Chapter 23

Beacon Academy, named for a shining light in a never ending sea of darkness, was quite a sight to behold for those that hadn't already come to call it home. Those first arriving were often awed by its massive and complicated architecture, but for some it had simply become their home away from home. At least that's what Naruto thought when he walked out of the transport ship carrying himself and his fellow hunters in training, now wearing a rather new dark grey jacket and sporting some fingerless gloves with metal plated over the knuckles; he obviously swiped them from one of the new members of the tribe. Finally, to top off his more recent wardrobe change, Raven managed to convince him to get a bit of a haircut before he left for Beacon. It wasn't anything major, just a simple undercut to liven up his look.

Naruto resisted the urge to growl when one of the new first years shoved past him on their way to the auditorium, his hand reflexively going for one of the knives he almost always kept on his body. He could barely stand some of the people in his own year, let alone having to put up with even more new students that couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. His year was actually a bit of an oddity when it came to raw talent, or at least the people he hung around the most. Speaking of which, standing next to one of the large stone pillars was a familiar white themed snowflake with a nasty temper, although at least Ruby's been making progress in thawing the ice queen's heart.

"Hey there, princess, you miss me?!" Naruto half yelled, making his way over to Weiss with his hands stuffed in his pockets and an almost insufferable grin on his face; Weiss refused to even entertain the idea of being happy to see him.

"Like a nasty sunburn," Weiss scoffed, crossing her arms and turning her nose up at him, like a proper princess would, only to let out a shriek when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and her feet suddenly leave the ground.

"Awww, you did miss me! The ice queen does have a heart after all!" Naruto laughed, ignoring Weiss' cries of outrage and the way her entire face did a great job impression of Ruby's cloak, although a swift elbow to the face was enough to persuade him to let the little heiress go.

"You brute!" Weiss shouted, her face still glowing red as she jabbed Naruto's chest with her rather sharp finger, "I didn't say you could touch me!"

"Weiss. Weiss! Weiss! Weiss! Weiss!" The white themed girl's rant was suddenly cut off by a red blur blindsiding both her and Naruto, who just grinned even more and watched the two partners tussle around on the ground; Ruby laughing like a kid on liquid sugar and Weiss trying to pry the younger girl off her.

"Ruby, get off me this instant!" Weiss tried in vain to get free of her team leader, but sadly lacked the proper arms strength to do anything but be crushed by the shorter girl's back breaking hug, "Don't touch me you dolt!"

While Naruto was busy laughing at the two girls, he failed to notice the sudden shadow overtake his form and paid for it dearly. Yang had come flying through the air in much the same way as Ruby, only Yang slammed into him like a train going full speed while Ruby would have felt like being hit with a plushy, and thus Naruto found himself on his back with Yang straddling him. The big ol grin on her face was a sight to behold, but the kiss that came after was even better.

"Worth the pain," Naruto managed to ground out as he slowly sat up, but unfortunately that was only as far as Yang would let him go; she wrapped her arms around his neck and dove back in for a much longer kiss this time.

Weiss and Ruby stopped their fighting at the same time, both noticing Naruto's and Yang's very public make out session and now sporting equally massive blushes. Although, if one were to look closely, they would notice a flash of jealousy in Ruby's eyes and the way her lips turned down in her cheeks puffed out into a pout. She felt like Yang was doing this on purpose now, especially since the two of them never actually got a chance to sit down and talk about what happened in that hospital room. To put it simply, Yang was laying claim to what was hers and letting everyone know it as publicly as possible. Naruto himself didn't seem too keen on resisting her either, not that Ruby really blamed him since they were technically boyfriend and girlfriend, but the little blackette couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she was in her sister's place. Weiss, on the other hand, was scandalized!

"Will you please stop, have some common decency!" Weiss's words may have been spoken from an entire childhood of learning what was proper and what wasn't, but one small part in the back of her head almost liked what she was watching.

Yang just broke the kiss with a loud smooch, sitting up so she was still straddling Naruto's lap and sending the white haired girl and almost predatory look, "Don't be mad at me because you don't have a boyfriend to make out with, or maybe a girlfriend would be more your speed?"

"How...how dare you, you uncultured brute!" Weiss cried again and outrage, somehow managing to slip free from Ruby's grasp and point dramatically at the two blondes, who had finally gotten back up off the ground.

"What's all the yelling about?" the monotone voice of Blake Belladonna greeted everyone's ears as the Faunus girl herself walked up to them, her eyes more focused on the book in her hand than what was actually going on.

"Weiss is on her period!" Yang jumped in before Weiss even stood a chance, earning another cry of outrage, but Blake didn't even so much as glanced up from her book.

"Isn't she always?" It may have been dry humor, dryer than the deserts of Vacuo, but Blake had actually just told a joke and it left everybody momentarily stunned.

"Did you just tell a joke?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, not sure if maybe Yang hit him too hard and he was just hearing things or if maybe the world was finally coming to an end.

"I tell jokes," Blake tried to defend herself, closing up her book, only to glance away the moment she laid eyes on Naruto and his somewhat new style; she hadn't been expecting that.

Before long the other members of their two teams showed up, with Pyrrha looking a lot more like her old self from before the kidnapping and Jaune also undergoing a slight makeover. Jaune's one scraggly blonde hair, which made him look more like a grown up kid instead of a huntsman in training, had been cut much shorter and spiked up a little bit in the front. He also swapped out his old hoodie for an actual jacket made of stronger material and looked to have polished his armor as well; at least when compared to how he normally kept it.

Likewise, while Pyrrha didn't do anything as drastic as cut her hair, she did end up changing her outfit. Instead of what she normally wore, which left a lot of skin exposed and would put her in danger if her aura was ever shattered, there were noticeably more armored pieces across her entire body. While her leg armor remained the same, she'd replaced her corset with an actual lightweight breastplate, had bracers on both her arms and two pauldrons on both her shoulders. It should also be noted that she was wearing a full body suit underneath all her armor and now wore a small red cape hanging over her left shoulder.

Naruto didn't think it was possible for her to look more like a warrior goddess, but apparently he stood corrected. Yet the thing that really drew his attention was the look in Pyrrha's eyes, the lack of hesitation that was there before and how her smile didn't seem forced. It seems whatever she went through back home, over these last two weeks, managed to get her out of her funk.

Finally, the last two to show up, despite the fact that they never left, were Nora and Ren. Out of everyone they still look the same and hadn't really changed all that much personality wise.

"Well, as much fun as it's been hanging out with you guys, we should all get unpacked," Naruto said, only to nearly topple over when Yang suddenly jumped onto his back and all but forced him to give her a piggyback ride.

"Naruto's right, vacations over and it's time to get back to work," Ren agreed with a nod, the normally quiet boy speaking up for the first time since he and Nora arrived.

"But I don't want to!" Ruby cried, only to be dragged away seconds later by Weiss, ignoring the girls pleas for help.

"Oh yeah, it's good to be back."

Once back in their dorm rooms, with all their belongings packed away and weapons stored in their personal lockers, Naruto's team collectively decided they'd enjoy the last day of their vacation by lazing around the room and doing absolutely no school work or training of any kind. Even when Naruto wanted to go out and have a little sparring match with Pyrrha, to see if that new armor of hers would slow her down or change the way she fought, Yang just forced him back onto his bed and laid her head down on his lap. Jaune thought it was a little funny, his leader was definitely wrapped around the berserker's finger. That is until Naruto's scroll seemed to go off and the message that came across it made him adopt a rather annoyed face.

"Well, as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the day lazing around, it looks like I've got to make a quick trip back to Vale," Naruto didn't sound happy at all, in fact he seemed to have gone from mildly annoyed to nearly pissed off.

"Aww, do you have to?" Yang whined halfheartedly, more upset about losing his lap as her pillow than anything else, before adopting a rather sultry look, "You sure I can't convince you to stay?"

Naruto just leaned down and stole a quick kiss, "Sorry, but I'll be back before you even know I'm gone."

The blonde was out the door a second later, making sure to grab his coat along the way and his white mask. He also made sure to grab his bow and arrows, just in case, and glanced down at the message sent to him from a very familiar femme fatale. It was an address followed by a line of text underneath it.

"Come if convenient. If not convenient, come all the same."

"These people are lucky they're dealing with me and not mom, because shit like this is how heads get cut off and bodies wash up on the beach," Naruto said to himself as he boarded a transport and requested passage to Vale.

With the loss of the White Fang as the muscle backing her operation, or rather the muscle making sure Roman stayed in line, Cinder had to call upon the much less effective street thugs rented out by Hei Xiong. They complained a lot, wore tacky suits, and often didn't know which end of the gun to point at someone, but at least the one thing they did know how to do was follow simple orders. It's such a shame that her subordinates, namely Roman, Emerald, and Mercury, thought a better use of their time was bickering like a bunch of children.

"Well, excuse me for being busy stealing every ounce of dust in the kingdom. It's not like it's easy avoiding every police officer and Hunter that the big man in charge decided to send after me," Roman droned on, motioning towards the massive shipping containers and crates full of every kind of dust imaginable; both raw and weaponized.

"Congratulations," Mercury half mocked, slowly clapping his hands with a deadpan look on his face, "You're an inspiration for every two bit crook out there that can hold up a store with a gun."

"Listen here, you little punk, I was doing just fine running the streets until you guys showed up. Now I'm having to deal with more heat than I ever have and you guys aren't helping by offing bookstore owners in broad daylight," Roman growled, pointing the business end of his cane at the silver haired assassin while Neo watched everything going on from under one of her illusions; she was fully prepared to gut any one of them if they even thought about hurting her boss.

"Oh don't be such a big baby, we've compensated you plenty and it's not like you still aren't making money," Emerald pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Money won't help me if I'm locked up in prison or dead!"

"You're right, money won't help you if you're dead," Cinder spoke up as she stepped out of the shadows, her eyes glowing with power not originally her own and the sound of her glass heels clicking against the concrete was far more intimidating than it had any right to be.

"Cinder," there is a touch of concern in Roman's voice now, his back straightened up as he fiddled with the collar of his coat, "I wasn't aware that you were back in town already, have a nice trip?"

Roman was more than aware of the pecking order when it came to this operation and that he was very far below Cinder's level of authority. He was a street thug, a gangster, and more importantly a thief. He didn't normally have to put up with strange women that could throw fireballs out of their hands and had glowing eyes, not to mention her desire to walk out of completely random shadows and scare the crap out of him. Looking back on it, he should just hold this odd woman to take her deal and dive off the nearest peer. Now he seemingly had no way out.

"Don't try and change the subject. As I recall it was your job to take care of the bookstore owner and instead my companions here had to do it for you," said companions were giving Roman matching mocking smiles, until Cinder turned her gaze upon them, "And you two were meant to keep a low profile so as to not jeopardize the next step of our plans. It seems I was foolish to believe the three of you could follow simple orders while I was away."

"Come on boss, the job got done and there were no witnesses. Scout's honor," Mercury tried to play it off, but he'd be lying if he said the way Cinder narrowed her eyes at him wasn't the least bit intimidating.

Cinder pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to drive off the oncoming headache, before glancing around at the three of her subordinates, "Where's Naruto?"

"Oh, you mean the mercenary who both put me in jail and then broke me out?" Roman sassed, spinning around a simple wooden chair before plopping down on it backwards, "Haven't seen him."

"What about you two, has he been at Beacon?"

"No ma'am," Emerald answered honestly, having infiltrated the Academy a handful of times over the last two weeks to keep an eye on the mercenary.

This made Cinder wonder if the blonde had just walked away from the job, given that she hadn't seen him since the White Fang incident and it was a good possibility he thought the risk didn't outweigh the reward. If that was the case then they'd have to track them down and put a bullet in his head; they couldn't have someone running around that knew as much about their operation as he did.

"You know, for a bunch of people going around committing crimes left, right, and center, you're not very good at keeping track of your surroundings," a voice called from above them all, more specifically up on the metal trusses of the warehouse, "I could have been a hunter spying on you all from the beginning, or an assassin sent here to eliminate the competition."

There Naruto was, crouching casually on one of the trusses with his bow in one hand while the other held an arrow ready to be fired at a moment's notice. Now that everyone knew he was there, which he had been long before the three stooges started arguing, Naruto dropped down out of his hiding spot and landed on top of one of the shipping containers. From there he jumped one more time and came to a stop next to Roman, his arrow put back in its quiver but his bow still at the ready.

"And for the record, I had some other business to attend to outside of Vale and the two week vacation all the students got gave me the perfect window to do so," Naruto explained while pulling off his mask and lowering his hood.

"You should've informed us you were leaving to begin with," Emerald hissed, quite literally, as she jabbed an accusing finger in Naruto's direction.

"Like I said before, we may be hired by the same people, our objectives may help each other, but I don't answer to any of you. My only job is to steal something from Beacon Academy and maybe do a few other things. Now, why the hell did you call me out here?" Naruto finished by turning to look at Cinder.

"She called you out here at my request," a different voice spoke from the shadows, one that Naruto had only heard once or twice but knew it as belonging to the man who hired him to begin with, "And I do so apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you."

Out of the shadows walked a tall middle-aged man with a slim build and slightly tanned skin. His hair was styled short and black with bits of gray creeping in along the sides and a thick mustache on his upper lip. Light green eyes shined with intelligence and cunning that would put most schemers to shame. His style of dress was also on the fancy side of things, being that he wore a yellow dress shirt with a blue overcoat that had yellow lines. Around his neck was also a black necktie that disappeared into a dark purple vest; a color that was shared by the fingerless gloves he wore.

"So, you're the man behind the money?" Naruto inquired, tilting his head ever so slightly while narrowing his crimson eyes, "Not satisfied with the progress I've made?"

The man shook his head, allowing a mirthful chuckle to escape his lips, "Not in the slightest. The terms of our deal gave you an unlimited amount of time to complete your task, which I have no complaints about. I am simply here to negotiate an extension to our pre-existing contract."

"Do I really have to be here for this?" Roman spoke up, feeling like he could be doing a thousand other things than just sitting there.

"You can leave," Cinder spoke up before looking at her own subordinates, "The two of you as well. Go get ready for the next step of the plan."

"Yes ma'am/You got it boss," came both replies at the same time.

Once the three stooges went on about their own business, the mustached man took it upon himself to take Roman's former seat and crossed one leg over the other.

"Before we go any further, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arthur Watts, formally a scientist of Atlas until I decided to... go my own way," Arthur introduced himself, placing a hand on his chest and giving a short nod of his head.

"So what's this extension you wanted to talk to me about?" Naruto wanted to get right down to business, he only had so much time before he had to get back to the academy.

Arthur's mustache rose just a bit to indicate he was smiling, "Right down to business, just as I thought you'd be. Very well then. Along with stealing the relic hidden somewhere in Beacon Academy, I'd also like you to assassinate a certain individual when the time comes. You will, of course, be compensated for this if you decide to undergo the task."

Naruto just quirked an eyebrow, trying to think of who these people could possibly want assassinated from Beacon, but one name did come to mind almost immediately. He would be the highest target, the one whose death would cause the most damage, and probably the hardest one to get to.

"Headmaster Ozpin," you could practically see Arthur's smug smile.

"There, you see Cinder, I told you he wasn't as incompetent as most mercenaries that we hire. Yes, if you agree to this assassination then your target will be Ozpin. He's an obstacle that must be removed in order for future plans to be executed without much resistance."

"No!" Cinder suddenly shouted, her hands engulfed in fire as pure power seemed to radiate from her eyes, "Ozpin is mine and mine alone! That was the plan!"

"This new decision comes from the mistress," almost as if by magic, Arthur's words shut Cinder right up but did little to calm the rage that was now present in her eyes.

"How long do I have to get it done?" Naruto asked.

"By the end of the Vytal Festival Tournament. Near the end you will be presented with an opportunity, it's up to you to get close enough during that opportunity to kill him," Arthur explained as he stretched out his hand, "Do we have an agreement?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons.

"We do."

The feeling of hot water running through her blonde locks nearly made Yang purr in delight, the aftermath of a massive food fight being washed down the shower drain in a mixture of colors that was fun to look at. She'd been the last one to take a shower out of the entirety of her team, mostly so she could take as long as she wanted without anyone banging on the door for her to hurry up.

This was especially true considering how long it took her to wash her hair out, given how thick it was and the fact that she got a whole apple pie right to the back of the head. There was no quicker way to piss her off than to mess with her hair, which Nora experienced firsthand by being sent flying through one of the cafeteria windows. Now though, with her beautiful hair squeaky clean once more and free of breadcrumbs, Yang no longer felt the need to strangle somebody with her bare hands.

"I wonder if Naruto would like it if I put my hair up the way I had it on our date?" Yang asked herself as she gathered up some of her hair and held her back behind her head, poking her head out of the shower to try and catch a glimpse in the mirror but finding it completely fogged over from the steam.

With a disgruntled sigh, Yang let her hair fall free around her shoulders and stepped back into the near scalding hot water, closing her eyes and just letting it wash over her naked body. Memories began to resurface, memories about the time she snuck into the shower when Naruto was taking one and everything that happened afterwards.

The way he touched her then, the way he touched her in that hospital bed; Yang couldn't decide if the blush on her face was from the heat of the shower or the heat of her memories. Even as the rushing hot water glided down her body like small rivers, tucking in and around her breasts, jumping over her toned abs, and sliding between her legs. All she could imagine was Naruto's hands, his lips against her neck, his tongue driving her crazy as all she saw was stars.

Slender fingers dipped between Yang's legs and she let out a gasp of relief, both from the sudden sensation and the way the shower head had a sudden surge of warm water. Thinking about Naruto watching her with lidded red eyes, the fruity smell of the body wash she slathered across her breasts made her feel extra sensitive, like an intoxicating alcohol in the air. Another gasp escaped her lips, now parted and wet while her eyes grew heavy, imagining Naruto breathing her in as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Soon she began to feel so dizzy that she had to grab onto the shower railing, lest she fall over and end up making a fool of herself.

"Naruto," his name escaped Yang's lips, somewhere between a sultry moan and a begging desire, two fingers spreading apart her lower lips as a third went to work.

"You called?" The sudden sound of Naruto behind her nearly sent Yang sprawling onto the shower floor, that is had Naruto not managed to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her flush up against him.

"When did y-Mmmph!?" Yang could only get out so much, her mind already fried from the steam and the desire and now the kiss; by all the gods, the kiss!

They stood beneath the shower head, steaming water running over them, and already Yang could feel him growing harder against her thighs. She feels unable to move, even when his tongue slips into her mouth and his free hand gripped her leg, bringing it up until it could almost wrap around his waist. Almost two weeks without this, without the touching, without the kissing, and most importantly without the near mind numbing desire.

After only a few more moments, Naruto had a hard–on he's sure would never disappear. The kiss breaks when the water begins to cool, some of their senses come back to them, but they're not having any of it this time. Yang blindly reaches out, her mind to focus on the throbbing appendage between her thighs that only seemed to make her own desire burn hotter, and desperately turned the heat up even more. It worked like a charm.

"I love you," it came out as a hot steamy breath, emotion and passion all intertwined into a burning cocktail of lust and desire, and the best part was that they both said at the same time.

The feeling of the shower faded away, the scolding heat transformed into a soothing warmth, their hearts pounding in their chests to the same rhythm. And then it all came rushing back, nearly giving them both whiplash.

Yang's arms flew around Naruto's neck as their lips came crashing back together with a bang, tongues twirling and dancing, but above it all she managed to get out two words. Two simple words, but with enough emotion behind it to finally push them both over the edge.

"Take me."

Pain came first, even through all the lust and desire that filled her body and set her nerves on fire. The feeling of being stretched and pulled, invaded by something that hadn't been there before, it nearly made her scream. Then she did scream, screamed loud into Naruto's mouth as her arms constricted around him with enough force that it would've broken a weaker man's neck.

She didn't know how long the pain lasted, but the smell of copper in the warm air was unmistakable in the way Naruto trembled slightly told her the rest of the story. Yang had finally done it, given Naruto the two most valuable things any girl could give. He had her heart, has had it for quite a while now, and now he had her purity.

"Y-Yang," she quivered from the way he gasped her name, pride overcame the pain for the briefest of moments, but even with a wince she managed to nod her head.

Yang nearly let out another cry when Naruto slowly began pulling out of her, the warm water washing away the blood as he retreated, and had a bite down on his neck when he pushed back in. The pain was momentary for Naruto, but Yang would forever remember the copper taste in her mouth and the way he throbbed inside her the very moment she bit him.

Back and forth, slow and steady, each moment driving the pain further and further away until Yang started to feel the heat again. She pushed her forehead up against his, eyes closed and mouth hung open as short panting gasps flowed between them. Naruto pushed them both up against one of the walls, Yang's nails dug into his back with enough force to leave marks, and the thrusting became faster.

"You look so beautiful," Naruto whispered to Yang before he even knew what he was saying, reason being washed away as her insides constricted around him, "So beautiful."

"Shu-Shut up!" the need in Yang's voice made Naruto not want to hold back anymore, to just give in, but he held himself in check against everything his lust was telling him to do.

In and out, in and out, their chiseled bodies grinding against one another, the thrusting growing more intense. As Naruto went in, Yang started coming down to greet him. This was so much better than the first time in the shower, so much better than in the hospital, she should have done this with him ages ago! That's when it happened, the Big Bang, her entire body going numb with ecstasy, Naruto thrusting his hips a few more times before every muscle in his body constricted.

When their senses came back to them it was because the water had gone cold again, even as their bodies still burned. Yang had never felt so weak in her entire life, like her limbs were made of lead even though her mind was almost hyper aware of everything going on around her.

"Naruto," Yang spoke with labored gasps of air, feeling herself shiver when his eyes darted up to meet hers.

"Yeah?" Naruto sounded as shaky as she did, but managed to somehow keep them both standing.

"I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

For their first night back at Beacon Academy, it wasn't so bad.

There, you greedy bastards wanted a chapter and so here it is! I hope your happy with yourselves because I love you all enough to crank this baby out, fueled by six different energy drinks and a metric-fuck-ton of Adderall!