"The Doppelgänger semblance? You're certain?", Proffessor Ozpin, Headmaster of the prestigious combat school Beacon Academy and highly respected figure in almost every circle you could ask.

"So it seems. Reports from first response and footage captured from the AK-130s all say the same thing." the voice from Ozpin's scroll answered. "A dozen duplicates all identical, all acting independently of each other. It's the Doppelgänger, alright."

"Astounding.", Ozpin said before taking a sip of his ever present coffee. "The last time that semblance appeared was-"

"Kushina, the Red Death, I remember." the voice finished.

"Any resemblance? Semblances are semi-hereditary, after all."

There was a pause. "He's a faunus, Oz." the voice stated flatly.

"Well I suppose I'm just so enlightened I don't see such differences anymore." Oz said chidingly.

"Don't give me that, Ozpin! You know I've been trying to-"

Ozpin's laugh interrupted him. "Relax, James! I was just messing with you."

General James Ironwood could be heard grumbling on the other end of the scroll call but he let the jibe slide with a sigh. "That does bring up a... problem, though.", Ironwood admitted. "Jacques is making a lot of noise over this. He's making it sound as though the boy conspired with the Grimm to weaken the kingdom while at the same time playing the part of magnanimous redeemer by offering to employ the other faunus as a sort of 'community service'."

"Oh dear." Ozpin sighed. "And I assume he wants the boy imprisoned or executed to get rid of any obstacles. James, that semblance is too valuable to lose to the machinations of a greedy fool like Schnee."

"The SDC does a lot of good for the kingdoms, Oz.", Ironwood defended weakly. "But you're right. Thing is, there's not much I can do about it. I'd conscript him to the Hunter Corps but they're still leery of faunus here as it is and with this hanging over him..."

"They would never accept a faunus with a criminal record." Ozpin agreed. "Do you have a plan?"

"I'm talking to him.", Ironwood said, smirk audible in his voice.

"Very funny." Ozpin said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm serious, Oz. I've got nothing. I'm asking for your help."

Ozpin took another lengthy swig of his coffee as plan after plan was crafted and discarded before he settled on the best one. Even it wasn't spectacular but it was the best he had. "I'll be in Atlas in a few hours."

"Shall I roll out the red carpet?", Ironwood joked.

"How did that work out for you the last time I visited?" Ozpin asked with amusement.

"You snuck in through the back and got one of my men demoted." the General answered flatly.

"Guards aren't supposed to just let people in to secure facilities, James. Even if they do say 'Don't worry, I'm supposed to be here.'"

"You were supposed to be there!" Ironwood fumed.

"Details, details."

-(-)-

"Ozpin! It's been too long, it's good to see you! Come in, come in!" Jacques Schnee greeted warmly with the pleasantness learned from a lifetime of business dealings. On the inside he was on edge. Ozpin never made social calls. Not to him, at least. It was no secret that the two clashed due to their... differing ideologies. "Hannah, bring some coffee, would you? Black, one sugar."

Ozpin entered the luxurious office fully, examining it in detail. Almost nothing had changed since he had been there last. Same glass desk decorated with the Schnee Dust Corporation logo: a white snowflake, same potted ferns in the back corners. "It's good to see you too, Jacques. How's the family?"

"Ah, Winter is continuing her little rebellious phase. Unfortunately it seems Weiss wishes to follow in her footsteps. Whitley is making excellent progress with his studies, at least." Schnee said with the fatherly pride he might show at a new product unveiling.

"It's truly a joy to see one's children come into their own, isn't it?" Ozpin asked rhetorically, masterfully hiding his distaste as Jacques' secretary gave him his coffee. "Thank you." he said to her as he took a sip.

"And how are you, Ozpin?" Schnee asked, trying to get past the polite chat to Ozpin's real reason for stopping by. "I know you like to go beyond the norm for recruiting students but I imagine you're a little far afield for that!", he said, laughing at his own joke.

"Actually, that is precisely my purpose here. I wished to speak to you about a young man by the name of Naruto."

Schnee's face tightened once again much more noticeably, his thick moustache strengthening the pronouncement of his frown. "I see. Standards must have dropped sharply at Beacon if you are looking to recruit Grimm sympathisers, Ozpin."

"Please remember who you are speaking to Mr. Schnee.", Ozpin requested, façade of politeness fading quickly. "Do you really expect me to swallow that? I've read the reports. That young man helped fight back a fledgeling Grimm incursion at great personal cost. It's what got him caught after all."

"Two men died in that incursion and he was the direct cause, Ozpin!" Schnee countered, rising from his chair and raising his voice.

"On the contrary. The ex-huntsman he fought alongside reports the mohlerts had already made it past the five walls surrounding Atlas and in his expert opinion," Ozpin stressed, "were very close to creating a much more significant incursion point. One that would allow in far more than just mohlerts. Your scaremongering might work on the populace, it might even work on some of the higher-ups here in Atlas, but rest assured, it does not work on me."

Schnee gritted his teeth. This was why he disliked Ozpin. Schnee was a captain of industry, a vital part of the kingdom of Atlas and this damnable man would still speak to him as though he were a petulant child. "The boy is still a criminal. He stole tens of thousands of lien worth of food from the mouths of Atlas citizens."

"And again you speak in such doomsaying terms." Ozpin responded, openly rolling his eyes. "Not 'from the mouths of Atlas citizens', Mr. Schnee. From the farms of some very well-off farmers. Not a single person went hungry in Atlas because of Naruto's actions. Had the farmers agreed to trade or to employ some of them, this would not have happened."

"So that lying faunus would have people believe-" Schnee began.

Ozpin cut him off. "Enough, Mr. Schnee. We both know why you want the boy out of the way. It can remain unsaid if it will mean you drop this pretense."

Schnee drummed his fingers on his desk. Once, twice, before slowly returning to his seat. "Very well. What is your alternative?" 'And how does it benefit me' remained unsaid.

"Pragmatism." Ozpin answered with the slightest of smirks.

"Pragmatism." Schnee echoed, scoffing.

"Indeed. Tell me something, Mr. Schnee. How many of your board members have you lost to the White Fang?"

"Are you threatening-" Jacques began before once again being cut off.

"No, no, far from it." Ozpin placated. "In truth I'm looking out for your family's safety. Let me put this in the White Fang's perspective for you. A faunus who did whatever it took to take care of his fellow faunus risks his life and his freedom in order to fight against a Grimm incursion. In response, the Schnee Dust Company rallies for the boy to be executed for his feeding the hungry. Now let's say your bid is successful. Naruto is executed for his crime and you magnanimously offer his friends gainful employment at one of your many mining facilities. And of course it isn't hard to believe that the White Fang might once again mistake your 'generosity' for slavery. Jacques, your plan will make the boy a martyr."

"Now who is doomsaying." Jacques scoffed.

"Remind me, Jacques. What was their response to your last 'recruitment drive'?" Ozpin asked pointedly, taking a swig of his coffee.

That... was a very good point, Schnee had to admit. Two board members were abducted in the wake of the announcement, the White Fang threatening to kill them if the SDC didn't halt their plans. SDC policy is to not capitulate to terrorists so they continued doing as they intended and... the White Fang responded in kind. That was a bad day, to put it far too lightly. Ozpin was right. Schnee might not surrender to terrorists but this would incite them far too much. "You still haven't suggested your alternative."

"Exile them." Ozpin suggested.

"Exile them?" Schnee echoed, incredulous. "What, all of them? Why?"

"Because that is the option I'm giving you." Ozpin said, calmly sipping his coffee. "You must admit, Jacques, you have boxed yourself into a corner. You have spent so much effort on painting the boy as a villain the public will not settle for light punishments. Imprisonment, execution, even exile will martyr him to varying degrees. In fact, imprisonment or exile might see him into the arms of the White Fang and then they have a vendetta against you specifically, don't they?"

"I could just exile him alone. You would recruit him, and I would employ the other faunus. Everybody wins." Schnee countered.

"I would recruit him in this scenario, would I?" Ozpin asked with raised eyebrows. "Are you really quite certain of that?"

Schnee gave him a flat look. "You wouldn't leave someone to die just to spite me, Ozpin."

"No? I assure you I've done far worse in my career." Ozpin retorted truthfully. "He wouldn't die anyway. The White Fang would scour the globe to find him, I'm certain. A symbol of their oppression like him? And with his power to boot? Absolutely. Besides, if this entire incident has taught me anything it's that faunus oppression is still alive and well in Atlas and fighting against it is a worthy cause."

"How dare you-!"

"Those are your options, Mr. Schnee. Either you can move for Naruto and the other faunus to be exiled to Vale or paint a bigger target on your back. I hope you make the correct decision." Standing up, Ozpin calmly left the office. The sound of something smashing following him as he shut the door. As he passed the secretary's desk he once again thanked her for the coffee and suggested she send for a janitor to clean the mess in the CEO's office. And perhaps order a replacement desk.

-(-)-

It took several days. Several days of meetings, scroll calls and many, many assurances to both the Vale and Atlas councils from both Ozpin and Ironwood that this was the proper course of action. Add in the admittedly reluctant endorsement from Jacques Schnee and Ozpin was able to meet Naruto personally for the first time to tell him the good news.

"So who're you? Someone else to accuse me of workin' with Grimm? Don't bother, I'm not in the mood."

He was not greeted warmly.

"Do you know who I am?" Ozpin asked.

Naruto squinted at him. "Noooo, that's why I asked, 'who're you?'"

Ozpin conceded the point. He just loved his intro to the specially recruited students too much to forego the formalities. "Well, I should introduce myself then. I admit it has been a while. My name is Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, the premier combat school within the kingdom of Vale."

"That's a long name." Naruto quipped.

Ozpin smiled. "Indeed. And you would be Naruto... Do you have a last name?"

"Nope. Orphan." Naruto answered as though tired of hearing the question.

"Well, that won't do." Ozpin complained. It really wouldn't. Putting that on his transcripts would mess up the organisation of the system. Would they count that as his last name or first name for alphabetising purposes? Not to mention it severely limited the possibility for word acronym team names! "It might be a bit on the nose but might I suggest 'Fox'?"

Naruto shrugged. He considered himself to be 'Naruto the fox' anyway so it wasn't a big change. "That's fine."

"Excellent!" Ozpin smiled again. One problem solved! "Now Mr. Fox, if you would indulge me, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Naruto sighed wearily. "I. Didn't. Work. With. The. Grimm. Why do people keep askin' me that! I didn't even know they were there! How the hell're you supposed to work with 'em anyway?!" he asked, near shouting.

"Please calm down. I know you didn't work with the Grimm and I know the whole story with the farmers. I just want to ask about your aura abilities and your semblance." Ozpin assured him. "Now, if I may ask, who unlocked your aura for you?"

Naruto stared blankly at him. "My what now?"

Ozpin's brow furrowed. "Your aura. Makes you stronger, tougher, faster, glows a little sometimes?"

"OH, that!", Naruto exclaimed, understanding dawning on his face. "Yeah, I dunno. It was always just a thing I could do. No one else could but I guess I'm just awesome." he finished his 'explanation', grinning.

"Quite." Ozpin agreed. "Were you always able to use your semblance also?" At Naruto's blank look he elaborated. "Your doppelgängers." The look remained. "Duplicates." Still. "Clones."

"OH! Yeah, I couldn't always do that. When I was a little kid I was having... y'know... some rough times. Anyways, we were outnumbered and I was like, 'I wish there was more of me' and then there was!"

"Were." Ozpin corrected.

"Right, were, whatever." Naruto waved it off. "So why d'ya wanna know?"

"Unlocking aura and semblances are things usually done at combat schools. They are among our greatest tools in fighting the creatures of Grimm." Ozpin explained. "Usually, aura is unlocked by one person unlocking it for another. Sometimes it happens in a time of great need but such things are rare. To be honest, I have never heard of it happening so young that the person doesn't even remember not having it. Until today, that is."

"So... You're saying... I really am just awesome? Sweet!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it." Ozpin half-agreed. "I suppose that's enough sating my curiosity. Thank you for that. Now, I suppose I'm overdue for giving you some good news."

"Are my family okay?!" Naruto asked urgently.

"They're fine and will continue to be fine. You have all been sentenced to exile for your crime-"

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled, interrupting the professor. "How are we gonna be fine?! They're kicking us out into the wilderness! I can't keep 'em safe out there!"

"Please, calm down and let me finish." Ozpin requested calmly.

"But-!"

"Let me finish." Ozpin insisted, but decided to keep talking to stop him from interrupting again. Faster that way. "You are all being exiled: to Vale. It has been arranged that your... family will be employed as farmhands within Vale territory. It isn't especially well paying work but it will put food on the table."

"You..." Naruto started but stopped trying to understand what was happening. "Like with Schnee?" he hazarded.

"No. Not like Schnee. They will be paid in lien, real money to spend as they like."

"I-I... I don't understand." Naruto struggled to say, eyes welling up. "What's the catch. There's gotta be a catch, y'know!"

"No catch." Ozpin affirmed.

"That's..." Naruto gasped, wiping at his eyes, before his expression hardened, tears running down his face despite his best efforts. "You're lying. That's not how it works. There's ALWAYS a catch! We'd bow and scrape and beg and they'd offer us help if we do one little thing. And they'd take some of us away with them. Sometimes they came back with food or money but they always came back bloody and bruised!" Naruto sniffed before slamming his fists on the table. "So don't you lie to my face and say there's no fucking catch! That ain't how the world works for us!"

"Mr. Fox!" Ozpin said sternly.

Naruto looked up at him.

"Naruto." Ozpin said as his expression softened. "Would you like to see them?"

Naruto's eyes widened, tears still running down his whiskered cheeks before his expression hardened. He nodded.

-(-)-

A/N: Aww, come on! I put a freakin' humour tag on this fic! How do I do this every time?! Whenever I write something I manage to make it super depressing!

Update 12/31/16: Changed pseudo OC to the canon Jacques Schnee. It... did not take much alteration.