AN: Hey there my people! This is Thewackness135 here with a brand new story for you guys to read and enjoy! This time, is a fic that has been in my mind for a long time, but I really thought that the way I would perform it, and the way that Naruto interacted with the world would be too generic, or had already been done already. This time, a fiction about Naruto, and a wonderful show called RWBY.
Seriously, if you haven't watched RWBY by now, stop everything you are doing and watch the first volume, and then the 2nd, and then the third….
I'm not joking, the show is pretty damn awesome. With a wide plethora of weapons, characters, and a LOT of humor thrown in, that I oh so love sooooo much!
I think this is what they call…. 'Fanboying'…
But seriously, it is a good show, and you guys and gals should definitely go and watch it some time, it is definitely worth it.
Yes, you read right, this is a crossover of Naruto and RWBY, so I hope that I don't mess up too much.
Excited? I am too.
Well, this is probably going to be a one-shot, as it is intended to be one.
Sorry, I really am, but this story will probably remain a One shot, and I apologize if you were hoping to see more.
I might write another chapter for this, based off of feedback of people telling me I should, or I might not if people tell me to just leave it the way it is.
I wracked my mind, trying to find a story premise that would affect both Naruto and the characters of RWBY.
And then one of my friends made me watch a music video.
That video was named: Konoha's state of the world, or Konoha No Sekkai Jijou.
For those of you that know the Kagerou Project, this is familiar to you.
For those that don't, look up the song, and then read the chapter.
I cannot recommend this song enough.
It is a damn good song.
And then my mind struck gold, about how to make him a part of the RWBY plot, and be invested in the characters within this world, where he finds some precious people to protect.
Now, without further ado.
This is a story about opening his eyes.
And learning to forgive yourself for a broken promise.
I introduce to you:
Naruto's State of This Grimm World.
Fonts:
regular text- speech, etc.
Bold: Important, jutsu, loud yelling, and Beings of power
Italics: Thoughts, Flashbacks, Dreams.
Underlined: Serious.
Bold Underlined: Kurama and other beasts.
DISCLAIMER: I own neither Naruto, nor do I own RWBY, or Mekakucity Actors, nor do I own any other thing in this story, they belong to their respective owners; If I did own them however, I would probably give the rights back to the original owners, and not ruin these great tales.
Let's go!
Naruto's State of This Grimm World.
CH.1: The Boy Encased In Dust.
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Naruto Uzumaki, a male of about 16, a person with three symmetrical Whisker marks on his cheeks, and semi-long Blond Hair that would've shadowed his eyes, if not for a metal headband that was engraved with a leaf-like symbol upon his forehead. He had deep Cerulean eyes, and a kind smile. He was dressed in a rather… Eccentric Orange outfit, consisting of a black and orange track-suit and the same style track pants.
Naruto Uzumaki was also a warrior, a Shinobi at that.
A Shinobi, an elite group of warriors that wielded the potent energy known as chakra. An energy that allowed these Shinobi to perform super-human feats of strength, and prowess. Even the lowest level of Shinobi, Genin, could control and bend elements to their will with enough training.
Yes, Naruto Uzumaki was a Shinobi, and he considered himself a damn good one at that.
Chakra was a versatile energy.
So when he ended up in a place where virtually no one lived, he immediately looked into the versatile power to find a way home. But had found no way that had worked yet. He had ended up in a jungle-like forest, and had yet to see any other people around, and immediately searched for a way out.
And then he found something strange, of which he was currently facing.
He threw a kunai, and it landed right between the eyes of a masked beast.
The beast itself had been bipedal, with strong, lithe muscles on its legs and arms, fit for running and hunting down prey, with strong, elongated fangs suited for ripping apart flesh.
It had the appearance of a were-wolf, as it could walk on two legs if it wanted to, but the strangest thing about it.
Was the strange, almost bone-like mask rested over the creatures head.
He didn't know what these creatures were called, and they weren't the only ones around.
There were also these bird-like creatures, which had the same bone-like mask the Wolf creature did.
He still didn't know what to make of them, nor what to call them.
He leant down, staring at the corpse of the strange being, inspecting it, "Just what the hell are you…"
He stared upwards, standing up, the sunlight reflecting off of his headband as he looked towards the treetops, "More importantly, where the hell am I?"
The last thing he remembered, was that shortly after he recovered from the wounds his Rasenshuriken he had used during the fight with Kakuzu and Hidan, he had went to bed, and had a strange dream.
One of a man with horns, and ringed eyes, who told him that "He was too pure for such a world".
And then he woke up here.
He had immediately set up a base camp, unsealing a temporary shelter tent and emergency supplies, as he looked around for any sign of civilization. He had found none, and began to look for nearby sources of water, and food, utilizing his Kage Bunshin to help in this endeavor, creating around ten of them.
He hadn't strayed too far from the camp, in case his friends knew where he was, and were on their way to find him.
For the past couple of days, he had been trying to make his way out of this forest, but hadn't broken through yet. So either this was a huge ass forest, or he was constantly getting lost and going around in circles.
He prayed and hoped that it was just a giant forest.
He jumped up into the nearest tree's branches, and resumed his long trek of getting the hell out of here, and going back home.
After a few days of seclusion with no human contact, Naruto was getting a little anxious. And then something he hadn't expected to happen, happened.
An explosion rang out, and he felt as the forest shook from the sheer force of the violent explosion, as the sounds of large bangs and shrieking sounds began to fill the air.
He turned once he landed on the next branch, "What are those noises?! The shrieking is from the wolf bastards, but those echoing sounds… I can't figure out…"
He heard a shriek nearby, and made his way towards the sound, increasing his speed, as he was determined to find out the source of the noise.
He heard the echoing bang noise to his right, "Close!", and jumped from the trees, descending to the ground, and running even faster as he reached its source. He emerged from the treeline, and saw something he hadn't been expecting.
Another human.
He saw a woman, appearing to be in her late twenties or early thirties, but still had a youthful and energetic feel to her. She had black hair, with red tips that went past her shoulders, and very pale skin. She was of average height, and was wearing a rather strange outfit, that was topped off with a white, hooded cape. And then she opened her eyes.
Her eyes were a deep silver color.
But that wasn't the strangest thing about her, no….
The strangest part of the whole scene was the massive scythe that she was cutting down the Masked Creatures with, easily cutting them down as she sliced her way through them.
She slid back, after bisecting one of the Masked Wolves, and messed with some sort of mechanism on her scythe.
Naruto's eyes widened, as he witnessed the Scythe beginning to change.
It shifted to a more streamlined, cylindrical shape, as the woman rested her shoulder on the back of the Scythe's? Blade. And then she pulled some sort of trigger.
A loud boom echoed throughout the air, as one of the Creatures lost its head.
Naruto stared blankly at the now dead wolf, "Well, that explains the echoing noise from earlier…."
The woman back flipped, her weapon once again changing to a Scythe, and cut a Wolf straight in half.
The two sides of the Wolf slid apart, as the woman spun her weapon around her, and sheathed it as it compressed into a small rectangular shape.
She clapped her hands, as if to clear off dirt or dust, and whistled at the carnage she had wreaked. She turned, to walk away and continue doing… Whatever she had been doing, before she looked and scanned the area for more of the creatures.
Instead, she found a wide-eyed person, staring at the many dead creatures around her feet.
And so the two stood there, wide-eyed, and just examined each other.
Naruto recovered first, weakly raising his right hand, and waved it, "Uhhh…. Hello…"
The woman was snapped out of her stupor, as she began to run at him, suddenly appearing in front of him as he was questioned, "What are you doing here?"
Naruto just stared at her, wondering how she had gotten in front of him so fast, "Huh?"
The woman backed off, spreading her arms wide and gesturing to the trees around her, "Evergreen Forest! This place is supposed to be deserted! No person living here kind of deserted, uninhabited."
She pointed to him, "So I'm asking why you're here."
Naruto put his thumb and index finger under his chin, "Your guess is as good as mine, I just ended up here." He slumped forwards, "I've actually been trying to get out and find my way home, but…" He suddenly rode up, shaking his fist at the sky, "This place is just too big!"
The woman nodded her head rapidly, agreeing with the Blond, "Yeah! I've been trying to travel, but I'm not getting anywhere!"
"And this heat! I can't even think straight!"
"Me too!"
Naruto pointed to the dead creatures, "And then these things keep getting in my way."
She cocked an eyebrow, "You mean the Grimm I took care of."
Naruto looked at her, "So, that's what they're called?"
She gave him a bizarre look, "... Well, yeah… The Grimm are Grimm…" Where had this Blond been smoking? How did he NOT know what the Grimm were?!
Naruto poked a nearby Grimm corpse with his foot, "Grimm, huh?"
He looked to the woman, before he gave a smile, "Well, at any rate, I'm thankful to finally see someone, my name's Naruto Uzumaki!" He extended his right hand towards the woman.
She gave an equally infectious grin, as she took his hand, and shook it, "Summer Rose!"
And this was the beginning, of an event that would rock Naruto to his core.
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Naruto had taken Summer back to his temporary residence, the fire already cooking a spare piece meat he had hunted down earlier, as he began to talk with the woman.
The sun had set, leaving a shroud of shining stars in the sky.
They had sat down around the fire he had started, and the two began to talk. Naruto talked of how he had woken up in the forest, and had immediately set up shelter, in hopes that he would soon be found.
Summer hummed in thought, "Well, in any case, after I'm done with my business here, I'm sure I can give you transport back home!"
Naruto brightened, as he beamed at Summer, "Really?! Thanks!" His expression became confused, as he pointed lightly, "Hey, what is that business you have here, then?"
Summer perked up, "Oh?" She puffed her chest out in pride, as she pointed her thumb to herself, "I was chosen to take a mission, and was told only I could do it."
Naruto raised a brow, "Well, why did you accept?"
Summer put her hands behind her head, as she relaxed, "I guess…. I just want to make this world a better place for people, so that we can all be happy." She gazed at the sky, "If I can make the world just a bit better, then I'll do what I can."
The young Uzumaki looked at her, before giving a bright smile, "That's a pretty awesome reason, Dattebayo!"
She looked at him, a bit of laughter escaping her lips, "Dattebayo?"
Naruto floundered, as a sigh escaped his lips, "Haaa, yeah, it's kind of this tic I have when I get excited…"
The Huntress gave a small grin, "Hey, I won't judge…." She gave a small look of realization, "You kind of remind me of one of my daughters."
Naruto looked at her in surprise, "You have kids?"
Summer nodded, "Yep, I have a family of myself, my husband Tai-Yang, and my cute little daughters Ruby and Yang!" She emphasized this by throwing up her arms, "The one you remind me of is Yang. Well, she technically isn't my daughter, but that doesn't really matter to me. As long as I live, she'll always be my family."
"She always has this certain air of determination around her, even though she's really young. She speaks her mind, and is kind, even for her age."
Summer looked to the Whiskered Blond, "So, what about you?"
Naruto faltered, before he looked down, Summer noticing his shift in demeanor, "I… Never really knew them… I'm an Orphan, Y'know?"
He looked up, staring at the stars, "I was told they died when I was born, so I never found out who they were…. I wasn't very well liked back in my home village, but I never really felt truly alone."
"Yeah, I felt like I was all alone for a while, but I always had the Old Man Sarutobi with me, and then there was The Ichiraku Family… Whenever I was around them, I always imagined that was what a family was like."
He smiled, as he remembered that rainy day, where an old Ramen chef invited him into his stand, and let him eat a warm meal during the cold day.
That kindness was what helped him keep going.
Summer had sat there, listening to the Blond, and had wondered what kind of childhood he had lead, "That must have been hard…" A life without her family? Summer couldn't even imagine it.
Naruto nodded, "It was… But I found people that I considered family, and that's what made life worth it."
He had a content smile on his face, as he remembered all those people back in Konoha. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, and all of his other friends had truly made their way into his heart, and he would be damned if he let them down.
He turned to Summer, as she looked at him, "Well, it is late, I think." He yawned, "I think I'm gonna head to sleep."
He pointed to the tent, "You can sleep in there, if you want, I keep a spare around here somewhere."
He began to rummage around the site, as Summer nodded, and took the tent already in place.
Silence, as the two slept.
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And so the days passed, as Summer went about her mission that Naruto had always asked about, but was told that it was confidential, and left her to her business.
He had decided to wait for her to finish her task, as she promised to give him a ride back to civilization after she was done with her task, and decided to wait it out.
She had seen him use his Clones, but then she had called it his 'Semblance'. He decided to write it off as her way of saying chakra, as he assumed that she knew of it.
Apparently, it was august, in the middle of summer.
He had asked her multiple questions about where they were, and had received some answers. Apparently, he was in a place called the Evergreen Forest, which was given its name due to the fact that the trees never went through fall like other tree's did, and stayed their green color. The forest itself was supposedly huge, covering and spanning a large distance. On foot, it was supposed to take multiple weeks to traverse.
He had found out about the Grimm as well. They were beasts that had been around the area since the beginning of history, which he had found strange, as there had been none of these creatures back in the Elemental Nations, so perhaps they only inhabited a certain area? Then that would mean that he was currently somewhere undiscovered by Konoha.
Naruto had been wondering about how to find his way back home, he could always just keep looking, and ask around once he got to a town when Summer was done here.
Speaking of the woman, Summer had proved to be a rather energetic, and happy person. She always seemed to radiate kindness, and Naruto could relate to the fact that she wanted to help others, just because she could.
He had really gotten along with her, and she also considered him a friend.
She had regaled him with tales of her family, around the fire. She had a husband, a man by the name of Tai-Yang, who she had fallen in love with a few years prior, and had soon gotten married. Her daughters were next, the first being Yang, the Daughter of Tai-Yang, and another woman, and Summer had accepted Yang with all her being, treating her as her own daughter. Lastly, was her youngest daughter Ruby, a child who had inherited Summer's pale skin, and Silver eyes. Ruby was really young at the age of three, while Yang was about five.
Naruto believed Summer to be great mother, and was happy that she could live every day knowing that she had people that loved her.
He had told her about some of his adventures as well, surprising her with the fact that his chakra allowed him to do so many things.
She had tried to call Bullcrap on him at first, saying something like 'He couldn't have more than one Semblance' and was quickly silent when he summoned two clones, and formed a Rasengan, while he stood on the surface of a tree.
Then came a huge shocker.
That he was no longer anywhere near home.
She had asked about his home, and he responded, as she looked at him incredulously.
He had told her that it was a huge land-mass, and that it was called the Elemental Nations.
She had refuted his claim, and brought out a map she had in her pouch, saying that her people had discovered every land-mass and continent in the world, and the Elemental Nations didn't come up anywhere.
He was told of the history of Remnant, the Grimm, Hunters, Aura, Dust, everything.
And Naruto sat there, trying to comprehend it all…
He was…. What? In another world? Dimension?
Could he even go home?
He had sat there for a while, before stating that he would find a way home, no matter what.
The days were rather simple after that.
Today, however, was different.
Naruto had sat down, as usual, and Summer had also sat by the fire, the stars of nighttime hanging above.
She had been acting anxious all day, and Naruto had noticed this.
So he asked her, "Hey Summer, is something bothering you?"
She looked towards him, giving him a light wave, "Ah, no, I'm fine, I swear." She finished with a weak grin.
Naruto just gave her a stern look, "Summer, I know something's bothering you, c'mon, just tell me."
The Huntress gave a sigh, before giving him an amused look, "Fine, you got me…" She moved her body, as she stretched, "It's about the reason I'm here, that mission I told you about…"
She looked him in the eyes, "I'm supposed to find a certain Grimm, and kill it. I actually managed to find out where it nested."
Her eyes turned uneasy, "But supposedly, every other person they sent here, who were also tasked with hunting it down, have been killed by it."
"It's not like I don't believe that I can't win and that I'll get killed, It's more like that this Grimm has never lost, and that no one even knows what it can do."
"One person managed to send a message, before they were killed…. They said that the Grimm… would completely break a person… It would torture them."
Naruto just gave her a determined look, "Then I'll help."
Summer looked at him, "What?"
"I said I'll help."
Naruto pointed to himself, "Me and you are going to go to where that Grimm is, and kick its ass!" He finished with determination.
Summer stared at the strange, young boy she had found in this deserted place, the boy who would risk his life for someone he had met only a week ago.
And she began to laugh.
Summer finished laughing, as Naruto gave her a look of confusion, she then wiped a tear from her eyes and looked at him once again, "Naruto, you really are a strange one…" She gave a bright, radiant smile, "But you are one of the most kind, and brave people I've ever met."
Naruto also gave a small chuckle, "Well, thanks."
And so the two sat there, happy.
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Summer Rose, was a hero.
She had become a Huntress not to be famous, and not for some petty reason.
She became a Huntress, to just simply help others.
She would endanger herself, so that another would be safe.
She would take mission after mission, trying to make the world a better place.
And just a few years ago, she had found one more reason to protect this world.
She had met Tai-Yang, fallen in love, had met a daughter, and then had birthed a daughter of her own.
They were now the reason she fought, breathed, and continued to try and help this Grimm world of theirs.
And then, she met a strange boy.
One that reminded her of herself, a person that would help others because it was the right thing to do. A person that would lay their very life on the line, to protect those that they cared about.
And that's exactly why she couldn't let him come with her to fight this Grimm.
This was her duty, and she would face it alone. She wouldn't endanger anyone else.
So as she looked at his sleeping face, she gave a quick smile, and spoke, "I'll be back soon. Don't worry, I'll kill this Grimm and show off to ya about it!"
And with that, Summer Rose left, trying to protect the world against a dire threat.
Trying to shoulder a massive burden that she believed only she could handle, so that no one else had to.
That is why Summer Rose was a Hero.
Because she wanted to protect the world.
Because she wanted to protect her family.
Because she wanted to protect that strange boy, that she had found in the woods.
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"Summer?"
Naruto had woken up.
He had stretched.
He had even eaten breakfast.
But he had not seen Summer emerge from her tent.
"Summer?"
He looked around, turning his head in every direction, as he searched for the Huntress, but to no avail. He looked inside of her tent.
And saw nothing, it was clean.
With a single note on the inside.
It read, "I'm sorry, but I'll kill this Grimm and be back before you know it!"
He stared at the note, before his eyes widened, and he rushed out of the tent, and into the forest surrounding it. He ran, speeding through the brush and other plants littering the ground, "Damnit! What the hell is she thinking?! I told her I'd fight this thing with her!"
Naruto was worried for her. Sure, she was a great fighter, but she had a family, daughters, a husband. And now she had decided to bear the burden of facing an opponent that had killed all the others before her.
He wouldn't let her take that risk alone.
He heard the sound of that same weapon she carried.
The sound of when it was in that strange, cylindrical shape, which fired a piece of metal. She was already fighting it!
"Kami-Damnit! Faster!" He yelled, as he increased his speed, following the sound of the echoing bang of Summer's weapon, as he ran desperately, trying to catch up to her.
He heard the sound again, before he saw a nearby stone hill get destroyed, debris flying everywhere, as a massive, black tendril punctured through it.
And saw the body of the same, kind woman fly through the air.
"SUMMER!"
He rushed forwards, dashing towards where she had landed, hoping that she was fine.
He arrived in a desolate place, the surrounding trees all blasted away, only dirt and destruction in place of vibrant plant-life. Shattered stone was scattered all around the place, as he looked for the woman named Rose.
He saw her, still recovering from her fall, groggily standing up, stunned.
He ran towards her.
She was stunned from her fall to earth, as She had taken a lot of damage from her previous engagement with the beast.
Too stunned to notice the black tendril coming towards her.
She noticed that strange Whiskered boy she had met, running towards her, his face stuck in a scream as he reached out a hand to her.
And then Summer Rose was pierced through the stomach by the black tendril of the Grimm.
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He couldn't believe it…..
He wouldn't believe it…..
Her family….
Her dreams…
She can't be dead.
She can't be dead….
Shecan'tbedeadshecan'tbedeadshecan'tbedead!
"SUMMER!"
His hand was still outstretched, in a futile attempt to reach her, to pull her away from the Grimm.
To save her.
But Naruto Uzumaki was too late.
He couldn't save Summer Rose.
He watched as the tendril pierced her stomach. He watched as it lifted her up, as she stared at the hole that was made in her body, grasping at the tendril as she was lifted into the air.
He watched as she was dropped to the ground, and landed with a thud.
His face twisted into anguish, as he slid to his knees, and cradled her head.
He looked down at her, as blood started to leak from the corner of her lips, her eyes meeting his, as she formed a bloody smile with the last of her strength.
She coughed, although it sounded like she was trying to laugh, "H…Hey… I guess… My luck..Di-did-didn't hold, h…Huh?"
Naruto just held her, looking down, as tears began to stream down his face, "Damnit, what the hell were you thinking!"
He hid his eyes, as he looked down as his eyes were shadowed by his hair, "If I had helped…. If I had just been here!"
He froze, when he felt her hands on his face.
Summer felt the tears that splashed against her face, and reached up, slowly wiping them from the Blond's face, gently wiping them off.
With the last of her strength, Summer said two words.
"I'm…Sorry."
And then her eyes shut forever.
…
…
Silence.
There was nothing but silence for the Blond, as his ears refused to register anything else.
His eyes wide, as he stared at the woman who had closed her eyes for the last time.
A woman, he had come to call friend.
"Summer…?"
He gently shook her.
"Hey, Summer…"
Naruto…. Felt numb
Like nothing mattered.
He had failed.
And now Summer was dead.
"Damnit….Damnit….Damnit! DAMNIT!DAMNIT!DAMNIT!"
His rage spiked.
*Splurch!*
And he too, was pierced through the stomach, as the tendril retracted. A massive, gaping hole where his organs had once been.
His anger had not lessened.
He landed on his feet, and began to stumble forwards, at first, it had been an awkward shuffle, then a steady walk.
Now, he was in a sprint, as he reared his head back, and yelled.
His eyes were a bloody red, the pupils replaced with savage, animalistic slits. His rage and despair bringing forth a forbidden strength.
The Chakra of the Kyuubi.
He ran forwards, uncaring of the hole in his midsection. He pulled out a Kunai, and prepared to strike the Grimm.
Through his hazy eyes, he managed to see the shape of the Grimm. It didn't resemble any actual animal, or even a plant. It looked…. Heinous… Depraved…. Evil…. This Grimm was just a mass of writhing, black tendrils.
And yet, it still had a mask of bone.
It looked like a bulb, with a singular eye popping out of the middle.
It was giant, about half as tall as the Ichibi Shukaku he had fought during the Chunin Exams when Gaara had gone berserk.
And yet, he didn't feel fear… Only anger.
A crimson tail appeared right at his tailbone, as a scarlet cloak formed around him, his whiskers and lips darkening, his canines elongated and became fangs.
A second tendril came at him, as he dodged. He flipped to his right, landing on all fours and two clones forming at his sides. He held a hand out, and began to shape some chakra, as the cloak around him made a leg to continue his running.
The clones each came to his hand forming chakra, each doing their duty, one forming a shell, and the other adding a little something extra.
A shrill, ringing sound filled the air.
Naruto's clones disappeared, as he was speared through the chest by another tendril.
He was lifted up into the air, as the Grimm's eye looked at him.
He could feel his life ebb away, he knew that even despite the chakra of the Kyuubi empowering him, it would not be enough to heal the damage.
But he didn't care.
If he was going to die….
Then he was going to take this fucking monster with him!
For himself.
For Summer.
For everyone it had killed!
As the Grimm retracted its tendril, intent on bringing the human closer to devour.
Naruto raised the Shuriken-shaped Chakra construct in his right hand, and slammed it down onto the Grimm, his face stuck in a feral snarl.
"Rasenshuriken!"
The Grimm took the jutsu full-on, the jutsu exploding in a whirlwind of power, carrying the Grimm away, as the tendril was ripped out of the Blond and carried with its owner. The Rasenshuriken stopped carrying the creature, finally exploding into a massive dome of almost infinite wind blades that cut the Grimm down to its very cells, striking an endless amount of times every millisecond.
Finally, the dome died, and the Grimm laid still, motionless.
In pieces.
Dead.
Naruto gave a small chuckle, blood escaping his lips, as he had landed on his front after he had fallen, looking upwards to where he saw the Grimm die.
"I guess.. I… Won't e-ev-ever become Hokage,….Baa-Chan…"
He grasped the Shodaime's Necklace Tsunade had gifted him.
"Everyo…ne…..I….I'm Sor..ry…"
His eyes felt heavy….
He was so…. Tired.
His vision was fading.
As his eyes began to close, he saw the image of a young girl with black hair with red tips, with a red hooded cape, crying over a grave.
And with that, Naruto Uzumaki died.
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The last thing he had remembered, was closing his eyes.
The feeling of his eyelids getting heavy, and closing….. The feeling of his life ebbing away. The feeling of dying.
So when Naruto Uzumaki opened his eyes again, he expected to see clouds, and pearly gates, he even had expected fire, and screams of pain.
So when he had woken up to white nothingness, Naruto was quite shocked. All around him, was just a white space, filled with nothing.
He was alone.
Or at least…. He thought he was.
He turned to the sound of….something…. and his eyes widened.
It was a mass of writhing, black tendrils, with a Bone-like bulb with an eye in the middle.
He was about to attack, when he heard a voice.
It sounded like needles were being dragged across a chalkboards, and someone was dragging a blade across a stone floor.
"So… You managed to kill me….."
Was that voice.. coming from that… thing…?
"Yes…. You did….."
He felt that eye suddenly shift upon him, its gaze turning almost… Furious.
"For that…..You'll sufferrrrrr….Over, and over, and over again…."
The eye began spinning, as Naruto felt the world around him begin to crumble.
It showed him HER memories. Of HER playing with her kids. Of HER spending time with them….. Of HER last thoughts of her family.
"I'll give you hope…That you can save her…. But you never will…"
The eye settled upon him, abruptly ending its spinning, the eye turning completely black, as the world around them began to crumble.
"If I can't break your body…..I'll break your mind!"
Naruto fell into the pit below them, as the ground also crumbled.
And thus, began the tragedy of one Uzumaki Naruto.
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"AGAHHHHH!"
Naruto awoke with a start, his hand reached out in front of him, as his face was stuck in a scream.
He whipped his head around, his breathing erratic, looking for anything. He calmed down, his heartbeat returning to normal, as his breathing became normal.
He looked at his hand, before he noticed he had woken up in his tent, "A…Dream? It was all a dream?"
He rose to his feet, he ate breakfast, he stretched….
Wait.
"Where's Summer?"
This sense of déjà vu…
He went to her tent, his eyes replaying that dream from the night before.
He found a note that read: "I'm sorry, but I'll kill this Grimm and be back before you know it!"
No….
No….
No!
Naruto dashed out of the tent, running to where he last saw Summer.
He heard the shots being fired.
He ran faster.
"This time…"
He saw the Stone hill being destroyed.
"This time!"
He ran faster.
"This time I'll save her!"
He saw Summer land in front of him. She was just five feet away.
"I promise!"
He was so close, if he could push her out of the way-
He once again arrived too late, as Summer Rose was once again impaled by the Grimm's tendril.
And once again, he killed the Grimm.
And once again…..He failed to save her.
A summer haze fell onto Naruto Uzumaki's eyes.
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(Insert Konoha's State of the World.)
(I messed around with some of the lyrics to fit the scene better, but still listen to the song as you read this.)
The meanings and dreams and lives amassed together
(Memories of Summer and her family together appear on screen)
That went into this body.
(Naruto stands there, watching the memories play)
Seem to make up a machine that's jostling an ended life back up.
(Naruto once again wakes up, abruptly getting up and running out into the forest.)
Each and every one of them are shedding tears. Whispering "I want to see them again".
(Images of a grave, with multiple people crying comes to his mind, before he shakes his head, and continues running.)
The end all experiment in this papier-mâché town. Was proceeding as flaccidly as predicted yesterday.
(He hears the sound of the bullets, and hears the sounds of a fight. He sees the stone hill get destroyed, and Summer land in front of him)
By then, wouldn't it have been better to give up?
(He reaches out his hand, yelling for her to move.)
The next two people saw such a pale-blue dream.
(Summer doesn't hear him, instead stumbling a bit.)
In a cranny of the forest.
(The screen turns black, as it zooms out)
Contrary to expectation, at the end of this road. Her body was pierced once again.
(It returns to see Summer getting pierced by the Grimm's tendril, as the camera shifts to see his widening eyes as her blood flies in front of him.)
With my eyes closed, I watched the crying, shouting girl.
(Naruto has also been pierced by the tendril, this time he performs the Rasenshuriken, and is lying down and dying after killing the Grimm, the last image he sees as his eyes close, is of that same Little girl with black hair with red tips crying over a grave.)
The second hand stopped ticking, and tried to blind the whole world with it.
( A clock rewinds, and stops at a certain time)
This dream will not end.
(Naruto once again wakes up, inside of his tent.)
The meanings and dreams and circumstances cobbled together.
Make a head sunk in endless thought.
This world appears to be demented, and crude.
(Naruto grips his head, struggling to comprehend his failure to keep his promise)
This is a story about him, and her.
With this Tragedy Manufactured Heart, no words have a chance of reaching it anymore.
(He once again gets up, and runs towards the forest)
The sounds of a withering sun.
And the sweltering eyes of the blazing flare.
Seem like they have ejected me into this Heat-battered hell.
(Naruto is still running, this time having clones beside him, as they rush forwards.)
Even if the cicadas already start stridulating.
With my wobbly, see through body.
(They emerge from the trees, and see Summer, and runs towards her. The clones throw Naruto forward, just in time for him to block the tendril that was about to kill her.)
And yet, my hand still won't reach her in time.
(His eyes widen in despair, as a 2nd tendril rushes past him, and he can't do anything)
Contrary to expectation, at the very end of my sights.
The second hand screws around to block my way.
As I watch a future become squashed right before me.
(The camera once again shows Naruto watching as Summer gets pierced by the 2nd tendril, and his eyes widen, as he watches her life ebb away.)
Pulling me out from this mechanized world.
Into a future landscape of falling leaves.
(The camera shifts to him sliding to his knees, as he cradles her head, and begins to once again cry, screaming I'm Sorry, as the Grimm just walks away, seemingly assured it would once again see this scene. Naruto just yells into the sky, but stops, as he feels a hand brush a tear from his cheek.)
With your eyes.
(He looks down to see Summer smiling, her eyes expressing sorrow, and yet elated to see that he was alive. And then her eyes close.)
The mocking sunbeams vanished somewhere.
(Multiple, bloody time-sheets fly by the screen, all depicting the same date and time multiple times.)
August has come and passed again and again.
( The sheets keep flying in front of the screen, before being blown away.)
Would a future in which they all laugh to each other.
"See you next year" Be…?
(The Sheets had parted to reveal a picture of Summer, and her family of Tai-Yang, Ruby, and Yang all smiling and laughing to each other.)
Contrary to expectation, in a nook of the world.
(Naruto is once again running, seemingly struggling to move forward, as he throws himself forward with each step.)
Unforecasted Rain poured down to earth.
In that time, in that time…
(Naruto stops, as he limply falls to his knees, his eyes being covered by his hair, which is matted down by the rain falling from the sky.)
The Blond Boy struggled up to a wall full of markings, as he muttered, "Another day has passed, where I failed to save you…."
Those eyes.
(Naruto etches a small marking into a stone slab he stumbled up to, before the camera pans out a little each time the guitar lines start again. Each time revealing more and more of the stone wall, revealing it to be massive, and filled to the edges with the same markings of five, each representing a day that he had failed her.)
(The camera fades to black.)
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How many days had gone by…
Again….
Again….
Why did it happen again…
Why couldn't he just keep his promise…..
Naruto once again fell to his knees, to him, it was almost a routine by this point.
He looked into her eyes, as she clung to the last bits of life she had left.
He had once again defeated the Grimm… He had decided on calling it Nightmare. Because that's what it had been to him, and had caused him all these long….Years?
He had honestly lost track at this point.
He had made sure it had died. He had made sure it had SUFFERED just as much as he had through all this.
But what did it matter anyway?
Every time he had found a way to stop the Grimm's next move, it did something else, as if just to spite him.
He couldn't just sacrifice himself for her, as the day would just once again reset.
This was all just going to happen tomorrow after all.
All he had to do was die by the end of the day, and it would reset.
That was how it worked, if he died, the day somehow reset, but he hadn't dared try to die later than midnight. The more he lived these days, the more he heard from the Grimm.
It had spoken to him only once more, and said only one thing.
"If tomorrow comes… No more chances….."
He assumed that this was why the Grimm had lived so long, this fucked up self-preservation method. Due to all the previous people who killed it had most likely been subjected to what he was facing.
Either they died from the initial encounter, or had been driven insane from having to see their friends or teammates die, or just because the day never ended, and they killed themselves after tomorrow had come.
It didn't really matter to him though.
He would have a chance to save her again.
He once again cradled her head in his arms, his eyes dull, but still fresh with tears.
He would never get used to this, as every time felt like the first.
Summer watched as the Blond wept for her, and started muttering something. If she had just ignored those mutters, maybe the days would have kept going… But she did hear what He had said.
"Next time….Next time I'll save you…..I promise…."
Next time?
What was he…..?
Summer's heavy eyes slightly widened, as she had a realization. "So…Tha-That's the Gr…im's way of dea…ling with Hunte…rs, huh?
It could reset time somehow.
And that Strange boy she had met a week ago was subjected to that nightmare.
She wondered if it had just been a week for him…. How long had it been for him?
And all that time, he'd been trying to save her?
Why?
She focused on listening even more.
"Next time….. You'll get to go home, and see your family again…. Your daughters….Your Husband….You'll all smile again…."
Ah….So that was it…. He wanted her to see her family again. He had said he'd been an orphan, maybe he felt it as a vendetta to try and prevent that from happening to her children.
To endure this, for her sake, so that her children would see their mother again?
He really was such a kind person.
Naruto just gazed at the woman he had seen killed, over and over and over, and over.
And over.
And over.
And OVER.
…..
He should just reset the day already.
Slowly, he brought the Kunai in his right hand up to his throat, and closed his eyes, "Next time…. Next time I'll end this damn day."
He thought it would end up the same, that he would slit his own throat, and once again wake up in his bed.
Instead, he saw as Summer grabbed his hand and threw away the knife.
She then grabbed something from her back pocket, and plunged it into his right arm. It was a small, white crystal, that seemed to glow as it became tinted red due to the blood it was coming into contact with from being inside Naruto's arm.
The crystal began to slowly swell in size, growing over his right arm, covering it, as he felt his arm go numb.
"What?"
He looked down, seeing that same, cheerful, bloody smile, "I'm sorry…..But forgive yourself."
He stared at her, as he listened to her last words, "Just live your life….Prom…ise…Me…"
And that was the last thing Naruto Uzumaki saw, before his eyes were encased by the crystal, and Summer pushed herself away from the Blond.
She watched as the Crystal grew to huge proportions, covering about fifteen feet high, and eight feet wide, as it grew into its full size.
It then propped itself against a giant stone slab, filled to the brim with singular markings that lined up to four, and then had a fifth slash through them.
She looked up weakly, "So…..That…Lo…ng, huh?"
She looked to the crystal that had grown over Naruto. It was an experimental type of crystal that usually produces ice dust, but had been recently thought of as a way of preserving a Hunter/Huntress if they were ever in trouble.
She was too far gone…. But him.
She could save him.
The crystal would preserve the person inside until they were found, and someone specified by the user appeared to release them.
With the last of her strength, Summer Rose uttered a single line of speech, that engraved itself onto the crystal.
"Those with blood Red like Roses…"
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…
…..
…..
"I'm bored!"
A young female voice cut through the silence, as collective groans were heard.
The source of the voice, was a young female, of around 15 years old. Her hair was black, with red tips that just reached her shoulders, and had pale skin, and Silver eyes. She wore a mainly black outfit, with red in certain places.
But the most noticeable thing about her, was the red, hooded cape she wore across her shoulders.
This was Ruby Rose, daughter of Summer Rose.
She struggled to stay in her seat, as she was quickly admonished.
"Ruby, the headmaster just doesn't call up students for no reason, so it's natural that we have to wait! He's got business to do, before dealing with us." The speaker was an older female, around 17, who had white hair, ice-blue eyes, and a scar going through her right eye, although the eye itself was unharmed. She wore a rather elegant combat dress, with a rapier slung across her hip.
This, was Weiss Schnee, the daughter of the head of the Schnee corporation.
Ruby just became more hyper, "I knowwwww! That's why I just can't wait to find out!"
"Sigh."
Ruby turned her head, "Uhh, Blake? Did you just say the word 'Sigh' instead of sighing?"
The girl in question was rather tall, and also around 17. She had wavy, and yet straight black hair, with a piece of ribbon done in it. She wore a white and black leotard-like shirt, with White Short-shorts that were connected by garters to a pair of stocking. Her eyes were slitted, and hazel in color.
This was Blake Belladonna, the resident bookworm of the group.
"To emphasize my point…Yes, yes I did."
Blake was then hugged to the shoulder of another person, who had grabbed her out of nowhere.
The person was also female around the same age as the other two, and had long, golden hair. Her eyes were a deep shade of violet. Her clothes consisted of a short jacket, over a tube top that revealed a lot of her cleavage, a symbol of a burning heart on the outside if the top. She also wore small, black biker shorts and golden bracelets on her wrists, and a pair of fingerless gloves.
This was Yang Xiao-Long, sister to Ruby and the resident….Loose cannon of the team.
Together, they were team RWBY.
They had all been called to the headmaster's office, of which the headmaster's name was Ozpin, and had been waiting for the better part of an hour for him to finally call them in.
Ruby heard small footsteps coming from the inside of the office, and her face became eager.
*Step*
She leaned forwards a little.
*Step*
A little more lean.
*Step*
The door clicked, before it opened to reveal a grey haired man, wearing glasses, dressed up in a rather nice-looking ensemble consisting of a suit, and a pair of suit pants.
"Hello there team RWBY…Come in."
He indicated for them to follow, and so they did.
He had led them to his desk, of which they had all taken a seat at.
He folded his hands underneath his chin, before he addressed them, "I know you are wondering what I brought you all here for today, and so I'll get straight to the point." He tapped twice on the desk, and opened up a drawer, and took out a single, communication scroll.
He opened it, and addressed them.
"You're definitely wondering, out of all the other teams, why you…."
He plucked a rose from a nearby vase, as set it in front of Ruby, "Recently, a pair of hunters made their way to a dangerous place, sent there to take care of a threat…. And when they arrived, they found that the Grimm was no longer there…. Although, it would be more accurate to say… It had been killed."
Ozpin set down the scroll, as an image flickered to life, "These Hunters, instead of finding the Grimm, instead…. Found something that might pertain to members of your team."
Upon seeing the image, Ruby's breath hitched.
It was an image of a giant crystal. But that wasn't what caught her eye, what had startled her, were the words engraved upon the crystal itself.
"Those with Blood Red like Roses…"
That was something that her mother would have said, it sounded eerily similar to her catchphrase.
Ozpin nodded, "Yes…. This." He said, as he pointed to the crystal itself, "Was an experimental piece of Dust Technology, used to preserve Hunters who were either injured, or were awaiting rescue."
"They were discontinued due to high production cost, and that they only worked with about a 50/50 chance…"
"Professor Ozp-"
Ozpin continued, as he didn't let the girl finish, "I have a Bullhead ready to embark to Evergreen Forest immediately. You might be able to find out about something that has been plaguing your mind for quite some time…. Ms. Rose…"
Ruby blinked.
He was giving her a choice.
And she made the only one she could have ever made in that situation.
LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERuby Rose, could not believe her eyes. Here she was, in the Evergreen Forest, a supposed zone of extreme danger, filled to the brim with all kinds of Grimm.
And yet, she had yet to see a single sign of any Grimm in the area.
She looked to her right, noticing that Blake's eyes had narrowed, "This…. Is too easy…"
Yang had walked up front, her bracelets changing into her weapon Ember Celica, her Shot Gauntlets, "Yeah, but hey, at least we're getting closer to where the map says we need to go."
The Bullhead had dropped them pretty far into the forest, but the trees had gotten too dense for them to land anywhere close to where they needed to go. So they had landed as far in as they could, and began the long trek on foot.
But even if it was easy so far…. It was still a little unsettling.
Yang's eyes went alert, as she punched the air, a bullet piercing through the treeline. Seconds later, a Grimm dropped, a Beowolf, and growling was heard.
Now they were surrounded by twelve of the beasts.
All Ruby did was slide a rectangular shaped handle from her back, and into her hands, "Only twelve, this is a piece of cake!"
She twirled the rectangle, before it opened up, and unfurled into a massive, red Scythe.
This, was Crescent Rose.
The others readied their weapons, Yang clanging her Shot Gauntlets together, before Blake readied a cleaver like blade, and Weiss held her rapier before her.
And as one, team RWBY charged into battle.
Ruby was first to engage, sliding below one of the Grimm and rising in an upwards slash, before swing her Scythe around her head, and decapitating another. She then turned it into its Sniper Rifle form, and shot another through the chest.
Yang was next, as she entered a boxing-like stance, and rained pain upon the nearest Grimm, punching literal holes through its chest, before knocking it into another of its kind and punching through both of their heads.
Yang ducked, as a blade attached to a length of ribbon flew past her head, and decapitated five more Grimm, their bodies all hitting the ground with a singular thud.
"Thanks Blake!"
The black haired girl nodded, before retracting the blade, and transforming it back into a pistol, shooting down more of the Grimm, and setting up kills for the others.
Small, blue projectiles flew throughout the battlefield, striking down the last of the Grimm, Weiss pointing her Rapier at them before a sigil of a snowflake faded away.
Ruby had a pleased smile on her face, as she clapped her hands, as if to clear off dust, "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."
And then she noticed it.
That semi-red crystal, that took up most of her vision.
It was a solid 15 feet in height, while being 8 feet wide.
This was what she had come here for. It was only a couple feet ahead of her.
She took a single step forward, before a bright red circle lit up beneath her feet, and one also emanated from underneath the crystal itself. This was a clue about her mother, was she really dead? And if so, maybe she could gain some closure about how she did die.
Ruby took another step forward, as the words inscribed upon the crystal began to glow a bright scarlet.
She read the words.
"Those with blood Red like Roses."
Steam erupted from the Dust crystal, as the center began to release… Something. Ruby covered her eyes, as did the others, shielding themselves from the smoke that was being unleashed.
She uncovered her eyes, as she witnessed a figure emerge from the cloud of smoke. He was rather young, around a year or two older than herself she guessed, and had Blond hair that spiked wildly, and cerulean eyes scrunched up in confusion.
He was rather muscled, and his skin was a peach-like color. But the most striking and noticeable thing about him, were the three symmetrical Whisker marks upon each of his cheeks.
He groggily stumbled forwards, as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Uhhh… Hi there.."
Ruby had given a rather meek wave.
The boy went attentive to the voice, his eyes fully opening, before his eyes widened, almost as if he recognized her.
Her heart nearly stopped, when the boy spoke, and said one name.
"…Summer….?"
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Naruto, was confused.
Why did he feel so tired?
Like he just woke up from a nap, and just wanted more sleep?
He didn't bother with the smoke obscuring his vision, because he hadn't even fully opened his eyes yet.
What had he been doing?
Ah, yeah. He was resetting, and then Summer…
"Uhhh…. Hi there…"
That voice…..
That voice!
His eyes widened, searching for the one person he had been trying to save for all these years. He saw a sight, that was extremely similar to a day he would never forget.
There she was, a girl with Black hair, with red tips. The same pale skin, and striking silver eyes. Once again, she was standing around the corpses of some Grimm she had recently defeated, her Scythe slung across her shoulder, as she looked at him.
She wore a black and red outfit, consisting of a black, corset-like top, and an equally black and red skirt, that she wore leggings with.
But her hood…. That same, recognizable hood….
It was red, instead of white.
Her hair was also shorter than he remembered.
He reached out a hand to her, weakly and dazedly raising his right hand…
"…Summer…?"
The girl's eyes widened, as she saw him there, as he said her name.
She opened her mouth, "How do you know about my mom?"
Her mother….
Summer…. Was her mother….
So this wasn't her….. It was one of her daughters….
The one he kept seeing crying at a funeral.
This, was Ruby, th daughter Summer had told him about.
She approached him, as his throat hitched.
"Hey… Are you okay?"
As kind as her mother.
But, Summer had said that Ruby was three when he had last seen her, before that dreadful day began…
If she was this old now….
Naruto fell to his knees, as he realized what had happened.
He was too late.
He could never save Summer Rose.
But she, had instead saved him….
He had failed…..
He had failed…..
He had-
"Hey…. Hey..."
Ruby Rose stared at the strange boy, who had somehow known her mother. She wanted to know what had happened here. But even she could tell that he was hurting, badly….
Something tragic had happened here.
Why was he crying.
She went to him, and knelt down beside him….
And embraced him.
His cries halted, as he felt a touch…. A warmth go over his sorrow wracked body…
He looked up, seeing the smiling face of Ruby, as she just stayed there, and gave him comfort.
He had broken his first promise, his promise to save Summer Rose from her fate. Naruto remembered her last words he had heard, before being encased in that strange Dust Crystal.
"Just Live your life….Prom…ise…Me…"
Naruto Uzumaki looked up, his eyes returning from the dull blue they had become throughout these long days, to a determined cerulean.
His eyes hardened in determination.
He had broken his first promise.
He looked to the face of Ruby, and her companions behind her.
He would not break the 2nd one.
And finally, the summer haze lifted from his eyes.
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AN: Hello there once again my people! This is Thewackness135 here with a brand new story, one featuring Naruto Uzumaki, and the world of RWBY!
This is intended to be a one shot kind of story, so I'm sorry if you liked the chapter, and wanted to see more.
I wanted to do a Naruto and RWBY crossover, and I recently heard the song Konoha's State of the World, and then this story was born.
About a boy.
Who met a woman.
And each met a friend that day.
A story about determined Cerulean eyes, trying to make a future where she could once again laugh and play with her children.
And a story about how those same cerulean eyes dulled, and were subjected to a tragedy unlike any other.
A story, of how he could never reach her in time, and would always reset.
A story about a woman, who wouldn't let him sacrifice himself for her sake any longer.
This was a story about opening his eyes.
And realizing that you sometimes just have to let go.
This is Thewackness135, signing off.