A quick chapter release.
Mostly out of necessity due to the site's state.
Dropping the act here for this. FFN has been utterly broken this last month. It has seemingly slipped and gotten worse since I posted this story. After the first night, I hadn't gotten any alerts on how this story was going. I couldn't respond for most of yesterday, and it took until the afternoon before I could access and see my reviews! Every response is absolutely appreciated, and I love each and every one of you who have enjoyed the story so far. I am going to suggest, until everything is fixed, for a better experience, purely on my end, Ao3, which is still the same user name, just without the spaces. Will keep posting, but my trust in this site, as this has been an ongoing issue this last year since I've returned to writing, has been enough to drive me insane...
I've been here and writing since '07, and how upset this has genuinely made me feel.
Anyways, for reviews, gonna answers them here as I don't trust anything on the site at the moment.
Just a reader 56, Dragonkeeper10, Tri1vium - Each of you hit on something I wanted to address. Naruto being a fairy tale story within the world of Remnant. Was is a story about them telling about the Brother Gods? A story about the distant past? Remnant fairy tales often do have a hint of truth to them, but how much is fabricated?
And what exactly did the Silver Eyes do?
Redlox2 - Your question will be answered in this chapter. Descriptors for their outfits will occur when they change their later Volume outfits, considering this at that transition period.
Lucifter28 - No, Winter nor anyone else will not be added to the harem. It is set as it is bracketed. Naruto is shipped with Team RWBY, Pyrrha, and Neo, and there will be Bumblby (despite my misgivings for that ship, it can work) and WhiteRose). The harem is small, self-contained, and meant to blend with itself, with the main conflict coming from... Well, you'll see.
Kharaki Takan - About Naruto killing Cinder being OOC... I don't really think it is given this is blank period Naruto given that he has gone against people and attempted to kill them before. He would have gone for the kill against Madara despite knowing he was basically a more broken Sasuke. He had no emotional connection to him.
But there is also another factor to it. He's never dealt with someone like Cinder before. She is a character, much like that of the JOKER during this time, and that negativity within her would have made him realize she couldn't be saved. During the RWBY canon timeline, she is not redeemable. She only wants to watch the world burn. To redeem Cinder, you have to get to her before Salem, possibly in Atlas, and take her out of that situation so she doesn't see the world in the way she does.
EVERYONE ELSE! All your reviews and love were very much appreciated! THANK YOU!
Now, with that out of the way...
This chapter was built to be a bridge to get back to my script!
So, I've come to realize the first smut scene might not be until chapter 4.
So let's get to the chapter.
Cleaning up the last of the creatures called Grimm was not a difficult task. They were easy to locate. They were beacons of negativity, and thanks to his sensory from Kurama, he could scour every single one.
And he meant every single Grimm. It didn't matter where it was. He could find it. However, there was one in particular shrouded in darkness in the distance that had his interest. He would have investigated if he wasn't busy helping this city out or had his issues to deal with…
Because these creatures were intriguing. Beings of raw negative emotion? What was their origin? Where did they come from?
And why did they turn to dust when killed, no matter how he killed them?
"Mah, my Planetary Rasengan was overkill if that Wyvern was gonna disperse no matter what I did to it." Naruto flicked a kunai through a wolf before running his hair through his spiky locks. "Wonder if that girl is okay. She suddenly passed out when I focused my attention on her when I was looking for clues as to why I was here… Heh, kind of reminds me of what happened to Hinata all those times when she tried talking to me early before she gained some courage."
Hearing more growls, having sensed they were there, Naruto rolled his eyes while drawing forth another kunai to face. "Just keep coming, don't ya! Got some strength and numbers! Time to take out the…"
With a single motion, the wolves were severed in half as a man with a great scythe stood between them. Back turned from him, scythe on his shoulder.
Almost as if he was stylishly posing.
It was a good entrance, though. Even if he saw the complete entrance and let the man have it, it was impressive. He gave it a four out of five. Standing between the corpses of the creatures was a nice touch, and sheathing his weapon was a nice…
Did his weapon transform into a greatsword as he sheathed it on his back?
Five out of five! He wanted that sword!
"...Trash. Huh, neat." Naruto finished his sentence calmly, not allowing his giddiness of seeing such a magnificent weapon to tarnish this meeting.
Didn't want to let the leash of the little kid inside of him and gush over the sword. He would ask to admire it later as he wasn't nearly as much of a weapon nerd as Tenten…
Though, they did bond over it when they were in the academy when they were younger. He just preferred flashy jutsu.
"Hey, kid…" The man's gruff voice snapped Naruto from his thoughts and his wandering eyes away from his sword as crimson eyes peered into his. "Appreciate what you've done here, but I've noticed something. And I've got some questions for you if you don't mind me asking."
"Nah, don't really mind all that much. Gathering intel while I'm clearing out these bizarre creatures." Naruto shrugged, glancing around with a frown at the damage but sensing his clones, and the other Huntsman, as they were called, was handling the remaining Grimm and had rounded up the White Fang.
"Bizarre?" The man muttered, expressing bewilderment upon hearing and seeing this young man destroying the Grimm with unnerving ease yet not knowing didn't know what they were.
Naruto could see it perplexed him, and with a grin, he slipped his kunai into his pouch before placing a hand on his hip. "Yeah, don't mind answering some questions if you got some answers for me! A fair exchange, as I'm quite confused on many things, as you can see!"
"I was training to blow off some steam in the forest near my home before the next thing I knew; I was suddenly enveloped in a silver light and transported here, having to save everyone!"
You… Why is it you?! Burn! Burn! Why has everything gone so wrong? This wasn't supposed to be how this was supposed to end!
I was supposed to be the one! Me! Now… You…
I won't forgive you! I scorch you and make you suffer along with me! You don't deserve this gift!
Everything was so hot…
She burned. No…
She felt like her skin was on fire! Nothing she did could get rid of the feeling!
And why was she before her once again? Didn't he say she would no longer be an issue…
"Ruby?" A worried voice echoed out, calling her name. "Are you okay? Your bed has been rocking… Ruby!"
Weiss immediately pulled herself up to Ruby's bedside. Her crystal eyes widened with fear upon the sight. Her friend was wildly thrashing about, sweat drenching and soaking her bedsheets.
She had brought her back after she had passed out at the evacuation site, most likely from exhaustion from whatever had happened. With the word given by the Professors, they were allowed to return to the dormitories, so she brought Ruby to rest while Blake went with Yang to the hospital.
She could only hope that her friend didn't try to abandon them again, but that hardly was on her mind at the moment!
"Ruby!" Weiss reached out, trying to snap her friend out of what she thought to be a traumatic nightmare.
Only to recoil and draw her hand back, stumbling back and falling onto Blake's bunk when she grazed Ruby's shoulder.
Her hand burned when she made contact with Ruby. As if she was…
"Ruby!" Weiss heard Ruby scream in agony, snapping her out of shock from staring at her hand, her attention drawn back to her friend. "I… Let me get help!"
Fumbling around for her scroll, panic settling in as her friend's cries filled the room, Weiss didn't know what to do. Who to call? She was at a loss…
"Ruby!" The door to their dorm burst open, Weiss dropping her scroll as Pyrrha nearly snapped their door in two as she entered their room, sword, and shield drawn.
Emerald eyes shimmered as they fell upon Ruby, seeing an all too familiar aura envelop her as her screams cried and echoed through the room, levitating off the bed. And Weiss was too stunned next to her bedside to notice this due to her arrival…
Pyrrha did not hesitate, dragging Weiss to the ground, cradling her into her side as she held her shield above them. "Pyrrha, what…!"
Flames erupted, coursing through the room. Weiss' eyes flickered in horror as the fire burned around them, the shield doing enough to cover them from their wrath. But where did they come from…
"Ruby!" Weiss screamed, a cold shiver traveling down her spine as her friend was caught in the flames dying around them. "No! Ruby!"
"I don't know what is happening…" Pyrrha gritted as she flicked her shield, feeling the intensity dissipate, and grimaced at the state of the room before sighing in relief upon seeing sprinklers activate and put out the fires.
And her friend lay uncomfortably, breathing heavily as the strange aura around her calmed. With Weiss noticing it, too, her eyes fell upon Pyrrha, looking for an explanation as Ren, Nora, and Jaune all rushed into the room.
Checking upon Ruby, frowning and seeing the same glow around her eyes, Pyrrha bit back a curse. "It is what I feared. I don't know how it happened…"
"But I need to find Professor Glynda immediately!"
Naruto couldn't imagine the marvel he was now standing before.
He had seen some pretty t marvels, but this was something beyond all of them! He knew something was up when he saw those mechanical men torn apart and deactivated all across the streets, but this!
This was an airship!
Something like this was only a dream pitched in movies or by the drunken bridge builder, Tazuna, stating he would craft the first ever one! All to prove it was possible to him and Inari when he last visited them…
So where was he?! This technology and everything he had seen around was impossible where he was from. Sure, Konoha was having a surge of industrial boom with tech and was beginning to advance at an alarming pace.
But it was nowhere near as state-of-the-arc as this!
This was futuristic by all measures of the word!
"Where am I?!" Left Naruto's lips, his composure finally breaking and pointing at the airship. "That should not be possible! Those things are just a theory! What is going on here?"
"Huh?" Qrow stumbled, crimson eyes shimmering in bafflement at what he heard. "Kid, what are you going on about? This is… Hey, hey… Calm down!"
"Okay, where is that silver-eyed girl?" Naruto ranted, turning around with a purpose and freezing Qrow.
Allowing the world to flow through him, still mastering this form now that he had full access to its power again, he felt the world around him. Searching for her presence. He could use Kurama's cloak to sense her, but if he kept relying on the fox, it would wake him up…
And despite the situation, he wanted Kurama to rest after being taken to the brink. He deserved it, but if this called for it, he might need to converse and plan with him…
"Really, I don't know how her powers work. When I find her, I'm gonna figure out how to reverse-engineer the process and get back home!" Naruto muttered, searching for her presence and scowling. "There! Time to…"
"What do you want with Ruby?!"
"What?" Naruto's gaze reverted to Qrow, a scowl gracing his lips as that awesome greatsword of his was directly pointed at him.
It, by no means, was threatening to him. But that deathly serious glint as he aimed toward him. And that stance told him everything he needed.
He was protecting her.
She was someone precious to him.
So, he needed to de-escalate matters and explain. Didn't want to ruin relations…
"Qrow!" A door on the ship suddenly opened, and Naruto and Qrow's eyes shot to a tall woman as she exited the airship in a panicked rush. "What is this… Nevermind! We have an emergency!"
"Kind of dealing with one…"
"It's Ruby!" The woman's shrill voice caused the man's grasp of his sword to weaken and his gaze to quiver. "Pyrrha just called me! I can't believe it! I don't understand it! But it's her! It's her!"
Dropping his sword aimed toward Naruto, Qrow quickly stepped toward the woman, trying to keep calm even if his voice betrayed him. "Glynda! What do you mean it's her? What is…"
"Ruby was the last one she thought of!" Glynda's voice chilled Qrow to the bone.
"She's the inheritor, Qrow!"
He almost vomited…
The moment he saw the kid was coming regardless, recognizing something was wrong with Ruby, he knew he couldn't stop him. He didn't understand why he was so fixated on her. One thing he could gauge was that he believed he didn't want to cause her harm…
The kid was too open. Too honest. Wore his heart on his sleeve. Perhaps he could be guarded and hide secrets, sure, but he was still an available book…
But from now on, he would never, ever again ask for his assistance. If they were to travel together to get somewhere…
He would go on his own two feet!
What was that he did? They traveled from Vale to the dormitories in the blink of an eye!
Didn't seem Glynda was fairing any better as she swayed beside him, looking shaken and barely able to register where they were at the moment. He scarcely was able to notice the kid had reverted from that golden state he had seen him in while protecting Vale from the attack.
What was this kid? And how did he…
"Oh, right…" Qrow heard him mutter and narrowed his eyes, keeping his stomach from lurching, and swallowed hard to keep the bile from escaping. "Not everyone can handle moving at such high speeds. The body and mind try adjusting to moving at such high velocities. …Does remind me of the first few times Jiraiya-sensei had me travel through the Body Flicker…"
"Kid… Shut up." Qrow growled, standing tall before taking a deep breath and glaring at the blonde. "I have so many more questions. You do realize that?"
"Good, 'cause I have even more for you to answer!" Naruto chirped, closing his eyes and giving Kakashi-sensei patent eye smile before tilting his head. "I think we both realize I have no idea of anything going on and just acting on instinct!"
Then his eyes opened, and Qrow went rigid. His crimson gaze was swallowed by the serious intent within the swelling oceans of the kid's ceruleans. "But if something is endangering her…"
"Let's just say I'm not gonna take too kindly to them until I figure out exactly what's happening here."
Exiting her dorm, Pyrrha let out a deep exhale as she walked into the burned wreckage of her RWBY's dorm room. Ruby was lying in bed with Weiss, Nora, and Ren, watching over her.
It gave her the moment to leave. Come over here and catch her bearings.
Bringing her face into the palms of her hand, she took a deep breath to calm herself…
She wanted to tell everyone else what the issue was. She really did. Jaune unfortunately found out when he followed her and was dragged into the mess.
It nearly killed him. It was why she sent him away…
No, she was lying to herself. She knew deep down that despite everything she felt…
She sent him away so she could fight to her fullest. Her feelings for him…
Made her weak, and if he was there, she couldn't bring everything. That she would have to worry about him…
Care for him.
Another sigh escaped as she closed her eyes and hung her head shamefully.
It was cruel to think in such a manner. He was doing so well. Had progressed so much in such a short time. And he was a great leader and tactician. He had many great qualities…
But in that very moment, when it mattered the most…
She felt he held her back.
Pyrrha hated that she felt this way. He didn't deserve this ridicule. He only deserved admiration for his courage and his rapid growth…
He, after all, was the only person that didn't see her like everyone else. He saw her as Pyrrha…
Jaune didn't see her as the Invincible Girl.
Not that she was very invincible anymore. Not after what she experienced and witnessed.
She was far from invincible if someone like her could beat her…
Or if someone like him could save her and everyone else from that woman and all of the Grimm.
Just who was he?
"Pyrrha?"
She winced.
It was his voice.
Jaune followed her. And with her recent train of thought, her guilt wracked her. She couldn't even look at him!
Not after what she did to him…
"You don't have to explain what you did…" Jaune stepped into the room and toward her, the door clicking behind him.
Examining the room, he flinched, and Pyrrha couldn't blame him. She believed he was coming to understand what Ruby had inherited.
Hanging his head, letting that thought fade, shame spread across his face. "The past few hours have been on my mind on loop. I can't blame you after seeing what that woman could do… I would have only been a hindrance, and we both know it. I just… Wish I could have been more helpful, you know? We've worked so hard this year, and despite that, this happened, and in the end…"
"It's not your fault, Jaune…" Pyrrha bit back a sob, her emerald shimmer as she tried to hold back her tears as she finally faced him. "There was nothing that could be done. It didn't matter what happened… Because in the end, I failed too! I should have died! If it wasn't…"
"What are you guys not telling me?" The door slammed open, and Weiss snarled as her cold, icy blue eyes stared at the two of them.
Seeing them flinch, her fists clenched. Clearing the dormitory, heels clicking, she stood before Pyrrha and gazed up into her emeralds with furious intent. "Don't you dare withhold information from me! My friend just set our dorm on fire! What is wrong with her? What is happening here? What happened on the tower…"
Her words were cut short as the door did not close. Her eyes widened as a mystical aura began to repair and rift all the burn damage. Objects that seemed burned beyond recognition were returned to mint condition. All the water damage from the sprinklers…
Gone.
"Professor!" Pyrrha gave a stunned expression as her eyes locked onto Glynda, standing in the middle of the doorway, a riding crop slid onto her waist belt. "I thought you were in…"
"I was. Got an instantaneous ride over here." Glynda glided into the room, taking control of the situation as she locked onto Weiss. "Ms. Schnee now isn't the time. Pressing Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos for answers under such circumstances is unbecoming…"
"I don't care!" Weiss' voice was frigid as she snapped, unwilling to step back and having picked this battle. "My friend set my room on fire! What is wrong with her?! Stop pretending I don't know that I don't see something that isn't normal! There was a strange aura around her that wasn't hers! What was that?"
"Tell me exactly how the room was set on fire." A voice that froze Pyrrha to spot as she had been thinking of him as well before everyone entered the room.
And as all eyes were brought to the doorway…
A spiky-haired blonde was leaning against the door with an inquisitive expression. "For I might have an answer…"
"But that will leave me with more questions than answers if what you said happened is true."
Why was she still here?
She shouldn't still be here… Not after what had happened.
He knew she was here. She needed to escape before he came back for her. With so many of her White Fang brothers and sisters in custody, she knew he wouldn't be too far away.
He would be back. And he would come for her…
A shuddering breath drew sparkling golden eyes to a limp form into the room, to the other figure lying in the hospital bed, restlessly shifting. Her blonde hair was matted against her face as sweat drenched the bedding, a groan escaping her lips.
Tremendous pain still must have coursed through her, and she knew it. The bow on her head curled as her golden gaze fell upon the right arm…
Or where her right arm should have been.
It was her fault.
She would still have it if she weren't here. If she had left sooner.
If she hadn't involved herself in their lives…
Brought them into it…
"Yang…" Her name left her lips before Blake bit her lip, tears glinting before another gasp escaped her partner's lips, and her eyes fluttered open.
And she froze, words unable to come to her as lilac eyes scanned the room until they fell upon her.
Fear filled every fiber of her being. What would she say?
Would she hate her? Tell her she never wanted to see her again…
She would blame her…
"Hey…" A gentle whisper, Yang snapped Blake out of her depression and into her glinting lilac eyes. "Are you okay? I don't remember anything that happened. I just remember that guy standing over you… And you were bleeding…"
Leaping across the room, Blake couldn't contain the sorrowful howls contained. She felt her rigidness as she buried her head into Yang's shoulder. But it only made her tighten her embrace on her.
She didn't want to let her go…
This was her fault!
"I'm so sorry!" Blake bawled, tears staining Yang's shoulder, knowing she was looking at her with confusion. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Okay…" Yang stuttered, struggling to comprehend Blake's reaction before she felt her arms wrap around her, attempting to comfort her by combing her…
Then she felt her muscles taunt and then shudder. Blake winced, knowing what it was she saw. It was inevitable…
And Blake buried further into the nape of Yang's neck as the audible devastating shriek, and realization dawned on her where the pain radiated from her body.
"I'm so sorry… This is my fault…"
This wasn't her room. Wasn't this JNPR's dorm?
Why was she here? Wasn't she outside? The last thing she remembered was the overwhelming guilt of somehow bringing the legendary hero of the greatest legend from her mother's bedtime story to her world…
And then that horrible dream with that woman tormenting and igniting her repeatedly!
Her stomach lurched. She couldn't contain it.
Quickly fumbling across the bed she knew wasn't hers, the contents of her stomach spilled onto the floor. She wished she could have made it to the bathroom…
"Ah! Gross!"
"Sorry, Nora…" Ruby muttered, knowing her friend was there, and grimaced. "I feel nauseous… I'll clean it up…"
"No, don't worry about it! Not after what happened!" Nora chirped, a broad smile on her face before a mysterious biohazard outfit was suddenly dawned with a mop and bucket in hand. "I am on the case!"
"Where did that even come from?" Ren questioned, tilting his head at his odd partner.
"Dontcha wanna know!" Nora beamed and began to clean up, singing a tune to her beat. "I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really, want…"
"Okay then…" Ruby murmured, managing to push herself up to a seated position on the bed she was in, unable to process the scene before her. "Um, why am I here? The last thing I remember…"
"Hey, kiddo." A voice that she immediately recognized and snapped her head toward the origin.
"Uncle Qrow! Why are you here?" She loudly cried, attempting to leap off the bed and hug the man before clutching her stomach. "Oh, no, no, no! Don't reject me again!"
"Keeping an eye on you after everything that just happened, little Rose." Qrow nonchalantly responded, his arms crossed as he kept a firm eye on Ruby, a deep frown adorned on his face. "Got some explaining to do, I'm afraid… And your friends deserve to hear it too after seeing what happened."
Hearing her uncle's words, Ruby's expression turned dejected. Looking down and away, she grimaced as she took it everyone had already knew…
She was the reason he was here.
"I don't know…" Ruby bit her lip, and her eyes glimmered. "When we were on the tower, I felt something snap within me when I felt all was lost… I was so hopeless. Weak. Nothing. A failure that could never live up to what mom was! …At that moment, when I was at my lowest, and I managed to find something inside to make a move, Pyrrha said she saw a silver glow come from me…"
Qrow's eyes widened. What was Ruby admitting? The silver eyes activated! If they had already awoke, now with this development…
If she found her…
"What, Ruby, that's not…" Qrow tried to intervene but was interrupted by Ruby as their eyes met.
"And suddenly, he appeared before us, wrapped in the glow of that light that came from me. Came from my eyes..." Ruby's eyes shimmered. "I don't understand it, but I know what I did… Moments before, I was thinking of the tale my mom used to read to Yang and me before bed, and I regained my courage…"
"And with it, I summoned the hero of the Brothers of the Sun and Moon!"
Everything had fallen apart for that woman. Under any normal circumstances, she would be utterly thrilled!
And at this moment, she couldn't care less!
After all this time of being held under her boot, even if she may have enjoyed some of the sadistic things she was unleashed to do, she was free once more…
Where was he?! This was their meeting spot! She had been here so long! Everyone else had been rounded up, but he was too good to get captured. He always escaped…
Always.
But it had too long. And she was so alone here.
Roman, where are you? I know the wind carried me away, but I waited for you here the moment I saw everything was turning so we could make our move… Start anew like we did on that day.
Three-tone hair fluttered with a windy breeze, heterochromatic eyes gazing upon the remnants of a torn-down building—a burned mansion.
Her old home.
Vanille estate.
With that breeze, her eyes caught something drifting onto the rubble. Something she hadn't noticed before.
Her eyes shimmered.
No…
She slowly took several steps toward it. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible.
He always escaped. And even when he didn't, a plan was set for his rescue!
No… No… No…
Tears welled in her eyes.
This wasn't happening. This wasn't him!
This broke his code! Above all else! This was his number one motto!
Survive!
No!
Falling onto her knees, she reach out to collect the object caught in the rubble of her parent's home…
Was the one thing Roman would never leave behind.
His bowler hat.
Caressing it into her bosom, tears streamed freely. She knew.
The man who saved her from her misery was gone.
Lifting her head to the skies above, a muted scream echoed, warping and shattering the heavens like they were glass as the world bent around her.
And still not a soul heard her agony.
Just with the site being broken AF... And every little thing helps not being able to see notifications and shit...
R&R, would you?
Peace Out.