And I'm back! Here's another chapter from yours truly. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 7: A Fate Unknown

A woman with platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail cleared her throat as the cameras were pointed at her. Her emerald eyes shimmered under the myriad of spotlights. The crew behind the scenes were directing her every move, but they could not control her excitement and nervousness. She, like many others, witnessed a Grimm invasion –albeit a lone Grimm attacked- on the capital's side of the peaks!

Usually, attacks were reported by the outposts, and the military went into action immediately. But this time… the Grimm was too fast to intercept. And because of that, first-time footage of how the military fought (outside of exercises, mind you) was recorded by countless witnesses alongside her news network! The journalist soul she had overflowed with joy and passion with a side of caution. It was appropriate because as stated, none have seen an invasion on the capital side of the mountain. Like many, she had reservations of what's to come.

The camera crew, the director, the other hands on deck scrambled to their posts as the timer counted down for them to go on air. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and cleared her head. She opened her eyes, and waited for the teleprompter to give her the script. With a professional tone and pacing in her voice, she spoke.

"Good evening, this is Samantha Platinum of Mantle Broadcasting News. In tonight's top news, a Grimm Elder was reported by the Atlas military's outpost division to have headed to the capital posthaste. The military responded promptly to the call for action, and formed a defensive wall using the fleet. They defeated the Grimm, but some suspect that they needed help along the way. Who or what helped catalyze the victory of today's invasion? What even attracted an Elder to the capital at such a speed? More of that in twenty minutes." With a reorganizing shuffle of the paper in her hands, she cleared her throat and moved to the next set of words on the prompter." In other news, Main Street was in a minor panic when the roads splintered, cratered, and deformed in the same instance windows on skyscrapers and other buildings formed web-like cracks or even shattered out of nowhere. Even the weather wasn't safe as the temperature reached never-recorded high temperatures. What are some experts are saying about the phenomena, and what are the authorities and the council planning to do if this was an experimental terrorist attack?"


In an undisclosed location, a round table filled with people of remarkable influence sat in silence as the broadcast of evening news fired away in front of them. Most of them held expressions of dread. Others were calm, and fewer were furious. Among the group that were furious, one Jacques Schnee couldn't be more infuriated by the situation. With the unprecedented chain of events several hours earlier, the immediate future of his company would plummet in all aspects. Not only would profit and his company's worth decrease significantly, production, infrastructure, and everything else would be affected negatively.

"Do we have any idea what's going to happen in the next few hours?!" Jacques Schnee asked.

"In the aspect of defensive maneuvers? The rest of the fleet are positioned at the peaks for immediate interception in the event of an incoming invasion." James replied promptly. The military man faced the man on the opposite side of him. "Florentine, what will your people be doing?"

Florentine leaned back in his chair as he was engrossed with the news broadcasted in front of him. "As Commissioner of the police department, I can say that the best my people can do is enact a curfew to weed out would be troublemakers. Another is to increase security in the capital. A feeling of safety is a step away from negative thoughts and emotions. At least that's the plan. However, it can also breed doubt in us as the people meant to safeguard the city. In response, a branch of the department can conduct some propaganda to counteract Miss Platinum's less than supportive choice of words to us who keep them safe. We need people to be positive in this time of crisis after all." The man scrunched up his eyebrows. "But... what do we do about the troublemaker himself?"

A woman sat straight alongside a few others after the mention of the troublemaker was uttered. "By that, do you mean...?"

"As I've briefed to my men and to some of you, the instigator and resolver of our Grimm situation points to the summon Jacques youngest daughter called forth at least about a week ago." James replied. "I'm hesitant to call him a troublemaker; however, he is blind to this world's inner workings and general knowledge. Its because of his lack of knowledge did he let his emotions run wild, and brought an Elder because of it."

Jacques stood up from his seat. "If simple anger is enough to call the Grimm's wrath, of an Elder no less, then that freak will be the end of our Kingdom!"

The woman that spoke out of curiosity changed her tone in full defense of the so-called troublemaker. "That 'freak' defended us! His power is is at a level none have ever seen. I think it's enough to pardon him for the trouble when he has the strength to clean up his own mess."

"Yet he himself didn't know what brought the Grimm in the first place." Florentine said. "I understand Jacques' reaction. Such volatile emotion is troubling if an Elder was called because of it. This alone could have brought ruin to everything we've built along with everything we know and love. He is a danger." Jacques could be seen with a small smug expression. Florentine turned that around with a clearing of the throat. "That being said, even if the young man is unaware of his actions, I will commend him for cleaning up a mess from becoming worse than what we've seen. His moral compass is present, and his sentience is not to be questioned. He understands he is on foreign land without any knowledge of the customs, technology, terrain. And if he's a soldier like James inferred, he's doing his best to recon his surroundings. I'd say he'd done his best to keep to himself whilst learning about this place for the most part to not disturb the balance we've made."

"'Recon,' you say...? Then all the more reason to keep him in the dark and locked away." Jacques suggested. "Keep him blinded to the world to keep us safe."

"You have no right to do that to him!" Shouted the woman that defended the blond. "That young man is a living being with a right to have his freedom!"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Tamamo!" Jacques snarled. "Just because you're in this Council, it doesn't mean you can mouth off every time you need to interrupt. There is some semblance of order in letting the one who speaks first finish. And just because you're a Faunus, it doesn't mean you are the sole voice of your people!" The Schnee smashed a fist on the table. "That beast is not so innocent as you would like to think! So spare me your platitudes, and don't push your agendas like the vixen you are at a time where one of your kind nearly caused the eradication of this kingdom!"

"Oh that's precious coming from the CEO that allows black market dealings behind his back! The very same dealings that fuel the White Fang interrupt to obtain and use against opposing parties like your company."

"You-!"

"That is enough from both of you!" James commanded in his military tone.

The two bickering individuals stopped to silently grumble as they leaned back into their chairs.

A long pause brought forth the sound of the news broadcast to light once more. "According to reports from the Atlesian military, four cruisers were heavily damaged or destroyed alongside one aircraft carrier and a pair of destroyers. There are more damages reported, but the military is in the process of calculating all of its losses." Samantha Platinum reported. "Moving on with the reports of damages incurred, here is video sent in by an anonymous witness." The people around the round table sat in silence. The moment the footage was brought out, James immediately recognized the vantage point.

"Oh my..." Florentine remarked as he recognized the vantage point. "That's bad. Or good. Depending on how this will be reported." Others agreed aside from the fuming Faunus and Human that argued a minute ago.

The footage displayed a near bird's eye view of the battle between the troublemaker and the Elder atop the damaged airstrip of the carrier Freya. And this exact moment in the footage was just moments before the initial clash between the two. With deafening roars, the battle started. The two charged to exchange blows, and the blond was the winner of the clash. The footage went on longer, displaying the chaos that occurred between the two with the blond appearing to have the upper hand.

"Who leaked the footage?!" James shouted out loud with a loud bang of his fist to the table. "How did this go through to the media?!"

"Judging from the angle, this came from the bridge of the Freya." Spoke one of the women gathered around the table. "We know you wouldn't allow a crashed asset's information to fall outside of your hands. So... if anything, this was a soldier of yours recording the battle from a Scroll. For whatever purpose it was, he or she felt the need to record it."

"It's as clear as a sunny day that this footage came from one of the crew on the airships in the battle earlier today. More specifically, the aircraft carrier that went down as one of the reported damages or losses the military experienced." Her tone changed to a more serious but curious tone. "Not only that, but we can see from this vantage point that someone performed single combat against the Grimm. From the footage alone, this individual engaged in close combat." Samantha signaled the crew to do something. The video returned to the initial clash, but in slow motion. It paused the moment the blond's cloak went down. "This individual is not only maimed, but also not of military rank." Her throat was cleared as she adjusted her firm posture. "Just who is this person to stand against an Elder alone? And as for the military... why havent they released the identity of this individual?"

James gnashed his teeth together. "He wasn't supposed to be seen or heard of yet by the public!"

"When were you planning to reveal him, James?" Asked another man of the Council, who had a disliking to the General. "Never, I presume? Keep him locked up in a cage for your use in more dangerous ops like some lapdog sent to die for his master?"

"You think you know me so well, Augustine." James muttered. "I am merely assesing his threat levels, and from this recent revelation, he's someone not to cross. It's up to him to show he's not a threat."

"And in regards to the Main Street chaos, how is this individual connected to the destruction?" She made a motion to the people behind the cameras to reveal images her team found for the story. Several still images from high-end high-speed cameras appeared beside her in holoscreen form. The familiar golden orange Aura was there each time.

Jacques huffed, "Clearly." The businessman rolled his eyes. "No one can control someone like that. That power is unheard of. He's likely to go rogue to fulfill selfish desires. Add in the fact he's blind to how the world works here, he's either impressionable or uncorruptible." The man cradled his head, "Either way, he'll be a pain to deal with because he's such a wild card."

"And wild cards are sometimes a good thing to have." Florentine interjected. "It's a good way to test strengths and weaknesses. And as shown by today's battle, we are ill-prepred for a heavily armored Elder."

And so the not so vocal rest at the table asked, "So what is the verdict in regards to the blond? All for pardoning the young man say 'Aye'."


Icarus's father watched intently. The various screens that littered his father's line of sight flooded the dark room with enough light that it almost looked like the room itself was lit normally. The father's hands swiftly moved to one screen to the next, swiping the field of screens left or right to reach for another specific one. All the while, three static screens were just above the inventor's head; all were a separate replay of Naruto's battles. Like lightning, the dexterous hands Icarus came to know all his life, made blueprints on those screens.

And a special few were analytic engines that examined the mystery blond's fighting style for appropriate weapons and configurations. The "seed" for each analytic procedure made a base that Icarus's father planted to make derivatives off of. The many "seeds" being made one minute after the other overwhelmed Icarus' mind, yet his father never took into account the work load he had managing the ever-growing number of screens. The man Icarus knew as his father only worked faster than before to manage the pace of making the derivative blueprints off of those countless "seeds".

"Icarus."

"Yes, father?"

The inventor's hand collected a set amount of screens, then projected it to the adjacent wall. Nine blueprints appeared, and each were in the form of gauntlets. Here, the derivative system came into play. Icarus could see they were all gauntlets, but each had a uniqueness to them.

"I'd like you opinion on those nine." Said the father. "Each has one feature to them, and I want you to pick the best three so I can make a hybrid off of it."

"Huh?!" Icarus was shocked to say the least. "But father, I-I know nothing of which is appropriate!"

"Do not overthink." Replied the father. "Choose which would feel appropriate for my client to use." The screens with the replays on them were copied and projected on the same adjacent wall. "Here, have a look for yourself to ease your mind. You'll know what to choose for him." He said with confidence. "After all, you chose the armor you don now. Now get on with it; there are plenty more "seeds" still to be made from the looks of it." And thus the father went on his merry way, working tirelessly to manage the myriad of derivative designs.

Icarus watched from behind the visor of his helmet the scenes over and over again.

Naruto's close combat skill was magnificent. A perfect balance of form, strength, and agility. It's the physical condition many hunters not of the heavyweight class aspire to have. If he were to be judged on humanoid battles, Naruto could easily defeat anyone. Even Icarus could see that the blond held back his strength. Why that blond held back to the point he gave others a fighting chance, Icarus failed to understand. But the son of the inventor understood that Naruto's power only scratched the surface. Naruto's Aura manipulation was at a level none could compete with. Ever. No one in recorded history ever had Aura so thick and tangible it could act like an extra limb. In that regard, Icarus could see the possibility that Naruto didn't even need to move a muscle to win a battle; his immeasurable Aura was enough to win in a battle of both attrition and haste. Add in that Aura control, and he surpassed all known Aura fighters. And with Dust, the versatility never ended. The blond's Aura melded together with the elemental crystals seamlessly that the line between Aura and Dust was nonexistent. The myriad of environmental damage and localized damage would be a nightmare to be in.

Thus came the conclusion in one aspect of Naruto's skills: humanoid combat - Nigh impossible to defeat in Icarus' eyes.

Unless caught off guard, and struck with consecutive and powerful lethal blows, Naruto won't lose. That healing factor would counteract any damage given enough time.

However, next came the second aspect: Grimm combat.

And in that regard, Icarus would not mince his words. No one on this planet, none except an Ancient Elder or all of them, had the ability to kill the blond in a head on fight. The limiters Naruto had when he fought against a Human or a Faunus were gone. And out came the beast inside. The close combat skill Naruto had before was replaced with wide, powerful attacks that pushed back titanic monsters. The speed he had before was cranked up to eleven despite the blond making it appear to be a temporary boost. It was like-

-Like Naruto unleashed his inner beast to fight monsters in turn. And even then... Icarus had a feeling Naruto did not reveal all of his cards.

Icarus wondered what suited the blond as he looked over the options again. If he chose to make Naruto fight as a human, then most of these things would benefit the blond. But if he chose the path of promoting Naruto's bestial side, then raw power was the way to go. 'But with the way a battle progresses... fighters tend to raise the stakes. Naruto, with his restrictions, is at a level few will barely reach. But making him fight seriously means to unleash that power.' Icarus smirked. He understood what he'd do. Icarus would make a weapon that Naruto would only use to either completely annihilate the enemy or to use when he wished to discard his limiters.

The young man's hand hovered over the first option. He confirmed it by placing his palm over it then dragged it over to his second and third choices. The fusion of the three designs came up in a new screen. On the screen, nine configurations appeared. Each showcased one of the features of the weapon as the main go-to option in battle. The other two would still be relevant, but they would be a backup option or a surprise. To Icarus, it fit, this system. Naruto, while a powerhouse, favored some trickery in his battles. Versatility was wired in his fighting style. And this weapon Icarus and his father designed would exemplify all of that.

With a hidden smile, Icarus chose the configuration that best suited Naruto.


Behind the mask, Adam Taurus glued his eyes to the screen. The pale blue light radiating off of the screen touched his face and his fiery red hair combed backward alongside his pair of horns. His expression from the upper part of his face was unseen, but the frown was clear to see. A new troublesome individual appeared. Judging by the evidence, the mystery person was undeniably powerful. The broadcast showed the battle clearly, and while the individual looked to be skilled... in Adam's eyes, the blond was nothing more but an instinctual fighter. Nothing more but a beast hidden in humanoid form. All brute strength that lacked the finesse of a true fighter.

Yet Adam couldn't shake off the feeling that this was only a fraction of the fighter's full power. Power that could be used to help the Fang. He clenched his right hand into a fist as he attempted to discern which race the individual was. Adam had a healthy amount of confidence that the fighter was of Faunus kind; however, that was only a guess considering the individual's inclination to construct his Aura in the form of a fox.

"Why is a Faunus like that helping the Atlesian military?" He asked no one in particular. "He has no business aiding them from certain anihilation."

"Might I ask why you're so certain that he has no business helping?" A new voice asked behind him.

"Evening, Blake." Adam greeted without taking his eyes off of the news broadcast.

"Evening, Adam. But can we go back to my question?" Blake asked. Her cat ears hidden behind her bow twitched mildly in annoyance. "You seem tense hearing that someone of our race has a conscience."

Adam played with his weapon. A soft sound emanated from the blade that slid against the scabbard as he pulled it out slightly. "If that one has a conscience, then he should be for our cause -for the betterment of our race, not for the humans."

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "You do realize there are still Faunus inside the capital of Mantle, right? You can't just group people up like that; it makes us no better than the ignorant humans that paint our race in a bad light!" She reasoned with her once righteous friend. "Can't you accept the fact that this person saved the capital and the citizens from certain destruction?"

"He is showing that we are weak. That we are emotionally attached by saving those people." Adam explained.

"Are we not emotionally attached ourselves? Aren't we living beings with bonds to others, with moral compasses? Our cause was formed because of emotions that needed to be vented -so I suggest you take that arrogance somewhere else."

Adam turned around. He sighed. "...I'll admit that we are emotionally attached. We can't avoid that." He reached for the handle of his sword. "But we must tie those emotions down; drown them deep in our subconscious; locked away into the abyss if we want to see any progress with the humans." The grip on the handle tightened. "That fool showed everyone watching his strength and what he'd use that strength for. He showed us how reckless he is to save a life, and he wasted his efforts doing so." The Bull Faunus spoke bluntly. "He will be nothing more than an important piece to be displayed proudly, then casted away when the novelty is gone."

Blake firmly closed her mouth for but a moment. "It may be true that he will be used as a powerful piece. But even so, does he not have a mind with knowledge stored inside? Does he not have the ability to use that knowledge to create choices then choose what to do in that situation? Does he not have that right to follow through with his choice -to use his strength to destroy the enemy, and let others live?" Blake asked. Adam was prepared to answer, but Blake cut him off. "The answer is 'Yes,' Adam. He has all of that."

Adam looked at the news, still talking about the incident at the capital of Mantle. "How lucky for him." He muttered. "He has each trait that defined all sentient beings." He looked back to Blake. But...I've only seen humans make use of that. Not us Faunus. So how come he has that liberty, Blake? Where's ours chance to have a choice, retain knowledge, and create?!" Adam demanded to know. "Because all I've seen that we're capable of is destruction."

"We have-" Blake tried to say.

"-Where's the knowledge you speak of? Faunus children get substandard education. Few out of the thousands will hold a high position in society, but even they will be an outcast to their social class! What's the purpose of creation when Humans ruin what we've made for ourselves? Remember what happened to the deal to give Faunus rights? We were disrespected and ultimately denied that from us. Stole that from us. Killed that hope from us! Why bother having a choice when we can't eat where they do; when we're ostracized in the streets just for deciding to leave the safety of home; when nothing you seem to do will change their minds!" Blake didn't answer because she knew well what he'd say next. "Why even bother showing a good side when they only answer to destruction?!" Adam questioned.

"I understand that change had to happen to the White Fang, Adam, but what you're saying... power is not the ultimate and only answer!" Blake reasoned with her friend.

"Power is everything to them! The strong live. The stronger are manipulated. The cunning thrive, and the weak and foolish die in their eyes." Adam responded harshly. "It's why we've become so relevant again, and why our demands have met success!"

"And what about that person?" Blake asked, referring to the mystery person in the news. "Can't his kindness change the hearts of Man?"

"Temporarily, yes." Adam replied. "But a Hero will always be short-lived. There must be a fiend to best to keep a hero relevant."

"...Why not give him a chance to change things?"

"One man can't possibly change the world. Those are reserved for tales meant for wide-eyed little children with dreams that will never be attainable!" Adam said. "That fool... will never be able to do the impossible. He'll never overthrow the generations-long age of racism in this world with his actions and himself alone!" The fury in Adam's voice echoed in the room. The frustrations laid bare, Adam tore off his mask to reveal the scarred face hidden behind. A faint, thick, and sickly pale stripe of skin ran across the bridge of Adam's nose and his left eye. So with his remaining eye, he stared her down. "I beseech you to listen to reason, Blake. Because from experience alone, I know of his folly. This scar is here as both reminder to the crimes I've been falsely accused of and of the wickedness of Man who believed in blatant lies!"


In the darkness, only illuminated by the shattered moon, and the stars, Naruto sat on the rooftop of the hospital, happily eating away at his fourth cup of steaming hot ramen. He found delivery to be too slow for his liking, so instead, he requested a microwave (one of the latest models that didn't need to be plugged), thirty packs of cup noodles, and three gallons of water. Oh, and chopsticks of course. With the frigid air around him, nothing was more appropriate to eat than this. And the thick and warm coat and shirt Weentah gave him was a welcome gift -not that the cold of this caliber truly bothered him anymore. Still, the gesture was nice. It made him comfortably warm compared to just enduring the bitter cold that stung his skin every now and then.

With a lantern fueled by Burn Dust, Weiss arrived with the last of what Naruto requested, all translated by the Lieutenant that could understand Naruto. She sat on the nearby bench, and delivered the last of his cup noodles, a trash bag, and the lantern. "Naruto? Is the ramen to your liking?" Weiss asked him, who sat on the floor in front of the bench. Naruto responded with a obnoxiously loud slurp of his noodles and the soup left over. Weiss watched him lap up whatever was left in the cup like a starved animal. She sighed lightly; however, mirth was quite present in her body language. "It's foolish to ask that, I see." She said to herself as she too took to eating a cup of noodles as well.

The searing steam that rose from her cup warmed her cold cheeks like an embrace. The heat also spread to her gloved hands, complimenting the warmth of the light coat and earmuffs she wore for the cold night. With a pair of chopsticks of her own, Weiss proceeded to do the impossible: feeding herself with the use of the unfamiliar utensils. Mimicking the blond's right hand with her left, Weiss felt slightly uncomfortable with the sticks due to lack of experience. Her tiny grunts of frustration and effort were easily heard by the blond.

Naruto stood up to stand next to Weiss. He made a tail of Chakra to hold his cup while he wordlessly reached for Weiss' hand. With a gentle but firm grip, he adjusted his friend's hand position allow her to grasp the chopsticks firmly. Once he did that, he snapped his fingers at her to make her look at him. He motioned his index and middle fingers alone, and hoped that she got the idea that the bottom stick was supposed to be immobile. He stepped away when he felt Weiss was ready to use the utensils. He motioned her to go on, and the girl in white followed the suggestion. He watched with satisfaction when his friend finally caught the slippery noodles in the sticks' grasp.

"Goodu, Weiss!" Naruto cheered for his friend. A tiny victory that needn't be praised, sure, but this was him giving support to a struggling friend.

Weiss swallowed the noodles she fished out of the cup before she lowered her chopsticks to the opening. Weiss smiled, and gave thanks to Naruto for the help. She patted the bench's cold and empty space to the right of her, inviting her new friend to take a seat beside her. He held no reservations as he sat next to her. He found comfort sitting next to her, if the relaxed expression on his face said anything. "Naruto... are you okay?" Weiss asked.

Naruto looked at Weiss with confusion. "Hm? Naruto okay!" He said excitedly. He pointed to the sky, then gestured to the horizon, where auroras beyond the northern peaks gave an otherworldly glow. "R-Remunanto... i-interesuting! Ekususaiting!" He explained gleefully.

Weiss hummed. "...Do you always fight?" She asked while she pointed to him then followed it up with playful jabs at the air.

Naruto nodded vigorously before he slurped up the last of the soup and noodles in the cup. After he swallowed his food, he wiped his mouth with his left sleeve. Then, he said, "Naruto faitah!" He mimicked the girl's jabs. Though instead of playful, they were serious as she could hear the wind make way for the blond's fists. "Naruto vewry goodu faitah."

Weiss nodded in understanding. "I can see that you are." She told him. He smiled at the praise. Weiss looked at the shattered moon. "You are an amazing fighter, Naruto..." Her voice trailed off, and she could see from the corner of her eyes Naruto staring to see what was wrong with her. "But Naruto... who or what did you fight in your world?" She asked. She looked into his blue eyes for an answer. Instead, she got a confused Naruto with no idea what she said. "Were you a soldier? A mercenary? A hunter? What did you do before?" She faced her summon. "What did you experience... to have gained such fearsome strength like that?"

Her questions overwhelmed the confused blond. It was clear as day if one looked at his face. Sweat dropped from the sides of his face while his left eye twitched out of frustration. The gears in his head whirled into overdrive, but the things he saw in the television failed to help him find any context clues to her question. It became so uncomfortable for him to think that he made a panic response in which he reverted to using his native language. "Ah! Weiss-chan Chottomatte! Wakarimasen-ttebayo! Anata wa yamete kudasai!" Frantic hands waved the girl in white to halt her queries.

Weiss placed a hand on her mouth when she realized the consequences of her questions. She bowed her head several times, an action she saw many a time her father perform for the oriental Mistrali businessmen. "Oh! I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have asked so much..." Naruto waved away her apology. "I'm serious!"

Naruto stood up to throw away his cup into the trash bag. "Weiss no need sowwy." He said as he shoved the piece of plastic inside the bag. He opened another cup, and poured water into it. He did the other necessary steps, then cooked it in the microwave. "Naruto dasu nato andastando ku-kuwesutonsu, dakedo..." He took a breath, and stopped talking. He couldn't find the words to finish his sentence. He deflated at the knowledge of failing to communicate with his friend. The Chakra arms dissolved within the sleeves of his coat, where they hung down his collarbones due to the lack of a shoulder to hold onto. He stood up, and the slight cold breeze swung the sleeves backwards alongside the bangs of his hair. The disappointment in his eyes was clear under the moon's light.

Weiss stood next to Naruto, and tugged at the sleeve of his coat. "It's fine, Naruto." She said lowly. "One day, we'll understand each other." The hand that tugged on Naruto's sleeve became firm.

"...Hm? Wat-"

The tug on the sleeve became stronger to interrupt her summon from speaking. "I promise you that." She said. "And when we do... I want to hear that I've done all I can to help you live freely and comfortably here in this world. I won't have my conscience be sullied by taking you from your home, and not pay back my crime and your services twofold!" She stared at the blond. Her eyes never wavered. "You hear me, Naruto? What I've done for you isn't enough! I won't be like my father, and leave you to fend for yourself -or rot like some filthy animal." She said resolutely. "You're my friend. One real one in a long while... And I will make my promise a reality no matter what it takes!"

He took a glance towards Weiss. He did understand that Weiss referred to understanding -possibly to each other. What he didn't understand was what she said about it, or the mini rant she had. All he could process was one word. "Puramizu?" He asked.

Weiss nodded and showed her left hand with the pinky outstretched. "Yes, a promise."

The sullen expression was replaced quickly with understanding. A spark of happiness emerged in Naruto's eyes. The edges of his lips curled to a smile. "Ah... puramizu. Naruto andastando." He said calmly. "Puramizu esu yakusoku." He pointed to his tongue to say that that's what it meant in his tongue. He made a right arm and hand to make his half of the pinky promise. He didn't understand what the full promise was. Maybe it had to do with understanding one another, or something along the lines of it. But if she was making a promise to him that he couldn't understand, he'd make one too just for her; one that wasn't born out of her kindness. A promise made from his heart alone. "Yakusoku Weiss. Ore ga anata o mamorimasu."

Weiss looked with wonder on her face. He sounded so confident that she couldn't help but swoon slightly for the young man. His rough appearance, refined and caressed by moonlight, was reminiscent to that of some knight that returned victorious under the pretense of protecting the princess.

Then again... that's literally what happened earlier today.

Furthermore, his lips framed a princely smile that she saw many suitors gave her. However, his... was quite innocent. Honest. Combine that with the night breeze, the waves the rippled his hair and fanned over his eyes made him look more mysterious than he already was. He could have promised her that he would make his bed to protecting her life until the end, and she wouldn't understand a single bit of it; just that whatever he said made him handsome. She couldn't help but reveal a small blush that dusted her cheeks. "...I-"

Naruto initiated the contact, and the two united their pinkies. Weiss was surprised at the gentleness and warmth of his Aura around her hand, the very same Aura that made untold amounts of damage to the Elder and the environment of the battlefield. She unconsciously drew herself towards him to bask in his comforting aura. He didn't seem to mind; he appeared comfortable enough to let her come closer to him. She would have come closer to him...

Had the door not been slammed open.

"There you are, Weiss!" Boomed the voice of none other than her father. He stomped his way towards her, and yanked her away from Naruto. "To make me come here... and see this display -shameful, Weiss!" He scolded her. "I'd thought leaving you alone would be fine, but to see you playing around with this... degenerate after days of not returning home. I can only surmise what you two have done in your time together." He growled.

Weiss, trying to pry her father's hand off of her wrist, struggled to defend her actions. "F-Father I-"

"No excuses, girl!" He shouted at Weiss. A blazing fury brewed inside the man. "You've done a dishonor to our blood!" He said in a snarl. "Befriending -nay... pursuing some relationship beyond friendship- with a fiend like him won't garner you any favors in life. It's a fool's errand to try to make peace with their race, and you should think about how to improve our relations with other humans instead."

"Father, he's not- I'm not-"

"Spare me your lies, Weiss." Jacques interrupted. "Obviously, you are infatuated with this creature. How this beast managed to make the majority of the Council pardon him for a potential calamity boggles my mind. I myself won't give him a second chance; thus, you will leave him to fend for himself!"

"Oi." Naruto interjected calmly.

Jacques eyes narrowed as he found a new target for his verbal attacks. "You... I know you're dangerous. Keep to yourself, you hear me. Do not include my daughter in your inevitable carnage and catastrophes! Or I will find some way to end you." He threatened the blond whilst insulting said blond further. "A beast like you should be left in the wild. And if you won't go there, go into the wind like the temporary illusion you are! You, a ghost has no reason to linger here."

Naruto dug into his left ear with his index finger. "Finishu?" He asked in a bored tone. Fuming red, Jacques sent of into a raging flurry of incoherent babble. Unfazed, Naruto let it happen with no clear change in his facial expression. He let this go on for a minute before he had enough.

"Stay away from my daughter, you understa-"

"Damare." Naruto ordered. The laid-back posture he had straightened out to become something fitted for combat. "Weiss o hanase!" The once blue eyes changed into a furious red while his Aura leaked further like fire.

Jacques' grip on Weiss became tighter. "You dare order me around, boy?!" The anger in the man increased tenfold at the offensive action against himself. "You must not have a brain underneath that hardheaded skull of yours." And with a change of tone, posture, and expression, Jacques' confidence rose. "But I welcome your rage, boy. Attack me as you see fit." He goaded the blond. "Use that unnecessary force to deal swift justice to the one that harmed your dear friend!"

The mocking laced in the man's words was not dismissed by both youths. Weiss was mortified that her father would bait Naruto into attacking out of anger, and use it as a means to criminally implicate her summon as an aggressor. Naruto himself wasn't amused by the simplistic tactic, and did not rise to the jabs that he couldn't understand, and did not act in favor of keeping Weiss unharmed as well.

The microwave rang, and Naruto found the perfect plan to escape with Weiss in tow. With a mental grin, he opened the door to the appliance, and pulled out the steamy hot cup of ramen. He took the chopsticks atop the microwave, then proceeded to eat in front of the elder Schnee. He acted like he cared little for the situation, and judging by the reactions of both Schnee, he was quite the actor.

That, and maybe the lack of understanding part of the situation amplified the effect.

He stood up, and walked with a slight happy hop to his steps as he came closer to the father/daughter pair. His obnoxious slurps of his favorite food drowned out any sense of tension in the immediate area. Furthermore, that tension dipped into the netherworld with the goofy grin on his face as he ate. He pranced around without a care in the world, and it baffled the pair spectating it all.

And when they least expected it... Naruto threw the hot soup and noodles at Jacques.

A few profanities thrown, but nothing too harmful aside from a damaged ego and possibly reputation. Naruto grinned from ear to ear as he watched the man step back and wipe off the food and soup. And in that time frame, he carried his friend bridal style. "Weiss okay?" He asked, and received a nod in return. "Wuare Weentah?" He asked softly. Weiss merely pointed south, and he looked at that direction.

"Naruto?" Weiss asked with worry. "W-What are you doing?" Naruto held onto Weiss firmly. "No. Naruto, no! Don't you da-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He took off running. The moment he came to the edge, he leapt off of the hospital rooftop with impressive height and distance as he headed for Winter's home. The rush of air as the two descended was colder compared to when it was stagnant. Weiss looked behind her to see their descent being too fast for her liking, and in a panic, she reached for her weapon to help her make a platform.

"Daijōbu, Weiss!" Naruto shouted around the roaring air. Not a moment too soon, he landed on a nearby rooftop without much stress on his legs. Naruto allowed Weiss to gather her bearings, and when she was accustomed, he continued the trek to Winter's suite by leaping off to the next rooftop and the next.


Blake sat by herself outside her tent. The warm fire she started hours ago flickered once in a while. She stoked the flames with nearby twigs since she was too lazy to find better wood to burn. Like the flame, her feelings weren't particularly strong at the moment. Not when she was reminded of why Adam was and still is a bitter person. "You still haven't forgotten the wrongs done to you so long ago..." She said to herself, remembering what he told her about that scar all those years ago. "Why didn't you tell me that you were still hurting, Adam?"

Leaves rustled from above. Blake looked up to take note of the disturbance. This continued on for a while until it stopped at the tree nearest to her. With her keen eyes, she looked past the leaves, and identified the newcomer. "Evening, Jago." She greeted casually.

Jago jumped down from his tree, and greeted with a salute. "Evenin' to ya, Blake." The orange rays that came from the fire showed Jago's face, young and slender without a single scratch. His bronze eyes shimmered like molten lava while his slicked back blonde hair emulate fire due to the color. His own set of jaguar ears perked as his eyes caught a sign of discontent in the black cat. He slumped forward, moving the tattered green cloak over his shoulders. "If ya don't mind me askin'... why're ya down in the dumps?"

Blake turned away. "...Personal matters, Jago."

Jago nodded. "Ah. My bad for prying."

"It's fine." Blake said, turning towards the fire to not completely be rude to her White Fang brother in arms. "It's just... a bit frustrating, this revolution we're doing."

Jago crossed his arms, and leaned back on the tree he was on. "Aye, I know what ya mean. We may have victories, but we're not gettin' any real respect around Remnant." He said. "Some respect in fear. Some don't respect us at all. And some of those Faunus who keep to themselves, and have no incriminatin' behavior have better experiences than us Faunus as a whole." He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his right index finger. "Then ya got, the Faunus that saved Atlas by himself." He said whilst Blake lowered her head. "Sendin' mixed signals, that one. Creating division cuz of what he did an' all that jazz." The jaguar grinned. "I for one, am happy we got some in-fightin' going on 'round ere."

Blake was surprised by Jago's words. "You what?"

"I was fine with the old way." Jago said. "Why we had to resort to fightin', I'll never know." He shrugged his shoulders. "But... I reckon this has got to do with the injustice going around for Faunus folk. Can't blame them; can't hate them; and ya certainly can't tell them it ain't right to feel angry. They just finally broke, and couldn't handle the heat." He scratched his head, and paused for a few to see Blake's reaction. What he saw was disheartening. With a sigh, he pushed himself off of his tree, and looked around the area. "If this has got somethin' to do with Adam, you don't go blaming yourself for what happened to 'im. That's his problem, not yours."

"How do you even know I was thinking of Adam?"

"You kiddin' me? If either of you have a problem, you go to one another for things. And if it ain't the case, either of ya grumble about the other or something close to it." Jago said. Blake didn't choose to make a remark to that. "I'll just be on my way. I reckon you've got some thinkin' to do... G'night."

Jago wandered away from Blake's tent towards Adam's tent. He passed by many other tents, filled with Faunuskind polishing weapons; managing inventory; making propaganda; healing the sick and wounded; and many more. Base camp of the Valean division at Forever Fall never seemed more hectic than today, he noted. Though, it must've been because of the racket the hero Faunus did earlier today. Not that he particularly cared so long as this put a stop to some of the violent missions he'd taken for weeks.

After a few minutes, he found Adam's tent, visibly larger and spacious compared to other sleeping tents around here. He acknowledged the guards at the entrance, and was allowed to enter the tent. He made himself known to the Bull Faunus by calling the name of the tent owner and the importance of his visit. "Adam... I got your news from your informant way up north."

Adam was staring at the television; not once did he take his eyes off of it. "You took your sweet time, messenger."

"Well excuse me for trying to avoid the authorities on patrol. You try to gather the intel, and see how hard it is to smuggle info that might be intercepted outta the Kingdoms!" Jago sassed. "Here." He tossed a disk to the table Adam sat beside. "Your update for the happenings in Atlas. Your spy sends her regards." The disgust in his voice was professionally veiled. He made way to the exit, but wanted to say something else. "Got a question." He waited for recognition. None came. So he continued on. "What're ya gonna do with that information she gave? From what I've been told... that it's got some info on the most interesting Faunus in the world today."

Adam reached for the disk, and juggled it between his hands. "What'll I do with this? Easy. Find a way to make him an ally, or a way to kill him." He replied promptly. "And if I can do neither, I back out on the important deal I made with her."

"You'd do that outta your failure?!" Jago couldn't believe the words that've been said.

Adam turned his chair around, drew his sword, and aimed its sharp edge at Jago's cheek. "Yes. I'd do that. Why? Because she tried to run from the Fang. And to run from it means death." Adam withdrew his blade. "I'll admit, the information she leaked from time to time were very helpful. Our stockpile of weapons and ammunition have never reached a surplus. But eventually, she will be found out, and she will suffer to no end for her betrayal to the cause. Only fitting that a traitor dies as a traitor to those she swore allegiance to."

Jago's eyes steeled themselves. He made them as uncaring as he could for if he didn't the murderous glare he wished to send to Adam would lead to his death. He mentally sewed his mouth shut for a slight against the swordsman would be dealt with through death. All possible actions that oppose Adam pointed to death.

"Hm? Nothing to say, messenger?"

"You are a bastard." Jago said reflexively.

"I realize that." Adam replied. "And I realize... that you know a bit too much for a messenger." He added. Adam watched the Jaguar's eyes widen in realization and fear. With naught a sound to accompany his blade, Adam sliced the messenger's head.

The line of blood that struck the tent's fabric was clear for everyone to see.

"Forgive me, fellow brother of the Fang." Adam said. "But the road to progress always needs, blood, sweat, and tears."


Naruto delivered Weiss to her sister successfully after a few corrections to his heading. When he got to the fancy suite fitting of a high-class citizen, he may have had to dodge a slice or two for intruding unannounced.

From the window.

Thirty stories above certain death (for a normal person).

But in the end, he escorted Weiss as planned. He said his goodnights to the maidens. He exited the way he entered: through the window. And immediately after that, he headed back to the hospital to get some rest of his own. Oh, and on the way back, he made conversation with Kurama.

"Y'know... I think I should hit a library."

"Indeed. Get yourself educated on the common tongue here and other subjects that we really need covered."

Naruto groaned. "Feels like the academy days all over again... bleh."

"Be my guest if you want a mental crutch on you at all times." Kurama commented on Naruto's attitude on the subject. "Just hope people won't call you an even bigger idiot when the time comes."

Naruto stopped at a rooftop. "People? Or you?"

"...I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Cut the crap, Kurama. I hear that diss." He made fake tears and sobbed unconvincingly. "I thought we're partners!"

"Well if it's not me who'll say it, someone will in time." Kurama pointed out.

Naruto hung his head low in defeat. He sighed. "Fine, fine... I'll research other stuff too. I just hope no one is around in the library at this hour."

"With your luck, there might be a janitor or two on duty along with a couple of night shift guards in the area."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "If that's the case, then I'm not worried. Night shift guards tend to be unobservant anyway. Janitors... I'll keep an eye out for." And with that last part, he felt the piercing and judging eyes of his partner. "What? Janitors can be dangerous! They've got a cart full of chemicals, and who knows what'll happen if they're combined?! That and maybe one of them could be like those unimposing people, but have a ridiculous talent -in this case a talent in combat! A-"

"-Shut up, stop making ridiculous excuses because you're a Shinobi, and raid a library already, Naruto!" Kurama ordered.

"Okay!" Naruto made a few clones, and made them spread out over the city in search of a library. He himself took off in a direction, and started his quest for knowledge of this world, its language, and other things like why monsters roamed around the place.

Inside, Kurama scoffed. ''Janitors are dangerous,' said nobody.'

And that's it for this chapter. How's this? I hoped you enjoyed despite not a lot going on. This was more of a cool down chapter. And frankly, this is needed. I've got nothing else to say other than what's been said in the chapter are the details I've chosen to give to expand the narrative.

So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.

This is Azure signing off.