This is yet another rough draft concept idea.

But this one is very personal for me for...

Dropping the act again here. This story marks the beginning of my anniversary of returning to writing, which my first update in over four years happened last August. Now why am I starting my anniversary so early? Because at this time, I had begun to get back into Fanfiction and, in particular...

I had gotten back into Naruto/RWBY crossovers, looking for Naruto and Blake stories. And while there weren't many I truly say I liked, I read through quite a few before I finally was inspired to write again. But funny enough, one of the first ones I found was one that stuck with me.

It was a story called Primrose done by Blazeraptor54, who, now funny enough, is one of my friends on the site since I've come back to writing as he started updating again not too long after I did. Go figure. How are you doing, man? It was one of the first stories that made me feel something, and I kept looking for stories like it, not finding too many. Which caused me to make my own, trying to make my own Naruto/Blake story.

Fox of Remnant came into existence. And while I love what it has become, I made a grievous error in the process of making the story. I failed in it, and it is no longer a Naruto/Blake story. And that eats me alive as that is the entire reason I came back was to make a Naruto/Blake story.

So, this is, in a way, a retelling of a Fox of Remnant, and those that have read it will tell I reused the opening scene but changed how everything has happened. Nothing in that story will be brought into this story, and this is its own tale.

Your input would be very much appreciated, and thank you to all that read this.

Let's get on with the story.

Exhausted.

Drained.

Body ravished and in agony.

Couldn't feel his right arm any longer. Pretty sure it was gone if the blood pooling around him was correct.

His breath labored, and he struggled to keep it steady.

Yet he held a smile on his face. His eyes were held closed.

Letting the sun's warmth that finally peaked from the clouds they had dispersed from their battle soothe his aches.

Then he heard a noise to his left and slowly opened his bruised and battered eyes.

"Eh, you finally regained consciousness? Good. Got that out of your system?"

"Hn." Was all he heard in response, a strained voice that came from a person as broken and battered as he was.

After all, he left him in that state. Had to make sure his brother understood him one last time. Made sure his point got across this time.

His pained smile grew at the response. His chest hurt as it only made him laugh.

Of course, that's how Sasuke would react.

Why would he respond any other way?

"Heh, typical. Well, should let you know we've lost too much blood." Naruto gazed up into the dazzling skies, feeling numbness and tightness around his chest every time he took a breath. "Can't move. Know you aren't in any better shape. We will die here, unfortunately."

"What?" He heard Sasuke strain and fail to move, coughing and losing precious oxygen. "Dammit, why? Why would you go this far to get in my way? To stop me, Naruto? Out of everyone… You were the only one to try and stop me? But never tried to kill me until this very moment? Yet I've tried to kill you. Plunged everyone else into darkness to achieve my goals…"

"This is the most I've ever heard you talk."

"Shut up and answer the question, Naruto!" Sasuke snapped at the quip, and a pained laugh coming from his friend, scowling as even if it hurt him to do so, turned his head to gaze at his injured friend. "You should have given up on me long ago? I'm not worth it! Why keep coming back for me?"

And then he saw his state and realized he was correct.

Because despite his laughter, every breath was harsh, and he barely drew it in. He struggled even to keep his eyes open, straining to see the sunny sky above that was quite beautiful to behold.

They were going to die here, and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

"You know why, Sasuke," Naruto smirked, causing the scowl to grow further on Sasuke's lips.

"Dammit, Naruto!" Sasuke tried to reach out, feeling his bloody stump of an arm, and cursed. "That word means nothing to me, so I don't understand it! If you would just explain it to me…"

"I have to explain what being my friend means, sheesh. You still don't know after how much I've chased after you?" Naruto chuckled and only earned further ire from Sasuke. "I don't even have a good answer anymore for you. I've done it for so long that I almost forgot why."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, eyes seething at Naruto. "You don't have an answer for all of this?"

"Not really. Not a good one, anyways." Naruto exhaled, his breath slowing. "I just see how much pain you are in, and I just know what that feels like. I was always alone when we first met, and I just didn't want to leave you all alone in it to suffer. You were one of the first that noticed me, and I couldn't just give up on you, no matter what I did."

"You meant too much to me." Naruto turned his head, his typically lustrous cerulean eyes dull and faded as they looked into onyx eyes as they shimmered. "As I said, not a good reason…"

"Naruto…" Sasuke's voice quivered as he stared directly at the blonde knucklehead before him, his words passing over him.

He closed his eyes while a rush of emotions flowed through him, attempting to sort through them. And slowly, he came to accept them, and that in the end…

"You idiot." Sasuke turned his head and gazed at the sky, the slightest smile gracing his lips.

"Yo! You wanna go another round!" Naruto barked despite barely having the oxygen to yell at Sasuke. "Because I can bash you around for another round! Right here, right now!"

"Okay." Sasuke let out a rare laugh, even if it was excruciating. "If you've got the energy, I'll make the effort. It's the least I can do for my friend… Besides, I got to get back my win somehow. I'll concede you won this round."

"Sasuke?" Naruto was taken by surprise at his friend's admission.

"But we have a problem here," Sasuke added, his breath haggard, and he grimaced as he stared into the sky. "That Eternal Destiny Hagoromo told us about. If we die here, then what happens? I could care less about my death, as I could settle all my debts with my body. But if you die, that's a problem. This world needs you."

"Who else can become Hokage if you die, after all?" Sasuke quipped, closing his eyes and forcing a smile. "We both know I'm not equipped for the job after today. I've still got a long way to go, but you, my friend, are ready to lead this world to a new revolution. Do what I couldn't."

"Save it."

Sasuke's words hit, tears built up, and Naruto's eyes as he looked upon his friend before slowly turning and gazing up at the sky that he could barely see any longer. It was too hazy. Too blurry.

He was only able to make out Sasuke due to his voice and his scent…

Which always oddly smelled like wildflowers. But that was neither here nor there…

"All this talk about death, shit," Naruto inhaled slowly, gritting his teeth. "Man, I'm giving everything I have here to stay awake, you?"

"Yeah, same. Don't feel like going into that good night either." Sasuke stared at the sky, taking a deep breath and finding his next one was also tricky. "So, let's make a promise, and I know you keep those."

"Yeah, I eventually kicked your ass and got through to you." Naruto grinned, his sight fading to darkness as his breath slowly stilled.

"To meet each other again, if this happens to be the end… And end this cycle of hatred." Sasuke closed his eyes, letting his last breath fade from his body.

"I promise, my friend." Naruto closed his eyes, unable to draw his next breath, and could no longer hear his friend's breathing.

Everything had grown cold and dark.

Then there was nothing but a glowing light…

And the smell of wildflowers.

"We can't leave him, Adam! He'll die!"

She didn't know what to do any longer.

This had gone on for too long, and she felt sick to her stomach.

This wasn't what she had signed up for. She wanted to help her people, but not like this.

Not in this manner.

It was too extreme. Too violent, and it was getting worse.

He was getting worse.

Nothing she was doing was reaching him. She had thought for so long if she had stayed by his side, stuck with him, that maybe she could sway him. Make him see reason.

Show him that his path was wrong…

But he wouldn't listen. He only continued on his path of madness. Despair.

Darkness.

She wanted him to understand. That she understood his plight. That she felt it too. It was why she joined. Stood by his side. Was swayed to stand to be his…

And she regretted every minute of it. Something in her knew better. Told her she could be better. And knew better.

Was it what her parents had always taught her? The morals they impressed upon hers

Maybe. They wouldn't have wanted to see her doing what she was about to do.

Was it that despite all the hatred humanity had imposed upon her kind, she didn't want to resort to such tactics?

That was possible. She felt horrible every time she took part. She didn't hesitate, but she took part nonetheless, and something in her told her she could do better. Was disappointed in her actions.

"Hurry up," A smooth, sly voice called for her and brought her out of her thoughts, drawing her to a man wearing a black outfit with a rose imprinted on the back of his jacket. "We're almost at the target, and it's at the deadline. We don't have a moment to spare, Blake."

"Yes, Adam." A young woman with a white animalistic mask covering her eyes wearing a black and white outfit with shades of purple in the leggings sighed, two cat-like ears on her head depressing, golden eyes glistening, but she pushed ahead quicker.

Her hands trembled.

He was bringing her on this mission alone.

They operated quite a few times alone in the past, and they functioned well as a team, but something didn't feel right. Not after that woman showed up in their camp. While Adam denied her, rightfully so, she felt something was off, and she didn't know what.

He felt more desperate than usual. To make sure that this job went well. That they got what they needed. For if they didn't…

She shivered. She didn't want to think of what the consequences could be. He was getting more out of hand by the day. What he could do on this mission if he were desperate enough…

What did he plan on doing with that bomb he had packed? She could only hope their intel was correct and were only automatons aboard…

Her head picked up as she scrunched up her nose. She sniffed a nauseating scent she never enjoyed catching a whiff of, and drew her attention.

It was the smell of blood. And a lot of it. It was nearby!

Without hesitation, she leapt toward the scent, tracking it with incredible precision.

"Blake!" Adam's voice called out from behind her, disapproving of her actions

If someone was in danger, she couldn't leave them be. Whether it was Faunus or human, it didn't matter to her. If someone was bleeding this much, they were dying and needed help.

She couldn't abandon them!

"Oh, Oum!" Blake's eyes shone with worry as she found the target of her scent, her eyes shimmering with anxiety.

It was a young man, around her age, with blonde hair, in a disheveled state. Battered and bruised, bones broken. And he was without most of his right arm! Worst of all…

His chest wasn't moving, and he wasn't breathing!

She didn't hesitate, leaping beside him, uncaring if her knees were now stained in a pool of blood. She pressed her hand against his throat and could feel his pulse. But felt he was still very warm. Hot to the touch, even. If he had stopped breathing, it was just. That meant…

"Don't you dare die on me…" Blake snarled, placing her hands on his chest, having only been trained on this once before leaving home several years ago and hoping this would work.

She started compressions, realizing she was moving too quickly but found a steady but strong beat. It was much more complicated than she had remembered in training, and she was exerting far more energy into doing this…

And his chest was rock-solid. Far more durable than anything she had to push against before…

"Come on, come on!" Blake gnashed her teeth, her eyes glistening angrily as she looked at the young man before him.

"Blake," She heard Adam's voice echoing behind her, almost uncaringly as his voice resonated. "He's dead. We need to move forward. There is nothing you can do for him."

"Dammit, give him a chance! He's still warm! Like he was just breathing!" Blake screamed, her eyes snapping back at him and daring him to challenge her.

He didn't say another word as she resumed, frustrated and pushing harder than before. "Please, just, please… Let this work!"

Shifting to the side, placing her hand on his nose and cupping his chin to gently raise his head and open the airway better, Blake gently placed her lips over his, applying mouth to mouth. With a deep breath, she pleaded it worked.

The first didn't seem to work. She cursed and went in for a second…

And she choked as he spit up into her mouth, coughing and hacking as he entered the waking world.

"Ah, Oum, that was disgusting!" Blake spat out saliva and a thick, copper sensation which she suspected could only be his blood.

Oh, she hoped he didn't have anything…

But looking down at him, he was breathing again. For how long, though? He would go into shock again with the amount of blood he lost. She had to bandage up his arm and fast. Stop the flow, and then maybe he could survive if she got him to a…

"What now, Blake?" Adam's voice sarcastically spoke as he stood behind her, watching the scene in both amusement and disgust simultaneously. "What are you going to do? We are in the middle of nowhere with no treatment options. Our base is nowhere nearby, and I would not dare have one of our medics take care of a damn human. Leave him. He's dead, no matter how you look at it. He was left to die out here, or a Grimm didn't finish the job…"

"We can't just leave him, Adam! He'll die!" Blake turned her eyes and coldly stared at the man that was supposed to be her leader.

"He's human, Blake! He would do the same to us!" Adam snarled back, his one eye behind his mask shining vividly. "Humans do not give a shit about us! Look at what we have had to do to get respect! Tell me I am wrong, Blake! Tell me!"

"Shut up, Adam!" Blake hissed defiantly, drawing forth cloth bandages she kept on her for minor wounds and trying her best to patch the injury of the young man's arm. "I am well aware of our plight! But not every human is the same! Many have worked with us! Help us! To just say every human should die is wrong! You are wrong!"

"Oh?" Adam stopped, tilting his head as he looked upon Blake curiously now. "Are we having the same discussion? Or are we discussing something else that might be on your mind, my love?"

Snarling as her thoughts slipped, she focused on wrapping the young man's wound. It was difficult as it was soaking through and staining her hands. Her bandages and wrap were hardly adequate for this kind of wound…

"Could you be having doubts about the White Fang and our agenda, my dear?" Adam continued to ask, slowly skirting around them, taking his time as he made his way to the other side.

"We don't have time for this, Adam." Blake silently held her head down, refusing to meet his gaze as she rolled up the bandage on the arm, still finding it inadequate as it was quickly soaking and turning crimson despite having been completely covered. "The train will be here any…"

Her eyes snapped up into his as the blonde coughed in pain as Adam put his boot squarely in his chest, staring directly down into Blake's eyes. "For you, I'll make the time, my love! Now how about you answer my question. Are you having doubts about the White Fang?"

"Yes!" Blake hissed, her eyes staring directly into his as she trembled, fear filling her heart as his eyes stared back into hers with ill intent. "Not just with the White Fang, but their actions! Your actions! The violence has to stop, and you won't listen! It has gone too far, Adam! You are about to blow up a train, and I know people are on board! I can't let you do that!"

"Ah, so you were planning on stopping me," Adam softly spoke, his voice sullen as he took his boot off the blonde's chest, holding his head down. "You don't know how much it hurts me to hear you take opposition to me. I trusted you, of all people. You were… Everything to me. And it pains me that it has to come to this."

Blake felt her body become rigid. Adam's voice was cold as ice as it reached those last few decibels.

Something was wrong. She knew it. He was going to do something, but what?

Could she even stop him? He was the better of them, and she knew it. There was no chance if it came to a fight. All she could do was run. Her instinct was to grab this person and run. He couldn't catch her. She was faster, and with her Semblance…

But she was frozen to the spot. She couldn't move! She could only sit and watch what was about to happen!

"Adam?" Blake felt a shiver go down her spine, her gaze catching where he was gleaming.

And she looked on in horror as she saw his hand shift to Wilt's handle.

"But you need to be taught a lesson on how cruel this world is!"

"Adam, no!"

A flash of red steel flickered, and she felt everything turn red. He was using it! Even if it wasn't charged, it was still deadly in this state. There was nothing she could do to stop it! And worse, even if she did, it would only…

Blake's eyes shimmered, her eyes not believing what she was seeing.

"What?" Adam ridiculed what he saw, his eyes narrowing as his arm strained, never having this happen before. "But how…"

"Mah," A weak and weary voice responded through half-lidded eyes, holding up a black rod formed from pure natural chakra with his left hand up against a now cracked Wilt, the blade barely able to stay together. "You should listen to your friends when they pour their hearts out to ya, you know? Sounds like you have a friend here trying her all to get you to listen, and you just won't."

"Guess an ass-kicking is what you need to listen, so I'm up." The blonde smiled despite lying in a pool of his blood, broken and bruised and missing an arm. "And that is my specialty. Uzumaki Naruto at your service. Professional ass kicker to make people shut up and listen. And I'm sure even with one arm down and on death's door, I can kick your ass!"

This statement, Adam snarled as he stared down at Naruto. "Oh, so you do think you are better than us Faunus! Ha, typical! I'll show you we Faunus are superior!."

Naruto blinked as he stared up in confusion as drew back his sword, sheathing it for another charge. "I don't know what you are even talking about. Faunus? What are you talking about? You look like a perfectly normal person to me, so it is nothing to be boastful about."

"What?" Blake stopped and glanced at Naruto, ears flattening on her head. "Perfectly normal… I need to move us!"

"What for?" Naruto stared at Adam, holding his sword in confusion at what he said before noting he felt something being drawn within the blade. "Okay, he's building an attack, and I'm not in the best conditions. Better take care of it."

Letting go of the rod in his hands, Blake couldn't believe her eyes. It morphed into an orb like it was malleable! And it was floating!

How was it doing…

It was gone! Where did it…

The sound of something shattering drew her attention, and her eyes widened. It couldn't be!

Wilt and Blush! They were just snapped in half and lying on the grass meadow with autumn leaves falling around them!

But how…

The orb was floating in front of Naruto once more as it shifted back into a rod, and he gripped it in his left hand. "Alright, now that you are without a weapon, shall I begin this ass-kicking? Maybe that way you'll start listening to your friend here? Or are you willing to do some talking now?"

Adam couldn't believe his eyes. Faster than he could see, he had been disarmed, and his precious weapon had been destroyed.

And this human was treating him like he was someone he could talk to! The nerve!

But he knew better than to press forward. Something about this human was not like others. He was something different. Far more dangerous. And he had to be careful around him.

Like that woman.

"Enough. I'm finished with this." Adam picked up the pieces of his shattered weapon and turned his weapon. "Blake, we leave. We will discuss this later…"

"Seriously?" Naruto scowled painfully, feeling better oddly enough than when he was last awake, but not by much. "Man, you do need a butt kicking! I'm gonna have to get up and get over there and beat some sense in ya…"

"No, I'm not going, Adam," Blake responded, a deep frown as she looked upon the back of her leader before reaching up to her mask, gently removing it, and tossing it to his feet. "I'm done with this. These violent tactics. With what you want to accomplish. I want a better world for our people too, but not at this cost. I do not want to sacrifice peace for that. The world is better when you can talk…"

"And you better damn believe it!" Naruto smiled, agreeing with that sentiment, before coughing some blood. "Ugh, was someone standing on my chest or pushing against it? My ribs hurt worse than before…"

Seething at Blake's words and then the human speaking immediately after she was done, Adam looked down at the mask at his feet. A mixture of emotions rushed through him as he gently reached down and picked it from the ground, gripping it tightly before holding it to his chest. "I will remember this betrayal, my love. Do not forget it…"

Adam silently moved forward, heading toward the tracks as the sounds of a train could be heard in the distance.

Blake shrunk, ducking her head into herself momentarily at those words. The stabbing she felt throughout from them stung more than any wound she had ever received.

He truly knew how to dig deep and hurt her…

"Yeah, and I still plan on kicking your butt and making you listen to her!" Naruto yelled at him, shaking his fist, now devoid of the weapon he was using earlier. "Get back here and walk into my punching range! Got some fists to deliver to ya! My legs aren't working at the moment. Otherwise, I'd come to you!"

"Here," Blake moved to help pick up the blonde, surprising him as he rarely was in this situation. "We need to get you into Vale as fast as possible, but we're a couple of hours away if I move at top speed. It's gonna be a long trip, and with your bleeding, it will be a rough one."

"Ah, shit. I'm still bleeding." Naruto scowled, seeing the stump of his arm before a thought came to his mind. "I wonder. It worked for others…"

"What are you, what the hell?" Blake started before she nearly dropped Naruto, his entire body glowing a brief gold as his left hand tapped the stump of an arm, and he collapsed into her grasp. "Are you okay? What was that… Your arm isn't bleeding anymore!"

"It worked. It just took everything left out of me to do it." Naruto took ragged breaths, carefully measuring them as he looked at Blake hazily. "Okay, not gonna bleed out while we get me there, but…"

"Mind hurrying still. Everything else is broken beyond repair."

Blake's eyes sharpened upon hearing that, and with a burst of speed, she took off, pulling out a small device and putting it into Naruto's hand. "You'll have to navigate! I've never been to Vale before and only know the general direction by following the tracks! Once we're there, I'll need more help."

"The hell is this thing?" Naruto blinked as the odd device in his hand gazed upon it in blurry wonder.

Blake's ears flattened, and she looked straight into Naruto's curious cerulean eyes. There was no way. First, the comment about Faunus.

Now this?

Who was this Uzumaki Naruto?

"How do you not know what a scroll is?"