Shadow of War
Chapter II: Premonition
[Observation Deck, Bullhead to Beacon]
Naruto stood in silence as he peered out of the massive circular windows of the Bullhead, having finally obtained a moment of peace from his chatting sisters and their compatriots. While Naruto normally preferred the sounds of battle and warfare over the monotony of silence and peace, this was an exception for his limits for mundane conversation had been driven to its peak. But alas, he no longer needed to dwell on such thoughts, as he had finally escaped their presence and found serenity.
"This is Lisa Lavender reporting in on the investigation of the recent terrorist bombings on one of our local huntsmen families; the Winchesters." Naruto interest was peaked by the news reporter's subject, given that he knew the family they spoke about. "The White Fang organization have claimed responsibility for the killing of one of the Winchester's family members, and the critical injuries of another."
Cowardly savages, have they no honour? No chivalry? Of course not, what could beings that hide in the shadows, and face their opponents wreathed in a cloak of deception and fear possibly know about honour? Naruto thought to himself.
Naruto was brought out of his focus when a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder and he heard a female's voice on the opposite side. "Good morning, Naruto."
Naruto turned around to face the source of these words, finding himself face to face with a short blonde girl. She had unkempt, cream blonde hair that went to the middle of her neck and perhaps more notably, a pair of small feline ears lay partially hidden in her hair, twitching at the slightest sound. Two pinkish-red eyes filled with mirth stared right back at his own stoic eyes, which complemented the perpetual smile that always adorned her face. She wore a yellow, short-sleeved dress shirt with a pouch on both sides of her chest, an onyx black tie, a black knee-length skirt and a pair of black socks that reached to her upper calves.
"Good morning Schrödinger," Naruto greeted formally. "I see that you decided to come to Beacon as well, although I'm surprised you didn't just go to Haven like the majority of the other students."
Arms on her hips, she sighed exasperatedly, "Naruto, you don't need to be so formal vith me, and I decided to come here since zere's nothing really promising or interesting in Haven." She spoke with a distinct dialect, found in the regions Northeast of Solitas' former capital, Mantle. "Plus, ve're not the only two to come here from Sanctum."
"Who else came?" Naruto questioned, one of his eyebrows raised in interest. "Is it Boudicea and… Hassan? The latter name being said with distaste as a frown found itself upon his face.
"Indeed it is, however zey are on another Bullhead last I saw." She said chuckling as Naruto groaned in response. "Vhy? Vhut's wrong with zose two?"
"Boudicea is hot-tempered and easily drawn to confrontation, however she is tolerable. It's Hassan I cannot stand; he's an assassin and a trickster. He refuses to face me properly in a duel and is constantly appearing out of nowhere and then seemingly disappearing into the shadows," His frown growing larger as he began to delve deeper into his rantings. "And then he has the gall to mock me simply because I us-"
"Okay, I get it! You don't like him because he's your exact opposite." Schrödinger quickly interrupted, sparing herself from his ravings whilst beginning to think of a new topic for their conversation lest she be forced to hear more of his grumblings. "I remember you told me zat you vere vorking on a new set of armor, how is zat going?"
"Ah yes, I just finished getting the cloth sewn and in place for the cuirass. It took some time to find the right cloth but it was worth it." Naruto stated proudly, recalling his most recent construction. "I long for the day where I shall stride forward into the hordes of Grimm whilst covered head-to-toe in my suit of mighty armor, guided forth by my hunger for battle." The frown he wore previously now gone, and a small smile graced his lips as he seemed to zone out looking into the world beyond the glass windows.
"Zat's good and all, but how vill you evade ze larger Grimm? Like Ursas?" She inquired carefully, fearful of another one of his long-winded rants. "Surely ze armor shall weigh you down, no?"
Naruto, snapped out of his stupor by her concerns, and looked at Schrödinger with an overconfident, if not arrogant gaze. "My shield shall preserve my body, my blade shall smite my enemies without cessation or mercy. I will not turn away when my enemy bares his arms, nor shall I flee when they strike," He said, seemingly losing himself in the moment once again, his voice and words soon became more flaring and dramatic, gathering the attention of more than a few onlookers who found themselves enticed by his bold speech.
"I will brace against them, and bring upon them unbound wrath never before seen in their lifetime. To the people, we as Huntsmen must stand, as bastions of strength, never fleeing from evil and ensuring that the lands we safeguard remain untainted. We must maintain that sense of security, or their faith will slacken, and order will wane into roaring chaos. Such is our duty." He finished his speech, with over half the people on the observation deck staring at him in awe and emboldened by his words of truth.
Naruto now aware of how many people were looking at him, became anxious, fearing that he may have embarrassed himself in front of the rest of his future peers, however he externally maintained a calm and composed form.
A single clap broke the near eternal silence, from none other than Schrödinger herself, her trademark grin only becoming wider and larger. A few more students joined in, however others simply stood there in silent contemplation, thinking over his words, although this did little to relieve Naruto of his doubt. Unsure of what to do in this situation, he gave a faint and daunting smile, scratching the back of his hand as to distract him from further embarrassment.
Not long after Naruto gave his unintentional speech, all of the news broadcasts that had been playing on the observation decks shut off and in their place, holoprojectors activated and a woman appeared. Once the particles finalized, the woman was revealed to be Glynda Goodwitch. "Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch."
Naruto's attention was briefly caught when his hearing caught the sounds of two people arguing, one male and one female. As Glynda continued on with her welcoming announcement, Naruto turned and quickly glanced at the arguing couple.
The boy was nearly half a foot taller than him, with ashen hair and pale skin. He wore a slate grey jacket that was partially zipped up to the collar region along with a pair of black pants and black shoes. Based on his facial expressions, or rather lack of, he looked to be quite bored of being reprimanded by his companion, appearing to be only diverting half of his attention to her.
She on the other hand, took a much more serious stance, her arms on her hips and looked quite furious with her friend who seemed to care less. More notably about her was mint green hair, and from what he could tell from the brief second she turned around to face the main assembly of people, dark crimson eyes. Her skin, in contrast to the taller boy's pale white, was a dark mocha brown and seemed to absorb nearby light while his seemed to reflect it.
After a few minutes, the two seemed to stop just as Glynda began wrapping up her speech.
"-and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." With those words, the hologram deactivated, and the projection of Glynda disappeared.
"Oh, wow! Tsuki, we can see Signal from up here!" Naruto glanced over to see Ruby and his twin peering out of the window to his far right, gazing out into the city below. He soon found himself doing the same, albeit, more lost in thought. Unfortunately, such peace did not last as a blond boy, half a foot taller than himself scramble past him, a hand held to his mouth and another on his stomach.
As the boy rushed to the nearest waste bin, small drops of liquid seemed to dribble out of his mouth, the hand guarding it only mildly containing his bile. Schrödinger began to giggle as he nearly tripped on his own feet, and drops of vomit occasionally fell onto those he passed.
While Naruto might have found this to be a long and dreary ride to Beacon, clearly Schrödinger thought otherwise.
[Beacon Academy Docking Station]
As Naruto and Schrödinger walked out of the Bullhead into the cool air, the former's sisters and their friends following close behind. Upon completely exiting the Bullhead, they were greeted with the impressive sight of Beacon Academy. Whilst Schrödinger, Tsuki, Yang and Ruby were simply caught in awe by the size of the Academy or perhaps by the incredible details upon the structures, Naruto found his attention grabbed by something else. The unity and symmetry of the Academy was unbelievable, few locations, as old and as large could ever hope to achieve such unity in design.
"Isn't this place just awesome!" Yang shouted with excitement, grabbing Ruby and Tsuki's shoulders.
"Yeah sis, just please stop crushing us. You're going to break my shoulder." Ruby said, her voice strained as pain was clearly etched on her face.
"Whoops, sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes." Yang said releasing the two younger girls, chuckling and scratching her head in an embarrassed fashion. "So, little bro, what do you think of this place? Pretty cool am I right?" Yang inquired, turning her attention to Naruto.
"First off, please stop calling me 'little bro' as I'm not your younger brother," Naruto stated, his face marred with a frown in annoyance at her nickname. "Yeah, for now that is..." Yang said quietly under her breath, seemingly unheard by most around her, save for one, whom promptly blushed. "Second, I relish in Beacon's architecture, the symmetry is remarkable and the design of its buildings are simply amaz-"
"Little bro, please stop before you go into another one of your long speeches like you did earlier." Yang interrupted, bringing up his five minute long speech. Naruto quickly blushed, reminded of his embarrassing actions aboard the Bullhead.
"Yes, yes. No need to bring that back up." Naruto spoke quickly, trying to appease Yang's need to further shame him.
"But hey, it was a pretty good speech, not gonna lie. Just a bit long."
Naruto felt a hand tap his shoulder twice, before turning around to see Schrödinger. "I'm going to split off and look for our two friends, I'll come get you vhen I find zem." Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, turning his head back to its original position, eyes forward.
"So, Naruto, I didn't know you used so many weapons, can you tell me about them?" Ruby asked suddenly, excitement shining in her silver eyes.
"They're used for battle and warfare." Naruto said bluntly, stoicism plastered onto his face. Yang and Shiro looked at one another and quietly giggled as Ruby's excitement soon deflated.
"Naruto, you can be a bit more specific than that can't you?" Shiro chided, trying to get her younger brother to give a proper answer.
"I suppose so. However, as this information is private and until I know you are on my team when the time comes, I shall reveal only a mere parcel of my arsenal to you. Orally that is."
Upon finishing his statement, Naruto heard the sound of repressed laughter. Turning to look behind him, he saw Tsuki and Ruby, both hands on their mouths, as they closed their eyes and their cheeks blushed as if they were holding in something. Naruto raised his eyebrow in uncertainty. "What?"
"You said oral." And suddenly, as if the walls of a dam had been destroyed, a wave of built-up laughter was set loose.
Naruto in response, simply frowned once again, pinching the bridge of his nose, right below his glasses. "Are you serious?"
"Sorry, sorry. It was just too funny, especially coming from you. Please, continue." Tsuki replied to Naruto, gasping for breath in between statements.
"As a melee sidearm, I utilize an Arming Sword; a double-edged blade about two and a half feet in length made of refined steel. A dust compartment is hidden within the sword that allows me to place a dust crystal, and channel its properties throughout my blade. Does that satiate your curiosity, Ruby?"
"Yeah, thanks Naruto." Ruby responded, still slightly winded from her earlier bout of laughter.
A vibration came from Naruto's interior jacket pocket, and he quickly reached in and grabbed it seeking to find out what was causing it. A single message simply stating 'Plaza'.
"I will take my leave now, I'll see you all at the end of the day." He nodded to the two pairs of sisters and began to quickly walk before transitioning into a light jog.
He soon found the familiar attire of Schrödinger along with three other people. One boy and two girls.
The boy, standing two inches taller than Naruto, had dark brown skin and light brown eyes, however his body was almost entirely covered in light armor and midnight black cloth, save for his face and his hands. He laid his back upon one of the pillars in the plaza, hands resting on the back of his head as he took in the humorous sight of the two women fighting and arguing. Along his pants, and within his cloak, Naruto could catch the sheen of the many daggers and blades he kept hidden on his person.
The first girl had snow white skin, with pale sapphires for eyes, and long white hair placed in an off center bun tail. She wore a thigh length strapless dress that goes from a white to pale blue along with a white bolero, rectangular silver earrings and white boots. She paced back and forth, hands on her hips with a sort of grace only those of nobility could possess through years of practice in etiquette. She seemed to hold herself with high esteem, and he could feel the confidence with every step she took.
The second woman however, was tall. Extremely tall, standing well over a foot and a half above Naruto, with golden hair that flowed down to her shoulder blades, fair white skin, and oaken brown eyes. Vivid blue paint found itself marked on her face, a horizontal line coming from each of her ears to the corner of her eyes, and a set of three lines on the very bottom of her eyes, similar to eyelashes. She wore a rich azure tunic that seemed to be torn along its sleeves and towards the bottom, however this gave Naruto the opportunity to catch sight of glints of light in the tears. She was wearing metal, and knowing her, it was likely to be chainmail armor. She strode, not with the noble grace of the other girl, but with a savage dominance, as if this was her kingdom, and the girl of nobility was a trespasser. And she seemed to be ready to defend her "kingdom" to the death if it came to it.
"I demand you apologize to me! You brutishly slammed into me, and then have the gall to demand an apology from me? Do you know who I am?" The shorter of the two demanded.
"I shall do no such thing, in fact I think that it is you who owe me an apology, weakling. Dare to stand in my way, and you will face the consequences." The larger girl threatened, cracking her knuckles. "And believe me, I'll enjoy every bit of this, Schnee."
Naruto, finally reaching the plaza, walked up next to the man with his back on the pillar. "Salutations, Hassan." The name was uttered in an unpleasant tone, as if one was trying to speak whilst eating horrible cuisine. The man in response, turned to face him.
"Ah, hello Naruto, I see you've come to see the fight." Hassan said, an amused tone in his voice. "They only met two… maybe three minutes ago, and they're already at each other's throats."
"And I assume you've done nothing to stop them?"
"That's about right." Hassan said in return, a small smile gracing his face as he began to lightly chuckle. "If you'd like to stop them, be my guest." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
Naruto steadily walked up to the pair of girls, hoping to intervene before their quarrel became violent. "Boudicea, calm yourself, and avert your anger. And you will do the same, Schnee." Naruto ordered, now playing the role of arbitrator. "Boudicea you claimed yourself to be the 'warrior-queen' of Sanctum Academy, so act like it, and show some restraint. I'm not ordering you to be humble, but simply don't become violent upon the first insult or accident." Naruto scolded the older woman, who nodded in acknowledgement.
"Thank you, I was afraid someone was going to get hurt here, at least someone acknowledges who I am." The Schnee girl said, the pride she had shown earlier still evident in her tone.
"The same goes for you, Schnee," Naruto, now turning his attention to other girl involved, his ire still as present as it was before. "You were raised in the higher echelons of Atlesian Society and I can assume you were taught proper manners and etiquette?" She nodded her head in response to his question. "Good, then recompose yourself, and proceed with your route. Should you stay here any longer her ire will only grow." Naruto commanded, efficiently breaking up the would-be fight. The Schnee woman then proceeded to leave, her attendants carting her bags and luggage behind her, but not before turning to face him one last time.
"It's Weiss by the way. Thank you…" She whispered the last part, departing with her attendants to the main hall.
Boudicea gathered herself and gave a deep sigh, whether in relief or in disappointment Naruto did not know, but she turned to him and spoke. "Thanks, Naruto but you didn't need to get involved, I could've handled it myself."
"Clearly not, you were about to draw your blade and duel her in one-on-one combat." Naruto reprimanded
"He's right. I saw your hand reaching for the hilt of your sword." Hassan said, making himself known to the group. "You would've challenged her to open combat right here in the plaza."
"Yeah, so what? She was asking for it, the cheeky little bitch. I swear, if she does that again I'll-"
"Save your strength for the combat classes, Boudicea. The time will come eventually." Naruto said, slowly calming her irritation. "Now, let's proceed onward into the assembly hall, yes?"
[Assembly Hall/Amphitheater]
Making their way through the crowd of new students, the group of four strode forward seeking a decent location to stand for the speech that was supposed to be given by the Headmaster of Beacon. After several minutes of walking, the group finally found a area where they could both have a good view of the stage and be within good hearing distance. Naruto, whom started to look around the building out of boredom, spotted a familiar face. His rival.
A woman with garnet-red hair tied into a waist-length ponytail and emerald green eyes, standing at six feet grabbed Naruto's attention as he was regaled of his times in Sanctum Academy. She wore her traditional bronze greaves and brace, bronze V-neck top and light brown strapless top, a black A-line miniskirt and red ankle-length drapery. She held herself with such pride – or was it confidence – that she seemed to fear nothing, standing amongst the crowd without any anxiety of her first day at Beacon Academy, nor any sign of distress of the trials that await her. She was perfect example of a huntress in training. But to Naruto, she was his greatest, and quite possibly the only rival of his generation.
She was Pyrrha Nikos, one of the few other competent students at Sanctum Academy who had managed to beat him several times. She was his ire, his rival and his archnemesis. For what foe could be greater, than the one that could manipulate your very weapons against you? On average, every other battle was a victory on Pyrrha's part, and every time she was victorious, Naruto could feel shame and dishonored as he let victory escape his grasp. He refined his equipment, studied her like one would study a new species of animal, observing her techniques and how she handled combat, and would eventually overcome said technique by altering his equipment or his style of combat. But every time he achieved victory, so did she as she too quickly learned to counter him. Such was an endless cycle that repeated itself for two years up to their graduation. Outside of combat though, the two were equal in terms of academic and their knowledge on history and the likes. They both graduated at the same time, both valedictorians and at the top of their classes. But given the break between preliminary academies and the final period of academic life prior to being officially instated as huntsmen, he's expanded his arsenal to better suit one-on-one combat with the Spartan.
Naruto was forced out of his musings when he heard the microphone produce its characteristic static noise, and noticed that the Headmaster, a middle-aged man with tousled silver-grey hair, shaded spectacles, and a black and green suit along with Glynda had walked up on stage. He walked calmly up to the stage, completely serious expression on his face, no smile like some of the other professors he had caught glimpses of on campus, and seemed indifferent for the most part. The previously noisy crowd had softened and was now nearly silent, as the small groups of friends who were spread out among the hall soon began shuffling in with the rest of the crowd. Naruto now was unable to see, as more and more people blocked his sight, given his relatively short size compared to the older students around him. Noticing his distress, Boudicea snapped her fingers in front of Naruto, gaining his attention.
"Need some help?" She offered, seeking to help her acquaintance.
"Sure, what did you have in mind-!?" He asked, however his question was soon resolved as she grabbed a hold of his legs and easily lifted him up onto her shoulders. Shocked by the sudden actions of his colleague, he struggled to balance himself, but after a few seconds, managed to do so.
"Thank you." He spoke in a hushed tone, his cheeks flushing as he was held up like a child, however, his problem was resolved nonetheless and he refrained from scolding her.
Finally, the headmaster spoke. "I'll… keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." His speech taking a slow turn from an welcoming introduction to condescension.
I lack no such purpose or direction. My purpose is as clear as the dawn, and my direction as straightforward as my blade. Naruto thought to himself in response to the headmaster's words. I've known what I shall do for years now, and I've worked for that dream ever since. Blood and sweat have been sacrificed to make my ambition a reality. I will not disappoint.
The Headmaster, now having finished his speech while Naruto was thinking, relinquished control of the microphone to Glynda who gave a brief statement. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She immediately left, following behind the Headmaster.
"Vel zat vas certainly… inspirational." Schrödinger said, slightly baffled by the headmaster's speech.
"If by inspirational, you mean condescending and patronizing, then I would agree." Hassan followed up. "Well, I guess I'll see you at the ballroom tonight. If not, then tomorrow at the initiation area." He waved them goodbye, and as usual, blended into the crowd of people, and disappeared like a spectre.
"Boudicea, would you mind letting me down now?" Naruto inquired the tall girl, whom had almost forgotten of his presence on her shoulders given their difference in size and mass.
"Oh, sure thing." She said, setting him down on the solid and more stable ground.
"My thanks, I shall also be departing and touring the academy, by myself. I'll see you all later tonight." He said, excusing himself from the group, and taking his leave at the nearest exit.
[Main Avenue]
Upon exiting the amphitheater, Naruto continued outward towards the large, stone statue of two huntsmen, one male and one female, who stood triumphantly atop a rock outcropping, with a Beowolf below. Upon, making a left turn, circling around the statue to view it from the front, he saw another familiar face. However, this one was not another student from Sanctum Academy. No, he was another person who came from a decently powerful and influential family of huntsmen he had met through his family's huntsmen gatherings.
A giant for someone only two years older than him, he stood over six and a half feet tall, about the same height as Boudicea. He had burnt-orange hair combed and slicked back and indigo blue eyes. He wore silver-gray armor, with a gold trim, the most notable feature being the large, outstretched bird on his chestplate. Underneath that, he wore a black shirt and pants, the former having a red trimming to them.
"Afternoon, Cardin." Naruto greeted formally, extending his arm out for a handshake.
The gesture was returned as Cardin held his hand out to receive. "Hey Naruto, haven't seen you since our parents joined yours for that party." A small smile graced his face, pleased to see someone whom he's known before. "Didn't think you'd come here, since you're parents kept talking about you being at Sanctum and all, I figured you would end up going to Haven Academy."
"That's understandable. I ended up deciding to Beacon instead of Haven as much more, pleasant information has been given out regarding the faculty and the Academy itself as opposed to Haven, where organized crime has slowly influenced the Academy's actions and decisions." Naruto responded, perhaps explaining more than what was necessary. "Come, walk with me." He said, gesturing that they walk around the main avenue of Beacon.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, how have you been since the attack on your family?" Naruto asked cautiously, uncertain of Cardin's mental state should the traumatic event resurge in his mind.
"My mom's getting better. The doctors say she'll be out of the hospital in about two months, but… my little sister, Tana she-." His voice began to quiver as he held his head down in melancholy.
His response to Naruto's question was halted when the latter put a hand on the giant's shoulder, signalling to him not to continue. "You need not continue with your statement, I understand. Forgive me for bringing up the topic." Naruto said, his face showed no change of emotion, his typical stoic frown present on his face.
"No, no it's fine." Cardin tells him, his state of sorrow quickly transforming into rage as he began to clench his fists. "Those Faunus bastards, they killed by little sister and they almost killed my mother! They'll pay for what they've done to them, to this I swear it." He vowed to himself, steeling his resolve.
"And you shall attain your revenge. But you must gather your might, consolidate your power, and have a vast collection of information against them. To strike at them, you must know where and what to hit, rather than swing blindly in the dark. Hold back your anger, and when you silence those who have killed and harmed your loved ones, then you may let your anger subside." Naruto instructed him, advising him both as a fellow huntsman and as an associate.
"Thanks Naruto." The two remained solemnly quiet for the remainder of their walk around Beacon. Almost unnoticed to them, the the rays of the sun, slowly began to dim and fade, as the sun itself set into horizon. Soon, the fractured moon made itself known, surrounded by a seemingly limitless number of stars. Nightfall was upon the two.
"Well, I bid you farewell, Cardin Winchester. I wish the best of luck to you in the initiation tomorrow." Naruto said, giving him a small respectful bow.
"You too, Naruto. Good luck on the initiation." Cardin said in turn, returning the bow with one of his own. The two, now taking their leave, and walking separate directions.
[Ballroom]
Having finished dinner in the cafeteria, Naruto proceeded to the one of the larger bathrooms to shower and change his clothing. Naruto now wore a white linen tunic with a black trim and a silk interior, a pair of white linen pants with two pockets; one on each side, and a warm ashen grey nightcap that pointed outwards and fell down around his neck, carrying a medium sized book with a brown leather covering, the words 'Liber Maleficium' sewn in jet black thread on the front, while on the back was his emblem sewn in the very same thread. The top of his quill, a pure as snow white feather, poked out of one of his two pockets, the other, likely filled with his sealed ink bottle or his scroll and headphones.
Upon entering the ballroom, the first thing he noticed was the number of people staying the night here. The ballroom alone was housing well over three or four scores of other new students. Dismissing his thoughts, he began trying to search for a decent spot, he gazed around the massive room, pushing his glasses further up towards his eyes to get a clearer view of the area.
"Naruto!" Tsuki yelled, gaining her twin's attention. "Over here! Me and sis saved you a spot."
Naruto, now attempting to sift through the sea of students, the majority of whom were bunched up and crowded together, a few of them however, did not seem ready to sleep. They were chatting or roughhousing, females for the former, and males on the latter. Neither groups seemed intent on resting anytime soon.
Oh well. Their death wish, not mine.
Finally making it to the far left side of the ballroom towards the large staircase ascending up to the next floor, Naruto joined his siblings.
"Sooooo..." Tsuki said, stretching the word as long as she possibly could. "Where did you go after you left us?"
"I joined my old colleagues from Sanctum Academy about a half of a mile away from the Huntsmen's Statue in front of the main doors, we then proceeded to enter the amphitheatre like everyone else did, listened to the Headmaster's speech, I then disembarked from the group and spoke to a familiar face, ate dinner, showered, changed my clothing and walked here from the entrance of the ballroom." He said, pointing towards the doors he came in from.
"Naruto, please stop taking her literally. I know you enjoy annoying her but she's going to throw a fit at some point, and I'll probably have to deal with it." Shiro said, hoping her younger brother would understand her plight.
"Hmm. Tempting, very tempting. But here's a counter offer. I don't stop, and you deal with her childish tantrums." He said, a small smile gracing his face as he began to enjoy annoying his other sister.
"Sup guys." A familiar voice made itself known as Yang and Ruby walked up to the three siblings. "You mind if we join you here?"
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going to head over to the wall and sit down and go through my ledger." He said, gesturing to his sisters as he then pointed to the nearby wall where a trio of candles had been lit providing one of the few sources of light in the entire ballroom.
"Goodnight Naruto, see you tomorrow morning." Shiro said warmly, smiling to her little brother.
"Yeah, goodnight little bro, see ya tomorrow." Yang said, snickering at his typical reaction of annoyance towards the name she always referred to him by. Tsuki and Ruby simply waved to him, not desiring to annoy him any further.
The only male in the group of siblings turned towards the candlelight and began walking forward. He then noticed the holder, or rather the owner of said candlelight. She had creamy white skin contrasting with her long ebony locks, amber yellow eyes, purple eyeshadow, and a single black bow tied on the top of her head. She wore a black yukata with a purple undershirt and skirt, and was resting right next to a small three legged stand holding up the candelabrum and three candles.
He walked up to her, and politely gained her attention. "Excuse me, would you mind if I sat next to you?"
"Go for it." She said, not looking up from her book. He nodded in appreciation, and sat down next to the introverted girl.
He loosened the ledger's bindings before opening it to reveal pages of fine parchment. Pulling out his quill and ink, he began to flip through the ledger, searching for his most recent activity. Finally arriving on a page of parchment, filled only about two-thirds of the way down the sheet, he unsealed his vial of ink, dipped his quill and began to steadily write.
The Liber Maleficium's contents were separated into three columns, one for the name or pseudonym of whomever had worked with Naruto, the debt that they held towards him, be it paying him money or simply them owing a favor of aid or assistance in exchange for a job or service. The third column was the most tricky, considering that only a single letter would be marked in the slot, either being lower case, c with an small cedilla sprouting from the lower curve, or simply the capital letter, C. This indicated whether or not the debt at hand was related to his criminal activities, which were the latter, or his standard civilian life, which were the former. A number of names had been crossed out however, all of which had the capital letter, C in the third column. For those who don't pay their dues will face the consequences.
Drawing up a new row below the most previously written one, he began filling in the information from his most recent job. There was neither a given name, nor a pseudonym so he simply marked it with two question marks.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" He heard Ruby's distressed voice, and looked up to see Yang dragging her younger sister forwards towards him and the girl sitting besides him.
Realizing that there would likely be a mundane and distracting conversation next to him, he reached into his left pocket, connected his headphones to his scroll, and placed the buds into his ears, pulling the scroll out to select a song. After finding the right one, and tapping the repeat icon, he swiftly got back to work to the sounds of a harpsichord being gently plucked alongside the almost melancholic singing of a woman. (1)
I'll need to ask Junior the name of my last employer. That will be most useful if she should decide to abstain paying me. Oh well, just one more debt to add into the great book.
Filling in the last two slots with the amount he was supposed to be paid; exactly one million and five hundred thousand lien, and the third slot with a capital C, he would determine whether or not this one needed to be crossed out as well after he met with Junior the next day. Closing the Liber Maleficium, Naruto rewrapped the bindings around the book, wiped his quill clean, and resealed his ink capsule.
Looking back up, he noticed the Schnee girl… Weiss Schnee if he remembered correctly, entering the vicinity and was arguing with Ruby and Yang, whilst the woman next to him seemed to simply watch on in annoyance. Walking past the commotion and to the bedroll his sisters had laid out for him, he slid the book down towards the interior of the roll, removed and folded his pair of glasses before sealing them in a casing, and allowed darkness to overtake his vision, clearing his mind from all but the sound of the singing woman, and the gentle strumming of the harpsichord.
[Unknown]
Darkness.
All Naruto could see was absolute darkness and his own body, which oddly seemed so clear and bright. Peering around he noticed that he was suspended by something, yet felt nothing beneath him or to his sides, almost as if he was floating idly in an empty void. He could not take a step forward, nor one backwards, as there was nothing to propel himself with, save for his own mass. However, he still debated whether that would be a viable option.
"He's here, yes-yes." A shrill voice called out accompanied by the short and rapid fluttering of chitin wings. Naruto swallowed some spit and readied himself for whatever was to come, but remained silent.
Suddenly, three pairs of crimson slits tore open in the abyssal world around him, glaring at him with such intensity that he stood in silent awe, his legs quivering ever so slightly. Habitually he attempted to step back but to no avail as there was no surface to back on, and so he stood there, perpetually floating in terror as six "eyes" looked at him. Looking closer, he noticed there were small lines or divides within the eye that created a sort of compound eye found on insects, and every section glowed with rapid ferocity.
The black void around the eyes warped into insane creations, forming random "teeth" and facial organs, and appearing almost solid enough for one to grab ahold of. Nonetheless, his fear only grew as a shadowy tongue was formed and began slithering between the gaps in its teeth and finally sliding into its "mouth" before forming a grin not unlike a certain cat faunus from the northeastern regions of Solitas.
It spoke, but in no comprehensible language, randomly shifting its tone and pitch, and even speaking in multiple octaves and voices at a single time, going from piercing screeching akin to a Griffon or a Nevermore, to a low droning and thunderous roar like a blend between a Beringel and a Goliath. Its voice suddenly found the right frequency, becoming as close to a man's as possible.
"Partake of the darkness. It is for all to share…" It spoke, a thousand voices horribly melded into one, its compound eyes glowing in rapid intervals as if each section belonged to an individual voice. "You are favored by the dark… you – "
[Ballroom, 5:30 A.M.]
Sweat pouring down his face, Naruto awoke in a rather frightened state of mind, glad that no one was awake to notice it. He feared he was still in the abyssal realm however the pale moonlight passing through the massive windows gave him relief that his nightmare had ended. His eyes now adjusting to the darkness, he now made out the silhouettes of the sleeping students around him, including his sisters. As far as he could tell, no one other than Naruto had woken up this early, and so he opened his glasses casing, and placed them on top of his ears, gently sliding onto to the bridge of his nose.
Carefully planning a route through the sea of students, Naruto slowly began to walk through them, seeking the doors to his far right. And as quickly and quietly as he had woke up, he left in the same manner.
Upon reaching the twin doors that led out from the ballroom to the rest of the school's interior, he halted his advance, trying to recall where the location of the bathrooms were to change out of his nightwear, get a shower, and change into his gambeson, the padded defensive jacket made to be worn underneath his armor to provide cushioning and help position the plating of his armor. He would wait to actually put on his armor, for later. No need to carry such weight around the school for another two to three hours.
[Cafeteria, 5:55 A.M.]
Naruto, now changed into a white high-collared jacket that at the waistline, parted into three faulds; two in the front and one large one in the back, and stretched down to his lower thighs. To Naruto, it was incredibly comfortable, having made it himself out of linen and silk, it prevented him from receiving uncomfortable chafing during combat, allowing him to fight unhindered by discomfort. He also wore a pair of pants made of the same materials, which would help to link the cuisses, poleyns and greaves similarly to the gambeson, whilst a pair of simple yet comfortable shoes would be worn surrounded by his tapered sabatons.
Walking out of the bathroom and now to the cafeteria, Naruto found himself rather famished, and decided to head towards one of the incredibly short lines where second and third year students were already being served, albeit no more than a dozen students were here.
Standing in line behind a teenage girl who seemed to be a 'fashionista' as his described by his older sister to him, wore a pair of dark rimmed aviator sunglasses and a jet black beret atop her head. She also wore a cocoa colored shirt, a black scarf hanging around the bottom of her neck, and a pair of black pants. He doubted that any of other students had woken up in the last twenty-five minutes that he'd been showering and changing, so he would assume that this girl was either a second year or higher.
It was now his turn to order breakfast. "I shall have the blood sausages and a loaf of your finest bread, and if you do not mind me asking, you wouldn't happen to have any broth would you?"
The attendant nodded to him, writing down his order and handing it to another attendant to give to the cooks in the back.
"Hey kid," An unfamiliar voice made itself known as the girl who had been in front of him got his attention. "I don't seem to recall ever seeing you around here before, you one of the newbies?"
"Yes, that is correct, is there a particular reason why you would ask?" Naruto said, he and the girl moving further up in the line, nearing their prepared food.
"Well, not very many newbies really wake up this early, I know I didn't my first night here. Just a little surprised is all." She said, receiving a tray with her food and drink. "Name's Coco, why don't you bring your food and come join my team and I for breakfast?" The now named, Coco offered, nudging her head over to one of the tables where three other students sat, eating their food.
"Ah, I am sorry, but no thank you. If you don't mind, I would prefer to eat alone. There is much I need to think about and plan for the upcoming initiation." Naruto apologized.
"It's fine. Just a word of advice, the teams are selected by some type of object, or the 'relics' as Oz calls them. You and your partner will find will take one, and whatever pair grabs the same relic will form your team. So try and communicate with your friends if you want to be on the same team as them." She advised, Naruto nodding his head in understanding and silent contemplation.
"I see, thank you for the advice. It will prove most beneficial to my planning." Naruto said whilst taking his tray of food, careful not to spill the broth, heading to one of the many empty tables in the cafeteria.
"Good luck!" She said aloud as the distance between the two grew further and further.
Naruto set his tray down on an empty table, retrieving some napkins from one of the dispensers, unfolding it and laying it upon his lap as he held his fork and knife to begin cutting his sausages.
He looked around the cafeteria, finding his attention being grabbed by the windows, and into the bloody sun now rising out from the horizon. His eyes narrowed at the celestial light, but they slowly widened as a dawning realization encroached upon him.
Although he had arrived at Beacon no less than twenty four hours ago, it wasn't until now that he truly took in where he was at as his mind was generally on something else, so rarely was he ever truly in the present. But now, with no real distractions, his mind was now able to completely process and reflect on recent events, and more importantly, how he got there.
He was greeted with memories of his family, of hearth and home, of an old man with bone white hair flowing out like an untamed mane, and burgundy paint marring his face. Unseen by any, save for those Faunus with such acute and precise vision, a small tear leaked from his eye, falling down his cheek until it dripped onto the tray next to his sausages.
Five years in the making and now I have reached the first true checkpoint on my journey of life. So much time has been spent preparing myself for this day. Am I truly ready for this?
Of course I am. There is nothing else in the world that I have poured such hard work and determination into, and few others could say the same. No matter, now is the time to prepare myself for the great trial that lies ahead. After all, glory favors the bold, but victory favors the calculating.
~ (1): Dark Souls Ost - Dark Sun Gwyndolin
Well this took forever to write, and another day to review and revise, so I'm quite happy to finally be finished with the chapter. Please do note, this is my first time working alone on a story, although I would like to give a shout out to AngryOwl and Alvor the Warhawk, two good friends who have helped give criticism on the story and helped me work out some of the ideas for the future of the story. Please go check them out if you enjoy stories that use a lot of vivid descriptions to help convey the story (at least for Alvor). Anyways, I left a few references, especially to Naruto's unique item, and the OCs that have been introduced this chapter. If you guys have any comments, concerns or questions, please leave a review or PM me and I'll reply as soon as I can (which is usually within 24/48 hours). Oh and one more thing, I've been getting a few messages from some of you guys regarding the fact that Naruto is OOC. Well, first off, if you read the summary, I specifically stated that this is a Dark/War hawk Naruto, implying that he is OOC. But let me tell you, I may not make him out to be the same Naruto many of you recognize from canon, but I will do my best to show how he's become the way he is, without using flashbacks (I won't traumatize you all with those, don't worry).
Auf Wiedersehen, and may you find good fortune upon your travels.
*Update – 07/31/17
I've made several alterations to the chapter, including the addition of another scene, and altering some of the dialogue and narration. Please reread it, and post a review if you haven't already, or better yet, send me a message giving me your thoughts. One thing I would also like to point out is some of the comments/complaints I've been getting.
Firstly, I'd like to bring up the obvious discrepancies between this chapter, and the first one. The first one was co-written (by this I mean primarily written) by Orpheus Kidwell the original owner and my co-author to this story. At some point before or after the next chapter, I might go back and edit that to my liking.
Second, a lot of people have been pointing out to me that I've been making Naruto OOC and I'm aware of this, as well as the fact that his sisters may seem unnecessary or the cliché "the sister(s) are canon Naruto". In a way, this is true, they are based off of canon Naruto, but so is my Naruto. They all represent a specific state of being that is Naruto (mainly by time frame), so for example Tsuki represents Naruto in his younger years; she is brash, hardheaded, stubborn, and very childish. Shiro is based off of Naruto during his late teenage years/early adulthood and is of course, much more mature and coolheaded but still retains that compassion and care that the childhood Naruto did. Naruto on the other hand is quite possibly the opposite of canon Naruto, especially of a Kyūbi-influenced Naruto (feral and aggressive). He is very polite, cautious (overly so in fact), organized, etc. I made him with the intentions of making a more relatable Yami-Naruto.
Third (I swear, this is the last point for this chapter), some people have been telling me that I made Naruto's vocabulary a bit too high-caliber for someone his age and my answer is this; he's devoted nearly all of his time to studying and researching and spent more time with his mentors and tutors than his family outside of what is the equivalent of our Summer vacation. He was forced to expand his vocabulary and basically surrounded himself with nothing but research and knowledge. What few social interactions he's had with more than three people he knows decently well were either with his acquaintances from Sanctum (Hassan, Schrödinger, and Boudicea) or the social gatherings his parents set up when he was younger with other Huntsmen families and some of the aristocrats of the area who had been supporting their family.
There's more to say on this, but that can be saved for another time, as I have a feeling what few of you have decided to come back and read this have likely skipped over this entire message. Regardless, Auf Wiedersehen.