Chapter 13: Coincidence
A/N: Making sure I don't get burnt out by reading more and spending time getting motivated. Here's another chapter with a two day update window! I'll probably be taking a break for this week because Lunar New Year and then I want to study for a bit. I'll be back next week, most likely. Enjoy and hope you all have a great week!
Chapter 13 START
"You're kidding, right?" Icar said. The rest of the Beacon students were packed and waiting outside of their dorm rooms, holding their luggage. It was now close to ten in the morning, so a considerably late start to the day considering that all of them usually wake up at dawn.
The students had already gathered their belongings and were ready to leave campus, having assumed that they were going to be removed from the campus today. The short note that Naruto had written them last night had given them good reason to believe that would be the case. However, Naruto had forgotten to message any of them in the morning after his abrupt meeting with Willow. Naturally, none of them were in the know, and had still assumed that plans had not changed and they were to exit via bullhead by midday.
Thus, the current situation. Seven confused students and one apologetic professor.
Naruto scratched his chin. "No, we're staying here. As it so happens, we have a powerful friend here in Atlas as long as I can keep a promise to keep her daughter happy." He would make sure that he met up with Winter tonight with her mother, although the question of where and how still tumbled questionably. He would need to figure that out later. For now, the first step in the agenda was explaining to his students that they would have to unpack everything that had just packed up. "We're back to a regular schedule, but expect some changes here and there."
"So we have to unpack?" Violet asked. Naruto nodded, and the seven students all groaned as they slowly turned around and reopened the doors to their lodgings, taking their luggage in with them. They all visibly and audibly made sounds of irritation, but it was obvious that all seven of them were actually very pleased that their stay would be extended. It wasn't often that students were able to travel to the other Kingdoms, and it was even more infrequent to travel as part of a group that represented your school.
Naruto was still unsure how to proceed on that point. He had blatantly stated that he represented himself, so how he was to approach any of the meetings with the other people of power in the coming week was a conundrum that would require careful navigation from his part.
Raven was the first out of her room, given that she had very few belongings in the first place. She strode over to her professor and stood beside him, who was leaning against the wall on the opposite end of the long hall.
"Who's this powerful friend of yours?" Raven asked.
Naruto smiled. "I'll tell you when everyone's done unpacking. For now, feel free to do whatever." Raven nodded and sat down promptly, closing her eyes. She began meditating. After another ten minutes, the others had began to trickle out of their rooms. "Right, I suppose I should tell you what happened?"
"Absolutely," Crystal said, a grand smile on her face. Her emerald eyes twinkled. "I want to know who this person is."
"As do I," Keith said in agreement. Glynda and the others remained silent, but it was clear they also wished to be in on this tidbit of information. Raven opened her eyes and looked up at her professor, but otherwise remained sitting in a cross-legged posture.
"Right," Naruto said. He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and stood up straight. "The person I met last night was Willow Schnee. Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." All of their eyes widened in surprise.
"You basically got on the good side of one of the strongest individuals in Atlas," Violet said, laughing immediately after. "To think you insult the man with the most political power, but immediately befriend the daughter of the one who supplies the Dust industry of the entire world. The only way this could be better is if you had strong relations with her father."
Icar bounced up to Naruto and slung an arm comfortably around the crook of Naruto's neck. "How'd you manage to bag some a good one, anyway? We've hardly been here for more than twenty-four hours, and you've already found some great friends." Naruto chuckled.
"A friend. Singular."
"You certainly made that friend count, then." Icar let go and stood comfortably on the other side of Naruto to not impose on Raven's private space. He was starting to get that the girl enjoyed having a wide berth around her.
Naruto stepped forward and placed his hands behind in back, feet wide and shoulders set back. "Here's the deal. I was supposed to have a rundown of my schedule as ambassador at noon, but the Atlesian have done me the courtesy of deleting my name from every event I was meant to attend. In reality, I probably still am the main individual representing Beacon, but it's unlikely that I will have the same responsibilities or level of authority. We're only here until next Friday, so we'll figure things out we go."
"So," Glynda stepped up towards Naruto, eyes glossed over with thoughtfulness. The blond had taken the night to reset her mental. She was still apologetic - Naruto could still see the remnants of regret hinging on her shoulders -, she had done well to recover and control her inner demons. "What's our move?"
Naruto looked to his right, where the hall extended and turned right. Follow the path enough times and make the correct turns, you would eventually up at the entrance of the Academy where the port holding the bullheads was. Beyond that, a city of lights. Towering giants of glass and metal, each manmade and through the power of mankind filled the space where the city lived, standing tall for anyone to see.
"Since I have no plans," Naruto said, thinking about his empty schedule, "we could use the weekend to enjoy the city and to whatever we please. I'm planning on taking Raven with me to the city proper, since we weren't able to give Atlas or Mantle a visit."
Glynda nodded. "I suppose that'll leave the rest of us with exploring the campus and experimenting with the combat training rooms." The others seemed to agree, eyes resolute and heads nodding at the logic.
"I'd actually prefer if I went to the city again, if that's alright." Crystal had raised her hand high over her head, a bubbling smile playfully splattered on her lips for all to see. Naruto hummed, then grinned back at her.
"Alright. Here's the deal for today."
Raven was mildly displeased. Her one-on-one with Naruto in the city was disrupted by the fourth year that had chosen to barge in, taking her second tour of the city in her second day at Atlas. She had tried to reign in her feelings of annoyance, but the moment that Naruto had accepted Crystal, she managed to limit her outward expression to a slight frown. Technically, that slight downturn of her lips could mean anything, especially when it came to her.
It was a damn shame, then, that Naruto lowered his eyes for a moment and caught hers, knowing exactly what she was feeling. Curse his Semblance, or whatever on Remnant it was that he had. It was simply too easy for him to get a read on anybody. It wasn't like her Semblance allowed her to figure out a person's emotions all willy-nilly. She had to have some kind of connection to that individual, and the deeper the connection was, the better. If it was practically a kindred link, then the connection between the two was strong enough for her to even teleport to that individual. But there were layers before that, allowing her to garner information about the person's whereabouts, their feelings, and - sometimes - even their thoughts.
The last ability hardly ever came, and it wasn't as if she could literally read a person's thoughts. The thoughts that she could garner were more like half-hearted whispers that edged in mind's thoughts, like a cloudy fog of suggestions that she had to fill in. The only reason she was able to fill in the rest of the thoughts was because she had hints through the person's emotions, which made it significantly easier to fulfill that section of her Semblance. That said, it was rare for her to have that kind of connection with somebody, and rarer to have a connection deep enough to teleport.
The only person that she had a connection deep enough to teleport with was her brother. That night, when he vowed to become strong enough to protect her one day, had been when she had linked herself with him. Sometimes, she wasn't even sure why her Semblance was so difficult to trigger. Was it implying that she wasn't close to her brother beforehand? They slept together, ate together, lived together, and were practically together in everything they did until Beacon. And yet still, her Semblance had determined that she was not closed enough, deeming their kinship unworthy for her Kindred Link.
She looked at the paved ground, taking step after step without thought. The streets in Atlas at the city proper were clean and well made, unsurprising for a technically advanced city. The roads were even, but she wondered if it was because of it the city's advantage in technology or rather because of the road's lack of use. She turned her gaze skywards, ignoring the empty street to her left, and saw hundreds of vehicles in the sky. Clearly, the citizens in Atlas preferred to travel by air, flying parallel to the tall skyscrapers that stood erect and almost scraping the clouds high above.
" - and that restaurant over there is super recommended! We almost went there yesterday, but Glynda said that it was too expensive." Crystal's words went through one ear and out the other for Raven. The fourth year girl with the hyperactive personality had been droning on and on, and Naruto had somehow managed to keep the girl busy with his engagement, talking with her with equal excitement. She hadn't even tried to enter the conversation once they stepped onto the bullhead, Crystal having taken over the conversation the moment they split up into two groups.
So Raven had stared at the clouds and the city. It was a bright day, with the sun filtering through the clouds and reflecting on their clear, white surfaces. The light from the sun was iridescent and shimmering when bouncing off the clouds and reflective surfaces of the tall buildings. Like now, she had to cover her eyes for a second as they passed through a line of light that struck her eyes with the full strength of the sun's rays.
"Are you feeling hungry, Raven?"
She had to wonder, was the weather ever tropical in Atlas? From what she knew, it snowed quite often in the winter. They were in the northern regions where the mountains were elevated. It was with this basic geographical knowledge that Raven was able to discern that the general climate was cooler, but she wondering how much of a difference it actually made when compared to Vale, which was in a deep valley.
"Raven?"
Raven paused her thoughts, realizing that she was being directly addressed. She looked at the two that she was accompanying - she didn't feel like one of the party so far - and saw Naruto and Crystal both staring at her. They had taken a break from their banter and were now focused on her. Crystal looked at her with wide, curious eyes, while Naruto's seemed mildly worried. Why? She was fine.
"Yeah. Did you say something?"
"I asked if you were hungry. We were just talking about some restaurants, and it's almost noon now." He waved a hand around, and Raven realized that they were next to a small plaza filled with restaurants and little shops. Upon further inspection, it only seemed that way because the bottom of the building was open. The bottom floor had a wide opening, giving the impression that it was a small plaza, but it was really another tall building with a spread foundations. She wondered how that was even possible, because that kind of base defied all physical rulings she had read about. "If you're wondering about the base, don't too much about it. Apparently, they used gravity dust to keep the building safe and have a daily upkeep to make sure it's stable."
Raven narrowed her eyes. Seriously, she wasn't sure if Naruto was just saying that because it was an interesting fact about the building or because she had been wondering about that very question he had just answered. Either way, it was almost too much to be just a coincidence.
"I'll eat here, then," she decided, walking towards the 'plaza.' She quickly took a look around and then went to the restaurant that gave off the best scent, completely ignoring the visual cues. When the host saw her, she stuck up three fingers, and the young man easily nodded and turned around. She followed.
When Crystal and Naruto caught up to her at the table booth - Crytsal sat next to Raven - and relaxed in their seats, Crystal grabbed Raven's hands that were resting on the polished wood.
"You have very good taste, Raven."
Raven tried to take her hand back but was surprised to find her appendage stuck in the other girl's grip. Crystal signaled for Raven to look around with her eyes, and Raven did so furtively at first, but then eyed the entire place openly. Every table was seated, and each person inside was well-dressed for their lunch. Tailored suits and high dresses that were undoubtedly sewn to perfection, every individual sitting for their outing was well-off, or giving the impression that they were.
Miniature chandeliers hung over every table, and one large one encompassed the majority of the air in the center of the restaurant where the light dazzled from its cut edges.
There was no doubt in her mind that where she had walked into: an expensive restaurant.
"Ah..." she let out. Her heart stung, and she wondered why. She quickly realized that it wasn't hers. Looking to her left, she saw Naruto sinking in his seat slightly, sighing in content. The chairs were comfortable Somehow, he managed to slip on a smile, even though she knew he must have been thinking about how his wallet would be gouged after the meal. "We could always leave," she said.
Naruto sat up and placed his hands on the table. "It's fine, we can eat here. I did get a raise from Ozpin recently." Somehow, the way he phrased implied that the raise wasn't meant for eating out at expensive diners or fancy outings on random occasions. Or in this case, because she walked into one without thinking. Even then, Naruto kept a serene expression and looked around, impressed by the design of the building. "I kind of like the place. Let's have lunch here."
None of the waiters had made their way to their table yet, but there were four utensil sets laid out for the next group to eat. Crystal opened it and smiled at the silverware. "Oh, how cute."
Cute? Raven wondered what went in that head of that girl. She unwrapped the set of utensils from the rolled tablecloth. Sure, it was more metallic and weighted than the ones she used at either school, but what made it cute? Well-designed, aesthetic, but not in any way was it something that made her think of attractive in any sense. It was simply a tool.
"I've been wondering, Raven." Raven raised her eyes to Crystal and met the girl's glimmering eyes. "Do you mind if I ask what your Semblance is?"
Raven imperceivably narrowed her eyes. Sharing Semblances was not necessarily a taboo. There were people like Naruto, who refused to share their Semblance with anybody, even those that were considered their superior. Then there were people like Glynda, who was fine with sharing their Semblance, but not showing their function. Simply telling anyone that their Semblance capability was Telekinesis but not explaining to what degree left a gaping hole in one's understanding of what Glynda was capable of.
"I don't mind if you ask," Raven said. Crystal pouted.
"Is this one of those where you don't mind if I ask, but you won't give me an answer where I do?"
"I was planning on that, yes." Crystal was undeterred, despite Raven's brutal honesty. She leaned closer - and Raven went closer to the edge of the table, where there was wall separating their table from the one across - and grinned like a predator that caught their prey with no escape.
"How about I tell you what my Semblance is, and you give me a hint about yours?"
Raven leaned further back, both from surprise and that Crystal was getting uncomfortably close. "What's the game?" The trade was way too far in her favor.
"Oh, I love games. That's why I'm doing this!" Raven flicked her eyes to Naruto for a split second, but he saw and nodded, as if telling her to take the deal. She shut her eyes and sighed.
"Fine. Deal." She would venture this deal and see where it lead. Crystal couldn't be that stupid, right?
Crystal flicked her hair over her shoulder and sat a bit further away from Raven. "When you think of 'enhance', what's the first thing that comes to mind?" Raven thought about her senior's question. "Usually, the response I get is something like 'I'd strengthen my body parts' or 'I would enhance my Aura'." The girl used different voices and tones to represent the separate answers. They weren't terrible answers, in Raven's opinions. That was the first thing she thought of.
"You don't like those answers?" she inquired. Crystal smiled, picking up the knife.
"It's not that I don't like them. It's just that those answers are so uninspiring. They lack creativity. Unlike our cute little professor sitting across from us." Crystal pointed the edge of the utensil at Naruto, who simply grinned with his eyes closed. The professor had his right palm set against his chin. "He gave me an idea last year, and it's helped me go from somewhere in the bottom of my class to one of the top students."
Crystal nodded. "I like that look. It means I've got your attention, as it should have." Raven schooled her features, but she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That's right. Our professor here changed one thing about the way I used my Semblance, and it shifted my entire viewpoint. The entire paradigm of the way I used my Semblance was taken into a way deeper understanding."
"What did you do?" Raven wanted to know. She felt like she had to know. Her fingers tingled with anticipation. Crystal's eyes glinted.
"Observe carefully." Suddenly, she sliced her palm with the knife, making a long laceration across the length of her hand. Raven was shocked. However, before she could sputter any words, she was further amazed when the skin that had torn was healing at such a rapid rate. Aura does help people heal, but not to the degree that Crystal's skin was replenishing itself. Within a matter of seconds, her skin looked as good as new, as if the cut had never happened. "What do you think?"
Raven stared, head sprinting through options that could explain what had just occurred. She wasn't sure. "You violated a rule on utensils and the workers cleaning up the knife won't be happy?" she said, noticing the hint of blood on the serrated edge of the knife.
Crystal laughed, innocent and pure was her timbre. "True. But let's try that again, shall we?" This time, she sliced her palm, but the knife didn't cut. A hue of green surrounded her hand, splashing into vision before fading away.
Aura, Raven realized. In the last cut, the blade had been able to cut her hand because...why? The Aura should have been there to deflect it, but her palm was cut, and her hand healed abnormally quickly.
Crystal waited patiently, letting her think. Raven continued to ruminate, coming to conclusions and discarding said conclusions when they weren't feasible answers. "As a hint," Crystal said, raising the knife in her right hand, "I did not turn off my Aura in the first case."
That narrowed down the possibilities greatly. Raven nodded, taking the option that was most likely. "In the second example, you cut with the knife regularly, and your Aura deflected the edge to prevent any damage. In the first one where your hand was sliced, you enhanced the bladed section of the knife, letting it cut through the Aura. You then enhanced the regenerative properties of Aura, using it to stitch up your skin."
"Close," Crystal said. Raven hummed. She was certain that she was right. Then what was it? "I didn't enhance the edge of the knife. It doesn't matter how sharp a blade is; it will still be stopped by Aura no matter what. It'll simply require more Aura in a concentrated spot to stop the blade. So how was it that this simple knife can cut unimpeded through my Aura, even when it was active and I was aware of the impending cut?"
Think. How? That defied common sense. How could Crystal cut her hand, but not be enhancing the blade? In fact, how did one enhance the sharpness of their weapon in the first place? Most of the time, people strengthened their attacks with swords and other bladed weapons by using their Aura to increase the force of their swings or lining the edge of their weapons with their Aura. However, Raven had felt no Aura from the knife...or maybe it was imperceptible?
She picked up her knife from the set, eyeing the metal carefully. No, it wasn't sharp enough to do any real damage to a person accidently. If it was used to kill someone, it would be a messy job. She placed the sharp edge against her hand and sliced hard, pressing down deeply. Her Aura burned a crimson red, preventing the blade from ever touching her skin. The Aura crackled to life with red lightning the more she pressed, trying to cut into her palm.
No matter what she did, her Aura constantly stopped the knife as long as she was consciously aware of what she was trying to do. She considered the fact that if someone was not aware of a attack, their Aura defenses were considerably weaker.
But it was still there. This dull knife would most likely be stopped by any Huntsman worth their salt.
What could it be? Crystal had said she was close, but she didn't identify which parts of her answer was correct or incorrect. Raven looked at the knife again. If she wanted to cut someone with it, the cutting power would have to be improved. The edge was simply too dull to make such a clean slice that Crystal had made and -
That was it!
"You enhanced the cutting capability of the knife," Raven said, voice firm. This time she was sure.
Crystal smiled, her head dipping slightly as she dangled the knife with the edge pointing to the table, the hilt between her forefinger and thumb. "Exactly," she purred. "You're a smart girl." Crystal did not seem like the cute, bubbly personality that she had been exuding before. That girl was so far gone, and here was a Crystal that seemed deadly. This development was odd, to say the least.
"How does that make sense?" Raven said, trying to wrap her mind about what she had just said. Even though she came to that solution, it didn't mean she thought it was right.
Crystal kept swinging the knife back and forth. Finally, she set it down when Naruto opened his eyes. She sighed, as if telling Naruto that was he ruining her parade.
"You simply have to stop restraining your ideas to the basic concepts of enhancing," Naruto said, finally entering the conversation.
Right, Raven thought. Of course. That's all she had to do. How could she be so stupid!
"That really doesn't help," Raven said, to which Naruto shrugged. That shrug said I tried and that she would have to figure it out herself. "Unless...wait, you said my concepts were limiting my understanding of the Semblance, right?" Naruto nodded to her inquiry, and Crystal's former smile returned.
"That's right," Crystal said.
"You were the one to make the barrier on the bullhead stronger the night that Nevermore attacked us." Crystal nodded, affirming her thoughts. Raven's eyes widened, surprise clear as day on her face. "You...you can enhance concepts of an object?"
"Got it in one!" Crystal said, cheering for her. "Well, maybe in two or three, but you grasped it really quickly!"
"Oh my gods..." Raven shuddered. The ideas that ran unimpeded through her head with what Crystal was capable of seemed unlimited! "That's so unfair!" she managed after a few seconds. Crystal laughed, and Naruto joined in.
"It is a ridiculous ability when you think of it the way we do now, but it's not nearly as impressive as you're thinking. There are still limits to it. I have to understand what exactly it is I'm enhancing, I can't just use it on anything. I have to thoroughly know, down to the sharpest detail, what I'm working with. The more I know, the better the results. The reason why I was able to enhance the bullhead's Aura was because I'm quite used to working with Aura itself as a budding Huntsman. This knife?" Crystal picked up the utensil again. "I'm also very used to seeing weapons at our school."
She tossed the knife in the air, the blade spinning so quickly that it was a blur to untrained eyes. Crystal caught it easily when it came down, grabbing the hilt between her fingers. Then, she flung it up in the air again. Raven saw the girl's eyes glowing green, a sign of her using the Aura to enhance her vision. "If I was near the very bottom of my class with my ability to enhance physical properties, it's apparent that I can't enhance to an unlimited level." She caught the falling knife. Raven seriously wondered why the waiters weren't approaching their table yet. It had been quite some time. "But what I could do to enhance my body, I could simultaneously use to enhance concepts or intangibles that people would never think of."
Raven gave some thought again. "To a degree."
Crystal nodded. "To a degree." She smiled. "Now you're getting it. It's strong, but not as incredible as you're thinking." The knife in her hand was gently placed on the table, clinking softly. "I think I've told you enough for you to give me a hint, right?"
Raven strongly disagreed with Crystal's sentiment about her own Semblance. That was, by far and away, one of the most interesting, and also powerful, Semblances she had ever heard of. The wide encompassing uses that it could be applied to, and the ease at which it could be utilized and tailor made for any situation, made it easily top tier. Most teams were combined after graduation with some degree of Semblance cohesion in mind. Of course, different Kingdoms had a different approach to the way teams were deployed.
Crystal's Semblance was so versatile that Raven doubted if the girl wouldn't be able to fit into any team. Enhancing a sword's cutting power by enhancing the concept of 'cut' was incredible!
To increase one's Aura output based on how much Aura she had and bolstering it was probably not something she could do, however. Raven recalled the night when the Nevermore attacked once more - Naruto had offered her a part of his Aura and she had taken it. So there were limits.
The sound of people chattering and conversation around their table brought her back. She had been so engrossed with the discussion that she had forgotten that she was at a restaurant for a moment.
"Your hint?" Crystal said, leaning against the back of her hand. She had an amused grin playing across her lips.
Raven gulped, then tightened her hands. "Connection," she said reluctantly. She felt like she was parting with a portion of herself, giving that away. It was one thing to tell someone if she gave it to them freely, but it felt dirty to say anything about her Semblance without her full consent. Naruto made a face, but otherwise said nothing.
Crystal's smile widened. "Thank you. Fun, wasn't it?" Raven didn't respond. "Now, where's the waiter? It has to have been at least five minutes since we've sat down, and no one's given us attention at this ludicrously fancy restaurant."
Naruto hummed in agreement. He turned in his seat, facing towards the front. "Yeah, it is a bit odd, isn't it? Usually - "
"Mr. Naruto!"
Raven and Crystal perked up, peering over the tables and other diners heads to get a view of who was calling for Naruto from the front. It was definitely a child, based on the high pitch and the uneven tone.
"Oh, no way. You weren't lying," Crystal said, eyes wide, when she saw the heiress of the SDC cradling her daughter to her chest. Winter was currently waving at Naruto with great abundance. "And that's Mr. SDC next to her, isn't it?" she said rhetorically.
Indeed, beside the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company was the owner of the company himself, Mr. Nicholas Schnee. Founder and current owner of the Schnee Dust Company, it wouldn't be too far off to declare him the wealthiest man in the world. Which was why his outerwear was so off putting.
Instead of the expected button down and straight jackets, suit and tie with fancy pants and suite shoes, the man wore long green khakis and a comfortable polo shirt that tucked in under his belt. The entire outfit couldn't have cost more than a few dozen Lien, so basically just a few basic meals worth.
But his face was more than enough to make up for his lack of suits. A set jaw and a rugged disposition, the man had sharp eyes and a pointed nose that fit well on his face. He was easily in his fifties by now, but his face and disposition spoke of a younger man that had many more years left in him. An easygoing grin set on his lips, there was hardly any doubt that the man had a natural charisma to him. A born leader, so to speak.
"Oh man, the others aren't going to believe what they're missing! They're going to be so pissed," Crystal said, grabbing her Scroll. Naruto stood up quickly when Winter hopped away from Willow, escaping the safety of her mother's arms. The girl bounded up to Naruto, darting through tables and easily bypassing the paths of waiters and other diners, making her way to Naruto.
"Catch me!" the youth said, bounding up to Naruto. Naruto ducked low and scooped up the girl mid jump, taking her in his arms and then righting himself so that he was standing tall. He grinned down at the giggling girl, who was far too precocious for one that was clearly an adolescent.
She was dressed in green khakis with a black belt, and a blue polo shirt tucked in her pants. Naruto easily saw the parallel in the girl's choice of clothing and her grandfather's. Based on how poorly the outfit matched, it was probably Winter that chose the matching outfits for the day between the two.
"It's good to see you, Winter! How's my favorite mature walker doing?"
"I'm..." Winter thought of a word, still held in Naruto's arms. Her neon eyes became pointed with attention. "Sensational!" she said.
Naruto couldn't help but laugh. She may not have chosen the best word to describe herself, but she certainly had the spirit. "You're a sensation for sure, Winter." He looked away from Winter briefly, catching the young mother's eyes. "This one yours?" he asked sarcastically.
He hadn't realized until now, but the entire room had become hushed. It had started when Nicholas Schnee and his daughter and granddaughter had shown up at the front of the restaurant, but it had become eerily so when the young child had ran up to Naruto, ignoring everything else in sight. There was even a mixed feeling of horror. It was so quiet that the sound of Willow's heels cracking against the tiled floor was louder than the cumulative breath of every person.
She leaned in towards Naruto's chest where Winter lay comfortably, gigging and snickering. Willow peered down at her child and poked her daughter's cheek. "Nope, I think that one's yours," Willow said, making her daughter giggle harder. Willow looked back to her father, who was speaking to the host. "Do you mind if we join you?" she asked, looking at the table meant for four.
Naruto looked down and realized that there wouldn't be enough space. "Um..."
Nicholas Schnee walked up to the group and patted his daughter's shoulders, smiling broadly. "How would you all like to join us in the back? There should be plenty of seats for all of us, and more than enough space for my granddaughter to roam around like the little monster that she is." Winter mock roared when Nicholas said 'monster', to which the man easily retorted with his own.
This was the wealthiest man in the world? He was, simply put, amazingly down to earth. There were no false feelings that Naruto could sense. The man was genuinely a good father and a playful grandfather who was comfortable in his own skin, and therefore, confident.
Naruto smiled widely. "We'd love to join you, if you'd have us."
Nicholas seemed far too amused and stuck his hand out for a handshake. "Oh please, the pleasure is all mine." Naruto knew it was meant to be a joke, the way the man's eyes were twinkling. Nicholas knew that his hands were full with Winter, so he wasn't expecting a handshake at the moment.
Two can play that game.
Naruto sent a bit of his Aura around Winter. A light, golden glow began to visibly surround the child. He made sure that Willow and Nicholas was aware of what he was doing, and when neither of them stopped him, he continued to imbue the girl with his Aura while slowly removing his right arm from her support. It was remarkably easier to carry her now with his Aura support her weight, and he used his left arm by itself to carry her. The child stared owlishly around, processing the lack of gravity pressing her down towards the earth.
"Naruto Uzumaki," he said, shaking Nicholas's hand with a firm grip. The man's eyes were now absolutely filled with interest. "Again, it is a great pleasure to meet you."
"Yes, well," Nicholas said, releasing his grip. Naruto loosened his Aura, and the curious child felt gravity returning and attempted to grab onto Naruto's arm. He returned Winter to his chest, the girl giggling again when Willow poked her cheek. "I'd love for you and your students to have lunch with us."
Raven and Crystal scooched out of their side of the booth when Nicholas started to walk towards the back of the restaurant, with Willow and Naruto - and Winter in tow - directly behind the man. A waiter opened a door, and they were welcomed into a private section of the restaurant that held the same feeling of ludicrous high budget that the main section of the restaurant had, but just slightly more private and, if possible, more pricey.
In the center of the large room was a large rectangular table, easily able to seat ten people. Nicholas took the head of the table and Willow to the seat directly to his right. Willow motioned for Naruto to take the seat to the left. He sat, and Raven and Crystal soon joined with Raven next to Naruto and Crystal beside the heiress.
"I'm surprised we get to see each other again so soon," Willow said, initiating. Winter was still cradled in Naruto's arm, and she was content to poke at Naruto's chin and giggle every time his Adam's apple bounced up and down. "If anything, I'd say you were waiting here for me."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Waiting for you? I mean, we were waiting for someone to take our orders or give us a menu for about ten minutes, but that was about it."
"What?" Nicholas said sharply. Naruto's eyes shot to the man, neck turning fast enough to nearly give him whiplash. It was so sudden how the playful grandfather had shifted to all business. All humor had been erased from the man's face. "Ten minutes, and no one came to wait on you?"
Naruto shook his head. "No? But it is a busy restaurant in the most busy time of the day, so it makes sense."
Instead of responding, Nicholas stood up with a "I'll be right back" and disappeared from the front door. It amazed Naruto how the man could look so composed and imposing in his lopsided clothes.
"What's up with that? Is he going to talk to the host for us or something?" Crystal said, curiosity inflecting her tone. Willow sighed.
"Well, I'm sure he's more upset about the fact that the staff made you wait without any sign of attending you after ten minutes. It's a poor showing on our restaurant."
Our. Our. Realization dawned on the Naruto's and his students' faces all at once.
"Your...restaurant?" Naruto asked, voice trembling slightly. Willow leaned forward, grinning like someone that knew a secret and was about to let him in on it as well.
"Yeah. It's in our building, and this is a part of it. It's why there are so many people eating here; they want to get a chance to talk to me or my father. I designed the interior and my father dealt with the rest. How do you like it?" Willow asked, eyes on Naruto.
"Haha, my restaurant!" Winter shouted with another poke to Naruto's chin. Winter clapped her hands and giggled when Naruto looked down at her and poked her in the stomach in return. Eventually, he met the heiress' eyes again.
"Wait, you designed this entire building?" Crystal cut in, eyes brimming with excitement. "This place is an architectural marvel! And everything is simply so aesthetic, I feel so in love with the place!" she gushed. "I mean, how did you come up with the negative spacing on the walls and the direction for the walls?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, what she said."
Willow gave Naruto an entirely unimpressed look, but turned to Crystal and began to answer her questions. Eventually, the two became more and more engaged in their own conversation filled with construction jargon that left Naruto, Raven, and Winter all out.
"Who are you?" Winter asked Raven, wide eyes set on the first year. Raven seemed surprised to be addressed, but composed herself easily.
"I'm Raven Branwen," she said. Her eyes drifted to Naruto and then back to Winter. "I'm a student of Naruto."
"Student?" Winter asked.
Raven pressed her thumb into her chin, then nodded. "I'm under Naruto's tutelage."
"What's a 'toot leg'?"
"Ah..."
The door opened, saving Raven from answering the awkward question. Nicholas Schnee returned and sat quickly. "I apologize for the wait. I've ordered for all of us and the food should be out in just a few minutes." He turned his attention to Naruto. "So you're the professor that my daughter told me about! I was hoping to meet you but was unsure if you'd be able to meet me with your schedule. This is truly an amazing coincidence!"
Naruto chuckled. "I appreciate the sentiment. To be honest, I was removed from the majority of the plans I had, so my schedule is mostly freed up for the next few days for now. At least until the higher ups in the Atleasian Academy figure out what to do with me."
"For saying you wished to represent yourself?" Nicholas let out a snort. "Of course, there's two ways to view this. I could answer as the CEO of the SDC and say that whatever I say will be written down as the head of the company. However, in a private settings, speaking man to man, I would prefer if my words were taken at face value and seen as taken from me, Nicholas Schnee. You were attempting the second, yes?"
Naruto grinned, glad that he felt understood. "Yes, that's exactly it."
"Then I understand. I'm glad my daughter's taken care of the situation, but I'll make sure nothing else happens to affect your stay at Atlas until you leave. I'd prefer if your experience here was one of quality so you would return in the future." The grandfather paused and smiled warmly at the two girls. "And these are the qualified students that you brought with you?"
"I'm Crystal," said girl spoke. She stood and walked over to the man with an outstretched man. He took it easily. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Raven Branwen." Raven stood and did the same. She seemed as if she would have preferred to have remained seated, but now had to follow the example of her senior.
"Well, it has been some time since my daughter has invited me to eat with anyone from outside Atlas, so this is quite the occasion. And future Huntsman, no less! I must ask a question, if you don't mind." Willow groaned. This was certainly not a one time occurrence. "Oh hush, you. I know you want to know it as well. I ask this to every person I meet."
"We're all ears," Naruto said. Winter seemed to still, also waiting to hear the question and the following answers.
At that moment, Nicholas Schnee leaned forward and looked once again like a seasoned businessman, eyes filled with wisdom and calculated shrewdness.
"In life, what is the most important a man can take?"
"The next," Raven said immediately. All eyes turned to her, and Raven sat tall in the midst of all of their stares. "The next step," she clarified. Nicholas hummed, intrigued.
"Can you elaborate a bit more, if you'd please?"
Raven looked at the tablecloth, then at the utensils. "I believe that stagnating is the worst thing one can do. Therefore, to me, the best thing a person can do is to not stagnate, which is to keep on moving forward. In order to do that, we have to keep taking steps to improve ourselves. It's not the first step that matters most, nor the last. It's the fact that we keep taking steps to let ourselves see progression." Raven looked up and met the man's eyes. "The next step is the most important, because if we stop moving forward, then that's it. We stagnate, and there is no more growth."
Nicholas looked at Willow, then back at Raven. "I like this one. Introspective and driven, a fantastic combination. Bravo!"
The door opened, and a singular waiter came in with plates lined up his arms and up to his shoulders. Somehow, the man made it look easy to balance, setting the food down on the table with remarkable ease. It smelled divine. When the waiter had finished his job, he bowed and quietly left. Nicholas lifted his glass of water to Raven.
"To your remarkable answer and the coming generation," he said. Raven bowed awkwardly in her seat.
Pride. She felt it again, just like last night. Her professor was pouring out waves of it, and she did her best to keep her blush down. Was her answer that impressive?
The table was quiet once the meal began, except for Winter who kept asking for food from Naruto and her grandfather. Otherwise, the child was well-behaved and the table remained mostly reserved during the meal. Nicholas would ask a question here or there, and when he'd receive an answer, he'd simply smile and return to his meal.
When the meal was over, the waiter returned and took all of the plates away and bowed again before disappearing. Naruto pulled out his Scroll, switching out an app to figure out how to pay for the meal.
"That won't be necessary," Nicholas said. Naruto's eyes switched back and forth between the Scroll and the wealthiest man in the world, and ended up slowly returning his Scroll to his pocket.
"Thank you very much for the meal," he said, gratefulness pouring out from his heart. There was something about meals that Naruto had a certain attachment to. Especially free meals given from kinder, gentler souls. It made him think of a scene of a small ramen shack at the edge of a town...
"But," Nicholas said, reaching for his granddaughter. Winter picked up her arms, and the man easily scooped her up and took the little girl in his arms. "I heard from my daughter that you are an incredible combatant." Naruto peeked at Willow, who pointed at her Scroll and mouthed 'recording'. "I was a Huntsman back in the day, so you'd have to excuse me if I asked if it'd be alright if I could see you in action. I'm a bit too old to fight myself, but I would love to see how your generation battles."
"I'm sure something could be arranged," Naruto said, turning to his partners. Raven already seemed ready to go, the very thought of getting into another spar with Naruto almost setting her off as she gripped for a sword that wasn't there. Crystal seemed far more calm, but her excited was simply more subdued and better hidden. "When would you be free and what would you like to see?"
"You're the professor!" Nicholas said, then chuckling. When that had ceased, he grinned. "I've never seen one so young be a professor, so I'd appreciate to sit in one of your classes and see how you teach before you leave."
Naruto hummed. That would be a bit harder. The businessman seemed to catch onto Naruto's concerns.
"Don't worry about Ironwood and the professors at Atlas Academy. I'm sure I could arrange something as one of the largest donators to their campus," Nicholas said. Naruto wanted to laugh. Like daughter, like father. When there was something they wanted done, they really just slapped their wallet on the table and let it speak for them. It's not as if what they were asking for were necessarily harmful or bad things. Willow simply said she wanted Naruto and his entourage of students to stay for the sake of her daughter's integrity. Nicholas seemed to want to watch Naruto teach a class because of his curiosity and history as a Hunstman.
"If that's the case, I'll leave it to you," Naruto said.
"Fantastic." The eldest Schnee stood and reached out to Naruto. They shook hands. "It was a pleasure meeting you and you two as well. Raven. Crystal." Then, he turned and left the room, taking Winter with him in his arms..
"He'll probably speak with the host," Willow said. She turned to the two other girls. "Would you mind leaving me a moment to speak with your professor? I have some questions I have for him, if you don't mind."
"He's all yours!" Crystal chirped, leaving with a wink to Naruto. Raven left more slowly, giving a silent nod to the heiress before taking her leave.
"What did you want to ask?" Naruto said, still seated. Without warning, Willow looked tired. Her shoulders slumped, the mother leaned into the table and pressed her palms in her eyes. She rubbed them for a second, then looked up at Naruto. She held her head up with her right hand supporting her chin.
"Did you really not know that my father and I own this restaurant and come here on Saturdays for lunch?" she finally asked after a few seconds of silence.
Naruto shook his head. "No. We came here on accident. I took Raven and Crystal to the city for some sightseeing, and Raven ended up choosing this restaurant on less than a whim. Why?"
"No reason." Willow looked relieved. The weight on her shoulders loosened considerably, and the heiress gave him a grateful smile. Naruto knew that smile. "I'm just glad you're not like the rest of them."
Later, when the Schnees had departed in their personal car, Winter waving goodbye through the screened door, Naruto kept staring at the car until it was out of sight. Willow seemed...so honest with him in that single moment. Was she having issues dealing with her fame? Her lineage? Was there something troubling her? Why would she show that side to him, who was practically a stranger to her?
"So...do you and her have a thing?" Crystal said, playfully punching Naruto's arm.
"She's a married woman."
"Right." Crystal coughed to her side. "It was a joke, of course."
"Of course."
"Of course."
"...Of course."
Raven sighed as the two idiots kept repeating the same two words. They eventually started cracking up laughing at their own selves. The trio would explore a bit more of the city before returning to the campus via bullhead.
And, as Crystal predicted, the other five students were less than pleased to hear what they had missed.
"I can't believe you met Nicholas Schnee and he paid for your lunch!" Icar shouted for the whole world to hear. He may as well have, with the attention he garnered from the stray students walking nearby. Violet wrapped a muscular arm around the loudmouth's neck, squeezing it hard enough to choke the Faunus. Icar tapped on the girl's arm. "I give up, I give up! Mercy!" When Violet finally did release him, Icar heaved and then pointed at Violet. "You're evil!"
"Objectively false," Violet retorted.
Nex chuckled and patted Icar on the shoulders. "She's not wrong." Icar turned to his friend, distraught and feeling fully betrayed.
"How...how could you? I thought you were my friend!"
"I...am."
Naruto chuckled at the students' antics and shrugged off whatever vibes the Atlesian students were pointing in their direction. "Right. Well, I'm still not sure what to expect fully. But I have a feeling that tomorrow latest, I'm going to receive a message from somebody telling me that a certain CEO of a certain well known company will be coming to campus in the coming week. I will be teaching that class. How would you all like to take one more official class from me?"
The six fourth-years looked pumped at that news. Raven could only imagine why.
"I want to fight some of the Atlesian fourth years," Nex said.
"Oh yeah?" Icar said, hands on his hips. "I'll fight two at the same time."
"I'll take three just to top you," Violet said.
"I'll take an entire team," Keith inputted from the side.
"I'll sit on the side and laugh," Crystal giggled.
"I'll take on two teams or the professor that was supposed to be teaching. They're surely trained Huntsman," Glynda said.
Raven snorted, and the entire party turned to her. "Fools," she said. "You all forgot the best target of them all." Raven pointed at Naruto, a victorious smile wide on his face. "I call dibs on Naruto!"
As one, the entire group realized that they had forgotten the best one to call to fight.
"You're just a first year! Back off and let the big kids take it from here!" Icar said.
"No no no, you have the maturity of a child," Crystal said, sniggering. "How about you let the girls handle this."
"I'm sure I can do fine on my own against our professor," Glynda countered. Crystal pulled out a knife, hissing.
And so it continued, the playful banter continuing until they finally drew lots. Raven won, and the rest of the fourth years boo'd and accepted their fate to fight the other fourth years from Atlas.
Dawn came, and Naruto was already wide awake. Sunday morning. He didn't have any plans, but his body woke up on its own. So he meditated, falling into a trance and becoming one with the world.
His Scroll buzzed. Naruto waited a few seconds, then opened his eyes and reached for his device.
"Looks like I'll be teaching the fourth years on Monday...again." He grinned. He couldn't wait to see the faces on those kids.
Chapter End.
A/N: Again, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Yes, this entire chapter was literally meeting Willow, Winter, and Nicholas Schnee at a restaurant and a long conversation about Crystal's Semblance. I did not expect it to be that long, but it just happened. Hope it wasn't boring.
Cheers to learning about Crystal's Semblance!
Come Monday in the story, Naruto gets to teach the fourth years again! Look forward to it!
Also, if you have any ideas, feel free to post them in the reviews. I read every single one of them. I know I haven't been responding as much, but I feel that the chapters without the review responses are more indicative of the actual length.
And as always, thank you for reviewing. It really does motivate me to write when I see people saying that they enjoy my story.
