TALES FROM THE PAST 5: BATTLEFRONTS
The library was silent as Dr. Watts moved towards Dr. Anne who was seen going through some ancient scrolls. A stack of books were seen beside the scroll, filled with her handwritten translations from the scrolls she had gone through. "I hope I am not interrupting." He spoke, observing the amount of scrolls she had gone through. She was fast, he admitted. This definitely showed that it was her life's work.
"No you aren't. These are incredible." She muttered, her eyes filled with wonder. She was still getting used to the fact that Four Wars had broken out in their past history and Remnant was as a result of the last.
"You haven't eaten anything in a while."
"That hardly matters at the moment."
He observed the books, picking one and going through them before dropping it, then picking another one. His eyes caught a stack of scrolls on the table. "So you were able to decipher all these?" He asked, gesturing to a stack of scrolls.
She nodded adjusting her glasses. "Most of them detail the history of the world, gives a clearer picture."
"That's interesting. But there was one information we were hoping to get."
"Let me guess, a key in unlocking the Chakra Cannon." She looked to him with a knowing smirk.
Dr. Watts looked surprised. "How did you-"
"I have gotten the main gist of it. There are mentions of it here and there." She spoke, sorting through her books till her eyes twinkled, picking one, and going through it. She stopped at a page, readjusting her glasses. "I've been able to track down the mechanisms behind the weapon, from its basic intricate structures to well… the contrivances behind its usage. Here… look."
She gave the opened book to Dr. Watts who looked through it with widened eyes. "This is incredible." He muttered, noting the diagrams of the cannon. "But the text, it's indecipherable."
"I'm translating them using my codex." She said. "It's in a format I can quickly understand so I can explain it to you. Translating from the scrolls to our present language takes more time, might lead to mistakes. This is a better and quicker way."
Dr. Arthur Watts smirked and nodded. "I see. So how can we go around unlocking the seal? I don't see that or to put it basically, I don't see the illustrations."
"The seal is where the problem is." She said, collecting the book. "I don't know how, but it sure as hell is complex. I'm still… processing it, although I'd like to say I'm making progress."
"When do you think you would be able to decipher it completely?"
"At this rate?" Dr. Anne smirked. "Soon."
"That's great to hear." Arthur nodded. "You know how to reach us when you have something."
…
A large airship landed on the landing platform of Beacon Academy, the blades, slowing down till it stopped completely. The steps emerged from the opened door and General Ironwood emerged from the airship, flanked by Gabriel Goodwitch and Winter Schnee.
"I always like coming here." Gabriel muttered.
"Because of your daughter or the weather?"
"Well, both."
"Well, let's head on then." Ironwood muttered.
…
"We have a couple of problems." Ironwood muttered looking across the table to note Ozpin leaning into his chair. "And one of them is from your school."
"My school?" Ozpin asked.
"The history Professor Naruto all so willingly imparted to the students have made things quite problematic in Remnant. The appearance of a tailed beast right here doesn't help matters. It took a while, but when parents, from other Continents receive calls from their children about it, it tends to be rather challenging."
"So you know about it, the history."
"We had come upon a theory," Gabriel muttered. "Which is connected to another issue but-"
"You intended to keep it from the people." Ozpin interrupted.
"People tend to react… extremely to information like this." Ironwood said in an attempt to buttress his point. "Keeping it from them is the only way to keep Remnant safe."
"Right now they are chalking it up to rumors, which wouldn't be the case soon." Winter concluded.
"Soon?" Ozpin arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Therein lies our next problem." Ironwood crossed his legs. "There was someone, who was really determined in unravelling secrets from the past. A past we had made clear should stay buried."
"And who is this person?"
"Dr. Anne Dawburn, the head of the Archival unit." Winter muttered, giving a file to Ozpin for him to look through. "Her skills though, not limited to that."
Ozpin looked through her data. Hmmm.
"She was under the mindset that the past shouldn't remain buried. Time and again she has tried to expose it to the world till she became rather violent in her attempts."
"From what I'm seeing, you locked her up."
"Well." Winter shook her head in the negative. "Not anymore."
"She escaped?"
"She was broken out of jail."
"By who?"
"We do not know. But worst case scenario, a group with her mindset."
At those words, Ozpin's countenance changed as a frown was spotted on his face. "You are suggesting that a group is trying to expose the past history to the present?"
"Not sure, but that's what we are operating on." Winter said, stunned at Ozpin's mood change.
"Now what we want to know is simple." Ironwood leaned in. "How did Professor Naruto know about the past?"
Ozpin looked to Gabriel and Winter, remembering that Naruto had wiped off their memories of what happened in Mistral, so they weren't certain of his identity.
"You'd have to ask him to be certain."
"We've seen videos and heard rumors about how he singlehandedly combated a Tailed Beast. He-" Gabriel began.
"You are saying this like I understand what you are talking about."
"Spare us the act, Ozpin." Gabriel said, clearly not in the mood. "You definitely know what we are talking about. So the earlier you tell us about this, the better."
The moment was silent as Ozpin held their gaze for a while, before speaking. "Why didn't you reach out to Naruto yourselves?"
"Because for some reason we feel you might provide answers." Winter answered.
"That's a wild feeling."
"But we are right? Aren't we?"
"If you want to know about Naruto, I've already said it. You can go and ask him."
"We want to deal with this discreetly to avoid any ruckus. We do not want to take this to the Inter-Council and you know how this ends."
Ozpin arched an eyebrow, in amusement, examining Winter's stern expression. "You plan on arresting Naruto?"
"If push comes to shove."
"Yeah, you don't want that." Ozpin said and looked to the clock in the distance. He looked deep in though and looked to them. "All I will tell you is that Naruto has transcripts passed down from his family and that was how he was able to know about it."
"But his power." Gabriel spoke. "I don't know if you understand the power of the Tailed Beast, but for someone to stand up to them and fight them, that's nothing to scoff at, and considering that Dr. Anne was able to experiment and summon that beast into Vale…" Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "Whoever Naruto is, we will find out."
"I think you should be concerned with the criminal you let loose." Ozpin pointed out. "And just because you have some pull with the council, doesn't mean I don't. Remember, you are in Vale, not Atlas."
Ironwood pressed on. "I was elected to be the Commander of the Inter-Kingdom forces. It is my duty-"
"I don't care if you were chosen to be the King of Atlas, Ironwood." Ozpin muttered with a stern expression on his face stunning the individuals before him. "Once Vale is concerned, it is my concern. That's why I was selected. You can bother yourselves with Atlas, we are okay over here."
Ironwood stepped forward. "Ozpin listen."
"No you aren't listening." Ozpin closed the file on Dr. Anne, and looked to them. "You people from Atlas look down on us like we are children who can't handle our messes. You went to Mistral to fix their mess and you had no effect there. And you expect to do the same here?"
"We arrested Adam Taurus." Gabriel muttered.
"Because Blake, a student from Beacon convinced him to stop his mindless rampage." Ozpin pointed out. "We will be able to take care of ourselves, no matter what. So thanks for your help, but we're good."
"Ozpin." Ironwood spoke. "We are taking this to the Inter-Council."
"Do what you wish." Ozpin said and stood up. "If that will be all."
"Naruto Uzumaki?" Winter asked. "Where can we find him?"
"He's out for the moment. He went to check on something privately related to him. And I can't disclose it because I don't know."
"I'll say this one last time." Ironwood muttered as they made themselves to the door. He stopped, looking back at Ozpin. "You do not want the eyes of the world focused on you. We are doing our duties, mind you. We do not wish for a divided Remnant, a sentiment I hope you share."
Ozpin looked to them, his eyes hidden by his glasses.
As the three individuals from Atlas closed the door behind them, Ozpin let out a tired sigh and plopped to his chair, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.
Naruto… He wondered. What exactly are you hiding from me?
…
"So, she's getting to the intricacies of the seal?" Salem asked, prompting a nod from Dr. Arthur Watts.
"She has a codex which she's using to decipher the ancient scrolls." Dr. Watts said. "I can't read the translations though, she says that it's based on her codex, meaning only she can read it."
Salem observed his countenance. "You seem unsure."
"It seems she wants to be important to our plan. I have a feeling she's making it that way so she seems valuable."
"But she is." Salem muttered and let out a smile. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't admire her shrewdness."
"It means we don't kill her after she translates them. Well Emerald and Mercury are watching over her discreetly to make sure we aren't being fiddled with."
"Good." Salem nodded.
Arthur's device beeped and he removed it to note the alert from Dr. Anne. "Well, it seems like she has something."
"Let's go, I'm curious as to what she has."
…
Pyrrha jumped and flung her shield towards Ren who blocked it with his dual StormFlower. Sparks emerged as Pyrrha landed right behind him and using her semblance, attracted the shield back to her, causing Ren to grit his teeth at the increased pressure.
She headed towards his exposed back, going for a finished strike only to look upwards and roll away as Nora came down with her Magnhild Hammer, smashing into the ground with an immense power that it caved inward. Nora looked up in alert to note Jaune heading towards her with a swipe and ducked.
Ren had managed to deflect Pyrrha's shield to the side - which retreated back to her - and turned to quickly put up his StormFlower in defense. Jaune had concentrated his aura into his strike, sending Ren to the air. Quickly reacting, Ren threw his right handed weapon like a boomerang towards Pyrrha who was approaching him and using her shield deflected it and using her sword, clashed mid-air with Ren.
Nora kept hammering unto Jaune who was on the defensive. Her quick hits made it hard for him to find an opening to exploit, and so he grit his teeth, meeting her hits head on with his shield. He noted that his battle stamina had increased considerably after his meeting with Naruto. So his plan was to wait it out till he was certain of an opening.
Landing on the earth, Pyrrha sent a quick look to Jaune and seeing that he needed no assistance at the moment, proceeded on her battle with Ren. The dark haired boy had to admit, Pyrrha was quite vicious on the offensive, and he knew his sparring with Nora was the only thing keeping him still in the fight.
He quickly calculated; head, shoulders, knees, and feet, and let loose a barrage of bullets towards his locked targets. Pyrrha, showing an incredible show of speed, used her shield and blocked the onslaught of bullets. Ren was smart to make her head the final target, because as Pyrrha moved her shield upwards to protect her head, he moved quickly, aiming to capitalize by targeting her legs with a sweeping kick.
Nora certain to be a heavy hitter, Jaune would admit that. But still it didn't mean that her attacks were flawless. He noted that despite the restless onslaught, her attacks were quite predictable. And so he made his move. As Nora moved for a strike, Jaune braced for impact, but instead of meeting it head-on, deflected the strike to the side and using the back of his sword sent her head to the side, making her stagger.
Concentrating his aura to his shield, he rammed into her with his shield, capitalizing on her disoriented state. Nora had expected to finish off Jaune a long while ago. But his durability was a new factor for her to consider. His eyes seemed more confident, his stance more stable. Basically, he was a harder opponent all of a sudden.
Staggering back, she looked through her disoriented vision to note Jaune approaching her and quickly reacting, she jumped high up to the skies, noting that she wasn't going to be able to defend properly against his attacks. Noting him looking stunned, she strengthened her grip on her weapon, and decided to bring it down in a powerful smash.
Pyrrha noting Ren's attempt at sweeping her off her feet, quickly span her sword and moved it downwards. Ren quickly rotated, using his StormFlowers to block the strike and roll away.
Noting his plan had failed, Ren had to defend as Pyrrha engaged him in close quarters. Inevitably Pyrrha's stamina outlasted Ren's and soon enough, he was disarmed and Pyrrha pointed her sword at him in victory. Soon enough, Jaune yelped as he crashed to a tree, courtesy of Nora.
Pyrrha looked towards them to note Jaune groaning as he picked himself up from the ground.
Why were the ladies in his team so vicious?
"A draw then." Pyrrha said with a smile as she sheathed her sword. Nora just beamed and looked to Jaune.
"That was quite cool Jaune. You lasted so long!"
"Y…You think so?" Jaune asked with a pained smile on his face. He initially wanted to use his newly discovered abilities but resorted not to, considering he hadn't yet mastered it. But from the way he had fought, he was certain, that he could protect his team. He smiled at the thought. He wasn't going to be a burden anymore.
"We are coming a long way as a Team." Pyrrha said. "When we can cover up our weaknesses we can become stronger together."
"You know you should just be the Leader Pyrrha." Jaune said tiredly with a light laugh to which Pyrrha smiled.
"That's your job, Jaune. No one else's."
…
"How's your training coming along?" Naruto asked to which Pyrrha replied, walking towards him. Naruto was seen sitting on the grass underneath a tree, going through a book.
"You tell us, you were watching us for the majority of it."
"I didn't want to interrupt. Is that why you came? To know what I thought?"
"You said a storm was coming, and you said it was up to us to protect Vale, so, what do you think?"
"Jaune's different." Naruto smiled.
"He told me you helped him." Pyrrha muttered. "In a way."
"I just made him see what was already there. He needs to protect himself. He wouldn't always have you, you know."
"How many of us are there? People who can use chakra."
"Fewer than I'd like."
"The feeling when you showed us your ability, that sphere you made with it."
"I call it the Rasengan."
"It felt similar to when those people summoned the tailed beast."
Naruto blinked and looked discerningly at Pyrrha. "Really." He smirked in interest. "You felt it?"
"It's like how I sense people's auras, only this time it was different. Theirs felt… I don't know how to put it. Strange… different."
"I'd go with different. They are one and the same, someone is trying to synthesize chakra, and it led to some horrible effects."
"It's possible to make people have it?"
"It's possible, but as you saw, the effects are not great." Naruto said. "Introducing chakra into a body not suited for it, leads to reactions, fatal reactions."
"Who are they, the people that are coming?"
"You wouldn't believe me right now, if I told you."
"After all I've seen?" Pyrrha asked with a chuckle. "Try me."
Naruto stared at her for a while before speaking. "I'll be heading away from Vale for a while, I guess I wanted to check up on you before I left."
"Why?" Pyrrha asked in curiosity.
"I don't know." Naruto answered, looking to the skies. "Just a feeling." He stood up and looked towards her puzzled expression, a smile on his face.
"Just a feeling."
…
The tavern was composed of round tables and simple chairs made from oak, with the log walls made from the same wood. The tavern was as rowdy during the daytime as it was in the night, never ceasing in activity. At a corner, Naruto was seen sitting across a hooded individual. The person across him seemed relaxed, but completely alert.
"How is she?" Naruto asked amidst the loud noises that seemed to drown theirs, but it didn't, a perfect cover.
"She has someone with her." The hooded man spoke. "Dr. Anne Dayburn, from Atlas, who is helping to transcribe the ancient scrolls."
"Why?"
"The Chakra Cannon. She seeks to unseal it."
Naruto looked in thought. "I see."
"I know we haven't gotten time to meet, but things are moving at a quicker pace than usual."
"I know of that. Glynda mentioned that you were with Torchwick."
"Still am." He replied, staring at the drink before him. "She's using him to gather as many dusts as he can, which is enough to wage a war by now. Well, you know by now she is targeting you."
He chuckled. "That I know."
"Why?"
Naruto smiled. "It's… complicated."
"With my information, I'm certain you could storm the place and raze it too hell. Why are you allowing her to proceed with the plans when you know she plans on waging war on Remnant?"
Naruto leaned into his chair. "Playing the long game. Besides, the bigger picture is always in play."
"Bigger picture?" he asked, puzzled by Naruto's words. "What do you mean?"
Naruto stared at him, his expression inexplicable. "I'm not telling you that."
"Honest." He admitted. "Don't be so restrictive. Glynda, and Ozpin think I work for the council as an undercover agent, not knowing I'm yours. The least I could get is something to think about."
"You must be careful around Salem." Naruto warned. "If she gets a whiff about your link to me, you are going to be in a bit of trouble. So telling you anything hampers our secrecy."
"But-"
"I appreciate your work honestly. But there is something you haven't told me."
The hooded man stilled. "What are you-"
"How is she?" Naruto stressed on the question prompting the man to hum in understanding. He took his mug and took a quick gulp.
"I wouldn't know," He said, placing it back on the table. "Only that she seems different each day. Sometimes she seems so unearthly it's quite difficult to stand in her presence."
Naruto closed his eyes in thought sending his fingers through his hair. "I see."
The hooded man noted Naruto's expression and mused. "What really is between you two?"
Naruto just looked to him not saying a word. "I will be away for a short while, I need to leave Vale for some days. So contact between us will be null until then."
"What if something important comes up?"
"What I'm going to do is very delicate, you wouldn't be able to contact me." Naruto said, his eyes showing him to be in thought. "Just hold on to it."
"Alright. I understand." He muttered, before looking around, taking in the occupants of the tavern. "Don't know why we had to meet here. The smell, the company-"
"The cover." Naruto said.
"I know ten more places better than this that would've worked just fine."
"I'm sure you do." Naruto said. "I want to talk to you about something else."
"What is it?"
"Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee."
The hooded person stilled, taking in Naruto's expression. "I take it you were displeased."
"They are children."
"I know, and Torchwick was expecting me to kill them. I had to prolong the battle for as long as I could until Glynda showed up. Unfortunately what happened… happened."
"She's important." Naruto said with a frown. "Don't do that again."
"While I'm sure they've learnt their lesson, what did you expect me to do, hell I even received some of their hits for the hell of it."
"You improvise." Naruto said. "You seem to have a talent for that. But you do not harm any of the students from Beacon Academy, if you do not heed, I'll kill you."
The individual seemed taken aback and shrugged, raising his arms in surrender. "Fine, Fine."
Naruto sighed and looked to the drink. Multiple thoughts swimming through his head. When are you going to move? He wondered, the individual none the wiser.
…
"You're going." Glynda said to Naruto, looking down to the school from the rooftops of Beacon Academy.
"What I've planned will not be enough." Naruto muttered. "I need to make sure that, no matter what, I wouldn't be taking you all with me. Pretty sure Potts can cover for me."
"Fighting the Death god." Glynda laughed at the situation. "Unbelievable."
"What's unbelievable is that you are still here with me and not freaking out."
"You still can't believe it?" Glynda asked looking to him and observing his gaze to the school structures.
Naruto shook his head in the negative, a smile on his face. "It's not that really. Sure I'm pleased about it, it's just that, for a while, I'm a bit happy."
"What of Ozpin?"
"He had years to adjust to it." Naruto pointed out, placing his hands in his pockets.
"I have a question for you." Glynda asked, earning his gaze.
"How much do you love Beacon?"
Naruto blinked at the question, a bit puzzled about where it came from, but he smiled again.
"Beacon was…" He began. "My first step in redeeming myself, after all I had done." He closed his eyes, remembering the construction. "A while ago I thought it was going to be impossible. Creating something so… free of war, something that aimed at bringing people closer together." The teams flowed through his mind. "This school is like a child to me Glynda. Something I've needed in a while." He opened his eyes, looking to her. "Something I can look at with pride and say, 'I did that.'" He had a sheepish look on his face. "Do you get it?"
Glynda looked to him, the edges of her mouth, twitching up at his words. "In a way."
"Her name was Temari." Naruto said prompting a blink from her.
"What?"
"The woman I loved, more than anything." Naruto muttered.
Glynda didn't say anything, letting him speak.
"She was just like you." A nostalgic expression was seen on his face. "Fierce, loyal, but loving when you manage to get through that wall. Also she didn't take shit." He laughed, prompting a smile from her. "It was unnerving." He continued, "After so many years, finding someone who was in every way like her, but at the same time different."
Naruto looked to her. "But I… broke her heart." He looked down, "And it's something I've never gotten over, despite all the time that has passed. Her memory is there, pulsing through me every day its-"
Glynda's lips on his prompted a widened look as he was shut up. His mind was blank, feeling Glynda's lips on his. What was happening, where was he? Clarity however flooded his vision as his hands slowly snaked around her and pulled her close, fully capturing her upper lip within his. Before Glynda could withdraw from him, Naruto's arms were around her, and she once again felt the rush of being helpless, the sinking yielding, and the surging tide of warmth that left her lips. Her vision became blurred as it dissolved into darkness, closing her eyes and melting into the kiss.
She realized surprising him with the kiss was the only time she actually dominated. He bent back her head across his arm and kissed her again, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world.
His insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. And before a swimming giddiness spun her around and round, she realized that she was kissing him back.
As the moment feeling short slowly ended, Naruto couldn't help the smirk that emerged from his face.
Glynda looked to him with a dazed smile. "What?"
"Nothing. Just that was a nice way to stop me from brooding."
She chuckled as Naruto pulled her close. He bent down, his lips against her cheek, brushing it lightly – and still that light touch sent shivers through her nerves, shivers that made her whole body tremble. "If you want me to stop, tell me now," he whispered. When she still said nothing, he brushed his mouth against the hollow of her temple. "Or now." He traced the line of her cheekbone. "Or now." His lips were against hers.
"Or-"
But she had reached up and pulled him down to her, and the rest of his words were lost against her mouth. He kissed her gently, carefully, but it wasn't gentleness she wanted, not now, not after all this time, and she knotted her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. Naruto groaned softly, low in his mouth, and then his arms circled her, gathering her against him, still kissing.
…
"Dr. Anne." Dr. Watts said drawing her attention, an eyebrow was arched in confusion as she spotted Salem behind him.
"Meet the boss."
Dr. Anne smirked. "Pleased to meet you." Nice getup. She thought, not intending on voicing that part out.
"Same." Salem muttered. "I've been informed you might have something for us. Regarding the-"
"Chakra Cannon yes." She said.
"Well the seal was basically a blood seal."
"What?"
"There was a clan, from what I've gleaned, the Uzumaki, they helped the land of lightning to seal the Cannon, to stop it from being used by well people with bad intent. There are two ways of opening it, one is a long process because we'll need to break it down bit by bit, could take weeks, maybe months. The other is quite quicker. It's basically a blood seal. One from the Uzumaki can open it."
"Uzumaki?" Dr. Watts muttered in realization remembering Naruto's surname.
"Yes. And while I'm certain he wouldn't be all giddy in opening it up for us, do you have any Uzumaki in stock?"
"No," Dr. Watts replied, "none we do know."
"A descendant?" Dr. Anne looked to Salem in inquiry, "Nothing?"
"We'll have to search for the individual." Salem looked to Dr. Watts who nodded. "Where's Hazel?" she asked.
"Business in Vale. Tyrian's in Vacuo taking care of that problem of ours and Cinder's on standby."
"Good, we'll need to-"
Salem immediately winced and grabbed her head as a whirring sound pierced through it. Dr. Watts looked stunned as she leaned to the table for support, gritting her teeth in pain. "A…Are you alright?!"
She placed her hand to the air, stopping him. "Stop. It's okay… Just an… inconvenience I'll have to deal with."
Dr. Watts seemed unsure but let the matter drop.
Dr. Anne blinked. "Are you sure you are okay?"
"I am."
…
"The last time I was here." Naruto muttered taking in the ruins of the Lost Clan. "It was where it all began."
He moved towards the hall, noting the masks still in place. "These things," he muttered, looking at each of them before staring at that of the Shinigami.
He reached for one, and went down in a meditative pose. The seal right on his eyes glowed, releasing the Rinnegan. He let out an exhale, and put it on.
As soon as the eyeholes glowed white, he was surrounded by darkness, completely.
…
Salem was seen in the parallel dimension, the Shinigami's presence felt in every nook and cranny.
"An Uzumaki?" It asked.
"Yes," she said. "Do you know where we can find one?"
"There is one." The Death god muttered, "One in Vale… close to him."
"Close to Naruto?" She asked. "Is it okay to strike now, he could hold us back."
"Funny thing… it seems he's gone. I don't feel him there. This might be your time to strike."
"Who is she?"
"The red haired girl, Pyrrha Nikkos."
…