~NRK~
One Month before New Year…
The day of the White Fang rally had come and Naruto hummed as he and the others walked the streets in the clothes they went there in.
His presence certainly riled up the people around who gawked the closer they got to the rally location.
"Thanks, seriously," Perry said as he, Aster, and Sienna walked with Naruto, the Grimm currently being thanked by him. "This helps a lot. Especially with a sitter."
'Well, as long as I don't need to cook, my clone should be able to handle it,' Naruto said as they made it into the main plaza where a large tent had been set up by a series of men and women with white and black uniforms on, all led by a familiar man.
Ghira stood there with a smile, wearing an open purple coat with fur on the biceps that came down to his knees, white pants, and a pair of dark brown boots. In his hands were a pen and clipboard, the man checking something off before facing the four with a smile.
'Hey, Ghira-ossan.'
"Naruto, it's been some time," Ghira said before looking at the three Faunus at Naruto's side. "And these must be the new potential recruits, yes? Good morning, Ghira Belladonna, I hope the trip here wasn't bad."
"N-No, it's fine," Perry said nervously as he and Ghira shook hands. 'God, he's so big. How does anyone compare to a guy like this?!' Well, color him impressed.
He was bigger in person!
"Nice ta meet another biggin' like myself," Aster said with a grin as Ghira chuckled.
"Yes, well, there aren't many who handle our height and weight easily."
"Don't I know it! But the hun here handles well," she grinned as Perry blushed, Ghira coughed into his fist, and Sienna and Naruto snickered.
"Y-Yes, well," the man smiled calmly as he shook Sienna's hand. "Your friend is friendly."
"I typically hope they are," the tiger Faunus said and he chuckled.
"Welcome, welcome. Hmm, we'll be starting in a few minutes," he explained. "Welcome back, Blake."
"H-Hey, dad," the girl said as she got off Naruto's shoulders before hugging her father. "Is mom here?"
"No, she's handling the guards back in Menagerie."
'Well, how are things going?' Naruto asked and Ghira hummed.
"Well, all things considered? Well. We also recently got another new addition a couple of years back. A young bull Faunus who's been… hurt," the large male Faunus said with a sigh as Naruto blinked.
"H-How hurt?" Blake asked with a wince as her father smiled nervously.
"It's not pretty and he hides it most of the time."
"Yikes," Sienna grimaced before sighing. "But, well, that's also why the White Fang exists, yeah?"
"Yes. I don't want to see more Faunus like him, ever again."
The group separated from there, Naruto, Blake, and Ghira going in one direction while Sienna, Perry, and Aster went to the rest of the gathered potentials.
"So, tell me, Naruto, how has the fruit business gone?" Ghira asked as more White Fang members gawked at Naruto, Blake's place atop his neck, riding him, wasn't much better. "Are the carts alright?"
'Yeah, we literally ended up with nothing left by the time we were going to come here,' Naruto said with a chuckle as Blake nodded.
"W-We got mobbed on every street and everything went!" She said with a smile as her father chuckled.
"Well, as long as you two are alright, things must have gone well," he said as they made it to another tent only for someone by it to look at them. "Hmm? Oh, Adam, what can I help you with?"
Naruto blinked at the boy who balked at his existence.
"T-The Grimm?!" Adam choked.
Adam was a teen who was possibly only 4-5 years older than Blake and had short, spiky, red hair that carried his Faunus trait, two small black horns.
His skin was white and his eye blue, yes, his eye as the other side of his face, the left side, was covered by a set of wrappings and bandages.
Wearing the White Fang uniform of black pants, black boots, a black tunic, and a long white vest that came down to his thighs, he looked at Naruto with an odd fascination.
'Sup,' Naruto said as the teen blinked twice before coughing into his fist and recomposing himself. 'Yeah, not working.'
Adam had the decently to blush. "Y-You're that Grimm from the TV."
'Yep.'
"..." Adam looked at his features once more. "A Beowolf."
"Naruto's a special type," Blake said with a smile as Adam raised a brow, Ghira chuckling at the two. "He can transform! I-It's so cool!"
"He can?"
"Yes, I'm surprised as well," Ghira said as Naruto nodded.
'It takes gathering a lot of energy and it's not permanent but, yeah, I can transform,' the Grimm said.
"Yes, come inside," Ghira said to the three as they did as he suggested. "So," he walked around to a foldable table set up as a desk before sitting on a folding chair behind it. "How was the travel?"
Naruto and Blake explained everything from their return to Atlas to their fruit selling to the trip to Argus.
The two male Faunus looked shocked at some of the tales.
"You traveled from Atlas to Argus IN FIVE HOURS?!" Adam choked at the sheer idea of doing that. "That's r-ridiculous!"
'Yeah, I had to transform to make the trip that fast,' Naruto said as Blake nodded. 'From there, we met a cool old dude by the name of Jiraiya.'
"Wait, the Jiraiya?" Ghira looked shocked as Naruto nodded.
'You know him?'
"Well, he's also from the village I grew up in," Ghira explained and Blake gawked, getting a chuckle out of him. "Yes, it was quite surprising to see where we both were years later. He was a hero who traveled the lands, fought, protected, wrote books, and just generally lived a nomadic lifestyle."
"I've heard of his deed," Adam said as he rubbed the back of his head. "D-Do you know where he is right now?"
'Sorry, he went somewhere after we talked,' Naruto said before cupping his chin with a frown. '... yo, Ghira-ossan? Question, you're not planning on going by ship to the right side of Menagerie anytime soon, are ya?'
"Hmm, no, the thought never occurred to me," Ghira said. "The fact remains, there's simply no point to going to that part of the world with the White Fang and life in general. Why?"
'... It was some secret stuff me and Jiraiya-sensei talked about. For now, I'm just glad you're not.'
"I see," well if the Grimm was worried, Ghira would take that to heart. "Sensei, hmm?"
'He gives me that teacher vibe. Maybe not, like, 'teaching' teaching but more like life lessons.'
"Ah, that'd make sense."
"So, he's not here?" Adam said sadly.
'Well, I think he's still in Mistral but that's it. I don't know where he went.'
"Understood," Adam nodded before facing Ghira. "I was actually here to tell you that some of the Faunus have gotten rowdy. Especially a few who aren't… fans of the White Fang's general goal."
"Haa, well, that's to be expected," Ghira said with a sigh and nod. "I'll speak with them before our presentation. Naruto, how long would you say you'll be around?"
'I guess it depends on Perry and his friends,' the living Grimm said. 'All things considered, I'm able to go anywhere but I want to make sure they're okay. Oh, and I need to get myself checked by James-ossan. My body's been kind of weird lately.'
"James Ironwood?" Adam said and Naruto raised a brow at the boy's tone.
It was as controlled as Adam could make it but the heat beneath his voice was clear to Naruto. Both with and without his senses.
'Yeah. James, Ozpin, Leo, a lot of people, human and Faunus-alike, have helped me live this life of mine. I'm forever grateful to them.'
"They fear you."
'Well, that's just completely wrong,' Adam scoffed. 'Adam… I'm still a Grimm. Last I checked, I'd be able to sense fear or anger from people around me,' the boy flinched, eye looking away. 'Yeah… Actually, you want to talk?' He grimaced.
"No."
'Adam,' the boy turned away. 'Right now, you're bottling up a lot and that's dangerous, that's all I'll say. I mean it. If you want to talk, I'm here.'
The boy simply left and Naruto sighed while Ghira frowned and Blake blinked.
"What was that about?" She asked Naruto and he smiled shakily as he ruffled her hair. "?"
'Complicated emotions,' Naruto said as Ghira nodded.
"I'd been worried," the man said. "Adam always seemed so helpful, a true joy to be around, and willing to do many things to help the cause… but I'm always worried his anger at his injustices isn't dealt with healthily. If anything, you were right, obviously. He's bottling up."
"What's he bottling?" Blake asked.
'Emotions. Negative emotions,' Naruto said and she gasped. 'Yup. Adam's been hurt, that's the honest truth, and it'll be a path of hardship to get him to open up again. Especially to a human, I'm betting. All I can do is offer an ear, ya know?'
"I-I think so," Blake messed with her fingers as her father smiled sadly.
"Some people are just hurt in such a way it's hard for them to see past their anger, Blake," Ghira said softly as she nodded slowly.
"I think I get it… but isn't it right that he's angry?"
'Oh, definitely, it'd be wrong to say him being angry is wrong,' Naruto added. 'What he, and many other hurt people, will do when they're angry is the issue. Sadly, not everyone can recover from anger to think straight without it, a lot of the time.'
"... Then they need to know that they're hurting?" Blake asked. "That it'll make something bad happen?"
"Yes."
~NRK~
The rally had gone well, Naruto thinks. Watching the whole thing with Blake as a 'passenger', he'd been able to look at how Ghira did things.
He'd even gone on stage to rep them. Naruto was sure that he could do good for their goal.
So, at present, he was walking around Mistral, considering all the sights and stuff.
'Hmm,' he walked past family after family, couples, single passengers, kids, and so on, all of whom gawked at him as he did. 'Let's see, ramen. Let's go and find some-'
"Y-You!" Came a voice from his side, confusing him, before Naruto turned to see a man there. "Yes! You!"
'... Aren't you the food stall guy from Argus?' Naruto asked and the man looked surprised.
"What? Oh! You met my brother! Ya see, we're from a big set of triplets. Trust me, I haven't been to Argus since last month!" The man said as Naruto hummed.
'Man, well, you both look almost exactly the same, it's crazy.'
"Don't I know it! So, if you know my bro, you know we typically handle food."
'I'm listening.'
Vernal blinked, she balked, and then grinned as she peeked around the corner of a stall.
"How'd I find him so easily?" She asked herself as she adjusted her brown cloak. "Whelp, time to finesse a Grimm, that'll be new," Vernal said to herself as she walked past the crowd of people to see what they were looking at. '... Is he eating ramen?'
Yup, he was eating alright. The Grimm currently had six his-head-sized empty bowls next to him, the guy working on his seventh with joy as the stall owner wept tears of unbridled joy at the lien in his hands.
"EAT, my friend! EAT!" She sweatdropped at his dramatics.
'I guess eating that much does good for business,' she thought as she walked over, ignoring the other kids, and sat next to the Grimm man.
Was he a man? She didn't know how old he was.
"Yo," she said as he finished his seventh bowl, slurping up the last of his noodles as he looked at her, getting a smirk out of the young teen. "So, you're that Grimm guy everyone's chattin' 'bout?"
Naruto swallowed and wiped his mouth, much to her amusement. 'Yerp, man that was way too good,' Naruto said as the stall owner grinned wider. 'I'm definitely coming here when I come back to Mistral.'
"Yes! Yes! As you should!"
'Hm, hm, what can I do ya for, kid?' Naruto asked her and Vernal hummed.
"Well, I wanted ta see ya up close," she admitted as she looked him in the eyes, the Grimm currently cross-legged on the floor as he ate, his weapon being something she found super interesting. "Huh, I mean, Grimm use rocks and stuff, don't they?"
'Hmm?' Naruto saw where she was looking. 'Oh! Well, this is more because I need more options when it comes to different opponents,' she perked up. 'Hm, hm, hm. You dig the tournament scene.'
"I live for that shit," she said with joy as Naruto chuckled. "Who doesn't like fighting?"
'That question is loaded. It would be better for you to say 'what can everyone like about fighting?'.'
"Don't try and give me life lessons. I ain't need 'em."
'Never hurts,' Naruto said as he looked at the stall guy. 'Another!'
"YES! Coming right up!"
Vernal snorted. "I don't remember ramen being that good."
'You just haven't learned the majesty that is ramen,' he shot back and she smirked.
"It's mid."
'Is not.'
"Yes, it is."
'No, it ain't.'
They went back and forth as his food was prepared before Naruto thanked the man with some lien once more as he ate.
'So,' he spoke clearly with his mouth full. 'What's up? I don't even know your name?'
"Name's Spring," Vernal lied. "Yes, yes, it's a weird name."
'Hey now, it's a name your parents gave ya, don't take it for granted,' she shot him a weird look. 'Hey, I don't have parents, I bet it's nice.'
"Not like I'd really know," Vernal said and he winced. "Nah, I don't really care. I've lived with the Doc, my gramps, I don't think I'm missin' out on anythin'."
'Well… you're probably right,' Naruto chuckled as he ate. 'You've family still, ya must like it.'
Vernal huffed with a small pout and blush. "S-Shut up, it's whatever."
'Heh.'
As soon as he finished his eighth bowl, Naruto sighed in relief, patting his stomach.
'Thanks, ossan.'
"Oh, ya use old Mistrali?" The man asked as he cleaned the bowls. "I didn't think anyone did."
'It's a really cool language and I kind of just picked it up,' Naruto shrugged as he got up, rolling his shoulders. 'Phew, I'm gonna walk this off. Take it easy, thanks for the food!' He said before leaving.
As he did, people parting for him as he did, Naruto grew bone over his weapon as loose hands tried.
'Don't make me cut off those fingers,' Naruto said to the crowd without looking as that person hissed quietly, to a human. 'Yeah, better luck being a threat when you're not so obvious.'
Then he heard a grunt and scramble behind him, his head turning to see Vernal biting a man's hand as he tried to wrangle her.
"Get offa me, ya bitch!" She cursed at the guy who began running. "The hell?!" She was getting kidnapped?! 'Raven's gonna roast me for this-'
'That's enough,' came a familiar voice, and Vernal blinked as she was plucked out of the kidnapper's arm while the man in question paled as blue eyes narrowed at him. 'I'm taking those fingers if you don't beat it.'
Naruto dropped the man and he beat a hasty retreat into the shadows as the Grimm sighed before placing Vernal on the ground, much to the girl's surprise.
"I'm surprised ya came back."
'What? Why wouldn't I?' Naruto asked her and Vernal rubbed the back of her head. 'You were literally about to be kidnapped. What?'
"It's just different here, okay?" Vernal admitted with some embarrassment. 'I just got saved by a Grimm,' sure, she knew this one was different but it was just… weird. "My life took a weird turn."
'I'm noticing. Come on, where do you live? I'll take you back.'
"H-Huh?! Whoa now, I'm thankful for yer help but I can get home on my own!" Vernal would not be found by Raven like that. "I-It's fine. That guy just-"
'Your arm,' Naruto said with a frown and Vernal blinked before looking to see-?!
"W-When did he?" Her eyes widened at the blood slipping down it and then the odd-looking liquid falling away with the ichor. "Oh, fuck," she wobbled and Naruto lifted her up with a sigh.
'Dammit, Spring,' he said and she groaned into his chest. 'I'll take you to the hotel I'm staying at and you can rest there.'
Naruto walked into an alleyway, out of sight from curious eyes, before his form became covered by darkness.
'Tenebris.'
Vernal's sight was overtaken by darkness before she passed out.
~NRK~
When she awoke several hours later, she blinked at Naruto teaching another girl, a Faunus girl, how to swing a stick?
"Uggghhh, what hit me?" Vernal asked before a big hand helped her up. "?" She looked to her side to see Aster, balking at the sheer size of the woman. "What are ya?! Behemoth?!"
"Hahah! I get that a lot!" The bear Faunus said with a grin. "Nope, just big and a bear Faunus, I think that's a big part of it."
"H-Huh? Where 'm I?!" Vernal asked Naruto who huffed.
'You really were out of it, weren't you? I took you back to my hotel room, remember?' She shook her head and he grimaced. 'I'm more glad I picked you up now more than ever.'
Vernal blushed as she realized that, yeah, she kind of was, too. "D-Dammit!" She cursed. "... T-Thanks," she muttered and he nodded.
'You do realize I'm taking you home after this, right?'
"..."
"Well, you can just leave another copy with us," Sienna said as she entered the room in some fresh clothes, cheeks flushed as she dried her hair. "Oh my gods, I've never had such a nice shower in my life."
"It's amazing!" Perry said from the kitchen. "It's so warm!"
"Right?!"
'Heh,' Naruto snickered while Neon giggled. 'Alright, time for you to go in with your mom, snff, snff,' the girl looked at him with shock, looking mortified as he snorted. 'Ya stank.'
"I-I don't!" Neon whined as Aster snickered as she got up before taking the girl with her to the bathroom. "M-Mom!"
"Ya do stank," Aster said before closing the door on the girl's howl of betrayal.
"... S-So, yer really taking me-"
'Yep.'
~NRK~
Vernal blushed like an idiot as she and Naruto kept moving away from Mistral, the girl riding his shoulders as he ran at speeds she couldn't without intense Aura use.
'Hmm,' Naruto focused as he kept running. 'Where to now, Spring?'
"... Dammit, to the left. It's not close, Naruto. I'm really far away," Vernal tried to deflect.
'Spring, let me tell you about something I did this year and in the past week,' Naruto said with a snort. 'I took a girl back to her father from Atlas to Menagerie,' he said as she choked. 'And just this past couple of days, I went from Atlas to Mistral, on my own power. Trust me, I can get you anywhere in Mistral in no time.'
Vernal was starting to realize how ridiculous of an existence Naruto was.
They crossed miles with ease, Naruto's seemingly endless stamina and her directions getting her back to the area where her 'family' was.
'So, you'll be fine here, right?' Naruto asked as he sniffed the air. 'I can smell people so you should be fine. There are quite a few strong scents.'
Raven, fuck. "Y-Yeah, well, I'm good. Promise. Take it easy," Vernal said before running off. "Later!"
'Hmm…' Naruto huffed. '... Alright then,' he began to run off, going back to the hotel, when he stopped, coming to a slow halt. 'You can come out, you know. I could feel you long before we even got here.'
The forest was silent despite his words and Naruto shrugged.
'Alright then,' he just kept going, ignoring the presence. 'Weird-'
He came to a stop as a large impact caused the area around him to rumble slightly, smoke and dust spilling up from the crater that had been made in front of him.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he got into a battle stance as a red kimono-covered Raven slipped out of the smoke, a long katana in hand as her sandal-covered feet flopped against the floor.
'Can I help you?'
"Hmph, we'll see."
Naruto barely blocked her lunge, gauntlet arm swinging around to block her stab before his eyes widened and he threw his arm to the side, Raven going with it before she recovered gracefully.
The Grimm looked at his gauntlet and balked at the hole in his bone armor. 'The hell?!'
"Hmph," Raven smirked as she held her blade in her hands, one hand running up the back of the blade. "So, you're not so tough, are ya? I wonder why that old bastard cares about you."
'Are we seriously so scared of talking that you attack people to say 'hello'?' Naruto asked and the woman's eyebrows lowered. '... N-No, wait, we can talk-'
He felt the pulse of magic and his eyes widened before he swung out with his ax, slicing Raven's Aura Slice in half, the two halves slicing through the trees behind him with ease and loud crashes.
"... Oh?" Red eyes narrowed. 'A magic-powered slice was cut by a mere ax?' No, something was off about it, her senses were piquing and she could feel the weapon's energy. 'It's… magic?' She realized in disbelief.
W-What?!
"You!" She said as Naruto huffed.
'What?'
"Where did you get that ax?" Raven demanded. "Tell me."
'Uh, does it have anything to do with you having magic?' Naruto asked and the woman's eyes widened before they narrowed. '... No, wait, I've felt your type of magic before… a Maiden?'
Her hold on her weapon tightened and her eyes narrowed before she took a wider stance as her weapon was held above her head in her hands.
Naruto realized that he might not get out of this situation without a fight so, he readied up.
'Magna-Ventus,' he said and Raven's eyes widened as his form became covered by sleek bone armor. 'Last chance, fighting isn't always the answer.'
"Hmph, spoken like a true life coach, ey?"
'I'm not the one who's trying to get into fights, here.'
"Perhaps… But I want to."
'...'
Then she vanished from sight and glowing green eyes narrowed before Naruto's ax swung around to his right, locking with Raven's odachi.
The force caused the air to rupture before he stepped in, pushed up, and then slammed his shoulder into her chest.
She flew back but it was little more than a little flight as she dug her feet into the ground to come to a halt.
"Hoo?" She looked up at him and Naruto balked at her burning eyes. "Someone's got some decent Mistral martial arts in 'em, huh?"
'I've learned… ya know.'
"Hah."
Naruto jumped as she swung out with her weapon from her current position.
And a decent number of the trees behind him fell like dominos as he landed, the Grimm looking up to see Raven holding a broken katana.
"God, I'm really not used to this," she muttered, likely thinking she was the one who could only hear her words.
'So, she's gotten these powers only recently…' From what he knew about Maiden powers, that meant a few things, one of them VERY bad.
Now, the question was, what was he about to do with this information? Right now, she seemed set on-
"Hmph, I don't care anymore," Raven said and he gawked at her. "No weapon against any Grimm isn't in my policy."
'Despite having power in spades, huh?' Naruto asked her and she shrugged.
"No point in tryin' ta chase you like this," she said before walking off. "Hmph, so you've got some skill. I guess things aren't as unprotected as I expected."
Naruto then swung out and sliced the Aura Slice that projected from the woman's swiping hand.
"Tsk," she cursed under her breath before leaving.
'No more potshots?'
"You seem to have a sensory ability, can't get past that."
Naruto felt the lie but she left, all the same, leaving him to holster his weapon before shooting off into the surrounding forests.
His return to Mistral had been down with some zigzagging, long round curves, and slow gaits.
'She was on Summer-nee's level,' and that wasn't worrying or anything. 'And she wasn't used to that new power, either.'
Still, a random Maiden out in the Mistral Outbacks? That hadn't been what he'd been expecting for this crazy trip.
~NRK~
Come the end of the rally two days later, Naruto found that most of the Faunus trio had come to a surprising decision as they went back to Atlas.
'So, you'll move to Menagerie, huh?' He asked Aster who nodded. 'What about you two, Sienna, Perry?'
"Mr. Heinz hasn't done me anything less than a million favors," Perry said. "I can't just leave the man alone without an employee."
"I'm in my last two years of college," Sienna said from her Naruto Backpack. "I'm not gonna let them try and trash-talk me for 'dropping out like most stupid Faunus do', fuck them!"
'I feel for you.'
"Thanks."
As the group began to reach Atlas waters, Neon hummed.
"So, we're leaving Mantle?" The girl asked with a frown as her mother nuzzled her. "M-My friends are all here."
"I know, hon, really I do," Aster said with a sad smile. "But it's not safe in Mantle, sadly."
The girl pouted as she looked down.
The group passed white snow and cool air before Naruto's feet and hand-paws brought them to a familiar shaky-looking wall that was Mantle's 'protection'.
Getting to the security by the wall, the women by it blinked as Sienna waved at them.
"Oh, you guys returned," one of them said. "... Did you guys really just run across the ocean?"
"Well, more like him," Perry said as he pat Naruto's neck.
Coming in, the group quickly made it to the same street corner that they'd all met at.
'Alright, just speak up and maybe I can help you guys out down the line,' Naruto said as the group nodded, his clones popping into smoke. 'I got a check-up to get to.'
"Alright, take it easy," Sienna said. "I think we're gonna have to deal with our friends and family more than anything else."
"... Oh," Aster remembered nervously as her Scroll rang and she pulled the item out of her pocket to see… a lot of messages. "W-We just left, what did they think happened?!" She gaped.
"Yeah, that's what I'm expecting," Perry said with a smile as he held Neon. "Take it easy."
"B-Bye!" Neon said as Naruto chuckled with a thumbs-up.
'I'll see ya when I do.'
~NRK~
James, Fria, Penny, and Pietro watched as Naruto transformed for them, the scanners going around him.
"Hmm," Pietro observed a computer alongside Penny. "His energy signatures have gotten stronger since the last time you said you all did this," he said. "... And if I'm right… that would have been right after the Black Zone event, right?"
James nodded. "Naruto, you said that the darkness within the Dust crystal had slipped into your body, correct?" He asked over an intercom.
-Yeah. It didn't do anything so I thought it was fine. We even did those tests so I figured I was good. This is the first time I've transformed in a long time-
"So, perhaps that excess energy had been assimilating into his body," Fria considered. "Chances are high that that was a pure darkness element. What if his soul was taming it?"
"... The darkness that spawns the area is likely the 'experience' of the Black Gate, correct?" Penny asked. "The very core of that Gate. So, what if Naruto got new abilities from it, too?"
Naruto perked up at her words. -I don't know. I haven't been trying, ya know? Though I did use the Tenebris spell when I was in Mistral and I slunk into shadows and stuff but that's a spell, not a new skill-
"... we'll keep looking over your charts," James said with a nod as the door out of the observation chamber opened. "You can leave that room."
Naruto came out with a nod. 'So, what's it lookin' like?' He asked as he came over, Penny nodding.
"Your energy signature has grown. Where before, you were considerable to, say, an Academy graduate, now you have more energy than a seasoned Huntsman."
"It's likely that… perhaps I'm wrong," James said. "But what if that black energy is a Grimm's experience as Penny said? If that's the case, you're gaining more understanding of your natural form and you might very well have new skills on the horizon. We simply don't know, Grimm don't naturally evolve like this, we've observed one for that very reason and it never went to a Black Zone."
'Hmm, I guess I'll just have to figure it out,' Naruto shrugged. 'All things considered, I wonder what else I could even get? I have all the normal Grimm stuff, what more is there?'
"... Yes, that's a good question," Pietro said as he pulled up a video. "The fight with the Blastwyrm, Naruto, you remember how its blood could summon or birth more Grimm? I question if you'll get such a skill."
The others looked surprised. "Well, what if he gains a special skill for his Darkness element? If that's the case, you might be able to summon Grimm who will listen to you," James realized with a look of interest.
'Hmm,' Naruto looked at his hand for a moment before biting his thumb. 'One way to find out,' he said as he ran through those familiar handsigns. 'Kuchiyose no Jutsu!'
He slammed his hand on the floor and all eyes went wide as a magical array spread out from it to reach just past his finger's length.
Then it formed a portal of darkness as he moved his hand away and, out of it, came… a toad.
A Grimm-looking toad.
It reminded Naruto of Gamakichi's first size when he first summoned him. Its features were predominantly black-colored with bone white coming up from its small tail up to around its blue eyes that blinked at him curiously.
It croaked and the five gaped.
'I-I really summoned a toad! THIS IS AWESOME!' The Grimm cheered as the toad Grimm croaked some more. 'It's not nearly as big as Gamabunta or Gamakichi got but it's bigger than when I first summoned Gamakichi!'
They saw the memory and snorted at his repeated tadpole attempts.
Then Naruto showed them Gamabunta and the group gaped in disbelief.
"I-It's bigger than a village?!" Fria choked at the smoking, dagger-wielding, boss toad. "That's absurd! Summons from Ozpin time didn't get that big. The only beings that could were contracted spirits and magical animals."
'Oh, no, the thing is. Gamabunta and Gamakichi were just that,' Naruto explained as James hummed. 'They're called Sage Toads and I signed a contract to be able to summon 'em.'
He showed them everything about the toads.
From his view of the contract to summoning Gamabunta multiple times to when he went to Mt. Myoubyouku.
'I really miss 'em,' he said even as the others choked at the landscape.
"N-Nothing but toads?!" Pietro gawked as they saw all of them.
Ma, Pa, the old Sage Toad, Gamabunta's siblings/sworn brothers, and the smaller variants.
"Outstanding, I truly wonder if we ever had such a thing. Or, well, Fria already said it. There was a high chance such things existed already," James said. "... Hmm."
"You're considering what'd happen if you tried to do it when donning Naruto, yes?" Penny asked and James nodded.
"The issue is, we don't know. Naruto 'armor' has only allowed us to use magic we're attuned to, this is clearly Darkness-related. Hmm… I wonder if your armor has been changed as well."
'Wanna try?' Naruto suggested as he picked up his summon and place him on his head, much to the others' amusement.
"... No, not until next year, honestly," James said with a shaky smile. "That Dust crystal we retrieved has been a near endless marvel we're still unraveling. It'll take some time so, for now, just practice in private when you can. Maybe you could take down big Grimm without an issue!" He grinned.
'I got ya,' Naruto grinned, too. 'Still, um, you know how the original Summoning Jutsu worked. I don't know if this guy is here for good or just summoned.'
"Hmm, for now, why don't we leave him in my first-ever environmental biome?" Penny suggested with a smile. "That'd be a good space for him."
'Hm, hm, I like it,' Naruto said as he scratched the toad's chin and it croaked some more. 'I really wonder about him. Ya know? I could probably send him on little runs and stuff underwater, you guys. Maybe he'd be good for sending into small places. I wonder if we share sight-'
The Grimm Summon's eyes glowed and Naruto's did as well.
'... Whelp, that answers that question,' Naruto said as James looked giddier. 'We've got more safety measures, Penny-chan.'
"Marvelous!"
"Hm, hm, so, how is your effort with the ship training, Naruto?" Fria asked with a smirk as the boy chuckled nervously.
'Well… I'm working on it. I'm always using the ten copies James-ossan sent. With my clones, it's a big help in trying to get it into my head. So, maybe, I'll be ready to start controlling a boat next year,' he grinned.
"We've been looking at the pirate uniform, so you'll know," Penny said as Naruto, James, and Fria snorted. "It's simply getting your measurements! But, well, what if your normal form changes? We'll have to wait and see what does change."
'Sounds cool.'
Life was getting interesting.
~NRK~
Time passed and, soon enough, the year's end came and went.
In January, Naruto was at the Arc family's home, showing off his newest skill.
Naruto and Penny chuckled as the girls prodded the toad who croaked patiently.
Nicholas blinked flatly. "Is this going to be a normal thing?" He asked as Jun snickered.
"The thing is, with each Gate Naruto-kun destroys, he might gain something from them," Penny explained as Naruto nodded, Violet patting his face as he laid down on the ground.
"Hmm!" The small child smiled as she huffed his head, covering one of his eyes. 'All things considered, I'm wondering what'll happen when I go into Sage Mode and he's around.'
As it turned out… it was permanent which made things complicated as this might bring about more trouble if the summon came into view, for now.
So, Naruto had done his best to show the foot-sized toad the world while keeping it hidden.
The only ones who knew, so far, were the Arcs, the Rose-Xiao-Long family, Ozpin's circle, and the Belladonnas, and only two of those groups had actually seen Gamakuro in person.
So, for now, he showed him to his closest friends and family.
Glynda had loved him immediately, weirdly enough.
"Sage Mode?" Jun asked as Jaune perked up from his push-ups.
"H-Huh?! What's that? It sounds cool!" The small blonde boy said as his siblings paid attention.
"Naruto can increase his abilities, as you all know," Penny said as Nicholas nodded.
"He never called it that, though," he said.
'Yeah, I don't really talk about Sage Mode often but it's one of the reasons I meditate so often. It's a crazy big power boost… like, outright broken if you saw it,' he said as he showed them his memories of fighting the Blastwyrm.
And the result was obvious. "I WANT THAT!" Jaune declared in an instant. "GIMME!"
'Nope,' Naruto snorted as the boy deflated, much to his parents' relief. 'The thing about Sage Mode is that it's a skill I had to spend basically years to complete. Never mind that you're just getting used to Aura, learning Sage Mode isn't something you can just do. You'd need to learn what perfect stillness is.'
"Perfect 'stillness'?" Sarcelle blinked, tilting her head. "How is such a thing possible?"
'It is,' Naruto said as Violent stuffed her face into his eyebrow. 'That's another big part of learning it. You have to literally reach a point to where you've basically died to tap into it because you're becoming as still as nature itself. And, last I checked, the only living thing that stays that still is a dead one.'
"You died?!" Blanc said as Naruto snorted.
'No, but, like, this is what James-ossan said,' Naruto said. 'When I hit peak meditation, I slow every part of my body down to an almost dead level, ya know? Everything inside of me is so calm, it's like I'm not alive.'
"That's incredible," Jun realized. "If that's true, you could fake your death without worry."
'Not that I'd want to, sounds like a BIG hassle.'
"But the training and effort are well worth it," Penny said. "I've been trying to learn this skill but my servos, my mechanical parts, they make it basically impossible for me to use it."
"You're a super-robot with perfect Aura control on the word 'go', though," Saphron said. "I think you get enough buffs as is. Cera would probably say the same thing if she was here."
'Oh, right, she's at Beacon!' Naruto realized. 'Crap, I've been putting something off for a long time,' he groaned.
"What?" Jaune asked.
'I need to meet a man by the name of Bart… Bartho…' Naruto's eyes went flat. 'Bart Oobleck,' he said simply as Jun giggled and Nicholas smirked.
"Bartholomew," he corrected as Naruto groaned.
'Whose idea of a name is that?'
"... Not wrong."
"So, we'll head to Beacon before heading to the Rose-Xiao-Long home?" Penny suggested and Naruto nodded. "This will be the first time you've walked in Vale, Naruto-kun! For both of us!"
"Hmm," Nicholas cupped his chin. "You know, we do need groceries," he looked at Jun who hummed with a tilt of the head.
"Right, we ran out of a lot of meat in the deep freeze," she winced. "Yes, please, we need to go. We won't last until the end of the week."
"We don't eat that much, do we?" Jaune asked his sisters who blushed. "... Oh, right-"
"Don't you dare!" Sarcelle blushed as her stomach growled. "..." Her face glowed as Naruto chuckled.
'I'll treat you guys for helping us out,' the Grimm said and they perked up.
"C-Can you really foot that bill?" Nicholas asked.
'Hmm? I don't get it, Nicholas-ossan, I get paid for helping out the Science Wing, moving lots of fruit to the Schnee Manor, Summer-oba-san buys a lot of my fruit, and I get paid monthly in Atlas. I'm rolling in dough that I don't really use for anything but food.'
The kids perked up. "WE SHOULD EAT GOOD!" They declared before their father snorted and mother guffawed.
Well, if he was offering.
~NRK~
The Hunters at the East Gate Outpost of Vale choked and gaped at the sight of him.
The talking GRIMM!
Naruto chuckled nervously as he released the Arc family from his 'backpacks'.
"T-THIS is Sage Mode?" Jaune's eyes had never been so big. "Dude! It's SO COOL!"
'It's gotten bigger as of late,' Naruto complained as he shrunk in size. 'It's not easy being that big and walking around. It helps, though,' he said as he pulled something out of his scarf as the group got closer to the outpost.
The Hunters just gawked at his ID Card.
"O-Oh?" The woman there squeaked as Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Y-You're real?" She gasped in awe as she touched his nose.
His tongue came out and she pulled on it.
Nicholas facepalmed as Jun giggled along with her children.
Right, the mystical Friend Tongue.
~NRK~
The streets of Vale came to a swift stop as they watched him walk around in disbelief.
'... This is way more than in Atlas, it almost feels like there are more stares,' Naruto said as Penny hummed.
"Vale's population isn't as big as Mantle's and Atlas's combined," the android explained as kids fumbled around corners or ran across the streets.
Naruto's eyes widened at them and he ran through handsigns before slamming hit hands into the ground.
The screeching car went over a bridge of bone, coming to a halt feet from it.
"Holy crap! Don't do that!" The woman in the car squawked as she scrambled out of the vehicle to check on the surprised kids whose parents came running over to them. "Oh, Brothers," she held her chest as Naruto walked over.
'Everything alright?' He asked and the woman balked at him, looking up to see his eyes. '... I'll take that for a 'kinda'.' Naruto considered before looking at the gasping, awed, kids. 'Please don't run into traffic, your parents would be pissed.'
"Oh, thank the Brothers!" The mother of them said in relief, face pale before she looked at Naruto with a weird look. "... T-Thank you, sir."
'No problem. I doubt seeing me is a normal day in your lives.'
"It's not."
He walked back over to the others before pressing his hands into the floor and the bone bridge went flat into the floor, becoming another part of the road.
'That was dangerous, yikes.'
"Ya did good," Nicholas said with a hand to his chest. "I barely noticed them."
"You're a hero!" Jaune said as Charlie snickered.
"He's the Black Wonder!" The 'green' girl said.
'Slow your rolls there, sitcom and sister, no need for that.'
"Wait! Who's the sitcom!?"
'Hehe.'
~NRK~
Getting seated in one of Vale's nicer restaurants had gone… eerily well.
Naruto hummed as sat on the floor and still looked like he was sitting at the table from height alone.
'Hmm, have I gotten taller?' He asked Penny as he looked over a menu.
"Hmm, no, my sensors believe you are the same height, well, perhaps an inch or since last month," his best friend said as he hummed with a nod.
'Alright. I've never been here, have you guys?'
"Yes, we only really come here on one of the kids' birthdays," Nicholas said as he looked at the menu. "Are you sure, Naruto?"
'Yeah, go wild, don't get sick but go wild.'
"Then I know what I'm getting," Nicholas said with fierce determination as he looked at a very big steak. "What about you, hun?"
"Well, there's this nice lobster bisque," Jun said as Naruto tilted his head.
'Never had lobster before. Heck, I only know about it from cartoons.'
"Hm, hm, hm, it's an acquired taste but it's very nice."
The others got their choices down before a shaky waiter came up to them.
"H-H-How can I serve ya, s-sirs, ma'ams?!"
They ordered around the table before Naruto gave his.
'Let me get this Avocado Brisket with a tangy sauce and a large Ceasar salad, thanks,' the Grimm said as the young man stared at him. '... Yeah, I get that a lot, too.'
He jumped before writing it down and scrambling off. "Apologies! Be with you in 20 minutes!"
"That was rather rude," Sarcelle said as Naruto shrugged.
'Can't blame him, he's probably never seen a Grimm in his life and now he's told there's a nice one? He's likely not prepared,' he said but she pouted regardless.
"So, you're going to go and speak with Oobleck, huh? What about?" Nicholas asked.
'Penny-chan.'
"Ozpin has informed Dr. Oobleck about Naruto's inherent abilities. Those same abilities can get him to places where others can't normally go, yes?" Penny said.
"Ah, right, I'd forgotten. So, he'd be helping Bart on digs?" Jun asked. "Yes, that would be a rather impressive advantage."
"Whatcha mean?" Charlie asked.
"Remember, Naruto isn't bothered by Grimm," Nicholas whispered. "So, in that same way, he can go all over without being targeted by them."
'Yeah. Since I can do that, I can go all over the world with vehicles and stuff to find things,' Naruto added.
"Oh," Sarcelle looked excited. "W-What about your ship?" She asked and the others perked up with just as much excitement.
'Oh, yeah, I'm currently doing ten times the boating stuff,' Naruto said as they gasped in awe. 'So, like, probably in the coming month I'm going to get my first go-around at navigating a boat.'
"H-How big?!" Jaune asked with stars in his eyes.
"The vessel is going to be the size of a small bullhead," Penny giggled a bit as they looked more excited. "All things considered, Naruto can make as big of a crew as necessary so it's really just seeing how he handles different sizes, yes?"
"Hm, hm, hm, a Grimm-navigated voyage, sounds funny," Jun said as Nicholas snorted… before considering something… interesting.
"Tell me, Naruto, how far do you plan to go one day?" He asked with determination as Naruto blinked.
'Oh, well, I do want to be able to drive from here to Menagerie. Or, really, I want to go all around the world to see what it's like.'
"Hmm… When you get the chance to be truly sea-ready. Do you think you could let me on your ship and take me to a location?" Nicholas asked as his family and Penny balked. "I know it's not faster than a bullhead but it'd be cheaper if you don't mind."
Naruto smiled. 'I would have let you on without you paying me, ya know? Most ships have you paying for all the stuff on it, for me, it's just me. I don't mind, though, shouldn't you find something to fix that travel sickness?'
"I-I find a way."
"C-Can we come?!" Jaune asked as his father hesitated.
"My boy, you all also have the same sickness. If we could find a way to deal with that, it'd help."
"Hmm," Penny considered something, eyes whirling as green constantly blipped on her face. "Well, we could probably bring this up to the General. Perhaps we can cordon off a scientist or two who could help."
"R-Really?" Jun smiled shakily. "Honestly… i-it'd be nice to not have to worry every time we get into a cart/van/bullhead and everything."
'We'll figure it out. Maybe I can have you guys don my clones and that'll work,' Naruto whispered mentally to them. 'For now, I have to actually drive a boat first and foremost.'
~NRK~
Ozpin chuckled as he and Glynda waited at the front of the school before a familiar wind-propulsion-form Grimm landed with a few of his copies.
The roaming students balked and gaped as Naruto and his copies' armored forms went back to normal before they released their passengers.
"... That didn't feel bad at all," Nicholas realized in disbelief as the clone he'd rode in on snickered. "H-How long was your last trip again?"
'From Atlas to Argus in five hours,' Naruto noted. 'I don't know how far that is.'
"It's almost a thousand miles," Ozpin said with a chuckle as he and Glynda strode forward. "Didn't expect to see you so soon, what with your boat training."
'Even now, I've got several clones looking over the manuals, the boat simulators in that new simulator room I built, and others are doing more diving,' Naruto said as Glynda and he embraced. 'Sup, Glynda-nee, how have classes been?'
The students around choked, paled, or fainted as THE Glynda Goodwitch… smiled and laughed.
A cold day in hell had fallen upon them.
One familiar student came over to them with a blush in the Beacon uniform. "W-What are you guys doing here?" Cera Arc asked in horror as her mother smiled.
"We were doing some shopping before following Naruto here to Beacon. We figured that your siblings would like to see it," the mother of eight said as Cera chuckled nervously.
"Sis!" The six able-to-walk-well siblings cheered and Cera blushed before grinning.
"How's it going? You guys have probably been the talk of the town."
As the Arc siblings reunited, Naruto chuckled as he and Penny listened to Glynda.
"So, of the classes of this semester, we've been trying to start a new curriculum," she said with a smile. "We've been considering a sort of over-the-Summer mentoring for students."
"How's that holding up? Did you borrow the idea from Atlas?" Penny asked with a smile as the older female nodded.
"James has been rather forward with making the connections between kingdoms deeper," Ozpin said to Nicholas, Jun, Naruto, and Penny, young Violet held in her mother's arms. "I've been considering some inspiration from Mistral as well."
"Hmm? How so?" Nicholas asked.
"You know how the curriculum was. Every year, there's a top student in the combat classes. So, like the 'famous figure' culture of Mistral, I'm considering that the top teams of every year would get a special mission with myself."
"T-That's amazing, Ozpin!" Jun said and the man chuckled as Naruto smirked.
"I've been meaning to move around a bit more. It'd be a one-month idea. Every week, I'd take them out to fight Grimm beyond their level but not my own, that way, they can actually experience how strong they can be while not being in danger. If we see good results, I'm likely going to consider cross-continental missions between fourth-years."
'That sounds cool,' Naruto said. 'Man, imagine seeing more of the world if you're the best of the best, that sounds like it'd make 'em work hard.'
"The idea is hopefully a good one," Glynda said. "For now, we'll be testing the waters. Now, come, it's just time after the students' lunch."
The group went inside with the eyes of the student body looking at them from the sidewalk, halls, windows, and roof of the school.
Jaune looked at everything in awe as Naruto chuckled. 'You're looking at one of the four leading bastions for Hunters, I'm not surprised,' he said before fistpumping. 'Hah, I used that word perfectly.'
The younger females snickered at him while Penny's smile could light up a room.
"You're doing Penny's puzzles, are you?" Glynda asked with a smirk that Jun giggled at. "I'm glad you're so devoted."
'She's my best friend in the whole world, it's no contest.'
Penny giggled a bit more, core warming. "I'm glad! Plus, it also builds your verbal repertoire. I'll need to add pirate idioms inside!"
'Oh, now that sounds fun!'
"Hmph," Ozpin chuckled as they stopped by a classroom. "Ms. Cera, I believe you know who's in this room."
Cera grinned nervously while Nicholas snorted.
"So, that guy is really here, huh?"
"Yes, he's a History teacher," he said as he opened the door. "It's fit well-"
"IS THAT HIM?!" Came a messy-green-haired man as he zipped on over.
Wearing a white half-tucked white dress shirt, a loose yellow tie, black pants, and brown dress shoes, the man grinned, his fair skin creasing as his green eyes looked at Naruto with interest, his glasses gleaming in the light.
'Sup?' Naruto said before the guy was already shaking his hand. 'Oobleck, right? Dr. Oobleck?'
"YES!"
Glynda smirked as Ozpin laughed. "He's very proud about that, by the way," she said as Naruto chuckled.
'Hey, I ain't gonna take that from him, Glynda-nee-Whoa?!' Naruto began saying before Oobleck was up in his face in seconds. 'Huh?!'
"Old Mistrali?! You know that language?!" The man's eyes shone brightly. "FASCINATING!"
"Yes, well, you're being rude, Oobleck," Nicholas said flatly as the doctor grinned before leaning back as implied.
"So, you teach history at Beacon," Penny said before she found her hand shaking his like Naruto had. "I didn't think humans were this fast."
"Ah, yes, the robot!" Bartholomew said in more excitement. "You have a soul, do you not?"
"Indeed," Penny said with a smile. "Thanks to my father, I can produce Aura and the like."
"Yes, that's great news!" Bart said as he adjusted his glasses before looking at the chuckling Cera. "Ah, Ms. Arc, welcome."
"Thanks, teach," Cera said as she went in.
"Oh, all of you, please, come in! Inspective minds and curious thoughts are all to be nurtured in my classroom."
Nicholas rolled his eyes as his wife giggled.
They did all go in, though, so that was that. The entire class choked at the sight of Naruto.
"Welcome our guests! This large family being Ms. Arc's while we have the living Grimm in our class! Why this is time for a custom class day!" Oobleck said with excitement as Naruto chuckled.
'How's everyone-'
"He talks!"
"So he has a soul!? Where's his Aura?!"
"Are you able to evolve?!"
"Are you a super-Grimm?!"
"What's your fur feel like?!"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. 'Um, in that order? I do. I have a soul but we don't want to awaken it in case something weird happens. Yes but only temporarily. I guess. And, well, you can feel it for yourselves-'
The entire freaking class rushed out of their seats and he was mobbed in seconds.
'W-Wait, hold on, one at a-Hey now!' Naruto's mouth fell as one of the guys lifted his arms and threw it over his shoulders.
"We've returned from the battlefield."
'I mean, maybe, one day-'
"For my blog! Say, cheese!" A girl said and Naruto turned to it with the entire class around him smirking. "Sick."
'I would have-'
"It's so freaking soft," another girl said as she rubbed her face into his other bicep's fur. "This feels amazing!"
'Whoa now!'
The students' collaborative efforts finally came to an end as Oobleck broke them up with a chuckle.
"I'm glad you all are so intrigued but, please, don't be rude to our guests."
"Sorry, teach."
Naruto let out a sigh of relief as Nicholas snorted while his family snickered from the front row.
"Apologies, even if they are third-years, they're an excitable lot."
'N-Nah, I get it, you don't get to touch a Grimm without it trying to bite you often,' Naruto said before shaking his fur. 'Ah, much better.'
A hand raised and he blinked while Bart chuckled.
'Uh, go.'
"So, are you, like, actually part-dog, or is that just a thing you do?" The boy asked and the other students perked up.
'Oh, well, I think I just do it because I look like a werewolf, ya know?'
Another raised.
'Go.'
"So, like, can I make a wig out of your fur?" The girl asked and the class began to laugh. "Think about it! Flaming hair that's not actually gonna burn you!"
'I mean, I'm kind of donating to the Atlas military a lot. Not sure how much that'd be.'
"I've sheared sheep before, I can figure this out!"
'Y-Your energy is good but, uh, not today,' the girl groaned, flopping her head on her desk as her teammates snickered. 'Next?'
More and more questions were asked and he answered to the best of his knowledge.
Then Bart had questions.
"So, I'm curious, what are you up to right now?" He asked, writing everything he'd heard down into a notepad. "Riveting."
'Oh, well, I'm currently learning how to drive a boat,' Naruto said and the class blinked as one.
"Why?" Cera asked.
'So I can drive a boat. I don't get bothered by Grimm normally because of my outer shell, ya know? If I can go places where others can't, I can find stuff people couldn't and bring it back. Plus, I can drive a boat.'
"Like a pirate?!" One of the students asked.
'Exactly like a pirate. Who knows, I might actually find treasure that got left behind, that'd be awesome.'
"ARE YOU TAKING VOLUNTEERS?!"
"Calm down, students, the whole point is he can go without being bothered, not you," Oobleck chuckled as the boy deflated. "Though, I'm curious. How far along are you?"
'I'll be navigating my first boat in a month!' Naruto grinned. 'I've been reading the manuals for months and, finally, I'm ready.'
"Where are ya gonna head?" Cera asked.
'So far, we're gonna have me practice a course between the edge of Atlas to Argus. Following that, I'm gonna go from Argus to Vale and then to the Vytal Island and then back to Atlas.'
Behind him, Oobleck brought out a giant map and drew the course each time Naruto spoke.
"Is that all going to be continuous?" He asked and Naruto shook his head.
'Right now, I'm currently building a port,' Naruto said and the man's grin could have cut diamonds. '... Oh, right, you guys don't know but I've made a ton of stuff at a place I'm staying at. It's private since I like my privacy and I've built a bunch of cabins, a training ground, a place for internet, a smithy, and all kinds of stuff for where I'm at.'
"Are you sure you don't want to tell us?" A girl asked with eyes full of hype. "Please? That sounds too good, man!"
"It does!"
"Yes! An island of man!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Naruto snorted as the students got into a debate over if it was a 'man's' island or not.
'They're weird,' Naruto said and Oobleck grinned.
"Yes, it's magnificent isn't it?"
'... It is.'
After ten minutes of discussion on whether he counted as just a 'man', which Naruto chipped in on that he was male, they got back to chatting.
"So, you're the guy who destroyed that Black Gate thing? What is that?" A student asked.
'It's a zone that's been, essentially, conquered by Grimm. No life can lift there, even the ground felt drained, it was rough,' Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head while he and Oobleck drew on the man's blackboard. 'So, like, the ground was super brittle, think of crunchy sand.'
"Ugh," a student heaved. "Don't say that! I can taste it already!"
'Yeah, it wasn't pleasant but, if you want a better texture, think of it as hot chocolate powder.'
"... Smck, smck, much better, thanks."
Jaune laughed at that.
~NRK~
The school day came to the last class with Naruto simply sitting in for most of Bart's history classes before he found himself in Glynda's combat class for the third-years.
He stood in the arena with Cera across from him as Glynda stood at the side.
"This will be a match until either combatant is disarmed, their soul levels are low, or they admit defeat, understood?" She asked the two who nodded.
'Ready to get wild!'
"Y-Yeah, I'm not letting you think you can beat me so easily!"
"Then let the match… begin!"
Naruto raised his gauntlet before rushing Cera who readied her whip. 'I've seen how he fights, he's fast but small movements-' She began to think before Naruto's left arm became the gauntlet while the right bared his ax. 'Yikes! That's right!' He did have an ax!
The Grimm lunged and she jumped out of the way before turning to face a quickly approaching Naruto. 'Too fast!' Hadn't he been struggling with Ms. Rose? '... Is the difference between her and me that big?'
She swung out with her wipe and Naruto dodged with a mere shift of his body as she skidded back before swinging out, again and again, her weapon cracking against the arena floor with each miss.
Her Aura flared around her whip and she grinned as she swung out again, Naruto dodging like before to her expectation.
The Grimm's eyes widened and he threw himself to the side, skidding to a stop as a tornado of Aura expanded out from her whip's entire length.
'Oh, energy can travel down it and rotate, yeah?' He asked as she grinned.
"Yep, Extension and Expansion of Aura gets taught to all students in their second and third years in the Academies," the young woman explained. "But that's clearly not everything!"
The expansion of wind shifted before shooting out towards him.
'Hmph,' he smirked.
And then reared back a fist, much to Cera's disbelief.
His fist swung out at the air and the two streams of wind pressure canceled out, tossing back the hair of the students in the stands.
"That's some impressive strength!" Bartholomew said with a grin as he sat next to the Arc family. "Hmm, tell me, how do you believe he compares to a Hunter?"
"He's fought that Summer woman before," Nicholas explained and Bart looked surprised.
"Summer? My word, I haven't heard from her in a long time," the moss head said with a hum. "I'm assuming he lost."
"Yessir!" Saphron said with a snicker. "She basically bullied him into a loss. Next time, he'll remember to not comment on a woman's appearance," the teen said with a smirk.
Oobleck looked at Nicholas with a shaky smile and the father snorted before shaking his head.
Yeah, trying to fight that fact was an act in futility.
Cera swung out at Naruto as he charged her, arms back at his sides.
She swung around and back, whip coming around at the back of his head but he ducked lower and sped up.
Cera could only block his punch by crossing her arms and that still sent her flying across the battlefield, form tumbling into a roll before she recovered into a crouch barely fast enough to send out another surge of her Semblance and Aura technique.
Naruto sliced through the controlled tornado before sending out a slice of darkness that Cera jumped out of the way of, cracking her whip against the floor as she did.
The slice of Aura heading his way was dodged with a slight shift to the side as he charged her again.
The woman lunged in response, her whip's length and handle held in her grasp.
As they were a mere foot away, she ducked low and rotated, sending out her whip's length around Naruto's sweeping arm. Cera grinned as she wrapped it up before pulling down.
He followed her pull and she reached out with a swiping hand-
Naruto hand stand-flipped around her and wrapped his arms around her, locking her in.
"T-The heck was that?!" Cera balked at him and he snickered.
'You're good, pretty decent with that last bit, but the difference in our specs is the issue. I've fought more dangerous opponents and got stronger by doing that,' he said as she struggled, Aura flaring to little effect. '... Ya done?'
Cera's legs kicked before she slumped. "This isn't cool."
'That's calling it.'
Glynda smirked. "Then the fight has come to an end! Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!"
Cera's classmates hollered, whistled, or heckled as she blushed bright red.
"D-Dammit, you guys! You come down here and fight him then!" She said in indignation.
And… well, she got a show out of it.
Twenty minutes later, Cera sat with her family, feeling great as the last person in her class walked away from the arena in defeat.
"Not so easy, is it?" She heckled and the girl pouted with a huff.
"Bleh, bleh, bleh! I hope I can toss you on a bullhead soon," the classmate said as Cera looked none the worse for wear.
So, the day wasn't so bad.
~NRK~
Come nightfall… Cera was starting to regret a lot of things.
Her cheeks reddened before she facepalmed at the 'private' chat room made on Beacon's internal website for students.
In a 'Girls Only' forum, she found a topic she didn't want to find!
So, Smash or Pass?
The number of Smashes going on in that thread made her want to throw herself over the Beacon cliffs.
Anything would be better than trying to get these stupid thoughts out of her head!
~NRK~
Naruto grinned as he turned the wheel gently, the boat shifting slowly as he kept them all on a simple trajectory.
'How're the waves?' He asked those on the deck, the cheering from the Arc family's children getting a chuckle out of him.
The intercom in his cockpit/cabin sparked. -It's going well! We're well on course to Argus, halfway there with no issues!-
Penny giggled as the Naruto clones, all wearing orange bandanas around their heads and biceps, the clones working the ship's mast and cleaning.
Jaune, Yang, Ruby, Blake, Nora, and Neon cleaned along with them, the six wearing their own bandanas and mini-pirate mate uniforms as their parents laughed or cheered them on from the side.
"He's really driving a boat," Sienna said in disbelief as Perry cackled and Aster snickered. "W-We're on a Grimm boat!"
It was true. With Naruto's materials, the powerful wood from a large tree on his island he'd been nurturing for this day, and Earth Dust from the island's bottom parts, his boat wasn't just amazing.
It was fast.
The winds were controlled by his clones as the rutter shifted on its own by an application of Naruto's power.
As it turned out, the entire ship responded to him, for some reason the tiger Faunus didn't understand. Though, he'd also informed them that it also responded to Aura if they had the right amount of control.
"How in the world is he this good at using energy?" The woman balked as Summer snickered in her own pirate uniform. "... You're enjoying this a bit much," she sweatdropped as the woman cleaned with a grin.
"I've never been a pirate before! This is great!"
Right.
Qrow snickered from atop the 'Qrow's Nest', named by him, drinking as he held a telescope in his hand. Wearing another pirate uniform, he was truly meant for that post.
"Hahahahah! I'm a pirate!" He cawed as Glynda scoffed at him.
"Honestly," she rolled her eyes as James chuckled, the two sitting on a set of wooden chairs and a table with a parasol above it. "You'd think he was meant to be up there."
"Hm, hm, well, he kind of is," the general smirked as she chuckled, the man pouring her out some wine. "Still, Naruto's handling the boat well. With its amazing speed, the application of his energy control, and his strength, he's brought us halfway to Argus in a matter of hours compared to the 12 hour-ride it'd take for a bullhead."
"It speaks to the strength of his materials," she said as she sipped her glass. "We now know that it does get more powerful as he does. Over time, he might even be able to create strong enough materials that'd aid bullheads, buildings, and the like."
"Naruto's bound to get stronger, yes?" Ozpin said as he leaned on the side of the ship's railing. "The more of these Black Gates he destroys, there's a high chance he'll gain more power or skills."
"... Hmm, I guess it's time I bring out some more information," James said as he brought up a folder from his bag and placed it on the table, Ozpin coming over to look at it with Glynda. "Let's read these and you tell me what you think."
Meanwhile, Nicholas, Jun, Cera, Saphron, Kali, An, and Tai tanned near the front of the boat, the sunlight perfect for their skin in their swim trunks and bikinis.
"Oooohhh… this is nice," the mother of eight said as she held her youngest, the young child covered in sunscreen and wearing a smaller version of the shades her mother wore. "Yes, this breeze is just amazing, too."
"Hmm," Nicholas hummed in relaxation, the man in a warm daze as Tai chuckled.
"Yes, this is culture," he said with a snicker as Cera let out a bark of laughter while An chuckled.
"It's been so long since I've been on the sea in a boat," she said with a smile.
"Yes," Kali said as her ears twitched while she drank some fruit juice. "Oh, that hits the spot."
Coming into the Captain's cabin minutes later, Ghira, Li, Ren, Penny, and Nora brought in some food and drink for their 'captain'. Gamakuro sitting on the console and croaking away.
"Naruto! We've got food!" The small girl said with a grin as the Grimm chuckled, making a copy to handle the wheel.
They went to a table in the corner of the cabin and laid it out for him to partake in.
'Mmm,' the Grimm smiled as he munched down. 'So, what's your opinion on my driving so far?'
"It's good," Ghira said with a chuckle as he and the others sat down and ate with him. "You've done many test drives before this and it shows in your handling. Why, I'd certainly hire you for some shipping if things go well."
'I'd be all for it.'
"This is my first time at sea," Li explained and Nora hummed.
"I've only ever seen it!" The girl declared. "The ocean's so blue! I-I never thought I'd ever seen it from here!" Nora said as she sat next to the Grimm who chuckled, bumping her shoulder gently with his fist. "Heh!"
"So, we're gonna make it to Argus in three hours," Ren said with a smile. "Was it hard to make the port there?"
'Honestly, not really,' Naruto said with a chuckle. 'The thing is, James-ossan has a lot of pull there and I was able to do this while also helping fix up the other ports there. Me, Petra, his wife and daughter, and a few other citizens helped to do that.'
"Petra… Oh," Li's eyes widened. "The Number 50th Petra?" Naruto perked up.
'He's that high, dang.'
"Yes, he's well-known but you'll be hard-pressed to find other settlements willing to sprout his praises," Ghira chuckled. "Still, I guess he settled down. He used to be like the Legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya, that you met. He used to be a man who roamed the lands."
'Sounds like he did good work.'
~NRK~
Three hours later, the group watched in awe as they reached Argus.
The crowd of people there had been surprising but the cheering quickly got waves and cheers back from the group on the boat.
"WE MADE IT!" The children all cheered in unison as they slowly came to dock in a large wooden pier.
'Batten down the mast!' Naruto declared and they scrambled with amusement aplenty. 'I'll handle the lifeboats! Bring down the extra sails and lock in the anchor! We've hit land!'
The tasks were hilariously stereotypical as Jaune laughed while jumping out to tie the boat to the pier's metal posts.
"Hmm?" He blinked at the sound of interest, head turning to see a girl with vibrant red hair and green eyes. "Y-You know Naruto?" She asked. "Oh, I'm Pyrrha."
"Heheh, I'm Jaune!" Jaune introduced himself with a grin as the girl smiled back. "Y-Yeah! Naruto's been a family friend ever since he helped us out," the boy explained and the girl's eyes shined. 'She has really bright eyes,' they were pretty cool.
Things were pretty great!
~NRK~
Come February, Naruto grunted along with Penny, James, Glynda, Summer, and Qrow.
The others stayed above, watching from the new 'observation room' that Naruto had built over the past week for this very day.
'Alright,' the Grimm clenched his fist as he nodded. 'Let's figure out what's really down there.'
Time for some cave exploring.
~NRK~
And that's the end of this chapter! So, we unfurled a lot and it's just been an outright fun thing to write out.
So many things we've seen so far. For one, we've introduced Adam into the cast, cameo-wise, and Naruto's trying to stamp out his hate early but it's a work in progress.
Second, he's got a Summoning skill back. Though… well, it's certainly in need of work. Gamakuro's a 'G' though, takes everything in stride and is just chillin'.
We've finally introduced Oobleck and he's a 'wow and a half' for this fic. His students aren't much better, either. Especially Cera's classmates who are clearly the type of people to watch what Penny did on the internet.
Following that, we have the beginning of Naruto's boating adventures. We'll get more of those in the future, it's a big part of the fic's future. Oh and look at that, a fated pair has met, can't wait to write that.
Alright, see ya-Omake time!
~NRK~
~Omake: There's a Grimm on THE BOAT?! Ft. Naruto and a bit of his future crew~
The group blinked as they passed that weird fog, looking out at the landmass before them.
"Huh?" Yang blinked, bandana-covered hair flopping to the side as she lifted her telescope to look at the landmass. "... Yo, Cap! We're approaching land that doesn't look normal!"
-What's it lookin' like?- Came Naruto's voice over the intercom in the Qrow's Nest.
"It's weird…" Yang frowned. "Sensors! I'm calling out!"
"What's going on?!" Jaune called from below. "... That's weird!" He called out. "Pyrrha!"
"Coming!" The Mistral Champion came forward to the front of the Nine-Maelstrom with Ren and Nora behind her. "What's wrong?"
"I'm seeing weird land!" Yang called out and the redheaded young woman frowned.
"... Captain, the seas are shifting oddly!"
-Which way?-
"It's shooting back from the island?" The redhead said in surprise.
"Hmph," Ren frowned. "... Wait, what?" He balked as he stepped back. "T-That's weird. There's a ton of bad energy coming from there. Nora!"
"On it!" The carrot top said as her hands sparked with electricity as Jaune came forward and rested his hands on both her and Ren's shoulders. "Tell me when!"
"WHEN!" Ren called as he held out his hands.
Gray shot over the entirety of the ship while Nora grinned before rushing over to the side of the boat and clapping her hands.
Electricity rang out in the wind, barely hovering over the sea before steam and ozone began to form.
It spilled out around the ship before covering them from all forms of sight but they weren't done.
-Jaune!- Ruby's voice came from within the Captain's cabin. -Amp us up!-
The blonde boy did, pressing his hands against the floor of the deck.
An energy field of light blue began to spread out around it before it slowly sank.
-Engaging Hard-Water-Light Dust!- Penny's voice came from the cabin as well.
They sank below the waves with little issue, their bubble shield keeping the water out while letting air in.
"What's going on?" Ruby asked as she slipped out of the cabin, Blake right behind her with Whitley, the boy looking surprised. "What happened?"
"There's nothing but dark energy coming from over there," Ren said with a frown as the ship moved beneath the waves and they blinked at the island's bottom. "Odd, I didn't think there was an island like this to the back of Atlas."
The island was big from beneath but the more they saw, the more horrified they got.
-Don the armor!- Naruto ordered as Beowolf copies shot out from the bottom deck doors to cover the groups. -Those are Grimm Whales?!-
Once covered, the group could balk in safety as they saw them. Those ridiculously large Grimm.
They ignored them as expected, the ship moving beneath them as they gaped at their size.
"These guys are bigger than the Blastwyrm?" Ren grimaced as Nora's eyes narrowed. "They're attached to the island, what's going on?"
"It seems like the island is a mobile one," Pyrrha said with a frown. "If that's true… Why?"
-We'll figure it out then- Penny said as the ship passed the island's area before coming up. -Naruto-kun?-
-There aren't any presences on this side of the island… human or Grimm. We're coming up!-
The ship breached the waters, ignorant to the red eyes of the whale Grimm turning to them as they did.
Above water, the bubble around them slowly faded away as they went in to land on the beach they saw.
"What the heck was that?" Yang wondered with a frown before jumping down, landing on the deck softly with a small burst of Aura before her landing. "What's going on here?"
"I don't know but I don't like it," Jaune said with a frown. "... We should check it out," he said. "Naruto? What do you think?"
-Leave us on the boat and go. Make sure to take a good bit of Regen Fruit with you and never let Ren's Semblance fall. We'll look at things from here-
"Gotcha," Nora said. "Blake?"
"I'll stay on the boat with them and Whitley," the cat Faunus said as Whitley nodded.
"Right now, us, Weiss, Adam, Sun, and Neptune will handle things. For now, we need to figure out what's going on here and hope it can be solved," the Schnee boy said as the group nodded.
"Alright, we'll head out," Yang said before patting Jaune on the back. "Come on, Fearless gigolo, let's go."
"I-I'm…" Jaune tried to defend the mark but Pyrrha and Ruby's blushes caused him to slump. "L-Let's just go," he grumbled.
The group of six departed into the forest before them after grabbing several small fanny packs full of Regen Fruit.
As they moved about, hopping from tree to tree as their ninja-inspired captain had taught them, they frowned as the sounds of life reached them.
"What?" Yang said quietly as they stopped by the treeline, peeking out to see…?! "The hell?"
Humans and Faunus were currently backing away in a huddled group as a pack of bandits accosted them.
Well, they wanted to call them just normal bandits but that's where things got odd.
The bandits' bodies were riddled and adorned by white bone-like material and black spots over their shoulders. Spikes of bone came out of their backs and their skin was bone white.
All familiar traits. "What in the world is this?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune frowned.
"Wait, he's saying something."
The leader of the band of Servers huffed. "You know you're supposed to send your sacrifice to our Queen soon, yeah?" He asked lazily to the group who grimaced.
"We did it last year! Why are we doing it again?!" One of them shouted.
"Hmph, you're forgetting, Our Majesty could care less, she won the world, we live on rent. Now, reminder, give us a PAIR of sacrifices this time around. No games," he frowned as the group gasped.
"W-Why?!"
"The rate's increased. Don't know why but she's not happy and when she's not happy, we're not good."
The huddled group grimaced before their faces grew more despaired as time went on, the sound of growling around them causing their fear to rise.
"This has literally been the situation for centuries! Ya sacrificed me so easily and now you want to be good guys?!" He roared at them as Grimm slipped out of the forest. "Don't fuck with me! Give up two of yas!"
The group paled before one figure stepped out of their midst shakily with a child in her arms.
Children.
The six's eyes widened in disbelief at the two.
Because… wasn't that Adrian and Violet?!
"What?" Yang hissed in horror. "W-What are they doing here?!"
"I don't know! The Arc said with a growl. "What's going on?! Who are they talking about?!" Jaune's hands clenched as he reached for his sword. "... No time, Ruby, Nora!"
The two's forms glowed with their Auras as electricity crackled over Nora's form.
"Right."
The two kids made to walk towards their 'altars' when the men and Grimm were slammed into the surrounding areas.
"Puwah!?" The main man, their Deliverer, hit the floor fiercely, the area around him cratering with ease as he groaned. "T-The hell hit me-"
His man yelled as electricity throbbed on their forms before they fell still in paralysis while the Grimm around them seemed to vanish in bursts of red and white, the ring of them vanishing in seconds as two figures appeared in front of him.
Jaune and the others rushed out from the forests and the group of horrified people balked at them, looking confused.
"Are you all alright?" He asked the two kids who blinked at him before Violet gasped.
"J-Jaune? I-I thought you went to…" The girl looked horrified and ready to cry.
Jaune grimaced before kneeling by her and holding her close. "What's going on?"
She sniffled as she spoke, Yang frowning as she looked around, causing the girl to yelp.
"W-What's she doing here?!" She screamed as the others of her group paled as well.
"Huh?" Yang blinked. "Uhh… what are you talking about?"
"H-Huh?" Violet looked both confused and terrified as she got a good look at Yang. "... Y-You're human?"
"..." The Little Sun Dragon frowned as she pulled a walkie-talkie out of her fanny pack. "Yo, Cap? We've got a weird situation going on?"
-Define 'weird'-
"Uhhh… So, uh, we just found Jaune's youngest sister and Adrian in a random group of people, like, a mile or two from the boat."
"B-Boat?" Came the voice of another of the huddled group as Ren frowned. "W-What boat?! You mean you're here to take us away from here?!" He asked in hope as Pyrrha blinked.
"I-I'm confused! What's going on?!" She asked and they looked at her in horror. "P-Please explain. What's going on?"
"H-How are you human? You were a horrifying abomination several years ago!" The man said and Pyrrha gaped.
"... I don't like this," Nora said as she and Ruby looked at them before grabbing her own walkie-talkie. "... Yo, uh, Naru-Daddy? Crazy idea but did we enter a whole new world when we went through that fog?"
-... What?- Naruto choked. -... Wait, hold on! We're coming!-
There were loud noises over the line before the sound of closing doors. -We're coming!- Blake said as a figure appeared in the distance in the air before he came down on their location, an orb of wind the only thing stopping him from rupturing the earth from force alone.
And the crowd behind the group looked on, horrified, as a Beowolf Alpha wearing a long coat landed with his passengers getting off of him.
Adam, a monkey Faunus teen, and a blue-haired male human teen got off with the others. "What's going on?" The bull Faunus asked with a frown, blue eyes, one with white skin around it in an odd pattern, looking at the group of shocked, pale, folk.
"GRIMM!?" They choked in unison as Naruto crossed his arms in confusion.
"What's going on?" He asked the others who frowned before he saw Adrian and Violet. "The hell are these two doing on a random island?!"
The two children jumped and ran from his sight, hiding behind Nora.
Penny balked as she walked over. "What's going on?" She asked them as she crouched down. "Why are you running from him?" She asked.
"H-He's a Grimm!? Why are you all with him?! He's a Talker! He's more powerful than Salem's other Grimm!" Violet said with tears in her eyes as the boat group balked.
"SALEM!?" They said in unison, surprise and shock running across their features.
Where the hell were they?!
~NRK~
Words: 14.6k+
~NRK Out~