Chapter 2

A/N: Apologies for going silent for a long time again. Combined with obligations to university and a bad case of writer's block, I haven't written much. But I am going to try again to be more active, so sorry for all the wait. Other than that, I want to say thank you for all the praise and likes so far for this crossover story. (If only Ghost of Tsushima won game of the year).

Enough of my words, enjoy this chapter, everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Ghost of Tsushima. They belong to their respective creators

"Reflecting on one's self. Sea of red, a new rebirth. Trained to never fail."

-Haiku of Perseverance

Jin's body was lax, his eyes closed with his breathing deep and even. Mist escaped from his nose with each exhale, with snowflakes gently landing upon his face while the rest fell onto his hakama, melting right away as it would with the arrival of spring. The wind gently blew past him, feeling the cold nip of Atlas with grey clouds dotting the sky.

A brisk day for the kingdom, and Jin welcomed it, just like he had done so for the past month. Jin was still trying to get used to the world that he had suddenly found himself in, far away from his home of Tsushima. He still needed to gain better bearings, but he knew he was doing better than at the start thanks to the combined assistance of Ironwood and Winter. He practically owed his life to them, and he was keen to repaying it.

In a way, he was repaying it, as it was included in the plan to help him out thanks to a suggestion Winter had brought up in one of many meetings. In short and some shock to the Ghost, it was to give his services to the Schnee Family, to become a retainer of sorts to them as he understood from his standpoint.

To Jin, it was an idea had thought he never had to do ever again. It had been years since he had broken his samurai code to better serve the people of Tsushima as the Ghost, which was thankfully something he hadn't mentioned to either yet. He for now just fabricated from information he had gather in-between meetings he came from a defunct village called Omi found in the Kingdom of Mistral, having learned that the kingdom had some similarities with his home and the mainland.

As deceiving as it was, it was no harm for the time being. It bought him time as he would learn more about Remnant for the days to come as he had come to the conclusion that he wouldn't return to Tsushima. He could only hope that the people of his home would be able to once again fight of their Mongolian invaders like before.

Though he couldn't help but let out a gentle laugh from his lips despite him meditating. After years standing as the Ghost, Jin was given the opportunity with the help of Winter and Ironwood to do a role he never thought he'd do again; being a retainer, like how a samurai would be.

"Who would've thought this would be a role I'd be doing again after so long?" Jin thought to himself. "It is strange... My body is... Younger... I feel younger, rejuvenated even... As if I stepped out of a hot spring... Maybe the day I was at the tournament... Two summers before the first invasion... Heh... I nearly broke Ryuzo's arm..."

Even with it being years since he renounced his samurai tradition to embrace "dishonorable" methods to combat the Mongols during the two invasions, it was a life he was brought up in. He couldn't forget if he wanted to, the way of the samurai ingrained into his head ever since he was a young boy.

After all, he never really stopped using what he was trained with. He just adapted it with the Ghost to protect others in unorthodox ways.

A deep sigh escaped between his lips as his eyes slowly opened up. It was nearly time anyhow as he nodded ever so slightly while he observed his surroundings in the gentle snowfall.

"An ever-calm mind. Readying for the battle. Fear melting like snow."

Right on point, Jin could hear footsteps approaching from behind him. Getting his feet underneath, he slowly stood up with his back to the person while picking up the wooden sword he had before him despite his katana strapped to his side. "You're late," Jin joked to the person with a light chuckle.

"The Heiress to the Schnee Family would never be late," He heard the person respond with a scoff.

It was a familiar sight he had quickly become acclimated to, seeing a young teenage girl with snow white hair set in an offside ponytail, striking icy blue eyes that held regal sense to them, and a rather snobby look on her face. Reminded him how the samurai were, with cold and calculated looks and demeanors they were to have for the people to look up to them.

But what did concern him was seeing the red handprint that was somewhat faded on her cheek. Even if she was of noble standing, nobles weren't far from the normal vices that were part of a family. "Lady Weiss, what happened to you?"

Weiss furrowed her brow and turned away, refusing to look her instructor in the eye right now. "It is nothing."

Jin sighed as he walked himself over to the heiress. She reminded him of how he was years ago when he was roughly around her age. He could still remember that day, when he snuck out of his family home in Omi Village with the Storm of Clan Sakai to practice with after having a fight with someone... When his uncle helped taught him the way of swordsmanship beneath the red maple tree.

And here he was now, standing before Weiss just as his uncle had done so, his heart knowing what she was similarly going through in a sense.

Jin now stood before her, placing a hand on Weiss's shoulder. At first she jerked, wanting to pull away to try to keep up her appearance. But Jin didn't pull away, wanting to show she can be honest with him as he nodded. "I may be in service to your family, but anything you share to me, I won't share to anyone."

Weiss remained silent for now, unsure of what to say right now. But Jin nodded seeing she wasn't up for it right now. "I understand if you don't wish to speak about it."

"... Let's just go on with the training," Weiss told him, giving him her answer.

He couldn't protest that. For now, he would do his roles as he gently patted her shoulder and took some steps back. Weiss was readying herself as she steadied her breathing to calm down, soon placing a hand on her weapon, Myrtenaster. Though she scoffed seeing how Jin still held his wooden sword rather than drawing his actual weapon out. "I believe I'm sufficient to face you with your sword," Weiss mentioned with some annoyance in her tone.

Jin knew what she meant, but he didn't wish to accidentally cause any sort of maiming or serious injury to her. The Storm of Clan Sakai was a weapon to be respected, wielded with deadly skill and training like all members of the defunct clan.

"You are not yet ready to clash your steel against mine," He brought up like had numerous times already. "Where I come from, when the blade is drawn, there must be no hesitation with your movement, seeking to end the fight as soon as possible."

"But-"

"Enough!" Jin told her, not quite shouting, but loud enough to get his point across. "For now, we will only deal with swordsmanship to help you master the basics. No Dust nor semblance, for they are merely tools at your disposal."

"I already know enough."

"Knowing is one thing. But to perform without thinking, that is the thing that all warriors must attain," Jin explained to her, now grasping his wooden sword with both hands. "Strike me."

"Strike you? I might land a hit. And you have no aura either, you won't recover as quickly," Weiss pointed out. She might've been training from him for a bit now, but that was with training weapons and mainly doing forms. Now? Now it was the real deal, not including him using his blade.

Jin knew she was right. He lacked aura and a semblance, something found out he had read in his time in the Schnee Manor library during his free time. It was part of this strange world of Remnant, where he had more questions than answers the more he would read. But he was learning as fast as he could to keep his guise up for now.

For now, he banished such thinking away as he let out a chuckle at Weiss. "Are you scared?"

This seemed to strike a nerve in Weiss as she narrowed her eyes at him. "I-I'm not scared! That's absurd!"

"Then why the hesitation?" Jin asked in return, having none himself.

That did the trick as Weiss let out a shout of frustration from his words, drawing Myrtenaster and went on the attack, zipping forward just like he predicted, remaining steady in his stance.

Closing in on the distance, Weiss attempted to deliver a thrust on Jin, aiming to land it on his shoulder so it didn't hit any vitals. But to her shock, Jin simply brought his wooden sword up and deflected her attack, sending it to the side and took a step away from her. This caused the heiress to stumble froward, nearly losing her footing

"Predictable. You're an open book for any opponent before you," Jin commented, keeping his wooden sword up.

Weiss regained her balance, turning around as she gave Jin an icy glare. "Be quiet. you!" She demanded, readying herself for another attack and launched it, advancing towards Jin. There was more speed this time, but Jin easily saw her movements. She tried to deliver another thrust, but he merely stepped to the side this time, making her dart forward. She fell this time, but thankfully caught herself from rolling across the ground.

But just as she was trying to get up, she gasped feeling something pressed against her neck. Looking up, she saw that Jin had closed in the distance in this moment, with his wooden sword pressing to her jugular. "And like that, you would be dead," Jin told her.

Weiss tried to retaliate, trying to swing her rapier at Jin, only for him to swiftly block her attack and disarmed her by whacking the back of her hand with enough force not to break anything, but enough to leave a noticeable bruise later on. "Dead here as well."

"T-That was against the rules of combat! You wouldn't strike down your opponent like that!" Weiss shouted at him, anger and disappointment burning behind her eyes.

Jin sighed, seeing how narrow he thinking was as it has always been. But he nodded as he removed the wooden sword away from her neck. "It is good to fight with honor and courage, but know not every fight will be fair. Many enemies will use whatever dirty trick they know to gain the advantage."

The heiress wanted to refute that, to tell her what she thought. But his words held wisdom and experience. She simply looked away, feeling ashamed that she was so easily taken down as Myrtenaster laid nearby.

Jin though smiled a little as he reached down towards her weapon and picked it up. "This is why you are training. You've learned much from your previous instructors, and it is important to use what you've been taught. But it is good to keep an open mind to learn new things. For if you won't learn how to bend and adapt, you will break and be defeated."

He then outstretched his hand that held Weiss' weapon towards her. Weiss glanced at it for moment, wordless as she then looked up to Jin. It felt like an eternity before Weiss reached up and took her weapon, with Jin lifting her back up onto her feet and helped dusted her off. "Good. Find your resolve, and push on."

Weiss scoffed a little at him with a roll of her eyes, but she nodded. "You're not that much older than Winter, and yet it seems like you have seen plenty."

"You're not wrong there," Jin thought with a little chuckle. "My village raised many skilled warriors. Our entire lives, we trained, aiming to be the best," He explained to her.

Jin though then placed his hand on her shoulder. "You have control with your movements, that I've seen. But you must temper your emotions properly," He explained, feeling like his uncle all those years ago. But where Lord Shimura only wanted the emotions to be kept in check, he knew it was important to use said emotions properly.

He gently gestured to her chest where her heart would be. "Don't let your emotions control you, but allow it to fuel your movements and attacks." Jin then brought his hand up and gestured it to her forehead. "And don't think strictly upon proper fighting all the time. They are useful, but never allow rules to restrict yourself in combat. Promise me this, Lady Weiss. That you will allow yourself to be open."

Weiss nodded at him knowing he was imparting his knowledge to her as she had to admit, she was rather stubborn to a fault. "I... I promise."

Jin smiled a little more at her before motioning his head to her weapon. "Good. Now, let us continue. Show me that Weiss Schnee has the strength to push on," Jin said as he assumed a stance, his wooden sword held in both hands and held near his middle.

Weiss assumed her own stance, having Myrtenaster pointed at Jin with her hand near her chest. She wasn't going to back down now as she would do her best to adhere to his advice.

They would clash again, with Weiss doing her best to keep her emotions in check just how Jin instructed her to be, but never too ground to restrict herself, trying not to be predictable for him. He was without a doubt had the experience to show for it, but Jin could see her improving, even if this was the first for them to clash weapons.

This would continue for some time, going for roughly a few hours as Jin drilled Weiss again and again, making sure that she would have her motions be ingrained into her very psyche, to respond without thinking.

By now, heiress panted, currently taking a breather as the training had been going on for some hours now. Without a doubt she would be feeling sore later, but this was worth it, learning plenty from her instructor.

Jin let out a tired laugh as he felt a little drained himself, but rather more impressed with how fast she had learned. "At this rate, you will eventually best me in combat."

Weiss glanced over at him, rolling her eyes but gave him the slightest smile she could muster. "Perhaps... Perhaps I'll be ready to cross steel with you soon enough."

"Perhaps," Jin replied to her with his laugh coming back. But he then nodded as he then bowed to her. "But that is enough for today. You have more lessons to undertake later on."

"Please, Jin, I would rather become a Huntress rather than sit behind an office desk. Training like this is better than memorizing all the minuet details I must learn... They're honestly a bore," Weiss responded.

Jin couldn't help but smile at her hearing this. "... You have a good heart, Lady Weiss. Choosing this path you've taken."

Weiss sighed but nodded, thanking him for his words. But now she felt famished after all this training as she placed her weapon on her hip. "I say it is time to have something to eat for the both of us. Let us find Klein."

Jin didn't protest knowing he felt rather hungry himself. So the two walked back inside the manor, aiming to have something to eat after all the extraneous training for the heiress. And he did wonder one thing.

"Maybe this time I'll request for some soup and meat... Nothing too much... Too bad they don't have miso, I would love to have some."