So quick author's note before we get into the story. Shortly after posting the last chapter I received a comment from YoraeRasante on my AO3 account pointing a few things out to me. In the Naruto anime, prior to the time skip, he encounters and defeats at least two other people, both of whom are considered prodigies, and beats them both. If you'll recall Naruto's fight during the Chunin exam against Neji and later on Gaara. Add to that the fight he went toe to toe with Sasuke, yet another person who's considered a prodigy, and you have at least examples showcasing how Naruto could not only hold his own against Pyrrha but quite possibly come out on top. A special shout out and thanks to YoraeRasante for pointing this out to me. It made me feel a lotbetter about the fight I had penned in the last chapter. Well, enough rambling, onto the chapter.


Beacon academy – Emerald Forest

Early in the morning, while most of Beacon still slept, teams NWBYR and JNPR made their way through the Emerald forest. Most of their members, namely Nora and Yang, were still groggy as they'd expected to spend the morning sleeping in as was expected from a Saturday. Unfortunately for them, Naruto had informed them that he would be doing a demonstration for Pyrrha early that morning and anyone who wanted to join them was welcome to tag along. Weiss had agreed almost instantly and Ruby had been quick to agree as well so as not to allow her partner/rival to gain the upper hand. Yang had decided to come too which lead to Blake being coerced into joining the team in their entirety. As soon as the morning had approached, however, they immediately regretted their decision. The sisters were especially crabby as they'd been up all night playing videogames while Naruto and Weiss had gone to bed early to avoid being too tired. It seemed Pyrrha's team had been in the same boat as well.

When asked why they were out in the forest at the crack of dawn, Naruto's answer had been a simple one. With autumn fast approaching, the mornings were becoming chilly. That meant they could see their breath on occasion and the cold weather further aided Naruto's ability to utilize Hyorinmaru's abilities. This wasn't completely off the mark, though his teammates took his explanation to mean that the cold weather somehow enhanced the dust infused properties of the blade. In truth Hyorinmaru had informed him that elemental blades such as himself often thrived off of environments centered around their own element. In basic terms, because the air and weather in general was becoming colder, Hyorinmaru was able to utilize the environment itself to power his attacks without tapping into his reishi. This further worked to his advantage as his own reserves would see little use, enabling him to battle longer and even utilize stronger attacks more often. On the opposite side, if the environment was more in line with a desert then he would have to be more tactical with his attacks and watch how much of his reishi he used.

This was something Naruto had found was quite true, especially while traveling through Atlas. Being an almost perpetually snow and ice covered landscape, Naruto found no problems utilizing Hyorinmaru to his fullest potential. It was one of the reasons he was able to fight off the hoard of Grimm and kill the Goliath so easily as well as assist Ruby when he'd met her in Vale. Bottom line, cold weather was good, hot weather was bad.

"How much further?" Nora whined.

"We just need to find some Grimm. It shouldn't be long now," Naruto said. He'd had Kurama helping him in that regard, searching out the nearest group to make this excursion quicker for them.

"But I'm so cold and tired and sleepy and hungry," she continued.

"I told you to bring a coat," her partner Ren chided.

"Pyrrha didn't bring a coat," she pointed out.

"I've trained in extreme weather so this isn't a big deal for me," the champion pointed out.

"Jaune?" she asked, looking for some sympathy from her leader.

"Nora, you know I wear a hoodie under my armor, right?" he asked.

Nora groaned loudly, rubbing her arms furiously to try and warm herself. Naruto chuckled, more amused than annoyed with the girl.

"I don't know why you're complaining, you didn't have to tag along. Naruto only invited Pyrrha to come to demonstrate his abilities," Weiss pointed out.

"But their fight was so cool and we didn't see a whole lot because of that smoke screen he put up," she said.

"It was actually mist," Naruto corrected.

"Which you used as a smoke screen," Nora countered. "I want to see what you can really do for when we fight."

"Nora, there's no guarantee Miss Goodwitch will pit you and Naruto against one another," Ren stated.

"Of course she will. How could she not?" she asked.

"Alright, we have a pack of Beowulves nearby. Everyone get ready. I'll take point. You all should stand back, I don't want you in my line of fire."

Everyone did as they were told, forming a wall behind him. While many of them looked around with confused faces, wondering how he knew there were Grimm nearby, they nonetheless deployed their weapons just in case. Naruto took hold of Hyorinmaru, readying himself for what was to come. The Grimm were drawing close and there were quite a few of them. That was perfect. The more that came the better the demonstration. He just hoped he would prove capable of handling them all.

"Just concentrate. Trust in your abilities and they'll prove true," Hyorinmaru's voice said to him.

Naruto nodded slightly, more so for himself than anyone else. Before long the growls and howling of wolves could be heard and everyone dropped into a ready position. Naruto's muscles tightened, his focus set on the tree line as he wait for the first of them to break through.

He saw their crimson eyes piercing through the tree line before their white bone masks and pitch-black fur. There were a few dozen of them in all, not too much for himself and his team to handle but just enough to pose a challenge if they didn't take things seriously. Amongst them he could see what appeared to be an alpha hanging back behind the juveniles. It was a smart and clever tactic, though one that would ultimately prove futile the moment they attacked. As expected the younger ones rushed forward, instinct telling them to use their overwhelming numbers to overtake the teens. It proved useless against him.

"Rise over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

As he spoke the words he drew Hyorinmaru from its sheath. A wave of cold, frigid air erupted out with it, sweeping across the forest floor and towards the advancing Beowulves. The Grimm paid little attention to the forceful winds and ice that battered against them. Had they been smarter they might have noticed they were being frozen in place. With little regard for their own safety, they continued to press forward until they could no longer move at all. In just a few seconds a wall of ice standing just a few feet away from Naruto and running as far back as the tree line shone brilliantly in the dawn of the morning sun. The ice was completely transparent, allowing everyone to get a good look at the Beowulves frozen mid-step, some on their hind legs while others were on all fours, snarling as they raced towards their prey. None of the Grimm had managed to avoid the attack, not even the alpha. There were all perfectly preserved like insects frozen in fossilized amber.

"Well, I'm convinced," Yang said, letting out an impressed whistle at the sight.

"You weren't kidding when you said your attacks had a large area of effect," Pyrrha agreed, her eyes wide in astonishment.

"Yea, I'm still working on making them less volatile. It helps against large groups so long as none of my teammates are in my line of fire."

"I must admit, that is quite impressive," Weiss mussed. "I wonder how they managed to infuse so my Dust into the blade to allow such a massive attack."

"A question for another day," he replied. "For now, though, let's get to the fun part. Nora, would you like to do the honors?"

"With pleasure," the young redhead said.

Extracting her weapon from her back, Nora shot off three quick shots high into the air. Pink smoke trailed behind them as they descended down to their immobile targets and exploded upon impact. The ice shattered into thousands of tiny flecks of ice and sounded like shattering glass as they went. Wisps of smoke soon followed after, the telltale sign that the Grimm were dead and once the mist had cleared they could see that not a single Beowulf had been left alive.

"So," he said, turning to regard his audience, "who's hungry?"

/-/

To say that his team had been impressed with his power would have been an understatement. Ruby all but gushed about how OP his abilities had been and even Pyrrha, who'd been sporting a rather doubtful expression ever since their spar, had begun to show a newfound respect for her opponent. Not only was it clear that his skills were enough to pose a significant challenge to her but, should fate ever find them sparring or facing off in a manner that ensured there would be no collateral damage, she was certain he'd quickly gain the upper hand. As for the others it was clear whatever respect and admiration they'd had for him before had grown a great deal. Weiss was especially curious about how Hyorinmaru had been crafted and if such techniques could be used today, assuming any record of them still existed.

Naruto wasn't too worried about this train of thought. From what he knew of Hyorinmaru the process which created him was something beyond a human's ability to understand. Not only that but any attempts made by Weiss to inquire about more information were easily shot down. By simply stating that the katana was the only thing he had left of his family and that any records pertaining to its existence or creation had been lost, he was able to slip out of her grasp. Even Pyrrha found it doubtful that anything could be learned about Hyorinmaru as such a weapon or weapons like it would have undoubtedly found their way into Mistral's culture and the many myths they passed down through the ages.

Their line of questioning followed them through to the next school week and continued on through breakfast. Naruto had quickly grown used to their chatter enough that he could tune it out somewhat. That was probably why he heard the cries of pain so distinctly. He paused, looking up from his meal to see a group of boys sitting at a table and around a young woman with rabbit ears coming out of her head. The bigger, brawnier one of the boys had one of her ears in a firm grip and was tugging it on it, laughing all the while as his teammates egged him on.

"They're at it again," Ren pointed out, obviously having seen the same sight.

"How disgusting. You'd think with this being a Huntsman academy they'd know better."

"You'd think but racism is everywhere. The only good thing is that Faunus are treated better here than other parts of Remnant. Most of the time," Blake pointed out.

"Should we maybe get a teacher to have them put a stop to this?" Ruby asked.

"By the time they got here class will have started. There's not much anyone can do," Pyrrha replied.

Somebody should do something though Naruto thought to himself. Seeing the young woman being picked on while others just stood around and watched had him drifting back to memories of his childhood. Those had been rough days for him. He didn't know then what he knew now and that made things all the worse for him. Being attacked, run out of shops, and called a demon child with no real context to go off of. The one thing that stood out to him was how everyone looked at him back then. They looked at him like he was diseased, a parasite to be avoided. Even after all these years, after he'd earned his village's respect, those early memories still stung in ways he couldn't quite describe.

Without a word he rose from his seat and began making his way over. His teammates took notice, saying something he couldn't quite make out. It didn't matter. All he saw was the image of himself as a child, dirty, crying, alone. How he had wished for someone, anyone to stand up for him, to lend him a helping hand when he needed it most. How difficult it had been to come to terms with the fact that he could count on no one else but himself.

"Naruto. Hey, Naruto!" Kurama was yelling in his ears. "What are you doing? This isn't your fight."

"Don't worry, I'm just going over to have a friendly chat, that's all," he assured him.

"Define friendly," Kurama said.

"I won't be the one to start the fight," he said, "but I'll damn well finish it."

By the time he'd made it over to their table several pairs of eyes, not all of them his friends, were watching him in anticipation. Muttered conversations could be heard as people either speculated on what would happen or started taking down bets. It took a moment for the boy to register that Naruto was standing right next to him and by then he was looming over him.

"What do you want, Faunus freak?" the asked dismissively.

"Faunus freak?" Naruto asked.

"That is what you are or did you forgot about those ugly whiskers on your face?"

Reflexively, Naruto's hand drifted to his face, touching the three sets of birthmarks that lined his cheeks. They were one of the more subtle clues to his identity as the vessel for the Nine Tailed Fox. Here, though, they apparently marked him as a Faunus, a detail that didn't faze him much given his earlier experiences.

"I must admit I've been called many things but Faunus freak is a new one."

"Great, so what do you want?" he asked, perturbed.

"Well, seeing as how you asked so nicely, I want you to let that young woman go," he said. "Now."

"And if I don't?" the boy asked, rising to his seat so he could better glare into Naruto's eyes.

Without a work he smirked, reaching out faster than he could react and took hold of his wrist. Pressing firmly into a pair of pressure points he heard the boy cry out before he twisted. All at once his grip failed him and the young woman found herself freed from his grasp. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she quickly gathered up her tray and bolted. None of the other boys made a move to stop her. They're attention was firmly on that of Naruto's and the pleased smirk he was sporting.

His attention no longer on the girl, the behemoth snarled as he massaged his wrist and glared down at Naruto. Sensing the escalating situation, his teammates rose from their seats and surrounded him on all sides, closing him in. All the while Naruto's smirk never faltered. He'd faced far worse odds before and come out on top. He'd faced off against shinobi far stronger than him and jinchuuriki such as himself and still managed to walk away from fights that had all but ensured he would be left cold and dead on the ground. Being surrounded by four boys who's biggest accomplishment was harassing people weaker than them wasn't intimidating, it was downright laughable.

"You think this is funny?"

"Not really. Honestly, I find it rather pathetic," he replied.

"Pathetic?"

"Yea, you and your boys, picking on people who you see as weaker than yourself. It's pathetic. You're supposed to be Huntsmen in training but the way you're all acting makes it look like an absolute joke."

"Is that so? Well, we'll see who the jokes on when we pummel your face into the floor," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Really? Four against one? You honestly think that'll be enough?" Naruto asked sincerely.

"Of course it'll be enough. You're here all alone."

"Who said anything about him being alone?"

Yang's voice came through clear enough for him to denote that she was nearby, no doubt standing outside the ring of boys. Turning with the rest of them, Naruto's grin grew as he saw it wasn't just Yang standing with him. Having made a semicircle around the group of bullies, the combined numbers of both his team as well as their sister team outnumbered them two to one. The confident bravado the blonde once held had quickly evaporated as he was made to face the fact that he no longer held the advantage.

"Mind if I tag in?" Yang asked, cracking her knuckles and earning a much more visual confirmation of her intimidation factor than the blonde had.

The bullies looked between one another, exchanging nervous looks. They hadn't counted on fighting Naruto's entire team, let alone Yang. They'd seen what she could do in the sparring ring. Add to that the group also included Pyrrha Nikos, a girl who was nigh unbeatable and they were guaranteed to end up in the med bay after. They expelled a visible sigh of relief when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the ten minutes they had to get to their next class. All at once the cafeteria began to disperse, including the blond as his cohorts.

"We'll finish this later, Faunus freak," he said, slamming his shoulder into Naruto's as he left. The act of aggression had little effect as Naruto seamlessly moved with the shoulder but the message was clear.

"That was pretty ballsy of you, standing up to them," Yang praised.

"That was so awesome. I can't believe I have such a cool partner."

"I wonder why he called you a Faunus freak though," Ren commented.

"He thought my cheek marks were whiskers. Honestly not the first time someone made that mistake."

"What are they then?" Pyrrha asked.

"Birthmarks," he replied, his answer not completely true but not wholly inaccurate.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have interfered. What if he had attacked you?" Weiss asked.

"Then I would have defended myself," he answered easily.

"Yea, duh, Weiss cream. Didn't you see his spar with Pyrrha? He's more than capable of defending himself."

"That's not what has me so worried," she replied. "He could have gotten a detention and for defending a Faunus no less."

"What point are you trying to make?" Blake asked indignantly, glaring at the whitehaired girl.

"The point is he shouldn't have interfered. That girl's a Huntress in training, same as us. She should have been more than capable of defending herself."

"Maybe she didn't because she knew it would only cause trouble for the other Faunus by acting out," Blake argued.

"That doesn't mean he needed to interfere. They're her problem not ours," Weiss argued back.

"Weiss," Naruto said, stepping in before their argument could escalate. "Let me ask you this. Would you have felt any different if I really was a Faunus and still acted in her defense?"

"Well- I- "she hesitated, suddenly feeling everyone's eyes on her. She quickly shut her mouth, knowing full well that anything she said could be used to contradict how she'd acted up to that point.

"Look, fact of the matter is, if I see someone in need of help, I will act in their defense, Human or Faunus it doesn't matter. That's simply my ninja way."

"Your what?" Yang asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"My Huntsman way," he quickly corrected.

/-/

As luck would have it their next class for the day was Combat training. This unfortunate portion in their scheduling had taught many of the teams to eat light so as not to find themselves incapacitated by their stomachs as they roiled and groaned. If that hadn't been their first warning then the first student to take an attack to their gut and subsequently puke all over the area certainly did, especially when they were made to stay behind to clean it up. Naruto, of course, never had this problem. Life as a Shinobi had come with the lesson of eating nutritious meals and always being prepared for a fight which meant ensuring whatever you ate wouldn't become a detriment later on. There was the one time after they graduated but that had been a fluke. He was sure that milk had still been good when he drank it.

"Alright, for our first match, Cardin Winchester," Miss Goodwitch announced.

Cardin, who Naruto immediately recognized to be the bully from the lunch room, stood up. Wearing heavy looking armor with what he assumed was a cardinal on the chest plate, he hefted his mace over his shoulder before descending to the arena below. On his way down he caught sight of Naruto and gave him a sneer, one that made it very clear what he thought of him. Naruto rolled his eyes. He wasn't the first bully he'd put in his place and he wouldn't be the last.

"Now then, for your opponent we'll Ja- "

"I'd like to challenge Naruto Uzumaki," Cardin announced.

A soft murmur of voices resonated throughout the stands. Naruto cocked an eyebrow, surprised by the challenge but not at all averse to it. Truth be told he'd been hoping Cardin would throw a punch back in the cafeteria, just so he could have an excuse to let off a little stress. It seemed now he would get his chance.

"Very well. I had something else planned but, if Mr. Uzumaki accepts," Miss Goodwitch began.

"I accept," Naruto replied, standing from his seat to make his way down to the arena.

The murmurs increased, tinged with excitement as students began taking bets on who would win. More than a few had their money on Naruto given his last fight with Pyrrha that more or less ended in a draw. Still, more than a few had their bets on Cardin as they felt his fight with the invincible girl had all been for show. Cardin obviously felt the same if the arrogant smirk he displayed was anything to go by.

"The match will be between Cardin Winchester and Uzumaki Naruto. The match ends when one of your aura reaches the red, you exit the ring for any reason, or you forfeit. Are both combatants ready?"

"Hell yeah," Cardin answered, rolling his shoulders in anticipation.

"I am," Naruto agreed.

"Then begin!"

The words had barely left her mouth when Cardin roared and made a charge for Naruto. Given his armor and the massive weapon he was wielding, Naruto expected his speed to be much lower than that of Pyrrha's. He was right of course though he was surprised to see the boy was quicker on his feet than he'd expected. No doubt it had come from years of training with all that heavy equipment, ensuring his leg muscles would be able to compensate for the added weight. It was impressive but not enough to overcome him.

As soon as Cardin drew near he saw his arms begin to arch, preparing to bring his mace down. Without even drawing his sword, he used Hyorinmaru while still in its sheath to smash the back of his thighs as he swept to the side and out of Cardin's reach. The counter caught him off guard, no doubt assuming his size and overall appearance would be enough to intimidate Naruto into attempting to defend himself. Instead the assault to his thighs threw him off balance and, coupled with his swing, he stumbled a little as he attempted to regain his balance. As soon as he was good he turned, snarling at Naruto who merely smiled back at him. He charged once more, this time going for a low, side sweep meant to prevent him from dodging. It might have worked for a different opponent, but not Naruto. Waiting until the last moment, he leapt into the air, clearing the mace as it swung under his feet and watching as Cardin's expression turned from one of contempt to that of utter surprise. Cheekily, he winked at the boy mid jump, just to add insult to injury. Compensating for the lack of resistance on Naurto's part, he used his momentum to swing himself around, ready to counter. While good in theory, it didn't account for Naruto countering as he proceeded to smash his nose with the butt of Hyorinmaru's sheath. Cardin staggered back, clutching his nose while he silently cursed.

"Quit fooling around and fight me you coward," he barked.

"I am fighting you," Naruto replied.

"Then draw your sword and fight!" he demanded.

"Only when you start to make this fight worth my time," Naruto answered.

There was an audible "ooohhh" from the audience along with one student, probably named Celso, yelling out "BURN!" The commentary only served to anger Cardin further and without any thought to the consequences of his actions he charged forward. Switching up his tactics, Naruto did the same, throwing his arms behind him as he leaned forward to make his body as small as possible. To everyone watching it looked like he intended to head butt Cardin but as always the Shinobi had a different plan in mind. Before they collided, Naruto fell back on his knees, sliding under Cardin's and coming out behind in. Without missing a beat he turned to the boy before he could maneuver himself around and used his ultimate attack.

"Thousand years of pain!"

There was a momentary pause before Cardin cried out, dropping his mace on the ground and grabbing his butt as he peddled away. Naruto stood on one knee behind him, a wide smirk on his face as his hands were extended forward, clasped together with both index fingers extended.

/-/

Naruto's friends starred down at the arena, their expressions a mixture of astonishment and disgust. Much like the other students, they'd watched the fight with obvious anticipation of what was to come. When it became apparent that Naruto didn't consider Cardin to be much of a challenge, his actions and treatment of the boy had only served to fuel their half-hidden amusement. Even Weiss had trouble hiding the smirk that was slowly creeping across her face. However, the moment he stuck his fingers up Cardin's butt, her expression had quickly shifted to one of mortification. A glance over to Miss Goodwitch showed that there instructor looked just as lost, unsure of what to make of the apparent attack.

"D-did he just?" Ruby asked, unable to fully vocalize her question.

"He did," Pyrrha confirmed.

"Right up his- "

"We saw Ruby, we all saw," he sister quickly interrupted.

"Why?" she asked, giving voice to the question on everyone's mind.

"Maybe it's a custom from his hometown?" Pyrrha offered.

"I have heard of a similar game played by kids when I was younger," Ren offered.

"That vulgar action is considered a game?" Weiss asked, almost choking on her words.

"It's not so vulgar that I can't appreciate his tactics," Ruby said, giving the heiress a challenging glare.

"Neither can I," she sneered, meeting the girl's challenge head on.

"Uge, can't you two get along for two minutes?" Yang moaned.

/-/

Naruto waited patiently for his opponent to recover. The attack had certainly taken him by surprise and while he was fuming, he no less kept some distance between them. The caution with which he moved showed how quickly Cardin had caught on to the situation. That and the odd way he was moving was all the proof he needed to show their fight had run its course.

"Hyorinmaru, you ready to end this?" he asked.

"Ready whenever you are, Naruto," it answered.

Slipping his sheath back into the belt around his waist, he took a ready stance with his hand hovering over the hilt. The quiet murmuring from the crowd soon settled as everyone recognized the position he was in. Now, after all that time making a fool out of Cardin, he was finally ready to take this fight seriously. Cardin noticed this too, his expression turning deadly serious as he readied his mace. Whatever tricks Naruto had were used up. Now he would pummel him into the ground and leave him begging for mercy.

With a cry of rage he raced forward, holding his mace low and to the side. He would be ready. No matter where he dodged or how he moved, he could be ready to shift his stance and compensate, ensuring he had nowhere to run. Like a bull seeing red, his eyes remained glued to Naruto's. Closer and closer he drew, he only just noticed how serious his expression had become and the way his hand hovered over the handle of his katana. Perhaps if had noticed these tiny details sooner he might have been prepared for what came next.

Cardin didn't hear him utter the words he usually spoke when unsheathing his sword. The blood was roaring so loudly in his ears all he could hear was the thump, thump, thumping of his heart. The moment the blade left its sheath, a bitter cold wind flew out in his direction. Cardin ignored this, pressing forward with little regard for the sudden drop in temperature. He was an unstoppable force of will, one that would not be deterred by a little cold. Unfortunately for him, Naruto soon proved himself to the immovable object, one that greatly outclassed Cardin's willpower.

A fine mist covered the area. Small specks of ice refracted the overhead lights as they danced through the air. Both Naruto's and Cardin's breath came out in a frosted mist as they starred one another down. Satisfied, Naruto sheathed his katana and stepped back to admire his handy work. Cardin stood, as frozen as a statue, literally, as a thick sheet of ice held him firmly in place. Caught mid motion, the ice covered him from the neck down, ran along the length of the floor, and traveled a few feet up the arena's force field when it had met resistance. Try as he might, Cardin couldn't move. He tried in vain to crack the ice and break himself out of his prison but the barrier held fast, preventing him from mounting any resistance against its frigid hold.

"Well, while I would usually ask Mr. Winchester if he could move at all, I think it's quite obvious that he is incapacitated," Miss Goodwitch said, adjusting her glasses slightly as she eyed the boy.

"Grr, gruh!" Cardin grunted, trying and failing to free himself.

"With Mr. Winchester incapacitated, Mr. Uzumaki is the winner," Miss Goodwitch announced.

A decent amount of applause emanated from the audience. While Naruto's previous performance was still fresh in their minds (especially that "thousand years of pain" bit) they were nonetheless impressed with how easily he'd taken down his opponent, all without causing him any physical harm to boot.

"Mr. Uzumaki, I don't suppose you can do something regarding Mr. Winchester's current predicament?" Miss Goodwitch asked.

"Oh, yea, sure," he said.

Removing his sword once more, he moved around to the large sheet protruding from Cardin's backside. Tapping the ice block lightly, the entire thing began to dissipate into mist as if by magic. Rather than melt into a puddle of water like most would expect, it instead evaporated, leaving in a trail of steam that left no apparent evidence of its existence behind. Satisfied with his work, Naruto replaced his katana back in its sheath and went to return to his seat. Cardin, however, was far from satisfied.

The moment he was freed from his prison, he turned and charged. He no longer cared about the fight, about making an example of the Faunus freak. He just wanted to make him hurt, to hear him cry out for mercy. He was nearly upon him when his muscles seized up, his body unwilling to move another inch. He struggled in vain, noticing how the strain that bound him was different from the ice block Naruto had encased him in.

"Mr. Winchester," Miss Goodwitch's voice pierced the red haze that had descended over his mind. "The match is over and I had called it in Mr. Uzumaki's favor. If you disagree with my assessment, however, you are more than welcome to discuss it with me this weekend during your detention."

All at once she released her telekinetic hold on him, causing him to stumble towards the edge of the arena. All the while Naruto never even glanced back. He had bothered to look behind him even when Cardin was bearing down on him, mace in his hand and raised. For some reason, that small detail only seemed to add insult to injury.

/-/

A little over a week passed between his spar with Cardin and an annual trip to Forever Fall that was chaperoned by Miss Goodwitch. In-between that time, Cardin had maintained a certain distance from Naruto, always shooting him nasty glares when he could but never doing anything more to antagonize him. His racist acts continued, though when Naruto was in the vicinity he immediately made himself scarce along with his teammates. While it was a slight improvement in his behavior, he wasn't completely convinced that his conflict with Cardin was over. If anything he suspected that this was merely the calm before the storm that was to follow.

"Today you will collecting tree sap from the trees found here. Each member of your team has been given a jar along with the tools needed to tap the trees. You will split up into your assigned partnerships and fill your jars. Once that's done, you are allowed to relax and wait before turning the jars into me at the end.

Understand that we are still within Grimm territory so keep an eye out for any that might be attracted to the smell of the sap. You all have two hours to complete the assignment," Miss Goodwitch instructed.

All at once the teams dispersed, some walking deeper into Forever Fall to find suitable trees away from the other teams. Naruto led his partners off towards a promising grove and listened as the two began to argue over which tress they should tap.

"I like this one," Ruby announced.

"Choosing a tree just because you like it doesn't make it suitable for extracting sap," Weiss chided.

"Oh, and I suppose you have a better method?" Ruby challenged.

"Indeed I do. As a Schnee I am expected to excel in such matters, no matter how superfluous they may be," she said proudly.

Ruby rolled her eyes, finding Weiss' ever increasing allusions to being a perfect breed of person more and more annoying. Naruto ignored them both, instead focusing his chakra as he felt the energy that emanated from the trees themselves. While he didn't have much practice in this, he was certain he could find the right trees to tap by testing the energy they gave off. He checked a few, getting hints here and there, until he stopped at one in particular. The energy he felt emanating from it was much greater than the others, enough so to convince him he'd found a good spot. Setting his jar on the ground, he lightly tapped the funnel into the truck and opened it. A moment later, sticky pink sap began to trickle out, slowly filling his jar.

"Wow, you found a good one," Ruby said, impressed.

"Of course he did. It only makes sense that my partner would have a superior instinct for finding the right tree," Weiss butted in.

"If you two spent less time arguing and more time tapping then maybe you'll have filled jars and time enough to enjoy the scenery," he replied.

Both girl's shot one another a glare before walking over and tapping trees on opposite sides of the grove. He sighed, far too tired with their antics but unwilling to try and bridge the gap that had formed. He would, at another point in time, but not today. Instead, he patiently waited for his jar to fill, now a little over halfway at this point. With the calm scenery behind him and the occasional chipping of birds or insects, he was a little disturbed when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in warning. Something was coming but what he wasn't quite sure.

"Incoming," Kurama announced.

Turning around, Naruto caught sight of the object that was tumbling through the air towards him. Without the slightest hesitation, he snatched the object out of the air and glanced at it. He was surprised to see that it was a jar of sap, filled to the brim. How it managed to find itself airborne and headed towards him he wasn't quite sure but he checked his partners just in case to see if either of them had tripped and accidentally thrown the jar in his direction. A quick look showed that both girls were focused on their own jars which were just nearing the halfway mark. With that theory gone the only other explanation was that someone had thrown it on purpose.

Scanning the horizon, he could see a slop running along the edge of the grove where someone would have a clear advantage both in height and in having a peripheral view of the ground below. Sure enough as he looked around he saw a figure wriggle out of sight but not before he caught the mop of blond hair on his head and the bright green mow hawk of another. He shook his head, wondering just how childish Cardin and his lot had to be to target him now of all times.

"Hey, this tree's all tapped out. I'm going to go find another one. Be right back," he called to the girls.

"But isn't you jar- "Ruby began, pointing to the full jars in either hand.

"I won't take long," he interrupted, moving deeper into the forest while maintaining a line of sight on the slope.

He walked over to a tree, keeping his back to the ledge, while he pretended to hit his tap into the truck. With his body hiding his actions, it was easy to give off the appearance that he was working and had his guard down. Now that he knew what to listen for, though, he could easily hear the hushed voices and sound of metal scrapping across the ground. He waited just a few moments, turning ever so slightly so as to see behind him without making it too obvious. Sure enough Cardin rose to his full height, arm outstretched with a jar filled with sap aimed directly at his head. In a move that was too quick for him to register, Naruto flung a kunai at his attacker, shattering the jar upon impact and spraying Cardin along with his compatriots in sticky sap.

Taken by surprise, they cried, coughing and sputtering as the sap got into their eyes and hair. Try as they might to get it off, the sap stuck tightly to their weapons and armor, making everything sticky and sweet smelling.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Dove asked.

Taking a moment to look back down at the grove, Cardin and his team only just registered Naruto's absence. Somehow, he'd managed to disappear without them realizing, though the sudden explosion of the jar Cardin had been holding along with the subsequent shower of sap could have provided him ample cover to get away.

"Hey Cardin," they heard him say.

Spinning around, they saw Naruto standing just a few feet away, a rather annoyed expression on his face. In his hand he was tossing a filled jar of sap into the air and catching it and all at once they felt that it was aimed at them.

"I believe this belongs to you. Catch!" he said, tossing it underhand to them.

Despite the ease of the throw, Russell still managed to juggle the jar as he attempted to catch it in his sticky palms. Once it was securely in his grasp, Naruto turned to leave.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, Faunus freak?" Cardin yelled.

"Back to my team, baka," Naruto said, the last word he used going right over the teen's head. "I'm tired of this dick measuring contest you insist on having and going to be with some people whose antics I can at least tolerate."

"What makes you think I'm going to let you leave after the stunt you just pulled?" Cardin challenged, pulling out his mace and just barely noticing how much more his grip stuck to it than usual.

"Oh no, a group of sticky young boys has me cornered. Whatever shall I do?" he said mockingly. "Yea, the only thing that could make this situation any more awkward is if that was baby oil instead of sap," he said, causing some of the boys to blush at the image.

"Why don't you do yourselves a favor and go get that gunk cleaned off. If you remember what Miss Goodwitch said, some of the Grimm are attracted-"

RRRRROOOOOOWWWWWRRRRRR

The words had barely left Naruto's mouth when the bestial roar of an Ursa split the air. He cursed, pulling his katana from its sheath and faced the forest. Cardin did the same although with a much more nervous look on his face. His teammates, on the other hand, took off running, leaving them to defend themselves.

/-/

"URSA!"

Blake and Yang along with Ruby and Weiss looked up from what they were doing. Presently they had all finished filling their jars and were currently hanging out with their sister team JNPR chatting while enjoying the day. The calm atmosphere was quickly broken by the screams of terror as members of Cardin's team came running into the clearing. Before they could ask what was going on, their attention fell on the small handful of Ursa that were trailing behind them.

"What the hell?" Yang said, leaping to her feet and deploying her gauntlets.

"Where did those Ursa come from?" Weiss asked.

"They were probably being attracted by the sap. They're covered in it," Ren pointed out.

"How did that happen?" Ruby asked.

"We'll have to ask them later, for now though," Pyrrha said, deploying her javelin.

In one expertly aimed throw, the javelin flew through the air, skewering the nearest Ursa through the chest before being ripped out again and sent flying back into Pyrrha's waiting hand. The rest of the team followed suit, doubling up on the Grimm and dispatching them with relative ease. Given that their attention was squarely on the sap covered teens cowering behind them Huntsmen, it was a simple task to kill all the Ursa. Once they all dead, however, they soon turned their attention of Cardin's friends.

"Hey you –uge!" Yang cried, having grabbed one of the boys only to drop him the moment she felt the sticky sap coat her hand. "What the hell? Why are you all covered in sap?"

"It wasn't our idea," Dove said.

"Explain," Pyrrha said, standing over them in a manner that was very intimidating.

"Cardin wanted revenge against the blond Faunus," he said, his mouth running like an overflowing tap.

"He's not a Faunus," Blake corrected. "Other Faunus would be able to tell if he was or not."

"Yea, and they're birthmarks, not whiskers," Ruby added.

"It didn't matter. Cardin didn't like how he was humiliated during their spare so he wanted to get back at him. We followed him from a nearby ridge with an extra jar of sap and a box of wasps. Our plan was to hit him with the jar and release the wasps."

"You what?" Yang said, her eyes turning crimson as her hair started to glow.

"It didn't work," Russell quickly stated, holding up his hands in surrender. "The first jar we threw he somehow noticed and caught out of the air."

"That would explain the extra jar he was carrying," Weiss said, exchanging a look with Ruby.

"When he walked off alone we followed and tried again. This time, though, the jar exploded in Cardin's hand before he could throw it."

"It exploded? How?" Jaune asked.

"We don't know. One minute he's holding it up, ready to throw, and the next minute it shattered and showered us with sap. He used the chaos to come up behind us. That's when Cardin lost his temper and challenged him to a fight but the Ursa showed up and we took off."

"Leaving your team leader behind," Ren pointed out.

"We didn't know what to do. An Ursa Major showed up with a whole pack of Ursa. We were outmatched."

"You all are clearly underestimating Naruto's capabilities," Weiss pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.

"He killed a Goliath all on his own, a feat that caught General Ironwood's attention and included him writing a letter of recommendation for him to come to Beacon. An Ursa Major is nothing to him."

"Even so, perhaps it would be best if we went to help him just in case," Pyrrha suggested. "You never know how things might be going."

/-/

Cardin dove to the left, his mace almost slipping from his hands thanks to the sap that was covering it. The moment the Ursa had entered the clearing, his teammates had taken off with a whole pack trailing in their wake. Despite Naruto being the closer target, the Ursa Major had turned its attention to him and began attacking in earnest. It didn't take a genius to know that the reason behind this was due to the sap that was coating his clothing and armor. What's worse was the fact that same sap was making it difficult for him to fight as every time he tried to attack the sap would either cause his weapon to slip or stick to him, rendering most of his attacks useless. To add insult to injury, rather than help him, Naruto had instead settled himself down at the base of a tree, leisurely sipping from one of the jars of sap he'd thrown at him like it was ice-tea and watching him struggle.

"Hey, you going to help me or what?" Cardin shouted, dodging yet another attack from the Ursa.

"Oh, but I'm just a Faunus freak. Why would you want my help? Surely that would only stain your reputation to have me aid you in a fight you clearly have a handle on," Naruto yelled back mockingly.

Cardin growled, obviously angry with how easily Naruto could mock him whilst being attacked by an Ursa Major. He didn't have long to focus on this, however, as his distracted mind cost him precious time, something the Grimm reminded him of as a swipe from its paw grazed him, shaving off some of his aura in the process. He grunted, taking a few steps back only to trip on a root and fall flat on his ass. Sticky, tired, and knowing that there was no way he could outrun the Ursa in time to get help, he starred up as the Grimm bore down on him with a meaty paw.

He was surprised when he saw his breath misting before his eyes and even more so when he saw his own reflection staring back at him. It took his brain a moment to register the thick sheet of ice that had materialized before him, trapping the Ursa's paw mid-swing. Slowly turning his head, he saw a trail of ice running along the ground where it pooled at the tip of Naruto's katana. The boy strode up to them, unperturbed by the Grimm that was slashing and biting the wall of ice in an attempt to break free. It took momentary notice of Naruto's presence before a flick and quick slash found its head cleaved from its shoulders. The headless corpse, already beginning to disintegrate, slumped down against the wall while its head landed neatly between Cardin's legs, its maw still open wide in a growl bearing teeth.

"Let me make one thing clear, Cardin," Naruto said, grabbing the boy's attention as his katana hung loosely but dangerously, at his side, "this ends now. All the bullying, all the racist comments, all the attempts to make me cow down to your overinflated sense of ego, is over and done. Next time you pull something like this, I won't stop it from blowing up in your face."

Cardin didn't answer. He was only capable of starring up at him, gapping like a fish. Before long, though, the sound of leaves and grass crunching underfoot drew their attention. They looked over to see Naruto's team racing towards them with Miss Goodwitch in tow. The woman's eyes roved over the scene, taking in Cardin's sap covered form, the wall of melting ice, and the dissolving Ursa's corpse. They soon flicked back to Cardin and narrowed dangerously.

"Explain," she said. "Now"

"Some Ursa attacked Cardin and his team while they were gathering sap," Naruto said, cutting in before Cardin even had an answer formulated. "I was gathering some nearby when I heard the commotion. I think they smashed one of the jars, covering them in the sap, and attracting the Major to their position. Cardin and I fought it and killed it just before you arrived," he said, before glancing down to Cardin's dumbfounded expression. "Right?"

The look Naruto gave was one that urged him to corroborate his story. Even if he didn't like him, which was something that hadn't exactly improved despite their fight, the fact that he was now helping to protect him from Goodwitch's wrath meant he would have to be an idiot to try and act against him as the alternatives would not be in his favor at all.

"Y-yea, it's just like he said," he replied, slowly picking himself up off the ground.

Glynda eyed them for a moment, obviously attempting to catch any hint that this might be a lie, before letting out a tired sigh.

"Very well. Gather your things, gentlemen. We'll be leaving soon and you and your team, Mr. Winchester, are in dire need of a shower."

Nodding their consent, the two boys made to follow her out of the forest. Naruto's team quickly surrounded him, giving him a look that demanded the truth to what they knew was an obvious lie. He held up a hand, promising to let them all know the truth once they were back at their dorm. It was going to be a long day for him.


So glad I finally got this chapter done. Honestly, this chapter was becoming the make it or break it point for me as I was considering putting this story on hold due to the lack of inspiration I was having with it. Thankfully I was able to come out of my stump as I was writing it and have been inspired for the next chapter. Spoilers, it'll revolve around Blake's Faunus heritage so that'll be fun to write about.