Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or RWBY.
Veritas Aequitas
XXV: Aftermath
"...General Ironwood will be in charge of the defense for the Vytal Festival." A shadowed member of the Council of Vale decreed to the three men within the Beacon Headmaster's office. The cleanup performed by Ironwood's mechanized forces was fast and efficient, which allowed for many of the students sent out to help defend the city to be recalled to recover.
General Ironwood stood straighter. "I will do my best."
"We know. ...And Jiraiya? Do stop sticking your nose in places it doesn't belong."
"Mm, I'll think about it," Jiraiya said from where he leaned against the wall. The smirk that was on his face fell when the holographic screens disappeared. "'Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.' Tch, typical councils. At least the Vacoan Council is willing to show their face to someone when they completely undermine their authority to another nation."
"I wish it didn't have to be that way, but I warned you, Ozpin-"
"James," Ozpin cut the General off with a tired stare. He turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya. Please, if the both of you would...give me a moment."
"...Fair enough." Ironwood nodded and turned to leave. Jiraiya remained silent as he followed the general out.
The doors shut behind them with a soft click and the lights in the room brightened slightly. Ozpin sat down into his chair and used one hand to conceal his face. Ironwood was right, he'd been warned.
"...That was a really stupid move on your part, Ozpin." A familiar voice said from the small shadow in the corner of the room.
"Yes, I'm well aware, thank you." Ozpin sighed and looked up from his hand to glare lightly at the man before him. "Why are you here?"
"What? Last time you welcomed me with open arms! Speaking of which," the shadowed figure folded his arms over his chest. "Why are those brats still in your school?"
"...In case you haven't noticed, there're bigger issues to worry about." Ozpin dryly retorted.
"Psh, this? Please, this is nothing compared to what's coming," the mysterious figure said with a wave of his hand. Ozpin glared at him once again.
"If you'd tell me-!"
"Come now, Ozpin, you know I can't." The figure scoffed. "It'd be a breach of The Order's decree."
"To Hell with the Order!" Ozpin shot from his seat. "If you can't tell me what is coming, then the least you could do is have the courtesy to tell me why you've come to kick me while I'm down!"
"Because, Almighty Ozpin," the man said, unfazed by the outburst. A small smirk spread across his face. "If I don't do it, then who will? After all, a wall can only become stronger each time it's rebuilt."
"...Get out of my office." Ozpin bit out, his hand tightly gripping his cane as he glared at the visitor.
"You'll understand one day, Ozpin." The guest chuckled as he disappeared into the shadows.
About halfway down to the main floor, Jiraiya hit the emergency stop switch on the elevator. The casket stopped halfway between floors and the lights dimmed slightly. His fellow elevator rider closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Lord Jiraiya, you know as well as I do that had I not acted-" Two fingers pressed around the General's larynx, silencing him instantly as air was cut from his lungs.
"Your job right now, Jimmy, is to listen. So shut up, stand at attention and if you so much as blink without my say-so, Atlas will be down a general and headmaster, capisce?" Jiraiya asked lowly as he towered over Ironwood.
Unable to breathe or speak out against the action, all Ironwood could do was nod his cooperation.
"Good." Jiraiya removed his fingers from the General's neck, which made the man gasp and rub his throat. Ignoring the dirty look sent his way by the General, Jiraiya glared down at him. "Now listen and listen good. I don't care about you undermining Ozpin like a douchebag, because let's face it, you're from Mantle, that's how most of you are."
Ironwood did nothing more than narrow his eyes further, which allowed Jiraiya to continue uninterrupted.
"I don't even care about you coming in and swinging your dick around like you own the joint. What I do care about, and listen closely, Jimmy because this is important, what I do care about is my godson's safety. If your show of force or any top secret Atlesian weapon 'stolen' by the White Fang or Fourth War causes damage that threatens him in any way..."
Jiraiya's eyes and 'tears' turned gold and the air in the room became heavy. The General visibly strained to remain upright and had to work on keeping his breathing even. Jiraiya lifted a hand up, a finger extended, and Ironwood grimaced when it poked him in the chest.
"I will, and follow me on this, personally, maliciously, and slowly destroy your precious Atlas from the inside out. Are we clear on that? General?"
"C-Crystal...Sir." Ironwood grit out, loathing the stutter that left his mouth. The weight and tension in the air vanished so fast it was like a switch was flipped. Jiraiya's eyes and 'tears' returned to their normal colors and a smile spread across his face.
"I'm glad to hear that we understand one another!" Jiraiya said boisterously. He clapped Ironwood on the shoulder and turned the elevator back on. The elder man whipped his notepad out and began to scribble notes in it, whistling a jaunty tune while he did.
Ironwood fixed his suit and stepped out once the elevator came to a stop, his pace a bit faster than normal. If one were to look closely, they'd see a bead of sweat on the side of his head. The good General knew that Jiraiya meant every word he'd said, this is the man who was reported to have threatened to kill one of his old teammates in a public restaurant if they threatened to betray Vacuo back during the skirmish with Vale. He demonstrated his severity by killing what was supposedly a well-placed mole by Vale's then Head Councilman, who'd long since been replaced. The poor waiter was barely out of his teens and according to the autopsy, the ...remains were very hard to remove from the wood.
So, it was with a bunch of concealed, but very much shaken nerves that General James Ironwood returned to his school/military's main airship to update some personal files. Once he was back within his quarters and seated at his private computer, he edited a dossier that he'd created as soon as he got to Beacon.
Team Name: N. H. K. S. (KNOX)
Affiliation: Unknown (Vacuo/Vale?)
Members:
Naruto Uzumaki – Leader/Frontline
Haku Yuki – Support/Espionage
Kurama Ōtsutsuki – Support/Intelligence
Uchiha Sasuke – Support/Mid-Long Ranged
Notes:
Uzumaki:
Son of "Thunder God" Minato Namikaze and "Bloody Death" Kushina Uzumaki.
Godson to "Toad Sage" Jiraiya.
Semblance: Capable of enhancing physical abilities to unknown levels.
Primary Weapon: Gauntlets, Unknown Origin.
Threat Level: Alpha.
Yuki:
Parentage Unknown.
Raised and trained by "The Demon Butcher" Momochi Zabuza, known assassin.
Semblance: (Presumably) inter-dimensional transportation.
Primary Weapon: Scrapped N2DRX "Needler" Prototype of Mistral. (Presumed) stolen by Momochi.
Threat level: Alpha.
Ōtsutsuki:
Ninth Son of "Monk Staff" Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. Faunus.
Semblance: Unknown.
Weapon: Multi-form Staff.
Threat Level: Alpha.
Uchiha:
Son of Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto.
Brother (Younger) of Uchiha Itachi, wanted terrorist/murderer in all four Kingdoms.
Semblance: Creation/Manipulation of Electricity/Lightning. Extent unknown.
Weapon: Sword/Compact Bow
Threat Level: Alpha.
Orders: Avoid confrontation/conflict at all costs. Retreat-on-conflict: INDISPUTABLE.
Ironwood leaned back and looked over his work carefully. Some of this information would be provided to the team that faced off against NHKS. Primarily their backgrounds, as little as there were: Ōtsutsuki's status as a Faunus would be enough for some students, and it was all they had right now; the Uchiha's family tree was well known across remnant, with the boy's older brother becoming a new boogeyman for a younger generation; and Yuki's history with The Demon Butcher of Vacuo would be more than enough to make his students and soldiers wary.
But it was the team leader's lineage he'd have to redact and conceal, file away within the privacy of his personal notes. Ironwood bit on the tip of his thumb. He couldn't risk anyone learning anything about arguably the most dangerous member of the team, lest he give Jiraiya a reason to start a new internal war.
With a heavy sigh, James Ironwood entered the proper codes to classify and redact the information highlighted.
The needs of the many...He thought bitterly.
Oh well, it wasn't like any of his students held a grudge against Minato or Kushina.
...Perhaps he should perform a quick background check, just to be sure.
"So...You going to say anything in your defense?" Jiraiya asked. After he scared the Atlesian general shitless, Jiraiya made a detour over to the detention center where Roman Torchwick was being held. The criminal was seated on the other side of a bolted down table, his arms and legs bound with aura-cancelling cuffs. He looked a bit roughed up, but otherwise fine.
"Nah. What's the point? I'm guilty of everything," Roman said, a smirk on his face. "Kidnapping, conspiracy, theft, and, this one's my favorite, war crimes. What's the point in trying to get out of it?"
"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, Torchwick." Jiraiya pointed out. The criminal barked out a laugh.
"Who are you, my lawyer? C'mon, buddy, this isn't my first time in the interrogation room. Bring in the bad cop already," Roman said. An open packet of cigarettes was slid over to him and he arched a brow. "Oh, bribery funds. How kind."
"You want to light one up now or would you rather save them for when you drop the soap?" Jiraiya asked. Torchwick rolled his eyes and, with fumbling fingers, pulled a stick out and put it in his mouth. Jiraiya twisted his hand, revealing a pack of matches, and snapped one off. The match was quickly ignited and used to light the cigarette that hung from the criminal's lips. Torchwick took a long drag and bent his head down so he could use one hand to remove the smoke from his mouth.
"Cheap, but it's better than nicotine withdrawal." He muttered. The smoke was placed back into his mouth and another drag was taken before he looked at the stony faced old man seated across from him. "So what do you want to know?"
"Well, the secret to eternal youth would be nice."
"Don't we all want that?" Roman chuckled. "C'mon, don't jerk me around here, what do you want? A confession? A deal? My life?"
"In a hurry?" Jiraiya asked.
"Let's just say as soon as this little convo is over, I'm getting a ride over to Atlas to receive the 'finest' of my peers to try me," Roman said with a snort. "I've got a lifetime of cold nights and stone walls to mentally prepare for, so if you'd be so kind."
"Fair enough." Jiraiya leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "I know for a fact that you've been in contact with the real brains behind the Breach."
"Oh, really? You know this for a fact?" Roman asked with his smirk plastered on his face. "According to the General, I'm the one behind it all. He's got me, crime has to stop!"
"Crime will stop...In Vale. For a while." Jiraiya agreed. He smirked. "But just because it's called 'crime' doesn't mean it's all bad. Some of the worst things done on Remnant were done with the best intentions in mind."
"...Oh, this is the offer, huh? Alright, I'll humor you." Roman chuckled. He took a drag of his cigarette. "Hypothetically, let's say there was another, smarter, person scheming in the background and that I was just a front-man. If, hypothetically, I was to reveal who that person was, I'd still have to concern myself with the backlash from them. They've got both the White Fang and the Fourth War backing them. So, weighing my options, I could either risk going up against both groups for the chance to go on some Vacoan approved sprees of the criminal sort or I could spend the rest of my life in a secure Atlesian prison, where I would be fed three meals a day, get my bedding laundered, and have a chance at parole a decade or so later."
Roman held his hands out like a scale and bounced them from side to side before he laughed.
"Take your offer and shove it, Grandpa! What do you take me for, an idiot?"
"Yep." Jiraiya chirped as he stood up and went to the door. He stopped, his hand hovering over the door control. "Oh, and for the record, I just wanted to confirm my source's identity of this mastermind. Shame you couldn't do that and chose to go to prison. Enjoy your trip, Mr. Torchwick."
"Yeah, I pl...I pla..."
Roman slumped forward suddenly. He was foaming at the mouth and his eyes rolled into his head while his body began to convulse. Jiraiya paid this no mind and stepped out of the interrogation room, giving a brief nod to the 'officers' that stood outside the door.
"I'd get him to a medic, if I were you. That's not normal."
"Roman Torchwick is missing?!"
"Thank you, Ruby, for screaming out what I just said," Kurama said dryly to the youngest member of their little group from where he sat in his recliner, reading the morning news on his Scroll.
With the Breach aftermath being taken care of by the teachers and their respective guardians, teams RWBY, JNPR and NHKS had gathered together in the recreation room of their dorm building to relax after a long, long few days. Yang and Naruto occupied the loveseat on the right, comfortably seated together – or, rather, Yang lying atop Naruto– while they watched Sasuke, Jaune, Ruby and Nora (all seated on the floor) play one of the many fighting games Ruby had brought with her. Reading novels were Weiss and Blake, who sat on the couch and the former's legs were used by Ruby as a pillow. Pyrrha took the other seat beside Blake, reading an X-Ray and Vav comic she snagged from Jaune, while Haku and Ren sat on the other couch, watching the gamers and awaiting their turn.
Kurama wiggled a finger in his ear. "Damn, why does every girl I have to know have a set of lungs?"
"Velvet doesn't." Haku pointed out.
"That we know of. Ten lien says his Velvet Cake is a screamer," Sasuke said. He ducked under a tossed cushion, a smirk on his face.
"I'll take that bet." Naruto offered. "Twenty says she's silent and squirty."
The blond got a whack upside the head from Yang, who was still a tad miffed by the events that occurred toward the end of his team's mission with the cashier – as well as his willingness to be swallowed hole not once, but twice by monster worms. She made sure Naruto had scrubbed his teeth and showered before giving him any kisses. Monster gunk residue was not something she wanted to risk tasting. Ever.
"Thank you," Kurama said with a nod to Yang, who nodded back before she gave Naruto a look.
"The only girl you should be wondering those sorts of things about is me, Whisker Boy." Yang muttered while she readjusted herself from where she lay to get a better view of the game.
"Believe me, I do." Naruto whispered heatedly into his girlfriend's ear. She grinned and they shared a quick peck, which made most of the group roll their eyes.
"Gross!" Ruby stuck her tongue out in disgust and then squawked in outrage when she was killed by Nora's character's hammer. "Aw, darn!"
"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The pancake addict cackled gleefully. "And then there was three..."
"Not this time, Nora!" Jaune declared valiantly. His thumbs blurred on the controller and he narrowed his eyes in concentration. He grinned wildly when his actions resulted in a special move being displayed, a move that took Nora's character out in a violent and gory mess. "Ah-ha! Victory!"
"Nooo! Pancake Queen!" Nora wailed. She glared at Jaune. "You murdered her! Now how shall she reclaim her castle? All of her people will starve at the hands of the Waffle King!"
"Damn right." Sasuke smirked. He took Jaune out with a basic move that wiped the smile off his face. "Nobody touches the waffles."
"Oh, come on! That's a crock of-!"
"Oi, PJ, keep it PG, will ya?" Kurama cut off the teen with a smirk on his face. Jaune glared at him.
"Like you're one to talk..." Jaune grumbled.
"Shut up, PJ – Oh god dammit!" Kurama swore.
"What now?" "Hypocrite!" Haku asked and Jaune accused.
"My GriffBall team got destroyed!"
"Your what?" Haku asked again, his brow raised in confusion. Pyrrha looked up from her comic, also a bit confused.
"GriffBall, you know, the sport? Guys run a ball made of leather across a field wearing bright ass colors...Made by a Huntsmen who flunked out of Shade Academy," Kurama explained dryly. He clucked his tongue and his eyebrows knit together in annoyance as his attention returned to his Scroll. "My team got utterly wrecked in their last game."
"...And you care because...?"
"I had a bet with Yatsuhashi on that game." Kurama grumbled. He blinked in surprise when his Scroll beeped. "Hm? What's the Toad want with me?"
Naruto, Sasuke and Haku's Scrolls beeped soon after. The all-male team opened their messages and collectively released heavy sighs. Or, in the team leader's case, a deep groan.
"Ugh, c'mon, man! This's so freakin' unfair," Naruto said with a childish whine. He was still tired from the Breach and the Graboid Hunt. Not to mention his lack of sleep caused by the very intrusive and unwelcome drunk that was his godfather. Bastard continued to moan out different names of different girls, giggle for about a minute straight and then snore so loudly, Naruto was sure that the walls began to cave in on his inhales and expand out on the exhales. Compared to his usual energetic self, Naruto was exhausted. He was having a fantastic time just lying on the loveseat with his arms lazily wrapped around Yang, who made for an excellent body pillow.
"Well, you could ignore it..." Jaune trailed off when a shiver went down his spine. He looked around, alarmed by the sudden sensation. "What was that!?"
"Probably an aura of death," Sasuke said dryly. He sighed and dropped his controller before he rose up from his seat on the ground. "Might as well go see what he wants. If it's a spar, maybe we can talk him out of it."
"Yeah, and then Borbatusk will learn to fly," Naruto said with an amused snort. He sluggishly tore himself away from the comfortable cushion and the loveseat he laid on, a look of begrudging acceptance crossing his face in the form of a mild frown.
Yang didn't seemed too pleased by his forced vacancy either, if the small frown on her face was anything to go by. She rolled onto her side and drummed her fingers on the cushion as she watched the four teens leave.
"What's wrong, Yang? Cold without your heated cushion to lay on?" Weiss asked with a small smirk.
"At least I have a heated cushion to lay on."
"Yang: 1, Weiss: 0." Blake muttered and turned the page in her book.
"Who asked you?" Weiss scowled at the catty girl while Yang smirked and held up a victory sign.
"Ah, good. You showed up! Now I don't have to hunt you all down." Jiraiya grinned widely at the four boys that approached him. He stood up from his seated position, putting his back to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest, and clapped his hands together. "So, good news and bad news."
"Already I dread this." Naruto mumbled.
"Shut it, brat." Jiraiya mildly glared at his godson before he grinned again. "The good news is the Council of Vale has decided not to sue you for the damages caused by the Beast Bomb."
"...They were going to sue us?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide and his features, along with his teammates', pale. "I...I didn't know they could do that."
"This isn't Vacuo, Naruto," Jiraiya said informatively. "Vale has its appearance and pride, and unlike Vacuo, people come here to sight-see more than they do for work. Plus, any damages caused by the Huntsman or Huntress hired should either be covered by the hirer or they risk losing their cut of pay to cover for it. Remember that, you don't want to learn it the hard way like I did."
"We'll keep that in mind," Kurama said lowly, still coming to terms with nearly being sued for saving lives.
"I hope so," Jiraiya said. He waited a moment to let the boys get over the small shock before continuing. "The bad news is they want to ensure it won't happen again. So, since Team KAAG is out patrolling the walls and repairing damages, you boys get to spend some quality time with me in training!"
"...B-But you only train him..." Sasuke muttered weakly, pointing a finger at his team leader, who looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.
"Shut up, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped before he looked back at his godfather. "If this is supposed to be bad news, why do you look so happy!?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Jiraiya laughed. He pulled out three small silver bells and three of the four boys paled even further. "We're going back to a classic!"
"...Oh dear Oum in heaven surrounded by holy noodles..."
"You have ...Eh, I'll be generous," Jiraiya said, ignoring his godson, and held up four fingers. "Four hours to get one bell from me. If you do get all three, we get to stop training, but if you don't, we'll just have to start from the beginning. Rules are simple: Come at me with the intent to kill...and I'll go easy on you."
"...Why do I feel like we just signed our own death warrants by showing up?" Haku asked.
"Because we did." Naruto whimpered. He gave up cuddling/napping time for this!? He really was an idiot.
"Training begins now!"
"What?" Haku asked. A gust of wind brushed by him and Haku turned to see his teammates had vanished, a few leaves falling from where they just stood. He started to form a mirror behind him but before he could finish, he doubled over a fist that buried itself in his stomach. Pain, unlike any other, racked through Haku's body and the corners of his vision went dark.
"You weren't ready."
The androgynous boy fell to the ground unconscious and Jiraiya looked down at him.
"That's the student of the Demon Butcher? ...I feel very disappointed," he said, frowning. He shrugged and gently moved the boy onto his back of to the side. Once that was done, Jiraiya looked around and grinned. "Well, one down. Three to go."
Four hours later and Jiraiya, who hadn't moved from his spot much, looked down at the boys with a smirk on his face.
"I have good news, boys, you're not total shit!" Jiraiya evaluated the four. He was given four pained groans in response. The sage shook his head. "Oh, don't be sore losers!"
"P-Piss off, Toad..." Kurama groaned. He tried to use Ri Kudo to get back to his feet, but his knees gave out and he fell flat to his face. "...Ow..."
Jiraiya glanced over at the only Faunus of the team. He managed to snag a bell once, but lost it when forced to defend himself from Jiraiya's onslaught of retaliation. The elderly Huntsman easily put him in what was the B-Rank of Kon's six-classification-system, SCS. B was easily the third highest rank one could be placed at, and, considering that Jiraiya himself was S-rank, it said a lot about Kurama's skill.
"...Mom...I don't wanna to go to school today..." Sasuke groaned, his vision spinning. Jiraiya chuckled and ranked Sasuke at B as well. He was talented, of that there was no doubt, but his semblance was rather easy to anticipate and react to if he missed his first few initial strikes. Or if you knew the boy as long as you did. And were fast enough.
"I think...I think I forgot how to do math..." Haku, who had awoken at the two-hour mark and joined back in the fight, mumbled. Now, he Jiraiya ranked at A. Yes, Jiraiya did catch him off guard, but even Jiraiya could be caught off guard sometimes. Usually while in the sack or while drunk, but those were rare events in and of themselves. His semblance was easily the most versatile of the three and the least predictable, his weapon was the same. Haku was the biggest problem that his team's enemies would have to worry about, and Jiraiya's first strike was definitely in his favor.
"Hey...I won...you owe me ramen for life..."
Jiraiya laughed once more when he heard his godson's dazed groan. After Haku was taken out, he targeted the sleep deprived huntsman-in-training and showed him absolutely no mercy. It was to see how far Naruto could push himself when at his limits, and unsurprisingly, Naruto would go pretty damn far. He managed to push his semblance to the eighth degree before he succumbed to his exhaustion and passed out mid-punch. Jiraiya just left him where he fell, feeling only the slightest amount of guilt for purposefully keeping him awake the night before, and ranked him somewhere between B and A rank, leaning more towards the latter because of his sheer tenacity in battle.
"I have to say, I'm very surprised by your progress and I'm glad that none of you three let your skills deteriorate too bad while you've been living it up in this fancy-shmancy school," Jiraiya said. He tossed the three bells in his hand and grinned as he caught them on their descent. "That said, we train again tomorrow, same time, same place. So rest up, kiddies!"
A chorus of pitiful groans was their response to him.
Jiraiya smiled and sighed. Ah, music to my ears.
"Wow, you look like shit."
Kurama glared dully at the smirking Faunus that sat down across from him. Once he regained feeling in his legs and sought some sort of medical help, Kurama received another message. This one requested he meet with the sender in a restaurant in Vale, and Kurama mustered up the nerve to do just that. However, after sitting down and waiting for twenty minutes, he started to get testy.
"Hello to you too, Gyuki."
"Have you ordered yet?" Gyuki asked curiously as he opened a menu.
"...No." Kurama spat out. "I was waiting for you. Being courteous."
"Well excuse me. In case you hadn't realized it, a shit ton of Grimm just broke into Vale, the cause behind it is missing, oh, and to top it all off, my idiot little brother used the one thing Dad forbade him to use within city walls," Gyuki said while he set his menu down. He lowered his sunglasses a tad on the bridge of his nose and pure white eyes glared at the younger Faunus. "Care to explain that last bit?"
"I don't have to explain anything to you," Kurama spat. He hesitated for a moment before he pushed his sunglasses up firmly over his eyes. "There was a fucking swarm around us, I thinned the herd."
"And in the process destroyed an entire block!"
"'Sacrifices have to be made to do what's right,' Gyuki." Kurama sneered. "Weren't those your words to Dad before you vanished?"
"Things changed, Kurama."
"Whatever. What do you want?"
"You're the one that wanted to talk after we met...what was it, a month ago now?" Gyuki asked.
"That's not my fault," Kurama said with a scowl.
"I'm sure it wasn't. It's never your fault, Kurama." Gyuki smirked and fixed his sunglasses back over his unique eyes. "You're the pwecious widdle kitten after all."
"Fuck you, Ink Boy."
"Don't you know you're not supposed to be swearing? Should I ring Matatabi up?"
Kurama growled and his tail flicked irritably. Gyuki laughed and sat back in his seat.
"Ah, c'mon, Kurama, lighten up. Listen, I didn't want you to come here to fight," he said. He smiled genuinely. "I want to know how things have been. After...After Dad died...I've been trying to find everyone."
"Well, good luck with that. Two of them went and got themselves killed for the 'cause'," Kurama said bitterly, a scowl on his face.
"I know." Gyuki quietly mumbled.
There was quiet for a moment.
"...Kurama, I know it was hard-"
"You don't know anything." Kurama snarled. He grabbed Ri Kudo and used it to help himself back to his feet, out of the stall. "This was a mistake. Go back to work, Gyuki. It's obviously all you care about."
"Kurama!" Gyuki called after him as the Faunus turned and left. The bull-horned Faunus dropped his head into his hand and groaned. "Great, Gyuki. Just great. You fucked it up again. Shouldn't have let him wait...Dammit, I should've known better."
"...Be safe..." A woman with long dark hair mumbled as she watched Yang Xiao Long walk back towards Beacon, the teenage girl's mind reeling from their conversation. Her eyes closed and a giant red portal opened behind her. Then, on a whim, the portal closed. Her eyes opened and stared at Yang's disappearing back.
"You cannot hide from the one who taught you...Itachi."
"I was merely waiting for her to leave. We cannot be seen together, you know this." The member of the Fourth War stepped from the shadows into the moonlight. He narrowed his eyes. "You had no right to tell her those things, Raven."
"Perhaps not, but it was for the best she knew that among the rest." The woman, Raven, mused. She gripped the handle of her blade tightly and turned to face the young man. "Why have you come here?"
"You know why." Itachi allowed his hooked sword to slowly descend from his sleeve. "Now, will you follow me...or will I have to take drastic measures?"
"...Have you truly no heart, Itachi?" Raven sighed and released her sword's hilt. She couldn't risk it. Not now.
Itachi kept his weapon out and narrowed his eyes as they darkened in color. Raven's eyes became exact copies of his for a brief moment before they fell shut and she slumped forward. Itachi caught her before she fell and he pulled her over his shoulder. He slid his sword back into his sleeve and he turned his back on Beacon. Under his breath, he uttered an answer to the woman's question as he disappeared into the shadows.
"My heart was broken a long, long time ago."
AN: Wow...This was an emotional episode. And WOW, RWBY's mid-season cliffy...I have no words. Though...I know things in this story will not be the same.
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