2. Teams
"Nailed it~!" Yang hummed to herself. "A ten-outta-ten landing if I do say so myself. Now: who to find for my partner?"
No sooner had she finished that thought did the foliage near her move and rustle. A pair of amber eyes met hers.
"Oh great. It's the quiet girl. Oh well. Could've been worse." A certain white-haired individual came to mind. "Hey! Looks like we're partners now."
The deadpan she received from the quiet girl was rather telling; she wasn't thrilled either.
"So it seems."
"Ugh. Where's Whiskers when you need him? I wouldn't mind partnering up with him."
A rumbling growl from the underbrush told the newly formed duo they were not alone. The bone-white mask of a Grimm loomed over the blonde teen. Its red eyes switched between Yang and Blake with ill intent.
"You wouldn't happen to have seen Little Red Riding Hood or a hunky whiskered blond have you?"
The Ursa didn't take too well to the question, rearing back and roaring at the blonde.
"I'll take that as a 'no.'"
Another roar ruffled the teen's already unruly hair. Rearing back on its hindlegs, the bear-like Grimm slammed its massive paw down. Yang couldn't help but laugh cheerful as she side-stepped the attack, whooping loudly as the following claw swipe nearly took off her head.
"Whoa, big guy!" An acrobatic backflip took her clear of the Ursa's double hammer fist. "Do you treat all the ladies in your life like this?"
The Ursa, of course, couldn't verbally respond to her. Its mounting rage and continuous assault soon bore fruit...
… in the form of a few clipped locks of hair.
A gasp was stolen from Yang's lips as she watched her blonde curls flutter in the wind. Even the soulless Grimm could feel something in the air shift as the blond's red eyes glared up at them.
"You monster."
x-x-x-x-x
"Birdy, no!"
Naruto chuckled to himself as the distressed cry of Ruby pierced through the howling wind, followed by the injured squawk of a bird. Even in the air, the girl is a danger to wildlife. Somehow, that didn't surprise him one bit.
"Adorable," he thought.
In a lot of ways, she reminded him of himself. A younger, less jaded, more bright-eyed Naruto. Oh how the times have changed.
"Look out!"
"Wha-?"
A red and orange blur slammed into Naruto mid-air. With only a split second to turn around, he couldn't catch a full glimpse of his would-be assailant/partner. He was a little too preoccupied with the forest canopy that was approaching them at a neck-breaking pace.
"Hang on!
His right hand flared out towards the approaching foliage, the name of his jutsu already on the tip of his tongue.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
The torrent of wind that left his hand tore through the trees below, simultaneously reducing the speed of their descent, just enough for Naruto to reach out with a kunai. Pumping pure chakra through the blade to reinforce it, he drove it through the trunk of a particularly thick deciduous tree. Their inertia sent the pair spiraling down the tree, carving a jagged wound deep into its bark. Still, Naruto's feet dug a pair of trenches into the earth as they finally came to a stop.
"Ugh. Never doing that again." It didn't hurt by any means, but damn did he hate the feeling. The shaking and rattling of the kunai in the tree's bark left his arm numb and tingling in the worst way possible. "Are you alright?"
What he saw stole his breath away, even more than the impromptu skydiving trip.
A beautiful pair of green eyes, more vibrant than the Emerald Forest, gazed up at him in what he could only ascertain as confusion and intrigue. Crimson hair, not too unlike his mother's, was slightly ruffled by their descent. Tied in a high ponytail, her crimson locks would, without a doubt, reach the small of her back was it not for her headpiece. Her lightly tanned skin was slightly flushed from the buffeting winds. Golden-orange armor hugged her chest, exposing her bare shoulders and upper arms.
And a generous amount of cleavage, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to notice. His eyes still haven't left hers.
"Pops… This is your fault…"
"Uh… hello."
"Hi." Naruto pulled back from the redhead with a smile. "Enough gawking, you creepy bastard!"
Thankfully, the redhead didn't seem to notice, only smiling amicably as she held out her hand. He took the offered hand, silently noting the strength of her grip and the corded muscle of her arm.
"Pyrrha Nikos."
"Naruto Uzumaki."
There was a beat as the redhead took in the appearance of her partner. Not only that, but she had also expected some sort of outburst from him, an exclamation of some kind about her name or her status. She was pleasantly surprised when he only smiled at her.
"Looks like we're still quite a ways from the ruins the old man was talking about." Naruto jerked his head in the general direction of the structure they were supposed to find. "Walk 'n' talk?"
"Sounds like a plan."
x-x-x-x-x
"Think this is it?" The side-eye Yang received from her partner spoke volumes.
"Chess pieces," was the astute observation of the chessboard themed girl.
"Looks like some people have already been through here. Three of the pieces are gone already."
"Hm. Just grab one and go."
After glancing around the ruins, Blake couldn't help but feel repulsed by a particular piece. A king piece. Twisting black and white formed an alternating color scheme, flaring out into a bulbous crown. She didn't like it whatsoever.
"How about a cute little pony?" Yang's call drew her attention away from the piece.
"Sure." Anything but that King piece will do just fine.
"Where do you think our other classmates are?" Yang paused glancing around the ruins.
"Perhaps they landed a bit further away than we did." Blake shrugged. "Either way, we-"
CRASH!
The two girls blinked in shock before pulling back into their stances. Gambol Shroud was in Blake's hand in the blink of an eye as Ember Celica snapped itself into shape around Yang's fists. An Ursa had charged head first into the clearing. For a moment, it stood still. Just when Yang was about to dispatch the creature, the bear-like Grimm collapsed.
"Huh?"
"Aw~. It broke."
A small, spritely girl with orange hair stood on the back of the downed Bear with a frown on her lips.
"Did that girl just ride in… on an Ursa?" Blake muttered, trying to wrap her head around what she just witnessed.
"Nora!" wheezed a green-themed teen, bent over to catch his breath. "Please. Don't ever do that a...gain...?" He trailed off as he finally realized his partner was no longer where he'd last seen her.
"I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!"
The three glanced over to the relics, blinking as they tried to comprehend how the girl managed to dart from the Ursa to the relics without anyone noticing. On her head, lay a white rook piece.
"NORA!"
"Coming, Ren!" The girl smiled and saluted at her partner.
"How… did… she…" Yang started.
"Uh… Yang?" Blake tapped her partner on the shoulder. "Is that… your sister?"
"Huh?! Where?!" The blonde's head whirled back and forth as she searched the clearing for any sign of her Little Red Riding Hood.
"Up," was the shocked, yet still monotone response she received from Blake.
When the blonde brawler looked up, the last thing she expected to see was her little sister, hanging onto a Giant Nevermore alongside a notable spot of white. Soon enough, the little red spot fell away from the corrupted Crow.
"Damn. I knew she was up to something."
The familiar voice drew the girls' attention away from the falling redhead. Naruto and Pyrrha Nikos, whom they assumed to be his partner, stood next to them. The two were looking up at the falling girl with two very different expressions. The redhead was quite concerned. Naruto's ear-to-ear grin was something between amused and curious.
"Think she'll land on her feet, Pyrrha?"
"I… don't think so, Naruto."
"Aw. Don't be like that, Pyrrha! Have some…" Naruto trailed off and sighed. "Never mind." The reason for his sudden change of heart? Ruby flailing her arms wildly as she plummeted towards the ground. Headfirst. "I'll get her."
A second later, Naruto was already up amongst the trees, crouched down and mentally tracking the girl's trajectory. In a burst of motion, he leapt from the branches and caught the flailing teen mid-air.
"I really do have to catch you every time I see you huh?" Naruto grinned at the shocked teen in his arms.
"We're going to die! We're going to die! We're going to die!" Ruby squealed and latched onto the blond.
Naruto snorted. Landing next to Yang with little fanfare, as if he hadn't just survived a hundred foot fall without even a flare of Aura, he handed the little sister back to her older sibling.
After some careful handling of the petite girl's insane grip.
Tap tap.
"Yes… Blake?" Naruto took a moment to take in the stoic girl's equivalent of a slack-jawed expression before looking up, following the direction of the girl's pointing finger. "Huh? Is that Weiss?"
Gasp!
"Weiss!" Ruby hopped out of her sister's arms, panicking and flailing her arms frantically. "I told you to jump!"
"You've gotta be kidding me." Naruto mentally facepalmed.
"YOU LEFT ME BEHIND!"
"... I said 'jump,'" was the softly muttered excuse of the red-themed huntress-in-training.
"She's going to fall," Blake said resolutely.
"She'll be fine," Ruby countered.
"She's definitely going to fall," monotoned the green-themed boy they'd yet to learn the name of.
"Can we go next, Ren?" said the girl with the orange hair, a giddy smile on her lips as she pointed towards the heiress in distress.
"... maybe some other day, Nora."
"Poor bastard," thought Naruto, already pitying the poor guy. Maybe that was why he dyed his hair pink. Hide all the grey hairs she must be giving him. "I'll... get her?"
He averted his eyes as soon as he looked up. Who would've thought that Weiss wore white everywhere?
A dull humming, chiming sound drew his attention back up to the girl in distress, careful to keep his eyes from wandering. Several circles, each bearing the sigil of a snowflake, formed beneath the heiress. Noticeably, her rate of descent began to slow, going from a lethal plummet to a lazy fall as she broke through each sigil. The final sigil that spawned on the ground caught Weiss with a subtle hum before dissipating in a flurry of particles.
"You might wanna wear something underneath the dress next time you go flying, princess," Yang teased. "Gave everyone here a free show."
"WHAT?!" The white haired teen did her best imitation of a tomato, glaring at the boys present.
"..."
"Yup," Naruto popped the 'p' for extra emphasis. "You'd look better in red."
"KYA~! PERVERT!" Weiss covered herself with her hands over her dress. A little too late, to be honest.
"Weiss Cream's color palette aside, we should probably deal with that Nevermore." Yang pointed at the giant bird as it pivoted in flight, heading right for them.
"Agr-"
Naruto was cut off as the earth rumbled beneath their feet. Even the ruins weren't spared from the tremors as the stone pillars buckled and collapsed. The bulbous yellow orb, one they'd believed to be a part of the ruins, lifted from the earth. Two white-plated claws followed suit. Earth and stone fell away as ten beady, orange eyes glared at them through the shifting sediment.
"Crud," cursed Yang.
"Deathstalker!" Blake grunted.
"I've got it!"
Ruby was on the creature in an instant. The bundle on her back was unfurled, revealing a large scythe. As amazing as it was to see the petite girl swing such an unwieldy weapon, Naruto knew the Grimm's armor would be more than enough to keep the weapon at bay. The bladed weapon rebounded harmlessly off of the bone-like carapace, throwing Ruby off balance. The Scorpion gave her no reprieve, batting away its assailant with its massive claw. An angry spark of red Aura prevented the worst of the damage, but it did little to stop Ruby from getting launched into the tree line.
"Ruby!" Yang's cry of worry became an angered growl. "You're going down, you stupid bug!"
Flames licked and coiled around her. Even her hair glowed as her Semblance activated. A trail of flickering flames was left in her wake as she charged forward, heedless of the others' advice. While her speed and strength was enhanced in her rage, it did little against the ancient creature. Her punches and gauntlets did little more than push away at the beast's claws and carapace.
"Nora! Back up Yang!" Naruto took control of the situation as soon as Yang darted away. "Ren! Run circles around it. Aim for the joints!" The functionally dysfunctional pair were off with only a cheer from the energetic girl. "Pyrrha! Back them up. Put some rounds in its eyes! Weiss! Check on Ruby!"
"WHAT?!" The screech from the girl was expected, but definitely not welcome, not when that Nevermore is getting closer by the second. "Who died and made you-"
"DO IT!" Naruto barked. His voice left no room for argument.
"What about you?" Pyrrha yelled back as she unloaded round after round at the Scorpion's face. She didn't turn away from her target, so she couldn't see the smirk that crossed his face.
"I have a Crow to deal with."
x-x-x-x-x
Her lightning-enhanced Kusanagi carved through yet another Grimm. Ever since she had landed, they've been all over her, likely attracted to the darkness of her chakra. It was an annoyance. She had better things to do than to waste her time on these creatures, like getting back to the Elemental Nations. She had a world to change and the only one who had any idea of how to send her back is currently playing babysitter.
With the constant Grimm activity around her, she had yet to see anyone aside from Naruto, let alone make eye contact. That was just fine with her. A preferable outcome. She didn't need a child to babysit. She would have preferred being on a team with the blond bastard for ease of access to her way home, but being alone is better than being on a team with these snivelling brats.
Huntsmen-in-training? What a laughable concept.
She wasn't even thirteen when she took her first life. She was nearly seventeen when she carved her way through a thousand shinobi. It was naught but months ago when she fought a goddess and sought to change the world through blood and fire.
"And look where that got you," the rumbling voice of the Nine-Tails taunted, "stranded and alone. Itachi must be so proud."
"Quiet."
"Che. What Naruto ever saw in you aside from a bitch is something beyond even me." Kurama huffed. "To think he'd even promised your brother to watch over you." When his taunt was only met with silence, he knew he had her attention. "You didn't know that, did you, Uchiha? That your brother had sought Naruto's aid to watch over you in his stead, to keep you from falling into your own darkness. The idiot even promised, swore on his ninja way, to protect you, even from yourself."
"And he failed."
"Good." The answer actually surprised her. "You don't deserve to be saved. Though I lament the effect it has on Naruto, I couldn't care less about you."
"And how would it affect the dobe?"
That nickname didn't sit quite right on her tongue. He was no longer the idiot she'd… connected with from Team Seven. He was no longer the useless idiot who did little more than spam Shadow Clones and Rasengan everything in his path with little care for collateral damage.
"How do you think it would affect him?" There was an annoyed undertone to the anger of the Fox.
She knew the answer already. There was little doubt in her mind the conclusion she'd arrived at was correct: he'd given up on his dream.
"Idiot."
"At least he stopped giving a damn about you." The amusement in the Fox's voice was audible, not even hidden behind the derisive sneer. "His brats deserve better than a bitch for a mother."
The next Grimm that got in her path, along with a conical swathe of the Emerald Forest, was reduced to ashes under a torrent of purple lightning.
"Don't pretend to care; it's beneath you."
x-x-x-x-x
Ruby was back on her feet almost as quickly as she landed, giddy at the prospect of facing the massive Grimm. So what if it just batted her aside like she would a fly? So what if that stupid bug had armor strong enough to repel most Huntsmans' weapons? It just meant she had to move faster and hit harder.
"It's nice to see that you're alright." Oh. Right. Weiss. "Listen, I have a plan."
"Really?! Me too!" Ruby squealed, holding Crescent Rose to her chest and bouncing on her feet. "We just gotta hit it hard and fast!"
"What?!" Weiss screamed.
"Yea! I hit fast, Yang hits hard, you support!"
She didn't wait for the older girl's response. A flurry of petals were left in her wake. She dove past Ren and Pyrrha. Nora and Yang could only squawk in surprise as she blazed a trail straight for the Deathstalker's tail.
"TALLY HO!"
Crescent Rose cleaved through the air with the subtlety of a warhammer. The rising blade clashed against the Grimm's exoskeleton. For a second, a single split second, she thought her baby was going to pull through. She thought this would have been it, the decisive moment in the fight.
Oh how wrong she'd been.
The bright smile on her face turned into pure shock as the Grimm's tail bent back. Like a coiled spring, the limb snapped forward, sending her back the way she came. Aura snapped and crackled as it absorbed the sudden change in acceleration. One second, she was hanging off the yellow stinger like a red Christmas ornament. The next, she was cosplaying a crimson comet.
"Idiot!" The air hummed as Ruby's flight slowed. Weiss's glyph turned Ruby's unplanned flight into a controlled descent. "Stupid, hyperactive idiot!"
Ruby could feel her cheeks burning in shame and embarrassment. She kept her eyes down, unable to meet the white-themed teen's gaze.
"You are supposed to be a huntress-in-training with a team!" Weiss glared at the shorter girl, her rapier pointed directly at the girl's face. "You have no consideration for anyone but yourself and what you can do to show off!"
Embarrassment turned into anger.
"How is that any different from you?!"
"I'm not the one flying through the air at mach speed like a ping pong ball!"
"I-!" Ruby tried to defend herself.
"YOU!" Weiss cut her off almost as soon as she opened her mouth, "are an irresponsible child!"
x-x-x-x-x
"Hello."
She didn't know how to respond. She really didn't. Originally, she had only intended to watch the Beacon Academy Initiation as a way to alleviate her boredom. Another year, another batch of students, she thought. More cannon fodder.
Then, he caught her eye.
Or rather, he'd caught the eye of her Grimm.
She could only blink as she watched as her Grimm, an ancient, soulless creature of death and destruction, preen and press its beak against the blond's chest.
"I can feel you."
Oh my. How bold.
She leaned forward, paying close attention to the teen's face. The whisker-like marks meant little to her. No. What made him special was the powdery orange substance that surrounded his eyes. Even through her clairvoyance, she could feel some connection to him through the Nevermore.
Who was this boy? Did he have some connection to the Gods of old? How else could he have such a connection to the Grimm?
"You've been watching me?"
It was phrased as a question, but the surety in his voice told her otherwise. The Grimm nodded in her stead, though whether it was speaking for itself or for her was up for debate. Either way, it was true.
"Voyeur," he teased.
Her lips twitched into a smile. She had been called a lot of things in her immortal life. Monster. Demon. Witch. Bitch. But never voyeur. Until now.
"Are you going to keep watching me?"
Oh, he already knew the answer to that. She didn't even have to answer him.
"Go on, big guy." He stroked the bird's bone-like mask, smiling as it preened beneath his touch. "Get outta here."
Salem's eyebrows nearly reached into her hairline. The Nevermore obeyed him. With a flap of its wings, it took off, flying away from the Emerald Forest and to the north. It was returning to the Land of Darkness, she realized.
"Hmm. And I never even got his name."
x-x-x-x-x
"Are you kidding me?!"
Lightning. Gravity. Fire. Ice. Nothing worked on this overgrown garden pest!
Out of ammo, Pyrrha Nikos had even joined the front lines to go toe-to-toe with the massive arachnid. A combination attack from the group had torn one of the creature's pincers clean off of its limbs. Sadly, that only seemed to piss the thing off.
"Any ideas?" Weiss huffed. Constant use of her Glyphs had drained her Aura straight down to the red.
"Another c-combination attack?" Yang panted beside her. What does this girl eat?! How are those things moving so much?!
"I'm up for some explosive fun!" Nora perked up beside them, bruised and lightly scuffed, but she was still raring to go.
"Any ideas that might put it down for good would be grand right about now." Even the Invincible Girl seemed worn out by the constant fighting.
"Where's Naruto?" Weiss looked up and away from the Scorpion, who was distracted by Ruby and Blake's evasive maneuvers.
"Watching my classmates play with a giant Scorpion."
"KYA!"
"HOLY COW!"
"AHOY, CAPTAIN!"
When she finally calmed down and could look at him, Weiss almost regretted doing so in the first place. She hated the way his eyes wandered over them. The look wasn't perverse in any way. He was judging them. And, for the life of her, she couldn't keep the shame from rushing to her cheeks.
"Looks like I'll be helping you guys get up to snuff." He shook his head. "You alright there, partner?"
"I'll be fine," Pyrrha replied, but they could all see that she was working up a sweat.
Weiss flinched when he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her first instinct had been to yell at him to keep his hands to himself. A flood of what could be described as pure energy entered her. Angered words died on her lips. Instead, she moaned, a sound of pleasure that left her cheeks as red as Pyrrha's hair.
Thankfully, no one noticed. A quick glance around her told Weiss that Naruto had done exactly the same thing to Pyrrha, then Yang and Nora. None of them had noticed each other's less than respectable sounds.
"Pyrrha! Nora!"
To her surprise, Weiss's body moved on its own. Her back straightened, her eyes locked onto the commanding stature of the blond. Gone was the cheerful, carefree teen. In his place, stood someone whose aura of confidence and authority could only be compared to someone several times his senior. Belatedly, she realized who he reminded her of.
General Ironwood.
"Stand by. Yang, Blake and I will give you the opening you need." She fought the urge to look away when those sharp blue eyes settled on her. "Weiss, support. Put those Glyphs to good use."
"Right."
He didn't have to say anymore. She understood what he wanted.
"Ruby, keep it distracted! Blake! Tie up that tail!"
Weiss ignored the concussive rounds fired by the chess-themed girl's weapon as it wrapped itself around the Grimm's tail. Her focus lay entirely on calling upon her Semblance. Several Glyphs came to life, glowing a warm, sunlit yellow.
"Yang, help her out!"
"You got it!"
Aided by whatever power boost Naruto had given them and by her Glyphs, the blonde brawler had crossed the clearing in the blink of an eye. A blast from her gauntlets pushed her under the arachnid's body and out from behind it. The other half of the bow wearer's weapon was in her hands.
"Got it!" she yelled.
"Pyrrha! Get Nora in the air. Nora?" Weiss really didn't like that conspiratory smile on the blond's face. "Smash."
Nora smiled.
"Roger!"
Pyrrha spun in a single smooth half-circle, bringing her shield to bear. Nora was on top of Pyrrha's shield and her own hammer a second later. Weiss couldn't quite figure out what cracked the earth beneath them: the Champion's flexed quads and glutes or the grenade that was fired out of Nora's weapon.
Both were equal contenders in her opinion.
What happened next astounded her. The blond teen who had taken charge so far, brought out a small trench knife. With a speed she couldn't hope to follow, he disappeared.
What in the hell was he hoping to accomplish with that tiny little-
RAHHHHH!
Her eyes widened as the Scorpion screeched in pain. Its toxic stinger was severed, a perfectly clean cut.
"NORA! HIT IT!"
"TALLY!"
A concussion grenade detonating in the air was the only warning they got before what could only be described as a pink meteor slammed into the Deathstalker.
"HO!"
x-x-x-x-x
"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you have retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal), led by Cardin Winchester."
Naruto barely gave the teens on stage any attention. He'd already seen them before. Not the teens specifically, but their type. The type of people whose daddies have paid for everything they ever wanted or needed. The type who have never known what it was like to fight, struggle and bleed for every scrap of recognition.
Those kinds of people don't last long out in the real world.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie," the Headmaster continued. "The four of you have retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team NPLN (Napoleon), led by Naruto Uzumaki."
He returned Pyrrha's smile, taking little note of the polite, yet confused, applause that followed. From what his ears could pick up, the majority of them had expected for Pyrrha, the Champion, to take up the mantle of team leader. For whatever reason, his partner seemed particularly happy that she wasn't picked as team leader.
Curious.
"And last, but not least: Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby), led by Ruby Rose."
He waved towards the newly formed Team RWBY with a smile. That was when he caught it: a look of surprise and doubt crossing Ruby's face. It was only there for the briefest of moments before the short girl's face was buried in her sister's bust.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you, Rubes!"
Oh well. That was something Little Red will have to figure out for herself. He had been the same way, now that he thought about it.
"And with that, this year's Academy Initiation draws to a close. I will be looking forward to each and every one of you as you grow throughout your tenure here at Beacon Academy. Dismissed."
With that, Team NPLN trailed out of the announcement hall. He hadn't missed the way Nora had glomped onto Ren. It had been less than a day, yet he could already tell that the orange-haired girl had the hots for her friend.
Don't think Ren's realized it yet, but that's for him to figure out. Doesn't mean he couldn't help them along though.
"So what's our first order of business, captain?" Nora - Sage bless her - had continued to refer to him as captain.
"A shower? Food? A warm bed? Up to you guys." Naruto shrugged. "We can chat and learn more about each other tomorrow."
"YAY!" the hyperactive girl squealed.
The group paused as a familiar voice echoed down the hall.
"See! I told you it was her!" Team NPLN turned around, finding themselves face to face with Team RWBY. "And there's the man himself!" Naruto took the punch Yang threw at his shoulder in stride, smiling as she hip-checked him. "You were pretty badass out there, Naruto."
"You weren't so bad yourself," Naruto answered. "How are you feeling, Ruby?"
"Scared? Excited?" The jittery girl laughed, scuffing her shoe on the floor with an abashed smile. "I've never been a leader for anything before."
"You'll grow into it." Naruto gently patted her head, much to her chagrin. "Let's walk 'n' talk. We're clogging up the hallway."
Naruto ignored the way Yang bounced beside him. The movement did some downright sinful things to her chest. Not that he looked. He just knew. Besides, he's seen bigger. Not that he ever cared ever really paid too much heed.
But eye candy is always welcome.
"So! About that fight with the big bug? How did you cut through its shell?"
The question had been on everyone's mind apparently, since the fight, but none of them had asked. They were too busy celebrating their victory to ask. Now that the excitement and adrenaline had worn off, they were more than curious. Ren himself had tried to sever the creature's tail. Sadly, the blades on his pistols did little more than scratch the exoskeleton.
Naruto spared the hallway a brief glance. Glad that no one else was really walking down this hallway, instead branching off towards their own dorms, no doubt, he decided to humor the group. Reaching into the weapons pouch on his hip, he produced the aforementioned knife. Presenting the weapon handle first to the brawler, he could see the way her purple eyes analyzed it, from the bladed knuckles to the tapered blade.
"This - this! - little knife?!"
"Yup!"
"What a load of crud!"
x-x-x-x-x
Soft, confident footfalls echoed through the vacant building. Her mistress had called for her, though what for, she knew not. Things had been progressing as planned. Roman Torchwick and his friend had done their part. They and the White Fang had more than met their quota, so what could have occurred for her to be summoned?
"My lady."
There was a pause as the Mother of Grimms stared into the visual connection established by her Grimm.
"My lady?"
"Cinder." The woman's crimson eyes focused. Cinder could practically see the flurry of thoughts, though what of, she knew not. "There has been a change of plans. You and yours will be going to Beacon Academy." Cinder blinked, almost confused.
"Had the Academy's initiation been delayed?"
"No. You will be transferred. There is someone I wish to recruit to our cause. If you can't do that, then simply observe him." Those red eyes narrowed at her. "And you will report everything you find directly to me. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am."