Chapter 1

Raven Branwen has been called many things in her life, a decent and well-balanced mother was not one of them. That wasn't to say she hadn't tried being a good mother, she'd even contemplated leaving behind her tribe just to raise her daughter, but in the end something forced her hand. It wasn't that Raven didn't love her family, even if her feelings for her former husband had diminished somewhat over time, but hard choices had to be made. One such choice came in the form of her daughter's twin brother, who has inherited his father's bright yellow hair and her sharp red eyes. They named him Naruto, after the main character of a book Raven had picked up while at Beacon Academy, and in the beginning everything was borderline perfect. It all began the day the Raven accidentally activated her son's aura, which was something of a tradition within her tribe, and never before had she regretted her actions so much. Taiyang and Yang hadn't been home when it happened, they'd actually been out of town with Raven's brother Qrow, and everyone was still alive because of that simple fact.

Not only had Naruto aura activated, but so had his semblance, and it was as destructive as it was mighty. Despite being only about a year old, Naruto semblance had completely destroyed their house and burned some of the surrounding area to a crisp. It was only thanks to Raven's quick reflexes she was able to form a portal and escape before the blast took her along with everything else. She naturally contacted Taiyang a moment later, after teleporting back to the house and making sure that her only son was all right, and that's when everything really did change. Taiyang's first suggestion was to call Ozpin, something Raven was already very much against but agreed to nonetheless. Ozpin naturally came by to look at the boy, explaining to the two worried parents that the activation of Naruto's semblance at such a young age had led to unleash something he'd never seen before.

Taiyang remained optimistic, reassuring Raven that they would do everything in their power to make sure Naruto didn't hurt either himself or anyone else unintentionally, but the raven-haired beauty didn't hear any of it. She didn't hear any of it because all she saw, when she looked at Ozpin, was a man planning on how to use her son in a war he had no knowledge of. So it was that night, without ever saying a word to anyone, that Raven took up her old arms and armor and vanished with her son. It was only a week later that Raven appeared once again, this time to her best friend, named Summer, and told her old team leader to take care of her now ex-husband. Summer never claimed to understand what was going on with Raven, she didn't need to, because true friends never need to ask why.

So, as Raven took her little boy Naruto to the only place she could raise him properly and in relative safety, she took a vow that no one would ever use him like Ozpin had been planning to. She would train him to be powerful, even more than Raven herself was, so that no one would be able to control him. Then, when the time was right, she would tell her son about the family she had taken him away from. She would tell him how she took him away in the dead of night because his own power put them in danger. Then, after everything was laid bare at his feet, she would ask for his forgiveness. However, until that day comes, Raven would train him.

(Naruto Age: 4)

Living amongst the Branwen tribe was not for the faint of heart, they were a group of people that valued strength above almost all other attributes, to the point that even their children were expected to be above the norm. So it shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone when Raven decided to take her four-year-old son out on a hunt, namely for Grimm, as a way to show him what he will be expected to face when he becomes of age. So now here Naruto stood, safely up on the hillside, and watched his mother easily rip through the small army of monsters with ease.

"Yeah, way to go mom, show those monsters who they're messing with!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist into the air with a wide smile on his face, and already imagine what he'll be able to do once he gets big and strong like his mother.

"I hope you're paying close attention, little Branwen," came a voice from behind Naruto, "There's a reason our tribe follows your mother, her strength is unmatched by all of us here and her dedication is unwavering."

"You got it, old man Seijuro, and when I grow up I'm going to be even stronger than mom! And then, once I'm leader, the whole world's going to know the name Branwen! We're going to be the strongest tribe ever!" Naruto cheered, getting a snort of amusement from the man standing behind him, as Raven finished off the Grimm below with a sudden surge of speed.

"Kid, if you even turn out as half as strong as your mom, you'll be strong enough to have earned my respect. Now come on, let's go down there so she can continue your lesson," Seijuro grunted, motioning Naruto to go forward while pushing on his back just for a little nudge.

Naruto just laughed at his Guardian, a man tasked by Raven herself to watch over her son whenever she couldn't be around, ever so eager to pester his mother about finally beginning his training. Raven often wondered if this was how Yang was with Taiyang, but those thoughts often led to quick bouts of depression and longing, follow quickly by a large amount of alcohol. It was because of both of their distracted minds that neither son nor mother notice one last Grimm having survived the slaughter, that is until it suddenly lunged at the unaware Naruto. Raven's eyes slowly widened horror as she witnessed such a large beasts come down on her small and fragile son. Never before had she felt such helplessness, knowing that she herself was too far away to prevent any harm from coming to Naruto, but that didn't stop the raven-haired warrior from trying.

Even Seijuro, who himself was only a few yards away, could only watch on in horror as the large abomination came down on his charge. Both members of the Branwen tribe reached the Grimm at the same time, there's swords already unsheathed and poised to strike, and they didn't hesitate for a moment. Yet it was Naruto's cries of pain that brought Raven's World crashing down around her, for she had been too slow and the damage was already done. As if some dark and twisted curtain was suddenly lifted from around her son, Raven was greeted by the sight of Naruto holding his face in pain as blood ran down his cheeks.

"Naruto," Raven began as she slowly knelt down next to her crying son, sword dropped on the ground without a second thought, " Naruto, move your hands so I can see what happened."

Most children wouldn't have been able to listen, most children would be in too much pain to even think about revealing it to the world, but Naruto was the son of Raven Branwen! So, taking a deep breath and holding back as much of his tears as he could, Naruto slowly pulled his hands away from his face to reveal the damage. Three long and jagged scars now ran down the side of each of Naruto's cheeks, not deep enough to pierce down into his mouth, but not shallow enough to prevent any permanent scarring.

"It, it hurts, it hurts so much," Naruto choked back a sob, already tasting the iron of his own blood that had dripped into his mouth as he spoke.

"I know, I know it hurts, I'm so sorry Naruto. I let my guard down and you got hurt because of it," Raven whispered as she pulled her sobbing child into her arms, "Mommy's here now, it's all going to be alright."

"Raven," Seijuro began, only to fall silent beneath Raven's harsh glare.

"Never again," Raven growled out as softly as she could, getting a solemn nod from Seijuro.

"Come, we should get him back to the tribe and get those injuries looked at."

Raven nodded and slowly got back to her feet, sheathing her sword before taking a young and still injured Naruto in her arms, being careful not to rest his face against her armor and aggravate his injuries even more. Many would believe that Naruto would be out of commission for a few weeks as his face healed, but it was only one week after the incident that Naruto walked up to his mother and asked to finally begin his training. Raven could say, with all the pride of a mother, that her son would be strong and ready to face the world that awaits him outside their tribe.

Little did anyone know that, just beneath the bandages Naruto now wore on his cheeks, a vile red energy seeped from the cuts and began to slowly burn the flesh until the bleeding stopped. That attack from the Grimm had woken up something deep inside Naruto, and no one would ever be prepared for what was going to happen in a few years.

(Naruto Age: 9)

Naruto's training had started off very simple in those beginning years, mainly consisting of daily exercises and training his mind to be as sharp as the blade he would someday wield. Raven knew full well what damages can be done to the body if extensive training was started too young, so she made sure to teach her son's mind while preparing his body for the intensity it would face in his later years. Now, right as Naruto was on the verge of turning ten years old, it was decided by the tribe that Naruto would finally undergo the combat portion of his education. Raven herself had undergone something similar around Naruto's age, which showed to everyone just how much promise he had, but that didn't mean it would be easy.

Tradition stated that each member of the tribe was to teach Naruto at least one thing about combat, whether it be how to wield a weapon or how to lead an enemy into an ambush. Everyone agreed that Raven should be the one to teach her son the way at the sword, even Seijuro had relented on that part, and soon enough Naruto new more ways to kill a man than any other nine year old on the face of Remnant. Unfortunately for Naruto, his mother would soon prove to be the hardest teacher he'd ever had.

Yet, in the end, Naruto had been gifted with a pair of daggers from his mother, for him to use until he was strong enough and big enough to wield a proper weapon. It was also around this time the Naruto began asking where his father was and who he was, all questions that Raven didn't want to answer.

"My past is a difficult thing for me to talk about, Naruto."

"But can't you at least tell me if he's alive, if he even knows that I'm his son, if he even cares that I exist?" Naruto asked one late night as they sat in Raven's tent, eating dinner.

Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes, thinking about every possible scenario that could take place after this night and how her answer would further impact her relationship with her own son. Telling him the truth could possibly be the right thing in the short and long-term, but that also ran the risk of Naruto running away one day and search for family he had no idea of. If for no other reason, Naruto would go in search of a twin sister that he had never met before and had never even thought of. Naruto would hate her for it, when he eventually found out the truth, but she could live with that if it meant keeping him safe until he was ready. For in this deep and dark world, filled with monsters and other nightmarish creatures, Naruto is the only ray of sunshine she still had.

"Alright, I'll tell you about your father and why he's not with us now. I used to be something known as a Huntress, someone who goes out into the wilds and hunts down Grimm, and it was during this time that I met your father. You look a lot like him, same hair color and everything, and the both of you have this shining personality that can just light up a room. I was out on a mission, it lasted maybe only a week, but when I got home I found that's Grimm had attacked only a few hours before my arrival," Raven took a deep breath as if the center herself once more, "And when I rushed inside the house I found your father dead, slumped up against the door to your room. He fought off in entire horde of Grimm just to keep you safe until I could get home."

Naruto's lowered his gaze to the ground, as if now in deep thought, before is red eyes suddenly shot up to meet Raven's, "What was his name?"

"Taiyang, his name was Taiyang."

"Then I'm proud to be the son of Taiyang and will do everything in my power to live up to both of your names!"

Raven just smiled down at her son, a smile to hide the pain of lying to him, "I know you will, because you are my son."

(Naruto Age: 14)

Up till this point Raven had kept her word, she trained her son to be strong, loyal, and skilled enough to survive the outside world. Yet it was at this point that Raven's motherly instincts and duty to train her son finally conflicted with one another. Every member of the Branwen tribe was expected to make at least one kill before their 15th birthday, showing the rest of the tribe that they were ready to become one of them and had the will to put the tribe as a whole before their own desires or personal codes. As a mother, Raven did not want to have to force her son to go through with this, but as a member of the Branwen tribe she had no choice in the matter. Raven knew her son was skilled enough to do it, he had nearly surpassed her strength at that age, but did he have the resolve to take a life that wasn't Grimm?

"You know you don't have to leave yet," Raven stated as she helped adjust Naruto's new armor, which was a strange mesh between cloth and metal plating over vital areas.

"Yes I do, because the sooner this is over then the sooner I can come back here and help you with the tribe as an equal," Naruto firmly stated, his voice having growing a bit deeper since beginning puberty and now standing just half a head shorter than Raven herself.

"When you get back, if you need to, I'll be here to talk."

Naruto just gave his mother a smile, one that reminded her so much of Taiyang, "I'll be strong, I'll make you proud to call me your son by becoming a man of the tribe."

Raven watch has Naruto turned around and picked up his two daggers, the very same ones she had given him all those years ago, and sheath them into different holsters on each side of his waist. Then, with a kind of gentleness she only ever seen herself use, she watch Naruto pick up a sword he had crafted all by himself. The sword had a curved blade, much like Raven's own, with hidden notches inside the blade that's skillfully covered what it was really capable of. Naruto then took out a mask, a Grimm mask, and placed it over his face to hide his identity; no one must be allowed to even so much as give out a description of him.

"Naruto."

"Yes, mother?"

"... Good hunting."

And with those last words said between mother and son, Naruto exited Ravens tent and soon enough would exit the area the tribe had settled in for the moment. The nearest town was said to be a very corrupt place, or at least that's what their scouts had told them, and that's why Raven had chosen this place to be her son's proving ground. She knew he wasn't ready to take an innocent life yet, so maybe taking out some drunken murderer would be a good first step in preparing him for what he might have to do some day for the tribe.

(Inside The Town)

By the time Naruto had reached in the town the sun was already setting well behind him, it's heavenly rays painting the sky in reds and purples, and was a perfect time for him to infiltrate the area without being seen by anyone. Now the trial for his tribe never specified what kind of person he must kill, only that it must be done before his 15th birthday, so at least I gave Naruto some time to figure out which one of these people would be his target. At first Naruto thought this would be a problem, but a part of that changed when he actually began observing the townsfolk. This wasn't a normal town, it was filled with evil given human form, with acts of such depravity taking place that it would forever be engraved into Naruto's very mind. Men and women alike were being forced against their will in the very streets, a pile of corpses had formed in the very center of the town, and those unfortunate enough to still be alive after all of this we're being sold in a public slave auction.

"Why did she choose this place?" Naruto asked himself from his hiding spot atop one of the many roofs, struggling to hold his newfound rage at bay.

Naruto simply shook his head, it didn't matter why he was here, the fact of the matter was that he is here now and he can do something about this evil. Sure his tribe were Bandits, that was never kept secret from him, but this is a kind of cruelty not even Grimm are capable of! So Naruto drew the twin daggers from his sides, gripping one in each hand tightly, and jump down into an alleyway below where a woman was being assaulted. By the time the sun rose the next morning, the only thing left of that town was a burning pile of wreckage, and Raven watched from a distance as her son walked back home covered in the blood of his enemies.

(Naruto Age: 16)

"Sorry mom," Naruto whispered as he stood over Raven's sleeping form, a pack flung over his left shoulder and all his gear on, "But something's calling to me out there and I just can't ignore it anymore.

Naruto leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before walking out of her tent and simply vanishing into the night. Something out there was calling to him, every night for the last two years, and it was about damn time he figured out what it was.

"Come to me,"