All Along the Watchtower

by Act 3

It began as everything always has, with powerful men in lofty positions manipulating people as easily as a hand moves pawns on a chessboard. What purpose does a pawn have? To be sacrificed. What happens, then, when the sacrifice is too great for even a pawn to endure? What happens when that pawn flees to the edge of the world, where a young boy with nothing left cries out for help?

2. Stranger in a Strange Land

Chapter Two: Stranger in a Strange Land

~.~.~

A pair of burning eyes, flaring like flaming brimstone. A bone-white mask, stark and unforgiving as death itself. A dark cloak, blacker than pitch and as haunting as the night. These were the three basic components that made up the common Grimm and, in all honestly, he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever grow accustomed to them. They'd been a regular presence in his life for weeks now, yet his breath always seemed to hitch in his throat whenever he felt those fiery eyes upon him or glimpsed a black mass of fur shifting in the dark. As a result, he'd spent more time running and hiding from the beasts than he had clashing with them. If he ever wanted to actually slay Grimm, however, the day would have to come when he could calmly face one head-on, without his fears clouding his judgment and hindering his movements.

A shadow darted from one tree to the next, its ferocious snarls carrying a ravenous undertone that sent chills crawling down his spine.

Today, apparently, was not that day.

"Uh…K-Kakashi?"

"Yes?"

"I, u-um…I don't think this is a good idea…" Naruto mumbled, hand resting on the pommel of his blade.

He had been traveling with his soon-to-be teacher for only a single day when a lone Beowolf, separated from its pack, stumbled across them. Incensed by the bottomless hunger that seemed to possess all Grimm, the beast had leapt out at them, eager to earn a quick meal. Panic set in almost immediately as Naruto rushed to draw his sword, but by the time his hand reached the hilt, Kakashi had already moved. In one fluid movement, the man delivered a devastating kick to the Grimm's head, launching the monster clear across the snow-covered path and into the icy snowdrifts that lined the trail.

Pulling itself from the drifts, the creature looked at Kakashi with newfound fear, its porcelain-like mask now sporting a jagged crack. His unflinching gaze stared back at it, teaching the wild beast a silent lesson in the hierarchy of life—Kakashi Hatake was not to be trifled with. The Beowolf raised itself up on quivering legs, shifting its focus to the trembling little blond that stood beside the man.

Unlike the silver-haired man, the blond was practically dripping with fear and anxiety. To the Grimm's heightened senses and instinctual gluttony, the boy was an irresistible delicacy. It watched as the taller human stepped forward to stand in front of the boy, the only obstacle that stood between the beast and its dinner. Deterred but not defeated, the Grimm turned and sprinted to the cover of the trees.

Patience.

Nothing could remain forever vigilant and all things grew lax with time. A single moment, just one, in which the guardian would forget his caution would be all the Beowolf needed. In that small window of opportunity, it would slip in, snatch both the boy's life and corpse within its fangs, and slink back into the darkness. Until then, it would wait, stalking its prey for however long it took.

Watching the Grimm flee, Kakashi knew the beast would likely return. He could tell just by looking at it—the Beowolf was still only a pup, young and inexperienced. It didn't see its poor chances of survival when it looked at them. Instead, it only saw a delicious prize before its eyes. To give up would be to admit defeat, something no child, human or monster, would ever accept. Kakashi sighed and muttered a curse beneath his breath. Dealing with the young was never something he enjoyed.

So he decided he wasn't going to deal with the Grimm.

"Right, well," Kakashi had spoken in a breezy, nonchalant tone, "When it comes back, I think I'll let you finish that one off."

Naturally, Naruto had blanched at his assignment, "M-Me!? But you had it right where you wanted it!"

Kakashi, in return, nodded lazily, "And then it ran away. Now, if I were you, I'd keep my hands on my sword—they don't call it an 'ambush' because you see it coming."

The prospect of a sudden surprise attack seemed to scare the young lad into compliance.

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi continued down the path with the boy in tow. It wasn't as if Kakashi was about to stand aside and let the blond get devoured—he'd intervene far before that, if necessary. The young Grimm provided an excellent opportunity, however, for the boy to test his mettle without running the risk of being completely overpowered. The entire conflict would make for a good learning experience and the fear the little brat would feel was sure to keep any and all annoying demands to a minimum. Besides, it would be at least a few days before the Beowolf would again grow bold enough to strike. By then, they'd be so close to the village that the wolf might not even dare to come after them, making the whole thing a nonissue as far as he was concerned.

Kakashi crossed his arms, "Didn't you tell me you'd already killed a Beowolf before?"

"I-I did, but…" Naruto winced, trailing off.

The blond had indeed downed a Beowolf, one that was even larger and more bloodthirsty than the one that tailed them now, but that kill was a complete fluke.

"You should be fine, then," Kakashi nodded, "You wanted to impress me, didn't you?"

Naruto bit his lip.

It was true, he wanted to impress Kakashi and get the man to teach him, but…

"Shouldn't we kill it now?" Naruto blurted out, quickly changing the subject, "I-If we leave it, won't it be a problem for us later?"

"Meh. If you want to hunt for the thing, go ahead," Kakashi shrugged, "It won't be a problem for me."

The blond pouted at that, "That's really cold, Kakashi..."

Having said that, he still didn't want to go looking for the Grimm. In truth, he hoped to never see it again.

"Good. A little distance builds character," Kakashi replied in a flat, uncaring tone, "Grimm are attracted to darker emotions—they draw them in like moths to a flame. Grief, anger, despair...feelings like those are a beacon for Grimm. I've got a pretty good hold on my own sentiments and I've already established that I can punt the little bastard across the forest if I need to. As far as that Beowolf's concerned, I'm not even on the menu. You, on the other hand? Well, let's just say that, to a Grimm, you look particularly appetizing."

Naruto frowned, "That's not funny."

"No one's laughing," Kakashi hummed, "Look, you wanted me to teach you, right? Well, there's a very good lesson to learn from all of this."

The blond blinked, tilting his head as the news reached his ears, "What is it?"

Though only the two of them walked the beaten, snow-filled trail, both were very much aware that three shadows, not two, moved alongside them. Their stalker would reveal itself again in due time and, when that time came, Naruto knew he would either kill it or be killed by it. Until then, it would lurk beside them, always just out of sight and always hungry.

"When something wants to kill you," the man explained, his eyes glued to the road before them, "Kill it first."

~.~.~

Unassuming.

Unaware.

Naïve.

She moved without purpose and without thought. Her loose posture, her happy expression, her light-hearted humming—everything about the girl revealed how little she understood of her current situation. Under his keen, watchful gaze, she had become a target, one ripe for predation. By the time she would realize this truth, however, it would already be too late. Even now, he was closing in, moving swiftly and silently, and completely avoiding detection. Every step was calculated, every angle considered, in what was no doubt a technical masterpiece of stealth. Finally, standing within her blind spot, only a few inches away from his prey, his moment had come.

He pounced.

"Ruby!"

Ruby Rose didn't even have time to react as a pair of strong arms encircled her waist. She was lifted upwards, her legs left to dangle in the air, as the world began to spin. Within seconds, she had become one half of a red and yellow tornado, her screams mixing with her captor's uproarious laughter.

"W-W-W-What are you doooooing!?" the girl cried out, arms flailing as she was twirled around.

"Celebrating!" Naruto answered cheerfully, placing the young scythe-wielder back on solid ground and releasing her from his embrace. In the time it had taken Naruto to finally convince the officers to return his pointy belongings to their rightful owner (apparently the police had something against arming adolescents who had no written record of existence), Ruby had apparently finished her own run-in with the law. He had found her standing outside of the station, looking oddly content for someone who just got done spending any amount of time with the notoriously icy Glynda Goodwitch. Still, Naruto didn't question it, instead focusing on how right then was an opportune moment to reward Ruby with the hug she had earned.

Stumbling as she was freed from his hold, the dizzy girl felt a pang of confusion. Celebrating? She hadn't had the time to tell anyone that she'd be attending Beacon yet. Regaining her balance, Ruby turned towards her fellow teenager with a small frown, "How did you know I got into Beacon?"

Naruto blinked, "You got into Beacon too?"

Ruby's eyes widened, "Wait, did Ozp—oof!"

The girl suddenly found herself smooshed against the chiseled chest of the blond, having been snatched up in yet another sudden hug.

"That's awesome, Ruby!" Naruto grinned, laughing heartily, "You must be some kinda genius!"

"…Crushing…me…"

"Huh?" the blond glanced downward to find his red-loving companion quickly turning blue in the face, "Whoops. Sorry about that."

"I-It's alright…" Ruby mumbled, inhaling sharply as Naruto once again released her from his surprisingly vice-like grip. As she caught her breath, Ruby considered the fact that her newest (and only) partner-in-heroics had also made it into Beacon. From what she'd seen, he certainly seemed skilled enough for it. Not only had he warded off an explosive with his blade, but he had also demonstrated the ability to teleport, which had to be one of the coolest powers ever. On top of all that, he seemed really nice, if not a bit excitable and perhaps too touchy-feely in the hug department...

Ruby froze.

She'd been hugged by a guy.

A guy who was not her father or her uncle.

Twice.

'Oh god. Isn't that, like, first base or something!?' Ruby felt her cheeks flare up with heat as her face grew as red as her namesake, 'Dad's going to have a cow! I'm so grounded! And Yang's never going to let this one go! If she finds out about this, she's going to tease me about it for the rest of my life!'

"Uh…Ruby?" Naruto waved a hand back and forth before the girl's eyes, "Hello? Anyone home in there?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Ruby's gaze snapped up to the boy. Her face still flushed, she squeaked and jumped back, eager to put some more distance between them. She was in enough trouble as it was—she didn't need to run the risk of another hug digging her an even deeper grave.

Naruto raised his brow at the sight of the girl's sudden odd behavior, "You alright there, Ruby?"

"I-I'm fine!" Ruby reassured the blond, "It's just, um…you're a pretty 'huggy' guy, aren't you?"

Naruto gave a sheepish laugh, "Sorry, I guess I just got a little too excited! I mean, we got accepted into Beacon Academy! We're, like, certified badasses now!"

Ruby's reddened face turned bright and chipper at the reminder of their most recent accomplishment.

"I know, right!? It's so cool!" Ruby gushed, overjoyed and practically bouncing as she shook with excitement, "We got invited to Beacon by Ozpin himself! Ah, I should've gotten his autograph!"

Flashing a relaxed smile, Naruto nodded, "And it's all thanks to you, Ruby!"

Ruby flushed once more, demurely reaching down to play with the hem of her skirt, "W-Well, gosh, I don't really know about that…"

Naruto crossed his arms, "No, I mean it—I owe you big time. Whatever you want, consider it done."

"You don't owe me anything," Ruby smiled amicably, "You're the one who helped me out, remember? If anything, I owe you."

"I didn't really do much, though…" Naruto hummed, tapping his chin, "Well, how about we help each other, then? I'm in the market for some new duds, but I don't have the first clue where to look. You help me find some clothes that look good and I'll help you out with something."

The girl paused to consider the offer. While she certainly didn't want the young man to feel as though he was indebted to her in any way, he seemed determined to argue otherwise. What's more, Ruby felt that she owed the blond something, considering that it was partially her fault he had ended up behind bars. Helping him find some clothes was the least she could do.

Ruby glanced towards the blond's clothes. To be quite honest, she didn't see why he was looking for a new outfit—his current one suited him just fine, in her humble opinion. Sure, the legs of his pants were a bit worn from overuse and his boots were coated in dried mud, but for someone aiming to become a Huntsman, that was to be expected. Then again, she was hardly an authority on fashion. In fact, she couldn't think of a single time when any of her friends had come to her for advice on what to wear for a date or party. Perhaps it would be healthier for the Huntsman-in-training's wardrobe if she didn't aid him. Helping someone with shopping just seemed like a task better suited for Yang than—

Ruby's eyes widened with realization, "Yang!"

"Come again?" Naruto tilted his head, clearly bemused.

Sighing, Ruby bowed her head dejectedly, "Yang's my sister. I was trying to find her when I ended up getting sidetracked by all this. Now I have to find her, call Dad and tell him about Beacon, and get all my stuff mailed over here by tomorrow…ugh."

"So much to do, so little time, huh?" the blond chuckled.

Ruby nodded, groaning, "I don't even know where to begin…"

Ruby wanted to find her sister before they both got to school. She wanted to surprise Yang, to make her older sister proud. More than anything, however, she wanted to make sure the busty brawler heard the big news before they arrived at Beacon. The absolute last thing Ruby needed was to have Yang hugging her and cooing about how her "precious baby sister" was all grown up, right in front of her new classmates—the scythe-wielder was pretty sure that amount of embarrassment was medically proven to be fatal.

With that in mind, the first order of business was to find Yang, who, much to Ruby's frustration, still hadn't called her back.

While most people, given the late hour, would assume that the person they were trying to contact had simply gone to bed, Ruby knew her sister far too well to even begin to suspect such a thing. No, Yang was wide-awake and active somewhere in the city, living it up and causing some mayhem like the older blonde always did. Trouble seemed to follow Yang, sticking to her like the plague. All Ruby had to do was find the nearest trail of destruction and she was certain she'd find Yang at the end of it.

"Then it works out perfectly!" Naruto declared, nodding his head triumphantly, "You help me look for clothes and I'll help you find your sister!"

"Are you sure?" Ruby cast him a worried gaze, "I don't want to get you into any more trouble."

"It'll be fine," Naruto gave a relaxed grin, "We're just gonna be looking for your sister—how much trouble could we possibly get into? So, whaddya say? We got a deal?"

How much trouble could they get into? Considering that Yang and her hijinks were a factor in this equation, quite a bit. Still, Ruby was pressed for time and needed all the help she could get if she wanted to avoid death by public humiliation.

"Deal, um…" Ruby's happy expression turned panicked, which then slowly gave way to mortification, "…Promise you won't laugh at me?"

Naruto frowned, "What's wrong?"

"I, uh…" Ruby blushed, glancing to the sidewalk below them, "I never actually asked for your name. I'm sorry—I know that's super rude of me, but in all the excitement, I guess I just forgot…"

Now that he thought about it, the blond never had properly introduced himself to the girl. On the ride over to the station, she had asked about his dagger, not his name. Hell, he'd barely even managed to get her own name before she launched into an impromptu speech on the greatness of weaponized technology.

"No worries," Naruto brushed aside the girl's apology with a wave of his hand, "The name's Naruto. Naruto Namikaze."

Ruby smiled, "Nice to meet you, Naruto!"

"Likewise," the blond grinned.

Internally, however, he cringed.

He'd only known her for less than a handful of hours now, but Naruto was already able to discern exactly what kind of person Ruby Rose was. A young girl, likely from humble beginnings, she was someone who wanted to become a hero and would give almost anything to make it happen. It wasn't an uncommon story. In the day and age they lived in, new Huntsmen and Huntresses were constantly joining in the endless war against the Grimm. What was unique about the little lady in red, though, was her heart. Ruby was sweet, innocent, and trusting, but also held a strong sense of morality that rarely developed in one so young. With time and dedication, Naruto was certain that she'd become an exemplary Huntress.

It was why he felt as low as he did, taking advantage of her like this.

Beyond simply using her knowledge of the local stores to help him blend in on the streets, the girl herself would make for excellent cover, as would many of the students at Beacon. Becoming just another face in the crowd would be vital to his success. Naturally, the more faces he surrounded himself with, the harder he would be to single out. Besides, having friends was necessary to appear "normal." For the sake of his goals, that was the kind of person he'd need to become.

Someone who was utterly typical.

Other than providing cover, however, there were several benefits that came with having "friends." He could already picture Ruby, naïve as she was, rushing to his aid should he get caught doing anything even remotely dubious. With the rights words, he could even envision manipulating the young girl into completing some seemingly mundane task that would bring him closer to success. In short, Ruby Rose would make the perfect pawn, both for covering his tracks and completing his objectives.

Her friendship, just like his blades, would be another useful tool for him to use.

'Sorry, Ruby—it's nothing personal,' Naruto smiled, "You have some idea of how to find her, right? What are we looking for?"

Befriending her would be as simple as earning the trust of a puppy—a few small acts of kindness would, in turn, inspire loyal devotion in a shy, awkward person like Ruby. Would he feel like absolute scum every time he laid eyes upon her bright smile? Without a doubt. There were more important things at stake, though, than the emotional well-being of a single girl. Maybe when this whole business was taken care of, she'd find it in her heart to forgive him.

Until then, he couldn't afford the luxury of worrying about the people around him.

Ruby hummed in thought, furrowing her brow, "Knowing Yang…property damage. Lots of property damage. Oh, and broken traffic laws!"

"…What?" Naruto's smile suddenly became very strained.

It was supposed to be a simple search for a missing sister—something quiet, something peaceful, something that would definitely end with him not in jail. Getting arrested twice within the first few hours of his mission was not the ideal way to begin a covert operation. In fact, he was fairly certain it would be in his best interest to avoid prison altogether. So why was Ruby making it sound like he would be back in the custody of Vale's finest by the end of the night? Her sister, whoever or whatever she was, couldn't possibly be that bad…right?

"Right!" Ruby turned and pointed down the street, her posture brimming with determination, "Let's go find my sister! And Naruto?"

Naruto glanced over to Ruby, who wore a cute glare upon her features.

"When we find her, you absolutely cannot tell Yang you hugged me," Ruby's tone left no room for debate, "No matter what!"

Naruto sighed, weakly nodding his head, 'Karma's a bitch.'

~.~.~

"If you sit that close to the fire, you're going to get burned."

Rather than heed the older man's advice, Naruto stubbornly inched closer to the flames. Palms outstretched towards the crackling warmth, the little blond allowed the heat to wash over him and melt away his exhaustion. His usual boundless enthusiasm and energy aside, he was still only a child and hiking for hours on end through thick, wet layers of snow and ice was tiring. From sunup to sundown, he and his teacher-to-be had been doing nothing but walking, though his steps were filled with considerably more trepidation than Kakashi's. He was, after all, in the process of being hunted, something that he quickly learned made even the monotonous task of slogging through the slush undeniably stressful.

"At least I won't be an icicle anymore," Naruto muttered in response, shivering.

They'd stopped to set up camp just as the sun began to sink below the horizon. While he had scoured the area for enough dry wood (or as close to dry as wood could be, what with the forest practically half-submerged beneath piling snow) to build a decent campfire, Kakashi had gone out and caught a pair of quail to roast. The second the small sparks had burst into the blazing inferno that was the fire, Naruto had planted himself beside it and refused to move.

The thick, grey storm clouds of winter had united to create a solid expanse that stretched on for as far as the eye could see, stealing the stars and moon and plunging the entire valley into complete blackness. Like a single torch lighting the darkest pits of a dungeon, the blond's humble fire shined brilliantly, driving back the stinging cold and the inky shadows. Regardless of what Kakashi said, Naruto was not moving an inch—better to be burnt than to end up strangled by the chill or swallowed by the gloom.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, turning his gaze from his tiny ward to peer down at the map that was spread across his lap, "Suit yourself, but don't expect me to put you out when you fall in."

…With a vexed scowl upon his face, Naruto discretely backed away from the fire, hoping Kakashi wouldn't notice. While he didn't want to listen to the silver-haired man's orders, particularly considering that Kakashi was more or less leaving him to fend for himself against the stalking Beowolf, accidentally burning to death was not the way he wanted to go out.

Kakashi hummed his approval, "There, now was that so hard?"

Apparently very little, if anything, escaped the man's hawk-like gaze, much to the child's frustration.

"Bite me."

"First of all, you're what, seven? You don't actually know what that phrase means," Kakashi remarked before nodding his head towards the woods, "Secondly, I think I'll leave the biting to our furry friend out there."

Naruto's eyes followed Kakashi's gesture, running from the adult to the edge of the fire's light. There, in the flickering glow, lines were drawn across a frozen battlefield in the war that was waged between the overpowering dread of night and the bleak, dancing relief that the campfire provided. Beyond those lines, nothing stood but the warped silhouettes of towering wooden giants—silent sentinels to fill a yawning void. The longer he stared into it, the more and more it seemed to churn and shift, as though the darkness itself was only a thin veil, hiding countless nightmarish Grimm behind it.

"Where is it?" Naruto frowned, tearing both his gaze and his mind from the night that surrounded them, "I thought Grimm were supposed to be—"

"Stupid? Mindless? Senseless?" Kakashi offered, his finger tracing their route on the paper in his hands, "All common misconceptions, I'm afraid. If the Grimm were as pea-brained as most think, there would be a lot less dead Hunters. I've seen Grimm plan and execute better strategies than most people ever could."

Naruto looked to the man, "I thought you said this one was—"

"Young," Kakashi finished, "I did and it is, but even the youngest Grimm have their instincts to guide them. When they're inexperienced and alone, Grimm recognize dominance more easily, just like any other animal. Right now, I'm the boss around here. As long as that thing thinks I'm watching, it probably won't show itself."

The blond brightened at this, "Then—"

"No, you're not in the clear," Kakashi drawled, reaching down into his backpack and retrieving a small compass, "Knowing how a Grimm should behave and knowing how the future is going to play out are two very different things. A lot of idiots manage to get themselves killed because they forget that, so keep it in mind."

Naruto's eye twitched, "Are you going to keep—"

"Interrupting you?" Kakashi peeked up from his map to the blond, his gaze shining with mirth, "I'll stop when it gets boring. Anyway, try and get some rest—you'll be needing it. We're making good time and, if we keep it up, we may just make it to the village a day or two ahead of schedule."

"…I can't sleep."

Kakashi frowned, turning his attention to the compass in his hands, "Look, you're going to have to get used to Grimm wanting to kill you. It's just what they do and they're not going to stop doing it any time soon. I'll be here if it comes back, so don't worry and get some sleep."

"It's not the Grimm," Naruto mumbled, his hushed tone barely audible over the cackling of the flames.

"Well, if the cold is bothering you, I have a blanket you can use. It's not much, but you'll have to make do wi—"

"It's not the cold, either," the blond spoke, clutching his hands together, "I…every night, I close my eyes and I'm back home, in my village, right before…it happened."

Kakashi didn't visibly react to the child's words, but he did calmly and quietly fold his map and returned both it and his compass to their rightful spots in his rucksack. Once they were put away, Kakashi turned towards the boy, granting the blond his full attention. Somewhere, off in the distance, a nightingale began to crow its tune. Naruto continued.

"I try to warn everyone," he explained, staring deep into the fire before him, unblinking, "I shout and beg them to run or hide…but none of them ever do. Then it starts all over again—the fire, the screaming, the blood…it's not just a dream. Everything happens exactly like it did on that night, and even though I'm running, even though I never look back…I can still see it all."

Each and every night since leaving his home, he relived its death. It was always the same, never changing even in the slightest details, regardless of whatever choices or actions he took. It was like being trapped within a ghost story, enslaved to every word and haunted by each sentence. He'd long since memorized every scene and every death, but when the time came, he always found that, no matter what he did, he could not keep the dark horrors from butchering his friends or the inferno from engulfing his village. He was powerless to stop the pages from turning, and the story always reached its terrible conclusion. When it would finally end and he'd wake the next day, he did so with the knowledge that, come nightfall, the tale would begin all over again, from the first page to the last.

The cackling fire.

His village in flames.

Grimm swarmed.

Screaming. Running.

Panic.

His father. Despite knowing what would happen, even though it ruins him to witness it all again, every night, he feels the need to find his father.

He feels a tug on his shoulders.

Everything shifts around him.

"And then," Naruto whispered, "He's there. Right in front of me, he's there and…and I forget. I forget the fire, I forget the Grimm, and I even forget that it's all just a dream. He's there, with me, and nothing else matters…"

Nothing else matters, until…

Red.

Blood. It's not his own—it's never his own.

Their eyes meet.

Hurt. Confusion. Despair.

Fading.

"Gone," he trembled, "And then he's…gone."

Silence hung between them as Naruto finished, with only the sounds of the flame's mocking laughter echoing in the chilled air. It was odd, Naruto realized, how no tears poured from his eyes and how his stomach remained untwisted as he recounted the nightly terror that had plagued him. How many times had he awoken in the middle of the night, his face soaked with sweat and teardrops, weeping as he lurched and heaved in a struggle to keep from vomiting and wasting what precious little rations he had left? Five, he believed, though he supposed that tonight, whenever his own fatigue got the best of him, would make six. Yet, right there and then, he felt none of that.

Instead, he felt absolutely hollow.

Kakashi, for his part, didn't know what to say. Rather, what could he say? What could have possibly been said in that moment, aside from empty promises and beautiful lies? Kakashi didn't know—in his mind, he was never really the nurturing sort to begin with, anyway. So, instead, the man offered the boy what little comfort he had to give. Kakashi pulled a thick woolen blanket from his bag and deftly tossed it to the blond. It landed on Naruto's lap, finally drawing the boy's gaze away from the fire and back towards Kakashi.

"Try and get some sleep," Kakashi's tone was soft and gentle, "If you start to have a nightmare, I'll wake you up. I promise."

With a dull nod, the little blond wrapped the thick cloth around his tiny frame, shut his eyes, and waited to be home again. He didn't have to wait long.

The cackling fire.

His village in flames…

~.~.~

"Are you sure about this, Ruby? This, uh…this doesn't exactly look like a savory part of town, if you catch my drift."

Not that either of them wouldn't be a match for any run-of-the-mill punks, but Naruto was hoping to avoid any more unnecessary all-out brawls. Bathed in the bright glow of electrified neon, he cast a quick glance upwards and wondered if the girl beside him actually understood what the signs were advertising. He doubted Ruby would be willing to venture down this street if she knew what the stores that proudly sported "XXX" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" in their windows were actually selling.

"I know—that's why she's definitely here," Ruby replied, pep both in her voice and her step, "Besides, the police cruisers were headed in this direction."

Just a few moments ago, the duo had spied a group of police cars racing down the road, sirens blaring as they weaved in and out of traffic. It didn't exactly brighten Naruto's outlook when Ruby then pointed in the direction the officers took off in and decided that was where they'd find her sister.

"…Right," Naruto winced, "What kinda person did you say your sister was again?"

"Yang?" Ruby blinked, frowning at the sudden question, "She's…"

One after another, memories surfaced in Ruby's mind. Whenever she was feeling down, it was always Yang who'd show up at her bedroom door with a plate of her favorite cookies and a big grin. When the older kids at the park would tug on her cape or push her into the dirt, she could always count on the brawling blonde to be there to kick their butts. It was her brave and courageous big sister who would always check for the monsters that hid beneath the red-loving girl's bed and inside her closet, scaring them away so that she could sleep soundly that night.

"She's really cool," Ruby smiled fondly, "She might be a bit too outgoing sometimes, but she's super nice!"

"Sounds like you and her are real close," Naruto gave a smile of his own.

"We're thick as thieves!" Ruby nodded happily, "What about you, Naruto? Do you have any siblings?"

Caught up in her own joyful recollections, Ruby was too distracted to catch the change in her blond companion's demeanor. Had she been paying attention, she might've noticed how his shoulders stiffened or how his soft smile grew just a tad more forced. Naruto laughed, his voice very nearly ringing hollow.

"No, I…" Naruto began, trailing off as he peered further down the road, "…Ruby, what did you say your sister looked like?"

"Well, she's tall and has long blonde hair," Ruby tilted her head as she listed off Yang's more noticeable features, "Her skin's kinda pale, too. Why do you ask?"

"Because I think she just punched a guy through a window."

~.~.~

"Ha…ha…h-how…ha…much l-longer?"

Before today, Naruto hadn't even known it was possible for a human being to feel so utterly exhausted. Oh, he'd tuckered himself out before, either overexerting his minuscule muscles while training or overdoing a bit of roughhousing with his friends. He had plenty of experience in being exhausted emotionally as well—the past few weeks had seen to that. This, though? This was an entirely different beast altogether.

With each dogged footstep in the near waist-deep snow, his entire body felt to be on the brink of collapse. Maybe Kakashi was moving quicker than usual. Perhaps the fresh few feet of snow were making for a rougher walk. It even could've been that his lack of sleep was finally catching up to him. Whatever the reason, Naruto's endless youth and vigor were failing him.

Ahead of him, Kakashi turned back to face the little blond.

"What's that?" Kakashi hummed, "Don't tell me you're tired already."

"W-We…" Naruto gasped, doubled-over as his chest heaved, "We've been…walking for hours…I…need a minute…"

The silver-haired man bit back a heavy sigh. They'd been making good time, too. Well, it wasn't exactly like he couldn't understand why someone as young as Naruto would be struggling. It had snowed again last night and while the new ice barely managed to nip at Kakashi's ankles, Naruto's short stature left him half-sunk beneath the white flakes. The fact that the past eight hours of their journey had taken them up a sloping mountainside certainly didn't help matters, either. Any child, let alone one that had barely slept in the past few days, would surely be struggling to keep up.

'It's actually quite amazing that the little brat hasn't passed out on me yet,' Kakashi frowned, glancing back to the path ahead of them. Still, they were quickly closing in on their destination and he didn't want to slow down. If his skills in navigation were still up to snuff, they'd even be able to lay their eyes on the next town if they could just get to the top of this hill. As much as he hated to admit it, the cold and colorless weather was beginning to put a damper on his own spirits as well. The sight of their destination, of warm beds and hot food, was something Kakashi was looking forward to. With that in mind, Kakashi was quick to swallow his pride and step towards his young ward.

His head bowed as he sucked in as much air as his lungs would allow, Naruto didn't notice Kakashi's approach. It wasn't until he lifted his face that the blond found that his would-be teacher had his knees buried in the snow only a few inches away, his back facing Naruto as he knelt.

"Climb on," Kakashi instructed.

It only took a few seconds for Naruto's fatigued mind to process the order completely—Kakashi meant to carry him up the remainder of the mountain.

"I…don't need…" Naruto panted, slowly shaking his head, "Just…j-just have to…catch my breath…"

"Stubborn, eh? Look, one of two things is about to happen, Naruto," Kakashi's deadpan voice drifted over the man's shoulder, "Either you're going to pass out and I'm going to leave you behind to freeze to death or you're going to get on my back so we can keep moving. Your choice, but personally, I'd go for the latter."

Perhaps if the world wasn't slowly starting to spin around him, Naruto would've put up more of an argument against becoming dead-weight to be carried. As it was, though, he barely managed to take the last two shaky steps towards Kakashi before he crumpled onto the man's back. Kakashi hooked his arms beneath Naruto's legs and stood, the tiny blond now slumped against him.

How long had it been since he'd been carried like this?

The blond could recall how, at the harvest festival his village held every autumn, he would look out over the colorful stands and the talented performers from his perch upon his father's broad shoulders. Towering above the crowds, he had felt then that the world was so small that, if he stretched his tiny arms out as far as he could manage, he could embrace all of creation. Every time he pushed his tiny body too far during training, every time he tired himself out after playing with his friends, it was his father who would come to lift him up and carry him home.

Naruto buried his face in the thick wool of Kakashi's jacket.

His father was gone. Soon, Kakashi would be, too. He'd have to grow tall and learn to carry himself.

Alone.

"Damn…"

Naruto frowned as he heard the curse leave Kakashi's lips. He could feel the silver-haired man's entire form suddenly turn rigid and statue-like as his well-paced steps came to a grinding halt. Why had they stopped? They should've been nearing the crest of the hill by now. Lifting his head, Naruto strained his neck to peek over Kakashi's shoulder.

Even from this great distance, his blue eyes could see it.

Nestled in the shadow of the mountain they stood upon was the burnt-out, ruinous skeleton of a destroyed village.

The rubble of toppled guard towers was scattered over red roads, while half-collapsed homes buckled beneath the weight of piled snow and ice. Fields lay abandoned, the crops wilted and stained with death, soon to be engulfed under winter's wrath. The people…Naruto didn't want to think about it. He knew that many of them were still down there. The horrors he'd seen at his own village had taught him how the Grimm were rarely patient enough to finish a meal before moving on to their next prey. It was only by the grace of the chilling weather that the scent of rot and decay hadn't overtaken the countryside.

Another world lost to ice and monsters.

~.~.~

Some people just never wanted to cooperate. Whatever small bit of generosity you offered, it would all just end up being thrown right back in your face, with an extra helping of "fuck you" for good measure. She wasn't sure if there was a medical term for being born with a stick lodged firmly up one's own ass or if the insatiable need for sadistic pleasure developed later in their life, but she'd been around the block enough times to know that some people were just assholes.

As it turned out, Hei "Junior" Xiong wasn't an asshole.

He was just a stupid jackass.

He sat at the bar, hunched over and brooding while his narrow gaze looked her up and down. As she lithely glided across the crowded dance floor, she made sure not to let her utter disgust show on her face as she silently counted off the minutes that the much older man spent staring at her chest. Now, don't get her wrong—she knew just how much of a total jaw-dropping babe she was and certainly wasn't afraid of some appreciative looks. It's just that she preferred it when the people looking were under thirty years old.

'Really knows how to treat a lady, doesn't he?' she noted dryly as Junior's ogling reached the five-minute mark. She purposely and confidently strode up to the stool beside the club's owner and grinned lightly as she sat herself down, 'Let the games begin…'

Making sure that her plentiful bosom was pressed tantalizingly against the glass counter, she leaned forward to place her order, "Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas!"

As the bartender set to work mixing her drink, the man beside her shifted in his seat. Naturally, his eyes had yet to stray from her chest, "Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?"

Was...that supposed to be seductive?

'Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh…' repeating the mantra over and over in her head, she struggled to keep from cracking up over the proprietor's attempt at flirting. It was like a line from some stupid romance movie, faux-husky voice and all. She smiled demurely, giggling, "Aren't you a little old to have a name like 'Junior'?"

"So you know who I am," Junior smirked, leaning towards her, "You got a name, Sweetheart?"

She was almost impressed—most men at least tried to hide it when they checked her out. It seemed that Junior, however, was not most men. No, the man seemed entirely content to make sure his gaze never so much as reached her chin. Under different circumstances (i.e. being ogled by someone who was actually handsome and not a complete scumbag), she might have been flattered. Instead, it was beginning to piss her off a little.

'And that's ten minutes straight that he has spent basking in the awesomeness that are my boobs,' she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, 'Well, this is going nowhere fast.'

Maybe it was time to speed things along, then.

"Yes, Junior, I've got several," she spoke, her tone teasing as she reached out to run a finger down Junior's chest, "But instead of 'Sweetheart,' you can just call me 'Sir'!"

And just like that, that same hand that had been running provocatively across Junior's vest had shot down to grab a hold of his balls. Well, after she was holding Junior's juniors hostage in her twisting, crushing iron-like grip, things got a little out of hand (pun very much intended). One moment she was having a nice, civil conversation and the next, she was standing outside on the street, towering over a fallen Junior with no memory of what had happened.

At least, that was what she would tell the police if anyone was stupid enough to call them.

Giving herself a smile and a pat on the back, she stood tall and proud as she breathed in the crisp night's air, 'Kicking ass and taking names. Just another day for—'

"Yang!"

Now there was a voice that Yang Xiao Long knew.

"Ruby?" Yang blinked, turning to glance down the street. Sure enough, there was her sister, scythe and all. Ruby was rushing down the road towards Yang, cloak billowing behind her. Skidding to a halt before the buxom blonde, Ruby looked up at her sister with a pout.

"Why won't you answer your scroll!?" Ruby huffed, "I've been trying to call you all day!"

"You have?" Yang frowned, reaching into her pocket and retrieving her scroll. It didn't take long to discover the problem. Giving a sheepish chuckle, Yang pocketed her device, "Oops. Sorry about that, Rubes—the battery died on me."

Ruby groaned, "Didn't Dad tell you, like, a hundred times to charge it?"

"I forgot?" Yang offered lamely, shrugging her shoulders.

"Geez…" the petite girl sighed, shaking her head, "What are you even doing out here, anyway?"

"I was just…" Yang turned back to where she had left Junior's unconscious form, only to find nothing but shattered glass. Apparently Junior had woken up from his little nap while Yang had been distracted with the sudden appearance of her adorkable little sister. Considering how soundly she'd just kicked his ass, though, it was probably a wise decision on his part that he had fled instead of hopping back into the ring for another round. Yang shook her head—another lead, another bust, "It's a long story."

"And considering that those sirens are getting louder, I'm gonna go ahead and say we don't have the time to hear it."

He appeared from over her younger sister's shoulder, completely nonchalant and carrying a pleasant smile. Yang grinned. It seemed like it was finally her turn to enjoy some eye-candy. Whoever he was, he was a perfect match for the tall, dark, and handsome stranger that was most certainly missing in many young women's lives. What's more, even if the blonde couldn't quite put her finger on it, there was just something…wild about him. The air around him felt alive and electric.

'Yang likes,' Yang quickly decided, dragging her eyes along his chiseled musculature.

"Uh, Yang? You in there?"

Ruby's hand waving back and forth before her eyes was ultimately what grounded Yang, bringing her back to reality after she had lost herself to her fantasies. Blinking, Yang glanced down at her little sister. Less than a second later, Ruby was swept up in her third hug of the evening, this one fueled by the sudden rush of sisterly pride that Yang was experiencing.

"I knew you had it in you, Ruby!" the blonde brawler gushed, twirling her captive sister around, "Big sis approves wholeheartedly!"

"N-Not agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!" Ruby wailed, struggling to free herself as she watched the world spin with her.

Off to the side, Naruto observed the familial display of affection with a genuine but dim smile. Ruby really wasn't lying about how close she was with her sister, was she? Sighing, he chose to ignore the pang of jealousy that had sprouted in his chest and instead focus on more pressing matters, such as those flashing red and blue lights that were racing towards them. To say those seemed to be a bit problematic was quite the understatement.

"Um…guys? As much as I'd hate to interrupt your reunion, those cops are heading right for us and I really don't feel like getting arrested for a second time tonight," Naruto interjected, jerking a thumb in the direction of the speeding police cruisers. Taking notice of the police herself, Yang winced. She really didn't want to show up for her first day at her new school in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.

"Good point," Yang nodded, setting her younger sibling back down on the ground, "Let's get outta here, Ruby! You can tell me all about your hot new boy-toy later!"

Ruby sighed again, "Alright, let's just—WAIT, MY WHAT!?"

~.~.~

"You can't be serious."

"Believe it or not, I can be. A lot of my old friends used to complain that I was too serious all the time, actually."

"You know what I mean!" Naruto snapped, glaring across the campfire at his temporary guardian, "That place has gotta be crawling with Grimm! All the villagers…all the villagers are…!"

Nightfall came quickly after they'd glimpsed the remains of what had once been their destination. With no other choice, they'd made camp at the peak of the hill, where the ground was at least flat enough to sleep on without much risk of slipping down the mountainside. Naruto tore his eyes away from Kakashi and looked out into the vast land that the shadows of night had swallowed. He may not have been able to see it, but he knew it was lurking there—the shattered homes, the empty streets, the massacred bodies…

The little blond had barely managed to escape one broken world with his life, yet here he was, standing on the brink of another.

"Dead?" Kakashi hummed, idly staring into the flames, "Yes, they are."

"Then why?" Naruto hissed, turning back to the man, "There's nothing down there but Grimm!"

The firelight danced in Kakashi's dark gaze, "Not true. There's also food, fresh water, bandages, medicine, and just about everything else we need and are running out of."

"It's not worth it," Naruto glowered, "We should just move on to the next town and—"

"There might not be another village—not for a good while, at least," Kakashi sighed, "If this one's gone, it's very likely that the next several are too."

"What?" Naruto's face scrunched up in bemusement, "Just because this place got attacked doesn't mean that every one of them did!"

Kakashi fell silent and busied himself with tending to the fire. The older man reached behind him, taking hold of a small branch from the pile of tinder that the little blond had gathered earlier and idly tossing it into the wanting flames. The fire crowed, singing itself praises as it rose and flickered around the quickly darkening limb. The heat fanned out, caressing Naruto's face as he looked to his protector.

Naruto frowned, "…Right?"

"There's no official name for the phenomenon yet. I don't think the researchers back in the kingdoms fully understand why it happens," the silver-haired man muttered, "But every now and then, a whole horde of Grimm will converge on a single spot and go absolutely nuts, tearing everything they find to pieces. They go into a frenzy, work up some bloodlust and momentum, and the next thing you know, there's an army of Grimm on a warpath across Remnant. Anything in their way disappears from the map practically overnight."

A swarm of Grimm, marching across the globe and destroying whatever they came across…

Naruto paused.

The air, as chilling as it already was, began to grow even colder. The little boy could feel the weight of it pressing against his shoulders, trying to crush him under its force. Or was that just the dread he felt twisting inside his gut? He honestly couldn't tell the icy grip of winter and the sting of its frigid winds from his own shame, despair, and anger anymore. His hands curled into fists upon his lap, his knuckles turning white as his fingernails dug into his skin.

"…Is that…" Naruto whispered, "Is that what happened to my home?"

"Judging from what you told me and the state of that village over there, it's a possibility."

"…What happens to them?" Naruto asked, focusing his eyes on the fire before him, "The Grimm, I mean—the ones that group together and go crazy."

"Well, generally speaking, when the horde first starts, it's too big for even a kingdom to deal with," Kakashi explained, "Over time, their numbers start to thin out. Some of them die, others stray from the group. Eventually, the whole thing just fizzles out, kind of like a bad storm. After that, I don't really know what happens. I remember reading some reports, though, that said that there tended to be a lot of straggling Grimm that would break off from the swarm and stay behind in settlements and other good hunting grounds to look for prey."

Naruto trembled, 'If that's true, then…'

The Grimm that killed his father.

The Grimm that devoured his friends.

The Grimm that murdered his neighbors.

The Grimm that burnt and ravaged his village.

If what Kakashi said was true, then at least a handful of the Grimm that destroyed his life were right behind him, stalking the ruins of the settlement that he and the man had spent days hiking to reach.

"I'm not going down there," Naruto muttered, slowly shaking his head, "I'm not going anywhere near that place."

"Whether you like it or not, we don't have much of a choice," Kakashi gestured to the world around them, to the lands left nearly barren by ice, "Winter isn't going away for a long time and food is only going to become scarcer as it goes on. Passing up an opportunity like this could mean going for days without anything to eat or drink and if one of us gets sick or injured, we won't be able to properly treat it without medical supplies."

He was right, of course, and Naruto knew that. Even just that very night, they'd been forced to go without supper when Kakashi returned from his typical nightly hunt empty-handed. The blond was well aware that, somewhere in the wreckage of abandoned homes and crumbled stores, there lay smoked and salted meats, loafs of uneaten bread and untouched wheels of cheese, and whatever dried fruits and vegetables that had lasted this far into the late season. Just the idea of his first full meal in days was enough to leave his mouth watering and his stomach roaring in discontent.

But Naruto didn't care.

He'd rather starve than return to that moment, surrounded by those Grimm and cradling his father's fallen corpse.

"I won't," Naruto mumbled, "I can't."

"I won't force you to go," Kakashi declared, "Stay here if you like, but at sunrise, I'm going. Our situation has changed—I don't know how long it will be before we reach a village that hasn't been sacked by the Grimm. I'll try to gather as many supplies as I can, but I may be gone for a day or two. Could you handle surviving on your own until I come back?"

It was a good question.

Could he?

One young Grimm was already stalking him and, with Kakashi gone, it was sure to reveal itself and claim its meal. If it came down to a match between him and the beast, Naruto wasn't entirely confident that he would win. Worse yet was the possibility that the Grimm wouldn't be alone. If several Grimm descended on him at once, Naruto wouldn't stand a chance—he'd be ripped apart and swallowed down into the gullet of a Beowolf or the belly of an Ursa.

Could he survive on his own, hunted as he was?

"I don't know," Naruto answered honestly.

"Then I would suggest that you come with me," Kakashi replied, "If you stay behind, the odds are that you're going to die. Well, even if you did tag along, you still might die, but you'd probably have a better chance of living to see the end of winter than if you didn't."

And if he didn't, then Naruto would be alone.

The blond felt like crying—it just wasn't fair. Why did it always come back to this? Why did he always have to be alone? His father, his friends, his neighbors…he'd surrounded himself with their smiling faces and warm presences and he'd been happy. Then they were all taken from him, leaving him behind. He'd struggled and fought, holding himself together when all he wanted to do was break. Day after day, night after night, he'd endured the pain, the cold, and the Grimm. He had survived.

All of his effort, all of his suffering, all done for what?

Just to end up alone again.

Alone and haunted.

"I don't want to…"

Hearing this, Kakashi sighed, "In that case, I'll try to hurry back, but—"

"I don't want to be alone," Naruto mumbled, bowing his head, "Not anymore."

Worse than starving, worse than being devoured—absolutely none of it was worse than being alone.

"…Then we set out at dawn," Kakashi gave a solemn nod before he leaned back and glanced down the hillside. He could see a handful of them, their eyes burning red like hot coals in a dark furnace. They were waiting. For what, he didn't know. He didn't really want to know, either. To understand their overarching goals and motives was to relate to them on a deeper level than that of predator and prey, a talent that Kakashi had never been fond of.

He knew that they were acting oddly, though, and he'd been spying them throughout the day, shifting between snowbanks and crouched behind fallen logs. Any one of them could've leapt out and attacked, yet they had each hung back, erring on the side of caution for seemingly no reason at all. He could see it in their movements—the Grimm weren't acting this way out of fear, but in anticipation. Needless to say, it put him on edge.

'Looks like we'll have to pick up the pace tomorrow,' Kakashi frowned.

The Grimm were expecting something and he didn't feel like sticking around long enough to find out what it was.

~.~.~

So…this was what the kingdoms passed off as ramen, eh?

How utterly vile.

To begin with, the noodles were more fit for pasta than they were ramen, flavorless as they were. He'd never quite understood what travelers meant when they'd mention how the food in the kingdoms was "processed" and "artificial" until now. Noodles back in the Weald were prepared using carefully filtered mineral water and mixed with farm-fresh eggs that had been laid the very same day. In comparison, the tangled monstrosity that sat before him tasted like it had been sitting in the back of a pantry for weeks. For that matter, what was this sacrilegious tripe that they were trying to pass off as broth? Against the savory soups he'd enjoyed in his homeland, this cheap swill could best be described as boiled piss. One sip and he could immediately tell that no real bones had been used to make the stock. What, did the kingdom-born chefs look down upon ramen so much that they thought they could just toss spices into hot water and make a passable base?

Fools.

He had half a mind to drop the entire building down upon their heads right now and bring this sad embarrassment to a merciful end. Better yet, why not just storm into the kitchen and show the misguided plebeians of the kingdoms what ramen was supposed to taste like? He would bring knowledge to the ignorant, enlightenment to the benighted, and the people would flock to him. It would be upon these very roads that he would lay the framework of a new age, one championed and ruled by—

"You, uh…you okay, Naruto?"

"Huh?" Naruto turned to his left, where Ruby sat, eying him with a worried expression, "O-Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just that you've been kinda quiet…and you were glaring at your food for fifteen minutes straight," Ruby mumbled, looking to the steaming bowl of noodles that sat on the counter before her new friend. After they were certain that they'd escaped the fuzz, a chorus of growling stomachs brought forth the revelation that absolutely none of them had eaten dinner yet. On Yang's recommendation, the trio made the short trek over to "A Simple Wok," a kind of hole-in-the-wall, street-side joint that the brawler swore by. The scythe-wielder pointed to his dinner, "Is something wrong with your food?"

Naruto had been uncertain about the restaurant at first, but he'd brightened up the second he saw the menu. That all seemed to change, however, when his food finally arrived. Ruby watched him, rather confused as the blond swordsman (Well, he used a dagger, not a sword. Was there a word for that? Daggersman, perhaps? She'd have to look that up) slowly let his smile slip from his face. He'd stared at the piping hot soup that had been set before him, shifting between a look of bemusement and one of suspicion. Finally, after a handful of minutes spent observing his dinner, Naruto picked up his utensils and took a hesitant bite. He spent the next quarter-hour in perfect silence, glaring daggers at the bowl with a burning hatred.

If looks could kill (and if inanimate objects could die), Ruby was absolutely certain that each and every noodle in that bowl would be dead and buried.

Naruto laughed sheepishly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck as he did so, "I think it's just going to take me a little while to get used to the food here in the big city, that's all."

"An out-of-towner, huh? That's gotta be rough," Yang, who had been busily tending to the needs of her own stomach, spoke up, "Where are you from?"

"Nowhere you'd know. I don't think we're even on the map," Naruto answered smoothly. Of all the questions he expected to be asked during his stay in Vale, he'd prepared and rehearsed for those dealing with his birthplace and family the most. In his preparation, he had developed a simple strategy: stay vague and, no matter what, never commit. He didn't want to run the risk of contradicting himself somewhere down the road. Shrugging, the blond rested his elbows on the counter, "Just a little town out in the sticks."

"Oh, sounds exciting," Yang gave a good-natured smirk.

"If farm living is your idea of exciting, then there's no better place to be," Naruto nodded his head, "It wasn't mine, though, so I left."

"And you came to Vale, looking for adventure," Yang grinned deviously, "Instead, you found my sweet, adorable, and currently single sister, Ruby, and it was love at first sight! I'm still not entirely sure how to feel about that, by the way. Wanting some action in your life is fine and all, but seducing my sister is a bit—"

"Yang, quit it already!" Ruby shouted, cheeks red enough to rival her cloak, "I already told you that it's not like that!"

"Relax, Ruby," the older sibling laughed and reached over to ruffle Ruby's hair. Yang then took a hold of the half-empty glass of iced tea she'd been enjoying with her dinner and raised it up, "I'm just teasing."

Ruby pouted, crossing her arms with a huff, "Not funny…"

Naruto chuckled—he had to admit, watching Ruby's reactions to all things embarrassing was top-quality entertainment. He shot the youngest of their small group an impish grin, one that the red-loving lass recognized with no small amount of horror was identical to the smiles that Yang always wore. Don't get her wrong, Ruby loved her sister to death and always would, no matter what.

She just wasn't sure if she wanted to live in a world where there were two Yangs.

"I don't know, Ruby," Naruto gave the girl a joking nudge, "I thought that one was pretty good. You could even say it was tearrific."

The look of terror that shot across the petite girl's face earned a pair of laughs from the two blondes. Ruby bowed her head in dejection, sinking down into her seat until she was low enough that her forehead was pressed firmly against the countertop. She groaned, "Not you too…"

"Sorry—I couldn't resist," Naruto smiled.

"Joking aside, how did you two actually meet?" Yang questioned, a curious look in her eyes, "My little sis here isn't exactly the sociable type."

Naruto glanced over to Ruby, who had lifted her head to shoot him a pleading look. As discretely as she could manage, the scythe-wielder lifted a finger to her lips and pantomimed shushing the blond. It seemed that Ruby wasn't too keen on the idea of her sister finding out about their run-in with the red-headed crook or their arrests. Maybe she didn't want to worry her sister? Naruto wasn't entirely sure why she wanted to keep their heroic activities a secret, but he saw no harm in obliging Ruby.

"I just kinda helped her out of a tight spot," Naruto explained, "Nothing too big."

"That so?" Yang sprouted a soft, gentle smile on her face that looked almost out of place on the boisterous blonde, "Guess I owe you one, then. Thanks for looking out for Ruby."

Naruto shook his head, "I really didn't do all that much."

"Nah, I'm sure you did more than you think," Yang tossed an arm around Ruby's shoulders as she spoke, "Ruby may be tough, but she's actually pretty gullible. I'm surprised Dad even let her come out to the city by herself."

Ruby gave her sister a glare that looked more adorable than it did intimidating, "I am not gullible!"

"Aren't you the one who refused to take a bath for a week after I told you that a King Taijitu was hiding in the drain?"

"I was five!"

"And what a little cutie you were~!" Yang squealed affectionately, "Do you remember how you used to run around and play Huntress? And the way you'd always get your cape caught in doors was so adorable! Oh, can't you go back to being a baby again? Please? Just for a little while!"

Ruby groaned, palming her face, "Can't you give it a rest, Yang?"

"No way! I'm not gonna see my baby sister again for an entire year after tonight! Do have any idea what that's going to do to our sibling dynamic!?" Yang spoke in a firm tone, a determined fire burning in her lavender gaze, "I've gotta get my fill of your adorableness while I still can!"

Of course, unbeknownst to Yang, with Ruby's admittance to Beacon secured, that was no longer true—the duo of Rose and Xiao Long was destined to continue for at least another few years. Ruby would get around to informing the blonde brawler of that fact…eventually. She had to be careful, after all. Such sensitive and life-changing news had to be delivered at the right time and in a proper setting.

Like when they were alone and not in public, so that Yang couldn't humiliate her further.

"Please never say those words again," Ruby begged.

"I make no promises," Yang replied, "C'mon, we should do something together before you have to go back to Patch. We could go sightseeing or catch a movie, and we have our pick of malls to check out. I swear, Vale has, like, six different shopping malls—it's kinda ridiculous."

"Shopping…? Oh, that's right!" Ruby's eyes widened with realization. She turned to Naruto, a small smile on her face, "I guess we should get going soon, before all the stores close for the night."

"Yeah, we probably should," Naruto nodded. While Ruby pulled out her wallet and tossed a few lien onto the countertop, Naruto looked to Yang and offered her a polite smile, "It was nice meeting you, Yang, but I've gotta get going. I have a few chores to take care of and Ruby offered to help me with them."

"I'll call you when we're done, so make sure to charge your scroll!" Ruby explained, giving her older sibling a pointed look, "And don't get the police called on you again while I'm gone!"

With that said, Ruby and Naruto stood from their seats and started down the road together, leaving a stunned blonde in their wake. Did they just…did Yang Xiao Long, professional badass and life of every party she'd ever been to, just get ditched by her own sister? Yang really wasn't sure how to feel about this. On one hand, her baby sister had just blown her off to run around with a guy she barely knew. On the other hand, though, shy and innocent Ruby Rose had just scored the hottest piece of ass Yang had seen since coming to Vale. With a mix of betrayal and pride swirling around in her chest, Yang quickly stood up and followed the duo.

"Whoa, hold up! You're ditching me to go on a hot date!?" Yang called, running after them, "That's cold, Ruby! At least find me one too!"

"I already told you, it's not like that!" Ruby frowned, turning to address her sister, "I'm just helping Naruto find some new clothes!"

Yang's brow shot up in disbelief. The brawler, seeking confirmation, turned to her fellow blonde, "Is that true?"

"Can't you tell just by looking?" Naruto gave a self-deprecating laugh as he gestured to his own ragged clothes, "The roads from the countryside to Vale were a bit rougher than I thought they'd be and my outfit kinda paid the price. I'm not exactly familiar with the different stores and brands here, so I figured Ruby might be able to show me where to get a good deal on some clean clothes."

Yang, not one to pass up the opportunity to ogle such a fine male specimen, whole-heartedly allowed her eyes to dive downwards to examine his apparel and the toned body that it covered. It was true—his clothes had definitely seen better days. His pants were very nearly worn through at several spots and the multiple deep gashes that Naruto's flak jacket sported certainly showed that his journey to Vale had not been an uneventful one. He looked more like a soldier returning from war than a normal teenager, and while that wasn't a complete deal-breaker for Yang, both she and her fantasies were quite invested in seeing what Naruto looked like after he cleaned up a bit.

That being said…

"Ruby," Yang abruptly called out.

The young girl blinked, "What?"

"Do you actually know about any clothing stores around here?" the older sibling questioned, eying her sister suspiciously. When it came to helping her friends, Ruby was often too eager for her own good. The girl would jump at the chance to lend a hand, only to realize later that she was just as clueless about what to do as the one who asked her for help in the first place. Given that and her known disinterest in fads, Yang really wasn't confident that Ruby actually knew any better than Naruto did when it came to shopping in Vale.

"Of course I do!" Ruby declared, "I know about a bunch of places, like…um…there's that one place that sells those really comfy combat-skirts and, uh…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Yang sighed, shaking her head. Stepping forward, the outgoing girl grabbed a hold of both Ruby and Naruto by their collars and dragged them along behind her, "Let's go, you two—I'll be teaching the both of you about the finer points of fashion tonight."

Because if you wanted to kick ass, you had to look damn good while doing it.

After struggling to rip herself free from Yang's grip for several minutes, Ruby gave a reluctant sigh and submitted to being towed all the way across town to the nearest mall. Beside her, Naruto allowed himself to be carried off without a fight. Honestly, it didn't really matter to him who it was that showed him the way, just as long as he got there, preferably sometime tonight. He had only a short handful of hours left until he would begin his semester at Beacon and he wanted to be ready to adjust to life as a student.

Naruto watched "A Simple Wok" grow evermore distant as Yang hurriedly pulled him further down the road. He grimaced, but resisted the urge to raise his hand high into the air and offer the establishment and its shitty ramen a well-deserved one-finger salute.

'Don't think this is over—I won't let this stand,' Naruto growled mentally at the restaurant, 'When I'm finished here, I'm coming for you next.'

Until then, he would rest easier knowing that, at the very least, he had skipped out on paying the bill.

~.~.~

"Naruto, I understand that you're scared."

"I'm not s-scared."

"Fear is natural—there's no shame in being afraid," Kakashi continued, "In fact, I'd be a lot more worried if you weren't. After what you've been through, you'd have to be either stupid or insane not to be afraid. By the way, there's no psychiatrist around for the next couple thousand miles, so do me a favor and try not to go crazy, alright?"

"G-Got it," Naruto gave a stiff nod.

"Good," Kakashi reached down and gave the blond a pat on the head, "Now, as I was saying, being scared isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fear is an important tool for survival. It's how our bodies warn us of danger and the adrenaline it produces helps us overcome serious threats, understand? It only becomes a problem when we panic and let fear cloud our judgment."

Naruto nodded again, "R…Right."

"So the best thing to do when you're afraid is to remain calm," Kakashi's tone was cool and collected, "Especially during tense situations. The enemy can strike at any time from just about anywhere, so you have to make sure that you're prepared. Keep your movements conservative and don't draw attention to yourself—the last thing you need in a fight is to limit your options because you were reckless, so never let anything get in the way of your mobility."

Naruto hummed in agreement.

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head exasperatedly, "What I'm trying to tell you, Naruto, is get the hell off of my damn leg already."

As planned, they had begun their descent into the destroyed village the very moment that the sun had peeked over the horizon. Surprisingly, though, it had been an uneventful trek thus far. Kakashi had kept a vigilant watch the entire way down the glen and he'd yet to spot even a single Creature of Grimm. The lack of resistance and aggression set off a series of alarms in his head. Last night, he'd been able to see them by the dozens, eagerly stirring around in the dark. Now, in broad daylight, all that was left of their presence were the various tracks they'd left behind in the snow. Was he supposed to believe that every single Grimm had simply grown tired during the long night and wandered off?

Bullshit.

As they had neared the entrance to the abandoned settlement, a wary Kakashi had advised Naruto to keep close. Unfortunately for the man, the terrified boy took that as an open invitation to literally cling to the only source of safety he had. Naruto wrapped his tiny arms around Kakashi's leg and refused to let go, clutching to him with strength that Kakashi had thought the exhausted child to be incapable of.

"B-But…" Naruto looked up to Kakashi pleadingly, tears pricking at the corners of his blue eyes. Kakashi answered the boy's desperate gaze with a flat, dead-eyed stare. If the blond thought he was going to sway the man with tears, then he truly had no idea who he was dealing with. Maybe a softer sort of person would've caved and let the child remain as he was, but experience had sharpened and hardened the silver-haired wanderer. Kakashi hadn't been lying when he claimed that movement was important. How many millions had fallen in battle simply because they were unable to dodge? How many thousands more joined them in the grave, all due to a lack of speed?

He wasn't about to let the extra fifty pounds that was currently stuck to his left leg be the death of him.

"Off," Kakashi ordered dryly, "Before I pry you off myself and, trust me, you wouldn't enjoy that—I'm not above tickling or giving noogies."

With great reluctance, Naruto released Kakashi's leg and stepped back. Sighing, the blond grimaced. He was acting stupid and he knew it. Kakashi was right there beside him, ready to defend the both of them at a moment's notice, and they hadn't seen a single Grimm all day. Logically speaking, he didn't have much to be afraid of.

At least, that was what he tried to tell himself.

One glance at his surroundings was enough to dispel any notion of bravery from his mind. The cobbled streets, coated in a nauseating slush of red snow and frozen gore, were foreign to him. The homes, torn asunder and abandoned as the hollow husks they now were, unrecognizable. Of the few tangled piles of frost-covered bone and viscera that still sported at least a portion of a human face, none were familiar.

And yet he was home again.

No great fire had devoured the worst of the tragedy as it had in his village and he was certain that he would find no unmarked gravestone anywhere nearby, but the horrors were unmistakable. The blood-soaked roads, the gore-filled alleys—all of it was the same. It was like he'd never even left his home in the first place. In a way, perhaps he hadn't. Every night, he had dreamt of returning here, to this scene. Every day, it haunted his thoughts.

"C'mon—I think I see what's left of a butcher shop up ahead," Kakashi muttered, stepping over a severed arm, "That's as good a place to start as any."

Apparently the morbidity of it all was lost on the older man. Trailing behind him, Naruto grew paler and paler with every step as he moved deeper into the living nightmare. His nightly terrors and plagued daydreams couldn't compare to this. The blond knew that no matter what horrors were lurking up ahead, he couldn't wake up. This time the ghost story was real and, unlike his dreams, he didn't know how this tale was going to end.

Naruto shivered.

Oh, how he wished he could wake up.

~.~.~

He'd first heard of the supposedly vaunted "malls" of the kingdoms when he was just a little boy. He and other curious children would gather around the local tavern window in hopes of overhearing the drunken stories of wary travelers, who were all too eager to earn themselves a bit of recognition by sharing their exploits. It was through that goldmine of information that he had learned that the kingdom's malls were "the only battleground that those bloated kingdom-born pigs would ever know."

Naïvely, he'd taken those words to heart. Marvelously decorated arenas, where shining, glory-hungry knights took up arms against the most hideous beasts that mankind had ever seen, became synonymous with the term "mall" in his young mind. After all, he'd heard of how gruesome a mauling could be. Surely those who braved such pain must have been the most heroic figures the kingdoms had ever witnessed.

His father had laughed quite loudly when Naruto had run home that day, shouting giddily about how he would become the greatest mall champion in history. At the time, he didn't really understand what was so funny about what he'd said, but when Yang finally succeeded in dragging both him and Ruby to the nearest mall, Naruto had to laugh at himself. To be fair, it was an arena of a certain kind, replacing gladiators with teenagers who fought for sales rather than honor. It was hardly the tribute to decadence that he had conjured in his mind during his younger years, though.

And then he had taken his first step inside.

His jaw dropped. It seemed to stretch on for as far as his eyes could see, with stores lined up side-to-side like a regiment of soldiers at attention. Swarming in and out of those shops were droves of customers, packed together like a herd of cattle. In the midst of this ocean of shoppers, he could see sprays of water leap out from several indoor fountains and the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting in the air had Ruby practically drooling. And that was only the first floor! Glancing upwards, he found four more floors of shoppers and shops looking back down at him!

Vale had six of these things!?

The sheer extravagance was so mind-boggling that he'd hardly noticed when the more boisterous of the two sisters yanked him into the first clothing store they passed. Ruby was lucky enough to slip away at that moment, sticking near the front of the store, where she apparently managed to find a magazine rack. Currently, she was far too enthralled with another issue of Weapons Magazine to focus on the matter at hand. Unfortunately, that left him to take the full brunt of Yang's lecture on "looking hot," which ended with the brawler shoving the clothes that she picked out for him into his hands.

"Really? Orange?"

"I'm just gonna go ahead and pretend that I didn't hear you dissing orange," Yang grinned pleasantly, "C'mon, orange is an awesome color that you'd look great in! Right, Ruby?"

"H-Huh? Oh, um, right! Definitely! You should totally…uh…do whatever Yang just said!"

Sighing, Naruto looked down at the clothing that his fellow blonde was so proudly offering him. It was a simple down vest, burnt orange in color, that was clearly meant as a replacement for his flak jacket. While it wouldn't have the armored lining of his old jacket, it was lighter and would probably offer more warmth. The quality wasn't terrible, either. In fact, it was rather decent for something he assumed wasn't made by a tailor's hands. No, it was the color that threw him off.

Outside of the handful of festivals that a couple of the more prosperous villages held, brightly colored dyes were extraordinarily rare in the Weald. For one thing, brighter dyes took longer to make and were generally more expensive than earthier tones. What was worse about wearing bright clothing, though, was how it made you a target. If the Grimm couldn't see you in the dark before, they sure as hell would after you draped yourself in a vibrant pink or sunny yellow. Even if you managed to avoid being devoured, anyone who saw you would no doubt think you were a complete moron to even take the risk in the first place. Having people doubting your intelligence and being rich enough to afford the more expensive dye were just about the quickest ways Naruto could think of to become the target of pickpockets, highwaymen, and brigands.

"I'm sure orange is a lovely color," Naruto assured Yang, "I just don't think I should walk around looking like a giant carro—"

Naruto found his words cutoff as soft fabric collided with his face. Considering that all he could see now was orange, it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened. Yang, having apparently given up on trying to convince Naruto of her selections, decided instead to simply throw them at him. Reaching up and pulling the vest off his visage, Naruto sent a pointed look towards the older sister.

"What—"

Again, Naruto found himself interrupted by cloth slapping his face.

"Stop tha—"

This time, it was the rougher sensation of denim that smacked against his head.

"Dressing room," Yang demanded, pushing a new pair of hiking boots into his hands and pointing in the direction of the changing rooms, "Now."

'Don't fight it and it'll be over quicker,' Naruto told himself, "Yes, Ma'am…"

If he was trying to blend in, it was probably better to follow the advice of a trendy person like Yang anyway. Walking over to one of the fitting rooms, Naruto stepped in and shut the door behind him. Glancing down at Yang's selections, he raised an inquisitive brow. In addition to the orange down vest, Yang had supplied him with a simple white long-sleeve shirt, a pair of slightly faded black pants, and a simple set of dark leather boots and a matching belt.

Was this what people his age wore normally?

Naruto shrugged, 'Well, if I walk outside and people start laughing at me, I can always just change clothes again."

Pulling off his flak jacket and shirt, it was only a matter of seconds before the blond was dressed in the new clothes that Yang had so gently offered him. Naruto turned to the mirror that rested in the corner of the room. Gone was the young man who had spent the last four years of his life walking from one end of the globe to the other. In his place stood a normal teenager, one you could find traversing the street of any given city.

This night had to have been one of the most surreal experiences he'd ever had. He'd known of the differences between the Weald and the kingdoms for his whole life, but hearing about the extreme indulgence that went on in the faraway cities and seeing it with his own eyes were two very different things. Where he came from, it was rare for entire settlements to have more than a dozen stores. This single mall had more shops than he would ever know, though, and took up enough space to comfortably fit three entire villages!

'Talk about being worlds apart…' Naruto snorted, staring at his reflection as he zipped up the vest. This "new" him was undoubtedly the most bizarre thing about this entire escapade. Naruto frowned slightly and waved a hand at the mirror, as if to test if the double he saw was truly himself. When his copy waved back at him, he grimaced. Something about seeing himself dressed this way made his skin crawl.

'Guess I'll just have to get used to it,' the blond ignored his own discomfort in favor folding up his old clothes. Tucking them under his arm, he made for the door and was greeted by a flirtatious wolf-whistle the second he stepped through it.

Yang, of course, was standing right outside, waiting for him with a grin on her face, "Not too shabby, Handsome!"

To his credit, Naruto did his best to hold back the faint blush that threatened to dust his cheeks—it wasn't often that women commented on his looks, "Don't call me that."

"Sure, sure. Now hold still for a second," Yang ordered, moving closer to him. Reaching out, Yang took a hold of the vest's zipper and pulled it down, opening it completely and revealing the chest of the white shirt beneath it. Stepping back, she admired her work with a smile and nodded her head, "There we go! That's much better!"

Naruto glanced down at the unzipped down vest, "Does it really make that much of a difference?"

"It makes a ton of difference!" Yang answered confidently, "Trust me, you look great!"

'I don't need to look good, I just need to look normal,' Naruto hummed, "If you say so…"

"Oh, ye of little faith…" Yang shook her head, turning back to her sister, "Isn't Naruto rocking his new look, Ruby?"

'No way! The ST-84 is actually going to have metallic archaea nano-fiber blades!? Awesome!' Ruby gushed, lifting her head from her magazine only when she heard her name, "Hm? What did you say, Yang?"

Yang sighed and bowed her head in exasperation as she jerked a thumb towards the young man in question, "Doesn't Naruto look nice?"

Chuckling, Naruto wore a somewhat strained grin as he gave a short wave to the girl. Ruby blinked. There was no denying that Naruto looked good in his new outfit, but there was also something different about the blond. What bothered her the most, though, was that she couldn't exactly explain what it was. She just got a strange vibe, watching Naruto stand there. Oddly enough, it vaguely reminded her of when she visited the zoo as a young child and saw all the wild animals locked up behind bars and glass walls.

Ruby pushed that thought aside and smiled, "You do look nice, Naruto."

Naruto's grin became sheepish, "Thanks. I guess I'll go pay for these. Do you guys mind waiting outside for me?"

"No problem," Yang nodded and made for the exit, "C'mon, Ruby—let's go get some of those cookies."

That certainly got the weapon fanatic's attention.

"Coming!" Ruby called, chasing after her sister. Once the two had left the store and disappeared into the mass of shoppers outside, Naruto turned around and walked back into the changing room. Truth be told, he actually had very little cash to his name. In other words, he had none at all. Well, none that any store in a kingdom would accept. For all intents and purposes, Naruto Namikaze was flat broke. Closing the door, Naruto tore the price tags off of his attire. Just because he didn't have any money, however, didn't mean he couldn't get what he wanted. He waited silently, giving Ruby and Yang enough time to put some distance between them and the clothing store.

Tonight, they would be his unwitting partners in crime.

Teleportation was a remarkably useful ability, even with the limitations his semblance forced upon him. In the blink of an eye, he could cross an entire field to close in on an unsuspecting enemy. At the same time, he could never be cornered or pinned down. There was no such thing as an inescapable situation for him. Of course, Naruto couldn't use the power freely. He had to create "anchors" to warp to, something he did through a simple touch and a bit of aura. Anything, big or small, could become an anchor, though he typically just relied on his throwing knives to grant him an extra bit of range and mobility. Anything…or anyone.

'They should be far enough away by now,' Naruto hummed, closing his eyes and focusing his aura. When he opened them again, he was sitting beside Ruby and Yang on the marbled edge of one of the indoor fountains he had spotted before. Luckily for him, Yang was too busy people-watching to notice his sudden appearance, while Ruby was blissfully enraptured by the delicious chocolate chip cookie in her hands and wasn't paying attention to anything else.

He glanced down at the scythe wielder's cloak, just in time to catch the anchor glyph he had slyly placed on her glow brightly before slowly fading away into nothingness. It wasn't actually gone, of course—the glyph his semblance allowed him to create would be operational until either he willed it away or it was destroyed—but it would remain completely hidden, invisible until he called on it again.

'Looks like that hug came in handy after all,' Naruto smirked slightly, looking around to see if any bystanders had caught sight of his little trick. He'd felt a tad guilty earlier when he had marked Ruby under the guise of a friendly hug, but it seemed to have worked to his advantage. Thankfully, the other mall-goers were also too caught up in their own matters to notice that a newcomer had warped into existence right in front of them.

His little bit of thievery had gone off without a hitch.

'Now then,' the blond grinned devilishly, 'I think this calls for some fun.'

Leaning towards the unsuspecting girl beside him, Naruto raised his mouth to Ruby's ear.

"Boo!" Naruto whispered.

"Eep!" Ruby yelped, leaping up and tossing her hands into the air. The sudden motion caused her gentle, loving grip on her chocolatey snack to fail—the cookie went flying out of Ruby's fingers. Rocketing upwards, the baked treat flipped through the atmosphere before gravity took hold of it. Ruby watched, wide-eyed and mouth agape, as her cookie plummeted downwards, smacking into the surface of the fountain's water and sinking beneath the pool with a splash. Ruby fell to her knees, "…My…M-My cookie…"

"Whoops," Naruto chuckled sheepishly and offered the girl an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Ruby. I didn't mean to cost you your dessert."

"That was fast," Yang commented, finally taking notice of Naruto's presence.

"I got lucky," Naruto shrugged, "There wasn't much of a line."

"…My cookie…"

"Sweet!" Yang grinned, "So, what's next? Wanna catch a movie? We could even hit up a club or…actually, let's not do that! Forget that last part."

"Next, huh?" Naruto hummed, scratching his chin, "I don't really know. I guess I wanted to do a bit of sight-seeing before I called it a night."

"Works for me!" Yang crossed her arms, a proud look crossing over her features, "Just leave everything to ol' Yang here—I know this city like the back of my hand!"

"Cookie…"

Yang sighed and glanced down at her sister, "C'mon, Ruby, does it really matter? That was your fifth one, wasn't it?"

Naruto blinked, unsure if he had heard the brawler correctly, 'Fifth one!? I wasn't even gone for five minutes!'

Apparently, cookies were as important to Ruby as ramen was to him. In that case, Naruto was lucky that Ruby was as nice as she was. Any man that was foolish enough to dare come between him and a delicious bowl of ramen wouldn't be eating solid food for at least a month. With that in mind, it was probably better to avoid sending Ruby's sweets to a watery grave from now on. Even the gentlest of animals could turn berserk if properly provoked…

"B-But that one had the most chocolate chips in it!" Ruby cried, turning to Yang with a look of misery in her eyes.

"Look, I know a bakery that makes way better cookies than that!" the blonde sister explained, "And I can totally take you there after we give Naruto a tour around town."

Ruby sniffled, "…Really?"

"Really," Yang nodded.

The scythe-wielder's demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. Any and all traces of despair had disappeared from Ruby's features, replaced by sheer excitement and joy. The girl leapt to her feet, grinning brightly as she twirled around on her heel and made a break for the front of the mall, "What are we waiting for, then!? Let's go!"

Naruto looked to Yang, curiosity brimming in his eyes, "Do you actually know a place like that?"

"Not at all!" Yang laughed, patting Naruto's back as she did so, "But by the time I'm done giving you my premium whirlwind tour of Vale, she'll be way too tired to care! That being said, we, uh, kinda need to catch up with her before she gets lost."

"Lost?" Naruto blinked, "How could she get lost? She only had, like, a ten-second head start on us."

"Well, my little sis has super speed as a semblance," Yang explained, "And when she's hopped up on sugar and excited, Ruby could probably outrun a rocket."

"And didn't she just scarf down a bunch of cookies?"

"Yep."

The two blondes shared a look before simultaneously breaking into a full sprint in the direction that Ruby ran off in. Looking back now, maybe it was a good thing that he'd stopped her from eating that last cookie. Who knows what kind of sugar-induced cataclysm he'd spared Vale from that night?

~.~.~

It should've been warmer than it was and he should've felt safer than he did. How long had it been since he had four decently sturdy walls around him, shielding him from the cold and the creatures that hid in it? Yet any relief they provided was soured, tainted by the knowledge of where he was. What sort of psychopath could find any comfort in this bloodied village?

They had spent what was left of the day searching for supplies in the ruins of old homes and shops. A combination of their efforts had left them with enough food to feed themselves that night and a small roll of bandages that, hopefully, they would never have to use. It was hardly the greatest bounty by any means, but surely it was more than they would've earned had they never come down into the destroyed settlement. Now, as nightfall claimed the lands once again, the pair were stowed away, hidden inside the most durable structure they could find—a simple two-story home that, aside from a few broken windows and a busted door, seemed to be structurally sound.

When they had entered the home, Kakashi quickly drew his dagger and, as he had done in every other building they had come to, began to search the domicile for foes seeking a successful ambush. It was obvious that Grimm had already ransacked the place—the toppled and shattered furnishings that littered the house attested to that. After ensuring that no ravenous Grimm were lying in wait on the first floor, Kakashi moved to the second, ordering the blond to wait for him at the foot of the stairs.

Naruto stood at the first step, waiting patiently as Kakashi climbed up above and disappeared from sight. All he could hear were the methodical and steady paces of his would-be teacher creaking across old wooden boards. When those footsteps came to a sudden halt, Naruto briefly feared that Kakashi had discovered a monster lurking upstairs, only to be proven wrong when the man suddenly reappeared at the top of the steps. Oddly enough, Naruto thought that Kakashi seemed just a tad more tired than when he had first ascended the flight of stairs.

"Don't go up there," Kakashi had spoken with finality as he commanded him, "Whatever happens, you're staying on the first floor tonight."

The child gave him a stiff nod in return. Without another word, Kakashi came back down and set to work clearing the mess of debris to one side of the room, creating a small and relatively clean area for them to spend the night. A simple meal and a few quiet hours later, the blond found himself unable to sleep.

Naruto glanced over to Kakashi, who rested a few feet away from him, leaning against the wall. As always, the man was unfazed and calm, his even breaths betraying no sense of panic or fear.

How did he do it? How did none of the blood, the bodies, or the loss of life get to him?

"Eventually, you're going to have to sleep. No sense in putting it off."

As Kakashi's words met his ears, Naruto frowned, "Can't sleep."

"Bad dreams again?" Kakashi questioned, turning to stare at his ward. Even in the dark, Naruto could feel the man's sharp gaze fall upon him.

Was it the dreams? Partially. The nightmares that haunted him gave the boy plenty of motive to avoid slumber. For some inexplicable reason, however, he could tell that it wasn't the nightmares that kept him up. No, it was something else, something…deeper. Something was coming—he didn't know how he knew, but he could feel it—and, somehow, he knew he had to be awake when it happened, whatever "it" was. Maybe he was compelled to avoid sleep so that he could witness it. Maybe it was so that he could run from it.

Whatever the reason, his body just knew that it had to stay awake.

"More like a bad feeling…" Naruto mumbled in response.

Kakashi hummed, "Ignore it. We'll keep looking for supplies at sunrise."

"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Naruto asked.

"Eager to leave, huh?" Kakashi grunted, "It will probably be a few more days. We can't leave anything that could be useful behi…"

Kakashi's gaze shot towards the entrance as he trailed off. Jumping to his feet, the man placed his hand over the handle of his dagger and began to stealthily stalk towards the doorway. Naruto watched as Kakashi slipped down below a shattered window, impressed by the way the older warrior seemed to blend himself with the shadows, moving without making a single sound and shifting naturally with the darkness.

Naruto frowned, "What—"

"Quiet," Kakashi hushed the child, "…Do you hear that?"

The blond fell silent. Closing his eyes, Naruto strained his ears and concentrated as he tried to catch the noise that had alerted Kakashi. A wave of confusion soon washed over the young boy. Not only could he not hear what Kakashi clearly did, he couldn't hear anything at all. Not the howl of the winds, not the clatter of trees clashing their branches against one another in the gales—the world was absolutely silent.

"I don't hear anything," Naruto answered plainly.

"Exactly," Kakashi muttered, narrowing his eyes. Even in the dead of winter, when all of nature seemed to either die or fall comatose, the forest was never at peace. Storms would race through the trees as fast as any wildfire, the icicles and snow that perched on branches would slip loose and plummet under their own weight, and the rare collection of animals that preferred both the cold and the night would run about and kick up a fuss. This quiet was unnatural and every second that Kakashi endured it was maddening.

Lifting himself up to peak outside, Kakashi's suspicions were confirmed. No matter how well they could hide their grotesque forms in the night, Grimm never could shroud their searing eyes. Just as they had last night, the same burning coals were staring back at him as Kakashi looked out onto the ice-filled road. Drawing his dagger, Kakashi wordlessly began counting all of the pairs of red that he could find.

Seeing Kakashi pull his weapon from its sheath, Naruto felt the fear he had carried all day drop into the pit of his stomach, "What is it?"

Rather than answer the question, Kakashi gave another order.

"Draw your sword," Kakashi's tone took on an edge that had been tempered by countless battles, "We're surrounded."

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. Though his hands were trembling as they held it, his blade was wrapped tightly in his grip by the time that Kakashi pulled back from the window. Crouching down, the blond reluctantly crawled to Kakashi, kneeling beside the man with obvious unease.

"How m-many are there?" Naruto questioned.

"At least a dozen, if not more," Kakashi frowned, turning to face the boy, "They're circling the place now, probably making sure that there isn't another way out of here that we could sneak through, but it's only a matter of time before they start getting antsy."

"Then what do we do?" Naruto's heart was beating wildly now, and he found himself unable to stay completely still.

"Well, I'm going to head out there and deal with our guests," Kakashi announced, nodding towards the dagger in his hands, "As for you, you're going to sit here and wait for me to come back."

Naruto's eyes went wide, "You're going alone!? But you said there were—"

"A lot of them, yes," Kakashi interrupted, rolling his shoulders, "I've faced worse and won, but you haven't—if you came with me, I'd be too busy keeping you out of their stomachs to concentrate. I'll be back in ten minutes, maybe fifteen if there are more than I saw."

"But…" Naruto whispered, holding his weapon close, "What if you don't come back?"

"…I'll come back," Kakashi assured, laying a calloused hand upon the boy's head and gently ruffling his hair, "Until then, keep that sword close."

Kakashi pushed himself to his feet and silently stepped towards the door, pausing only when he stood before the broken archway.

The existence of magic had always been a point of contention between the blond and his friends. Naruto could easily recall how whenever one of his friends felt like showing how educated they were of the world by either proving or disproving the realities of magic, a fight was all but destined to break out. In between the shoving and the name-calling, the boy always found himself on the side that argued that magic was real. Of course, he'd never seen any magic or even heard of anyone who had, but the idea of bending nature and spirits to one's will with a few simple words and a wave of a hand was just too amazing to not believe in. Magic was real—it just had to be—and one day he'd master it to soar through the clouds, juggle suns in his hands, and raise walls from the soil that would be high enough to put the kingdoms' to shame.

That was before that night, when Kakashi showed Naruto what magic really was.

The man had readjusted his grip on his dagger and, before Naruto could even comprehend what had happened, the entire room was suddenly engulfed in a flash of brilliance. Blinded by the abrupt flare of light, by the time Naruto had regained his vision, Kakashi had already stepped out into the bitter cold to face the Grimm. Rushing to the window, Naruto peered outside to find Kakashi standing in the snow, a shining pale blade in his hand and a dark Griffon towering over him.

Reeling its head back in an almost mechanical fashion, the black-winged beast spread its beak wide and released a shriek that tore icicles from their roots and shattered the few frozen windows that had gone untouched until then. Kakashi, resolute as ever, dashed forward, leaving a thin trail of white light in his wake. Naruto looked on, mesmerized as the battle unfolded before him.

In that moment, Kakashi taught Naruto of magic.

Magic was the way that a single man could fight against a monster thrice his size and fell it—magic was Dust and steel.

~.~.~

Yang hadn't been kidding—her little tour was the most exhausting event that Naruto had experienced that day, and that included scaling the gargantuan wall that rose miles into the sky. The spirited blonde moved like a lightning bolt, bouncing from one location to the next, hardly stopping to even explain where they were or why the sight was important. Morning had technically arrived by the time that their excursion around Vale finally came to an end and, true to Yang's words, Ruby was so tuckered out that her sister practically had to carry her to their final stop.

"And this is the famous Vale airbus terminal," Yang gestured to the large and ornate building before her with left hand, the right currently preoccupied with propping up her little sister, "It's the biggest one in all four of the kingdoms."

"Really? Why'd they make it so big?" Naruto blinked, looking to the terminal. The concrete and glass structure was certainly an impressive sight, situated as it was amongst well-trimmed hedges and a shining brass statue of Vale's insignia. Around the back, the same airships that he'd spied earlier while atop the wall were landing, having completed their routes for the evening.

"Eh, mostly just to show off," Yang shrugged in response, "All the kingdoms like to have bragging rights over who has the best stuff, but I hear it really comes in handy when the new semester starts at Beacon. The airbus transit is the only way to get from the city to the campus, so the extra space really helps with overcrowding."

Naruto chuckled, "You sure know a lot about Vale, Yang."

"Of course I do," the blonde sister grinned proudly, "I've spent the entire week running all over this place! The city's noisy, flashy, and totally shameless—it's the perfect playground!"

"Wonderful…" Ruby groaned, shooting her sibling a tired look, "Can we go to bed now?"

"Bed? The night's still young, Rubes!" Yang declared, shaking Ruby lightly to ensure the girl would stay awake, "We can't call it a day already!"

"It's one o'clock in the morning," Ruby fired back, stifling a yawn, "The night called it a day an hour ago."

"It is getting kinda late," Naruto hummed, "You've gotta busy day tomorrow too, don't you, Yang?"

While Ruby sent her new friend a grateful yet sleepy smile, Yang pouted, "Sheesh, you two are no fun, y'know that? Fine, fine, off to dreamland we go."

"Yes!" Ruby cheered, still clinging to Yang in order to remain on her feet, "It was nice meeting you, Naruto!"

"Ditto," Yang smirked, nodding towards the young man, "Next time you're in Vale, be sure to hit me up, got it?"

"Definitely," Naruto grinned, "I'll see you two later, so take care of yourselves until then!"

After waving their goodbyes, the sibling duo parted ways with the blond. Naruto, now alone outside the airbus terminal, released a sigh of relief—his first day in Vale had gone far smoother than he had anticipated. Stepping over to one of the benches, Naruto plopped himself down and stretched out, idly musing how this would be the last night he'd spend without a roof over his head for some time. Glancing upwards, Naruto grimaced.

'Can't even see the stars,' Naruto noted with a frown.

In the morning, he'd go and fetch the belongings that he'd left outside the walls, just in case something had gone wrong and he needed to make a quick escape out of the city. He would board the first passenger airbus to Beacon, where he would begin the second phase of his mission by researching his target.

'Four years…' Naruto whistled, thinking back to the time he'd spent trying to get to where he was now, 'Almost a quarter of my life was spent chasing after footprints and shadows with nothing but a name and a face to go by.'

Everything he'd endured—the pain, the sacrifices, the tears—it was all coming to a head. Whether or not this story would have a happy ending now rested entirely on how he played this game from here on out. To the victor went the spoils, and he hadn't trekked halfway across the known world just to walk home empty-handed.

'There's no place left to hide,' Naruto growled as he shut his eyes, eager to rest up and be at his best when tomorrow finally arrived, 'I'm coming after you, Qrow.'

~.~.~

Four dead Griffons lay in the snow, leaking a dark plague into the air from the deep-seated cuts that ran across their throats, and Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. After dispatching the Grimm, the man disappeared out of sight into the dark of night. Now it was only the occasional streak of white in the blackness and the chilling death rattles of fallen Grimm that were letting Naruto know that his protector was, in fact, still alive. Even still, Naruto remained at the window, silently praying for his would-be mentor to return to his side, unscathed.

'Kakashi's strong,' he told himself, clutching his father's blade, 'Strong enough to take care of himself.'

At first, the boy had thought to try and keep track of the time that Kakashi had been gone. The man had promised him that he'd be back in a matter of minutes, an oath that Naruto sincerely hoped Kakashi would remain true to. After being awestruck by the fighter's graceful, ghost-like movements, however, Naruto realized that he'd forgotten to begin his count. It wouldn't have mattered, anyway—ever since Kakashi faded from view, every second seemed to take at least twice as long to pass.

Ducking down from the window, Naruto placed a hand over his heart and cringed as he felt its rapid, panicked beat.

'Kakashi's strong,' he chanted over and over again in his head, 'Kakashi's strong! Kakashi's—'

The sound of floorboards crying out underfoot echoed out from the direction of the entrance, silencing the boy's mind. Relief washed over the blond as he turned to the door, hope in his eyes and overjoyed excitement in his voice, "Kakashi…?"

A pair of burning eyes, flaring like flaming brimstone.

A cracked, bone-white mask, stark and unforgiving as death itself.

A dark cloak, blacker than pitch and as haunting as the night.

Rather than Kakashi, what stood in the doorway was a ghost from the past. The telltale crevice that ran alongside its porcelain-like mask gave it away—it was the same young Beowolf pup that had attacked him a few days ago, the one that Kakashi had kicked off him and the one that the man had warned would return for its meal. It glowered at him, its gaze as ravenous as he remembered, as it blocked his only way out of the home.

He didn't have the time to try and climb through the shattered window. By the time his tired little body would be halfway through, the beast would no doubt have its jaws latched onto his leg and be pulling him back inside for its supper. That left the blond with one option, then.

Getting to his feet as the monster stepped into the room, Naruto held his sword out before him and tried his best to appear menacing. The Beowolf hissed in response, stepping forward to meet the blond's challenge. Naruto gulped, his legs quivering as his blue eyes clashed with the Grimm's red, 'Dad and Kakashi showed you how to do this. Just remember what they—'

"Graah!"

It seemed the creature wasn't going to allow Naruto the luxury of a methodical approach—it lunged forward, leaping into the air as it pounced. The boy barely had the time to lift his blade to block the beast's claws before it was upon him, pressing all of its terrible weight down on his frame. Naruto crumbled to the ground, unable to bear the full brunt of the Beowolf's mass. As soon as his back touched the frigid floor, he felt the monster slam its heavy paw down onto the elbow of his sword arm.

The sickening crack that sounded from his arm was only just overshadowed by his own wail of pain, but he miraculously managed to keep his grip on his sword.

Pinned beneath the Beowolf and with the hand that held his weapon caught under the powerful arm of the monster, Naruto could do little else than reach up with his free hand to seize the throat of the beast just as it tried to bow its head and sink its fangs into his neck. Growling, the Beowolf continued to snap forward in a mad attempt to tear at its prey's face. With each voracious effort to devour the blond's head, Naruto only just managed to keep its jaws at bay by pushing against its throat with all the might he could muster.

Horrified and hysterical, the little boy watched as multiple rows of savage, crooked teeth gnashed just inches away from his face.

As disgustingly cold drool dripped down onto his features, Naruto struggled to free his arm, whimpering at the agony that flared within it every time he tried to tug it out from beneath his hunter's paw. Failing that, the blond instead tried to twist his sword towards his attacker and jam the blade upwards into its side. Trapped as he was, his leverage was poor and, between the bad positioning and the pain that swelled in his limb, Naruto was hardly able to put any power into his desperate attack.

As luck would have it, he barely needed to.

His father's blade had always been of fantastic quality—its edge was unparalleled, its sharpness unrivaled. Even with the little force he could spare to pour into his strike, the sword pierced the thick dark fur of the Beowolf and sank deep into its flesh. Even then, the monster refused to relent, only pulling away and releasing a tormented scream when the blond began to twist the weapon he had punctured it with.

The Beowolf leapt back, taking the sword the was lodged within its chest with it.

Naruto, now unarmed, scrambled to his feet. While his foe was distracted and howling in pain, he made a break for the door.

'Find Kakashi!' Naruto screamed mentally, clutching his limp arm, 'I have to find Kakashi!'

Before he could near the exit, however, a ferocious roar suddenly shook the house's framework. Naruto's mind raced with confusion as the doorframe abruptly exploded in a shower of splinters and rusted nails. Naruto lifted his unhurt arm to shield his eyes from the debris and by the time he lowered it, half of the wall was missing. An Ursa Major, at least twice the size of the titan that had chased him through the woods, had come bursting into the building and was hungrily scanning the room for morsels.

Dread coursed through Naruto's veins as he felt its gaze land on him.

"Grrr…"

Behind him, the Beowolf rose to its feet with a wrathful growl, ready to continue its hunt. Weaponless and with no other recourse, Naruto turned and scurried to the only place that he had left to run to—upstairs. Bounding up the steps, Naruto didn't dare glance back as he ran. If he did, he was certain that he'd find the Ursa's dagger-like claws or the razor-sharp fangs of the Beowolf right behind him, poised to deliver the killing blow. Nearing the peak of the stairs, the boy rushed into the room he found there.

He froze.

In his panic and fear, he'd forgotten Kakashi's early command to remain on the first floor. Now, he understood why the man didn't want him to climb those steps.

He saw what Kakashi didn't want him to see.

It was empty except for two figures that rested in the far side of the room, huddled together and clutching at one another. One of the silhouettes was much larger than the other and cradled the smaller form into its chest, its arms wrapped tightly around the tiny shadow. The smaller of the two had its face pressed against the other, its tiny hands reaching up to grasp at the rags that covered the other figure. Moonlight poured in from the many holes that had rotted into the ceiling above, illuminating the room and revealing the two strangers for what they were.

Corpses.

Suddenly, Naruto couldn't even feel the throbbing agony of his swelling arm and the monsters that were storming up the stairs behind him weren't even an afterthought. He was transfixed on the sight before him, utterly caught up in his silent terror.

"Naruto, run as fast as you can and don't look back!"

His father's words echoed back to him, drifting past his ears as if the man himself stood beside him.

In the moonlight, Naruto could see the features of the two bodies clearly—the cold weather had done horrible wonders in preserving their dying expressions. They carried the same terrified look of shock and despair in their brown eyes and the dark brown hair they shared was frozen stiff, trapped in the iced blood that had dripped down their heads.

"I'll come and get you once it's safe, I promise."

Before the little blond were the last moments of a father and son, embracing and comforting one another as death came for them.

"N-Naruto…why are you…?"

"D-Dad…" Naruto whispered, "I…I didn't mean…to…to…"

"Nar…uto…"

"It…it w-was an accident…" the blond muttered, shaking his head, "I-I…I didn't want to…I don't even know how I…"

"I…t-told you to…run…"

"I did! I did run!" Naruto cried, falling to his knees, "I ran…I ran away with everyone else, but…! I don't know what happened! I just, I…I wanted to be with you! I wanted…and then…and then…!"

"So w-why…"

"I don't know!" the blond screamed, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!"

"Are you…?"

"P-Please, don't go!" Naruto shrieked, "I promise, it wasn't my fault! I'll be good! I'll do whatever you say, I…I'll…please don't go!"

"R…Run, Naru…to…"

"Don't leave me alone," the child begged, "I'm scared. I don't want to be alone, so please…Dad!"

"I…lo…"

"DAD!"

"Grrr…"

Behind him, the menacing growl of a Beowolf alerted the blond to the fact that he was no longer alone—his hunter had finally followed him upstairs and, judging from the thunderous footsteps that sounded from down below, the Ursa wasn't far behind. Slowly, the boy stood and turned to face the predator that had cornered him. The glimmer of his father's sword, trapped within the side of the beast, caught his eye.

A second growl, this one not belonging to any Grimm, filled the room. Somewhere within him, something was speaking to him. As it whispered, the pain in his arm disappeared. His mind was absolutely silent, without a single thought or emotion to compel any action from him. All that was real, all he could experience, was the gentle voice.

It moved for him, and everything faded away.

~.~.~

"I can't believe you two didn't tell me that you both got into Beacon!"

"Technically, you never asked."

"She's not wrong, Yang."

"So not the point!" Yang groaned, snapping over to her fellow blond, "And don't think you're getting out of this, either! After I'm done chewing Ruby out, you're next!"

While Yang was busy lecturing Ruby on the importance of not keeping secrets from her family, Naruto preoccupied himself by gazing out the window of the airbus they road upon. At first, he'd been a bit nervous about stepping into what was essentially a glorified metal tube that was supposed to safely carry a dozen individuals thousands of feet above solid ground. Logically, he knew that the vehicle functioned properly and had already made hundreds of trips into the sky before, but a very vocal part of his brain had still been screaming that gravity didn't work that way. Now that he was sailing in the clouds and looking down at the world below him, though, Naruto was enraptured.

'I have to hand it to you, Vale,' Naruto smiled as a flock of birds soared past him, 'This is pretty damn awesome.'

"You're not mad, are you?" Ruby frowned, casting an apologetic look to her sibling.

"Mad? Are you kidding!? My baby sister is going to Beacon with me!" Yang sprung forward and scooped Ruby up into her arms, "This is the best day ever!"

"P-Please stop…crushing me…again…!"

Turning away from the skies, Naruto chuckled at the sisters' antics. Ruby had been forced to come clean when they'd met up again outside the terminal that morning, revealing her own one-way ticket to Beacon Academy. When Naruto also admitted that he'd not only known about Ruby's enrollment, but that he was also attending the school, Yang's shock had turned into exasperation that neither of them had taken the time to inform her yesterday.

"And on a more somber note, Huntsmen Robinson "Smokey" Brown has officially been declared missing in action. Brown was reportedly on assignment in the Weald to investigate rumors of suspicious activity when radio contact with his team was suddenly lost."

Turning to the center of the cabin, Naruto glanced over to the holographic reporter that stood there with a grimace. Holograms were another thing he'd just have to get used to during his stay in Vale. When the transparent figure first appeared out of thin air and began to brief the passengers on the morning news, Naruto's heart had nearly leapt into his throat. The ghost of a dead anchorman was haunting the ship! It wasn't until he saw everyone's lack of a reaction that the blond calmed down and realized that the see-through man had to be one of the rumored "holograms" that the kingdoms' technology could produce.

"Brown's disappearance brings the number of Huntsmen and Huntresses who have vanished in the region up to a startling twelve, but the Chambers have thus far refused to issue an official statement on the matter," the newscaster continued, "Please stay tuned to the Vales News Network for more information and an exclusive interview at noon, where Dr. Wilson Phillips will discuss the possibility of military action against the tribes inhabiting the territory. In other news, an attempted robbery took place last night at a local Dust shop, where officials say that…"

'Military action, huh? Since when have the kingdoms needed an excuse for that?' Naruto snorted, returning his gaze to the clouds.

"Everyone at Beacon's going to think you're the bee's knees!" Yang exclaimed, throwing her arm around Ruby's shoulders.

"I don't wanna be the bee's knees, okay!? I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees," Ruby sighed dejectedly.

"What's with you? Aren't you excited?" Yang asked, tilting her head.

"Of course I'm excited!" Ruby frowned, "I just…I got moved ahead two years. I don't want anyone thinking I'm special or anything."

"But you are special," Yang grinned, "Isn't that right, Handsome?"

"She's gotta point, Ruby—it's not every day that a fifteen-year-old saves the city from an evil criminal mastermind," Naruto smiled reassuringly before shooting an annoyed expression at the older of the two siblings, "And don't call me that."

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa," the voice of the reporter drifted past them as a mugshot of the "criminal mastermind" in question flashed onto the projection.

"Talk about lousy timing," Yang flatly commented, scowling at the face of the man who attempted to blow her sister to smithereens.

"Thank you, Cyril. This Saturday's Faunus civil rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted..."

The broadcast of the local news suddenly died away and, in its place, the image of none other than Glynda Goodwitch appeared. The stern-faced woman seemed gentler than usual, even managing to carry a smile as she addressed the passengers aboard the airbus.

"Hello," Glynda spoke, hands neatly folded behind her back, "And welcome to Beacon."

"Who's that?" Yang questioned.

Naruto nodded towards the projection, "Her name's—"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"…Yeah, that," Naruto pouted.

"Oh," Yang hummed.

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy!" Glynda continued, "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it."

'Is that what they tell them?' the blond resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world," the Huntress finished as the projection ended. Towards the front of the cabin, excited calls began to sound out—Beacon Academy had finally come into view down below. Joining Naruto by the windows, Yang and Ruby looked down to see their new school appear before them as the airship emerged from a large cloud.

"Wow! Look, you can even see Signal from up here!" Ruby smiled, "I guess home isn't too far away after all."

Naruto stared down at the campus with a frown, 'Home's father than you might think, Ruby.'

"Beacon's our home now," Yang placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder.

Naruto observed their exchange, the touching little moment shared between the siblings lifting his own spirits. He was even slightly annoyed on behalf of the sisters when that moment was ruined as a blond stranger shoved past them, groaning and retching as he made a mad dash for the bathroom. Yang, slightly stunned by the weirdo's actions, chuckled weakly, "Well, I guess the view isn't for everyone…"

Ruby nodded, "It was a nice moment while it lasted."

"It takes all kinds," Naruto shrugged.

"Oh, I wonder who we're gonna meet!" Yang enthused.

Ruby frowned, still slightly put off, "Hopefully someone better than Vomit Boy."

Sniffing the air, Ruby's expression morphed into a disgusted grimace. Glancing downwards, she took a large step back from her older sister, pointing to Yang's boots as she did.

"Oh, Yang, gross!" Ruby muttered, pinching her nose, "You have puke on your boot!"

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!"

"Ew, ew, ew—Yang, stop it! Stay away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!"

In the middle of all the commotion, Naruto sighed and tried his best to focus on the breathtaking sight below them, 'Home sweet home.'

~.~.~

"…wa…p."

The cold, inescapable as it was, was the first sensation to return.

"Nar…"

Touch and feeling as a whole came next. Surprisingly, he felt no pain. Not even his arm, which he had suspected to be broken or at least fractured, caused him any discomfort. Instead, he felt only cold, exhaustion, and the pressure of two large hands upon his shoulders, gently shaking him out of his sleep. His mind, still swimming in a haze, couldn't understand what was happening. All he knew was that he wanted to rest some more.

"…wake up…"

Hearing slowly returned after that. Someone was calling to him, but he couldn't quite recognize the voice. It didn't sound like his father, nor was it the gentle tone that had whispered to him when he was attacked. He frowned, twisting away from the stranger. Whoever he was, he could wait until the blond was done slumbering.

"Naruto, wake up."

No, wait, he did know this voice. It was…

"…Kakashi?" Naruto murmured, opening his eyes. He immediately regretted doing. The light that flooded the room blinded him, forcing the boy to quickly and tightly shut them again. Beside him, he could hear Kakashi's laughter. Naruto pouted, "Go away and let me sleep."

"Oh, so now you want to sleep?" Kakashi snorted, "Well, too bad. We've got some things we need to talk about, you and I."

Groaning, Naruto sat up and slowly cracked open his eyes. Glancing around, he found himself back on the first floor of the home that he and Kakashi had been attacked in last night. Sure enough, he could spy the black blood that had spilled out from the Beowolf he'd stabbed on the stained floor. Meanwhile, the gaping hole in the wall that the Ursa had made was allowing sunlight to pour into the broken room. Kakashi was sitting at his side, holding his father's sword.

"Thought I told you to hold onto this," the man recalled, handing the blade back to the boy.

"I did," Naruto gingerly took the weapon back, sheathing it away, "But it got stuck in a Beowolf that attacked me."

"So you were attacked…" Kakashi hummed.

Naruto blinked, "You didn't save me?"

"Not this time," Kakashi shook his head, "Turned out there were closer to forty Grimm out there, not a dozen, so it took me longer than expected to get back. Found you up on the second floor, out cold in the middle of the room. Speaking of which, I seem to remember that I also told you not to go up there."

"I got chased up the stairs by the Beowolf and an Ursa," Naruto mumbled, staring down at his lap, "I didn't have a choice."

"…As long as you're safe, I guess it doesn't matter," Kakashi shrugged, "Still, fighting a Beowolf and an Ursa at the same time? You must've handled yourself pretty well—you don't have a scratch on you."

"What do you mean? I really messed up my…" Naruto looked down at his arm, expecting to see it swollen and bruised from the blow the Beowolf had dealt it. Instead, he found a perfectly healthy, unscathed left arm. The blond was so confused that he hardly believed it, experimentally flexing and stretching the limb several times before concluding that it was indeed unhurt.

"Messed up your what?" Kakashi frowned.

"…Never mind," Naruto shook his head, "If you didn't save me, then how'd you get my sword from the Beowolf?"

"I never saw your Beowolf," Kakashi answered, pointing down to the weapon at the boy's side, "It was lying outside on the street when I got back. Hell, I figured you'd freaked out and thrown the damn thing at a Grimm that got too close to the house."

Naruto's face scrunched up in bemusement. None of this was making any sense. He knew that the Beowolf had seriously hurt his arm, so why did he have no injuries? He'd plunged his father's sword into the side of that same monster, so how did it get outside? If Kakashi hadn't come to his rescue, who had? He certainly would have remembered slaying either of the two beasts that had tried to devour him, yet he couldn't recall doing so. In fact, he couldn't remember anything at all after the Grimm had chased him upstairs.

Seeing the boy's confusion, Kakashi sighed and rose to his feet, "Well, it won't do much good to dwell on things now. We're both alive and that's all that matters. After all, I'd be one hell of a shitty teacher if my new student died before we even started training."

That certainly had the boy perking up.

"Eh?" Naruto blinked, looking to Kakashi with an excited stare, "You mean—"

"Yeah, I guess I might as well teach you a few things, seeing as we're stuck together for the time being," Kakashi casually waved off the boy's excitement, "But I'm reserving the right to dump you off at the first orphanage we find if you can't pull your own weight, so be sure to keep up."

"YES!" Naruto cheered as he leapt up, "I won't let you down—I mean it! I'll be the best student ever! I'll be so great that you'll have to start learning new things to teach me!"

"Sure, sure," Kakashi nodded, "Now, c'mon. We've got a long day ahead of us."

"Yes, Teacher!"

"Don't call me that."

"Sure thing, Master!"

"Don't call me that either."

"Yessir, Mentor!"

"If you call me anything other than my name, I'm not going to teach you anything."

"G-Got it, Kakashi," Naruto sheepishly amended, keeping pace beside his new teacher as they exited the building, "But what made you change your mind about training me? Am I really good with Dad's sword? Like, a child pedigree or something!?"

"That would be a 'prodigy,' Naruto," Kakashi flatly correct the little blond, "And no, you're not."

Naruto deflated somewhat at that, "O-Oh…"

"But," Kakashi continued, "You do have…well, let's just call it potential for now."

"Potential?" Naruto blinked.

Kakashi hummed, "It means you could be strong one day, if you try really hard."

"Oh," Naruto nodded, processing the information that Kakashi had given him. Before long, a cocky grin had sprouted on his face, accompanied by a confident chuckle, "Heh. I have potential!"

"Don't let it get to your head, brat," Kakashi snorted, "Half the idiots in the world have potential, they just never do anything with it."

"I won't!" Naruto declared, though the way his boastful smile didn't budge an inch proved that it was already too late—his young protégé's ego was inflating rapidly. As the pair stepped out onto the tarnished cobblestone paths and continued on with their hunt for supplies, Kakashi couldn't help but cast hidden glances to the boy he'd taken as his first student. No matter how he tried to keep his mind off of it, the uneasiness of last night continued to ravage the man's mind.

He'd never seen anything like it. Even trying to understand the reasons for the unnatural occurrence he'd witnessed drew forth disturbing possibilities.

For the sake of easing the boy's worries, Kakashi had told a small half-truth. There were indeed forty Grimm that had surrounded them, but the man only killed a little more than half of them. He'd been locked in battle with a Death Stalker after having slain a pair of Boarbatusks. Overhead, a trio of giant Nevermores flew circles in the dark sky as they crowed, while a pack of Creeps waited on the sidelines for the perfect opportunity to strike. He had fought the Death Stalker back into a corner and was ready to rush in and deliver the final blow to the beast when it happened.

The dark scorpion that he'd been fighting with suddenly went stiff, as if the snow that fell around it had somehow frozen it in place. Confused, Kakashi erred on the side of caution and chose to hang back rather than attack. For a time, everything was eerily still. Finally, the scorpion moved again. It raised its deadly stinger high into the air and, in turn, he raised his dagger to block the strike that he was certain was meant for him.

Instead, he watched as the Death Stalker brought its stinger down upon its own head, goring itself and ending its own existence.

He was so shocked that he'd almost missed how the Nevermores above him abruptly went silent. Kakashi had looked upwards just in time to catch the sight of the massive birds diving down at full speed to smash their skulls open on the stone streets below, spilling their lives out onto the road. A sudden commotion from the Creeps grabbed his attention. Kakashi turned to find that the swarm of Grimm had begun to bite at each other, ripping out one another's throats with their pointed fangs.

In all his years of fighting Grimm, he'd never seen one take its own life before, let alone several at a time, nor had he witnessed Grimm killing their own. After he returned to the boy's side, he'd spent the rest of the night lying awake, running over all the reasons why such a thing could've happened. The Grimm were completely healthy and began the attack as any of their kind would have done, ruling out the possibility of some form of sickness or disease. For that matter, there was nothing unique about the location they were in—the village was the same as any other ransacked husk that Grimm inhabited.

What was it, then, that could drive Grimm, creatures of pure malice who lived only to kill and hurt humans, to commit suicide?

For all his hours spent pondering, Kakashi could only come to one conclusion.

'Naruto…' Kakashi frowned, 'Just what the hell are you?'

~.~.~

And there it is, clocking in at just over 23,000 words on 50 pages. Before I go any further, I'd like to thank Fan-Of-FictionX01 for helping me proofread this stupidly long chapter. I'd also like to apologize for taking so long to get this out, but dental surgery and my capstone papers absolutely drained any and all time I had this semester. On the bright side, though, I'm just about done with college, so soon I won't just be a shitty college student, I'll also be a shitty adult with real responsibilities! Yay!

So, time to respond to some reviews.

Is the Hiraishin Naruto's semblance? Well, this chapter made it a lot clearer, but yes, it is. Semblances have been stated to sometimes be genetic and Naruto inherited his from his pops, Minato.

Why doesn't Naruto have an accent? Partly because no village actually sticks around for more than a few generations, but also because I have no idea how accents in the RWBY-verse work. Velvet and Scarlet have accents, but Weiss doesn't. Weiss sounds just like she's from Vale, even though she's not. Blake wasn't born in Vale either, but she has no accent. So either RWBY has its own version of Britain or Velvet's and Scarlet's semblances are to speak in accents from parallel universes.

Are you really sure you want to focus on politics? I probably could have worded that better in the author's note last time. I'm not really going to focus on politics as much as I'm going to show how certain political choices have led the characters in certain ways.

Did you base Naruto's weapon off of X? Everything I write about with Naruto or the Naruto characters are entirely based off of what's in the Naruto cannon. The tantō that both Naruto and Kakashi use is actually based on Kakashi's own white chakra saber that he had in the Kakashi Gaiden miniseries.

Will Naruto's team be made up of OCs or Naruto characters? Naruto characters. I know, some of you might hate me for that and some of you even said how you'd prefer a bunch of OCs to be his teammates, but c'mon guys, ifs OCs are fine, then why aren't other Naruto characters? I have two full universes to play with. I don't just wanna take the main character from one and put it in another. I want to blend both into a story that incorporates elements from both series.

Now, onto the chapter itself. If I handled things correctly, then it got a bit dark in places, but hopefully the lighthearted moments were enough to balance it out. Some of you are probably about to crucify me for writing Naruto without having him be in love with orange, but he's gotta fit the environment that I'm trying to craft. The Wealds are meant to contrast with the kingdoms, so whereas the kingdoms love color and creativity, the Weald appreciates subtlety and survival. I'm also trying to build the Weald to be a much harsher place than the kingdoms, so I can't have everyone dressed up in bright neon.

I also set up a lot of important plot points this chapter, some of which are obvious while others are bit more unassuming. Finally, we have the introduction of Yang, who is surprisingly difficult to write for when trying to capture both the humorous and the motherly tendencies she has. I honestly don't know if I managed to capture her right, so I'll ask you guys for feedback on that one.

What did you guys think? Are the characters and the relationships coming along okay? What do you think about both timelines, the present with Naruto in Vale and the past with Kakashi and a younger Naruto traveling through the Weald?

Next chapter, it's time to meet the teams and get settled into Beacon, so look forward to that.

As always, guys, have a good one and thanks for stopping by.