It was time to move out again, Winter was coming. Naruto stood up, his stuff packed, the small cottage that served as their home for the last month was finally destroyed in a storm. Bending over, the blonde placed a small charm at its footsteps. It was to honor the spirit of the house, something he had been taught to do when taking shelter anywhere. Nature owned everything, no matter what it was, because at the end of the day everything has its start with nature.
Fukasaku and Shima both hopped onto Naruto's shoulders, the blonde turning away from the house. He was facing toward the rising sun. The last leaves of a nearby tree blew. Red and Yellow leaves guided by the winds began to flow in front of Naruto. Dashing forward, Naruto launched himself at the tallest oak, landing with a small thud on each tree as he began to head North East.
The blonde spreads his arms out, gliding with Wind Chakra around his body. Like a flying fox, swerving and dodging around dead trees, Naruto found himself in his own personal heaven. Bouncing over smaller trees, he made sure to where baggy clothing to hide his form, his mask placed over his face just in someone caught a glimpse of him doing this.
Kicking off an upcoming tree, Naruto launched himself toward the river that had been providing him fish and the grubs for Ma and Pa. Using new skillset, Naruto took a run and leaped, forming hand seals. He cocks his hand back, and then launches it forward, blasting himself over the river with a mighty Gale Palm Jutsu.
"Whoa-whoa!" Shima hollered as they careened toward a dead tree.
Naruto smirked, forming Hand Seals, "Wind Style: Wind Blade Jutsu!"
Gusts of wind blew from behind Naruto, sharpened by chakra, they easily sliced through the dead tree in front of them. It left a clean cut to where Naruto could leap off from, continuing their journey. Spreading his arms out, allowing his Wind Chakra he exuded to carry them in a glide. Like a dance, he moved about the trees. His steps, so daft, the deer below didn't hear him.
Springing from branch to branch, the blonde sometimes used his hands to spring off limb, like a fox running upon the ground. Fukasaku and Shima held on with chakra, feeling for any sign of Grimm activity, just in case they had to make a pitstop.
Flipping forward, Shima clutching onto him for dear life, while Fukasaku had a smile on his face, Naruto had a bright smile on his face as well.
They may not be the conventional of families, but he was glad to have them. With this journey of a thousand miles, a new year around the corner, Naruto belonged somewhere.
That somewhere was here, in this moment, and the next moments afterward. This unknown frontier they were going toward held with it the mysteries that all sought after. Cherry blossom trees, falling maple leaves, the likes. Naruto leaped higher, above the canopy of dead trees, leaves blowing all around as he glided down.
Naruto stopped at a stream. The first bit of snow began to fall, it has been two weeks since they left their cottage. The blonde drank greedily from the stream, raising up, swallowing what was in his mouth. He had tailored some makeshift coats for Fukasaku and Shima. They were much warmer than the ones he had made last year, hopefully, it would hold them over until they could make it to warmer weather.
"So, there's still Vacuo. Vale isn't so bad this time of year, still cold. Mantle is out of the question, and I doubt we'd be allowed in such a fancy city such as Atlas. Menagerie, hmm, Menagerie doesn't sound too bad." Shima said while picking up a grubworm from a small pouch, "Plenty of Grubs there."
"I agree, Menagerie doesn't sound too bad, but we were there last year. Besides, Naruto-chan will have to get used to a city eventually, and Kuo Kuana counts as a truly large city." Fukasaku argued, watching Naruto toss him a water bug.
Fukasaku darts his tongue out, catching it, "Mmm…nothing like food fresh from the waters."
"I can hear you two talkin' back there, Menagerie was awesome. Their leader is incredibly strong-willed, and I enjoyed hearing his speeches about freedom while I went to primary school there for the basic things. Honestly, those White Fang creep's kind of scare me, ya know." Naruto stated as he flopped down on his backside.
Coughing a little bit due to the nippy weather, the blonde yawned before continuing, "And that's not fear of combat…I'm just scared of how they seem so…"
"Warlike?" Shima questioned.
"Yep, that's the word, ya know. However, honestly, it weirds me out still how I'm not a Faunus." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "After all, I do have these whisker…marks…but whiskers."
"That's the thing, child. You were born with a unique birthmark that runs in your clan, you are strong with them to have three instead of two, like your mother and father." Fukasaku replied, hopping over to the stream.
The blonde Shinobi yawned, "I still don't get why you both are still arguing over this. I voted to stay in the woods, screw the…ow?!"
"Language," Shima chastised him, "And it is for your own good, Sunny!"
"All that is offered in cities, besides Kuo Kuana, is just smug and nastiness. I mean, really, what kind of training am I ever get in a city? I'm perfectly fine with staying out here, being one with nature, and learning about…" Naruto felt their glare as he spoke, he giggled sheepishly, "…Sage Arts."
"Gah, you're incorrigible," The Mother of The Toad Way complained lightly.
"Pfft," Naruto rolled his eyes, "I am only saying that I've nearly mastered Wind Style."
"Yes, but you haven't even touched your Yang Affinity, yet." Fukasaku pointed out, smirking at Naruto's childish scowl.
He huffs, his blue eyes skimmed the water, "True…I practiced a little bit of it though."
The young Shinobi stared out into the forest on the other side, noticing something behind a tree. His eyes widened when he made out ambling, shuffling, zombie-like Grimm that slowly walked toward the stream. The worse part was that they weren't alone, dozens of Beowolfs suddenly ran out in front of them. Naruto grabbed Shima and Fukasaku, jumping into a nearby tree which still had some leafing.
"Ninja Art: Hidden in The Leaf Jutsu…" Naruto breathed, barely above a whisper, and his body slowly blended with the leafing in the tree.
Fukasaku and Shima did the same Jutsu, both stunned at the sheer number of Grimm suddenly appearing. They knew that the Grimm activity in the area was heavy, figuring that there was a large horde nearby, but this much larger than they thought.
That's when they saw feminine looking Grimm, with four different wings, fly through the trees. Its sisters, with two wings, flew behind her. They turned at breakneck speeds, with Beringels rampaging under the trees, knocking smaller ones over.
"Whatever is going on down there, we've gotta stop it!" Naruto stated as he reached down.
He grabbed his mask that was inside of his pack, putting it on, "Ma, Pa!"
"Right," Shima and Fukasaku state at the same time, jumping off his shoulders before hopping away from him.
"Crap, crap, crap!" A woman screamed as her makeshift team was being forced back. The first wave had hit hard, the woman barely got out of it alive.
She loaded her scythe-rifle, seeing another large in the distance, "There's too many!"
"Ms. Rose, we've gotta go, there's no way!" A larger man, holding a claymore, begged for their retreat.
"Please, we need to go, I've got kids at home. You've got kids at home, and you need be there for them…Harpies!" Another woman screamed, pushing Ms. Rose out of the way just as the squad of Harpies tried to snatch them up.
The flying feminine formed Grimm soared upward; Ms. Rose looked at them as her torn white cloak fluttered in the wind. Every one of these fellow Huntsman was parents, some to adoptive children, and some of them just had their first child. Her silver eyes glared at the Grimm, she had made her choice and stood proud before blowing the head off a nearby Beringel that
"You guys go, I can handle this, I'll hold them off!" Ms. Rose screamed as she readied her scythe-gun for melee combat, her silver eyes flickering with light.
"Summer, no, we can't leave you like this!"
"That's friggin' order!" She pushed the large man, "Go!"
The group stared at her, nodding as they started to fall back. She sliced a Beowolf in half as it lunged at her, another followed quickly as she stepped back. The woman with midnight-scarlet hair roared as a silver light filled the area, she obliterates the nearby Grimm her eyes. Burning them, freezing some of the flying ones that joined and making them fall to ashes.
However, much to her shock, a lot of slower shambling Grimm shielded the heavy hitters. Beringel launched themselves toward her, exhausted, she tried to use her semblance. She barely dodged the first one, but the second smashed her into the ground. Her scarlet aura breaking from the force, she barely uses her semblance to turn in a cloud of rose petals that flowed up a nearby tree. When she got high enough, she turned back into a human, she looked down. She couldn't silver eyes in succession, and they ate up a good chunk of her aura to boot.
"Damn it…" blood dripped from her mouth as she cursed, 'I've got no way out…I'm exhausted…injured…'
A Harpy screeched, The Alpha, as it launched itself at her. She braced, prepare to fight to her last breath. The Harpy knocks her off the tree, but she managed to slice it in half vertically. She turned around, she was going to try and slice the next Grimm to attack.
However, that's when arrow found itself slamming into her stomach. She looked down, stumbling backward near a massive oak. She felt the arrow burning her skin, she looked up to see where it came from, only making a small figure with yellow eyes in the background that dashed away.
'She…I…should've known…the little girl from the village felt unnatural…darn my…naïve love of children…' Summer collapsed to her right knee, her thoughts of woe flooding her head.
She brought her rifle up, loading another round into it.
'Tai…I'm so sorry, please forgive me,' She fired, the round screaming into the head of a Beringel. 'I said I'd be fine on the mission, I love you…please take of our girls.'
She loaded another round, firing, 'Qrow…watch over Ruby and Yang, they're gonna need you…especially Tai…'
"Come get me, I'm right here, come on!" Summer stands up, firing her rifle while backing up.
More and more Grimm fell to the blasts, their rapid charge changed, it was a nice cruelly slow advance. It was if something ordered them to make this death, as brutal as it would be, long as possible. Blood dripped from her mouth, she roared as she rapidly went through her ammo.
Switching her scythe-rifle back into melee mode. Readying herself, Summer allowed them to come to her, she was bleeding out. She had a choice, both grim. She would bleed out before she allowed the beasts to enjoy the pleasure in tearing her apart.
Tears of pain and sorrow fell from her eyes, 'Yang…I love you, and one day you'll learn that you're not biological daughter. However, that doesn't matter, because you'll be my first little girl!'
'Ruby,' her mind flashed to a mental image of her holding a newborn daughter that looked so similar to her, 'Don't do something like your mom…and don't…worry.'
She stood up, slicing the head off an Alpha Beowolf while jumping back, 'Super Mom will always be there for you!'
As soon as she hit the ground, she managed to get herself an opening and ran backward while waiting for an attack. A Beowolf ran toward, roaring, it lunged. Summer was barely able to slice it in half, turning on her heel to slice another and another.
The next Grimm was a massive Beringel, it readied itself to smash her through that tree. The massive beast roared, but the roar was very short-lived as it's head suddenly left its shoulders. Summer's eyes widened, watching the beast collapse as a trail of wind sliced into the tree as well. It fell, falling right on top of a few Beowolfs.
However, just before she found her end at the hands of another Beringel, its head came off as well. She could see the trail of wind once again, this time a kunai was throw in with it, a yellow flash emerging just above an Alpha Beringel.
"Giant Rasengan!" The Mask Wearer emerging from the flash screamed out, blasting apart The Alpha Beringel.
Flipping backward, the person landed in front of her, she looked at the mop of blonde hair poorly hidden by the mask, "Who…?"
She started to hear frogs calling, she took a few deep breaths, looking at mask wearer. She finally passes out, blood still leaking from the arrow's glass-like nature, having broken apart as she tried to keep fighting. Just then a purple frog appeared over, grabbing her.
"Fukasaku, Naruto-chan, I'll take this one somewhere safe. You need to destroy that horde, or her cohorts will be the next thing on the menu!" Shima told them, a puff of smoke appeared over them, and as it cleared, they were gone.
"Gah, that woman sometimes," Fukasaku smirked as he looked at Naruto. "Alright, Naruto-chan!"
Naruto smirked under his mask, flipping two tri-pronged kunai out into the air before jumping up and kicking them toward the back of The Beowolf Swarm that was starting to charge toward them. When the kunai hit two Beowolfs in the back of the crowd Naruto took his chance, flashing away. He appeared behind the Beowolfs as he weaved hand seals.
"Wind Style Air Bullet!" Naruto shouted, blasting a wave of wind from his mouth that tore through the Beowolf ranks.
Fukasaku hopped up, "Sage Art: Boiling Oil!"
The Master of The Toad Way spewed forth of boiling hot oil, splashing the area in it. Beowolfs and Beringels that tried to cross into it found their flesh and even their entire limbs melting on contact. The young Shinobi at their backs jumped up, using their melting limbs as steppingstones as he formed clones to go and corner off other elements.
Landing by Fukasaku, Naruto unsealed a scroll from his arm before unfurling it. Pressing his palm at the indicated place on the small scroll a cloud of smoke erupts. Emerging from the smoke, Naruto held a Giant Shuriken, he lurched back and blew air onto it as he rested it against his palm. The shuriken began to spin rapidly, forming a slicing edge with the wind chakra gathered around it.
Fukasaku observed this, 'Interesting…'
Naruto threw it as hard as he could manage! The wind enhanced shuriken slices through the tougher Grimm trying to claw their way through the oil. The Shinobi turned on his heel, jumping up in time to slam a regular kunai into the head of an incoming Harpy, he kicked the Grimm into a pile of Beowolfs charging from a nearby brush.
The kunai suddenly glows with a seal around it, exposing a single tag on it before it explodes. The blonde watched as several of his clones took this time to launch smaller Air Bullets into the falling Grimm. He then watched as Fukasaku hopped up, launching himself off his back.
"Sage Art: Toad Sparking Flame Jutsu!" He sucked air into his lungs after announcing his Jutsu, Fukasaku then launched a cloud of ash from his mouth that sparked on the nearby oil.
A massive fire explodes, burning trees and Grimm inside of it. Fukasaku then formed more hand seals, landing on the ground, The Apathy Grimm roar. While Fukasaku ignored, Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he felt himself slow down. Wincing, he willed himself forward, jumping toward a tree.
"Naruto-Chan, behold the power of a Sage!" Fukasaku declared, finishing the hand seals. "Sage Art: Earth Cauldron!"
Slamming his webbed hands onto the ground, Fukasaku forced the earth to bend, sinking the flames and Grimm around the entire clearing into the ground. Most of The Grimm left were getting picked apart by Naruto's clones, but his master trapping the rest, the battle was won.
"Sage Art: Sinking Hell!" His master screamed once more, slamming his webbed hands onto the ground again.
The Grimm in the cauldron began to sink, but as they did, the ground below turned to mud that began to spread. The various cries, roars, and growls of dying Grimm filled the area. Fukasaku started on a newer series of hand seals, finishing in time to fill his mouth with oil.
"Sage Art: Liquid Flame Stream!" Naruto's eyes widened as firestorm emerged from Fukasaku's mouth, melting and burning away all the Grimm in the sunken ground.
What had been roars, turned to silence. Naruto stared in awe, he felt jealous that he didn't have that power, but then smiled as he watched Fukasaku turn to them and held an up a thumb's up. He landed by his master, kneeling, watching as the flames crackling.
Naruto took a deep breath, "What's the next move?"
"We need to find shelter, and a place to take that woman," Fukasaku told him.
The blonde placed his hand on Fukasaku, flashing away.
Shima was able to clean the woman's wound out, wondering what was taking Naruto and Fukasaku so long, she took a kunai and breathed fire on it. Touching the wrapped-up handle, she turned to the woman, just then Naruto and Fukasaku appeared.
"What took you two?!" Shima yelled at them, watching as Naruto took off his mask.
"We're fine, Ma, just a little bit more than a simple horde, ya know." Naruto laughed, walking over toward the woman.
Shima sighed, "I was lucky to save her life, she lost a lot of blood. I need to cauterize the wound, what Yang Release Jutsu have you learned?"
"Oh, um, Mystical Palm Technique!" Naruto yelled out as his hands started to glow green, he walked over toward her. "So, what am I doing?"
"You're healing her, doofus, she has some body injuries. Plus, on the flipside, The Mystical Palm Technique soothes pain…which is kind of going to be needed to keep her in the Genjutsu." Shima readied herself to place the kunai over the bleeding wound, noting the cooling of the knife, "Any day now!"
Naruto placed his palms over the woman's chest, not really concerning himself with anything. He just grumbled under his breath as began to flow the green colored chakra into her. Shima slowly placed the kunai down onto the wound, steam rose up, but so did the woman.
"SON OF COOKIE MUNCHING, BUTT KISSING, RAVEN BRAWEN, SCREWER!" She screamed out in random, howling in pain.
Shima managed to seal the wound, but now a new problem, her eyes met the silver eyes of the woman. Fukasaku's mouth hanged agape, Naruto's hands had long since left the woman's chest, however, his Jutsu obviously didn't do anything to help the situation. Silver eyes met Fukasaku, and then slowly turned to the blues of Naruto Uzumaki.
"Um, hi?" Naruto offered up, laughing nervously.
"Gah?!" The woman got up, moving toward the back of the cave they were in, that Shima had found.
Shima slapped her head, "Things go from bad to worse, this isn't my day."
"Talking frog, holding a knife!" The woman pointed toward Shima, freaking out, "Why are you talking and holding a knife."
Fukasaku glared at Naruto, "I thought you said you knew that Jutsu?"
"I said I just practiced it a little bit, context Pa, context ya know…" Naruto replied dryly, pinching his nose.
The elderly Toad Sage just slapped his face, "When this over, we're going to sit down and solely focus on Yang Training."
Naruto noted the woman eyeing Shima, "Ma, please put the kunai down…"
"Wait, Ma, Pa…are you are frog person. None of this makes sense, none of this, am I dead?!" The woman shouted, remembering her recent battle before passing out.
"First of all, we're Toads, except him." Shima corrected the woman, pointing at Naruto with her thumb.
"Toads, frogs, what's the difference?!" She cried out, pointing out both now, "You're both talking and that is not okay!"
She reached for a stone, but stopped once she felt something against her throat, it was the blonde. In the literal blink of an eye he had managed to grab the knife of where Shima was, and now he was holding it against the throat, right over her jugular.
"Drop it…now."
She didn't argue, dropping the stone, watching him step back. There was something different about him, it was like in an instant the confusion and childlike eyes of the boy turned cold and menacing. No longer did those blue eyes shine, but instead they were dim, and every bit of the feeling rolling off them was colder than any deep freeze Ice Dust could produce. It came to as a shock, the boy was maybe a few years older than Yang. Yang, however, was five, making it even more disconcerting.
Holding her head low, she sighed, "If you were working with Salem…I'm not going to beg."
"Salem?" Naruto inquired, confused.
Shima and Fukasaku looked at each other, "Young lady…perhaps it is best that you just calmed down. Naruto, apologize."
"For what?!" Naruto yelled as he turned to them, confused, "She was going to hurt you guys."
"Naruto…she's injured and frazzled, you overreacted," Shima stated, glaring at him.
He grimaced, turning to the woman, "I'm sorry…I just have a particular reaction to those that hurt my family…or other people, ya know."
"Oh no offense taken, just put the knife, will you?" She pointed out the fact he still had the knife, he sighed before dropping it.
It clattered on the cave floor, she looked at them, "So…what happens now?"
"Now," Fukasaku sighed, "Damage Control…do you by chance know Ozpin?"
