THE CALM
"Quite wonderful isn't it?" A male voice asked as the group of individuals observed the sunset in the evening. The sky smothered the scene with a thickly threaded blanket, melting over the corners of the horizon. The sky seemingly melted away towards the sun in the horizon, setting in a beautiful glow of orange light.
They were students from Konohagakure Academy in the Continent of Fire and were seen on top of a building, in Beacon Academy.
"You know," a female voice commented, "for once I agree with you Shikamaru."
Shikamaru smirked, looking at Tenten victoriously which prompted an eye roll from her. Usually, his classmates usually found time to mess with his cloud watching habit, but now that they were bored, waiting for the meeting between the Continents to be over, they didn't find much to do.
Ino, Chouji, Lee, Hinata and Kiba had decided to go and check out the town, leaving him with Shino, Tenten and Neji.
"How do you think the meeting's going?" Tenten asked, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.
"It's not hard to speculate really." Shikamaru replied. "While every party would like to show that they are not to be underestimated, eventually when Danzo-sama lays out the threat we are going to face, they'll make up."
"But is it wise?" Neji mused. "Telling the truth."
"Even the truth has an iota of lie on Danzo-sama's front." Shino said prompting a chuckle from Shikamaru.
He was so right. Danzo as their leader was as secretive as one could get. The fact that their continent was so closed off from the world was one of the reasons. But usually, things had their way of coming out. Despite the secrecy, the other continents had known of their training regimens and Academy procedures.
Not as if they cared.
"This part of the world has no idea of the evolution of the Grimm." Neji said. "They think you just kill them and they dissipate, everyone goes home happy."
"You can't blame them." Tenten said. "It's not as if they have encountered them."
"They judge us time and again, not knowing what we deal with." Neji scoffed. "Their ignorance is quite annoying."
"But still." Tenten complained rolling her eyes at Neji's comment. "Why Vale? I was certain we were going to head to Atlas." She let out a pout, humoring Shikamaru. "I wanted to take a look at their weapons. I heard they have robots!"
"And deal with their cold?" Shikamaru asked with an arched eyebrow. "No thank you."
Shino began. "Actually-"
"No lectures today Shino, we are on vacation." Tenten interrupted with a deadpan expression. She looked to the distance while Shino kept his mouth shut, before he spoke again.
"Do you think he is here?"
An uneasy silence came over them. Shino didn't need to say his name, he was the reason they were here after all. From the port Naruto escaped from, Vale was the closest Kingdom. After sending scouts, they had discovered his boat and the dead body of Tazuna on the shores of the Continent of Sanus.
"He could be. We know he was?" Neji said.
"Do you believe Danzo-sama?" Tenten asked. "Do you think Naruto really-"
"Is it our position to question?" Shino asked rhetorically. Tenten fell into silence. "We are shinobi, we follow orders. We are to find him and then…" he trailed off. Tenten looked down, noting a bracelet on her wrist, a conflicted expression on her face. She looked up to the skies wondering where their target was.
…
"You want me to come along to get Ruby Rose?" Tyrian asked, looking suspiciously at Naruto who had Cinder beside him. "Never thought you were so weak."
Naruto was seen overlooking the barren landscape, noticing the red sands and red skies. He watched blankly as the Grimm sprouted from the earth from the black pools seen all over the land. Tyrian was seen behind him looking judgmentally.
"I'm going to need a distraction. A big one." Naruto said, ignoring his statement. "Not all things needs to be solved with brute force. Cinder's coming along. Besides, I have a feeling that you are bored. It would be nice to break a sweat after so long eh."
"Stop trying to make excuses." Tyrian said with a scowl. "I'm not going to do your dirty work."
"Come on Tyrian, Salem would be very happy if this goes right without a hitch." Naruto turned to face him with a smirk, prompting an eyebrow twitch from Tyrian. "We need to capture Ruby Rose in one piece. And I know you being there would be an incredible addition."
Cinder just let out an amused smile. It was so obvious, Naruto didn't even try to be subtle.
"Besides, think of this as a bonding moment between us. I feel we aren't appreciative of each other lately."
"Just shut up." Tyrian scowled, tired of listening to him. "I'm not coming for you."
"Only the mission matters." Naruto smiled, squinting his eyes, while tilting his head to the side. "Sure."
…
A round table was set in a large meeting hall. On it sat various important figures of the Land of Remnant. Shimura Danzo, who was the Leader of the Continent of Fire was seen looking with a blank expression at the proceedings. It was obvious that being here was no of his intention.
But to avoid incidents and keep people from unnecessary investigations of the Continent, he had to appear like he was cooperating.
He had a problem, and as much as he never wanted to admit it, he needed their assistance, mostly because letting his shinobi run amok on their land was bound to warrant attention, something he was certain this meeting was going to solve.
He looked to the people meeting with him; important and powerful individuals of the other Kingdoms. Ozpin was the delegation from Vale, flanked by Glynda Goodwitch. From the Kingdom of Atlas was Commander Ironwood flanked by Winter Schnee. Atlas was the closest he could say that had a slight similarity to the military strength of Konoha. Vale was more peace loving, something he didn't fault them for being.
Considering the level of Grimm threat in their Kingdom was lesser when compared with the other kingdoms, they rather embraced it well. Vacuo didn't have a functional government in his opinion, mostly there as a stand in. Their Academy, Shade, was responsible for the enforcement of Law and Order in the Kingdom. So basically, the Leader of the Kingdom of Vacuo was the Headmaster staring right at him; Professor Oro Storm.
She was a golden haired woman, dressed casually with a long golden trench coat over her clothes. She sure stuck out like a sore thumb. She gave a smirk to Danzo who didn't make a motion to reply. Danzo looked to note that she didn't have a companion, something that prompted his interest.
The final person was the representative of Mistral Academy, Professor Leonardo Lionheart. From what he gathered, he wasn't much to figure out, favoring tactics rather than strength.
Danzo who had tuned out the ongoing discussion, looked to Ironwood who was still going on. He was selected by the four Kingdoms to be the General Commander of their forces. The Continent of Fire had separated themselves from the coalition, a decision that was still in effect.
Danzo who was getting annoyed at the pointlessness of the current discussion, interrupted.
"Can we get to the main issue at hand? I'm sure we have other things to do than listen to your introduction, Commander. You are all here at my request, so let's get to the main point."
This drew all their attention to which he paid no heed. He gave a quick side glance to Sai who was standing right beside him, staying still and observing the meeting without so much as a slight movement. Danzo let out a brief smirk before looking back to the Headmasters staring back at him.
Ironwood let out a frown. "I was-"
"I know." Danzo interrupted again. "You were introducing each and every one of us, going through the required formalities, and I understand. I really do. It's just that, we are wasting time. Everybody knows each person sitting down here today. If you don't that's your problem and inadequacy to figure out. When I asked for this meeting, I didn't expect formalities. This is an emergency."
Ironwood's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but kept a cool façade. Ozpin's mouth which was hidden by his interlocked fingers twitched up at the scene. It was amusing.
"I understand." Ironwood conceded, and sat back down. "The meeting has officially begun then."
"Would you please care to elaborate?" Ozpin asked, staring at Danzo through his glasses. Just staring at Danzo, he could tell he was powerful. How powerful? He had no idea. His attention was mostly directed to the person right beside him. It was a boy, probably sixteen too seventeen years of age.
His pale skin and cold expression was startling. This was what was happening in their Continent. Turning children into drones.
Danzo could tell what was going through his mind, but paid no heed. He was here for a reason, whatever they thought didn't bother him.
"I'm here because I believe Remnant is in danger." His comment certainly drew their attention fully. "So you have to understand my urgency."
"Danger?" Lionheart asked. "Danger in what way?"
"The Grimm." Danzo spoke. "They will burn down this land if we do not act."
"We have been dealing with the Grimm for-"
"I'm not talking about your low class threats." Danzo interrupted Oro with a glance. "I'm talking about mine?
"We made a deal." Ironwood leaned in. "You contain them no matter the means." Ironwood looked to Sai. "And while we regret that, the fact that the evolved Grimm haven't appeared here means you were doing as you promised."
"Well something came up." Danzo spoke. "A Grimm of the highest class escaped our capture and is in one of your continents."
The entire coalition looked rapt with attention.
"What?" Glynda muttered in shock. "What do you mean?"
"We captured one after it had destroyed one of our villages. He's close to Sai here in age. We were going to execute it but it escaped."
"And by highest class," Ironwood let out a labored exhale as his eyes narrowed, "You mean…"
"The Class VI. Human."
Silence was what took over the guild as each of the members of the meeting took time absorbing the threat that was now before them.
"It's dangerous." Danzo said.
"Does it have a name?"
"Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki."
The names stirred up reactions from the table.
"You mean the Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki?" Professor Oro asked, completely stunned.
"If he is a Class VI." Ozpin narrowed his eyes, he could be able to bring the others of the lower class here with him."
"This is not good," Glynda added in thought, "or he could command them to inhabit the animals."
"So far he hasn't shown the ability to do that." Danzo said. "Well, we wouldn't know that now."
"So he was right under your noses this whole time, and you are saying you had no idea of it?" Winter asked, looking suspiciously at him. "I don't believe that for some reason."
Danzo looked to her, his expression blank. "Why?"
"Well, because it's you."
Danzo looked to the people's eyes that were now trained on him. He didn't say a word, simply observing the suspicions in their eyes.
"What do you have to say to that?" Professor Lionheart asked, looking to Danzo with an arched eyebrow.
"We have a threat." Danzo spoke. "A threat that threatens the balance of Remnant. And we need to take care of it."
"You wanted to use it as a weapon, didn't you?" Ozpin asked, not really expecting an answer. He already knew what type of man he was. Just by looking at Sai, he already knew.
Danzo kept his calm, not showing any signs of nervousness, or confliction in his eyes. "Does that matter now?"
"Of course it does!" Ironwood exclaimed in anger. "You could have-"
"What?" Danzo asked with an amused smirk. "Killed a child who lost his parents?" He looked through their eyes, noting the confliction in their eyes. "Just say it. That's what you wanted me to do, right?"
"You know you wouldn't have had any problems with it." Ozpin admitted, looking to him. "And that was not the point. We let you leave the coalition, we turned a blind eye because we knew you needed discretion. We knew you could do what we couldn't. If you did that, we wouldn't be here would we?"
Danzo looked surprise at Ozpin's choice of words. "That is impressive, Professor Ozpin." Danzo grinned. "That is impressive. You would have fit right in."
The other Professors said nothing. They knew Ozpin was right, but they just couldn't admit it. If they were to be honest with themselves, if Naruto was killed much earlier on, they wouldn't have this problem now. But they couldn't admit it, because they wouldn't be able to do it. And the man who could, wanted to use him.
"My intentions were to build an army against the Grimm." Danzo surmised. "It is something I attempted so we could win. Unfortunately it spiraled. Now we need to brace ourselves. I knew you needed to know. The Grimm in my Continent are acting up for some reason. Something I'm sure is related to our current problem."
"We could be at war." Professor Oro said.
"We were always at war." Danzo said. "I just stopped it from reaching your doorsteps."
…
Ozpin was seen in his office, deep in thought; the happenings of the just concluded meeting still in his mind. Glynda was seen sitting down on the seat opposite his looking to him.
"What are we going to do?"
"We haven't gotten any alerts as to the Grimm movement. Apart from Mistral, which has been happening for a while, nothing."
Glynda looked through the file on Naruto that Danzo had provided to them. She observed the pictures from the destroyed village. As well as the report of the multiple Grimm terrorizing them. It was by Sasuke Uchiha, sent to the Academy, right before it was destroyed by Naruto Uzumaki.
For one person to do all that. It was scary.
Glynda looked in thought. Was it possible that Naruto was the one who drew them to the village? She didn't know, only going by what was in the report. They were dispatched to deal with a Grimm, but they discovered more than an army in the mountains.
She clenched her hand, she was feeling nervous.
She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Drawing both her and Ozpin's attention.
"Come in." Ozpin said.
The door was pushed in, and Team RWBY stepped in, looking to them nervously.
"Hello ladies." Ozpin looked to them with a smile. It seemed Ruby was up and ready to go. "How can I help you?"
"We need to tell you something." Ruby said, letting out an exhale. "About our mission."
Ozpin arched an eyebrow.
…
"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes full of curiosity.
Ruby smiled at the question. Finally, something she could answer. "I'm Ruby. You?"
"N…" he hesitated for a moment, before he replied. "I'm Naruto."
…
Naruto blinked open his eyes in the airship that was transporting them to Vale. He shifted his head to note Cinder, reading a book opposite him. He looked around, looking for Tyrian not seeing him.
"Where's Tyrian?"
Cinder looked up from her book. "Over there." She gestured right behind him.
Naruto turned and looked to the seat on the far end of the airship to not Tyrian looking through the windows. His expression seemed like someone who was lost, angry with the world.
He looked to the television, to note Torchwick on it. He had just blown up a bank, carting a huge sum of money and dust.
He shifted his gaze to Cinder noting her attention on the book. "How's the book?"
"Not bad." She said, "It's useful to pass time."
"I was never a fan of books back home." Naruto chuckled. "I was more of a practical fellow."
"Action first huh."
"How did you and Salem meet?" Naruto asked. "I know I'm pushing but, I'm curious. You aren't one of us, yet you are."
Cinder let out a nostalgic smile. "Salem… saved me."
"From what?"
"My home."
Naruto looked to her noting her expression.
"I was so young then. It seems so far back now." She shook her head. "I was the one who followed her, because I didn't have anywhere else to go. She was the one who trained me, and who brought me up."
"I see." Naruto let out a smile. "You owe her your life."
"I owe her more than that."
"Salem told me that the Grimm usually possessed children, babies to be more exact. But when they possess people older than that, it may lead to complications."
"You listened well."
"Tyrian is one of those cases, right?"
"Tyrian's case is a bit complicated." Cinder said, looking to him. "You'd have to ask him yourself. But don't take his anger to be who he is."
"Who is Salem really?"
"Even I don't know the complete answer to that."
Naruto looked down in thought.
"Sometimes I wonder, how my life would have been if I wasn't who I am."
Cinder let out an understanding expression. "I also wonder what would have happened had I grown in a loving home, a loving community, a loving kingdom. I wonder a lot too. But I guess life wouldn't be so interesting, if we didn't have something definitive to look back to."
Sasuke and Sakura's dead bodies were at his mind. "Something definitive huh…" Ruby emerged from his memories. "Yeah."
A female voice emerged from the speakers. "We have arrived at Vale."
Naruto shifted his eyes upward. "Well." He looked to her. "Let's go get ourselves a Ruby."
…
"A Grimm that spoke?!" Glynda asked in surprise. "In Vale?"
Ozpin and Glynda weren't surprised by the fact that the Grimm spoke. Danzo had updated them regularly on their evolution. Why they were surprised was the fact that they were in Vale. Ruby continued to speak on the mission. She never brought up Naruto, she didn't know why but she felt like she was betraying his trust in her. She never brought up the fact that she tried to control the Grimm.
Yang, Weiss and Blake said nothing also. They trusted that she knew what she was doing.
Ozpin listened till when Ruby spoke of how they escaped. She had activated her abilities. That was one good thing out of all this. He shared a look with Glynda as Ruby finished narrating the events that happened.
"What was that, Professor?" Ruby asked. She seemed lost for that moment. "Do you know what I did?"
Ozpin looked to Ruby and noted the way her team was protective of her. They really trusted her, so she too must trust them. He decided to speak.
"What I am going to tell you is something the world knows nothing about. Only… select circles. They were a group of warriors, originated before the rise of the Kingdoms, right around the time of the Grimm's emergence. They were able to strike down the Grimm by just looking at them. Based on what you did, it's not a myth. They were known as the Silver – Eyed warriors."
"My eyes?"
"Yes." Ozpin spoke as Ruby was rooted in a spot, absorbing it all. She didn't respond.
"I don't know the true origins of your powers but it was a powerful tool to be used against the Grimm. I know it is a bit much. But you hold a very rare and powerful ability, Ruby."
"Was that why… I was accepted into Beacon?"
Yang looked to Ruby, an encouraging smile on her face.
"I was to keep a close eye on you as well as to give you the necessary training when it was necessary."
Ruby looked down to the floor, an indecisive expression on her face. Yang, Blake and Weiss were stunned at the news also, but they were there for Ruby.
Glynda continued. "The Grimm you faced were evolved Grimm, and they were usually isolated in the Continent of Fire."
"It didn't seem like that at all." Yang said. "They were there for a long time, I could tell that."
"Well things are progressing. And new information has informed us of that."
"Do you know why we are telling you all this?" Ozpin asked.
"Why?" Weiss asked.
"Because you all have experienced it. The Grimm are far more dangerous than what we think. And since you have experienced it, you could be more receptive to the changes. I'm sure you saw how powerful they were."
"If it wasn't for Ruby…" Yang trailed off.
"What we just told you, you are to keep it to yourselves." Ozpin said. "You trusted us to come forward with this. So we are trusting you."
"We understand."
Ozpin looked to Ruby who had not said a word for a while. "Ruby."
The world dawned on her as her shoulders began to feel heavy. Her breaths became labored as she slowly clenched her fist.
"Ruby."
…
Naruto was seen in the caves where Ruby had turned the Grimm into stone. He looked around at the collapsed regions, noting the scale of her power. The edges of his lips tilted up.
"Impressive."
"She is getting stronger." Cinder commented.
"Yeah." Naruto crouched, placing his palms on the earth. His eyes glowed red as he grinned. "She certainly has."
The rubbles began to shift as the earth became saturated in a black glow. Tyrian looked in shock. This was new.
"What are you doing?"
Naruto turned to look at Tyrian, who could swear that his heart stopped for a moment at the predatory smirk on his face.
"Getting us an army."
The earth began to open up as the Grimm ranging in class began to emerge, cloaked in a miasma of black. The earth opened up, as three Class V Grimm tore right through the earth to the skies, eliciting loud roars.
Cinder and Tyrian looked around in shock at the Grimm slowly surrounding them. How powerful was he? For a moment, they knew.
Beacon… was going to fall.
…
Wow… how long has it been? Ages? Geez. I know! I've been delayed 'cuz I've been working on a little writing project that sucked the ever living life out of me. Add that to the fact that we have resumed school for my final year, things are getting heated up!
So how's this for a chap?
REVIEW!
