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Chapter 4, the final remaster!
Oh my Gawwwwd, rewriting sucks! Never again, if a story sucks, I'll leave it sucking. . . okay, maybe not. Like this chapter, I need to do a time skip too large for me to be comfortable, but I need it to happen. Why? Because I suck.
There Were No Rhyming Lines In These Chapters; It Was Just For Fun, But To My New Shtick It Matters!
Chapter Four: Don't Trust Somebody Who Can't Trust You
Over the past few weeks, Sasuke had come to learn a certain dynamic with these people, part of which was attending classes with his fellow students. The reminder he was a student has always been an underwhelming thought. A warrior who fought a goddess, back to being a student.
And being in the cafeteria for breakfast always brought that thought out. Fortunately, plans were being made to get back home. Unfortunately, it would take alot of time and resources, namely a monumental amount of Dust, enough to rip a hole through realities and connect them.
So here he was, sitting in a school cafeteria waiting for the call from Neopolitan to start collecting Dust. Sadly, she had to run it by some of her colleagues, so it was a waiting game until then.
A waiting game with some bran muffins.
"How could you still be eating those?" Yang complained, still groggy from her early wake up. Though it seemed she started getting used to it, especially the past couple of days. Sasuke only noticed when there were less faces slamming onto the table. "I took a bite out of one, and I could almost swear I wasn't eating anything."
Her constant jokes on it was practically routine. 'Hey, how does air taste?' 'Best diet, zero calories since it doesn't really exist' 'I've seen other brown things that looked more appealing than that', and so forth. He hoped she'd run out, but all it did was prompt jokes like the last one, and forced him to knock her out using his Sharingan.
She woke up five minutes later promising to be more creative next time, so he put up with it.
"What are the chances of a quiet breakfast?" he asked her.
The Schnee girl sitting beside her sighed. "Not from the list I saw her make." Yang squawked into denials of such a claim. "Dare I say it, she intends to keep this going for months."
Maybe putting himself with this lot was a mistake, but from the complete lack of other students coming to bother him made it worth it. Besides, they weren't bad people, just. . . they're not his people. At least they deterred that new club, the 'Sasuke Uchiha Can Claim Club', or just the SUCC club, the name being horrendous and more than perverse enough.
Damn them all.
"Then how about a bet?" Yang suggested. "You actually fight in Combat Class against me, and I'll keep quiet, how about that?" Almost every Combat Class held a few spars, and later Glynda would criticize them all.
As she should, because they were terrible.
"I have no interest in participating Combat Class with students," he told her with a shrug. "Live a month in lands full of Grimm, then I'll consider a spar with you." Part of the story was that he wandered the lands in search of a town for weeks, and the constant state of battle turned him into a battle-hardened Huntsman.
Obviously, that was the lie Sasuke had told Professor Goodwitch when theoretical teaching became actual combat. Honestly, Sasuke was actually looking forward it, but then a certain aspect came up, the reading of Aura levels, something he did not have.
There might as well have been alarms blaring when he heard that.
"That's a load of bull, you just don't want to go against me," Yang challenged. "Don't worry, I won't bite."
"Pretty sure that's illegal in a spar, anyway," Ruby pointed out while devouring another plate of cookies. . . for breakfast. It's almost as bad as Naruto's damn ramen addiction. "Though I'm not sure if Goodwitch is going to put up with Sasuke not taking part for long." She said it so plainly like it was an afterthought.
Sasuke looked to the young girl. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. He used his position as pseudo-student to steer clear from combat until he made a proper excuse why his Aura reading was bizarre, backed with proof to dismiss any chance that it could be a lie. He had an idea, but it's a bit of a work in progress.
"Hmm?" She took a bite out of her cookie and turned to him. "You don't see how much Professor Goodwitch glares at you when you deny taking part in her class? I'm surprised there's no hole on the back of your head."
Well, he did notice the glares for practically demeaning her class as 'not worth it', but he didn't think Goodwitch would bring it up. He attended the class, as per their agreement, but perhaps he should move it further to avoid any complications.
Besides, he wanted to see what it would be like against Aura users.
He sighed and took another sip of his tea. "Then I might as well. . ." he muttered. He had an excuse, it just might not be a very good one. He could postpone it all he wanted, but at some point people would find it suspicious, so perhaps today was the day he put himself in control of what they find.
Yang perked up on that. For someone with a lot of hair around her ears, she certainly hears pretty well. "So you're gonna fight?"
"I'll think about it."
She shrugged, but that grin on her face was almost from ear to ear. "Good enough for me. If I turn out to be your opponent, you can bet I ain't pulling any punches."
'And if I didn't, you'd die,' he thought. Maybe he was underestimating them, maybe they did have an advantage with their Aura that he didn't know about, but he was a fully trained and hardened shinobi, while they were still students who never fought for their lives. Needless to say, the odds had to be in his favor.
"Though I am curious why you don't take part," Blake voiced, sipping her own cup of tea. While his relation with Weiss might be considered the frostiest of the group, Blake was a very close second. Perhaps she hadn't forgiven him for his interrogation as his first impression for her.
Sasuke shrugged. "I have several years of experience more than any of you, it would be unfair," he said, implying his age, but more subtly at the truth.
"Heh, just you wait," Yang replied, cracking her knuckles with that wide smile of hers. It was a little nostalgic having a blonde say they're desire to fight him.
Another tray set itself beside him as a new group joined their table. Along with team RWBY, it seemed the other team he met when he first came here seemed to take a liking to him as well. JNPR joined him and team RWBY almost every morning these past few weeks, and even in similar classes with him.
Sasuke partly wondered if Ozpin had a hand in such a 'coincidence'.
"Good morning," Pyrrha greeted energetically. Her three other teammates joined, her team leader slumping into his seat without even half the redhead's energy. "Who's going to wait for what?"
"Sasuke says he might join today's Combat Class," Yang said. "You can look forward to that, Miss Invincible."
Pyrrha winced slightly at her title, but Sasuke saw it was accurate, since the redhead won against every opponent with ease. None could even touch her, only come close before she destroyed them. He had to admit, if there was one person of these his company he would rather fight, it'd have to be her.
He might've scoffed at the news that she was a several-year champion of a tournament in Mistral, but watching her fight her peers had shown she certainly earned that title of hers. Though if he was put in an arena with her, he'd gladly take that away.
"Is that so?" Pyrrha asked Sasuke, who shrugged. "Well, I guess today's lesson might be something to look forward to."
"Speak for yourself," Jaune mumbled as he took a bite of his apple. Of all the people Sasuke had seen fight, Jaune was by far the weakest, the most untrained, easily the most pathetic of the group. He'd better have some leadership skills, otherwise him being here in Beacon was pointless and dangerous to his team and himself.
Nora, ever the supporter, patted him on the back hard enough to have him spit out his food. "Don't worry, Jauney, you'll win one at some point," she said, though he didn't look convinced at her reassurance. Neither did Sasuke, for that matter. The boy was weak, horribly so.
"Thanks, Nora," he said, his tone showing his pessimistic thoughts. "Though with Sasuke joining, I don't think I like my odds." His odds were horrible regardless.
"Be that as it may," Sasuke said to veer away the conversation. "I doubt I'd find a decent opponent, at least among first-years." He wasn't particularly competitive, but if he was going to test Aura-users, it's best to fight a skillful one who understands how to use it.
"Keep talking, buddy, we'll see how today goes for ya," Yang said, her own competitive nature popping out. He hadn't even confirmed he was joining, yet she was treating it like it was a promise. Maybe he should, it was all a matter of time, anyway.
An urge hit him that had him say, "you honestly think you can fight me, don't you?" Why was he goading her? There was no point to it other than it felt like something he should say. Was it the blonde hair? It was, wasn't it?
Yang began cracking her knuckles, her grin more feral than before. "Watch yourself, Sasuke, the higher you build yourself, the longer you fall, and boy do I think I have an axe." He knew that from experience, just as he should know that she wasn't the person he was projecting her as. That was a dangerous rabbit hole, one he shouldn't fuel.
He didn't respond, merely drinking his tea before he said something similar to before. Her personality was very similar to Naruto, that cocky, easily excitable attitude was nostalgic, that's all, and being blonde was enough to add to it. 'I'm not seeing Yang as Naruto,' he assured himself. It was a lapse in judgement, nothing more.
"Okay, let's calm Yang down before she starts throwing punches," Weiss quickly said, and turned to the Uchiha. "Though I do have agree that arrogance isn't a trait worth having." She would know, wouldn't she? Though the difference was he could back it up.
Then it wasn't arrogance, it was confidence.
He sighed. "Be that as it may, I have experience in combat while you are still students."
Ruby raised her arm. "I fought a world famous criminal," she informed. "Roman Torchwick, you might've heard of him, he's like, super infamous." Was she praising herself or this Roman character?
"The same fight Miss Goodwitch had to mmfgr-!?" Yang couldn't finish before Ruby's hand quickly covered her mouth.
"Yes, you are right, Yang, it was indeed a dangerous situation where I emerged victorious," Ruby said with emphasis on nearly every word. "Truly, a mark of a great hero, and not as though just some student." She then moved in to whisper something about 'stealing thunder'.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued eating his bran muffin. There was more to his confidence though. These people here lived rather calm lives in comparison, though them being completely surrounded by Grimm should be a bigger problem. Why were people not accelerating military research? Why was economy more important? Why were they late in training Huntsmen? It was perhaps a difference in societies, but he'd wager something had to be going on, something always seemed to be going on.
Thankfully it had nothing to do with him, unlike previously when he uncovered a conspiracy that involved even his past lives. This time, he'd leave it be.
Port's class was the same nightmare told in a different manner, as it always had been the weeks he'd been visiting. For what it's worth, it was a good time to think while 'assimilating' into Ozpin's program. Granted, he needed to tune out the professor, but the time with Naruto had taught him to be a master at the art. But that didn't stop Sasuke from leaving the class with the same animosity towards it.
Oobleck's class had proven his own initial thoughts correct, however. As time went on and passed information Sasuke already knew, they finally delved into new information for him. Though mostly history, Oobleck held more information that his research didn't mention, proving his class worthwhile.
Peach's class was better off unmentioned.
The only other class worth mentioning was Professor Goodwitch's Combat Class. At first, it was purely theoretical, mostly discussion about combat, safety measures during spars, and what she would do if you were 'overzealous' in a fight. Useful for beginners, not useful for him.
Actual spars were coming, Goodwitch said so herself, which had the Uchiha excited in poking and prodding the limits of Aura for himself, then he had to hold off. Aura levels could be measured using the Scroll, only one of which he had.
When he checked his 'Aura level', the response was, as expected, not good if they ever find out. He'd been dismissing Glynda's attempts to get him to join for a while, and she was getting more and more visibly upset for what seemed to be him demeaning her course.
"You wish to join today's spars?" Glynda asked, her face a little perplexed at his request. "While I wouldn't deny it, why the change of heart?" He had told her about the difference between the students against his experience back then, which he thought sounded reasonable.
Now he had to give an excuse why his perfectly good reason was moot. It was something he didn't do much, and it was- "I apologize," he said, which was harder to say than expected. "While I believed you were content with my reasons, it seems I showed myself as above your lessons, and I assure you it isn't the case." The words hurt to say. "To make up for it, I would like to be placed in the upcoming spars."
Glynda looked perplexed, maybe even a little surprised. He could almost hear Naruto sniggering at his newfound humility, even through dimensions standing outside of Glynda's classroom. "I see," she said as she moved her glasses back in place. "I'll add you the roster then." Sasuke nodded and moved to enter the room. "Mr. Uchiha." He turned at her call. "Do take it easy on them, they're only students, after all."
Was that amusement in her tone? A trick of the mind, surely. "You believed me from the beginning?"
"I heard from Headmaster Ozpin what you went through," she said with a nod. "It would be foolish to think you haven't fought for far longer than your new peers. Even I understand experience trumps unrefined talent."
Her words spoke of her own experience, but there was one thing on his mind still. "So you weren't upset I denied taking part in your class?"
"I've no clue what you're talking about." She did, she very much did. He could see it clear as day, even through absolute denial of such a claim. "While you're early, you can take a seat until your classmates arrive." And now she's deflecting.
Sasuke shrugged and walked into the classroom a few minutes before the first student should arrive and took a seat near the door, high up among the rows of tables and chairs. It was his preferred spot to watch his 'peers' fight, more so to analyze their fighting style, which proved pointless as they were extremely diverse.
Very few had similar move sets, from complex gun fighting to hand-to-hand combat, almost each one had their own style, one Sasuke found cumbersome when he tried finding a pattern. The only thing consistent was their Aura use, which was barely an active part of their fighting styles without using their Semblances and smaller techniques.
As students began filing in, he remembered when he discreetly used the Rinnegan to see if Aura appeared differently than when he used Sharingan, and the results weren't as he expected. While the Sharingan showed a kind of haze surrounding them, the Rinnegan showed them highlighted with glowing energy.
That was an advantage if he ever saw one.
"Yo, Sasuke," he heard Yang say as she took the seat a level below him. "Should we expect to see a fight from you?"
"Maybe," he replied. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"So that's a yes, then." Shrugging was his only response. "You're not going to cheat and knock people out with your mind tricks, are you?" He shook his head. That would defeat the purpose of testing how he'd fair with Aura users. "Good, because I'd rather not deal with that bullshit when I fight you." So much confidence based on nothing, she was almost exactly like the younger version of Naruto, wasn't she?
"You know there's more than you in this class, right?" Ruby interjected and gestured to her teammate with a sigh. "Weiss, please explain to our teammate that thing you told me about." Again with that weird tone. . .
The girl blinked. "You mean statistics?" The younger girl nodded. "How about no?"
"You see, Yang," Ruby began, ignoring her now-indignant partner. "According to Weiss-" "Don't drag me into this!" "- statistically speaking, the chances of you being his sparring partner is very slim."
Yang rolled her eyes at her sister. "Sure, Ruby, I get it, but you really don't have to talk like that to impress Sasuke. I'm pretty sure he likes you anyway." She turned to him. "Though not too much, I hope." No, definitely not in that way. She nodded at the look on his face.
"Y-Yang! That was not what I meant!" she said, her face a little redder than before, then she crossed her arms and attempted to look like Goodwitch to her sister. "I'm merely showing I'm better than I was the day before, smarter and faster and such. You know, as a proper leader should." She'd been saying similar things for the past few weeks. Good for her, he supposed.
She seemed to be taking what he said in the library to heart, as she was rather proud enough to show on select occasions. If what he said truly did help and she's improving herself, then Sasuke didn't really have anything to say.
A loud smack from the front was heard, Glynda's rather commanding aura took over the room rather quickly, even through the sisters' loud argument. She taught her students well and knew how to handle them, he noticed, a proper mark for a teacher. Even if she didn't teach him anything worthwhile.
"Today we'll continue sparring," Professor Goodwitch began after Yang and Ruby sat down. "We'll roll for the sparring partners and see how you've improved yourselves." From how they saw their previous fights, he doubted there was substantial improvements so quickly.
The screen above them rolled, then stopped on two students, Blake Belladonna and some other student he didn't bother remembering. As they both went to the center stage, another thing came to mind.
Apparently, sans Jaune, the group of students he put himself with were of the best among first years. Of the people he'd seen, they were indeed better, constantly winning their fights unless it's with each other.
To the side, he spotted team JNPR, Pyrrha spotted him and waved, he nodded in return. She was especially strong, clearly standing above everyone she ever faced, and not a single person was able to even touch her. It was then he understood her situation, she was a prodigy, a genius at a young age.
Really, she was his best choice in a fight.
Before he realized, Blake emerged as the winner. She was good, very good, it didn't take a genius to understand she held some experience in combat, not just training. Her speed and Semblance went hand in hand with her baiting tactics.
"Well done, both of you," Glynda said, then turned to the other student. "Byrn, you need to learn new tactics when facing the same strategy. Learn to adapt or you will always fall." The tall boy grumbled, but didn't dare say otherwise. She turned to his sparring partner. "Blake, while your tactics worked this time, don't expect it to work all the time."
Belladonna nodded before going back to her seat, but clearly didn't take her words to heart. Glynda noticed and frowned, but made no more additions. Her words were one of warning, that regardless if Blake won, she shouldn't take this as the standard. What Goodwitch said to Byrn, she also said to Blake.
Names and faces rolled again, stopping on two he didn't know. The first few seconds of the fight was all he needed to see before he tuned it out of his mind. He wondered if second years or above have better fights, he'd like to assume so, otherwise these people were doomed.
"Stop," Professor Goodwitch shouted before either of their Aura's went red, looking as disappointed as she should be. "Both of you kept dancing around. In the next spar, I expect both of you to take it seriously regardless of your Aura level." Sasuke could only nod at her criticism.
It wasn't wrong to be wary of your energy, but both were throwing haphazard strikes could only last for long, and thankfully the instructor had enough and ended the fight prematurely. Now the two walked back with heads low to their seats.
The teacher tapped her Scroll and had the names scrolling. The first name stopped, having the audience let out a sound of wonderment. Sasuke Uchiha was on the board, the second name still scrolling for a name.
He looked to Pyrrha, who widened her eyes and looked to him. When he nodded to her, he knew she understood who he wished to fight. The girl looked taken aback, but nodded in return.
The second name stopped, having the class go in a bit of an uproar at who his opponent was going to be. Yang's own booing was particularly loud.
Glynda nodded. "Sasuke Uchiha, Weiss Schnee, come to the stage."
Sighing in disappointment, Sasuke got up and walked down the steps. Kusanagi that was in his hands now tucked into the rope on his back waist. At least it wasn't Jaune, which was the only thing he could tell himself.
He took his spot across from Weiss, who reached the stage before him, swinging her thin blade around in exercise. She struck a pose, her sword taking its spot beside her face and aimed at him. Her standard stance that he saw her take before.
Above them on the screen, he could see her Aura meter fill to the green, and he didn't bother looking at his, he knew the result. When he heard sounds of confusion, he looked to the sound of furious tapping, it was Glynda hammering on her Scroll to fix the issue.
There was no fixing this one.
Above him, just like he saw on his own time, the meter that was supposed to show his Aura went haywire, blinking from full to empty then back to full constantly. He didn't have Aura, but he guessed that his Scroll seemed to be picking up that he had something, but it wasn't what it should be. All in all, the fact this Scroll device could even pick up on that was marvel of its own.
Now to see if people here don't figure out he's an alien.
The professor looked more frustrated after each passing second, then the sounds stopped with a low growl from her. She looked to him and called, "Mr. Uchiha, please come to me."
He let out a small breath before making his way to her. "Yes, professor?"
"It seems your Scroll is having difficulty finding your Aura," she said, eyes going back to her own Scroll and handing it to him. "Please hold this, and hand me yours." He nodded, drawing out the device from his pocket and trading it with hers.
Looking at the new Scroll, the Aura meter showed the same flickering gauge, and he knew the screen above him showed the same. Unfortunately, his original Scroll was working just fine.
The professor let out an annoyed huff before switching back their Scrolls. "I won't be able to continue this spar," she said finally. "For some reason, your Aura isn't being picked up by the Scrolls" It was his turn.
Sasuke brought up his arm. "I think. . . I have an idea," he said, adding a 'hesitant' pause. He channeled lightning Chakra to his arm, having visible electricity sparkle across his arm. "Is it possible that my own electric Aura is malfunctioning the Scroll?"
Glynda looked at his arm with fascination and hummed. "It could be the case," she answered, peering closer to his electric arm. "I don't think I've heard of such things, though you might be a unique case considering your Aura's nature." His arm sparked for effect.
Did his lie work? She didn't seem reluctant to accept the idea, so that was a good sign. In fact, she looked more pensive than anything.
"Regardless, I can't have you continue the spar for safety reasons," she said with a sigh. "I won't be able to call off the match if I can't read your Aura."
"That's fine, she won't even be able to touch me," he said, subduing a scoff.
Goodwitch frowned. "Mr. Uchiha, there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, I pray you know the difference."
He only shrugged. "Then if she lands a single hit on me, call off the match and consider it my loss." If he let some trainee land a finger on him, then he wasn't as skilled as he knew himself to be. Even if he was giving them a handicap.
"You're that confident of your victory?" she asked with a raised brow. Did she forget their discussion not thirty minutes prior? He'd remind her.
"I'm confident in my experience."
Her eyes flickered in recognition, took a breath and stood straight. "Alright, I'll allow it. Take your position."
Sasuke nodded and stood across from Weiss, who held her blade to her side relaxingly. She seemed a little agitated. Perhaps he said how she wouldn't touch him a little too loudly for the proud girl.
"Fighters, prepare yourselves," Glynda said as she took her spot nearby, then looked to Sasuke. "I'll be holding you to our agreement, Mr. Uchiha, I pray you don't test it." He nodded, then she looked to Weiss. "Are you ready?"
She flourished her blade back to the side of her face, the tip pointed towards Sasuke. "I'm ready," she said irritably.
Glynda stepped off stage. "Begin!"
Weiss took the first move flew across the stage. Before the fight started, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan, so when she dashed towards him with intent to pierce his chest, it was very easy to simply side step and trip her. The girl tumbled slightly before standing back up.
She looked angrier than before, but took a breath and calmed herself before returning to her original stance. Among the students he'd seen, she was very mechanical. Trained and trained until her moves were pitch perfect.
This would be an easy fight.
The Uchiha rolled his shoulders and gestured for her to come at him. If she didn't look upset before, she certainly looked murderous now. 'So proud, so easy to sway,' he thought
He saw her sword click, then sent several spears of fire his way. His instincts said to use the Preta Path, but there was no guarantee it would absorb an Aura-Dust combination, and that he really didn't want to bring up his Rinnegan, so he opted to dash forward and under the flame.
For all her flaws, Weiss wasn't a fool, she saw his mad dash and replied with one of her own, but she was quicker thanks to her glyphs. Her sword poised to meet him first, not that he'd allow it.
He moved to the side when he were hair's breadth from the tip of her sword, and threw an empowered punch into her midsection before she could stop. He saw spittle come from her mouth before she soared back across the stage
As he waited for her to stand back, he flexed his fist and thought, 'Aura stops cuts from skin, but not blunt force, exactly as the book stated.' He knew his punch was cushioned from her shields, but some force went through. He looked to her Aura gauge, ignoring his flickering own. 'Some Aura was taken out, but would more Aura be drained depending on the lethality?' He'd need to test that as well.
His kunai shot out of the seal beneath his armband and into his palm. While it would've been suspicious, he thought with so many mechanical weapons it shouldn't raise questions. "I was hoping you wouldn't be done from just that," he told her as he held his knife across him. "Come now, you only need one hit to win. Shouldn't be too difficult if you're skilled."
She poised for an attack once, a heavy scowl on her face, but didn't respond, not verbally anyway. She jumped up into the air, landing on a glyph as though some floating wall, then zipped to another, and another, and another- she was like a fly moving from point to point at blurring speed. If he didn't have his Sharingan active, this might've been an issue.
While he hadn't moved his head, his eyes kept darting from one point to another, leaving his back as bait for- oh, she took it. He backflipped from Schnee's thrust from the rear, and she cried as the kunai slashed across her back, sending her tumbling once more.
At the screen, the chunk of Aura he took was far more noticeable than when he punched her. 'Lethality eats up Aura quickly, likely mutes it before it could cut skin.' The more danger a strike posed, the more Aura spent to lessen it, he learned.
But does it have a threshold? Does a focused strike eat away Aura or pierce it? He couldn't safely test that, unfortunately.
Looking to Weiss, she winced as she stood back up, eyes filled with more anger than previously. Looking back to her bar, she was halfway to the red, and Sasuke had one more thing to test.
His kunai shot back into his armband once more, and two plumes of smoke exploded to his sides. "Think you can last for one more bout?" he asked as the smoke dispersed to reveal his two clones.
While she did look angry, there was now more concern at her situation. She had difficulty with one, now there's two more, but it wouldn't have made a difference since she was going to lose anyway.
Instead of yielding, she huffed. "I have more than one bout for you," she said with confidence, flourishing her blade at the ready. "I'm not out for the count yet."
The two clones walked around Weiss, but kept a wide berth. "I applaud your confidence," one said, having Weiss peer her eyes to it. "But this isn't a fight you'll win." Though she already knew that, didn't she?
She scoffed. "Then win, what's taking you so long?"
"I won't take much more of your time, that's a promise," the second one said, then the two clones stopped across from her sides. "In fact, we're done."
She narrowed her eyes at the second clone, then widened in realization as she snapped her back to the original, but it was too late, he was already on her. He aimed a slower punch to her midsection once more, but she dodged to the right, that's when he had her.
She only moved an inch before Sasuke's metal wire stopped thanks to the clone that held the other end of it pulling it taut. He could see her move her rapier to attack once she realized she couldn't move far, but the other clone leapt and grabbed her sword arm before she could.
With her first chance to attack removed, the first copy ran across, having the metal wire wrap around the Schnee girl tightly. Even then, she did have options to attack, he could already see the glyph beneath them forming, but he wouldn't give her the opportunity.
'Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!' His hand sparked brightly before a heavy torrent of lighting coursed through the wire to hit his target. She screamed and convulsed when the current struck, and continued to do so for several seconds.
She went limp when he cut it off, but caught her before she hit the ground. He threw her over his shoulder, one clone handing him the girl's sword, the other wrapping the metal wire used and handing it to him before the two vanished in clouds of dust.
"Winner, Sasuke Uchiha," Glynda said with a nod, sending the assembled students into a light applause. "Though I'd appreciate if you didn't toy with Miss Schnee during the match." She noticed? It wasn't exactly well hidden, to be honest.
"I'll keep that in mind in the next spar," he replied, then looked to the screen above. While his Aura was still consistently inconsistent between full and empty, Weiss' hadn't dipped that much from his technique. 'Seems some elemental attacks bypass Aura, or at least soft elements like lightning. Would fire have the same effect?' An experiment for another time.
He walked to the audience, where Blake was waiting to receive her unconscious teammate. She nodded her head in thanks as she took her teammate, and left to the infirmary.
As he walked up the steps, Sasuke twirled the rapier still in his hand and gently gripped the blade portion. He was surprised how light it was, fitting for Weiss' delicate image, especially when she's without her weapon.
Once close enough, he stuck the weapon's handle out for Ruby to take. "I believe your friend will want this back when she wakes."
She nodded before taking it. "Thanks, Sasuke, I'm sure she'd appreciate the thought. . . kinda," Ruby said bashfully.
Yang beside her snorted. "I'm sure she'll send you flowers with a strongly worded letter filled with 'appreciation'," she said, and turned to Sasuke. "Nice fight, by the way, but don't expect our match to end so quickly. I know your moves now, buster."
'No you don't, not even close,' he thought. "I look forward to another easy victory, then." Why did he say that? It was unneeded.
As Yang stuck out her tongue in his direction, Sasuke was half tempted to bite his rebellious own. As the names scrolled for the next spar, he lamented on his new slip of the tongue.
The first name stopped on some nameless student, as did the other. Another match not worth watching, but a distraction appeared. Pyrrha took it upon herself to get out of her seat and sit next to him.
"That was some match," she began. "It was like you were in control of it from the beginning." Did she come here just to voice her observations? He doubted that
"The Schnee girl was simply too inexperienced. Had she known, she'd have noticed I was egging her on to attack into my traps," he said. "In the end, her pride was her downfall." Not really, the fact she was his opponent was her true downfall.
Pyrrha nodded. "I noticed, though it's more impressive you finished your spar with naught but three attacks without a single hit to your Aura. Maybe when we fight, I'll have better chance." Not in this lifetime, he wanted to say, but instead shrugged.
"Get in line, Pyrrha, I called dibs," Yang quickly said.
The Uchiha rolled his eyes as he watched Goodwitch call the fight after a student was knocked out. He'd seen Yang fight, she wasn't someone who was weak, but she stood no chance against him. She was all brute force, a brawler by every definition of the word, and his abilities and reflexes would give her no quarter.
Pyrrha on the other hand could provide more of a challenge, she and her weapons covered a range of situations that was amplified by her experience in combat. He was confident in his win against her, but it would be a more arduous fight compared to her peers.
The names scrolled again, stopping on one Jaune Arc, he heard the redhead beside him groan and sink deeper into her seat. The Uchiha couldn't really blame her, the boy was pitiful in combat, and from the worried look on his face, he knew it too. Especially when the second name popped up.
"Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, come to the stage," Glynda bellowed, uncaring for Arc's impending humiliation.
The blonde boy sighed heavily and reluctantly stood from his seat to reach the stage, while his opponent let out a cruel laugh and made his way eagerly.
"I see Arc has yet to face his problems," Sasuke commented. His bullying was common knowledge among JNPR and RWBY, which meant he knew about it as well second hand, regardless when the boy adamantly denies of such.
"I'm sure he's working on it," Pyrrha said, her tone showing what she truly thought about her statement. "I just wish he'd let us help." Her shoulders sagged as she said it.
Sasuke scoffed. "Then leave him to suffer for his idiocy." Naruto suffered in silence, but where he was alone Arc was not. If he was too blind and stubborn to ask for help, then let him face the consequences.
"He's doing his best, Sasuke," Pyrrha said, a little more heat in her voice than previously. "I trust my team leader."
"If you trust this team leader, then you'll die a meaningless, naïve death." Another slip of the tongue, one that looked like angered the redheaded champion. Well, if he said, he might as well continue. Though the evidence was in full view in the boy's shaky stance.
Pyrrha sat straighter than before, her face set on an angry frown. "I don't believe that one bit. Jaune's a great team leader, he just. . . has more to learn." That's putting it lightly.
He stayed quiet however, content on watching Jaune stumble a fight on this Winchester boy. The only reason he was watching was to see if there was any improvement on his part, and as Sasuke expected, there wasn't any.
"If he didn't even bother learning to fight better, then I recommend asking the headmaster a reassignment," he told the redhead, and he could sense her shaking, as he could see the sisters in front of him trying to ignore the two's argument. "The boy's clearly untrained and you still want him as your leader, but if you care about your team's survival in the field, leave him to the Grimm alone."
Now he'd done it. Pyrrha turned to him, fire in her eyes, a scowl on her face. "I will not leave my comrade to die." When he turned to look her in the eye, her face turned to one of confusion, likely at his amused expression.
"If he has such a loyal teammate, then perhaps it's not too late for him," he said, and turned his head to see Arc tossed to the floor by the larger teen. "Perhaps he could be helped given a proper approach, but it would be easier to just leave him and guarantee your survival. Leave him and survive, or help him and possibly fail and die."
She looked to her feet, clearly in deep thought, a better place to look at considering the one-sided fight that was going on. When she looked back up at him, there was still that anger, but with added determination.
The fight ended with Winchester earning an easy win, and with some added chiding from Glynda, more so towards Jaune than the other.
Wordlessly, Pyrrha stood up and went to her limping team leader, helping him back to his seat, sending a light glare Sasuke's way. Well, not so much a glare, more of 'I won't let you win' type of look. Seems she didn't see competition just in tournaments.
"Nice going, you pissed her off to do something," Yang said. "Who'd have thought you're a master at egging people on to have them do what you want, even outside the ring. Should I be worried you'd take advantage of my maiden mind?"
He rolled his eyes at her theatrics. "You have nothing I want."
She hissed in mock pain. "Ouch, harsh."
Ruby beside her giggled at her sister's display, and turned to face Sasuke. "I don't know if you meant it on purpose, but it was nice of you." She then paused in thought. "Well, technically it was mean, but I guess it's the intent that counts, right?" Did it? It wasn't him who could say.
"I merely stated the situation, if she deemed it a call for action even out of anger, then so be it."
"But were you serious?" He looked to Ruby for confirmation on what she meant. "You know, that they'd die if Jaune didn't get his act straightened out?"
"I was," he said with a nod. "If he's too prideful to accept his team's help, where you have improved-" Ruby puffed her chest with pride at that. "-Jaune has not. He's the same untrained boy from the beginning, stubbornly refusing help to be better with his team."
Looking low in thought, Ruby was taking his words in, he assumed it was putting her in the same situation. "I think I see what you mean," she said finally. "You're saying a team doesn't get stronger when a teammate doesn't try."
"I believe you've heard the term of a chain that's as strong as its weakest link, correct?" Ruby nodded, eyes widening with realization at the implication. "Then you understand what that would mean should a chain snap." Failure, and in combat, that meant death of everyone involved, though they don't have to worry about that anytime soon.
Yang stood up from her seat as students began filing out. "Sasuke's back at it again with the morbid wisdom," she said as she stretched her arms. "You wouldn't happen to be a hundred-year-old hermit in disguise, are you?" In terms of reincarnation, technically far more. "Well whatever, let's get some food."
With the most interesting class he'd attended over, and he's still waiting on Neopolitan's call, Sasuke may as well join them as he waited. Though he was curious to see if team JNPR would join him after his suggestion to leave their leader for dead.
When he saw team them leave the classroom before him, he caught Pyrrha looking his way, but turned away within a blink before he made eye contact. Looks like he embarrassed the girl, or had her hate him for what he said, one or the other.
"C'mon, Pyrrha, we have to wait for the others," he heard Jaune say just he got out the door, halting his teammate from moving further. "And you don't need to be so close, I'm not that hurt." Sasuke didn't mean Jaune was going to die right this second, but it seemed Pyrrha had taken it upon herself to go hard on the matter.
"What? Were you going to leave without us? How cruel!" Yang said with more flair the needed. "Don't worry, I'll forgive you in time. Like, after a burger or something."
Her antics drew their amused laughs, but the Uchiha was focused on the silent redhead who was at her team leader's side. She didn't look angry nor upset, just. . . awkward, he supposed. Perhaps their argument had pushed her a little too hard, and thrust herself into this without thinking about what to do.
At this point it was just a girl too adamant to admit her leader was incompetent, the Uchiha wanted to say she'd understand, but if she didn't learn this past month, she wouldn't now. But they were comrades, and it looked like she wouldn't leave him for dead. Pyrrha was loyal, and she looked like she'd help the blonde fool, whether he liked it or not.
When they passed through the doors of the cafeteria, they immediately spotted Blake waving them over with a conscious Weiss by her side. With the amount of Aura she still had after their fight, it would make sense her recovery was accelerated. Another experiment inadvertently answered.
The group he was with got their trays of food filled with saturated fats and sugar, while he opted for some easy-to-digest salad. He ignored Yang's joke about his 'rabbit habit', and left the groaning for her sister.
"How're you feeling, Weiss?" Ruby asked as she sat beside her teammate.
The heiress sighed. "I'm fine, the nurse said I just needed a bit of rest," she answered, then sent a light glare Sasuke's way. "Though perhaps I got off light." She certainly did. "Don't think I'd fall for the same thing twice, Uchiha." Sasuke just nodded, and she huffed.
"It was a quick match, wasn't it?" Yang said before diving into her burger, ignoring the glare sent her way from Weiss. "I kinda wanted to see your sword skills, but I'll settle with how use your shocking Aura." She also ignored Nora's booing.
Ruby then said, "Yang's bad puns aside-" "Hey!" "-how'd you get to electrify Weiss? She looked like she couldn't move."
The girl herself answered. "He baited me into a trap where I felt he wrapped me with wire," she said, not all too happy about it. "And you can guess what happened next."
Ruby turned back to the Uchiha. "You use wire?"
"Amongst other things," he answered. "I use Dust and my Aura as well to use techniques similar to Weiss', though mine are less refined." That part was a lie, of course, but he did in fact carry around vials of Dust to explain moves like his earth jutsu during initiation and any he might after that. "Looks like I didn't need to."
Weiss growled. "Next time it won't be so easy."
In the quiet gap, he heard some loud whispering that ended with Jaune saying, "Pyrrha, I'm fine, really. Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just that. . . You know, that. . . Cardin's bullying," she stammered, clearly tiptoeing around wounding the boy's pride. "It can't continue, Jaune."
"What bullying?" his answer was met with more than just skeptic silence, and finally noticed that he didn't only have Pyrrha's attention on him, where even she sunk a little lower in her seat for her failed attempt at subtlety. "W-What?"
"Well if you wanna talk bullying," Yang began. "There was that time he shot you into the Emerald Forest via rocket locker." Sasuke avoided placing Kusanagi or his equipment in those blasted things, and opted to keep them safely in his room. Glynda brought it up once, but allowed it since he was alone in a four-man room.
"I didn't land that far. . ." He remembered Pyrrha bringing a worse-for-wear Jaune that day, claiming it was merely an accident. If it was Naruto he'd unleash a prank pandemonium upon the perpetrator. . . He should stop listening to Xiao-Long so much.
Yang sighed. "If you want more examples, I can go on all day, Jaune."
"Okay, I get it," Jaune relented. "But it's fine! It's not just me, he's a jerk to everybody, see?" To wherever he pointed to, he didn't need to because Sasuke could only roll his eyes at his so-called defense. Cardin's laughing was all he needed to clue him.
When he did look, however, Sasuke admitted it surprised him more than expected.
"Deplorable," Pyrrha said unkindly.
"He's a bully, Jaune," Ruby said. "You don't have to take it." Neither did the girl Winchester was harassing, and Sasuke meant more so since Velvet was in a later year than them. Stronger, smarter, faster, surely she could handle this, but didn't.
Looking around, it didn't seem anyone was going to step forward, instead they were either watching or ignoring the event entirely like it wasn't happening. Nobody was helping despite the stares. . . damn it.
"Hmm, Sasuke?" Ruby voiced when he stood up from his seat. "Where're you going?"
"Returning a favor," he said with a sigh before making his way to the Faunus. 'I kinda know what it feels like' she said back then, clearly she didn't for different reasons. 'Idiot, if you're stronger, then crush them.' Was there some cultural difference he didn't know about? He hoped so, and that it wasn't that Velvet was weaker.
That couldn't be if she made it this far within Beacon, she's just choosing not to defend herself for whatever reason. He didn't know whether to call it pitiful or not.
"Ouch, that hurts!" she yelped when Winchester tugged on her ear.
"Wow, the ears are real!" Cardin nearly shouted as his teammates mocked in their own way. "You do- Whoa!" Sasuke grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from her ear, having her fall to the floor. "Let go you fu-, Ah!?"
The Uchiha then grabbed the back of the boys head and slammed his face onto the table, then he looked to the Faunus with a heavy frown. He then saw Winchester's teammate make a move towards him, two even just about to attempt jumping over the table to reach the Uchiha.
Pale, blue light and a scream drowned the cafeteria as Sasuke shocked Cardin with Electromagnetic Murder. The teammates watched as their friend fell in a smoking heap.
"Cardin!" the boy with the mohawk shouted, throwing the first punch, if it could even be called that with how slow it was, but that might just be from his active Sharingan.
Sasuke leaned to the side and waited for him to pass, before a punch to the gut, then an electric-empowered uppercut right under the chin. When the boy fell, he didn't get back up. Was it the electric jutsu? He hoped so, otherwise he might've broken the boy's neck; not something Ozpin would approve.
Fist still visibly coating in pale blue lightning, he watched the other two slide and jump above the table to reach him. Again, they were painfully slow about it.
He grabbed the collar of the one who opted jumping over the table, and quickly slammed and pinned him to his remaining conscious friend. Both let out a gasp as wind was kicked out of their lungs, and both screamed for the seconds they were introduced with a dose of Electromagnetic Murder, he should thank them for opting to wear metal armor.
That was it, four unconscious bodies of young adults who tried taking him on, but the result should've been the same when facing someone of Velvet's standing. Was she later year or was she lying? That couldn't be.
He turned to face her, she was in equal parts surprise in disbelief, as she should. He knelt and moved closer to her face before quietly saying, "consider it a thank you from back then, but don't think deeply into it. If they bother you once more, you alone are responsible to show them what happens when they harass you, I won't be doing this again."
"Thank you."
Her response had him pause, it wasn't the response he was expecting from declaring he wasn't going to help next time, but he nodded regardless and stuck a hand out for her to take. When she did, he lifted her off the floor, nodded to her again, and left to rejoin his company.
Of the people around who watched, several looked to him in disappointment or disgust, but others showed approval, some Faunus even showed thankfulness. It didn't matter, they could think whatever they wanted, this wasn't going to be repeated.
He heard Yang give an impressed whistle. "Quick work, the four of them didn't even last long as Weiss."
"As I said, none of you first years are strong enough to fight me," Sasuke replied just as he was about to sit, but his Scroll buzzed. When he drew it out, the name Neopolitan was in large letters on the screen.
While the quiet one, it seemed Blake found his actions worthy of a comment. "I didn't think you cared," she said, her voice showing evident surprise.
"I don't, merely paying back someone who helped me, nothing more," he said, looking around for a quiet place to answer the Scroll, but with the few eyes still on him, it wasn't this place.
"Something the matter?" Ren asked, spotting his clear agitation from the call. "Is it Ozpin calling you? Did he know about your fight just now?" If it could even be called that.
He shook his head and calmed himself down. "Just another special order for books," Sasuke lied. He told them about his special orders in effort to learn what Vale found out about Aura, and while true, it also worked as a cover to procure what his clones acquired from the pockets of citizens. "I need to take this." He then went to leave before they could ask any more, only barely hearing their goodbyes.
Outside the cafeteria, he considered taking the call in the hallway, but being surrounded by would-be heroes in an iconic academy might not be wise for a video call. He gave a silent thanks to Ruby, and selected the audio-only option and brought up to his ear.
"You kept me waiting, you should be more responsible in handling your calls," the voice of Neo said. "And what's with the voice call?" He had perfectly valid reasons for the second one, but he ignored answering that.
Sasuke resisted to scowl. "I don't think you should be the one bothered by waiting. It's been weeks and you call me now?"
"Is that the way to speak to your employer?" For the second time, he paused. "What happened, cat got your tongue?"
"I'm employed then, what of the Dust I said would be my payment?" Dust was viable energy source for the seal, and while not as potent as souls, Tatsuya said that it would suit it fine should enough quantity be used.
Neo hummed. "Don't worry, I talked it over with the boss, you'll get your Dust, but not so quick." Of course it wasn't, why would it? "We have a little test for you to go through first, but it shouldn't be a problem."
A month he waited, and he was just about to search for another source for Dust, but looked like he didn't need to. "Tell me the time and place."
A date had been set, in a few days Sasuke would leave for the capital to meet up with his contact to do this test Neopolitan mentioned. When he asked why not sooner, she answered that they were 'still setting up shop'. Either way, he had something to look forward to.
Which was why the current situation was a little more annoying than it should.
"You coming to the defense to Miss Scarlatina was admirable, even if it was from fellow trainees," Ozpin said with a nod. "I'd have them punished, but it seemed like you did that for me. Though I will have some words with them later."
What happened in the cafeteria might've turned out to be a boon for the Uchiha. Considering their deal and Ozpin's optimism that he'd join them, perhaps his little show of heroism to protect a fellow student might make the headmaster more patient with him. At least, that's what he told himself to make this underwhelming discussion bearable.
"I was paying back a favor from her assistance early on," Sasuke said standing across from the man's desk. "That said, she's responsible for handling harassment on her own, I won't be helping her any more than I already did."
Ozpin just nodded. "I can assure you Velvet and her team are very capable students. I have no doubt in my mind she can fight team CRDL with relative ease, but won't due to personal reasons, I'm sure." Whatever those reasons were, they better be worth it. "Though if you hadn't beaten them, I'm sure Coco might have. . ." The last part was mumbled.
"So why am I here? I doubt you called for me just to praise me." While bullying wasn't common, he had seen a few around Beacon, Jaune being a strong example of one he didn't want to intervene in.
"Am I not allowed to check up on my students?"
"I'm not your student, never was." The headmaster was just playing, hence why the Uchiha didn't appreciate this conversation. "What's the real reason?"
The man leaned into his desk, hands steepled on it. "Partially to discourage you from getting into fights, but mostly to assess how you've been doing."
Needless to say, Sasuke was quite skeptical. "That so happens to coincide with my aid to one of your students? One would assume you saw it was a sign as me accepting Beacon."
All the headmaster did was hum. "I don't think I need that moment to see that."
"You can sound vague all you want, I still want to know why I was summoned here." He can think whatever he wanted, it only benefited Sasuke.
Ozpin leaned back into his chair. "I was looking into where your home could be, and I've yet to find any that would be a few month's journey from here that was destroyed."
"I would assume not, my village prided itself for being hidden," he answered quickly. "I doubt even flying over it would help finding it. If swarms of Nevermore couldn't find it, then certainly not your bullheads."
"And not even other villages?"
Now Sasuke had to pause. "There were other villages similar to ours that we interacted with, but it wasn't very amicable." Building lies on top of lies, let there be so many layers they could never find the truth.
"Why not?"
"Our villages were very prideful, and when two prideful people meet with each greed for finite resources, that only leads to one result."
"War," Ozpin answered, to which Sasuke nodded. "So your village was destroyed from one war?"
Sasuke scoffed. "The latest one, yes, but the previous ones helped build up to it. Forgiveness wasn't in our people's nature, a cycle of hatred continued from father to child. We just happen to be the last of the line, my village and theirs. It seemed Grimm finally gathered enough to destroy all the villages involved."
Ozpin hummed in deep thought about his lies. "Such a shame so many died for pride and greed." For what it's worth, he did seemed genuinely bothered by such loss of life. "Perhaps the kingdoms were the lucky ones having finally made peace after the war, or I fear we might've suffered a similar fate."
"You would've," Sasuke replied instantly.
"And what was your position in the war?" he asked curiously, again leaning closer to his desk. "Or perhaps I should ask if there are any other survivors we might aide as we have you."
With a brow raised, Sasuke wondered if it was a question or a trap. "My place in the war was local defense, I was barely out of the academy when Grimm tore down our walls." It was best to let them think he was talented, not superhuman. "As for survivors, if you find any, I'd certainly appreciate to know of them."
"You're certainly keeping your secrets close to heart," the headmaster replied, noticing his clipped information. "Though perhaps I should thank you for sharing as much as you did." Yeah, sure.
"I'm still trying to decipher why my village kept the outside world a secret," Sasuke said with a nod. "Once I learn more and debunk a few theories, I will tell you all you wish to know." Hopefully by then he'd have a way home by then before more questions.
The older man nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Uchiha, I believe I learned what I needed. You may leave and enjoy your day."
Sasuke nodded in return and went back to the elevator to leave, he saw the headmaster give him a small wave as the doors slid shut. 'Cocky bastard.' He was actually unsure if Ozpin believed him or not, whether he was hiding his skepticism or not. 'I haven't been kicked out yet, but only time will tell.'
When the elevator doors opened once more, he was immediately placed on edge. A group of older students leant on a wall before him, waiting for something and Sasuke couldn't help but feel it was for him, especially from how the girl with the beret dropped her sunglasses to give a long look at him.
Should he dash away and leave, or fight and show them their place? Options kept coming up, especially as he looked to her teammates, but then he spotted familiar, brown rabbit ears. Was this another group bullying her? If so, he wasn't getting himself involved with this one, but she didn't seem as frightened or anxious.
"So, you're Sasuke Uchiha," the woman in the beret stated, then looked him up and down. "You're shorter than I expected."
The Uchiha frowned. "If you're here to criticize my height, then I have better things to do than listen to you," he replied, and saw Velvet groan into her hands, the one in green armor patting her shoulder as a show of solidarity. 'Her team?'
"No need to get sour, just stating an observation from the guy I keep hearing from some classmates. I'm sure you're familiar with a certain fan club."
He audibly growled. "I am not involved with them in any way, and I intend to keep it so." The beret girl pushed herself off the wall and made her way to him, not in a dreamy lustful way, but rather almost out of curiosity.
And here she was, standing before him a foot away. "You helped my teammate from some assholes, I hear."
He looked to Velvet once more, her eyes were low and looked like she wanted to avoid seeing this interaction. Turning back to the woman in front of him, he asked, "so what if I did?" Considering Velvet's reaction, maybe he should approach this with caution.
"Well, first I need to ask why you butted in and stopped me from exacting my own revenge." So was she upset or not? "Besides, I feel like I have to thank you."
"I don't wa-" One moment he was giving a response, the next he saw arms coming at him from his sides to embrace him. That, he wasn't going to allow.
Sasuke could now see the beret girl squeezing the life out of one of her teammates, and that wasn't an exaggeration. The redhead he replaced himself with looked far too much in pain to even be surprised how he got there. "Just be quiet and accept my gratitude," she said, oblivious who she was really showing thanks to.
He heard a feminine squeak from beside him, which happened to be Velvet looking at him in surprise, followed closely by her larger teammate's own exclamation.
"Coco, you missed," the large one shouted when he turned.
So this was Coco that Ozpin mumbled about earlier, but she didn't look anything special. He wanted to comment on her body, but she wore far too many accessories to really have an impression on what looked like a lean build.
Coco blinked a bit and looked down at her victim's blue face, and let him fall to the floor in a gasping heap. Perhaps his impression on her build would've been inaccurate if it caused that much damage.
When she turned to face him, she looked confused. "What's the matter, afraid of a little hug?" she said with a smile, opening her arms wide and as she walked towards him again. And that was not some little hug. "Come on, it's just some thanks from me, no need to run away."
"I'd rather you show your appreciation without invading my personal space," he told her.
"Now you just make me want to try harder." Stubborn, and all she was missing was some blonde hair. At least she wasn't being lecherous about it, but that didn't change his answer. She then gave him a second look over and dropped her arms with a small frown. "On second thought, maybe you're right. How about I pay you back with a wardrobe change. Seriously, what's with the rope?"
Sasuke's eye twitched. "I don't need your aid for my clothes either." It was functional, and that's all that mattered. He was about to say more, but Coco literally leapt at him for an embrace, he was almost caught off-guard.
"Gotcha, you wily little bastard," she said victoriously. "You're gonna accept my thanks whether you like it or not."
"As I said, I don't want it," he said from beside her where Velvet once stood.
Coco looked down at her new victim, that being the Faunus who now fell to the floor after being let go, groaning for a very endearing embrace. Her grin grew as she was right beside him. "Third time's the cha-" was all she said before she closed her eyes from the gust of wind that hit her face. When she opened them once more, the Uchiha was gone.
"Hmph!" she huffed as she raised her sunglasses back in place. "Looks like he doesn't know that Coco Adel always gets her man."
Byrn is now my inter-fic OC (Frosted Steel, TDBOI). Spoiler: He never wins.
Oh boy, I needed to rework chapter 5 a little bit, and we see more Neo talking. Don't worry, I'm cutting my own arm for each word she says . . . Does anyone else notice the room spinning? I'm gonna take a nap.
Trivia:
1-Weiss was actually the initial person who he was supposed to fight before I changed it to Pyrrha back then. This is better because it serves the rival-animosity Weiss should've had towards him.
2-This might be a surprise, but I have no hatred towards team CRDL, nor most personalities. I hate badly written characters, not bad guys, hence why I really hate character bashing.
3-Chapter 3 and 4 were the most problematic to rewrite, since it was a combo of working with what's made and completely new. Can't change too much, but I had to change what I could.
Alright, reviews help me understand if I made the right choice (unless you reviewed before, in which case thank you anyways). In the meantime, I'll be going into a small coma.