The Grimm Change
Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or RWBY
Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the other blond. Not only had he interrupted his conversation with Kyuubi, but also had no respect for someone's personal space.
"Hi Jaune. Could you maybe, back up a little?"
The boy sheepishly nodded, before taking a step back, and pulled up a chair to sit in front of him. Naruto silently noted the sword he had attached to his waist, and the shield like contraption on his back. Jaune wore brown leather armor over a mesh shirt, with a green pair of pants and black boots. All in all, he seemed to be prepared for a fight.
"I'm really sorry, it just seemed like you were asleep. I have to tell you, I'm a huge fan of yours. I think you've got the entire competition in the bag.
Especially the way you wield your sword, it's amazing!"
The young ninja was strangely shocked by the other's words. Not only was this the first time that anyone had claimed to be a fan of his, as he had only started in this Tournament recently. But the fact that it was a potential competitor was even more stunning. That spurred him to continue the conversation, as he shifted the weight of Galuchat against his left leg.
"That's strange. Aren't we supposed to be enemies. I mean, who knows if we end up facing each other on the field, and I don't think you should be a fan of your enemies."
Jaune only chuckled slightly at the fox Faunus's words, before it tapered into a sheepish gulp.
"I guess that's true, but I'd rather not have to fight anyone in this Tournament, let alone someone as powerful as you. But I need to win this thing if I want a chance at becoming a Huntsman."
Naruto was quite surprised by the change in Jaune's demeanour, but drove the thought to the back of his mind.
"I haven't seen you fight yet. How's your swordsmanship?"
Jaune smirked once, before pulling the metal blade out of its plain scabbard by its silver hilt, before holding it up rather clumsily, and making a few shadow strikes at the air. From what the blonde Faunus could tell, he had little practice, and the sword seemed a bit too hefty for him.
"I was supposed to fight a guy who didn't appear, so I qualified by default. I guess I'm just real lucky."
This was followed by yet another embarrassed chuckle, and this time the ninja's tenant began to complain in annoyance.
"I swear that kid's no good. He is evidently either a rookie or great at acting."
Naruto wasn't able to agree with the fox. Jaune was actually quite amusing, and it felt nice to talk to another competitor without any death threats being exchanged. The Faunus's gaze drifted to the large screen on the far wall, and he watched as the current match was ended by a rather decisive blow.
"So, who do you think you'll be going up against? I mean, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to win, but still."
The other blond's question pulled Naruto's attention back to the room, as he thought over the question. Up until now he hadn't thought much of who he'd be fighting. He had only gotten into the field and the rest was history.
But he decided to do his best to act friendly, so his eyes quickly scanned the television screen for a name. He was successful, as that was when they displayed the name of the guy who had just won his fight.
"Well, I think it will be Tristen Harksel, and, to be honest the guy seems like a challenge."
Before Jaune could make an animated comment regarding this, a melodic chime rang out in the waiting room, followed by a digitalized feminine voice.
"All competitors proceed to the Arena for Quarter Finals match ups. All competitors proceed to the Arena."
Naruto pulled himself off of the couch, and lifted up his sword. He opted to place it onto his shoulder, being careful not to damage his clothes. His orange tail swished about in an erratic yet hypnotic motion, as he slowly made his way to the door, followed by Jaune.
The two were the last to leave the room, and stepped into the field to see six other competitors, and the Huntsman from earlier standing there.
The Huntsman held out a large top hat upside down, and smiled slightly as they all quieted down.
"We shall be selecting your opponents with one of the oldest methods in the book. In this hat there are eight names, your names. I will draw two, and those two competitors will have to test their mettle against each other it seems."
With that he reached into the hat, and seemed to make a big deal of picking two wrapped up pieces of paper. He took them out slowly, and silence seemed to blanket the entire Arena, even the ever cheering crowd.
"For the first match of the semi-finals we have...Jared Scorlan, and his opponent shall be..."
The man paused for dramatic effect, and Naruto couldn't help but smirk when the Kyuubi commented on how the man was more of a showman than a Huntsman.
"...Nikolay Avanor!"
Those words sent the audience into a series of perpetual cheers and hoots which seemed to take forever to finally quiet down.
Once there was some semblance of peace in the field, the man dipped his hand back into the hat, and repeated his entire charade before withdrawing two more names.
"After that, we will be seeing...Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze..."
The blonde Faunus perked up at these words, as he focused on the voice of the Huntsman, eager to learn the name of his next opponent.
"...against...Jaune Arc!"
Naruto's eyes travelled to his right side, where his designated opponent stood, whose eyes widened to comical proportions as he attempted to collect himself in vain.
The Faunus knew that Jaune would not offer much challenge, but he knew that he wanted to win this Tournament really bad. Naruto was in this not only to get a shot at Beacon Academy, but to impress Wokian and Drake as well. And he wondered if maybe there was someone that Jaune also wanted to impress.
"And that shall be all for the match ups. Now, we will take a one hour break, after which the semi-finals will officially begin, at 2pm sharp. Don't miss it!"
The loud applause of the crowd brought the Faunus out of his reverie, and he saw all the semi-final matchups displayed on the large screens above the Arena. As the competitors began to disperse, Naruto's eyes immediately caught the retreating form of Jaune, who was moving towards the exit.
"I believe that it would be best to talk to him. It won't do for any tension to come about during your fight."
The blond heeded his tenant's words, and swiftly pursued the other teenager, and found himself stopping in front of a very familiar ramen bar. He grinned at the irony, before entering the tiny shop.
Jaune sat at the bar with his head held in his hands as he absently looked over the menu. It was just his luck to be paired up against one of the competitors who'd probably win the entire Tournament. That too on his first actual fight!
"Jaune, what a surprise! Do you come to this shop, because I've never seen you here before?"
Naruto did his best to come off as amicable, for he didn't want to seem hostile as he sat onto the stool next to his fellow blond.
Jaune seemed to scrutinise the Faunus with slight suspicion before he allowed himself to heave a sigh, and answered the other teen.
"It's just, I was really surprised when I found out that they were pitching me against you of all people. I mean, I know it would take a miracle for me to be able to take you down."
Naruto responded to his acquaintance with a steady voice, and wisely didn't mention that he in fact agreed with Jaune's words.
"I know that you've been dealt a bad hand, but you should try to make the best of any situation. It doesn't help to worry about stuff that has already happened. You should get ready to do your best, and be ready to do even better next time around!"
Jaune looked up, slightly motivated by the blond, before sighing once more.
"But that doesn't change the fact that I'd have lost, and that still means something."
Naruto smiled at his words with understanding, as he tried to reconcile with the boy.
"Well, sure, it means something, but it doesn't necessarily have to be something bad. Loss can often be inspiration for greatness. Trust me, I know."
At this Jaune looked up with disbelief in his eyes.
"But you're you. I mean, almost the whole village is rooting for you, and all the competitors are afraid of facing you. How could you ever lose?"
It was Wokian who responded to the question, with a slight smirk on his face.
"Oh trust me, he was not always as strong as he is today. He worked his butt off to be what he is today, and he didn't start beating me until just recently, so he sure knows what loss means."
The young Arc merely grew a look of confusion at the words of the ramen chef, as he leaned back silently and whispered to Naruto.
"What is the old guy going on about?"
The ninja merely sighed exasperatedly, before gesturing towards the old man.
"That, is Wokian Kenshi, and he is my mentor, for the most part."
Jaune could literally feel his jaw drop at this information. Naruto, one of the most dangerous competitors, somebody who had gotten to the semifinals using merely his sword and his fighting, had been trained by a ramen chef, of all people.
Wokian noticed the look on the young boy's face, and snorted indignantly.
"I may not seem like it, but I was one of the best Huntsman of my time, and even today I'm no pushover."
The man finished his statement off by brandishing the ladle that he held, and Jaune jumped back as it suddenly grew into a huge staff. Wokian whirled it in his hands very deliberately and with great confidence. Naruto couldn't help but mutter 'showoff' under his breath, while Jaune seemed captivated by the display.
The chef then retracted his weapon, a grin on his face as he continued.
"My point was that everybody has experienced loss and failure, but it is up to them to decide how they use that. It can inspire great strength, but it is equally capable of inspiring great hatred."
Jaune seemed to ponder over those words for a moment, before getting up from his seat and turning to face Naruto.
"You're right. No matter what happens tomorrow, I need to make the best of it, and I need to make sure that one day, I'll be able to fight you and give you a challenge. Because no matter what, I'm still going to become a Huntsman one day."
Naruto smiled a true smile of joy at having convinced Jaune to not give up hope. He knew better than most that the best way to achieve your goals was to never give up on them.
"I would be honoured to fight with you one day Jaune, where we can both give it our all. But right now, you should worry about our fight in one hour, because I don't intend to hold back."
The other blond grew slightly apprehensive at this notion, but he brushed aside his worry and returned the ninja's smile.
"I know, and I wouldn't want any less from you, Naruto. And I assure you, I'll try my best too."
Wokian couldn't help but feel proud of his pupil. He knew that Naruto would turn into a fine Huntsman one day.
"Well, you two best be on your way to the arena. There's only twenty minutes left until the matches begin, and you wouldn't want to be late."
Sudden alarm appeared on the faces of both the blonds, before they quickly got up, and raced out of the ramen shop, running toward the stadium.
They arrived barely in time, and were the last to enter the arena, just as the first match was ending, too worried to even notice that Jared Scorlan had won the previous match.
They had hardly caught their breath before the commentators had yelled out their names into the mics, calling them onto the stage.
They both walked into the field, without exchanging any words. The ground itself had turned into a sandy terrain, with dust flying everywhere, and a few large boulders being embedded into the ground here and there. Both Huntsmen-in-training brought up their respective swords, and for one moment there was complete silence, shattered moments later by the referee's starting shot.
Surprisingly, Jaune was the first one to charge, bringing his sword up and running at his fellow blond with great conviction. Naruto held his ground and raised Galuchat to parry his rival's blow, slightly shocked by the strength behind the strike. But he was still able to push him back, and force Jaune to leap back to avoid a slash to his left side. Jaune spun on his feet and aimed another strike at Naruto's midsection, only for him to leap into the air and evade the blow, before bringing his sword down towards Jaune. But the novice swordsman was able to roll aside to avoid the attack, and ran behind one of the rocks, seeking temporary refuge.
Naruto wouldn't allow this and began firing bullets at the rocks to lure Jaune out. He wasn't ready for the boy's shield to come flying at him from over the rocks, and was barely able to react in time to smack it aside with the flat of his sword. But as he looked back at the boulders, he was taken aback to see that his opponent was nearly upon him, with his sword coming down upon him. The ninja was forced to crouch down while raising his own blade to deflect the strike. But he used that moment to his advantage, by kicking at the back of Jaune's knees, bringing him down. The former shinobi immediately got up, before bringing Galuchat dangerously close to the other blond's neck. After a moment of silence, where the crowd waited with baited breath, Jaune dropped his sword, surrendering to his opponent.
"I give up. I know when I'm beat."
The crowd began screaming at the top of their lungs as the commentators provided further fuel to their flames.
"And it seems to be yet another completely flawless victory for Naruto! This young man seems to be heading straight up to the top, and it doesn't look like he's stopping any time soon. He is already in the finals and we have yet to seem him do anything but use his sword!"
Naruto was helping Jaune up from the sand, as they both were checked over by paramedics to ensure they hadn't sustained any injuries. Both blonds shook hands with mutual respect, before the Huntsman from earlier returned, along with the participants from the other semifinal match.
"To those who have succeeded in progressing to the finals, I congratulate you. And to those who have come this far, you must realise that this is an achievement nonetheless. You have potential in your future. Use it wisely. Now, to come to matters of business, the finals are to be hosted the day after tomorrow, at noon. The fighters can use this time to train and recover. Know that people from nearby villages will also be coming to watch, so regardless of who wins, you must both set a good example for your own town. You are dismissed. Good luck."
The crowd once again applauded, as people began to slowly get up from their seats and exit the arena. Naruto walked alongside Jaune to the exits, hoping to have a word before he left.
"Hey, that was a great strategy you used with your shield, it actually caught me off guard. I'm sure with a little more effort and training, you'll make a great Huntsman one day."
Jaune smiled at his friend's encouragement, as he fiddled with the handle of his sword nervously.
"Yeah, well, I still have a whole lot of work cut out for me. But trust me, one day soon, I'm going to fight you and give you a run for your money, just you wait and watch."
Naruto smirked in return, glad to see the determination in Jaune's eyes, as he responded in his own fiery manner.
"I'll be waiting Jaune, and I'll be at Beacon Academy, and we'll see who stuck to their word."
Jaune's grin grew even wilder, as they both continued walking towards the village exits. When they arrived at the gates, Jaune turned around to face his new friend.
"I guess this is where we part ways. My family lives in a small settlement ten miles east of here, and the closest train station is about half an hour away from the Monchak. My parents and my sisters will probably get worried if I stay away for too long, so I need to get going."
The former shinobi nodded in agreement, knowing that Jaune must have come from far to have tried his hand at the Tournament.
"Well, I wish you best of luck, and I hope I meet you again at Beacon, because I'm going to hold you to your word. You're the first person I can honestly call a friend, and I don't want to lose my friends."
"You got it Naruto. I'll see you at Beacon one day, and you'll see just how stronger I'll have gotten."
They both stayed silent for a moment following the exchange, before shaking each other's hands firmly, with equally cocky grins on their faces. With
that, they both parted ways, as Jaune left through the exits, and Naruto made his way to his mentor's shop, eager to tell him the good news.
Author's Note:
Hehe, hi guys and gals. Yeah, its me. Yeah, the same guy who didn't post on this story for about a whole year. Damn.
Look, I'm really sorry, but I had to give a lot of exams last year, and I also have to this year. I've been piecing together this chapter gradually over the past year, but today I had a rush of inspiration, so here I am, uploading this around midnight where I live. I really truly am sorry.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I really wanted Jaune to be less of a pushover throughout the series, and always believed he could have been much better if he had only lost the fear of losing earlier. I hope I got his personality well, because it was rather weird writing this chapter. There is going to be a lot of plot related action in the next chapter, and it'll be a break from the previous few chapters, as in it will not have actual fighting.
So, over my time offline, I have developed a more moderated sense as an author. I will not edit my previous works, but there are a few things of the story which have yet to happen that I will change. But trust me, it isn't anything too major, this story isn't going to just turn into a gritty reality-fest or something. Also, I have to discuss the ages of the characters.
Naruto: 14
Jaune: 15
Pyrrha: 15
Nora: 15
Ren: 15
Blake: 15
Weiss: 15
Yang: 15
Ruby: 13
But I will be following the canon timeline for a bit, more regarding that will be explained in future chapters. So, once again I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and that you can forgive me for being offline for so long. Favorite or follow if you enjoyed, and feel free to review or send a PM if you have any inquiries, or are just looking for a conversation.
Well, that is a wrap, and I will see guys with the next chapter soon.
Peace Out
Kofukuna Shi No Kami