Vale – Beacon Courtyard
Naruto sat quietly in his seat, gazing out the window onto the cityscape down below. In his hand he clutched his katana tightly, unwilling to part with his partner/weapon. While he'd had some trouble in this regard with security while getting onto the airship, once they understood he was heading to Beacon they became a little more accommodating to his preferences. Apparently he wasn't the first aspiring Huntsman or Huntress to insist that their weapon remain on their person. He couldn't be sure but the way they'd described a young girl wearing a red cape insisting that she be allowed to keep her "baby" on her reminded him a little of Ruby. He'd quickly dismissed this thought, though, as she was still a couple years away from being able to attend Beacon. It was more likely that some other student who closely matched her description had given them a hard time. With that out of the way, Naruto had managed to get aboard without further problems and from there it was smooth sailing. Well, smooth being the preferable description to the reality he was in.
"Remind me again whose bright idea it was to take us back to school?" Kurama complained.
"It was a group decision, one which we all agreed to," Naruto chided him.
"Group decision? That's assuming the rest of us had a say in whether or not we tagged along on your little excursion. We may share the same body but I'm still sealed behind this door while you have complete control over our motor functions."
"Enough complaining, Kurama. While you're lack of mobility is noted, keep in mind our decision to come here is part of a larger plan that will inevitably give us more insight into this world and its inner workings. Who knows, we may find some useful information that could lead us to returning to our own worlds and perhaps even finding a way to give you a body of your own."
While he didn't answer, Naruto could sense that the Nine Tailed Fox was intrigued by Hyorinmaru's response. Finding a way to separate himself from the demon sealed within him was an intriguing proposition but one that he nonetheless found doubtful. While this world was indeed different from his own, complete with its own set of rules regarding the manner in which people attained greater levels of power and the strange creatures that roamed the forests, mountains, and oceans outside the city walls, believing it would be possible to find the power to separate Kurama from himself safely at a school was a bit farfetched to be honest. Even once he graduated, there was no guarantee that this world might hold such information. Going to Beacon was simply a means to an end. By spending some time here and gaining a Huntsman's license he would effectively be giving himself a tool that would enable him to roam the world with fewer restrictions. From there it was all a matter of time and patience until he found something capable of sending him home to fulfill his promise.
The rest of his journey to Beacon went mostly undisturbed, even by his two counterparts. Aside from the news reporting yet another dust robbery conducted by Roman Torchwick and a fellow initiate of his finding that his stomach wasn't capable of handling the rough ride generated by the airship, it was only a matter of minutes before the craft had settled down and passengers began making their way towards the doors. Naruto followed suit, allowing himself to be gently pushed and pressed by the mass of bodies all eagerly moving outside in the hopes of taking in the long awaited sight. Naruto hadn't even descended from the ramp when he too found himself mesmerized by the sight that greeted him.
Beacon Academy, his new home for the next four years. In spite of himself Naruto couldn't help but admit that he found the school to be impressive. The Shinobi Academy back home, while large and imposing when he was younger, would have looked like a small storage shed compared to the sight before him. It was like looking up at a castle, one situated high in the sky to the point that its towers nearly pierced the heavens. To think that so many people looked to this with hope and wonder certainly made sense to him. It was an image that couldn't be denied, even now.
"Eh, I've seen better," Kurama snorted.
"I'm surprised you would have had time in-between your bouts of mindless destruction to stop and appreciate the architecture of the cities around you before you laid waste to them," Naruto replied.
"Keep it up kid and I'll lay waste your psyche next," Kurama threatened.
"Enough, both of you. Perhaps we should focus our attention on making our way to the initiation hall. After all, the sooner we get this journey underway the sooner we can begin searching for the answers we seek."
"A fait point," Naruto admitted, looking around for the best route to take. "Which way should we go? They didn't exactly give us a detailed map of the campus before coming here."
"I'd suggest heading in the general direction of that explosion that's about to take place," Kurama suggested.
"The what?"
"3…2…1…"
Before he was able to ask what the countdown was for an explosion from the Academy's courtyard rose into the air, the sound ripping its way through the wind and to his position. He wasn't the only one surprised by this as several people were either starring in disbelief or whispering, obviously curious as to what might have occurred. Several people thought it might have been some sort of show, something the school had cooked up as a display to welcome new students but Naruto knew better. Having spent most of his life as a Shinobi he knew an explosion like that could only have been caused by something volatile going off. He just hoped whomever had been caught in the blast was unharmed though, given the present company, he didn't doubt they were.
"I'm almost afraid to ask how you knew that was going to happen."
"I'm a creature of destruction, it's part of my nature to be able to sense anything related to tendencies."
"I'll keep that mind," he said as he began making his way across the campus to see the crater left in the wake of the explosion.
Much like himself Naruto found the sudden chaos had been noticed by many of the new students and had become a point of interest that had caused them to crowd around what looked to be an interesting show. Despite the large press of bodies Naruto managed to expertly maneuver his way to the front where he had a clear view of the people involved. He knew there were two as he'd heard them arguing well before seeing them and, while he wasn't certain, he had a suspicion that he knew them somehow. His suspicions were confirmed when he reached the front and saw a shock of white hair pulled into a side ponytail berating a younger girl. Needless to say it wasn't difficult for him to recognize Weiss Schnee though the fact that she had somehow managed to end up at the same school was surprising. What was even more so was the girl she was yelling at. Ruby Rose, holding her hands up defensively and wearing her distinctive red cloak, looked to be at a lose of what to say. How or why she was here at all were questions that quickly rose to the forefront of his mind but they were quickly pushed aside as he registered the scene. It was obvious from the tension in the air that everyone expected a fight and while he didn't expect them to devolve to that he nonetheless felt obligated to prevent it before it could happen.
"Excuse me, ladies, you're causing a bit of a scene," he said, loud enough to be heard over Weiss' shrill voice.
"What? Excuse you but do you have any idea who I- "Weiss began only to stop midsentence when she caught sight of the blonde.
Ruby took notice as well, her silver eyes shifting to him before widening in both shock and surprise. Both girl's mouth's fell open, their surprise at seeing him at Beacon evident and for a moment he worried that a fly might decide to take refuge inside one of them, adding to the apparent entertainment. They must have realized this themselves as their jaws quickly snapped shut only to open once more as they blurt out at the same time.
"Naruto? Wait, you know him?" they spoke simultaneously.
A round of chuckles could be heard from the crowd, many wondering if this had all been planned as some sort of spectacle for them to introduce themselves at Beacon and make a name for themselves. It died an icy death, however, as Weiss' sharp glare cut through each and everyone of the people standing around.
"I'm surprised to see you two here, especially you Ruby. Aren't you a couple years too young to be attending Beacon?"
"Uh, heh heh, I'm a special circumstance," she said sheepishly.
"Special Circumstance?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yea, Headmaster Ozpin asked me enroll himself."
"What? The Headmaster himself asked a child to attend? That's ridiculous," Weiss scoffed.
"Not really. I got in on a recommendation," Naruto pointed out.
"Well that makes more sense."
"A recommendation from General Ironwood," he added.
The flabbergasted look Weiss gave the two of them was nothing short of entertaining. Regardless, the lack of shouting and a potential fight had caused the crowd to disperse, leaving only the three of them standing in an empty courtyard where a large crater now lay.
"Will all new students please make their way to the auditorium for the welcome speech," an announcement sounded, causing the large crowd to begin making its way towards the main building.
"Well, looks like we're being called," Naruto commented.
"Indeed. Shall we go?" Weiss asked, the implication that it would be herself and Naruto minus Ruby not at all lost on him.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."
"Very well. I'll see you inside," she said, her eyes flickering between them, narrowing momentarily on Ruby before she stalked off towards the school.
"She seems, um, nice," Ruby said.
"Yea, she's a little high-strung but once you get to know her… she's pretty much the same."
"So you two know each other?"
"Not really. I meet her only once at a charity gala her father was hosting. We sparred for a bit but nothing beyond that. Honestly, I didn't expect to see her here."
"So, are you from, like, a well off family like hers?" she asked.
"Nope. I just happened to help save a local village from some Grimm and it turned out to be an important shipping port her father owned so he invited me as a way of showing me off and saying thanks."
Ruby gasped. "That sounds awesome. You saved a whole village on your own? You have to tell me everything," she said, geeking out.
"Only if you tell me exactly how you landed an invitation to attend Beacon two years early from the Headmaster himself," he replied, completely unfazed by her reaction.
"Oh, uh, well," she said, going from excited to awkward in a matter of seconds.
"Tell you what, we make it through initiation and we promise to exchange stories. Deal?"
"Deal," Ruby agreed, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.
"Good. Now let's get inside before we miss the opening speech."
/-/
If you were to ask Naruto later what exactly had been said by the Headmaster, the best you would have gotten was a completely inaccurate summarization of what he thought he'd heard. Of course, it was doubtful that anyone else would have been able to recall just what had been said either. The Headmaster had been brief, which was a small mercy all on its own. Add to that the fact that Naruto had never been very good when it came to listening to long speeches and multiply that by the two other voices bickering in his head, neither of which were his own, and you had a recipe for an event that started one moment and the next thing he knew ended when people began pushing him towards one of the many doors leading to the locker rooms.
As it turned out they would be spending the night sleeping in the auditorium, a prospect that not everyone was excited about mostly because it would be on a hard, cold floor. Naruto couldn't care less. Living the life of a Shinobi he'd learned how to sleep regardless of the environment and weather conditions not to mention the few years he'd spent as part of Raven's tribe. Add all of that together and the prospect of sleeping inside on a marble floor was nothing short of bliss. Things would only continue to improve with him gaining a bed, assuming he passed initiation of course.
One of the perks of being sent to Beacon on a recommendation by General Ironwood was that you were afforded the ability to go shopping for the necessities on his lien. While the temptation had been there to buy everything under the sun (not to mention a boatload of instant ramen) Naruto had managed to reel himself in enough to make some smart choices. Among the clothes and sleeping bag he would no doubt need, he'd also taken some time to gather several different assortments of Dust. While this might seem unusual, Naruto had spent a great deal of his time with Raven's bandit camp learning everything he could about Dust, its many applications, and the many different ways he might use said resource in his various Shinobi tools. After several experiments (some of which he'd only narrowly avoided being killed by thanks to Hyorinmaru's intervention) he'd not only managed to recreate some of the smoke bombs and exploding scrolls he had before, he'd also created a few unique tools that would prove useful in his initiation tomorrow.
As the night had begun to wind down, Naruto sat in his small corner of the room, holding his katana in his hands as he meditated. While he could hear people whispering all around him, he didn't pay them too much attention. Keeping his katana close by was as much for their benefit and safety as it was his own. Not only that but it was also important for them to go in tomorrow with a game plan. While they didn't have any clues regarding what they might encounter, the one thing that was for certain was there would be Grimm in abundance and he'd have to think carefully about how he wanted to react either by facing off against them or using his new self-made tools to give him a quick escape.
"Hello~"
The singsong voice and tone was enough to garner his attention. Cracking open his eyes he was meet with a pair of lilac ones staring straight into his own. Instinctively he made to move away but, having set himself against the wall, found he had no room to maneuver. It was only after he noticed a certain young girl with short black hair with red highlights and silver eyes did he allow himself to relax.
"Names Yang, nice to meet you. Hope we weren't disturbing your little nap."
"Meditation actually," he corrected, not at all annoyed by the interruption. "So you're Ruby's sister."
"How did you know?" she asked, her cool, confident smile quickly vanishing before being replaced with suspicion.
"Ruby told me about you after we first met."
"Oh, so you're the guy who helped her when she was attacked by those beowulves," she said, a bit more relaxed.
"I told you he was real," Ruby complained.
"Sorry sis, I just have a difficult time believing you made a new friend because you're, well…" she looked her sister up and down before giving her a lopsided smile.
"Just because I'm socially awkward doesn't mean I'm incapable of making friends Yang," she snarled.
"Sure, sure, anyways I'm Yang. Nice to meet you."
"Uzumaki Naruto but you can just call me Naruto," he said, taking her hand and giving it a shake.
"So, I'm curious. Why were you meditating with your sword?"
"It's not weird, obviously. I sometimes sleep with my baby," Ruby piped in, earning a groan from her sister.
"Don't worry, I'm not offended. Honestly, I do this every night as a way of centering myself. My katana is a very unique weapon so I find a bit of mediation helps me to understand its workings a little better."
"Unique?" Yang asked.
"Yea, it's a family heirloom of sorts. It's unusual compared to your more modern weapons that can transform."
"I see. Can you tell us a little more about it?"
"I could but I'll wait to give you a demonstration during tomorrow's initiation. I find it helps to show rather than tell."
"I hear ya. My Ember Celia are the same way. They use their actions better than words to get the point across."
"So, any idea about what's going to happen tomorrow?" Ruby asked.
"Not really. I haven't heard much. It makes sense though considering that the Headmaster would want to keep it secret in order to better test our abilities. Honestly, I would have thought you had a better idea considering that you're the one here on the Headmaster's recommendation."
"What? No, no, he didn't tell me anything," Ruby stammered, waving her hands in a desperate attempt to ward off their attention.
Naruto and Yang chuckled, Ruby's antics being rather amusing to the two of them. Unfortunately, not everyone shared their sentiment as a young white haired girl stomped her way over to the group, her expression showing she was rather annoyed with them.
"Hey, some of us are trying to sleep," she said before her eyes caught sight of Ruby. "You!"
"Oh gods, it's happening again," Ruby stammered as she leapt into her sister's arms.
"What's happening again?" Yang asked.
"You're the girl that blew us up this morning."
"Wait, that really happened?" Yang asked with Naruto finding the humor escalating with each passing moment.
"Relax Weiss, we were just having some fun."
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"Well I was having a pleasant conversation with these two," he pointed out.
"Wouldn't you have preferred to talk with people more civilized and perhaps a little more considerate of other people, especially when they're trying to sleep?"
"Well excuse me ice queen but we're not all stuck up like you," Yang shot back.
"How dare you," Weiss hissed.
"She may have a point. It's getting late and we'll all need some sleep in preparation for tomorrow's initiation," Naruto said, attempting to defuse the mood.
"Finally, someone with some sense in their head," Weiss said before glancing down at his weapon. "Why do you have your weapon with you? Shouldn't you have stowed it away with the rest of your gear like everyone else?"
"I'm used to having it around. Think of it as a very deadly safety blanket."
"Even so aren't you the least bit concerned someone might try to take it off you in the middle of the night? Not that anyone here would stoop to committing such an atrocious act," she quickly added.
"No worries. Hyorinmaru has several safety features built into him. The last guy that tried to nick him off of me nearly last his hand as a result."
"I'll take your word for it," Weiss said, giving the katana a cautious look. "Anyway, I'm going to bed and I suggest the rest of you do the same."
As they watched Weiss stalk off in a huff, the rest decided that it was probably time they turn in as well. Mentally exhausted from the events of the day, namely meeting two acquaintances at a most unexpected time, he settled down with Hyorinmaru clutched closely to himself. His thoughts slowly drifted to home, to the promise he'd made to Sakura and the fight he'd had with his friend Sasuke. Unlike before when such thoughts caused a pang of quilt to spike inside him, this time he felt hopeful. He had a goal now, a purpose, and he was slowly but surely working towards achieving it. He didn't know how long it would take him but coming here to Beacon would surely be the first step in a long journey that would eventually lead him home whether by some obscure knowledge obtained through his time here or the intense training that would help him to familiarize himself with Hyorinmaru and possibly use his power to send him back. Either way it was better than trekking across the continents with no real destination in mind hoping to come across something that might help.
Before long sleep overtook him and the world around him faded into silence and darkness.
/-/
One thing Naruto could count as a plus when it came to living with a group of bandits was that you were always prepared to wake up early. Despite what most people would like to assume, Raven kept her camp on a very tight shift. They were bandits, sure, but that didn't mean they could ignore sending people out to gather supplies, scouting out potential raiding spots, and also maintaining some sort of security in the area to ensure the Grimm weren't becoming too worked up or that a Huntsman might have caught on to their trail. All in all, while most would have complained it at least made sure they had all the essentials and were kept alive.
This simple regimen was something Naruto had stuck with and it showed when he awoke before any of the other teenagers, Weiss included. While it might have felt odd at first the fact that he wasn't waiting for someone else to finish with their shower or rushing to get themselves a hot breakfast made up for it in turn. By the time he'd showered and put his gear together he started to notice the others beginning to trickle in as he made his way to the cafeteria. He'd barely sat down when Weiss settled herself into the seat opposite him, a beleaguered and annoyed look on her face. Obviously something was bugging her but Naruto wasn't quite sure what it was nor was he certain it was a good idea for him to ask. He opted instead for a pleasant greeting, something which he felt was impossible to get wrong.
"Good morning Weiss. You sleep well?"
The icy glare she shot him was enough to freeze him in place. He was almost afraid that if he moved he might soon find her rapier piercing straight through his heart.
"I slept well enough, thank you for asking," she replied with no real fire in her words.
"I see," he said, slowly allowing himself to relax before asking, "did something happen this morning?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"It's just, you looked rather annoyed when you sat down. I didn't know if something had happened or if someone had said something to upset you."
"Well, seeing as how you asked there is something that's bothering me."
Naruto quickly found himself regretting his decision to ask her what was wrong as she went into a tirade of what had transpired in the locker rooms. While the interaction between her and the blonde boy, Jaune or so he assumed that was his name, it seemed somehow a point of immense disgust to her that he'd not only flirted with her by calling her Snow Angel (a nickname that Naruto had to suppress a snort of laughter at hearing) but also having the apparent audacity to not even know who Pyrrha Nikos was. Neither did Naruto, for that matter, though his knowledge of the legendary athlete was a bit broader than Jaune's. He'd at least heard of the young woman and her achievements here and there throughout out his travels but, considering that she was a celebrity he had known of her as nothing more than a celebrity which everyone knew and fawned over but not someone he really needed to care or waste time pursuing. He had more important things to worry about.
Still, despite the fact that Jaune hadn't known her by name or face it had somehow irked Weiss to no end. Naruto couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he'd attacked her or insulted her name. At best he'd been ignorant of a well-known celebrity, certainly not something that could be considered a federal offense.
"I mean, can you believe he wouldn't have known who Pyrrha Nikos of all people was?" she finished.
"I can't believe we've been forced to sit here and listen to this snow pixie squawk so much," Kurama commented.
"Yes, I can," Naruto answered, ignoring Kurama completely.
"What?"
"It's not difficult to think there might be people out there who don't know certain celebrities. I barely know who she is myself. Not a whole lot of opportunities to get spun up on current events when you're traveling through the wilderness like I was and even then I tended to prioritize anything that might hinder my ability to move from one village to another rather than getting spun up on the latest celebrity news. This Jaune may have come from something similar. Where he's from someone like Pyrrha may be a bit of an unknown. You have to remember we're in Beacon. People from all walks of life come here to learn how to be Huntsman and Huntresses not just the upper crust of Atlas or the tournament circlet of Mistral."
"I suppose. Still, it doesn't excuse the way he acted around her. No doubt she was mortified just speaking with the boy."
"Are you saying that because that was your reaction or are you simply assuming on her behalf?"
"Of course she would feel that way. Why wouldn't she?" Weiss argued.
"Did you actually ask her?"
"Well no but- "
"Then how do you know for certain?"
"Well- I- "the question seemed to have caught the heiress off guard, her confidence and certainty beginning to crumble away as she attempted to find a way to answer his question without actually lying about the answer.
She was saved when an announcement came on for them to start heading for the cliffs where initiation would begin. Wasting little time Naruto rose from his seat and began making his way there. He was soon joined by a congregation of other hopefuls all dressed in a rainbow of colors and styles, caring with them weapons of every make and imaginative model one might think up. It wasn't difficult for them to find the cliffs themselves as several teachers led the way, ensuring no one got lost on their way there. Once they arrived they each took a position on a square metal panel upon which he noticed the Kingdom's emblem had been emblazoned. Though he had some misgivings about it, namely what exactly the panel was meant for, he nonetheless took position, listening to the Headmaster give a speech with half an ear while the majority of his attention was directed to Hyorinmaru.
"Hey, Kurama, anyone of these guys stand out to you?"
"Not really. They're skilled and powerful, I'll give them that, but most of them are fairly weak compared to you. That big brawny blond is a real meathead too," he said, pointing out a tall, muscular young man wearing armor that had a bird on the front, "aside from him the only other one who peaks my interest is that tall redhead."
Naruto glanced over to see who he was talking about. He recognized the girl immediately as Pyrrha Nikos. True to his word he knew little about her but having traveled through Mistral he'd heard more than a few people talking about her. She was quite the celebrity with several clips from her tournament bouts being played on televisions in bars or storefront windows. She had several advertising deals and was someone many younger people wanted to either be or be with. Seeing her here he could only guess as to her reasons for coming to another Kingdom entirely. Most had expected her to go to Haven but her announcement that she would instead attend Beacon had thrown many people for a loop. Looking her over he could generally see why Kurama had taken an interest in her. Just looking at the build of her body and the way she held herself it was enough to show him how skilled she was.
"That girl is certainly on another level. Might even throw you for a loop if you're not careful. Still, I'd need to experience her in a fight to get an accurate gauge on her power."
"I understand," he replied. "How about you Hyorinmaru?"
"I'd have to agree with Kurama. Not many of these teenagers really strike me as impressive. That Nikos girl comes close but only just. The one person who does strike me as odd is Ozpin."
Curious, Naruto glanced over at the Headmaster. He stood nonchalantly next to Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy Headmistress, holding a cup of what he assumed was coffee while he continued his speech. While he would have argued that he didn't see anything odd about the man, he knew better. Being a shinobi, blending into the world around you and not sticking out was a major part of ensuring you could accomplish your mission. The less attention focused on you the better and anything you did to make yourself blend into the crowd was an absolute must.
"What about him do you sense? Anything you can give me to work with?"
"You remember Raven?"
"How could I not?"
"I sense a similar power in him, something that is strangely akin to her own. Yet, the more I focus on him the more I begin to sense something more, something different. He is certainly no ordinary human but I'm not quite sure exactly what he is. At best I'd advise keeping a watchful eye on the man. He is certainly more than he appears to be."
Naruto took note of what his partner said before something caught his attention. Glancing over he noticed one of the silver plates had risen at a 60-degree angle and its occupant was now sailing through the air. It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on when the second panel followed suit, springing forward and sending the student sailing out over the forest canopy. Before long it would be his turn and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling at all nervous about the prospect of being launched out into a forest.
"Um, sir, what how exactly are we supposed to land?" Naruto heard someone ask nervously.
"That is something you'll need to come up with on your own, Mr. Arc," the Headmaster replied.
"Alright, um, is there perhaps a way we can, um, enter the forest without being catapulted off a cliff?"
"I assure you this is the quickest and most direct method available to you."
"Yea but that doesn't really answer my gah!"
The boy's last words were cut off as his pad timed out, launching him over the canopy and into the distance. Naruto knew his time would be coming soon and tensed his legs, ready for the impact. Sure enough it hit and at the final moment propelled himself off the launch pad, giving himself an extra surge of speed as he sailed through the air. In his previous world moving at such high speeds was common practice. More often than not they would travel through the upper portions of trees to avoid detection by enemies and mask their numbers. As such they had learned how to navigate the tree line while moving quickly and preventing the wind from blinding them. Two of those factors came into play but one problem remained. How was he to land safely without breaking his legs.
"Kurama, think you can spare some chakra? It's going to be a rough ride."
"I'll spare what I can but not much. There's a lot of those Grimm creatures down there. You'll need all the chakra you can spare to make it out of this alive."
"If I may Naruto I might have a suggestion," Hyorinmaru piped in.
"I'm all ears."
"Recall our training in the bandit camp where I attempted to teach you how to control your reishi to walk on air?"
"Yea, I remember falling on my ass and face a lot," he replied.
"While your control could use some work we may be able to use what little control you do have to land safely."
"Worth a shot. I'll give it a try. Everyone hang on."
"To what? You're the one in control. We're just along for the ride," Kurama complained.
Naruto ignored him, focusing on forming solid platforms of reishi beneath his feet. Imagining it to be something similar to the tree climbing lessons from his youth he focused on making the air beneath him solid. While he wouldn't be able to control it for long it didn't matter. His main objective was to slow himself down and his training would take care of the rest. Seeing a decent spot in the distance he focused the reishi beneath the soles of his feet before pushing off. The technique worked, allowing him to push off at a thirty-degree angle in a manner that would allow him slow himself without twisting his ankle or outright breaking it. He did it a few more times, alternating between pushing himself right and left to reduce his momentum. The moment he began to feel his control over his reishi begin to wane he took advantage of it, aiming himself for a nearby tree and diving for it. Grabbing onto a nearby branch he spun himself around, using it to slow him further before letting go at the apex of his twist and landing safely on the ground.
"How was that?"
"A bit showy," Kurama remarked.
"Your reishi control still needs work," Hyorinmaru added.
"Everyone's a critic," Naruto grumbled as he began stalking through the trees.
/-/
The moment Ruby's feet hit the ground she sped off into the forest with one thought in mind, find Naruto. Her reasons for zeroing in on the blonde ninja were completely platonic and rational and she didn't have a crush on the guy despite what her older sister might think or tease her about. They just happened to have a lot in common like having really unique weapons, using flashy moves while fighting, and he even slept with his weapon like she used to do, not that there was anything wrong with it. She'd simply slept with it because it was her baby and she didn't want Zwei using it as a giant chew toy. Sure, she might occasionally nap with it from time to time but Huntsman in the field slept with their weapons too and that was for protection against the Grimm. Yea, that was it.
She'd considered other options of course, none of which actually made her feel any better. Her second choice aside from Naruto was to find her sister Yang. Being two years older than her and having more experience she would be an excellent choice as a partner. The only problem was that she was her sister. They already lived together at home so spending another four years as her partner, let alone being on the same team, would be difficult enough with just the teasing alone. Then there was Jaune. She'd met him shortly after the opening speech yesterday. He was nice and awkward like her. He had a cool weapon too although a bit low tech by today's standards. Still, he didn't look very strong which was an obvious downside. Her last option and arguably the worst was the white haired girl Weiss. Ruby shuttered at the thought. The girl was mean with a capital M. Honestly; she didn't know what her problem was. The explosion hadn't even been her fault. She'd been the one waving the dust vile around which caused her to sneeze. Even after that she'd acted snobbish and moody, making her less appealing by the minute.
She shook her head, pushing those thoughts from her mind to focus on the task at hand. She needed to find Naruto, hopefully before someone else did, grab a relic to secure her place here at Beacon and then go on to not only have the coolest team the school had ever seen but become a heroic Huntress that rivaled her mother. As she used her semblance to race through the forest something caught her eye. A shock of blond hair drew her attention. It could have been Naruto or Jaune or even her sister Yang. Regardless it was as good a sign as any that she'd found who she was looking for and she took off after them.
Weaving her way through the trees Ruby was elated when she spied the familiar sword strapped to his hip along with his short blond hair. It was only when she spied something else, something terribly familiar that she skidded to a stop and gazed in horror at the sight that greeted her.
"No," she whispered
/-/
Weiss Schnee was the epidemy of perfection. It was how she was raised, to be the very best no matter what. Its why she had been given the best education, the best training, and had the greatest expectations placed on her shoulders at a young age. Still, there were some things money couldn't buy and lessons that couldn't be taught in the classroom, or so her elder sister Winter had told her. Certain things could only be attained through your own ambitions and some lessons had to be learned by experiencing life itself. As such she'd broken away from her father's influence by coming here to Beacon, a place so far from his grasp that she would have some breathing room with which to grow into her own.
To say things had started off on the wrong foot would have been an understatement. No sooner had she arrived at Beacon when some child caused an explosion of fire, ice, and lightening to erupt around them. That was followed up by their noise the night before which had made it difficult for her to get to sleep. The next day had come with a glimmer of hope when she'd run into Pyrrha Nikos whom she'd heard was attending Beacon as well but that was quickly soured by the appearance of some blonde boy who started flirting with her. She couldn't be bothered to remember his name and had instead retreated to the cafeteria once she'd noticed Pyrrha was gone, no doubt trying to escape the blonde.
Again she'd found a glimmer of hope when she noticed Naruto sitting by himself. While she knew very little about him herself, he'd come highly recommended by her sister, something that few people could proudly say they did. She herself found him to be better company than most. He was calm, respectful, certainly levelheaded. Unlike most men who would flirt with her simply for her name and the power and influence that came with it Naruto showed no interest in any of those things. When they spoke he looked her in the eye and she could say without a doubt that he was truly listening to her. He was certainly one of the more preferable people she'd met at Beacon, let alone the Kingdoms, and assuming she couldn't find Pyrrha she would just as easily be content with having him as her partner.
The moment she was launched into the air and descended into the forest using her glyphs she was off searching for her potential partner as well as the relic. Her technique was flawless, something her sister had trained her vigorously in, and her place here in Beacon was all but assured. She was a Schnee after all and Schnee's did not fail. She would find the perfect partner, obtain a relic, and go on to be the leader of their team. It was only natural that she would be chosen as such.
As she progressed through the forest she found it wasn't difficult at all to hear the sounds of combat coming from somewhere nearby. Already she could hear growls and whining as Beowulves were cut down by whatever student they'd been unlucky enough to come by. No doubt it was Pyrrha or perhaps even Naruto as they were both more than skilled enough to hold their own against such a common and weak foe. Quickening her pace she could see flashes of a blade as it cleaved a Beowulf in two and soon after the tall figure of Uzumaki Naruto.
Weiss smiled to herself. While others might have considered this luck, she knew better than to subscribe to such an unruly concept. It had been skill which had guided her to this clearing and no doubt enabled her to find a worthwhile partner. Now she needed only to obtain a relic and be made their team leader and her future would be secured. As Naruto finished off the last of the Grimm Weiss stepped out into the clearing. She was about to clear her throat when movement from the other side of the clearing caught her attention. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she recognized the black corset and long red cap. It didn't take long for the girl to notice her as well; the same horrified expression Weiss wore already forming on her face.
"No."
/-/
The moment he'd slain his final Beowulf Naruto could feel the two pairs of eyes boring into him. Glancing back and forth he could see not only Weiss but Ruby as well standing in the clearing with him. What he found rather odd about the girls were the expressions they wore. Horror mixed with confusion. At first he thought it might have something to do with the Grimm but, considering that this was a school where people were taught how to kill such creatures that answer didn't seem to fit. He then fell back to the only other option available to him. Somehow they must have been tipped off to his condition but how they'd figured it out he wasn't quite sure.
"Kurama, did you do anything to show off your chakra?"
"Of course not. You hardly needed my assistance during this fight. It must have something to do with the terms of the initiation."
"What do you mean?"
"Seeing as you obviously weren't listening to the Headmaster I'll fill in the blanks for you," Hyorinmaru replied. "Aside from obtaining one of the relics he mentioned that partners will be determined by eye contact. Basically, the first person you make eye contact with is your partner for the next four years."
"Oh, I see. Well that makes sense," he said before following with a pregnant pause.
"You have no idea which of them you saw first, do you?" Kurama asked.
"Can you blame me. I was busy killing these Grimm. I didn't exactly have time to take note of whom I was going to be partnered with."
"Well you'd better figure it out quick. The longer you take to decide the less time you'll have to collect a relic and return," Kurama pointed out.
"You two wouldn't happen to have noticed who I saw first, would you?"
"Naruto, don't think for a moment that you can shirk your responsibilities onto my scaly shoulders," Hyorinmaru chided.
"Kurama?"
"Fuck you!" came his reply.
Having taken a good amount of time talking with himself, Naruto glanced more to the girls. With a sigh he put on his best warm smile before speaking.
"So who- "
He had barely said two words when two pairs of arms grabbed either of his and began a tug of war with him in the middle of the clearing. All at once Naruto understood what it felt like to be a stuffed toy being fought over by two little kids and the thought did little to ease his conscious.
"Let go of him, he's mine," Weiss yelled.
"I got to him first, he's mine," Ruby yelled back.
"Ladies?" Naruto tried to interrupt.
"I saw him first so he's my partner," Weiss argued.
"I got here first so he's mine," Ruby fired off in retort.
"Girls?" he said, a little louder.
"Let go!"
"You let go!"
"Enough!" Naruto roared.
Wrenching his arms free from their grasp, he shot each of them a fierce glare that had them sinking back before taking a calming breath.
"Look, I'm not entirely sure which of you I made eye contact with first but right now is a very poor moment for us to be arguing about it. We still need to get a relic and get back before time runs out so I suggest we put our energy towards accomplishing that. In the meantime, if we come across someone who's not yet been partnered up we can discuss splitting up. Until then, why don't we work together so we can all get into Beacon?"
"That sounds like a reasonable suggestion," Weiss replied.
"Yea, I can do that," Ruby said.
While their agreement to the plan should have made him feel better, the fact that neither girl had stopped glaring at one another while they replied to him had him feeling just as nervous as before.
"Gods, this is going to be awkward," he groaned to himself. "What cosmic being did I piss off to deserve this?"
Shorter chapter than I'm accustomed to writing but still long enough to satisfy me.
Currently visiting family for the holidays so, while I did bring my computer with me, I may find myself distracted from time to time preventing me from putting out updates. As it is I will be working on the next chapter of "MY Sister's Keeper" so look forward to an update sometime before the end of the year and somewhere in the beginning.
Had a few people commenting on how they'd like to see the teams divided up with a few suggesting that I replace Jaune with Naruto and have him partner up with Pyrrha. While I admit that is an interesting concept, it's not one I'm looking to try with this story. Maybe some other time but not this time. I already have the teams planned and what the names will be so look forward to seeing them next chapter. Just have to figure out how I want the giant Grimm battles to go down with Naruto as an added variable. Don't worry, I won't be spending a whole lot of time on the initiation portion. I like to get it out of the way quickly so we can move onto bigger and better things.
Hope you're all enjoying the holidays, whatever it is you may celebrate. I personally celebrate Christmas though I've reached the point where I'm more focused on the time I get to spend with my family rather than getting presents. Honestly, when I was younger I used to want movies and video games and now when my folks ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday I always think "what do I need for my apartment that I don't yet have." It's funny how I've reached the point where I use the holidays to furnish my home.
Well, best wishes to you all. I look forward to your reviews. Have a wonderful holiday season.
