~NRK~
Blue eyes snapped open and a black being shot up out of a pool of black iqcor.
'The hell?!' He pulled himself out of it as fast as he could, slinking out that last dirty inch before shooting away from that pool he'd been in.
His form was tall, standing at about seven feet, and was covered in coarse black fur that decorated every part of him.
His eyes were pure blue but if one looked within they could see the slightest of hazy white pupils.
He was a werewolf-like creature with a broad chest whose hands ended in large claws, whose forearms, back of his hands, and forehead were covered by bony plates that were decorated by bright gold lines.
His double-jointed legs buckled as he hit his rear and held his head.
'What the hell is going on?' Where was he?
Wasn't he dying with Sasuke a moment ago? Why was he… no, wait, where the he was he?
Blue eyes blinked as they took in their surroundings.
It was almost a wasteland-like land he was in that was composed of dark maroon colors that had the occasional purple, black, and red about.
He got up onto his feet, looked at his appendages, and blinked in horror as his wolf ears flicked about.
Then there was a voice in his head?
"Come, my beasts! She still lives! Bring yourselves to my call and cut down this Silver-Eyed Warrior!"
He shook his head before grimacing as anger exploded into his mind.
'Why am I angry? I don't know this woman, she kind of sounds mean,' he thought but anger was applied to him and seemingly filled him with its energy that forced him to comply. 'Now, I know this is wrong.'
But, still, his body was moving to this call of this woman, he grimaced as he shot forward at powerful speeds, rushing past forests and the like before blinking at the sounds of… combat?
And then the sounds of stampeding, other black beings like himself rushing around with him but with red eyes and markings.
'Where the hell are these things going?' He thought with a frown. 'All of us to fight this one person who's scaring the woman calling us?' Now that he thought about it, which side were both on?
Who was the bad guy and the good guy? Naruto wasn't that naive anymore, he knew that good people ended up on the side of evil due to circumstance but there was always, at least, a baseline.
Someone who called all these creatures of darkness to fight one person wasn't someone fighting fair but the way they all looked… was he some creature of darkness?
Was he being summoned like this on purpose to kill a good person?
His eyes narrowed as they made it to a battlefield that was… very underwhelming.
He knew it was one person but where were the corpses of these creatures she probably cut down? As he and many of these dark animal creatures stood on a cliff edge, they looked down to see flashes of silver moving throughout a veritable army of dark creatures like himself.
Blue eyes tracked the lights before finding her.
It was a short woman with black hair in an upper back-length style with white skin and silver eyes… he thinks, that's what the lady in his head said.
She had on a long white cape that seemed to move on its own, helping her dual wield a scythe of light that was opposite the real one in her hands.
Dressed in a combat dress, he guessed, that was black with white accents, black tights, and similar black boots, this woman moved like a warrior that'd cut through darkness time and time again.
"ATTACK!" That call from behind beckoned him forward.
To fight, to kill that woman down below…
His eyes glowed as the others around him threw themselves off the cliff to attack this woman in white. The lines on his body throbbed as he ignored the signal.
Clarity reached him and he closed his eyes, ignoring those around him.
He wasn't a destroyer of people, he'd had to fight many, yes, but to protect people, to guide them down a rough path.
Blue eyes narrowed as forearms' armor cracked as they extended into gauntlets with holes by each knuckle.
'Okay, that's an interesting skill,' his mind whirled with his possible skills. 'Let's try, yeah?'
He grinned before jumping high into the sky, far above his 'brethren'.
'I'm sorry, guys, but I don't sense a hint of life in you,' he thought as he crossed his arms, black vapor flowing out of them. 'So, I can't let that woman die!'
Down below, Summer Rose grimaced as she tore through another Bengal before jumping back from a Boarbatusk's charge and sweeping up with her scythe, bisecting it as she dodged more Grimm.
'This is… getting tough,' she thought with a tired breath before her eyes burned with light. 'Keep fighting. Keep fighting!' Summer shouted at herself before carving so many paths through the Grimm. "I won't die here!"
Her scythe reached out for one more swing before stopping short as black energy latched onto it.
'... Salem!' Her eyes went up but they flickered back to a Grimm's fist heading her way.
She let go of her weapon before kicking back and over a clump of amorphous slime-like Grimm.
'The more I fight, the weirder they get!' She nearly gagged as she landed. 'Why?! Why slimes?!'
They were icky!
She grimaced before rotating, eyes alight with her power before her form glowed bright silver.
She exploded into a white light that eclipsed the Grimm in an increasingly fast fashion.
He slammed down into an explosion of darkness that destroyed his fellow dark folk before holding out a hand and clenching it shut, dark wisps swirling in on it.
'Kokuken!' (Black Fist)
He swung out towards the large swathes of the creatures, destroying them in his line of sight of flattening them with the force from his blow.
The darkness-cloaked werewolf blurred forward, claws out and enhanced by this odd dark power.
He cleaved through creature after creature, clawed tips streaking with dark 'ink'.
As he did, he noticed that none of these things even seemed to notice, annoyingly enough.
They just charged recklessly, stampeding towards that woman as an act of hive mind-like fanaticism.
Then he blinked as a white explosion began to shoot out from where that woman had been.
It spread out and each one of the dark creatures who touched it seemed to fade away into motes of darkness.
'I guess this is why that lady in my head wanted her gone,' he thought as he watched the white reach him. 'It's been an oddly short life,' the boy sweatdropped as it eclipsed his body.
The feeling was hard to describe, it felt like it burned away his outer 'shell', he guessed?
He didn't know, he was supposedly being destroyed at the moment.
So, when the light show ended, he was left there, blinking, as he looked down at his hands, paws, whatever they were.
'I'm still alive?' He blinked at his claws, flexing them before looking up in confusion and locking eyes with that 'silver-eyed' woman. '... Huh,' he waved and she gaped at him.
'What?' Summer blinked as that weird Grimm waved. '... It's… waving?' Was she going insane?
Had she used up too much of her power? This didn't make sense!
Then she saw that her weapon was by its feet. 'Oh, bugger,' could she ask it to give it back?
"H-Hey… That weapon… I need it," she said like an idiot before immediately facepalming. 'I have to be crazy, Grimm don't even speak-'
There were several steps and she looked up to see the Grimm hobbling forward with her weapon in its hands.
It was a weird 'walk', it looked like the creature didn't even know how to use its legs… like, this was super weird!
The moment it got close, she tensed… before it dropped the weapon at her feet and tilted its head.
"... What?" She said in total confusion as the Grimm observed her… and the more she looked at it, Summer began to notice odd things about it. "... Blue eyes," she said without thought and it blinked before looking down at his hands.
'Blue eyes?' So, he didn't look like his dark brethren. 'She says it like it's not normal… What the hell am I?' He frowned at his palms.
Summer was left… intrigued by this Grimm that looked so confused.
Then he looked at her and pointed at his chest.
Their eyes met and she wondered numerous times what it was trying to say…?!
Her eyes widened as her arms slackened.
"W-Wait… Do you not know what you are?"
It shook its head in the negative and she swallowed total disbelief at what was happening.
Was this Grimm… different compared to the others? Was that what she was seeing?
Then she frowned as growling happened around them and she sighed, the tiredness coming back to her.
The Grimm looked alarmed and frowned as he looked around.
"You are a Grimm… A being of darkness," she told him sadly and his eyes softened… which was another shocking thing. "You really don't know…"
He shook his head, pointing at his chest and then gesturing with his arms out around him before using his hands to reenact coming out of that black pool.
"... You can swim?" She asked nervously and his eyes went flat. "Okay, okay, I… I really don't get it," Summer admitted and his ears went flat as his expression fell. "N-Not saying you're a bad person, creature, or anything but… I simply don't have the time… If I don't move, I'll die."
The Grimm's eyes narrowed and he looked around before breathing in… Maybe, Grimm didn't breathe, right?
Then he pointed at her and then himself before holding out a fist in an act that nearly destroyed everything she knew about Grimm.
'Why the hell does it know what a fist bump is?!' This didn't make sense!
None of it made sense but it… it wanted her to bump fists with it. Why?
The encroaching circle of enemies caused her mouth to set in a frown and she sighed. "I can't… play, you know?" Did it know what playing was?
It shook its head before reasserting its fist bump and she grunted before doing it sloppily.
"There, you see-"
'So, I was right!' He grinned and Summer's eyes shrank by several magnitudes. 'You can talk to me this way.'
"What the scallop?!" She choked at him, yes it was a him, in disbelief. "Y-Y-You can talk?!"
'Well, clearly not normally. I'm Naruto, by the way,' this 'Naruto' said but Summer's disbelief hadn't left.
No, it'd quintupled!
"What? What? What? What? What?" She kept repeating and he sweatdropped. "Grimm have names?"
'What? I don't know. I wasn't this thing, like, twenty minutes ago,'Naruto Uzumaki said as she gaped at him.
"Salem turned you into a Grimm?!"
'Who's Salem?' Naruto asked and Summer swallowed before realizing she was so out of her depth, this didn't make sense. 'Yo, you alright?'
"I'm not," she said before looking around them with some sadness. "And… I don't think we'll meet again like this, sorry," Summer said with finality as she performed the fistbump properly. "... It's nice to meet you, Naruto."
'... No, there's a way, there's always a way-dattebayo.' She giggled.
"You have a verbal tic?" He pouted. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I wish there was a way… I really do."
The young man seemed as confused by the whole situation as she was… but it'd felt nice to speak with someone again, even if it was only for one last time.
Naruto's eyes narrowed before they closed. 'Is there nothing I can do?' He thought with some horror.
There had to be something, anything, he was could do!
If he could give her power like he'd been able to do in the war-
The two blinked as their fistbump became odd.
Black wisps and white energy shot up their arms before mixing together?
"Naruto, what is this?"
'I don't… I wanted to give you power, something to help you make it out of this… I don't want you to die like this in front of me,' he said with determined eyes. 'If this is the way, I'll do it, I'll give my life for even this.'
Her eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly. "W-Wait, please, don't do that!"
'Hehe, sorry,' he said as the energies increased in brightness. 'But this is the only way you can make it out of here.'
His form erupted into motes of darkness before shooting up her arm.
Silver eyes became surrounded by black sclera and Summer's eyes closed.
The sounds of cracking reached her ears and she looked at her cloak to see bone-like armor forming over the bottom and shoulders before she saw her bottom become covered by a black power, material, whatever… that was likely Naruto's doing.
Then it formed a jumpsuit and she completely lost… but her body thrummed with strength she'd never known before.
Clenching her hand, her eyes looked down at her scythe before she slipped her now clawed-greave-covered feet underneath it to kick it into her hand that had an odd set of symbols on the back of it.
The moment she grabbed it, the power did the same to it and she was left with a black blade on a white shaft, all along the blade were… enchantments?!
'Grimm are magical beings… this makes sense,' she thought but sadness hit her in immense waves as she gripped her weapon tighter. 'And all at the life of a young man?' Summer didn't like this one bit.
Not at all-
Whoa! This is weird! Came a voice from… her body?!
'Wait… Naruto?!' She blinked before feeling hope. 'Naruto is that you?!'
Uh, I think so? He replied in total confusion before Summer saw a hazy form of the Grimm at her side, the boy looking at her oddly. I think we fused.
Fusion? They'd fused-
A warning, a blaring mental alarm at her back, had Summer vanishing from her spot, the Beowulf that had been behind her missing by a mile as she flipped high into the sky.
'Too MUCH!' She shrieked mentally as Naruto chuckled sheepishly.
Sorry, this is kind of new to me, too… but you have the power now, Summer-baa-chan. USE IT.
Her eyes burned bright and Summer Rose smiled a long, grateful, smile.
'Thank you,' she thought as a pair of people came into her falling vision. 'Tyrian Callows and Salem, that's them.'
The former blonde saw the long-faced man with a scorpion tail and a woman with pure, actually white, skin and hair.
Both's eyes widened at Summer's form but his eyes narrowed.
For now… Summer, I think you should get rid of these Grimm and just go home. We don't know if this form will last.
'I understand,' she thought as they fell back to the Grimm hordes. 'For now-'
Let's kill some Grimm!
She grinned, sharp teeth on display as her scythe's blade burned black before growing in length.
By the time she was close to the ground, she held a scythe with a blade as wide and tall as a two-story house.
She performed a single rotation and flip as she landed.
And the destruction that followed nearly got her to pause.
Salem's eyes widened in disbelief.
A football field-wide swath of destruction took place as Grimm, trees, stone, and even the cliffs that they stood on, all of it was sliced through with a flick of ease that couldn't have been possible for Summer Rose!
"That Grimm… That traitorous Grimm that approached her!" She nearly screamed, spider-like hair bouncing as her hands cracked, long dark nails extending out from them as they flexed open. "Tyrian, bring Hazel! She can't be allowed to leave here alive!" She ordered as her hand raised to the scorpion man.
He vanished into an orb of darkness as she growled before looking back-
Blades of white and black flashed past the surrounding area. Tall, powerful, slices of energy that cut through the surroundings with ease.
Salem's arm hit the floor and she stared at it in horror.
Summer felt more alright with this than ever before!
Wanna try out a move? She could feel Naruto's grin… oh, wait.
That was also hers.
'Yes!' She agreed as she twirled her scythe about, lazer-thin blades that destroyed anything nearby tossed out with small bursts of her energy.
Then she held her weapon in front of her and closed her eyes.
Focus on the energy, spin it like I do. Then-
'We bring the two sides together in an almighty display!' She finished with burning eyes before jumping up and slamming her weapon into the floor.
Light and Darkness exploded out in nine vectors around her before she twisted and pulled her weapon up with the energies together.
'Blooming Reaper Dance!'
Salem watched the 'sharp petals' pull in together before dispersing into motes of Light and Darkness.
And, with them, Summer Rose vanished.
'No… NOOOO!" She shouted at her surroundings as Grimm had been vanquished from every form of eyesight.
~NRK~
Summer bound across the landscape of Salem's island with a feeling of lightness in her chest as she landed on a large rock face.
She shot off it with enough force to destroy it.
'I've never been this fast before!' She thought to Naruto with a grin as he chuckled.
It's our powers together. You were probably already pretty fast before with good muscles. Right now… I think I'm replacing your muscle with my own, maybe, sort of, I don't know.
'Replacing them? Maybe you're adding on?' Being honest, she had been feeling no real tiredness ever since their fusion. 'How long do you think you can hold this up?'
I can feel our energies being fed off and going away. She could imagine his frown. It's weird, I've never done this before… but I believe the moment this runs out, we're going to be down for a long time.
That wasn't good, Summer could feel over half of her reserves finished as-is.
'Then we need to go somewhere close by… but where?' She didn't know… No, wait. 'Naruto, why does it feel like I can feel my friends and family far away?'
Oh, well, before this whole thing, I had sensory abilities.
'This far?!' That was crazy.
Is this far? This doesn't feel that far… but, then again, my abilities have increased a lot over the past three days.
'You seriously need to tell me about it when we get somewhere safe.'
Sure.
Now, she guessed that they were heading to the nearest signatures.
'James, I hope you don't mind!'
~NRK~
James Ironwood looked outside his office window with a worried stare.
He was a strong, tall, built man who had white skin, short clean black hair, and blue eyes.
At the moment, he was wearing his Atlas General uniform, his long white coat, dress shirt with a red tie, blue pants, and black boots reflecting in his window as he looked outside of it.
'She's been gone for almost 24 hours,' he thought with a grimace as he paced back and forth. 'Summer Rose is our best bet… So, why do I feel like something went weirdly wrong?' And he wasn't lying.
At first, he'd felt a coldness overtake him that wasn't the Atlas chill… but then he'd felt weirdly light and odd… Odd to the point that he'd readied a room for someone he'd not know is coming-
-Sir?!- A voice came from his desk in alarm, causing him to rush to it.
"What is it?!"
-S-Something just blew past our sensors!- He blinked at the woman's dismay. -And it's coming in fast!-
James blinked but felt… oddly okay?
What-
There was a knock on his window and the general blinked as he looked to see…?!
"Stand down, it's… I know who the disturbance is," he said in disbelief as he swallowed, ending the line. "Summer Rose?"
She smiled nervously at him.
After being let in, she let out several gasps, her cloak's dark wisps fading away quickly.
"James, please don't say anything yet, I need to say it!" She said urgently and he nodded. "Right now, I'm fused with a Grimm-Don't!" Summer insisted and he grimaced. "He's a weird boy who happened to become a Grimm an hour ago! I don't know everything yet but he's saved my life," she said before hitting her knees.
"What?!" This was too much information! "Summer, what's-?!"
"Our fusion is going to end and I think he'll reappear here, in your office," she cut him off ASAP as her eyes began to lose brightness. "Don't… hurt him…" There was a thud as she collapsed fully against the floor.
Then her form released a black haze that did as she'd foretold him, forming an… oddly 'designed' Grimm on the floor at her side, equally as knocked out as she was.
"..." James was left there, stunned, with a Grimm in his office. "... Fucking hell, Ozpin," he said as he inspected the warrior first and foremost.
He checked her neck, eyes, breath, and arms first before letting out a sigh of relief.
'She's suffering numerous muscle tears, bruised bones, and small wounds,' was it fusing with the Grimm which caused this?
Or was it before 'he' supposedly saved her life?
James looked at the 'boy' Grimm in total confusion before hesitantly going over to it-
It lifted its head up and looked at him blearily.
It made a weird sound before looking at Summer.
… Then it smiled and fell unconscious, leaving the general in disbelief that he hadn't felt since he'd become a general of Atlas.
"..." He examined it, rather invasively, he'd admit, but he needed to know as much about this thing as he could.
… Or this boy as Summer called him.
Then, only then, did he make a call that would have him laughing hysterically.
-Yes? James? What happened?- Came the voice of his old friend.
James laughed hysterically.
-... You seem… unwell-
"Ozpin, Summer Rose is in my office," the sound of scraping chairs, shouts, and scuffles reached the General's ears. "And… with her… she brought the world's oddest 'boy' I've ever seen."
-Sums is there?! Alive?!- Came another, raspy, voice.
"Yes, Qrow, she's alive if not a bit bruised," James said with a snort as the sound of relieved sighing reached his ears. "But her savior is the weird one…" He reiterated everything she'd told him about the Grimm before laying out the punchline. "And… it's a Grimm."
-WHAT?!- The collective shout from across the line got a chuckle out of him.
-James, you're not making sense!- Ozpin said with a voice full of disbelief. -Surely it's tiredness-
"Ozpin… I'm looking at the Grimm in my office right now… and it's different from a normal Beowulf."
-...-
"Right now… I don't know what to do," he said with a frown. "What do I do with Summer Rose? The Grimm boy? The former is in need of medical help and I don't know what's wrong with the latter."
-... James, I think you need to calm down and just use a simple idea-
"I'm all ears."
~NRK~
The idea had been simple and genius in design.
Get a big metallic box for the boy to lay in and leave it in the same room as Summer.
So, here he was, currently showing the others in Vale video examples of the two.
-Oh, fuck, Sums, thank the Brothers you're still alive- Came Qrow's voice as appeared on one of three computer monitors the general had brought into the room.
He was a man in his late twenties with peach skin, stubble on his sharp chin, red eyes, and dark gray hair in a short, swept-back, style.
-And you said that Grimm saved her?- Came another screen that showed a man with a fair complexion, brown eyes, and a short mop of white hair. -James, this is information I have no idea the truth of-
Before them, James had lifted one of the box's sides to show this 'boy' who was a Grimm.
-He's got blue eyes, you said, right?- Qrow asked and James nodded. -Then… I don't know, Grimm have never had blue eyes before. Red and yellow, yeah, but never blue-
"I know, this is brand new information that could very well change things… if Summer's words weren't making me sure this isn't a normal occurrence even among Grimm," James said before looking at the third monitor. "Glynda? Can you find anything in the records?"
Glynda, or Glynda Goodwitch, was a beautiful woman with fair skin, green eyes, and yellow hair kept in a neat bun with two bangs hanging down the sides of her face, framing it.
At the moment, her glasses shined on the monitor as she looked over her Scroll, eyes shifting all over their hidden documents.
-No… nothing- she said with a grimace and concern. -Ozpin, we can't keep that Grimm in a populated area, it could be dangerous-
-Yes, it could be… if our resident Silver-Eyed Warrior hadn't vouched for it… That's where this whole situation becomes odder than odd, Glynda-
-I understand! But it's, 'he' supposedly, is still a Grimm-
"... No, he isn't," James said, confusing the group as he chuckled with some embarrassment. "I… performed a short, quick, examination of his body."
-James, don't tell me he has nuts- Qrow said flatly as Glynda looked scandalized.
-Qrow!-
-Hey, I'm just saying-
"Well, he is a canine so he might keep it inside," the general said with lack of tact as Glynda shot him a look of disbelief. "Apologies, Glynda, this whole situation is still… crazy, right now… And, well, I checked him in other ways. You all, he has lungs," he said and they gawked. "Yes, he has lungs, blood but the wound closed quickly, and actual muscles. This Grimm is more alive than any of his kind."
-That's… concerning- Ozpin said with a frown. -If that's true… he might be able to breed, no offense to him but that's concerning news… but then I'm confused, Grimm have never had these faculties. So why does he have them?-
-So, he's probably the first Grimm to decide sex is good?- Qrow asked with a snort before he cackled. -That's amazing! What if he has a type?!-
-Qrow?!- Glynda growled before she made a move and Qrow flew off-screen. -Is now the time for your jokes?!-
-Ahahhh, yes- came the pained voice of the Huntsman himself as he groaned offscreen. -Ah, it hurts to laugh-
-Our drunk friend aside, it's been close to five hours and they're still aslee- Ozpin had been saying only for a groan to come from Summer Rose. -... I believe I should speak 'too soon' often- He noted as Qrow cackled.
James looked at the woman from her bedside as she groaned into consciousness.
"Uuuuugghghhhh," Summer moaned as she returned to the world of the living. "What… smck, smck, happened?" She asked herself drowsily.
"Welcome back, Summer," James said and she blinked at him… before her eyes widened and she jumped out of bed.
"Where's Naruto-Ow?!" She landed on her feet before collapsing. "My legs are killing me!" She groaned as James chuckled a bit.
"So, Naruto is his name?" He asked and Summer, rubbing her legs, blinked at him. "Look to your right," James suggested.
She did and let out a sigh of relief, the others noting this with interest.
-Summer?- The woman blinked before looking at the monitors.
"Ozpin? Oh, well, I guess this situation would require you to be here," she said with a nervous giggle before sighing as she rubbed Naruto's head, the Beowulf-like being moaning in his sleep as he nuzzled her palm. "Hm, hm, he's like my daughters."
-So, this Grimm… Sums, did it actually save you?- Came Qrow's words as he looked at her with relief and a big grin. -Because if he did, I'm about to see if he can get crunk!-
-Don't you dare!- Glynda said with a growl. -Summer, please explain before I punch your teammate again-
-You didn't punch me, you used your riding crop… wait, no, that sounde- Qrow began to say only to fly off-screen again. -Ow!-
"I'm glad to see he hasn't changed… though I think it's only been… almost a week since I left, right?" Summer asked James who nodded.
"Six days and 17 hours, to be precise," James said with a sigh as he ran his hands through his hair. "Summer, explanation please."
Summer nodded as she rubbed Naruto's head some more.
The words that spilled from her lips nearly broke their sanity.
"And that's what happened," she explained as Ozpin dropped his mug, the crashing not even causing his face of disbelief to change. "... Um, Ozzy?"
-The Grimm… fused with you?!- He shouted in disbelief! -Summer, that shouldn't be possible! A-And he gave you power?!-
"Yes… Ozpin, this boy… I'm pretty sure he was just that. No, I'm completely sure, Naruto showed me his life in our dreams," she explained, shocking them again.
"Wait, what?!" James gaped as she nodded.
"Ever since we fused… I guess we still had a small connection, while we were knocked out, he showed me his… life. Guys, t-this is going to sound crazy but Naruto died and became a Grimm."
The dropped bomb nearly got Glynda to faint.
-What?!- She had to say something, anything, to stop this madness from happening. -Summer, that Grimm has to be making you delirious! How could you even mention something like that?!- Glynda wouldn't accept this.
Sure, minutely, maybe the Grimm did save her but she'd never believe this nonsense!
-... And his world, Summer, what was it like?- Ozpin asked as Glynda squawked. -No, Glynda, please, listen. If this Grimm is as unnatural as James explained… Can we really say this isn't possible?-
-S-Sir?!-
-No, think about it, what do we really know about Grimm and their creation?- Qrow asked with a frown. -If what Sums says the kid said is true, he just came out of some black pools on Salem's little getaway island and others came out with him. This could very well be some odd occurrence but we not only got new information, the kid might be able to give us super-powerful abilities!-
"Oh, he can," Summer said as James was hit with something.
"Wait… S-Summer, how exactly did you get to Atlas?" He asked, mind bogged by an insane idea-
"Oh, we ran." Nope, there it went.
His brain stopped.
-... Excuse me?- Ozpin asked.
"I… When Naruto and I were fused, Ozpin… I felt power the likes of which I've never felt in my life," Summer explained with some concentration. "I could do things I'd only ever thought of as a kid when I read comic books… I-If I'd been in top condition, Ozpin, I-I might have been able to destroy that entire island on my own."
The four of her friends' eyebrows twitched horribly.
"Yeah, it's crazy… but the downsides, oh Brothers," Summer rubbed her legs. "The way Naruto explained it… I think we performed some kind of fission with our energy, that's why I was able to use so much power… And, at the moment, my Aura is decimated."
-... I-I see- Ozpin swallowed at the idea. -Perform Nuclear Fission is… and it gave you two that much energy?-
"Yeah."
"... Summer, do you remember the feeling?" James asked with excitement at the idea. "If a fusion could perform fission that means he has a method to increase your power. If we could learn that method…"
"I don't think Naruto understands this, James," Summer sweatdropped as he slumped. "Like I said, this was seemingly the first time he's ever done this and I just told you, our energies were greatly diminished by this. Just look at him," she said, Naruto's form still knocked out. "He took most of the backlash, I think. I don't think I'd be awake as soon as I am if he hadn't."
-I… I can't accept this- Glynda said with a hot sigh. -I know what you say but we've been at war with Grimm since time immemorial. You can't expect me to believe it so easily-
"I understand," Summer did.
Had she not fistbumped him, met his very soul, she'd still have a hard time not thinking he was planning for the long game.
"When Naruto wakes up, James, I want you to connect with him as well," she said and James looked intrigued. "Remember, Naruto can connect his and our thoughts together… through a fistbump," she giggled and the general rubbed the back of his head.
-Sounds like the appropriate way to connect with others- Qrow said and Summer rolled her eyes. -Hey! You know it's true now!- He looked so smug, she had to laugh. -See, fistbumps could save the world-
-I don't want to hear it- Glynda said. -Do you know when… he will awaken?- She struggled with labeling him.
"Well, from what I could feel, that's actually how I got here, James," Summer said, confusing him. "Naruto has sensory abilities, he could help me feel… everyone from where we were… it was so enlightening."
"... And you're telling me the boy wanted to join the military, right?"
"Hm, hm, hm, I didn't say that," Summer smirked as he tried to look innocent. "And, as I was saying, I think Naruto was at 80% while I was at 100%. So, maybe one more hour or two."
-Whoa now, that kind of sensory skill could change nations, what the fuck?- Qrow uttered.
-If his skill is as powerful as you say… Qrow is correct, that form of power, his fusion, his possible knowledge on his biology, that could change the course of everything we know, Summer- Ozpin noted with some interest. -But we still don't know how his form of reincarnation works-
"Oh, well, I kind of do," Summer said and Ozpin just looked amused. "The way he explained it to me is, well, there were these brothers, Asura and Indra who were the sons of a man by the name of Hagoromo…" She explained the boy's 'reincarnation history' as much as she could.
From the two brothers to the two Great Shinobi to Naruto and his friend, Sasuke.
As the group listened, James had begun writing down the words in a notepad on his Scroll while Ozpin did the same on his DeskScroll.
When she finished the 'cycle of hatred', Qrow spoke up.
-This kid sounds like a saint- He said with a grimace. -While I get what his dad did, I really do, I'm glad he socked him when he got the chance. You don't just put all of that on a kid without permission and don't expect a lost tooth or two- Qrow said with dark eyes and Summer's eyes softened.
"I know, Qrow, I really do," she said as he scoffed.
"A cycle of hatred, huh?" James said to himself with some sadness. 'Children honestly shouldn't be solving such old struggles… and yet I'd be a hypocrite saying that, wouldn't I?' Glynda was right in that Grimm had always been trouble.
So, they trained teenagers into adults who would become the protectors of the world. Yet, his only saving grace was that at least their age of fighting, so to speak, was 17.
"It's not exactly an unfamiliar idea, is it?" Summer said with a sad smile and he nodded.
Faunus and humans, oh, that made his head hurt.
-... I see…- Ozpin sounded… so old at that moment.
Of course, he probably did. The boy basically lived his life but not really.
That said, he fixed the problems plaguing his 'line' and made sure it'd never happen again.
And he'd died to make that real. It was honestly kind of offensive if he wasn't so… warmed by the idea of people being capable of solving conflicts like these.
-A child should not have to have solved this- Glynda said immediately and outright. -If this is true- she had to add but Summer could see that maternal instinct in the woman's eyes.
Glynda had professed, in private to her at one point, that she'd want to have kids one day but this conflict was too big, too much for her to try and start a family.
Summer really wanted her to actually just try. It was because of the family they had that pushed people forward to protect them.
-Still, this 'Chakra' thing, physical and spiritual energy? Do you guys think there's such a thing?- Qrow asked with some wonder.
"Well… maybe not so fantastically," James said with a shrug. "If this fruit that Naruto's supposed home ate is what gave them chakra then I don't know how we figured out Aura. It just popped up one day, remnants of magic, as Ozpin said," he elaborated as the old wizard nodded.
-From my old days, magic was always the big thing- Ozpin chuckled before humming. -That said, there were people who practiced different kinds of arts. Hexes, spiritual beings, constructs of a physical nature, golems, you name them and I've probably seen a few in my time. There may very well be someone who used the stamina of the human body as an offering for skills-
"Honestly, I feel like that could be so interesting," Summer said as James nodded. "I mean, think about it like video games. Ki for physical skills and Mana for magical ones. If we could find another system to go along with Aura, that'd be an incredible discovery."
-... Yes, it would, wouldn't it… and I wonder…- Ozpin said with a hand on his chin, confusing the others. -Well, what if what Naruto did was simply imitating that process? What if he's recreating a form of his 'chakra' from your two sources? If that's the case, Grimm are physical energy beings-
The group blinked at that idea.
If that was true, that meant they were their missing halves, didn't it?
"If that's true, it'd mean there is a way to harness them, no, Ozpin?" James asked with some thought. "Summer explained that Naruto allowed her to use, for the sake of simplicity, Darkness element skills. Summer hasn't seen any adverse side-effects to using them, right?"
"Correct," she said with a tilt of the head. "If anything… I feel like it was normal to be using those things in unison, Light and Darkness, but that may have only been because Naruto was fused with me."
-Yes but, in that case, your powers didn't work on him because he also has a human soul- Ozpin added. -But then that comes to question, is Naruto a human in a Grimm's body? Or a Grimm with a human soul?-
-Isn't it the latter? What's the difference?- Qrow asked.
-It's because Naruto's 'true form', so to speak, is being a 'Grimm'... if that's even what he is- Glynda postulated. -What if Naruto's only a Grimm because that was the empty shell that was there for him? Could he not have just been anything if it was there for him to inhabit?-
"So, if a baby was being born, he could have been it?" Summer asked with a blush as she rubbed the Grimm boy's head. "I don't think I'd have minded a little brother for Yang and Ruby but then he'd be older than them and that's just weird to think about."
"Hmph, it is," James said, amused. "Still, back on your words, Ozpin. What do you mean?"
-I mean that Naruto's being is that of a shell of physical energy. So, in that case, it makes sense for him to be able to mix with a human who's built from the ground of the world, I guess? The way I see it is this, humans originally used magic and Naruto fusing with someone is like bringing someone's body back to the old ways- He elaborated and the others nodded.
-So, wait, what will happen if Sums keeps doing this?- Qrow asked. -Will she become, like, an addict?-
-... No, if my hypothesis is, hopefully, correct… it'd create a sort of channel in her body that'd become capable of holding Naruto's physical form if she was a normal person… Once again, hypothesis, but if that did happen… it'd mean Naruto could reawaken the capability, reminder, to use magic.-
"..."
"... But I can use Light magic already, that's my eyes, yeah?" Summer suggested and Ozpin nodded.
-That's true, so we'd have to see what effect he'd have on an only-Aura user-
The group was hesitant to think about just forcefully fusing Naruto and some random person.
"I… don't like that idea," Summer said and James nodded. "We can't just force Naruto to exhaust himself at a random idea. He'd do it within a heartbeat and that's not… healthy."
"It's not… But having him do it once to someone and examining their body for any minute changes, that could yield some results, yes?" James considered and Summer sighed.
"Well, if it was only once it wouldn't be so bad, I guess. Besides, I was burning through his energy so much, and yet he kept going when my own was low. Naruto's energy eclipsed mine several times over."
-Don't give him any more ideas, Sums. James is already contemplating- Qrow said as the general snorted.
"I have no idea what you're implying," James said and Qrow smirked.
-Right, Jimmie-
"So, what effects do you all think physical energy would have on a person?" Summer asked and the group postulated for another hour before Naruto began to wake up.
The Grimm-like being's eyes creaked open and Summer blinked at the blue eyes, as in normal blue eyes, against black sclera that greeted her.
The pupils were slit but they were eyes alright.
"Um, guys, when did Naruto have normal eyes?" She asked and the group blinked. "Guys?" Summer said again as she petted the boy's snout, his eyes closing as he gave in to her administration. "Hm, hm, you're more wolf-like than I remember."
'It comes with the territory, I guess,' he said and she blinked.
"Naruto, we're not fistbumping, how are you speaking to me, right now?" She asked in surprise and he blinked in confusion.
'Huh?' He blinked several more times before sitting up in seiza position, something Ozpin and James noticed as interesting. 'Can you hear me?'
She tilted her head.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head before blinking as he froze at the feeling and started rubbing his back numerous times.
James frowned before looking behind the boy's head to see what he was rubbing.
More bone plating, nothing unusual… unless he thought it was unusual.
"Naruto, what's wrong?" Summer asked before touching his elbow. "What happened?"
'Did I always have these bones on my head?' He asked and she raised a brow before looking.
Summer's eyes narrowed on the bones. "No, that's not what I've seen when I saw your sort of spiritual self. These are new," she said with a frown as James jotted that down. "... Ozpin?"
-If what you say is true… could it be that it might not only be whoever he fuses with that gets potential new gains? What if Naruto is also gaining something in return?- The group blinked at it. -For lack of a better idea, what if he evolves the more he fuses?-
"That'd be a terrifying skill," James said as Naruto tilted his head at him, blinking twice. "... Oh, right, you probably don't know who we are," the boy nodded. 'This is so bizarre.'
-I am Ozpin- Ozpin.
-Hmph, Goodwitch- Glynda.
-Name's Qrow, thanks for helping Sums- Qrow.
Naruto liked Qrow more than the others save for Summer. He threw two thumbs-ups.
-He also knows normal human habits… so it might be true- Glynda grumbled. -Still, I don't think his evolution is normal-
"How so?" James asked.
-How many Grimm do you know with normal eyes?-
The group stopped and thought about that and, yes, Glynda was correct. There were no Grimm like that… so what did that mean for Naruto?
-Hmm…- Qrow took a swig of some alcohol in thought. -So, uh, crazy, crazy, idea… what if his physical shell thing is trying to fit his soul?-
The others' eyes widened and James looked at Naruto's eyes once more.
"That… might be accurate," he realized with some awe. "If that's true, it's no wonder you're changing, though I can't be sure what the bones on the back of his head are for."
"Hmm, wait, Naruto had a headband!" Summer said in shock and the others nodded with excitement. "... though, I guess that kind of weird we give to Grimm."
'So, I'd be getting my headband back?' He asked and she shrugged. 'Well, I hope it does, I liked that thing.'
She giggled. "So, guys… what do we do now?" She asked nervously and the group grew kind of sheepish. "Like, I'm awake and feel fine, so what do we do with little Naru?" Summer asked while Naruto's eyes went flat.
'We're not calling me that.'
"Too late, I already did."
'Dammit, Summer,' the werewolf-like being pouted. 'But, man, there are so many more people here than there ever were in Konoha,' he noted and she smiled.
"There are all number of humans and Faunus put together… Oh, wait, right, you don't know what a Faunus is," the group looked intrigued.
"Wait, you don't?" James asked and Naruto shook his head before holding a fist out. "... Ah, yes, the fistbump," he noted before using his left hand to connect. "... Is this how it works?"
'Yep,' James's eyes widened in awe before he grinned. 'But, like I wanted to say, there were people who could copy animal-like traits and stuff. There's the Inuzuka clan,' he said.
And then James's eyes widened as he was shown thoughts and memories of these people. "My word… He can show pictures of what he means!" He said to the others as Summer nodded. "Tell me, were there more people like that?" Jame asked excitedly.
'Well… Okay, did Summer-baa-chan tell you what a jinchuuriki was?' He blinked as Summer chuckled.
"I didn't want to tell them everything, you have your own things to tell, after all."
'... Thanks,' he grinned. 'Now, a jinchuuriki…' He explained them in good detail.
As he did, James's eyes softened, he winced, flinched, grimaced, and groaned at what Naruto said.
-James… I guess this information might be… controversial?- Ozpin asked and James nodded before explaining it to them. -... That's… ridiculous- Ozpin frowned heavily. -I understand… at least, that's what I want to say but these people are foolish! These are still people! They hold back the beasts that could destroy your homes! Why do they treat you like that?!-
'I don't know, sadly,' Naruto said, Summer translating. 'But, hey, things got better.'
-That doesn't mean it's right- Glynda said and Naruto blinked while Summer giggled at the fire in her eyes. -You were, still are by my own definition, a child. You shouldn't be dealing with any of this-
"Actually, this sealing skill your people have… c-could it work on Salem?" James asked and Ozpin froze along with Summer and Qrow while Glynda nodded.
-I was going to ask but you beat me to it-
'Well, yeah, sealing someone like Salem wouldn't even be hard as far as I'm concerned,' the group felt relief the likes of which they'd never felt… before facepalming at his embarrassed next words. 'U-Um, but uh… you might be looking into a dry well on this one, I don't really know any sealing jutsu like that.'
James's head fell and Naruto scratched his cheek.
'Sorry.'
"Well… Do you remember what some looked like, at the very least?" Summer asked and Naruto nodded.
'The one that Kurama was sealed into… I remember that one way too well,' he thought and she brushed his fur a bit. 'Thanks, I… he's really gone… Him, Sasuke, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata, Tsunade-obaa-chan… I-I can't see them again. So, it's kind of…'
"It's fine, I know, I know," the werewolf's down head was rubbed as Summer rubbed his cheeks before lifting his head up. "It's going to be hard, I can guess that, but I'm not leaving you alone any time soon… save for when I need to see my kids and husband but besides that!"
Naruto chuckled before nodding. 'Yeah, I get it… though, I wonder… maybe someone who died in my world also ended up here.'
"Well, that'd be rather fascinating but there's simply no way to tell," James said with some consideration and an apologetic smile. "Apologies."
'No, I get it… but, who knows.'
~NRK~
On the pathway to Mistral, a man huffed as he walked before coming to a stop.
"You can stop hiding, ya know? You all aren't very good at it,' he said with a hum as shadows appeared around him, weapons in their hands. "Hmph, which lady did I annoy this time?" He wondered.
"Great Toad Sage, you're to die here or come with us!" One of the men said and he smirked.
"You think you could handle me?!" He hopped on one foot to the side, hands held out before he slammed his other foot down, hands forward and back. "The Great Toad Sage, J-"
"Get him!"
~NRK~
"So, for now, I guess informing your family that you're alive is to be done," James said.
-I'll handle it, then- Qrow said with a chuckle. -Tai's gonna flip his shit when he finds out-
-Crude, as always- Glynda rolled her eyes before becoming thoughtful. -And as for what to do with Mr. Uzumaki… I don't know- She looked concerned. -What do we do with him?-
Ozpin hummed. -Well… I don't think it's safe for us to transport him, sadly- He frowned. -We have private bullheads, yes, but James has private inspectors. We'd never get it past them-
"... Apologies," James blushed at the inconvenience. "If so… then we'll make a biome for Naruto," he said, turning to the Grimm-like being who blinked. "Is that fine?"
'What's a biome?' He asked and the general chuckled nervously. '... Wait, I think I know what those are! There was a giant total that had like a whole forest on its back that I went to learn how to control my gift from birth!' The former blonde grinned with a chuckle as Ironwood blinked.
"Wait, what was that about the turtle?"
'Oh, yeah, this thing was HUGE! We're talking, it was as big as the Forest of Death!' He said with a chuckle as Ironwood's eyes bugged out and Summer snickered.
"From what Naruto tells me, there are animals from his former lifetime that could easily have carried Atlas on their backs," she said and relished the reactions that piece of information got. "Yeah, as it turns out, the bijuu that was sealed into people like Naruto were easily able to stand over the size of Mistral."
-Excuse me?- Glynda stared at her in disbelief while Naruto nodded.
'There are all kinds of beings in the Elemental Nations that could have carried a lot of space. The Forest of Death, even when tree hopping, could take close to three days if you didn't try to fend off the wildlife and being careful.'
Ozpin looked intrigued while Qrow blinked.
-... Vidya games?- He asked and Summer snorted.
"... Well, actually," she considered it. "Those beasts kind of are looking like some video game bosses. Especially the Kurama one, he's got nine tails and has legends!"
-That's amazing!-
-Alright, ignoring that. So, James will make a biome for Naruto but, in the meantime, I guess he'll be in this room-
Then there was a loud growl and everyone blinked before Naruto chuckled embarrassedly.
'I might be hungry,' the former blonde said before Summer looked at him oddly. 'What?'
"Naruto… Grimm don't usually eat… well, not pleasantly," she explained and he blinked in confusion.
'Okay but we've already figured out I'm different, so I'm super hungry.'
She couldn't really argue with that logic. "Well, James?" She asked with a chuckle before her own stomach growled. "... Might want to get enough for two," Summer said in embarrassment.
~NRK~
Watching Naruto eat with chopsticks was a wonder in and of itself.
The Grimm being hummed as he ate grilled fish on noodles with a good sauce and fruit. He tossed some in with some sauce and chewed afterward.
-It's kind of hilarious in a scientific way- Ozpin said as James nodded, the man watching Naruto eat with interest.
"How does it taste to you, Naruto?" Summer asked, touching his elbow as the 'Grimm' blinked.
'Uh, like fish and rice with sauce?' He said unsurely. 'While this fish tastes a bit colder, it's still fish.'
"So, I guess a Grimm's palate is the same as a human's?" James considered as Naruto shrugged before scarfing down more food, his foot-tall stack of rice eaten in a matter of a few minutes. "Your appetite's ridiculous."
'Well…' He gestured to the man to touch him. 'Well, it's kind of weird for me, too. I could only ever eat this much ramen compared to other food.'
"Ramen? The instant stuff?"
'Instant, homemade, from my favorite restaurant, all ramen is good ramen.'
"I'm starting to notice a trend," James sweatdropped. "Ramen isn't that good for you."
'It's not but it's one of the kindest things that's ever been given to me, that's not gonna just go away.'
"Noted, now," James stretched as he got up. "Crazily enough, I have work to do and can't stay here for much longer. Summer, you'll have to handle Naruto's basic needs for now until that biome's not only made but justified. That's going to be fun."
"Sorry, James," she said and Naruto nodded. "Naruto says 'sorry', too."
"I could understand that much, at least," the general said as he nodded to everyone. "Ozpin. I'm not sure how much longer you'll be here."
-Honestly, I do have paperwork to finish- The old man said with a chuckle. -I'll call at a later time, most likely-
-I'll be there as well- Glynda said with a huff. -This whole situation is too much to ignore-
-I guess I'll head on home and let Tai and the kiddies know. We're all thankful you're back, Sums-
"Glad to be back," Summer said with a smile. "Take care, all of you, I'm sure we'll talk soon enough."
-Likewise-
They left after that and James nodded before walking out.
"There's an exercise room down the hall, a bathroom in your 'room', for the moment, and food can be found by going down the hall. If you need direction, it's on the walls as well," he reminded and she smiled.
"Thanks, James," Summer said with a nod. "Actually…" She sniffed Naruto and hummed. "No bad smells yet, Little Naru."
The boy huffed, laying down in front of her.
"He's a good kid," she said and James chuckled.
"Take care," he said with a sigh as he activated the cameras in the room. "No offense, Naruto."
The Grimm shook his head with a shrug.
The humanity in the act only made the general feel guilt as he left. 'It's kind of worrying to think this all came up when the projects are soon going to be chosen,' he thought as he rolled his neck and cracked his back. 'A biome… something to give Naruto time to spread his legs and keep him out of sight and mind of the rest of the world.'
Of course, he wasn't stupid about how that could be misconstrued.
Just another reminder of how rough it was in his position.
Summer laid down on Naruto's back, listening in, and, yep, that was a heartbeat. 'You're so different.'
'I get that a lot.'
'And soft.'
'I get that a lot, too,' she snorted at his words. 'So, what is the world here like?' He asked and she blinked before grinning.
'Thought you'd never ask.'
~NRK~
The days passed and, in that time, Naruto and Summer found their energy returning.
And as the Grimm's did, they noticed interesting aspects of Grimm biology.
~NRK~
Naruto's form burned with the black wisps and vapors they normally saw on regular Grimm.
-Fascinating- Ozpin said in some interest, writing down notes as James did the same. -This is the first time we can study a Grimm and find out the biology, Naruto! This is wondrous information-
'No problem,' the blonde said and Summer translated, from a foot away.
As it turned out, Naruto's telepathy grew more powerful as he regained his strength.
So, at current, he could talk without being touched, a marvelous change.
"Naruto, do you know what that mist is?" Summer asked.
'Well… it's like a part of my body,' he said as he raised one of his arms.
The wisps swirled in on it before the bones on his forearm began to extend, soon a large gauntlet with spikes atop the back forming.
"My word," James gasped as he observed it. "And you can control your evolution at will?"
'Evolution… No, I don't think so,' he said as he looked at the palm of his enhanced arm. 'No, think of this like a personal skill, I guess?' The boy really wasn't any more familiar with this than they were.
This was completely odd territory.
-So, can you form that all over your body?- Glynda asked and the boy's eyes closed as he breathed out slowly.
His hands came together in a prayer-like fashion before the wisps coming off him swirled inward.
Plating grew on his arms, chests, and stomach before it extended off his spine?
The group watched in horrified curiosity as a giant fox skull formed on the Grimm's head like a helmet. He separated his hands and when he opened his eyes, the group saw that his sclera glowed… oddly familiarly.
-Wait… it's just like the Maidens?- Ozpin blinked and Naruto remembered that bit of info.
The Maidens were magically females who he handed his power to, in the past, that were being passed around even now. Currently, they have the Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall Maiden under lock and key. Prepared to pass them on to the next generation.
When asked why it only went to females, Ozpin's answer had been amusing.
-Ah, well, I hadn't given it too much thought when it happened but… I might have let it have too much free reign and it imprinted on their gender- He said with red cheeks as James snorted while Glynda and Summer smiled.
"So, this confirms that it's magic?" Summer asked and Ozpin hummed.
-We've never seen Grimm do this… but if Naruto has a soul and this is how his powers as a Grimm manifest… I believe that this is the absolute truth. Grimm are indeed magic- He said as Glynda nodded.
-Still, the only way we even knew this was that Naruto appeared. With this information, we're not really any closer to helping the world- She implored but blinked as Ozpin hummed. -Ozpin?-
-I believe that's where you're wrong… Naruto, I'm curious, can you feel the ongoings of the outside world?-
'Yeah, it's full of people of all kinds.'
-Then, can you sense their negativity on a base scale?-
'...'
"He means 'can you sense negativity as you are without concentrating'," James explained with a smirk as Ozpin coughed, Glynda looking very amused at Naruto's nod.
'Oh, why didn't he say so?' The wizard facepalmed. 'Well… when I'm asleep, I see the paths of darkness to people,' he explained and the group blinked.
-... Oh- Glynda looked solemn. -I believe what you're seeing is your path to following negativity. Where a large amount of negativity is, Grimm will follow…-
"That explains it," Summer said. "But you see it in your dreams?" She asked and he nodded.
'How can I say this… I don't think I can dream anymore,' he admitted and the woman's hand patted him vigorously. 'I-It's fine, I mean it… maybe.'
"I can't imagine it," James said with a sigh. "Many would say they'd love to never need to sleep again but that much mental loneliness is going to affect you eventually."
'I get that, yeah, but I don't think that's the case for me,' Naruto went on to explain. 'It's weird… but you all know about how I could do the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, right? Well, it feels like I can look at all the spots and just separate my energy a bit to go to them.'
-What?- Ozpin was confused. -Grimm can do that?-
'I dunno.'
"... I think we need to make a few distinctions," Summer said and James nodded.
"You mean between 'Naruto' abilities and 'Grimm' abilities," he said as she nodded.
"We have no idea how much of this is Naruto and not just normal Grimm behavior. The more we speculate, we could be making Grimm more powerful than we think," Summer said with a shake of the head. "We can't do that to ourselves."
-That's not wrong- Glynda said as she adjusted her glasses. -And I've taken my time to do just that- She said, getting several blinks all around. -I knew something like this would eventually happen, so I've already separated, with as much clarity as we can muster, what abilities are Naruto's and not a normal Grimm's-
Their Scrolls all beeped and Summer took out the device to look at the file, Naruto peeking over her shoulder.
She scratched his chin as they read. "Let's see… So, the bone manipulation, or as Naruto dubs it Corpse Bone Manipulation," she said and the Grimm nodded.
'I knew a guy who could use his bones like this, he even created a small forest of them.'
-I'm still utterly terrified of your culture- Glynda said with a shiver as James nodded. -There are clans that can use their own bones as weapons and tools?- The sheer idea made her skin crawl and got another shiver out of the woman.
'Sorry, Glynda-baa-chan, it's just what it is. You guys knew that Kaguya could do it too but her bones were far more deadly.'
"We're losing ourselves in your memories again," James said but he rubbed the back of his head. "But, even then, it's hard not to. Your world is so different from our own, it's hard to not think about it."
"Come on, we gotta sort Naruto out!" Summer said with a grin as she looked through the neatly written files of Glynda's. "So, the bone thing, his ability to increase his wisp output, his form's evolution, and his organs. Do you need to use the bathroom yet?" She asked him and he shook his head with red cheeks. "And he even blushes! He's really just a human in a Grimm's body."
-His telepathy, connecting spell if you will- Ozpin said with a smile. -His odd dreams-
"And, finally, his increased appetite and soul," James finished. "That's so much information. So, with these, he really is just a… Grimm mage, for lack of better words," the general said and Ozpin hummed.
-That's… actually truly apt. Naruto's control of his abilities is spell-like. That said, I'd have to test him, to see if he can't apply magical principles to his energy, to truly know-
"How's the trip looking?" Summer asked.
-Well, thankfully, the school year hasn't started yet but we're celebrating a festival soon and that's going to require signature after signature. That said, I could make it there for a weekend, next week's-
"That's good, we can finally see what Naruto's truly capable of," James said with a grin. "And, that biome is on the way to being finished, actually," the group looked surprised. "One of my scientists, Pietro Polendina, he's working on a little AI that I've framed the biome for. With the P.E.N.N.Y. we could see how she navigates terrain. With that, Naruto just needs to hide well."
'I used to hide from the jounin in my village, this'll be easy,' the Beowulf-lookalike grinned.
-So, we'll do my own form of tests come then- Ozpin looked oddly excited.
"You seem all about this, Oz," Summer said with a giggle. "I don't think I've ever seen you so giddy except for when you train the Maidens."
-It's because this is a whole new magical territory for me- He said with a chuckle. -Not just that but if Naruto can use magic in his own state, I'd have another pupil. It's nice to teach the children sometimes but it can feel lonely at times being the only male sorcerer-
"Right," James said.
~NRK~
Another week passed and the group finally noted Summer's return to full Aura levels.
"So, it takes two weeks?" She suggested but the others shrugged.
'I think it's more about how much we used up,' Naruto said and she nodded from across the room, the boy in a meditating stance. 'So, Ozpin-jiji is supposed to be here soon, right?'
"He should be right now," James said and a knock happened on the door. "Perfect as always," he said with a smile as he got up and opened it.
Meanwhile, Naruto blinked. 'Wait, he's with someone else as well?'
When James opened the door, he blinked twice before rubbing the back of his head at Ozpin and Glynda before noting the third person there.
She was an old woman with fair skin, blue eyes, and white hair that was short and spiked up softly towards her forehead.
The former two, Ozpin and Glynda, wearing coats and pants that led into their dress shoes, while this woman… his Winter Maiden, had been wearing her light blue medical scrubs, a white scarf around her neck and shoulders, and similar-colored slippers.
"Fria," James said with a smile that strained itself as the woman raised a brow at him before smiling herself.
"James, it's been some time," she said and he nodded before Fria turned to Ozpin and Glynda. "I could feel you coming, Ozpin, I figured I should say 'hello'... but then I felt the odd one in there," she said, pointing to the room that Naruto and Summer were in. "It's probably none of my business but when did we have another magic user here?"
"... Ah, if you say so, then it's official," Ozpin said with a smile as Glynda grunted, crossing her arms. "But, Fria, there's a very big reason we're meeting down here by this individual… You feel his soul, yes?"
"I do," Fria said and she hummed. "Is his soul special? It's very warm and kind, yes, but I don't see much more beyond that when I'm awake."
"Well, you vouching for him is comforting," James said as he relaxed, Fria humming at that.
"You had some reservations… though it also looks like you weren't in the mind to really rely on that," she said as she looked at the door where Summer popped out with a nervous grin. "You don't need to hide him, young lady, I could feel him before I even entered this level."
"... O-Oh," Summer swallowed nervously, her own medical scrubs shifting as she looked at the clearly experienced Maiden. "... just don't freak out, please," she said with a plea and Fria hummed.
"What exactly is so special about this young man that you all are worried about me seeing him?" She asked and James sighed.
"Nothing that you see here is to be said, Fria, but I know you know that," he said nervously before gesturing to the room. "Come in. Once again, don't freak out nor start yelling, please."
Fria raised a brow before coming in and looking around the room and then focusing on the metallic box in the corner.
"You can come out now, we've talked this out, I won't be telling anybody about you," she said kindly and the box shifted before being lifted off the floor by feet that jutted out of the bottom of it. "..." Fria's eyes narrowed as she saw the feet. "Grimm legs?" She asked him before nervous chuckling reached her mind.
'Please don't freak,' Naruto said as he lifted the box off his head. '... ta-daaaa…' He said with jazz hands as her eyes bugged out.
Fria stared at the Grimm who could speak with disbelief before she reached out with her hand and pulled it towards.
James Ironwood slipped into the room under no power of his own.
"Explain."
He sighed.
Once things were explained, as insane as they were, Fria considered the former blonde with a frown.
"So, you can't turn him human, yes?" She asked and Ozpin sighed, the group sitting in a circle on the floor. "This is rather… unorthodox," Fria said as she observed Naruto within Summer's grip.
Which was basically the 'boy's' head in her lap, the Grimm's eyes closed as the Silver-Eyed Warrior caressed his forehead.
"This image is so… odd."
"It is," Ozpin said with a chuckle. "But Naruto has not only been immensely helpful but… if you're right, he's also a Mage."
"... well, I guess that would be valuable," Fria said, observing the boy as he opened his eyes. "Blue eyes… He's really unlike normal Grimm."
"That's a big part of why Ozpin was here," James said. "He's going to test Naruto's skillset to see how it compares to a normal magician's. If he ends up being one, think of the possibilities."
"But then it'd be negativity-themed, wouldn't it?" The Maiden asked. "That means his powers thrive on negativity still and, no offense to him, I guess, but I wouldn't want his powers to progress if that's the case."
'Well, I don't know,' the Beowulf said, confusing her. 'I don't notice my powers growing or weakening here. I feel normal.'
"Be that as it may, it's as you say, none of us know," Fria said patiently as he nodded. "... This has gotten weird," she said, reaching out for his nose.
She touched it and her fascination grew. "It's warm," she noted. "I expected your nose to be wet, like a dog's… but it's warm."
"Naruto's form gives off warmth, oddly enough," Glynda said. "He's got organs, Fria," the Maiden looked alarmed.
"Wait, what?" James nodded.
"Through some tests, Naruto eats, sleeps, breathes, and so on. He's not just some Grimm, he's a living being," the general explained. "If so, he's not normal for his kind and might very well live fundamentally on a different level."
"I see…" Fria rubbed his nose before feeling his fur. "Then, I'll be here. If not as extra protection than as extra teaching material."
"Then let's start immediately," Ozpin said with a chuckle. "So, Naruto, I'm going to need you to sit up."
The boy did, seiza-style, much to Fria's fascination.
"Now, when all, back in the day, used to know about magic, those who could learn would start by having their capabilities unlocked," Ozpin said with a chuckle. "For you, that's already the case, assumably. We don't know if you have more pathways to open or if, as a Grimm, yours are already open. So, we'll go with the idea that yours are but won't cross out the other possibility."
'Gotcha.'
"Now, the first exercise is to focus on a shape with your magical energy," he said. "Anything… Actually, that Rasengan of yours, try to recreate it."
Naruto nodded before holding up his hands by his chest.
Then the black mist around him focused into his palm before swirling around in erratic directions and forming a hazy ball of darkness.
Then blue eyes glowed and it condensed further, lacking a black haze, and remaining a solid ball of energy.
"Fascinating," Glynda said. "And you said this has enough stopping power?"
'On its own, the Rasengan is more powerful than most physical blows,' he explained. 'It's like energy that will grind into you. The first time I used it well, I caused internal damage on an expert medical ninja who could realign his nerves. It's that potent.'
"Incredible," Ozpin grinned. "Alright, release," the boy did so with ease. "Hmm… Naruto, I want you to read this," he said as pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket.
Handing to the Grimm, Naruto was ready to blow through his expectations… before sweating.
'Um, guys?' He spoke up, pale as a ghost. 'I can't read this.'
"..."
"..."
"..."
… The group choked in unison.
"Right… We just assumed…" James gaped as Summer giggled madly.
"Of course, he can't read our language! We were assuming so many things that just because he could speak to us, with his mind, we thought he could read our language. It makes no sense to think he could," she said with numerous laughs. "Well, I guess we'll have to teach you how to read and write," Summer said with a grin as Ozpin slumped, much to Fria's amusement.
"This is going to be interesting," the Maiden said.
"It will," James said good-naturedly as he sweatdropped.
What form of madness had they interacted with?
~NRK~
Welcome to this interesting piece.
So, yes, this one also has Summer being saved compared to Kamui Candy… and she's already, basically, adopted the ninja-turned-Beowulf. Like, damn, she works fast.
No wonder she's 'super mom'.
So, let's clarify. Naruto is a Grimm… for now but he's different in that his souls shapes the typical empty shell of a Grimm's body.
So, he's growing organs, breathes, can eat, and so on. He's becoming a living Grimm and we see some of the oddness in Grimm behavior. His dreams, bones, and evolution are all odd things to consider.
One, I know the path of evolution I'm taking him so there's no need for anyone to suggest anything. Two, he's not going to have a weapon, he's got a whole bodily arsenal, he's good.
Two, this isn't a harem. It's Naruto x Penny and that's it.
Anything else… Hmm, well, you heard Ozpin's conjecture, what'd happen if Naruto did awaken magical powers in normal Aura users? He'd not only become remarkably valuable but the Ozimati could make every one of their members magicians.
And we meet Fria! I'm working with the idea that since this is easily almost 15 years before we ever even meet her in canon, she's far more aware, far more capable, and an actual Maiden who's capable of pulling Ironwood into a room with but a gesture.
So, Naruto's got the road of literature ahead of him that will surely be useful… and, I might be able to do it, we'll be meeting 'PENNY' next time, even if it's only one of her early stages.
Ciao, I had fun with this. Imagine the future fusions for some fun.
Words: 13.1k
~NRK Out~
