An idea I had in my head for some time right now, heavily inspired by other series. Maybe a one-shot. Let me know what you think.

Lesser Evil

In truth, there is naught more repulsive than these monsters that defy nature and are known by the name of shinobi. They are the offspring of foul sorcery and witchcraft. They are veritable scoundrels without conscience and virtue, unscrupulous creatures off hell able only to take lives. They have no place amongst decent and honest folk.
And this keep, this Konoha where these villains nest and practice their foul rituals must be wiped from the earth, all traces of it treated with salt and saltpeter to complete the deed.
-anonymous, Monstrum, or a Portrayal of shinobi. Volume 1

[...] And then, the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-tailed monstrosity into nine and scattered it to the four winds, to be forever forgotten and never found. Many traveled in search of its power, yet none have ever come close to undoing Sage's last act of changing the world, for after giving humans Chakra, the man became a god and the god ascended to the heavens.
With no named successor, the two sons of the Sage went their way, one to the cold and hard north and the other to the warm, yet dangerous south. Two kingdoms ruled for a long time, flourishing in peace and harmony until the kings died. Wars between their numerous sons broke out, bathing the ground in blood and gore. The time of the sword and the axe came and only the strongest survived. After countless years of war and misery, kingdoms formed and peace, albeit a shaky one, reigned once again.
-Amakusa Shiro, Brief History of the Elemental Continent

Oxenfurt, Kingdom of Uzushio, year 371.
Academy of Oxenfurt, faculty of history, professor La Voisier.

"-It is still a mystery, to this day, what and why caused the revival in the early first century. For those who missed the last lecture, the revival, or as the masses like to call it, the 'great outbreak', refers to the events during the first monsters were seen and recorded on our continent, brief history of the Elemental Continent page 67. There are many speculations as to what exactly the root of the problem is, some historians argue that the cause was the nefarious and inherently evil Chakra split into nine by the Legendary Sage. Their opinion is quite understandable, for Chakra is not an overly studied area for the most part and much of it is still a mystery for us. The reasons are sound, yet this begs another troublesome question that many are afraid to ask, if the monsters were made by Chakra, does it mean humans can also be turned into monsters when they come in contact with said Chakra? That is something we do not know yet and need to be aware of.
Of course, the church of Ninshu claims that the monsters were sent onto earth by the great Sage as a punishment for all the war and destruction humans have caused after his death. This theory, while plausible for the... passionate followers of the church, has no other arguments for its truthfulness. This, of course, doesn't deter the masses from believing in this theory without questioning if it is even possible and seeking out alternate knowledge.
Well, there was also the theory of the great migration, however, it was refuted a few years ago. The reason? There are simply too many different monster species living on the continent for it to be plausible. The theory itself proclaimed that around the first century, monsters came from across the great sea, just like the first humans once came to this continent on white ships from lands of old. That is simply not possible for the single reason that monsters, for the most part, are not intelligent and couldn't have done something so grand. There is also the fact that these beasts are all different species, that often fight amongst themselves for territory and dominance, unlike humans."

Vole, Kingdom of Cidaris, year 849

The door of a tavern opened loudly, letting in the cold night air and causing a few pairs of eyes to watch a cloaked figure walk in. The sound of people talking loudly, someone playing and singing in the corner of the tavern and the stiff, yet warm air in the place welcomed the traveler.

It was not the best tavern around, no, that was probably one of the worst in the city, but that also meant that there weren't many people here. Just what he needed.

The cloaked figure walked slowly towards the counter, his feet were light and his posture didn't move from side to side like most drunkards that came inside this late at night. The person sat down on an old stool and leaned heavily on the counter, brown gloves made out of worn leather emerged from the old, black cloak and rested on the oaken counter.

The barkeeper, a man in his forties, with receding hair, dirtied clothes, and a large belly looked at the newcomer with a curious expression before walking up to them, throwing a towel he used to clean the counter over his shoulder.

"What can I get for ya?" The barkeeper asked with a lazy drawl. It was just another long night of working the bar, serving drinks, telling the cook the orders, and cleaning the counter. Not a glamorous job by any means, but a steady one with decent pay. The only problems were the rare fist fights of some drunken idiots and telling beggars to get out if they didn't buy anything.

"Sake and a room for the night," The cloaked man- for his voice couldn't be that of a woman- spoke quietly, placing a small purse of clinging coins on the counter, which were quickly snatched by the barkeeper and counted, before they vanished in the man's pocket.

"I think there should be a free room somewhere upstairs. What do they call you?" The barkeeper asked with his back turned to the traveler as he searched for a full bottle of sake and a cup.

"Naruto of Uzushio," he answered curtly, playing with the small silver spikes on his gloves.

"Uzushio, eh? You are far from home then,"

"I'm traveling," He muttered halfheartedly.

'It's hot here,' Thought the man called Naruto of Uzushio, one of the Kingdoms in the northern part of the continent, and started to take off his cloak. As the bartender placed a bottle of cheap alcohol near his newest customer, the traveler's face flashed in the tavern's dim light.

'He is young,' His eyes saw three whisker-like marks on his face and a small scar near the traveler's temple. His youthful face was framed by blond, unruly hair. The barkeeper thought they most likely were a shade lighter, had it not been for the grime and dirt in them, before he zoned on the cloaked man's eyes.

Crimson red eyes, with a slit pupil like a cat's locked eyes with the older man brown and fishy eyes. The Bartender stepped back, his words stuck in his throat. A flash of silver near the blond man's neck caught the barkeeper's attention. A silver necklace held by a simple chain with a swirling leaf pattern was hung around the traveler's neck.

'Is he one of these shinobi?' The barkeeper thought, before clearing his throat and scratching his chin. He tried to look disinterested, grabbing a dirty mug after beer and wiping it with his towel.

"Are ya one of these... hm, shinobi was it?" The balding man's eyes momentarily looked into Naruto's eyes before quickly averting his gaze. His mask of disinterest didn't convince the blond, who placed his cloak next to himself and poured some of the alcohol into the small dish.

"Yes, will this be a problem?" Naruto asked, knowing well how many, if not most of the masses, thought of him and his ilk. And let's just say, they were not liked and keep it at that for now. The barkeeper swallowed, his eyes quickly looked to the far corner of the tavern, and shook his head before wiping sweat off his forehead with the dirty towel.

"Not from me, master shinobi," The bartender answered with a nervous smile, hearing whispers and seeing glances from some tables in the back. More and more eyes were looking in the blond's direction, the barkeeper suspected it was because of the swords the shinobi carried. While almost every man in Cidaris had a sword on them, none carried it on their back and more importantly, they never carried the southern longswords, preferring the northern Katana. Naruto, carried two longswords on his back, one with a straight cross-guard and the other with the cross-guard tilted at an angle towards the blade. Both swords had double-handed hilts wrapped in leather and were secured by a strap that the blond had across his chest.

His clothes were a curious thing too. The barkeeper had seen many bandits and marauders over his years, most of them had worn light, like a gambeson or mail armor, wherein the heavy armor was usually used by nobles or given to soldiers in a monarch's army. The shinobi had a mix between the two. A simple gambeson under a dark-tinted jacket, reinforced with mail armor on his shoulder and biceps, as well as around his stomach, all held by leather belts. Old, worn leather gloves that went till his forearms with small silver spikes on his knuckles and thick leather pants the color of black, with brown leather boots, which reached his mid-shins. All in all, the armor allowed Naruto full mobility, not slowing him down in the slightest, yet granting him protection over vital points.

In the barkeeper's eyes, the young-looking blond was a very intimidating figure, paired with his fearsome eyes and the two swords over his shoulder, he imagined only a fool would go out and try to get in a fight with him.

A hand slapped loudly on the counter, making the room go silent. Even the ever-loudmouthed and drunk musician in the corner of the tavern quietened down and moved to see what was happening. By now, all eyes, however few of them were here turned in his direction.

Naruto looked to his right and saw that a tall, lanky man with short brown hair and acne was the one who slapped the counter. Next to him was another tall one, who was chubby and bald, and a third, short and with a scar over his lips.

"We don't want your kind here," The one with acne said with venom in his voice.

"I am here just for tonight," Naruto said slowly

"No, if you know what is good for you, you will leave now," By now, the chubby one had a wooden baton with iron wire around it in his hands and the short one with a scar held a knife.

Naruto turned back to the counter and looked at the terrified barkeeper, before reaching for his bottle of Sake. Before he grabbed the flask, the tall lanky one swung and the alcohol spilled all over the wooden counter. The Barkeeper and the other people jumped at the sound of breaking glass.

'A Kunai,' His crimson eyes traced back the lanky one's movement and saw an old, used Kunai in his grip. 'An old gardening tool, a small kitchen knife, and a piece of wood with metal around it,' Still, the blond relaxed, his eyes now back on the three people next to him, there was still time to diffuse the situation.

"I am not looking for trouble," Naruto said smoothly and tried to smile, which came more like a grimace. The expression on the chubby one changed and with a scowl, the man stepped up and held his baton threateningly.

"Then you shouldn't have come to our town, ya freak!" Naruto's eyes narrowed and he saw the chubby one tense his muscles. He swung in a wide arc, with no form or grace. The blond prepared himself and leaned back just in the last second, feeling the wind from the swing on his face. Within a second he was standing up and grabbed the chubby one's wrist, twisted with strength unnatural to normal humans, and heard a loud crack.

The chubby one fell to his knees with a cry and the other two stepped in, screams filled the tavern as the other people started to rush to the door, and the barkeeper himself jumped under the counter. Naruto stepped to the side as the lanky one tried to stab him in the chest with his Kunai.

A straight punch in the face, blood and teeth spilled from his mouth as the silver spiked on Naruto's gloves cut into his face. A kick to his side sent him into one of the tables nearby, spilling drinks and food. The scarred one tried to catch the red-eyed blond off guard and swung with his kitchen knife at his extended leg.

In the last second, Naruto moved his limb away, before stepping in and elbowing the man in the face before locking his shoulder and breaking it with a sickening crunch.

"What a mess," Naruto muttered with a sigh and turned to his left, where he heard someone gasp. The Barkeeper pointed a small, rusty sword- most likely dull, too- at the blond.

"D-Don't move! I knew the rumors about your kind were true! Get out and never come back!" The barkeeper spat twice and looked at the blond with a scared, yet determined expression, his hands holding the weapon shaking like leaves in the wind.

"Just give me my money back and I will be on my way," Naruto answered tiredly, moving his right shoulder around. He knew already from the barkeeper's expression that the fat man wouldn't give him his money back and he would most likely have to snatch it from the man's pocket with force.

The door of the tavern was suddenly slammed open with great force, not taking heed if someone could be on the other side. The cold night's wind entered with the shouts of three men, with their katana drawn, wearing mail armor and helmets. All of them had a yellow and orange crest with a castle swen on their shoulders, the crest of Cidaris, and after seeing the three limp bodies on the ground, turned to him.

'The local militia, just great,' Naruto cursed under his breath with clenched teeth, before slowly lifting his hands. The three soldiers circled him, one of them with a scar on his forehead stood in front of him with a grim expression.

"We were just on our patrol when we heard shouts of distress from the fleeing patrons and it seems we came just in time. What happened here?" The scarred man asked and for a moment the blond thought he could come out of this with no complications.

He scowled when the barkeeper shouted with a shaky, but accusing tone how he came and started a brawl before demanding the money under the threat of killing him. He even had the adacity to add, how Naruto refused to pay for his drink. For a second, the blond considered pulling out his sword, before taking in a deep breath and trying to calm down.

'You are already in deep shit, don't make matters worse,' He repeated over and over in his head, using every ounce of his patients and forgiveness to not start a bloody conflict, which would surely escalate out of this filthy tavern into the streets.

"That's all I need to know. Take him to the dungeon, the Mayor will decide what to do with him in the morning,"

"Yessir!"

"Give up your weapon-eh, weapons," The one on his left said in what Naruto assumed was supposed to be an intimidating tone. However, he did as ordered and slowly undid the belt over his shoulder and gave it to one of the officers.

"Follow me and don't try anything or you will regret it,"

'Another city, another dungeon, I guess,'

The dungeon was rather small, consisting of five cells, each with two blankets that were supposed to imitate beds. Naruto doubted that the thin linen blanket would make sleeping more comfortable on the hard and cold stone floor. The dungeon was in one word a depressing place. Stone floors, walls, and ceiling, with metal bars separating him from freedom and in the small holes in the walls, windows that barely let him see the outside. It was cold, far colder than outside and the only source of light was a candle by the dungeon's entrance, a bit of distance from his cell.

Naruto sat down on the blanket, his back leaning on the wall with closed eyes. He concentrated, slowly circulating Chakra through his body, warming himself up, it was the only thing he could do to not freeze to death, as he knew the single guard, who sat on a small wooden chair by the doors and was fast asleep wouldn't give him another blanket. For a moment, Naruto considered taking the other blanket in his cell, but when his eyes got used to the darkness, he saw a body lying on it. Still, too still for someone alive.

'Just my luck, a corpse in my cell,' He wanted to groan in frustration, but no noise left his throat. Instead, he relaxed his muscles and started to think about how he would explain the situation to the city mayor in the morning. He knew that most educated people and people in stations of power usually didn't outright hate shinobi, as long as they had no bad history with them, even saw them as useful and usually gave them a chance.

But that didn't mean that this mayor would be so welcoming, he just hoped everything would resolve itself peacefully, not wishing to resort to force. The last time he did this, he butchered more people than he could remember and had to run away from the city. Even a few months later, in a small village he was merely passing through, they spoke of him in hushed whispers.

"Psst,"

Relax, keep your Chakra circulating, and go to sleep-

"Hey, you,"

Just keep calm-

"Blondie,"

Naruto sharply turned to his left, to the cell opposite of his, and saw a man smirking at him. He had raven-colored hair, with two bangs framing his youthful face. Onyx-colored eyes stared back at him, brimming with confidence and a charm that countless women would fall head over heels for. He wore an exquisite white, golden, and purple silken jacket, dark pants, and a straw hat, from this alone Naruto assumed he was either a merchant or a good thief. Looking that he was in a cell, the blond was more inclined to the latter.

"What?" He finally asked, his tone made his annoyance clear. The dark-haired man from the cell across, either didn't hear it or didn't let it bother him.

"What are you in for?" His voice was too cheerful for someone in a dungeon. For a moment, Naruto thought to ignore the other prisoner and go to sleep but concluded that the black-haired thief wouldn't let him sleep should he ignore his question.

"Disturbing the curfew and a brawl in the tavern, you?" The black-haired prisoner with a pale complexion and handsome face whistled loudly and sad down right in front of the iron bars.

"Eh, a guard caught me leaving the mayor's manor at night,"

'So he is a thief,'

"I didn't steal anything so I would be free after the night, but then, the mayor's daughter went to him and told him the truth about us being lovers. And here I am, sitting, waiting for the mayor to forgive me and set me free. Truly, the justice in this kingdom leaves a lot to imagine," He said with a dramatic sigh, leaning back on his hands.

"Wait, so are you and the mayor's daughter lovers?"

"Of course not, it was merely a one-time thing, I was set to leave early in the morning for Lord Kuchiki's great banquet. By the way, where are my manners," The man stood up, took off his straw hat, and gave a graceful bow. "My name is Indra, a poet, minstrel, bard, and the biggest womanizer in the world, pleased to meet you...?"

"Indra? Quiet the unusual name,"

"Well, because it's not my true name, just my art name, what about you?"

"Naruto, just a shinobi," Indra's eyes lit up upon hearing the blond's trade and he moved even closer with a large grin on his face.

"A shinobi? I can't believe my luck, god only knows how few of you have been wandering the continent in the past years, to find one in this dungeon is truly a blessing in disguise. Would you mind answering a few questions of mine?" before the blond could answer, the bard followed through. "Is it true, that you shinobi are neutral on all matters human?" naruto sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"You will shut up after I answer your questions?"

"Of course, but only after that,"

"Yes, it is part of our code to stay neutral. We don't mingle in court intrigues and power struggles. Our job is to travel the continent and kill monsters, for money, that's it,"

"What about the infamous trails of Chakra, the mutations that make you superior to other humans? Are they truly as horrible as people say?" Naruto scoffed at this question and closed his eyes. Seriously, of all the things, this was what the bard wanted to know.

"I am sworn to secrecy. Besides, you got something wrong, everyone knows we, shinobi, are not humans, but mutants,"

"That's just the narration of the masses, scholars, and people who are smarter than their cattle know that you are merely humans heavily enhanced by Chakra. That makes you no different than witches and mages, too, make use of Chakra and somehow they are advisors to counts and kings,"

"No, it is different. the biggest difference is that we are, as you already mentioned, modified on a genetic level by foreign Chakra. The Sorcerers, are people who make use of their own and ambient Chakra,"

"I see, I see,"

"That's all?" Naruto yawned and lay down on the thin blanket with his hands under his head.

"Not at all, tell me-,"

That night, Naruto got no sleep, the whole night was filled with Indra either asking questions about the blond' adventures, and the various monsters he faced or retelling his heroic tales, of which none Naruto believed, along with hearing a few of the bard's ballads and poems.

"Please, sit down, sit down. Anything to drink?" The city mayor asked with a small, pleased smile as a female servant, wearing skimpy clothes poured wine for the blond. His crimson eyes never left the mayor, no matter how tempting the look might have been. He knew this smile, he wanted something and would do anything to get him to do it.

'At least, I got my swords back,'

Naruto leaned back in the big, comfortable armchair. He sat across from the mayor, an elderly man with a beard and glasses, a sturdy wooden table, filled with food between them. They were in the mayor's house, in a warm and spacious dining room, filled with various trinkets, books, and stuffed animals. His enhanced hearing let him know, that the two bodyguards at the door stood still, each with a sword in their sheaths and most likely a gaze on him in case he made any sudden moves.

Naruto thanked the mayor for the food and drinks and started to eat and sip on the wine, the old mayor merely continued watching him for now. The silence was broken only by the sounds of Naruto chewing and the occasional sip of drink.

"A shinobi appears in my city," Naruto looked up, and stopped eating, straightening his back and placing his hands on the table. When the mayor said nothing more, the blond took it as a cue for him to talk.

"I was going to stay the night in an inn, restock on supplies, and get back on the trail,"

"I see," The mayor stood up, crossed his hands behind his back, and walked over to a window, looking at the busy streets of Vole. "I've heard tales about the valiant shinobi, vanquishers of monsters, and rumors about the ruthless shinobi, murderers, and criminals, who steal children and turn them into their kind,"

"I can assure you, I am more of the former type,"

"Hmm, so if there was a monster in the forest outside the city, would you kill them?"

"For a price," The mayor turned to the blond with a frown.

"Is setting you free not a price good enough?"

"I am afraid not, my code orders me to take monetary pay for each contract," The mayor laughed loudly and sat down in his armchair.

"How much?"

"Depends on what kind of monster we are talking about,"

"The human monster kind,"

There was silence for a few moments before the blond shook his head.

"I don't take contracts on humans,"

"No sum of money will change your mind?"

"I am afraid so,"

The mayor hummed quietly before snapping his fingers. Naruto heard one of the guards open the door and someone walked in. He tensed, prepared for an attack from behind, but his fears were for nothing. A young man walked by him, standing next to his left before handing him a piece of parchment and walking away after a bow.

"What's this?"

"The names of my citizens these bandits-no, these monsters killed," The list was quite long, Naruto had to agree, but this wouldn't change his mind.

"Listen-," The blond wanted to bring the argument to an end, but was cut off by the mayor.

"No, you listen, shinobi. The monsters, live in the forests and know them like the back of their hand. Even if I knew the location of their base, they were too strong for my militia. They come to the city once a month. They steal, rape, and kill everything they come across. I can't call for help, because the situation with our neighbors to the south is tense and all forces all mustered up there. If you don't help us get rid of these monsters, you will doom innocent people to death. I will make things clear for you, either you kill these bandits or you stand idly and watch more innocent people killed and their blood will be on your hands!"

The night sky was dark, the moonlight penetrating clouds only momentary, ever so often. The rustling of trees by the calm and pleasant wind filled the forest outside of Vole. On a branch of a tall tree sat a single figure, shrouded by the shadows. Most would miss him and those few who would notice his presence, would freeze in fright, as only crimson eyes and the shine of silver would meet their gaze.

Naruot sat on the branch staring into the darkness, his back leaning against the tree's bark. It has taken him two days to find the bandit's camp and he counted forty people, all armed with weapons of all kinds and wearing light armor. The base itself was located on a small hill north of the city and surrounded by a wooden palisade. Inside, tents were set up, some for sleeping and others for their belongings.

It was unlike any other bandit camp he has seen, instead of foul-mouthed simpletons, these men were acting dignified. They were not drinking and partying, there were no women held by chains, and most surprising were the regular patrols around the area.

'There is too much discipline for them to be simple bandits. I must stay focused or things will get ugly quickly,'

Naruto took a breath, and closed his eyes for a second, before taking out a single piece of paper with some squiggles on it. He tied it to a sizeable stone he picked up earlier and stood up. The distance between him and the camp wasn't too large, enhanced by Chakra, he would reach it in three leaps. He took a swing and threw the stone, it crossed the distance in a flash, and the guards barely saw a blur pass by them.

First leap.

The stone landed in the middle of the encampment and the closest bandits took notice.

Second leap.

A massive ball of fire exploded right in the middle of the camp, engulfing tents and people on fire. Cries and shouts of alarm rang across the silent forest as the bandits started to understand they were under attack.

Third leap.

He landed in the middle of the camp, his steel sword hissed in the sheath. Naruto took short, but quick steps, his feet low on the ground. He took a swing and a head went flying, a quick pirouette and he slashed the second one. Blood gushed out, shining in the flames before painting the ground in crimson. With another swing, an arm fell to the ground before he stabbed the bandit and moved on. By the time he killed three of their own, they just noticed him in the mayhem and chaos.

"Intruder! Intruder!"

"Kill him!"

"Who the fuck is that?!"

Shouts of anger and vengeance filled the air as they took weapons and rushed at him. He blocked high, stepped to the left, parried to the ground, spun around, and slashed at the exposed torso, before spinning back and riposting and killing another one. His dance of death and carnage was only interrupted by the need to dodge or parry an arrow that came from the back.

Slowly, more and more bandits were attacking him and the blond was slowly starting to get overwhelmed. Acting quickly, he parried another attack and in an instant stabbed his sword into the ground, went through three fast hand seals, and spread his arms to the sides. A powerful burst of wind Chakra sent the attackers back, some further than others. Without hesitation, Naruto took his word back, held it in a double-handed grip, and started cutting.

Three bandits attacked at the same moment, one in front one on the left, and one on the right. Naruto stepped in, his left hand catching the forearm of the one in front, his sword blocking the one on the right while his left leg shot out and kicked the last bandit away. With inhuman strength, he threw the one in front to his left and punched the one in the right before slashing his chest open.

"Fuck!" Naruto grunted as an arrow pierced his left arm, he turned to the left, where he caught sight of the archer who shot him. Three lightning-fast hand seals and the archer's eyes went glassy, his mouth opened slightly before he started shooting anew, but this time into his allies, under a simple suggestive illusion from the blond.

The shinobi attacked again, his attack relentless and deadly, a single opening and you were dead. Were Naruto a regular human, he wouldn't even last a few seconds, but that's the thing, he was a shinobi, a genetically mutated machine, created for the sole purpose of killing monsters. All who are made into shinobi are trained from birth, their first memories are of broken bones and torn muscles, and there is no place for weakness or rest, both physically and mentally.

Shinobi training also includes hours of learning about monsters, their weaknesses, their strengths, how to recognize them, and how to fight against them. Hundreds of tomes and scrolls were beaten into them till they could recite all the information perfectly. Of course, they were also trained to fight humans, god only knows how many shinobi were attacked by angry peasants, offended kings, or just plain thieves.

Life on the trail was not an easy one, for one, most shinobi were treated as outcasts, and people spat when they caught a glimpse of his kind. The rewards for killing monsters weren't the best either, just enough for him to survive till the next contract, sometimes even less. Of course, there were times when the people hiring him weren't too keen on paying up after the was job done and he had to use a bit of... forceful persuasion.

Naruto heaved a heavy breath as he looked around the carnage camp. It looked like a battle between two small armies fought here, with the destruction and dead bodies lying around. Amid the chaos, the blond saw a flicker of shadow in the corner of his eyes and turned on his heel. There, he saw a tall, bulky form of a knight in full armor with a southern longsword.

Tentatively, the shinobi tensed, ready to jump into action with his sword held loosely at his side. After a moment, the knight took off his helmet, showing a man in his thirties, with two scars, one near his eyes and the other on his chin, with short black hair and chestnut eyes.

"You didn't strike me from behind," Naruto stated slowly, his eyes scanning the area for any other enemies he might have missed. There was one thing that disturbed the blond a bit and it was the fact he didn't sense the knight's presence before. 'What is going on? It's almost like he's not even there!'.

"I am sworn by my honor to never attack from behind, that is what a bandit or a shinobi might do. Not me, a retainer of Lord Toki, the rightful ruler of this city," The knight's voice was filled with pride, particularly when he spoke of his lord. His accent was weird too, if he had to guess, Naruto would say the knight was from the far south.

"Isn't Hakane the mayor of Vole?" That was the name of the mayor who he spoke with, right? Then what did the knight mean by the rightful ruler? The knight looked at him with a heavy frown, his hands clenched around the handle of his sword.

"Hakane is nothing more than a kin slayer and filthy liar! That scumbag killed his brother, Lord Toki to rise to the position of power, only to lead the city to ruins with his selfish and sadistic tendencies, and if are working for him you are not much better!"

"Wait, I-,"

"The time to talk ended when you attacked our camp, shattering our dreams of freeing our city," The knight said coldly, placing his helmed back and lifting his heavy longsword. "Lift your sword, murderer. I shall strike you down here and now to avenge my comrades!"

With a step too quick for his size, the knight in service of the deceased Lord Toki attacked Naruto, who answered in kind. Compared to the other soldiers at the base, none of them could match the bulky knight, he was fast and agile, even in full armor. His strikes were precise and weighted more than could imagine. His swordsmanship was nothing to scoff at either, no wasted movements, no holes in his guards and feints that would make all but master swordsmen fall for them.

"Die!" The knight shouted as he attempted to cleave the blond in half from top to bottom. Naruto jumped back, just quick enough to dodge a serious injury, not fast enough to avoid getting his chest slightly cut.

"HA!" Naruto grunted as he stepped back in, a quick pirouette and slash from his hips, using his whole body for the attack. He moved like the wind, having waited for a perfect opportunity like this the whole fight, where his opponent would be most vulnerable. The southern knight had no time to move away and with lightning-fast reflexes, he lifted his right forearm, trying to stop the attack. Unfortunately, the shinobi swords were forged with the intent to cut through monster hides and skins that were far more resilient than steel.

"Gah!" The knight's arm flew high, crimson blood quickly following, and staining both of them spared the red liquid any thoughts. Naruto tried to push his advantage, attacking with a quick stab between the armor's plates, where it was the weakest. The knight, swung his sword wildly, trying to create space between the two. Steel met steel, sparks, and the knight's armored feet were forced to march backward under the shinobi's relentless assault until flames licked at his back.

There was no more space to move backward, the knight realized. This would be his last stand, maybe... just maybe he should have struck the shinobi from behind, then he would gather forces again and bring Hakane to justice. If only he wasn't such a coward, then Lord Toki would live and he wouldn't have to be killed by this killer on Hakane's paycheck. If only-

A dull crash filled the area, the sound of iron armor impacting the soil was heard only by the blond, followed by the sound of a head hitting the ground. Among this carnage and the sounds of fire, Naruto clenched his eyes in anger and sadness. He knew he shouldn't have accepted this contract, after all, it didn't matter if he had to choose between greater or lesser evil, he preferred to not choose at all, but... at the same time he didn't want innocent people to die, he wanted to help others, even if they spat and cursed him.

"Their blood will be on your hands, huh?" He just wanted to take his money and leave the city behind already. Preferably, right now. He sighed heavily and sheathed his steel sword, trying to calm his pounding heart down. He turned on his heel, heading towards the city of Vole with a hurried step.

There was still something he had to do.

Hakane, the mayor of Vole, sat comfortably in his armchair. A few minutes earlier, one of his soldiers told him that the shinobi was finally coming back after two days. The elderly man had a small, satisfied smile on his face. Finally, he had the small army of soldiers loyal to his dead brother taken care of. Now, none would try to usurp his place, and even better, none would know that he was behind this.

Perfect.

The door to his room opened and Naruto walked in, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked like hell, blood, most likely from the soldiers, was still fresh on his armor and face. The mayor scratched his nose with displeasure, the blond smelled even worse than he looked. Nevertheless, when the shinobi stopped a few paces away from him, the mayor put on a small smile and stood up.

"I take it the job is all done?" Hakane asked, walking towards Naruto with a purse of coins in hand. The blond nodded, making the mayor frown. The old man put his free hand on the young-looking shinobi, resisting to grimace upon feeling blood on his palm. "something's wrong, master shinobi?"

"No, I will be honest with you, Mayor Hakane. I didn't come here for money,"

"What do you mean? Do you wish to be paid with something else? That's not how our deal was arranged,"

"Don't worry, I don't want anything from you," This puzzled the elder mayor, he had no idea what the blond was talking about, but it was even better that he didn't need to pay him. Maybe he hit his head hard enough to become a selfless altruist?

"Well, then-,"

The hissing of a sword leaving a scabbard filled the room. Before either of the two guards could react, before the old mayor could widen his eyes, Naruto cut straight and fast. Blood painted the walls red, Hakane's eyes bulging out as a throaty scream fled his mouth. The two guards moved in but were cut down just like the mayor. Naruto stood still for a moment, watching the elderly man writhing on the ground before stabbing him through the heart and ending his suffering. More guards rushed into the room, having heard some kind of commotion.

Later on, as the first rays of the sun lit up the streets of Vole, some people who were already on the streets would see guards running for their lives, fleeing from the Mayor's mansion, only to see Naruto leave the building fresh coat of blood on his body. He looked like a monster, straight from a story a parent would tell their child to deter them from wandering into the forest alone.

The townspeople would then tell this sight to their friends and a story of a shinobi would be born. Some would call him a heartless butcher, others called him a hero, who freed them from a tyrant's grasp, but on one thing they all would agree. It was a young shinobi with golden hair and whiskers marks that of a fox, with a silver medallion of a leaf and with two swords on his back, who left the city on a horse, without ever looking back.