DISPATCH

Uzumaki Naruto deep in the shadows watched the river flow, the half-moon's reflection sparkling atop its waters, and from its darkness the creature emerged. Despite his training, despite discovering the crossing the creatures used to harass the nearby village, the Hunter aspirant felt his confidence falter.

"Just like I learned." The sixteen year old whispered as it swarm towards him, its eyes gleaming red. He could only see the top of its head, a brief stroke of its arms, and the curve of its spine. Every inch was covered by a toxic black miasma that shone slick in the moonlight. One of the Grimm's strokes pushed its head fully above water, and he saw rows of teeth before they sank below. It was the same teeth that had devoured two children and their mother two nights before.

Water dripped from its long claws as it stepped upon the shore. It was those claws that had torn the entrails from their bodies so it might feed.

Konohagakure Academy was stationed on a continent surrounded by Vacuo, Vale and Atlas. Just like Beacon, Haven and the other academies stationed at the other four continents, Konohagakure Academy was stationed in the Continent of Fire and was known to produce many reputable Hunters that etched themselves in history as legends.

Unlike the simple procedures undertaken by Beacon Academy, Konoha was known to be more practical in its approach. There were three steps encountered for an individual intending to become a Shinobi, and it required exams whose difficulty increased with each level.

Genin, Chunin, and Jonin.

With the achievement of the jonin, the person, was then qualified to be a shinobi, a term equivalent to a Hunter in the other continents.

Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were part of Team Seven. A random numerical designation indicating the position during their dispatch.

The jonin exams involved sending each team to a village ravaged by the Grimm and with the aim of eliminating the cause. And it was getting tougher by the moment.

The Continent of Fire was said to be the location for the first Grimm outbreak and since then, the continent had been ravaged more than the others by the threat of the Grimm.

Vicious creatures, led forth by their killing intent and drawn by negative emotions, the continent had no choice but to boost up the training of its recruits.

The other continents had frowned upon their methods of training, but the Kingdom paid no heed, the safety of the people at the fore-front.

Although, the reputation of Konoha was not held in high regard, the quality of Hunters from their continent proved otherwise.

The Grimm approached on two legs, its body hunched, and its muscles taut and frightening. Naruto always wondered how useful his body armor would hold against the sharp teeth and claws of the Grimm. With or without his armor, he was certain his head would be separated from his shoulders rather easily.

He had to be careful here, he had to be cautious.

He watched from the cover of the trees that grew to the water's edge, his hand tightening around the handle of his kunai. Slung upon his back was a shield, his mother's.

The creature stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, before continuing along, only at a slower pace.

Naruto knew that stealth wouldn't work against a creature with such keen senses. This wasn't a normal Grimm. For a moment he considered an ambush, but it was plain that the Grimm could smell him and so there was no element of surprise to be had. Naruto figured that he might as well face the Grimm head on.

And with that, he stepped out from the trees.

The Grimm turned, and even with its hunched back, it still towered over him. Naruto's kunai in his hand shook as those glowing red eyes narrowed when meeting his own.

Despite his fear, Naruto Uzumaki, the heir of the Uzumaki Clan, stepped forward, now only a few feet from the creature.

His shield glowed slightly as Naruto stilled his face.

"Leave now." Naruto said. "This village is under my protection, and I will kill you if I must."

The Grimm laughed to Naruto's stunned silence. This was new.

The Grimm's body shook as dark cackles emerged from its mouth. Its voice was deep and gravely. Naruto slipped his left arm back, grabbing the leather straps holding his shield. A single tug and he'd have it at the ready.

"You want us imprisoned in the forest?" The Grimm spoke to Naruto's shock, referring to the vast land beyond the river. From what he had heard, the Grimm never spoke. This was completely shocking.

"You wish us to starve and die. But there is food here, human. Food!"

It lunged, accompanied by a thunderous roar. Naruto's years of training paid off as he stepped to the side, avoiding its charge. His kunai then connected with its chest, but hit so much muscle and hair it only tore free a small chunk of flesh. The Grimm's claws slashed his chest, scraping the metal armor Naruto had on with a horrific screech.

Naruto went for a strike again, this time aiming for the head. The Grimm moved with amazing speed for its size, ducking underneath the attack and then grabbing Naruto's wrist.

Naruto grit his teeth at the motion and thought quickly. If he wasted time, his hand would be crushed by the beast before him.

With greater strength, the Grimm clutched Naruto's wrist and held his weapon back, leaving the Uzumaki defenseless. Its drooling teeth snapped inward, aiming for his neck.

Naruto quickly pulled the straps. Down came the shield, its steel shining a soft blue as he cried out in defiance. The Grimm's teeth snapped against it, and he felt his arm jolt at the contact. The Grimm howled, blood spurting from its nose.

"Back!" Naruto yelled out, ramming with his shield. His heart hammered in his chest, and his eyes felt wide as saucers, but he'd survived the initial confrontation. The light of his shield grew, its power equivalent to the strength of his will.

He had never faced a Class III Grimm before, and from the way the Grimm of the Fire Continent was touted to be more evolved than the ones in the neighboring Kingdoms, he was certain he was in for a fight.

Why he didn't race back to alert his teammates was that he needed this. He needed to prove himself. And he wasn't going to fall here.

The Grimm howled, releasing his wrist, instead opting to protect its eyes from the light. With it dazed and on the defensive, Naruto tried to finish it off. His Kunai came in for the side of its head, but his eyes widened as the Grimm batted his hand aside with an arm, howled, and then attacked.

The muscles in his legs were powerful, and it closed the distance with such speed he didn't have time to brace himself.

The creature shoved aside Naruto's poorly positioned shield and then rammed into his chest. Naruto flew back several feet, halting when he hit a tree. The air blasted from his lungs, and his vision swam from where his head struck the bark. Blood trickled down his neck.

"Your towers stop nothing," said the Grimm as it stalked toward him, blood from its nose dripping across its teeth. "We come to feast boy, and we are greater than you humans, constantly and endlessly evolving. We are not dogs, we are not pests. You cannot stop us."

W…We? There are more of it?!

Naruto held his kunai and shield before him, but his legs felt rubbery. He tried to focus, to anticipate the attack, but all he could do was stare at those red eyes and wonder how painful his death might be.

Would he be alive when it ate him? His weight leaned against the tree, staring forward with determination. He vowed to fight until the Grimm had no choice but to lop off his head. He wasn't going to use his semblance here. He was going to fight it straight on and win.

The Grimm growled. "You're one persistent brat."

"Come on!" Naruto roared in defiance. The Grimm crouched down, preparing another lethal charge. But instead of leaping, it tilted to the side, and a pained howl escaped its throat. Dark fire swarmed across its body and blood soon followed.

It turned to run, one of its legs twisted at an awkward angle, but then a sword punched through its skull.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched and he saw the culprit. His armor was dark, the fire of his blades darker, so when Uchiha Sasuke pulled his sword out from the Grimm's skull, he seemed a shadow darker than night itself.

"You piece of shit."

Sasuke smirked. "Hmm. I guess you owe me."

"Don't give me that crap." Naruto scowled, walking across the earth till he was right in front of the sixteen year old Uchiha. He pointed to the dead Grimm.

"That was mine!"

"And you were wasting time trying to take it on one on one." Sasuke folded his arms to Naruto's fury. "I got tired of waiting."

Naruto held the arrogant Uchiha's gaze for a while. "You were following me."

"You didn't know, and neither did the Grimm."

Naruto suddenly felt ashamed for showing his weakness before his rival, but didn't give the dark haired Uchiha the satisfaction.

He touched the wound that was on his head due to his battle but found that it was healed. The two turned and looked at the carcass.

"Do you still think the villagers are liars?" Naruto asked.

"Of course, but not about this. Even liars tell the truth from time to time."

Naruto just scoffed at the comment.

Sasuke just let out a chuckle. He shook the crusted remains of blood off his weapon and then sheathed it. With its fire extinguished, it seemed Naruto could see easier in the darkness.

"It's merely truth Naruto. I see the world as it is, you as how you want it to be. Doesn't take a scholar to know which of us will be right more often."

"Did you see more of them?" Naruto asked, ignoring his comment.

"I heard more, deeper into the forest. It could be four or five or five hundred. I suppose I should have left it alive long enough to question…"

As Sasuke trailed off, so did Naruto's attention. He looked at the remains of the Grimm. Again, another distinction from the Grimm of the outside world was that these didn't just dissipate, they just remained as carcasses as if they were mere animals. There were rumors that the Grimm could possess the living animals, but they were just rumors.

The townspeople were scared, and surely the sight of the vanquished culprit of the horrific murders would help calm them.

However, he also thought about the other side of the river – deeper into the forest, where the Grimm were known to reside. Perhaps more information would be helpful.

With Sasuke at his side, they could gather important clues about the nature of the threat.

"Where's Sakura?"

"She headed back."

Naruto looked in thought. "Hmm."

"So, what do we do? We did the job, we killed the Grimm responsible. By all justification, we passed."

Naruto looked across the river.

"But there are more, deeper into the forest. We need to return to the village, I don't like the way the villagers are deflecting. We get answers and then we move for their pack. We need to end this."

"Into their territory? Are you insane?" said Sasuke with an arched eyebrow. "I've never considered you Uzumaki to be wise. Always hardheaded and too riled up, but still, I figured you would at least have more sense than that."

Naruto winked at Sasuke.

"If they are crossing the river to hunt, they mustn't be that far." He crouched to observe the carcass. "We have to make sure they are safe."

Sasuke shook his head at the remains at their feet. "They've killed only four people. And we've taken care of the culprit. We can't go our way and begin killing every Grimm in this Kingdom. That's a fool's errand. This was a lone hunter, nothing more."

Naruto frowned and looked to Sasuke. "If we leave them another 'lone hunter' would eventually come and try to take advantage again. We need to see this through."

Sasuke sighed. "Where's Sakura when you need her. Fine," Naruto smirked as the Uchiha concluded. "Let's get this corpse over to the town. At least we agree that it'll calm them down."

The blond nodded. "Let's be on then."

…

The Academy loomed before him, looking tall and proud in the twilight. As the sun continued to fall, an uneasy fear set over him. Spider webs of cracks stretched higher and higher throughout the Academy's foundation. Fire burst upon the grass around it. Bones fell from the sky. As a great roar shook the plains, he heard a terrible crack, and then-

Naruto's eyes snapped open. His heart pounded in his chest. Despite the chill of autumn, his body was soaked in sweat.

Again? He wondered as he tried to calm his breath. It's getting more and more vivid. What does it mean?

For the past week, he'd had the same dream, and always it felt like it ended unfinished. Dread settled over him every morning, and every time, he had the feeling to go back to Konoha. To make sure that the Academy was alright.

But with the Town of Wave threatened by Grimm sneaking out from the forests and across the river to feed, he couldn't leave, even though he knew that if they returned to the village, they would pass the test.

But his mother always told him to see things through to the end, to stick to his guts, and to be unwavering in his decisions. And he was going to live by that.

As his senses slowly returned, he realized what day it was and groaned, He stayed in a small room of Hayashi Shou, the town's wealthiest occupant, the room given freely in exchange for protecting them from the various menaces of the wild. They were far from the great Village of Konoha and her guards, patrols and roads. Here there were outlaws, bandits and now, Grimm.

He stepped out of the room and headed down to note Sasuke and Sakura discussing over a meal.

Haruno Sakura blinked at his form and arched an eyebrow. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He looked to Sasuke who pointed to his hair and Naruto let out a grimace. Completely exhausted from the day before, he failed to wash off the blood that had now caked over his yellow spiky hair.

Letting out a chuckle in an attempt to clear the building angered woman, Naruto wasn't surprised when Sasuke had other ideas.

"The smartass over there decided to face a Type III Grimm man to man."

Sakura looked in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Yup." Sasuke nodded as Naruto scowled at the Uchiha. "I had to save his ass again."

"I had it all under control!" Naruto retorted before shutting up as Sakura stood up.

Oh boy.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh just calm down Sakura. I would've been okay."

"Okay? You obviously are insane, if you think you can just get up and fight a Grimm that is obviously physically stronger than you."

"How else can I get stronger?" Naruto countered. "I have to do these things Sakura, to know my limits, to know what I need to do to get stronger. I mustn't rely on my semblance every time."

Sakura's eyebrow just twitched. "Just because you can self-heal doesn't mean you can just go around taking risks like that. Not now of all times. Can you do that when we pass the jonin exams? You can kill yourself then."

Naruto looked at her dryly. "Wow, feeling the concern right there."

Sakura rolled her eyes and sat back down as Naruto moved to the sink.

"Fine, you've made your point." The water from the tap poured out as Naruto began to wash his hair. "Oh yeah, how did Kaiza take the news?" He asked, referring to the father and husband of those killed by the Grimm.

"Come." said Sakura to Sasuke's grimace. "I'll show you."

Sasuke closed his eyes and let out a sigh of resignation before following the pink haired student.

Naruto just blinked at the tense atmosphere and shrugged before picking up a loaf of bread, taking a mammoth bite out of it, and quickened his steps. "Wait up!"

Together they walked down the dirt path, out from the village center. Wood houses sprang up on either side of them, fairly large due to abundance of nearby wood. At the end of the path was a post marking the entrance to the village. Hanging from ropes tied to its wrist was the body of the Grimm.

In daylight it looked less fearsome. Its fur had dried out, much of it caked with blood and dirt. Flies buzzed about it, and it stank of something unholy. All of its teeth were gone, and along its chest were at least twenty punctures new to Naruto.

Evidently, the villagers had mutilated the corpse. Naruto had always lived by his father's example, respect for the dead, particularly those who had been intelligent creatures. This wasn't respect. This was desecration.

"What happened?"

"Sasuke happened." Sakura spoke in anger to which Sasuke didn't reply. "I swear it's like you dumbasses decide on what to do without talking as a team."

"Sasuke."

Sasuke shifted his gaze to look at Naruto, only to note his stern expression. He had to admit, at times, Naruto was capable of making him nervous.

They were kids sure, but from the way they were taught at the academy, they looked differently to the world, and this was a reason why the neighboring Kingdoms frowned upon their methods.

The children weren't children.

Naruto thought on the new development. Could he blame the villagers for venting their grief upon the Grimm? Either way, Sasuke had allowed it to happen.

"You let Kaiza mutilate the corpse?" Naruto asked, though he already knew the answer. He just hoped he might somehow be wrong.

"Do you know a better way to move on after the death of a loved one?" Sasuke asked lifting an eyebrow while Naruto clenched his fist. "This," Sasuke pointed to the corpse. "Is his beloved's killer, and though it is dead, I still gave him a chance to exact his revenge. It accomplishes nothing, and after a while, Kaiza has learned this as well. So I told him to take its teeth, and fashion a necklace so he might never forget."

"Kaiza is not like that!" Naruto yelled out to Sasuke's narrowed gaze. The Uzumaki felt his stomach turn as he made his way to Sasuke's front. "He was someone who wouldn't raise a hand to someone who stole from him, who fought against him! The rest of the village wouldn't care if it was them! He was the one kind soul in this town, why did you-"

"Because he spoke to me of wanting to die!" Sasuke retorted yanking Naruto closer to both his and Sakura's shock. "Would you counsel him love and forgiveness for the beast that ate his family?!" Sasuke asked with his eyes blazing red. "Would you promise him a better life in the world he wants to kill himself to enter?! I gave him a desire for vengeance, and through that, a desire to live." Sasuke scoffed. "You would have him remember his loved ones. Instead, I have him remember their murderer, and as long as he thinks of it, he is not wallowing in sorrow for himself and his family!"

Naruto snarled. "He isn't you!"

Sasuke grit his teeth. "What did you-"

"Hey calm down you both! I've heard enough of this shit!"

Sakura placed her hands between them and separated them effortlessly, sending them staggering backwards.

Sasuke looked to her, his eyes narrowing.

"Sakura this doesn't concern-"

"Let me speak!" She spoke fiercely, silencing him. "Every single time you find a chance to go at each other's throats, and you don't know how you keep pushing each other to the brink, without realizing it. We are teammates, first and foremost!" She spoke looking at them. "Now you sort your shit out and we decide on what to do."

Naruto had calmed down, Sakura's words having an effect on him. Sasuke just scoffed.

"Kaiza has requested along with a group of men to go into the forest." He said to Naruto's shock. "They want us to go with them."

"You are agreeing to this."

"I gave him a chance at revenge. Do you think I'd abandon him after that? Question is, will you still come with us? I never am certain with you, despite the fact that you were the one to suggest it."

"I was going to protect them, not for revenge."

"What will you do now?"

Naruto clenched his fist. He glanced to the town, trying to decide. He hated revenge, because it twisted the friend before him to be something he hardly recognized anymore. Deep down, he was against it, but he knew, the entire safety of Wave depended on their success.

If something went wrong, many lives would be in danger. Could he turn his back on them?

"I don't like it," Naruto said. "But perhaps it should be done."

Sasuke nodded his head, Sakura not needing to say anything.

"I know we disagree on a lot, but, they are just monsters." Sasuke tried to make his point. "Filthy, vicious beasts. You know that more than anyone."

Naruto didn't comment to that. Sasuke continued while walking away. "We'll put them down, just like any other rabid animal."

"Any other animal huh."Naruto muttered as Sakura looked to him in concern.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Naruto sighed looking to Sasuke in the distance. "I worry for him you know?"

She just smiled and gave a pat to his back. "That's why we are here." She looked to him. "What are you going to do?"

Naruto bit his lip and sighed. "I don't know, you?"

"I'd follow him." She spoke. "Someone has to look after you two y'know. Sometimes you're level headed when he's not, and vice versa."

"Seems you're the more level headed one among us. We're just clumsy idiots."

Sakura just laughed out and hit his back. "Go see Kaiza and try see things from his point of view, maybe it'll help you decide." She looked to the strung up carcass and let out a sad smile.

"You know, for some reason, I pity it."

Naruto looked to her and nodded his head.

"Yea."

…

Naruto trudged back to the village. The streets were barren, for with autumn speeding by, the men and women were harvesting every bit of nut, fruit and grain they could find or grow.

Needing to talk to Kaiza, he found the man's home, and sure enough, he was there instead of out in the fields with the others.

"Morning, Naruto." Kaiza said. He sat on his porch in a small chair, his shoulders stooped and his leathery skin pale. His eyes had a glazed, distant look to them. On his lap, he had a necklace of teeth.

"Morning Kaiza."

"I never thanked you for killing the Grimm."

"It's no problem." Naruto waved it away as Kaiza let out a chuckle.

"You know, it always creeps me out."

"What?"

"The fact that you don't look a day over sixteen. But still, what you have achieved, many of us in this town cannot aim to comprehend. What exactly are you taught there?"

Naruto closed his eyes. How to kill monsters.

"I can't talk about that." Naruto supplied. "I noticed you aren't picking up the Harvest lie the others, something wrong?"

"Sure is."

"Care to share?"

Kaiza looked at him as his fingers worked over the sharp edges of the teeth.

"Sasuke said you were going to try and talk me out of going."

"I'm only here to listen."

"He said you'd say that too, but you'd be lying."

Naruto simply replied. "I don't lie."

Kaiza grunted and looked away. He cut himself on one of the teeth, but his he felt it, he didn't let it show. Faint smears of blood started to spread across the yellow and white.

"I heard her screaming," Kaiza said. "I'd gone outside to piss, you know. That's all. And then, as I'm coming back, I hear her screaming. Just Tsunami, not my little girls or my boy. Do you think that means they died quicker? Maybe in their sleep? It didn't… It didn't…"

Tears rolled down his face.

Determined to remain true to his word, Naruto kept silent, letting the man say what he needed to say.

"It didn't even eat them, only my wife. Killed them for no reason, that fucking wolf! But Tsunami was alive when he was…eating. And it left me alive too, just looked at me and laughed. That damn thing laughed. I don't know if the one you killed was the one that came here. I'll never know. But I'll kill every last one I can find and hope each one is that bastard. And I'll laugh every time I kill one, Naruto."

Naruto closed his eyes as tears seeped, trying to find his composure. Should he just offer his condolences, or support Kaiza's desire for revenge in hopes of boosting his courage.

Rather, he made his decision. A third decision.

"I'm sorry." Naruto said. "But this isn't right, and you know it. The Grimm that slew your family is dead."

Naruto was slightly startled at the rage that burned in Kaiza's eyes.

"How could you ever hope to understand me?!" He roared out. "You are just a kid! Nothing more!" He scoffed. "Sasuke was right about you!"

Naruto clenched his fist.

"You think I care about what's right? I've lived right my whole life, and look what it got me! Someone ought to do something, so I will. No one else needs to see what I saw, and there isn't anything you can say to convince me otherwise!"

Naruto stepped back. He felt helpless, overwhelmed by the man's grief. What could he tell him? That there was a deity that worked in mysterious ways? That it was her time, her fate to have her belly shredded, her flesh ripped and swallowed while she was still screaming?

He was utterly helpless. And this was reminding him of a similar situation with Sasuke.

"My father and mother were killed by the Grimm." Naruto muttered out, earning the man's attention. He looked to the skies from Kaiza's porch, noting the beautiful clouds brought out by the sun.

"They went for a mission, a mission that dealt with multiple Class VI Grimm. Something happened, something that the leaders don't want to tell me. But I was home that day, waiting for them when I was told."

Naruto clenched his fist. "And at that moment, I felt so much rage to the point that I could burn down the world and not feel a thing. There's one thing my father always said." Naruto smiled at the nostalgic memory.

"Sometimes you have to be a monster to protect the ones you love. But there are people who don't deserve that. That's why we attend the academy, for us to be the monsters. So that you can live in the comfort of your home. He always said that to me, and that is something I carry with myself to this day."

Kaiza looked to him, not saying a word.

"I never wanted to rush out to go and kill every single one of them, but I respected my parents and signed up for the Academy, because I wanted to continue their work. The outside world wouldn't understand, because what we deal with, here in the Continent of Fire is beyond their understanding."

Naruto turned and looked to him.

"Right now, a hundred thoughts are swirling in my head, but one thing keeps coming out of all of it. I wouldn't let what happened to me and you happen again to anyone, as long I have a say in it. I know I can't stop you, and you have already accepted that you could die doing this,"

Naruto began to walk away as Kaiza looked to him.

"Where are you going?"

"My armor and shield are waiting for me in my room. There is a reason I carry them with me, a reason every one of us yearns to be Hunters, and this is one of it." Naruto stopped outside the house.

"Come dusk, I'd join you and the rest, and come night, I'd venture into the forest with you all,"

Naruto turned and looked at a shocked Kaiza with red eyes that had a slit down the middle.

"…To the land of men and monsters."

…