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A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. Between work, Iron Banner, a cold, and actually getting Monster Hunter World, I've been busy. Anyway, it's finally here, as Darkis Shadow put it, the 'rite of passage against our buddy Steve.'
Make no mistake, this will be the end of the Hunter side of Naruto's training. How he does as a Shinobi will have to wait until the next chapter.
In any case, do read and review, would you kindly? And keep it classy!
…
[Hi no Kuni Wilderness, the next day]
'All right then, let's see what you've learned,' Mangetsu challenged, hefting his hammer over the left shoulder, 'Track the prey.'
Naruto nodded, moving idly among the battle scarred trees, with a long, double-bladed polearm on hand. One blade had a vial of glowing purple liquid embedded in the fuller, the other was a solid steel blade. He also had a rather large black beetle that rested on a bracer on his left arm. The insect glaive and kinsect combo was hardly his best weapon style, but he liked its versatility and its mobility. It was a weapon he was certain the Aburame clan would use if they ever took up monster-hunting.
Searching the area, Naruto saw something from the corner of his eye. His instincts led him to investigate a clearing in the woods to find more scale-riddled trees—some of the scales were destroyed, as though they exploded. He also found scorch marks, the odd blood splatter, as well as damaged trees with tooth and claw marks in their bark. The footprints he studied in the ground suggested that there was a struggle.
'I don't think we're alone in the hunt,' he observed, examining a footprint, 'I see more than one set of footprints. Looks like something picked a fight with a pretty big monster; footprints are scattered around the area, then they're leading away. Whatever it was that fought back, I doubt it was a Rathian—these prints are too big, there's no sign of a Rath's spiked tail being used, and I don't remember seeing a nest nearby.'
'Here, lemme take a look,' Mikazuki suggested, gently pushing Naruto aside to see the footprints herself. She squatted to have a closer look, keeping one hand on her bowgun. 'Yeah, these x-shaped prints and claw marks belong to a Seregios; whenever they're not flying, they're running around on all fours. They prefer kicking their enemies to death. Those bigger prints are definitely Brute Wyvern feet. They're not too heavy, so I don't think it's a Deviljho, thank god. Probably an Anjanath, given the scorch marks and the locale.'
'Brute Wyvern?' Naruto asked, 'What's that?'
'Massive slabs of muscle on two legs, small arms and a long tail,' answered a male voice in the treeline, 'They tend to be ridiculously strong carnivores that're plenty fast for their size.'
Naruto turned his attention to the treeline to see three figures walk into the clearing. One of them was a dark-skinned girl wearing a fur bikini that revealed her slim curves. She wore a burlap poncho around her neck with the hood down, revealing dark brown hair; bits of vegetation were stuck in the netting, allowing her to disappear into the forest. Her weapon was a large bow with steel limbs attached to a wooden grip, and the arrows in her quiver were large enough to be used as javelins. She looked back at the group with cyan eyes.
The second girl looked like she was prepped for life in cold climates. The heavy, fur-lined leather of her jacket, cap, and boots did not seem to hinder her movements in the slightest; especially with the holes cut in important areas of her jacket for better freedom of movement. She wore a pair of cargo pants that were tied at the knees, and she had a long sword sheathed across her back. Naruto could also make out pale skin and sapphire eyes.
The only boy in the group had brown eyes and hair, with a slight tan; he was dressed lightly in calf-length cargo shorts and a t-shirt. A metal cuirass, gauntlets, and greaves were the only pieces of serious protection on his body, complemented with a scaled leather mantle made from wyvern hide. Holstered at his sides were a pair of short blades roughly the size of his thighs.
Command and conquer. 'Who're you?' Naruto asked.
'Just Hunter apprentices that're after a bigger challenge,' answered the boy, 'The name's Arisawa Takumi. The archer's Hijikata Mayumi, and the sword-girl is Yukino Kazuko.'
'Uzumaki Naruto, also an apprentice,' Naruto replied.
'Shizuoka Mikazuki, big guy's my brother Mangetsu,' Mikazuki introduced, 'We're the ones teaching him.'
Takumi glanced at the two of them, his eyes widening in surprise. 'You kidding me? The Moon Siblings? We've heard about you two all the way in Kawa no Kuni!'
'That's nice and all, but where are your masters?' asked Mangetsu.
'Back home,' replied Takumi, 'We were sent over to Hi no Kuni to get used to different hunting grounds.'
Mangetsu whistled in surprise. 'That's a long way from home. Do all of you have a provisional license?'
The three apprentices readily produced a small plastic card from their pockets, allowing Mikazuki to sit up and collect them. 'Let's see here,' she drawled, before showing the cards to her brother, 'Yeah, these cards are legit. Says here you got your provisional licenses about a year ago in Kawa no Kuni. You've also got an international permit, so the three of you are good to hunt here without your master's supervision as long as your licenses are legal.'
'So what're we doing here with a Brute Wyvern?' asked Takumi, as Mikazuki returned their cards. Once she reunited the last card with its owner, the younger Shizuoka turned her attention back to the tracks.
'We're not hunting it,' answered Naruto, 'We're doing a graduation exam on a Seregios.'
'No kidding?' asked Mayumi.
'From what I can tell, the Seregios pissed off the Anjanath more than necessary,' noted Mikazuki, 'Which means we're going to have to find it first.' She then turned her attention back to Naruto. 'You wanna continue the chase?'
'You know it, dattebayo,' answered Naruto with confidence in his tone.
'Then we should be very careful,' Mangetsu advised, 'Brute Wyverns may be slower, but they can be every bit as dangerous as a Flying Wyvern, if not more so. If that Anjanath still has a bone to pick with that Seregios, we could be fighting two very dangerous monsters at once. Now lead on.'
'You mind if we join in?' asked Kazuko, 'We've been looking for an opportunity to do a graduation exam for a while now.'
Naruto looked back at Mangetsu, silently asking for his advice. 'This is your hunt, Naruto,' he answered simply, 'Mika and I are mainly here to supervise, which means we don't technically count as part of your hunting party. So this is entirely your decision as to whether you want to start your own party or not.'
'Let's go then,' said Naruto, regarding the Kawa Hunters as he gripped the shaft of his insect glaive, 'We've got a lot of ground to cover.'
Mikazuki loaded her bowgun, while Takumi and his team readied their own weapons.
…
[Hokage Office]
Watching Naruto's progress through his crystal ball, Hiruzen could feel a rush in his veins as the boy and his mentors tracked their prey. Anything could happen in a hunt, especially when Flying Wyverns were involved. Doubly so when the Flying Wyvern in question was being hunted as part of a prospective Hunter's graduation exam.
So when the Konoha Guild personally sent word to Hiruzen that Naruto was on the hunt for a Seregios, the old Kage knew he had to watch. On the one hand, he was truly interested in Naruto's progress; to see if his experiment would bear fruit. On the other, he was worried for the boy's safety—from what he'd heard, Seregios were weaker than a Rath in top form, but they were no slouches. Either way, this was Naruto's trial by fire, where failure could mean death; it was something Sarutobi refused to miss.
The idea that there was a possibility of Naruto and his mentors encountering an Anjanath worried him. He knew from experience that they were a native fire-breathing Brute Wyvern that competed with Rathalos and Rathian as apex predator in Hi no Kuni. The fact that a Seregios had the nerve to pick a fight with one was not lost to Sarutobi.
Then came the arrival of the Kawa no Kuni Hunter apprentices. As far as Hiruzen understood, the provisional license allowed international Hunters to travel to any nation and hunt without their master's supervision. The caveat to this was that they had to renew the license every four years, and that they could only hunt anything up to Fanged Beasts and Bird Wyverns; anything like Flying or Brute Wyverns was done at their own peril.
Overall, Hiruzen could see why the traditional rite of passage for a Hunter was such a demanding test. Fighting, survival, tracking, and teamwork in this case; it would force the prospective Hunters to use every skill in their arsenal to survive a test where the smallest mistake could kill you. In short, it was the Guild's version of a Chūnin Exam, which could be taken at any time. If they managed to survive all that, then I would've given them their license.
'Well, at least you're killing two birds with one stone, Naruto,' Hiruzen muttered to himself, 'Still, rather than trying to give me a heart attack for your final exam, couldn't you have cooked dinner for me and my family instead?'
…
[Hi no Kuni Wilderness]
Naruto's team and the Kawa Hunters followed the trail of the Anjanath as it went deeper into the woods. The footprints had come to a complete stop in a new clearing, before disappearing down another path.
'I guess it finally decided that the Seregios wasn't worth its time,' Naruto surmised, studying the footprints, 'So it went one way while the Seregios flew in another direction.'
'Well, it's your hunt, Naruto,' said Mangetsu, 'It's your call.'
Naruto thought carefully as he studied the tracks, trying to figure out their next move. 'Let's continue a little further, find a safe place, then set up camp,' he finally said, 'No point getting into a fight while you're tired.'
'Might as well,' Mikazuki replied, 'It's getting late.'
The hunting party silently resumed following the tracks for the next few hours, coming to a stop in a clearing. After checking the area for threats, each of them built their own tent with twigs just in time for dusk to set in. The blonde watched as the Kawa Hunter team set up their camp, casually stripping off their rain gear and settling close to each other.
Fortunately, Mangetsu carried a flint and striker with him to start a fire; unfortunately the search had taken so long they had no time to hunt. Luckily, the Kawa Hunters had a fresh wild pig in a storage scroll that Naruto eyeballed at about 45, maybe 47 kilos━meaning it could easily feed about 100 normal people; or six, maybe seven Hunters. Either way, dinner was served; the pig was gutted, and Mangetsu rubbed in his special mix of spices and herbs before roasting it on a spit and marinating it with its own juices.
'So why did everyone decide to be Hunters?' asked Naruto, carving a piece of the shoulder for his kinsect before eating it himself.
'The excitement,' answered Takumi, biting into a pork on a stick, 'Makes you figure out what part of you is human or animal.'
'That and it's a family tradition for the three of us,' added Kazuko, carving out a piece of loin from the back using a knife with a false edge, 'Our masters, who are also our parents, are experienced Hunters themselves.'
'What about you, Naruto?' asked Mayumi, slicing off a piece of rib with her dagger, 'Why are you trying to get the license?'
'Spent all year skipping class and pranking in the Ninja Academy,' Naruto answered, hacking off a chunk with his knife, 'Because of that, the Hokage sent me to be taught by Hunters, and won't let me back in until I get my license; been at it for almost a year and a half now. Though to be honest, I'm liking the training and being outdoors.'
'Uh huh and he didn't see the potential of these pranks?' Takumi asked skeptically.
'Nah, I think he was just mad at me more for wasting time and money to skip class all year,' Naruto replied, shrugging, 'That, and I guess he wanted me to put those pranks to good use.'
'Well, I've always wanted to be a master chef, to be honest,' Mangetsu answered, 'I wanted to be so good that I could at least compete with the Akimichi chefs; maybe even own a few restaurants myself. The hunt is an opportunity for me to sharpen my skills for my ultimate dream, and to experience a variety of ingredients and techniques.'
Naruto could agree with that; Mangetsu kept a separate sealing scroll that he pulled a lot of cooking utensils and ingredients from. Once, he'd even seen him pull out a big pot to make a wicked stew with peppercorn and a Great Jaggi tail. 'What about you, Mika-sensei?'
'I guess a big part of it is the exploration,' answered Mikazuki, taking a bite herself, 'I've always wanted to travel ever since I was a little girl…see all those places our dad talked about so much.'
Naruto noted her wistful expression when Mikazuki mentioned her father. 'How is he?'
'He was one of the Hunters who joined in the fight against the Kyūbi,' she answered simply, 'He was crazy enough to climb up its fur to stab it in the eye.'
From what Naruto understood, a lot Shinobi and Hunters died that day. Both sides brought everything to the table: the Hunters brought their best and heaviest weapons, while the Shinobi fought with jutsu and cunning. In the end, they only succeeded in annoying the fox, but they managed to distract the beast long enough for the Yondaime Hokage to defeat it. 'I'm sorry, I didn't…'
'Don't worry about it, it was for the best,' Mangetsu assured, 'He did want to go down fighting a worthy opponent after all. And honestly, what better opponent could you get than a creature that could go toe-to-toe with an Elder Dragon and stand a good chance of winning?'
'Elder Dragon?'
'Probably the biggest game out there,' explained Mikazuki, 'They're not all dragon-like, but they are extremely rare monsters that are so far removed from the Tree of Life that the researchers couldn't classify them. A lot of them are big and powerful enough to potentially destroy a Hidden Village, but they all have several things in common: they're so powerful that all other monsters clear out of the area; and where they go, natural disasters tend to follow.'
Naruto felt his heart race at the idea of such powerful monsters walking the world. 'I wouldn't worry too much about that,' said Mangetsu, interrupting his train of thought, 'Like Mika said, Elder Dragons are incredibly rare; tons of Hunters have gone through their lives without seeing one. Still, because of their potential to at least alter the ecosystem, we take signs of their appearance very seriously; more so than sightings of an invasive species. Although, that means that it's impossible to be surprised by one showing up.'
'Then maybe I can hunt one before I become Hokage,' Naruto mused.
Mikazuki huffed in amusement. 'Good luck on that. I've heard even the Shodaime Hokage had trouble fighting an Elder Dragon when he founded Konoha. You think you have what it takes to match that?'
'I know I'm not ready now!' snapped Naruto, 'But one day, I'm gonna go hunt one myself, dattebayo!'
'Then don't stop growing,' Mangetsu challenged him, 'Don't stop trying to get stronger and smarter. Only when you're totally ready for whatever Mother Nature throws your way will you be ready to take on an Elder Dragon.'
Naruto nodded, finishing off his dinner for the day. After the campfire was smothered, he was given the first watch. He scaled the trunk using the Tree-hopping technique, and perched himself on a thick branch for a better view. Scanning the forest, Naruto took in the view of the wilderness illuminated by silvery moonlight; the scene was breathtaking with varying shades of blacks and blues, contrasted with the white moon. Maybe Mika-sensei's right…there's just so much to see out here in the wilderness.
…
[Nyan-town, Konoha]
As Hinata looked upon the looming form that was the Konoha Hunting Lodge, the first word that came to her mind was 'impenetrable.' Giant wooden palisades made from thick, pointy logs surrounded the perimeter, protecting everyone from both monster and human attacks. Large, wooden gates were reinforced with a heavy steel frame to prevent all but strongest jutsu from penetrating. The building in the center was a sturdy, five-story compound that the served as a viable command post, being made of natural rock and concrete that was strengthened with a fūinjutsu array.
It was further defended by manned ballista turrets with a high rate of fire, and cannons that fired high-explosive munitions. These emplacements were intended to help deter Elder Dragon incursions, but worked just as well against human-sized targets if need be. Due to these security measures, the Hunting Lodge also protected civilians during a village-wide crisis, such as the Kyūbi attack almost twelve years prior. All things considered, it was effectively a fort.
The building was constructed as a gift by the Shodaime Hokage himself and his wife to commemorate the first official collaboration between the Guild and the Hidden Villages. So long as they carried an official Hunting License and respected the law of the land and the Guild, any Hunter was welcomed in all lodges without fear of discrimination. And while their relationship was often rocky at best, sometimes the Shinobi would also be welcomed within its walls.
Looking at the line of Hunters and Huntresses entering and leaving the lodge, Hinata was worried; not so much for being seen, but for sightings of Naruto—or lack thereof.
She had been shadowing Naruto for the past year or so since he'd saved her from bullies. The news that he'd flunked was not a surprise to her; sometimes Hanabi would join him in his pranks. What she did find surprising was that Iruka's announcement that the Hokage had sent him to be trained by Hunters because he flunked. Needless to say, it motivated a lot of students to not fail like Naruto did.
Shinobi didn't have a high opinion of the Hunters, she knew. Those that did were the ones that often worked closely with them, like the Aburame, Inuzuka and maybe a good number of Akimichi chefs. Kiba himself once said that he wanted to join the Guild when he was younger.
On the flip side, some, like the Uchiha clan, saw them as brutish lunatics for willingly pursuing such dangerous prey on a regular basis. Others, like a good number of Hyūga mocked them for their insistence on focusing on the 'balance of nature.'
Hinata and was not among them, and she knew for a fact that Hanabi wasn't either. As a matter of fact, they honestly believed that training with the Hunters was a good thing for Naruto. It made him more serious, more daring, like he could legitimately take on the world. Since he'd started the training, he only ever came back to the village on a weekly basis, often for more supplies and to take a break from living in the wilderness. His return to the village made her heart race every time she saw him; and it helped that he'd built muscle over the past year and a half.
It'd been almost four days since his projected return, which was concerning for both of the Hyūga sisters for different reasons. 'Can I help you, nya?' asked a small, feminine voice behind her.
Hinata squeaked from the sudden greeting. She turned to find a bluish-grey Felyne in a maid's outfit looking up at her with clear orange eyes. It had a comically large grocery bag in one paw and a leash in the other, which was attached to a brown cat with black stripes and a red bowtie in its ear. The cat was trying desperately to bite free of its leash.
'Umm, yes, I'm looking for someone,' she finally answered.
'Well, if you're looking for a Hunter, then you're out of luck,' answered the Felyne, 'I heard they're all on the lookout for a dangerous meownster flying around in the wilderness. Word on the street is that one hunting party's gone looking for it with an apprentice, nya.'
'Thank you.'
Before the Felyne could respond, the cat it was walking broke free of its leash and ran off, quickly disappearing into the crowd. 'Hey! Tora! Get back here, meow!'
As the Felyne ran off to catch the brown cat, Hinata looked wistfully into the sky. Be careful out there, Naruto-kun…
…
[Valley of the End, Hi no Kuni wilderness]
The Valley of the End, the site of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara's last duel with each other. Titanic statues were carved into the cliff face, commemorating the two giants of the Shinobi world as they were eternally locked in battle. A waterfall separated the two founders of Konoha, as their hands prepared to cast a jutsu, their eyes focused on each other for the slightest movement.
Naruto admired the scenery, watching as the waterfall pooled into the bottom of the rocky valley, before smoothly transitioning into a river that fed the sea. There was no sign of monster activity in the area, as though Mother Nature herself had declared that this ground remain sacred. Truly a magnificent sight, especially when looking up at the statues.
The hunting parties had stopped for a quick rest and water before continuing on the trail. It'd been almost four days since he'd initiated the hunt for the Seregios, and they'd found no sign of the Flying Wyvern. So far, his survival and tracking skills had been tested, but he'd yet to see if he was any good at fighting a monster on his own.
'Amazing,' Takumi noted, looking up at the waterfall, 'To think, we'd be in the presence of giants.'
'We ready to go?' Mangetsu asked.
'Yeah,' Naruto answered, 'I'm rea—'
Whatever else Naruto was about to say caught in his throat when he noted something out of the corner of his eye. He walked closer to investigate, and found signs of a struggle; two sets of footprints, a good amount of blood splatter, and razor-sharp scales.
'Guys! A fight happened here!' Naruto called out, waving his team and teachers in, 'I think it's the same Anjanath from before!'
Everyone walked in, investigating the scene before them.
'Blood splatter and footprints look recent,' Naruto noted, 'I'm also seeing more sharp scales in the area. I guess the Anjanath still has a bone to pick with the Seregios.'
'Makes sense,' Mikazuki added, 'Anjanath are persistence hunters; once they have a target on mind, they're not gonna give up the chase until they finally catch their prey. To make the job easier, they'll try to seriously wound the prey -usually by biting them- before running them down for days if they have to. Chances are, the prey will be too weak to fight back, if not dead from blood loss or infection.'
Naruto continued to study the battleground. 'Well it looks like they're going downstream, and the Seregios got wounded pretty badly; my guess is, it got ambushed by the Anjanath while drinking. After fighting for a bit, they broke off—the Anjanath went back into the woods, while the Seregios flew away. I don't think they're too far now.'
'Then we'd better get ready for a tough fight,' Mangetsu suggested, hefting his hammer in both hands, 'The prey and its pursuer may be weakened, but they'll still put up one hell of a fight.'
Naruto nodded in assent, tightening his grip on the insect glaive before waking up the kinsect with a gentle tap. Training under the Moon Siblings familiarized him with every weapon in the Hunters' arsenal, from the massive greatswords to the many ammo types for the bowguns. Every weapon had a use in his mind, right tool for the right job, but it was the versatility of technical weapons like the insect glaives and bows that had won his heart over all others.
Takumi unsheathed his dual blades, rolling his shoulders and his neck, keeping himself limber. Unlike Mikazuki's bone cleavers, these were short, single-edged, pattern-welded blades. Both had a brass disc guard and a red flag tied around a ring pommel, and a bone grip. Naruto saw nothing special about the blades, though, barring their high quality.
As Naruto turned his attention to Kazuko, the first thing he noted about her long sword was that it was made of bone; specifically, a section of a monster's spinal column. The grip was a long, steel rod that was threaded through the vertebral foramen, as each vertebra was secured to it with wire. The grip was wrapped in tape to allow a comfortable hold, but was divided into thirds by thicker bands. The blades on the vertebrae were sharpened, enabling the weapon to cut and saw off pieces of flesh. A primitive-looking weapon to be sure, but Naruto had seen more than his fair share.
The hunting party followed the blood trail towards the woods. Naruto, Takumi, Kazuko, and Mangetsu formed the vanguard, while Mikazuki and Mayumi served as fire support. There would be no use for a scope in the woods, not when she was more likely to shoot her targets in tight quarters. Still, she had a number of specialized rounds for every occasion; and if all else failed, she still had her cleavers.
When they neared the woods, a loud shriek pierced the air as a yellow and red blur leaped over the hunters before landing to face them. The long-necked monster had a bladed crest on its head that pointed skyward on top of a toothy beak. Aside from the splash of red around its blue eyes, the creature had brass-yellow scales and a white underbelly. Its larger scales rattled as they swiveled individually with each breath it took, giving the creature the appearance of large, angry pine cone. It walked on large, leathery wings with the same razor sharp scales on its body covering the tips. The creature was also wounded, blood dripping from a tail that ended in two prongs.
Behind them, a loud roar could be heard. The hunting party dove aside as a large form smashed its way from the trees, before sliding to a stop in front of the Seregios. It was a hulking mass of muscle on legs with a pair of small arms that terminated in two dagger-like claws and a long, muscular tail. Its loose pink skin was marred with bleeding wounds, and its back was dusted with a thin coat black fur and a thick white coat covered the junction between its shoulders and its large neck. It had a bony plate that was raised over its nose, and it a jaw filled with serrated steak knife teeth. As it roared, a sac on its throat expanded, glowing red as it breathed, a pair of wings at its hind legs flaring.
The two monsters roared, daring each other to make the next move. On one side, was the brazen invader that Naruto and his party was hunting, and the beast that also pursued it. Both combatants were seriously wounded, the Anjanath more so than the Seregios, but it was clear they were still in fighting shape. Man, talk about picking a fight with the wrong monster, dattebayo! Naruto thought to himself.
'This is it everyone,' said Mangetsu, 'This is the prey we've been chasing; you're all ready. You kids deal with the Seregios, Mika and I will keep the Anjanath off your back; we'll try to get to you as fast as we can. Now go!'
Naruto nodded, leading Takumi and the girls around the giant monsters. Mikazuki took aim with her bowgun, firing a few rounds at the Anjanath. The Brute Wyvern turned its attention to the Moon Siblings, roaring in rage.
Taking aim with his insect glaive, Naruto fired a pheromone dart at the wound in the Seregios's tail. The Flying Wyvern shrieked in pain as the kinsect darted towards the wound, its claws and mandibles digging into flesh upon landing. The wyvern thrashed its tail, trying to squash the kinsect, only to fling it off and onto Naruto's bracer before turning to glare at the young Hunters with fire in its eyes.
{Play: 'No Future' by Nanase Aikawa, from 'Zoids: Zero Century'}
The Seregios shrieked as it leaped towards Naruto, intent on ripping him to shreds with a beat of its bladed wings. Naruto used his insect glaive to vault over its wing before landing to slice at its ankle, only to watch as the blade bounced off the leg. In response, the Seregios hissed in pain before briefly lifting off to stomp the ground. Every kick was instantaneous, forcing Naruto to dodge before it crushed him to death. As it landed, the Seregios swung its tail, catching an airborne Naruto in the side and throwing him off.
As he recovered from the sudden blow, Naruto immediately rolled away from a volley of sharp blades flying his way. The scales dug into the ground, before detonating into hundreds of tiny shards. He turned his attention back to his opponent only to see the Seregios galloping towards him on all fours, intent on goring him with its sword-like crest. As it swung its serpentine neck, Naruto vaulted over the attack before rolling under another tail slap and finishing the movement by slashing at the tail.
'Everyone, cover your eyes!' Naruto called out, pulling a spherical object out of his pocket, 'Cover your eyes, I've got a flash bomb ready!'
As everyone shielded their eyes, Naruto tossed the ball at the Seregios. It exploded upon contact with the wyvern's horn, flooding the monster's vision with a blinding white light. The Seregios screeched in pain as it tried to regain its vision, allowing Mayumi a chance to shoot it in the knees. Javelin-sized arrows deflected off the metallic scales, but the impact was enough to stagger the beast as it struggled. Still, it was able to recover its footing, lodging the rest of her arrows in gaps between the scales on its chest.
'This thing is quick on its feet!' Mayumi shouted, rolling away from a volley of razor-sharp scales, 'Help me take out its legs!'
'Give me an opening!' added Kazuko, running into the fray, 'Takumi, you and Naruto get on its back and try to do as much damage as you can.'
'Got it! One Spinebreaker coming up!' Takumi roared. Takumi leaped onto the skull, stabbing the Seregios in the neck, drenching him in blood. In response, the wyvern flung him off its neck, its scales rattling as it hissed in rage. Its scales flared as it shrieked, dancing in place to fling razor-sharp blades in all directions.
Takumi ducked, and rolled under the first volley. The Sergios growled and fired off another volley. The hunter cursed and crossed his arms, blades exploding around him, knocking him into the trees as the fragments slashed at his body and clothing.
'Takumi! You alright!?' yelled Mayumi.
'Well now I know how shredded cheese feels like!' Takumi mumbled, shaking his head and recovering, his hunter's vitality showing through. He had a good number of cuts on his body from the organic shrapnel; thankfully, other than a bit of clothing and armor damage, none of his vitals were hit.
As Takumi stood by to catch his breath, Kazuko rushed in with her spine-sword, rolling under a sweep of the Seregios's bladed wing-tips before taking a swing at one of its legs. The Seregios hovered in the air and began stomping the ground, giving the girl no chance to counter its dancelike movements. Kazuko found her opening to swing her blade at one leg, but was caught in a quick sweep of the Flying Wyvern's other leg, before rolling away from another tail slam. Once she'd gotten far enough away, the Seregios sent a barrage of sharp scales flying in her direction.
'Kazuko!' Takumi cried, taking steps towards her.
Naruto wrapped an arm around Kazuko wrapped an arm around her, and and used his insect glaive to propel them both away from the volley of exploding blades. He also fired a dart at the Seregios' face, allowing the beetle to tear into the wound in the wyvern's eye before it flew back towards him. As they landed, Takumi reached out to help Kazuko up. 'Thanks, man!'
Naruto nodded in response. The four Hunters turned to regard the Seregios, watching as it struggled to get its vision back.
'Damn it!' Mayumi cursed, 'That thing can really take a beating!'
'I've got an idea,' Naruto suggested, 'You guys try to hold it there for as long as you can. I'm gonna try something I've never done before!'
'Is this something that's gonna get us killed?' Takumi asked.
'Not if we do it right!' Naruto snapped, the Kinsect filling a vial on his bracer with a red fluid, 'But first, I need the other two essences before I pull this off!'
The Seregios shook off its blindness, glaring at the aspiring Hunters with death in its remaining eye.
'Scatter!' Naruto shouted. The four Hunters ran in different directions as it sent another volley of blades their way. Mayumi took potshots at the creature with her bow as she circled it, firing multiple arrows in a single volley. Several arrows deflected off the scales, but several got through the chinks in the armor, getting its attention enough for Kazuko and Takumi to get under the wyvern to attack its legs in an attempt to cripple it. As they tried to cripple the monster, the Seregios danced around their swings, attempting to stomp them into the ground; whenever it saw the opportunity to do so, it would fling volleys of sharp scales at Mayumi, forcing her to take cover.
With the beast's attention focused on his erstwhile colleagues, an airborne Naruto impaled the Seregios's wing with the other end of his insect glaive, leaving his Kinsect behind to chew through the webbing. Darting through the air, he took the opportunity to swing his insect glaive, cutting into the Seregios' armored neck and shoulder as he spun like a pinwheel. He finally ended the attack with a heavy downwards swing, allowing Takumi the opportunity to slice at the underside of its neck as he ran towards the head. Once he made it to his destination, the Kawa Hunter slid to a stop, spinning with his short swords at high speed before rolling up the Seregios' back at high speed, carving into its back like a buzzsaw.
As Naruto landed, the Kinsect returned to his bracer, filling another vial with a white fluid. Mayumi took a shot at the Seregios' head, firing a volley of arrows at its eye; the wyvern ducked its head from the arrows, before kicking Kazuko away. Naruto ran beneath the wyvern, taking advantage of the opportunity to fire a dart at its soft underbelly as he slid underneath, while sending his Kinsect to gather the last essence. At the same time, Takumi rushed in to strike at the legs with one final swing, crippling the animal. The Kinsect unlatched from the Seregios' belly and returned to its master, filling the last vial with an orange fluid.
Naruto smirked as he turned to the rest of his team. 'I've got what I need,' he shouted, crouching low to the ground, 'Hold it in place! Don't let it get away!'
With all the strength he could muster in his legs, Naruto kicked off, launching himself high into the air. When he reached his desired height, he used a strong burst of air from the insect glaive to momentarily slow his descent. For a moment, he thought he'd seen Mangetsu struggling to hold onto the Anjanath's neck, before smashing its head in with his hammer. No time for that now, he thought to himself, turning his attention downward, gotta make sure I get this right.
Naruto sighted his target from above, and immediately shifted his weight, streamlining his body to increase momentum with his insect glaive pointed downward. He could feel the velocity increase as he fired another airburst from the insect glaive. As he neared the Seregios, he released another burst of air, increasing his momentum until he came to a sudden stop on the wyvern's back, driving the blade of his insect glaive deep into its shoulder blade.
The Seregios screeched in pain as Naruto used his weight to pull the insect glaive out of the wound, before digging it back into the nape of the neck as it flailed around, trying to shake him off. To avoid being bucked off the monster, Naruto braced himself with the shaft of his glaive until he regained his balance. Once he regained his bearings, he shifted his weight to flip and roll along the wyvern's neck, gouging wounds in the gaps between scales as he did so. As he neared his destination, Naruto pressed his thighs against the back of the Seregios' head, rearing back his insect glaive before stabbing it deep through the eye. There was no response from the Seregios as Naruto pressed his insect glaive deeper into the wound for good measure. The wyvern collapsed on its own weight, crashing into the ground with a resounding 'thud.'
Naruto wrenched the insect glaive out of the Seregios' eye socket, panting as he walked with a weary swerve in his step. As he was about to fall, Takumi caught him by the shoulder. 'I gotcha,' he assured, 'Gutsy move you pulled there; if you were off on the landing, you'd have died from the fall.'
'We did it!' Naruto said, a victorious grin on his face, 'We finally did it, dattebayo!'
'Yeah, you did,' agreed Mangetsu, approaching the aspiring Hunters with a warm smile, 'And you all did pretty well for your first serious hunt.'
'How'd it go with the Anjanath?' Naruto asked.
'The big guy ran off after Nii-chan kept whaling on his head,' Mikazuki interjected, walking towards them, 'I guess we put up such a good fight that he figured his beef with the Seregios just wasn't worth it anymore. That, and it wasn't very sporting of us to kill him when he was busted up before the fight, so we let him go.'
Naruto nodded in agreement. Well, at least we got what we came for, he thought.
'Anyway, enough about that,' Mangetsu sighed, 'The fact that you kids were able to take on a Seregios and win is cause for celebration. After we carve it up, we're heading back to the Lodge. All four of you deserve to be inducted into the Guild as full Hunters!'
Naruto's smile widened and turned to the three hunters who were checking themselves over. Takumi looked up and returned the smile. 'Thanks man, you saved all of us.'
'I would've done the same, dattebayo.'
…
[Hokage's Office]
As he watched Naruto and the Kawa hunters carve up the Seregios with their knives, Hiruzen could not help but cheer inwardly as to their victory. Because the Moon Siblings' word carried a lot of weight, there was no doubt that they would get that Hunting License for their performance. That, in itself was worthy of celebration.
'Well, phase one of the experiment's done,' he mused to himself, 'Now for phase two…'
…
[Great Hall, Konoha Hunting Lodge]
{Play: 'Immortals' by Fall Out Boy, from 'Big Hero 6'}
Music could be heard in the Great Hall as Naruto admired the newly-made badge holder with no small amount of pride. It was bound in leather, and reinforced with what he heard were tough, spring steel plates. The spine of the badge holder had a loop with a keyring attached to it so that he could chain it to a belt loop. The back of the holder had a small pocket to carry a pad for whenever he got permission to hunt in different countries.
The cover, however, had a solid brass medallion riveted on, with 火 right below it. The medallion had the mark of the Guild stamped into it, with four crests in the cardinal directions representing ideals that the Hunters upheld. Naruto remembered them well, because the siblings drilled them into his head on day one of his training: respect for nature; prosperity from nature; crafting from nature; and finally, life as a community.
Underneath the cover was the actual Hunting License. It was a small, plastic card in a transparent sleeve with his name and information engraved on it, and his picture printed on the upper-left corner. In addition, it was laminated with a special lacquer that would show the Guild's crest under a UV lamp to prevent counterfeiting.
As he pocketed his badge, Naruto turned his attention to the festivities going on in the Great Hall. Near the back of the hall, he could see Felynes filling a large table with steaming large plates. He divided the weapon-making parts of the Seregios between himself and the Kawa Hunters; the rest were given to the Felyne chefs for the feast. Large sausages made from its organs, steaks made from its tail, even its ribs were turned into sumptuous dishes━nothing went to waste.
He spotted the Kawa Hunters dancing in the distance to music being played from the jukebox with the other native Hunters of all races. Some were at the bar or the tables, stuffing their faces while washing down their food with every drink on tap. Overall, everyone enjoyed themselves in different ways.
'Congrats on finally making it,' Mikazuki announced, her voice raised over the music, 'You earned it.'
'Yeah, well, I had good teachers,' Naruto replied, looking towards her, 'Where's Mangetsu-sensei?'
'He's going crazy in the kitchen,' she answered, 'I swear, he must be in paradise, playing head chef with the Felynes. By the way, I've got a gift for you.'
Mikazuki handed Naruto an item that looked like the lovechild between a crossbow and a buckler. It had a mechanism with a small rail on top, and an arrow-launcher below. The limbs of the bow, and the lever at the back were made of horn. Underneath the whole thing was a leather bracer with a buckle that allowed it to fit all sizes.
'It's our dad's slinger,' explained Mikazuki, 'It's standard-issue to all Research Commission Hunters, but some people manage to get their hands on one. It's every bit as useful as your knife; you can use it to distract your prey, set off traps from afar, even hitch a ride on the bigger monsters.'
'It's nice,' Naruto noted, pulling the lever, watching as the limbs of the bow locked in place, 'Thanks, I'll treasure this, dattebayo.'
'Take care of yourself out there, Naruto,' said Mikazuki, pulling Naruto in for a hug, 'Whatever path you choose, there will always be a place for you here in the lodge. Now get back out there, you should be celebrating.'
Naruto nodded gratefully before walking onto the dance floor.
…
A/N: And finally, we're done.
With any luck, this will tide people over until the next chapter.
Time training under the Moon Siblings, then a trial by fire with everyone's favorite invader, Steve. We'll see if it makes any difference in the Academy. Rest assured, he'll still be dealing with other monsters in the future, some of which will be original, and unique to the Shinobi Nations. But we'll still have plenty of known monsters coming back…such as JhoJho.
Yes, Naruto will likely get a palico…and it'd be interesting to see how (s)he will interact with Akamaru. But for that, I'm looking into cat breeds as a basis for the palico in question…besides the Siamese cat.
Credit goes to UnitedOsprey1991 for letting me use his Kawa Hunter team again. As well as the people on Discord, Soleneus, and NorthSouthGorem for being good sounding boards for ideas; and especially NorthSouth for beta-reading this chapter. Give all of them a read, would you kindly?
ART WORK
We spoke to the creators who put together the flashy visual effects of REBORN, and asked them about the album and Nanase Aikawa.
Project Management
Kazuo Yoshiwara
- ■Please tell us about the jacket concept.
- My main work is to direct and produce fashion show and events. Once I heard the title of the album, “Re-born”, I composed the new image of Nanase Aikawa, accentuating “Fashion”and “Mode” which is right up my street. The staffs were the great members whom I often work with.
- ■Tell us how you met Ms. Aikawa.
- There is a bland called “CHIYUKI” which I direct. The designer introduced her to me at the collection site since she was a good friend of hers. We are very good friends with many common friends
- ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa from your point of view?
- A very attractive lady who has a deep inner strength.
Graphic Director
Atsushi Umezawa (Glam Beast)
HP : http://www.glambeast.com
- ■Please tell us about the design concept.
- I chose the colors red to express energy and blue, as a contrast, for coolness. The design’s made using light and shadow to express women’s attractiveness which appears and disappears from time to time.
- ■What was the most difficult point in design?
- I tried to be consistent with a sense of balance in showing and not showing throughout. It ended up with a visual which is fashionable yet not too cool, I believe.
- ■Was there an unknown episode in shooting?
- The back-lighted expression was accidently taken in a lively move, however, it turned out to be the best shot which shows the expression that I desired to take.
Also, she does not play her own song during shooting. Her free style like that lifted the staffs’ spirits at the site. - ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa, from your point of view?
- She is a woman who’s got a cute side in handsomeness. I was very happy to work with her and watching her construct an image of herself.
Photographer
RINTARO
HP : http://www.rintaro1.com/RINTARO/Top.html
- ■What was the most difficult thing in shooting?
- Nothing special, since I work with excellent staff.
- ■What is the most important thing when shooting?
- I’m focusing on how I could cut the strength and weakness of the subject and the time we share beautifully yet dynamically.
- ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa from your point of view?
- A woman who’s got an extraordinarily power.
Stylist
Tsugumi Watari (angle)
HP : http://www.angle-management.com/main_ja.html
- ■Black seems to be the main color of the costume this time. Was that decided before going into the shooting?
- I talked to Mr. Umezawa about the theme of the costume and decided it would be black, not colorful, to show her personal image of “REBORN” as a base line.
The whole thing has to be decided before the shooting since there is a meeting in advance.
Sometimes there are some changes in styling, depending on the situations at hand. - ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa from your point of view?
- A matured woman with a clear mind that very easy to talk to. I enjoy being with her.
Make
UDA (S-14)
HP : http://www.s-14.jp/UDA/
- ■Tell us about the main theme of the makeup.
- Strong and sexy eyes contrasting her baby-face.
- ■Do you choose the makeup from the costume?
- Yes. I always think about how she would look more attractive with the costume.
- ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa from your point of view?
- I’ve never seen her live performance yet. But in person, I felt that she is an attractive person who has a strong power inside and pushes it out when singing.
Hair
TAKU (eight peace)
HP : http://www.eightpeace.net/top.html
- ■You cut her hair on the very shooting day. How did you decide the hair style? What is the inspiration?
- Getting the idea form the creative side to change her image from before, I decided the theme would be modern and edge yet would have some elegance.
- ■Can you give any advice to the fans who want to try the same hair style as hers?
- It is a geometric style, cutting sideburns as forelocks. The length of the bangs are the key.
Since everyone has a different bone structure it won’t be exactly the same. You can enjoy an arrangement of bang line like round or shaggy. - ■What kind of person is Nanase Aikawa from your point of view?
- Friendly and energetic!