AN: Chapter 18 coming through. I won't say much more as I want to go ahead and dive in. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. See you in the next one.
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The Calm Before III ~ Whole Again
The snow crunched beneath his boots as he marched on, nearing the small camp in the clearing ahead of him. Surrounded by snow covered trees on all sides, the fire in the center of the clearing stood out against the white world around him like a beacon. Two people in chairs huddled around it. He couldn't help but be thankful for the flames as he approached; the cloak over his body provided little warmth as it billowed in the howling winds. A warmer jacket lie beneath it, ensuring some comfort while the cloak provided him with a more important service.
"You weren't followed?" asked the taller man, the other one was cloaked similarly to himself.
"Nah," he replied, removing the hood of his cloak as he took a seat around the fire. "What's all this, James? Why'd you call me here? Did'ya find a way to get to Yang?"
"I'm afraid we've not reached any sort of solution for the recovery of miss Xiao Long and the Schnee sisters, Qrow. I assure you, however, that we are working on it." Qrow flinched at the voice. He knew it… it sounded jus like the man he once knew.
"…Oz?" Qrow asked. Oscar removed the hood of his own cloak and Qrow was met with the face of a young man, but the eyes of someone he'd known for years.
"Indeed. It is good to see you again, Qrow."
"Didn't think I'd see ya again so soon, Oz…" Qrow knew Ozpin would return, he just hadn't expected to see him for a few more months. A part of him had also been worried Salem would have somehow found his new body or prevented him from reincarnating at all.
"I understand, Qrow. Getting in touch with James was no small feat. I easily could have failed. Thankfully, young Oscar has been very cooperative with me, and his age is an invaluable asset when attempting to stay under Salem's radar," Ozpin replied. Qrow nodded as a weight seemed to come off his shoulders. He was so happy to know that searching for Ozpin would no longer been on his long list of tasks.
"Now that we've finished getting reacquainted, it's time we plan our next move," said James.
"Indeed… James has informed me of our missing comrades. While their disappearance is undoubtedly a serious issue, this does present us with plenty of time before Salem can make any active moves. With Cinder gone, Salem is now maidenless. She cannot access any of the relics now, something we will have to take advantage of."
"Yeah… funny thing about that… Raven came runnin' soon as she felt Tai die. After James left and I gave her time to mourn… she told me she was Spring. We know where three maidens are for sure now, so we only need to worry over the fourth."
"I always knew Raven was dangerous… but to become a maiden? When did that come about? And how?" James asked.
"Dunno. Didn't say. She just told me she was one," Qrow replied.
"How she became a maiden is of no consequence. It is to our advantage. Now, we need only search for the Summer maiden. Let us be thankful," Ozpin said. Qrow and James could do little more than agree.
"We don't have time for taking breaks," Sasuke said. Next to him Naruto nodded. He didn't really think they could afford the time off either. Across from them was Tsunade, seated comfortably in her chair behind her desk, leaning forward and hands steepled before her. The windows were open behind her, showing a clear sky and a beautiful day behind their glass. They could see some of the far-off buildings in the village and with their excellent eyesight they could even make out the ever-bustling pedestrians. Sasuke himself noted the locations of all the anbu in the room. There were more of them than usual because he was there, he was sure.
"This is not up for discussion. As the leader of this village and the only medical professional between the three of us my orders are clear. You two will take the next three days off from training and allow your bodies to recover," Tsunade replied. Sasuke scoffed.
"But the Otsutsuki are like a week out, baa-chan. We've still got things we wanna practice and everything!" Naruto said.
"You two will be less useful in the fight against them if you're exhausted from training. Take these three days and get back to work afterwards. Besides, Sakura and I will need you two today for something important."
"What's that?" Naruto asked.
"We're going to fit Yang with her prosthetic today. While I've been having Kakashi help me learn some of the language in my free time, I'm not proficient yet. I'll need you two to translate," Tsunade said.
"Kakashi and Hinata could handle that," Sasuke replied.
"They trust you two more. This is a delicate thing and I want no chances taken. Even if you weren't translating, the two of you would still have to be there," Tsunade replied with finality. Sasuke's scowl deepened, but he didn't bother saying anything else. There was no point in arguing anymore.
"Alright, we get it. We'll be there… where is there, anyway?" Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. Tsunade rolled her eyes but smiled, leaning back in her chair, and crossing her arms beneath her chest.
"You just go relieve Sai from duty guarding our guests. Sakura and I will come get you, Yang, and the friends that wish to accompany her later." Tsunade replied. Naruto nodded then he and Sasuke made their way out of Tsunade's office. They walked in silence until they left the Hokage Tower, at which point Sasuke made his displeasure known.
"This is foolish," he said.
"I guess. The biju actually agree with baa-chan though. Kurama says we need the rest," Naruto replied. Sasuke scoffed.
"We need to finish perfecting our techniques."
"Yeah, but maybe they're right. We've been getting stressed. A break could help," Naruto said. Sasuke just gave his usual "hn" and said nothing more. Taking that to mean he was conceding, Naruto jumped up to a rooftop and then was gone in a blur. Just moments later he was landing on the windowsill of the room Yang was staying at. Sasuke's foot touched the sill at the same time and the two of them entered the common area.
A round table was situated near the new wall that separated this room from the bedroom. On the opposite side of the room was another wall on the left was a door down a short hallway that led into the hall of the hotel and on right was an open doorway leading into the kitchen. Between the two walls was the spacious living room, the window they'd come through leading to a couch just a few feet ahead of it.
There was a coffee table after that and another couch opposite the table. On the far wall opposite the window was another door, this one leading to the bathroom.
"Must you two always enter through the window?" Winter asked, seated on the couch facing the window along with Weiss and Emerald. Naruto could see she was clearly displeased. Her brow was downturned and the glare she was shooting him with briefly made him wonder if that's why she was named Winter, silly as that was. Surely she wasn't glaring at people like that while she was a baby… right?
Hinata's giggle was a perfect distraction from Winter's stare. She set down the cup of tea on the coffee table and turned in her seat to give Naruto a smile in greeting. Next to her Yang did the same as Cinder lifted her teacup from the table to take a sip.
"It's a h-habit they acquired from Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya in N-Naruto-kun's case," Hinata said. Naruto scratched at his cheek and Sasuke said nothing as the two of them made themselves comfortable at the table. Yang rushed over and took a seat next to Naruto, all smiles.
"Didn't expect to see ya' today, whiskers!" Yang said, placing a kiss on his cheek despite all the onlookers. He glanced at Hinata and merely saw her give him a small smile. Naruto still couldn't really wrap his mind around it. He had two girlfriends now. He'd had the opportunity to talk to Hinata yesterday after bringing Yang back. He'd walked Hinata home, leaving the night duty to Sai.
It was quiet at first. He hadn't known what to say to her and the biju were of little help. They all just crowded his thoughts with silly things, conflicting advice, and perverted jokes. They did little more than make him feel even more awkward, but eventually he'd pushed past all that and asked her about her and Yang sharing him. Hinata had blushed prettily at his question.
She stuttered through her response, which he had to admit was rather endearing. He knew Hinata hadn't been stuttering as much as the years passed, but the frequency would always increase when she was around Naruto. He hadn't known what that meant for a long time. Not until after Pain. Slowly, he'd put the pieces together and understood exactly how much he meant to her.
It was then that he started remembering how often Hinata looked out for him, back in the academy and beyond. No one else had done that for him. Not without him actively trying to prove himself first anyway. And now here he was. One nighttime stroll and conversation later, he and Hinata were together. They couldn't say anything about it publicly yet, but he couldn't really say her cared.
"Whiskers?" said Yang, breaking Naruto from his thoughts. He blinked and looked to her, giving her a grin and a laugh.
"Sorry. I zoned out for a sec… anyway, Baa-chan said we have to take the next few day off from training. She thinks we need rest I guess," Naruto said. Yang wrapped herself around his right arm and Naruto tried his best to fight down the blush crawling up his neck from the sensation.
"Well, certainly won't get any complaints from me about that," Yang said.
"Yeah… you're getting your prosthetic today too, 'ttebayo!" Yang stilled at his words.
"R-really…?" she asked. She'd never admit it to anyone, but Yang just hadn't been herself since losing her hand. She felt weak and insignificant. Yang hadn't thought she was able to contribute anything of significance around the room since they'd been here. Her companions had been of little help in that regard either.
Yang knew they meant well. They just didn't want her having to do much while she wasn't in tip top shape. But really it just made her feel like a child. To know that she would finally be able to get back to normal was liberating, in a way. She wouldn't be a burden anymore.
"Yep."
"Do you know what her prosthetic is supposed to look like? Or how it will function?" Weiss asked.
"Nah… Sasuke?"
"Sakura has told me nothing," Sasuke said.
"Curious… I mean no disrespect when I say this, but the technology of your dimension is leagues behind ours. I'm not quite sure I see how useful this prosthetic will be. Surely it will not be able to function as properly as what we have on Remnant. The prosthetics there are so advanced that it is almost as if you never lost the limb," Weiss replied. Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other. Having been to Remnant themselves they could see her point, but they knew how versatile chakra could be.
There was no telling what Tsunade and Sakura had come up with. The two greatest medics in the EN working on a prosthetic? Whatever they created was bound to revolutionize their current understanding of medicine. Naruto had faith, and while Sasuke rarely put his trust in anyone, he knew skill when he laid eyes on it. He could trust that.
"Is the t-technology of Remnant really so far ahead of ours?" Hinata asked.
"Yes," Sasuke replied.
"The technological feats the people of Remnant have achieved have allowed us mass air travel, speedy yet safe production, and a certain degree of safe military practice. Together these innovations increase trade, wealth, and safety throughout the world," Winter said.
"Chakra can do some pretty amazing things though. Kokuo seems to think that's why we haven't advanced as far. Some things just haven't been needed. Air travel is less useful when most people can make travel between the villages on foot within a few days if they really wanna. And with all the long range jutsu we got, trying to do battle from the air in a big ship that's just a target is a worse idea than a stealthy infiltration," said Naruto.
"Yes… but you fail to account for your civilians. Your trained shinobi can make these trips with ease, but your civilians cannot. Which allows them to be susceptible to bandits. While I'm sure that makes work for your shinobi forces by supplying them with escort missions, overall, you'd have higher safety for your people if they could avoid the ground. I understand that you are likely a candidate for the position of Hokage, Uzumaki. You would do well to pay closer attention to the needs of the commonfolk. Your shinobi are not the only ones who matter," Winter replied.
Weiss noted that her sister's tone was nowhere near as scathing as it had been the last few times she'd talked to Naruto, but she was the only one who knew her sister well enough to tell that she was attempting to be helpful and not just contradictory. She hoped that Naruto wouldn't take offense, but the sudden blush on his face worried her. Thankfully, she needn't feel that way. Naruto chuckled.
"Thanks… never really thought of it that way. Been fighting most of my life, y'know? All I've had to worry about was fighting to protect the village. A workaround like that hadn't crossed my mind," Naruto said.
Use her advice to grow, boy. You know you're lacking now. Work to ensure that you become more competent for the sake of your village. For the world, Son Goku said. Naruto gave the equivalent of a mental nod. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief as Winter gave a curt nod. She hoped that the two of them would have an easier time getting along now. Slow as the progress was sure to be, that was better than Winter being at his throat.
It was a few hours later when Sakura and Tsunade came knocking. Kakashi, having arrived minutes prior, opened the door. They stepped in and Yang looked upon them, her hand clenching as butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. Sakura was carrying a scroll with her. Yang took a deep breath, wondering what kind of prosthetic the people of the Elemental Nations could create.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi greeted, "Sakura. We're ready to move when you are."
"Change of plans, Kakashi. We're going to conduct our business here," said Tsunade. Kakashi translated her words.
"Is that safe?" Winter asked. Though not fully capable of holding a conversation themselves, Tsunade and Sakura could understand their guests to a degree. Thankfully, Winter hadn't said anything difficult to grasp.
"It will be fine. Sakura and I know what we're doing. Show them, Sakura," said Tsunade. At this point, Sasuke was making sure to translate her words as quickly as she was saying them thanks to his sharingan. Sakura nodded and stepped over to the table. She set the scroll down in front of Yang and unrolled it. With a hand on the paper and a burst of chakra, she released the prosthetic from the seal. What appeared before Yang was a hand wrapped by bandages.
Weiss scrutinized the prosthetic from the couch. She was a tad disappointed, but she didn't let it show on her face. Nothing about it looked advanced or even capable of moving properly. There were no sorts of mechanisms connected to it as far as Weiss could tell. How was Yang supposed to control it?
"I know it doesn't look like much," said Tsunade. Weiss glanced over to her as Sasuke translated and saw the woman favor her briefly with a smile. Weiss felt her cheeks warm. She'd thought she'd not let anything show on her face, but she hadn't been considering who she was with. The shinobi built careers, a way of life, and battle around observation and exploitation. She'd had no chance of hiding anything. "But Sakura's idea was ingenious. Go ahead and explain," Tsunade continued.
"Right. So, during the war I had an opportunity to observe Obito. For those unaware, he was a Konoha shinobi thought long dead. Half his body had been crushed by a boulder. Yet he lived—and appeared before us with all his limbs, stronger than he'd ever been before," said Sakura.
"That doesn't make sense… and this wasn't a trick?" Emerald asked. Sakura shook her head.
"No. He managed this because of something that was done to him. The person who saved him from the brink of death did so by using the cells of the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. He possessed a powerful kekkei genkai known as Mokuton. Mokuton can be related to… life, in a sense. And Hashirama's cells, which house this ability, make great prothetics. IN the end, this hand we made fro Yang is wood and Hashirama cells.
"This doesn't seem all that helpful, I'm sure. However, because of the cells inside and how those cells interact with wood and nature… these prosthetics can be bound to any being with chakra and function as if they'd never lost the limb at all," said Sakura.
"But how does that help Yang?" Weiss asked.
"Think about when I healed all of you. Chakra interacts very favorably with your aura. That's because they're essentially the same energy, just cultivated and progressed in two different directions. I needed to do some observations to ensure that I could adjust the prosthetic to properly support aura instead of chakra, but once Winter helped me with that the work became much easier," said Sakura.
"This sounds impossible!" said Emerald. Sakura did little more than shrug.
"Well, it's happening. Put the prosthetic on please. It should take a moment for your aura and the chakra from the prosthetic to adjust to each other, but after that you shouldn't have any issue moving it. I made a nervous system inside the prosthetic out of seals and chakra… or well, I had Naruto do it. I'm not as good with seals as he is," said Sakura. When Sasuke finished the translation, Yang nodded.
Yang rolled up the shirt sleeve that had obscured her missing hand and after undoing the clasp on the protective sleeve that had kept her stump safe from the elements, she reached out for the prosthetic. With another deep breath and a heart full of anticipation, Yang attached the prosthetic. At first, she felt nothing, then winced as a sharp sting raced up her arm from the point of contact. After that she felt numb and that didn't change for a few minutes.
Weiss asked if she felt anything at least three times and Sakura even began to look worried. And then Yang twitched a finger on the prosthetic. Then another. And then she made a fist. Tears pooled in her eyes and her heart raced. Shooting out of her chair, she lunged at Sakura and threw her arms around her. Thanking her again and again as she cried.
She finally felt like herself.
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That's the chapter. Yang finally gets her prosthetic! Been waiting for this. Now, there's only one more chapter after this before We meet the Otsutsuki again and the ball gets rolling with things in Remnant once more as well. Hope you're all looking forward to it.
If there are any questions you all have, feel free to leave a review. If you want some sort of more in-depth discussion, then go ahead join the discord. Also, I'm going to be streaming now. For anyone who wants to come through and chat when I stream that would be appreciated. We can talk about anything from anime to fanfiction, to any topic that comes to mind. Had my first stream yesterday. Was pretty fun. You can check my bio for my socials if you wanna keep up. Anyway, that's it. Peace out.
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