Man and Machine

"Speech"/ "thought"

"Robotic speech"/ "thought"

Chapter Start!

Chapter 4: First Mission

"For the last time, no! Absolutely not!"

"I need to do this! Why can't you see that?!"

Melanie and Miltia cringed from their seats as yet another in a series of heated arguments between Naruto and Junior entered its loudest phase. For the past few days, after Qrow and Glynda made their unannounced check up on Naruto, the nephew and uncle have been locked in a verbal battle over a new desire of Naruto's.

A few hours after Ozpin's aids left, and whatever bugs remained were removed, Naruto had occupied himself by randomly altering the frequencies his helmets communications system used, when on pure chance he stumbled on a conversation between two commanders of the White Fang's Vale branch. The two were discussing plans for establishing temporary outposts in abandoned warehouses along the edges of the city, but when their conversation suddenly shifted to his father's death, Naruto had to silently cut the connection. Their saddened voices had filled him with both rage and confusion.

Rage… from his internal loathing of the terrorist organization, and confusion from how genuinely remorseful they were. The way they spoke was as if a beloved role model been assassinated.

The behavior of these White Fang officers raised a few questions. Naruto knew a portion of the White Fang resented his father for cutting off the funds he once gave, but he was aware his dad had also helped decide who should take over when the formerly-peaceful organization went through a change in leadership. Minato discreetly paved the way for a tiger-like Faunus female by the name of 'Sienna Khan' to assume command.

Naruto wasn't sure what led his father to side with that woman except for her controlled aggression. The ability to choose her targets carefully, lest she incurred the greater wrath of humanity, who had a far more plentiful number of potential soldiers available if the White Fang's actions triggered another war, was a very useful attribute to have as a chief.

Perhaps it was this bold yet cautious approach which convinced Minato to allow her to rise to power. However, it was not a blind act of unearned trust, definitely not. The Namikaze were too intelligent for such risks. Whatever qualities Khan possessed, combined with the interactions Minato had with her, served to build his opinion of her ability.

Of course, if Minato could foresee the possibility of betrayal, or if she had begun to stray from her course, then Sienna would've gotten one of his dad's 'letter bombs' – a simple and effective method of getting rid of annoyances Naruto had seen his father use multiple times.

'Dad would've probably gotten Ghira to take back control after that.' Naruto had a bit of a smile as he began to remember the former leader of the White Fang. Despite being a toddler at the time, the last Namikaze remembered the giant of a Faunus, Ghira Belladonna, from the few times his father had brought him to the island of Menagerie.

It was during one of those reprieves where Naruto had actually met Sienna, but the memory was fuzzy due to his young age. One thing he definitely remembered were her stripes; they had certainly fascinated the younger Naruto.

Those visits were purely recreational, and the two often stayed with Ghira and his wife Kali in their large home. Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't dwell on those happier days, but the present confusion about Khan and the White Fang he felt demanded an investigation. This led to the current disagreement with his uncle.

Naruto wanted to sneak into those temporary bases, and steal any papers or hack into any computers present in order to hopefully find anything which might at least lead to Naruto knowing if his father's death ordered by Khan herself, or if a rouge cell backed by an unknown third party held the true responsibility.

Once he had access to their database, Naruto could easily hack his way into it and search for what he wanted. Of course, that strike could've also been only known by Sienna, if she kept the operation off books while more incriminating things had been recorded. If there was nothing to be found, then at least Ironwood would get a nice present – Naruto was fairly certain the General would enjoy knowing the identities of every White Fang leader, the locations of their major bases, who funds them, and their communication frequencies.

Yes, that would be a wonderful gift.

Of course, Hei immediately refused to allow Naruto to do so, and the two have been arguing over it to the point where there was even a non-hostile division in the Club's staff. As the Malachite twins sat at the bar during this latest dispute, a few of the workers passed by, their opinions varied.

"I get that Naruto wants answers, but it's too big of a risk – even with his Semblance." Spoke the one in the center – this one was without the red glasses all of Junior's men were supposed to wear as part of the uniform.

"Gonna' have to disagree with ya'. His Semblance was practically tailored for something like this. Did you forget it makes him undetectable by even Faunus senses?" The male co-worker on his left Disagreed, who was then supported by another one of the former criminals Junior employed.

"And it's not like Naruto wouldn't have a plan in place. Knowing him, he'd spend a night watching the damn warehouse from different positions to figure out the best area of entry… and junks like that. Ya' know, all that tactical stuff."

The three employees soon walked out of the twins' hearing range, something they were glad for. They themselves had thought individually about the issue, but never discussed it with each other, Naruto, or Junior.

"Damn it!"

Naruto's shout followed the slam of a door, as he quickly walked to an empty table to sit and cool off. The club was closed for the day, so Naruto was safe to be out, but he had a deep blue, almost black skullcap on to hide his hair. His annoyance clearly showed on his face, eyes narrowed and lips formed into a deep frown. The DJ walked by Naruto and placed a bottle of chilled bourbon on the table as he passed; the Namikaze cracked it open, then chugged the contents down in one go. After inhaling the alcohol, he used a hand to keep his head up as he glared at nothing while trying to calm down.

From their stools at the bar, the Malachites stared at their friend for a while, before they turned to each other and nodded. It would seem they had to get involved. Miltia thought perhaps Melanie and herself could help Naruto see why this was a bad idea. She didn't want Naruto to be hurt or killed, even if going through with it would tell Naruto everything he wanted to know. The potential price was too high. The dark-haired twins sat across from Naruto, rather than at his sides like they often did.

Naruto spoke before they could, his tone carrying a bit of frustration from his previous argument. "Just tell me – should I go?"

The twins knew Naruto preferred it when people were to the point with him, so his request didn't surprise them. That being said, they bluntly gave their opinions.

"I believe you should."

"I believe you shouldn't."

All three stayed silent as Melanie and Miltia slowly turned to each other in stunned shock. Naruto also stared at the two in surprise. Melanie – the more daring of the twins – had been the one to say he should attempt to get the information he sought, while the cautious Miltia was against it. Despite their differences, Naruto could count on one hand the number of times they've disagreed, and on serious matters the Malachites were always on the same page. For them to not… How close of a friend was he to them? Naruto sighed as the twins still stared silently at one another.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk." Naruto stated as he left the table, his destination already firmly set in mind. While the girls began to snap out of their quietness, the last Namikaze went down into the basement – specifically, he went to where IS-3 and Ash resided. Talking wasn't getting him anywhere – his window would only be open for a few nights, and he needed to take it. Naruto loved his uncle, and knew Hei just wanted him to be safe, but…

'This is about Dad…' Naruto thought with a momentarily sorrowful gaze, before his eyes hardened with determination as he lifted up the bay door. Once inside, Naruto shut the entrance, and went to the back of the bay where his Titan and Spectre stood. The three of them had talked about the White Fang bases before; IS-3 was initially against the idea of Naruto going there alone. Ash had quickly reminded the Titan that Minato had used her as an assassin for both corporate and personal targets, so she was well-accustomed to covert operations.

The Spectre was more than able to watch over Naruto, provide cover fire and direct support if he needed it. Naruto was pleased when both machines were on his side, but as he couldn't get Junior onboard, he was forced to take things into his own hands. Good thing they had already made a plan… but now, it needed some adjustments.

"It's time to improvise…"

Naruto began to tell Ash and IS-3 of the changes, the machines nodded in understanding. Naruto departed from them quickly after he finished, and headed to his forge. There were things in there he needed for tonight.

====== Later that night ======

"Boss! Boss! Wake up!"

It was at 2:26 AM when Junior heard the frantic voice of one of his employees during one of the rare nights people decided not to stay out partying too long, which meant he and his boys could actually sleep at night. With a groan, the club owner removed his blankets from his shirtless body and sat on his mattress.

"What is it?" Junior gruffly asked his rather jittery employee. Before the man could speak, vibrations suddenly reverberated throughout the club. Junior stood up in alarm before he realized the source of the tremors.

A bad feeling formed in his gut.

"Please tell me that was a small earthquake, and not IS-3." Junior requested with a deadpan. A nervous smile was all the tall man got in return, as more vibrations shook his home. With a sigh, Junior told the man to go downstairs, and relay to the Titan he'd be down in a few minutes. With a nod, the male quickly left to do as he was told. When he was alone, Hei immediately swore before he got on a shirt and shoes. That bad feeling had turned into a hunch – one he prayed was wrong, but knew was right.

Namikaze blood had been spilt, and Naruto couldn't stop himself from finding out who was responsible for it.

"Damn it, kid, why couldn't you let it go? For a little while, at least," Junior wondered out loud as he opened his door and proceeded down to the garage where IS-3 waited. On his way down, he was joined by Melanie and Miltia, both visibly worried as they fell into line behind Hei. The twins were very concerned about Naruto; they knew he was a risk-taker, but to do something like this…. Naruto clearly felt it was worth doing.

"Junior!" The girls called for their employer's attention. He momentarily turned his head back to show he heard them. "What are you going to do?"

The three had reached the door leading to the garage where IS-3 had made a ruckus when they asked.

Hei stopped at the entrance, before he answered, "I forgot how counter-intuitive it is to tell a Namikaze not to look for answers; that just guarantees they'll do it," Junior turned to the bouncers. "IS-3 is the only thing which can track Naruto besides Ash, and seeing she's gone too, I've got no choice but to drive IS-3 to wherever they went."

The burly man sighed as he opened the door, entering the large room where IS-3 waited, the Titan's attention immediately on him.

"I apologize for the disturbance, but as you already know, Naruto has left for a White Fang outpost."

Despite how frustrated and angry Hei was at Naruto right now, he knew the reasons behind his nephew's actions. He wanted answers, and nothing would stop him from getting them.

"I figured as such." Hei sighed as he took the keys for the 18-wheeler off a nearby table.

IS-3 turned to the garage door, an inquiry made as the large mech approached the exit. He lifted the door and asked, "After Naruto has accomplished his mission, what do you plan to do?"

Junior answered as he walked towards the trailer. "It depends on how this goes." Junior began gruffly, his face lifting up towards the mech. "If everything goes fine, and he gets what he wants, then I'll yell at him the entire ride back. If it still goes fine, but there's nothing, then I'll be pissed at him for risking his life for nothing."

Before the trailer was closed, the machine asked something else. "And if it does not go fine?"

There was an uncomfortable silence between the Titan and human, IS-3 waiting for the reply.

Junior had a grim expression when he finally did open his mouth again. "If it doesn't go fine…." Hei Xiong stared straight into the Ogre's optics. "…I want you to destroy everything, and everyone."

"Noted." IS-3 responded as he removed one of the three guns from his back – his XOTBR-16 Chaingun – and loaded it with a full magazine of sixty 20mm rounds. In the limited light given from the shattered moon, Junior saw a decal in the shape of a hornet on the side of the barrel, before bringing down the trailer door and sealing it, and going to the cab of the truck.

"Just be careful, Naruto… I know you're hurting, but this isn't the way to deal with it." Hei had that thought as he turned on the vehicle, and pulled out of the parking lot into the road, IS-3 had linked himself to Junior's Scroll, and was verbally giving him directions. As Junior drove, he could only hope Naruto would be alright, and nothing went wrong.

He had lost his sister Kushina, his mother, countless friends, and Minato. Hei did not want Naruto's name on that list.

While Junior transported IS-3 to wherever his nephew was, said individual and his Spectre companion were spying on an abandoned warehouse in Vale's industrial district the White Fang were using as a supply cache. Since Naruto was the only one of the two able to cloak himself, Ash would be watching his every move from a distance with a thermal-scoped silenced sniper rifle from the roof of another abandoned warehouse.

Currently, both were together on a roof, highlighting WF members, and possible entry/exit points. The warehouse the terrorists were using did have a dish on the top, which Naruto hoped meant there was a computer in there… or even better" a laptop he could steal and go through everything on the hard drive himself, and actually study what was on it. Maybe there actually was an encrypted communications channel, or channels the White Fang used to connect all of their cells and branches. If he could get that, then maybe Naruto might be able to at least scope out which cells in Atlas had the proximity or resources to attack the Namikaze factory.

"Naruto, your heart rate has picked up." Ash's voice snapped Naruto to attention. He hadn't noticed that.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit excited and anxious." Naruto explained to his mechanical back-up, the machine nodding in understanding. This was Naruto's first time participating in an espionage mission, so this kind of reaction was expected. However, he needed to be calm during a delicate operation such as this… which could go bad very fast. It didn't help this cache had a mortar on the roof, and a few blacked-put Humvees equipped with machine gun turrets. Or that this warehouse had quite a bit of personnel in it – thirty-six, to be exact.

Naruto was talented, with a Semblance meant for stealth, but he was a complete greenhorn. He was intelligent and meticulous, yes, but also severely inexperienced. There was a sufficient probability Naruto might get caught despite all his advantages. That was why they were scoping out the area, relocating between warehouses within a safe distance, and making sure to stay out of sight as they moved around.

Recon was absolutely needed. A single missed detail could ruin the entire mission.

The structure the two currently stood atop of was located a couple hundred meters away from the entrance of the White Fang-controlled area. They waited for IS-3 to arrive. If Naruto needed to be extracted, then the Titan was their best bet. The only thing these Faunus had which could damage the heavily armored Titan was that mortar, but IS-3's shields could negate it. The Ogre's victory would be inevitable and quickly achieved – especially if the Triple Threat Titan-sized grenade launcher was used.

"Ash, have you heard from IS yet?" Naruto asked as he did a quick check on both his pistols and the recently modified hack-knife. The previously harmless hacking tool was now truly a knife, since Naruto made the electronic components able to slide in and out of the handle with the push of a button. He had also reformed the blade so the cutting edge now sported a saw-like edge, with a tip meant for thrusting.

"IS-3 is en route. ETA is twenty to thirty minutes."

Naruto supposed he was glad about that, since it gave him more time to prepare himself for what he was about to do. This wasn't a simulation. A mistake here could end up with either him being captured… or even killed. The teenager wanted to rub his eyes, but unless he removed his helmet, that action wasn't possible. Naruto wore the entire pilot armor his father designed, the blue lights on the helmet's faceplate shut off to help avoid visual detection. His custom-made guns were at his sides, safeties off, and they were fully loaded. Naruto knew if things got hot, he couldn't afford to hesitate. It was very possible tonight… he would take his first life.

'The first of many…' Naruto knew if he wanted to accomplish the Namikaze mission, he would need to be a killer. Naruto accepted that truth. If the reward was the survival of both Humans and Faunus, then he would end as many lives as required. Whenever extinction was the alternative, the ends always justified the means.

'But if there was a way to end the Grimm without killing anyone…. I'd do it.' Naruto believed firmly in facts, and logic. Fairy tales and impossible hopes were meant for children, but even in his family, they wished all which was needed was a button, and the Grimm would be gone.

But this was cold, harsh, and bloody reality, and lives were needed to ensure survival. The older generations of Namikaze knew it, Naruto knew it, and Ozpin knew it. The difference between them was Ozpin was too busy trying to make sure nobody knew what was really going on, which in the long run would screw him over.

'Stubborn, idealistic old man.' Naruto sighed internally.

Ozpin was an odd matter to the blond genius. There was no doubt Naruto could benefit from working with the headmaster, but he knew their methods and ideals would clash just as often as when his father was alive and had discussions with Ozpin himself. It just wouldn't last.

Naruto sighed audibly. If only Ozpin could at least attempt to change his methods, or at least completely tell the truth to those deserving. Maybe then… maybe then, Naruto would be able to follow him. Life was precious, yes, but for the few needed to be sacrificed for the sake of many… this was everyone's fight, so everyone should know.

'And I'll do it. When Atlas is ready to take over, I'll reveal everything.' Naruto could feel an internal inferno of resolve swell within him. Naruto sat down behind the parapet of the building's roof, his back against the concrete barrier. Before he went through with this, Naruto needed to at least talk to his uncle. Just in case…

As he activated the communications system built into his helmet, Naruto made sure the volume was lowered so the probable scream wouldn't damage his hearing.

Not even a second after Naruto made the call, Junior picked up, and cut right to the business. "You and I are going to have a looong talk when this is over." The almost monotonous voice of his uncle made a nervous sweatdrop form on the back of Naruto's head.

"I deserve that… and more." Naruto admitted, before he heard Hei give a long sigh.

"Look, I have no doubt you can pull this off, but you're supposed to be in hiding." Junior firmly reminded his nephew. "As far as every knows, you died in an accident with your father, and until that General says otherwise, you can't afford to take risks like what you're doing now."

"Just this once," Naruto replied after he a few moments. "I just need to do this once, and I'll be satisfied. Even if it doesn't get me closer to who had Dad killed, I'll know enough to break the Fang."

"…just make sure you don't get caught." Junior responded gruffly, yet he also silently gave Naruto the green light.

Ash interrupted the conversation to inform Naruto IS-3 had updated his ETA to 7 minutes. "It is time to begin the infiltration," she stated, loading a clip and put an extra round inside the chamber so she had one extra shot in case her intervention was needed.

Naruto nodded, and gave his attention back to his uncle. "Ash just told me to start. When all this is over, take the long way back so you have plenty of time to lecture me. Deal?" Naruto suggested with a bit of sass.

Junior could tell Naruto was nervous. "Just stay calm, and take it slowly. After I drop IS-3 off, I'll drive around just in case more of those assholes are coming."

"Roger. I'll see you soon." Naruto agreed with his uncle's reasoning, and told Ash to keep a lookout for any newcomers. Naruto cracked his neck, stretched his legs and arms, before he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, an almost translucent energy surrounded his body. It had no color, and the only sign of its existence was how it distorted the few inches of air around Naruto's body. This was his Aura, the internal power flowing within him. As soon as it came, the almost unnoticeable energy disappeared, taking Naruto's visible body with it until none remained.

The Namikaze's Semblance was now active. He had named it [Gone with the Wind] because of how well his Semblance hid him from sight, completely muted any sound he made, and made him scentless as long as it was active. He could walk in through the front door, and people would simply think a ghost had just walked in, or a strong wind had pushed it open. However, his Semblance did have a few weaknesses. Just like how a person could feel the wind on their skin, Naruto could be physically felt should he accidentally stray too close.

The second after he ceased to be visible, the pilot ran to the edge of the building at his left and leapt off, his body positioned to land on all fours. The landing was muted by his Semblance, and the impact absorbed by all four of his Aura-enhanced limbs. Once he stood up, Naruto briskly walked towards the front entrance of the warehouse, completely unseen or smelt by the guards at the open door. Naruto stopped a few yards in front of the Faunus who stood watch, their white, upper-face covering masks, and gray-and-white uniforms made him unconsciously clench his fists in anger, but he fought the rising emotion before he walked in through the front door.

'Maybe after I get that info, I'll take a few of these for myself.' Naruto thought shortly after he entered, seeing multiple open crates of different types of regular, single-form guns and blades laid on the floor. Assault rifles, shotguns, submachine guns, and red-colored short blades were the most common, but Naruto did see a few sniper rifles, LMGs, even an RPG. To the orphaned heir of the Namikaze, all this armament seemed to point to the White Fang getting funding from somewhere else. Another reason for him to find that terminal.

Naruto went to rest his back against one of the supports for the building, before he began to look around the first floor of the warehouse for anything which might point to a computer or terminal of some kind. So far, the only place which seemed likely was a room off to the side, behind the main collection of crates in the center of the building. The majority of the WF grunts in the building had crowded in front of the weapons crates, checking out the guns and trying to figure out which ones they liked. One in particular held an AK-47 Naruto would like to get his hands on – just think about the modifications he could do to it….

'High capacity magazine, a longer barrel, and a Red-Dot sight are all that masterpiece needs… maybe an under-barrel grenade launcher too.'

The invisible mid-teen kept looking around, but other than that backroom, he saw nothing resembling a communications hub. With only one possible location remaining, Naruto got off the support pillar and went to the left inner wall of the large storage room. He stayed close to that wall as he moved closer to the room, his Semblance eliminating the need to move slowly, but Naruto still moved cautiously and kept an eye on the group of Faunus near the weapons as he drew closer to his goal. The chattering grunts were none the wiser to the infiltrator as they toyed around with the unloaded firearms, and unaware of the sniper who watched their every movement, a mechanical finger laying near the trigger should the need for her intervention arise.

From her position on top of another warehouse which stood a good distance away from the one the White Fang occupied, Ash stared through the thermal scope of her rifle. The reticle had Naruto's body in the center. One of the other weaknesses of Naruto's Semblance was it didn't hide him from thermal sensors, something they found out when IS-3 was testing his thermal imaging while Naruto was cloaked, trying to hide from a pair of PMS-ing twins he inadvertently pissed off a half hour prior.

Right now, the Semblance's weakness was helping Ash monitor his progress through the building. She slowly rotated her gun towards the main group of approximately 19 members still judging the weapons. One was busy examining a shotgun, while another compared a sword with his own before he settled with his old one.

Zooming out, Ash scanned the roof where the mortar team of three stood in the center near the explosive shell-launching weapon. At the corners of the roof were soldiers of the Fang – four watched the rear corners: two on the left, and two on the right. The front corners had a single person stationed there, and the trucks were occupied with three in both: one manning the gun, one sat in the passenger seat, and another at the wheel. Lastly, back inside the warehouse, a lone Faunus sat in the room Naruto moved towards, the machine put a metallic digit on the trigger. The posture shown indicated the individual was possibly resting, yet the sound of a door opening might cause him to awaken.

Back inside the warehouse, the invisible intruder had reached the backroom. Without a moment of hesitance, Naruto silently crept inside. The Faunus wore the usual gear minus the mask, leaving light green scales visible on his tanned skin. 'A snake Faunus,' Naruto noted when he saw a few heat pits near the sleeping male's nostrils. 'Kill him…! Make him pay for Dad's death!'

For a brief moment, Naruto saw crimson, yet stayed his hand. This was an infiltration mission, not an assassination.

'I need access to their communication network…' The Pilot reminded himself, scanning the room for any type of device potentially used for his needed purpose. Laying on a table near where the Faunus sat rested a laptop with wires extending into the wall. Naruto smiled underneath his helmet as he pulled out the hack-knife, his Semblance muted all sound as he headed towards his objective. Holding down a button on his melee weapon caused a USB plug to slide out.

The invisible infiltrator opened the laptop as he stuck the plug in the side, activating the device. While the data-knife greedily sucked in all the information it could hold, Naruto's fingers quickly tapped on the keyboard. Within a few moments, the technological genius hacked his way into the White Fang's entire database. Immediately, he entered into the transmission history of the Atlesian branch. Typing the date his home was raided, Naruto moved to hit a final key when he heard a mechanical click behind his head.

"Turn around slowly," a very much awake Faunus ordered.

'Anytime now, Ash!'

As if on cue, Naruto heard the snake hiss in pain, followed by the clattering of his weapon on the ground. Capitalizing on this, Naruto swung his body towards his opponent to strike him. The reptilian Faunus felt air leave his lungs when Naruto's armored foot smashed into his flank, also knocking the White Fang foot soldier back a few feet.

Ignoring the confused cries of alarm from outside – Ash obviously the cause – Naruto rushed the downed grunt, the thrusters of the jump-kit boosting his acceleration and height temporarily, which allowed for quite an impressive flying metallic knee to the face. Naruto's momentum transferred on impact, sending his opponent to the ground skidding on his back, until his head met the wall at an awkward angle which resulted in a sickening crunch.

Cursing himself for not simply taking the laptop and bailing, Naruto fought the urge to look at the deceased man, refusing to let the fact – and possible satisfaction – he killed his foe sink in.

The hack-knife had finished downloading all the information available, now back in its sheath along with the laptop placed in a large pouch on Naruto's back. Turning to his location's entrance, Naruto pulled out the B3 Wingman in preparation for the inevitable opening of the door.

Sure enough, one of the dead Faunus' comrades burst in, only for Naruto to fire a bullet into the one area Aura didn't protect – the newcomer's open mouth.

Blood and gray matter splattered out of the skull – Naruto's second kill in only a few minutes – but again, Naruto refused to let it distract him. Running out the open door after grabbing the Fallon's weapon – an AK-47 – Naruto hid behind a support pillar as bullets sprayed into the room he once occupied.

"Where'd he come from?!" A surprised insurgent shouted, holding a submachine gun and desperately seeking cover from both sides.

"They're trying to corner us!" Another exclaimed, this one picked off by Ash for being the nearest to Naruto's position. Already in disarray, the Faunus scrambled to find cover. Outside, high-caliber gunfire roared, unintelligible shouts barely heard.

"Naruto, I've eliminated the mortar team. However, their trucks have me pinned and unable to offer assistance." Ash informed Naruto through his helmets communication system. Naruto cursed as he shot at a terrorist who attempted to sneak towards his position, nailing him with five bullets before he backed off. Tension ruled the air, Naruto and his enemies full of adrenaline, as they waited for the fatal mistake to be made.

'Shit! IS-3 where are you?!' Naruto wondered as he fired a burst from the RE-45 at another Faunus, this one falling over dead when a bullet flew into his mouth. Naruto couldn't help but let a sick smirk cross his lips when his comrades screamed in horror at how easily he killed them despite their Aura. He quietly thanked his forefather Stein Namikaze for discovering that particular weakness; it was criminal how easy it made putting his opponents down.

The sole Namikaze considered using his Semblance to hide himself despite the amount of time needed for him to disappear – as it wasn't instant – but he soon realized he didn't need to.

It was light at first, but a relieved smile graced Naruto's face when the indistinguishable footfalls of his Ogre-Class Titan lumbered closer at a deceptively fast pace. The White Fang small fry seemed to notice the increasing shaking as well.

"Why's the ground shaking?!"

Almost immediately after the question was uttered, an explosion occurred following the crack of a gun far larger than anything fired prior rang out. Another explosion thundered, this one causing the Faunus to completely fall into chaos.

"Fuck this! I'm out!"

Whomever spoke was lost to Naruto as the group tried to leave the area, barely able to start running, before the front of the building was breached, rubble raining down. The few left reasonably unscathed whipped their eyes towards the cause.

All of their pants felt at least ten pounds heavier as they saw a hulking mech pointing a VERY big gun at them. Optics glowing crimson, IS-3 fired a few rounds from his 40mm Tracker Cannon at the frozen Faunus, turning them into pick mist. Optics swapping from red to yellow, IS-3 scanned the area, content when his sensors read all opposition had been crushed…

…save for a single Faunus pinned by a few pieces of large rubble. The groaning Faunus attention shifted to the walking tank striding in his direction.

His blood froze.

"No! Nononono! Don't kill me!"

However, the Titan ignored the organics wails and continued walking towards where his pilot waited, uncaring of the sudden – and permanent – silence which followed after five paces forward. The color of his optics switched to blue when IS-3 reached the pillar Naruto currently stood hunched over at.

"Pilot, are you unwell?" The Titan inquired, his mechanical digits gingerly rubbing against the retching blonde's back.

Panting for a few seconds, Naruto answered, pointing towards the unfortunate Faunus who opened the door. A dark red pool surrounded the area around his head. "I killed three people tonight – two purposefully, while the first was accidental." Naruto wiped his mouth before he clipped his helmet to his belt.

IS-3 had crouched when Naruto turned towards him, opening his cockpit before delicately grasping the fifteen-year-old in his servo, before depositing him inside. Once his pilot was securely sealed inside, the Ogre began to return to the location Junior waited.

"Wait."

Stopping at Naruto's request, IS-3 opened his hatch once more. Naruto leapt out, still a bit green from his actions, but he didn't let it bother him too much. Heading over to one of the only unsealed crates which survived IS-3's entrance, Naruto wanted its contents for his own purposes. Understanding why Naruto exited, IS-3 snatched the weapons crate, Ash now inside.

The Spectre said nothing at first.

"…your technique needs work. This will improve with time. I trust our mission was successful."

Naruto nodded, holding up his prize with a small smirk. Ash looked with approval at Naruto's choice to loot what he could; however, she informed them of their limited time to reach their extraction point. "I have rigged a more pressing matter for Vale's police and fire departments to solve while also shutting down all cameras in this sector," the solider-mech explained as she and Naruto rode on the Titan's broad shoulders, Hei stationed a safe distance away.

"The time it will take for the local authorities to reach this location also plays in our favor," IS-3 chimed in, his passengers agreeing with his statement.

Naruto palmed at his hacking tool, eager to analyze every byte of data stored inside. It would definitely take some time, but it was time well-spent in his mind. Granted, disappointment was a possibility if he didn't find what he was looking for.

Naruto also felt a tad worried about himself. 'Other than vomiting, killing those thugs hasn't affected me. Why?'

He shook his head before the images of the dead could enter his mind, deciding to pin it on his families' curse for now. After a ten-minute trek, the trio reached their ride home. Junior rolled down the window, his eyes immediately zeroed in on a nervously waving Naruto.

"Hurry up and get in so I can start yelling!"

Hei Xiong was not amused.

Following as instructed, Naruto leapt off his perch then headed over to the passenger side of the cab. Junior had left the trailer open after IS-3 exited earlier. Noticing the crate held in the mech's servos, the bartender asked about it when his nephew was seated next to him.

"It's a weapons and munitions crate," Naruto answered, explaining he wanted to study the mechanisms of the firearms inside so he could better design his own.

Junior nodded before cranking over the engine, asking a few more questions he felt were necessary. Then he would begin chewing out Naruto for his stunt. "You get what you wanted? Why were you discovered?"

Naruto held up the stolen laptop, stating his plans to analyze the data inside when he returned. When finished answering the first inquiry, Naruto began answering the second. "There was a snake Faunus resting in their comms center. I assumed he was asleep," Naruto stated, irritated at his mistake. Junior simply sighed, opening his mouth to speak, but Naruto spoke first. "He had a gun at the back of my head, but Ash shot the weapon from his hand- I used the window she gave me to engage in unarmed combat." Naruto's voice became quieter. His uncle felt uneasy at that, worried about what occurred.

"I killed him." Naruto stated plainly. "I kicked him into a wall which broke his neck, severing his spinal cord. One of his allies burst in so I shot him in the mouth, doing the same to another a few moments later."

Whatever inclination Junior had to chastise Naruto was gone after those sentences come from his lips. He almost stopped the truck. Still, Naruto continued, unknowingly causing a deep pit to form in Hei's stomach.

"I don't feel anything from my actions. Aren't I supposed to?" Naruto questioned, turning to his former-criminal uncle. "Didn't you feel anything when you pulled the trigger?"

Hei only sighed. This… this wasn't a conversation he wanted to have but the choice option was gone now.

"You'll feel it later. Give it a few hours for everything to calm down and sink in."

Naruto looked down at Junior's answer, thinking about it.

"What if I don't?"

Junior sighed once more.

"Your family's curse Naruto…"

After that, nothing more was said as they drove in silence.

After the uncomfortably quiet ride home, both nephew and uncle were equally relieved when they pulled in the club's parking lot. A group of the employees helped unload IS-3 while Naruto and Hei prepared to exit. Before they did, however, Hei grasped Naruto's shoulder.

"It's okay. Your still my nephew, I'm here for you. We all are."

Naruto gave a small smile of gratitude before exiting.

"There you are!"

Naruto turned to see a furious pair of twin green eyes boring into him like lasers as they drew closer. Naruto gulped. "Uh… hi?"

Red and white flashed, before he felt pain on both of his cheeks, squishing his face into a narrow line. With a simultaneous "Hmph!", the Malachite sisters walked away from him.

"Ow…"

Junior couldn't help but snort. Yep. That moment was all the confirmation he needed.

'They like him. They totally like him.'

Rubbing his slightly burning cheeks, Naruto walked with his uncle inside, Ash and IS-3 already in their room. Junior requested Naruto to come with him for a drink to end the night, an offer Naruto graciously accepted as he sat on a bar stool.

"I could use a blue margarita… on the rocks, of course."

Junior vigorously nodded in approval as he gathered the needed components from the under bar.

"Two margaritas coming up!"

"Make it three."

The two males turned to the direction of an unknown feminine voice, where a woman clad in red-and-black stood with a Grimm-inspired mask – white in color with red highlights. Behind said mask, a pair of bright red eyes focused in on Naruto. This stranger wore an oriental-style low-cut dress, red layered gauntlets over black, fingerless gloves and a belt holding up a katana-type hilt attached to an odd cylindrical sheath. Black shorts, upper thigh length stockings featuring a red splatter complimented her long legs.

The woman removed her mask, revealing pale skin contrasting with stark black hair loosely held by a red bandana. The ponytail fell low near the ground, its messy nature reminding both men of feathers.

"Sorry for the unannounced visit, but I have unfinished business with the Namikaze."

Junior reached under the bar for his bazooka, but Naruto's voice stopped him from doing so.

"Raven Branwen, right?" Naruto asked with a bit of uncertainty.

"Good, your father did speak of me." The now-named woman concluded as she moved towards them. Her black heels made no sound as she walked to the nearest stool, her mask placed on the bar. Junior sighed for the umpteenth time that night, now making three drinks. "How much did he say?" Raven asked, facing the younger male. Azure and crimson met and Raven smiled internally. The analytical gaze bored into her own impassive one, scanning for any sign of weakness or notable emotion.

His gaze mirrored his father's perfectly.

"Not much," Naruto admitted, eyes still on her. "All he said was you used to work for Ozpin, but left after realizing Salem's immortal."

Raven nodded, accepting the blue beverage Junior served before raising the salt-encrusted rim to her lips. Lowering her drink, she gave her compliments to the barkeep.

"Thanks, but let's cut the crap. What do you want?"

Raven ignored his tone in favor of moving things along. "When my brother brought you to Vale, I was on the lookout for him when I saw you, and figured I'd pay off a debt owed to your father."

Naruto raised a brow. A debt… he couldn't recall his father telling me he did anything… Ah, she must be talking about that. "How are the lighting fixtures holding up? I trust replacement tubes haven't too hard to procure?"

"I make sure they're taken care of – Gods know there will be hell to pay if I wake up in the middle of night to the screams of one of my tribe being eaten by Kryll."

"Kryll don't let you scream… the little bastards strip flesh from bone before a reaction is possible." Naruto commented on the bane of Mistral – small swarming Grimm only three inches long with a weakness to sunlight. Raven only drank more of her margarita in response.

"So I take it you have something I need?" Naruto asked, drinking from his own glass.

Those red eyes still betrayed nothing as she calmly answered. "I overheard you're in need of training while you were being interrogated by Qrow." Junior shifted around uncomfortably where stood, wondering how she knew that. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed disturbingly calm as she spoke, "As leader of the Branwen tribe, and one of – if not the – strongest Huntress to graduate from Beacon, I am more than adequate to show you the path to strength."

Her words were spoken with complete confidence, laced with a hint of arrogance, but Naruto remained quiet for a few moments, calculative eyes closed.

"…so what's in it for you?" Naruto questioned with his arms crossed. "I know you aren't overselling yourself; your name did come up while I was researching your brother's history to learn exactly who Ozpin had checking on me. Your former team's history is incredibly noteworthy… not just as a whole, but also individually," Naruto stated without going into details.

His eyes opened, and Raven felt azure lasers scan every inch of her body, analyzing each movement for anything. She gave none, remaining perfectly still save for the occasional blink or sip. She had to admit, Naruto's current look would be incredibly useful during interrogations.

His own uncle seemed to be unnerved by his gaze, and he was related to Naruto!

"But here's what I want to know: You deserted your team after learning of Salem's immortality, but now here you are, offering me – the one whose entire family line has plagued her since our rise – training which I will undoubtedly use to aid myself in a cause you left behind." Naruto's eyes burned intently as he uttered his words with an oddly calm tone, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

He leaned closer to Raven. "What did my father tell you?"

The silence hung in the air, Hei pulling at his collar. Raven finally allowed her expression to change, her face shifting into a coy smile as she too, leaned closer. "He told me Salem isn't the target. I want to know who is."

Both leaned away, but Naruto now had a smirk on his face. "The Grimm pits, Raven. We Namikaze know how to destroy them."

Shock erupted on both adults faces. The birthing pools of the Grimm created by the God of Darkness himself… and he claimed to know how to destroy them? Before either could speak, Naruto continued. "You see… Ozpin believes he and Salem are locked in a simple game of chess, taking pieces away from each other, but they are also in a match of go."

"Go?" Junior repeated, unsure if he heard him right. Raven, on the other hand, had an epiphany at Naruto's words. Her body and voice shook in her realization.

Naruto finally saw her fear. "Territory… Grimm control most of our world's land…"

Naruto nodded, resuming as if he wasn't interrupted. "With all the territory, an inexhaustible supply of monsters and her own immortality, tell me: How can humanity win?"

"We can't," Raven answered plainly.

"Not unless we remove one of those advantages of hers," Naruto corrected. "My family was in possession of an artifact which predates Salem's rebellion – a dagger – blessed by the God of Darkness, which is able to destroy any kind of magical construct… be it human or God."

"What do you mean by 'was'!?" Raven demanded, standing as she grasped his shoulders. She no longer cared about image – not when the revelation she was experiencing unknowingly reignited a previously dead flame. Her eyes were mere inches away from Naruto's, her grip tight and desperate.

Desperate for the answer.

"Rule Breaker is still secure at the factory. I need to retrieve it from that nuclear wasteland."

"Rule Breaker…" The undeniable name of the tool Naruto described rolled off Raven's tongue. "Are you able to retrie-"

"Right now? No. I need to design protective equipment for a team which will accompany me down there, but upon its retrieval, I will begin preparations to invade Salem's turf and seal those pools," Naruto answered.

Raven let go and stood straight. Her mind swarmed with questions as she digested the Namikaze's words. 'Is it really possible?! An artifact from the Gods surviving this long?! Does Ozpin know about it?! Salem?! Ironwood?!'

Her red eyes looked to the man she sat across from, his azure lasers still analyzing her reactions and expressions. 'All this time, thousands of years, Ozpin never had an answer, yet this child – no, I will not insult him so.'

"When can I start your training?"

Raven made her decision. Ozpin had lost her support, and she was tired of waiting for Salem to come knocking. Tai, Summer and Qrow might have fallen for that pretender Ozpin's lies, but now Raven saw the true solution.

Raven Branwen would raise her blade for the banner of Namikaze.

Naruto smiled as he observed her resolution, her eyes alight with determination. She would be a most useful ally in the coming war.

"Immediately."

CUT!

CHAPTER OVER!

Well, I'm certain this update is a happy surprise for some of you, but I'm not too happy with the chapter. I did what I wanted but I'm starting to notice Naruto is a bit too OOC. I'll have to tone down on the Namikaze curse bit and let Naruto act more canonically correct which next chapter gives plenty of opportunity for.

Aside from that, I hope the small amount of espionage and action in this chapter was entertaining. Raven has finally showed herself and her once dead will to resist Salem has reignited. Some of you may feel she joined too fast but I believe that if she were showed an actual plan- something Ozpin never had- with a chance of success against Salem, she'd go it.

Taiyang did say she was fearless at one point, and I wouldn't be surprised if just a little push was needed to bring that person back. Also expect a bit of a slow burn between her and Naruto regarding their pairing. Speaking of pairing, I hope the tsun but from Melanie and Miltia wasn't off-putting as those two do seem they would be a bit tsun before a relationship is established.

Rule Breaker is from the Fate series for those who are fans of the series and will be the only element from there. I'm going to try to not add any other elements of other series be it a character or item EXCEPT if it is something that can be used as a creature of Grimm such as the kryll from Gears of War which have been mentioned in this chapter.

If anyone has something they think would be an excellent Grimm feel free to put it in a review. I want challenging and deadly monsters to terrify the cast of RWBY while proving to be tricky for a Titan to face.

Next chapter will be more lighthearted as I plan on having development between Naruto and the Malachite twins, along with training from Raven.

Lastly, I've been thinking about a name for IS-3, something that goes with his Russian theme but isn't a normal name like Sergei or Ivan. Let me know in the reviews for ideas, I'll be sure to credit whomever comes up with the winner.

Please be sure to read and review, your opinions matter to me.

Later! Greyblueflame burning out!