Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N
This story is entirely fan-made and fictional. Any acts that you might find offensive, disguising, inhuman, wrong or just don't like, we are not liable for. You are reading this story of your own free will and not being forced, if you don't like something we are not forcing you to stay and read it. Please leave the page and re-frame from reading the chapter and or story. All Copyrighted Characters belong to their respect owners. We don't claim anything that is not our own creation and are merely using them for fan made material.
We accept constructive criticize and help but being rude and disrespectful will not be tolerated. This is done for the fun of writing not to make every little person happy, while making people happy with are stories is great we are not here for Money, Fame or Fortune this is done for the simply joy of writing.
Chapter 27
The entire time Blake had known Sasuke, she had always assumed that he was just a quiet person. As if he were trying to judge the weight of the world on a scale with how he chose his words and following actions. He worked with the cunning of a man twice his age and the power of ten men at his disposal. To her, he was a man of righteous strength in his desire to change himself and help the world.
Then she learned the truth of him.
He wanted to kill his older brother. He wanted to avenge his people, yes, and she could understand a desire like that. She couldn't fathom the thought of losing her mother or father and what it would do to her. Clearly, he was a man that was changed by his hardship and she wondered if she might do the same.
After all, there were two types pain in the world: Pain that hurts you. Pain that changes you. And it was very obvious that Sasuke had suffered under pain that had changed him. She could see it, and respect that he could have been worse.
Despite all of his hardships, she doubted very much so that his pain hadn't changed him fully. His desire to change himself, make himself stronger and better for the world at large, had only been proven to be true as he not only changed and became a person who was a teacher to a friend, a leader to others, and a proud warrior for justice.
But with all of that now surfacing in him, she had to wonder just what sort of game this was as the entire layout of the area was completely asinine to her.
"Run this by me again, please."
Sasuke and Naruto both looked at her with near matching expression of confusion, but it was only Naruto's expression that was genuine to the idea of this lesson.
"I'm teaching him how to hit a hidden target with a kunai. It's an advanced skill that my brother taught me." Sasuke had the straightest of faces as he said that. It was easy to tell that he hated it though. Even Naruto could tell how much he hated saying that. "The trick is to use the kunai while it's in midflight to alter its path with another one and force it to go another direction."
Blake gave him the deadest of stares. "Trajectories don't work that way. And even then, they are completely impractical."
Huffing, the former Uchiha turned away from her and took aim at the targets that were carefully placed around the trees in front of them. Taking a deep breathe, he shut his single eye as he began to let the blood flow freely to his arms before he jumped high into the air and tossed a dozen kunai out. He waited a half a second before tossing one more, but harder and sent it faster towards another one. They collided in the air and forced the first one to change its trajectory and stab the hidden target.
Blake stood aghast to what she witnessed. Naruto blinked, curious as why something Sasuke could do, cause he'd seen it before, was even considered impossible.
"Yeah they do," Sasuke told her as he started walking around to pick up the kunai he'd thrown.
Rolling her tired eyes, she pulled out Gamble and took aim at some of the targets. Sasuke backpaddled out of her sights as she opened fire on each target and then the one hiding behind the rock. She fired twice and narrowed her eyes when the rock showed no signs of damage.
"With the right caliber-"
"That's what I'm trying to teach him here," Sasuke cut her off. Blake narrowed her eyes on him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed explosively. "Guns can jam. Kunai can't. The more advanced the technology, the more likely it is to break easily. We're cut from the same cloth but our skills and methods differ greatly."
"And you're trying to force what you want for him so that he'll… what? Stay the same and be like you?" Blake paused and looked her blond friend over. Naruto looked absolutely confused by what was happening. She had enough time to realize why this conversation was even being brought up along with the funny realization that every time her parents argued about something, she must have had Naruto's expression every single time.
Sasuke was about to turn to Naruto and ask him what he wanted, but he quickly changed his tune when he saw his friend picking up a kunai and looking at it with a long look as if he were thinking about what else he could do with it.
Naruto gave the kunai a few flips before he blindly threw it to his right and let it hit a target. Blake narrowed her eyes on the kunai as Naruto walked over to another and did the same thing again. Sasuke watched as the blond did it again and again before he held the last one and tossed it over his shoulder, hitting the hidden target with near perfect ease.
The Jinchuuriki blinked and looked back over at the weapons with a shake of his head. "Dad said that you're trying to teach me something flashy. Basics kill."
Sasuke rolled his eye. Of course, his dad would have a better way. The man was a legend to them, as were all the Hokage, but he was, for the history books anyways, the more impressive of the other three that came before him. It was a little sad that they had it like that in their history books when the man was the Fourth leader they had they wordered it like there had been more before him that didn't equate to three. Typo? Probably.
"He'd like to see these guns in action as well," Naruto added, looking somewhat hopefully to Blake for this one. Sasuke sighed and Naruto nodded unhappily as well. "I don't like the idea of it either, but he says since they were able to nearly kill me, it'd be a good idea to look in on them. I mean, Ruby made a good point. Our kunai will only go so far. Comparing the speed of our throws will only allow it to go so fast. A bullet is faster than our kunai."
"A kunai is a hell of a lot quieter."
"But a gunshot can be suppressed with a suppressor," Blake pointed out, her tired eyes gaining some form of life to them.
Sasuke shut his single eye and suppressed a sigh of frustration. "It doesn't fully suppress it though. You can still hear it. It's still loud!"
Blake rolled her eyes. "Naruto, I'll take you to town this weekend and show you some of the shops that sell that kind of stuff."
"But he doesn't need it."
"I nearly died once to gunfire," Naruto told him, his eyes hard as he remembered the sting of the bullets piercing his skin. It hadn't been a good feeling.
Blake looked between the two and suddenly felt very sick. She could think of only one-time Naruto might have been shot and that was during the incident with Roman and the White Fang when they had their meeting to welcome new recruits and show off the arsenal that they had acquired from Atlas. I'll have to ask about that later.
Pinched the bridge of his nose, Sasuke conceded to the point. Firepower might be something Naruto would need on these little things. They could only do so much. He'd like to teach him about his elemental nature, but without the required paper, they were sunk right at the door for that idea.
This also meant that teaching him any new form of Jutsu was also out of the question as Naruto didn't have the Chakra Control for it. That wasn't a bad thing. But it wasn't a good thing either. Overpowering a Fire Jutsu could be both bad and good. No control and it could very well blow up in his face. Too much power and the enemy would sure as fire be dead. And those would be the only ones Sasuke could think of that would actually do him any good with his setup. If only he knew of a better to teach him control then they might not have this issue.
Teaching Naruto anything remotely destructive could have negative affects as well. Naruto was excitable, yes, and was prone to using whatever new skill he learned on his enemies almost immediately. This wasn't always a bad thing, but given how many people knew of their skills, at this point, taking this slow was the best option.
Sasuke's two fights with Naruto and his subsequent matches had already proven that he had skills no normal Huntsman or Huntress could have. Aside from that, how were they going to explain their ability to shrug off most of the stuff that was generally thrown at them. Aura could only do so much before it could do nothing else to help them. That was proof with Naruto's Chakra shroud. He shrugged off bullets and Sasuke shrugged off being thrown through concrete buildings and taking blows that would cripple of kill normal warriors. Even the most gifted and resilient of fighters would fall to the beatings they could dish out on each other.
"I know what you're saying, Blake. Believe me. I do. But I just don't think that we should be using modern technology like that."
"Well," Blake flippantly pushed a strand of hair from her face and gave the former Uchiha a hard scowl, "maybe that's your problem with our stuff. I know our gear can be a little strange, given where you're coming from. But this isn't just about you. Naruto has a choice and you seem to want to control his choice in what he can and can't use."
"Because he's…" Sasuke stopped short and shut his eye. Stupid was the word that came to mind. How could he even hope to truly say that to him when Naruto hadn't been showing any real signs of it as of late. Even then, how could he claim to know what was best for him here? Maybe Naruto could use one of these guns to a great extent. "I just don't think he's cutout to use a gun."
The look of disapproval from Blake and the challenging gaze from Naruto made him wonder if he was truly in wrong. Maybe Naruto could pull it off. He was surprising like that.
"I'll take you into town tomorrow, Naruto. We can look at handguns. I think you can use those well enough with your speed," Blake told him. Naruto nodded, though he looked unhappy by the notion of what he was about to be subjected to. "But in the meantime," she picked up a kunai from a target and flipped it in the air, "how about you show me that trick again, Sasuke. I'm sure I can pick it up faster than Naruto here."
Smirking at the challenge, Sasuke grabbed up the kunai and began the demonstration again.
(-)
"Adam, the old man isn't wanting to cooperate."
Adam looked up from his work and though it wasn't seen, his eyes slowly closed. He knew this was going to happen. It was bad enough their leader wasn't happy with his choice of fights he'd been choosing to take on, but this was one that he was sure she was going to be very unhappy about.
For a moment, Adam wondered if he wanted to give up what he was doing at the moment to deal with this problem. Were his men really that weak that they couldn't force an old Faunus to do one simple job? He could see now why that whisker faced brat could walk through them like paper. He'd have to toughen them up some more.
Setting his sword on an ornate table, he sat his cloth and wet stone down next to it before slowly getting to his feet. "Did you inform him of what we were doing?"
"No sir."
Adam nodded. "Then I fail to see why he doesn't want to comply with my demands. Or how you and your team couldn't barter a way for him to be useful to us. He is one of us."
"Was, sir. He left the group a long time ago."
The redhaired Faunus grit his teeth. An old timer with a soft spot for peace. How pathetically predictable. A man like him was trouble. He was out of the White Fang, but even then, once you were in, you were never truly gone. It didn't leave you and you didn't leave it.
"I see." Adam turned and picked up his sword to begin sharpening it again. The messenger furrowed his brow as he slowly moved further in to the tent. "Bring him to me. I'll have a word with him." His scroll beeped and his smile dropped as he waved the man away. Pulling it out, a look of displeasure crossed his face. "Hello, Cinder."
"Hello, Sweetie." He rolled his eyes and wished she wouldn't do that. "I was just calling to inform you that your target is taking up harder training with his friend in the use of throwing knives. I watched them in action. They're really good."
Adam blinked. That was strange. "Is this going to cause a problem?"
"No. He's only got basic skills with them. Whatever trick his friend is teaching him probably isn't going to save him in your fight with him."
"I would hope not." Adam ran a hand over the stubble on his chin in thought. "Have your people got what I require for this operation yet. We have the place and the old man working for us."
"Then you should be ready very soon."
The call ended and Adam slowly put the device away, his eyes downcast as he adjusted his mask when it began to slip. This was nothing more than revenge and he knew it. But he wanted it. This was his protegee. How could he not want her back now that he had a chance to get her and knew where she was?
Blake…
(-)
"You spent the entire day learning a knife trick?"
Weiss could make anything sound accusing, just like Yang. But with Yang it was playful, almost flirty. With Weiss, even asking a simple question about everyday life could sound accusing. But at this point it was just funny and she was more confused by her statement about what she'd been doing all day.
"Yeah…" Blake answered, leaving the statement hanging as she yawned and finished getting ready for bed. Ruby was too busy arguing with Yang about something that she hadn't been paying attention to, and knew now that it was finally reaching its tipping point. "And it's really not practical. It's interesting, but not practical."
"It sounds like a circus act or something."
Blake nodded slowly as she pulled out her book to start reading. Homework was taking a backseat. She had this weekend to plan for and this was the one day she was intending to sleep since she knew her body was finally getting to a point that she needed to rest. Plus, she didn't even manage to complete what she had gotten as tired as she was today.
"How was your day, Blake?" Ruby snapped the young Faunus from her moment of respite from her tiring day. "I saw you jumping around throwing knives."
Blake opened her eyes and sighed. Small talk? Great.
Reluctantly she rolled over and put on a smile for Ruby. "Sasuke was teaching Naruto how to do a trick with throwing knives. I was curious as to how he was doing it and wanted to learn and show them that a handgun can work a little bit better than a knife."
"If he wants a demonstration, why not just send him to a shop to let him test them out?" Yang proposed.
"I want to do that… but…"
Blake had considered that. But there were two problems with this.
The first problem was the obvious one. Naruto had no training with a gun and she feared that he'd hate the idea of it immediately based upon the first gun he'd use. She could try and keep it simple and explain that there were multiple types, but her fears were based around the fact that Naruto often hated trying new things. So, him using a completely brand-new type of weapon wasn't out of the range for her fears.
The real problem came in the form of what he was to the public eye: A Faunus.
White Fang attacks had grown bolder over the months and with these attacks came a new level of fear. Since the incident at the docks there were more attacks than ever, all of them lead by Roman. And since a Human was working with the White Fang, there was no way of knowing who else might be involved. Worse yet, they were getting illegal weaponry from some unknown source. Shops could easily "lose" their weapon orders by simply ordering their usual stock or custom orders, give the information to their White Fang informants for where it was coming from and how it was being transported and then simply "lose" it.
Because of this, she couldn't see a Human weapon dealer offering out weapons to someone who clearly might be considered a Faunus. Even if Naruto were to change his appearance, identification would still be required and unless his abilities spanned over inanimate objects, she couldn't see this working in his favor. Yes, she remembered the time he helped her get back to her place by forcing an illusion over her, but she didn't like the idea of doing so and wasn't tempted to fully use it. Visually she would have been fine, but scent wise not so much. And here, the person would need to hold the identifications and make copies, Fulling the eyes of another person was one thing. Fooling a machine was another.
"I want to do that…" Blake closed her eyes, repeating herself. Ruby was too close to her and Blake's eyes were unfocused from the number of hours she'd been awake. "But I don't know where to take him. That's the real problem. And with how stubborn he can be to change at times, I don't think he'll warm up to the idea of using a gun if this first one he uses he doesn't like. Remember, this is Naruto were talking about. He wouldn't use a gun the normal way and I don't he has any training with it at all."
Now Ruby sat up straight, her chin in her hand and her eyes narrowed. Blake could see the gears turning in her head. It was cute, really. Weiss eyed her cautiously, waiting for her idea on how to solve this problem. And to Weiss's shock, her answer was a very simple one: "Have him go speak with Professor Ironwood."
Blake looked very surprised by that answer. Give her enough time and she would have come to that conclusion as well. It was very good idea. Too good, even. Ironwood was a military leader and a professor for an academy as well. He might be able to do what she couldn't and explain the greater details, advantages and disadvantages for having a gun and the type it was.
"I'll do that tomorrow."
Ruby nodded and then moved back to her bed where her homework lay strewn across her bed, begging to be completed by the young teen. No sooner had the young leader jumped in her bed did sleep take her, much to the annoyance of the Schnee Heir.
"Not that I'm saying anything bad about him," Weiss began softly, "But I think giving a gun to him is rather stupid." Blake offered up a challenging glare and Weiss simply shrugged it off. "I'm just saying. He strikes me as the type that might accidently shoot himself with it. Not judging him poorly. My brother thought I would never be able to wield my rapier. Look how good I am with it."
Blake wanted to roll her eyes. Her strength to stay awake was waning.
"We can talk about it in the morning. It's good to see you finally going to sleep again." With that, Weiss rolled over and fell asleep.
Blake remained awake for a few more minute before sleep took her.
(-)
Emert rolled his wrist as he finished dropping himself into his hot bath. After the others had taken their showers, Emert had decided to take a long hot bath. Fighting Pyrrha would really do a number on the body of anyone. Fighting both Pyrrha and then training with his girlfriend, Aurora, made things worse. If he were allowed it, he would simply stay at the hotel she was staying at. Glynda just had to be a mood killer. Not that he'd do anything inappropriate with her. Sure, they'd done it. But right now, just holding her was more than enough for him to be happy. Her too.
It also gave him time to think and reflect on his training, his beatings, and come up with ways to be victorious next time, if there even was a next time for him.
Emert shut his eyes as he recalled his last conversation with his girlfriend. When training was done, talk quickly filled the gap. She told him stories of things she saw in her dreams. He enjoyed her stories just as much as she enjoyed his input and fear and joy and longing with each story she spun for him. He wished he could see what she saw in her dreams and joyful warriors her mind spun into creation for a story as majestic and powerful as the legends of old.
A knock on the door forced him from his thoughts on the subject and after throwing the shower curtain closed he gave the all clear.
Sasuke stepped in quietly, his head down as to make sure that he gave his friend the privacy he needed. Emert poked his head out from the side and snickered at the former Uchiha. "Tough day?"
"Somewhat." Sasuke sat down on the toilet, not to do his business, but just to sit. Emert cracked his neck and sank a little deeper in the tub. Sasuke kept his head down. "What's your stand on normal guns?"
Emert closed his eyes in thought. "Not really a fan," he finally confessed. He sat up in the tub and then pulled the plug to let the water drain. Sasuke handed him his towel and sat back down again as the Faunus dried off behind the curtain. "They give you good range against various types of threats. I'm not going to say they're the best, but they aren't the worst. They're loud, can be clumsy and hard to maintain if not handled correctly." He stepped out, the towel wrapped around his waist. His ears swiveled as he heard Jasper get berated by Persia for something. "I don't like them. Hand-to-hand is my preference and with my Semblance, distance isn't a problem when I can just blink to your side and beat you down."
Sasuke snickered. "Pyrrha gave you a good ass kicking today for trying that stuff. I think she's starting to get the hang of following you around when you do that."
Emert rolled his eyes. Of course she was. Pyrrha was the Invincible Girl for a reason. She never got hit under normal circumstances. Emert only beat her once and that was when she hadn't known what his Semblance did or that he could fight without his weapon.
Sasuke saw that he needed to leave to let his friend get dressed and ready for bed. When he walked out he found Jasper sitting at his desk and looking over his weapon. Persia was tossing in her bed from the light being on. Sasuke sighed and walked over to the light and turned it off and motioned to Persia so Jasper understood. The tall teen nodded in understanding and moved to his bed to sleep as well.
When Emert came out he stretched and yawned before collapsing in his bed. He looked over in Sasuke's direction as the teen sat with his back against the wall where he bed lay as he touched his missing eye. "You know they can get that replaced, right?" Sasuke nodded. "Weiss?" He nodded again. Emert snickered. "Might not be such a bad idea to take up that offer one day. Never know when you're going to get blindsided by something."
"I'll think about it."
With that, the two finally began to fall asleep.
(-)
Glynda nearly couldn't believe the thought process behind Ruby's request when the young leader approached her, but she had to admit, that despite her near naïve nature and lack of focus from time to time, Ruby was a very smart young girl.
"Professor Ironwood will be more than happy to speak to you when he has the chance," Glynda repeated when it looked like Ruby was going to ask again, but in a more a different manner. Seeing her sigh and turn to walk away, Glynda shook her head at the young leaders' antics and decided to file that away as something to be worked on later. She could think of a few other team leaders that needed work with their diplomatic skills. Maybe she could make a lesson out of it.
Powering on her Scroll, she quickly relayed the message of Ruby's request to Ironwood and knew that she wouldn't get a response for some time. He was supposed to be starting a meeting with the council right now. The nature of the discussion was unknown to her, as she didn't really care to be honest, but she knew that with him at the forefront of it, it would be a several hours affair.
Ruby's request was a very simple one: Talk to Ironwood about letting Naruto see and get a feel for the usage of modern weaponry.
The idea wasn't that far from her mind either. After the events of Naruto's first outing where he was shot several times, it was very clear that an enhanced arsenal and better understanding of their weaponry was needed. This was a practical knowledge that a good majority, if not all of the people on Remnant, had. Even someone that lived under a rock could tell you how most handguns work. Maintenance was a different topic, but when it came to strict usage the general knowledge wasn't far off.
Naruto was a very smart person. Glynda had never thought much of him and questioned the very idea of Ozpin and Ironwood using him as their personal war hound, but he'd never failed thus far. Ironwood had already sent Naruto out on more dangerous operations than what Sasuke was aware of. Were he to know of this, the bounds of his agreements would be well within question once again. Trust was a two-way streak, and both Headmasters knew that they were overstepping their boundaries with it.
Still, Naruto's refusal to relay these thoughts to Sasuke meant that he trusted both Headmasters in this regard and obviously knew just what they were using him for and why. Glynda might not like it, but Naruto was getting results. Results that no other team had thus far to her knowledge gotten. Naruto proved to be a force all on his own. He had a sharp mind when it came to combat and seemed to follow a simple plan of attack. If he couldn't outsmart you, he'd simply outmuscle you. If he couldn't outmuscle you, he'd simply outsmart you. And as backwards as it was, she hadn't seen him fall short on a job and even managed to give a good number of students a run for their money when they wanted to challenge him in combat.
Opening the door to her classroom, she wasn't surprised to see Naruto with his nose in a book. Now she was forced to deal with the biggest headache of them all concerning him: Was this the real one or not?
Naruto didn't look up from his book as he asked, "What's on the lesson plan for today?" while turning a page in the book.
Glynda adjusted her glasses as she took her chair and moved closer to her desk, her Scroll already bringing up the lesson plan for the day. "It's another combat exercise." Naruto looked up from his book, his left brow arched curiously at the idea of such a thing. "I know we did it yesterday, but we didn't get through all of the students and a few are beginning to show some startling advances in their abilities."
"Jaune?"
Glynda gave him an almost wry smile that barely tugged at the corners of her lips. "Yes. Mr. Arc has shown some serious improvements and I'd like nothing more than for him to fight another combatant of higher quality to see where he stands."
"Pyrrha."
"Heavens no. She'd destroy him." She thumbed through the list of names, her eyes glued to the device as she sought a perfect match. "So why the sudden interest in a gun, Mr. Uzumaki. Don't tell me you're tired of getting shot at and you simply want to even the playing field."
Naruto squinted his eyes. "My father," was his reply. Glynda nodded, accepting the answer for what little it might mean. Naruto blinked and sighed. "Mom says that I should also consider it as well because I shouldn't be getting shot. How am I supposed to avoid that if my line of work is your personal weapon?"
Glynda looked up from her scroll and after a moment of thought, sat it down on her desk and looked him over. He looked worried by his words. Not that he said them or that it was his personal view point on his life for them. But the simple fact that he was a weapon and he was being used by them. Glynda never thought of him fully as a true warrior and someone to be feared. When she saw him rip Grimm to pieces with his bare hands, she wasn't impressed. But that came from years of seeing other people do it as well. Yang could easily do what he did, and yes, she wasn't fooling herself into believing it was an easy task to begin with either.
No.
Naruto was something different to her. He was a fighter to her. Not a warrior. Not a Huntsman. He was just a fighter. With the stories she was told about his people and how Naruto fought on a daily basis when put out on these dangerous jobs he took, it was very clear that he was nothing more than a fighter. He fought Sasuke tooth and nail over the smallest of things. When it came to his weapon, however, that left her confused on as to why she could even see him as a fighter.
A Reverse Blade sword was impractical. It didn't cut or act like a normal sword unless flipped over. So why carry one?
The answer was fairly obvious: He didn't enjoy killing. Fighter he may be, killer he was not. And while she was aware he had killed, he had shown no remorse for his actions and it wasn't so much that he killed his enemies, it was that he butchered them. The slaughter never made it to the news. It was only mentioned as a military operation. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If his people were as powerful as Sasuke claimed, then more slaughters like the White Fang rally would happen more often. Naruto might be the exception to the norm for his people, but he was still powerful. His abilities alone made him deadly. Heaven forbid he ever fight seriously again or like how he fought Sasuke when he woke up and then the time after that.
"Did they have councilors where you're from?"
Naruto blinked in response. Though Glynda couldn't hear his parents talking to him, she knew that they were most likely explaining just what a councilor was to him. Or she hoped they were explaining the right one. But after a few more minutes of silence and his eyes snapping in and out of focus, she realized that they were probably telling him that the direct answer was yes and that no, he'd never seen one.
"What are you, Naruto?" His eyes snapped back into focus faster than she thought they could and suddenly, she got a chill down her spine. She let her Scroll behind, standing and slowly making her way around him as he watched her walk around him a few times. "Your world is chaotic, yet you want to go back. Why?"
Naruto looked away.
Glynda knew this was a like beating a dead horse. Why do it? It was her own curiosity into the mind of – what could be described as in her mind – a child soldier. There were a lot of them in their world. The Grimm and the Bandits made sure of that.
But it was the desire to know why his world was better than this world. What made it so great? His world was on the brink of total collapse from the sound of it and was no closer to being unified than they were, but wars were constant. Todays' allies were tomorrows enemies. People traded away lives for money or for sport.
His blue eyes shimmered red for a brief moment before he shut them and said, "Lately, I'm not so sure why I want to return." When he opened his eyes, they were scarlet red and the hate in both eyes was easily understood. "But my condition means I don't have a choice. I need to go back. Not for my sake. But for all of yours. He gets out…" He let it hang there.
The creature that resided within him.
That was a very fair point, but still not one that she could believe as being a true monster of destruction like how they talked about it. There were very power Grimm out there, but there wasn't anything that could outright cause a tsunami or reduce a mountain to pebbles with a single punch.
Not like how they talked about it.
No. This creature was something else and if Glynda were to be honest, not something they needed loose in their world, even if these stories were accurate.
"You think we can't stop it?" Glynda finally spoke again, her voice soft as the first student walked in.
"You can't stop it. That's not why I'm wanting to go home. And lately…" he turned away from her, his eyes downcast as he thought about what choices he was now making with his life. "Class is about to start," he finally told her as he looked up to see two more students walking, both of them laughing about something while a third entered with a long yawn that made Naruto want to yawn.
(-)
General Ironwood stared at the blond as they walked side-by-side towards the shooting range. He didn't like this as much as he now thought he would. The idea of giving a gun to someone like Naruto or Sasuke was an interesting thought he had begun humoring after seeing the amazing displays by both warriors on the field when battling Grimm. The very idea of someone running around at near blinding speeds and being accurate to a T like how they were with throwing knives was both an interesting and frightful thought for obvious reason.
But now, upon looking at the blond, he wondered if this was all just a bad idea that was on a train ride to the side of the road.
"Who am I meeting again?" Naruto asked, his eyes squinted as he stared out the window towards the rising sun.
To make sure things were understood well enough, Naruto was dressed in his full combat gear. Though it wasn't the kind he'd put in the request for, later today he was meeting with Pyrrha, Blake, and Jaune to go and retrieve said gear.
While that would be later in the week, and Ironwood knew of it only because he'd been speaking with both Pyrrha and Jaune at the time of being snatched up by Ironwood for something that he didn't want to tell them about, it did give Ironwood the idea to make sure he was dressed for the part for this. Naruto's battle attire was more than enough for what they were doing and while Ironwood was airing on the side of caution to give him something like this, it was nothing but a weapons demonstration and lesson for Naruto before attempting to get something that work for him.
"You'll be going in under your alias," James reminded him. Naruto scratched his head, now a little confused on why this would be. "My men will obey my orders; question them possibly, but they will obey and be hesitant around you. Don't give them any personal information or they'll steer you down the wrong path with this demonstration. I'd like to avoid that."
"And since this got thrown at you at the last second, you're busy today and barely scrapped enough up for a proper introduction. I get it."
"I got enough. What I didn't have enough time for was for a personal inspection and my presence there. Too many meetings today." He ran his sleeve across his brow as a tiny bead of sweat began to trickle down his head. The heat was killer today. It was going to be lower tomorrow. That would have been a better day for testing, but Ironwood was putting this together as a last-minute thing to get in some training and hopefully would have more time down the line. This wasn't going to be a one-day thing. Not if he had anything to say about it. "We'll have more time tomorrow and more stuff for you to look through."
"Any recommendations?"
"Pistols and handguns first. Leave anything else for later. Bob can show you around for as long as you need. He's our Logistics Head. He oversees all the other departments. This was a last-minute thing, so the setup might not be ideal, even for me. But given the time crunch I'm working with, something is better than nothing. Even if that something isn't up to par with what I'd like." They passed two armed guards that snapped to attention at their presence and saluted. James did the same, but kept walking, never breaking stride as he got in front of Naruto and lead the way. "These men are a few of many that are here making sure nothing gets taken. I'd advise you keep that as a remind for yourself, okay? And Winter will be by in just a bit. She's finishing up something for me that required some attention."
Naruto nodded and then stopped before they got to where a man in white fatigues with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. He was bald with a burn mark across the ledge side of his scalp and sported a glowing red right eye that took the form of an eye-patch. He was busying himself with his Scroll and flipping through it as if he was checking or looking for something specific. Given what little information Naruto had on what a Logistic person was, he'd figured it was the latter of the two options.
"Bob, this Syxx." Ironwood gestured to Naruto as the young Jinchuuriki looked between the two and then finally stopped to look around the "test facility" with a look that was well hidden by the mask he wore. He was impressed. Ironwood didn't seem to notice that conditions. Almost like he was avoiding it because he knew he wouldn't like what he saw. "Bob, I trust you to do a good job. And you did read the file I attached to you about this, right?"
"Of course, Sir." He gave a curt nod and plastered the fakest smile Naruto swore he'd ever seen. Ironwood noticed it, but obviously made no moves to reprimand him for obvious reasons. "Leave everything to me." Naruto watched James leave before turning his attention back to the man in front of him. "Let me show you around."
(-)
Adam drummed his fingers against the table. Time was on his side. With the old man now backing him, though unwillingly, they had their chance to strike. He was only wanting to capture Blake and bring her back to their side. She was in the wrong and he was going to show her that. He was going to make her understand that this was the only way.
The door to his room was opened slowly and Adam resisted the urge to throttle the man before him. He was a Faunus and a powerful one at that. Had been since he met him. He was a good friend and a former advisor to Ghira back when he still controlled the White Fang.
He had black hair that was slick backed and kept in a neat ponytail that was rather short. He sported a burn mark on the left side of his face. Adam had never asked where he got it and always assumed it was a human that had done it. He stood just a little shorter than Adam himself and sported a blue and black leather trench coat with red vest that was held together by a zipper under it while the coat was left open while also wearing a matching pair of dark blue jeans and brown leather boots. He sported a pair of matching silver metal gauntlets that ended just short of the elbow and had a large spike sticking out from under them running along his arm.
"Zero," Adam called out to him, his narrowing behind his mask. "Why are you here?"
Zero blinked and touched the burn mark with his palm, making sure to avoid letting his fingers touch it as he did. "He's not going to work with us for much longer. He supplied the information and now we've had to cut his communication to the outside. Whisper caught him trying to put a second message out there."
Adam opened his mouth as if he were about to berate him but then closed it. I should have known he'd try something. I only hope that his first message didn't have a second message in it. If it did… "Good job," he finally said, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
"Whisper is still watching him. Do you want him to take him out?"
"No." Adam could hear the annoyance in his voice. "No," he said, now calmer. "Keep a close eye on him. Does he know about the explosives we're setting on his place for this if the blond one shows up?"
Adam shifted from foot to foot as a nervous gesture. "No, he doesn't." He regarded Adam carefully for a moment before saying, "You really think he's that powerful?"
"Survivors say he was shot, but one of our bases also dealt with him a while back. We caught him on video. And my contact has already proven that he's alive by showing me a photo of him currently. He's already back to being at a full strength."
"And you think he'll be here for this?"
Adam shut his eyes and frowned. "Yes. He'll certainly be here for her. He's always seen with her outside of class."
Zero crossed his arms and scowled at him. "This isn't about bringing her back to our side or to keep her silent is it?" Adam tightened his grip on Wilt. Zero didn't back down. "Remember that I am only here because you asked for my presence in this. Otherwise I'd still be with Sienna right now as one of her advisors."
"And while I'm sure she appreciates your devotion to her, you are far better suited for fighting than being a simple advisor."
The two stared at one another for a long time before Adam broke off. "I'll be making a full report on this, just so you know." He turned and started to walk off, stopping as he opened the door to turn his head and look over his shoulder as he said, "And by the way: Willow recently passed. I thought you of all people might like to know that."
Adam blinked and Zero was gone. Willow is dead? When did she…? He shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now.
(-)
Robert stared at the young warrior in front of him. Wearing a mask made it hard to tell what he was thinking, but Robert was going to go out on a limb and just assume he was more confused than anything right now. His station wasn't exactly the prettiest thing to look at. He'd been ordered to set this up some four hours ago and with what people he had been given to set this up and the weapons that were pulled down from the ship, he honestly just threw this together as quickly as he could.
Drill practices was what he thought this would be. Man was he wrong.
Watching Syxx move across each rifle as though they were nothing more than simple toys almost brought a tear to his eye. Some of these weapons were state of the art. Brand new. Right off the production floor. You could still smell the oil from the machine that put them together. It was almost disrespectful. Almost.
Sad as it was to say, these beauties were built by the lowest bidder. Sure, Atlas had a hand in their creation, but they were still built by the lowest bidder. And that's if they came from them. There were other companies out there. All of them trying to find the magic bullet to put the Grimm down for good. Shame that no one found it yet. Or at least had to the willpower strong enough to use one even if it meant harming another city in the process. Soldier he may be, politician he was not. Why not bomb your enemies and possible future or past enemies just to make sure they didn't come back to get you?
Well that line of thinking was quickly brought to a screeching halt when Syxx reached down and grabbed a large revolved that was black and white with a Red Rose etched onto the side of it.
"That one's got a home already, Syxx," Robert told him, taking the weapon and holstering it to leave no room for discussion. Syxx nodded, but his eyes showed more curiosity for a few more seconds before he started looking again. Robert rolled his eyes and walked up behind him again. "You don't know what you're looking at or for, do you?" Syxx nodded, though slowly and even scratched at the side of his head.
"Sorry, Bob."
"It's Robert." He pinched the bridge of his nose, more out of frustration than anything else and pointed to a rifle that lay before them. "This is a three-round burst rifle, AR-145. We call it the Kick-Starter for laughs." Syxx didn't respond and Robert wondered if he didn't have a sense of humor. "It works with only two types of ammo: Fire Red and Pearl White. Anything else and this thing just blows up in your hands. Real nasty. Seen a few people die from it. But it now comes with a dummy-system in place to prevent wrong types from being used. The only reason we still use them is because they're really good at long-range."
"How good?"
Robert picked one up, shouldered it, took aim, and tapped the trigger once to put down a bottle nearly seven hundred meters down range. Syxx looked down the range and blinked behind his mask.
"That good." He put it down, making sure to put the safety. Damn rookies didn't do it last time. He'd have to round them up again. Idiots. "That's why we call them the Kick-Starters. Dumb name but it works for what they're good for. Hell, I'd wager money that none of your fancy stuff back homes can do that."
Syxx pulled a knife from his holster and let it fly. It hit the resting spot of bottle where it once lay perched, ready to get knocked off.
Robert squinted his eyes. Okay, he thought to himself, his eyes blinking in the hopes of seeing just where the knife had struck without the aid of a rifle scoop, he's got good aim. I'll give him that. He looked the young man over, his eyes narrowing further and further as he tried to think of a weapon he could use. Honestly, given what he'd been told about him thus far, not a single thing here would work for him. He was all stealth and brute force. If he couldn't outsmart you, he'd outmuscle you. And if he couldn't outmuscle you, he'd outsmart you. Being able to throw a knife that far was no easy task, let alone hit your target. A Semblance might explain that away, maybe pure strength, but to be that precise or that lucky, was rather hard to believe.
New technology was not on the list of things he could have. That was a given. The good General was a good man and obviously an avid supporter of this person getting a piece of weaponry from their armory, which he still questioned, but it had been stated that nothing above clearance level 3 could be used. That was a good idea. And now that he thought about it, it made him smile as he reached for another cigarette.
"You from the somewhere else according to your file. What little was in there, anyways." Robert moved down the line, away from Syxx as the young warrior turned and watched him head for his Scroll. He snatched it up and started typing furiously on it, scrolling through pages upon pages of forms before stopping on one. He spun the thing around to show and oval like guard that was rather large if the image was to be believed. "This is a weapon that's been field tested for Rangers back in Atlas. We use it only under certain circumstances. Like when we're patrolling for Grimm on the mountains. Don't want to cause an avalanche so we use these. Problem is…" he turned it back around to himself and started typing. "No one likes them. And for good reason. They require a good amount of strength to use. No thermals for these things either. Sure, you can mode it, but this thing is designed to compact down to a guard so that if you have to fight something you can use it to defend yourself."
"What is it?"
"It's a bow and wrist-mounted blade. Works like any other of its type but with a catch. You're holding the handle the entire time. And we'd have to get it outfitted to your arm-size. So, you can now see why these things are such a pain to use. Only a few people use them and the location they guard is so boring they hardly take them with them anymore."
"That's dumb."
"Absolutely. But these things have been rather faulty from time to time. Either because they don't maintain them, which is rather believable given what I see on a daily basis, or the climate is just not suited for them. They haven't stopped producing these yet because other people fancy the idea of these things as weapons. But then you figure buying the arrows and then the Dust-type arrowheads, you see why people hate them. A specially crafted arrowhead made from whatever dust crystal you want is rather hard to make and rather costly if you go anywhere else."
"So, it's a matter of a cost in the end?"
"Yep." He snapped the Scroll closed and put it in his pocket. "Other than that, Kid, I don't think we have what you're looking for. And this thing, it certainly might work for you, but that's a hard might and even then, getting specially crafted arrowheads alone are going to cost you an arm and a leg. Even if General Ironwood was funding you for whatever stint you're doing. I don't see him doing this for long."
"What if I didn't need them?"
"Then I'd say you've got a good thing going. Use it. But keep in mind, this thing is the only thing you're getting. That's what he said. That's what I'm sticking to."
"Actually," Winter walked up from behind them, her crossed behind her back as she did, "He never said what Syxx could have or how much he could take. And to my understanding, this is primarily a demonstration for Syxx. I assume you've read his file, yes?"
"Of course," he said with an almost annoyed undertone.
"Then you'd know he's from a family that are known for their mystic arts? Weaponry like ours is almost barbaric to them. Hence why he uses such medieval weapons." Syxx rolled his eyes behind the mask. Winter nearly smiled since she knew his signs well enough from only a few times out in the field together. Shame that no one would believe her if she told them those stories. Even more shameful that she was having to remain hidden while so close to her little sister. Orders were orders.
"And how, pray tell, did General Ironwood manage to get his hands on one of them?" He gestured to the teen in question. Syxx looked between them both before the man continued. "The last one was a young boy too young to know much and wasn't much of a help for us. Not that I mind the source for him, but I highly doubt he could use our stuff."
Winter smiled and looked over at Syxx as she said, "You might find he's rather remarkable. Go. Show him, Syxx."
Without delay the young man grabbed the Kick Starter rifle, loaded the magazine, held it tightly to his shoulder, took aim at a target in the distance, took two deep breaths and pulled the trigger once. The target took only one round from the three-round burst, but the message was well received.
Syxx knew how to work a gun.
"I thought he was the mystical type? They don't use guns. Even without other options for combat, they'd rather fight barehanded than use a fully loaded gun."
"He's special."
Robert didn't like the idea of that. That was just too convenient for that to happen to them. Still, he was obviously on a need to know basis and he clearly didn't need to know right now. Maybe later he'd learn the truth, but right now, he would have to obviously stay in the dark.
Winter uncrossed her arms and smiled down at Syxx as he looked over the rifle once more before putting it down and scowling at it. "You disapprove of the weaponry?"
The exchange between Winter and Bob was almost heated when Syxx started listening to them again. He'd been wrapped in his own head until the words, "Faunus or White Fang," was thrown out by Bob.
"I'm not a part of that group," Syxx said suddenly, both eyes shimmering red before relaxing to the mismatching red and blue. Bob blinked and as he caught sight of something red whip around his form for only the briefest of moments. Something was certainly mystical about him if he was sporting a red flame arura. Maybe his age was catching up to him, or worse, his circuits were touching again for his eye implant again. "And even if I was a Faunus, I would still hate them."
"And why's that?" Bob asked, his arms now crossed, and his normal eye squinted as if he were judging him. Winter stepped in front of Syxx and placed her hand on the hilt of her weapon. Bob stood a little straighter, his eye slightly widening, and his jaw squired. "You think I'm going to disobey orders and use Judgment on him?" he asked, his arms falling akimbo and the strap over his gun clicking off. "I honestly think he could evade the first shot and get him, but I only have what you gave me for the report on him to go by. I'd be lucky to tag him."
"Then I'd suggest you lower your stance and resume your work, Robert." He bristled slightly. Winter took great pleasure in that. "Make sure that all of this is returned to the ship. Generals' orders."
"I thought I'd just leave it out here for the White Fang to take it. But I guess if those are my orders; I'll follow them." He glanced over at Syxx as he put the strap back over his gun. "I'll see you here tomorrow, Syxx. We have more weapons for you to try using." He reached over and grabbed the riffle. He blinked only once. He held it tight enough to leave an imprint on the handle, he realized. "Loosen your grip next time," he finally told him as he stuffed the gun back in its crate. He whistled and three other soldiers came out with boxes. "Let's get this stuff airborne. We aren't getting paid by the hour."
Winter lead Syxx away as the soldiers started chuckling at the dig.
(-)
"Your report?" Ironwood waited for a reply from Naruto and Winter. When neither said anything, he arched a thin brow before repeating himself. "Report?"
"You do realize I'm not one of your military people, right?" James snickered. He could appreciate the correction. He was still in the mindset of giving orders to his crew when they came in, albeit a little early, and saddled up in his office while waiting for him to finish going over his own reports before tending to them. "But I think they're bringing down a bow for me to try tomorrow."
"A bow?" James blinked twice before it struck him what kind they were attempting to bring down for him. "I kind of figured they'd have brought that out. Given the report I made for him and the ideal weapons you might use. Hence why I asked him to bring down smaller weapons. A three-round rifle isn't exactly something I can see you using."
"I didn't like it. Too much kick."
It was Winter's turn to arch a brow while James could only nod in agreement. "You do realize that you made a shot with that thing at nearly five hundred meters with no prior training with the weaponry, right?" James leaned back and almost smiled. Naruto was a fast learner. He'd have to be at the next session. Perhaps he could reschedule a meeting with the Council of Atlas later in the day. "Furthermore, you also demonstrated that you didn't act shocked by how the weapon worked."
"He showed me one time. It was pretty easy to understand from there." Naruto defended, acting like his accomplishment wasn't a big deal. To him, it really wasn't. Learning how to throw multiple kunai and shuriken back in class was harder. Firing one of these things was just stupidly easy to him. No wonder Sasuke didn't like the idea of it. "Besides, learning how throw multiple objects at the same time and hit the target is harder."
James chewed on his lower lip. He could see that. That was easy to see on why that'd be difficult. But maintaining the weapon would be different. One bolt out of place and the whole thing could jam. Too tight and it'd jam. No firing pin. Everything about a gun was more complex when it came to maintaining them. But maintaining a pair of knives was rather easy.
Winter relented on that note. Maintaining her own weapon was rather simply. Sharpening and polishing was all she had to do. Cracks were given off to a smith to take care of them for her, but if she had to, she could easily repair her own weapons. Maintaining and repairing a gun was next to impossible without proper training.
"But I didn't like the rifle. I didn't even get to mess with anything else before Winter and Bob started arguing about my status as a mystic-type." James nodded. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but it was the easiest way to explain away why Naruto didn't know anything their guns. A quick lesson from him wouldn't amount to much. Naruto would be too high strung and too confused for the class to go through when it came time for him to look at their weapons in action. "Why did you do that anyways?"
James laced his fingers together. Well, it was better he explain lest Naruto not stick with the story. He didn't need people looking in on this lie. Orders were orders, but there were a few people who might question, if not outright, then behind his back. He'd made it very clear that he expected to have people talk behind his back and question orders if something was amiss, but never question a direct order that came from higher up. That's how he played this one.
"To be fair, a Mystic-Type is someone that would cling to a dying age of weaponry. Back before we fully understood the power that Dust could grant us, we put our faith in the blade and that faith rewarded many with great trophies and power. Many more, however, would fall victim to its harder uses. A blade is only as sharp as its wielder. As our knowledge of the world grew and our intelligence with the genetic structure of the elements came into play, we learned that Dust could be used for much more than staving off our enemies with just light shows. We learned how to make ammunition and how to trigger it properly, making the first "gun" a long time ago."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm not here for a history lesson on these things, James. You know that."
James raised a calming hand. "I'm aware of that. You're here primarily because you want a chance to learn something new about our technology. I granted you that much and created a small lie to get you through the door for this. Though, that small lie isn't exactly a small lie, now is it?" Naruto sighed and shook his head. "There is an order called the Order of Cosmicism and they believed in the power of the sword. They harnessed Aura in a way no one else truly can and do remarkable feats that some might dare say is magic. A Semblance and Dust can explain away a lot of things, but what they can do is something beyond even our understanding."
"Like what? They have a powerful creature that can flatten mountains and cause tsunamis or something?"
Winter looked confused by his statement but kept her mouth shut. James on the other hand pursed his lips to a fine line. A near uneasy tension sprang up between the two before James unfurled his Scroll and began typing something on it.
Naruto continued. "I've seen people with abilities close to mine, James. They were monsters and treated as such. He wanted only to kill and nothing more. He was sick and lonely. His own people feared him and hated him. When you back an animal into a corner, what does it do?"
"Are you saying you'll do the same?" James asked, an eyebrow raised in question. The stories, the warnings about the creature Naruto held was a secret even from the Council of Atlas and Vale. If such knowledge were to get out… But the stories were so outlandish that it was hard to believe such a thing. How could such a creature exist. Large and powerful Grimm he'd seen for sure, but something like this… no. He couldn't see it. He couldn't even imagine it. "I trust you remember the olive branch I'm giving you, Naruto. I'd hate to see it go to waste."
"I'd hate for you guys to believe us when it's too late. When that day comes, if I don't get a way home soon," James looked passed Naruto and straight an Winter as she narrowed her eyes on the back of his head, "trust me when I say nothing will stop it from bringing everything you love down around you. There are people so strong where I'm from and so fast that they could pick your entire army apart without breaking a sweat."
Naruto rose to his full height, something that was still rather short in comparison to the two in the room but was still almost imposing to the two if for no other reason than his vague and repetitive warning that went over Winter's head but stuck true to the good General. Naruto blinked and for a moment James felt something that was cold run over his form. His vision went black for only a moment and then he saw gold, red and teeth. But just as quickly as it came, the vision was gone, and Naruto had his back to him.
"But the demonstration was interesting. I'm looking forward to the bow." Naruto said as he walked to the door. Winter stayed. Naruto left.
James sighed and reached into his desk, pulled out two small shot glasses and filled them with liquid from his flask. He presented one to Winter. She stared at it and then him. He shrugged and downed them both. "What does he mean by that?" Winter finally asked. She grabbed the second glass after he filled it and knocked it back. She shivered and shut her eyes as the burning taste hit her throat a little harder than she was prepared for.
"Don't ask," he said to her quietly. He looked at his left hand. It was shaking. He poured another shot and slowly brought it to his lips. "Believe me, Winter. Don't ask." She nodded and sat the glass down. When she turned to leave he shut his eyes. "Winter," she paused at the door, "I need to speak with Glynda. I know you're about to leave but send her a message for me. She won't reply to me quickly enough." The Schnee nodded and departed without another word. James leaned back his chair and shut his eyes tightly. He could only see teeth in his mind.
(-)
Sasuke woke in the middle of the night, his heart in his throat and covered in sweat. He looked over at his team. They were sleeping soundly. He looked at his bed and noticed that it was pristine, yet he was sweating. Throwing the blankets off he marched to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He stared at his one eye and then splashed water on his face again.
The Curse Seal was acting up again. His neck ached, and his entire body burned.
Sighing, he turned the water off and took three deep breaths. He inhaled once, exhaled, inhaled again, and exhaled again. Before he could do the third he dropped to his knees as pain and electricity hit him hard like a punch to the gut. He resisted the urge to vomit and felt his temperature rise again. He coughed and struggled to breath as the burning pain got worse. Then it was gone.
He collapsed to his backside and leaned against the counter breathing heavily as if to regain lost oxygen. He shut his eye and calmed his breathing. When he opened his eye and rose to his feet, he saw the door was opened and a shadow was over his form. "Sorry," he said quietly, so he wouldn't disturb the others. "I didn't want to wake you guys up." He told the shadow. When it didn't reply or move, he narrowed his eye and his Sharingan sprang to life. "Are you okay?"
The shadow moved and vanished. Sasuke stood up straight and then blinked awake as he was shaken from the side. His breathing was fast and his heart once more beat in his throat. He looked up and saw Jasper standing over him, fear etched into his face. "Are you alright man?" Sasuke sat up slowly and ran a hand over his face as he nodded. "You weren't exactly quiet you know."
"What'd you hear?" he asked in an almost whisper.
Jasper looked at him and then down to his left. Sasuke followed his gaze. What was once lightly tanned skin now blue with a dull white set of markings running across his forearm. He felt pain lash out against him and then he saw his parents' dead on the ground and his brother standing with his back to him, the weapon clutched firmly in his hand. Sasuke nearly screamed when the elder Uchiha turned to him, his Sharingan morphing into its more powerful form.
He moved to attack, but he had no weapon. He looked away, fearful of the power of that eye and then stood in a field of blue roses, his brother gone. He looked around, his thoughts screaming that this wasn't real, but his body and his senses said otherwise. He could feel the chill in the air, the warmth of the sun on the back of his neck and the scent of the blue roses that smelled of lavender.
He stared straight ahead and walked a mile before coming across his footprints in the soft soil where he had found himself before his brother had appeared. Sighing, he kneeled and reached for one, a smile forming on his face. He knew they didn't exist in the wild. Blue Roses only existed back in their world from illusions and altering of the chemicals that made up the rose. Ino might have been one of his fangirls but she knew enough about her family's business and the plants they grew to keep him only partially interested when she spoke about the kind of flowers she liked.
The one he grabbed cut him and he yanked back, blood seeping from the wound. He stared at the wound and pulled a long ice thorn from his hand. His Aura began its work at mending the wound and he continued his journey through the flowers before coming across a stone bench and a woman in blueish-white dress that reached down to the earth. Her face was obscured by a vail of pure white. She didn't react to him at first, but when she did, tears of blood ran down from behind the vail.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asked. He meant to be angry, but his voice only came with concern. This dream had gone on long enough. He wanted to wake and end the nightmare.
Her mouth opened but nothing came out.
Sasuke tore the vail from her head and revealed a woman with pure white hair that reached to the middle of her back. Her eyes were covered by a black cloth and a smile was on her face. In both hands she held a long metal staff with a symbol carved into it that he didn't recognize. When he moved to remove the blindfold she wore, her hand raised, and she stopped him. Confused, he tried again, and she stopped him again.
Infuriated by the game she played he summoned his ice and formed a weapon. Her smile faded, and a frown replaced it. He stepped back as she rose from the bench and gently tapped the earth with his staff. Black runes sprang from the staff and spread along the ground in all directions. "This is a garden," she/he/it spoke in a calm voice. "The garden grows in both directions. To yesterday and tomorrow."
Sasuke shut his single eye. The voice hurt him. It dragged a memory from his mind and ripped it out in front of him. He saw his brother again. His family, his clan, lay slain before him. Sasuke gritted his teeth and dug his heels in the ground. He'd relived this before. He'd relived it multiple times. Too many times. He could stand one more. He could stand the pain, the hate, the lust for power and the lust for his brothers' destruction again. He did it before. He could do it again.
The pain stopped. The voice disappeared. His single eye opened, and he was back in his room. His team was asleep. He quietly removed himself from the bed and went to wash himself, but not before grabbing his weapon. When the light came on, he felt a moment of joy as he turned back and saw them sleeping. He stepped into the bathroom, shut the door, sat his weapon by the sink, and turned the faucet on. A single drop of blood splashed against the ceramic bowl of the sink.
He turned his hand over and noticed a cut in the meat of his palm where the thorn had cut him. The former Uchiha could only stare at the cut in awe before he shut his eye and opened it to look at his reflection in the mirror. He stared into his own Sharingan and found himself standing before himself in his mind. The other him blinked with both eyes while he simply stared. The reflection stared back and then vanished before him. He snapped back to reality and brandished his weapon, ready for a fight.
He awoke on the ground in a kneeling position with a blade made of ice in his hand. He moved to the door and stepped outside into the cold dark hallway. He looked down the hallway in both directions and then frowned. Someone was here in our room just now. He looked at the cut on his hand. His Aura hadn't healed it yet. Someone smart was in our room just now and they wanted something. He stepped back in to his room, shut the door gently, and then looked it over. Call him paranoid all you want. Protecting his team was his top priority. He put a seal on the door and for added measure propped a small piece of pencil lead in the wedge of the door.
Evaporating the ice around his arm that formed the weapon, he walked over to his bed and went back to sleep. His mind returned to the woman and the wound in his hand that had yet to heal.
(-)
Emerald held her breath as she slumped down the wall until she was sitting down.
He saw me! She repeated it in her head until she finally calmed down. She looked at her hand stared at the cut that ran across her hand. He saw me and hit me. No one had ever done that. She got up and moved back to her room and gently shut the door. Mercury and Cinder looked her over as she moved to the bathroom to tend to her wound. Aura could heal a lot but preventing an infection was always up in the air.
She ran cold water over it before cleaning the cut with alcohol to make sure that it would be free of infection. Once she was done she looked it over and watched it heal before her eyes. And he did that with ice, she thought as she balled her hand into a fist.
She could still see the look on his face. The desire to murder. She'd been smart. Drugged them all before coming in. A little sprinkle of sleeping medication in their drinks and they were none the wiser. But upon entering she found the strange teen nearly wide awake in his bed. He was having a nightmare or something. When she got close to him with the syringe to take some of his blood he lashed out violently with his ice. She cut his hand and it froze over the cut. Thinking quickly, she had forced him to see something else. Anything else.
He saw her though. He saw through her illusion and watched her before something triggered him. He started to shake and then, without warning, collapsed to one knee. He froze solid on the spot. A thin layer of ice over his form. When she touched it, it reacted to her presence and tiny spikes stuck out of the ice. His red eye glared at her from behind the ice and for a moment, she saw something else. A black void and she stood before him. He stared at her. She stared back. He wasn't pleased.
Emerald took her chances and left before he awoke fully. Whatever he saw outside of her she did not know. But if he remembered, which she prayed he wouldn't, she'd know by morning.
"Did you get it?" Cinder asked, her Scroll in her hand. She didn't look worried. Emerald nodded wordlessly and pulled a small vile with red liquid in it. She forked it over and watched as Cinder raised it up to the light. "Did he spot you?"
"I don't know." Cinder looked directly at her now. Emerald looked at her hand. The cut wasn't fully healed. It was still there. She could still see it. "He was sleeping in and out of consciousness. He reacted to my presence and then covered his entire form in a protective layer of ice after attacking me. He might have seen me. I'm not sure. I don't think he did." Cinder turned to head back to her bed, ready to mull this over. "But he did say something during our confrontation. I don't know what it means."
Cinder didn't bother turning to her. What could he say that she'd be interested in? A babbling teen drunk on the sleeping medication they'd slipped in his drink couldn't be taken for anything.
Emerald watched her leave, her idol now crushing her spirits as she moved to the bed. Knowing that Cinder thought she failed when she might not have did crush her, but not nearly as much as watching her leave. She wanted to go into a corner and cry but didn't. Instead she retreated inwardly and held the side of her head. What is a Curse Seal? She opened her eyes and looked at Cinder. She was back to work, her once loving eyes now cold and detached. She'd have to make this up to her. There could be no two ways about it. She was going to have to silence Sasuke.