A/N: So here's Chapter 14.5 (technically 15). To anyone coming to this chapter first, it's the second part of a double upload, so make sure you read the last chapter. I'm posting this later than intended, but it's still within the same day, so it counts! This is a shorter one, which is by design. I can honestly say you don't need to read this to gain anything. This is basically a behind-the-scenes look for when I usually fade a scene to black. Regardless, maybe some of you are into reaction content. If so, this one's for you.
Btw. I'm just going to consider this to be chapter 15, for simplicity's sake. So, the next chapter will be regarded as chapter 16. This doesn't really affect you guys; it's just for my own notes.
xXx
Naruto could feel several sets of eyes burning through him from varying angles. They couldn't hurt him as long as he refused to make eye contact, right?
"So," came a falsely cheerful voice. It was Yang, of course. "Are you planning on explaining anything? Or are we going to do the whole 'silent treatment for the next several weeks' routine?"
Naruto remained silent. What the hell was he supposed to say? Glancing up, he was met with four differing reactions.
Yang appeared agitated. Almost angry, but not quite. While only a few hours had passed, she likely filled that time with some not-so-great scenarios.
Ruby seemed confused. Inquisitive. She was easily the most innocent of the quartet, so she'd probably spent the hours dreaming up more innocuous, fantastical possibilities. Out of all of them, she may very well be the closest to the truth.
Blake was rock solid. A wall. Impenetrable. She also looked a little bit irritated. Perhaps that was natural. She'd just spilled a massive secret of her own, and now here he was with one as well. Was he one-upping her?
The only saving grace amongst them was Weiss. Thank Kami. She seemed excited, for lack of a better word. That, and a tad bit worried. For him? Or for what he had to say?
Naruto stood silently for several moments, unsure of what to say or how to say it. Kami, this was awkward. He'd gone over it in his head countless times. Ever since he'd met his team, there had been thousands upon thousands of silent conversations within his own mind. Showerthoughts. Daydreams. Nightmares.
Yet now, he was drawing a blank.
Should he start from the beginning? Or should he address the Kage Bunshin? Maybe open up with a display of his chakra? He winced at the possibilities.
Did he mention how awkward this was?
"So, uh," Yang broke the silence. "Do you have, like, two semblances or something? Is that the big secret?"
So Yang wanted to come out of the gates swinging, eh? That was probably for the best. Beating around the bush would only serve to piss everyone off.
Though it was an attractive idea, passing off his clones as a secondary semblance. In reality, it would only serve as a short-term solution and would still draw unwanted attention to himself. Admittedly, the possibility of passing chakra off as his semblance was not an unfamiliar idea. He'd considered it extensively. Ultimately, he'd resolved himself to be honest this time around. Plus, it was too late to go down that route.
"No," Naruto shook his head. "Assuming you're talking about the docks, that was a result of me using chakra." At their blank looks, he continued. "Right," he muttered. "Chakra is... it's like Aura in a way. If I had to describe it in its most basic terms, it's a combination of physical and spiritual energy. Coalesced, it can be used to perform a variety of techniques. Anything from strengthening and enhancing my body to walking on walls and water."
Collectively, their eyes widened in interest.
"You're saying you can walk across water? Like some sort of deity?" Blake asked with a skeptical eye.
Naruto chuckled lowly. "Wouldn't most deities fly?"
All the deities he knew of, or those who likened themselves to deities, preferred flight. Maybe that was because Shinobi had trivialized walking on water?
Blake shrugged at his answer, yet her eyes screamed 'maybe.'
"O-oh," Ruby jumped in excitedly. "So you can scale a wall like a spider? Like some sort of human-spider hybrid? A manspider?"
Naruto shook his head in amusement. Weren't they getting a little distracted? "I can do better than that. I can walk up a wall like I'm taking a stroll in the park. Then do the same on the ceiling."
Ruby's eyes widened. "That's so cool!"
Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Naruto laughed. "I guess? It's pretty basic stuff back home. It's one of the first things they teach you when you start your chakra control exercises."
"So cool..." The scythe-wielder mumbled to herself.
"We're kind of getting off topic." The blond continued. "So anyway, yeah. I'm able to use Chakra and Aura separately. As far as I know, they're independent energies."
Yang shook her head. "Brothers, what the hell..."
After a moment of digestion, it was Weiss who spoke next. "And are you the only one who can use chakra? Or can everyone from your homeland use it?"
Naruto hummed. "Not everyone, but I'm definitely not the only one who can use it. You could compare it to how not everyone in the kingdoms can use Aura."
"So," Blake spoke up, breaking her silence. "You're saying that somewhere out in the world, there are nations filled with people that can use this secondary power in addition to Aura?" Try as she might, she was unable to keep the emotion out of her voice. She seemed perplexed by the idea. Intimidated.
Oh. Right. Shit.
Naruto could practically feel the expectant look Weiss was shooting him. Kami damnit. This was so disorganized. All over the place. Why couldn't he have just gone over things smoothly? He should have had Weiss print him an itinerary. Regardless, he'd have to salvage this as best he could.
"Not... exactly," he answered his raven-haired teammate.
Her eyes widened at the implications. She looked down awkwardly. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't even consider... The war must have been bad."
What?
Oh.
"It's not what you're thinking," Naruto quickly remedied. He scoffed to himself. No, it definitely wasn't what she was thinking. As far as he was willing to consider, everyone back home was still alive. In trouble, but alive.
He took a deep breath, then sighed.
"I'm not from Remnant."
.
..
...
..
.
"I'm sorry, what?" Yang belted out instinctively. Her eyes were wide, her mouth wider.
Naruto shrugged apologetically. Despite his outward calmness, his insides were twisted in turmoil. This was it, wasn't it? He'd gone and said it, hadn't he? Again. He readied himself for the disbelief. The protests. The rejection. What was he supposed to tell them when they refused to accept the truth?
...
"Weiss," Ruby addressed her partner. "Did you know about this?" The young reaper was staring at her partner in what could only be described as calm scrutiny.
Naruto blinked. That's not what he expected. There should have been more confusion. More disbelief. Sometimes, it was easy to forget how observant the young reaper could be.
The white-clad girl panned her vision across her team. "I did," she said, along with a simple nod. "He hasn't told me everything. Things between Blake and I took precedence, but he's told me bits and pieces."
"Do you believe him?" RYBWN's leader asked evenly.
Weiss nodded instinctively. "I do."
After several long moments, Ruby hummed in contemplation. "Well, you know him better than any of us. If you believe him, then so do I." She then smiled. "Plus, I really want to believe him. That sounds so cool!"
That... okay.
"Blake?" Weiss addressed their faunus teammate.
The girl in question blinked rapidly. She focused on the heiress, then darted her eyes toward the blond shinobi. There still seemed to be some animosity between the two girls, but the ravenette seemed to be putting it aside for the time being.
"There's a lot about you that hasn't added up," Blake sighed. "Maybe this can help fill in some gaps." So she'd been suspicious of him but didn't know what to be suspicious of? Naruto had to hand it to the girl. She certainly was sharp. Maybe it had something to do with her keen senses?
"Yang?" Ruby prompted her sister.
"I-I... Uhm," the girl stuttered.
Naruto raised a tentative eyebrow. Wow. She was actually speechless. He never thought he'd see the day.
Yang looked around the room for inspiration. Eventually, she released a puff of air and shook her head. "This better be one hell of a story," she laughed airily, then settled for an exasperated smile.
The Jinchūriki could see it clearly. Each of them, sans Weiss, was wearing hesitant looks of acceptance. They were at least open to hearing him out. His snowflake, on the other hand... She was completely relaxed. She truly believed him unconditionally. It was heartwarming in a way. A little scary in another. He didn't know why that was.
Okay. Where to start?
...
"I'm from a place called the Elemental Nations," Naruto began. "As far as I'm aware, it's basically an alternate dimension."
...
Yang hummed while cupping her chin. "So... not an alien from another planet?"
The shinobi shrugged. "I'm human, so unless humanity evolved on separate planets, I have to assume I'm from a different dimension."
"What about a parallel universe?" Ruby asked excitedly.
The blond should have known this would tickle her sci-fi muse. Regardless, he groaned lowly to himself. "No, I'm pretty sure it's dimension in this case." He continued at her expectant look. "Back home, breaking through dimensional barriers is technically possible. Travelling between realities... well, I have it on good authority that it's impossible."
Ruby squinted at his answer. "What's the difference?"
Shaking his head, Naruto winced. "L-Let's not get into that. Please." Ruby shrugged at his request, then nodded. Thank Kami. He didn't want to admit that, despite Kurama's explanations, he didn't actually understand the difference.
"Right. Anyway, most of what I told you guys about back home is true. The details of everything were just changed around a bit."
Yang snorted at the understatement.
"But, uh, as a general overview, the world I'm from is separated into multiple nations. Of those nations, five of them stand above the rest. The Lands of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning." After listing them off, the blond quickly added, "I'm from the Land of Fire. Each of the major nations houses what's called a hidden village. My home village is called Konohagakure."
Blake hummed in interest. "Village hidden in the leaves?" She translated uncertainly.
Right. She could understand some of his homeland's vernacular. Did he ever actually look into why that was? Whatever. He could do that later. They were starting to get the ball rolling. There was no way in hell he'd let the opportunity slip.
Naruto nodded while smiling. "You got it. In essence, the hidden villages are kind of like massive military bases that also double as cities. The bulk of a nation's military forces live there. Train there. Operate from there. Add in all their families, a variety of civilians, and the necessary infrastructure, and you've got a hidden village."
"Sounds kind of dystopian," Ruby frowned.
Naruto matched her expression. "Maybe to someone who's never lived in a hidden village," he replied. "Yeah, I guess it doesn't sound so great on paper. But it is," he said with a wide smile. "It is great. It's home. People know each other. Look out for each other. We fight together. Survive together." The blond sighed. "It's hard to explain. It's something you just need to see, I guess."
"S-Sorry," Ruby mumbled. "I didn't mean to insult. The way you talk about it... it does sound like a nice community."
Naruto waved off the apology. No harm done.
"I grew up in Konohagakure, training as a shinobi. Basically, our equivalent to a soldier mixed with a mercenary. I won't go into too many details about my life growing up since I could go on forever. Suffice it to say I had my difficulties. Had my wins. Had my losses."
The four girls were listening intently. Naruto could tell they wanted to protest. Wanted to ask about everything he'd been through to get to where he was. But they didn't want to interrupt. Didn't want to miss anything. For now, he had their undivided attention.
"The most recent event would be the war. That was real," he said with a frown.
Oh Kami. The war was its own can of worms. How was he supposed to talk about it without spending hours on the subject? Okay, he could do this. Focus on the details. Cut out the superfluous bits and pieces.
"The war," he repeated. "The war I took part in was over a thousand years in the making."
Predictably, he received several confused looks. Kami, he was dreading going into this topic. Not because it was difficult to talk about but because there was so damn much to say. And he knew he didn't have the full story.
"I don't have all the details, but to sum up a long story, about a thousand years ago, a woman named Kaguya Ōtsutsuki ruled over the Elemental Nations with an iron fist. She was basically a goddess."
In fact, wasn't she referred to as the Rabbit Goddess at one point? He was pretty sure the Sage had mentioned that. Or was it Kurama?
"She was the first person to utilize chakra. Eventually, she gave birth to two sons, who could also use chakra. After witnessing their mother's capacity for cruelty, the two brothers rebelled, sealing her within the moon."
Checking in on his audience, Naruto was unsurprised to see blank looks clear across the board.
That checked.
"One of the brothers went on to teach the world about chakra and its use. He became known as the Sage of Six Paths, or the Rikudō Sennin."
Naruto could see it in their eyes. 'Where the hell was this going?' "This is relevant, I promise," He assured them. He took a breath. "Using the residual chakra from his mother, he split the massive energy source into nine fully conscious beasts. He raised them as if they were his children, eventually sending them into the world. They were powerful, unimaginably so. Said to be able to reshape the land with a brush of their tails. I can... attest to that power."
Naruto swallowed at their looks of confusion.
"Mankind, as you can imagine, didn't particularly enjoy the idea of massive walking natural disasters roaming the countryside. Over the next several hundred years, the tailed beasts were periodically hunted down and sealed within people in order to contain their power. Eventually, it became a method to weaponize them."
Several frowns formed across the group.
"I'm the most recent host to the Kyuubi no Youko. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
...
Huh. That was a lot easier to vocalize than he thought it would be. Maybe it was because the fox had no negative connotations amongst them? Perhaps it was because it was his team.
"You're saying you have a demon sealed inside you?" Weiss asked, wide-eyed.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Being its Jinchūriki caused me —"
"— Hold on," Blake muttered. "Jinchūriki? Human sacrifice?" She asked in alarm.
Everyone's eyes widened at the faunus' question. Oh boy.
"In a way," Naruto quickly answered. "It technically translates to 'Power of Human Sacrifice.'"
Weiss frowned at his distinction. "What's the difference?" She asked sharply.
He had to remind himself that she wasn't angry at him. She was angry for him.
"People were weaponizing the beasts at this point. We weren't being sacrificed to die. We weren't being sacrificed for the greater good," He reminded her. In this case, the distinction was important. The Jinchūriki were seen as weapons. A means to an end. Now that he thought about it, he'd been relatively lucky in that regard. He'd had the third Hokage looking out for him.
His answer had clearly upset his team. Clenched jaws, narrowed eyes, and elevated heart rates. He felt bad, but it was the truth. It was just the way things were.
"A-Anyways," Naruto stumbled, "due to certain countermeasures put in place, Kaguya was able to manipulate the outside world despite being sealed away. She did this over the next several hundred years. She sewed her seeds of doubt and cultivated conflict from it. Starting wars and setting societal norms, you name it. Anything to destabilize the world and make her return a smoother transition."
Naruto frowned. Black Zetsu was just an extension of her will. So it was fair enough to say all the harm he'd done was equivalent to Kaguya doing it herself. The shinobi suppressed a growl. That plant bastard had done so much damage over the centuries. It wouldn't be surprising if he learned that all the world's problems stemmed from the bastard.
"Her ultimate goal was to collect all nine tailed beasts to fully regain her power. But extracting a tailed beast is fatal to its host," he added while rubbing his stomach. "She managed to collect enough of them to partially return. Then we fought."
Weiss sighed uneasily while cupping the side of her head. "So she was the powerful entity you fought. The one who sent you here?"
The answer was pretty obvious. She was likely asking for clarification. Or as a means to process the information.
Naruto shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah. My world recognized the danger she posed. We formed a global alliance. Fought back. The eight-tails Jinchūriki and myself were hidden away to prevent Kaguya's return. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and joined the fight. It was the final clash against her that sent me here. I think. The specifics are fuzzy, but if anyone had the raw power to rip through dimensions, it'd be her."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Yang interrupted, her hands raised in the universal gesture of 'time out.' "You're saying you actually fought this god-like person?" Naruto nodded. "Just how fucking strong are you really?" She asked in disbelief.
"Not to mention," Blake spoke, "If a global alliance wasn't enough to put down a single person, how did you hold up?"
Yang nodded at her partner's words.
Naruto winced. Details were missing. Madara. Obito. The White Zetsu army. But ultimately, Kaguya was the final hurdle. "Me and my teammate, Sasuke," Weiss' eyes widened at the familiar name. "We were pretty fucking strong. But... I'm nowhere near where I used to be."
The four girls shared a concerned look.
It was Ruby who broke the tense silence. "What does that mean, exactly?"
Naruto huffed in frustration. "Whatever sent me here basically neutered me in the process. Shredded my chakra pathways. I can barely use a fraction of a fraction of my power." Try as he might, he really couldn't keep the emotion out of his voice.
They could probably all sense the atmosphere. So, thankfully, none of them pressed him on his former strength. They knew he fought on par with a god-level enemy. They could draw the proper conclusions on their own.
...
"Anyway," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. "After I was tossed into Remnant, I spent some time trying to figure out where I was. It took a bit to put the pieces together, but once I did, I started looking for a way home. One thing led to another, and Ozpin managed to convince me to attend Beacon. I reasoned it was my best chance to learn about a way home. So far, no success."
Yang tilted her head. "Is that why you were such a moody bitch in the beginning?"
Naruto could tell it was her attempt at lightening the mood. Regardless, her comment earned her a pillow-missile from their team leader. The shinobi let loose a short laugh despite his best efforts.
"Yeah," he grinned. "Something like that."
Taking a deep breath, the shinobi surveyed his teammates. They were, all of them, in various states of disbelief. Surprise. Interest. It was better than indifference or doubt. At least this way, he knew they were considering his words and not immediately dismissing them. Unsurprisingly, Weiss captured most of his attention. She had a look of quiet contemplation on her face. It must have been quite something for the girl to finally have so many pieces falling into place.
Ah, damn. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset when she realized he'd basically wasted her resources when it came to finding a way home. Not providing the proper details surely took away from the investigation.
Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he worked to suppress a smile when he noticed Ruby's raised hand. He gestured to her.
"You said you lost most of your strength, right? But it's clear you're still holding back." The blond tilted his head in thought, then nodded reluctantly. "How strong are you currently? No holds barred."
Huh. Good question.
Naruto hummed in thought. "If I went all out? Chakra included?"
Ruby nodded.
"It's hard to say, honestly," he frowned. "I could probably beat most huntsman. Maybe? I haven't exactly seen a lot of them in full action. Depending on how coordinated you guys are, I could probably take you all on at the same time and win?"
He didn't mention that he'd likely only win if it was a fight to the death. Tournament rules? He doubted he'd be able to beat them all back without killing them.
Yang barked out a laugh. "That's some pretty big talk, don't you think —"
"— Do you honestly think so?" Ruby asked, interrupting her sister. She didn't seem upset. She didn't seem skeptical. She appeared, more than anything, to be calculating something.
Naruto shrugged awkwardly. "If I used my chakra, then yeah. Again, it's hard to say. I haven't really considered using my jutsu against the people of this world. Aside from my clones and chakra chains, most of my other techniques are pretty lethal."
The one time he'd used a Rasengan against another person, it had shredded through his Aura like paper in a blender. And he'd held back. Naruto still wasn't sure if that was due to the man being weak or if the Rasengan was just that effective. Regardless, he hadn't deigned to test it again.
Ruby nodded. "That's fair. Do you think I should revise my battle strategies to incorporate your chakra?"
Naruto quickly shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. I can't use chakra around anyone but you guys. Unless there's an emergency. The last thing I need are the kingdoms breathing down my neck, trying to dissect me." His team winced at his choice of words. "Besides, if I start using my chakra seriously, it has to be in a life-or-death situation."
Ruby nodded succinctly. "Okay," she replied. "Your secret's safe with us." the rest of his team nodded in confirmation.
That was good. One less thing weighing on his mind.
"Anyway, uh," Ruby started awkwardly. "Can we talk about the fact that there were two of you at the docks? That's still kind of bugging me."
Naruto nodded. Watching his clone perish must have been upsetting.
Weiss raised a dainty hand while speaking at the same time. "I agree. In fact, I'd like to know what else Chakra can do as a whole." She wore a look of fierce focus as she spoke. She certainly was interested.
Naruto grinned in response. "Almost everything. Anything from a Kage Bunshin," with a puff of smoke, a second Naruto appeared. The clone smiled widely at their dumbfounded expressions before hearing the original's following words. "To a set of chakra chains." A golden chain pieced the clone through the chest in under a second, resulting in a loud pop and a billowing cloud of smoke.
Kami that felt kind of good. Damn clones.
His team jumped at the sudden act of violence but quickly shook off the effects of their surprise. Blake's liberal use of her semblance, along with witnessing the creation of the Kage Bunshin, had lessened the shock value.
"Hold on," Blake questioned in surprise. "Kage Bunshin... Shadow clones?"
"Yeah. Somewhat similar to your semblance, except longer lasting and more independent," he confirmed. In fact, they even went by the same name, funnily enough.
"So let me clarify," Ruby mumbled. "Your chains aren't your semblance?"
The shinobi shook his head. "No," he answered. "My chains are made of chakra. I only said they were my semblance because Yang walked in on me practicing with them."
Yang laughed while wearing a strained smile. "Hardly! You almost hit me with them through a brother's damned wall!"
The shinobi hummed in faux annoyance.
After a moment of reflection, Yang dropped her smile. "So, the clones. Let's keep talking about that. What can they do? Can they fight? Or are they just there to look pretty?"
"Oh, they can definitely fight," Blake replied with a frown. "The one with us at the docks could go toe to toe with Torchwick. Lasted a lot longer than I did, for that matter."
The Jinchūriki nodded. "Like I said, each one I make is pretty much autonomous. Once they're made, I don't really have any more control over them than a parent would their child. With a few limitations, they can make their own decisions and use most of my chakra techniques."
"What happens if they don't follow your orders?" Weiss asked critically.
Naruto shrugged. "In the past five years, it's never happened. And I use them frequently."
It was clear she wasn't satisfied with the answer.
The blond scratched his chin. "I think the important thing to consider is that they're me. Literally. While we're not a hive mind, we all still think the same. We share the same objective. I don't see why a clone would outright disobey me unless I secretly hated myself. Sure, they can get a little snarky, and sometimes they get a little carried away with their 'free will,' but we're all the same guy. Plus, it helps that dispelling them only takes a single hit."
"So that's why your clone seemed overly cautious..." Blake mumbled.
Weiss nodded to the blond, the skepticism in her eyes gone.
"So," Blake sighed uncomfortably. "If a clone doesn't get the chance to report back, does that mean..."
She sounded oddly upset at the prospect. Naruto's eyes widened. "Oh, no. Anything a clone learns is transferred to me when it dispels. It was their primary purpose when the technique was created. A risk-free way to spy on your enemy. Don't ask how. It has something to do with its residual chakra returning to me."
The look in his faunus teammate's eye was... raw. Anxious.
"Don't worry, I remember our conversation. It was just a matter of sifting through my clone's memories."
Blake nodded, her relief palpable.
"So, how many can you make?" Yang asked with a calculating look. That worried his fellow blond. She wasn't particularly good at math.
"Now? A few dozen, probably. I used to be able to make a lot more before coming to Remnant."
That was one hell of an understatement.
The last part of his comment seemed to catch the interest of the rest of his team. Before any of them could question it, Yang sighed loudly.
"Damn, Weiss, you are one lucky girl. What I wouldn't give to have a boyfriend who could multiply like that."
Naruto frowned at her lecherous grin. What the hell?
...
Hey! Was she drooling? Before he could comment, three pillows struck the blonde brawler, nearly launching her off her bed.
"Eww! Yang, stop being gross," Ruby admonished her sister.
"You're a pervert, Xiao Long," Weiss scowled.
All five occupants of the room work awkward blushes.
Blake hadn't said anything... curious.
"First of all, fuck off Yang. Second, we're closing the book on my Kage Bunshin. We've spent way too much time talking about them, and I want to move on."
...
Naruto's face scrunched in amusement as he spied Weiss, raising her hand. He gestured to her with a lopsided smile.
"I have a request. Can you tell us more about the demon sealed inside you?"
Naruo's mouth formed a small 'o' as the realization hit him. Kurama. She wanted to know about Kurama. Arguably, he was one of the most influential forces in his life.
"Shit, that's right!" Yang added. "You said you literally have a demon sealed inside you! What the hell's that about?"
"Right," Naruto responded. "That's a lot to go into. The demon inside me, the bijū, has played a massively influential role in my life since the day I was born."
"How much do you wanna bet that's an understatement?" Yang whispered to her younger sister. Her comment earned her a grouchy 'shush' from the woman.
"The Kyūbi attacked my home village on the day I was born." His statement was blunt. Then again, there wasn't much to do to dress it up.
"The leader of the village, the Hokage, sacrificed his life to seal the beast inside me to end its rampage. It's the reason the people of my village despised me growing up. Most of the shinobi understood what had happened and even accepted the necessity. They were indifferent for the most part. But the civilians couldn't understand it. They associated me with the beast itself, which caused me a lot of grief."
"That's... that's terrible," Weiss replied.
"It wasn't great," The blond affirmed. "Every time they looked at me, all they saw was the monster that destroyed their homes and killed their family and friends. The previous Hokage stepped back up after his successor's death. He tried to look out for me, but there was a lot to do in the years following the disaster. Rebuilding, reorganizing, and staving off our neighbouring nations. In an effort to protect me, he enacted a law forbidding people from speaking of the incident. All it did was turn me into a social pariah without me ever understanding why."
"You were ostracized for something you had no control over," Blake said with wide eyes.
The blond nodded in return. Their signature abilities weren't the only thing they had in common.
The group was silent for a moment. Huh. There were a lot of momentary silences tonight. It made sense. He wasn't just dropping a bomb on them. He was carpet-bombing them.
"Why did the Hokage choose to seal the demon into you specifically? Wasn't there a better way?" Yang asked sadly.
Before he could answer, Ruby chimed in. "He was your dad, wasn't he?"
Naruto's eyes widened significantly at her words. How the hell did she figure that out?
At his wide-eyed look, Ruby quickly explained. "Back when you stood up against Cardin, you mentioned that you weren't liked in your village. You said it was because of something your dad did."
This girl was unbelievable.
Naruto nodded slowly. After a moment, he found his voice through the sands of his dry throat. "You're right. My father sacrificed his life to seal the Kyūbi inside me before leaving me orphaned."
Damn, that sounded depressing. Even after all this time, he could hear the bitterness in his own voice.
"How could he do that?" Yang practically shouted. "To his own child!"
"Whose child should he have done it to?" Naruto rebuked. Yang looked like she had tasted something unpleasant. "As a leader, how could he have asked someone to do something he wasn't willing to do himself? It was the only way to save the village. And he paid for it with his life."
"That's..." The brawler mumbled.
"Yeah, it made my life hard. It left me wondering why he did what he did. At times, I hated him. Other times, I missed him. Now, though? I understand the terrible burden placed on me. Because he trusted me. Believed in me. Loved me."
Naruto smiled sadly. "It doesn't make it okay. But I came to terms with it. I know if my old man was still around, he'd be proud of me. And I forgive him."
He knew this because he'd had this exact conversation with the man. It was best to leave that part out for now. It'd probably be too much.
"Brothers..." Weiss muttered. "I don't know what to say."
Naruto could see it. She was itching to jump out of her seat. She may not have known what to say, but she seemed to know what she wanted to do. Regardless, the shinobi was thankful for her restraint. They could... sort that out later. Neither wanted to make a scene in front of the rest of the team.
"It wasn't all bad," the teen added, an intentional upbeat infliction added to his tone. "There were benefits to being a jinchūriki."
"Such as?" Blake asked doubtfully.
"At 12, I had as much chakra as a Kage," he boasted. "A village leader," he clarified at their raised brows. "At 16, I had more than all of them combined. Being a jinchūriki is to have near-unlimited power sealed inside you. And I had the strongest bijū in existence."
Even split in half, Kurama dwarfed Gyūki's power, no matter how much Killer Bee protested.
"Harnessing the Kyūbi's power was difficult. And it took me a long time. But once I started tapping into it... and hell, once the Kyūbi and I bonded and he willingly lent me his power? I was fighting gods."
He sounded arrogant. Kami, he sounded arrogant. But it was true, wasn't it? Regardless, it was a power he'd used to protect people. So no, it wasn't all bad. He hadn't even mentioned the bond between him and Kurama.
"Wait," Ruby interrupted. "The demon inside you willingly gives you power? And you bonded with it? Isn't that, like, super dangerous? What if it takes over your mind and goes on a rampage?" The red-themed girl cried.
By the looks worn by the rest of his team, Ruby wasn't the only one concerned at the perceived possibility.
Naruto could feel a distant scoff from the back of his mind. He laughed disarmingly. "First of all, 'demon' isn't an accurate term. It's a title bestowed by folklore and misunderstanding. The tailed beasts weren't inherently violent."
"Didn't you say your village was attacked?" Yang asked skeptically.
There was nuance there that didn't need to be explored. He didn't really want to go into Madara controlling Kurama. Too much. Too unnecessary.
"After centuries of humans hunting down the bijū, trying to enslave them... it jaded them. Imagine you're minding your business, and some random guy jumps in and tries to enslave you and your siblings simply because you're stronger than them. It'd make anyone hateful, wouldn't it?"
The two sisters released soft noises of understanding.
"It took a while," Naruto continued. "Our relationship was pretty hostile until recently. But I was able to break through the Kyūbi's rough exterior and earn his respect. He even entrusted me with his true name, an extremely rare privilege. We still bicker from time to time, but sometimes, I think I know what it feels like to have an older brother. He's been with me from the very beginning. He's seen every hardship. Felt what I felt. He's saved my life countless times. And while it may have been by necessity in the beginning, he's gone above and beyond for me several times."
"O-Okay, okay," Yang responded while raising her hands. "Sheesh, I don't think I've ever seen you speak so passionately."
Laughing awkwardly, Naruto gripped his stomach. "Sorry. I just really want to make it clear that the fox isn't evil. I trust him with my life. You guys have been partners with each other for a few months. He's been my partner my entire life."
Weiss 'hmph'ed' cutely. "Well then, with such a positive review, I hope we can meet him someday." It was a request fused with a demand. Classic Weiss.
"I-I'll have to get back to you about that," the blond answered awkwardly.
He'd have to find a better way of explaining that Kurama had no interest in personally meeting them. Maybe he'd make an exception for Weiss?
Naruto fought back a vicious yawn as he glanced at the clock. Good lord, it was getting late. His yawn created a chain reaction amongst his team. "It's getting late," he informed them. "We should probably head to bed."
"One more question?" Blake asked with a serious expression on her face.
The blond nodded reluctantly. "Keep it short, please." Came his conditional agreement.
"How do you plan to fight Kaguya if you ever make it home? You mentioned your strength is greatly diminished. Also, will you ever come back?"
Oh boy. If that wasn't the question of the century. Also —
"— that's two questions," Naruto replied bleakly.
The look on Blake's face screamed, 'Yes. Now, your answers, please.' For someone like Blake, she could be surprisingly expressive.
"I have no way of knowing what waits for me when I make it home," the shinobi answered honestly. "Kaguya could be ruling over my world with an iron fist. She could be dead. Hell, she could even be in Remnant in the same situation as me."
His answer didn't seem to inspire confidence amongst his team.
"I've... tortured myself over that question since coming here. Ultimately, it's a question that can't be answered. I refuse to stay here and hide. I have friends and loved ones back home. I can't abandon them. For the time being, until I make it home, I can only train and become stronger."
He conveniently failed to mention that he fully expected to die upon facing Kaguya again. Saying such a thing did no one any favours. Besides, there were no guarantees. He still had Sasuke. Maybe.
"As for if I'd ever come back? If there's a way to get to Remnant, there's a way back home. If there's a way back home, there's a way to get back to Remnant. I have no reason to not come back and see you guys."
It was true. And ultimately, thinking about the 'what ifs' had caused him a hell of a lot of grief. What was the point of planning everything out in meticulous detail when things could change so suddenly? New possibilities were always around the corner. He'd stick with this answer not only to appease his team but to calm the uncomfortable thrum of his heart whenever he asked himself those same questions.
Relief painted the faces of his teammates. It seemed he'd answered correctly.
...
"Okay," the blond spoke. "I'm tired and dumped a lot on you guys. We should turn in for the night."
Beating back the telltale signs of a yawn, Ruby nodded. "Right. We've still got to debrief with Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch tomorrow, so we should get some rest."
At the mention of the two professors, the team collectively groaned.
Naruto slowly approached the door, then turned to face his team. They all seemed to be in various stages of exhaustion. Some wore looks of concern, some of minor distress. Weiss was looking down in deep thought. It bothered the blond that he couldn't read her. She'd been silent near the end of the conversation, particularly at the mention of returning home. It was understandable. It was why he'd been hesitant to start a relationship with the girl. Kami, he hoped he hadn't made a mistake.
...
It still didn't feel like a mistake.
"Thank you, guys, for listening. I know how... unbelievable this all is. I don't know if I'd believe it all if I was in your shoes."
Ruby smiled at him. "If our roles were reversed, I know you'd believe us."
Naruto grinned. Such confidence. He really was tempted to believe it.
With a few more soft goodbyes, he was out the door.
xXx
Naruto lay in bed, eyes burning a hole in the ceiling. While he would have loved nothing more than to go to sleep, it was time for a debrief with his partner.
"Thank you for not giving out my name."
'It's only natural, isn't it? You gave it to me in confidence. It was something I had to earn. As much as I love them, they haven't earned that right.'
'You're exactly right. I just didn't expect you to have the foresight.'
'Just what do you take me for, you damn fox?'
A huff of amusement sounded throughout his mind. 'Don't ask a question if you're not prepared for the answer. As an act of goodwill, I'll end this line of conversation.'
Naruto grumbled in his mind. Good naturedly, of course.
'Anyway,' the fox continued, 'good job tonight. I know it wasn't easy to go over everything.'
'There's still a hell of a lot I didn't cover.'
'Of course. What, were you expecting to go over 17 years of material in a couple of hours? You covered the important stuff. Anything else can come about later.'
Right. His friend was right.
'So why was this such a big deal for you? Me telling everyone. I'm not blind, you know. You've been pushing for this for a while now.'
'Like I said before, I think it's an important hurdle for you to overcome for your mental health. You need to adjust to this world. You can't keep hiding who you are. Even if it's not everyone around you, having a few people to confide in – other than me – can only be a good thing.'
Naruto sighed. The fox had slipped in his words. 'Adjust to this world.' The bijū wasn't exactly subtle in his desire to stay here. But the blond was too tired to argue about it. Besides, they'd met their weekly quota for arguments this week. Maybe later.
Sighing once again, the blond brought up another matter instead. 'Did Weiss seem off to you?'
'Oh? So you noticed? Impressive.'
Ignoring the jab, the shinobi nodded to himself. 'So I'm not crazy, right? She wasn't meeting my gaze at the end. It was the talk about returning home, wasn't it?'
'I don't know why you're asking me. I'm a millennia-old fox who doesn't understand a thing about human relationships. But yes, it was the talk about returning home.'
'Do you think she's pissed? Or sad? Maybe she doesn't want to acknowledge it? Do you think this is the start of the silent treatment?'
The fox remained silent.
'Kami, this sucks. This is one of the reasons why I was hesitant to start dating. Now it's too late to undo it.'
'As if you'd want to undo it.'
'Of course I don't want to undo it. I was speaking hypothetically.'
'Whatever. I don't think you have anything to worry about.'
Before the blond could ask what his partner meant, a soft knock came from the door. Naruto hummed to himself as he climbed out of his bed. Padding his way to the room's entrance, he couldn't help but wonder if it was...
He cracked open the door and was met with crystalline-blue eyes peering up at him through a fringe of snow-white hair. Yup. Weiss. She offered him a small, sad smile. Traces of relief graced her soft features even as her small hands wrung the sides of her nightgown.
"I wasn't sure if you'd still be awake. I'm glad you are," she said softly. Affectionately.
Naruto blinked in response. After a moment, he snapped out of his stupor. "I could say the same to you." He couldn't prevent the warm smile that spread across his lips. "Would you like to come in?"
The blond prayed to Kami he wasn't being presumptuous. She wanted to talk, right? That's why she was here, wasn't it? And the hallway was no place for a conversation. Plus, it'd be rude not to invite her in. If he was misreading the situation, she could always decline.
The girl before him smiled beautifully, then gracefully stepped past him. As she brushed by, the shinobi couldn't help but shiver as her hand traced his chest. It was comforting. Yet it made him just as nervous.
He stood in the doorway a moment longer to compose himself. Kami give him strength. Minutes ago, it had felt like something was wrong, yet all those worries had evaporated with a simple touch.
He closed the door softly, took a breath, and turned around to address his guest.
Instead of the pre-planned pleasantries, the blond nearly choked on his spit, and his eyes widened. Why the hell was Weiss climbing into his bed?
He watched her with a critical eye and had to actively suppress the slight tremble in his legs. Is this what Jiraiya had prepared him for? But they were only 17... were they ready for this? They hadn't been together all that long? And wasn't she still upset?
"Whatever you're thinking, get it out of your head, pervert. This is strictly platonic." Despite her words, she was blushing something fierce.
"Platonic, eh?" Naruto echoed. "Are we back to just friends?"
Weiss raised a delicate eyebrow even as she finished making herself comfortable in his bed. "That's not what platonic means, you know?" She rolled her eyes at his confused expression. "It means intimate and affectionate but not sexual. It's not a matter of friendship."
"Huh," the blond answered intelligently.
If possible, Weiss' blush darkened. Any more, and she'd likely need medical attention. She tossed back the sheets and beckoned him over. "So come over here. Now. I want to be intimate and affectionate but not sexual with you."
He could feel the intensity of his own blush but nodded in acquiescence. Still, the mischief-maker in him couldn't refuse... "I do love it when you talk dirty."
Weiss' expression deadpanned. "I can leave, you know?"
Approaching the bed, the blond smiled. "I'd rather you stay."
"Then shut your mouth and get into bed. And don't say anything stupid for at least five minutes."
There really was only one response to such a demand. Naruto got into bed. He was slow, awkward, but he obeyed nonetheless. He carefully climbed under the covers, almost terrified she'd break if he made any undue movements. Once in bed, he gradually shifted until he was comfortable. Did he mention how awkward his movements were? How stiff?
"Are you quite finished?" Weiss asked, her tone borderline displeased. He could no longer see her face but could feel the heat radiating off her.
"Yeah," he nearly choked out.
Yeah, he could practically feel her eyes roll.
With a shocking amount of confidence, the ashen-haired beauty folded into him, entwining their legs together and resting her head on his chest comfortably. She released a deep breath onto his chest. The heat was as intoxicating as it was unbearable. At that moment, he wouldn't have traded it for anything.
Perhaps more surprising than anything, he felt the tension in his body melt away. This felt... good. Comfortable. Right. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe. Confident.
...
"Has it been five minutes yet?" He asked languidly.
The girl in his arms released a poorly disguised laugh, then made a token effort to struggle out of his grip. Naruto chuckled lightly, then squeezed down on her, preventing her escape. All things considered, she gave up rather easily after that.
He lost track of how long they laid in bed. It couldn't have been too long, considering neither of them fell asleep. Eventually, his curiosity forced him to break the silence.
"I figured you were upset. I'm surprised you stopped by."
Weiss hummed contently. "I was upset. I'm surprised – glad – you noticed. But I wasn't upset at you."
The blond grunted in reply. That was good. Also, what was with people being surprised at his observational skills today?
"Did you want to talk about it?" He offered.
"No, not really. I'm feeling better now," she said with a light squeeze to his torso. "Besides, I'm sure you can guess what was bothering me."
Naruto nodded lightly. "I think I know. I wish I had a better answer."
"This is enough," the heiress sighed.
And it was.
xXx
A/N: There it is, Chapter 15. This was supposed to be a short chapter. Something like 3,000 to 4,000 words. I accidentally doubled that. Huh. This chapter is almost as long as the last one. Oops. But it was worth it, I think. I had fun writing this one and basically typed it up within a couple of days. Let me know what you guys think of it.
So yeah, no 18+ plus content here. Every couple moves at different paces in their relationship. Plus, they're 17. It feels weird to write anything more than this.
As for the long conversation with his team, yes, Naruto left out a lot of details, and there may be instances where you're thinking: "Hey, thats not totally accurate!" Do keep in mind that, as the audience, we're privy to information not even Naruto has. For the most part, he's just explaining things with the knowledge he has in-character. And he's also trying to keep things simple. No sense in adding every detail imaginable with every back story possible with all nuances relevant. That's just too much information. Imagine someone's trying to summarize WWII to you and they start talking about every nation's geopolitical standing and their economic standing and all the up and downs they... Yeah. Too much clutter.
Also, I went my whole life thinking platonic basically meant friendship. Imagine my surprise when I actually looked it up...
I hope you guys enjoyed this one. See you all next chapter.
Cheers!