Ruby Rose held a lot of preconceived notions of Beacon Academy. Home of the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale, premiere training academy for anything and everything combat related.
When Ozpin had offered her a position in the upcoming school year, she had, understandably, been both ecstatic and worried.
She would be training along side the next generation of huntsmen! Along side her sister no less!
But on the same hand, she would be a whole two years younger than every other student, at least.
As socially awkward as she was already, that would make making friends all the more difficult. Ruby didn't want anyone to think she was receiving special treatment, that she thought herself better than anyone else.
Rudy's age and advancement by two years would make people assume as much.
Until the test in the Emreld Forest, Ruby had believed she would be the odd man out of her entire year.
Atleast, until she met Team Rouge.
"I'm telling you Sasuke, there is nothing wrong with finding another man attractive." The blond of Team Rouge reaffirmed. The odd ball team was currently seated behind her own team, Team RWBY, in their first class at beacon. Grimm Studies.
"I don't care what you say. I do not, have not, and will not ever admit to finding any man attractive." Sasuke shot back flatly, not even deigning to spare Naruto a glance.
"You're just not comfortable with your sexuality. It's okay man, I understand, not everyone can have my confidence." Naruto carried on with a grin. He was just trying to get a rise out of the Uchiha really.
"Honestly, I would expect as much from you anyway Naruto. With how oblivious you are to the opposite sex and all that." Sakura shot from Sasuke's left, a teasing smile on her face.
"Hey! That's uncalled for!" Naruto shouted, only to face plant when Hinata chimed in with a "Well...there was that time with Kakashi-sensei..."
"Not you too Hinata-chan!" Naruto pouted in her direction.
"Excuse me...what are you guys going on about?" Yang asked the group above her, a small smile and strange glint in her eye.
Naruto measured the female blonde for a moment before rattling off "Well, the Bastard is a bit upset at the way we arranged our room, and I'm trying to put him at ease. As you can tell, it isn't working."
"You used a swear!" Ruby shouted as she shoved a jar toward Naruto.
The blond looked at the girl for a long moment, not sure what he was suppose to do with the jar.
After a still moment, Ruby steadily starting to nervously shake, the red themed girl broke and sat down with nary a word.
Team Rouge took a moment to stare at one another, and as they got set to restart conversation, most likely with a new topic, another member of TEAM RWBY spoke.
"How does finding other men attractive help settle that in anyway?" Blake chimed in. It seemed all of Team RWBY had been listening into the conversation as Professor Port continued lecturing on with one of his 'Extraordinary past deeds.'
"Well, we decided to save room by just sharing two beds." Naruto spoke, thinking nothing of it. They had each been in compromising positions with the same and opposite sex through out there careers, sharing a bed was actually a bit tame by comparison.
The declaration was much more shocking for Team RWBY, if Ruby's shocked face, Yang's widening smile, Weiss' blushing getting worse and worse, and the slow steady widening of Blake's eyes was anything to go by.
"Y-you mean...you and...that's indecent!" Weiss shouted loudly, drawing the attention of the room.
A still silence echoed from the declaration, before a deep laugh emerged from the front of the room.
"It seems we have a volunteer!" Peter Port bellowed, a kind grin on his face.
All eyes were glued on Wiess Schnee, who still burning crimson, blanched. She had no idea what she had just volunteered for!
"Don't be shy Miss Schnee! Please show us your combat prowess." Port let loose a hearty chuckle as the girl sighed and made her way to the front of the class. Part of the man was annoyed. How dare these young ones ignore his lecture! Perhaps this shall teach them the need to be aware of their surroundings.
"As I was saying class, there are many things that make a huntsmen, or huntress in this case, key characteristics necessary to survive in our harsh, Grimm filled world!" Opposite of Weiss, a cage rose from the floorboards, revealing a moderately sized boarbatusk, a hefty creature that held white armor like platting along its back and flanks. It's two long tusks protruded from its muzzle in gruesome fashion.
Weiss didn't flinch. She had handled such creatures before, this would prove a good time to show case her superior skills as a huntress, and possibly act as a first step in changing the Headmasters mind about who was leading her team.
She was ready, she was determined and focused, she was-
"Yay! Go Weiss! Show 'em how Team RWBY does it!" Ruby shouted from her seat, a sign reading 'Go Weiss' (where she got it was still up for debate) waving above her. Blake held a small pennant flag that read RWBY, lackisdasically waving it to and fro.
Yang was still staring at Team Rouge.
The shout was enough to break Weiss' concentration, ending up with the Snowflake themed girl to turn her eyes to her team leader, most likely to reprimand her.
A horrid mistake, as Port chose that moment to release the Boarbatusk, allowing it to charge from its cage and directly at the Schnee heiress.
Weiss was heady enough to hear the charging feet, and sprang to react, dodging to the left, lashing out with her Rapier, only to lightly narrow her eyes as it bounced off the hardened platting of the boarbatusk with nary a scratch.
Weiss squared herself agains the Grimm, before as one they charged one another. Weiss held her left hand back, waiting till the last possible second to try and pierce the Grimm with a straight thrust.
Naruto and Sasuke kept their eyes on the girl as she managed to catch her blade in the Grimm tusks. "Hmm her form isn't bad, but..." Naruto started, a hand on his chin.
"I'm surprised you noticed Dobe." Sasuke replied, his own eyes picking out the flaws of the girls fighting style.
"Well, I have taken up sword play in my spare time. I'll never match up to you in the art, but I've become a fair hand at it." The blond replied with a wave of the hand.
"What are you two talking about now?" Sakura asked, her own eyes focused on the schuffle taking place at the front of the room.
"The way she's fighting. She's not use to taking on this type of opponent." Sasuke replied. The girl was use to fighting humanoid opposition. The way she squared off with the Grimm spoke volumes about it. She lead with her weak arm, a mistake all on its own as she held no way to block with her off hand. Her thrust had been a last minute correction, causing her to become caught. Had she dodged, then struck, it would have been far more effective.
"How can you tell that with just one trade off?" The pinkette asked, a little awed at the deduction.
"It happens when you learn to fight with a sword. Kaka-sensei once told me about a legendary skill that is passed down in the soul of swordsmen. When two sword masters cross eyes, they are able to tell exactly how a fight will go, before a blade is even drawn." Naruto responded as Weiss had her Rapier ripped away due to the momentary distraction of her team leader.
"I wasn't aware you were so far in your sword play Dobe." Sasuke spoke in response.
"I'm not, but Yūgao-chan has helped me refine my deduction skills. She's probably the leading sword user in the village ya know?" Naruto beamed as he talked about his training partner and friend.
"Is that the woman with the purple hair from the other night Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, remembering a small encounter at the festival before they had stumbled onto Sakura and Sasuke.
"Got it in one Hinata-chan!"
"Hya!" A shout from the front room team Rouge out of their conversation, long enough to see Weiss and the boarbatusk, now on its back, slide along the floor, Weiss' rapier buried deeply inside the beasts stomach.
"Bravo! It seems we truly are in the presence of a Huntress in training. Unfortunately, that is all the time we have for today. Remember to look over the assigned reading, and stay vigilant! Class dismissed." Port bellowed as Weiss glared at her team leader.
Naruto sat still as Weiss stalked off, the room slowly starting to empty. "Well, that might be a problem."
"What's wrong Naruto?" Sakura asked, her eyes following Naruto's line of sight, before the blond waved her off.
"Ah nothing Sakura-chan. Hey whose for lunch? I'm starved." Three of the four members of Team Rouge hung their head. Of course he was.
~CATB~
"Ozpin made a mistake!" Weiss turned on her heel as soon as the words flew from her lips. Marching off in a huff, ignoring Rudy's cry for her, she turned a corner and saw that curious blond from the Emrald forest propped up against the wall not ten feet away.
"Man, that was pretty harsh." Naruto started off easily enough, a sheepish grin on his face.
"So on top of eavesdropping on a private conversation, now you're going to pass judgment on me? Who are you anyway?" Weiss demanded, snubbing her nose at the blond. His opinion of her didn't matter, and she'd be damned if some upstart wanted to lecture her, saving her from a terrifying fall or not.
"You call that a private conversation? I'm pretty sure the lunch room heard you." Naruto chuckled out, putting his hands behind his head as he was want to do from time to time. "And no lecture, just curious."
"Oh? What about?" The Schnee Heiress demanded more than asked. She was still annoyed with her leaders childishness, she didn't want to deal with some overgrown man child as well.
"Hmmm...maybe we should go sit down somewhere. I know a look like that anywhere, the Bastard gives it to me often enough." Naruto mused, turning to walk away slowly. He wasn't sure if she would follow him at first, but the huff and clack of her heels gave him an answer soon enough.
~CATB~
"So, seems like you're upset with the team selections." Naruto threw out as he leaned back into the bench he was occupying. Weiss sat as far from him as possible, while still being seated on the same bench.
"Teams aren't the issue. I'm perfectly aware of the skills my teammates posses. It is the leadership that has my annoyance." Weiss bit back. She didn't even know why she was explaining this to him.
"Yeah, that still sounds like a formation issue in my book." Naruto replied with a light chuckle, his eyes searched the sky for a moment, trying to find the right words. He could see the potential in these kids, all of them. They just needed a little...push.
"Would you ever guess that I came from a long line of failures?" Naruto spoke after a brief pause. Weiss turned to him, slightly surprised, and just a touch confused.
While she hadn't known the blond for more than a passing moment, the man could fly. Not to mention the way his aura could project and change how he looked. It took a masterful level of control to achieve that kind of aura usage.
"I was the absolute dead last of my class in my training year. The only person who even came close to me was just too lazy to actually do anything." Naruto chuckled lightly, a whimsical smile on his face. Man those were the days.
"My teammate, Sasuke. He was the top. Rookie of the year they called him. A prodigy and a genius." A snort left the blond. "Me and him have fought a lot over the years. Now a days we're pretty lax about it, but a few years back? We changed landscapes."
Weiss couldn't stop the scoff that left her lips. Did this brute bring her here to gloat and showboat? "And what does that have to do with anything?" The heiress asked condescendingly.
"It's been a day." Naruto rolled his head to the side softly and just started at the snow themed girl.
Weiss stared back, but not getting the blond's point. After a second of silence, she scoffed once more, and stood to leave. She knew this would be a waste of time.
Weiss made it all of four steps before the blond, Naruto, spoke once more. "Were you born with the ability to wield a sword?"
Weiss rounded on the blond, a scowl on her face. "Of course not! I had to train with it."
"So you had to tirelessly train yourself?" Naruto sat up and leaned forward in his seat. A keen look in his eye.
"Yes." Weiss bit back.
"Sacrifice hours of your time in the name of honing your craft."
"Yes." The reply was tighter, he could tell the girl was being set on edge.
"Bleed, sweat, and just be so exhausted that you wanted to drop!" Naruto stood now, a half glare on his eyes. He had to make her understand, but like Sasuke, this girl seemed to miss the obvious sometimes.
"Of course! I sacrificed countless days learning to fight! Learning tactics and skills that would ensure my victory over my enemies! What does this have to do with anything!?" Weiss shouted, her face slightly red from anger. How dare this jerk question her skills! Her hard earned, long fought battles that lead her to where she was now! "Ruby is a child! She has no place in this academy and no right to lead a team of people years older than her!"
"It has been a day!" The blond gave back in a harsh tone. Weiss stopped short of the triade she was about to launch into.
Naruto saw the girl was on the back foot, so he pressed forward. "In the forest, my team watched all of you. Saw how you each interacted with the other. Safe to say, we don't think any of you are fit to lead. Because you are all new."
"And what's that suppose to mean! I have had some of the best sword teacher's money can buy, have spent years waiting and yearning to come to this school, and now I'm stuck under the command of a girl two years my junior and with a childish streak a mile wide!" The insolence of this man! How dare he assume to know her, to judge her! She has worked too hard, come to far to be-
"And you think Ruby hasn't done the same?"
The question stopped Weiss cold.
"Ozpin...he's a strange guy, trust me on that, but he's a decent judge of character." Naruto sat back down, a slight huff leaving him. How come people couldn't be more like Hinata? Always so easy to talk to and to convince.
That's just for you Naruto.
"She has trained the same as you, and her skills seem to be good enough for Ozpin to trust you and the others to her lead. But all any of you have right now is your personal skills."
Weiss felt confusion well up inside her. "What do you mean?"
"Weiss...it's been a day." And then the point hit her like a hammer to a nail.
"How do you expect Ruby to be the leader you think you deserve, when she has had all of a day to even come to terms with the fact that she is here? In this academy?" Realization dawned on Weiss face, and Naruto had to bite back a chuckle at how silly she looked.
"But, Ozpin, and she, but!" Weiss tried to sputter. No! It didn't make sense! Ruby was childish! Far too optimistic! And the whole stunt with the Nevermore!
"It took me years to match up to Sasuke. It took you years to master your sword. Maybe you should give the girl more than a day to try and learn to be a leader?" Naruto finished quietly.
Weiss slowly walked back to the bench and sat down, a contemplative look on her face, her fire for arguing snuffed.
"This academy is four years right? Four years before you are expected to really, truly, put your life in her hands. You can do a lot in four years. Learn a lot. Trust me, I'd know." Naruto looked directly at the girl beside him, he could see she was in thought, so he made to leave.
As he stood, her voice stopped him.
"But what if you're wrong. What if she is never ready to lead? What then?"
Naruto just looked down at Weiss, a grin streatching across his face. "Then you help her. That's what teammates are for, ain't it? Give it time Weiss. I'm sure she'll surprise you."
Weiss looked down at her lap, biting her lip softly. She hated that it made sense...but it did make sense.
She looked back up to ask another question, but the blonde was gone. A few trails of smoke wafting up from the cobblestone.
Weiss sighed, a slightly worried expression on her face. "Just give it time, huh?"
~CATB~
"And then the bar tender says-" Naruto paused midpunch line, his fork halfway to his mouth as his eye glazed over slightly.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, slightly concerned. It wasn't like Naruto to just stop like that. She lightly placed her hand on his shoulder.
Naruto blinked rapidly, slightly shaking his head. "Yeah yeah sorry! Stray thought!" Naruto waved the heiress off with a smile.
"You? Thought? I didn't think I'd live to see the day." Sasuke snipped from the other side of the table, his fork twirling around the cooked spaghetti with only a mild amount of interest.
"What was that you bastard?!" Naruto growled, clutching his spoon with force, his own plate already cleared twice over.
"Now, now boys. Don't fight." Sakura placated half-heartedly. Honestly it was always the same with these two. The pinkette just hung her head with a sigh as Naruto and Sasuke started trading insults as one would trade cards.
"Honestly, you'd think they'd get tired of it at some point." Sakura spoke toward Hinata, hoping for some back up.
"Hmmm I think it's sweet actually." The Hyuga spoke in her quiet way. "Like an old married couple." Hinata finished with a laugh.
Sakura had to laugh as well, because the color of green Naruto and Sasuke achieved at the raventte's words was priceless.
"Hinata-chan! How could you?!"
A.N. Yo guys! Chapter 4 piping hot! Now this is something that I wanted to get out of the way first. There won't be a harem. I thought about it a lot, and the jokes I could make out of it would be great, but I do eventually plan on sending Team Rouge home, so it's a no go.
The conversation with Weiss was the focus of this chapter for me, and I had to redo it twice, from different points of view. I felt Naruto fit best.
The name! I can't remember who asked it, but Team Rouge is named the way it is as kind of a meta joke. If you can find a color that uses HSNS please tell me, cause I wanna see that shit. The naming in RWBY is weird and I'm pretty sure every fanfiction cracks on it atleast once. I was going to go with Element, but decided Rouge just sounded better because of the parts each member will play.
From here on I'll also be doing chapters from different perspectives. RWDY, JNPR, Ozpin, the other staff. Eventually other key players as well. At first I was going to do this all from Team Rouges perspective, but decided against it.
Now, I shouldn't have to explain it, but I know someone will ask, why does Naruto defend Ruby when he barely knows her? Why butt in...at all?
He's Naruto. Its kind of his MO. The others will get in on the action as well, I have a great little thing planned between Sasuke and Blake when we get to the arc. Another for Sakura and Pyrrha. And like 15 for Hinata and basically everyone. I'm so much excite!
Oh and yes he did use a shadow clone to talk to Weiss.
Oh and for those of you wondering why Weiss changed her tone so quick, again, it's Naruto. He convinced a war hungry lunatic to be a good guy again. This is like comparing peas and mountains in my book. A cake walk in my opinion. I think that's everything...if ya got a question, just ask! Or PM me. What ever works.
Dark_Star, Out!