A/N - Okay, as I said before, I wanted to start this new crossover fic. I just couldn't resist! I know you want me to focus on my current fics, but this one was just BEGGING for me to write it. Literally, I heard it begging me. :P lol
Anyways, I am dead tired after staying up all night and morning writing this dang chapter. Took forever to write the dang thing. Still, I think it turned out pretty well! Now read on and enjoy!
Chapter 1 – The Beginning
Naruto groaned as he started coming to. The last thing he remembered was fighting in the war and against some woman named Kaguya Otsutsuki. Wait, scrap that, his most recent memory was fighting Sasuke! This time, his 'friend' really gave him no other choice than to end his life. But…how did he end up here? Stranded on the beach of some town in who the hell knows where?
Sitting up, he clutched at his head and let out an agonized groan. When he pulled his hand away, he saw fresh blood on his hand. "What in the world…?" Taking a moment to relax and think on his circumstances, he struggled as he tried to remember exactly what the hell happened to him this time. Think Naruto! You killed Sasuke, but what happened after that? You were exhausted, barely even conscious…
Thinking on it for a time, he soon remembered the sight of pink hair and gravity-defying silver hair growing closer to him. His vision was blurred, and their voices were slightly muffled, but he swore he could hear them saying something about a 'monster' and 'Sasuke-kun'. When he regained consciousness, he was brought before the council, and not even Tsunade sided with him this time. The vote was for death, just as he had been expecting. Why the hell didn't I fight back?! Naruto wondered, feeling frustrated as hell with himself for just taking all of their insults, their attacks, all of it.
When the assault was finally over and they thought he was finally dead, they had done something to him, but he wasn't entirely sure just what the hell it was that had happened to him after that. All he knew is that he was exhausted and oh so tired of dealing with the Uchiha's cocksucking fanatics. Now here he was, in a land he knew nothing about, with a severe injury to his head. Why it was still bleeding, he had no idea. He wasn't even sure how he had come to have such a severe wound to his skull.
Shaking it off, he slowly stood to his feet and wobbled a bit, nearly falling over again as he did. Looking around, he suddenly remembered something. Kurama? Are you there? Receiving no response, he tried again. Kurama! You big furry bastard, talk to me! Again, there was no response. Fearing the worst, he delved into his mindscape, appearing before the open cage. "Kurama…?"
Looking around, Naruto didn't see anything for a while. He didn't even hear his furry friend breathing! Hurrying into the darkness of the cage, he breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw Kurama lying there. However, he quickly noticed that Kurama was pale and he only had a single tail. All of his other tails were gone! "What the hell…?"
It was at this point that Naruto noticed something else. Looking behind him, he saw nine tails sprouting from the base of his spine. On top of that, his nails had turned into elongated, curved claws. Looking into the water, he saw that his pupils had become slitted, though they remained the same blue color he was so used to. "What in the hell happened to me?" he wondered aloud.
Looking back at Kurama, he walked over and patted him gently on the head. "Take the time you need to rest and recover, buddy. Whatever happened, it must've been bad." He said before he vanished from his mindscape.
As soon as he opened his eyes, Naruto was caught off guard when he saw a group of people staring at him. Looking around at each of them, he raised his hand and waved. "Umm…hi?"
A tall man at the front of the group quirked a brow and asked, "What the heck are you? You're definitely not like anyone I've ever met before."
Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head as he gauged his chances against these people if it came down to a fight. He was still a little disoriented, though his wound did seem to be closing now. His natural healing factor was still there, but it was working a tad slowly at the moment for reasons he wasn't sure of. Shrugging that thought off, he looked into the man's eyes calmly. "Would you believe me if I told you I was a Human, like you and your friends?"
"Depends. Be honest with me and I'll be honest with you. The name's Rutger Claussell. I'm the leader of a Jaeger Corps. by the name of Zephyr. I'll introduce you to the others later. Right now I want to know about you. You're definitely not a Human anymore, based off of appearances. That and you've got blood in your hair and face. The hell happened to you?" the now named Rutger questioned.
Naruto touched his face and frowned as he felt dried blood. "I definitely need a shower." He said with a chuckle. After a moment, he looked squarely into Rutger's eyes and said, "If I'm right, I've become a Hanyou. That would explain the tails, the claws, and…"
"Those ears on top of your head too, I'm assuming?" Rutger questioned with a grin.
Blinking, Naruto reached up and felt, much to his own amusement, fox ears atop his head. "Well, that's new. Oh well." He said with a shrug. "I'm also what's known as a shinobi. We do a variety of missions ranging from assassinations, escort and protect missions, infiltration and reconnaissance, you name it, we pretty much did it. So long as we were paid the right amount for a job, we'd do it. Though we reserved the right to turn down requests from corrupt, evil bastards, potential rapists, whatever."
"Anyways, I was betrayed by the people I trusted. They tried to kill me…and I don't really remember much else. When I woke up, I was here with a wound on my head, blood in my eye, and generally feeling like crap. Wonderful, huh?" he questioned sarcastically.
Rutger chuckled and said, "Sounds like you've got some interesting stories to tell. I've got a good feeling about you, kiddo. Tell ya what, you join me and my fellow Jaegers, and I'll take real good care of you. You'll be treated like family, and on top of that, you'd be safe. Nobody screws with the Jaeger King, after all. Whaddya say?"
Naruto stared at him skeptically for a time before looking around at the others. They each looked like they could definitely handle themselves in a fight. Then he took notice of a petite girl standing at Rutger's side. Tilting his head, he thought to himself, She looks like a cat girl. Weird. Shrugging it off, he returned his gaze to Rutger and said, "Tell me something first. Are we still in the Elemental Nations?"
Rutger frowned in confusion and asked, "Elemental Nations? The hell? I've never heard of such a place. You sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"
The blonde hanyou shook his head and said, "It's fine. I'm from someplace called the Elemental Nations. I don't know where I am now. Hell, for all I know, I'm in a new world or something! So if you can teach me about wherever we are, I'd greatly appreciate it. Tell me though, what does your group do, exactly?"
The tall man chuckled and said, "We do a bit of everything. Assassinations are something of a specialty, but we also act as protectors, spies, whatever people need, we pretty much do it. For the right price, of course. So in a way, we're like these shinobi you speak of. It would only make sense for you to join us, now wouldn't it?"
Naruto chuckled and said, "Sounds like I'll fit in just fine. Sure. Might take me a little while to get into the swing of things, but this should be a beneficial partnership, I think."
"Glad to hear it. Now come on kid, let's get you cleaned up and into something more than those rags you're wearing." Rutger said before turning and motioning for Naruto and the others to follow him.
This should be an interesting experience. Let's see what the Jaeger lifestyle is like. Might be nice to make a few real friends. Then again, I don't even know if I can trust these people yet. Still, might be worth it to extend the ol' olive branch and see what they do with it. Naruto thought to himself as he followed Rutger and the others. As he did, he couldn't help but notice the curious glances the silver-haired girl kept giving him. I wonder what her deal is.
Two years later
Thors Military Academy in the town of Trista. Not sure how I should feel about being enrolled in a new school like this by that woman. Sara Valestein, if I'm remembering it right. She must've been watching us for a while if she found us so fast after Rutger's death. Looking down at the girl using his lap as a pillow, he smiled and began gently running his fingers through her messy, silver hair.
The girl's name was Fie Claussell, adopted daughter of Rutger Claussell. She was currently 15 years old while he was now 19. They had grown quite close and stuck together after Rutger's death. Speaking of which, that death bothered Naruto greatly. Rutger had been like a father to Naruto, so seeing him die pissed him off more than anything. Then the members of Zephyr split up and now he didn't know jack about where any of them had disappeared to. Some friends. Naruto thought irritably.
Now here they were, in the town of Trista. The both of them were wearing red uniforms, though he didn't know the significance of such a thing. Everyone else either wore green or white uniforms. He assumed the ones wearing white uniforms were the noble children while the green uniforms were the commoners. So what were the red ones for? Shrugging it off, he soon lost himself in thought once again.
I hate the whole class system bullshit. Nobles and commoners…it shouldn't matter. And yet the class system means everything to these people! Nobles look down on everyone else and treat them like shit just because they can! I thought I could escape from such prejudices after coming to Erebonia. No stigmas, no bigotry of any kind…damn that would have been wonderful. And now I'm going back to school. I hate school dammit! Naruto thought to himself.
Naruto would've continued delving into his thoughts, but he soon felt someone poking his nose. Looking down at Fie again, he saw her looking up into his eyes. "You're thinking too much. Calm down."
"Heh, sorry Fie-chan. Did you have a good nap?" Naruto questioned with a warm smile on his face.
"Yep. Come on." Fie said before hopping off of the bench and running on ahead.
Naruto would have followed her immediately, but he noticed another teen in a red uniform looking at him. "Yo. You're wearing a red uniform too, huh? Nice to meetcha. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And you are?"
"Rean. Rean Schwarzer. It's nice to meet you." The now named Rean said.
"Cool. I'd stay and chat with you for a bit, buuut my girlfriend's kinda run ahead. So catch you later Rean." Naruto said before he rushed on ahead, leaving Rean standing there a bit dumbstruck.
Later – Auditorium
Naruto was frowning deeply as he thought about what had happened at the front gate of the academy. Why'd we have to hand over our weapons? I wonder what the hell they're planning.
Feeling someone poke him in the cheek, Naruto looked at Fie and sighed softly. "Thinking too hard again?" Seeing her nod, he chuckled softly and looked at the various people lined up in front of everyone. "Let's listen to what Mr. Principal has to say. We can figure everything else out later."
As the principal droned on about one thing or another, Naruto eyed the other students, trying to get a good read on them. He could see a number of other students wearing red uniforms, but they were outnumbered by quite a bit. The most prominent color in the room was green. White uniforms were just slightly less common.
Deciding to focus on the students in red uniforms like himself, he spotted a rather beautiful blonde girl with striking rouge-colored eyes. The next he took notice of was a boy with dark green hair and glasses. He seemed to be casting hateful glances at the various noble students in the room. He noticed an orange-haired boy sitting beside Rean, and in another row he spotted a rather tall boy that immediately made him think of the Nord Highlands. I wonder if he's from there?
Feeling somebody pinching his arm, he snapped out of his thoughts and looked into Fie's eyes. "Listen." She said, pointing at the principal.
Nodding, he rubbed at the sore spot on his arm as he finally tuned in to what the principal was saying. "Now, if I may, I'd like to say a few words in closing about this academy's illustrious history." Smiling at all the students, Principal Vandyck said, "Thors Military Academy was founded almost 220 years ago. Its founder, as I'm sure you're all aware, was none other than the great Emperor Dreichels. The very same emperor who ended the War of the Lions and returned prosperity to the Erebonian Empire. Thirty years after becoming emperor, in the later years of his life, he opened the doors of this institution. It was to be a place where young people like yourselves could learn the art of war."
Naruto frowned at this and thought silently to himself, Reminds me of Konoha's Shinobi Academy. I swear, why can't there ever be peace? Is peace really such an unattainable dream? Shaking that thought off, he resumed listening to the principal's speech.
"But with the mechanization of the military, many of our graduates now pursue careers outside of the army. Our mission, however, remains the same: to prepare our students to fulfill Emperor Dreichels' famous mandate. 'Arise, O youth, and become the foundation of the world.'" Vandyck said.
Sounds all nice and peachy when he puts it like that. Seeking careers outside of the various armies is all well and good, and it sounds wonderful, but there's still all kinds of conflict and so much corruption in the people. Naruto thought grimly.
"Though much has happened these past two and a quarter centuries, the world is still the domain of the young. Still, the question remains: what qualities must one possess to become a part of its foundation? I hope this credo will serve as a guide and an inspiration to you during your two years at this academy. Go forth, my students. The world awaits the great things you will one day accomplish." Vandyck finished his speech and stood straight again, staring kindly at the various first year students.
Foundation of the world, huh? That's an intriguing concept. Naruto thought to himself with a shrug. Have to admit, the guy's a great public speaker. That was quite the speech. I wonder how many times he's had to give it? He thought with a chuckle.
Fie looked at her boyfriend and gently tugged on his sleeve. "Thoughts?"
Naruto shrugged as he hugged his girlfriend against him. "Honestly? I'm not entirely sure what to think. It sounds all fine and dandy, but in the end, there's still so much corruption and chaos in the world. I want peace between the people. No more social diversity, no more hatred, just acceptance and happiness. Achieving that dream is nigh impossible, however. Still, it's worth a shot, right? Can't make a difference if I don't attempt it in the first place."
Fie smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Love you."
"I love you too, Fie-chan."
Before they could say anything more, a rather obnoxious voice said, "And that brings us to the close of Thors' 215th entrance ceremony. Next, please proceed to the class designated in your guidebook."
Seeing who the voice belonged to, Naruto scowled and said, "That must be the vice principal. I can tell already that he's a pompous asshole."
Fie nodded in agreement. "True. Don't antagonize him." She said, looking into Naruto's eyes with a stern gaze.
"I won't, I won't. Promise." Naruto said. Doesn't mean I won't prank the hell out of him if need be.
"There, you will go over the school rules, as well as your class' curriculum. That is all. You are dismissed!" the vice principal finished.
Naruto frowned after a moment as he watched most of the other students leave the auditorium. Looking into Fie's eyes, he asked, "Guidebook? Did our guidebooks mention anything about that?"
Fie shook her head. "Negative."
Sighing, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and looked around at his surroundings. "I wonder where we're supposed to go."
"All riiiiiight! Students in the red uniforms, if I can have your attention, please?" a female's voice said.
Turning, Naruto and Fie instantly recognized Sara Valestein. Oh goodie. This should be entertaining. Naruto thought with a chuckle.
"By now, you're probably all pretty confused, right? 'Where's MY class assignment?', you're probably thinking. That's perfectly understandable—your situation is a liiittle more complicated than the other students'. Buuut, before I explain, I'd like all of you to join me for a special orienteering exercise." Sara said, a small, barely noticeable grin on her face.
Naruto and Fie deadpanned and thought, Well, this is gonna suck.
"What?!" the green-haired boy shouted.
The beautiful blonde he had noticed earlier asked, "Don't you mean an orientation exercise?" Meanwhile, a blue-haired girl that just screamed noble upbringing hummed in thought.
"Worry not! Everything will be made clear soon enough! Now, right this way, if you don't mind." Sara said before she began leading the ten first year students out of the auditorium.
At first, nobody followed her, clearly confused about what the heck was going on. "E-Erm…" a bespectacled girl tried to say something, but Sara was already out the door.
"Looks like we're gonna have to follow her if we want any answers." The tall boy Naruto had noticed earlier said.
When he heard a heavy sigh, Naruto turned to see another noble, this one a blonde male. Shrugging, he turned back to the others and said, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to follow her. Might as well see what this is all about, after all." Naruto said before he exited the auditorium where Sara was waiting patiently for them.
When the others began pouring out of the auditorium, he smirked and said, "'Bout time you guys made up your minds." And with that, they followed Sara behind the academy's main building and down a path leading into the woods behind the academy. Upon arriving at their destination, Naruto looked up at the building and said, "Aaaand this place just screams 'Old, Abandoned Schoolhouse'. Lemme guess, we're going to see some crazy shit in here, right?"
Sara simply chuckled as she unlocked the door and went inside. Once she was gone, Naruto massaged his forehead for a time. "Yeeeep, this is gonna be an interesting experience for sure."
"Wh-What is this place…?" the orange-haired boy asked.
"Why is there a building this dilapidated on campus? It looks like it should've been torn down ages ago." Rean said.
The blonde girl frowned and asked, "What does she even want us to do here?"
"Gah… Is she ever going to tell us what's going on?!" the green-haired teen questioned somewhat irritably.
"I suppose we'll just have to go inside and see for ourselves what awaits us." The blue-haired noble girl said. Afterwards, she and most of the others made their way inside, leaving only Rean and Elliot behind.
"Th-This place looks like some old haunted mansion or something…" Elliot said, chuckling somewhat nervously.
Rean nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, it really kind of does…" Thinking on what Naruto said earlier, he sighed and said, "Naruto seems to know something, so I suppose we can ask him if need be."
"Naruto?" Elliot questioned.
"Oh, you haven't been formerly introduced to him yet, have you? Naruto was that blonde guy with the spiky hair and blue eyes." Rean explained.
"Oh. I wonder what kind of person he is?" Elliot wondered. Afterwards, he and Rean followed the others inside.
Once inside, they looked around the rather large room for a moment in curiosity. Afterwards, they walked over and stood in line before Sara. "The name's Sara Valestein. I'm the instructor in charge of Class VII, which means you get the pleasure of seeing me allll year. I know, I know, you're all excited about spending more time with this lovely lady, I'm sure. Glad to finally meet you!"
Despite himself, Naruto went 'Snrk!' as he struggled to hold in his laughter. I swear, she's like Anko-chan! I never thought I'd meet someone like her here. That's awesome.
"Wait…Class VII?!" the bespectacled boy shouted in confusion.
"U-Us?" Elliot questioned unsurely.
The blue-haired girl frowned in thought for a time and said, "I'm not quite sure I understand. I wasn't told anything about this at enrollment."
The bespectacled girl with the large breasts (hey, it was hard not to notice her ample chest!) asked, "Excuse me, Instructor Sara? I was under the impression that there were only five classes at this academy, and that students were split up among them based on their social class and home region."
Sara clapped once and nodded in confirmation. "Right you are, Miss Top Scorer on the Thors entrance exam! Students in each year are divided into five classes: two for the nobility and three for commoners. Aaand it's been that way for ages, right up through last year. But this year, we decided to shake things up a little."
"Wh-What do you…?" the bespectacled girl started to question.
"We now have a sixth class." Sara said, interrupting the girl. "This class is fittingly titled: Class VII. And in Class VII, we recognize no distinction between nobles and commoners."
"Wait, you just jumped straight from V to VII?" Rean asked, feeling rather confused.
He asked it before I could. It is strange. Oh well, let's hear what she has to say. Naruto thought to himself as he looked up at Instructor Sara.
"Y-You're really putting nobles and commoners in the same class?" the blonde girl questioned unsurely.
"This must be some kind of joke!" the green-haired boy exclaimed angrily. "And why is this the first that I've heard of it?!"
"Well, uh…errr… Who were you again?" Sara questioned, chuckling nervously afterwards.
"Machias Regnitz!" the now named Machias said, sounding rather proud of himself. "And with all due respect, Instructor, it's ludicrous to intermix nobles and commoners like this! Must I be forced to spend my next two years shoulder to shoulder with those arrogant, stuck-up hedonists?!"
Naruto frowned at him and thought, Not all nobles are terrible people. Sure, I hate the nobility just as much as the next commoner, but even I can recognize that there are good nobles and bad nobles. Seriously, something must've happened to him in the past to make him despise nobles so vehemently.
"Uh… You DO know I'm not the one who made the decision, right?" Sara questioned. "Besides, what's the big deal? You're all kids. Can't you all just…I dunno, get along or something?"
"J-Just…get along?! Hah! And how exactly would you propose we do that?" Machias questioned.
Naruto shook his head and said, "Trust me, it's easier than you think it is Machias. If we're going to be in the same class as nobles, we might as well play nice and try to get along, even make friends with each other. Then again…I'm not the best at making friends, so I might end up failing in that regard…"
Fie gently grasped Naruto's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze in reassurance. "You'll be okay."
"Thanks Fie-chan." Naruto said.
Machias turned to Naruto, ready to blow up at him too. However, he thought it over for a moment before deciding to just ignore the whiskered teen.
The blonde noble scoffed. Hearing this, the green-haired boy turned to face him and asked, "And what the hell's your problem?"
Sighing at this, Naruto facepalmed himself and mumbled irritably, "He's even worse than I am at the whole 'make friends' thing. Got quite the attitude on him, doesn't he?"
Fie smirked up at her boyfriend and said, "True. Oh well."
"Oh, nothing much. I just find the irony of your behavior rather humorous." The blonde noble said.
"Is that so? It seems the scion of some noble house has left the comfort of his mansion to grace the unwashed masses with his wisdom! Please, milord, do share your esteemed name with us so I can give you all the respect you deserve." Machias said with a huge dose of sarcasm mixed in.
The blonde looked at Machias and said, "Jusis Albarea. Not that I'd expect the name of an arrogant, stuck-up hedonist to lodge itself in that hard head of yours."
Machias was obviously caught off guard by Jusis' 'introduction'. Elliot, meanwhile, was shocked. "H-He's from one of the Four Great Houses."
Rean nodded and said, "The son of Duke Albarea, lord of the Kreuzen province in the southeast…"
The blonde girl hummed for a moment before saying, "Well, you don't get much more noble than that."
The blue-haired girl said, "Interesting. I'd heard the rumors…"
Meanwhile, the tall kid from Nord just looked plain confused. Meanwhile, Fie yawned and shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter."
Naruto chuckled softly and patted Fie atop the head gently. "At least it doesn't to us. Nobles, commoners, none of that matters to us. You, on the other hand, mean far more to me than anyone or anything else in the world."
Fie blushed a bit, but didn't say anything in response. Instead, they listened as Machias shouted, "D-Do you expect me to be impressed?! Your family lineage means nothing to me! I'll never bend my knee to the likes of—"
Sara clapped her hands to get their attention. "Okay already, that's enough of that! I'm sure a couple of you have a few grievances, but now's not the time. I'll hear your complaints later. Right now, you've got your orienteering exercise, and far be it from me to keep you from our fun little icebreaker."
Machias grunted in annoyance, but didn't say anything more. Still, he did keep a glare pointed in Jusis' direction. Meanwhile, the blonde girl asked, "You mentioned this, erm…'orienteering exercise' earlier. What exactly does that involve?"
The big breasted girl asked, "It's a form of outdoor competition, isn't it? Something like a cross between a map-reading exercise and a scavenger hunt?"
"Is that why they asked us to hand over our weapons at the gate?" Rean questioned. Hearing this question made Naruto perk up, curious to hear Sara's answer.
"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Sara questioned before she smirked and began stepping backwards little by little until she was near a pillar. "Buuut, I don't want to spoil the fun, so let's get started, shall we?" And with that, she pressed a hidden button built into the pillar.
Naruto deadpanned as the floor beneath them shook. "Oh you bitch." He muttered as he instinctively clung to the floor via use of his chakra.
"Wha…?" Elliot started to ask in horror.
"Oh crap!" Rean exclaimed as he realized what was about to happen.
Sure enough, the floor opened up, revealing itself to be a rather large trap door. Naruto frowned as he watched everyone sliding down the ramp. Looking up, he could see Fie had used a grappling hook of sorts to save herself. However, Sara cut the line and watched as Fie began to fall. "Oh you bitch." Naruto muttered again before he caught Fie and landed on the ramp, letting himself slide down it until he reached the bottom with Fie held close in his arms.
Once at the bottom, Naruto set Fie down gently before he looked around at all the others. Thankfully, they all seemed to be just fine, though many of them had fallen unconscious after what had just happened to them. Glancing over towards Rean, he saw that the blonde girl was atop of him, her breasts practically smothering him. Frowning at this, Naruto released a sigh and walked over, helping the girl off of Rean and laid her down against the wall. Looking down at Rean, Naruto said, "You owe me for this."
Rean breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thanks, Naruto. Much appreciated."
"Of course. Nooow, let's see how the others are doing, shall we?" Naruto suggested.
"Ugh… What just happened?" Machias questioned as he came to.
"The floor gave out from under us…" the bespectacled girl said.
The blue-haired noble frowned and shook her head. "I can't believe I fell for such an obvious trap."
The boy from Nord sat up and looked around the room. "Does this mean there's a series of catacombs beneath the school grounds, then?"
"Hmph. What does that woman think she's playing at?" Jusis questioned as he rose to his feet.
Fie sighed at this point as she looked at her boyfriend. "So lame."
Naruto frowned for a moment before he flicked her nose gently. "C'mon, think of this as an opportunity to make some new friends. Who knows? It might be kind of fun."
Scrunching up her nose for a minute, the petite girl lightly punched her boyfriend in the chest and said, "Stop doing that." All Naruto did was chuckled in response.
It was at this point that Elliot sat up, a hand on his chest. "Phew. I thought my heart was gong to jump out of my chest! Hey Rean, are you okay?"
Rean nodded and said, "I am. In more ways than one, actually." Chuckling nervously, he motioned towards Naruto and Alisa. "Naruto helped me out of a dangerous situation."
The blonde girl groaned as she started to regain consciousness. "What…what happened?"
Rean smiled at her as he sat up. "The floor opened beneath us. We fell down here, though I'm not sure how to get back up there." He admitted.
"Is that woman crazy?! We could've been seriously hurt, or worse!" the girl exclaimed angrily.
Naruto shrugged and said, "It's not too bad, all things considered. At least it was a ramp we landed on and not the hard ground. I'd really rather nobody get a broken leg or something from a fall that high."
"What is this place, anyway?" Rean wondered aloud. Looking around the room, he could see everyone's weapons and small boxes laid out on what appeared to be stone tables protruding from the ground.
"I was wondering the same thing. We should check out those tables." Elliot suggested.
It was at this point that a phone seemingly began to ring. "What the…?" Elliot questioned.
"Is this…?" Rean started to ask as the group of ten opened their ARCUS units.
"It's coming from the devices we received with the academy guidebook…" the bespectacled girl said.
"Seems to be some sort of…portable orbment." The blue-haired girl said.
"Right you are! These handy little devices are a special kind of battle orbment." Sara's voice could be heard saying.
"Is that…Ms. Valestein?" the tall boy questioned.
Machias asked, "So these devices have built-in communications functionality, then?"
"W-Wait, don't tell me these things are…?!" the blonde girl began, only to pause, letting her question hang.
"New-model battle orbments made through a partnership between the Epstein Foundation and the Reinford Company. Newly-made fifth-generation battle orbments, in fact. They're called ARCUS units." Sara explained.
"ARCUS…" Rean said quietly to himself.
"So these are battle orbments…" the bespectacled girl said. "That means they'll allow us to use arts, right?"
"Sure will! Just set a quartz into one of its slots, and you can use arts all the live long day. Which is why I've prepared enough quartz for each and every one of you." Sara said. After a moment, the lights in the room turned on, lighting up the room for them. Looking around, they could all see their weapons, along with the little boxes containing a quartz. "The weapons you brought are all here too, each packaged neatly alongside a little box containing a quartz. Find yours, and try setting the quartz into your ARCUS."
"Hmm…I suppose it can't hurt to try." The blue-haired girl said before she walked off towards her weapon.
Naruto and Fie nodded to each other before they split up and approached their weapons. Upon reaching his, the blonde tuned out the others and their conversation as he picked up his weapons. The weapons he had chosen upon joining the Jaeger Corps. known as Zephyr: a sword that appeared to double as a chainsaw that he called Yato. By pressing a button on the handle of the sword, he could activate the sword's jagged blades and really tear into people. It could also be used for stabbing, slicing, and penetrating attacks rather than the brutality of the chainsaw part of the sword.
After strapping his weapon to his back, he proceeded to open the small box and pulled out what was inside. It was definitely a quartz of some kind, but it was different too. "Huh." he muttered quietly to himself.
"That's called a 'master quartz.' If you set that into the large slot in the center of your ARCUS, you'll be able to use arts. Go on! Give it a try!" Sara exclaimed over the orbal communications device they each had.
Naruto frowned as he looked the strange quartz over carefully. With a shrug of his shoulders, he inserted the master quartz, something called Scepter, which seemed to be a Water-type master quartz. Once it was equipped, he looked at all the empty slots in his ARCUS unit. "Now if only I had some regular quartz to insert into his thing." He said quietly to himself.
As soon as everyone had done as instructed, the ARCUS units and their bodies began to glow with a blue light. Blinking at this, Naruto looked himself over for a moment before returning his gaze to his ARCUS unit. "Well, that's different."
"That light means that you've successfully synchronized with your ARCUS. Congratulations. Now you can use arts as much as you want. Of course, these ARCUS units have plenty more nifty features, but I wouldn't want to bombard you with too much info all at once, sooo we'll cover those another time. Anyway, since you've got your ARCUS all set up and ready to go, here's what I want you to do." Sara's voice could be heard saying.
Before anyone could question her, the door nearby opened on its own, causing a few of them to jump from the shock. "When you step through that door, you'll be in an underground testing area. Basically…it's a dungeon. It's pretty large, and full of twists and turns. I'd almost guarantee you'll get lost at least once. But when you find the exit, you'll be able to return to the first floor of this old schoolhouse. There ARE monsters wandering around, though, so don't let your guard down even for a moment! With all that said, let's commence with our special orienteering exercise! Your objective is to make your way through this area and back to the surface. Make it back in one piece and I'll be happy to field any complaints you might have. If you make it back safely, I might even give you a kiss, free of charge! On the cheek, of course."
Naruto found himself smirking as he regrouped with the others. Oh yeah, she and Anko would get along great. I like her! he thought with a chuckle.
"U-Umm…" Elliot started to say, only to pause.
"I don't think she's joking." The blonde girl said.
Jusis scoffed and proceeded to make his way towards the door. Before he could, however, Machias glared at him and asked, "And just where do you think you're going? Were you planning to wander off on your own without saying anything?!"
Jusis shook his head and said, "I have no interest in becoming friends with anyone here. And I'm honestly surprised that you, of all people, give a damn about what I do. Unless you've suddenly decided you DO want to keep company with one of those 'stuck-up hedonists' after all."
Machias growled angrily at this, but before he could say anything, Naruto spoke up. "Jusis, that was uncalled for. I get that you aren't exactly fond of Machias or the rest of us, even, but that was taking things just a bit too far. You should apologize and the two of you should start working together rather than be at each other's throats for the remainder of this exercise. Can't you put aside your differences and make nice for just a little while?"
Jusis scoffed and turned, walking out of the room without another word. Machias, on the other hand, looked at Naruto and frowned for a moment. "I can't make nice with nobles. But, thank you. Umm, I don't think I got your name yet?"
"Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to officially meet you, Machias." Naruto said as he shook Machias' hand.
Without another word, Machias turned and left the room, setting out on his lonesome. Meanwhile, left with the others, Naruto was about to ask if they wanted to set out together, but Fie walked past him and left the room. Blinking a couple of times, Naruto let out a sigh and said, "Catch you guys and gals later. I'm sticking with Fie-chan." And with that, Naruto left the room and easily caught up to Fie, who appeared to be waiting for him. "Don't want to make any friends just yet, Fie-chan?"
"Not really." Fie said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Frowning at her, Naruto said, "We could use some new friends, Fie-chan. But okay, I'll adhere to your wishes for now. Still, if we're going to be in the same class for the next two years, it would be good for us to bond with each other a little more."
Fie sighed as she looked up into Naruto's eyes. "You're stubborn."
Naruto chuckled and said, "Yep. Then again, you already knew that."
Sighing yet again, the petite girl took her boyfriend's hand and began walking with him through the underground labyrinth. As per Fie's wishes, they avoided combat and focused on enjoying a casual stroll through the underground area of the Old Schoolhouse. Of course, a few monsters did get in their way, but the two of them easily dispatched them. Oh Fie-chan, I wish I knew what to do to help you. You need friends. We both do…
Later
Naruto couldn't help but smirk as he hid with Fie behind a couple of pillars. They had already seen Laura, Emma, and Alisa walk by without noticing them. However, when Rean and company stepped into the room, they couldn't help but smirk as he picked up on their presence. "Very good. You actually noticed us." Naruto said as he and Fie revealed themselves before Rean, Gaius, Elliot, and Machias.
"Good job." Fie said simply with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Y'know, even if we weren't trying that hard to be stealthy, it's still impressive that you managed to notice our presence. Good on you, Rean." Naruto said. "I see Machias is with you. You okay now Machias?"
The green-haired teen nodded and said, "I'm doing much better now. Thank you for asking. Do tell me though, why are you two traveling alone down here? It's quite dangerous."
The whiskered blonde shrugged and said, "It's honestly nothing we can't handle on our own. Let's just say we've been through much worse and leave it at that, shall we?"
"I'm glad to see you're both all right." Rean said, smiling kindly at the duo. "Though, I get the feeling that there was absolutely nothing to worry about in the first place."
"Nope." Fie said. "I'm small and quick. These things can't lay a finger on me. And Naruto is Naruto. Enough said there."
Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Interesting introduction there, Fie-chan. As Rean is already aware, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. This is my girlfriend, Fie Claussell. It's nice to officially meet all of you. You're the last ones to pass through here, you know? Might wanna pick up the pace a bit."
Fie nodded and said, "You're just over halfway through. Keep it up. Later." And with that, Fie rushed towards the wall before jumping up and kicking off of the wall a few times before landing up above. Smirking down at them, she hurried off towards the exit once again.
Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry guys, seems she's still not ready for the whole friends thing. She's right though, you're making progress. Keep it up guys!" Naruto exclaimed before he casually walked up the wall and hurried off after his girlfriend, chuckling to himself all the while.
"Well, that was something." Rean said in astonishment. "We really didn't need to worry about either of them, did we?"
Gaius chuckled and said, "They certainly weren't fibbing when they said they had it handled. Guess we really don't need to worry about them."
"I have to agree. I'm more convinced than ever that those two know exactly what they're doing. I'm curious about Naruto, but Fie's still a mystery as well. Hopefully we get to know them a bit better during our stay here at the academy." Rean said.
It was at this point that something they said registered in Rean's brain. Just over halfway through? Have they both been to the exit and back already?! That's insane!
Later – Exit
As Fie and Naruto watched the fighting taking place against the gargoyle-like monster, she looked into his eyes and asked, "Will you reveal your true form to them?"
Naruto frowned and shook his head. "Not just yet, Fie-chan. I want to know that we can trust them before I do something like that."
Fie lightly punched his arm and said, "And you say you want to make friends with them. Honesty helps."
The blonde sighed and scratched the back of his head for a moment. "I know, but you're not trying to make friends yourself. Seems we both need to work on this whole 'friendship' thing. I want to trust them, I really do, but I just don't know if we can yet. I mean, you've seen how Machias has been acting about nobles. Can you imagine what their reactions would be to my true form?"
Fie frowned, but nodded her head in agreement. "We'll need to be careful. But feel free to be yourself with me when we're alone."
"Of course sweetheart. Now, what do you say we make a flashy appearance and help destroy that thing, hm? Should be fun."
Fie giggled a bit before she and Naruto moved into the room at the same time Jusis did. While Jusis made use of some arts, Naruto and Fie slipped in close to the monster and attacked it from both sides, tearing off its wings in the process. When the beast roared in agony, the members of Class VII suddenly felt more powerful and seemed to be in perfect sync with one another as they went about finishing the beast off with Laura dealing the finishing blow by cutting off its head.
"Phew. I think that's the end of it." Emma said.
"At the very least, that creature doesn't seem like it'll be coming back for a rematch anytime soon." Gaius said.
"What happened there, anyway? Right at the end of the battle…" Elliot said, sounding rather confused.
"Now that you mention it, I DID feel something wash over me for just a second there." Alisa said.
Jusis nodded and said, "There was a shimmering veil of blue light surrounding each of us."
"Was there? I was so preoccupied with the battle that I hardly noticed." Machias admitted.
"I did notice something as we fought. Perhaps it was just the blur of combat, but I felt like I could see everyone's movements in precise detail." Laura said.
Fie shook her head and said, "I don't think it was just your imagination."
Naruto nodded in agreement and said, "In a sense, we were all connected for a brief period of time right at the end there. I think we unconsciously activated a secret function of these ARCUS units. Whatever it is, it felt great! That, and we kicked ass. Woot!"
Fie giggled and took Naruto's hand in hers. "You had fun."
"So did you. Don't deny it." Naruto said, smirking down at her.
"True. I did."
Rean nodded and said, "Agreed. I have a feeling that what we just experienced was…"
"The biggest selling point of the almighty ARCUS? Give this man a prize!" Sara exclaimed as she revealed herself to the group. When everyone turned to face her, she said, "Looks like friendship and teamwork save the day once again!"
Naruto and Fie frowned at the friendship comment. If only… Naruto thought sadly.
"I'm so proud of you guys!" Sara exclaimed, giggling to herself afterwards. Moving so she was standing in front of them, she continued, "Anyway, that about finishes up today's special…orienteering…exercise…" Seeing the looks on their faces, she pouted cutely and asked, "Aww, what's with the long faces? I thought you'd all be happy!"
"Wh-What are we supposed to be happy about?" Machias questioned.
"I have so many questions, I'm not even sure where to start…" Alisa said as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Oh?" Sara questioned, a sly smirk on her face.
Jusis spoke up at this point. "I'll take a stab at it. What exactly is the purpose behind this 'Class VII'?"
"I mean, we get that it's supposed to be some sort of melting pot that includes a broad cross-section of people…" Emma started.
Laura decided to finish her question for her. "But why were the ten of us chosen in particular?"
"Hmm… I suppose that is a valid question. There's no single, monolithic reason why you all made the list, but if I had to name a major contributing factor, it'd be those ARCUS orbments you've got there." Sara explained.
"How so?" Rean asked as everyone flipped open their ARCUS units.
"Well, like I explained earlier, the ARCUS units are developed jointly by the Epstein Foundation and the Reinford Company. Like any battle orbment, they let you use arts, and these have communication functionality built right in. But their crowning feature is what's known as combat linking. That's the phenomenon you all experienced just now."
"So that's what that was." Alisa said.
"Seems like a pretty apt term. It did feel like we were all connected, somehow." Elliot said.
"Precisely! Doesn't take a genius to imagine how much of an advantage a feature like that would be on a real battlefield." Sara said. "An elite unit that can sense each other's movements, acting in perfect sync, even in the most chaotic conditions… You can hardly put a price on that! It could bring about a revolution in the way wars are fought!"
Naruto frowned sadly at that and shook his head. "I hate war. I never want to see it again."
Fie frowned sadly at him and gently squeezed his hand to show her support. "Smile, Naruto. For me."
Naruto nodded and gently squeezed her hand back. "Thanks sweetheart."
"Hmm… It does sound rather…" Laura started, only for Fie to pick up on what she was saying.
"Idealistic." Fie finished for her.
"Well, yeah. The technology has its limits. Some have a natural aptitude for it. Others just…don't." Sara said with a shrug. "And out of this year's fresh batch of bright-eyed students, the ten of you turned out to have the highest aptitude. Aaaand, since aptitude trumps background in Class VII, well…here you are."
"I see." Gaius said.
"But what gives us this aptitude, though, as compared to our peers? It just seems so…random." Machias asked.
"What, indeed? As promised, if any of you have objections to being in this class, speak now or forever hold your peace." Sara said before she looked hard into their eyes. "I think that pretty much covers the hows and whys of your situation. But this program isn't cheap to run, so we're not about to force anyone into it if they don't want to be here. You should also be aware that Class VII's curriculum will be tougher than any other class' coursework. Just fair warning. So now you know. That leaves you all with an important decision to make: will you stick with Class VII, or not?"
Naruto frowned in thought for a time and realized that the others weren't quite sure about it either. Right as he was about to step forward and accept, Sara spoke up again. "If you opt out, you'll just be placed in the class you would've been assigned to otherwise. There's no pressure. Nobles will land in Class I or II, commoners in III, IV, or V. It's still just the first day, so there's no real catching up you'd have to do. I'm sure you'd fit in just fine."
Smirking, Naruto stepped forward and said, "I'm in. No matter what Class VII has to throw at me, I'm ready. This is gonna be fun."
Rean chuckled as he stepped forward and said, "I'm in too. Whatever Class VII has to throw at me, I'm game."
The others seemed shocked that the two of them already agreed to it. "W-Wait, what?!" Alisa exclaimed in shock.
"Just like that?!" Elliot asked, somewhat bewildered by what was going on.
"So you two are first then." Sara said, grinning at the two of them. "I had a feeling it would be the two of you. You both seem pretty sure about it. Any particular reason?"
Naruto shrugged and said, "Not really. It honestly sounds like a fun time to me, so I'm all for it. Besides that, I want a place where I truly belong. I get the feeling that Class VII is where I'm meant to be."
Rean shook his head and said, "Not really. I just feel like I've put my family out, asking them to send me to this school. So if it gives me more to show for my time here, I'll take whatever opportunities come my way."
"Mmm. A noble sentiment." Sara said as she looked at Rean. Afterwards, she glanced at Naruto and said, "And that's about what I expected from you. I think you'll fit in just fine in Class VII. You could find true happiness in this class."
"That's what I'm hoping for, yeah." Naruto said.
"Count me in as well." Laura said as she stepped forward. "The greater the challenge, the more I can push myself to excel. One can't hone a blade without grit, after all."
Gaius stepped forward next and said, "Let's make it four. Considering how far I came to attend this school, it'd be silly to back down before I even started."
"Well, looks like we've got the country's strongest freshman on board, and our foreign exchange student, too." Sara said before winking at Naruto to let him know that she knew he was far stronger than he let on, thus making him the true strongest freshman. "Any more takers?"
"Allow me to take part as well." Emma said as she stepped forward. "I was only able to come because of the school's generosity, so I feel it's my duty to help in any way I can."
"S-Sign me up, too!" Elliot exclaimed. "I kinda feel like fate brought us here for a reason, y'know? And you all seem pretty easy to get along with."
"And that's a yes from our two orbal staff testers. Though I feel compelled to remind you, your weapons are still in the prototype stage, so on top of your other work, I'll be expecting reports from both of you!" Sara explained.
"Heh. Of course." Emma said, smiling at Sara.
"Guh… Maybe I spoke too soon." Elliot said as he hung his head.
"Let me join, too." Alisa said before stepping forward next to Rean.
"Oh? There's a surprise. I was almost certain your rebellious streak would see you opt out just on general principle." Sara teased.
"It does bother me that you've got us using these ARCUS units that are still pretty clearly in development, but if I let every little nitpick like that hold me back, I'd never amount to much." Alisa said.
"Haha. Words to live by, right there." Sara said with a grin. "And that brings us to an odd seven. Now, what about you, Fie?"
Fie shrugged and stepped forward next to her boyfriend. "I'm sticking with Naruto. So I'm in."
"I'm glad to hear it." Sara said, smiling kindly at the petite girl. "We've got a spectacular eight now, which leaves just the two of you." Here, she looked at Jusis and Machias, who were standing side by side, oddly enough. "I can see you've got issues with each other, but that doesn't mean you can't at least try to work together. Why, if you just look past your differences and embrace the joys of youth, I'm sure you'll become the best of friends!"
Naruto had a sudden flashback of green spandex, bushy eyebrows, and sparkling teeth. Shuddering, he looked at Sara and said, "Please don't say 'youth' like that. Brings back horrible memories."
Sara quirked a brow in curiosity, but decided not to question him about it. Instead, she turned to Machias and Jusis again. "So?"
"Like hell we will!" Machias exclaimed angrily. "The exploitation of the common people by the aristocracy is a blight on every facet of Erebonian life! Unless something is done about it, this country has no future!"
Sara sweatdropped and said, "I appreciate your candor, but I don't think you're going to achieve much by lecturing me about it."
Jusis shrugged and said, "Well, at least that makes this simple. I, Jusis Albarea, claim my place as a member of Class VII."
"Huh?" Rean said in disbelief.
"Wh-Why?!" Machias questioned in shock. "You're the son of a duke! Just the thought of being in the same class as commoners should make you sick!"
Jusis sighed and looked coldly into Machias' eyes. "I'll thank you not to tell me how I'm supposed to feel. As far as the house of Albarea is concerned, there's little difference between other nobles and commoners. Besides, this should at least ensure I won't have fools flitting about every day trying to win my favor. That said, I have little interest in getting drawn into your petty arguments on a daily basis, either. I think it would be prudent for us to go our separate ways. I'm certain we can at least agree on this, no?"
Machias, ever the stubborn one, shouted, "I don't need some pompous ass who coasts through life on his father's coattails telling me what to do! I'm in, come hell or high water! You might've had your successes spoon-fed to you up to now, but no outmoded class system is going to hand you trophies anymore!"
"Hmph. We'll see about that." Jusis said with a smirk on his face.
Naruto sighed and facepalmed himself. "Those two are never going to get along. I can tell that already."
Laura nodded and said, "It's a shame, but unless something extreme happens, I worry that they may never see past their differences and get along like they should."
Meanwhile, Rean looked at Alisa and asked, "They're going to be like this pretty much all year, aren't they?"
"Sure seems that way. I wouldn't bet on them ever seeing eye to eye." She replied, smiling at Rean. "And by the way…thanks. For before, I mean. I know you saved me earlier when we fell through the trap door. Emma told me what you did, so I felt I needed to thank you for it."
Rean chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just glad you didn't slap me for what happened. Naruto had to move you off of me because we were, erm…in a rather awkward position. So in a way, I should be thanking you as well."
Alisa frowned at him and asked, "Weird position? What exactly happened?"
Rean sighed and said, "I believe that honesty is a good policy for the most part, so I'll tell you the truth. When I came to, you were lying on top of me with, erm…your chest in my face. I was afraid to touch you for fear of what you might do. But Naruto lifted you off of me and laid you against the wall. I'm really sorry."
Alisa narrowed her eyes on him and said, "You're a hopeless pervert, aren't you?"
Sighing again, Rean shook his head and said, "Not at all. I only wanted to help you."
The blonde girl sighed, but nodded her head in acceptance of that. "Thank you for being honest with me. I appreciate it. But I want you to erase that particular memory from your brain right this instant. I won't have you fantasizing about my breasts."
Rean sighed and said, "Yeah, yeah. I promise."
"Good." Alisa said simply.
Now that everyone had finished talking, Sara clapped her hands and said, "Well, how about that? Ten out of ten! With that, I'd like to congratulate all of you on being the first-ever Class VII! I hope you keep those high spirits all year, 'cause with the workload we've got planned for you, you'll need it!"
As they all broke down into conversation with one another, Naruto couldn't help but take notice of two people watching them from up above. Deciding not to dwell on it, he returned his attention to his girlfriend and leaned down, capturing her lips with his, much to her embarrassment. "Love you, honey." Naruto said sincerely.
"Love you too." Fie said as she snuggled against him. This was just the beginning of their new lives and they both couldn't wait to see what else this strange journey had in store for them. My Naru…
A/N - And that's the chapter! Something I want you to keep in mind is that Naruto was hiding his hanyou features almost the entire chapter. Nobody besides Fie and the other members of Zephyr know what Naruto is and it'll stay that way for a while. Yes, he'll open up about what he is and maybe even a bit of his history later on in the story, but for now it's remaining a secret.
Also, Naruto still doesn't know how he ended up in the world of Zemuria. Not a damn clue. And I'm sure you're all wondering about Kurama as well and if he'll be okay. The answer is yes, Kurama will be fine. I'll probably include a scene with Kurama in the next chapter, but who knows? Point is, he's fine, Naruto's fine, everything's great. lol.
And yes, Naruto and Fie are in a relationship. Being together for a few years meant they had time to really get to know one another and bond on a deep emotional level. The most they've done, however, is kissing, cuddling, stuff like that. No foreplay or sex of any kind has been done.
Anywho, I am dead tired. I'm going to try and get some sleep now. See ya peopleheads!