Of all the faces Sienna Khan had expected to see at the foot of her domain on a midsummer eve, Hazel Rainart did not near the top of the list. Standing at the other end of the great hall did little to minimise his colossus; though Sienna sat with her heels above his head, her loyal subjects by her side, begging to give their life for hers, his grainy gaze served to close the gap almost nonchalantly. There was little to study of him; Hazel was sculpted in place by willpower that she was all too aware of, and though the man liked to doll himself up with his own twisted humility, she could see through his cloak and dagger. The man believed his stalwart nature spoke volumes more than his words ever could, but for Sienna, they all pointed to the hypocrisy that plagued Man.

A cruel smile tugged at her lips as he knelt down, certainly unaware that he had proved her correct. He had dared to walk where no human ever should, twice, and possessed the putrid arrogance to believe that his kneel would spare him of his sins.

"Ma'am. I come once again to present an offer from my master." he voiced in his familiar low tone.

"I seem to recall that this conversation has already been closed, Hazel. So why is it that I find your following on my doorstep, again and again?" Sienna's voice wore the pride of the White Fang in its every inflection. She was unblinking, willing her gaze to pierce the man.

"Times have changed, ma'am. I would have taken heed of your words otherwise." he continued, blindly ignoring the unspoken threat.

"Times may have changed, but my answer will not. Your kind amuse me, Hazel. Always living under the pretence of power and knowledge, practically announcing your ignorance, all the while so soundly unaware of our growing power. Tell me, is your friend enjoy his stroll through the armoury?" Sienna's voice gradually sharpened, each word a stroke on the whetstone. Unsurprisingly, Hazel did not visibly react.

"Indeed, he is, it seems. He has a penchant for weapons, you see; I am… sure he will enjoy the company of those who choose to appreciate it with him."

"And I am certain that my brothers and sisters shall also. You are appreciated for this gift, Hazel, but you are yet to announce why you are here." Her fingers tapped on the handle of her throne, while her foot continued to drum the air above its other.

"My apologies, ma'am. I do hope that my friend is not too much trouble for your people tonight," She frowned. "And I understand your hesitation to speak to a human. However, I would not be here if I did not have something to offer."

"Humans do love blood diamonds, after all. Unfortunately, they are held in some distaste among my kind, Hazel; we are faithful to our families," she spat out through the courtesy that coated her tongue. Her tongue blazed with the vitriol she could have, should have thrown at the impudent man. Sienna's eyes narrowed at he who had dared to walk into her realm; he who had the vanity to possess a retort; he who had yet the cowardice to not make a step towards her. She waited with fading patience for that fatal mistake, her fingers beginning to curl on her grandiose throne, back almost arching in anticipation. And still, the man knelt, unawares. She briefly thought that anger had flashed across his face, but paid it no mind.

"I do not come here offering material goods, nor do I present you with false promises. I arrive with the knowledge and ability to grant you power."

She snarled.

"You, the brute possessing knowledge? You have nothing but empty words, human, and I only hope that you have at least the capacity to learn of our power," Her fangs revealed themselves as she shot up from her throne and stalked to the top of the blood red stairs, each step carrying the weight of her swelling rage, each stomp foretelling the incoming eruption. "You, who symbolise the oppression of my people and the ignorance that led to it, know nothing about my people and my power. Our power. And still you think that the White Fang will bow to you?"

"We require no such thing; my master simply wishes to extend her hand in friendship."

"I'm sure it is of no surprise to your all-knowing eyes that we must decline - you see, I fear our interests and occupations are too different to enjoy our time together." Her mocking elicited a deep laugh from the man.

"You will find our friendship beneficial, I assure you," He slowly rose and stepped forward, and dutifully, every guard in the hall snapped out their spears towards him. He wisely stopped in his tracks; Sienna's chains dropped, her palm hovering around them, teasing him in the certainty that Hazel did not desire to have this be his last breath. "A fierce showing of loyalty, I see. That is good. You have a respectable following."

"This is not a following, human. It is a movement, a revolution, and a warning. We are not a sign of change, for we are the change. You stand there-" Sienna trudged back and forth, the clinking of chains bathing her every step as the weapon snaked further and further down her marked arms. "-coated with the hubris that mocks us, believing you are the hand that feeds, so unprepared for the next bite; what do you know of change? Nothing. You misunderstanding can be forgiven, though, as I am sure such a concept is not taught in your schools," Her fingers began to stroke the frosty steel, removing any grime for the impending paint-job.

"This is not the time to compare our beliefs, nor our origins, ma'am. You are right; this is the time for change, for action, but there are higher machinations of this world that you are not aware of," Sienna seethed. "Schemes that have operated long before our lives and that will continue much past them. Remnant is shifting, ma'am, and opportunity is presenting itself. To you. Right here."

"So it would seem." Her teeth flashed an ivory white. "Those cogs and wheels will do little to help you here though, Hazel."

"And yet I still stand here. This is so much an offer as a warning, ma'am- change can be fatal should you stand too still," Ironic. Sienna mirthfully chuckled, raising her hand to her forehead and spying the man through the chain links. Her fingers lined the dilated veins of her temples.

"Still, you continue to prove me right, human! But no matter - you will come to understand eventually." The guards took a step forward, slithering up and converging towards the man. Each of them did not hesitate, and at that moment, Sienna allowed herself to feel pride in the strength of her brotherhood. She panned her head to scan the whole hall, to witness the python of white masks wrap around the room and begin to coil around Hazel Rainart. Every step was poised and deadly, purposefully tightening the bladed noose. Witnessing the beginning of the hunt, her expression turned vicious, hissing at the enemy before her. "Choose your next action wisely, human. It may be your last." Her words cut through his stillness, and Sienna inwardly smiled as he visibly stiffened, uncovering himself for the first time that evening.

"There is no need for death tonight."

Hazel's gaze intensified, if that was even possible, and arms crossed, imposing his stern figure; but to Sienna, this meant nothing whilst facing a mouse cornered by her-

"Weak men. That is all you have."

Her guards roared back at his impudence, and the tightening accelerated as the spears began to stab forward.

"Boys who can do little against me. Against huntsmen. After all, they will be your enemies from now,"

"You will decide nothing for us! We are our own-"

"I am not deciding anything. I am advising you. I warned you, that times have changed. And the time for negotiations are coming to an end. You will listen."

"And you will die." As soon as Sienna uttered the words, the doors thundered open as her men poured into the hall, parting the red sea. The snake of white thickened, rich with pointed scales, and leered at the impassive man. He will not remain so for long, Sienna surmised as she walked down the steps, her head panning upwards to keep their stares locked. Though her figure descended, the pride that she wore on her shoulder stood taller than the man at the room's centre. Boots resonated as the men shouted in solidarity; with each approaching step, they stomped twice, the rhythm of the White Fang. He closed his eyes. This was thei-

"Then you seem to have misunderstood, Sienna. May I call you that? For I was not referring to my death as much as yours." The absolute insolence. Sienna grit her fangs and her claws began to dig into the hilt of Cerberus Whip, as her arms trembled in fury. The impudent beast took that moment to finally look at her once more, and their glares crossed swords, both enemies unwilling to back away. Her faithful soldiers tightened the noose around him, spears drawing closer and closer as the man simply remained. A lone ranger roared and dove forward with his lance, ending the misery of the coward before her.

Suddenly, Sienna's world was pulled from under her.

Unblinking, the same coward strode forward, and, still staring at her, shattered the arm of the guard who had attacked him. The nauseating, rapid series of cracks and squelches led all her brave subjects to stop dead. Screams echoed. A bead of sweat that rolled down her face proved treacherous, but still Sienna resolved to finish the battle of prides. She paid little mind to the now pleading masks of her allies, pushing them to the periphery whilst her vision tunnelled into Hazel's vigorous yet impassive eyes. Seconds passed, and Hazel frowned, muttering incoherently, and Sienna began to smile at what she so deeply believed to be his resignation, before his hand abruptly latched onto the face of the broken faunus and began to squeeze. And still, Hazel Rainart did not blink.

"I am not a cruel man," The screams grew. "I do not wish for death. This was merely meant to be a gesture of goodwill towards what we hope will be our future allies. But you are forcing my hand, my master's hand, Sienna Khan. See to it that you do not do so again." Her courageous comrade's cacophony clawed at her ears, begging for the sweet release of death; the shrill, hearse shrieks of her brother-in-arms plagued the crowning room of the White Fang, painting its walls in the indelible ink of trauma.

Sienna saw red.

An unholy screech escaped as she heaved Cerberus Whip at him.

Yet, it was instead a colossus that replied, casually balling his hands and consequently crumbling the teeth, caving in the jaw and crushing the eyes in an eruption of her brother's blood. Though his screams lessened as they turned gravelly and weak, the suffering behind the once-loyal cry wounded Sienna more than Hazel's fist ever could. Everything slowed as her tunnelled vision could only see the base of her weapon float towards the demon, wielding the hopes and dreams of the White Fang with it.

And with a simple turn, those dreams dug into the guard's back, and the screams stopped. Hazel dropped the body, and it splayed out on the red carpet.

"I am not a cruel man, and I do not wish for death." Hazel repeated.


As soon as he stepped into the same infirmary room, Qrow Branwen's hand shot up to his forehead.

Oh, no…

In front of him was the sickly green curtain concealing his charge, albeit very poorly, as Naruto's shadow painted the mint canvas, sitting incredibly still, only fettered by its gentle swings. His deep breaths were naturally in harmony with the tick of Qrow's impatient foot and the tock of the analog clock, softly swaying with the beat that they provided. As the wind whistled to the melody, Qrow wondered if this was the sight of genuine serenity. Except…

Is he… about to do yoga?

The sweet symphony was interrupted by his chokes and the thuds on his chest as he tried to regain composure, despite being hit with the crippling that his new charge might have been a yogi. He shook himself out of the nightmarish thoughts, and looked desperately at the curtains in the dwindling hope that Naruto may still be redeemable. As his eyes darted around to look for any signs of a prank, he quietly slid closer and closer to the curtains, hand trembling as it raised towards the cloth between them. He brushed against it, but as quickly as the moment came, it was gone, as Naruto drew the curtain open and looked him dead in the eye. There, he sat, with his ever lethargic stare.

Qrow jumped back in surprise.

"Now… isn't a good time," He quickly recovered, and brought out his trusty flask to take a swig.

"Now's a good a time as any, kid! Rise and shine!" It was the early evening, but his morning extended to whenever the consequences from the night before lessened. Naruto's weary stare was even better justification, though, eyes leering with a not-so-freshly woken spirit.

"Don't you need to visit someone else first?" he asked with a slow curiosity. He wore an almost confused tone, but Qrow brushed it off, unaware of anything to be confused of.

"Eh, I'm sure Oz is busy enough as it is. You ain't doing him any favours with the paperwork, kid," Sporting his trademark cheeky grin, Qrow ruffled the boy's hair, somehow neatening the spikes in the process. He grimaced in return, tilting his head away from the man who continue to poke at him. "He's doing an awful lot for you, y'know, so it wouldn't hurt for you to be nice."

Naruto grunted and closed his eyes as he turned away, opting to take more interest in the sickly curtain. That wouldn't do.

"I just came here to visit my new friend, do a little catch-up," No reaction. "I know what you're gonna say, kid, 'But we saw each other yesterday, my most trusted friend!', but to me, it's been an eternity. I missed my drinking buddy last night!" Future drinking buddy, but that was a minor detail. "I was just so sad after I realised you weren't there with me, with your…" He paused. "…existential crisis?" Naruto's brows furrowed. Jumping into stance, Qrow raised his fist in liberty. "And so, with the culmination of all these raging emotions, I thought I'd pay you a lil' visit. What's the harm in getting to know you a bit more?"

Naruto cocked his head in confusion, and Qrow basked in the fleeting moment. Indeed, the moment was short, as the boy straightened out his head, and turned it to the side to scan him, with the very same gaze he sported the day before. The blonde had briefly scratched his whiskered cheeks, but the timeframe was too short for Qrow to capitalise with a punchline, and instead, he was relegated to the normal awkward silence. He had to internally frown at the action, still having held the optimism that his spiel had lowered the boy's guard around him.

"Just spit it out. Did those two send you?" Now it was Qrow's time for confusion. Mirroring the action, his head tilted and eyes slightly narrowed as he picked apart the blonde's statement. "No, should they have?"

"It doesn't matter. If it's important then they'll tell you later, I guess."

Qrow hesitated for a moment, but chose not to press, knowing that the blonde would likely close up again if he were to question him.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. So, I was planning on going into Vale tonight, see the sights, chat up some ladies, you know the gist." A pointed pause.

"Have fun, then." It was hard to, with those responses.

"Vale's really amazing this time of year, you know. A lot of people talk about the skyline and the skyscrapers, but I'm a simple man. The bars and downtown do it for me. Big buildings are just, well, big buildings - it's lifeless, with no feel to them all, y'know? But down at the bar, ignoring the girls - oh, I can talk about them as much as you want - and the booze, it's the atmosphere that makes it special. It's just, well, a lot more personal." It was a point blank lie; after all, he could not get past step one of ignoring the booze or the girls. I guess it's still more personal though, he thought, drawing out a dry chortle.

"I guess. Close the door on the way out."

Qrow was ticked. Did this idiot take everything literally?

"It's fantastic when you go in a gro-" His hands flayed outwards in a grand gesture.

"Not interested,"

"Kid, you are the life of the party," He ran through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm just trying to make your time here less boring."

"I'm… fine staying here. Happy." Naruto let out a deep breath as he said it, suddenly finding his nails to be fascinating as he scratched at them.

"Doesn't look it." He lifted the flask and began to shake it, grimacing upon finding nothing left. At his side, the blonde stopped.

"Does it have to?" Naruto turned around to look through him, his gaze replied for him.

Leave me alone.

"Ugh…" Qrow scratched at his scalp, gradually gripping his hair with more force as he came to terms with it. This ran far deeper than he was anticipating, and perhaps even more than Ozpin had too. The boy continued to stare, eventually making Qrow rip his eyes away towards the blonde's pastime; it stood proudly in the violet evening sky, and for a moment, he reasoned that such a strange sight was equally off-putting and engrossing to a man who had supposedly lost his memory. Naruto's eyes followed, and they seemed to intensify as it locked into his gaze.

"…has it always been like that?"

They continued to stare at it, as Qrow played around with the flask's lid and Naruto's grip on the blankets tightened.

"The sky is blue, grass is green, the moon is actually one million moons."

"It's purple and orange right now."

"Get off my case, brat." He cracked a smile that was not returned. "It's always been like that. For as long as humans have been on Remnant. What's got you so into it?"

Naruto looked down and frowned.

"Nothing." Another lie. "I just think it looks strange."

"I've stared at strange things for an hour, kid. A day. Not weeks." Qrow finally looked away from it, and towards the boy. "Something's clearly gotten your panties in a twist about it. What's getting you so hot and bothered, huh?"

The pauses grew awkward and unnatural. Naruto's knuckles were ashen white, a combination of dryness and the sheer tension.

"I guess it is interesting to think about, though. Reminds me of the fairy tales about it." Qrow reminisced. "Tell you what," He pocketed the flask and dusted off his trousers. Taking one last look at the boy, he walked towards the door. "There's a pretty nice view of it from the front of the school."

Gently closing the door as he walked out, he let out a deep sigh, and let his shoulder slouch. He hesitated for a moment, taking one more look at the handle, before he promptly shook his head and began to crack his back, stretching and contorting his spine as he relieved himself. Once more, he slicked back his hair, and let his hands rest at the back as he leaned back into his calloused palms. Qrow looked through the open corridor with the enthusiasm of a crab, all the while walking at the same speed as one. Peachy light poured through the panes, painting the path ahead in black and orange tartan; he looked down, shortening his step slightly to avoid the black stripes, content with amusing himself with such a simple game. As he walked down, dragging his feet, he heard the cries and laughter of a time long past - the frantic, meandering footsteps of a short girl, the commanding march of an upright woman and the stocky bumble that enthusiastically followed it. Each time he closed his eyes to blink, he saw the black and red weave between streaks of yellow and black. Each time, his eyes remained closed for longer, as his expression softened and his steps grew looser. He let his hands down to his pockets, and smiled while he finally let his eyes remain shut, just as his foot landed on the black stripe. A sound of a door clicking open came from behind, sobering him immediately.

He did not turn, instead stopping right on the stripe that now bisected his profile. More recent footsteps echoed through the corridor, growing in volume until the blonde was at his side, now sporting a dirtied jacket, its black and orange warmed by the setting sun, and a ripped end tied up to cover the severed limb. The boy did not look at him, only offering a petulant grumble.

"They could've at least washed it."

"Maybe, if you'd opened your big mouth."

They both let out a small smile, one quicker to leave than the other. The two strolled forward in comfortable quiet, the younger a step behind, their trail leaving an incisive cut through the school body. Minutes rolled by as they roamed, the blonde remaining silent, while Qrow occasionally commented on some of the myriad of rooms that decorated Beacon, regaling the former with the playful tales of his time, his lips curling upwards all the while. Naruto continued to listen with one ear, his eyes following Qrow's finger as they pointed to the toilets of shame, the 'class-bedroom' and the many other landmarks of the older man's youth. The numerous stories were interspersed with the intervals of Qrow's whistling, each of the same nostalgic tune, and the tapping on his flask, accompanying the pieces with metallic rhythm. Through it all, Naruto followed patiently, face seldom betraying his shell, though the older man could see the boy's shoulders ease with each story, each memory; he thought he saw the faint shadow of a smile when he recalled the most outrageous memories of his team, from Taiyang walking in on Raven to painting Beacon Tower navy blue. He would have appreciated the moment, had any liquor still been in his flask, but he was gradually feeling more and more the dryness in his mouth.

"Let's pick up the pace, kid. The night waits for no one." Qrow announced as they approached the main gate. Though their path had been a quick one, courtesy of Qrow's years, he realised, to his eternal shame, that he had the walking speed of some regretful salaryman in some loveless marriage.

"You're the one taking me there." And Naruto had picked up on it. Damn.

"…so it seems. Cut me some slack, though, I'm on these old man legs." Qrow huffed jokingly, to no response. Following the pause, he continued, "You're pretty on it for someone who didn't want to leave his bed an hour ago."

"It would've been ten minutes if you'd walked normally." Naruto sighed. "If you're not going to tell me about it, then I'm going back."

"Woah, easy there. I don't actually remember saying I'd tell you anything."

Naruto scowled, and immediately turned on his heels to head back.

"Wait! I'll tell you." He stopped. "Jeez, you're seriously as subtle as a brick, you know? Yeah, I'll tell you but after we get to the platform."

"How long?"

"It's a few minutes down the path."

A few normal minutes down the path - but Qrow wasn't quite going to achieve that. "And hey, the view from the front deserves a good buildup." As they reached the exit, Qrow turned his back to it, slowly leaning on the grand wooden gate. "Not saying it's sex, but what you're about to see is pretty close to it." He pushed back, and with a dull creak, the gate parted to reveal the wonder of the evening sky. In that mere hour, the scarlet rays had departed, leaving in its place a black canvas, punctured by the glaring light of the fractured moon. Naruto's eyes fixated upon it, ignoring the woos of the stars, and reverted to some sort of trance.

"It's nice, isn't it? Though, I'm not as close to joining the moon fetish club as you are. Or maybe you founded it?" he joked. Naruto snapped out of his daze, and levelled Qrow with a glare.

"Why?"

"Why? Well, personally I'm into girls rather than celestial bodies."

"Why is it broken?"

"Well, with the moon, there's a bit of a height- oh. Ah. I can't really offer you a full answer to it - there's only tales, really."

"Every tale has an ink-"

"-of truth to it. Yeah, I know. But it's just how much ink, isn't it? Remnant's history is pretty clouded, and the moon has been a constant throughout recorded history." Qrow stepped away from the door, letting Naruto pass as he did so, and continued to lead their walk. "It's only passed on now through bedtime stories. Did your parents not tell it to you?"

"My parents died the day I was born." He held a stony gaze. Immediately, Qrow's look was apologetic. "Oh, shit- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" Naruto quickly interrupted him. "It's fine." Though his forward stare was blunt, it held no anger whatsoever - just an automatic reaction.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Yeah, I'll get to the point. There's a myth - a tale of two gods. Together, they created the world, and all that inhabited it, including the Grimm. It's said that they walked amongst us, long ago; they were both creation and destruction, life and death. But one day, through their greed, humanity angered them. Ashamed by their creations, they chose to leave humanity on a wasting world - Remnant - and in their exit, they broke the moon."

"Two?"

"Yeah - light and darkness." Qrow chimed in. "They, together, formed the world, and set it to chaos when they left."

Naruto's brows furrowed, and he stopped in his tracks as he placed his lone hand on his chin. Given Qrow's experience with him, this was not a surprising reaction.

"It's just a myth, at the end of the day."

"Did they create the Grimm as well?"

"Who knows? Like I said, just a myth. There isn't much detail to it."

"There never is."


The view on the bullhead, as promised, had been nothing less than breath-taking; the white-blue crafted a static beauty that curled itself round the horizon, so unmoving and imperious in its stature, whilst the flicker of lights clicked life into the still landscape. He could feel the beating of the bullhead's motor, drowning out every other sense almost as if to guide his eyes towards the beckoning skyline. Qrow continued his monologue throughout the journey, but Naruto droned him out, content with watching the world outside the window, taking it all in for the first time.

His gaze wandered to the broken moon once more, observing the cruel fractures that covered the night sky, a moon that maybe was – or used to be – a prison of his own creation. Some days he swore he could still see the red due surround the magatama-lined moon, only to shake his head and see the harsh reality – if it really was one. He still remembered the sight of the white specks seeded in the ground, the parasitical cocoons that stole his loved ones and the cruel branches that kept them. The branches that dressed his dreams, prickling and digging into him, acting as a constant reminder of his failures. It was funny in a sickening way, that he could not even achieve peace in the dream within the dream – or perhaps that he would just not let himself. He had to admit – Kaguya really had outdone herself this time. A world isolated from his own lay past the 5 inches of reinforced metal he leant on. A world that was puppet to the goddess he so despised. A robotic schedule of daily visits and disguised interrogations, the never changing view of the same evergreen forest, and the same feeling that had plagued him since the reveal of this strange world. It was so similar in some ways, yet so different in others – but in the end, it didn't really matter to him.

Nothing did. Not him, not the people around him, nor their intentions or actions; so he supposed that it would not matter if he simply did nothing. For the first time in his life, he intended to simply remain. Prisoner to no one, nor his mind, and definitely – definitely not to Kaguya.

Until today. That same lax attitude had led him to some port in some city with some drunkard. So, he supposed. He swore internally, seeing the scene before him and knowing that he had signed up – or, let himself be pushed along – for more than he had intended. For, before him was the heart-warming sight of an uncle's palm on his niece's face, shoving her out of arms' length.

"You know those lovely nieces I was talking about? Yeah, take that back. Ruby, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Uncle Qroooooow! I came to see you!" The girl bounded around the two, covering their sight in a gothic red. "I'm just so, so bored, and I really, really need something to do while school still hasn't started, because, well, Dad's busy, Yang's busy, and you're busy! But clearly you're not, which I knew, and I really want you to teach me something new 'cause-"

"Kiddo. Slow. Down. You just shoved two hundred words into like, two seconds,"

His words did nothing to stop the impatient girl, and Naruto watched on as she leaped towards him, trapping him in as tight a hug as she could manage. Qrow tried pushing her off, to no avail, and muttered complaints about family nerfs and overpowered teenagers, in between the acrobatics he attempted to get her off him. The girl giggled incessantly through her pokes and prods, drawing immense glee from her uncle's ire.

"Did you miss me? Did you miss me?" The black-haired girl repeated, to which Qrow finally let a crack of a smile escape, as he ruffled her hair.

"No." He said cheekily, chuckling as she pouted and slid off his arm. The girl stood indignantly, placing her hands on her waist and attempting to pierce her uncle with her gaze. Qrow only laughed further.

"I think you've somehow managed to grow shorter, kiddo – nicely done, usually requires surgery,"

"Uncle Qrooooow!" His laugh became a full guffaw.

"Hey, stop laughing, you old geezer!" She pointed at him accusatorily, as if judging him guilty of the reprehensible crime of teasing her. Naruto felt touches of amusement creep up on him, only for the potential smile to be quashed before he could fall further into the dream. Perhaps it was the ridiculousness of the situation; from being in a war merely weeks ago to watching strangers argue in an even stranger city. Perhaps it could have been the eerily familiar smell in the air; undoubtably a nearby market that wafted the scent of its stalls far and wide, to the docks. Or perhaps, it was the strange irony and déjà vu, hearing the same words as he had once spoken.

Naruto blinked.

"I'm asked you before, brat, why aren't you at the hostel? I know you're bored, but-"

The blonde was sure that Qrow had said something different, but the words seemed to blur as Patch became something different altogether.

"-must be worried sick about you," He looked up to see a dead man.

"But you're like, not working! You said you were working and you're not, and you always do this, Pervy Sage! You've promised me for weeks that you'd take me to Sunagakure and instead you're clearly occupied with something else!" It was his voice, his face, his self, pointing towards him. He stepped backward, breath quickening as the sight began to overwhelm him, the confusion wrapping its fingers around his throat. He looked down at himself, at his rapidly paling body and ashen-white legs, as they seemed to crack and twist. Spikes tore through his skin, and in the puddle by his feet, he saw his dead yellow eyes stare back, adorned by his scarred face and matted green hair. He could not bear to look further, snapping his gaze back to the pair.

"Work is work, brat. And this, this is just me working," The grey-haired man said with a nonchalant cadence, preferring instead to read the current draft of his book.

He could feel it – the vines slithering up his body and planting a bitter kiss of the thorns upon his wooden skin.

"Then what, are you replacing me?"

"Ew, what the hell? No, Naruto, I'm not replacing you – this is-" The words blurred together once more, and his breathing became increasingly shallower, and quickened as his hands began to clam up. "He's a… client, that could be offering funding for Icha Icha. We're just having discussions here." Naruto scrunched his nose in disapproval.

"Funding? What funding is he giving, his pocket change? I can give my allowance if you're that desperate."

Jiraiya snickered and gave Zetsu a side glance, evidently searching for a reaction. He was not given one, as Zetsu fixed them with a deadened look, to which Naruto quickly responded by sticking his tongue out. As they looked away, his posture grew rigid, and his nails dug into his palms.

"Quiet down brat, you don't need to worry about that. More importantly, back to the point – this is miles from the hostel. How did you even get here without my contact noticing?"

"I got the train! It was so cool, like, all the stuff you can see on the journey!" Train? "It's so pretty everywhere. Oh, and yeah, Dad's away with Yang to sort out her, uh, stuff for Beacon," She (she?) almost seemed to quieten near the end, as impossible as it seemed for such a girl. She looked down for a split second, but swiftly rebounded with a brilliant smile. "Vale's amazing though! It's so modern and like, sparkly, you know,"

Naruto blinked.

One split second, and it all snapped back into place with a painful click. His heart continued racing as he peered down at the water and saw once again those familiar blue eyes and golden hair, his self. Naruto almost gasped for breath, only just having lifted his head out of those endless waters. As his breathing slowed to deeper, more ragged breaths, he rested his arm on his knee and felt the cold sweat stick to his back.

"Kid, you okay? You look like you're in rough shape," Qrow had turned to him, and the same look in his eyes did little to stop him remembering what had just occurred.

"Y-yeah, just some… phantom pain, in my arm. I think,"

Qrow's lips parted, but Naruto raised his lone arm to silence him before his questioning went too far.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

The brown-haired man stared at him a little longer but let the matter rest as he turned back to his niece. Naruto sighed, placing his arm on the bandaged stump on his other side, almost cringing as his hand passed through where it once was.

Phantom pain, huh…


Thanks for all your support and patience thus far.

Again, if anyone can offer any comments on my pacing, that would be much appreciated. I'm trying to make this unreliable narrator thing work, and sometimes it's hard to balance with actually making the story flow.

As some may notice, yes, the timeline of the White Fang has slightly been altered here, for good reason - expect to see more of Sienna in future chapters.

esshei