These memories were etched into his mind, every image permanently engrained. So, it was preferable to be here, to have something to do.

Naruto stared at this ceiling with the prickly drips that he had begun to hate looking at. Though, judging by the toss of blankets, the quiet sighs, and fumbling sheets, he wasn't the only one who had trouble trying to sleep. Their screams and sight of bodies through the dust.

Someone moved in the dark to his right, Weiss.

"Okay, is anyone else actually asleep?" Weiss said. Everyone murmured their affirmations. Blankets being tossed aside and more ruffling. A lamp powered on and lit the room. Everyone was seated on their bed, and he followed the example and sat against the headboard.

"I thought it was just me," someone added. It was a long uncomfortable lull.

"Who would do such- "Pyrrha paused, and she let out a restrained breath, "such a terrible thing."

Blake was the one to respond, "I don't even know what –if any– reason they might have."

Someone who enjoyed killing. To hurt. That was just one reason, whether it was true was to be seen.

"The White Fang might have something to do with it," Weiss muttered.

"We don't know who they are," Blake looked particularly peeved with Rice for whatever reason. Otherwise she said nothing else. She had told him of the White Fang; people frustrated of the division of Faunus.

"It's likely," Pyrrha muttered quietly. There was nothing said, and the silence was left unfilled as the others did their own thing. Weiss fiddled with her scroll, Pyrrha glanced at him several times with nervous energy, and Blake tried and failed to read whatever book she had.

"There's something I forgot to do," Weiss said. "Naruto, hand me your scroll, would you?"

Naruto reached under his bed to fetch the device before he handed it to her. She came to his bed and sat beside him. Naruto looked curiously at the screen as she tapped it with precision and ease.

"I'm syncing your aura in case you forgot," she replied. The only sound was Weiss's taps. Naruto knew it was impossible, Glynda had tried it. She was also the one who controlled the bar whenever he fought during the spars.

The bed compressed once more as someone else sat beside him, a soft hand on his shoulder. The girl with green eyes.

"You know, you scared us." Pyrrha said. A frown was settled on her lips. Weiss shot a glance, and gave a nod. "That happened where you were headed, so we all thought that…"

It was left unsaid, but it was obvious.

Rice spoke, he barely heard it. "You won't get used to it,"

This weight he felt, lightened. "Sorry,"

"Ugh, this refuses to work," Rice said. She held his scroll next to him, before another deep frown settled. "Did something happen to it when you were caught in the blast?"

"Well, I flew through the air and crashed," Naruto replied.

Weiss gave him back the scroll. "It might be broken, so we'll have to get a replacement."

He sighed, he expected something like this would happen, he just wasn't looking forward to it. "It'll never work,"

"Excuse me?"

Blake interrupted, she seated across from them on Rice's bed. "I found the story about the attack. It's not the White Fang at all."

"Really?" she said, her brow raised. "Can you send it to me?"

Pyrrha didn't move, in fact, she stared intensely at him, and he looked right back. Her face flashed with sudden clarity, like a seemingly difficult problem had been solved an with a much too obvious solution, and you could only question your own intelligence. It was something that he knew with such intimacy.

Her mouth formed into a solid 'O' "You don't have an aura,"

"Yeah," he confirmed.

Naruto glanced at Weiss, but her attention was focused on a video that she had begun to play. It was avoided for now.

"But, we fought," she trailed off.

"We did," He looked to the others, "What's it say?"

Pyrrha pressed on, a concerned expression aimed at him. "You could have gotten hurt."

"But I didn't, so forget about it," he said sharply. Pie parted her lips to speak, but she said nothing, and dropped the subject at his request.

"I'd like to know too."

"Okay," Weiss replied. "There's a video too. Let me play it."

He joined them, standing by the edge to peer at the screen.

There was a woman on the screen. "…nearly a hundred people were reportedly injured, twenty people have been killed in the attack. We'll update that number when more information comes in. A group have claimed responsibility for the attack, they call themselves Artem-"

"That group?" Weiss frowned. "Again?"

"Artem?"

"You don't know? Have you been living under a rock?"

"I might as well be," he replied.

She sighed, "Sorry, just another crazy group that sprung up recently. No one really knows what they want, they steal stuff and committed a few murders."

"Naruto, you saw a person, haven't you? What did they look like?" Pyrrha asked.

It was the reason why they returned so late, he had to go see the authorities about the fact he saw a suspicious person. He had been a witness, Ozpin had shown up during that time, and in his words, 'as a precaution' for his situation.

"I don't know, they wore a mask."

"What kind of mask?" Blake asked.

"A white Porcelain one. There's not much to describe other than that. The mask had red eyes, and single horn protruding from the forehead."

"Did he have a long sword on his back?"

Everyone looked at her, Naruto frowned and shrugged, "I didn't see any,"

"Wait a second," Weiss interrupted. "How would you know that?"

Blake shrunk back, her bow twitched, and she frowned. "I may have… seen someone like that,"

"You know this person?" Weiss said, her voice raised in an almost accusing manner.

"No, I don't. I just briefly encountered him. It might not even be him, just a coincidence perhaps,"

"Perhaps not, however little it may be, it might help. We should go report this to the investigators."

"I can't," Blake stood from the bed, and edged toward her own.

There was a deep furrow in Rice's brow. "What do you mean you can't? You have to tell the detectives because anything that can help, will get these killers behind bars," she was shouting now, standing with her fist clenched.

"I just can't okay?"

"Blake, this doesn't make any sense, Why not?" Weiss commanded. Blake was silent. "Are you telling me that you're fine with these people being free, what if they attack again?"

"No, I'm not fine with it!" Blake shouted back. "And I'm not telling you of all people!"

Naruto shared a look with Pyrrha, and continued to watch.

"What does that have to do with anything, if not then go to the police!"

"It's because I can't!"

"Why not?"

"It was when I was a part of the White Fang that's why!" Blake shouted. Then a look of shock appeared on her face. Judging by everyone's expression, they were surprised by this declaration. He was in the loop this time, so that was a plus. This silence felt like it was about shatter in a million pieces.

"Do our neighbors hear us?" Naruto asked.

"You can't be kidding me!" Weiss shouted, her furious blues centered on him. Before she pointed an accusing finger at Blake. "And you! You're a Faunus- You're- "

Blake suddenly shot from her position and shot toward, Naruto intercepted and grasped her wrist and stopped. "After today, not a great idea,"

She was silent, her amber eyes digging into his. "I…I don't know what I wanted to do."

"You might as well get it out of the way. Unless you never want to come back,"

Weiss frozen to the spot, glared at his direction, those eyes looked so much like ice this time. "You knew about this?"

"Not at all, but I don't care," about much at all, really. He noticed a surprised glance from Blake. Weiss shrunk back.

Pyrrha stood from the bed and approached Weiss to place a hand on her shoulder. "Let's hear what Blake has to say before we do anything,"

Rice said nothing, but her gaze would shatter if it could. She was shaking. Blake took it as an invitation to speak.

"I'm a former member of the White Fang. If I go to the investigators, then I'll be put into prison. There's a reason why I quit…"

"Do you know how many people they killed? How much pain they caused? It's just-"

"I know full well Weiss! What of the Schnee company? You think they're innocent too? They have blood on their hands."

He was out of the loop again. Naruto witnessed the hate in their eyes. Words–that felt ages ago–echoed in his mind.

"I need a place to think," Weiss turned around and he watched the door slam close. There was brief period of silence before Pyrrha sighed.

"I'll go talk to her," Pyrrha said. Everyone was still dressed in their sleeping wear, and he watched her follow Weiss. He was alone in the room with Blake.

Blake, shaken, collapsed to the bed. Faunus was still a weird word to him to signify a person; it didn't make much sense to him.

"Y'know, it sounded like you two were mortal enemies for a moment,"

"I don't hate her, that much" there was a long silence, her chin rested on her hand. "I just hate what she represents, what her family has done,"

"I'll give you that, Rice can be a bit much,"

"What a stupid nickname, and at a time like this?" she let out a dry laugh and shook her head.

He shrugged, "I don't know what the White Fang has done to her, but it sounds like she thinks the same way. Can you blame her?"

"No, we're doing the same to each other,"

He couldn't blame them. Hatred, just made everything…blurry, it left no room for rational thought. To release all that just felt good.

"You know, I think you made a mistake in letting Weiss be captain. It should have been you or Pyrrha."

He shrugged, he was curious about Weiss. There was also a fact that being a leader wasn't an important thing. "She wanted to be, so I let her. As for Pyrrha, I don't really know,"

"Four in the morning and none of us can sleep." Blake muttered, she stood up and gazed out a window. "I should leave, shouldn't I?"

"Do you want too?" He asked. She took off the bow in her hair and traced its edges.

"I don't know,"

"Then don't go,"

She let out a breath, "You don't get it. Right now, Weiss can be calling huntsman to come and arrest me."

"I don't think so,"

"Why do you think that?"

"Just a feeling,"

"There's nothing logical about that," he could only reply with something redundant, so he shrugged. Blake sat back down and buried her face into her hands. "Why don't you care? I've told you what the White Fang had done."

"You're here now, you're not a part of them. That's good enough for me," Naruto hummed. What did Blake want to accomplish?

Naruto could have pictured his ghostly ambition with clarity. Seated in the Hokage's seat, a stack of papers on the table. He would swivel on his comfortable chair, place the hat on the table and turn around to face the window and watch as the village moved. He would protect it until his last breath.

Like a leaf on wind, he watched it soar and fade. Naruto could not use his power any longer. At least, he had protected it one last time. He had to believe that the old sage came up with solution to save his friends.

"You're from another dimension alright," she muttered. "I wasn't pleasant to Weiss, we, are nothing like you and Pyrrha."

There were words that Naruto wanted to say, but it was better it was left unsaid for now. He couldn't take another. "I kinda guessed yesterday,"

She sighed. "Weiss has every reason to not call them on me."

"Do you trust me Blake?"

"I trusted you with my secret, "she hugged herself. Her eyes drawn to the door. "The White Fang used to be important to me. I believed very much in what they used to be about. Suddenly, without me realizing, it all changed. It's why I'm here."

"To do what?"

"Does it matter?" she replied. "It's over,"

What was over? He remembered saying that a moment of doubt was the moment it was over. Now, all he could think was that doubts meant it was still alive. If he could go home? What then?

"What's the one that makes it not over? I'd choose that one, no matter how unlikely," he replied. call it hope, even it was mangled, withered, and left in the closet to rot. He had a good feeling about it.

Blake was silent for a long time. Then she sighed, "Then we'll see, can I ask something, why Weiss?"

"She asked for it, she wanted it, and she didn't lie about it," he replied. Words lingered on the edge of his lips, but he wasn't sure if he could say it. "I wonder what drives her. She'll be a better captain,"

"I can't say I believe the same,"

"Oh,"

"I didn't give her a chance," she paused. "I suppose my hatred got in the way,"

"Happens," Naruto replied. "So what about this group? What are you going to do about them?"

Blake shook her head, "I'm not sure you realize that it's damned if I do, damned if I don't,"

He shrugged, he hadn't seen it if he had to be honest. "Well, might as well choose the best,"

Weiss felt the overbearing heat. She wrung her hands together, tight and stiff. Her name was called behind her, but she didn't wait.

She needed to fill her lungs with the cool air. She strode down the halls, intent on finding the nearest door outside. When she found it, the door slammed open, crashing against the wall. She inhaled the cool air that cooled the fire she felt throughout.

The sky was a dark purple, and the shades grew lighter in the direction of the sunrise. Another hour or so, which would mean they had stayed up the entire night.

The door opened once more, it was Pyrrha. That was good, she didn't want to see Blake. Pyrrha didn't say anything, a fact that Weiss was thankful for, as she was still processing the new information.

"What do you think Pyrrha?" She asked. Naruto had already shared his thoughts, with him in mind, she didn't want to see him either.

"To be truthful, I don't know," she paused. "This is another big thing I've recently found out, but compared to that, I would suppose this is more down to earth."

"And what would that be?"

Pyrrha frowned, "it's rather private,"

Weiss snorted, "like someone on your team being a member of the White Fang?"

Pyrrha gave a smile, a rather apologetic one, "In her defense, it's not something that you would tell everyone,"

"If it involves innocent people dying and her reluctance to approaching the p-"Weiss sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's fine, "Pyrrha looked exhausted, and Weiss figured she looked the same way. The wind blew, and Weiss felt goose bumps; a shiver coursed through her.

"I'm sure she had her reasons," Pyrrha said. Weiss gazed after her, Pyrrha was always so calm and collected, she could stare death in the eye and she wouldn't budge.

The dust filled streets, the chaos, the cries. The bodies strewn about on the ground. They had tried to help, only to realize that they had already passed on.

It had been difficult between Weiss and Blake. Nonetheless, she was relatively normal. After all, they had shared a room since the start of the semester. If she wanted Weiss dead, it would have happened long ago.

This entire tragedy could not be ignored. Something had to be done. What would a captain do? She put forward all her thoughts into how to bring them justice. Pyrrha was silent through out, until the moment Weiss knew what to do.

"We need to have to a talk, all of us,"

Weiss walked back inside, Pyrrha trailing behind her. The halls were dark with the occasional dim light. "What are going to do Weiss?"

"Something needs to be done about that group, do you agree?"

"Of course, but what about Blake?"

"What will happen next will depend on her," Weiss stopped in the hall, and she looked at her. "I want to know if you'll have my back. Whatever happens in there."

Pyrrha frowned, and after a brief thought, she nodded. "Yes. I hope you'll make the right decision,"

Weiss felt relief flood through her, "I think you should be more worried about Blake's,"

They continued toward their room. Every step brought a gloom that descended upon her, a rock settled in her gut. She really really hoped Blake made the right choice. No, she would make the right choice, it would be fine. Words came and went to form what she wanted to say.

The door unlocked to her teams' room, Naruto gazed back curiously –still seated on her bed–Blake was seated across, and she noticed the ears atop of her head, she averted her eyes.

"There's something we all need to discuss," Weiss declared, she went between them both and placed her hands on her hips.

"Lay it on us," Naruto muttered. Despite what earlier information they had found out. Weiss didn't understand how he could be relaxed.

She focused on Blake, this hinged on her alone. Even if she knew the likely answer, her hands shook, and she pressed down harder on her hips to hide that fact. She hated doubts.

"Right now, it doesn't matter if you're a Faunus, or even once a part of the White Fang. I think we can both agree is that what we both believe isn't important. Blake, whoever they were, they murdered innocent people, that we all saw lying in the streets. Something needs to be done."

"What do you have planned?" Blake asked.

Rice frowned. "I can only answer that when I know what you are willing to do."

Blake glanced at Naruto before she looked to Weiss. "I know it's selfish of me that I don't want to approach the authorities, but I definitely want to stop these people, whoever they are."

Weiss resisted the urge to let loose the breath she had been holding.

A sudden clap made her jump, Naruto had a grin on his face and his hands clasped together. "Now we can all relax! So, Rice, what'cha got for us."

Weiss shook her head, "Really?" He shrugged. She decided to ignore him. "Then, for now, let's see what you know. There has to be more to this story, correct?"

Blake crossed her arms, and stared directly back. "Yes,"

Weiss sat on her bed, "Let's start on how you know this person,"

Everyone looked exhausted, but sleep was far from her mind.

"I don't know much, but I'll tell everything I know. This was a while ago, I don't know the man's name, but he approached the White Fang to see if they were willing to work together. We refused, we didn't know what he wanted, but we weren't interested."

"Is there anything else, something that we can use?" Weiss asked.

"He gave us a way to contact him, in case we changed our minds. I still have it."

"That's big." Pyrrha muttered. "We can work with that, right?"

"If she didn't change it," Weiss replied. She crossed her arms. She wasn't certain what to think of Blake. However, a few things could be done.

"I'd rather avoid the authorities," Blake said. "We can deal with them by ourselves,"

Weiss would've preferred if she made that decision, "Is everyone fine with that?"

"We are huntresses," Pyrrha said."and one huntsman. We might still be in training, but we're still capable,"

"We don't need a license to do right," Naruto added.

"Then we contact him, and we'll meet with this group." Weiss replied, feeling more certain. If Blake was up to anything, then she would only be digging herself deeper.

Blake was the first to break the silence, "Both you and Pyrrha are fairly renown, whoever they are, they are bound to recognize someone from the Schnee company. 'The Invincible Girl' speaks for itself.'"

"And Naruto said they had noticed each other too," Pyrrha said. "That also leaves him out."

"It seems everything hinges on you Blake," Weiss said. "If there's too many people involved we might get noticed," she would have preferred help, but it didn't seem to be the case, but even then, who would they ask?

"That's fine," she replied.

It seemed there was a lot to think about, she started to feel the exhaustion of today's events catching up to her. A small glimmer of gold light filtered through the curtain, it told the passage of time. She supposed it could wait.

"They're going be in hiding, so we have time to plan out the details and change everything."

Four notifications sounded in the room. She looked for her scroll hidden somewhere in the mess of her blanket.

"You didn't take-"Blake cut herself off.

"Pardon me?" Weiss asked.

Blake averted her eyes, "Never mind."

Weiss pulled her attention to her scroll, "It seems classes have been cancelled for the week." While it didn't say much, the reason was obvious.

Weiss yawned, but she doubted she could sleep. Plenty weighed on her mind, what possible plan, what day, how it might be done, the preparation, her team…Blake.

The intensity of those thoughts rose when it the plan was enacted. It was a solid plan, that she knew. Weiss wasn't worried about it. Naruto and Pyrrha were both skilled fighters, Blake had proved herself too, as whether she could be trusted was another matter.

There was an unknown factor to many things. They had to be ready to move, whether it be a couple of hours, or in days.

"Ready?" Weiss asked. Blake nodded, a silence descended, and everyone bore a serious expression. "Start it."

They sat in their room as the scroll rung the tone. No word would be said, and the quiet was monumental, palpable. It would be terrible for the mission to end before it could begin. They were doing this at Blake's suggestion. The ringing stopped, and with the scroll pressed to her ear, Blake gave a nod.

"We heard about Sunday," inaudible words were heard. "Yes, we're interested." More words. "Anytime. That will work. I should be recognized with whoever who was there. Okay."

Blake held the scroll and her eyes, and she breathed out. Nothing was said.

"That was short," Naruto muttered. It broke whatever spell had come over them.

"Think they bought it?" Pyrrha asked.

"I do," Blake replied.

"When are we supposed to meet them?" Weiss said.

"Tomorrow, at four. Somewhere in the residential district in public before we switch to somewhere more private. We're supposed to agree on them both,"

"That's an outcome we were hoping for," she clasped her hands together and rested her chin. "So, should we do our preparations?"

Weiss looked at the time, "today then, we should find any locations that we can use. There's an air bus that comes in a couple of hours, that's when we should go,"

Each of them agreed to the idea. Blake said she needed to go clean her weapon, and Pyrrha went along with her, as was agreed between them. It left her alone with Naruto. Blake had trusted in him, or it was something she said to shake her confidence. Naruto was on a strange fence.

His gear was strewn about his bed. She noticed no dust, or any firearm. Weiss checked her own gear, and made sure that her dust was accounted for, and if Myternaster was in proper condition. It was quickly done, and she double checked, and then tripled checked.

Weiss sat back on her bed, her fingers drummed rhythmically on the bed. Naruto had collected his gear, and was laying on his bed staring at the ceiling, another thing he did. There was something different, and she could feel his anticipation.

She realized that she had completely forgotten about his aura, and of his claim. "I can't believe I forgot. What did you mean by it will never work?"

"My aura?" Naruto asked. She nodded, and sat up from his bed and frowned. "Uhm, it's complicated."

"Complicated? How? This is important, we need to know the status of your aura when we fight. I- We need to make sure what happened at the festival won't repeat," his lips pursed. Why was he so hesitant on this matter? Naruto looked away.

"It will never work, because I don't have any aura. I never have, and I never will."

She was surprised by his declaration, and looked at him for any sort of reaction. Nothing. "What? Like, some kind of Grimm?"

"Sure, I'm an beast."

"That's not what I-, ugh, it just doesn't make any sense. Everyone has aura, you shouldn't be the exception."

"Oh, I'm a very special snow flake, Rice."

"Like any other snowflake?"

"Yep."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Explain the aura bar when you spar?"

"The Prof-"

"-Wait," She interrupted. "If what you're saying is true, you've been fighting without aura protection?"

He crossed his arms, and frowned. "I've been fighting a lot longer than that."

"All without- "

"Yes,"

"Does Ozpin know?"

"Of course, Blake and Pie know too."

"There's something you're not telling me," he seemed especially taken back by her words. Was this what the others had referred too earlier?

He frowned, and crossed his arms. He took a breath and released, giving her the impression of reluctance before he finally spoke. "If you want to know why, it's because I'm from another dimension."

Silence. More silence. One blink and another. What was with these sudden confessions? "Excuse me?"

"What's coming up is why I avoided it,"

"Do you think I'm that gullible?" she retorted.

"No," Any other words that might've come out was interrupted by him. "Look, our team believes me, even Ozzy-Ozpin. so it's no big deal,"

Weiss wasn't certain how to take this outlandish claim. This, coupled with their upcoming self-assigned mission was a bit to take in. She thought her first year –much less the first semester– would be uniform. She would showcase her potential, and all the rest would fall into place.

She rubbed her temples, "Unbelievable,"

There was no time to change course, no time to explain. To change the plan would ruin everything. Naruto was still one of the better fighters in their year, that didn't change. "Ugh, this doesn't matter right now,"

"You took the words right out of my mouth," he smiled. His eyes reflected the steel behind them. "And yeah, I am still coming."

He should have shared this a long time ago.

Silence. The day already seemed forever, and it was going to be longer still. Coupled with the secrets her team had, it was a lot to take in. Even then, there was still one more thing that hung in the back of her mind. It had been there since her promotion.

She had no one to talk too about these thoughts, and there was little time to find someone. She wondered if Naruto had similar feelings, as he was the previous captain.

"I know you weren't captain for long, but I was wondering if you had ever thought about how you might be responsible for everyone's lives."

It was also because she might be leading them to their deaths in an actual mission.

He scratched his chin. "Not really, but I wouldn't overthink it."

It was her role to think about this, the safety of her team was in her hands. It was suffocating. Now, it was settling in.

"We're not here to live a safe life. We all know it's going to be dangerous. I trust you to keep us as safe as possible whatever gets thrown our way,"

His words were comforting, but also surprising. She hoped to make the right decisions. "Of course,"