Chapter 8: One Day
A/N: Sorry. This chapter went from fun to serious. Seriously, the chapters just change out of nowhere.
I also had this chapter at a few thousand words for months, never finishing it. Obviously, it took a completely different turn.
Chapter 8 START
Dawn arose, its blissful and serene arms gracefully wrapping over the land and giving its touch to each section of the lush earth. The grass swayed softly, basking in the gentle touch of the sun's rays on its tips, greeting the morning with veritable comfort. As the light rose more and reached the campus of Beacon, students remained asleep for the most part. No alarms went off, and there was practically no foot traffic in the dawn of Saturday.
Strangely, Summer was the first to wake up. It was an odd affair, she thought to herself. She had opened her eyes, and felt wide awake, despite the fact that Professor Naruto's class had left her sore and ragged at the end of the yesterday. And yet, when she sat up in bed, she felt completely rested and recovered by the prior day's training exercises. Every other weekend before this, she had been in bed until noon, sore and exhausted even with Aura regeneration taking care of her body and muscles.
She dressed herself and decided that she may as well fill her stomach. Not even Raven was awake, an oddity considering that normally, the older sibling of the Branwen's was usually the first up of the four, and by a large margin at that. And yet, there she was, her ruby red eyes hidden beneath her closed lids, Raven's breathing calm and relaxed as her chest rose and fell in wave-like crests.
Donning a pair of red shorts and a white T-shirt with red stripes down the side, she confirmed that she looked fine to explore the campus without turning any attention due to her apparel and opened the door to the dorm hallway.
The first thing that struck her was that it was finally starting to feel like fall, and that meant that winter was coming. The air felt as if it had miniscule molecules of ice in it, frigidity warmly embracing each atom. Summer let out a breath that pushed out a cloud of cold air. Her hair whipped softly in the wind, and she wish that she had grabbed her cape. At least it would provide some superficial warmth, even if it couldn't help protect her legs.
But for some reason, she never turned back to her room and kept walking. Something was tugging at her instinct, and she never felt the need to deny that part of her. After all, it had never failed her before, and she had the expectation that her instincts would lead her to something that would provide a new experience for her, as it had done so many times before.
"Ah, just the person I was thinking about! I'm surprised, considering that you're usually never awake until the afternoon though, Summer."
The surprise came in the form of Professor Naruto, who was standing next to the doors outside of the library with a book in his hands, his eyes perusing the text quickly. His blue orbs were completely transfixed on the words written in the thick volume, and she found herself staring at his eyes that were seen through the transparent reading glasses he had put on for the occasion.
What was more interesting, however, was the large amount of paint he had besides him. She stared at it, and it was towering above her. Hundreds upon hundreds of cannisters of paint laid on the ground and on top of each other. There was no doubt in her mind that it was enough to completely provide a make over for the entire campus of Beacon.
His eyes lifted from the book, and she froze. He smiled brightly, closing the book without a thought. She had little doubt that he already memorized the spot in his text; he seemed to have an uncanny skill for memorization.
"You were thinking about me?" she finally said, trying her best to not misinterpret what her professor had just said. Her professor nodded firmly, his smile never shifting. In fact, it seemed to widen even more.
"I was. You see, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I was given a job to complete, and it was supposed to be done by today, actually. All of this paint was supposed to cover the entire campus and change the color so that when the Vytal Festival came around, everyone would be surprised. Lo and behold, we're only weeks away from the festivities, and the surprise is nowhere to be seen."
Summer's eyes widened more and more as Naruto explained, and her mouth was agape at the end of it. She broke her gaze from Naruto, only to find the towering buckets of paint staring right back at her. "So...why haven't you started on that yet?" she asked, pointing at the monstrosity with emphasis. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes. "Were you expecting for Glynda to help you, and you focused on grading papers and planning the curriculum?"
To his credit, Naruto only let his left eye twitch. To Summer's credit, however, that was all she needed. Her eyes slimmed even further, and the disbelief came out of her in droves.
"I'll offer you a free meal in Vale."
Summer thought about it seriously. Clearly, the trade was not worth it, and it was more of her doing her professor a favor, if anything. However, it was her professor offering her a meal in Vale, of which he had not specified. Also, it was one-on-one time with her favorite teacher, who was younger than her. It would be less similar to teacher and student and more like two friends going out for a quick hang out, if anything.
"A meal at Vale of my choosing and new ammunition for my scythe." Naruto didn't even hesitate to nod at her compromise. A gigantic smile broke out of Summer's face, previously hard and serious. "You have two hours."
She blitzed over to the buckets, hardly a blur as an afterimage of her standing still faded away. "I'll only need thirty minutes if I'm serious."
"Do it before Ozpin comes to check up on me, and I'll even give a batch of cookies that I'll make."
Summer had heard Raven talk about Naruto's cooking once. The topic had come into passing through a question. Summer was curious why Raven woke up so early in the mornings, and the black-haired girl mentioned something about meeting the professor. At first, she thought that it had meant extra training, but Raven had clarified that it was actually because Naruto offered her meals if she woke up early enough to meet him and Glynda for breakfasts.
At first, Summer was tempted, but she had to disagreeably realize that she was not at all a morning individual. So she decided to ask, instead of joining them for breakfast and finding out herself, how was his cooking.
"I woke up for it."
Enthusiasm rising, Summer burst away, and in a matter of seconds, the library was already splattered completely with color. A few seconds later, it was cleanly painted over, the splatters all brushed away neatly. It was in silent awe that Naruto watched the campus transform before him to colors of purple and pink and bright yellow. Indeed, festival colors. The trees, previously at peace with the campus' green, earthly tones, took on a far more vibrant and different feel with the brighter mixes. Something about it reminded Naruto of a candyland. It was colorful and still beautiful, but it lacked the natural charm that the original campus decor had.
He let the thought pass and picked up his book, starting off from where he had left off. In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed and he put his book down to a completely transformed campus. Summer stood in front of him, panting but smiling proudly, her red hair swaying slightly with each proud breath. Naruto pulled down his glasses to look around him, having stood to get a glimpse of the new look. But he wanted a better vantage point to get a better view, so he turned to Summer with an arm out and said, "Hold on tight." Summer only hesitated for a second before latching onto his extended arm, and Naruto dipped and pushed off the ground, scaling the hundred foot library in a single jump. Summer noticed that they jumped the exact height of the building, the two scarcely inches above the roof when Naruto stepped onto land.
When she let go off his arm, Summer couldn't help but look straight at the back of her professor. "You're really our professor." The one that everyone held in high regard and never failed the expectations of his students when it came to combat. He was by far the most noticed and also questioned individual on the Beacon campus. After all, as students of combat, they had a lot of inquiries for the combat instructor. And time and time again, Professor Naruto showed why he was given the position, but he always surprised the students with each new feat he revealed that he was capable of.
The unnatural control and ease of which he carried not only himself, but her as well, and accounted for the additional weight and landing with perfect accuracy was only something that could be reached with pure talent at his age. She knew that she was considered a talented individual; to even enter Beacon as a student mandated that one had skill, hard work ethic, and talent in the first place. Protectors of humanity was not a title given lightly, and talentless students usually did not find entry into any of the combat schools once middle school passed. No principal would want the risk of taking on a student that could potentially find death out in the fields. True, the possibility always existed, but why take on the additional, extra percentages.
Naruto turned to Summer with a grin, humor flashing like a gem in his eyes. "I do believe I am your professor, and the rest of the first years. Yes, I think so."
Summer couldn't help but laugh at the professor's dry humor, half giggling and half catching her breath from the earlier exertion. She had used her Semblance quite a bit, and it was taking a toll on her body. But all in all, it was good training with the additional prize of hanging out with her professor! Seriously, how many students would wish that they could hang out with their professor? Almost no teacher was as cool as Professor Naruto, she'd bet. When he smiled at her as she laughed and then shifted his gaze so that he could get a good look at the campus, she really couldn't stop the feeling that slowly spread from her chest. The one that gave her so much, and helped her to realize that she had no reason to have no confidence. He had pride in her as a student and in her growth, and she took that pride and used it to further herself, and in turn, the professor's pride only seemed to grow.
She appreciated the sincere professor.
"It's quite breathtaking, isn't it?" Naruto's voice struck her out of her trance. She glanced over, and caught herself in a web, unable to break her gaze. "That's what you did. Take pride in the fact that you did this, and no one else helped you." They stood closer to the sky, birds flitting and wheeling above them while life on Beacon went on below them. They were in the middle of it all, with no one to bother them except each other. Everything else felt so small in comparison.
It was also quiet. No one ever looked up. The early risers were turning around, taking in the spectacle that was the campus with its new colors, and they did tilt their chins up to bask in the view. But not a single one of them craned their neck up to look to the roofs. So Summer stood at the edge of the library, hardly even worried about falling from the height. She could handle it, and if something happened, she had no doubt that her professor would prevent anything from happening.
"I think the other students like it," she said.
"Trust me," he started with a chuckle. "They love it."
A quick wind picked up Summer's hair, combing through it softly. The red highlights in her hair began to glow in the slow rise of the sun.
"I'm curious, Professor. If you could jump up here so quickly with ease, wouldn't this whole painting job have been a breeze for you? After all, you're able to keep up with me in class when I'm moving as fast as I can during our spars."
A quizzical eyebrow rose. "You think because I can follow you with my eyes that I can travel as quickly as you can?" Naruto chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head when Summer leveled him with a stare. "I mean, I'm not saying that I couldn't have done the job. But probably not as quickly nor as efficiently as you could have."
Summer did not let the fact that he said 'probably' by. But she said nothing of it and pushed it into the folders for her to bring up at a later date if it ever required it.
"Anyway, I'm about to head down and grab a cup of coffee. It's a bit early in the day, so some sustenance would do us some good. Would you like to join me in Vale?"
A vigorous nod was his response.
The two arrived in Vale by bullhead in between the end of dawn and the breaking of early morning. Stores were beginning to open, and some of the citizens in the city were opening their doors to take a morning stroll or prepare for the day. Every one of the residents in each area they walked through recognized the professor. Most of them would wave or give him their greetings, to which her professor would amicably respond and smile widely.
There were also plenty that stared at him with scorn, eyes full of fury and smoldering discrimination. Summer had half a mind to pull out her scythe the first time it occurred, but then she remembered that she left it in her locker at Beacon. A few seconds after, she recognized that she unconsciously moved to defend her professor rather than wonder why some people would even find fault with her professor in the first place. She felt insulted and upset by the fact that some people would even have issues with him, but she realized that perhaps she didn't understand the full story.
Mulling in her thoughts, Summer failed to notice that the two were standing in the middle of one of the city squares, surrounded by restaurants and stores aplenty. Lifting her eyes, she caught the sight of one of her regular spots, but that was something more for dinner and for an enjoyable time with friends. Today, it was early in the morning that she left for the city; in fact it was the earliest she had awoken in the weekend in years. And for it, she got to have a meal with her professor and got favors?
Sounds like she had amazing luck this morning.
"Since I've invited you, you can choose anything you'd like. Coffee doesn't change much between each store unless you go to the one a few blocks away. Then it gets quite fantastic." Summer's eyes brightened at the prospect of trying one specific breakfast spot that had been all the talk as of late. It had blown up and spread through everyone's notifications on the Scroll, and she had been itching to taste their menu's best. "It seems like you chose."
"Indeed, I have!" she responded happily, nodding as she marched forward to her destination.
It was a tall, modern building with glass doors and windows spanning the entire length of the first floor. It had a wide, expansive floor that allowed for plenty of tables with an excessive amount of space between each table. Everything about it screamed 'excessive', in fact. The waiters were dressed in the most expensive, finely tailored clothing. The china that the restaurant showcased must have been more than what a modest worker could buy from a month's time of honest work.
Summer hesitated. She knew that she had her professor promise that he would pay whatever the cost, but this may have been pushing it. Then again, it was known for its breakfast and brunch, so it couldn't be that expensive.
Right?
"Would you like to come inside, Miss Rose and Professor Uzumaki?"
Summer started when the waiter in front of the door opened it and greeted them by name. Both of them. Specifically, the fact that he recognized her was what almost made her take a step back. The waiter, a moderate sized male with bright eyes and a equally shining smile spread across his face, held the door as she held her silence.
"That'd be wonderful," Naruto finally spoke, matching the young man's charm with his own. Summer broke out of her freeze when the blond passed through the doors, leaving the waiter to hold the door for her. She squeaked a quick 'thank you' and squeezed through the doors. They were seated within seconds, as another waiter would pick them up and take them to a table.
Looking around, Summer realized that there were only a few customers, but all of them were dressed lavishly. It was only she and her professor that were donning clothes that were more to the likeness of the common folk. Or a Huntsman. For a few moments, she felt self conscious, but when she was about to bring it up as a conversation just for the sake of conversation, she noticed her professor smiling warmly at her. He had a cup of tea in his hand, the steam lazily wafting across his face.
Something about that image felt so serene and peaceful that Summer didn't want to break it by saying that she felt...awkward. So she said nothing, forcing herself to smile as she picked up the cup of tea that she hadn't even notice the waiter place in front of her.
"You know, this place is actually quite nice." Summer perked up. "It is rather lavish, but it is quiet and spacious, two traits that I enjoy immensely."
Summer leaned forward. "I thought you like noise. After all, you make all of us yell during the sets."
"That's because if I don't do that, all I'd hear is the majority of you all complaining about how difficult it all is." Summer giggled at that. It was true; the first day, all that could be heard from the combat class of freshman were groans of pain. "I'm not saying that I am uncomfortable in settings that have many people. But when your job, which basically aligns with your life's goal, surrounds you with people every day, there are days where I wish to turn to quiet. That's actually why I love the morning and the night."
"But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better for you to have training in the morning? And in my opinion, you're one of the best people's person I've ever met."
The blond professor nodded kindly at her, taking the compliment warmly. "Thanks." Summer started again; that may have been the first time he had spoken casually since she'd met him. He seemed to have noticed this as well as he paused for a second. "Well, I could having the combat training in the morning, but then the ones that aren't morning people would definitely not be happy campers. I wouldn't want to impose my preferences on the students that are learning from me. That's just how it is."
Summer smiled. "You're really mature, Professor."
He grinned. "It's hard not to be when you have a Semblance like mine. By the way, it's a weekend and, technically, you're older than I am. Feel free to call me Naruto."
Their menus came, pushing to conversation in a new direction when Summer saw the prices on the dishes. Before she could bolt of the door with the Professor in hand, however, he assuaged her fears and discomfort once again.
"We've already sat down, and I'm actually really impressed by how the waiters are smoothly able to come to our table. I'd like to stay and try their coffee and maybe a couple of their dishes, and I'd like it if you were my company for the breakfast."
She hesitantly sat down in her seat again, not sure when she had stood up. "I'd love to hang out with you, Prof - Naruto." She corrected herself when the blond's smile rose a bit too high, roughly stretching across his cheeks.
"That's great. I enjoy spending time with you, and I already view you as a friend."
"You...you do?" Summer was gripping her pants underneath the cover of the table. She stared into the vast blue oceans, and it stared back with a wondrous depth.
"Of course." He placed an elbow against table, resting his cheek against his knuckles. "You saw something earlier and wanted to bring it up but didn't."
When Professor Naruto said that he was older than she, Summer did admit that it was technically a true statement. However, the ease in which he carried himself and could direct conversations, but also recognize specific social cues and deal with them spoke volumes to how astute he was, unnerved her greatly. It was why she was comfortable treating him as a professor and not so much as one the same age as her. Generally, the connotation of a professor, or at least the idea of one, directed one of think of a Huntsman that had seen the field and were at least a decade older than the one sitting across from her. Strangely enough, most professors at Beacon said openly that Professor Naruto was not only more talented than every single one of them, he was also currently stronger than any one of them in one-on-one combat.
Placing him on a label that said "professor" and far and away from the label of "friend" was reasonable, but it never really made her deny her desire to have him as a friend. After all, he was technically younger than she was.
"I saw a few people on our way to the city square that were not happy to see you. Why is that?" she asked honestly. Pro...Naruto lifted his head minutely to lift his pointer finger so that it pointed at his cheeks.
"Because of these." Whiskers. She had never seen them before, but now they stood out to her clear as day. "What human has whiskers? None. What Faunus have whiskers? plenty."
Suddenly, it all made sense to her. Again, Summer gripped her fists, but it wasn't in silent hope and happiness, and even embarrassment.
It was in anger. She silently steamed as a waiter stepped in during the silence and Naruto pointed at five different dishes, the waiter nodding at each direction amicably. When the smiling waiter left, Naruto returned his attention to her, an easy smile on his lips.
"How...do you bear it? It's unfair."
"How does any Faunus bear it is the question you should be asking, Summer. It's not like it's any different from the lesson I've taught in class. People are divisive because there are categories."
"I don't understand."
"Well...do you really want a lecture here?" Summer nodded strongly. Naruto let out a breath, almost in tired amusement, and decided to humor the talented blooming Huntsman. "As you already know, there are four main locations of civilization. In each different city, you'd find that there is a different physical structure to acclimate to the climate. Understandably, this climate can result in a different economic climate. For example, Atlas is well known for their technology, Mistral for their oneness with nature, Vacuo with aridity and comfort in heat, and us in Vale. One in Mistral would be hard-pressed to survive in Vacuo, not only because they are not acclimated mentally, but because their bodies are not physically adapted to the climate. They were not born there, and neither were their forefathers. Generations over generations ensure that the best surviving traits would be present in the children."
Summer nodded. Theoretically, it all made sense. Naruto seemed to be waiting for her to chime in when a silence took over. "Is it like, a survival of the fittest? Only those that are fit to live on will pass on their traits to the children, whereas the weak die?" Naruto nodded, and she inwardly smiled.
"You should ask your team how they feel about that topic when you have the chance," the blond said. He took a few gulps from his cup of tea and continued. "Now here's the issue. You have a category now because there are very obvious differences between the four Kingdoms in its population. To make it even more complicated, you add the Faunus."
"..."
Naruto placed both elbows on the white tablecloth and pressed his fingers against each other so that his chin would rest at the top of both sets of knuckles. His eyes suddenly seemed to bore into her, staring into her soul.
"Are they a citizen of Vale? Well, they have the traits of one, but also the traits of something else entire. Are they Vacuon? They can survive in the desert, and they've been there for generations as well, but perhaps not alongside of 'humanity'. Interesting, isn't it? The Faunus, according to history, were never far from man, but never close either. And yet, the even the ones that have drawn near and lived alongside the four Kingdoms find themselves ostracized by the majority of humanity."
Summer frowned. True, it made sense, but at the same time...it really didn't. "So what are they?"
Naruto grinned. "See, if you mean the Faunus, what they are really doesn't matter. As long as there is an 'us' and a 'them', there will always be issues. It's as simple as there being a disagreement between 'you' and 'me'. No one is going to agree with everything I say, and that holds for every single person in the world. So, I'm not so rosy-eyed and optimistic to say that everyone can live in harmony. However, I am quite sure that as a whole, we can get pretty damn close."
"...How are you so sure, when you're also so confident in the divisiveness of humanity?"
Instead of answering promptly, Naruto took a few seconds to look straight into her eyes. It was only a few seconds, but it felt longer. She was laid bare, stripped of all pretenses before it. This was not a friend. Not her professor. It was something far more knowledgeable, but also frighteningly primal.
And then it was gone. The clarity in his eyes had returned, and it was once again her professor, the very same one she wished to be friends with and draw a close connection to.
"The Vytal Festival. It brings everyone together." A light as bright as the dawn shone in Summer's eyes. "Ah, you've heard of it."
"Who hasn't?" The young pupil almost acted affronted by the question. It's not as if she had been looking forward to attending the event her whole life up to this point. "There hasn't been a time that I haven't wanted to be on that big stage with everyone in the world watching. All four countries sending in their representatives, and each team doing their best to win the Festival to proudly raise the cup."
"Yes, well." Naruto paused, giving a sideways glance over to the waiter that had been dutifully refilling his cups and had gotten their order. In a moment, the table was full of flavors. Summer could hardly believe her eyes, nor her nose as her senses went on overload. For a second, it was all-consuming as every other care in life was pushed aside as the priority of food took over. "Perhaps we can talk about this over some delicious food and coffee."
She agreed by taking a huge bite out a pancake, already having lathered it it no moderate amounts of syrup. She let out a sound of bliss through her throat, eyes closed as she let the flavor sink in.
"It's sho good!" she relished.
"Hahaha, I'm glad you like it."
Summer continued to stuff her mouth, not even realizing that she spoke with her mouth full. All decorum and manners flew out the proverbial window when the plates were placed on the table. By the gods, it was heavenly. The waffles easily dissolved in her mouth, disappearing into delicious pieces of syrup and carbohydrates. Suddenly, she realized what she had done, and it was not lady-like at all. She whipped her head up, only to catch the sight of Naruto wolfing down as if he were a voracious dragon, humming in delight and eating happily.
She knew he didn't eat like that. He was well-mannered and generally in control of his desires and manners. However, the fact he acted in such a way, knowing that it would appease her fears due to her earlier actions, did much to calm her. So she continued to eat as such, scarfing down the food at unexplainable rates as Naruto followed pace.
For a fraction of a second, she felt truly like they were the same age.
"Woah..." Summer stumbled. The girl easily caught purchase with the floor and regained her balance. Contentedly, she closed her eyes and sighed, patting her tummy with the air of someone that was at one with heavenly food and large portions. "That really was something else."
Naruto stepped out of the bulkhead, his earlier disposition of immaturity and uncleanliness all but gone. He had paid for the meal, and the two had walked around for a bit in the city. During that time, Summer had been content to simply talk with the blond, and he had been more than willing to oblige to her wishes, conversing with her much like another student. As if they were equals.
In fact, she had never felt that they weren't equal other than the fact that officially, one was a student and the other was a professor. However, he always seemed to do his best to make his students feel at home and comfortable whenever in his presence. Unless they said something completely unacceptable, which happened rarely.
It was odd that he found racism of any kind so abhorrent and reprehensible, and yet said nothing of the looks he received from the rare passerby in the city. At least, Summer had thought it strange, but Naruto made no noticeable sign of recognition, despite the fact he was clearly aware of it. How could he not be? He was so aware of most things, it would be more surprising that he wouldn't be.
"Thanks for the breakfast, Naruto," she decided, unsure of how to breach the topic again, considering that she couldn't follow through after breakfast. It had been a light atmosphere, especially after he had shown a more childish side, and she didn't want to give that up quite yet. It was a side of him she had never seen, and she wanted to hold on to it as long as she could. It had been why she had tried to get him to keep talking to him and walking around the city for a few hours. Of course he complied, and he talked to her like a friend would, telling her how he was never comfortable with a gun, despite its unique status as normal in the civilized world. He answered all her questions about the four Kingdoms and the politics that surrounded each great city. He even laughed when she asked how long it would take to catch up to his level.
An honest question. One that he answered by flicking her forehead and with the odd response of when she was capable of projecting her Aura.
In the present, the blond gave her an easy smile that positively glowed in the noon lighting.
"There's no such thing as a free meal." He then turned purposely to face the newly painted structures of Beacon Academy as he stepped off the bullhead and onto campus.
At first, his words seemed to be a reminder that she had done him a favor, so he was simply returning it with his own. At all, a gift is expected to have some form of reciprocation. However, it could also be construed as if something is given, expect nothing as a freebee in general. Otherwise, there was probably some other underhanded deal happening at the table. It appeared that her professor was starting to lean towards the latter.
The rather miffed Glynda Goodwitch standing at the gates of Beacon was a standout indicator. Her arms were crossed beneath her budding breasts, and her sharp gaze was set on Naruto, who had that same easy grin on his lips.
"You did it again."
Naruto easily slipped away from the accusation. "Actually, I took no part in painting. Summer did it all."
Glynda swept her gaze from the cheshire-grinning blond to Summer. Immediately, Summer caught onto what was happening. Her face deepened heavily in a blush. Oh, how she wish she could disappear into her scarf and hole up in her room. Away from Glynda's orbs melting her in her very spot.
"You tricked her." That wasn't what she was expecting. Looking up from the breathtaking floor, Summer caught Glynda pointing a finger dangerously close to Naruto's nose. "Don't even try to get uppity with me. You'll get no points for that."
Naruto, to his credit for maintaining composure, casually laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course. Well, I had fun today." He craned his neck so that he was able to look at her. "Thanks to you. It was nice to play a prank on the prestigious school."
And then he just walked away. Glynda and Summer watched him walk away until he was gone over a hill, on his way to the very pink Beacon. In silence, Glynda stepped over, closer to Summer.
"There's no such thing as a free meal," Glynda suddenly said. Summer perked her ears up.
"That's what he told me!" Glynda nodded in understanding, eyes on the bullheads and the city far in the edge of view.
"He tells that to only those that he plays a prank on." Summer's eyes widened. At first, shock overtook her, but it quickly shifted gears to surprised laughter, and then full on raucous humor as the oddity of the situation took over. The prestigious school, Beacon Academy, was completed covered in a new color. And it was done at the whim of one professor simply because he willed it on an unknowing student. And then, the diligent, hard-working, and top of her class Glynda Goodwitch was tricked into a prank? How could that even occur? "You're probably wondering how I got caught. Don't make that face; it's easy to read. Here's the thing: Naruto plays a prank at least once a month, but this is the largest one he's done yet. Probably has something to do with the fact that you're a first year and don't know about this as a tradition for the past ten months.
"Also, he gets us by using our own personalities and characteristics against us. Remember, I appreciated Naruto as a teacher and as a person, but not so much as a friend. I was willing to learn from him, but not be close to him. He used that against me. As for you, Summer...you wish to be closer to him. More than a professor and a student, but are unsure of how to break that barrier because of how large of a gap in maturity and skill there is." Summer deflated, but Glynda continued uncompromisingly. "At least, that's my guess from what I've been able to scrutinize from your interactions. Anyway, for the gap in maturity, you really don't have to worry. This was his way of saying that."
Summer remained silent, unsure of how to break it down in a way for it all to make sense to her. After a good half minute, she sat down at the edge of the port and let her legs dangle in the air, hundreds of feet above purchase. Perhaps the gap between her and the ground was the difference in skill between her and the professor.
"So this is all normal?" She only heard Glynda's sigh and clothes ruffle, indicating a shrug.
"Not really, as it never happened until Naruto's induction into Beacon. But every single person he's pranked had needed something, and he had provided it in a way through his pranks. I was a stiff person, believe it or not."
Summer mock clasped her hands to her mouth and took a sharp breath of fake disbelief. "I had no clue!" She received a slap on the back for her sarcasm as Glynda sat herself down at the edge right next to her.
"Don't get sarcastic with me, missy. I still have to clean up your mess, even if it was due to Professor Naruto's sly methods." The beautiful blonde fourth year pinched the bridge of her nose, but in good humor. "I can't believe he did this, though. We just recently discovered that I was able to control my telekinesis with far more finesse and control than expected, but I'm unsure if I'm capable of this kind of job."
"...Think of it as training?" Summer supplied meekly.
"That's exactly what he said, before he pulled this prank and warned me of something potentially happening today."
"Ah."
"Yup." Glynda said, popping the last syllable deliberately. "But it's alright. I was expecting something, just not to his magnitude. I suppose he really wants to test my limits."
Summer looked off in the distance, to the blue sky full of bullheads, dotting the view. "So he did this to help me...I guess I feel a bit closer to him. He is more like a child than I expected, but he's still mature beyond me, at least."
"Trust me, he has his immature moments." Glynda stood up and patted down her thighs. "I'm going to get started on the campus; hopefully I'll be done before dinner. That way, I'll be able to grill Naruto over the table."
Summer raised her eyebrows. "Didn't you say that you were going to get him in trouble?"
Glynda shook her head. "If it was the me a year ago, I absolutely would have. But remember what I said? I'm not as stiff now. Also, he helped me. So I have to be willing to help him out sometimes, you know?"
"There's no such thing as a free meal," the first year whispered thoughtfully. Glynda gave a ghost of a smile before walking away.
"Make sure to not to tell anyone that phrase before they get pranked. It's tradition." After Summer replied with an immediate approval, Glynda also said, "And expect detention for the next month."
Summer was going to make sure the next two meals were worth her lost free time in the weekends.
"Hey, Summer. We were wondering where you went since you weren't here in this morning. Ended up getting breakfast without you. Since you were out, you probably saw the campus, huh. Crazy, whoever did it."
Summer nodded idly at Taiyang's greeting, smiling normally but hardly present. "Ah - yeah. That was me."
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and immediately stilled. Except Summer. She kept moving about the room, making her bed, fixing up her section of the room and doing whatever she wanted. In the end, Qrow was the one to break the silence.
"You were the one that painted the entire campus?" he incredulously asked. His eyes met Raven's curious orbs. "I wouldn't expect you to be such a prankster."
Summer laid herself in bed on top of the blankets. "It wasn't even really me; I just provided the labor. Naruto was the one that tricked me into doing it. And in the end, I'm probably going to lose my rights to the weekends for the next month."
"That's convenient timing." All eyes shifted to Raven's thoughtful form. She was now sitting up in bed, her legs crossed over the other as her left hand acted as a support for her right elbow. Her index knuckle softly pressed against the bottom of her lips as she hummed. "The Vytal Festival is also a little over a month away, and detention could take any form in Beacon."
Taiyang pulled over a chair and sat in it so that the back support was in front, his legs splayed out to the side. "You're saying the professor set her up so that he can train her individually?"
Raven met his gaze and nodded. "I think it's certainly a possibility. But at the same time, that leaves the question of why the three of us are also not in detention. I don't deny that we are the most likely options for the first years to be proposed for the Vytal Festival, but the four of us have things to work on altogether and individually. It doesn't make sense to only invite the team leader, who has the highest grade in the combat class for the month, unless there's something that Professor Naruto sees in her that can only be improved upon in a singular environment."
"Yeah...it is strange, isn't it?" Qrow murmured.
Raven's gaze narrowed and her visage displayed pressure on the other three inhabitants of the dorm room. "What's stranger is how our dear team leader called the professor by his name only without any formality and how casually she did so."
Summer's half-aware state was broken. A blush worked its way to her cheeks, red as roses. "It was an accident!" She crossed her arms in an X in front of her chest.
"...Likely." Raven spoke clearly showing her lack belief in Summer's truthfulness. She stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to find our dear professor and see if he's free for some training and a few questions. If you need me, feel free to message."
Raven made for the handle, but Summer called out before she could open the door. "Um, Raven. Well...I guess this can go to everyone. Do any of you think that Naruto is a Faunus?"
"What gave you that idea?" Qrow asked. "He looks as non-Faunus as every other non-Faunus."
Taiyang nodded. "Unless you have some hard evidence, I don't see how you can label him as a Faunus. Besides, what does it change if he is?"
"Nothing would change," Summer agreed. "But I was curious, because he has those whiskers on his cheeks, and I think a few people assume he's a Faunus and think lesser of him as a result."
"Which students?" Raven glowered. The other girl by the door seemed prepared to pull out her blade and threaten some unlucky souls.
"No no! They aren't students! They're just regular citizens of Vale!" Summer cried out. "No need for that."
Qrow leaned back in bed, his head sinking into a pillow. "That's odd that citizens from the city would give you that vibe. I always thought that our professor was the most well-known and regarded individual besides our very own Headmaster."
Summer crossed her arms and huffed. "That's what I thought. But then we were walking around the city this morning, and he got more than his fair share of looks that gave off a worse than neutral impression. It was just bizarre until I recalled his whiskers and how it could be seen as a trait of a Faunus." She let out another breath out of frustration. "Why can't they see him as the person he is?"
Raven opened the door, interrupting Summer's flow as she clearly indicated that she wished to leave. However, before she stepped away from the room, she fixed her gaze on her team leader with a lone, red eye. "It's quite clear that you consider him in high regards, especially after your outing with him this morning. Isn't that all that matters? Whether or not he's a Faunus, you undoubtedly have faith in our professor. The others do not matter, because they are insignificant others."
Her piece said, Raven shut the door on her way out. Summer, Taiyang, and Qrow and sat slightly stupefied by the brusque method in which Raven spoke her thoughts. Well, Taiyang and Summer were rather miffed, but Qrow took it in stride, as he was used to it as her brother.
"So...does it not matter whether or not he's a Faunus?"
Qrow took it upon himself to clearly explain his sister's position. Sitting up on his bed, he fluffed his pillow so that his back was comfortably resting against it and placed a fist against his chin. "Let's be honest here. None of us would care if he turned out to be a Faunus, because the truth of the matter is: he's a professor at Beacon due to his accomplishments and his skillset. Also, he actually teaches well and all of the students have generally spoken in an overwhelmingly positive way about him, despite his rather spartan regimen. So we, as students and as people that actually know the professor, place no value on the status of Faunus on the professor. And isn't that exactly what he wanted us to learn in the first week of class? That Faunus and non-Faunus are all essentially the same in the end: living beings. Despite the difference in characteristics, we still exist together in Remnant."
Taiyang nodded eagerly. "Exactly! Without him and the rest of the professors at Beacon, it would've been far more difficult for us to become Huntsman!"
"..." Qrow let that fly right over his head and thought about his next words. "My sister has a rather divisive outlook on the world. It's not quite as bad as it sounds, but she believe that the 'weak die, and the strong survive.' Again, it's a lot worse than it sounds, I promise you," he told Summer placatingly when the girl clearly began to show displeasure. "It's just how the two of us were raised, so don't take it the wrong way. I'm only trying to explain her perspective. We - " he indicated by circling a finger in the air to gesture, " - are the strong. All of the students that made it to Beacon? Probably fits into her definition of the strong. The rest of the citizens that have no combat skill or dabble in it lightly, so they rely on the Huntsman to keep them safe? They fit into the category of the weak. The insignificant."
"But that's wrong!"
Qrow raised a hand to her exclamation. "Let me finish. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of whose worldview and mindset is right or wrong. I simply want to tell you what my sister is thinking. She doesn't care what the weak think, because they aren't a factor. They don't affect her life. They aren't even so much as a part of it, so why should she care? Her entire life, gaining strength and proving that she was strong was her goal. Therefore, opinions on whether the Professor is a Faunus or not means little to her. And even if he was, why should she care? She approves of his teaching and she has said so, if not directly, then by her actions and body language. As for the citizens? Their opinions on the matter mean nothing, because they aren't focused on the aspect of strength, but a superficial characteristic that has no sway in any real way."
"...That makes sense, I suppose." Summer pressed her thumbs together, her hands on her lap. "But you make it sound like she doesn't care about the citizens of Vale."
'That's because she doesn't.' Oh, how close he was to saying that. Luckily - or unluckily, depending on what ending was wished to be seen - Taiyang intervened.
"Naw. She can't be like that."
There was a noticeable silence that established itself in the room. Qrow re-fluffed his pillows and sat back against the wall, thinking about past memories. That night when he had made a promise to his sister. His prodigious sister. One that he had always relied on. Perhaps it was because he had one person he could always rely on that he ended up partially understanding of people that relied on the strong.
But how could one that was always considered the pinnacle of strength from her family consider anything other than a strict, distinct line in between the strong and the weak. To her, perhaps he qualified to be strong. He was capable enough to carry himself on the field, and the fine line between the two was no longer a veritably impossible to cross ocean, but more like a wide, raging river.
Qrow turned his head out to the window, where the sun was that was high in its position. Its orangish glow softly basked against the reflective clouds that were colored like a painter's canvas.
"My sister isn't like that." There's nuance to her you don't realize yet.
"Professor."
Naruto sat with his legs at the edge of a cliff near the border of Beacon's academy. His hair slowly swung to and fro, the locks of gold glinting brightly. His back to her, he was set in a sketch.
"You always seem to show up whenever I'm in thought." He hadn't turned to her yet, his eyes on the horizon. On the city of Vale. "I wonder if it has to do with your Semblance."
Raven's feet crunched on the grass that was slowly shifting from the bright green to a slightly dark hue of brown as fall came around in full force. Before she knew it, winter would fall on them and warmer wear would be the norm.
"I was under the impression that professors would know each student's Semblance, especially one in a combat class." Her prod was returned with a chuckle that was as soft as the sun's glow. As warm as a fire or a hearth in a terrifying chilly day.
"You're right. As a professor, I should be keenly aware of each student that I supervise. In my defense, I do have a gist of each student's Semblance due to my own Semblance. I can positively state that I actually know most of the first years' Semblance better than they do."
"Is that also because of your Semblance?" she asked. For some reason, she wasn't surprised by these proclamations any longer. Absurdity was the new normal with this specific professor, and it was welcome. It would be strange to be with normal Huntsman after four years. However, that was a thought for four years later. Not for now.
"It is."
"...Is your Semblance like mine?" she asked, her tone serious. His eyes finally broke away from the view and captured hers. She was still looking to the city to see what he saw in it. Why he looked at it like it was so beautiful, she couldn't understand. But she wished she could. She wanted to understand. Unconsciously, she really wanted to understand his mindset to try to grasp how he became powerful.
She looked him in the eyes. Ruby red on ocean blue. Blood, the life of humanity. Water, the instrument that sustained life and humanity.
"If you consider it broadly, yes."
"Connecting with others," she clarified. He only smiled.
"I know that isn't what you have." Raven clicked her tongue, but otherwise remained mute. "But I'll humor you anyway. In a way, 'connecting with others' is my ability. One would even say that it's my strongest ability."
"You have more than one ability?" That had almost gotten a rise out of her. However - again - abnormal was the new normal when it came to Professor Naruto. He shook his head and lifted a single finger.
"One Semblance."
"But multiple abilities tied to that Semblance."
"Smart girl."
"I'm older than you are."
"Still abiding by my stance."
"..."
"Isn't Vale beautiful?"
"..."
"It's not like my home. If I wanted to be near home at heart, I'd go to Mistral. Maybe Menagerie - that small city is growing into a beautiful one. Granted, every single one of the four Kingdoms have absolutely incredible views, but none of them have the same heart that Vale has. I wonder why that is..."
"Have you been to the Kingdoms?"
"Short visits. But at Vale I stayed. You could feel it. The warmth." She couldn't. "There is a connection between each person here that isn't seen in the other Kingdoms. Maybe Menagerie, but their connections are thinly veiled with hatred and sputtering, boiling rage." For a second, the air stilled, almost like magic. Heaviness pressed down, and even the calm grass seemed to cower and flatten near the blond. Raven instinctively clasped onto his shoulder, grasping it as if it were a lifeline. Suddenly, as quickly as it had appeared, the pressure had gone. Like one of those random rain showers that came and went within minutes.
Naruto took a long breath, the air seeping in through his lips like a hollow straw. Slowly...slowly did the life come back to the plants as the physical weight on the plants lifted and the horrifying gaze Naruto had on whatever it is in the far beyond dissipated into a tired stare. It wasn't something that a fifteen year old should have. She had seen those eyes, downtrodden and exhausted with life, on only one soul. He was old, a rarity in her tribe, but respected due to his age. However, as he grew, so did his skepticism and his jadedness. In the end, he died, bitter and alone. He had let no one into his life, and no one dared to enter.
She bent down to one knee, still holding onto his shoulder. She cared not for the general feelings she held when it came to showing emotions and helping others. Naruto would not be the same as that dastardly old man. He wouldn't become like him.
"I'm sorry..."
She didn't know what to say. Whatever she wanted to say lodged itself into her throat. In the end, there was a silence between the two as she gripped his shoulders a bit tighter, and Naruto looked over to the end of the world's view with a solemn air.
But...she had to admit. At this moment, in Naruto's singular moment of vulnerability, she felt that she could help him. For the first time, she could return something for all of the lessons and extra time he had given to her. If anything, she returned goodwill.
"What do you need?" she asked. Slowly, Naruto shook his head. His eyes were squeezed shut and his hands gripped tightly in balls of fists.
Through closed eyes and tight lips, he spoke. "It's not about what I need. It's about what others need."
Raven flinched. She had shown him her willingness to help, and he wasn't willing to take it? Fine. She let go of his shoulder and stood up abruptly.
"What do you think of Menagerie?" he asked before she could leave. She turned back to face him, his oddly small back facing her as he looked on at the world before him. "You probably have met plenty of Faunus and traveled plenty, considering your background." Raven's heart beat harshly against her chest at that. "Don't be surprised. I've been around the world, and I can recognize your fighting style. And your brother's as well. Derivatives, but created due to necessity for the purpose of survival. And on the first day, you were the only one that was willing to fight me with enough force to send an amateur Aura user to the hospital for weeks without hardly a second thought."
A few tense eyeblinks, and Raven walked forward so that she stood next to her professor again.
"I don't know about Menagerie other than the history books and what the majority say. My travels hardly affected my perspective on them, because my livelihood did not matter when it came to viewing humans or Faunus differently." Naruto sighed at her response.
"The majority, as in what the media tells you. Menagerie...the home of the Faunus. Their safe haven. Their...isolated home that they built from the ground up due to humanity's decision to shoehorn the Faunus population into there. Not all, but a good number. Even if the Great War resulted in Menagerie, which was meant to give them a home to address the misgivings that were shown to the Faunus before, it instead resulted in a different response. Faunus are only truly home when they are amongst themselves, safe and happy in no Kingdom because of general public perception. The majority."
"They should fight for their rights," she said. "To prove the majority wrong."
"...I'm sorry, Raven. My point isn't what they should do or can do, but rather the oddity that an entire race can only be happy in isolation. Safe and separated." Raven hesitated, her red eyes wavering as she thought about his words. Not once did she consider it odd that Faunus were generally sparse in numbers and they populated Menagerie. That was simply history and current facts, so she took it as such. Never did she question whether or not it was really something right.
That was a lie. She knew it was a lie. She trusted the Faunus in her class. She believed in them to be strong people that strived for improvement, and they were no different than she. They breathed the same aspirations. But she never applied that same concept to Menagerie. She wouldn't have difficulty treating Faunus neutrally due to her professor, and would only make her opinions on each individual after they had shown their worth.
But Naruto...his eyes creased and eyes focused on the drop below.
"Can you imagine how painful it must be to not even be considered human? To be looked upon as something less than equal when you share the same life. The same mental faculties. And yet, you are seen as a monster."
Naruto spat out the last word as if it held venom. Anguish, exhaustion, triumph, tiredness, defeat, victory. All in one word. It didn't make sense to her. Why would he respond in such a way to the idea of Menagerie? If he was such a strong advocate of equal representation and rights for Faunus, he was definitely capable of making a difference. He was strong enough.
"But it's not just you." Her thoughts died as his voice returned, calmer and neutral. The eye in a storm. His hair shifted slowly, menacingly as the sun seemed to change shades to red and white, like the hottest section of a blacksmith's forge. "It's you and your entire race, scorned by the other side. It's you against them. Violence won't solve the answer unless you completely stomp the other side. Protesting is too slow because media will never shift to your side. What do you do?"
"...I would fight."
Oddly, Naruto turned to Raven and gave her a smile. Kindred Link was an oddity when it came to Semblances. A strong emotional link allowed her the ability to create portals in between her and the target of her connection. Truthfully, she had not created such a link with Naruto, but there were remnants...echoes of an attachment that could be in the future. She felt that smile was like one given to say 'you remind me of myself when I was younger.' But...why would that smile mean something like that?
"The world needs more minds like you. To forget the complexity of it all and to tackle it in a straightforward manner. When stuck between a rock and a hard place, you strike back because perhaps there is no other response." Naruto's smile faltered as he turned away from Raven and pointed out to the reach. To the far away. To somewhere out in Remnant. "But...there is another response. Out there, there is the great enemy of humanity. The one that can't distinguish between Faunus and humans because to them, we are one and the same. We are hunted because we are living beings."
"Grimm...I...don't see how that is supposed to be how we unify our people, Professor." Naruto genuinely hesitated as he seemed to be deciding whether to tell her something or to hold back.
"There's...more than Grimm out there in the world, Raven. Remember when I said people are the most dangerous threats to humanity? Grimm are dangerous in the sense that they are a force. Run in packs and overrun our best Huntsman through sheer numbers. Overpowering us with their stature and strength due to mass and unequal physical abilities. But mankind's ingenuity always evens the playing field."
His eyes again tore away from the horizon, as if he was physically drawn to it. As if he knew that there really was something out there, threatening the entirety of mankind. The issue was: Raven didn't doubt him. And her mind was working overtime as she took the hints he was giving him, knowing that he gave her the information she needed, but not on a silver platter.
She always saw his eyes as warm and inviting. Then maybe...maybe that was why she found it like an anchor on her own heart when his eyes brimmed with tears.
"No, Raven. An enemy out there is going to be the unifying factor of Remnant. One day, all of mankind will be forced to respond or all will fall."
Raven laid in bed with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling and nothing at the same time. Summer had tried to talk to her earlier, but Raven had been rather dismissive. It hadn't been her intention to make her team leader feel even worse. However, she had strong doubts that she would have made for a conducive conversation partner in her current state of mind.
In the end, the other three in the team had dinner together, while Raven had went on her own at the end of the serving period, closer to around nine P.M. She could have gone later, but training, stretching, cooling down, and her nightly routine would have taken her closer to midnight that she would've liked if she wanted to keep grinding her training to keep her mind off her thoughts. If she were honest with herself, her mind wasn't still, even during her practice.
Her conversation kept running on replay, like a faulty tape that could only play one specific scene. The rest of the tape may be faded and bruised, but this specific section was beautifully contained and maintained.
'There's an enemy...out there. Worse than the Grimm...but he clearly pointed out the Grimm. Why would he say there's a person after pointing out the Grimm?'
Something...no.
Someone. Someone was out there, threatening the entire livelihood of mankind. Alongside the threat of the Grimm.
She blinked. Grimm...and people. No. Grimm...and someone. "An enemy..."
The thought of someone able to work together with Grimm passed her mind idly. Ludicrous.
But Naruto hardly feared Grimm. But he feared people. What chaos they can bring about. The thought of what havoc a person that could control and work with Grimm began to domino, and the cards started to come into place. Her mind began to shift into overdrive, and the night felt young.
But still, there was a key detail missing.
'Why didn't he say that he would fight?'
Flashes of his tired smile kept coming into mind.
That night, Raven had dreams of a world's end, and Remnant overrun by Grimm and a shadow looming over the burning Kingdom of Vale. A shadowed face watched with impassive care, levitating high in the air with impossible ease. A sly smile, satisfied with the destruction it had wrought, was seen under the hood.
And Naruto was nowhere to be seen as the world knew darkness.
Chapter End.
A/N: League of Legends Worlds.