Chapter 18: Return to Vale

Naruto glanced out the windows of the transport vessel, his mind consumed with thoughts of the impending landing. He'd need to revisit Kakashi and Obito soon, and see if they'd uncovered any important means of his escape from Remnant.

'And maybe look into this "Cult of the Efreet"... I can't help but feel it's connected to the last person to leave Remnant.' Naruto thought, narrowing his eyes as he felt the aircraft wobble in the air. 'That's odd… normally the landing procedure is smoother… I knew it was a mistake to take a Bullhead to Beacon from Vale… I should have just run.'


He watched as Beacon approached, towers gleaming in the light as their sharp edges and contours rose into the sky. He could see the namesake of the school, dim in the morning light but still shining, and imagined that Ozpin would be there.

'Just need to inform him about the presence I felt in Haven, then I can leave.' he thought to himself, going through his mental notes about what he'd learned. He shook himself out of it, knowing that extra thinking wouldn't help, nor was it, as much as he'd tried, his style. He peered at the other students in the Bullhead, noting that they seemed haggard, to say the least. It appeared that while he'd spent the long weekend working hard, they'd spent it partying he assumed (as most students he'd met so far reminded him far too much of Yang). Worrisome, to say the least. Shinobi were responsible enough (bar Lee) to drink in moderation and not cause harm to the civilians. Needless to say, it wasn't perfect, and some Shinobi still went… well, the best word would be rampant, but the ANBU were on hand for dealing with that… and typically, a drunk Shinobi would be easily incapacitated by the ANBU. The Uchiha Police Force had once dealt with such matters prior to their fall.

Naruto took the time to look over each student however, and what he saw confused him greatly. They appeared worn out yes, but their apparel caught his eye. Not their uniforms, nor their combat or casual apparel, they were instead garbed in workmens' trappings, baggy and covered with what looked to be dust. And not the fancy, explosion-y kind. Honestly, as he looked them over, he was shocked that he'd thought they'd been out partying, even from just a cursory glance it was obvious they'd be doing hard labour for at least a day…

'Huh. Wonder what required students to go out and fix… maybe they had detention… or, more likely, they broke something partying on Saturday and now need to fix it on Sunday.' he thought snidely. 'At least Ruby and the rest of them wouldn't do something like that.' he thought, satisfied with not needing to do any more 'leader' activities.

As he landed, he saw the students meander out of the Bullhead ahead of him, staggering towards their dorms, and wilting before Professor Goodwitch, who was waiting at the foot of the Bullhead. As Naruto cleared the doors, her eyes widened slightly as she saw him.

"Mr. Uzumaki, you're back early." she said without preamble, catching him off guard. Despite Ozpin's assurances, he didn't know if Goodwitch knew about his… extra-dimensional origins.

"Yes, well, I took an earlier flight to Vale and then this Bullhead back to Beacon…" he explained cluelessly, confused about why she called him out from the other students, who were all gratefully slipping off into the Academy.

She nodded silently, before beckoning him to follow her as she spun and walked away, her devil-tailed cape moving in the non-existent wind.

"Mr. Uzumaki, are you aware of what passed on this weekend while you were away researching?" she asked him as they walked towards the main tower.

"I'm guessing there was some damage in Vale, right? That's why those students were dirty and tired looking." Naruto answered, still confused.

"Yes and no." Professor Goodwitch suddenly looked tired, as though she was carrying the sky upon her back. "I shall allow the Headmaster to explain the situation to you." she decided, shuffling the decision onto Ozpin's shoulders.

Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. I'm sure it's nothing serious." She frowned at him severely, her tone harsh as she reprimanded him.

"Mr. Uzumaki, I assure you that I would not waste my valuable time walking you to the Headmaster's office unless it were of great importance. It would behoove you to remember that fact." her sternness did not go unnoticed by Naruto, who mentally groaned.

'Great… just what I need… another meeting about slacking off in school. At least I can tell Ozpin about the darkness in Haven that I sensed. He can send a Huntsman there or something to deal with it. Then it's not my problem.'

After mere minutes of walking they reached the elevators, which opened with a nearly silent huff. After another half-minute of waiting in the silent elevator, they finally arrived in Ozpin's office where he sat behind his desk peering out the window, his mug noticeably absent from his hand which was cradling his cane over his lap. After a brief inspection, Naruto saw his mug resting on the edge of his desk, cooled to the point where no steam arose above it's rim. He glanced around the room, not comfortable with the silence. Ozpin remained silent, leaning out of his chair and looking beyond the boundaries of Beacon's grounds.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Glynda, would you care to give us some privacy? I am aware of how conversations such as these are… not your forte."

She rolled her eyes minutely, which Naruto barely caught. "Of course, Headmaster. Once was more than enough." and she backed out of the room, an air of fury still present in her voice.

Naruto turned to Ozpin, curious. "OK, what's going on? Why does Goodwitch look like she wants to kill me, and at the same time seems…" he searched for the word, "seems sympathetic!" he finished, silently proud that he'd remembered the word.

Ozpin turned towards him, his expression grave. "Mr. Uzumaki, how would you describe the relationship you have with your team?" he opened seriously, not in the mood to split hairs.

"Team? Oh, we're fine. No real problems, only Ruby tends to snore a bit." Naruto responded, taken aback. "Other than that, I have no complaints. It's nice that Ren makes breakfast sometimes."

Ozpin nodded. "And what do you know of Ms. Belladonna?" he asked, his voice losing the warm notes that it usually carries.

"Belladonna?" Naruto asked, before remembering. "Oh, you mean Blake. Yeah, she's fine. Quiet, works well with the team. She hasn't caused any problems that I know of."

Ozpin sighed, leaning back into his chair. "Mr. Uzumaki, it appears that you, like the rest of your team, did not know that Ms. Belladonna was a Faunus." he drawled, dragging each word out like nails on a chalkboard, seeking to remind Naruto that he hadn't really tried to familiarise himself with the team.

"Really? Huh. What kind?" Naruto asked, relaxing. He'd thought this was going to be something important. Apparently it was just going to be a question of whether or not he could work with an animal-person.

Ozpin shrugged. "I would presume a cat, from the ears." he said dryly. When Naruto didn't react, Ozpin continued. "This past weekend, various students went out in the city to spend time together, and with their families." Naruto nodded. As he'd expected. "Ms. Xiao Long, Ms. Nikos, Ms. Belladonna and Ms. Schnee all went together to observe the competition coming for the Vytal Festival." he may have been trying to hide it, but Naruto could see Ozpin approved of the preemptive action.

"On their reconnaissance, however, Ms. Belladonna's heritage came to light." Ozpin said smoothly. "I'm afraid that her classmates reacted… poorly."

Naruto groaned. "Have they managed to sort it out, or is that why I'm here?"

Ozpin frowned. "Bluntly, Mr. Uzumaki, as your team, this was a problem you should have dealt with weeks ago. They managed to come to terms with Ms. Belladonna's deception, in fact it was only Ms. Schnee who reacted poorly, but I'm afraid that it took multiple hours for them to meet after Ms. Belladonna fled."

"She ran away? I really don't get why I'm here, Ozzy. If the problem is over, why bother telling me? You know I have better things to do."

Ozpin clenched his cane tightly, anger starting to spill into his eyes. "Mr. Uzumaki! The problem is far from done with, and I would appreciate it if you started paying attention!" he thundered, startling Naruto. It wasn't the power behind his voice that froze Naruto however, it was the authority. The feeling he'd only ever heard from the Third Hokage, and Jiraiya when he wasn't perving.

Ozpin settled down, his eyes softening. "Naruto, this is something that you must approach. I know you're trying to get home, but arriving home at the expense of the members of your team is something I had thought you would be beyond."

Naruto bowed his head in silent apology. "You're right, Ozzy. I'm sorry for ignoring this; could you please tell me what happened?"

"Well, firstly, Ms. Belladonna is not only a faunus," Ozpin continued smoothly, "but a member of the White Fang as well. Or at least, she was." he amended, seeing Naruto's narrowing eyes.

"Ms. Schnee reacted poorly, as you might imagine." Ozpin, seeing Naruto's confusion, sighed. "You don't know about her family, do you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Only that they're the biggest Dust distributors in the world. Other than that, I didn't look into them that much since they can't really help me get home."

Ozpin sighed. "Someday, Mr. Uzumaki, I hope you learn that answers can be found in the most unlikely places. It never pays to ignore knowledge."

Naruto rolled his eyes. 'There's the Kakashi-Sensei…'

Ozpin leaned backed in his seat, getting comfortable for a long story. "And so Ms. Belladonna began arguing with her friends and fellow students about the White Fang…"

Two Days Ago, Vale:

"They're simply misguided!" Blake yelled, glaring daggers at Weiss. "They don't realize what they're doing isn't going to work!"

Weiss glared back, her voice seething with anger. "And what, exactly, do they want? Because it's not equality! They want revenge, and to hurt, destroy and obliterate humanity!"

Pyrrha and Yang backed away, not entirely comfortable with the way their day had gone.

'I only agreed to this to go out with friends…' Pyrrha thought sadly, seeing her happy day go poof. Yang was a little more grumpy.

'Greeeeeeeat. Another one from Whiskers' team is being a bitch... honestly surprised that it isn't the Ice Queen being the prick for once though…'

Blake sneered at Weiss. "You have no idea what you're talking about! The White Fang are a united force for the faunus, and we worked tirelessly to protect the faunus from people like YOU!"

Weiss recoiled, shock and disgust morphing into fear as she groped haphazardly for her rapier, which she had left at Beacon. Yang and Pyrrha suddenly leapt into gear, looking at Blake cautiously. Blake glanced between all of them, eyes widened and alert. A brief couple of moments passed, and she dashed down the street.

Yang took a step forward, "Blake, come back! We can talk about this!" she yelled, the hesitation in her voice plain as day. Blake, true to form, ignored her, fading into the distant crowds.

Present Day, Beacon:

Naruto sighed, leaning backwards as he looked out the window. "Ozpin, I really would prefer it if you cut to the chase. What happened down in Vale?"

Ozpin frowned, but acquiesced to Naruto's request. "Very well; if brevity is what you want, then I shall tell you the concise version of events." he reached out and took his coffee mug in hand, taking a long drought before settling in down on his desk. "On Saturday morning, as I've said, Ms. Belladonna fled her friends and companions. She thereafter discovered, somehow, that there would be a White Fang rally held in Vale. She decided to infiltrate it without backup or her team, and during that period she was somehow discovered."

"Somehow? Why don't you know?" Naruto interrupted, intrigued. Ozpin frowned at him, his gaze telling Naruto exactly what he thought of the interruption.

"We are unaware, Mr. Uzumaki, because during her 'escape attempt' Ms. Belladonna engaged the Atlesian Paladin, an experimental battlesuit designed for mass warfare. During her engagement she was badly wounded, and only survived due to her Team arriving to save her. She is currently unconscious, and resting in the medical wing."

Naruto stumbled backwards, shock on his face. 'Blake is… in the hospital?' Ozpin continued, his words slamming into Naruto like a freight train.

"Fortunately, she survived, but she will either require extensive, and expensive, cybernetic replacements for her legs, or she will be crippled for the rest of her life." his voice echoed to Naruto as thought from the top of a deep pit, as he sank deeper into a chair he hadn't even noticed himself fall into. "I will be blunt, Mr. Uzumaki, the rest of her Team is withdrawn at best. Ms. Rose blames herself for Ms. Belladonna's injuries, and Lie Ren has sequestered himself in your dorms."

Naruto was silent, looking up at Ozpin with his mouth agape. Ozpin continued, relentless. "This, Mr. Uzumaki, is unacceptable. Either you WILL learn to work with your Team, or you shall be expelled." he finished, sitting back down in his chair.

After many long minutes of silence, Naruto spoke up. "How much would it cost for Blake to get those new legs?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"More than eight hundred thousand lien." Ozpin replied, voice cold. "More than you could ever afford as a student. It would take at least nine years on a Huntsman's Salary to afford that."

Naruto fell further into his seat, morose and shocked. Ozpin continued, his voice gentler. "It's not entirely your fault, Naruto. You couldn't have known this would happen while you… gallivanted on your quest." he ended slowly, leaving Naruto to pick up his sentence.

After moments of silence, Naruto answered him, voice stronger but still naught but a whisper. "But if I'd been there for my Team from the beginning, this might not have happened. Or if it had, I would have been there."

Ozpin nodded. He wouldn't lie. "Yes. You could have stopped this, or been there. The question is, what are you going to do now?"

Naruto looked up at him, tears in his eyes. "I'll never be able to make it up to them…" he said quietly.

Ozpin looked at him silently, waiting for him to continue. "But that doesn't mean I can't try." he said softly, steeling himself.

"You should know then," Ozpin rose to his feet, "that Ms. Belladonna is not stable. She remains in a state of… I suppose you could call it battle. She is not likely to survive this." he said sadly, his voice aching. "You should go be with your Team."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah… I should go make them my Team." he said resolutely, his voice hardening. 'I abandoned them… and someone got hurt. I don't even know them, and that's the worst of all. I can't leave them to do this alone.'

AN:

Well…. Where to begin? Sorry for being gone so long I guess… life's been interesting the past couple months.

Really, I don't have much to say for myself. I just kinda fell off the map for a bit, haven't seen anybody for months besides the gf, and my family. Been listening to music, trying to forget all the bad things around the world right now…

I guess I'm publishing this because I feel guilty for not making a new chapter for a while… so while I can't say that this is a permanent thing, I can tell y'all that I WILL write more for this. I don't know how many people are gonna be pissed about Blake being injured, but as I've said countless times I don't really know what I'm doing. Just trying to have fun with this.

TIme for life advice I guess: "A person who counts each step in their journey never reaches their destination."

I know, I know, sappy stuff. "Everything is less than you deserve, and everything is more than I can possibly give."

I've written a book recently. Didn't publish it, it's a poetry book. Maybe someday I will. Who knows. I've been reapplying for University (different degree, decided to actually go into English Literature and Composition), so that's been fun.

Dungeons and Dragons with the family has really helped me get through pandemic stress… being a DM gives me great ideas for stories.

And lastly, my eternal gratitude to the Author of My Namesake. He's been a hero to me through stress and illness, and I'm so glad I can fall into blissful dreams of Osten Ard.

I won't ask you to visit my , I don't deserve anything right now. Have fun with life everyone, thanks for reading this far.

-Pad