Underneath the Underneath

by no169

Naruto finds himself in an unfamiliar land, facing unfamiliar monsters. Stripped of most of his power, he'll need to adapt to not only survive but to flourish. Can hard work and skill make up the difference? This is a story about recovering from disaster, overcoming great challenges, and adapting to incredible circumstances. Weiss x Naruto medium-burn. Mature Naruto.

11. No, Seriously, What Was That?

A/N: So here's Chapter 11. Not a whole lot to say about this one, other than there are a hell of a lot of POV shifts, including one we haven't seen before. Lots of action too. I wanted to try something new, so let me know what you think.

*** Also, super important. See the bottom of the Author's Note below for some good and bad news.

xXx

Naruto frowned as he systematically poked and prodded at his face with one hand. His free hand gripped his scroll tightly, and the camera was awkwardly turned to display his face. The teen was attempting to split his focus between angling the device and scrutinizing his features.

'Relax. It's fine,' came the soft reassurances of his partner.

Naruto ignored the fox. Empty platitudes if he'd ever heard them. He continued to feel around his face.

'Seriously, you vain idiot. You look normal again, so knock it off. You're wasting time.'

Naruto paused. 'You sure I look good?'

Kurama grunted. 'Easy there. I said you looked normal, not good.'

The blond frowned. Training for Sage Mode was even more difficult than he had expected. He had anticipated some difficulty reconciling his new chakra levels with the influx of natural energy, but he hadn't considered just how unaccustomed he was to his current condition. He supposed it had only been a few months.

It was late afternoon, and all around the shinobi, lush greenery could be seen in every direction. The Emerald Forest was the perfect location for this kind of training, not only in a practical sense but in a spiritual one. After all, if anyone at the academy saw what he was doing, he'd be screwed.

Training in the forest was by far the best option for the young sage. It offered privacy from prying eyes, as well as a much deeper connection to nature. Something paramount to the success of his training. Naruto briefly considered the possibility that Ozpin had this area under surveillance, but a preliminary scan had yielded no results upon arrival. If the headmaster had hidden any cameras in the area, he'd done so to a degree that was undetectable to both the shinobi and his bijū.

If the headmaster was watching, Naruto was almost tempted to say the man would have earned the right.

'I'm just not a fan of looking like a toad. Pa always knocked the extra senjutsu out of me, so I never really had to deal with my looks changing too much.'

Once again, Naruto could feel his tenant's teasing intent. 'Afraid your girlfriend might see?'

Naruto rolled his eyes. He wouldn't deign to answer the stupid fox. Besides, Weiss probably wouldn't even care. Also, she wasn't his girlfriend.

'Look on the bright side. If you ever need to go undercover as a faunus, you've got an easy disguise.'

Naruto scoffed. He'd hardly call this easy. Also...

'I don't need to enter an imperfect Sage Mode to do that!' Naruto mentally scoffed at his partner. 'If I can perfect Sage Mode, my appearance would still be enough to pass as a faunus. Not to mention, I can easily perform a Henge.'

There was a long silence between the two of them.

'You're right. There is no bright side. Your technique is imperfect, and you're hideous because of it. I was only trying to make you feel better, but you've seen through my words.'

Another pause.

Naruto sighed. 'Right. Sorry Kurama. I didn't mean to be ungrateful.'

'I know, kid. You're frustrated; that's fair. At the very least, there actually is a bright side.' Naruto waited for his friend to explain. 'The fact you can even achieve an imperfect Sage Mode means you've made a lot of progress since we began. When we started, I was working overtime filtering out all that excess senjutsu.'

That was true.

'Now, I don't have to constantly worry about you turning to stone. So what if you get a little ugly?'

There was also that. The two had been training pretty consistently over the last week. While it had taken him roughly a week to master Sage Mode in the Elemental Nations, progress had been much slower in Remnant. Back home, the blond had been sequestered away in Mount Myōboku under the watchful eye of Fukasaku. He'd had the benefit of shadow clones and the ability to train for as long as he could stand. He couldn't do that here. He still had classes, friends, and schoolwork to keep up with. Balancing that schedule had become rather tricky again, but unsurprisingly, Weiss had stepped in to keep him in line.

Perhaps with another two weeks of consistent training, he would be able to fully utilize Sage Mode. It wouldn't be as combat effective; his ability to maintain it would be diminished proportionally to his chakra capacity, but as with most of his abilities, it would only improve over time.

'Yeah. I guess you're right.'

Try as he might, Naruto was stillunable to completely disguise the disappointment from his tone.

'Don't tell me you're actually worried about what Weiss would think?' The fox cackled. 'It's not like she's ever going to see Sage Mode. At least, she won't for a while. You'll have long since mastered it by the time that day comes.'

'Oh shut it, you oversized furball. Let's just go back to training. I want to get this down sooner rather than later.' Naruto growled. Hopefully, the fox wouldn't notice he'd failed to refute the accusation twice now.

'Might have to put a hold on that. You've got company.'

'Who?'

'Not who. What.'

Naruto tensed slightly, then returned his focus to the forest surrounding him. It had gotten rather quiet. A good indicator of Grimm being nearby. It made sense. He was pretty deep in the Emerald Forest; it was surprising that the Grimm hadn't come sooner. Maybe it had something to do with him using so much senjutsu? It was just a guess. Something to consider.

As Naruto began to detect the soft footfalls of the approaching Grimm, the teen smiled to himself. He'd been looking for an opportunity to continue testing his chakra chains on the Grimm; it seemed he would now get the chance.

Burning, hate-filled eyes blinked into existence from the foliage around him. Two. Four. Eight. Naruto's grin widened, and he began to limber up. Sixteen. Thirty-two. Sixty-four. That was a lot of Grimm.

Perfect.

Maybe he'd test out some other stuff while he was at it? Without warning, an entirely unremarkable Beowolf leapt towards the blond from the bushes. With that, Naruto's training continued.

xXx

"I think I've got it!" Came the excited cry of Team RYBWN's leader. "Weiss, come look! Weiss! Look!"

The girl in question rolled her icy-blue eyes, sighed, and stood from her chair. The two had been sequestered away in the library for the better part of the afternoon. And while studying on a Saturday was hardly typical for Ruby, Weiss had made the executive decision to rehabilitate the girl after seeing her recent study habits.

Walking around the table toward her team leader, she leaned over the shoulder of her black and red-haired partner. The girl's excitement was palpable as she vibrated in her seat. It was almost uncomfortable with how much pride and accomplishment the young woman radiated. It was as if Weiss had to overcome a physical barrier to close the distance between them.

Narrow, aristocratic eyes scanned the document that her team leader seemed to take so much pride in. The ashen-haired girl frowned. Why did Ruby have to be so bubbly? It only made what came next harder.

"This is wrong," Weiss stated flatly.

The white-clad girl noticed her team leader freeze from the corner of her eye.

"W-What? That's not true!" Ruby cried. "That's impossible!"

Weiss said nothing, remaining as neutral as she could. Despite her best efforts, she could feel the corners of her lips twitch upward.

"I don't understand," Ruby continued to babble. "I double-checked and triple-checked."

The scythe-wielder turned her diminutive gaze toward her partner. "Weiss," she moaned. "Help. Please," her request was desperate. The girl had clearly been practicing her puppy eyes. If only she put that much effort into training her mind. Then again, Dust Studies was never Ruby's strong suit.

The heiress sighed, then pulled over a nearby chair. Despite the results, Ruby had made a clear effort; she deserved credit where credit was due. Falling into the wooden seat, Weiss bumped shoulders with her partner.

"Well, your first problem is neglecting the Law of Cause and Effect."

Ruby frowned. "But I'm not a lawyer."

...

The two stayed that way for a while. Weiss wasn't sure how long, but it had to have been pushing at least two hours.

Studying like this was an interesting experience for the white-haired girl. She was already intimately familiar with the topic. In fact, she would hazard a guess that she already knew much of the advanced Dust theory curriculum that some of the 4th year students were studying.

It wasn't arrogance on the young woman's end but simply a matter of necessity. As the heiress to the largest Dust conglomerate on the planet, in-depth knowledge of the substance had been a focal point throughout her childhood education.

A small grunt originated from beside the white-clad girl. Surprisingly, Ruby was still diligently pouring over her notes, making minor adjustments and adding anecdotes when necessary.

Glancing at her own surprisingly more sparse notebook, Weiss hummed. In another life, the Schnee heiress could have argued that at this point in her education, studying this was a waste of time and effort. But after once again glancing at her partner, she reasoned that this study session was for Ruby. And that alone made it feel like it wasn't a waste.

Weiss smiled. Only recently did she realize just how different this subject matter meant to people. To her, it was simple. Elementary. Basic knowledge. But to those like Ruby, Yang, and even Naruto, it really didn't come that easy.

With the aforementioned blond, Weiss had made an exception. Allegedly, Dust wasn't commonly used in his homeland, if at all. And as unlikely as that was, it made a certain amount of sense. Dust consumption dramatically decreased the further away one lived from any of the Kingdoms.

It all came down to a matter of industry and infrastructure. Dust wasn't an easy thing to mine. You couldn't just grab a pickaxe and start chipping away at the earth. It required knowledge of mathematics, geography, chemistry, and geology. It required significant manpower. Overall, it required a hefty amount of resources just to prepare for mining.

The kind of resources found in large globalized nations and economies. It's what made monopolization a sort of slippery slope. It was how her family's company had maintained a stranglehold on the market.

So, for Naruto's homeland, which apparently felt a lot less pressure from the Grimm, a land where Dust wasn't a necessary element for survival, it was almost believable that his people weren't overly familiar with the mineral.

Almost.

There was still a lot wrong with that explanation, but Weiss had made a point not to challenge her blond teammate on the subject, at least for now.

Glancing back at her partner, Weiss quietly considered Ruby's circumstances. Born and raised in Patch, the small island was relatively remote from the mainland. There was no incentive to learn the intricacies of Dust. No family requirement. Mining and refining was likely the furthest thing from the young girl's mind. To her, Dust was simply another tool used to make life easier, like fire or electricity. It was another weapon to defend her home, like a blade or bullet.

Weiss was broken from her musings by a small yet reflective huff.

"Okay," Ruby sighed. "How's this look?" She questioned while pushing her notes toward the white-clad girl.

Weiss leaned inwards and panned her gaze across the surprisingly crowded pages. Her eyebrows rose slightly at what she saw. Despite how she had started, Ruby's notes now indicated a much deeper level of understanding. It was momentarily off-putting to see such a drastic improvement in such a short amount of time. The heiress nodded her head unconsciously. It really went to show just how much potential her young leader had.

"This is," Weiss paused. The girl's notes weren't perfect, and some of the answers to the practice questions were lacking in substance. And yet it was... "Good. This is much better."

Ruby's mouth dropped slightly. After a moment, she snapped her jaw shut, and her uniquely silver eyes began to shine. "Seriously? You mean it?"

Weiss shifted uncomfortably. What was with that reaction?

After a moment, the glyph user nodded slowly. "Your work isn't perfect, but you've shown significant improvement since we began today."

Ruby's reactionary smile was one that could light up a room. After several moments her smile turned bashful. "Aww shucks, you're just saying that," came her shy response.

What?

Weiss' eyes narrowed. Since when did she 'just say things' for the sake of it? If she was offering praise, it came from a place of legitimacy. Ruby was a friend; there was no need to offer empty platitudes. It would do her no good. No, there wasn't any — Weiss froze, then frowned.

The young Schnee's expression relaxed. "Fishing for compliments will get you nowhere," she scoffed.

Ruby immediately burst into laughter. "Yeah, I didn't think so," she amusedly replied.

After another few moments of comfortable silence, Ruby exhaled deeply. "So," she began. Weiss's eyes focused on her. "What now?" The team leader asked.

Weiss tilted her head. "What now?" She parroted. "What do you mean?"

Confusion overtook Ruby's features. "What do you mean, what do you mean?"

The heiress' face scrunched. "What? Are you finished studying? Already?"

The scythe-wielder's eyes widened, and she chuckled nervously. She appeared to consider her words.

Weiss shook her head. "Did you not hear me? Your work is better, but it's still far from perfect. You still have a ways to go."

Ruby continued to chuckle weakly. "R-Right. Of course. I know that."

Weiss shot her an unimpressed look. She made sure it lacked any vitriol.

"I-I just meant," Ruby's fidgeting continued. "Uhh," she continued to stutter. "W-Want to take a break?""

Weiss hummed. What a silly girl. Releasing her own huff of air, she responded to her partner. "Of course." Ruby's eyes brightened. "You've been working hard; you wouldn't want to burn out."

Relief and gratitude overwrote the young scythe-weilder's features, and the tension in her shoulders slackened. She nodded wordlessly and slumped in her seat. Weiss watched the girl from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile. Small interactions such as these, while at first meaningless, were slowly becoming more and more valuable to her.

After all, you never really know how precious a moment is, until it's a memory.

Weiss closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair. Her thoughts drifted to her team. Never would she have imagined four random individuals would become so precious to her over such a relatively short amount of time. They were all so different, and yet... they worked well together. Sure, they had a rough start initially, but they managed to pull through. Nowadays, they —

"— By the way, why am I the only one stuck studying this crap?"

Weiss' brow furrowed, and she felt her temper flare.

xXx

Damn, they're persistent.

Naruto hastily ducked under a ferocious swipe aimed at his jugular. Razor-sharp claws tore through the air as he narrowly avoided the wide strike. That was close.

Sharp blue eyes spotted several strands of golden blond hair lazily falling to the ground.

Hmm.

'Up high.'

The shinobi lept back several paces. Multiple feathers, each the size of a human arm, pierced the ground in a rough pattern tracing his backpedal. In one fluid motion, the blond hurled both of his chakra blades at the two hovering Grimm. The blades arced through the air with all the fluidity of synchronized swimmers and bisected the avian creatures. At the same time, a golden chain materialized from the base of his spine, travelling up and over his shoulder and quickly wrapping around the Alpha Beowolf that had dared play the role of barber.

The beast snarled and made to advance but stopped after taking its first step. Upon realizing that being restrained meant it couldn't attack the human in front of it, it began to fight against its bindings.

Naruto grinned. As an alpha, the creature was inherently strong, a fact made evident as the chains around it began to creak. The blond remained unperturbed; breaking them would take a lot more than that. After a few moments, he frowned. Alpha Grimm were also rather durable. Just as he was considering sending out a second chain, the beast's struggling began to waver.

Naruto's grin returned. He watched as the creature's strength began to exponentially fade, ultimately resulting in the large wolf collapsing in a heap. Seconds later, its movements stopped completely, and black vapour began emanating from the fresh corpse.

The blond nodded. This was the first Alpha he'd killed with his chains, and he was glad to see the creatures were just as susceptible to the chain's suppressive effect as their smaller brethren.

There was something both satisfying and concerning when watching a Grimm essentially just die while being held in his 'semblance.' It was good his chain's suppressive effects weren't fatal to humans. He wasn't sure why Grimm tended to spontaneously die while bound, but it likely had to do with what they were made of. Were they made of Aura? He wasn't even sure how to answer that.

Naruto stretched out his hands, recalling his two chakra blades. His Adamantine Sealing Chain quickly retracted, essentially 'refunding' his chakra. He dipped his head in both contemplation and frustration. That was just the last of the vanguard to this current 'wave' of monsters; more were sure to follow. And the term 'wave' was aptly used here. For the past 30 minutes, the Grimm had been charging his position relentlessly. The teen had lost count of how many creatures he had slain, but one thing was for certain: there was a strategy to their attack.

At first, that alone wasn't enough to warrant too much concern; older Grimm were known to utilize basic strategy. But as the blond prepared himself for what must have been the fourth wave of attackers, he'd begun to notice small irregularities.

Primarily, there were too many different types of Grimm involved at once.

Beowolves, Ursa, Borbatusks, and Nevermore. The most standard types of Grimm one could find. Naruto had faced each of these throughout his time in Remnant, but from his experience, they seemed to prefer to stick within their own circles. There were, of course, exceptions. All four Grimm types, as well as some less common species, had been encountered during initiation. But they hadn't fought together simultaneously. Sure, the Beowolves and Ursa had become mixed up throughout the forest. And the ancient Deathstalker and Nevermore had also attacked at the same time. But in both these cases, they had been more coincidental. Happenstances brought on by the chaos of the day.

Now, however?

A symphony of growls, roars, and cawing rang from deeper within the forest, eliciting a frown from the teen.

It wasn't the first time the blond had seen multiple species together in one area. On his initial journey to Vale, he'd passed by several packs of intermingling Grimm. They were different then. Those groups seemed more like wild animals. Warning growls and feral posturing had perfectly imitated the natural wildlife those Grimm were based on.

The only exception was the jaw-droppingly massive hoard the shinobi had needed to bypass. Those Grimm had been an anomaly.

Naruto glanced back at the treeline as the next wave of Grimm emerged.

Yeah, too many different species working together. And they were, without a doubt, working together. As if to provide evidence, several dozen Nevermores surged through the air toward the blond. In a suspicious display of coordination, they began to launch a steady stream of razor-sharp feathers at him. The first few were strategically placed behind him, the rest quickly piercing the ground closer and closer toward him, forcing him to advance forward in the direction of the incoming terrestrial Grimm.

Several Boarbatusks broke from the treeline, advancing in their signature pinwheel method of transportation. Naruto frowned as they began to arc outwards toward either side of him, effectively cutting off any alternate directions for him to move. Nevermores above, their deadly feathers behind, Boarbatusks to either flank, and a small hoard of Beowolves and Ursa directly in front of him.

These Grimm were boxing him in. And if the subtle tremors Naruto could feel beneath his feet were anything to go by, these mindless creatures were covering all their bases. The blond scoffed.

Mindless.

As if anyone could call these things mindless after this display.

'I didn't think Grimm were capable of this.'

'I think you should stay focused. There's a lot of those subterranean ones underneath you.'

Naruto lept over the closest Beowolf and began tearing into a nearby Ursa. Metal flashed, and the creatures around him roared in hatred as the shinobi neatly severed his target's head from its body.

'I'm just saying. Unless it isn't until later in the curriculum, nothing from Port's class has indicated Grimm are capable of this level of coordination. Not even the most ancient. And I don't see any of those bastards around yet.'

Dropping low and severing the tendons of another Ursa, or whatever passed for tendons for the beast, Naruto blocked an incoming sideswipe from a Beowolf while simultaneously executing the crawling bear. The blond grunted. Okay, maybe he should stick to dodging. The beasts were still physically strong. It'd be more energy efficient to avoid blocks.

'What are your thoughts?'

After several seconds of dodging and retaliating, the shinobi's partner responded tersely.

'My thoughts? I thought I told you to stay focused. It's clear this attack isn't normal. You should expect something new.'

'New? Do you mean a new Grimm or a new strategy? Because —'

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the ground from under him give way. Spiderweb cracks foretold the changing of terrain, and the blond shinobi was forced to make an awkward jump as the earth crumbled.

A veritable sea of Creeps emerged from the ground, sharpened teeth snapping like hungry piranhas. With a small surge of chakra and a puff of smoke, an exact replica of the blond shinobi materialized. Already knowing its sole purpose in life, the Kage Bunshin grabbed the original and hurled him up and away from danger.

Latching onto a nearby tree, Naruto winced as his copy was torn to shreds. He would be remembered.

Taking a moment to assess his situation, the Konoha native released a huff. Despite the strangeness of everything, it certainly made for excellent training.

'Wow. Good call.'

'I wasn't talking about them. You already knew they were there.'

Before the blond could question his friend, a massive fist impacted the tree he was sheltering in, splintering the thick wood and sending the shinobi flying.

xXx

"Ozpin, that's enough!" Amber scowled as her eyes drifted away from the video feed emanating from the headmaster's desk. "We need to step in."

Thin brown eyes snapped from the events unfolding in the Emerald Forest to the Fall Maiden, then quickly returned to the holographic projection.

Amber growled as she shifted in agitation. What the hell was the old man's problem? Was he even listening to her?

Beside the young woman, Glynda Goodwitch shifted uncomfortably. "Sir," she began. "I have to agree. Mr. Uzumaki has displayed an impressive aptitude for combating the Grimm. If this continues, he'll only be put in unnecessary danger."

Amber reigned in her temper as best she could. At least someone had some sense to them. Her Maiden-enhanced temper returned in full as she realized the headmaster had utterly ignored the Deputy Headmistress' words.

"Come on, you callous bastard. Haven't you seen enough? So what if he's got more up his sleeve? You won't see shit if he dies!"

For a moment, something unrecognizable flashed behind Ozpin's ancient eyes. And for the first time in an hour, the gray-haired man spoke. "I assure you, Mr. Uzumaki is more than capable of defending himself."

As if to prove his point, Amber watched the live feed as the blond huntsman-in-training slammed a glowing blue orb into the Alpha Beringel's incoming fist, completely shredding the appendage to the midway point of the Grimm's forearm. The achievement was offset as the Grimm batted him away with its remaining hand.

Amber narrowed her eyes. Naruto was strong, intelligent, and tough, but an Alpha Beringel was not an insignificant foe. Plus, all the lesser Grimm still on the field surely amounted to a battle better suited for a full team of 4th years, at the very least.

Amber stepped closer to the display, eying her friend as he recovered from the heavy hit. He still looked okay, but if things continued, his team leader was sure to receive a notification of his Aura dropping too low.

"Come on, Ozpin. How much longer do you expect things to stay that way? Beringels are scarce enough on Sanus as it is. One of them being this close to Vale is practically unheard of."

The headmaster continued to remain frustratingly silent. He seemed to have no inclination to share whatever he was thinking.

Angry brown eyes looked to the side, meeting concerned emerald green. At the silent prompt, Glynda stepped forward and again tried to reason with her superior.

"Sir, with respect, Amber is correct. Spying on the boy during his training was one thing. But when the Grimm began to display such a level of coordination, it was a clear giveaway. Salem is testing him. Is letting her learn more about him a good idea?"

Silence.

Amber's frown deepened. Ozpin's continued lack of reaction was telling, especially considering the topic.

"You've been expecting her to make a move, haven't you?"

From the corner of her eye, the Fall Maiden observed Glynda's mouth drop, and her eyes widen. The older woman quickly composed herself and took a step forward. "Sir!" She shouted. The woman's tone had shifted drastically. Good. Amber was glad to have the blonde on her side for this. "Headmaster!" The blonde shouted at his lack of reaction. Amber raised a brow at the woman's tone.

"I don't care if you don't trust him. I don't care whether or not your curiosity is sated. Maybe the boy will be fine. But on the off chance he's not, this is a student's life!" The bespectacled professor adjusted her blouse. "I will not allow you to continue endangering his life through neglect."

Amber found herself subconsciously nodding along with her senior's words. Whatever the hell the headmaster was thinking, they needed to do something. If it was a matter of trust, then this attack should have made it obvious Naruto wasn't one of her agents. If it was a matter of curiosity, then it was clear the boy was strong. His exotic and seemingly impossible abilities would make him an invaluable asset.

As cold as it sounded, Ozpin wouldn't be able to utilize the teen if he died in the forest. The headmaster held utilitarian values to his core; surely, he should understand that. Amber's eyes narrowed. Was the man looking for something else? Something she hadn't thought of?

Just when it seemed like the man would continue ignoring them, he released a deep sigh and locked eyes with the Fall Maiden. "I understand your anger. Truly I do. But I need you both to trust my judgement. Mr. Uzumaki will be fine. What's happening now is necessary." The two junior members of Ozpin's inner circle attempted to speak up but were cut off as the man continued talking. "I have always kept humanity's best interests in mind. I know you think I've become numb to death, and that I've made sacrifices you disagree with. But that's not what this is."

Amber clenched her fists but held her tongue.

"I'm asking the both of you to trust me." After a moment, the man's eyes drifted back to the screen. "And if not me, trust him." The gray-haired man indicated to the blond.

Amber glanced back at the screen and took a sharp breath at what she saw. The young man's performance had drastically changed. He was moving significantly faster, hitting ridiculously harder, and was flowing through the battlefield like water, travelling down the path of least resistance.

As the teen continued to bob and weave through the Grimm, several beasts were fatally launched back, seemingly without being touched by the boy. The smouldering corpse of the Alpha Beringel was almost as surprising as the rapidly dwindling hoard.

What the fuck?

Ozpin hummed. The man didn't seem overly surprised by this. But then again, Amber couldn't remember a time he had been surprised. The man was rock solid. As Naruto turned to face the next enemy, Amber caught a glimpse of his face. More specifically, his eyes. Orange pigmentation framed his eyes, and his iris' had changed to a muted yellow with horizontal pupils.

"Hey, old man," Amber addressed her superior. "Is Naruto using magic?"

xXx

Naruto was ecstatic. He'd actually managed to perfect Sage Mode. From expecting to master it in two weeks to mastering it within the day, it was more than he could have hoped for. When he'd sent one of his Kage Bunshin to gather natural energy, he damn well hadn't expected the clone to get it right. What a breakthrough. He'd have to summon one of them later and thank the bastard.

Regardless, Naruto supposed it made sense. Training by oneself was one thing; being pushed in a real fight was another thing entirely. And loathe as he was to admit it, before entering Sage Mode, he was being pushed.

The rank-and-file Grimm hadn't been much of a problem, though their strategies had come as an unpleasant surprise. Some of which hadn't been half bad. But once the large ape-like Grimm had attacked, the shinobi realized things would only continue to escalate.

'You should think about leaving.'

'What? Why?'

A deep sigh reverberated through the teen's mindscape.

'Really?'

Naruto panned his gaze around the clearing he'd found himself in. No Grimm for the time being. Good. Sage Mode would be wearing off soon, so this would be a good chance to catch his breath.

'This is good training. Why leave now?'

'Kami, you're short-sighted. Weren't you just thinking about how strange this whole situation was? If I had to guess, this is leading up to something. Something big.'

'All the more reason to stay put. If something big comes, I wouldn't want it to threaten the school.'

'What the? Who are you trying to fool, you damn adrenaline junkie? Threaten the school? It's a Huntsman Academy, not a kindergarten. You're just looking for a fight at this point.'

Naruto grinned, then dropped down from the tree he was in.

'Can you blame me?'

'Of course I can. And I will. What more were you hoping to gain from this? You've re-mastered Sage Mode. You've tested your chakra chains on a variety of Grimm. Hell, you've gotten to fight a completely new species of Grimm. What more do you want?'

...

'Aren't you supposed to be a bloodthirsty, hateful, bitter son of a bitch who enjoys fighting?'

...

'Yeah, but fighting mindless beasts gets repetitive. There's something so much more satisfying in watching two sentient beings beat the hell out of each other.'

Before the blond could question his partner's sanity, the sound of snapping trees and a chorus of howls flooded the clearing.

On the far side of the field, roughly two dozen Beowolves tore through the foliage, coming to a rough stop.

Naruto frowned. Two dozen of the beasts wouldn't be too difficult to deal with. The fact that they were all Alphas would make things more difficult. Not to mention that several of the Alphas were noticeably larger than their peers, indicating they may be bordering on attaining the 'ancient' prefix.

But what really cemented the frown on the blond's face was the gargantuan Grimm in the midst of tearing through the forest. Several trees were easily swept aside to accommodate the monster's sheer mass.

It was a kami damn Goliath. And a big one, too, if the smaller elephant-like Grimm emerging from behind it were any indication.

Where the hell did these things keep coming from?

'You... uh... maybe you've got a point. It might be time to wrap things up.'

Kurama grunted. 'I doubt they'll just let you walk away now.'

Naruto swallowed. 'Yeah. I'll clear them out, then head back as soon as possible.'

'Well, at least this won't be boring.'

Naruto tensed. Yeah. Great. He glanced at his trench knives. How the hell was he supposed to take down a band of Goliaths with these? They were much better suited for fighting smaller targets.

Maybe it was time to try something a little more ambitious?

Forming two separate Kage Bunshin, Naruto dropped to a knee while his doppelgangers dashed into the forest. Sage Mode would definitely come in handy here.

The assembled Beowolves glared angrily at his retreating clones, and several of them let loose short snarls, but otherwise, they remained focused on the original.

Could they somehow sense a difference?

Not even the Byakugan could do that. Well, he supposed he had made the clones directly in front of them. Maybe it was time to stop assuming the beasts were too stupid to observe their surroundings.

Placing one hand on the ground, Naruto began steadily moulding his chakra, forcing it through the earth. The longer the Grimm were willing to waste time, the better it was for him.

The shinobi briefly wondered why they were wasting so much time. Maybe they were trying to surround him? No, neither of his clones had been dispelled. Maybe they were setting another underground trap? No, he couldn't sense anything, despite his chakra permeating the soil. Maybe they were just waiting for more of their brethren? If they were, it wouldn't matter.

Naruto was done setting the stage.

The first thing to do would be to eliminate the easier targets. Without warning, four golden chains burst from the ground, skewering the four largest Beowolves. Despite the effectiveness of the attack, the Grimm didn't immediately perish. Alpha's were tough, after all. To rectify the issue, each chain began to loop around and pierce their targets again, then again. The process repeated several times until each targeted Grimm had been pierced and threaded half a dozen times, like a seamstress backstitching a garment.

While effective, the attack had only eliminated four of the two dozen wolves, and the remaining 20 hadn't been idle. Already they had closed half the distance across the field and were closing in on the blond, burning red eyes and frothy snouts indicative of what they were planning to do.

Naruto raised his free hand, and four more chains burst forth from his palm, moving to intercept the fastest of the pack. With a clearer line of sight, the sharpened chains found homes in much more vital areas, ending the lives of another four Grimm.

While one-third of his targets were now out of the fight, Naruto had seemingly run out of chains.

Seemingly.

The four Grimm killed in his surprise attack had already begun to evaporate, making what came next somewhat easier. With a mental command, the original chains flexed, shredding the corpses they were tangled in. They then surged forth without delay, aiming to catch up to the charging monsters and attack from their rear.

...

Naruto cursed to himself. There was a problem with his strategy. The Beowolves were too fast and already had too much of a lead; his chakra chains wouldn't be able to intercept them before the pack reached him. And even if they did, it was four chains trying to intercept 16 Grimm. Eight chains if he involved the ones conjured from his other hand.

And while the blond hadn't expected to eliminate all 24 Beowolves from a distance, he would have liked to thin their numbers a little more before engaging them in close quarters. He still had half a dozen Goliaths to deal with. Thank Kami they were both slow and seemingly content to just watch.

'Honestly, the strategy itself is good; it's just better suited for when you have teammates to cover your back. That or progress further along until you can make more chains at once.'

Fair enough. But for now, eight was his limit. Any more, and not only would their structural integrity become compromised, but his control over them would begin to falter.

With few options and less time than he would have liked, Naruto cut the connection with his technique. The golden bindings shattered, allowing the shinobi to leap back and draw his blades. It was a shame, though; losing eight chains worth of chakra took a sizable chunk out of his reserves. But he simply didn't have enough time to recall the jutsu.

'The strategy itself may have been fine, but I need to work on how I apply it. I'm not used to ambush tactics like that. Maybe I should stick with direct combat.'

Disapproval flooded the Konoha native's mindscape.

'Definitely don't limit yourself like that. Especially because of a single mistake.'

Naruto's first blade caught the closest swipe aimed at his head, while his second blade severed the limb held in place. These Beowolves may be Alphas and, therefore, more intelligent, but they were still Grimm at the end of the day.

'You're not the monster you were before coming here. You'll need to fight smarter and actually come up with a plan before jumping into a fight. You can't only get by on luck and improvisation anymore.'

Naruto tried his best to split his focus between listening to his partner and avoiding the next set of deadly claws. While often annoying in its delivery, the fox's advice was rarely wrong.

Still, was now really the best time for this discussion?

As a set of feral jaws snapped down on his forearm, Naruto reasoned that no, now probably wasn't the best time for this discussion. The blond winced as pain blossomed up his arm. Kami that hurt. Responding to any sort of bite attack was a curious process. The proper protocol was to feed into the bite to overwhelm the attacker's jaw and prevent further damage. But that was usually for humans and some wild animals. The protocol certainly didn't anticipate a several hundred-pound mass of hatred and spite to be the one biting down. As it stood, were it not for his Aura, there was a very real chance this attack could have fractured his arm, never mind the trauma done to his flesh.

Luckily, the blond didn't have to worry about how to free his arm when he had a simple solution. With a quick application of chakra, another golden chain sprouted from his forearm and skewered the rowdy Beowolf through its mouth, punching clean out the back of the beast's throat.

'Anyway, like I said, don't let a single strategic failure discourage you from adapting your grand strategy. Most of the best strategists only got so good through trial and error. If you're lucky or skilled enough to survive a few errors, you'll be a force to be reckoned with.'

Ducking and weaving through the mass of Grimm, Naruto began the rhythmic process of thinning their numbers. The thing about fighting this many Grimm at once was that only so many could attack him simultaneously before interfering with each other. Another upside was that, due to their nature, the creatures were impatient. No matter how intelligent they had become, they still fought in a borderline frenzy.

'Look, Kurama. I appreciate the advice and promise to think it over very hard. But could you please shut the hell up? Try trying to focus here!'

The fox sighed.

'As you wish. I'll end it by saying to watch your Aura and chakra. You've expended a decent amount of your reserves for both.'

Right. That was something to keep in mind.

'In fact, after this next sucker punch to the back of your head, your Aura will be pretty low.'

What, what?

Before the blond could turn, a massive paw raked across the back of his skull, launching the teen forward in an uncontrolled fall.

Naruto did his best to roll with the fall. He messily staggered forward to put some distance between him and the Grimm. Head ringing and blood thundering in his ears, he growled in frustration. How embarrassing. The Beowolves, the remaining nine, released several uncharacteristic yips and barks. Were these bastards laughing at him?

Naruto felt his temper begin to rise. He should have just listened to Kurama earlier and left before things got this heated. He'd already gained so much from this experience; did he really need to push his luck? It wasn't a matter of him feeling endangered or overwhelmed. Kami, he was simply just done with this fight. It'd been what? An hour? He just wanted to return to his room, shower, and sleep. But how much longer was this supposed to go on? After the Beowolves, he still had the Goliaths to deal with. Though admittedly, he did have a plan for them.

But that still left the bloody Beowolves!

Kami damn it.

Naruto stilled his breathing. Maybe... Maybe if he borrowed just a little bit of chakra from his partner, he could end this early?

'Hey kid, me again. Don't even fucking think about it. I told you before that if you use my chakra, you'll be putting yourself in a lot more danger than for what it's worth.'

Naruto groaned. 'C'mon, pal. Just a little chakra. I'll be fine. I swear it's a one-time thing.'

'Gross. You sound like your perverted sensei trying to borrow money for a brothel.'

Naruto took a long hard moment to contemplate what his life had become.

A bellowing sigh echoed in his mind.

'If you want to try something, let's try something new.'

...

The blond's interest was piqued.

'Remember that feeling of when your Aura was unlocked?'

Naruto nodded subconsciously. How could he not?

'Draw upon that feeling.'

The huntsman-in-training did as instructed.

'Now, focus on the feeling you get when you meditate while training your Aura.'

Okay.

'Now, focus on your enemies. Preferably all of them.'

Naruto did so. He focused on each of the remaining Beowolves. There were nine of them. Five of them were injured. Two of them critically. They were practically identical, with the exception of some groupings of bone armour and battle scars. If he looked harder, he —

'— Relax, it's not that deep.'

...

'Now, what do you want to do to them?'

Naruto paused in confusion. 'Kill them?'

...

'Okay, that's on me. I set the bar too low. Be more specific. How do you want to kill them?'

Naruto frowned. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Was the fox trying to waste his time?

'Think about how you want to kill them while drawing upon what I told you to. Make sure you're focusing on your Aura as well. Combine that with your intent.'

Naruto tried. He really did. Nothing.

'Kurama...'

'Right. Shit. My bad. Give me a second.'

Looking at the perpetually enraged Beowolves, Naruto wasn't sure he had a second. It was clear they had successfully licked their wounds as best they could. Now they were preparing for another uncharacteristically synchronized attack.

Suddenly, warmth blossomed in Naruto's core. It certainly felt like the time his Aura had been unlocked. Only this time, it felt sharper. More localized, if that made any sense.

'Got it!'

Got what?

'Try again, kid. Like I told you to do. Focus on your Aura. Focus on your enemies. Imagine spending your Aura like you would chakra.'

The blond sighed. If this didn't work, whatever the hell this was, he would likely receive several unnecessary hits before he could mount a proper defence. This was made abundantly clear as the pack of Beowolves began a hasty charge toward him.

Damn fox.

Nevertheless, Naruto did as he'd been instructed.

'Most importantly, act upon the first word that comes to mind.'

The first word that came to mind? What the hell?

Oddly enough, one word did, in fact, come to mind. Naruto pushed as much Aura as he could muster into that one word.

Crush

With that thought, Naruto's remaining Aura disappeared, and the landscape was changed.

xXx

"What the fuck!" Screamed Amber as she watched the display in front of her.

The ground had entirely imploded in a wide arc in front of the blond student.

It had come from nothing. No strange hand signs from the blond. No exotic energy build-up. Nothing at all to indicate he had been aiming for an attack.

Though an attack, this clearly was. Whatever Naruto had done, it was a clear and deliberate attack on the pack of Beowolves. And brothers, damn, was it ever effective. All remaining wolf-like creatures had been completely flattened and were already in the process of evaporating. Amber couldn't help but imagine that if they had been anything other than Grimm, the only thing left would have been a fine red paste. She wondered how an Aura user would stand up to such an attack.

Glynda gasped from beside her and stepped closer. Even Ozpin seemed taken aback, subconsciously adjusting his glasses. His surprise didn't last long. It seemed even that display wasn't enough to offset the man. Amber supposed it was impressive that the headmaster even reacted at all.

"What the hell kind of an ability is that?" She asked aloud.

It was then the headmaster did something curious. The man probably didn't even realize it. He opened his mouth as if to answer, paused, then snapped his mouth shut. His eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed.

That reaction alone was enough to set Amber on edge. Brothers above, Ozpin had absolutely no idea. She wasn't sure if she should celebrate or panic. Thus, she was left with only speculation. She hadn't forgotten that her mentor hadn't answered her earlier question.

"I- I think that was his semblance."

Nevermind.

Two very different sets of brown eyes snapped at the school's combat instructor. "His real semblance," Glynda finished uncomfortably.

At their curious gazes, she elaborated.

"The boy's Aura was holding at around 30% right before that attack. It's now at zero. It's not too difficult to deduce..."

Glynda's eyes widened as she continued speaking. Amber's own senses returned to her a fraction of a second later.

Oh fuck.

Naruto was still up against a pack of Goliaths. Plus, whatever came after.

And he had no Aura left.

Amber didn't care if the teen was more accustomed to fighting without Aura than with. His current situation was absolutely beyond the scope of what she was willing to tolerate.

The two women shot their gazes toward the headmaster. The man was already looking at them. He seemed to have anticipated their reactions. Of course he had.

The gray-haired man spoke, breaking his terrible silence. "The two of you will retrieve Mr. Uzumaki."

Finally. Finally.

The man continued speaking, even as the two combat instructors turned to leave. "I have no doubt the rest of Team RYBWN has already been alerted to the status of Mr. Uzumaki's Aura. Take them with you."

That's right. As Naruto's team leader, Ruby would have been notified by her scroll when his Aura dropped below half capacity.

As if to confirm her suspicions, the brown-haired girl noticed the elevator's floor counter already ascending to the tower's top. Well, Miss. Rose was fast, after all.

As the two women impatiently waited for the elevator to arrive, Amber couldn't help but wonder. What kind of semblance used almost a third of its users' Aura capacity for a single attack?

After another few moments, the elevator arrived with a pleasant ding. As the door's seam began to crack apart, neither of the two instructors bothered waiting for the doors to fully open.

xXx

"I guess between the two of us, I'm the one good with numbers while Yang is good at... social sciences."

Weiss laughed lightly at her partner's uncomfortable demeanour. Social sciences? That was certainly one way to put it.

"Anyway," the petite scythe-wielder continued, "we usually try to help each other as best we can. Or, at the very least, cover each other's weaknesses, you know?"

Weiss offered the universal 'so-so' gesture.

"The age gap between Winter and I is much larger. Growing up, she always seemed so... flawless." Weiss' brow furrowed in thought. "Even now, it's hard to imagine her with any sort of weakness that needs to be covered."

Ruby hummed in response. "I guess that makes sense. When was the last time you —"

— An irritatingly loud alert startled both huntresses-in-training from their conversation.

"W-What the heck?" Ruby shouted with a wince.

Weiss matched her partner's expression. After a moment, she realized the sound was coming from the leader of Team RYBWN herself.

Evidently coming to the same conclusion, Ruby scrambled to retrieve her scroll from her combat skirt's pocket. After all, what else could it be?

"What the heck is this, some sort of emergency alert from the kingdom?" Ruby questioned under her breath.

Weiss huffed. "If it is, then where's mine?"

Finally producing her scroll, Ruby quickly acknowledged whatever notification had been set off. Several seconds passed as the girl's eyes roamed over the text on the screen.

Weiss tilted her head in curiosity. Just as she was about to question her teammate, a look of concern etched itself onto Ruby's features.

"Ah, Weiss? I think we have a problem."

The look on the red-clad girl's face was telling. This wasn't the look of an awkward Ruby who had forgotten her school supplies. This was the look of Team RYBWN's leader when presented with something bad. Something scary. Weiss felt a spark of anxiety building within her chest.

Wordlessly, Ruby tilted her scroll toward her white-clad partner. Weiss took half a second to process what she was looking at before realizing —

"— This is the app that keeps track of our team's Aura?"

Ruby nodded wordlessly.

It didn't take much to spot a glaring anomaly. While the Aura of all four women on the team was an identical green. Naruto's Aura was a glaring yellow that had fallen below the halfway point.

Weiss frowned. "That dolt said he was going to be studying on his own! How dare he ditch me for training!"

Ruby released a strange noise, something between a whine and a groan. "That's not the point!"

The heiress blinked at the girl's surprisingly agitated response.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand. Naruto usually pushes himself pretty hard when he trains. He's probably just trying something new with his semblance. Or maybe Pyrrha dragged him off for a spar?"

Try as she might, the ashen-haired girl couldn't completely keep the bitterness from her voice at that last part.

Ruby shook her head. "That's the thing, though; Naruto told me ahead of time he'd be going into the Emerald Forest to train. Alone."

Weiss' eyes widened.

"It's the reason I didn't mute the app's notifications. Just in case."

Weiss swallowed the slowly forming lump in her throat. Naruto wouldn't be expending all his Aura testing something new while in the Emerald Forest. There were training rooms for that. And if he'd gone alone, the most obvious explanation for his Aura lowering was that he was taking damage.

That in itself wasn't what worried the girl. Taking the odd hit from a Grimm wasn't unheard of. But even for Weiss herself, that didn't happen often. So what the hell happened to cost the blond over half his reserves?

Quickly pulling out her own scroll, Weiss immediately selected the blond's contact information.

It rang several times before going to voice mail. Weiss slammed her scroll onto the table and released an angry growl. Perhaps she should have expected that.

Worry and anger blended into a volatile cocktail, and the white-clad girl fought against the urge to let something ugly out.

"M-Maybe he just got carried away?" Ruby tried to reason. "We both know he can be pretty reckless sometimes."

Weiss' scowl remained fixed. Reckless but not stupid. And expending over half your Aura while training in a hostile environment was pretty bloody stupid.

"We should just —" the soft-spoken girl was interrupted as another identical alert sounded from her scroll. She managed to silence it within the first few octaves.

Upon looking at her screen, Ruby's eyes widened further, and she shot from her seat. "Nope! Change of plans. We're doing something about this!" She cried.

Catching a glimpse of Naruto's Aura meter, Weiss grimly noted his bar had dropped below one-third of its capacity.

Yeah, this was bad.

Weiss looked to her team leader. "What —"

"Okay, shut up and listen up! This is what we're going to do!" Ruby interrupted her partner.

Weiss almost took a reactionary step back at the girl's tone. Despite her word choice, the older girl could almost appreciate the vigour in her friend's voice. She was growing into her leadership role well.

"Get ahold of Yang and Blake. Let them know what's going on. Then grab our gear and meet at the Bullhead station."

Weiss nodded subconsciously.

"I'm going straight to Ozpin's office. If I can't get help from any of the professors, I'll at least secure a Bullhead for us."

That was good. Ozpin's office was about as far away from their current position as it could be while still on campus. But Ruby was fast. In contrast, Yang, Blake, and all their gear were all within the same building.

Weiss was surprised to feel a firm grip on her arm.

"Hopefully, this is nothing. But if it isn't, we've gotta help our boy out. If it is nothing, if Naruto's being an inconsiderate jerk and blowing all his Aura by training in a dangerous area by himself, then I'm counting on you to beat some sense into him when we find him."

Weiss clenched her fists. If that was the case, she'd do a lot more than that.

As nothing more needed to be said, the pair shot out of the library at record speeds.

xXx

What the hell was that?

'That, my friend, was your semblance.'

Naruto blinked. No shit?

'You're welcome, by the way. It wasn't easy to unlock.'

The blond paused to survey the damage. He let loose a low whistle at what he saw. What little was left of the Beowolf pack was already halfway decomposed, forming a thick smoke cloud.

'Wait, you unlocked it?'

'I said I would help you with it, didn't I?'

The shinobi instinctually scratched the back of his head. 'Well, yeah. But I assumed that meant you would help me unlock it, not completely do it for me.'

'I can seal it away so you can unlock it yourself if you'd like?'

'No, no. That's not necessary. I'll take the free power up.' Naruto paused. 'Please don't take away my semblance. Especially one so cool and awesome and powerful and —'

'You don't know what it is, do you?'

...

'Of course I do! It's uh...'

The fox patiently waited for him to answer.

'I squish things.'

...

'Yeah, I'm going to take it away now.'

'No, please!' Naruto begged his friend.

A low rumble echoed in his mindscape.

'Relax. Doing that would be far too troublesome.'

Naruto breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief.

'It's gravity manipulation, by the way. In case you were wondering.'

Naruto's eyes widened. Gravity Manipulation? What the hell? How did that have anything to do with his soul? How was that part of his inner identity? Despite the curiosity, he couldn't help but feel excited about the prospect of having such a semblance. The things he could do with it...

'You've probably got a million questions about it, but they'll have to wait for later. Now's not the time; you're not finished yet.'

Sure enough, the remaining Grimm, the pack of Goliaths, had seemingly been roused into action at his display of power. Naruto grinned. Just one more obstacle, and then he could get the hell out of here.

'Also, your semblance used the last of your Aura, so be careful.'

Naruto bit his tongue. Son of a bitch. What a nasty trade-off. He'd have to work on that.

In the end, it wasn't that big of a deal. The shinobi had already planned out how to deal with this threat. Having no Aura wouldn't make any difference.

With a mental command, one of the two Kage Bunshins he had created earlier dispelled. At the same time, Naruto was flooded with an influx of power. The sensation was familiar. Tranquil. Yet burned with inextinguishable heat. It was the feeling of being able to do anything but with the benefit of a calm mind.

Now comfortably wrapped in Sage Mode, the blond made a titanic leap upward and away from the stampeding Grimm. As planned, he formed two additional Kage Bunshin and threw his arm out in a familiar pose. The two clones began the familiar, rhythmic process of helping him mould his chakra. The original supplied the power, one clone focused on adding his wind nature, and the third clone dedicated himself to combining and shaping the technique.

Even with his newfound control, Naruto wasn't sure if he'd be able to create a Rasenshuriken without the aid of his clones. Sure, he did it during the war's end, but that was with the use of Kurama's chakra cloak. The blond wouldn't be taking any chances here. He didn't have the luxury.

As the jutsu began to stabilize, a familiar high-pitched screech emanated from the palm of Naruto's hand. Was a Rasenshuriken overkill? Yeah, probably. But he'd never fought a Goliath before, and they were said to be some of the most hardy Grimm. Was the technique highly chakra-inefficient at this stage of his training? Yeah, definitely. But he wanted to end things quickly. Was the blond simply looking for an excuse to put as much metaphorical fire down range as possible? Yeah, without a doubt. Though if ever asked, his official answer would be no.

With a mighty heave, the sage hurled his Rasenshuriken toward the pack of Grimm. Toad-like eyes tracked the projectile's trajectory and narrowed in anticipation as the attack landed squarely in the middle of the Grimm's formation.

The second the attack landed, it detonated. And it detonated hard.

Millions upon millions of atomically thin blades sliced, diced, and utterly eviscerated everything within the jutsu's effective range.

A veritable bubble of white had formed, almost like a miniature hurricane. But it wasn't just water vapour and air pressure; it was countless wind blades. Blades of wind which were technically invisible to the naked eye. The cloud of white was, in reality, the aftermath of innumerable blades of wind cutting through the air at high speeds, resulting in countless miniature changes in pressure.

Similar to a vapour trail left behind from a hypersonic bullet. Only in this case, there were untold millions of vapour trails.

It had been Sakura who explained the science behind it all. At the time, it had also come with an explanation of how the attack affected one biologically.

So many words he hadn't understood then. It had forced him to search through an encyclopedia to help him comprehend.

And once he did understand, it had both terrified and amazed him. At the time, it'd been difficult to grasp just how much destruction he was capable of. Emphasis on he. It was one of the few instances he could claim a significant feat of destruction as his own. It wasn't Kurama's chakra. It wasn't the Sage of Six Paths' chakra. It was his. He had done that. Through nothing but sheer hard work, he'd managed to do what his father could not.

Naruto continued to observe the fruits of his labour as he steadily fell to the ground. He landed in a crouch, evenly distributing his weight across his limbs. From there, he stood and watched as, eventually, the jutsu began to lose energy and slowly fizzled out.

What was left was... nothing. Not a trace of the Grimm. Not even the black mist characteristic of their death.

Sage Mode had worn off, which was expected. At his prime, and not counting when he was in his chakra cloak, he could only use three Rasenshurikens before expending all of the natural energy in his system.

One Rasenshuriken would have to be enough. At the very least, it would serve as an excellent finishing move. The blond panned his gaze across the devastation. Case in point.

Already Naruto could feel the fatigue setting in. Running a quick self-diagnosis, the results left him frowning. His Aura was utterly spent. No surprise there; Kurama had warned him. His chakra was sitting at around a third of his capacity. He hummed at that. After all the Kage Bunshin, Rasengans, and Adamantine Sealing Chains, he was honestly surprised he still had as much as he did. That was another upside to superior control. It meant more efficiency. Less wasted chakra.

At the very least, he could leave this damn forest. This whole experience had left him reeling with questions. He honestly didn't even know where to start.

Before he could take his first step, Naruto noticed something from the corner of his eye. A single Grimm stood patiently at the far end of the field, where the Goliaths had cleared a path through the forest.

What the fuck?

'Is that a Beowolf?'

It was. But unlike the hulking pack of Alphas from earlier, this Beowolf was different.

It was... completely average. It wasn't an Alpha. It wasn't particularly large or covered in an excess of bone plating. It didn't have much in the way of battle scars. In fact, Naruto couldn't spot any imperfections at all.

It was almost as if it was a newborn. If these things were even born at all.

What was most curious about the creature was its temperament. It wasn't snarling. It wasn't bouncing in anticipation. It was hardly even glaring at him. Its red beady eyes were certainly looking in his direction, but its gaze was borderline blank.

Somehow, that alone was more intimidating than the pack of Alphas had ever been.

This one was different. And different was often times dangerous.

'Should I kill it?'

'What, you're asking me?'

Naruto paused. 'I mean... just look at it. It's just standing there. Menacingly.'

...

'Kill it or don't. It doesn't matter to me.'

Screw it. Naruto turned away from the creature. He just wanted to leave. If the Grimm wished to break the monotony of its existence and not attack on sight, so be it. It might be smart enough to survive long enough to grow into a big strong Alpha.

...

Well, now he had to kill the damn thing.

Turning to face the creature again, Naruto froze at what he saw.

'What the fuck is it doing?'

'What the fuck is it doing?'

...

Whatever the Grimm was doing, it was clearly unnatural. The beast was hunched over, clutching its head as if in pain, an anomaly in itself since Grimm were somewhat inconsistent when it came to displaying the sensation. Sharp lupine claws dug deeply into its skull, slicing through fur and flesh and leaving deep rends in its boney armour.

A mixture of low growls and whimpers sounded from the quadruped, and it continued to lower itself onto its knees.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

'Don't say that. Never say shit like that. Be optimistic; clearly, this one's defective. Maybe it's just dying spontaneously?'

Were it so easy.

Without warning, the Grimm began to convulse. Uneven spasms began wracking its body, and its skin began to fracture, almost like a glass figurine cracking into pieces. Just as quickly as its violent convulsions started, they stopped.

'Uhh...'

Liquid fire filled the cracks of the creature's skin like a perverted mockery of the finest Kintsugi.

...

What came next was stillness and silence. Naruto felt a wave of warning pass through his chest. Whatever the Beowolf once was, it was gone. In its place was something more. Something dangerous.

The creature was taller now and sported a wider frame. It still held the basic form of a Beowolf, but that seemed to be all it shared with its previous rendition. Its fur was shorter and a dark gray compared to its former midnight-black mane. Its claws mainly remained the same, but almost all of its bone plating had been shed. Finally, its crimson-red eyes had taken on a yellowish-orange glow. Despite its increase in size, it appeared sleeker and more streamlined.

But again, what really set the blond shinobi on edge were the glowing cracks lining its entire body. It was as if its own body couldn't contain the power within it, and it was on the precipice of fracturing into a thousand pieces.

'It didn't die.'

Discomfort flooded their mental link.

'Naruto, you need to leave. Now.'

The blond was momentarily caught off guard by his partner. Kurama wasn't one to back down from a fight, and neither knew anything about the creature before them.

Did the fox know something he didn't? Why run?

'Naruto! I'm serious! Move, or else —'

The fox's unnerving warning was suddenly cut off without cause. Despite never losing focus on the creature, Naruto flinched and took a reflexive step back. Piercing yellow eyes stared emotionlessly into him. It hadn't moved, so why did —

Suddenly, the beast blurred into motion. Kami, it was fast. Not so fast that the blond couldn't see it move, but much faster than any Grimm had any right to be. And definitely too fast for his tired body to keep up with.

It moved awkwardly, alternating between bipedal and quadruped as if it couldn't decide on what to stick with. Despite this, it could likely outpace all but the fastest huntsmen. With a combination of powerful two-legged strides and wild bestial lunges, it closed the distance between them uncomfortably fast.

Naruto's eyes widened as he drew his chakra blades. There was no way in hell he'd be able to turn and run. Turning his back on this monster was suicide, and the beast already had the advantage of full acceleration on its side. With no Aura, it was almost like fighting on even ground again. Almost, considering he was pushing the limits of his stamina.

Low on chakra. Out of Aura. Was that this creature's plan? Watch him duke it out with its brethren, wait for him to tire, then swoop in for the kill? A simple strategy but quite effective.

Grimacing, Naruto knew he'd have to be careful. Any incoming damage would have a lasting effect on his body, at least until his Aura came back. He moved to meet the Grimm halfway, intent on wrestling back some form of control. He couldn't let a mindless beast, no matter how unique, completely steal the initiative.

Continuing the trend of breaking all pre-established stereotypes, the neo-Beowolf altered its trajectory at the last minute, dropping low under the blond's blades.

Oh, fuck.

Naruto knew immediately that he was wide open. Panic flooded his senses, and his nerve endings lit on fire. Grimm didn't move like this. Sure, they could occasionally dodge, but the odds were low, and it usually happened at range. This Grimm moved with an unnatural fluidity most commonly seen in people.

If it wanted, it could do some serious damage in the split-second opening it had found. It could maybe even kill him.

Instead, the beast surged upward, and its near human-like claws clamped down on Naruto's wrists.

What the hell?

Why pass on a golden opportunity to kill him?

Naruto struggled in the creature's grip and, much to his alarm, found that he was unable to break the Grimm's hold on him. He could barely get the thing to budge.

Wide, luminous eyes stared soullessly into Naruto's ocean blue. Several seconds passed. What the fuck was it doing?

'Kid, get away from it now! Move! I'm serious!'

There was genuine panic in Kurama's voice.

Panic.

That alone was enough to spark fear in his own mind. Naruto put as much force as possible into breaking the thing's hold but was again met with failure.

Only one option left, it seemed.

With a mental command, the remaining Kage Bunshin the blond had dispatched at the beginning of the fight dispelled.

Instantly, that old familiar warmth of senjutsu flooded the shinobi's tired body. He indulged in it. Revelled in it.

Strangely, the empowered Grimm released a soft growl as if annoyed, then lept back. It eyed the blond knowingly and began to circle him.

Naruto took a deep breath. Well, that was it, wasn't it? The icing on the cake. The straw that broke the camel's back. This Grimm, or whatever it was, was intelligent. It wasn't just wise like an Alpha. It wasn't just clever like an Ancient. This thing in front of him was as intelligent as a human.

Naruto matched the Grimm's pace. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this creature had planned to take advantage of his exhausted state. It had undoubtedly been watching his earlier fight. How else would it be able to recognize Sage Mode and factor in his power-up? It had already displayed some level of control in its approach. And it clearly had an objective other than to simply kill him. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly began displaying a cohesive fighting style.

'Kill it fast or run away. The longer you draw this out, the worse things will be.'

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek.

'What's happening on your end? I haven't felt you this on edge in a while.'

The following several heartbeats of silence were deafening, especially since the fox had just urged the blond to hurry things along.

'Listen, Naruto. Whatever this thing is, it's capable of much more than it seems. At the very least, it has a psychic presence.'

'What?'

'It was trying to worm its way unto your mind. If not for me, you may very well be a drooling mess right now.'

What the fuck was this thing?

Naruto began to circulate what remaining chakra he had throughout his system. For whatever reason, all his instincts warned him to keep this thing at a distance. The creature had more than likely witnessed his earlier use of his sealing chains, so he'd have to mix and match some strategies. He raised his palm toward the empowered Grimm and let loose one of his chains.

The golden bonds crossed the distance between the two in a heartbeat. In an unprecedented move, the creature caught the jutsu out of the air, stopping it in its tracks. Naruto's jaw dropped.

'Damnit.'

With a mighty heave, the Grimm yanked on the chain hard, pulling clear the blond clear off his feet.

xXx

Weiss anxiously tapped her foot to the beat of her racing heart. The inside of the Bullhead was uncomfortably quiet. The vehicle's occupants consisted of the remainder of Team RYBWN and their two combat instructors, Miss. Goodwitch and Amber.

If it were possible, Weiss would have preferred more people. Another professor, or at the very least, another team. But apparently, Ozpin felt this was enough, and seeing as how Naruto's Aura was now completely depleted, they didn't have any time to waste.

Their teammate's Aura had gone out with a bang, so to speak. According to Ruby, his Aura had been sitting at around 30 percent, then suddenly dropped to zero in a single action. Honestly, were it not for the device's ability to monitor their vitals, Weiss would have thought the blond had died. The very thought was almost enough to drive the girl mad.

As it stood, it was clear Naruto was still in a fight. The fluctuations in his heart rate, the steady rise in his body temperature, and even the spikes in his blood pressure. They were all indicative of a prolonged battle.

Weiss wanted to move. To come up with a plan. She wanted to — needed to — be there now, not in 10 minutes, as the pilot had told them to expect. But as it was, they had no idea what to prepare for other than something challenging enough to push their teammate to his limits. An unbelievable sense of impatience filled her ribcage and pulled in every direction. It felt like being stuck in traffic, late for an important event. She fought the urge to jump out of the aircraft and dash past it using her Glyphs. She wasn't faster than a Bullhead, no matter how much she wished she was.

The white-clad girl settled for the monotonous task of checking Myrtenaster's dust barrels. It was unnecessary, as her weapon was pristine in every conceivable way. But the simple concept of doing something helped to keep her mind off the worst-case scenario.

How the hell was everyone else so calm? Weiss glanced at the other occupants of the vehicle. Ruby was staring at her scroll intensely. Was she...? Yes, she was biting her nails. Yang was constantly checking over her gauntlets, inspecting their rotating barrels similarly to how Weiss was with her rapier. The fact that Blake wasn't reading one of her books told the heiress all she needed to know.

Okay, maybe the rest of the team wasn't calm. But they each had their own ways of dealing with their anxiety.

Weiss realized that if she was looking for someone calm, she should have been looking at her two instructors. Goodwitch and Amber were both picture-perfect representations of cool, calm, and collected. It was almost soothing in a way.

Noticing Weiss noticing her, Amber locked eyes with the ashen-haired girl and flashed her a brief smile. Weiss tried to return the gesture as best she could. After a moment of contemplation, the older girl rose from her seat and quickly padded her way over. She dropped into the spot beside the first-year student.

"Hey," Amber nudged the heiress. "He'll be okay."

Weiss hummed in response. "Of course," she responded. "I'll kill him if he's not." She frowned as she could hear the naked doubt in her own tone.

Amber doubtlessly picked up on it as well but chose to grin brightly. "That's the spirit! I'll give you some pointers on how to draw it out."

The white-clad girl shifted in her seat. She suppressed an uneasy laugh but allowed a genuine smile to show. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but pose the question, "Should you really be talking about your student like that?"

After a moment, the brown-eyed girl looked down with a soft, almost whimsical smile. "Listen, Miss Schnee — can I call you Weiss? Since you already call me Amber?"

Weiss' polite smile faltered slightly. It wasn't like the woman before her allowed anyone to call her by anything else. "Of course," she replied after regaining her nerve.

"Weiss," the older girl continued. "You're all my precious students, but nothing says you can't be anything more. If the stars align, I'd like to be able to call you all friends. Naruto's already at that stage. Maybe it's a bit unprofessional, but I don't really care."

A soft grunt emanated from off to the side as Goodwitch adjusted her glasses, but she otherwise kept her silence.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Weiss. No lame reassurances filled with false confidence or other bullshit. I know what Naruto's capable of. Sure, I'm worried for his safety. But his life? No. He's going to be okay. But as his friend and teacher, I don't want him to get hurt."

Weiss blinked in surprise. The way the woman spoke to her felt different from how a professor should talk to a student. This felt a lot closer to how two colleagues would converse. It put the girl somewhat at ease. The conversation felt so much more real. So much less patronizing.

Not for the first time, Weiss wondered about the nature of Naruto and Amber's relationship. Friendship, apparently, but was there more to it? She knew the blond would occasionally make time for the older girl.

Weiss bit down the pang of jealousy she felt brewing. What a ridiculous notion. She and Naruto weren't even dating yet. Was she seriously feeling jealousy toward her combat instructor over a hypothetical situation?

Brothers damn it.

"Oh, brothers," Amber said, breaking Weiss' train of thought. "You're so adorable."

Weiss' nose crinkled at the older girl's soft laughter.

"You don't need to be jealous!" Amber's volume had taken on a combination of whispering and shouting, meaning it was roughly the same as before.

Weiss' face took on a brilliant red hue as she tried to fight the rush of blood pooling in her cheeks. Her first instinct was to deny the brown-haired girl outright, but she didn't want to lie to her face. There was no doubt the older girl would see through it and call her out.

"Or maybe you do?" Amber's tone had turned to one of consideration.

What?

"I mean, out of anyone, he and I have known each other the longest, you know?"

Weiss did, in fact, know. She was ashamed to admit it, but the fact bothered her somewhat. She'd always taken a small amount of satisfaction knowing that out of everyone on her team, she and Naruto had been acquainted first. Naruto and Blake's meeting in Vale Public Library didn't count. They didn't even introduce themselves. And Weiss would argue that to the grave.

Weiss knew what these small feelings hinted at. She wasn't stupid. Matters of the heart were important to a young woman such as herself. But that's all they ever were. Small feelings sprinkled in here and there in an otherwise incredible friendship. It was confusing. It was annoying.

"Maybe I should shoot my shot?" Amber prodded the girl. "What do you think?"

It was infuriating.

...

An awkward and uncomfortable laugh trickled past Amber's lips. "Ah, shit. I shouldn't have said that. That was so freaking weird to say out loud."

Weiss' unique mixture of anger, embarrassment, and confusion began to level out.

The Fall Maiden released an exasperated huff. "Real talk, Weiss. I was teasing you, so you don't have to worry. I've got no intentions of hooking up with a student."

Weiss' emotions began to settle.

"Maybe in a few years, if you haven't made a move..."

Weiss' emotions began to spike.

"I-I'm sorry," Amber laughed. "Still teasing. I'm physically unable to stop."

Silence reigned between the two girls, the only other sound being the low rumble of the Bullhead's engines. "You guys are cute, you know. So make a move already because I know a dense bastard when I see one."

The white-clad girl hung her head in exhaustion. Was now really the best time for this kind of conversation? A firm hand clamped down on her shoulder and squeezed. It felt like someone had combined Winter and Yang into some sort of irresponsibly responsible older sister.

After taking a moment to settle, Weiss breathed a huff of acceptance. "Thank you, Amber."

The girl in question said nothing, then squeezed her shoulder one last time before leaning back in her seat.

As confusing as Weiss' raging emotions were, she still had the presence of mind to understand what the older girl was trying to do. Any other form of distraction probably would have fallen flat with how tense the atmosphere had been. But gazing at the rest of her team, Weiss smiled at the varying looks of amusement they sported. Just this once, she would allow herself to be the proverbial butt of the joke in order to prevent the team's anxiety from overwhelming them. And when things were over, when they had collected Naruto safe and sound, maybe she'd spend some time thinking about Amber's words.

xXx

Naruto grunted as he climbed off the corpse of the unknown Grimm. As he stood, he withdrew the length of his chakra chain that had been impaled through the beast's midsection. The fight hadn't lasted long; he went in knowing he couldn't afford that.

The blond winced in pain as he clutched his midsection. Drawing his hand away, he took note of the red liquid staining his palm. It was difficult to tell if the blood originated from the long, raking injury across his torso or the deep jagged lacerations on his right arm.

What a mess.

While the fight hadn't been long, it had been intense. After the creature forcefully closed the distance between them, the battle more or less continued within knife-fighting range. Those instincts to keep the Grimm at a distance? They'd been good instincts. It was a shame the beast knew its own shortcomings and had made it impossible to create space.

Without a doubt, that Grimm, or whatever the hell it was, was something completely new. Possibly even undocumented. Maybe Ozpin would know more?

Naruto cursed as he fumbled for his scroll. He needed to get out of here; while doing so, he needed to tell someone where he was. It was possible there were more Grimm around the area, and while he might be able to handle some of the more basic types, if there was another ambush or, Kami forbid, another anomalous Grimm such as the one he just defeated, he was fucked.

Low growls sounded out from the nearby foliage.

Speak of the devil...

Naruto cursed. Running away was really the only option at this point. He'd been fighting for hours. No Aura, barely enough chakra to stay alive, severe fatigue, hungry, thirsty, and injuries that needed treatment sooner rather than later. He was well past his limits here.

Too bad there were so many Kami damned Grimm pulling themselves out of the woodwork. Looking around, Naruto counted several dozen beasts of varying sizes and species.

'Well, nice knowing you, buddy. What a stupid way to go.'

Kurama grunted in reply. 'Not yet, kid. Looks like your luck's finally turning.'

What did he mean by that?

Before the new hoard of Grimm could fully organize themselves, Naruto was almost knocked back on his rear by the meteoric impact of a tight bundle of yellow landing directly in front of him. It was a person. A very familiar person.

"Yang?" Naruto asked incredulously.

There was a teasing grin on the young woman's face. "Sorry to drop in all of a sudden." Both teens knew she wasn't sorry at all. "Out of 10, how would you rate my landing?"

What?

Looking closer, the girl's teasing grin was rapidly disappearing, quickly being overshadowed by an unmistakable glint of concern in her eyes. The blonde brawler eyed him up and down, then winced. "Right. You look like shit. Just relax and try not to bleed out, okay?"

Naruto squinted.

What?

Several much softer footfalls indicated the arrival of others. The shinobi took a moment to observe his surroundings. He released a tired sigh of relief as he fully processed six familiar faces. The rest of his team being here made sense, he supposed. If he was going to be rescued, then who else but them? The addition of Amber and Glynda was a pleasant surprise, however. He wondered if Ozpin was somehow aware of the situation and sent them all to help? He'd have to ask later.

A flash of white clouded his vision before suddenly enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug. A soft head of white hair buried itself in his chest.

Weiss?

The blond suppressed a wheeze as his wounds were agitated further. Holy smokes, that hurt.

"A-Ah, easy snowflake, you're going to get blood all over your outfit," Naruto stammered.

The girl's grip slackened but didn't break. Apparently, she didn't care.

"Step aside, Miss. Schnee and join the rest of your team," came the authoritative voice of the Deputy Headmistress.

In response, Weiss reluctantly took a deep breath and slowly broke her hug. Despite the pain, Naruto found himself missing the contact. The heiress looked into the blond's eyes and whispered, "When everything settles, you've got a lot of explaining to do, you moron."

Naruto frowned weakly. He could tell she wanted to be angry with him, but her concern had muted her temper. It's not like any of this was his fault. Not really. Hopefully, she'd understand once he explained things. Maybe then someone could explain whatever the hell was going on...

Stepping forward, Amber raised her voice to the healthy members of Team RYBWN. "Alight, kids! Clear a landing zone for the Bullhead!" She placed one hand on her hip while the other drew her unique staff. "This is a pretty common objective when working in areas with high Grimm concentrations. It's a classic, really." Resting her staff on her shoulder, the brown-themed girl eyed the hoard of Grimm. "Consider this extra credit. I'll be watching you to evaluate your performance."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Could she at least pretend things were serious?

As the four girls lept into action, Naruto was approached by the group's most senior member. "You've been through quite the ordeal, Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto nodded to his professor. He supposed he did indeed look like shit.

"Show me your most concerning wound," the woman ordered.

Only now did Naruto notice the first aid kit in the professor's hands. Ah. That was good. Raising his right arm, Naruto did as instructed. While his chest wound was large, the injury on his arm posed the biggest problem. It was deep. Already he could feel the effects of blood loss.

As the bespectacled blonde began treating the damage to his arm, Naruto realized that he needed to tell someone about the strange Grimm he fought, as well as the unprecedented levels of intelligence and coordination the regular rank-and-file beasts had displayed. Who better to inform than the Deputy Headmistress herself? At least he trusted her.

"Hey, Professor," he began.

"— Whatever you have to say can wait until later. You'll need to prepare yourself, as the worst is yet to come."

What the hell did that mean?

Taking a shot in the dark, Naruto replied, "My injuries aren't that bad, are they, doc?"

The woman paused in her actions, then smiled knowingly. "You're mistaken," she said. "The fighting for you is over; a debrief can come when you've recovered."

Naruto nodded.

"I was referring to something a little more..." The combat instructor glanced in the direction of his four teammates. Hmm. Was it just him, or were they fighting a lot more ferociously? As if they were venting their stress on those poor Grimm?

"A little more domestic," the professor finished.

Ah. Right. Great. Something told him 'it wasn't my fault' wouldn't fly with his team when it came time to explain things. No matter how true it was. Oh well. He'd had worse problems than a team of people worried for him.

"One more thing Mr. Uzumaki." Naruto eyed the woman curiously. "I'm glad you're okay."

Right.

xXx

A/N: There is it, Chapter 11. Big author's note, so bear with me. This one was a bit trickier to write. I tried something new with a lot more perspective shifts this time; let me know how it felt because I'm undecided. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this chapter. I like some parts, but other parts seemed meh.

Here we have some development with Naruto's abilities. At long last, Sage Mode. He's been working on it for the past month, in case I wasn't clear in the narrative. Despite it now being mastered, it's lacking compared to what it once was; I shouldn't have to explain why. And I hope his struggle throughout the entire fight was believable. I firmly believe if someone's been fighting for that long against that many enemies, they will get tired. They're going to get hurt. I don't wanna hear none of that "Naruto's way too strong to get injured" BS. Think about it. How strong is Qrow to a single Beowolf? How strong is any huntsman? Unimaginably. So why are Grimm such a threat? It's a numbers game. If you faced off against 1,000,000 five-year-olds, you'd probably pass out from exhaustion long before you beat them all. Is that a weird comparison? Yes.

Chakra Chains are dope as ever, and we get to see his semblance. Gravity Manipulation came in middle-of-the-pack for the poll, but it was my personal favourite. You'll have to keep an eye out for how I incorporate the ability, but it won't play a significant role for now, considering everyone (almost everyone) thinks the Adamantine Sealing Chains is his semblance. Remember how I initially said that most of Naruto's OP abilities will either come at a cost or limitation? Yeah.

Anyway, as I'm sure some of you can tell, I took a shortcut at the ending fight. One part because I struggled for a long time with writing it, and the other part because I like the idea of leaving it ambiguous. Let me know your opinions.

Finally, the good and bad news.

The good news is that the next chapter is going to be a big one. Not necessarily word count wise, but in terms of relationship development. A lot of you have probably been waiting ages for what comes next. Others might think it's too soon narrative-wise. I'll be the tiebreaker and say we're over 150,000 words in. It's not too soon for anything anymore. What do I mean by this? To avoid hard spoilers, I won't say more. If you really want to know, you can DM me or leave a review asking. I'll tell you the name of the next chapter, which should be indicative enough.

The bad news? Now that the next chapter is such an important one, I will, unfortunately, be going on indefinite hiatus for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Get fucked.

...

I'm kidding. The next chapter is completely finished, and I'll be publishing it about 2 weeks EARLY.

Be on the lookout for it in exactly seven days, which should be enough for readers to digest this chapter. I'm changing it up a bit because I think we've all been fucked over by that one story that was just starting to get good, but then the author simply disappeared, legitimate reason or not.

The bad news was just good news in disguise.

Cheers!