Chapter 17: Professor Naruto Sends His Regards
A/N: I found myself with a lot of time because I'm currently in between jobs.
Chapter START
Naruto, Raven, Maria, and Ironwood stood around the table that held up the body of the dead assassin. The three had been summoned by Ironwood in the morning. Naruto silently thanked Kami, as he now had an excuse to not attend any more stupid political sessions.
Such a waste of time those were.
A large room awaited Naruto and Raven, filled with alcohol rubbed tables and medical equipment of the highest echelon. It put the first medical bay that Raven had been placed into to shame. Inside, Ironwood and Maria were waiting for them, Maria nestled in her chair. The general's hands were clasped behind his back and staring down at the lifeless corpse of the assassin.
Originally, it had been the four of them with three workers, the postmortem doctors flitting around the body and taking notes. The workers, all in medical outfits, looked exhausted. They clearly worked overnight and were desperately craving sleep, if Naruto would surmise a guess from the canyons starting to etch into their already permanent eyebags.
After a few minutes, two of them left - to sleep, Naruto hoped - and the last remained to give the report.
"He's an assassin, one with no obvious ties to any of the Kingdoms. Whoever this is, they went out of their way to ensure that their origins couldn't be traced if they were caught."
The dead assassin's black eyes peered back at Naruto with a glassy-eyed stare. It was all too similar to the way a fish's eyes glazed over, with no emotion and without soul. Death was always a sordid affair.
That was until a specific detail came to mind, which rammed everything out of its path to remind him that this man had tried to kill his student. Whatever sympathy that had started to sprout was instantly crushed under heel, reduced to ashes in the wind. Naruto shook his head, trying to dispel the distracting melancholic thoughts and looked up. "That can't be all you have after a whole night."
The forensics specialist in the room sighed, giving Ironwood a look of frustration before complying. He raised the assassin's gun towards the blond. Naruto delicately took the weapon into his hand, examining it more closely, attempting to ascertain any clue that may have been missed by Atlas' forensic specialists. He was by no means an expert with guns, preferring to get up front and personal with martial arts and freely manipulating aura as his weapon, but being a combat instructor required him to be familiar with all forms of weapons used by Huntsman.
"The gun at first glance appeared to be a simple revolver, colored an extremely dull white, with an oddly heavy weight to it. A simple trigger allowed the user to fire off one bullet at a time, while a slide at the front of the gun would switch it into a rapid fire semi-automatic mode with a lighter trigger, allowing for quick burst fires."
The analyst went on, monotonous explanation shifting to the slightest electrical charge of excitement in his tone as he continued. "The man's weapons are a contradiction in and of themselves. First, we have a revolver that can shift into a semi-automatic pistol. Originally, I would assume this came from Atlas as this a common enough model. Even General Ironwood over there has a pair with a similar concept."
He paused as James shifted his trench coat showing two similar style revolvers at his waist, one black and one white. The confirmation only further energized the tech.
"However not only is there no RFID chip or serial number to trace the manufacturing of the weapon, the dang thing doesn't even let you use dust! Most weapons in Atlas revolve around usage of dust. Even our blades have mechanisms to allow Huntsman to combat Grimm using dust. In fact, I'd argue that the entire world of Remnant uses Dust." The sarcasm was not lost on anyone. The man dropped his arms from the air and slumped. "However, this is just a generic gun using standard caliber bullets. This sort of weapon would be absolutely useless to a Huntsman. Maybe you could use it to take out a Beowolf, but anything with decent armor like an Ursa, it's more likely that your corpse would be found a week after the struggle. On top of that, the limited range would make fighting at range against a Nevermore or a Griffon even more challenging as they can just escape and attack you at a distance."
Naruto put the gun back down on the table, picking up and getting a feel for the assassin's weapon, a long oversized blade with both sides having a slight edge tapering off into a sharp pointed tip. A thick handle with an odd length extended from the base, with a rough leather grip. The blade itself was oddly dull looking, as even in the light the weapon didn't gleam or reflect it, instead seeming to almost suck in and absorb the light.
This weapon feels oddly familiar...In fact…
The analyst continued where he had left off, "This weapon is even more confusing! I don't understand who designed it or what they were aiming for. The edges on both sides appear sharper than they actually are, it's in fact too dull to reliably do much damage. The oversized handle appears like it would be too unwieldy to use and messes with the balance if swinging it. Same as the gun, no identifying information, no compartments to enhance the weapon with any form of dust, and oddly no mecha-shifting. Again, this weapon is of little use against the Grimm and also doesn't appear to match the style used by any known Huntsman or of the kind favored by any of the kingdoms. If I didn't confirm the blade was made several years ago by checking the composition in the lab, I would've assumed this is some long lost heirloom from the Great War."
Naruto gripped the blade trying to understand what the analyst was describing and trying to visualize the assassin using such a weapon.
"Raven, you said this was all he used along with the gun?" Raven had been lost in thought, her eyes drawing in the corpse. Maria had sat herself again, legs crossed and her raised foot bouncing up and down in a bored, metronome fashion. Ironwood seemed angry, glaring at the corpse as if his gaze was enough to reveal the answers. Naruto barely restrained himself from telling the military man that dead men told no tales.
His student broke out of her stupor and turned to him before closing her eyes, trying to remember. She nodded her head firmly.
"He mainly was shooting at me with the gun and managed to block my sword with the knife. Once I knew where he was, though, his advantage in the fight was lost, even when I never fully adapted to his fighting style." Raven hummed, a sound that came off slightly miffed. "He was surprisingly good at close combat," she commented. Raven idly touched at her previously bruised skin, a small hiss escaping her lips when the pain was evidently still there. Naruto would have to take a second look at that wound.
He could understand the annoyance that escaped his student. She had been training with him in hand-to-hand and close combat for months. Even if she hadn't lost, taking a hit, either on by misstep or oversight, was not acceptable to Raven's standards. She'd most definitely rewind her fight and run it play by play in her head when she had the chance.
"If I may continue?" Nods all around. The analyst fixed his glasses. "There's an additional problem of the lack of indication this knife has. It's what appears to be a standard issue knife, which are generic. The four Kingdoms have simplified weapons, and the models used do not give us any more information about the assassin's allegiance."
Naruto pressed a few fingers against his temple. "I thought weapons were unique to cultures across Remnant."
"They are," Maria responded quickly, her eyes flashing over to him. "However, that's more to when you get to civilized, higher tech hotspots. Places that have Huntsman walking around because that's their home." Her gaze moved. "When it comes to these knives, that's as generic as they come. And you don't hand out civilians guns with Dust. Other technologies that could be safely implemented for home use and that has been tested thousands of times, those will get a pass. These?" Maria shook her head. "Normal as can be...in the home of the towns, villages, and boonies further from the main cities."
"She's absolutely right." The analyst took charge again. He pressed something, and a holographic popped up, snapping their attention to it. "Also, we can break down the study of skin color here. The slightly darker skin could be likened to one from Vacuo, but the theory of his Vacuon status could be refuted easily by the fact that light skinned Vacuons exist. The clothes he wore are from the international clothing industry, so any further analysis onto this would give little evidence. Even if we had any clues from the clothes, they could be a false lead. The man could have easily changed clothes prior to his entry to Mantle. It wouldn't be the first incident of a false flag operation. For that reason, there are a few scouting teams outside of Mantle, looking for remnants of a camp or fire with some belongings that have been abandoned.
"However, one thing is certain. The man, as of this moment, is unknown. Our analysis and face recognition program could not recognize any features inside our database. We checked active and retired Huntsman, soldiers, and even checked Huntsman applicants for the Academies. They don't appear as a known criminal at the moment, but for now, we will treat them as concluded that it's an assassin that is independent with no clear little to no connection to the Kingdoms."
Naruto stared at the tech when he was finished speaking, and then looked down at the lifeless body that lay on the table in front of him. Unnamed, and unrecognized. Unknown, and unseen. Therefore, he currently had no data on him.
"Thank you. I understand." The criminalist curtly nodded at Naruto and left when Ironwood signaled what must have been a dismissal while still staring into the corpse's eyes. "I'm sure you know this already, general, but looking at him won't get you any answers."
The general gruffly straightened his back, a bear's growl echoing from his throat. "You've staring at him as well. But humor me; do you have any sensical thoughts at the moment?" The man kept scrutinizing the body, trying to scrape out anything that the professionals might've missed.
Naruto wondered if the man had a grudge against him or the dead man. Probably both? He had antagonized the general during their meeting, and the assassin had shown a threat to Atlas. Considering how black and white the general saw things, Naruto found his lack of surprise at the general's outpouring of hatred of an already deceased person also completely within expectations.
"Actually, yes." Naruto held up his weapon of choice. The metal glinted in the light, and Raven swiveled her head so quickly to look at it, he worried for the girl's neck. He had never shown her his weapon, only telling her that he preferred a disposable one that was useful to him. Except for that one day he had given her a glimpse of the Aura Slash, he always fought hand to hand or with practice wooden swords. Well, it's not like his kunai was exactly a secret. He never really had an opportunity to use it, what with the peace time that existed within the Kingdoms and all.
Maria glanced at it with curiosity. Ironwood finally broke his gaze and looked up. His expression, which could previously set any of his subordinates on fire, was rough enough that mountains would move for him.
"You're one of them?" The man had already pulled out a gun, pointing it at Naruto. Naruto blinked. That was a tad more confrontational than he had expected. He replaced 'antagonistic' with 'truculent' for James in his head.
"No. Although the weapons do bear striking similarities, we're not at all related. I only wanted to give you something that all of you might've missed." He picked up the assassin's knife, and held up his kunai. "The weight is off. But I suppose that the uses are about the same...could you please put the gun away?"
Ironwood looked to be contemplating it. After a few breaths, the man pocketed his gun and instead crossed his arms, eyes smoldering. Naruto forced himself not to shrug as to not incite the man; this was far better than having a gun aimed at his face.
"Explain," the general demanded. Naruto did shrug this time. He literally said that he was about to do exactly that.
"The analyst was wrong about this knife. It is not as useless as it may look. For one, since Grimm don't have any Aura to protect them, this weapon is more than capable of defeating any regular Grimm without natural armor or extremely thick hides. You have a sharp end to it, so you simply stab them with the pointy end." Maria chuckled at that, but the three others continued to give him focused stares. Not even Raven, who usually would give the barest sign of a narrowed twitching eye to unintentionally tell him she understood the joke but refused to admit its hilarity, remained steadfastly focused on his explanation.
Tough crowd.
"Also, the kunai is absolutely capable of slashing. Just because the edges seem dull doesn't mean it is. Try to cut at your own fingers, you'd find yourself short a few." Naruto allowed a quizzical expression to convey across his face. "Genuinely confused how they missed that." Ironwood's stare was the mountain itself.
"Lastly, the weight is off from what I use, but it's not at all wrong, and it is definitely not unwieldy. Since all of you use weapons that are generally best used in your own hands and not expendable, you may not have considered this: these knives can be thrown with deadly accuracy." A lifetime ago, Naruto had thrown thousands of these. He recalled them, landing soundly against the trunks of gigantic trees with a thunk and against people, who would spurt out blood from their mouth and punctured bodies.
"Thrown?" Maria asked. "With no Gravity Dust to pull it back to you, you'd practically be throwing your weapon away."
Naruto nodded. "True, but that's also why I said 'these knives'." Maria's face told of a revelation that came to her. "You're assuming that I only have one on me...if you even assumed I had a weapon on me, that is." The silence was telling. "I can assure you, I have enough to spare to throw a good dozen away and still have a weapon to fight."
The blond pocketed his kunai and held the weapon so that it glinted in the harsh artificial yellow light.
"You aren't thinking out of the box enough. If I throw a rock at a Huntsman, the blunt force will be spread across his body and he won't take much damage. How about a needle? If I don't have pinpoint accuracy, then it'll mostly be annoyances that Aura will heal up or simply deflect. That brings us to this healthy medium where I use these and throw them at you. Add some weight behind a good stab and it'll penetrate right through Aura and dig deep enough into the skin to leave a scar, even with Aura. Supply the weapon with Aura, and it can puncture straight through the body."
"So you're an assassin," Ironwood deduced, his eyes narrowing as he carefully observed the young professor's reaction. "Or, you were."
Naruto grinned. "I'm just a Beacon professor that believes that fights aren't meant to be fought fairly." That got a strong rise out of everybody in the room for different reasons. Maria and Ironwood acted as if Naruto had just insulted their ancestors and then laughed in their faces about it, and then tauntingly asked them 'what you gonna do about it' in the worst, most grating, withering tone he could muster. Maria mutely gripped her fists tight, her knuckles turning white. The memory of having sight was a cruel one.
James had stilled once again, his eyes glinting.
Raven, on the other hand, was one step away from giggling madly, hardly able to shut it down so that she didn't give a poor impression of a student of Naruto's.
'Too bad that was already ruined the moment you challenged those fourth years like the lovable hot-headed idiot you are sometimes.'
"Don't know why you're looking at me like that. I'm clearly talking about fighting Grimm here. Wouldn't you want to have the jump on a horde, rather than the other way around or having even footing with no preemptive edge? Clearly, you've all been thinking of the Vytal Festival too much." None believed him. He had been talking about the uses of the knife against people so...understandable. "Either way, my point is that everything is a tool, so start looking for clues that way instead of inside predisposed notions of what things should be."
He'd probably have to talk with Raven later about this to make sure she didn't get the wrong idea. He let himself think how odd it was that for someone who considered might is right, Raven was surprisingly okay with the concept of assassins so far. In fact, she seemed downright impressed and engrossed, if anything.
"Besides," Naruto continued, placing the assassin's weapon down, "Aura can only fully protect you if you're aware of an incoming threat. If you think you're safe, then this would do the job just fine. Which gives me two conclusions about this man."
The room fell mute, and Naruto put his kunai into the sleeve of his shirt, utilizing his Aura to hold it in place. "Raven, he didn't think of you as a threat."
Raven's jaw clicked. "I had Omen. A weapon should indicate that I am a Huntsman, or at least one in training."
Naruto almost laughed. Of course she'd find it insulting that she survived because someone thought her weak.
"Fair. In the report I read, you said that he called out to you about Maria before he shot at you. Do you hear anything questionable about that?"
"No, I - '' Raven paused, as clarity reflected on her face with a growing snarl. "He could have said nothing and instead just killed me without any effort. I didn't even notice him until he gave away his position. A weapon on a person doesn't always imply a threat..." The first year slid down in her seat, roiling, quite put off that she had nearly been slain without even putting up a fight. Naruto had little doubt that she was going to train on honing her awareness to remove this vulnerability. That puts two things he should speak in detail to her about. Awareness was something that had to be built in a hostile environment.
"My other conclusion is that this man wasn't important, other than to send a message."
"And what would that be?" Ironwood started. "That our defenses in Mantle are inadequate? That our patrols aren't keen enough? That I don't have enough men down in Mantle? I have methods of fixing those issues within the week." Ironwood's voice slow and calm, the same way a sharp blade could slowly and calmly cut through flesh. Naruto shook his head.
"That's great, and you probably should do all of those anyway." Naruto breathed in deeply, ignoring the digging gaze of the general. "But none of those are what I had in mind."
"How about you tell me then, since you're so well-versed in their type. What kind of message does an assassin dying within the borders of the Kingdom send?"
Naruto stared at Ironwood. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't," the general growled, a lone hair falling to the man's forehead as his frustration grew against Naruto. The young professor could hardly hold in an impish grin.
"I'm aware. Thank you."
"Can we get back on track now, children?" Maria piped up. The Huntress met his gaze and nodded at him. Despite her disagreements with the blond, she seemed capable enough of reining in her temper for the greater good of knowledge dispersal and a faster meeting. "I'm sure I get what you're saying, but how about you state it in clear terms so that we're all on the same page."
Naruto craned his neck, eyes reflecting the dingy yellow ceiling light.
Things need changes. The world is always changing, and we are here to facilitate it.
The professor brought his eyes back down and leveled them on the other three occupants in the room. "Someone out there is gathering information on the security of the Kingdoms, and has more than enough people that having a drone die doesn't hurt their forces. Yes, this man was practically a low level minion, but one that was good enough to break into Mantle." Not that the feat was particularly difficult anyway. For Atlas, probably a different story. "If I am correct, you'll hear about similar incidents from the other Kingdoms sooner or later. The victims will end up being trespassers, students, maybe even licensed Huntsmen, and it'll keep happening all the way until right before the Vytal Festival, too."
The 'maybe after' was left unsaid.
"So what's your point? That whoever's out there is trying to ensue chaos and panic to bring about the Grimm when there's a concentrated mass of people? We won't let that happen. Especially with the Vytal Festival coming up, additional security will ensure that it never does," Ironwood declared, obviously having thought of the potential madness that would ensue if things slipped. Naruto hummed at his resolve.
"I'm not saying that it will happen, but that the person out there has the potential capability turn it to a reality. And they probably have enough people to do it without even being present. They can let their grunts do all the work."
"And?" Maria prodded. She knew that there was more.
But Naruto just smiled nonchalantly, raising his arms in feigned confusion.
"I don't know. I'm just a professor."
Ironwood and Maria sat in the room, neither speaking for some time. Naruto and his student had left some time ago, leaving the two to mull over what the boy had said. Maria decided to break the silence first.
"He suspects that she exists. He said that there was 'someone' out there pulling the strings and calling the shots." Maria looked at Atlas' young headmaster. Too young, too inexperienced. But the right man for the job and one that would fill in well to his position given the time. If they had the time. "That child is aware of the peril our world is in."
Ironwood slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the room. There was a pause. Slowly, James left himself breathe out the air caught in his lungs, then opened his eyes. "Ozpin is involving children in this war of his. He's already told her." He missed Maria's unimpressed stare of how she thought of him as a child, hardly passed the legal age of drinking. "Even if he's apparently qualified to teach combat, that's a far cry from and facing her." Maria really wanted to quip that he was only a few years Naruto's senior, but nipped it in the bud to avoid derailing the conversation. "There is no need to bring children into this shadow war."
That, Maria agreed with wholeheartedly. Of course she did. She had lived and breathed as a Huntsman ever since she was ten, and only when she graduated and took on her fourth mission did she realize how taxing and straining this life of hers truly was. Yes, it was her life, but she wouldn't want anyone else to be burdened by a similar fate. Despite how much society cooks up Hunters and Huntresses and how amazing they were, most graduated Huntsmen were cynical messes once the first death on a team happened. The innocence and idealized bravery died away. It always did. And if the team didn't break...well, it usually only got worse as the years went by. Death found its way into every circle, and it was only a matter of time until the rest crumbled, falling to Grimm.
That was a common enough end to most teams. Pushing that kind of fate onto children even younger than she had been when she had graduated was a horrifying prospect. But it was necessary, because the alternative of deciding to not follow through with this terribly immoral choice of making young soldiers would result in a far greater tragedy if humanity was not prepared.
"We pray that children never have to be involved, but this danger that looms from beyond the land of man, Ozpin, or any of us. This conflict involves all of Remnant, and you know this. On top of that, she is becoming active once more. Attacking diplomatic groups, testing the Kingdoms defenses, and taking an unhealthy interest in him and his students. You know this and you see it. We can't avoid the inevitable. They're going to be involved one way or another. Do we leave that boy professor ignorant of the true dangers of her and her powers, or leave him in the dark so that he may die without ever knowing due to our own failure to inform him?"
The headmaster held his head in his gloved hands, the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I know the costs, but it seems too much to bear."
Maria agreed. She wished she could help the man. She really did. However, she felt the same weight on hers, and it was not the type of burden that could be shared, only understood.
"It gets easier with time," she lied.
"You two are back," Keith acknowledged when Naruto and Raven entered through the door. Naruto heeded the older student. "No more meetings?"
"All cancelled." Naruto threw his coat on one of the empty beds and scanned the room. "Where is everybody?"
"Icar wanted food and grabbed Nex with him. Crystal followed, so all of the others decided that they would join in."
Naruto looked at Keith. "And you decided to stay here."
Keith nodded. "And I decided to stay here." Keith was always one of the odder roots in the bunch.
"Suit yourself. I'm heading out to Mantle. Might even head outside of the walls for a bit. Want to join?"
Keith seemed to ponder on the offer, hand held up to his chin. His black eyes listlessly eyed the ceiling.
"I'm good. Thanks."
Naruto walked over to one of the desks and stared out of the window. It was only noon, so the sun was still high in the sky, shining like a bright egg with yellow ooze gushing out over the land. It was strange how cloudy days made the entirety of the time awake feel so watered down and uninteresting. It also made him feel lethargic, like he was moving through coagulated slime.
"Raven."
"Keith," the first year student responded simply, still standing by the door frame. And that was it. The two didn't talk much and never found a reason to interact. As a result, there was an obvious distance that they maintained, only speaking each other's names to admit noticing the other. Naruto wished there could have been more of a camaraderie between her and the other fourth years, but Raven had decided that the only one she liked out of the bunch was Glynda.
And Crystal, to a much more muted level.
"Are we heading out now?" Raven asked, an additional coat thrown atop her hoodie and Omen clipped onto her hip.
He had not intended on bringing her, but it's not like he could stop her. She was like him, so many lifetimes ago. Telling her no when she already knew would just mean she'd find her own way to get information. If he took it a step farther and actually used his position of professor for her to listen, he doubted he'd get a chance to rectify the hurt and betrayal she'd feel.
So she was coming.
He slipped his arms through the sleeves of his own white coat. "Yeah, let's go."
"You put a lot of faith in that girl."
Their feet crunched along in the snow. Naruto looked forward at that 'girl'. Raven was on the lookout a couple hundred feet ahead, searching for any signs of human influence. For the past thirty minutes, nothing had been caught in the trio's eyes.
Keith decided he did want to tag along once he realized Raven was also going. 'That' girl did not find it amusing at all. Which was why she was running ahead on her own, creating even more space between her and Keith. And Naruto, as a result, but he knew she was more acting out against the fourth year.
"I do." Keith Cold hummed.
"Why?"
Naruto thought of a life where he dreamed of becoming the strongest he could. Trained incessantly with desperation that only a forgotten child that wanted to prove his world could have.
"Because I knew someone like her, and he turned out fine," he finally said cryptically, giving a half truth. Keith nodded at the answer and said no more. For the next two hours until night fall, Raven took the lead and kept her vigilant eyes about, but no evidence of recent human travel was made apparent. Eventually, they decided to return to Mantle and to call a bullhead to bring them back to Atlas so they could have a late dinner.
It would be their last in Atlas for quite some time.
The day of their return trip came, starting like any other. The campus was quiet, and Atlas was stuck in empty silence. When the dawn peeked out, the snow on the mountains and the endless expanse of white reflecting a glaring shine to the world, the slow churning of mankind rose to the task and began the day.
Breakfast was quick, and as they had all followed Naruto's instruction to pack the night before, so was exiting the premises.
Their bullhead was already started with its engine rustling, like an eager soldier waiting for the word to take off. Its pilots were waiting for them at the ramp of the port.
At the entrance of the port, Nicholas, Willow, and Winter were waiting. All of the Atlas students in the area were giving thinly veiled furtive glances at the three generations of the SDC. The whispers on the port grew immensely when Naruto and his students came into view, Winter bumping up and down in her mother's arms and waving at the crew. Only Keith and Nex nodded seriously at the adolescent, while the rest waved back in greeting.
"Good afternoon to the SDC. How are you today?" Nicholas chuckled, his chest rising vigorously.
"Quite swell, Naruto. We're simply here to see you off."
"Yeah!" Winter cheered. "To say goodbye and see you next week." Her smile wilted as consternation plastered itself on her expression. "Can't you stay for another week?"
Naruto walked up to Winter and the lovely mother holding her and smiled at the precocious daughter. "I'd love to. But unfortunately, I am employed by Beacon Academy, and I have to prepare my students for the upcoming Vytal Festival."
"Can't my parents...employ...you so that you can stay at Atlas?" Winter rebutted, pausing due to her uncertainty with the new word.
Naruto grinned. "Smart." He looked up at Willow, who met his eyes.
"It appears my daughter has taken control of the SDC by trying to wrap us around her fingers. She wishes for us to take you into your employment." Willow made a show of humming in contemplation. "It seems that all of our job postings are filled. That means, Naruto Uzumaki, we have no space for you in the SDC," she said with a business-like smile.
Naruto almost chortled at how poor of a lie it was, but it was effective enough with the daughter. Winter managed to only pout.
"Don't worry." he ruffled the girl's hair. "You'll see me soon."
"Naruto." The head of the Schnee Dust Company stepped forward. Naruto straightened himself and faced the taller man. "If there is anything that you need from Atlas or the Schnee Dust Company, you need only ask it. That goes for you too, Miss Raven." The man's eyes looked beyond the professor and matched blood red orbs, which widened slightly.
"...Thank you," Raven said.
"Thank you very much, Nicholas."
"You're very welcome. Willow and I agreed to this. I'm simply the one presenting the offer." He stepped away, a wide grin spreading through his wrinkled face. "Enjoy your flight, and I look forward to hearing from you. May we see each other again at the Vytal Festival."
Naruto nodded, gave one last little wave to the tiny Schnee, and then stepped away and lead his students to the bullhead. One more step and he'd be gone. Far, far away, despite the fact that Atlas and Vale were neighboring Kingdoms.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto smiled and let himself walk off the landing platform and into the bullhead, disappearing from sight to anyone behind.
"Will he see him again?"
Willow stared out into the expanse where the professor's bullhead had long since disappeared to Atlas airspace back towards the Kingdom of Vale.
"Of course, dearest one. We will all see him again. Now, let's pick up those children and take them home like we promised."
Someone knocked on the door. Raven lifted her eyes away from the book and set it aside.
"Come in," Raven said. A moment later, Crystal walked through the slight crack she made and closed immediately behind her.
"Chips?" Crystal lifted a plastic bag filled with snacks. The fourth year took a moment, eyes flitting around. "The room looks the same as mine."
"No thanks." She caught the bag thrown at her without warning. Raven looked up, planning to return the chips in a similar fashion, but caught sight of Crystal holding yet another bag, contentedly helping herself to her own serving of the snack.
"Eat with me. I need to share the calories."
"Get fat by yourself," Raven retorted. Crystal giggled and tossed another crunchy chip into her mouth, closing her eyes in delight. The first year sighed in defeat. Clearly, her senior wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. She opened the bag in her hands and grabbed a single piece.
There was...an astonishing amount of flavor. Crystal's figure turned hazy as her brain tried to handle the dopamine rush that was threatening to completely take over. She swallowed the chip, her mind already reminiscing on the salt, the peppers...everything.
"It's good, right?" Crystal asked when Raven made a face. She hummed a tune. "I enhanced the flavors!"
"You can do that?" Raven looked down at the chips again. The temptation to grab another was very strong.
"Yup! I usually do it to every meal. I don't do it on yucky food because I'd only be powering the poor meshing of flavors. Or whatever's rotten or moldy." Crystal grimaced and stuck her tongue out. "But otherwise, I use it all of the time. You know, Naruto once asked me if I considered opening a restaurant?"
"..." Raven said nothing, but also considered the idea sound.
"A few seconds after coming up with the idea, he told me to scrap it altogether! Isn't that hilarious?" A humored grin lifted Crystal's cheeks when she said, "He thought I would end up ruining people's finances as a result of my taste buds and would make everything else dull in comparison."
"He's not wrong," agreed Raven, amused that the blond worried about the general populace's monetary expenses. The chips that were still untouched after the first experimental taste was heavy in her hands. "You could've charged anybody an exorbitant price and get unfaltering customers. Most would consider it a once in a lifetime, but necessary to repeat, experience."
That got the green-eyed girl to redden marginally, but it was gone in half a heartbeat. "I'm flattered. Imagine if you ate any of the food Naruto ate after I tampered with it." Raven couldn't help but begin to salivate a bit at the girl's prompt. "But I've been trying to stop since this is my last year with him."
The eyebrows on Raven's head rose. "Couldn't you just do it every meal you get? You could always do it for free for yourself."
Crystal threw her nose snobbishly, raising her arm and flicking her hand side to side. "I'm too picky," she said, her voice unusually nasally. Crystal giggled and continued normally. "Also, I know what I'm enhancing when I eat his food. Those chips you're holding are the first objects I learned how to improve specifically. This was actually how Naruto made my ability stronger, you know?"
Raven raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Crystal's smile was softer, almost melancholic. Her hands were in front of her, fingers interlocked in remembrance. "Really. The concept of enhancing...I took it too bluntly. I wasn't creative, but Naruto told me to try it on everything. Anything. To help me understand the way my Semblance worked and the limits it held."
"..."
For a minute, the only sound was the occasional rumble from air turbulence and their breathing. Raven fell into thought. How would the professor know to work with a concept when it came to a Semblance? Was it only because it was Crystal's specific Semblance that he made that suggestion. Or did he not know at all and make a shot in the dark suggestion?
No, that didn't seem right. He made educated conjectures for the most part if it was Aura, Semblance, or combat related at the worst. Otherwise, he usually just knew.
Her stream of thoughts were interruption when Crystal decided she had gone through enough of her past.
"So, what do you think about my chips? Want more?" And like that, the wistfulness in the senior's eyes vanished.
"...I'm fine, thank you." Raven tied a knot on the bag and tossed it back to Crystal.
Before the bag landed in the other girl's hands, Raven felt a force that forcibly threw her to the side. Her feet slipped and she hung in the air in zero gravity before gravity and direction returned, and she was practically flung at her bed frame. She caught herself, her hands against metal and handstanding horizontally in the air, her eyes already desperately probing the room for Omen. Just as suddenly, the ship righted itself, and she dropped to her feet.
Crystal maintained her foothold on the ground somehow the entire time, Omen already in her hands.
"Thanks," Raven said when her other half was thrown to her. Crystal was already dashing out of the room.
Raven immediately took chase.
Raven and Crystal were the first two on the top of the bullhead this time. Well, only if she considered the students.
Naruto was standing near the front end of the roof, his shouldering shaking in what she determined was a laugh. She couldn't hear from this far away when the bullhead was still in motion, the wind carrying away all the noise in the world except for itself like a selfish existence.
As if expecting them and aware of their presence, the blond turned around, a joyous grin splashed on his face as he walked over.
"Professor, are you alright? Do you know what that disturbance was?" Crystal questioned, her tone all serious.
Somehow, her inquiry only brought the last embers of humor roaring to life, and Naruto broke into another fit, convulsing as he guffawed. The blond was practically breaking into tears. The two girls had to wait for another half minute for him to calm down enough to talk, which was enough time for the rest of the students to come up, all of them waiting for an answer after Glynda, the de facto leader, asked for a short report on the situation.
"Ha -haha, nothing happened," Naruto managed through short chuckles. "I just - haha - removed an unwelcome guest."
Raven wasn't buying it. Judging from the rest of the student's expressions, she made an obvious educated guess that they weren't as well.
"Right...one that could just shake the entire bullhead."
"Oh" He started shaking again but stopped himself. "No, that was me. It was just really far away so I had to use enough force to make sure it reached."
Low grumbles and understanding 'ahhs' was the response to clarification. Raven was only slightly mortified that this was the other six students' response to Naruto's action. An action that made the bullhead go halfway topsy turvy, because of course he does things like this. But what in all that's good in Remnant, are they really just going to gloss over the fact that he made the bullhead go a full ninety?
"That's pretty sick, professor. You should show me how to do that sometime!" Icar cheered, already turned around and heading back inside with Nex on his tail.
"Man, I really ran up here for nothing," Violet grumbled, following after the two boys.
"Hmm..."
'Really, Keith?' Raven couldn't help herself when said fourth year also made his way through the door, with his singular word almost sounding annoyed that there was a disturbance without asking why there was such a large one in the first place.
Crystal hummed as the wind picked up her hair, brushing through it and lifting it softly. All tensions gone from her body and a lack of glowing green surrounding her, she said casually, "I'm also going to turn in for the night if there's nothing wrong, then." And then she was gone, leaving Glynda, Raven, and Naruto.
Glynda was the first to speak, considering Raven was not in her almost catatonic condition. Which was her staring at the door to enter from the top of the bullhead with her hand fidgeting for Omen's handle and saying no more words. Just standing there silently with her thoughts of -
'By all that is good in Remnant. By all that is good in Remnant. By all - '
- repeating on blast.
"So, want to explain what that was?"
Naruto pointed out into the distance, but when Raven and Glynda followed his finger, there was nothing there. Not even in the far, far, far off distance. "Eh, I just kicked it away. No big deal."
"I see." No. No. Raven most definitely did not see. Not only did she not see what the professor had pointed out to them, she didn't see how any of this made any sense. "Alright, so there's nothing hostile in the area?"
"Nope!" Naruto responded with a pop. Glynda gave a curt nod, accepting it for what it was.
"If that's all, then..."
"Yup, good night."
"Good night, professor."
The door shut once more, and now it was just Raven and Naruto. She stared at him. Really, really stared. Tried to bore her eyes into him the same way that he did to all of his students when they said something stupid, because she knew for a goddamn fact that it was his fault that the rest of them didn't even question him. Not even Glynda! They all just moved on and went back inside! Why was nobody making any sense? Did nobody want to question why on Remnant he ended up almost kickflipping a bullhead while absolutely demolished a threat?!
I need to breathe. Maybe it's just the blood rushing that's getting to my head.
Raven took a moment, slowing her breath. Meditation. Calm. Calm. Calm.
She will ask, and he would answer if it was the last thing that happened tonight.
So she stared. Really, really stared.
He just grinned in her face.
Her blood started to rush again.
"Okay. Okay. This is fine," Raven muttered in a low breath, gesturing her hands down in a placating gesture. Naruto said nothing, still grinning like an immature seventeen year old teenager -
'Which is exactly what he is, except he's my professor.'
- and waited for her to speak. Finally, Raven formulated her thoughts.
"What exactly did you kick hard enough to make the ship go sideways?" she tried.
"A threat." Raven barely stopped herself from pulling Omen out.
"Okay." Maybe she asked for that. "Why did you feel the need to kick it so hard that the bullhead let me do handstands on vertical portion of my bedframe?" Raven had heard the pilots as she ran up with Crystals. They were flipping out and yelling at each other, crying that they would find a new career after this flight's trip was completed.
Naruto's eyes reflected the brightness of the moon. "Wow, you were able to do handstands horizontally? Wait...isn't that just a human flag pole?" There was a pause, and then the audible sound of metal grating against metal. "Woah, Raven! Put that odachi back!"
"By Remnant, then, can you just answer my questions?!" she shrieked, Omen held in both hands above her head. She really was this close to losing it. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug. Bullheads weren't supposed to just turn over. So forgive her for being just a slightest bit fried and partially delirious from agitation, but she was certain that she was the only normal person on the bullhead right now. And that was setting the bar low. Like underneath Remnant's crust level low.
Naruto seemed to understand her condition through his Semblance or whatever other ways he inferred, because he sobered up immediately."Okay, okay. The eye thing from last week that lead those Nevermore, remember it?" A nod from her. "It was back."
Finally, an explanation. Raven lowered Omen, but she didn't resheathe it, something Naruto noticed with a forced smile.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"I did. I said it was a threat, and that I dealt with it. It's just that by the time you would've even noticed it, which would have been about now if it decided to lead another bunch of aerial Grimm at us, I decided the prudent decision to make was just blast it out of existence." Her professor shrugged. "So I did. Conjured up an Aura ball and then kicked it at the eye."
Raven caught herself from stumbling.
"You kicked a...ball of Aura at the eye."
"Really hard, yeah." She could feel the satisfaction radiating from him. "Blew up into pieces, too. Tell it who was top dog. Send a little message, you know?"
Why was she even surprised. The kid could make his hair pierce twenty of the trees in the forests of Vale, and those trees were the largest in Remnant from what she knew.
So she gave up. This is the tipping point.
"...You know, I think the other students had a point. Good night, professor." Raven turned just like the rest of the students, only putting away Omen once she was indoors. When she asked Glynda about Naruto's behavior the next morning, her only response was -
"Why do you think I handle the paperwork?"
Raven offered her sincere apologies, which Glynda graciously accepted as she always did.
Naruto just found the whole thing hilarious.
"My memory isn't so poor that I'd forget you. I know who you are, and one day, I'm going to find you. I have a...particular set of skills, you see. So I already pretty much know where you are."
Don't ask Salem why the eye could hear when it was literally an eye. It just...could hear. She simply created it and the form did not meet the function, but the function existed anyway. Tasked failed successfully, or whatever the humans say nowadays.
The teenage blond's blue eyes hinted murder.
"Oh yeah, we're going to have a chat, you and I. You and me, just a friendly, little, small chat. Some banter. A tiny heart-to-heart. But first..."
From the eye's perspective with its hypersensitive sight and hearing, it could see the blond's Aura building up, concentrating in a small, violently spinning yellow circle that had the wind shrieking in a high pitched shrill as if all the air near it was sucked into a vacuum.
"You had your eye on my student last week on our way to Atlas. And I've gotta say, you were looking at the wrong blond."
The circular attack (because what else could it be, if not an offensive move) was spinning so rapidly that it had begun to distort the air near it. The screech had gone to a pitch that couldn't be registered by human ears, and only after it began to seem to have its own gravitational pull due to how unseemly powerful the weaponized spinning ball became, did he lower it.
"I am the threat, and my name is Professor Uzumaki Naruto! Believe it!"
And then he kicked it. Straight at the eye.
It didn't even hear the kick before it exploded.
Salem had stared at the blank transmission, at an impasse on how she should feel. How long had it been since she felt like this? It had to have been at least a few decades since she had been not only stumped for words, but also at a loss for thoughts. Did that boy really just say to her that they'd have words? He had to have been one of Ozma's pieces, and they always threatened her with death.
Like that was so scary, threatening her with death and all. In the recesses of her memory, she recalled trying to end herself in as many ways as her mind could creatively conjure. It always gave her a good chuckle to hear them call for her death. It was a tiny bit of excitement that came by every couple of years, even if it always ended up in disappointment.
But, if they could kill her and had proof that it was not just a probability but also a fact, then she'd gladly let them end her existence.
After, of course, she killed Ozma.
This puny blond boy was different, though. Instead of throwing in the classic trope and calling for her death like all the other boring groomed soldiers that Ozma brought to their little war, this one said that they'd have a friendly chat. It may have just been the many millennia she had gone without an actual one-on-one chat that felt normal, or perhaps it was just the fact she hadn't had friends for even longer, but she was quite certain that this potential future 'chat' of theirs would be less than friendly, really.
But still, did he have something missing in his head? A screw? Perhaps the entire set of fastening materials...
And that technique? Not magic. He was a male, so that crossed out the Maidens. Also not elemental, so double crossed out the Seasons. Magic? Certainly didn't feel like it. And also no silver eyes. Those were most assuredly ocean blue.
Just Aura, then?
...That's the only possibility that made any logical sense...but she had never, in all her time of existence, seen someone that could create a physical structure of Aura outside of their body and maintain its structure long enough to kick it.
No, but that wasn't it. He not only kicked it. He kicked it at hypersonic speeds hard enough to make the entire bullhead he stood on to lurch to the side and then tilt completely over. And the eye, which was nearly four kilometers away on a recon mission observe the flight to get more information on the blonde girl, not blond boy, exploded.
Salem brought a knuckle to her chin, ruminating heavily.
'So let's get this straight. He's most likely Ozpin's piece, given that he addressed the eye as if he knew something was behind it. The boy's aware of anything looking at him from at least four kilometers away. He can conjure up Aura physically outside of his body, maintain its form to directly interact with it, and then send it four kilometers within a second with enough packed Aura to destroy my surveillance tool. And while I'm at it, he can casually use his physical strength to make a military grade Bullhead almost flip over.'
That sounded about right to Salem. She had to admit, if she did end up in a fight with the boy, it was most certainly hurt. She didn't wasn't worried about the possibility of death, as nothing he had shown indicated that there was even remotely a chance. Not even the slightest degree. But...
She'd have to admit that if it came to a fight, despite how much she didn't really care for pain now, that it was most definitely, definitely hurt like all hell.
Which reminded her again. He had said talk. Not fight. Talk.
'Never in all my years...'
Right. And he openly gave her his name. Clearly his field of cares to give pertaining to her were absolutely barren.
Children these days made no sense. Especially those children taken in by Ozma.
So forgive her if she audibly said -
"Ozma, who the fuck did you recruit?"
Chapter End.
A/N: Apologies if the writing quality has dropped. It's been a while, and I'm quite rusty. Either way, it was fun putting my thoughts on a page again. If you find any mistakes or fallacies, please let me know!
Before I go on another two year hiatus (kinda joking), hopefully I can at least get the Vytal Festival Arc done. If y'all have any ideas to get there, or even what happens at the festival, let me know in the reviews!
Otherwise, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was thinking Salem should be serious, deadly and all that. But it wasn't really clicking and fun. Then I wrote it like this and it was just soooo much easier. Given that, future me might have to deal with current me's decision, but that's also a later problem if it does cause issues story wise.
As always, thank you for reading!
What was supposed to be the original:
Red. As far as the eye could see, red had poured its soul over the world and burned the sunset that was turning to night into an unreal color. Beyond the mountains to the west, and the plains to the east, the color similar to an 'error' on a computer had taken a single pixel and copied and pasted across the entire sky.
The moon hung overhead, shining normally with its cracked appearance. But even it had tints of blood, as if it were involved in whatever was happening, if ever so slightly.
Naruto assessed the situation on the top of the bullhead. No one else had come up yet. A world encapsulated in red...why did this situation all feel so familiar? His heart panged with nostalgia of a lifetime before.
His eyes flicked up to where the singular floating eye was. It was the very same one that had been staring unblinkingly at their battle on the way to Atlas. It was hardly a speck in the horizon, probably more than a couple hundred meters away. But it was still in vision, and he could feel its presence.
"What's the situation?" The door behind Naruto opened, and Glynda came out in casual clothes. It had been only an hour after dinner, but training had been a few hours prior and it was time for some rest and relaxation for everybody. Regardless, the strongest fourth year was prepared, her Aura already welling up and prepared to come out at her beck and call. Her Aura was taut and flowing calmly, her mental already prepared for battle.
Naruto pointed to the sky. "That's the issue."
"Why...is the sky so red?" Glynda was attempting to take stock, but all of her studies amounted to nothing in front of this.
The world was the shade of blood, with only one speck in the sky that remained a blemish to its ruby hue. The eye suddenly shifted, morphing and collapsing in on itself and growing at the same time. As if it were evolving and mutating all at once, the eye was no longer even recognizable as such. Arms sprouted from the ever shifting figure, and then legs that were followed by a long gown the same color as the darkest black.
"What is - who is that?" Crystal just ran into the pair, her green Aura glowing in her hands and already shifting in the direction of Naruto. Her eyes were lit with the same hint of green, enhancing her sight to get an unparalleled perspective on the presence. "She's just floating over there, watching us."
She.
She.
'If she comes any closer, then I'll know for sure.' Naruto already had a suspicion that had sprouted from months ago, but this would be a chance to ascertain whether or not his theory had any actual verity to it. He suppressed his Aura and held a breath as the figure began to move in.
"She's coming," Crystal warned. Only a second later, the figure disappeared from the sky in a a flutter of black streaks, only to reappear on top of their bullhead only a few seconds after, as if dematerializing and rematerializing in real time before their very eyes. She straightened, and then stared straight at them from only a few feet away.
She was a tall woman, with remarkable features. A smooth jaw and long nose, and red eyes with a black sclera adorned her unblemished face. They were piercing and cold, as if gazing at them from hundreds of miles away with an unfocused glare, yet still crystal clear. A threat that was hardly one when so distant, and yet still an idle threat. Her long gray hair that was easily able to reach her knees was wrapped and done up in an odd braid that bloomed behind her head. She wore simple gray and black robes that fit her body somewhat tautly.
There was a moment of silence as the bullhead came to a stall. The wind around them did not move, and the forest wished not to speak. Naruto felt out for her presence through his Semblance and found -
"Interesting. You're a sensor?" The woman's voice was soft, almost regal, and yet there was still an edge of darkness so deep. It was as if any of her words would be the last a person would hear in a chasm unknown to mankind. "I suppose my expectations were low, but it is indeed...odd to find someone that can recognize my innate being and not shake in fear. They always fidget and cry out before their deaths."
The door behind them opened as the rest of the students ran through, weapons at the ready. Naruto raised his hand, and the fourth years all immediately fell into a combat stance. Raven immediately followed suit a split second after, her feet shifting on the metal off cadence.
"You're not complete. I don't have a reason to fear you."
The Grimm-like woman raised her eyebrows and her eyes narrowed. "A talented sensor at that. And yet..." her eyes strayed, away from him and to Glynda. "...you're not even the most talented one in this group. There's someone here far more powerful. Truly, Ozma knows his sprouting buds when he sees them. It seems that he found one so bright that I may just have to snip it before it blossoms into a deadly flower."
Hundreds of black tendrils burst out from the woman and rushed forth towards Glynda, each one able to pierce clean through her body. Naruto could see the power behind every single little shoot of black energy. But that was the thing. He could see it. The way the edges at the front were tipped like spears and rotating to have additional puncturing power. And if he could see it -
The temperature suddenly cratered. Then, the twang of deflected strikes boomed, tingling in Naruto's ears.
"Defense."
"Enhance."
The professor didn't even have to look behind him to know that Keith and Crystal had worked in tandem to create the gigantic layer of frost and ice that had staved off the deadly attack. In an instant, the ice shield was there. Suddenly, it spun in the air and moved to the right, and the familiar sound of rejected tendrils came through. High pitched, whining grating sounds echoed in the air as the attacks scraped against the wall Keith held onto.
"Raven," Naruto called out. The girl was next to him in an instant. "She can't see us right now through the shield. Do you have a connection with your brother?"
The red eyed first year met his eyes and nodded. "I do."
"Then go."
And then Naruto goes batshit on Salem, easy peasy. Not going to lie, I do prefer the one that's currently in the story.
Now, Review Responses, something I haven't done in forever for this story. There's just too many if I write for all that I've missed, so I'm only doing it for the most recent chapter. Still, I love to read them, so I write with equal love:
M2R: Thanksssss!
Fuyuriku: Thou arst welcome. Here's another chapter to consume.
Guardian of the Inheritance: It's only two years, but it's back and kept up. Kind of.
Riba Nyabom: Onward to Vytal Festivals!
DaDragon562: Yup, you have the right idea. But not saying too much, but the plot is progressing in that direction.
mahouka9: No dinner scene, sorry. It'll just have to wait until later.
TheSlySage: Two reviews! Thank you so much for your confidence in me. I'm not even that assured of myself. Life has been wild these past two years. Hired, studied, fired, hired, new job, better job, fired. And then tech layoffs. So yeah, lots of stuff. But that's life. It'll be fine in the end as long as I keep trying and make an opportunity for myself.
Also, I just saw your review on my Genshin story. Lucky timing! Haha, hope you enjoyed!
Ikaksaki: Haha sorry. And yeah, I get that some people want more Naruto-focused, or even others from STRQ's perspective. We're going back to that soon!
triscythe59: Wait, I recognize you from my Genshin story. Thank you for still reading my stuff. Seriously. And as for Naruto charisma effect stuff...that's all the time. Except when Ironwood is involved or something.
Animortal28: Don't think he can heal her eyes. At least not with the Semblance I'm thinking of.
YeTianshi: Exactly. Sometimes, you just have to end a threat at its first appearance. Why risk letting it resurge and hurt your precious people?
Archangel XCG: Uh, not sure if she's naive, but she's not as mature as in canon.
Guest: Because Salem assumed that Glynda had enough Aura to demolish the giant nevermore.
dxdragon38: haha, yeah Maria is an absolute beast for sure. Unfortunately, she's more of an easter egg pop up for now.
LiveMan: Holy, this story is long as fuuuuuu -
Thank you, again. Character portrayal is tough, so hearing you think that it's solid is great to hear!
ChangeMe4574: It do be like that
R-King93: Thank you!
rarrarshark: You're welcome! And also haha, your name is pretty funny
Guest: Raven supremacy, agreed!
SandaKagami-LockedOut: I honestly though about a maria and Naruto spar, but I decided against it. I don't think it would really give too much other than fanservice, but it would've been really fun to write...and also yes! Raven is understanding human emotions!
Owl6295: You only had to wait a bit over 2 years for an update. Oops...
Kenza S: Thank you. Also, nice name. Seems pretty close to mine!
insanemaelstrom: Thank you! Yeah, realizing that people actually care would make you rethink your lone wolf perspective. I think.
ARSLOTHES: I'm going to have to disappoint you there.
SlyFox9: Thank you. She's always the Grimm Reaper.
Sdarkness05: More chapters only after 2 years? Say less!
MonsterKing: Ty!
alexc123: Appreciate it so much
PanzerJ: Holy, in one day...Uh...I'm sorry haha.
thundertail: I really do like making more dynamics between those two. But I think it's time I let that rest and return to the others in team STRQ. Also, world building compliment?! LET'S GO! I LOVE WORLD BUILDING COMPLIMENTS!
Koda: Ty Ty!
Guest: Only 2 years later, it's back.
Crimson Riot 01: It's updated. Thank you for reading so far!
FeelSpyre: I hope you also thoroughly enjoyed this chapter as well.
Guest: more is brought
Guest: You're not selfish at all. You enjoy the story (which I really, really appreciate you stating) enough that you'd leave a review and ask for an update. What else could an author ask for? And thank you. Life's alright, and I hope it's good for you as well!
Guest: Today. Only 2 years.
StrangestQuark: YESS CHARACTER COMPLIMENTS! LETS GOOOOO! I hope I even make it to Yang...Jeez that's so far away.
Guest: I'll try again!
bankleo305: We back in it!...at least for this chapter. Writing is hard. Seriously
Manisbig: You're right. Who knows when the next chapter will come
Cyber dragonarmy: Thank you! And for Arcane...League of Legends?
kmackyd: Woah, this story is a beauty? Much thanks! And yeah, life (and motivation levels) are crazy, so it gets rough.
Um: Wow. I'm really sorry to let you down like that. I'm going to be honest, I usually go through motivated spurts like this where I'll get really invested, and then it'll slowly leave me. I know staying consistent is key, but that's probably one of my biggest flaws as a person. So I may fail you again. But still, thank you so much.
bad-luck-charm27: Yeah, not too many Raven stories. I just wrote this on a whim, but I think this one's my favorite by a long, loooong shot.
Lonty Arbalest: Updated!
: Today! And thank you for you reading!
Narunaru002: Pretty much. I just had no motivation. For anything, really.
and Wet: Thank you! I hope this met expectations!