Chieftain Ghira Belladonna shared a few similarities with his daughter. Hair color, eye color, intimidating glare, and a thirst for righteous equality.

Well, Naruto was sure of three of those four things. He was yet to witness the fourth, but man was he hoping it was the case. If it wasn't, he might be in a hefty bit of trouble.

Of course, whilst his expression, intimidating as it was, melted to an expression of pure surprise the moment he saw Blake, there was definitely the unspoken question of who he was.

Also the question of why he was being arrested, though that could effectively be boiled down to his race.

"Chieftain, sir?" One of the soldiers asked, and the hulking man blinked back shock, still recovering.

"Blake? What are you-"

Blake shook her head. "Dad, now's really not the time."

Ghira choked back his surprise and rounded on the soldiers. "What are you doing? Opening fire like that?!"

His voice boomed, and the White Fang soldiers were quick to back up, one of them shoving the offending faunus to the front of their group.

He resolved himself. "Chieftain, sir, he had hostile intent. I thought he would be threat-"

"Except I didn't do anything, and you've been trying to arrest me for nothing. Do the White Fang even have authority to arrest people here?"

Naruto's point was quickly answered by Blake. "Not when I was last here."

Ghira continued. "And they still don't. Who ordered this?"

The bear faunus answered quickly. "Lady Khan, sir."

"And she ordered you to kill the human?" Ghira questioned, his frown deepening.

"N-no, sir, he had hostile intent-"

This time it was Blake that came to Naruto's defense. "Naruto was trying to talk it out! I'm the one who pulled a weapon!"

Ghira silenced both sides with raised hands. "Enough. Soldiers, go back to Lady Khan. Tell her I wish to speak with her, urgently. Otherwise, leave the human alone."

The soldiers, in the face of possibly the most important man in Menagerie, backed up as fast as humanly- Naruto needed to work on that- 'faunusly' possible, already departing underneath the intense gaze of the Chieftain.

The intense gaze that was slowly but surely directed at Naruto. "Look, sir, I really didn't start it."

He sighed, gaze softening as he looked at his daughter. "Blake… it's good to see you. Come, let's get home."

Despite everything, including the sudden headache from the bullet that had knocked nearly a quarter of his AP off, Naruto couldn't help but smile.

The Belladonna household, or rather the Chieftain's Lodging, as it was officially titled, was enormous. Like, properly enormous. Bigger than any house Naruto had ever been in, and he'd lived in the biggest house in his home village.

The Chieftain had opened the front door with a heave, and ushered the two inside.

"Ghira? You're back from your rounds already?"

The voice, female and older yet vaguely familiar, was soon accompanied by a face, one that was also vaguely familiar.

"I've had to make a little detour, Kali. I've… brought someone back home."

Kali Belladonna looked so much like an older Blake it was difficult for Naruto to properly remember that it was because they were directly related. He wasn't exactly great with familial similarity, considering the significant distance between his own father's physical form and Naruto's own.

Kali moved like a woman possessed, wrapping Blake tightly in her arms with a choked-back sob. "Blake? Is it really you?"

Blake was caught completely off-guard, hands hovering in the air for a single moment before she recovered, wrapping them around her mother and hugging her in return.

Naruto still hadn't lost his smile, but it was dampened slightly as the two broke apart, the older woman turning to face him with a curious expression.

"Blake, who is this?" Kali asked, and Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

As if Blake picked up on a tone that Naruto couldn't recognize, she was quick to dismiss him. "That's Naruto, my team leader."

"Team leader?" Kali and Ghira echoed, sharing a confused look.

"Maybe we should take a seat. It's… a long story."

Naruto followed the Belladonna family through into a large dining room with a small table set in the middle, low to the ground with four cushions for seats. Unfamiliar furniture, to Naruto, but it wouldn't pose a problem regardless.

If cushions posed a problem then Naruto had more significant things to worry about.

Alongside the rest of them Naruto took the remaining seat as tea was poured into cups, and he gladly took one, relishing in the warmth of the flavorful liquid.

He sat back, placing one hand against the floor to balance, and waited for his turn to speak. He knew it was bound to come up at some point, even if it meant defending himself from some accusation that was completely unfounded and not at all true. Except for the times where the situation was entirely his fault, but he had practise in denial, so he could handle that too.

"So, Blake. I think it best if you start at the beginning, my darling girl," Kali began, and Blake nodded, searching for the start, the right words to use.

"I… I left, the White Fang. Adam-" Blake paused for a moment, taking a breath. "Adam had turned it from the White Fang we knew into something… darker. More evil. I wanted to do something to help fix that. So I went to Beacon Academy."

"And you became a Huntress?" Ghira asked, taking a sip from his cup.

Blake nodded. "Naruto and I were placed on the same team, AWBN, with Naruto as our leader."

Both Ghira and Kali looked towards Naruto, and he gave a small wave. "It's honestly been a pleasure to have Blake on our team. Despite the… uh, White Fang problem. Though with Weiss that was kind of already a problem."

Ghira's eyebrows both went up and Kali effectively replicated, or rather revealed the origin, of Blake's raised eyebrow. "Weiss Schnee?"

Blake let out a sigh. "Thanks, Naruto. I was going to ease them into that one."

Naruto rubbed at the back of his head. "Uh, oops?"

"One of your team was a Schnee?" Ghira asked, a frown beginning to deepen on his face.

"Weiss is a close friend, Dad. She isn't like her father." Blake was quick to assuage her father's doubts. "She's my partner. Naruto's partner is Pyrrha Nikos."

"The Mistralian combat champion?" Kali asked. "I've watched a few of her matches, she's a remarkable fighter."

Naruto smiled. "She certainly wiped the floor with me a few times. Good times."

"Until you were able to keep up with all of us, and RRYN," Blake replied, scowling. "Stupid cheating semblance."

"I did say I wouldn't use it if you guys didn't want me to."

"Focus, Blake," Kali admonished, much to Blake's chagrin.

"Right, sorry. We fought the White Fang and the people they were working with for most of the year, until the Vytal Festival…"

"And then Beacon fell," Naruto said, his smile dropping, one fist clenched.

"And then Beacon fell," Blake repeated, ears drooping atop her head. "Adam and the White Fang brought Grimm into the school, killed civilians both human and faunus."

The paling of the both Ghira and Kali's faces only served to make Naruto clench his fist harder.

"The White Fang did that? Sienna would never have agreed to it. We may have our differences, but she'd never authorize something like that," Ghira muttered, his fist coming to rest against the table.

"It happened, Dad. We were there," Blake said. "Naruto and RRYN's team leader Ruby were the only people between the perpetrators, the Grimm and Vale."

"For all the good it really did, anyway," Naruto murmured, staring at his tea. When he realised that three people were looking at him, he increased his volume and continued. "All of us were nearly killed. I was petrified, and not in the 'afraid' sense."

Blake nodded. "I… I was stabbed, by Adam. Through the chest. I would've died if it weren't for Weiss, Nora and Ren."

Kali's hand immediately sought out Blake's, holding it tightly. "Blake, darling…"

Ghira's reaction was significantly more pronounced as he slammed his fist down on the table. "That bastard…"

Naruto couldn't help but agree with Ghira, but he didn't voice it, instead allowing Blake to continue.

"We need to stop him. Stop the White Fang from ever doing something like this again. I came here to see you both, to apologize for the way I left, and to tell you about the White Fang, in case you didn't know."

Naruto knew where the conversation was headed, and he stood up. "I'll leave you to the family stuff. I have a couple semblance things to deal with."

Blake looked at him, and Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'll stay out of trouble."

"It's not like I asked to get shot," he muttered on the way out, loud enough to be heard.

Menagerie's weather was almost directly opposite to Vale's, and Naruto found himself shrugging off his coat, stowing it in his inventory as he wiped his brow clear of sweat. It was without a doubt a warm day, but he appreciated it all the same.

He liked overcast days, but so many in a row back in Vale had put a damper on his mood a little. Bright sunlight like this was a great way to pick up his mood, and the lack of humidity made it a lot less like Vale's summer.

The rear of the Belladonna household featured a large walled-in compound with plenty of space for Naruto to work in, and he had to imagine that as long as he didn't cause any lasting property damage the family wouldn't object to his being there.

He could see a few well-worn pieces of training gear in one corner of the compound, so it wasn't as if this was some kind of sacred area that training wasn't allowed in, either, even if what he was going to do only 'technically' counted as training.

Naruto ran through his mental list, checking what he could and could not do in the space he found himself limited by, and nodded to himself, reaching into his inventory to retrieve a number of items.

His flight over, before he'd stumbled across Blake and the Sea Feilong, had been a long one, and whilst he'd resolved himself to make best use of the time, there wasn't all that much he could do. He could make Soul Orbs, as he had, but with such a small amount of Ambient Aura in the air over the ocean, it had been a slow process.

That wasn't to say he hadn't made any, it had just taken a significant amount of time for the higher-tier orbs. Well, higher-tier orb. He'd only managed to make one Grand Soul Orb, and it had taken him over three hours of concentrating with such a low amount of Ambient Aura.

Now, though, there was a much greater amount in the air, he could feel it. Also the little HUD meter that flickered into view at his behest was a good indication, too, and probably more accurate than his own senses.

Kuo Kuana, the capital of Menagerie, was crammed full of faunus of all kinds, and with that many people in one place, it was an absolute boon to his soul harvesting, which, he had to admit, sounded significantly more macabre than he'd originally intended it to.

It took him roughly a quarter-hour before he'd created another Grand Soul Orb, marvelling at the glowing orb that fluctuated in his palm, the glow increasing and decreasing like it was breathing.

This, and the one he'd created on his flight, would serve as the catalysts for his next summon, and Naruto had a choice to make. One that made him nervous.

In his inventory, the next items he was to withdraw, were the drops from two different Grimm. Shai-Hulud Teeth and Epic Sea Feilong Gills.

There were a few issues with morality concerning the former, and a lack of water for the latter, which meant he had a decision to make before he could make the decision he needed to make.

"What I would give to have been given a linear RPG instead of this open-world decision-making simulator," Naruto grumbled under his breath, dropping all of his items back into his inventory. Another time would be far more sufficient, when he had the-

Naruto interrupted his own trail of thought, eyes snapping to the door to the household as the three Belladonna's stepped out, embroiled in quiet discussion.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, a silent expression of curiosity, and Blake motioned for him to come closer, which Naruto was more than obliged to do so, resting one hand comfortably on the grip of Crocea Mors. "Is something wrong?"

Ghira was the one to answer. "Before I ran into Blake and yourself in the thoroughfare, I was doing my rounds. Checking in with many of the people who keep Kuo Kuana running as smoothly as possible."

Naruto nodded along, taking in the tone of the Chieftain's voice. Worry tinged it, mingled with frustration. It was an expression of emotion he could more than commiserate with.

The hulking faunus continued. "I had been on my way back from organising a scouting party with the captain of my guard. We've had some losses in the jungles to the north-east, a settlement called Hallowed Quay failed our usual check-in. We had planned on sending a squad, but Blake volunteered herself and you alongside her. I don't like it, but if anything, you may be our best bet to re-establish contact, or at least find out what happened."

Naruto was more than happy to help out. "I'd be glad to help. It'll be nice to get away from all the eyes, too."

Ghira nodded solemnly. "I can understand, but bear in mind, if anything happens to Blake I will be holding you accountable."

The threat couldn't be clearer, and despite the look on both Blake and Kali's faces, Naruto accepted it as more of a promise than anything else. "Of course, sir. Blake is a teammate and friend. I'd never let anything happen if I had any way of stopping it."

At that, Ghira relaxed somewhat. "Thank you. Once you both return I will have already spoken with Sienna Khan about your visit. Despite the fact that you are human, I believe we will find a way to settle this issue before your return. Blake knows where the Hallowed Quay is, so unless you have any supplies you wish to purchase, you had both better depart sooner rather than later, as much as I wish it weren't the case."

[Quest Discovered!]

[Hunter Bounty: Hallowed Quay]

[Re-establish contact with Hallowed Quay!]

[Reward: Materia Crystallum]

"We'll be back in time for you to catch up and hear some entertaining stories of our time at Beacon, I promise," Naruto said with an easy grin, mentally dismissing the notification. "I have some great ones."

Ghira looked unimpressed, but Kali was beaming with a smile that promised mischief. "I like him."

Blake spun on her mother in an instant. "Mom!"

Naruto had decided to take back what he'd said about appreciating Menagerie's weather. It was hot. Very hot. Very, very hot, in fact, and the further the two of them stepped into the eastern jungle, the more humid it got.

It was not fun. It was, in fact, the direct opposite of fun. Even Blake had shed her new coat. He could understand why she'd invested in getting a new outfit, Menagerie was not a place that was designed for Valean winter-wear. Or summer-wear. Naruto wished he'd gone for a Sun-like outfit, now that he thought about it.

He'd already taken off his coat and placed it in his inventory, and now he was rolling up the sleeves of his black button-up, deciding to take off his orange armwraps along with the coat. It was only getting hotter, and it wasn't even mid-day yet.

"Blake, please tell me it isn't going to get any hotter."

Blake just laughed. "You poor Valean. This makes up for the times you laughed at me for not liking cold mornings."

"We were in Vale! It's almost impossible to have a hot day in Vale! This is like… like… a sauna!"

He stumbled across the word in his anti-weather fervour, and stuck with it like his shirt was sticking to his skin. "It's so hot!"

Blake shrugged. "Tough."

Naruto let out another sigh before pushing past a particularly leafy bush, wiping his forehead. "Seriously, though, I have some Ice Dust in my inventory. If we take a few minutes I can probably make an Ice Elemental summon."

Blake's steeled control over her emotions broke like a dam. "Oh thank the gods yes. I was waiting to see who broke first, I haven't had to deal with this weather for years. It's so damned hot."

Naruto nearly threatened to withhold his Ice Elemental just because of that, but the heat gave him reason to discard that idea as he cleared some space with Terrakinesis, carving the ritual circle into the ground.

Into the center of the circle went possibly the most refreshing of any Dust Crystal Naruto had ever held and two Regular Soul Orbs, and he took a step back, standing next to Blake as he concentrated.

The glow wasn't warm, like he was used to, but that could have been simply because it was colder than the humid air that enveloped them, and Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, before the glow simply ceased.

In its place stood an Elemental made of ice, roughly seven feet tall, with what could only be called supercooled air wafting from its body.

Blake was instantly standing next to it, and Naruto was only a split-second behind as they enjoyed the feeling of sudden air-conditioning.

Much like opening a fridge and sticking his head inside on a hot day, Glacius, for that was what Naruto had decided to name it, was only somewhat effective in such an open area, but it was far better than nothing, and neither Naruto nor Blake were willing or able to complain.

[You've gained a new summon!]

[Glacius]

[Ice Elemental]

[Shard]

[Blizzard (Active): Thanks to the System, your Ice Elemental is capable of releasing a gust of frigid air that can freeze anything nearby. Level 1; XP 0/12.]

Naruto wasn't deluded, or hot enough, to contemplate using Blizzard on himself, but if it was any hotter he'd definitely consider it.

As it was, both he and Blake let out sighs of relief, doing their best to wipe the sweat from their faces as it dripped down mercilessly.

"Do you think we're far enough away from Kuo Kuana now?" Naruto asked Blake, a concerned look on his face. "I want to get us up in the air as soon as possible, but I don't want to risk anything."

It took Blake a single moment, but she had an answer soon enough. "It should be fine. Hallowed Quay lost contact, and we have to assume the worst, so I don't think another airborne Grimm or two will really be a big deal."

Naruto nodded, giving Glacius a grateful nod as the Elemental unsummoned itself and in its place formed Shirdal. "I'd bring out Alcmena or Apollo, but I still want to keep a low profile."

Blake stepped closer to Shirdal, running one hand along his flank. "You have a lot of summons, now."

It was an observation, a statement not a question, but Naruto answered all the same. "Yeah. I get the feeling there are more, though. Lots of Grimm means lots of summons, the problem is they're starting to cost a lot more with every one I summon."

Blake eyed the saddle. "You had a saddle made?"

Naruto nodded, slinging himself up and into it, extending a helping hand to heft Blake into it as well. "Had it made in Patch, before I left. Shirdal seems to be able to appear with it when summoned, so we don't have to worry about getting it all sorted for a flight. It's convenient, that's for sure."

Blake took his arm by the wrist, and he hauled her up without difficulty, a combination of his own natural strength and her own natural dexterity allowing her to sit without a problem. "We're only an hour's flight out, so don't push it too hard."

Naruto nodded, running a hand down the side of Shirdal's neck. "Hear that? Easy does it, Shirdal, we've got a new flyer aboard."

Shirdal tossed his head with a low caw, and pumped his powerful wings, already gaining altitude as Blake let out a dismissive noise. "I may have never flown before, but I'm not going to get airsick or something, Naruto, I am a Huntress."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because you can't be a Hunter if you get airsick."

Blake was far too perceptive when it came to his sarcasm, and he'd practically just damned himself. "Naruto, do you get airsick?"

"A; motion sickness is far more of a problem than people let on! And B; not anymore, thanks to my semblance!"

All that met that was stunned silence.

Naruto slumped in the saddle. He was in for a long flight. Again.

The approach to Hallowed Quay was with something akin to an anxiousness in the air, and both Blake and Naruto could feel it.

There was no smoke, no fire, no rubble, and, most importantly, no people.

That last part was also the worst part, thanks in part to the implication it held. If there was no sign of a struggle, then where had the people gone?

Naruto vocalised that thought, concern interlinked between every word, stringing the sentence together with a level of worry that he hadn't heard in his own voice for some time.

Instead of an answer, Blake remained silent, which gave Naruto all the more reason to be concerned. To be fair, Blake was normally quiet, but for something like this…

Naruto urged Shirdal lower, towards the open gates of Hallowed Quay, and they quickly touched down without issue, sliding off the saddle and drawing their weapons, Naruto choosing to withdraw Tranquility, unfolding the shotgun and checking the chamber quickly, making sure it was loaded.

If he was going to be investigating a settlement of mysteriously disappeared people he wanted to be holding something with significant firepower.

He also didn't have any ammunition for either Sandstorm or Predator, so that ruled those out. That was definitely something he'd have to look for when he was back in Kuo Kuana. If people would sell anything to him, of course.

"Naruto, would you focus please?" Blake's admonishment snapped Naruto out of his thoughts, and he quickly caught up to his teammate, peering through the gate as she was.

"See anything?" He asked, peering around. "It looks abandoned, but…"

Blake didn't have an answer to his unspoken question, instead replying with a question of her own. "If it was abandoned, they'd have left a message, or we'd have found survivors. According to Dad if they'd ran they'd have made it back to Kuo Kuana before we left. Something happened."

"It's just a matter of figuring out what, huh?" Naruto muttered. "Story of my life."

He nearly cried out in alarm as a notification appeared unprompted.

[Quest Updated!]

[Hunter Bounty: Hallowed Quay]

[Discover what happened to the inhabitants of Hallowed Quay.]

Blake was staring at him, but he waved her off with a half-hearted 'don't worry', instead stepping through the gate and into Hallowed Quay, Blake following suit.

Shirdal did not follow, instead unsummoning and instead deciding to apparently inform Cadejo and Freyja of the situation, as the Beowolf and the Boarbatusk summons formed next to their master, a quiet bark and a snuffling snort being their customary greeting in the situation.

Naruto was more than happy to have the help, kneeling. "Freyja, Cadejo, search the streets, engage Grimm but don't get close to survivors if you see any. Blake, can you search the buildings on this side? I'll take the coastal side, if that's alright."

Blake nodded as Cadejo and Freyja took off, the cat faunus keeping her weapon steady as she headed for what Naruto could only assume was a guard tower, considering its position as a part of the wall next to the gate. A good start for an investigation.

Naruto gave the surrounding area one quick glance before he departed, heading down the main street towards the sound and smell of the ocean, keeping a firm hand on Tranquility's grip as he did so, prepared for an ambush.

An ambush that never appeared to come, as he made it all the way to the other side of Hallowed Quay, descending down some rough-hewn stone steps and through another empty, open gate onto the beach itself, beautiful white sand belying the danger it may have held, or at least the dangers the ocean held.

Nothing. No tracks, no evidence of what happened. Just peaceful waves and hot sand.

Naruto frowned, giving the beach one last scan before returning back up the steps, concern etched into his face.

They knew something was wrong, so there wasn't much point in stating it aloud, but Naruto did so anyway, muttering it to himself as he walked, checking the nearest building, what looked like a general store.

He poked his head in through the open door, barrel of Tranquility following next, then the rest of him as he stepped inside, pushing past the peaceful, stocked shelves and taking a glance behind the counter.

Nothing once again. Just some spilled bags of rice, an upturned basket of fruit and a red stain.

Naruto paused, frowning and quickly clearing the counter, checking the ground.

It wasn't blood. The shattered jar that lay concealed from his prior point of view indicated that it was in fact a knocked-over jar of strawberry jelly, or as the label indicated, jam. Naruto wasn't entirely sure the difference between the two, but he'd seen Yang embroiled in a number of arguments with Blake about the name, so he knew it was a cultural difference.

Naruto had grown up with peanut butter and jelly, Blake had grown up with peanut butter and jam, both turned out to be the same thing.

That wasn't important right now, of course. What was important was the fact that this was the biggest amount of evidence he'd seen so far.

There was something else, too, underneath the counter itself. He couldn't make it out from where he was, he'd have to bend down and practically crawl underneath, but that wasn't too difficult to do.

He clambered underneath, hand outstretched, managing to snag the small metal object with two fingers and pull it closer, closer still-

"Naruto!"

Blake's voice startled him, and he lifted his head up to look, smacking it against the top of the counter with a loud thwack and a brief interlude of groaning and mild swearing as he backed out from underneath the counter, keeping a firm grip on the newly acquired scroll, already moving through the door to see what Blake was shouting his name for.

"Something up?" Naruto asked, looking around and not seeing anything different from what it had been only moments before.

Blake raised an eyebrow at his head-rubbing, but to be fair he'd put a hefty dent in the counter with the top of his head, and instantly healing didn't make the pain go away. "That entire side of the settlement is empty. There's nothing there, not even any evidence of a struggle, or even an evacuation. It's as if everyone just disappeared."

Naruto frowned. "Nothing on the beach, either, not even tracks. There was a few broken things on the floor of the general store, just behind the counter, but everything else was untouched. And I found this scroll underneath the counter, wedged pretty far under."

He opened it with practised ease, and Blake stepped over, the two of them met with a lock screen. "Oh, great. Just what we needed. You wouldn't happen to know how to crack a scroll-lock, would you?"

Blake shook her head. "Not really my specialty. Your semblance doesn't give you a hack skill?"

Naruto shrugged. "Haven't tried it, I guess. Probably, now that I think about it. One sec."

Naruto decided against trying to push Mana into the scroll. That was probably a good way to blow it up. Instead, he simply focused and tried to type in the correct passcode.

Two things happened. First, he got the passcode wrong. Second, a notification popped up.

[Skill Created!]

[Hacking (Active): Thanks to the System, you can now hack into electronic devices such as Scrolls, Desk-Scrolls and other devices without significant difficulty. Requires hacking tools. Level 1; XP 0/12.]

Naruto swore under his breath. "Good news, I can hack. Bad news, I need hacking tools."

Blake quirked an eyebrow. "Hacking tools, meaning?"

That was a very good question. "Uh… I have no idea."

"You can't just… open the device and fiddle with circuitry?"

Naruto stared at Blake. "Blake, that's not how it-"

He interrupted himself. "You've got to be kidding me."

Blake was about to ask, but Naruto was already popping the bottom off the scroll, fiddling with it.

It took a few seconds, but Naruto and Blake could both hear the little chime, and suddenly Naruto found himself both impressed and disappointed. "You'd think they'd have better security on these things."

Hacking had leveled, though, despite Naruto's prior belief that you couldn't break into a scroll by just fiddling with the circuitry, even if that was the simplest way to put it.

What he'd actually done was open the scroll and go to the main-

"Naruto, what's on the scroll?"

Right.

He quickly searched through the device, looking for anything that could be important.

Seeing as there was quite literally only one thing on the scroll, he had to assume it was at least a little bit important.

"It's a video, which always bodes well. I've seen enough private-eye-slash-cop-shows to know how this goes."

Blake rolled her eyes, seizing the scroll from Naruto's hand and tapping on the video.

"If you're watching this, it got us all. I'm so, so sorry. We'd thought it was a friend, we thought it was on our side. I invited it to eat dinner with my daughters, for fuck's sake!"

The man, a set of scales on his cheeks, looked panicked, constantly looking over the top of the counter he was cowering against.

"We were having a celebration, a town feast. I don't remember why, but it had been invited. It arrived, joined in the fun, and then suddenly it just… snapped. Something was wrong! Before anyone could react, it had killed so many of us! I just ran…"

Tears were streaming down the man's face, now.

"Alice, Dawn, if you see this, if you're somehow still alive, I'm so sorry. My darlings, I'll try to find you, to get you back, but I don't know if-"

The video cut out, ending abruptly.

Naruto met Blake's worried eyes, and asked the silent question. "It? Like, one?"

They needed to get back to Kuo Kuana. They could both agree on that. And they would have departed immediately, if not for the sudden scream of what sounded like a young girl.