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

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

Hello, my freaky darlings! Welcome to the second chapter of…..

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

Chapter Two: Of Wizards, Thugs, and Manners

*Snore~*

In a local inn we find Naruto fast asleep, dreaming of endless ramen. It was early morning, but he was determined to keep dreaming, snoring even louder than a horde of Ursai. Kurama, on the other hand….

'I swear by the sage, if I have to put up with one more hour of that kami-forsaken snoring, I WILL cut up his face.' When nothing happened after a minute had passed the former biju moved from the foot of the bed where he was sleeping, sat right on top of the blond's chest, and prepared to claw his face. 'You were warned, Naruto. Now SUFF-'

*Knock!* *knock!* *knock!*

"-UWAGH?!" The mighty nine-tails was promptly launched across the room as the whiskered teen shot up wide awake in response to the "rude awakening". He was, after all, having a very important dream.

"What is it?"

"It's morning, sir. All the other guests have come down for breakfast." Came the polite reply.

Naruto yawned before dragging himself out of bed before answering that he would be down in a moment. Rubbing his eyes he then sees his shirt draped on a nearby chair, and as he went to put it on reveals his toned swimmer's muscles and the small scars on his body. Particularly two fist-shaped scars that seem to mirror on his chest and back, and a rather large one running diagonally from his right shoulder to his left hip. As though someone had punched him through the chest twice with great force before attempting to cleave him in two.

Makes one wonder how he survived such an ordeal….

"Why couldn't they let me sleep in, though? I was having such a good dream about Ramen-chan~"

"Would you rather eat a cold breakfast?" came the snarky reply from the disgruntled fox as he stuck his head out from the entangled mess of tails and limbs to give Naruto a dirty look. A look which caused said blond to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Wait, how'd you wind up like that on the floor? Don't you normally sleep on the foot of the bed?"

"Fuck. You."

"….Well, that's not nice."

-A—Few—Minutes—Later….-

After getting fully dressed and eating a much hearty breakfast, the duo went out into town. Immediately, they were bombarded with the sounds of commuters and street vendors passing throughout the main courtyard, the flow of the crowd navigating their way up and down each shop and stall. On his left the whiskered blond saw a party of mercenaries leaving the local blacksmith, the party leader holding up his newly-repaired claymore for nearby onlookers to gawk at its sheer size. A family of three had just left the toy vendor on his far right, the little girl joyously swinging around her new doll in front of her parents. At times, it felt like he never left home.

Home….

A younger Naruto sitting alone in a park was looking at all the other children who passed the Ninja Graduation Exam, proudly showing off their new shinobi headbands to their smiling families. Later on those families would go out to celebrate at a restaurant, giving out their congratulations to the other families, before heading home for the day. Together.

Whereas he….he had no one. The only one who didn't pass the test. He could hear some of the villagers talking about him when they thought he wasn't listening. They were of course referring to Kurama being sealed inside his gut, but at the time the two of them couldn't stand each other so there was no real difference. They thought he couldn't hear them badmouthing him in secret. But he did….

Home….

When he came back after reconciling with Nagato-then known as Pein-into reviving the dead villagers from the Akatsuki's invasion, they were there at the outskirts of what remained of Konoha waiting for him. They took the blond Jinchuuriki into their arms. They thanked him. Praised him. Their kids saw him as an idol. He still could not believe these were the same people who once denied his mere existence as a child.

A day later, a man showed up at the door of Naruto's apartment. Tetsumaru was a street vendor, one of many who constantly overcharged the prices of his wares when Naruto was younger because the boy was the village pariah-the "demon child". That same man wept as he apologized to the young man standing before him for the mistreatment of his younger years. His 10-year-old daughter, Yukiko, died from the initial shockwave of the Shinra Tensei. When she was revived, it was as though she had been sleeping. Tetsumaru and his wife took her into their arms, afraid she would disappear if they let go. He told Naruto that he understood if the whiskered blond would never forgive him, but just that he'd give the blond shinobi his thanks. Naruto promptly invited him and his family out to eat at Ichiraku's for ramen.

Home….

"You're doing it again, Naruto." The words of Kurama snapped the blond out of his trip down memory lane. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately. "If there was a way to go back and kick the Uchiha brat's ass, then we'd have taken it already. Let it go."

*sigh* "I get it, Kurama. I really do. I've already accepted the fact we can't go back. But I see all these people here and I can't help but think about home." Looking around the courtyard one last time, he found what he was looking for. With a heading in sight, the former shinobi marched on to his destination. "All right! Time to hit the tavern, Kurama! Let's see if the old geezer has any more jobs for us."

"Doubt it. You already took care of most of the local Grimm in the area. That Worg was the last job here."

"Aaahh, you don't know that! Something could've come up, y'know?"

"Ugh, AGAIN with that verbal tick! Do you have any idea how annoying that is?!"

"What? It's my verbal tick, I'll use it how I like it!"

*sigh* "Like I'm talking to a brick wall…."

"Welp, you were right…." The disappointed blond mumbled out as he sat at a spare table on the far side of the tavern. "Guess we really did a number on those Grimm, after all."

"I told you. We've been at this for a year. Most Grimm nowadays are easier to kill." Kurama replied, the nine-tailed fox sitting right next to him on the table top. The former biju then grinned mockingly. "Though, please. Give out more praise. Admit to the world of my superiority!"

"OI, FUCKSACK! SHADDAP O'ER THERE! PEOPLE'R TRYN'A DRINK IN PEACE 'ERE!"

"…..It's times like these I wished I was still a biju." The now peeved vulpine snarled quietly as he glared at the group of mercenaries from earlier, preferably the leader with the improved claymore that had shouted at him. Oh, how he wished he could crush them beneath his mighty paw before using their skeletons to pick his teeth. Eh, a man-er, sorry-a fox could dream.

"Calm down, Kurama. They'll leave us alone eventually."

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one that was just referred to as a furry sex toy!"

"I MEAN IT, FURCOAT! ONE MORE SOUND FROM YOU AN' I'M SKINNIN' YER ASS ALIVE, YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Sorry, we'll try to mind our own business, I swear!" Naruto replied, covering Kurama's mouth and preventing what could've been a rather nasty remark about the man's mother.

"TCHE-HA-HA-HA! AT LEAST ONE OF YUS KNOWS HOW TO RESPECT THEIR BETTERS!" The leader boasted as his comrades cheered in applause. Seeing as they wouldn't be bothered for the rest of their stay, the whiskered Hunter finally let go of gagging the multi-tailed fox before gently sloshing around his tankard of Butterbeer before taking a gulp. Kurama, meanwhile, had decided to curl up and go back to sleep. The duo was at the very most prepared to just unwind in the tavern. After all, they had nothing better to do-

"Naruto Uzumaki, I presume….?"

With an exasperated sigh the whiskered teen forced himself to look up from his drink to look at the newcomers, Kurama merely cracking open an eye. "Depends. Who's askin'?"

It was a young man-early-20s, if he were to guess-with a medium-dark skin tone. The top of his head was covered with messy brown hair, and his eyes a warm brown; a polite smile decorated his face. He was wearing a blue-green tunic with a tan undershirt, a blue cape and black trousers with brown boots. Both his tunic and cape outlined with golden markings. Over this, he wore metal armor held by brown belts and straps. The armor itself etched with ornamental patterns. In his hand was a long, ornate brown staff with metal details, a floral pattern, and adorned with an emerald gem. His companion, on the other hand, was covered in a rather large black cloak with the hood covering the top half of her face.

Upon noticing the younger man's reply, however, his smile was traded for a sheepish grin.

"Ah, sorry. That was rather rude on my part. I'm Ozma. A simple wizard. No surname, I'm afraid." He then extended his hand out to Naruto to shake. "Pleasure to meet you. I hope I'm not intruding…."

The whiskered blond readily accepted the gesture. "Eh, not really. I was just taking some time off. I could use the company, though. Interested?"

"Yes, we'd love to." Came the unmistakably soft, feminine reply of the third member. After being seated by Ozma, she then placed her hands on her lap. It was when the young man finally sat down that she spoke. "To be fair, my compatriot and I are not originally from here. We came to this town seeking help. We are currently facing a peculiar dilemma, you see…."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in curiosity, setting his drink down on the table for a moment out of curiosity. "Oh, really?"

"A most unusual kind, my good sir. One that, if left unchecked, may lead to trouble down the road if not taken care of immediately." Finished the wizard before calling for the barmaid to order two more tankards of Butterbeer. "Unfortunately to do so, we require assistance in dealing with a series of problems throughout the ordeal."

At the man's words the whiskered blond regarded the two with his full attention. "And if I may so politely ask, what kind of problem are we talking about?"

It was the woman who spoke: "The Grimm kind."

Naruto leaned back into his chair with a blank stare. "So, you've heard of me then?"

"Only bits and pieces. A man blessed by the God of Light roaming the countryside and frontier, slaying great scores of Grimm by the droves with his mighty whip and hidden blades and a nine-tailed fox at his side. Some say he is an angel, others a demigod. We followed the trail of rumors and it led us here." Here, she raised her hands to lower her hood from her head. Fair skin greeted his sight framed by platinum blond hair. Her hair was mostly in a half up-done bun style, with a small, simple bun on the top, and the remainder of her long, straight hair hanging at the bottom. Most of her bangs were tied back, barring several large locks that framed her face to her left. The only hints of the woman's currnet attire were hints of a white dress, and a pair of dull brown bracers adorning her forearms. Her eyes, orbs of pure sky blue, twinkled in mirth as she too held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hunter. My name is Juniper D'Arc."

"Likewise, milady-"

"OOOOWEE! WHAT DO WE HAVE 'ERE, BOYS?!"

A groan was barely able to escape Naruto's mouth as the mercenary party suddenly turned their gazes on the now-named Juniper. He didn't need to look at them to see the growing lust on their faces. Their leader got up from his chair and quickly made his way towards the trio. He was the average kind of mercenary one would find: tall, muscular. Big scar running down his right eye with unkempt stubble along his chin. Dressed in maroon leather and black steel armor, he looked like a run-of-the-mill grunt. Especially with that shiny new claymore. "Never seen the likes of you 'round these parts. Now, why's a pretty-lookin' lass like yourself doin' with these two pansies?"

"Oi, can't you see the three of us are having a conversation?" Naruto snarked, eyeing the rude newcomer with annoyance. "I thought you said you wanted to drink in peace-"

"Shaddap, boy. The adults are talking." The leader barked at the whiskered teen before turning to the lady. Putting on his "best" smile, he then reached out for Juniper's hand. "Now fair lass, how's say we leave these two boys fer some real company?"

The fair young woman quickly retracted her hand. Narrowing her eyes at the man, she spoke: "I'm sorry, dear sir, but as you can see I currently have my companions with me. So if you could just-"

*Grope!* *Squeeze*

"AH!"

Within seconds, the brute merely reached forth, took hold of her breast, and squeezed. Real. HARD.

"I wasn't asking, lady. Now come-"

*Thwack!*

"-OOOF!" The rude arrival was suddenly launched towards his companions by the staff of a wizard. A calm, yet very angry wizard. Gripping his staff, Ozma turned to Juniper. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, for the moment. Thank you, Ozma." The fair-haired lady replied whilst gently cradling her bruised chest.

Willing forth his Silver Talons, Naruto stood up at the ready. "Ya got some real balls to be doin' that in public! Didn't your mama teach you any better than to cop a feel on anyone?"

"My ma's dead, boy! And didn't you promise to leave me and mine to our drinking?" The mercenary replied, drawing his sword. His comrades stood from their table, eager for a fight.

"Excuse me, Naruto, but do you mind if I handle this?" spoke the wizard with a smile, twirling his staff as he got up from his seat. "In light of what has happened here, I would like to blow off some steam." To which Naruto merely gave him a shrug as he retracted his dual blades and sat back down.

"Oi, stiff!" the mercenary leader yelled out, gaining Ozma's attention. A pause, and then: "If it's blowin' off steam you're lookin' for, there's a brothel not far from here." The lecherous grin form before reappeared on his face. "How 'bout you take yer lady-friend along? Maybe she might learn somethin' she can show to me later?"

"Manners."

With a short gesture of his hand, Ozma willed the doors to the tavern locked shut, drawing attention from the group of dim-witted fools.

"Maketh."

Another gesture saw that an emerald energy barrier was erected to shield Naruto and Juniper where they sat. Naruto looked intrigued, whereas Juniper closed her eyes with a mirthful small grin.

"Man."

Finally, the green-clad wizard levitated a tankard of Butterbeer to his hand, superheating it to near-boiling point. He took one sip, then another-then a third!-before asking the motley crew:

"Do you know what that means?"

At their confusion, Ozma raised his tankard once more-

"Then let me teach you a lesson."

-before throwing it at the party leader's face.

*Crash!*

The wannabe-thug stood for a moment before his eyes rolled up to the back of his head; he promptly crashed down to the floor on his back. His underlings merely stared at his prone unconscious form as Ozma slowly approached.

"Now then, are we going to stand here all day? Or are we going to fight?"

When the first mercenary threw a punch the wizard merely deflected it with his staff towards another's face causing a tooth to fly out. As the "battle" continued, Naruto and Juniper were having a conversation.

"So then," the whiskered blond spoke as one of the disrespectful thugs went sailing overhead, "care to be specific on just what kind of dilemma you two are facing and why you needed to find me?"

Giggling at the manhandling her partner was giving the uncouth group of miscreants, Juniper gave her reply. "Well, we happen to be tracking a blood relative of mine-my father, to be more specific. I grew up with him, of course, yet the man was nothing but cruel to me. Did you know he had me locked away in a tower since I was a child 'for my safety'? I tell you, Mr. Hunter, were it not for Ozma setting me free I would be there still! Of course, as soon as I was free the man was nowhere in sight." The barrier flickered as another body was thrown at it, drawing their attention back to the fight.

There they saw Ozma standing in the middle of the bout against seven mercenaries in total: one was currently unconscious beneath his left foot whilst fending off another three with his staff. Noticing the rest of the group charging at him from behind-no small thanks to the shouting they made!-Ozma quickly tapped the foot of his weapon against the floor, causing a small shockwave that made them trip over their feet. Bringing his focus back the three before him, the emerald wizard blasted two of the axe-wielders back with his magic before creating a construct to pin the third to the nearby counter. Turning around to see the others back on their assault, he deflected a crude-looking rusty knife into the shoulder of one of the thugs, grabbed both of their heads, and slammed them together as gravity did the rest of the work.

"Infernis!"

Ozma turned to the source of the spell only to find a fireball racing at his position. Promptly deflecting it with a shield construct, he levitated a nearby bottle to go careening around and crashed on top of the apparent mage's head. Which caused the poor man to crash hard into the ground.

"WAAAAAAAAGH!"

The leader, having finally woken from his slumber, drew forth his weapon and charged at the young man with an overhead strike. The emerald wizard blocked it with his staff, then deflected a thrust before spinning around so that the mercenary leader had his back towards the entrance; parrying every attack his opponent made until he could swing his sword no more.

"Y-you fucking dirty….f-fucking….dirty…."

Ozma raised his staff, aimed dead center, and simply said: "Stupefy."

Poor Thug-chan was sent barreling across the tavern, through the doors, and into the marketplace face-down ass-up. He wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon….

Waving his hand around, the emerald wizard quickly had the tavern repaired and the barrier surrounding Naruto and Juniper taken down. Walking quite calmly towards the pair, he sat down at his previous spot. "I'm deeply sorry about that. Seems our conversation took a more erratic end. Perhaps we can discuss this another time?"

"Actually, I'm not bothered by any of it." Replied the former shinobi, having just finished his tankard of Butterbeer. "If anything, after what happened, I'm more willing to take up your offer."

The news delighted the pair so much that they ordered another round of tankards. So, the newly-formed trio discussed travel arrangements and supplies. An agreement was made and they left to prepare. And all this time, Kurama was asleep…..

-End—Chapter-