When it melts away.
One Shot.
This one shot is just a collection of snippets, expect a lot of line breaks, you've been forewarn.
Weiss hated him, she hated that blonde hair uppity faunus that joined Beacon along with the rest of the new students. She hated his smile, his laugh, his constant bubbly attitude towards all things, even death.
During the trials, they had at the started getting into a bind, and when everyone was slightly struggling, she saw him just dancing around a few Beowulfs. It was like he treated nothing but a game, a childish game, that's all this was to him.
The nerve!
When he passed his trial, he got placed on a team, just like them. His team almost minus himself, named team M.N.G.O. which literally was Mango, that was their team name. R.W.B.Y had to compete with a fruit colored team, that was when she had her blood boil.
Naruto didn't work well with his team at all.
Many of them, friends of a certain redheaded bastard named Cardin, teased him for his heritage. Having fox ears was almost inviting him as open game, they made sure to take advantage of it. He'd smile, move on, and just waive his fears and doubts away.
However, when he was alone, he was always with a sad look upon his face. They couldn't see him, not for what he was or his value, but no they treated him like animal merely having an animal appendage.
The irony?
He rather be here than anywhere else, at least here his talents shined.
Stealth, close combat, and all that good jazz. He was his own little expert, his semblance made to merely augment what he had to more devastating levels. It wasn't everyday someone had a semblance that allowed them to constantly feed of natural aura in nature.
It even gave him a fancy orange eyeliner…imagine that.
Weiss was scared.
She was afraid of the faunus, not just any faunus, this blonde faunus named Naruto. He eyed her every now and then, almost looking each time she'd move to look at him. It was unnerving, it was something she was scared of.
Being watched.
She grew up being watched her entire life, any imperfection was righted before it grew into a habit. She learned not to roll her R's, she learned how to keep perfect grip upon the blade she wielded, she dressed in her traditional Schnee clothing.
Tradition, perfection, and class.
That what was Weiss was, but it scared her to see someone of so opposite qualities be strong or stronger than most of the people she came in with.
Two months in, and he beat out Cardin, Yang, Ruby, Blake, and even Port in a sparring match.
A professor!
She grew fearful if he was ever hiding secrets.
Naruto was formerly White Fang, he never really liked talking about it.
White Fang members always had a bad reputation to follow them, usually because of Adam. That ram headed bastard always caused conflict, anywhere they went. Naruto was trained at a younger age than most, because of his aura which was potent as it was vast.
A very rare combination, a combination that almost gave him a destiny to be the best of the best so to speak.
It all ended when Adam announced his hatred of humanity and began training others to attack rather than defend.
What choice did the blonde have?
Be the monster, or be the outcast?
Ghira was a lifelong mentor of his, it broke his heart when he had to turn his title…his mask…his own past into him. The man told him, over and over, constantly even. He didn't want this, he didn't want The White Fang becoming violent.
He was losing control, he was losing the will of the people.
Could Naruto blame them? No, there's only so much people can take before they snap and bite back. It's the nature of all things, you can only beat a dog so much.
His loyalty, his devotion in The White Fang's core values didn't waver. Even when he turned in everything, he believed that humans and faunus could be together in harmony. He strived to do what he could to prove it, and sometimes he was successful.
Other times not so much.
Then again, when was life ever about certainty and perfection?
Weiss also was frustrated with Jaune Arc.
Especially since he and Naruto hung out a lot after the boy grew courage to make Cardin back off of his team. Naruto and Jaune looked very much alike each other, save Naruto's red fox ears and Jaune's flat blonde hair rather the spikey shaggy mane that was Naruto.
She saw him, Naruto, training the blonde human like he was a teacher. She grew curious of Naruto, the often-freeform fighter of the entire school, with no set style.
How could he teach someone, when he himself particularly made things on the spot, it made no sense to her!
Training took time, took technique, took years of learning the basics.
Yet here she was, the one spying on them, just a couple of months away from the Vytal festival. She noted how Naruto seemed to move, freely, without form. Like wind, dancing around the trees, and he was teaching Jaune to do the same.
Ironically, she noted in recent sparing classes, that Jaune had improved…a lot.
He even came close to beating Nora, Nora!
Love her or hate her, Weiss didn't know which she felt for the orange haired berserker, but Jaune keeping up with her till the end was a feat that even she couldn't hold claim to.
It frustrated her, how could her years of the best training possible push her behind so much?!
Naruto was brave, very brave.
The teen was always staring death in the face, smiling even, so when he and his team got assigned a mission to finally test their abilities in the open they made haste. Naruto of course, was the back guard, the one who stayed behind everyone, and the one usually attacked first.
He didn't mind, no he reveled in it.
He got to show that he wasn't some push over, a Beowulf here, a Nevermore there, and a sliced in half Deathstalker could all attest to his combat ability.
What he lacked in the brains department academically, he more than made up tactically.
He was probably one of the best fighters in Beacon, he was probably one of the best tacticians to boot, he rarely needed his team.
However, on this little show, Naruto came upon something he never would've liked to see again.
It was a faunus encampment, all of it tore asunder. Death filled the air, all of it made him sick, it reminded him of his own experience.
The first time he saw Grimm, the first time he saw a building burn to the ground, the first time he lost his family.
Weiss was curious.
Naruto didn't show up to class, didn't show up to spar, and even avoided PT.
Now, a lot of students hated PT. it was intense physical training, the things that made in at your base combat ready. Yet, the class Naruto liked the most, here he was gone from it. It was surreal, not having the blonde challenge Nora to a race.
Jaune to a spar, The Invincible Girl to a title match, Ruby to a race. Yang to an arm wrestle, and finally her to a test of balance.
It was bad, the entire class seemed silent, no one really talked throughout.
So, when she finally left, she walked around Beacon. Finally, she found the blonde on the roof of the academy. She stayed hidden, but she saw him holding up a few photographs, her eyesight being as good as it was could make out a blonde hair man and a red headed woman.
One was faunus, the woman.
The other was human, the man.
She heard him weep, sobbing even, something about the mission he had went on triggered him to this state.
Was it the encampment being destroyed?
Naruto confronted Weiss, it was something that had been building up. It all boiled to a head when Weiss made Blake run away.
Naruto for the first time showed his anger towards another person in a long time, he called The Schnee Heiress out. He called her out on being selfish, being entitled, being cruel to her own team. When she countered by him not being a good teammate to his team, he scoffed at her.
"At least I know my place, but I don't have to like my team to work with them."
Those words ringed loud in her, it was something her father would say to her, to always know her place in the chain of command. She was made to think that she had to kiss the hands of her superiors, always do what was told, mostly without question other than details on what to do.
Yet here, Naruto, didn't care for that. "You had it easy."
She would go on tribble on how she was a victim, how she lost family, and Naruto all the time stood there with his arms crossed. "And you think you're the only one?"
She told him that if he missed his family so much then he should just go back home to them, it was spur of the moment, it was in the heat of her rage.
She never expected the blonde to simply toss a knife at her feet, look her dead in the eye, and right into her very soul.
"Then you make me go back to them."
With those words, he simply walked away, rather to find Blake or just simply get away from her, he himself probably didn't know.
Weiss was heartbroken, she came back to her dorm, holding the knife she had given him.
Ruby, Yang, and Zwei looked at her. "Any luck?"
She just shook her head, before simply laying the knife at the desk, they asked the questions they wanted. Even who the knife belongs to. She didn't hold anything back, no detail, and not tears.
She hated him, but now she hated herself. Did she really have such an easy life, did she always live to a higher standard? She looked back on it, all of it, even the harsh training she allowed herself to go through.
Yes.
Yes, she had an easy life.
Yes, she had no idea what it was like to be discriminated, nor did she realize the pain that someone could carry from probably watching their family die in front of them.
So, when everyone was asleep, she simply got up, walking out of the door wearing pajamas. The cool hallways made her mind clear, her purpose clear, so she knocked on Naruto's Team door. When he team leader, Manny answered, she just asked to speak with Naruto.
So, when the blonde came out, he was surprised to see her hand him his knife back. "You shouldn't want to join them…"
Naruto for the first time, in front of any one, simply shed tears as he took the knife.
Instead of going back into their dorms, they decided to take a walk, and talk about their lives.
Naruto was stressed, and it was a rarity.
He stood in front of a mirror, dressed in a black tux with an orange vest and white undershirt. His black pants were a perfect fit for his frame, his family necklace adorned his neck. The aqua colored rock seemingly bounced as Naruto turned around to look at himself in the mirror.
Manny, his team lead, and only friend on his team nodded in approval.
Walking out of his door, he simply walked up to team R.W.B.Y's door, knocking on it. Ruby and Yang opened it, looking stunned at Naruto.
Ruby blushed, for once she had to admit Naruto was handsome rather wild looking.
Yang did what Yang did best, and made things awkward with a sensual and sultry growl. Even saying that if the dance didn't work out with Ice Princess, that Naruto could find her at the juice bar area.
The fellow blonde sputtered at her comments, before laughing them off as jokes. At least, he had hoped they were jokes, otherwise he'd find a similarity in this team like his.
So when Weiss came outwearing a beautiful dress, Naruto's heart skipped a beat.
Weiss, for the life of her, didn't understand him.
He just gave up his position in the tournament to Jaune!
Jaune of all people!
Not her, not Ruby, not Yang, for god's sake he didn't even give it to Nora! Nora! N.O.R.A Nora!
It was like he wanted Vale to lose, because here they were, dressed in their plain clothing, in the stands. She was watching Jaune and Pyrah getting ready to battle Cardin and his goon. Naruto was leaned back, not a care in the world, while she was own edge.
How could he allowed himself elimination, and his only explanation was that he was simply passing a torch.
What torch?!
To Jaune, who'd more likely just trip in the only puddle of water in a vast desert?!
She was shocked, to say the least, when Jaune kept up with Pyrah.
Even more shocked when he single handedly took down Cardin, and almost blew a blood vessel when he used a technique she had been asking Naruto to teach her for the past month.
The blue ball in Jaune's hands simply tore off the armor Cardin, and probably blasted that pride of his away along with himself into a giant brick wall behind them!
She figured out one thing, Jaune must've felt damn good at the moment.
Naruto's whistling broke her concentration, she looked over to him, he had the cheekiest smile on his face. "Told you so."
Naruto was furious, it was a rarity for him to ever have such a heightened amount of emotion.
The Vytal festival came under attack, The White Fang and some other groups had banded together to take down Beacon and anyone inside of the festival. Using guns, Grimm, aura, and monsters like Dragons.
Naruto was currently assisting Oobleck and Professor Port. Taking on Grimm and several White Fang soldiers all at once. His semblance purely overcharged at this point gave his eyes a red glow instead of their normal shining blue in the state.
After the twentieth Beowulf, Naruto saw an entire squadron of androids firing on a crowd people just trying to get to a Bulwark.
Roaring out, he cupped his hands before a screeching noise emanated from them, which became a whirlwind of wind. Shouting out the technique he was using, he threw the mass of wind and energy, which impacted through the metal men with little resistance.
Weiss screamed out, making Naruto turn to see in horror that an old-time friend of his in The White Fang was attacking her.
"Stop!" Naruto screamed coming in between them. "What are you doing Sasuke!"
"The will of our people Naruto." Was his simple reply.
Both drawing their weapons and clashing, with Sasuke being pushed back by the furious Naruto. the blonde screamed out before long, and managed to blow Sasuke away with a well time Rasangan.
His next words ran deep into Sasuke, shattering anything of a friendship.
"I don't accept The White Fang anymore, get out of my sight mutt."
Weiss was empty, she felt empty.
Yang was nearly dead, Blake was gone, Ruby was in a coma, and then there was Naruto who just sat there looking at his sword.
Which had blood all over it, the raven haired White Fang member she had been losing against decided to try and stab her in the back when Naruto had his turned. Tears spilled from his eyes as he looked at the blood on the blade.
He had only meant, from which she could tell, was to ward him off.
Instead, he intended ramming the sword through his former friend.
Walking over to him, her dirt covered, blood covered in battle dress was a far cry from its usual regal appearance and clean press perfection.
"You okay?" that was a dumb question, but one she could only muster.
Naruto looked at her, before using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the blood away from the sword. "How can I be okay Weiss, I killed my brother."
She looked on as he got up, before looking over at the three dead bodies of his team.
Team M.N.G.O. had all fought valiantly, even the ones that hated the faunus stood behind to allow children of both sides to escape. It costed them their lives.
Manny died trying to save Blake and Yang against the leader of The White Fang incursion.
One swift stab to the heart, it was over.
The blonde looked at the bodies, before looking back at her. "Everywhere I go Weiss, eventually death follows…"
"That's not true…" she tried to argue but watched helplessly as he slowly walked away.
She only learned that night through Blake sending her message that Naruto had joined her and Sun to go to the faunus continent.
The name was lost on the girl's tongue, so she couldn't say what the place's name was to begin with. That Schnee Ignorance she had been born and raised with felt horrible at this.
Worse still, Blake told her that Naruto was wanting to confront her father, Ghira.
She only hoped that he didn't do anything stupid…she wanted him back.
Naruto eyes were one filled with a restrained rage of a live dragon.
Staring at the tall muscle bound Ghira would normally put any faunus daring to rest, Naruto on the other hand was daring the man to make a move. He'd slaughter him, and anyone that stood in his way. The blonde was consumed by the very hatred that he fought so hard to fight against it.
It was a sad sight really.
"I demand to know Ghira did you have anything at all to do with this incursion, and if not where can I find Adam and Khan." Naruto simply demanded with a low growl in his voice.
Ghira looked dead into his eyes, but conceded. "I know not where Adam is, but Khan is coming here today."
Naruto gripped his sword, before looking at Ghira. "Did she know Adam started working with human faction?"
"No, she would never would have allowed it."
"Would she know where he would be?"
"Most definitely."
Naruto clicked the sword he had slowly withdrawn half way back into it's scabbard on his back. He shook so much from the anger, the frustration, the utter need to take revenge for all the death dealt to him and the families of his team and Sasuke.
Blake and Sun watched him walk past them.
"It's good that she doesn't know I'm here, because it'll make vetting her easier. Looks like The White Fang gets to keep its leaders." Naruto coldly stated as he walked out of the door.
Weiss was depressed, three months total have gone by, no word from anyone.
She had returned to The Schnee Dust Company.
She had returned to the very thing that she had grown to hate, with Naruto showing her pictures of his childhood homestead and the way the mines and living conditions were deplorable at best.
So when her father suggested cutting off a Union's ability to make it's mine's safer, she finally had enough, publicly over the radio, T.V, and in front of news reporters she had called out her father's plan. She told him of the conditions she saw firsthand on a trip to a mine in Vale. She told of him of Naruto's childhood home without mentioning him directly.
Jacques was of course, furious, no unholy wrathful.
He demanded the interview be shut down, demanded that Weiss explain her actions in front of him and the board members. So, she did so, she stated that she was done with all of the corrupted happenings in the business, she was tired of all the backhand deals, the suffering they brought upon people.
She was tired of the feelings she held in for her blonde friend, and then told her father right then and there that she had fallen in love with a faunus.
Something that her father told her to never speak to him again for, and she gladly walked out.
Buying the first airship ticket to where she thought Naruto would be.
Naruto listened, for once, to Adam.
The man explained that he was forced to join up with the human faction, forced to bring Sasuke into their fold. Naruto's red eyes looked right into the man's as he held the sword at his neck, never would Adam imagine that the blonde before him that he trained personally along with Blake would be the one to beat Wilt and Blossom.
It was simply a battle of speed, Naruto won out.
Calming down, Naruto look dead into Adam's eyes. "For all that bravado, you put yourself up to believe Adam, you betrayed yourself…The White Fang. Even that airhead Khan."
Adam was ready to accept death, closing his eyes, he readied himself for Naruto's righteous revenge.
Instead it never came, all he heard was the clattering of metal hitting rock. Opening his eyes, he saw Naruto with his hands empty, before looking at Adam. "I won't lower myself to you…you're not worthy of making me fall."
Naruto turned on his heel, walking towards where Blake was standing with Sun, her hands clutched with his.
Adam had his head lowered, had he really fallen so low?
Naruto stopped, making him look at the blonde. "Only you can make it right Adam, only you can decide what your next course of action is here. My advice, do what you taught us to do, die with honor."
Naruto and his friend walked, a week later, he heard of an encampment of that human faction being destroyed.
The body of Adam found in the wreckage.
However, he felt strangely at peace, as if something been lifted off his shoulders. He felt happy...happy that he didn't end Adam despite all the harm he did, he couldn't explain, but when they walked away from him his red eyes had returned to their natural cerulean blue.
Weiss landed Menagerie with a nervousness of a thousand first time soldiers in battle.
Slowly, she exited the airship, lugging just a suitcase with her.
She didn't wear her regal Schnee dress, she just wore plain clothing. She literally didn't look all too different from the people walking out of the aircraft minus her white hair and cold blue eyes. Then she saw it, a mop of blonde hair in the distance, just standing there.
Her eyes watered, there in front of her was Blake, Sun, and Naruto. They were all waiving at her, smiling, save Naruto who just wore the smile.
Dropping her suitcase, she ran over to them, hugging Blake in a bone crushing hug at first. Weeping into her shoulder, Naruto looked at Weiss with a sad smile.
He had been fully of aware of her sacrifice, and when he noticed it was his turn for a hug. He looked at her, "I don't deserve this."
She nodded, agreeing, before slapping him clear across the face. But, before he could even react, she smashed her lips into his.
Blake and Sun both looked at each other, before the monkey nudged the cat with his elbow to move along.
Which they did, leaving Weiss and Naruto standing there. Naruto finally wrapping his arms around the former Schnee heiress.
Weiss hated him, she hated Naruto so much right now.
She never thought she'd feel this nervous, nor this scared. Naruto on the other hand was bawling his eyes out as she walked towards him.
How many years had passed? Five since the fateful battle?
Since the defeat of Salem by a combine effort of Ruby and Naruto both awakening their ancient abilities. The blonde streaking through the skies to confront an actual dragon with a golden light, and Ruby using her silver eyes to blast away at Salem on the ground.
Everyone watched as Weiss slowly walked down the aisle, her father had rope around him, forced to attend. Naruto's little courtesy call to ask him to attend their wedding wasn't exactly cordial, the evidence being her brother in a full body cast and Jacques being hogtied.
So, when the blonde noticed them trying to keep looking away from Weiss, everyone took a deep breath as Naruto's form suddenly exploded in a golden light. Drawing their attention, before he deactivated it, the tears being replace with a cocky smirk on his face.
Weiss, she groaned, pinching her nose, before finally making it Naruto.
Ruby her maid of honor, and Jaune being Naruto's best man.
Blake, Nora, and Yang being bridesmaids.
Sun, Ren, and Neptune being groomsmen.
No sooner than Ghira, the one conducting wedding finished the rites and all. Naruto slammed his face into Weiss's.
It was probably the sloppiest kiss Naruto could muster to just make her hate him more, but she didn't mind it.
How could she mind it, when all that hatred melted away?