Hunting or Bust: The Journey Continues
Dust 2: Planning The Next Step
Well hello there.
Can't believe this series has gone long enough that we're getting an anime now! IQ looks really interesting so far…and has sparked a few ideas for me. Y'know…far, far down the road. Nowhere even close to this. We have a lot of ground to cover before we get there.
First, let's get back to the story at hand!
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"So what was up with you this morning?" Ruby asked her uncle as she and her friends made their way through the streets of Mistral, "You knocked on the door and didn't even say good morning to me. That's super rude."
"Uh-huh," Qrow grumbled out his answer beside her as they walked through the capital of Anima. The young Huntress noticed that he was keeping his eyes peeled and looking around as they walked by. Until he looked down at her pointedly, "What exactly were you doing in his room?"
"I went there to talk with Naruto last night." She answered honestly, scrunching up her nose at Qrow's weird attitude, "We talked for a bit and I…guess I ended up falling asleep?" She shrugged, "Right Naruto?"
"Yep." The whiskered blond nodded absentmindedly as he walked ahead of everyone and surveyed the path they took. Even though his attention was somewhere else he made sure to keep an ear open to their conversation, "And I stayed down in the living room for a while because I couldn't sleep. So I left you in my room after you finished crying yourself to-"
"AH!" Ruby rushed forward and appeared at his side in an instant to roughly punch his arm several times with a frown on her face.
"O-Ow!" Naruto exclaimed as she kept hitting, "H-Hey - ow, well you - ow! What do you want me to lie about? You totally - ah, stop hitting me!"
"You jerk!" Ruby grumbled, her cheeks heating up in a mix of embarrassment and indignation as she glared at him, "Don't say that out loud!"
"How was I supposed to know?!"
"It's common sense!" She exclaimed, looking back at her friends in hopes of salvaging some of her heroic, fearless, and cool leader persona she had cultivated since she first met everyone in Beacon.
By the expressions and looks on their faces…they weren't shocked or surprised at all.
Which kinda left her miffed in a different way.
"Aw, it's all good, Ruby." Nora stepped forward with her fists on her hips and her chest puffed out proudly, "I was going through the same thing last night. Instead of crying, I stayed up because I was laughing with joy! Because I kept whopping Naruto's butt in card games!" Her short ginger friend smirked and pointed at the peeved blond, "Haha, you sucked so hard! You never had a chance of winning!"
"Of course, I didn't! You kept changing the rules every turn and changing the game we were playing when I had the advantage!"
"Excuses!"
"Excuses?! Are you mental?!"
"I am the queen of games!" Nora proudly declared herself before looking around the street and licking her lips, "And the queen has decided to partake in snacking!"
Nora dashed down the street and started looking for the perfect snack to procure as Naruto trembled in fury. Only for Ren's calming hand to land on his shoulder and get his attention. The green-clad martial artist slowly nodded, "I'm glad to know there is another soul that suffers at the injustice of her rapid ruling breaking."
Naruto seemed to seethe for another moment before calming down and sagely nodding with his fellow victim.
Ruby couldn't help but giggle as she saw Naruto's exhausted response. She was relieved not only to see that he could still have fun and enjoy his friends' silliness but also…that he was still really here.
It was hard to imagine that less than a day ago her friend was still believed to have been killed in battle. But now here he was - talking and arguing and failing to keep up with Nora's lunacy. She half-expected that when she woke up she'd find out that it hadn't been real and Naruto was still gone.
But he was still here, and whatever miracle had brought them all together again was one she was all too thankful for.
"Well, there's no hope of ever getting Nora to play the games fairly like a normal person." Jaune grumbled forlornly before looking around, "So we should probably be focusing somewhere else."
"Yeah," Oscar nodded in agreement, "Like…what do we do now? Is there a plan we should be following? Ozpin said we should be training-"
"We will, but it's going to take a lot more than just us to storm the Branwen Tribe, hold off my sister, and reclaim the Maiden. We'll need numbers and ammo and a whole mess of supplies." Qrow pulled out his flask and undid the top, "Leo said it might take a month to secure the proper number of Hunters to help us but I think we could half that time if I call in some favors. After that, we'll need a strategy-"
"Uncle Qrow."
She interrupted his planning and looked up at him with a small smile before pointing toward Naruto. They looked at the blond Faunus as he tried to keep his composure and focus but couldn't help his feet shuffling in the dirt and his ears twitching randomly.
"Oh. Right." Qrow turned around in a full circle to get the lay of the land before pointing down the street, "Straight ahead for two intersections, then you'll take a left. A little bit further ahead and I think you'll be there."
Naruto didn't even wait for Qrow to finish giving directions before he made a wild dash down the street. The others had to quickly run after him but with a quick burst of her Semblance, she was right by his side in a second. Ruby followed after him, seeing the excitement and anticipation on his face before he finally turned the corner. He seemed to start recognizing the surrounding area and sprinted the last length before finally skidding to a stop.
Ruby joined his side and looked up at the large building standing before them.
The headquarters of Skyggen, the exceptional Hunter company working out of Mistral and founded by Minato Namikaze.
The others quickly caught up and stood at their side as they faced the imposing building housing friends and comrades alike. Ruby felt a bit nervous getting ready to enter and she was sure everyone else felt the same.
However, she knew none of that compared to what Naruto was feeling now.
Inside of that building were people Naruto knew and trained with that believed he died in Beacon. Inside there was his father who had probably taken his loss harder than anyone else in the world. He was finally going to see him again…
But it was clear his nerves were getting the best of him.
But thankfully she wasn't the only one who noticed. As she walked up and put a hand on his arm, Oscar patted his back. Nora did the same a lot more roughly and Jaune palmed his shoulder. Ren stepped up to his side and nodded encouragingly to try and ease his worries. He looked down at Ruby and she smiled at him, "We're here. You'll be fine."
He stared back at the doors of the building before taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sharp exhale. With a firm grunt, he got his feet moving and they all walked through the door.
As Ruby marveled at the interior lobby of the building, a woman called out from the front desk, "I'm sorry but we are extremely busy at the moment. If you would please make an appointment with us we can try to fit in your…"
She looked over at them and must have spotted Naruto among the crowd. As she just silently stared at them all the papers she had squeezed in her arms slipped out over the ground.
Ruby giggled as Naruto awkwardly stepped forward, "Hey Shizune…uh, long time, huh?"
((((((((Hunting))))))))
Weiss stared out the window as the brilliant and majestic landscape of Anima zoomed by underneath. It was so much more rural and elegant than the landscape of metal and stone she'd gotten used to in the middle of the tundra. She hadn't been all that impressed when they passed over the snowy north but once the landscape grew greener it started to captivate her.
She once thought the majesty of Atlas' manufactured utopia was a beautiful sight to be proud of. But in hindsight, there was so much more wonder she hadn't gotten to experience until she was finally away from her home.
As she watched the sun start to rise there was a reflection coming up just ahead that shined into the hull of her ship. She looked over and saw a wide expanse of water cresting over the horizon as the landscape gave way. For a moment Weiss fretted that they were going over the ocean again before she remembered that Anima had a gigantic lake straight in the middle of its landmass that provided most of the fresh water in the land.
"Hey, you okay back there?"
Weiss stood up and stretched out her arms, giving a little moan as she felt something in her back pop. She made her way up to the cockpit to see her pilot behind the controls as they started making their way over Lake Matsu, "Not the most comfortable sleep I've ever had but considering the circumstances, I can hardly complain."
"Yeah not exactly a luxury flight we're taking here." The pilot said with a sarcastic laugh before messing with the dashboard, "Good news is that we won't be making any more stops or have to avoid any air traffic now. We got over the worst of it in Argus and now it's just one smooth flight over the water."
Weiss nodded, "I don't mean to pry but it sounds like you've done trips like this before."
"That I have." He responded nonchalantly, "Serving our wonderful Kingdom dutifully and making a little scratch on the side when I can."
Well, it seemed like she wasn't the only one with grievances about their home. As long as it helped her get to Mistral, and hopefully her sister and friends, then she wasn't about to complain about ethical professional integrity.
{"M-May- -y, I repe-"}
Weiss' eyes widened as she overheard a message filled with static ring out from the intercom. The pilot quickly twisted the knob to try and clear the signal up, {"We're being swarmed by Grimm- just 50- licks nort- a-assist - Help us! For gods' sak-"}
The static overwhelmed the message and nearly cut it off entirely. Weiss' gulped and felt a cold grip around her stomach as she heard the faint sound of a monster's screeching from the other end of transmission.
Before the pilot turned it off completely, "We're going to need to stay clear of that quagmire."
"What are you doing?" Weiss asked as she felt their ship shift slightly to the side as he changed their trajectory, "Those people are dying out there."
"That's right. And hopefully, that means they'll be drawing the attention away from us." She wasn't relieved or happy to hear such callous reasoning for leaving other people to die. And that annoyance showed up on her face because when the pilot looked back at her he groaned, "Look, I'm not sure what you want us to do. This isn't a Bullhead or a battleship. It's a cargo ship. Its primary function is to deliver shit, not engage in Grimm aerial combat. If we tried to find these people and help them we'd only be dragging ourselves in to get killed too." He turned forward and focused on the flight, "If they're good pilots they'll get away. They can worry about themselves…we need to worry about us."
Weiss knew there wasn't much point in making an argument considering he was the one behind the controls and the only one who could fly the ship. Still, every part of her that had trained to be a Huntress, that wanted to help people, and couldn't ignore others crying out in fear was squirming that she had to do something. She didn't just want to leave people behind.
Especially because she was still mulling over having to leave the others in Atlas.
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"Hey, are you alright?"
Sasuke looked up and over at Fū as she walked by his side and looked at him with a concerned expression. He nodded, "Of course I am. Just thinking about what our next course of action will be."
"W-Well yeah," The green-haired girl agreed in a quiet voice before shrugging, "But aren't you going to miss her? You spent so much time wanting to get up here to find her after being separated for so long, but you only had one night together before she had to leave again. Isn't that…I don't know - sad?"
"It would have been nice to spend more time with her, but it just wasn't possible right now. I know she'll be fine. She's strong and capable, and she already had a plan to get out of this Kingdom before we showed up." A faint but proud smile pulled at Sasuke's lips as he felt certain that Weiss would be okay, "She's heading towards Mistral now and will find our friends down there. Plus we already found her again once…it's just a matter of time before we see her again."
Fū looked conflicted but did seem at least a little more at ease with his answer. She rolled her head, "If you say so." Before frowning, "Still you could have gone with her. We wouldn't have held that against you."
"I asked you all to leave your homes and join us to fight our cause. You came with me all this way to help. I'm not going to leave any of you behind."
Bee and Shisui nodded approvingly as Kiba chuckled ahead of them. Fū smiled lightly and nodded, "I got you. Still, it sucks that Weiss had to go to Mistral all on her own. I wish at least someone could have gone with her." Fū closed her eyes, "If I did I would have talked with her for a bit. Asked what it was like in school. What it was like having butlers and stuff. And maybe she could sing and…I would listen…"
It was only after a moment that Fū opened her eyes as she realized she had just stopped walking. And as her face started heating up she looked to see Sasuke looking at her dryly as the others just stared at her in silence. She coughed and looked aside, "N-Never mind. Let's talk about something else. Right now. Please!"
"Fine, we won't talk about that little episode just now." Kiba snarked as the green-haired Faunus glowered at him, "So what's our next move?"
"Yo, yo, Sasuke!" Bee quickly called out to him as the ox man started rhythmically moving his fingers, "You think the info that little lady gave us is right?"
Sasuke nodded immediately, "Weiss would have no reason to lie to us about something like that."
"Then we're on a clock." Shisui stated, "I'm not sure what it'd be like being locked into the most advanced Kingdom in the world and I don't want to know."
"Exactly." Bee nodded, "~It's high time we split and ditch this floatin' rock~, ~better now than never against that big tickin' clock~, ~so here's my offer I know it shall entice~, ~let's book a flight and go follow dear little Weiss~."
Sasuke's eyes widened, "Wait, really?"
"I agree." Shisui nodded, "We probably aren't going to convince anyone else in Atlas to join our cause. And there's something to be said about quality over quantity." Fū grinned and Bee flexed his arms in response, "So the only thing left is for us to make our move to Mistral."
"Oh yeah!" Bee cheered, "Time to put da hurt on those nasty bad guys!"
"And finally meet all the friends you guys keep talking about!" Fū excitedly added.
Kiba turned back and looked at Sasuke, "It would be nice to call it and see everyone again."
As much as he would have liked to assemble a squadron of allies and Hunters to assist in fighting back the people that were waiting in Mistral, the longer this went on the less likely it appeared to be a possibility. At this point…all they could do was work with what they had. In this case, being the friends they found along the way, and the ones waiting for them in Mistral.
Sasuke nodded, "I think we agree then."
"Yes!" They raised their fists and vowed to make it to Mistral before things could escalate here in Atlas. With that resolve, they continued down the street back to their hotel-
To find a swarm of police cars and military transport vehicles in front of it.
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"You fought together on the docks?! And against the Grimm invasion in the city?! This boy?!"
"Yeah! How crazy is that! What a world!"
"Well I thought his skills during the fight and rescuing me was very impressive. It makes sense when you consider he was training to be a Huntsman."
Blake watched fondly as Sun vetted her parents' questions about Naruto with stories of their adventures together. As she watched her mother listen attentively and her father squirms with detailed stories of their dangerous outings, Blake looked down at her Scroll with a smile.
On it was pictures of her team, her friends, and other candid moments caught on camera she had received from others over her time in Beacon.
Her screen stopped on a picture of Team NKTS all smiling towards the camera after qualifying for the preliminaries of the tournament. And she couldn't help but smile as she saw the big, stupid grin on the blond fox's face after his achievement.
The news about his survival came through in waves. First, it was the shock and disbelief that the friend and loved one they believed dead for months was still alive. Then came them trying to rationalize how he could have survived getting eaten by a Wyvern. After asking her parents whether they could remember any other distinct factors about him and learning that his limbs were covered in Aura when he fought, that seemed to cinch it.
Naruto Uzumaki was alive and he had been here not too long before she had arrived.
Knowing that left a little melancholic ache in her chest. If she had arrived there just a little sooner, or if he had waited just a little while longer on this island, maybe they could have met again.
That thought in turn gave rise to a cavalcade of other ideas that lingered in her mind for a time.
If he was here would he have figured out some way to deal with the White Fang? What would he have said to her and how would he have reacted to her choices? Would seeing him alive and well bring a little more life back to his mother and father?
Blake decided it wouldn't do her any good to let her mind linger on such somber what-if thoughts. The fact of the matter was that Naruto was alive, over in Mistral, and they still had matters to attend to here in Menagerie.
Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of footsteps and looked back at the door. Jiraiya walked in and nodded to all of them, "You all still sharing stories about the kid?"
"Yep," Sun nodded with a grin, "Mr. B and Mrs. B wanted to know more about the mysterious boy who saved them from pirates. So I was just telling some great stories of our awesome times together." He stretched his arms and lounged back in the chair, "I paint a pretty good picture."
"Well if anyone wants to hear stories about him whining like a baby and throwing a fit at me during training, let me know. I've got a ton of those."
The old toad walked around the couch and fell back on it with a loud, exhausted sigh. One Blake couldn't help but note, "I'm guessing the conversation over there isn't an easy one?"
"That's an understatement." The white-haired man grunted as he sat up, readjusting his prosthetic under his sleeve for more comfort, "Believe me I couldn't be happier that their kid is still alive. Kind of a pain in the ass but I did like the kid." Jiraiya rubbed his eyelids, "But it complicates what they need to do next."
There was the other crux of the issue with Naruto's survival…
The next course of action.
While it elated her to know that her friend was still alive and well, he had already made his way to Mistral after leaving Menagerie. And while there was certainly a part of her telling her to go look for him, she knew she couldn't. She had resolved herself to stay here, deal with the problem brewing up from the White Fang's intervention, and not abandon her family to the danger. She felt terrible not being able to help him after he had been alone for so long but she knew if she turned her attention away from this island…
The worst would come to pass behind her back.
But the same couldn't be said for Tenten, Minato, and Kushina.
They had been prepared to help settle the problems here and stop the White Fang before their forces could make another move on a school. But now their son had turned up alive after months of believing the worst. And Tenten was probably guilt-ridden that he had made his way to Mistral while she and his father had been going about their mission and stopping in Menagerie.
Blake had to accept that there was a strong possibility they'd be losing their allies in this situation.
The sound of knocking on their front door rang out through the Belladonna Manor. With it, Blake looked over to see a determined glare in her father's eyes as he stood up and made his way to meet their visitors.
The Albain brothers came to answer his call.
((((((((Hunting))))))))
The roads connecting town to town from Mistral were unsettlingly barren. Barely any people passing by to let her know she wasn't alone out here and only a marker every dozen miles telling her where she could go next.
She might have taken riding around in Vale for granted. The streets back there were familiar and a little boring but at least there were other cars to avoid hitting and billboards to draw her attention. Here it was just very long stretches of nature and trees before she arrived at the next settlement.
If it was still standing.
It unnerved Yang to find out that some destination markers along the way had been crossed off. And while there weren't multiple losses on each marker, there was at least always one.
Settlements were being lost more and more. Hopefully, the citizens had gotten away before things got too bad. But Yang wasn't that optimistic.
Things were getting bad in Mistral. From the few places, she had stopped by along the way she had heard fewer Hunters were coming to answer the call of duty. Grimm and bandit attacks were rising and the number of people that could help was shrinking.
It left a tightness in her chest thinking maybe this could have been avoided if the problems at the Vytal Festival could have been stopped.
Yang sharply shook her head and got her thoughts focused again. No changing what had happened. Only what came next. Her mission was to find her sister somewhere on this giant continent. And the easiest way to do that was to find someone else first.
"Grrrrrrr."
She heard the faint sounds of Grimm off to the side but ignored them. There was no reason to engage them-
"HELP!"
Unless someone was in trouble.
Yang twisted the handle and turned Bumblebee into the forest. She turned and drove through the trees before she spotted a patch of black and white between the spaces. And as she spotted the target she hopped up onto the seat of her bike-
And came to a sudden stop.
She jumped off as her bike slid and fell over into the dirt, leaping through the air and towards the largest Beowolf standing on its hind legs. It could only turn to face her in time for her fist to bury itself in the monster's cheek, bending its head back at a disgusting angle before she fired a shot point-blank.
As the largest Beowolf died and faded away, Yang landed and faced down the other two beasts that were cornering the group of travelers. They weren't smart enough to realize she had just killed the strongest of them so they growled and rushed toward her.
Time to deal with these two.
Yang punched towards the farthest Beowolf and fired a barrage of kinetic blasts that caused the beast to howl and shy back. And while she did the closest Beowolf charged at her and slashed at her chest. But Yang jumped back and bounced on her feet before dashing back in.
In the Grimm's personal space Yang started to throw out a barrage of punches into its body and face. The vile monster crumbled like a tower of cards under her heavy blows before she finished it with a devastating uppercut that blew its jaw off.
As it fell to its death Yang spun around and threw a few jabs to fire off more blasts. They exploded against the body of the last Beowolf, causing it to flinch back and buckle under her projectiles. And finally, Yang threw her fists back, firing dual shots that sent her flying off her feet and into the Beowolf's head before she grabbed it and slammed it into the ground with a crack.
With that done, Yang stood over the beaten and dead Grimm victoriously. The feeling of warmth and triumph washed over her as she felt how easy it was to decimate them. Just as easy as it had been in Vale and Beacon-
"Ma'am? Are you okay?"
Yang flinched and turned around, realizing the people she had saved had approached her and tried to strike up a conversation. She just hadn't heard them because she'd been too focused on beating the Grimm a-and keeping the perimeter secure and-
She reached over and stopped her hand from trembling before she took a breath.
With a firmer smile, she turned back to the people she saved, "Oh I'm fine. I should be asking you guys that question. Are you okay? Are any of you hurt?"
"No, thanks to you. You stopped that thing before it could hurt any of us." The group of travelers looked back at their cart and the broken-down vehicle that had been pulling it, "We'd be dead if a Huntress hadn't been traveling our way."
"No big deal." Yang smiled, waving off their appreciation and also taking the moment to calm down her hammering heart. She was going to have to get used to being in the middle of actual combat again. With a deep breath, she looked at the wrecked motor of the cart pulling their stuff, "That thing doesn't look like it'll get back up anytime soon. Hey, what if we hooked it up to the back of my bike? It might not be the most comfortable ride but I can get you guys to the next settlement."
"You would do that?" They smiled in relief as they hugged each other while she walked back to her bike, "How can we repay you?"
"Well I'm new in the area and I could use a little help answering some questions." Yang pulled her bike up and started rolling it back their way, "I'm looking for someone."
"Who?"
"Raven Branwen. Or anyone who might know her."
The looks on their faces told her they weren't expecting that.
She smirked and shrugged, "Yeah that's the look I get every time I ask."
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"They took our room! How the hell did they take our room?!"
"They're the authorities. A little probable cause and pressure are enough for them to get what they want."
"But how did they know about our room?!"
"I guess that Lt. General Billings finally noticed the charges we made. That and with the heiress to the SDC suddenly disappearing it has Atlas on high alert."
Kiba sweated as he felt a lump form in his throat with dread. With a slightly panicked and dreadful look back he saw Fū with probably the same expression as he was sporting right now.
They…they might have…h-had a little too much fun at Bee's brother's expense.
Probably could have gone without buying those movies on demand.
Or ordering so much food with room service.
Or insinuating they were escorts and hookers when the employees came up to deliver the food and questioned who they were.
Kiba pulled along his lips to zip them up and Fū nervously nodded in agreement. With that secret sworn between them, he nodded, "Okay so what do we do now? We didn't leave our things in that room so they shouldn't be able to track us."
"No, but I'm sure we left enough DNA for evidence." Sasuke theorized.
"Would they have our DNA on file?"
"Well, I was arrested by the Vale Police Force so they'll probably have mine." The younger Uchiha said, "Bee, would your information be in the system because you were a cadet-"
"That, and I also might have been processed once or twice." They all stopped in their frantic escape from the center of the city's streets to look back at the ox curiously. He shrugged, "When I party, I party hard."
Kiba shrugged, "Anyway, we've still got our stuff." He hefted his bag hanging off his shoulder and looked around at his friends as they carried whatever they could grab as well. It sucked that the stupid pilot didn't give them a ride but it was pretty lucky they took all the stuff they needed before their hotel was checked, "And we can't stay in Atlas anymore. We've got to get going."
Shisui nodded at Sasuke, "Did she happen to leave enough for us to get people to look the other way and for us to acquire 5 seats out of here?"
He shook his head, "Haven't counted it but I doubt we'd be that lucky."
"I figured. Then we need to get down to Mantle."
"I'm up for that." Fū nodded happily before she paused and grimaced, "But do we know how we can get down there?" She looked around, "I'm pretty sure they're going to keep looking for Weiss and I don't think we can call the last guy that dropped us off to try it again."
"In that case, I got a faster, cheaper, and more fun way to get down to Mantle!" Bee declared confidently before smirking, "I told Sasuke we should have used it in the first place but he said we should come up here safer."
Kiba looked over at his partner and saw an unusually pale look on Sasuke's face. He shook his head, "I just didn't think we needed to risk a form of travel like that."
"Well, now the risk is needed! Let's go!"
Bee led them through the streets of Atlas, making sure they avoided any patrols of official eyes that might be looking for them. And guided them to an automated supply factory that wouldn't have any guards or personnel on the premise. All the while Sasuke looked like he had a rope around his neck as they drew closer.
"This is it!" Bee exclaimed as they snuck in and found a series of tubes that led into the ground, "The Atlas delivery system! With these, we can get down to Mantle in a hurry and with no one the wiser!"
They all marveled at the discovery as Fū's eyes sparkled, "Holy crap! Do you mean Atlas has a transport system from Mantle to here for people to travel? Sasuke, why didn't you want to take this?!"
"Ah," Bee held up his hand, "I didn't say it was for people. It's for deliveries. But it should work for people too!"
Kiba quickly realized where Sasuke's dread originated from, "It should?"
"Probably."
"Probably?!"
Fū froze in horror at the idea as Shisui raised his hand, "Bee?"
"Yeah?"
"Has anyone…ever tried using this thing on people?"
"Pfft! Of course! Do you think no one saw how fun this was and didn't try it out? Get out of here!"
"O-Oh, good. And they were safe on arrival?"
"This will get us down there in an instant!"
He didn't answer. Kiba wasn't the only one who noticed that Bee avoided the answer. As the others started to worry about what could happen, Kiba had the sinking feeling he'd get quite a few hits if he looked up 'Tube Travel Fail' in a search engine.
Bee shrugged, "Look if ya want another way down, I'm all ears. But I thought we were out of options and time." He pulled one tube open and waved them in, "Unless we suddenly have a new plan?"
…
Damn him for being right.
Shisui let out a long and troubled sigh before he stepped up, "I'll go first. Hopefully, it won't be…too bad?"
"S-Shisui!" Fū grabbed his arm and looked up at him forlornly, "I'll always cherish our friendship!"
The older Uchiha didn't look happy with that assurance before he stepped up to the tube, "How do I do this?"
"Just get in and I'll hit the button." Shisui hesitated but stepped in as Bee got ready, "Oh, and get your Aura ready. Those turns are not kind to the squishy."
"What did you - SONUVA-"
Like a bullet, Shisui disappeared as he was sucked down the tube with his curse vibrating through the system. Kiba and Sasuke stared at the empty spot in horror as Fū trembled in a mix of fear and excitement.
Bee grinned, "Alright, next!"
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"Where do you think he was? He had to have arrived in Mistral before we left, right? Or maybe he was still on Anima and making his way over? It's been a while since we were there so he might already be there, right? He could already be back in the city for all we know!"
It surprised Tenten to see Minato's demeanor change so drastically in a few hours. Instead of the quiet and depressed man she had been working with for months, now he seemed more like his old self. The man she had met with her friends in Beacon when he came to reconnect with his son.
It was no wonder why his attitude and expression had changed so suddenly. The son he thought he'd lost in Beacon was alive and well and somewhere back home.
Tenten couldn't blame him. When she realized Naruto was alive she felt like her heart would burst out of her chest in joy. Just the thought of seeing her friend and leader again after all this time left her giddy with excitement.
His survival might have been the most extraordinary bit of news any of them had heard since Beacon had fallen. And the realization that he was breathed a little more light into some of their lives.
Sun was happy to know his buddy was still alive. Jiraiya also looked pretty relieved even though he didn't say anything. Blake looked like a piece of the weight finally came off her shoulder after all this time. And Tenten couldn't be happier…
But none of their reactions matched Minato or Kushina's.
Since Beacon both of them had been in very dark and terrible places. Minato had resigned himself away from others, barely interacting with his employees or even his teammates as he wallowed in the loss of his son. Kushina on the other hand threw herself into her purpose, hunting down and ending White Fang sects where she could find them in a ruthless charge for vengeance on the people who used her.
But hearing that the son they thought they lost was alive had affected them greatly.
Minato had regained some of the brightness in his eyes with the good news. And Kushina's expression softened as she sat by herself and gently cradled the purple bandana Blake had given her. It was a relief to see them both relax and ease out of their previous demeanors.
Now if only they would speak with each other and address the tension between them.
"If he's back in the city - in Mistral - then I…w-we should…"
Tenten closed her eyes as she heard Minato mutter to himself. With a sharp breath, she stood up and ignored the stinging pain from the wound Mizuki gave her. With a quick nod to the others, Tenten stepped out of the room to walk around the house. To clear her mind and decide what she should do next.
On one hand, Naruto was still alive, in Mistral, and was probably somewhere close to home right now.
But on the other hand…she promised she would stick by Blake's side and help her face the enemies here.
It was hard to make an important choice between two friends without feeling like you were picking favorites.
"Bullshit!"
Tenten heard the sound of Sun's irate yelling and quickly picked up the pace. She came out into the front room and peeked around the corner to see Blake, Sun, and her parents standing by the door. And through the spaces between them, she could make out two similar individuals dressed in the same garb.
Corsac and Fennec Albain. Leaders of the Menagerie White Fang, and conspirators behind the people that had attacked her and Sun in the cove.
"We promise you, young man, we had no hand in whatever assault you suffered. I apologize greatly for the trouble you've gone through but we aren't involved in it."
"Then what about Ilia?" Blake pressed as she held Sun back from snapping at the fox brothers, "Any reason one of your devoted followers would be spying on our home in the dead of night?"
"When Chieftain Belladonna informed us of what transpired last night, we reached out to Sister Ilia for a confession. However, she has ignored our summons and vacated her housing with the other White Fang. She…has gone rouge."
Tenten couldn't help but scoff. She had to be impressed with how easily these guys slung bullshit around.
Thankfully Ghira and the others didn't look very convinced, "You'll excuse me if I still have a few questions I'd like to ask you both."
"Of course."
"We are here to answer-"
Tenten saw something glint against the shine of the sun before lashing out and clipping Fennec under his ribs.
"AH!"
"Brother!"
As the White Fang leader fell to his knees clutching his side and his brother knelt to help him, Ghira and Kali ducked along with them. Sun and Blake immediately reacted, their training coming into play as they jumped out the door and prepared to protect them.
Tenten rushed to join them, ignoring her injuries and creating a small baton with her Steel in place of her sticks upstairs. As she joined Blake and Sun outside with the guards now ready to fight, they spotted the source of the attack.
A short girl in a black outfit and an extending rapier in hand standing by a tall man with white hair and an artificial arm. The girl she had heard about and the man that tore into her shoulder.
Ilia and Mizuki.
"The Belladonnas are traitors!" Ilia called out, startling the citizens who had been walking by minding their day and were now witnesses to the assault, "They undermine and ignore the plight of our brothers and sisters! They work against the betterment and work of the Faunus!"
"They coerce with humans and traitors, leaving you all placated and weak!" Mizuki yelled out, frightening the people listening before he pointed at the manor, "Anyone who speaks with them or works with them is a traitor to the Faunus cause!"
"Get them!"
The soldiers started chasing after the rouge White Fang members as they turned and ran. Blake stepped up and looked like she wanted to chase them but hesitated, lowering her pistol as she looked back in confusion at the injured White Fang leader.
What…what was going on?
Tenten looked back into the house and saw Minato, Jiraiya, and Kushina had come out due to all the commotion. Once they saw what happened and heard all the people outside yelling, they knew something bad had happened.
And when Minato's eyes met Tenten's, she knew he had come to the same conclusion as she had.
They couldn't leave just yet.
But hopefully, Naruto would find Skyggen and be safe with everyone else.
((((((((Hunting))))))))
"Oh my god! You're alive!"
"O-Ow!" Naruto yelped as Ino hugged him so tightly he thought he would pop. He chuckled and tried to pry the gleefully smiling platinum-blonde off of him without seeming ungrateful, "Ino, you're killing me. Ease up a little."
"You're alive! Holy crap I can't believe it!" She pulled back and giggled while looking him over before turning to her friends, "Can you guys believe it?!"
"I'm seeing it but still can't believe it." Chōji gave a wide smile before clapping him on the shoulder, "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"I'm sure there's one hell of a story behind this." Shikamaru noted, not jumping in to embrace him but still showing a faint smile his way before looking over at the others, "And I'm guessing there's another one for why you and your friends are showing up here now."
"Yeah, there is." Qrow nodded, "Not that we aren't happy to drop the squirt off for a visit."
"I-I'm so happy you're okay!" Shizune cried out, dabbing her eyes with a tissue as tears exploded out, "A-All this time! We - w-we - WAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"That's alright lady! We were feeling the same way too!" Nora popped up by her side and patted her shoulder, "Let it out! Let it all out!"
"WAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Nora, stop instigating."
Naruto was relieved to see so many familiar faces again greet him after all this time. With an excited smile, he looked between Shizune and the young trio, "Hey, is my dad here? I…I want to see him."
…
Naruto's gut twisted when he felt the change in the air between them.
Shizune sniffled and dried her eyes, "I…I'm sorry but Mr. Minato isn't here."
Naruto's ears dropped into his hair in disappointment, "H-He's not?"
"He left months ago." Shikamaru spoke up, a firm expression on his face while the others remained silent and looked down sadly, "Him, Tenten, Anko, and Kakashi took on a mission to guard and deliver a series of supplies from here to Vacuo. They were going to be gone for a long time so we don't know where they are."
"Tenten?" Ruby spoke up as Naruto stood in silent shock, "She was here too?!"
Shikamaru nodded, "She's been interning as a Huntress here since she came back to Mistral. Helping where she could after what happened in Beacon. But since she left on the mission we haven't had word since." He shook his head, "They're a team of our best but we can't be sure what happened to them."
"Don't say that." Jaune insisted, "It's just a supply mission. They should be fine."
"They should be but we don't know."
"Stop talking like that!" Naruto grumbled, frowning at Shikamaru's apathetic attitude, "You can't just talk about them like-"
"Wait, kid." Qrow grabbed Naruto's shoulder and held him back before he could say anything else. The young blond turned back to the older man angrily but paused when he saw him look around, "This place is way too quiet. Where is everyone? Where's Shikaku?"
Shikamaru closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, "We don't know."
Naruto turned back to look at him in shock. Only then did he notice Ino covering her eyes and Chōji's shoulders trembling slightly.
"Our dads went out on a mission too but we haven't gotten any word from them since. For a lot of our guys actually. Most of the people that have been sent out on jobs are either missing or KIA."
They all looked at the Skyggen members in disbelief, "H-How? This is the best company of Hunters in Mistral. How are you-"
"It's not just Skyggen."
All eyes turned to see Tsunade and Sakura walking out to join them. However, despite her surprise to see Naruto alive and along with his friends, her face didn't change from its dour expression.
"It's everywhere in Mistral. Hunters are falling like flies."
((((((((Hunting))))))))
Done
Since we got a chance to catch up with Salem's cabal and the Naruto's gang in the last chapter, I thought it only right we check on everybody else to see how they're doing.
Yang is making her way through the Grimm-infested landscape of Anima. Weiss is in transit to Mistral. Sasuke and Kiba decide to ditch Atlas via express tube. While Blake and Tenten wrestle with what they want to do while everything around them starts ramping up. And of course, Ruby and the others discover how bad things are here in Mistral.
Man, I'm so excited to get to write all of this again! After a rough month of barely writing at all, it feels good to put something to paper again. Or screen. Or - you know what I mean.
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Thank You and Bye