AN: I guess I felt the groove for the story again. It helps when you have nothing else to do and your sick with bronchitis. Stay safe out there people, and remember, I don't own RWBY, and I don't own Naruto. Enjoy!
It wasn't quite comfortable when everyone was finally gathered into the auditorium, even if the space was fairly vast for the population within. Signal was originally built to be an international prep school for Huntsman-in-training after all; alas, given the presence of Grimm and no plans to cultivate a proper settlement those interests had been dashed. Now that entire families for the whole of the student body and more have suddenly had their Aura unlocked; well, it was time to do something with that capacity.
Ozpin could see the tension in parents and uncertainty in their children. Quite a few were happy about the new development, but then, who didn't want to be a Huntsman? A Hero? Still, some questions remained and people were quite settled into the isolating life of a very small community. People who'd possibly chafe against the idea of expanding.
The staff for Signal stood at Ozpin's back as he took to the stage, his saunter the same as its always been for every entrance ceremony since he took the position of Headmaster at Beacon. Briefly, the man glanced towards the mess of a family he'd had a hand in mashing together. Qrow, Taiyang, Glynda and their children stood side-by-side. Naruto was held up by Glynda, a smile settled over his face as he whispered between Ruby and Yang; both of whom had been holding each other's hand, with the eldest holding her father's. Glynda looked amused if mildly distracted before her eyes caught his. They sharpened into focus and he merely smiled back.
Qrow and Taiyang were talking softly, though Ozpin could see the way his old blonde student continued to side-eye Naruto. Clearly, not a totally unresolved issue, even if the man was trying to make amends. Fair, he supposed.
Finally, the ex-Headmaster's attention reached the audience and many quieted under the weight of his gaze. His type of immortality came with a few benefits like that. He cleared his throat and stamped his cane down to further gather the focus of the few children whispering about here and there.
"It's always a good day when we can wake up and see our friends and family in good health, especially after the devastation you've all been through recently. Many have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and even their sense of purpose. Miraculously, no one perished in the sudden attack." He paused, letting his brown eyes scan the surface of his audience before he sighed and bowed his head, "And yet, many of you were injured. Some worse than others…" He trailed off, focus scattering to the few who had lost some form of a limb or another. Oh, the children.
Ozpin took a deep bow and allowed his eyes to fall dormant in shame, "As a prominent Huntsman myself, and a guardian of our peoples' greatest hope, our children, I apologize. We have failed you. Were it not for the sudden release of all your Auras things could have been so much worse in the coming days."
It was here that the murmurs began. The questions everyone had held back began to pour out. The why, the what, the how.
Ozpin only smiled, and rose, "As it stands there are two options available to you. I and my companions, each more than an accomplished individual, will join you here. Today we'll begin the process of training every one of you to not only be able to protect yourself but your families. Today," he spoke, voice picking up in a reaching fervor, "we will put the sparse pieces of community here to work and churn it into a new and proper safe haven. We Huntsman cannot always be there, that is a sad fact that we strive to overturn at every corner. We'd like to put your fate back in your hands, and we let Humanity know that it's time for us to grow once more."
Every staff member, even Qrow, Glynda and Tai could only blink under the sudden pour of Ozpin's new plan. He'd told no one, few had objections though, and the older three could only look back to the audience thoughtfully, before straightening up at the sudden applause and the roars of father's and mother's who would no longer stand back and watch as their children took up arms alone. Ozpin smiled, eyes shining in calculation, "We will rebuild, and for those who wish no part, you may go. Transport is being scheduled already, and I will oversee the departure of every one of you. I ask only that you wait here at Signal for the next few hours as we, the staff, organize the beginning of our plan. Those fixated on leaving will see me outside for questions. I thank you for your time, and I thank you for this chance to bring hope."
With that, the man turned, sweeping out from the stage and disappearing behind the staff that both panicked and stepped forward to control the sudden commotion of people clamoring for the Headmaster's spoken piece.
Ozpin smirked when he heard Naruto cheering just the same, obviously swept up in the sheer emotion surging through the auditorium. It disappeared as a few teachers and the residing Headmaster of Signal chased after him, quickly followed by Qrow and Glynda. Tai merely stood in slack shock, not even a little noticing the fingers his daughters' were prodding him with. He was gonna do what now?
Eventually, the weathered blonde found the will to move and figure out what in the hell was going on.
Naruto, Ruby, and Yang were left to their own devices in the meantime. As their parents left they all turned to one another with cheery grins, "We're gonna build a village!" He chirped, an eager laugh bubbling out of him as happier, splintered memories passed through his mind. They came in the form of a large, white-haired toad sage and his Hokage bound counterpart. He tore himself from those memories quickly enough. There were no Godparents here. Only his parents, his cousins, and maybe even his uncle. The boy still didn't know how to talk to the man yet. Apologies first, probably.
Anyways, his tails flared behind him and he pressed forward to snatch the sisters' by their hands, "Ne, ne, let's do something fun! The other kids have their Aura's, right? Maybe we can all play tag!"
Ruby's eyes widened, her lips easily beaming an eager smile. She nodded twice before she looked to her sister Yang. The older blonde gave an easy thumbs up and a shrug, "Sure, why not?"
Their plan set, Naruto vanished with them to the courtyard. Both sisters came out of it dizzy; unfortunately, with Ruby waving her eyes as spirals danced in her eyes. Yang stumbled somewhat and rubbed her belly, only to shake her head and bonk the floating child of a Sage on the head, "Naruto!" She squawked, voice only the slightest bit trembling.
The ten-tailed faunus blinked and offered a sheepish laugh, his hand already reaching to rub the back of his head, "Sorry, sorry. I forget that not everyone can do that." He paused at that, hum sounding out, "But, maybe you'll learn now that you've got your Aura! Dad moves pretty fast."
Yang rubbed her head and gave it some thought, "True…"
"I'm going to be the most bestest Huntsman ever, watch me, Naru!" Ruby challenged, fist-pumping as her cheeks puffed full.
"Naru?" Yang mouthed, brow quirked at the younger boy.
Naruto only shrugged, before he lurched forward in the air just to tag Ruby's fist with her own. "Heh, we'll see about that! I'll have you know, I'm plenty awesome already. You've got a lot of catching up to do."
Yang glanced between her sister and him once more, before she let out a soft laugh of her own and planted her fists against her hips, "Not as awesome as me though! Do you see this hair? Do you see your hair? You've got a long way to go yourself, Naru."
Her smile was all teeth. Naruto just huffed, frame flipping upside down as his hands wrapped up his curling tails against his chest, "So. Tag?"
""Tag.""
It didn't take long for the trio to see all the families finally leaving the auditorium, Ozpin soon trailing out behind them to separate them in groups; a pack of school staff followed at his back with clipboards and paperwork to help designate who was going where and doing what in the next couple weeks. Their parents were on the other end, decidedly guiding those who were staying, once they were done, to one of the few thankfully unscathed areas. Mostly. Quite a few of the stone tables that had been planted in the case of outdoor classes were broken, though it was with a swift and precise application of his mom's semblance that such was put back together. The parents took their seats when the Headmaster of Signal came out, but Naruto didn't pay the person much mind.
Instead, he and his cousins rushed for the other children that were slowly starting to stray away from the procedures. Though, the faunus couldn't help but wonder what kind of place Ozpin would be building. Maybe he should help… The older Huntsman caught his eye, then, only offering a disarming smile and a wink. Could the man read his mind? No, no. He'd have felt the intrusion. Probably. Naruto hummed and tore himself away from that thought. No need to dredge up any further capabilities he might have now. Instead, it was time for tag!
The other kids were already crowding around one another, so it was an easy effort by him and his cousins to ask them to play. Most said yes, though a very select few said no. All of two really. They gave his tails a nervous look or two when they refused, and Naruto's curiosity got the better of him. He'd asked and they didn't budge, but it was later when all the others started playing and stumbling across the yard under the random splurge of aura and semblance here and there that they ended up joining anyways.
Naruto grinned when the third round of the game came, and they'd made him it. His cerulean slit-slat eyes nearly terrifying when he'd vanished out of their sight. They'd never had a chance.
It was a good, if long day, though most of the kids would have argued the point when their parents came for them. Few of them said their goodbyes, and asked to play again the next time they saw each other; tears in their eyes the whole time. The vast majority who hadn't realized that those were the ones leaving with their families, rather than staying behind to rebuild. Naruto, ever the empath, couldn't help but share in those tears and practically commanded every one into a dog pile. No one was leaving without a hug, a promise to play again, and a lifetime of friendship, or his name wasn't Naruto Uzumaki, Sage Shinobi of Remnant.
Dusk had come by then though, and uneasy parents pulled the group apart.
Glynda couldn't help feeling a little off-kilter and more than a little guilty about pulling the kids apart, with the aid of their own parents as well. She didn't want to stay herself, but she wasn't one to shirk responsibility. Especially since she did agree with Ozpin. They failed in their duty, and while Qrow wasn't necessarily all that happy about sitting in one spot, her old mentor had pinned him in place with but a few choice reasons that Glynda hadn't considered herself. Patch, for the most part, is fairly under the radar outside of the school itself. Now that the Grimm have run amok and not only devastated the families that had been living here, but tore into the academy as well… It's fair to say that those who are leaving will not be blamed for their departure.
In that lay an opportunity. There were no White Fang here, the last of the Grimm presence on the island perished during the siege, and insofar as they could tell Salem herself no longer had a foothold here.
Naruto could be raised here, near enough relative safety(Vale wasn't that far away), and they could teach him; prepare him for the world ahead of him. The same applied to the rest of the people as well. Their auras were awoken, and thus they were targets for the Grimm. The creatures of Darkness had a way of responding to emotions, and the working theory was that the further your soul shines forth, the more that they can sense you, the further that they could hunt you. Naruto's soul was so vivid, so vast and powerful that the Grimm were constantly wading through it, or so Ozpin figured. That's why they had all but stopped appearing near Beacon grounds during his brief stay there, and thus the same now, here in Patch. It was interesting to note that his soul also called them here when the sheer negativity he demonstrated upon the first meeting with the rest of Qrow's family. Ozpin said that could have just as been Salem as the Grimm themselves though. The woman was locked out tight now that they were culled.
It did lead her to another round of questions.
Were there others like her son? He was powerful beyond her comprehension, and he'd only just started getting a handle on some of his abilities.
Not only that, could she become as powerful? Could anyone become as powerful? They know so little about their power, about their semblances, even Ozpin has said he hasn't seen the full breadth of power, but given what the Brother's were recorded to be capable of…
She'd have to train just as hard as her son. It wouldn't do for her to need his protection when it was supposed to be her job. She was the mother after all.
Still, those were thoughts for another time. There was more to this plan. She could tell the old Headmaster had a plot unfurling beneath her and her… Family. Qrow included. Oh, and how that thought made her blush. Ugh, the man frayed her nerves in the worst ways. It wasn't just her though, was it? It was every person here, too.
She needed time to think and-
"So this is him?" Came another woman's voice. Soft, if edged with a firmness, not unlike Glynda's own when she commands the training facilities.
"Indeed." Ah, and there was Ozpin.
Glynda turned just as Naruto perked up and ran at her old mentor, small hands burying into the fabric of his trousers. He smiled up at the man, and Ozpin returned the gesture by paying her son a pat on his horned little head. The instructor immediately turned her eyes up to the woman by his side. Fiery, short-cropped hair, and deep green eyes. She wore a gray double-breasted suit, with a velvet dress shirt running beneath a dark tie-
"Glynda," Ozpin prompted, amusement tinged in his voice, "this is the Headmaster of Signal Academy."
The woman smiled at her with thin lips and passive eyes, "Cornelia Torchwick, at your service. Ozpin's told me much of you…"
Glynda blinked at that, brow quirking at the man. He chuckled nervously before she looked back to Cornelia and offered a polite smile of her own, "Good things I hope."
"The best." Cornelia replied, her gaze flicking between the two at her sides, "I'm looking forward to working with you even if I'm not at all okay with the Academy being repurposed. As it is though, we'd have to close down anyway, so the harm is little. Ozpin says he has a plan as well, and I'd like to think we both deserve to hear it."
Ozpin relaxed at that and offered a nod, "Yes, well, we'll have to work out all the details tonight I think. After we've got our information sorted and the people who would like to leave on their way, I say we retire back to the office and go over everything with the staff and my own comrades alike."
Naruto, ever a boy in need of a certain amount of attention, glanced between all the adults and his cousins, both of whom looked like deer he'd just stumbled upon. Like him, they glanced between the three, before he decided to hoof it and slip from his mother's grasp and take to their sides; of course, it was that act that brought all of their attention to him. The ten-tailed faunus only beamed, a few tails waving out behind him at the recently revealed Headmistress, "H-Hey! Er, hello… You wanted to meet me, I guess?"
Cornelia's gaze softened slightly, though she cast Ozpin a glance before her attention went to Glynda. "May I?" She asked. Relief came in the form of a sigh when Naruto's mother said yes, more out of curiosity than anything else.
The Headmaster of Signal pressed forward, then, taking a knee down at the trio's fore. "Yes. I heard it was you I had to thank for taking the bulk of the Grimm's attention. Were it not for your attack, our push to eliminate the more intelligent leaders of the horde would have had far more drastic losses. So, thank you. Patch owes you a great deal, Naruto Uzumaki."
With that, she extended her hand and the faunus only hesitated the slightest bit in taking it. He stammered some, "W-Well, it wasn't on purpose or anything… I didn't do anything really! I…" Guilt flooded into his gut, and his mother was already there, wrapping him up in hugs and gentle whispers that his cousins only shared in. Cornelia only paused as she was pressed aside some, brow perking thoughtfully before she turned back to Ozpin who only shrugged.
"Regardless, you have my thanks." And at that, the woman rose, briefly running her hands over the front of her suit's jacket to smooth out some minor creases. She gave the family one more glance over for good measure and turned to Ozpin after just to dip her head in farewell. Her departure was just as swift as her entry, and the older Huntsman only sighed as he soon followed after her. He, too, briefly glanced back at his longtime friend and assistant, before grounding himself some and continuing his trek.
"Why don't we head back inside?" Glynda asked, voice soft as her patient eyes wandered between the girls and her son. All three nodded, both girls holding one another's hands as she hefted a hiccuping Naruto in her arms and made her way back towards the academy's cafeteria.
Taiyang and Qrow were talking at one of the tables, though their conversation stalled at her approach. Qrow's attention focused on her, and a rather tired, somewhat red-eyed Naruto, as Tai's kids ran back up to him for their own hugs.
"You okay, kiddo?" He rasped, only to get a slow nod from his son.
Glynda pressed a soft kiss to his temple, and looked to Qrow for a moment, "We're heading back to the infirmary to rest."
The surprisingly sober Huntsman merely nodded, his eyes gentle as they rested over Naruto still. Whatever thoughts stirring behind those eyes came to a halt when his brother in all but blood cleared his throat and scratched at his neck some, "Well... Actually. You could come stay with us if you like. It might be a little cramped, but we do have a guest room." The man's gaze briefly lingered on Naruto, before flicking to Qrow, and then higher, to Glynda, "... We're family, after all."
Qrow grinned at that, "And family takes care of family." He couldn't help but clap Tai on the back for that.
Was that pride? Glynda couldn't help smiling either. Good. "Since you're offering… I admit, I'm surprised your place survived the siege."
Tai only shrugged. Who knows?
Glynda hummed at that and finally turned her attention to Qrow. She stared at him for a time, before he blinked and blushed, "R-Right. I can sleep on the couch. You and Naruto can take the room. It's no bother. Slept there plenty of times anyway."
Taiyang looked between the both of them, and let out a dry chuckle of his own. Oh, this was going to be good. "C'mon, kids. Let's show 'em home, eh?" His little girls cheered as he rose, both jumping high to hang off his arms. Again, the man glanced back as he led the way out, briefly taking note of the pink tinge tainting the instructor's cheeks.
Oh yeah. Definitely going to be good.
