"I can't take it anymore; will everyone chill out before something actually crazy happens again?!" Yang shouts as her eyes turn red, making Naruto turn to look at her, his ears fluttered backward as he winced in pain.
Lapis watched as Pyrrha was tossed over to the group, landing in front of Yang. "Great, the gang is all here, we can all finally die together."
"Yang," Ruby looks at her sister, "that's not funny."
"What, who said I was joking, we've got a giant Nevermore in the air and a giant Deathstalker stalking towards us. We're in a…wait…is there a pun for this?" She questions herself in the end, openly, looking around.
Shrugging, "well…shit. Meh, could be worse."
The chorus of screams made Yang slap herself in the head, she looked on as several trees were knocked down. Revealing a bipedal Grimm with one eye, glaring right at them, it was about twenty foot tall. It was also very muscular, wearing bony body armor all around, save for its eye.
"You were saying, Yang?" Blake looked at Yang, who just growls as she steps to stand beside her sister.
The Cyclops suddenly grabbed a large tree, smashing it into the ground like a club, making everyone look at each other. "Well…fuck me."
Everyone turns to Amira, who cocks her guns, she spins them around on her finger. "My dad told me that if you're going to face an enemy that can kill you, make sure you spit in their eyes, and then blow their brains out."
"You have some serious issues."
"What…nah, I'm just certified insane."
"See…issues."
"Hey toots, I'm here to fight, not get a psyche evaluation."
Weiss smacked her own forehead, watching as Lapis moved to stand beside Amira. "Well, I guess Team Lazuli is going all out."
Rock Lee pops his knuckles as he stands beside Lapis, who watches as he throws jabs at the air. "I say we call The Cyclops."
"Dibs on the eye."
"Dibs on the eye."
Lapis and Amira looked at each other, nodding, with Lapis readying his bow.
Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha readied up as well. Standing by the others, all of them ready to fight. They only watched as Ruby dashed forwards in front of them, with Yang running beside them. "Ruby!"
"I got this Yang!" She yells as she jumps up, readying her scythe to bring down upon the Deathstalker, only to get smacked away.
She struggled to get up, stunned at the power, but where she tried to run she heard the Nevermore screech as it launched feathers. She managed to dodge them, only for her cape to get caught, holding her down as the Deathstalker advanced.
"Oh no…" She murmurs, watching as it got ready to drive it stinger through her petite frame, "not like this!"
"Ruby!" Yang screams, rushing towards her sister.
Only to watch Weiss dash ahead of her, using her semblance, she managed to barely make it to Ruby in time to form an ice wall. The shaking Ruby barely was able to control her fear, looking up at Weiss, who had a small smile grace her lips.
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, but why are you helping me…I thought you hated me…"
Weiss looks at Ruby, offering her hand as she sliced part of the cape that was caught in the feather off. "You're dimwitted, you're childish, you're a showoff. However, I as much as I criticize you, I don't want you to get hurt, so don't go showing off."
"I wasn't showing off, I was trying to prove I belong here," Ruby tells her, wincing when she got up. "Ow…"
"You're okay."
"I just got normal knees…they pop sometimes."
Hearing a loud screech, both of them suddenly found themselves coming back to reality as they saw The Nevermore make another round at them. "Oh crap!"
Weiss then felt the ice break, forcing her to entrap the tail once more, only to notice the Cyclops charging towards them. "We're in a very bad spot."
The Nevermore launched feathers at the girls, only for Yang to appear in front of them. Standing over them, she was ready to take the hit, only for a flash of orange to appear in front of her. "Na-Naruto?"
Flipping two crystals into the air, Water, and Electricity, he loaded them into Kurama as it got cocked and ready. It glowed as Naruto channeled the last bit of his aura through it, activating the weapon, which made water sprout out the side only to be shaped by a lightning current.
Flow Combo achieve, Naruto's body flow orange static, indicating his aura was down. Yang was about to pull him back, only for him to jump up and hit the first feather out of the way. With Amira and Lapis jumping over them with Rock Lee in tow and engaging the Cyclops.
As Naruto spun around to gain momentum, he smacks several more feathers away with the skilled handling of his staff. Everyone watched as the flurry of orange from the staff blurred out Naruto slightly as he dropped back down and hit the last feather heading their way.
Weiss was the first to notice, he had his eyes closed, to which he opened them revealing red irises. Turning towards them, he spun on his heel, launching his staff skywards and hitting the Nevermore and forcing it to back off on a third round.
"Holy…crap," Yang muttered, breathlessly, as Naruto straightened up.
Looking up, Naruto saw his staff sticking out of the chest of the Nevermore, he frowned, he barely missed its heart. Turning to face Yang and them fully, he had a smirk. Pointing at them, he gave them a thumb's up, then pointed the same thumb at the Nevermore flying above them.
Blake ran over to them, looking on as Pyrrha's group drove the Deathstalker away from them and towards a bridge. "We need to get to the tower, it's a better vantage point against that Giant Nevermore."
"R-right," Yang watched as Weiss and Blake headed that way, turning to Naruto. "You should probably run, you don't got any aura or a weapon."
Huffing at the notion, Naruto turned to Yang, opening up his pouch to reveal a kunai. He pulled it out, spinning it in his hand. Nudging his eyes towards the others, signaling her to get going. The young woman looks at her sister.
"Um, Yang, I think he's crazy."
"Maybe, but it's his choice to make…"
Yang nods, and Ruby starts getting ready to use her semblance with Yang in tow. She stops looking at Naruto, giving a smile and a thumb's up. "Thanks for the save."
Naruto waves her off, smiling as she finally speeds away.
Lee slammed into the Cyclops, breaking its chest armor while dodging its swing with the tree by angling his body mid-air. Lapis jumps up, firing several shots towards it eye, only for it to block with its forearm.
"Damn it, its smart." Lapis curses as he flips backward, landing with a skid as he formed several more arrows and launched them at the Cyclops.
They clanged off the bony armor once more, while Amira moved in front of him, using her semblance to form an armor shield around them both. Smashing the tree against it, she was brought to her knees as she felt the shield crack.
Glynda's eyes widened as she saw Amira's aura fall to just ten percent. "Her semblance won't hold on the next strike."
Ozpin's eyes narrow, on his datapad, he saw Naruto just standing there. "What are you doing?"
He hears a tiny beeping noise that signaled Naruto's aura being depleted suddenly stop, he saw that Naruto had his eyes closed. Looking through his third eye, the eye that he could use to sense aura, he discovered that Naruto was drawing aura from the area around him.
"That's unexpected!" He muses excitingly as he sees Naruto's aura skyrocket back up to one hundred, "it's almost like a second wind."
Lee dashed towards the Cyclops, roaring out, only for large Grimm to around and smack him into a tree. His aura was depleted after such a hit, green sparks flowed around, his eyes fluttered as he struggled to stand back up.
Using his momentum the Cyclops turned back around and brought down his tree once more. Shattering the dual-layered defense as Lapis had used most of his aura to conjure up a dome made of crystal, which now fell around them.
Amira's and Lapis's eyes opened wide, Lapis grabbed Amira, throwing her out.
"Lapis!" she screams, watching as the Cyclops brought his club up, and watches as Lapis futilely brings his arms up to block. "No!"
The Cyclops roars out as it smashed down, Amira scrunches her face up as she readies her guns, and waited with bated breath as the monster lifted its makeshift club up. Revealing…dirt, her eyes widened when Naruto appeared in front of her from his semblance.
Lapis was shaking a little bit, he looked at Naruto, who had a smile on his face. He suddenly realized the way Naruto had him, bridal style, and he immediately jumps up from the teen's arms. "Hey, don't be getting any ideas!"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, giving them a wide smile, he saw Rock Lee standing up over in the distance. Pulling out the razor-sharp wire from his pouch, he strung it out to where he could tie it around his kunai.
He then stuck the whistle in his mouth, blowing hard into it, making the Cyclops focus on him. He motioned for Lapis and Amira to find cover, and refill their aura. Spinning the kunai in his hands as he kept blowing the whistle.
The massive Grimm roars out, annoyed by the sound. "Raaaahh!"
Smirking, Naruto stepped to the side as the tree smashed next to him, and then flashed to left as the giant tried to sweep the tree and catch him off guard. Watching as Lee's aura slightly flickered, he signaled Lee by holing up his hands, making a fist.
"Right, he wants me ready." Lee hid inside of the trees, focusing on recovering aura as he watched Naruto skillfully weave through the monster's strikes.
Time seems to slow down as Naruto stepped backward, just out of the small tree's reach, making the giant roar as it then stabs at Naruto with the club. Only for the blonde to appear on top of it, sitting in a lotus.
Smiling as the giant Grimm waved the tree around, forcing him to stand up, only for him to ready to his kunai. Bringing the tree towards it mouth, intent on eating the teen, he watched as Naruto's eyes glowed for a moment before disappearing into an orange flash.
Biting into the tree, the monster roars out in anger as it didn't taste the blood it desired. Glaring around, it failed to notice Naruto was on top of its head. Sitting in a lotus, he watched as the monster focused on Amira and Lapis.
Walking towards them, he pursed his lips as he stood up, walking backward until he felt he was on the edge of the monster's head.
Hopping off, he angled himself to where he was inverted inside of the air, his head pointed towards the ground. The Cyclops's eye opens wide as he watched Naruto thrust the kunai towards it, stabbing right in the eye and twisting it to where it would stay in place.
Landing on the ground, Naruto watched as it slammed the tree down, and he flashed over to it. Tying the wire around a thick branch to where it would lock into place, he smirks as he sees the giant Grimm raise the tree up.
Flashing once more, he heard the squelching sound of the beast ripping its own eyeball out. Crying out in pain, Naruto leaped upward. Grabbing the wire and pulling his kunai out of the torn flesh. No blood, Grimm didn't have blood, just red energy.
Lapis and Amira felt their aura come back, getting ready, they moved to where Naruto flashed behind them. Giving the last bit of his aura, they both roared out as Lapis slammed his hands into the ground. Crystal split the earth as it forms around the legs of the Cyclops, forcing it to stand steal as Lee came over with Lotus activated.
"I'm ready!" Naruto nods, running out in front of Lee while waiting to help him vault upwards.
Lee runs towards Naruto, using the assistance and was launched into the air. Amira shoots Cyclops a few times, forcing it to fall backward and drop the tree. She backflips, curling up as she landed her feet into Naruto's hands.
"Woohoo!" She screams as she is thrown into the air as well, forming her semblance around her, and caught on when Lee furthered his semblance power into his leg. "Ah shit, here we go!"
Lee spun around in the air once, watching as Amira formed the spikes of semblance, leaving an open spot to where he could kick her like a football. Amira eyes widened as she felt Lee kick her semblance and sent her flying towards the Cyclops.
"Heehaw!" Amira screams as she impacts the Cyclops face, smashing it all over the ground, and killing it.
Flipping backward, she watched as the creature exploded in a cloud of black smoke. All four of them stood together when Lee landed by them, who in his excitement had just one thing to shout.
"Gooaaaal!" Lee screams with outstretched arms, making everyone around him laugh with Naruto, of course, mimicking the motions.
Ozpin sips on his coffee, looking at Glynda with a smirk that only could say "I told you so" smeared across his face. "Well, Ms. Goodwitch. It would seem that Naruto not only is able to defend with his aura down, he's skilled enough to recognize weaknesses in Grimm while observing them."
Glynda takes a deep breath, sighing. "I'll agree that he's surprised me today, he's very skilled. I will not baby him too much, but still, his confidence in the battlefield doesn't translate into social activity."
"That is a fair point, you'll get no argument from me on that," Ozpin says as he observes the other students finishing their battles, with Yang grabbing Naruto's weapon. "Still, friends can be made, and time is forever changing."
Glynda nods, looking around. "I guess we should welcome our new students, how many did we lose this year?"
"Actually, none, for the first time in a long time." Ozpin points out as they start walking away from the cliff. "Lapis is very skilled, but, I don't think he qualified for leadership like we initially believed."
"He's not exactly a pushover."
"Ruby Rose seems capable…"
"You can't be serious about making that girl a leader?"
"I see a spark in her, but not just her either."
"Who else?"
"I see it within Namikaze."
Glynda stops, looking at Ozpin. "That's a little favoritism isn't it?"
"Is it really, you were just proven wrong about combat capabilities. It was Naruto's actions that both kept fellow students safe, along with keeping his partner alive throughout the test. Naruto isn't perfect, he could use work, his combat strategies aren't preplanned…they're spare of the moment." Ozpin explains his reasoning to Glynda, he then walks while placing the cane on he ground. "I believe that he possesses potential to reach beyond what he is now."
"So, what was he displaying earlier when he charged blindly to defend Yang, Weiss, and Ruby?"
"Oh, that's simple, he probably didn't think."
"See, so why is he qualified above say…Rock Lee?"
"Lee is too driven, not in a bad way, but he's not a tactical thinker."
"Lapis isn't a pushover like I said, he had knowledge on how to deal with a Gravedigger."
"Gravediggers are common in Menagerie, Cyclops can only be found in Vale or Mistral."
Pinching her nose, Glynda looked at Ozpin. "If you make Naruto a team leader then you are endangering others."
"How so?" Ozpin asks as they near the school's wall.
"Naruto, for all his skills, lacks any form of communication skills. If you make this call here and now without thinking it over then people he's charged with will be on his hands. Sure, it would be the confidence booster he needs for civic activities, but he's going to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. And, when someone gets hurt, do you think that'll do him good?" Ozpin pondered Glynda response, sighing.
"I'll think it over, we don't have to announce teams until five hours from now after they've eaten." Glynda nods, accepting the parlay for now.
Naruto's eyes changed from their red to their normal blue on Ozpin's datapad, it didn't go unnoticed. Looking at Glynda to make sure she wasn't looking, Ozpin looked at the datapad and went over the statuses of everyone.
Finding Naruto's aura level already nearly full once more. "This aura pattern, the hastiness it uses to refuel itself and how…the power it holds to be able to use a semblance constantly, it is not like the others. I can tell…and if I were to pull Amber's former charts up right now, they'd be a near identical match."
"Is a child of a Maiden walking my halls?" Ozpin questions himself as he rewound the image of Naruto's eyes flickering between their blue and red state. "When I look into those eyes, however, I see something…more…something lurking beneath the surface just like with Silver Eyes."
"Magic," Ozpin concluded as he looked up, making sure Glynda didn't see him take a screenshot of Naruto's aura charts.
Walking through the doors of Beacon, Naruto took a deep breath, looking at all of the other students who had passed with him. He then heard a girl whistle before turning around and catching Kurama. Yang stood there, giving him a thumb's up.
The blonde smiled, giving her a thumb's up as well. Lapis and Amira watched as Naruto walked into the halls of Beacon with a prideful strut in his step, he had a large smile on his face. Lee as well, he seemed determined, ready to face anything in front of them.
Clutching it onto his tanzanite necklace, Naruto closed his eyes, a few tears slipped from them as he took a deep breath.
"I did it dad, I'm here, I'm a student now…" Naruto saw second-year students pass by him, all of them looking at him. "I'm going to make you proud father, make you and mom proud."
"I love you both, just keep me in your prayers." His eyes filled with determination. "Then watch me burn away the darkness of doubt, and run past even the most powerful."
"That's my promise to you both, Namikaze Naruto is here, and I'm not backing down!"