Before You Read.
I'm not gonna lie, there will be changes from main canon, because obviously. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story, and let me know what you think by leaving a review. This will join with my monthly updates, which may come bi-monthly. Because of this, the usual chapter length will come in longer lengths.

What I'm saying is that you might want to grab a spot of Darjeeling tea, and crumpets. We're going to get very well acquainted with one another.

Anyway…besides the shameless Ragnarök reference. Each chapter will have a proverb at the beginning, and it's meant as a thought experiment.

"What overall theme should the story have, vs. what overall theme does each chapter contain?"

Anyway, enough of message, below this is the legend key. Use it that way if you see something that may confuse you to use the of it, you've got a reference. It'll only be in chapter 1, and this (for right now) is the only planned message that I have.

It's rated T for now…and I cannot express FOR NOW heavily enough.

Please, enjoy, and I welcome you to a new journey.

(Legend Key.)

Normal Text.
Emphasized/flashback text.
Extreme noise/impact.
"Regular speech."
"slowly losing oneself speech."
"Loud/Bijuu/Demonic. Speech."
"Thoughts/Scroll Call speech/very distant speech."
"Bijuu Mental Link Speech/Demonic telepathy."
{Location.}
[Time/Date/Passage Of Time.]

Primroses & Nightshade.

Chapter One: Out Of The Well Into The Sea.

"A Frog In The Well Knows Nothing Of The Sea."
-Famous Proverb.

"Could you really do it, Sasuke, could you kill me calmly?"

Two children, no older than twelve danced around each other in the middle of a lake. Walking on water, they weaved and dodged each other's punches as the blonde in orange clothing was finally kicked back. He slid across the water. Tumbling onto his side, somehow staying afloat just as a ravenette boy came forward with lightening crackling in his hand.

The blonde's azure blue eyes widened as the older boy's hand sunk into his left lung! Blood sprayed behind him as his enemy's hand went all the way through. Blood came from his mouth as he slowly began to hang limply from hand, lifted up as black marks came around the other boy's body.

This boy, Sasuke, smirked in triumph before a clawed hand from the blonde grabbed his wrist. His sharingan emblazoned eyes swirled as he saw red energy come around the younger boy. Growling, the blonde's eyes turned from the azure color of an ocean, to the deepest pools of crimson. Sasuke didn't get a chance to react before a mighty left hook smashed right into his face, and sent him flying backward.

The open wound on the chest of younger boy slowly began to swirl, and close, healing rapidly under the influence of the red energy. In Sasuke's vision before he righted himself and came to a stop. He saw it slowly take shape, in the form of a nine-tailed fox creature, whose gaze fell upon him hungrily.

"If you ever truly were my friend, Naruto, you'd die for me."

Sasuke easily kept pace with the blonde, Naruto, and batted him back. Kicks, punches, and even a headbutt made the blonde trudge backwards across the ground. They were upright, but horizontal on the side of a cliff as both fought their way upwards. Cresting the hill first via a kick, Naruto coughed up a wad of blood before Sasuke leapt and grabbed his forelegs. Front flipping just once, he sent the blonde hurtling into the stone, making him carve a few feet of it out from the force of the impact.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he brought his forearms up to block the mighty ball of flame that erupted out of his enemy's mouth. His forearms ended up badly burnt as the raven-haired youth landed in front of Naruto and kicked him across the ground. On top of the First Hokage's statue, both boys glared at one another.

The blonde's wounds began to heal, and without much thinking, he charged forward!

"Can you at least tell me why, why is it that you want all of this power?! Why is it that you would throw away all of the shared memories?!"

Both young boys had gone under drastic changes. With Naruto having red energy bubbling around him into a foxlike cloak. His appearance more feral as he clashed forearms against his rival. Sasuke had changed as well, gone were the black markings, his skin now a grayish dull color. A black mark across his nose, and dragon-like wings on his back. His hair was duller, and longer, no longer holding the blackened sheen of a ravenette but a dull violet.

Both blasted each other back with powerful blows that sent both careening into opposite sides if river gorge in the valley. Naruto was the last one up as Sasuke began to weave hand seals. The blonde held out his right hand as a vermillion colored sphere began to slowly form. Screeching filled the air, and finally both launched toward each other.

Both screaming each other's name!

"Naruto!"
"Sasuke!"

"The answer is simple, Naruto. I need power, the power of The Mangekyou Sharingan. I need to kill my best friend for that power, my one true link of happiness."

Their attacks clashed as a violent sphere of black erupted around them. Both envisioned themselves as their younger selves. Their warmest memories, the time the two talked at the pier. Something shifted inside of Sasuke, was it hesitation, was it guilt? Could he really do this, could he go the same route as his brother, Itachi, and kill the one link he had left in this world?

The sphere around grew larger, swallowing the valley, destroying the two stages before white lines began to careen through it. Forming a sort of rippling crack. It was as if time and space itself was breaking from the weight of their shared attacks. Darkness meeting light, the immovable object meeting the unstoppable force!

Eventually, a rift opened up in the center of them, with Naruto falling forward toward it. His arm reached out, finding Sasuke's who hand clutched around it with both hands. The Uchiha looked right into the Uzumaki's blue eyes.

"Sasuke?!"

"Shut up, loser, and hang on!" He screamed back at the blonde as he continued flapping the dragon-like wings but found himself getting dragged down.

Naruto realized that something shifted in Sasuke, with the blonde looking at the encroaching rift. He felt his heart begin to rapidly beat before it finally began to slow down. Taking a deep breath, the blonde realized one thing. If Sasuke held onto him, they would both be dragged into gods know where. Taking a moment to close his eyes, and say a small but quick prayer for luck, the one thing that has always been on his side he reopened his eyes.

"Sasuke…" Sasuke's sharingan looked down at Naruto as he called his name, noting the smile on his face. "You were always my brother to me, thank you for the happiest memories of my life."

The Uchiha didn't get to ponder what Naruto meant before the blonde suddenly formed a small rasengan and slammed it into his abdomen. It blasted Sasuke back, right out of the sphere of blackened energy as it began to collapse.

Naruto closed his eyes as the red chakra faded from him, taking a deep breath before smiling. Feeling the rift behind him drag him into it. He didn't hear Sasuke screaming out to him, trying to renter the black sphere, it didn't matter in the end.

Deep down, Naruto knew for a fact, he had won. If Sasuke's calling out to him against the void was any indication.

"These bonds, I'll never let you break them! You can break me, beat me up, but I'll still drag you back to Konoha, Sasuke! No matter what, I'll never give up on you, because you're my friend! My brother!"

His last feelings were that of his body entering the rift. The dark silence flooding over him, and the light shrinking away as he stared upward as the white light collapsed into it. He could feel the nine tails doing everything it can to start healing his body, but perhaps out self-pity Naruto took to just restraining the chakra from entering his system.

He thoughts were fleeting, but he prayed and hope that Sasuke did the right thing. That him and Sakura could be happy, and that Iruka could be proud of him. Jiraiya, his current master, probably would never stop looking for him.

That was fine, in this void, the only thing with light left was what Naruto's eyes shed in the form sprinkling tear drops. Glinting the last visages of light from the opening of the rift before it finally closed completely. The cold was immediate, his wounds paining him no longer.

Was this to be his end? If so, it didn't seem so bad, to float in an endless sea forever at peace…

{Across An Endless Sea, Upon Distant Shores.}
[8:54am]

…and she dreamt of an endless sea, for which distant shores laid beyond the horizon.

Blake Belladonna awoke to bustling of several people just outside of her room. The violet pillow cover was layered with her sweat as she awoke to the blistering summer heat. Her fan was going, on high, like usual to combat the massive heat wave that currently plagued her home city of Kuo Kuana. The only city upon which sat the seat of government for Menagerie.

Menagerie, in all of her glory, was posted with thumbtacks on her wall across from the bed. The small continent laid directly south from Anima. Blake yawned stretching before getting up, her cat ears fully standing up before she grabbed her black bow. Quickly tying it into her hair, she got a brush and began to get the tangles out of her hair.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three knocks rang from her door, with a woman's voice coming from it, "Blake sweetie, are you up?"

"I just woke up, mom, I'm getting ready. Is dad still giving the speech today?" She answered her mother whilst also asking her question, knowing full well the answer.

"Why of course dear, please make sure you are wearing the clothing we got the other day. That Adam boy will be there, the one you like~" The teasing was evident in her mother's singsong voice, making Blake growl whilst blushing. "Chop-chop dear, I'll have breakfast ready in thirty minutes."

Blake got up from her rather nice queen-sized bed. The black sheets were made straight as she did so, making sure that he bed was made. On the corner of a nightstand laid what had kept her all not. A book entitled: A Man With Two Souls. It was a rather engaging read, and it filled her dreams up all last night.

Walking over to the map of Menagerie, her country and land, Blake placed a hand over Kuo Kuana. There was other settlements to the west, the only true habitable part of the continent. From what their scouts recently reported from the view bullhead transports that The White Fang had, there was land to the east, but Grimm held a firm hold upon it all.

It was the life of Menagerie's people to endure. From the brutal heat in the summers, bitter cold in the winters, and the typhoons that came during the summer months. It was shocking to her that this was the second straight month in which storms never came. It sounded as if it was a blessing, but Blake knew all too well that her father's speech was meant to put the farmers inside of Kuo Kuana at east.

For rain was a needed event, and freshwater cuts would likely to be made to preserve the year's crop. Lest her father have to kowtow to the Kingdoms that laid north. Vale wasn't so bad, in fact, they were often generous with their help. They weren't the issue, but Vacuo was often stingy, and Mistral plus Atlas were often demanding numerous concessions for the aid.

That is why Menagerie gathered the unpleasant nickname as the "The Bastard Kingdom" for it was indeed a kingdom even most of Remnant found its origins dubious and claims more so. Vale's baby, which is something that always kept them on good relations with the eastern country on Sanus.

If hadn't been The Last King Of Vale, Arthur Pendragon, then Menagerie would still be a slave colony for Mistralians and Atlasians to continue exploit. She knew all of her country's history, she had too. She was the daughter of it's ruling High Leader, and there was a chance that one day she'd sit upon the primal throne of her people.

She was balking at the responsibility, but knew that it was something she was being reared up for.

Quickly, she walked over to her dresser drawer. She got out the clothing her mother reminded her about. It wasn't much, but it was modest. It was a short coat that was violet with the emblem of her design on it. A prototype, but it was a black emblem that resembled a rising flame, or flower if you squinted hard enough. She honestly hadn't decided which yet, but perhaps one day she'd figure it out.

The short coat would only come down to her mid-drift, which is why she was going to wear a black shirt underneath. Her amber eyes gazed at the various different black shirts, finding the one she wanted. She quickly tossed it onto the bed, and sighed before looking at the various different types of pants. Some had pockets, some different, she elected to go with ones that had the pockets in them.

She'd be carrying her mother's dagger today, nothing dangerous was supposed to happen, but her family was always cautious. Rumors of shifts in the leadership in The White Fang were happening, and her father was stressed with running both the organization that was actively fighting racism, and running a country.

It didn't take a smart person to see that some writing was on the wall. Either her father would give up being head of Kuo Kuana, thus Menagerie, or he'd stay the head whilst turning the system over to a new leader. Blake had grown up around many of her father's followers, but also a fair number of his contemporaries that had different ideologies.

Peaceful protests only got so far before riot police were called. Last year, alone, three faunus died in Atlas because they were striking for unionization rights in a Schnee Dust Mine. It upset Blake, the deaths, but it infuriated her to no end when the LEOs got off on a technicality.

Her father had to stay in Atlas and Mantle for weeks. Those were dark days, especially with rival groups moving about, ones that wouldn't mind stringing up her father. She pushes those thoughts away though, he wasn't in some far off kingdom, he was home!

Getting into the clothes she'd wear for the day, Blake looked herself in the mirror. Humming at the coat color, she kind of wish she'd picked up the white one. Sighing, the girl walked toward the door, her bare feet lightly pressing against the flooring. Opening the door, she wondered into the hallway of her large house.

Two guards, White Fang guards, walked in unison down the hallway when they turned a corner. They gave nod as they passed by. "Lady Belladonna." They both say in unison before walking past her, acknowledging that she was there as per protocol.

Walking through the halls, she smelled it before she saw it. A mouthwatering aroma filled her nose. The aroma was presented on the table as her mother, Kali Belladonna was busy looking at the oven. She turned to her daughter, and smiled. Her cat ears, her faunus trait much like her daughter, was adorned with a gold ring on them. She wore a dark skirt, charcoal in color, with a white vest with sleeves. She was also sporting a large green apron whilst peeking into the oven.

"Hello, my beautiful ray of moonlight! Bit of a slow morning so far, your father is finishing up with some stuff in the office, he'll be joining us for breakfast." Kali stated chirpily before peeking into the oven once again. "You seem hungry."

"I smell salmon, of course I'm hungry!" Blake felt her mouth water as she looked at the lemons on the table. "It is salmon isn't it, or is it tuna…Gods if it's tuna…"

"Neither!" Her mother opened the oven and pulled out the pan. "It's seabass, it's freshly caught today, and I figured we'd try it."

Blake hummed, she never tried seabass before. Sitting at the table where a glass of orange juice was, she sipped on it. The tween girl yawned before scratching the back of her ear. She noted that there was some clouds outside, the sun periodically getting covered by them.

"Mom." Blake observed a blackened cloud. "Is it finally going to rain?"

"Um, that's the thing you're father is having a meeting on right now. We're getting reports from trade ships from Mistral, and they're saying that they ran into a tropical storm a couple days ago. It could've blossomed into a small typhoon. Either way, it's good news somewhat, minus some property damage we'll have rain at last." Her mother answered in detail, not sparing anything.

The girl smiled, nodding her head before taking a deep breath. "I had some sort of weird dream last night." She told her mother whilst seeing her prepare plates.

"Oh, do tell my little nightshade." She beckoned before walking over with her plate. "Is it about boys?"

"W-what, no, nothing about boys!" Blake quickly went on the defensive before taking a deep breath. "I was dreaming I was in a void of stars, swimming across them, as if I was in the middle of the sea with no land on the horizon."

"Hmm." Her mother hummed whilst tapping her chin. "That's just one of those weird dreams we all get sometimes. I dreamt that it was raining freshly made Mistralian sushi the other night."

"Gods if only…" Blake caught herself before smiling. "Hey dad!"

A rather large man, broad in shoulder, entered the kitchen. He had amber yellow eyes, and his face was adorned with a thick beard black as midnight. He wore an overcoat, brown in color, but under it his chest was exposed to reveal a large tuft of black hair in the middle. His black hair on his drooped past his ears, he had recently let it grow a little bit longer.

Finding his chair, he sat down with a groan. "Morning my lovely daughter." He greeted Blake whilst looking on as Kali came over to sit a plate in front of him. "And good morning to you, my wife."

"Heh," Kali sneered playfully before leaning down and planting a kiss on his lips. "Morning to you as well, my love."

"I've come with good news today. The little meeting, and speech I was going to do is getting pushed back. Sienna is wanting to host an event, and since The Fang's annual founding is coming up, I may save it till then. Plus, there is a storm blowing in from the northwest. Our last trade ship out is moored for the week. I've decided our sailors have a choice of wanting to barrel into it, or not, they're choosing to enjoy the first summer shower of the year." Ghira, Blake's father and Kali's husband beamed.

Kali smiles whilst sitting in her chair. "That's good, we'll have rain for the crops then, our farmers will go unburdened for the time being. What category typhoon are we looking at?" She inquired afterward, noting Ghira's hardened look.

"From what it looks like, monsoon conditions. Our western villages are preparing for floods near the rivers. I've ordered a contingent of our city's guard to them, help them prepare. Rain will begin near the afternoon, Kali, I'm finally taking a day off." He stated at end before leaning back, taking a very deep breath. "It feels damn good as well."

Blake smiles before taking a small knife, and cutting into her seabass. She took the piece into her mouth, moaning at it. "Mom, this is amazing!" She praises before taking another bite in rapid succession.

"Blake." She looks at her father, noting his gaze falling on her. "Is that Adam boy supposed to take you for sword practice tonight?"

"Um, yes, Adam agreed to show me the ropes."

"I see…" He took a deep breath, and gave her a smile. Although the smile wasn't a truly genuine one. "I suppose that this'll be right after you attend Sienna's event?"

"It will be, after I eat, I'll pack a raincoat." If she only knew that the statement could hold a double meaning. Her father still gazed at her, and then he smiled. "What is it, dad?"

"Oh, nothing sweetheart. I'm just an old man observing his family. You know I love you, right?" He reached over and patted her back. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what. If you think that The White Fang should be under newer hands that's your belief as well."

"I…" She took a moment to gather herself. "I just want to be happy. It's killing me see you always up from the crack of dawn till the moon is high working, dad."

He nods his head, understanding where she was coming from. His choice to take off today wasn't an auspicious. Things were being put into motion all around, and whilst he was still a capable leader, even he knew that as the years and months dragged on, his ability to maintain was lowering. He had missed many birthdays of his only child, lost time with his wife.

If Sienna Khan was wanting the High Leader position of The White Fang, perhaps it was time for him to step down on that end. Chieftain of Kuo Kuana and Menagerie as hole meant he could consolidate his victories for his people.

Still, he worried about Sienna's more radical approach to things. An approach that more or less, Blake was showing signs of having an affiliation with.

"Blake, sweetheart, you're opinions are valid because you're an equal party member to our people. You'll not be a little girl for much longer, and at some point, you either have to stop standing on the fence, or build your own." He reached over and rubbed her shoulder. "My beautiful daughter, your views are your own, and let no one change them unless they're ones that will cause undo harm onto others."

"I don't want to hurt humans." Blake told him before taking a deep breath. "it's just that I'm tired of seeing our brothers, and sisters, getting beat up in the streets during protest with no recourse. If a few people get a black eye, what does it matter?"

Ghira knew that was Sienna's reasoning, and that boy she had been hanging around with, Adam. Adam from what he learned was Sienna's lackey, in every sense of the word, at fourteen, he was two years older than his daughter. He wasn't a bad fighter from what he heard, but his own impassioned beliefs stimmed from a place of pain as well.

Pain and passion seem good together, until that passion starts demanding more pain.

"I'm not saying I hadn't had the thought. However, Blake, life isn't so black and white. You get what you give in this life. If you give pain, then expect pain. If you beget rage, expect raged to be wrought back onto you. I've seen personally what hatred does to someone." Ghira warned her before taking a deep breath. "It never ends pretty."

"Well, I never said I hated humanity. I hate the few bad apples, why is it that they get off with impunity. Dad, what if I had gone to a rally in Mistral, and it was me?" Blake questioned, it was a blatant test question, but it was an honest and fair question.

Ghira, despite being a man of peace wasn't above it all. "I would hurt the bastard that hurt you, my dear. I never said I was a saint. However, as I stated if I go out of my way to hurt someone…is it hard to believe that someone that they love would go out of their way to hurt me?" He reasoned before removing his hand off her shoulder.

"You're young dear, listen to your father. One day, and hopefully not for a while, you'll be leading our people." Kali told her daughter before smiling over at her husband. "Besides, there are somethings you must disagree with Sienna on, right?"

Blake bit her cheek a little at that, and sighs. "I do disagree that we always have to show force. Sometimes dad's methods work better, but then we have the ones that just want to hurt us. We can't just stand in a line, holding hands, and giving well wishes whilst someone hoses us down with firehoses and taser rounds." Their daughter pointed out, adding a particular detail.

"Who said that Atlas used taser rounds with the hoses?" He questioned his daughter, confused by the particular detail.

"Adam, he had overheard Sienna mention it."

"Hmm, did he now?" Ghira eyed his daughter before nodding his head. "Well, that's certainly a very cruel detail I wasn't made aware of. However, I fear that my time as a High Leader of The White Fang is passing by me. I hope you won't mind your old man sitting on your girl time with mom?"

"No never, dad, I'm glad your having breakfast with us!" Blake quickly said whilst giving him a nervous smile. "I mean it, I can't remember the last time we had this…and I'm glad you're treating me like a young woman."

Kali was sipping on her green tea when she looked at her husband. "Dear, how do you feel about Sienna, for the longest time she's been your number two." She pointed before taking another sip. "Her passion is sound, the rhetoric she poses is sound, but the methods she proposes…"

"I know, they're a little radical. However, our daughter here is in the camp that some things more must be done. I quite frankly understand, but Blake at least take this into consideration. There is a fine line between what is justice, and what is harm. I pray that you come to understand that." The patriarch of The Belladonna Family told her whilst looking at his tea. "You do know there's a fine line, correct?"

"That I do, dad, that I do." She waved off before going back to her fish.

Ghira took a moment to breathe and sighed. He reached down for the knife, cutting his seabass into neat slices before taking one into his mouth. His face flushed, and he giggled like a madman. "Huh, when did you become a master chef, dear?" He complimented her under the guise of a question.

"Hmph, and I here I thought I won you over with my cooking."

{Kuo Kuana City Plaza.}
[Three hours later.)

High noon came, and went without much ado. The bustling center of Kuo Kuana was filled with market stands, and small shops across the plaza. No motor vehicles were in sight, and the city streets never really meant to support a lot of them to begin with. The occasional supply truck went by, carrying cargo from the docks that were just a little over ten miles away from the center.

Sea gulls chirped, and called high in the sky. The various building around the plaza only stood at most three stories tall. Kuo Kuana was a tall city once so ever. It didn't have the majestic skyscrapers like Vale, and Mistral had. It's sprawl was well maintained, unlike Vacuo's, but where it lacked in modernity it made of for in natural beauty.

Ghira Belladonna had pushed for the beautification of their city. Although their small capital was positioned on the most hostile land known to any life, her father made an effort to push for Kuo Kuana to look the part. Palm trees lined the courtyard of the plaza, the government building stood to the south of it all. Not blocking the sun. Mosaic stone formed the pattern symbol of Menagerie.

People from all over the island came, and went through this plaza at the very least once in their life. The villages to the southwest and west. She watched as the city guards patrolled the plaza. They were white uniforms, easily identifiable. Each uniform was made with leather, and iron plating. It was cobbled, not expertly, but it served the purpose well enough.

Each patrol member, man or woman, wore charcoal colored underclothing with the armor. The armor had red claw marks on each right pad to symbolize the unity with The White Members. Where the continents had Huntsmen and Huntresses, Menagerie had The Fang.

Blake was currently sitting on a bench, awaiting her friend and mentor. She heard him chuckle, and looked up. His red hair, short and curled at the front waved in the hot winds as the dark clouds gathered above. She heard thunder in the distance with her cat ears.

Adam held no such feature, instead his faunus trait was two little black horns that adorned the top of his head. His blue eyes matched the color of the oceans off the coast of somewhere like Vacuo. Adam wasn't Menagerian born. He was from Mantle of all places, and came to be at Kuo Kuana a few years back after his parents died in a mining accident.

Sienna Khan took him in, and mixed with her rhetoric, she had turned him into a son almost.

Blake would not admit to it openly, but his passion for their people is what drove her to see Sienna's views as being more justifiable. Especially given the recent riot police incidents in Mistral's Argus City, and Mantle City of Atlas. She flipped the page in her book, using a hairpin clipped to the side of it as a bookmarker.

She saw a redhead teen smile at her, his face unblemished.

"Hello," she smiles at him, "Adam."

The teenager look at her, smiling as well. "Hello there, Princess Nightshade." He called her by her pet name before sitting down. "Sienna's event isn't for another couple hours, we can go training."

"Can I use Wilt this time?" Blake questioned excitedly.

"Ha, no, you're going to be using a practice sword like usual. Besides, little kids like you shouldn't playing with actual swords." He stated whilst patting her head, smiling softly at her. "I actual have a nice spot we can go to where the rain won't get to us."

"Hmm, speaking of that, do we know what class of typhoon it is?" She inquired.

"Honestly, tch, Sienna said something of a class two. Not much damaging winds, just pure blissful rain at last. Good for morale for everyone, I know everyone has to be tired of this heat in the air." Adam sighed before getting up, and offering his hand. "C'mon on, Nightshade, let's get to swinging our blades together hm."

She rolls her eyes before taking his hand, getting led away from the plaza.

{The Eastern Wall Of Kuo Kuana.}
[One Hour Later.]

Walking through city itself wasn't much of an issue. Kuo Kuana wasn't tremendously large. There was mountains to the west that acted like natural walls, filling the gaps where tall walls. These walls were lined with city guard, for the west was filled with Grimm. These creatures of darkness, and bloodlust. Their land had been hard fought for, long before even Kuo Kuana had been founded.

Hundreds, if not thousands of faunus warriors of old perished to secure the western mountain range. Grimm from time to time would probe the walls. However, the city guard was trained. On top of each section of the wall was a tower that was armed with three heavy autocannons.

A small horde of Jackals, which were thinner versions of the standard Valelian Beowolf, would find itself quick torn to shreds. What presented the danger was just beyond the mountain pass into the west was the desert itself.

Deathworms, giant wormlike Grimm with two heads scoured the sands. Death Seekers, which were lizard-like Grimm that ran on two legs, and having feracious claws often hunted groups of twelve or more. They were strong enough to kill Huntsman individually, at least that's what Blake was told. However, nothing compared to the true fear of what could only be described as a beast of legend.

It was talked about, but no one really knew it existed.

"Adam, I have a question." Blake casually blocks a very lighthearted swing from Wilt as Adam turned on his heel to deliver another lighthearted blow. "Have you ever heard of the Girtablilu?"

"Of course I have, what person hasn't. I personally find it frightening if it does exist, a I mean a Grimm with a humanoid body on top of the body of a giant scorpion. It sounds like its par for the course, but even Grimm…" He shuddered slightly as he thought it. "That's a bit much."

Blake found herself giggling at her mentor's sudden nervousness. She pressed forward, stepping into the swing. They did these so-called motions, it wasn't meant to practice the power of the swing, but the form. On the outside, it looked like worthless training, but for sword wielders form was everything. If you lost grip, or twist the hand the wrong way, you ran the risk of the just slapping your enemy instead of cutting them.

Whilst steel paddle across the face, neck, even torso might sting. That was all it would do, just sting, and meanwhile they'd reared back and have an opening. If one got the motions down, it wouldn't the swing speed of the blade, it would strike true.

Adam casually blocks the strikes before something wet hit his head. He smiles, backing away with his left hand open, catching rain drops with it. "Well, look here, the drought is over. Ahh, the rain drops are cold too. Come on, Nightshade, let's go get under some shade to put our raincoats on." He motioned for her to follow, which she did dutifully.

A guard wearing a yellow poncho was walking past them, "Adam." He greeted the swordsman casually as he passed.

"Does he know you?" Blake inquired whilst getting under cover just as a wild whipped the air, blowing rain hard against the wall for the first time in months.

Adam shrugs, humming a little, "I don't really know." He admitted. "I kind of know everyone, since well, I am considered the son of Sienna."

"Well, I get that, everyone pretty much knows who I am." She bit her lip and thought aloud. "For once though, I wish go somewhere with some anonymity."

"Heh, so you wanna go somewhere were you're not special? That's noble." Adam stated before sitting on the bench, changing his sandals into rainboots and handing Blake her pair. "Pray tell me, Nightshade, what are your dreams one day?"

"I want the days where Faunus and humanity live in harmony. It's going to take a while, but I think Sienna's right that if we stop letting them step on us, then they'd have to treat us as full equals." She rubbed the back of her head a little bit, it was a nervousness in her attitude. "I want to one day walk into a place, and no one turn their eyes to me no longer than they'd the next person."

Adam nods his head at that, and smiled slightly. "I honestly think the only real way we can ever get understanding between our races is if they had to experience what we did." He then nudged his head side to side whilst thinking. "It's not that I find slavery correct, but I don't think anyone can fully understand another person without going through the same pain."

Blake wanted to slightly balk at the idea of forcing humanity to perhaps have a taste of their own medicine. However, she felt in her heart that Adam had a point. How can anyone truly understand someone's else's pain without experiencing it themselves? It's one thing to sympathize with one another, it was an entirely different ballgame when it comes to empathy.

Although, she had her reservations on the idea since it meant doing unjustifiable evil on another. Deep in her heart, she knew Adam's words didn't actually mean what they sounded like, he was merely making an observation on how humans sometimes skim over facts.

"So, where are we going next, Adam?" Blake asked whilst putting on the rainboots.

"Might grab a bite to eat before attending Sienna's rally at the city hall." He answered before getting up, grabbing an umbrella for her, whilst putting on a poncho. "Alright, you ready?"

"As much I ever will be, I suppose. Hey, doesn't those clouds seem a little green to you?" She pointed up at the sky, seeing the greenish looking clouds off in the distance toward the city.

"Hmm, you're right. I'll call it in as me our way back towards the plaza." The redheaded swordsman stated before getting out his scroll. Pulling it open, he began to dial.

Soon a woman in red clothing answered, she had tigerlike ears on top of her head. She had crossed arms, and looked at him. "Adam, what's going on?" She questioned.

"I'm with Blake, and she pointed out possible hail clouds off in the distance. Are we still having the event inside?" He inquired before starting to walk with Blake.

"Of course, we are, Adam, I need you to meet me after the event. It's rather important, so I need to meet you alone." She told him whilst looking over toward Blake. "Sorry, Belladonna."

"Oh no, no worries, I understand Adam has work to do. Um, hello, Ms. Khan!" Blake fidgeted nervously whilst looking at the tigress. "Adam was just helping me get the motions down with my practice sword."

Sienna smiles and looked at Adam. "Okay, well now, perhaps you'd be good amongst our ranks one day. The sign on age is thirteen, and your birthday is next year." She left that open aired, but she knew that Blake was gotten.

She was too much like her father when younger, so impassioned, and impulsive.

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way!" She stated whilst holding the umbrella up. "Th-thank you, are you saying that I'd be a Fang member if I joined up?"

"Would it ever be The White Fang without a Belladonna inside of it?" Adam openly questioned, but more stated. "C'mon now, Nightshade, time to get going."

"Right, don't wanna be late for Sienna's speech."

{In The Endless Sea.}
[Nonexistent.]

Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
BA-DUM!

His heartbeat, how long had he gotten used to the sound coming from his chest?

The silence in this void of starlight was deafening. His azure eyes found the specks of light as he floated, focusing on them, and he felt drawn to them. The fox was silent inside of him, obviously, he had healed over time, but his body felt numb and sore. His eyes widened when he saw something in the distance, moving among the specks.

It was like the dragons of myth, long and golden. It swam amongst stars, slithering across constellations of specks. What was this place, where was he, when was he going to feel solid ground once again?

These questions swirled in his mind, and he felt heat for the first time. One of the specks was moving closer to him, his eyes widened when he saw storm clouds inside of the speck. What in the world was all of this, why was this even here, and what was even here to begin with?

"An endless sea beset by distant shores." It spoke with resonance, it's very voice shuddering the void.

"Huh…" he said aloud before listening to the voice as it rumbled the air around him. "W-what in the, where did that come from?"

Slowly, but surely he felt something looking at him. His eyes darting back and forth until he found the golden dragon's visage approaching him. His eyes widened tremendously before it stops just in front of him. It was truly a massive beast, no doubt bigger than Konoha itself. Naruto weakly raises his hand up, his finger brushed against the claw of the beast.

"A sailor away from home." It observed Naruto, flowing around in coils despite it's front not moving once so ever.

"Sailor…um…" Naruto weakly gathered himself. "I'm not a sailor, what are you?"

"The caretaker of the endless sea." It introduced itself, giving no shortening to it's own title at all, yet Naruto didn't feel fear from him…he felt warmth.

That time the voice echoed across the void itself, the blonde took a minute. Gathering himself, he struggled as the speck got closer to him. Naruto took a moment gather himself more, and reached deep into himself to awaken the nine-tails, but found that he was too weak to do so. It was at least talking to him, so that meant it was friendly…right?

"I'm…Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki." The boy introduced himself, just glad to feel something other than the void itself around. "So-sorry if I'm gripping your claw hard, Mr. dragon-thing-whatever."

The golden looked bemused, it's white eyes staring down at the boy. He found a pure heart, but a heart also tainted with darkness. Two souls occupying one body, was this the boy that had entered their domain? Perhaps he was, but he could've sworn a long time ago that another had entered beforehand.

Yet, they were elusive to him.

"I am the caretaker of the endless sea." The dragon repeated itself from earlier.

"That's a mouthful, heh, can I just call you Caretaker?" Naruto asked weakly and between breathes, his eyes having bags under them.

The light from the golden dragon revealed his body. His chest was marred by a fresh scar over the left lung, and obviously he had hadn't eaten in some time. Naruto's azure eyes, now in the light, looked dulled with calmness and acceptance. The golden dragon, looking upon him felt one thing he hadn't felt in a very long time for someone.

Pity.

"Young child from distant shores, Naruto." It called him before looking into his azure eyes. "I sense a pure heart, a just soul, but I also sense evil from you."

"Heh, that's probably big dumb furball sealed in my gut. Sorry, if he's somehow upsetting you." Naruto quickly apologized, still floating on his back. "Caretaker."

"No." The golden dragon corrected Naruto. "I sense it already, and it's soul is one of pure rage and pain. Yours is similarly afflicted."

"Can you take me home then, or is this the afterlife?" The boy questioned before shaking his head, and sighing. "Heh, well, I went on my own terms at least…hope Sasuke knows that."

"Sasuke?" It questioned him.

"It's a very long story." Naruto commented before noting the look in the dragon's eye. "D-do you want to hear it?"

"I am an eternal being. I've existed for countless eons.'

"E-what-now?"

The golden dragon hummed, and then did something equally surprising. He chuckled for the first time in nearly two thousand years. "You're not very bright, are you child?" It commented.

"Hey! I'm just wondering where the heck I am at this point, ya know. Am I dead, are you guiding me to the afterlife…wait does…does that mean I can finally meet them?" Naruto eyes beamed with happiness, watering slightly.

"Meet who?"

"My parents! Oh man, I can finally meet them! I always heard that died during The Nine Tail's attack on our village. That they were brave shinobi, that they fought harder than anyone else! If I'm dead, and this the in-between, that means…that means I can see them!" He cried out before tears spilled from his eyes, and looking at the dragon. "I can…be with my family."

There it was, the one thing the dragon knew all too well. The pain of seeing someone suffer loss, and then gain hope, and only to have it ripped away again. His own clawed hands eons ago had done so out of a lesson for another. Yet, this boy was far too young to understand where he was, and to be clear, not many would ever understand what it truly means to float among stars, and worlds in the in-between.

"Child, this isn't the afterlife. You've been sent to the in-between by forces larger than us both. Strings of fate pulled you from the void to here, amongst the endless sea of stars." The dragon tried to clarify before sighing in frustration slightly. "You're not dead, nor am I death, death is a wolf who calls you…I am here to seek why I felt another's lifeforce here."

That bummed Naruto out instantly, making stare dejectedly into the darkness off to the side. "Well, that was some hope right there at least…but hey, do you wanna hear my story?" He still offered up, smiling weakly.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt, little one." The dragon coiled around him, warming him, but it's face never leaving Naruto's. "Go, regale me."

"R-re-what?"

"Ahh…tell your story, that is what it means to regale someone." The dragon commented before watching the blonde scrunch his face up. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing, I could've sworn I saw someone else here…another dragon?" Naruto observed over the dragon's head, seeing a dark blackish violet dragon flying around the specks, but then suddenly consuming one.

"You can see it as well, huh, hmm. That would be my brother, do not fear, he cannot harm you unless I choose to let him." The golden dragon stated before noting Naruto's face when it felt it's brother consume one of the specks.

"What's he doing?"

"We are balance, I am a caretaker that nurtures new worlds. My brother recycles old, dead, worlds. We use the energy of life to make new ones." The golden dragon explained before moving claw in a rotation. "Tell me about your story, child of two souls."

"Well, considering I have the nine-tailed fox in me…I guess that makes sense. Um. Anyway, I was born right before the nine-tails was sealed into me. I grew up alone, and eventually I found my first friends. They helped me, and made me realize that I couldn't do things alone, nor could I bear the pain alone." Naruto held his hand over his heart, thinking about them. "They're probably all worried about me now, and Sasuke…"

"That name again, you say it with a very mixed amount of emotions, why?"

"Well, Sasuke is just someone who's stuck in darkness. He's full of pain because his brother killed his entire clan, and he left our village for power. I didn't want him to go down the road, so I followed him, and I tried to stop him. I don't know if it worked, but we fought, and fought hard. Huh, I have a scar my chest now…from where he stabbed me with his Chidori." Naruto finally noticed the scar brush his hand on the irritated flesh, and scrunching up a little bit. "I love him, like a brother, so I took the pain that was giving with his fists."

The dragon stayed silent, absorbing all of this.

Naruto took a deep breath. "We clashed, and somehow we opened up something, he would've fallen in with me too…but I pushed him away at the last moment." The blonde smiled softly before laying his back as tears rolled down his eyes. "I remember him shouting for me, and I don't know if it was because he was angry…or trying to help me."

"That wasn't a very long story. Then again, you haven't lived a long life either. I find that you might have stories to one day form. Sadly, however, I fear that I cannot return you home. I don't know which world you're frankly from, we've created so many." The dragon explained itself before smiling a little and showing its teeth. "However, I have been monitoring this world right behind us. It's on the cusp, and I fear the path it might take."

All of a sudden the dark dragon, a much more broad dragon than slender sky serpent of gold appeared right next to him.

"Brother, not another failure champion for that world!" It hissed before looking at the boy. "Just throw him at any world, besides that one, and be done with it!"

"Tenebris." The golden dragon called its brother. "Lest you forget, we still await their test."

"They've already failed, and you know it. Why continue to give them chances. Your punishment went unheeded, the champion you chosen betrayed, and flounders since. This world is dying, there is nothing that can be done." Umbra scornfully stated before reaching for Naruto, who recoiled, only for the golden dragon block him. "What are you doing, Solis?"

"You, and I both know that we are to blame for that world's state. However, what is done is done. We promised to no longer intervene personally, but I should've known sending him after her was a mistake. We've learned since then, grown, perhaps it's time that I give a chance for something new to happen, no objective, but merely what used to do." Solis, the dragon looked down toward Naruto, smiling.

"Um, what are you two talking about?"

"So…he is not a champion of yours?" Tenebris inquired before glaring at Naruto, sensing his soul. "Oh great, I think you've finally lost all reason!"

"I have not lost all reason. This child beholden to our endless sea can breathe new life into a faltering world. He understands the cycle, deep down, I know it. I don't want him as a champion, likewise we cannot leave out here, nor throw him at a random world." Solis argued back before turning toward Naruto, the child biting his lip.

"Do I get a say in this, I mean I just wanna go home! I know that's impossible, but I don't wanna be someone's champion, I just…I just…gah!" Naruto gripped his head before tossing and turning. "I just wanna to live, ya know! I mean, I don't what I mean, this is all…a lot to take in…ya know."

Tenebris and Solis looked at him, both then looked back at each other.

Solis was the first to respond to the boy, softly speaking to him. "I'm deeply sorry, but we cannot locate your home. This is an endless sea. Gods we may be, omniscient we are not despite what my brother might like to believe." It said before looking at Tenebris fully, the dark dragon god scoffing.

"Feh, so you finally admit it. You are not so wise, brother of mine. Nor am I, I'll agree that to that…huh." Tenebris thought for a moment. "This is the first time we've agreed with each other nearly two thousand years, dear brother."

"Strangely enough, you're correct. Strange happenstance, but perhaps this meant to be. Between us, creators, and the other spirits of the sea of existence. I see great darkness in this child, yes, perhaps he'll jeopardize this world further. Perhaps he'll just become another cog in the wheel of it all, grow up and just raise a family…or…" Solis took a deep, but sorrowful breath. "Correct a mistake, we made so long ago, because we had no way to truly understand."

"Hey," the boy's voice carried softly through the void reaching them both. "We all make mistake, ya know. I guess even Gods, but to be fair, isn't that just the reason why things are more precious? People learn, people change, people move forward…or walk backwards. We're all different, trying to guess what one person will do is like guessing where first drop of rain will hit in a monsoon…"

The boy suddenly laughed out loud, rubbing the back of his head. "Wow, don't know where that came from, but I guess I think you both…click with me?" He said unsure if it was the right thing. "I just want you two to know, that I am not angry at both of you for not being able to send me home…but…I lost everything now."

His eyes dulled over, he looked into himself and frowns. "I just hope that my sacrifice didn't go in vain. All I ever wanted was someone to acknowledge me for who I was, not some demon brat, but…a fellow person, someone who was an equal." The blonde languished before reaching toward his heart. "I'll never let go of anything though, I'll keep holding on to the life I was building before."

"Your words, that speak and resonate with me, child. Very well, Solis, but there is a condition." Tenebris suddenly reached with its clawed hand, tapping it onto Naruto's forehead. "He must not remember this conversation until the time comes for the test, and then only then…will we judge what our creation wrought."

Naruto felt a pulse of energy ring through him, eyes widened and his pupils shrank before disappearing completely. He floated, seemingly lifeless through the void. Solis frowned at that, but understood the logic of it all. If Tenebris was willing to see what this boy could do for the world, it had be organic and natural.

No interference allowed on their part, that was the deal of the test.

"Ozma failed me, a long time ago when he joined her at the hip. Salem failed you longer still when she took hold of your creations. Brother, I wish to gift with him one thing." The claw of the golden dragon tapped next to Naruto's already blemishing mark where Tenebris had poked him. "I doubt he speaks same language as those on Remnant, so, better to have him understood so that he can at least have a chance at life."

"That energy from him. Chakra, it was the creation after aura we made…what if he's able to…" Tenebris hung on the thought for a moment. "The Dark Ones might come for him if they notice an anomaly with this world."

"Which is why we protect the balance brother, come, I fear that our prisoner is getting restless." Solis turned to Naruto before pushing him through the storming speck.

"Fair winds, and strong hearts, Naruto Uzumaki. We will be watching you, waiting, do as you wish with this life…a life that you could've had."

{The Skies Over The New Sea.}
[7:00pm.]

His eyes widened for the first time, all he remembered was falling into the void. Now he awoke to being above storm clouds. Weakly he reached out toward his innermost consciousness. Finding the nine-tails lulled to sleep by some force. His forehead hurt, and he reached his hand up to find a fresh mark on it. Tracing the heat, he found that it was in the symbol of swirl. His eyes rolled backwards before he passed out.

The swirl mark on his forward, which started from two points on it. One with golden ink, and the other violet, swirled into each other. It floods his brain with things, whilst removing others. He faintly remember two names in his head, Solis and Tenebris, whatever those names meant.

Rain pelts him as he flew downwards. Storm washing his body of the sweat gunk that built up whilst he had been fighting Sasuke. Blood that soaked him dropped away in clumps of brownish red from the rainwater. His last sight before breaching the clouds was that he was over a city of some sort, a port city.

Naruto took a deep breath, and finally let himself free fall. The winds carrying him, slamming him to and from. It eventually moved him just over a large estate inside of the city, and as he freefalls, the blonde's body limply made no attempt at combating the winds.

The last thing he felt, right before any sensation cut out completely was the mark on his forehead disappearing. Then came the sudden instant of pain, pain from the battle before, and now pain as he smacked into canopies of palm trees on estate. Smacking right into the small courtyard garden, breaking the ground of it's tile when he impacted.

Poor Kali Belladonna was just exiting the house when this orange blob smacked right in front of her. Making her jump back, and drop of her tea set.

"Ghira!"

End Of Chapter.

Trivia. (just so you can enjoy some of my brain.)
Solis & Tenebris are Latin for Sunlight and Darkness.
Nightshade is literally the translation for Belladonna, which is also for beautiful lady.
Spider Lilies bloom in Fall.
"The Frog In The Well Knows Nothing The Sea" is theme to this story's chapter.

Hope you've enjoyed, look forward to more trivia at the end of chapters. That, or I can make a little trivia guide book to my stories in case you all ever go "where the **** does he come up with this stuff?"