NITL

Volume One

Arc Two: Initiation

Chapter Nineteen: GRIMM ON THE PROWL 2


{{Play Breakdown by Yasuharu Takanashi}}


Rushing through the forest, four young boys jumped over roots and ducked under tree branches as they raced against time and against natural laws. Behind them, a large feline Grimm chased after them, hungry for human flesh. Soon, the four broke through the forest line only to find themselves in a clearing with a cliff in front of them.

"Aww come on! You gotta be kidding me!" Naruto yelled, "Another cliff!?"

"Damn, looks like we're gonna have to fight!" Ichigo announced, turning around and grabbing his weapons. Next to him, Luffy grinned, gripping two pistols.

"Now that idea, I can get behind, hehehehehehe!"

Naruto, meanwhile, looked down on the cliff, seeing what looked like a stone temple that was connecting the cliff he and the other were on and another cliff on the other side of the gorge together. Beyond the other cliff, was a forest that was quickly being mowed down by some large creature. Looking up, Naruto blinked when he noticed no clouds. Pursing his lips, the blonde turned to his comrades.

"Hey, can anyone fly?"

"Tuna can!" Luffy declared, pointing one of his guns at Tsuna.

"Don't point that thing at m- GURK!"

Tsuna was interrupted when Naruto suddenly grabbed him by the collar. Reaching over to grab his own collar, Tsuna choked as Naruto yelled over his shoulder,

"I got a plan! Cover us!" And the blonde immediately threw the brunette over his shoulders and into the gorge. Soon, Naruto jumped after him.

Ichigo simply watched with a gaping mouth as his partner left him once more with another Initiation taker. "That-… that fucker…"

"Well? What are we waitin' for!?" Luffy asked, posing his guns at the Grimm. Sighing, the orange head could only groan as he lifted his swords, grumbling to himself.

"Fine! Whatever! Once this is all over, I'm gonna punch you in the face, you blonde bastard!"

The two now ready to fight, they watched as the feline Grimm roared before racing towards them.


"For the record, I blame you for this, Natsu!"

Maka screamed as she and the rest of her group of four ran from the giant Grimm that slithered towards them.

"Me!? What the hell did I do!?"

"You wanted to fight that Taijitu!" Maka retorted, "You're the one who woke it up! You should take responsibility!"

"Actually, the Grimm is known as an Ouroboros," Negi interjected, not bothered one bit when he was ignored and tossed aside.

"FINE!" Natsu growled, spinning to face the Grimm while grabbing onto his sword. Almost immediately, it burst into flames. "I'm all fired u- GAAAAAHH! The back of my spine!"

"Not alone," Stella murmured, elbowing Natsu right where his spine was. Negi paled a bit while Maka blinked blankly at the attack. Reaching up, the petite girl grabbed onto Natsu's scarf, choking him, and dragging him along behind her.

"GAH! You BITCH! GACK, lemme go! Can't – Gubufh – Breathe!"

"Payback is a bitch…" Was the only answer Stella offered as she continued to drag Natsu by the scarf, ignoring the cursing and threats from the pinkette. The two remainders of the group looked at each other before chasing after their respective partners.

A screech from behind them forced them to look back to find the dragon-like Grimm to suddenly take to the skies.

"Aaaand it flies, fantastic…" Negi sarcastically deadpanned. Looking around at the clearing that he and his comrades stumbled onto while being chased by the large Grimm. Looking up at the clear sky, the redhead nodded. Turning to Natsu, who was currently starting to turn blue, he yelled, "Natsu! Go distract it! I got a plan!"

Natsu blinked, having heard Negi give his order. Almost immediately, a grin replace his confused face. "Alright! I'm all fired up!"

And with those words, the boy freed himself from Stella's hand and sheathed his sword onto his back. Almost immediately after, the two blades on the sword split open and horizontally flipped so that they were straightened out evenly. The middle of the sword – which was a muzzle for those who didn't know – began to heat up and burst into flames.

"Happy happy AWAY!" The boy cheered, his sword becoming a glorified jet-pack. His comrades watched with dull eyes as Natsu yelled at the top of his voice, flying into the skies.

"Did he really just say 'happy happy'…?" Maka couldn't help but ask.

Negi shrugged while Stella shielded her eyes to see Natsu suddenly punch the Grimm with a flaming fist. Turning to the straw-blonde, Negi asked, "I suppose you can go help him?"

Maka nods, pushing a button on her kusarigama that turns on the mechanical parts that allows the chains to retract into the two-part weapons. Once connected, the girl twisted her weapon slightly, allowing it extend in length as well as letting the scythe part to expand into a two-sided scythe. Mounting her weapon, Maka turns to both Negi and Stella, "You got a plan then?"

The glasses wearing boy nodded, holding up his collapsible spear, "While you and Natsu distract the Grimm, Stella and I will somehow knock it down!"

Maka blinked, "Speaking of which, what's your weapon, Stel-…?"

Both Maka and Negi stopped and paused to see the girl in question reach into her jacket and take out an overly large barreled gun. Actually, is it even a gun? It looked more like a cannon.

"Where did she hide such a thing…?" Negi and Maka couldn't help but ask.

Slowly, Stella looked back at them. Seeing their confused faces, the girl was able to deduce just what was plaguing their minds. Tilting her head, the raven head asked her own question.

"Is it not obvious?"

"Of course not!" Maka retorted as Negi massaged his temples.

And with that said, Maka activated the Dust that was mounted in her weapon's bladed tip. Watching the girl fly away, Negi twirled his weapon before gripping it tightly, the tip facing the Grimm.

"Stella, help Maka and Natsu with the distraction, I'll knock it down with Jovis!"

"Ok," Was the girl's answer as she lifted her weapon. Locking on, Stella took aim and pressed her trigger. Within seconds, twenty bright blue rounds fired.

As the shots hit true, the Grimm roared as Natsu punched its face with a flaming fist. Rearing its head, the Grimm struck fast and aimed for the pink head that flew around it like an annoying fly. Dodging at the last second with his weapon, Natsu simply grinned and aimed to give it another burning knuckle sandwich when Maka flew up next to him.

"Natsu, let's bring it down!"

Raising a brow, Natsu watched as Maka twirled her weapon midair, allowing the two blades on both side to extend. Grinning at what the girl had in mind, Natsu simply reached over and grabbed his weapon. Gripping it with both hands, the boy allowed it to burst into flames.

"I'm all fired UP!"

And with two bladed weapons aimed, the Grimm found itself wingless. Watching his comrades cut down the mighty Grimm, Negi immediately activated his weapon. Lightning began to cover the spear as it levitated in the boy's hand. Holding it behind him, Negi watched with careful eyes, his Semblance working its course and immediately bringing a purple hue to his eyes.

Stella watched with surprised eyes, shocked to see Negi use a bastardized version of her Semblance, before the boy aimed and fired.

Natsu and Maka both covered their ears as what was similar to a noise of thunder resounded throughout the area. Immediately after, a lightning bolt pierced the Grimm between them.

"GAAAAAHH! My ears!" Natsu cried out as Maka tried to see just what pierced the Grimm.

"Isn't that… Negi's weapon?" Maka questioned as she stared at the lightning induced spear. Looking back at her comrades, Maka sees Negi, with his arm outstretched and hand facing the Grimm and his weapon. Clenching it, the javelin releases its stored lightning Dust and it bursts in a bright light.

Landing safety on the ground, Natsu and Maka bore witness as the Grimm was charred heavily by the lightning and electricity. As the light show ended, Negi's weapon floated back to him as he and his comrades watched as the Grimm above them disappeared in black smoke.

Regrouping up, Maka opened her mouth to ask, no demand just what that was when she was suddenly interrupted by a roar.

"What the hell was that!?" Maka asked, looking off at the cliffs in the distance.

"Whatever it is… I think its trouble…" Negi stated the obvious.


Activating his weapon to prevent himself from falling any further, Tsuna boosted himself to catch Naruto and flew the both of them up into the sky.

"Are you crazy!?" Tsuna couldn't help but scream at the blonde.

"Maybe, but not now!" Naruto retorted, "I got a plan, but you gotta get me high into the clouds!"

"Into the- And what are you planning to do from there!?"

"Just trust me!" Naruto yelled, watching his other two comrades carefully.

Back on the ground, Luffy was doing a great job using his hand cannons, both which were a revolver and an automatic pistol respectively. Despite this, however, Luffy couldn't hit his Grimm target.

"Sit, Still, You, Stupid, CAT!" Luffy roared, continuing to unload lead after lead. Following up behind him, Ichigo reached over and grabbed his shorter sword. Pointing the tip at the El Tigre, Ichigo fired his own special Dust rounds at the feline Grimm. Regardless, the orange head was also unable to hit the Grimm.

Scoffing in frustration, Ichigo embedded Aura into his bullets this time. Firing at the same time as Luffy, the two were finally able to hit the Grimm.

"YES! Finally!" Luffy cheered as Ichigo smirked, allowing the bubbly boy to hound on the Grimm with rain of bullets. Looking up, Ichigo was briefly able to see Naruto and Tsuna flying high above the ground. Despite having only met the blonde a few hours prior, the orange head was able to deduce just what Naruto had in mind within seconds.

"He can't be serious…" Ichigo muttered, unknowingly expressing his disbelief at the same time as Tsuna, who yelled,

"What!?"

"You heard me, Tsuna!" Naruto yelled, "Drop me off here!"

"I was right, you are crazy!" Tsuna yelled, readying himself to drop the blonde. Even then, the brunette cursed himself for even trusting Naruto in the first place.

"Ain't the first time someone told me thaaaaaaaaaaa…!" Naruto trailed off as he began to fall.

Watching the blonde fall, Tsuna could only growl before he boosted himself back toward the ground. Reaching ground zero seconds before Naruto, Tsuna raced passed Ichigo and Luffy, shouting, "Come with me! The plan is to-…"

"Knock that Grimm high into the air so that Naruto can finish it off…!" Ichigo finished as he placed his swords together.

Not surprised that Ichigo knew of the plan, Tsuna simply raced ahead. Within seconds of the Grimm's range, Tsuna dodged a claw swipe and called out,

"Operation X-3!"

Immediately, a robotic voice answered from within Tsuna's headphones, "Roger Boss! X-IMPT Striking Guide System Activated."

As soon as the guide began, Tsuna's right glove began to shift and change. The booster pack on his forearms immediately separated and lodged itself on top of the glove it was once attached to. It compacted and then began to expand before it covered the whole hand from the top and sides.

"Right Sensor – Burn Dust – Now Stable Within 45,000 lbs. Of Force," The system continued, announcing Tsuna to continue to pour his Aura into the now-turned booster gauntlet. Tightening his fist, Tsuna continued to listen as the system finalized its data, "Target Locked. Right Sensor – Burn Dust – Still Rising: 54,000 lbs. 56,000 lbs. Line Match."

The dust flames behind the gauntlet continued to burn and concentrate its firepower behind it. Once the system announced, "Ready To Launch," the concentrated dust burst into a highly potent flames and assisted Tsuna with his strike.

"X IMPACT!" Tsuna roared, now underneath the El Tigre.

And with a single strike, the Grimm lurched and was lifted high into the air. As Tsuna landed, Ichigo passed him with a blur. His two weapons conjoined and burning in yellow aura, the orange head hefted his large sword and jumped.

Once reaching the Grimm, Ichigo roared, "Lunar Heaven!" and sent out a crescent shaped aura wave.

The El Tigre roared out in pain as it was sent higher into the sky. Once again, as Ichigo landed, Luffy rushed into the scene. Smirking as he did so, the boy yelled out,

"Give me a boost!"

Tsuna, being the first to see and hear the boy, turned and cupped his hands together, creating a makeshift jumping board.

Luffy, upon seeing Tsuna's assist, rushed toward the boy. Lifting his guns, the straw hat wearing boy slammed the bottom of both guns together, enacting its transformation. Leaving the trigger, grip and stock alone, the rest of the two weapons folded backwards alongside Luffy's forearms. Setting and locking themselves onto the boy's forearms, Luffy smashed his guns – which were now turned into brass knuckles – together and jumped onto Tsuna's hands.

"Go!" Tsuna yelled, grunting and heaving Luffy high into the air and towards the Grimm.

Cocking both of his arms back, which are now revealed to be pump activated, Luffy's grin widened and once approaching the Grimm, shot both of his arms forward, as if enacting a double-barreled shotgun.

"Grizzly Magnum!" The boy announced as the kinetic energy from the two weapons assisted in greatly magnifying Luffy's attack. Falling towards the ground, Luffy watched as a glint of yellow appeared from above the still rising Grimm.

Upon seeing the Grimm flying towards him, Naruto immediately flared his Semblance around him. Clenching his fists as it glowed yellow, the blonde focused his weight downwards and quickened his falling speed. Reaching the Grimm below him, Naruto punched it with all his might, quickly retracting it and punching with his other fist. Retracting it again, Naruto repeated and repeated before his fists and arms were now a yellow blur.

"Naruto Ultimate Barrage Impact!"

Blow after blow after blow, punch after punch after punch; as if a golden meteor shower was falling towards earth, Naruto continued on his onslaught of punches. Once nearing the ground, Naruto desist his barrage and went to grab his sword. Pouring his Aura into it, the blonde quickly unsheathed it and bisected the Grimm, calling out,

"Naruto Ultimate Iron Cutter!"

And in a flash, Naruto landed hero-style, both legs bent with one knee while the other good is on the ground. At the same time, Ruby landed just across from him, stabbing her huge scythe onto the ground with the head of a Nevermore landing behind her. Piercing his sword onto the ground and leaning on it, the blonde cough and wheezed as the feeling of gravity came back to him. When falling several hundreds of feet towards the ground at high speed, sometimes the after effects involve hurling up. Gravity does that to you.

Gaging and coughing, the blonde groaned and took deep breathes. Looking up at his comrades, Naruto pointed out, "I am never doing that again…"

"Naruto!?" Ruby called out, retracting her scythe and rushing towards her fellow huntsman. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks Ruby. I'm just – urp!" Naruto quickly covered his mouth as bile began to flow upward. "Remind me to never do that again…!"

"You got it," Ruby smiled as she helped the blonde up with Ichigo patting the boy's back.

Once collecting their weapons and very few belongings – as well as a dead bear corpse that Nora somehow happened to find – the teenagers all gathered together and marched their way back to Emerald Cliffs.


(Later...)

A round of applause was given as four brand new students walked up onto the stage, all facing Ozpin. Above them were two separate screens, each displaying a mug shot of the four teens, organizing themselves as designated by Ozpin to be their new Team.

Naruto and seven others waited as Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren were each called up onto the stage. Before the four teens, Negi and the group he was partnered – and fought together with during the Initiation – were grouped together and dubbed as Team NNSM, which was pronounced as "inazuma". Not surprisingly, Negi was appointed team leader for his acts and leadership during the Initiation.

Naruto honestly had no idea how the names worked, but considering that everyone else took and accepted it as a norm, the blonde shrugged and clapped alongside with the majority. He was surprised, however, when Ozpin declared Team JNPR, pronounced as "juniper", together and appointed Jaune as the leader.

"Weird, I always thought his name was Joan…" Naruto thought to himself as he, along with Natsu and surprisingly Ruby, cheered and clapped louder for the shocked blonde.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. Tsunayoshi Sawada. Luffy Monkey. And Naruto," Ozpin announced next. Smiling at his friends, Naruto jumped to his feet and lead his comrades to the center of the stage. Folding his arm behind his head, Naruto stood at a mock attention alongside Ichigo, Tsuna and Luffy.

"The four of you have retrieved the Blake Knight pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team NITL – pronounced as "nightfall" – with your leader… Naruto!"

Naruto blinked, his arm lowering before he pointed at himself. Ozpin simply nodded before a bright smile replaced Naruto's confused look. "WHOOHOO!" The blonde cheered as the crowd clapped for him. Ichigo smiled and crossed his arms while Tsuna rested his arms on his waist. Luffy also cheered loudly, he and his new Leader performing a high-ten.

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Ruby cheered, being one of the loudest to cheer. Next to her, Yang simply huffed and clapped in an act of politeness. The blonde girl was not at all pleased that her Yang-proclaimed Tuna-Husband was being led by a Yang-proclaimed pervert.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. And Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin continued, watching with a smile on his face as Team NITL exited the stage with Naruto continuing to wave at the crowd, even as Ichigo dragged the blonde teen off the stage. Looking at the four young girls in front of him, his smile seemed to grow. "The four of you have received the White Knight pieces. As such, you four shall be teamed together as Team RWBY – pronounced as"ruby" – led by… Ruby Rose!"

Naruto clapped alongside his Team as Ruby looked surprised, smiling as she was suddenly pulled into a hug by her sister.

"Huh…" Tsuna let out as he clapped with a smile on his face, "Didn't take Ruby for the kind of girl to take leadership. But then, maybe what happened during the Initiation help decide that she had what it takes."

Ichigo shrugged, "There's probably a much deeper meaning into it. Otherwise, Ozpin wouldn't have had a 15-year old girl take the mantle as the leader."

"Nnnh, you're probably right."

Despite having heard his teammates talk about Ruby taking the leadership role, what Ichigo said about there being a deeper meaning as to why Ozpin allowed the little girl to take the mantle had Naruto thinking. Remembering back when he first met Ozpin and Ruby, the blonde remember one thing that the older man said that quickly caught his ears.

"… You have silver eyes…"

Not knowing the significance of spelling out the color of someone's eyes, Naruto couldn't help but think that perhaps, just perhaps, there's a hidden context to having silver eyes. Shrugging, the blonde simply dismissed it. Perhaps it was just Opzin's way of greeting – the man did ask about his missing surname after all – or perhaps the "silver eyes" was a long lost civilization or whatever.

Whatever the reason was, Naruto simply let it be and listened on as Ozpin began the orientation ceremony. Mildly listening to how the school system worked, the blonde stood and let his thoughts drift on, unknowingly remembering another woman who had glowing silver eyes.


A/N:

As promised. A longer chapter.

Also because it's my birthday.

Speaking of which, I have devised a song, in honor of me. A-heeeem

"Happy Birthday To Me"
"Today I'm Twenty-Three"
"I Don't Know What I'm Doing"
"Buuuuuuut"
"Might As Well Make It Fun!"

Thank you, Thank you.

See y'all later!