out, "you killed my student!"

The killer managed to block Anko's sword strike as she charged at him, he pushed her back as he dodged her several fury laced slashes, getting his gun out and pointing it at her with one hand. However, the man then saw the barrel get cut as Itachi landed next to Anko.

"Where're the kids!" Itachi demanded as he pointed his blade at the killer.

"Fucking blonde made them jump off, but not to worry I'll eat their corpses." He then dropped his knife, "you two, on the other hand, will die here…heheh-HAHAHA!"

A dark red sigil appeared on the man's hand as he started to form Mudra hand seals, surprising both Anko and Itachi, was this insane bastard a part of clan?!

Itachi stepped up, forming shadows around them as he launched a ball of fire from his mouth, the flames were dark red color as it dispersed the shadows away. Itachi's eyes widened, the man still was forming Mudra symbols.

"That wasn't his spell, what the hell, that's Dark Arts!" Itachi moved for his sword.

Anko then felt aura from the gorge, her eyes caught the glimpse of blonde hair as Naruto used his survival knife to hang on the edge of the wall, with Ren holding on for dear life by wrapping his arms over the blonde's neck.

"Itachi, get the kids!" Anko ordered him as she formed hand seals of her own.

Both ended on Snake!

"Dark Art: Blood Seek!"
"Earth Style: Earth Spike!"

Spikes of earth nearly impale the killer as he jumped up, until he lurched back and spat blood out of his mouth. The blood then formed sharp tendrils that stabbed into the ground where Anko had dodged at the last minute.

Anko's sword glows brightly as The Wendigo formed a spear of bone from his hands, "looks like a feast is in order, hahaha!"

They both danced around one another they Anko blocked several of his strikes, backing away as she was being pushed back. Anko managed to lean back and then slice one of the spears in half, only for the other to nearly impaling her as he formed another out of the broken one.

Itachi ran and jumped over the gorge, getting to the other side as he used his semblance to manipulate the shadows in the gorge to form a platform, "hey, Fishcake…drop down!"

Naruto looked down, clenching his eyes as he dropped off his knife and landed on the platform. He was breathing hard, looking up at the man as he began to raise the platform. However, as he did the killer took notice and threw one of the spears.

Itachi was forced to dodge, breaking his concentration, Naruto and Ren scream as the fixture broke apart. The blonde's eyes shined with power as he suddenly narrowed them and concentrated. A loud boom emanated from behind him as they suddenly blast upward from a strong wind gust.

Ren hollers as he is thrown by Naruto and toward Itachi, but before Naruto could fall back into the gorge Itachi managed to grab him with a shadow tendril, "you alright, kid?"

"Ren's hurt, I need to…I…" Naruto hesitated as he saw Anko struggle and he was in fear of the man as he looked at his mistress getting pushed back.

Anko was struggling, apart from her duel and later triage with Itachi, she was exhausted simply from running across the forest in an attempt to find her foolish student. She was caught off guard when the man allowed himself to be stabbed and nearly caught right in the face with a spear.

She received a cut down her cheek from the bony spear, she kicked him off her blade, only for him to suddenly lurch back and spit blood toward her which formed sharp tendrils.

"Now I know why he's kidnapping children, he's not eating them for just food, he's eating to absorb their souls and amplify his powers in the darker arts…Wendigo is a fitting name…stubborn bastard." Anko struggled as she deflected each tendril of blood that flew out of his mouth.

She then sliced the air in front of her, he dodged, his wound from earlier fully healed as he charged at her again. Anko and Wendigo glared at each other as the man licked his lips, he and she clashed again.

Ren looked up at Itachi, "wh-what are they using?"

Itachi took a look at Ren, then tapping his head while looking at his eyes, "Tsukuyomi…erase."

Ren's eyes dulled as he closed them, Naruto, the blonde seemed to grit his teeth as he felt his blood boil. He felt so weak and useless, Itachi was forced to stand behind and watch as Anko struggled. He had no real long-range attacks, he didn't know if his illusions would even work on a mind like Wendigo.

"He's powerful but insane, Tsukuyomi only works effectively with people who are level-headed and grounded in reality. She's also too close, I can't use Amaterasu without risk of hitting her, foolish woman…still the same…even from when we were kids." Itachi gripped his fists, "c'mon Anko…"

Anko barely dodged the double spear thrust by Wendigo, who dodged her in time to start a counterattack. The woman took a deep breath as she dodged the alternative spear thrusts by Wendigo, only to feel him then firmly plant his boot into her abdomen.

She coughed up a wad of blood as she was knocked back into a tree.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, getting his bow, he took an arrow out and aimed it. "Get away from my Mistress!"

Wendigo turned around, the man smirked under his mask as he once again plucked the arrow out of the air. However, Itachi's left eye bled as the arrow suddenly bursts into black flames. Wendigo yelped, dropping the arrow before it got to him.

"Clever bastards, the lot of you," Wendigo growled before blocking Anko's sword once again.

He looked right at her, "looks like you'll be the first to go."

Naruto stood there, dropping his bow, "it's useless…I can't…"

"I have to do something, what did I do earlier?! Twice, what did I do earlier!" Naruto's aura flared around him as he watched him walk toward his mistress, "I…need to…"

The blonde took a deep breath as he concentrated, suddenly he heard Anko yelp and saw her get pushed back against the tree and about to get stabbed. He didn't think as he cocked his fist back, throwing it forward, Itachi's eyes widened as Naruto blasted backward from the force of the gust he sent forward.

"Go!" Naruto screamed as the wind left him and blasted forward.

The Wendigo's eyes widened as he turned around only to get blasted by the gusting winds and sent into a tree. He looked at Naruto, anger boiling up inside of him, he clapped his hands as he began to form Mudra seals.

"Dark Art: Blood Seek!" The killer blasted blood from his mouth that headed right for Naruto.

Itachi jumped right in front of him, using his shadow tendrils as his eyes turned red. The tendrils raised up, swatting away the tendrils of sharpen blood from the man's mouth. The Wendigo hollered in rage as he hit the ground with his fist.

Getting another spear of bone to form, blocking Anko while not looking, he glared right at them all. "I'll see you…next time…boy…"

Anko's sword began to break through the bone, only for The Wendigo to suddenly warp away in a dark red flash of light. She stumbled forward, looking around the area, she then looked at the others and saw Itachi shake his head.

"God fucking damn it!" Anko roared as she jumped over the gorge and landed in front of Itachi.

"He got away, but we at least we got the children." Itachi said as he looked at Ren, "but we need to get him to a hospital."

"Where's Naruto?" Anko sternly questioned as she looked at the man.

"Over here…ow…" Anko looked at Naruto as he got up from the ground, his arm was obviously injured as it hanged limply by his side.

He breathed hard, looking up at her with a fear-filled look. "I-I'm sorry, but Ren is my friend…I…couldn't…"

She surprised him by placing her hand in his hair and ruffling, "we'll talk later…we need to get your friend here to a hospital…hop on my back."

Ren was in a hospital room, he was watched by his sick friend, Nora. She looked at Naruto, the blonde had his arm in a cast from where he tore a ligament in it. She looked at him, tearing up slightly as she looked at Ren before smiling slightly.

"Thank you…" she murmured, looking at the blonde with the small smile.

The blonde, for his part, rubbed the back of his head. "Don't mention it, friend?"

"Friend." Nora stated resolutely, "best friends!"

Naruto couldn't help but give her a childish chuckle, smiling all the same as Anko watched him from the other side of the room. Itachi had already left to make the police report, omitting the use of magic, as per their codes.

He had explained to Anko that he used his family's secret bloodline to erase Ren's memory up to the point of them falling into the gorge, which would make it easier for everyone to write off at the end. Naruto got up from his seat, looking at his arm, sighing.

"Why the long look, Fishcake?" Anko inquired as she noticed the sad sigh.

"I lost my father's scroll," Naruto held his head low, "and all the pictures on it."

Anko just snorted, "and? It's a piece of machinery kid, and photos aren't important."

He looked at her, stunned, "but…all of the photos of me and him…"

"Are still locked in your heart, Fishcake, you don't carry memories in a machine…you carry them and cherish them in your heart." Anko held her hand out to beckon him, "come here."

When he got close enough she then flicked him on the head, "and that was your punishment for disobeying me. But, you did it for the right reasons, don't ever hesitate to defend your friends."

Naruto nodded, understanding what she said, "and never put yourself down because you aren't strong enough to fight."

His eyes widened, he looked up at her as she spoke. "You are owed one by me, heh, imagine that. I now owe an eleven-year-old brat a favor…shit…"

"Can you just keep me as your student then, even though I disobeyed you?" Naruto inquired, scared still she'd cut him loose.

"What, hell yeah I will, you got brass balls kid." She pats his head, "you were willing to throw your life away in exchange of saving your friend. That's a gusty play there, no, ballsy."

Naruto was elated as Anko praised him, she tugged at his ear suddenly, "but if you ever go back into something like this without back up, I will shove my foot so far up your ass the sweat from my leg will quench your thirst!"

He paled, along with Nora in the room, the blonde bowed his head after she let go of his ear. "Yes, mam."

He then looked back up at her, looking away, "so what happens now?"

"Now, well I and my friend from earlier hunt this bastard down and bring him to justice you idiot. Duh, you think we're just leaving this behind, oh no. You see, I have a rule, you touch my friends…you pay." Anko then lowered herself to level with Naruto, "and you better pick up on this."

"Yes." Naruto nodded, understanding it, "so revenge is good?"

"No, but it feels good. You just don't take petty revenge; this type of revenge isn't petty. Its avenging others that have been killed. Someone like this killer needs to be brought down, it is our sworn unspoken duty to do so. You want to be a Huntsman one day, right?" She looked at him and watched him nod, "this is the reality of it."

Naruto looked toward Ren, feeling his blood boil, if only he had been stronger…

"You will see people you care about get hurt, probably even killed, but you must always face the sun and moon. You either sit down, shut up and quit, or get the hell up on that damn horse." Anko states with pride, "are you still willing to follow this path, Fishcake?"

"Yes!"
"You willing to train like hell?!"
"Hell yes!"

She nodded, "good, now come and let's get some rest back at the safehouse. You got a long day ahead of you tomorrow, Naru-err…Fishcake."