Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again everyone, I hope all of you are doing alright wherever you are in the world. I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated, now that I have more time on my hands after finishing another semester at university, I'll be spending more time writing.

Anyhow, thanks again for the support and love that this story has been getting. I'm really glad that all of you are loving it so far and I hope you'll continue supporting it.

Well with that out of the way, I'll let you guys read the newest chapter.

Disclaimer as always, I don't own Sekiro or RWBY, they belong to their respective owners.

Endure. If there was one word that could truly describe the shinobi, it would be endure. No matter what is thrown at them, what would occur and failures that would be in the way, the shinobi would always find a way to survive and live.

That's what Sekiro had come to learn about the world of Remnant over time ever since he woke up in this strange land; endure. The people, whether they be human or Faunus, all shared one thing in common, to survive, to live… To endure. A simple yet steadfast conviction he found in many.

The training that Sekiro had gone through had sculpted him into a master shinobi. It didn't matter how hellish it was, how it would try to break him in body, mind and spirit. He came out stronger in the end and that training would show to anyone seeing him firsthand. He would go through hell and back in order to save his former lord against all many of foes that would stop him back in his world. It would be no different now in Remnant.

But even with all the training he had endured for years upon years, the grand adventure he went on in his previous life, none of it would prepare him for what would occur when he thwarted an assassination attempt on the Belladonna Family.

The failed assassination attempt on Ghira and his family caught on like wildfire all over the town of Kuo Kuana. It seemed like overnight that for his act of bravery and righteousness, nearly all of the Faunus in the town have thrown in their trust to him. Granted there were some that couldn't stand him which he couldn't blame with his knowledge on the mistreatment of Faunus ever since the earlier days of mankind.

Though regardless, this would prove to give quite a lot of aid of Sekiro as this had played well into the methods of the shinobi; Earning the trust of others. A shinobi wasn't merely a spy and scout, but were well versed in psychology and sociology, the understanding of thinking and the way society works. Simply to be one with the land and people in order to blend in for their occupation.

So now he had a sure foothold in the world of Remnant, even if he hadn't ventured out from the island of Menagerie. With the Faunus of the town trusting him, things seemed much easier for him and the Belladonna Family too. With a skilled warrior like him, it seemed to deter any future attempts on the family.

Sekiro even mused to himself that he had assigned to himself a duty that was mainly that of a samurai rather than a shinobi. Then again, his swordsmanship was on par to some of the most skilled samurai back in Japan as he did cross blades with the Sword Saint himself, Isshin Ashina. But regardless, his act was the spark needed to light his torch in the darkness of the new world he was in. So even if it was a flip of roles, he would do so with a head held up high.

Months by then had passed since his act, and life was seemingly easier for Sekiro now. Perhaps one could say normal for someone like him. Without the worry to earn the trust of the townsfolk, it was his duty to uphold that trust while he spent the days helping the people, training himself constantly to keep his skills sharp, lending help to the local militia and even helping them get better in combat, and reading in the library of the Belladonna's to grow his knowledge of Remnant when previously he didn't have much time when he was winning the trust of the people.

The more he learned, the more questions he had. He would find the answers to those questions which would lead to more, further enhancing his curiosity and knowledge of Remnant and doing what he could with the resources he had to find his explanations.

He understood what Dust was, a mineral that is widely used by all of Remnant that was common place and even utilized by the military from Atlas, one of the most advanced kingdoms on Remnant. Technology was still somewhat of a challenge for him due to how advanced it was for him, never once seeing the likes of it before. But adaptation was the hallmark of any shinobi, so he made sure to learn the ins and outs of the tech on Remnant to his advantage.

Sekiro even began implementing Dust to his shinobi arsenal to expand its already versatile nature. Due to no longer having the Shinobi Prosthetic, he had to create his essential tools once again, but that wouldn't be much of a challenge due to how simple most of the items were. Sekiro especially took a liking for Fire Dust, for signals, bombs, added to the edges of kunai and shuriken he crafted himself thanks to one of the local blacksmiths in town who lent him use of the forge from time to time.

Then he also learned about the warriors that have pledged their lives to defend mankind. These were the Huntsmen and Huntresses, defenders of the Four Kingdoms and scattered settlements outside those kingdoms, with each kingdom having an academy where young aspiring men and women could go to in order to become these defenders themselves. These people greatly reminded Sekiro of the samurai, the great warriors of Japan that have risen to great power over centuries. Whether as weapons of war, warrior scholars, defenders of the people, the samurai would do their duty, as would the Huntsmen and Huntresses have their solemn duty to the people of Remnant.

Which then came to the next fact on why they needed this defenders in the first place; The creatures of Grimm. These creatures, nightmares of the inhabitants of this world have plagued Remnant since the dawn of mankind. Easily identified by their obsidian black bodies, white bone platting that covered them and red glowing eyes that only held one objective; the destruction of man.

The information was perplexing in a way, yet digestible for Sekiro. New knowledge was always welcomed for a shinobi, whether it would be new combat techniques, esoteric skills, refined survival knowledge, or the familiarity of locations.

Then again, experience itself happened to be one of the best teachers as proven by his prowess.

For now, it was a moment far from the library of the Belladonna household as Sekiro let out a deep sigh while the afternoon sun bore down on him in its sweltering heat in a nearby courtyard. Sweat was prevalent on his face, yet his posture showed no sign of faltering, a testament to his conditioning.

"Again," Sekiro said in a calm yet authoritative tone to his opponent in this bout of training. Kusabimaru was strapped to his hip but not drawn as he held a wooden sword in hand, similarly fashioned just like the ones samurai would use for training. He had no desire to cause any sort of injury to the one he was training, even if it did have its risk of leaving some brusies

Before him stood his opponent; a young Faunus girl just reaching her teens who's short midnight black hair swayed with her panting and in the gentle breeze, with accompanying cat ears that sat upon her head, twitching slightly, amber eyes focusing on Sekiro. She looked outright exhausted, yet Sekiro could see the fire that burned behind her eyes, one that wanted to keep going. She herself held a wooden sword as she hefted it back up, showing she was still ready. "Once more, Blake," Sekiro told her.

Blake could only nod before she swung at him. Sekiro easily blocked the strike with a curt nod to the young girl. "One."

Blake sucked in a deep breath as she disengaged and swung again. Once again it was blocked by Sekiro. "Two."

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

Repeat, as it has been for over an hour, over and over again. Simple yet needed motions in basics.

Blake by then was exhausted, ever so slightly bent forward after all that training. Sekiro deemed that it was time for a well-deserved break. He walked over to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. While he was still quiet, the months in Remnant have taught him to relax, talk a little more, and to be more open, as evident with a small yet kind smile found on his lips. "Rest for now, Blake."

Blake looked up at him, still panting as she had long let go of her wooden sword as it laid there on the ground beside her. "A-Are… Are you sure?"

A curt nod was what she got in return as he gestured his hand towards some shade by the trees near the courtyard. "Go on," He told her.

Blake nodded and slowly walked towards the much needed shade. Sekiro hummed softly to himself as he subconsciously looked at his left hand before slowly gripping it into a fist. The Shinobi could still picture it, the Shinobi Prosthetic still vivid in his memory. Where flesh, blood and bone were once there, replaced with metal, rope, and the intricate detail it had.

"I shouldn't linger on such a thing… Yet my mind refuses to move on from this… I guess I can't help myself but to remember," Sekiro mused to himself. But now he had his arm back, truly a boon given to him by Buddha.

He was then brought out of his thoughts as he heard a hearty laugh that he knew all too well. "I see you're done training for time being?" Ghira called out.

Sekiro looked to his side to see his host walking over to him with that ever prevalent smile on his face. "Oh, Ghira. Yes. Blake has been training for a while. I deemed she needed to have rest."

Ghira nodded as his smile seemed to grow as he was now standing in front of the Shinobi. He placed a hand on his shoulder with a soft yet relived sigh. "I hope she's doing well."

"Of course," Sekiro replied to him as they both glanced at Blake. She was currently leaning against the tree, simply resting now as she even grabbed her water bottle to rehydrate herself while enjoying the coolness of the shade. "While she still has a long way to go, her mind and spirit are steadfast."

Ghira was glad to hear this from Sekiro. Even with him being a guest in the house for so long, he was no longer a stranger to anyone. The way he offered his services to help others even if he could be quiet, it was a testament to show how kind he really was behind that someone monotone and stoic expression he had at times.

"Well she has yet to fully understand combat and the true utility of her Aura. But with my daughter, I know she can do it," Ghira mentioned to him with a soft expression now on his face. "Again, thank you for taking the position to train her. Despite being human, she seems to trust you, which is a good sign."

Sekiro nodded at him as he wiped some sweat away from his forehead with his arm. "I know you've told me I owe nothing to you… But let's just say I train her in return for giving me a place to stay, even with how long it has been." He then looked up at Ghira and the softest of chuckles escaped from his lips. "Even then, her spirit is strong, which I know she'll become a great fighter one day. I'm still relatively new to Aura myself."

Ghira laughed a little and patted Sekiro's back, hard as always, nearly making the Shinobi fall forward. "Well even then you're a capable fighter yourself, my friend! Even when you unlocked it mere months ago, not many of our fighters here in Kuo Kuana have your skill!"

Sekiro shook his head at Ghira but laughed a little. Ghira wasn't wrong whatsoever in that statement. It had been over some months ago ever since the Shinobi had unlocked his Aura, as if he'd always had it. He could recall it clearly as he was in his room in the Belladonna household meditating to a wooden statue of Buddha he had managed to carve out, so to say he had caught that from the Sculptor back in the lands of Ashina. Sekiro once again was using a certain mantra that he had been often using, as if to calm himself before an insurmountable task before him: The Kuji-In (1).

Once he had come to the end of his mantra after some hours of meditation, he felt both exhausted yet… Empowered. Even though the Kuji-In would help compose his emotions and calm him down, things felt different. And it was true when he had opened his eyes, there was a gentle glowing that he saw on his hands, in a red pinkish hue… His Aura had been unlocked

In the books he had read, Aura is the manifestation of one's soul, as all living things such as humans, Faunus and even animals had Aura, also long as one had a soul, a spirit. As different as Aura could be from person to person, it still had shared traits. Such as protecting someone from what could be mortal wound, increase strength, abilities and plenty more.

To Sekiro, it did make sense to him as shinobi were quite one with their spirit so to say, as the occupation was quite the esoteric practice with religious origins despite what they do. Even with how new this was for him, he knew that he would make the most of it and learn whatever he needed In order to fully master his Aura. There was plenty more stated in the books, but he knew within time, he would master them.

Though he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Ghira gently pat his shoulder again. "Are you alright, Sekiro?" He asked him, seeing how the Shinobi began to look off into the distance.

Sekiro gasped silently but nodded at him. "I am… Just… Lost in my thoughts, that is all… My apologies," He said, giving Ghira a little bow as well in respect.

Ghira let out his boisterous laugh which the Shinobi had come to be familiar with as his back was patted hard yet again. "Oh don't be sorry for everything, my friend! It's perfectly normal!"

Sekiro sighed with his head shaking at the larger man. Though he could see something in Ghira's eyes . "I assume you're here for something else, Ghira? Not just to check in on Blake."

Ghira was once again surprised and in awe with how Sekiro had quickly realized this. His skills in deduction were exceptional. He merely nodded as he made sure Blake was still by the tree. "Indeed… I am setting out in a few days with some White Fang members. We're heading to the Kingdom of Vale after getting word from our Vale branch there has been brazen vandalism and assaults on Faunus there. I wish to ask if you would accompany us there. I know this is asking so much from you. I would like to bring more of our able bodied members along, but we need them to protect Kuo Kuana in case of a Grimm or bandit attack." A tired sigh escaped from Ghira as he rubbed his face. "It's alright if you don't wish to come with us. It was silly of me to ask you in the first place, asking you to be part of a group you have no affiliation with."

Sekiro merely listened to him, hearing the plight in his host's voice. Reading from the history books and hearing about it from the townsfolk of Kuo Kuana. With the mistreatment of Faunus still strong even after a revolution was fought in the first place for their rights and freedoms, it made sense with this actions taking place back in Vale. Though Sekiro understood the reservations Ghira had for asking him. He was asking for a human to come with him, with a Faunus Civil Rights movement to help out. He knew Ghira held no sort of hate towards him, but he could see the issue behind it all. Sekiro did assume the not all humans hated the Faunus, but it would seem out of the ordinary if he was to accompany them.

Then his words echoed in his head when his memories recalled the top of Ashina Castle in the lookout against his foster father.

"A code must be determined by the individual… This is what I've decided."

Sekiro made up his mind and nodded at Ghira. "I will come along."

This was something Ghira wasn't expecting at all. To hear from his guest, now close friend, who owed him nothing tell him that he would join them. "Are you sure? You aren't a Huntsman yet you wish to join us?"

Sekiro nodded at him as he bowed a little in return. "I wish to see more of Remnant, Ghira, only having been in my village on Anima and here. " Once again a white lie he utilized in order to keep up a believable story. "And please, your people are kind to me here, even if after what I've done to earn their trust. I want to return the favor," Sekiro replied to him.

Shock slowly faded away which was soon replaced by relief from Ghira. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't glad you agreed, my friend. We will discuss the rest of the details back in my home about this. We will depart in a few days so you will have time to prepare." He then smiled and nodded at Sekiro. "But I'll leave you be. And my wife expects to see you back in our home in time for dinner."

Sekiro laughed softly and shook his head once more. "I will, I promise that."

Ghira smiled more and thanked the Shinobi again before walking off leaving Sekiro by his lonesome with Blake now walking over to him. "Did my dad talk to you, Sekiro?" She asked him.

Sekiro looked at the young Faunus and nodded in response to her. "I did, yes. Your father wishes to have me come with him to the Kingdom of Vale on White Fang business."

Blake widened her eyes hearing this from him. "White Fang business? But… You're a human… And you have no reason to join the cause."

A soft smile appeared on Sekiro's lips again as he gently patted her head. "Blake, your parents took me in when I was washed ashore on the beach. I merely wish to repay them in that kindness by helping out." He then nodded again. "But just because I'll be gone doesn't mean you can't avoid your training. I will assign you your training regimens, just as we've always done."

Then Sekiro pondered to himself in his mind. It was safe to say that was the ONLY Shinobi on Remnant. This was a thought that constantly entered his head. Did he want to be the only Shinobi in this world? Or… Would he begin training the first new genin Remnant would see?

He then looked Blake deeply in the eye just as he has always done whenever he trained her in swordsmanship. But he could see it in her eyes… She had potential that was waiting to be unlocked… Just as… Just as Owl had noticed in his own gaze so many years ago.

Then he came to his decision knowing what he would need to do. "And when I return… I will introduce you to new training."

Blake raised an eyebrow at him as she was confused with this. "New training?"

Sekiro nodded as he breathed in deeply, as his next set of words would shape new warriors Remnant would see. "I will train you… In the way of the Shinobi."

1. The Kuji-In. Also known as the Nine Hand Seals, refers to a system of mudras, chants and mantras that are nine syllables in total. A shinobi would would implement the Kuji-In would help regain composure and remain calm. To know more on this,I suggest you look up on YouTube with Gaijin Goomba on his Which Ninja series, specifically on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Then again, each video he has up helps explain the Shinobi and Ninja in better detail than I could.