A/N: This is definitely one of the funnier, off the wall stories I've written; hope it amuses you while I'm away.
If it somehow, by some miracle, makes it to a hundred I'll update it early with the other early stories.
Suppose that depends on you, the reader.
By the time you read this, depending on the date, I'll be taking a proper vacation -had to take a few days for my health- while this story request was one of the few that was slated alongside "Untraveled Road" and "Misadventures in Mordor" before I left. That said, I'm trying to still update as well...
Internet isn't the best out here, but I'll try to supply the occasional update until I return.
In truth, I'm surprised it took this long for a request to come by. Some requested this story for their birthday. Since I'm a sucker fort birthday requests -provided I know the genre of said request!- I tend to take them. So here we are. This is me testing the waters a bit, as it were before this become a full fledged story.
My health is driving me crazy, recently went to the doctors after this for some bloodwork and other tests; hopefully they can figure out why I'm so exhausted all the time. I'll probably know the results by the time I get home.
Hopefully I'll come back with good news.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
"Funny thing about curses. Some see them as a blessing.
In other words, my good fellow...
Hello there~!"
~?
Embrace My Curse
His head hurt.
Actually, scratch that! The damn thing didn't just hurt; it felt like someone had cracked open his skull, yanked out his brain, flailed it around like some mad musical instrument, then shoved the swollen mass back into skull and sealed the whole thing shut! In short, ouch! Much ouch! Lots of ouch indeed!
A familiar sigh echoed through his mind. "Feeling better now?
...yeah, I'm good." Naruto laid his head back against the burnt grass, glowering bloody red daggers at the sky above. "Got it out of my system...mostly."
Kurama raised the mental equivalent of an eyebrow. "You sure?"
...nope. He was still proper pissed off.
The blond took a deep breath.
"...!"
A slew of invective burst from his tongue, curses so imaginative as to send birds wheeling from the trees above. If words could kill everything would be on fire. Sadly they couldn't. Thus, he was left sprawled on his back, lying in the middle of nowhere, clad in little more than burnt and battered rags.
Hardly the best way to start one's day, really.
Kurama chuckled, which only made his head hurt all the more. "And they say I'm the angry one."
"Bite me."
On pins and needles he forced himself upright; propping himself up on his elbows. Mistakes were made. His entire body had quite literally fallen asleep, and moving proved an effort. He didn't feel quite right, but at least everything seemed to be intact. Good. At least he had all his important bits. He shot a baleful look at his marked hand, wondering if it was to blame with this. Probably. Sage chakra didn't interact nicely with...with...what had be doing, again?
Then came the questions.
Where was he? How had he gotten here?
He remembered...an explosion? Then light? A scream?
Memories were slow to return; thinking proved a painful process in and of itself, one that hurt like hell. The past returned in fits and spurts, gradual recollections that left his head aching all the more. He grit his teeth against it, shook his head, and massaged his temples with one hand. There, it was all coming back to him now...!
He'd been practicing with some seals, trying to expand his repertoire -among other thing- now that the war was over. Didn't like the idea of being a one-trick pony, ya know? Maybe it was petty of him; deciding to branch out now of all times; but why not now? Almost every jutsu he knew stemmed from either shadow clones or the rasengan. Kakashi and Sasuke had all manner of tried-and-true tricks to fall back on. Sure, he had Kurama, but the nuclear option wasn't always the best option, ya know...?
In any case, something must've gone wrong. This wasn't his workshop. Which meant...
...he wasn't sure what it meant.
He stood with a grimace and noticed something else. Barefoot. The grass tickled his singed feet. "The hell...? Did someone steel my shoes?"
"Pretty sure you blasted those clean off. You're lucky you still have legs. And there's something else...
Naruto missed the rest, lost in thought as he was. Luck, Kurama had said. He wasn't feeling very lucky right now.
Surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see, with not a soul to be seen-really it made him feel pretty damn unlucky. The trees weren't right either, their trunks were black, but their leaves were...red? So was the grass for that matter. Stranger still. He could sense...something looming in the distance, but it felt old and cold and so very angry. No, several somethings. They were cold. Why so cold? Like running his hand over dry ice; it made him recoil without thinking.
"Where the hell am I...?"
"Perhaps I could be of some assistance? I believe we're somewhere in Forever Fall."
Naruto pivoted, glancing behind him. No one to be found. "Who said that?"
"I did."
"You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" Kurama's voice all but dripped caustic vitriol. "I was building up to it. Going to be nice and gentle about all this. But nooo you just had to jump right in! Stupid knight!"
Naruto turned the other way round. Not a soul to be found. "Hey, not funny! Stop hiding!"
"I am not hiding," came the insufferable response. "I'm right here."
A tan fist swiped out, obliterating a tree. "You are not!"
"I suppose I should be blunt, then." That most unfamiliar voice hummed once more and belatedly, he realized where it was coming from. "Hello there! Nice to meet you! My name is-
The words fizzled to so much static inside Naruto's head. Because that was where the voice was. Inside his head. It was in his head. In. His. Head. Panic reared its ugly head in his heart. Nope! He had enough experience to know where this was going!
"Outofmyheadoutofmyheadoutofmyhead!"
"Please, do not be alarmed! I mean you no harm!"
Naruto grabbed the first tree he could find, reared back, and slammed his skull against the bark. The tree toppled with an almighty crack. He was left unharmed; it only made his headache worse. He grabbed another tree, tore it up by the roots, then squeezed it for good measure. It shattered in his grasp, spraying him with splinters and...sap? Whatever it was, it clung to his ragged clothes and only aggravated him all the more.
"Get out! Of my! Head!"
The voice sounded contrite. "Would that I could...
"I tried to tell you." Kurama drawled wearily over his own panicked breathing. "This idiot's been banging about in your head for the last hour asking all sorts of questions while you were asleep. And before you ask, no; he wasn't there one moment, and the next, he was. I'd say its a jutsu of some sort, but this doesn't feel like it...
Incredulity burst out of him in a frazzled shout. "HA?! Why is there an old man in my head?!"
"No need to be rude. I'm only a few centuries old...
"..."
"..."
...too much?"
Naruto bit his lip and choked down the reflexive urge to scream again. Calm. Caaalm. Deep breaths. He wiped the sap off his chest, scowled when it stuck to his hands, and gave up entirely. He'd find a river or something to wash it off later. In the meantime...time to address the elephant in the room. Or forest, as it were.
"Alright, what the hell." he growled. "Who the hell are you, and why are you in my head? If this is some kinda trick by Orochimaru...
"Orochimaru?" he felt a quiet curiosity that wasn't his own. The duality confused him further still. "I don't know that name."
...he's telling the truth. Fool damn near wet himself when he saw me. You can't fake that kind of terror."
"Quite." A sheepish laugh greeted him. "As to how I got here...I'm afraid that's a bit of a long story, and an embarrassment on my part. Suffice to say my enemies must've finally managed it."
"Managed what?"
"To kill me, of course."
"But you're talking to me."
The voice coughed. "And your point?"
"You wouldn't be talking to me if you were dead."
"Which I am."
"You're clearly not, or we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Kurama howled with laughter, dark and exultant. "He has you there~!"
"Yes, quite." He heard the Voice muster itself to retort, ready to rally, only to pause. "Fair enough. Dying isn't the problem for me. Its staying dead. I'm afraid I suffer from something of a curse. When I "die" as it were, my soul leaves my body and enters that of a like-minded individual. A sort of forced-reincarnation as it were. Its not something I can control, much less predict." an actual note of annoyance crept into the man's voice. "There's more to be say on that matter, but I mean really, poisoning my coffee? Does her depravity know no bounds?"
Ouch. Naruto found himself wincing despite his earlier objections. "I mean yeah, I'd feel the same if someone spiked my ramen. Food is sacred, ya know!"
"Well, well!" there was an actual pause between words. "Is this what pride in someone else feels like? Unfortunately its overshadowed by all this unyielding disappointment.
"Hey!"
"Not towards you, my boy." came the immediate response. "I was referring to the matter of my death; which is really the least of our concerns. Still, you're being remarkably calm about this now."
"Am I?" he fought down a nervous laugh, all his terror and dread threatening to bubble back up again. "That's probably the shock talking. I'll probably freak out again any second now."
For lack of anything else to distract him, he picked a direction and started walking. The voice in his head didn't protest, so he took that as a good sign. He could feel those presences creeping closer. Best to walk in another direction until he sorted things out in his head.
.
..
...still, he could only endure the silence for so long.
Weary of walking without aim, he walked up a tree -and ignored the curious noise the parasite in his head made- climbed as high as he could, then kicked off a dark bough, launching himself forward.
"How long can you do that?"
"Long as I like." he rose to the bait without thinking. "What's your name?"
"My name?"
"I can't keep referring to you as a Voice." He caught a branch swung over it, and kicked towards another tree. "You must have a name."
"Hmm." That actually drew a smile from the wayward whisper in his head, he could hear it in his voice even if he couldn't see it. "I've gone by many titles in my time. More than I can possibly remember. These days I can only recall the more infamous ones. Ozma, Ozymandias, Odin, Orion, Oswald, Oliver...oh! And of course there was Olaf, Octavius, and Otto...
"Starting to sense a pattern here...
Agreed. "Why do all your names start with the letter "O" for crying out loud?!"
...you know, I never did figure that out. I believe it was some sort of cruel cosmic joke. As for this one?" the pride in his voice was nigh on unmistakable now; not arrogance, but the simple satisfaction of one who did his job and did it well. "You may know me as Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy."
Which made his silence all the more stifling. "...?"
Grimm? Huntsmen? Aura?" the boddiless voice pocked him. "Does none of this ring a bell for you?
Naruto tilted his head. "No?"
"Told you it wouldn't.
"Oh, dear. It seems you friend was right after all. You're really not from this world at all, are you?"
"Buddy, you're the third wheel here, not us."
Naruto ducked under a low hanging tree branch and flung up an arm. "Now who's being calm about things?!
"When one excludes the possible, all that remains is the impossible.
"You're the impossible one here." he grumbled under his breath. "Kurama and I didn't ask for a passenger."
Ozpin sighed the sigh of one who'd heard those words a great many times. "As you seem so keen on reminding me. However did the two of you befriend one another?"
"Well, that's a long story too-hey!" Naruto growled as he experienced a faint itch in the back of his head-a familiar one. He had let Ino root through his mind shortly after the end of the war to make sure he didn't have any lasting injuries. This felt much the same. Albeit he missed her smile and NOT the old currently playing hop-skotch in his head! "Oi! Don't go looking through my memories without permission."
"My apologies, force of habit I suppose...still, this is fascinating!" his chagrined voice piqued with an almost childlike glee as he kicked off another tree and launched himself forward. "Wonderful, even! You're the strongest being I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I hardly need to train you at all. Although you don't have aura. May I?"
Naruto grabbed a tree in midleap and wrested himself to a halt. "May you what-now?"
"Why, unlock it, of course." Ozpin continued with all the patience only a teacher could possess. "The two of you have souls, even if you are from another world, thus it stands to reason that you have the potential. Its the least I can do after all the trouble I've caused you."
Some might have been tempted by the prospect. He wasn't. "We don't need more power-
"It is not power, but protection." Ozpin countered. "Aura is of the soul. A gift freely given...and but a small step on the path to making amends between us."
Yikes. And they called him the persuasive one.
"Might I take your silence for acceptance?"
...fine. I better not regret this."
"Then allow me."
"Allow what-
"For it is in duty that we achieve immortality." he felt a spectral hand settle on his shoulder; in that instant the old man's voice took on a low cadence, shocking him into silence. "Through this, we both remain and become a knight, an eternal sentinel of justice and hope, protecting all. Through my mind unbound by death, I release your souls, and with my wisdom, render my aid unto thee."
Something sparked in Naruto's chest.
It felt like laying on a warm grassy field on a bright sunny day, wrapping himself in a wool blanket, and drifting off to sleep. He steadied himself atop the tree, gripping the black bark for balance. The wind rose around him, rustling the red leaves of Forever Fall overhead. There wasn't any pain. He wasn't sure why he'd expected it.
Kurama made a startled noise of is own. "So that's what it feels like. Impressive. Most impressive...
His aura was a strange blend of red-and-gold. He could see it crackling over his hands, rising up his arms.
"This feels pretty nice...
"I imagine it does." There was a bone-crushing weariness in the old man's voice now, a fatigue pressing down around his temples. "You have two souls in you in addition to myself-it stands to reason you'd have double the aura. You may even develop dual semblance in time; though I dare say with your skills you won't need them.
A jaw-popping yawn rattled in his head.
"You alright?"
"My, that was tiring. Unlocking your aura was easy, but as to your friend...I overestimated myself. I need to rest...
"And you're not going to try and take control of my body when I do?"
Ozpin yawned again. How could a soul yawn? "I think that would be rather poor start to our partnership, don't you agree?"
"So to be clear, you're not forcing me to do anything?"
A poignant pause followed. "I don't think I can."
Kurama huffed. "Damn straight you can't."
"No, that's not it," the old knight replied after a drawn out pause. "Your body is...unlike any I have ever inhabited. I could not assume direct control of you even should I wish it; if anything, it feels as though there is a wall between us, even now. You'd have to lower it for me to affect you.
Someone besides Kurama using body? Nope. Not having it. "Don't count on me doing that anytime soon. I don't trust you enough for that."
"Understandable. I've given you a great deal to think about. There will be more in the future. Rest assured, I did not ask for this, nor was it my wish to place this burden upon you."
The words humbled him. "...look, I'll try to find a way to get you out of my head. I was learning a bit of seal -work before I landed...wherever here is.
"Remnant. I have a great deal to tell you of -and to warn you of- when I awake."
"Fine." he shrugged a shoulder and dropped out of the treeline. "Maybe then I can find a way extract you and place you in a proper body."
"Nothing would please me more." he could feel Ozpin's presence dimming in him, preparing to rest. "Its quite cramped in here."
"Well excuuuuuuse me!"
"You're excused."
Something lunged out of the brush at them.
Naruto had time enough to see black fur and a white mask, then it was upon them. Or rather, him.
"A Grimm! Quickly now!" Ozpin's voice prodded him. "Push your aura to the forefront!"
He did as best he could. Claws skirted harmlessly off his chest. Huh. Neat. So that was what Aura did. It took no small amount of concentration on his part, but he was certain he'd get the hang of it in due time. Couldn't be any more difficult than chakra.
Practice makes perfect after all.
In the nanosecond it took the creature to balk at him, Naruto caught it by the throat with one hand, lifted it up -had he always been this strong?- and slammed it down on its back, stunning it. A furious growl greeted him as it swiped blindly at his face, trying to tear him to shreds. Again, golden-red sparks sprayed as its paws failed to find purchase. From there he stomped down on its chest cavity, conjured a rasengan to his right palm an' raised it high, then brought it crashing down...
.
..
...Naruto smash.
That about summed it up. The poor Grimm dissolved on the spot.
Kurama offered a low whistle in the back of his head. "Well, would you look at that..
"Marvelous!" Ozpin agreed wholeheartedly. "I knew you had it in you, but seeing is believing, as they say. Would you mind climbing a that tree over there for me, Naruto? There's something I'd like to," another yawn now, "See before I nod off. I expect it will be some time before I awaken again. Best do this now before my resolve falters."
On a whim, Naruto complied.
It was easy enough to break the treeline. Effortless, even. A few quick leaps carried him upwards and then he was through to daylight. From there he caught the highest point of the tree he could and held on for dear life, using it as leverage to see what lay beyond.
And what a sight it was.
A sea of red trees stretched out on either side of him, glistening in the mid-morning sun. The leaves caught the light just so and almost seemed to glow under his watch as though they were aflame. It took his breath away and for a moment, it seemed nothing could possibly return it.
Ozpin nudged him gently. "To the North, if you would."
Naruto looked that way, still perched on the tree. "I don't see any...oh!"
There in the distance, so faint as to barely be a memory, he spied the distant spires of several grand towers. It almost looked like a castle from here.
He squinted toward it, to no avail. "What is that...?
"Beacon Academy." Ozpin offered a wistful, if sleepy sigh. "For countless lifetimes I have run it in one form or another, watching over future generations of Huntsmen. Yet it has left me stagnant. Predictable. Enough for someone to poison me under my very nose. I have grown lax. Complacent. No more. A change of pace is in order. Your arrival here presents a unique opportunity. We mustn't waste it."
He didn't like where this was going. "What about your school? Don't they need you?"
"I believe Glynda can handle it for the time being." he heard a wry smile in Ozpin's voice. "I must apologize once again. You did not ask for this burden."
No, but it could've been worse. Much worse. Thoughts of Orochimaru came to mind once more. At least Oz couldn't wrest control away from without his say so...if he was telling the truth. Time would tell if he could trust him. And if not...well. Kurama had burned souls out of him before. He didn't relish idea of doing that again, even said as much.
"Thank you for that. Which is why it pains me to ask this of you...
"Ask what?" Naruto sputtered, not quite comprehending. "No, no, and no." he shook his head and turned away from Beacon. "I ain't attending a school. I did enough of that in my first life. There's nothing they can teach me there."
"I quite agree, but entering Beacon may become necessary in the future, if only to catch the culprit behind this." He set his face in a mulish pout, drawing a sigh from the old soldier. "I'd happily make you headmaster if I could, but you're much too young and unknown to many. There would be questions."
"Yeah, no. I'm not qualified to take that position. Probably wouldn't even if it was open."
"I am well aware." Ozpin sighed. "Which is why I'm offering you a compromise."
A blond brow quirked upward. "I'm listening...
"There is a great darkness coming. Its name is Salem. The Grimm you fought? She commands legions of those blighted creature. Imagine hordes of them, monsters that defy all creation. Worse, she has those who serve her willingly, human pawns that want nothing more than to tear this world down for their own base desires...
Well, didn't that just sound peachy?
"I shall tell you more of her once I have rested, but suffice it to say she has grown bold, bold enough to strike at me in the heart of my power. Soon she will grow bolder still. The current generation is all but a loss. We must prepare the next for her. On that note, how do you feel about recruiting?"
Kurama groaned. "I've got a bad feeling about this...
"Recruiting?" Naruto's brow shot into his hair. "Recruit whom?"
"Whomever you like, wherever you like. Remnant is brimming with potential. Find those with it and train them. Prepare them for the storm to come."
Naruto considered it. "That, I could do. I've saved one world already. Can't be that hard."
The pause that followed prove a lengthy one. "...this may be a tad...more difficult than you think. There are things I've not yet told you."
He scowled. "You holdin' out on me, old man?"
"I am not." the old headmaster sounded almost ashamed by his suspicion. "Rather, that is not my intent. There's no point in keeping secrets between us. You're the strongest ally I've ever had, bar none. Secrets serve no purpose here. I'll gladly tell you all once I've rested. The Maidens, Salem, all of it.
...fine."
Ozpin perked up. "You'll help me, then? Just like that?"
Of course he was going to help! Just who the hell did he think he was? He'd never been the sort to turn his back on those in need. Not before, and not now. So yes, he would help. But on his terms. There was a difference. He could sense Kurama's muted approval. A true hero never turned his back on those in peril, and while he didn't exactly like the idea of having someone else in his head, he couldn't deny that this world was in dire need of a champion.
So why not? What did he have to lose?
Ino would've laughed at him if she were here. "That's just like you, isn't? Always headlong into danger...
...he missed her.
"I'm no one's lackey." he turned back to Beacon at last, choosing his words with infinite care. "If we're going to do this, we'll be partners, or nothing at all. Deal?
"I would accept nothing less." Ozpin hummed in his head, visibly relieved by his agreement. "Then we are agreed. What say you?"
The ghost of a smile touched whiskered cheeks. "...Oz, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Said friendship would herald the dawn of a new age. But that is a story for another time.
This was his Curse it seemed, to have this Headmaster in his head.
Some said Curses were terrible things.
If this was going to be his Curse...
...might as well Embrace it.
A/N: And we'll cut it there for now.
Naruto wandering Remnant with 'ol Ozpin in his head.
I'll let you guess where we are in the timeline. It ought to surprise you. As to the pairing...going with a few unconventional girls this time around.
Once more, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story? Well...I'll not continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Right then, as ever, Reviews are love, Reviews are Life.
Reviews keep me safe from any and all strife.
So in the immortal words of Atlas...
...review, Would You Kindly?
Every bit helps out!
(FUTURE! Previews?)
Some are very far out indeed...
Hope you enjoy the taste of what's to come. HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS!
(Previews!)
...why are we wading through the wilds in Mistral.
"There's something I wish to collect from an old associate of mine, Raven Branwen. Or rather, someone. I suspect she won't give it up easily...
"May I?"
"Fine, but don't kill them."
"Worry not. Death is a mercy. I'm not feeling merciful."
Blue eyes flashed gold. Ozpin kicked up their makeshift cane, a gnarled piece of wood they'd fashioned into a makeshift staff. It just wasn't the same -he really would have to reclaim his old one soon- but it would do in a pinch. He sauntered forward with a spring in his step. It felt so nice to have a body again, brief though it might be. He would make the most of this opportunity.
"Now, then! I believe the phrase is talk shit, get hit? Is that the slang you youngsters use these days...?
One of his would-be-attackers, a ragged fellow with orange hair, scoffed. "Oh, fancy! Listen you, just cooperate and nobody gets hurt-
CRACK.
"I'm afraid it is far, FAR too late for that young man...
"Now, then. Are any of you having trouble with what I've just taught you?"
A young faunus lass with rabbit ears raised a timid hand.
Derisive laughter greeted her. Naruto saw red. Protect the bunny.
A small girl with sunglasses beat him to it. Poor boys. They never stood a chance.
"Is this what hero worship feels like?
"Miss Rose is playing with her scythe again."
"What do you mean-RUBY, NO! PUT THAT DOWN YOUNG LADY! Don't make me tell your mother!"
A blond hero, wading into battle with eyes of fire with weapon in hand, swatting aside Grimm like straw dolls.
Just like the storybooks. That settled it. The young boy's mind was made up.
Jaune wanted to be just like him.
Amber tilted her head. Tilted it some more, now. "Did you just block that?"
"If I say yes, are you going to attack me again?"
There was a silence. And then. Theeen:
Her eyes lit up. "Sparring partner~!
"I DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS!"
Too late. A thunderbolt leaped from the child's hand.
A viciously cold chill shot down Cinder's spine. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to die horribly in the future?
"And what are we reading today?"
The faunus girl didn't look up at him. "Its a book.
Stubborn girl. "I can see that. I was asking about the subject matter."
"Oh." Golden eyes peeked up over the cover. "Well, its about a man with two souls."
"Three, actually, miss Belladona."
...what?"
"No, its nothing. Carry on."
Salem sneezed. It was a surprisingly dainty sound, one that echoed in the empty, lonely silence.
What was this? Was someone talking about her? Nonsense.
The door to her throne room crashed open.
Smoke sprayed through.
A young man emerged, cane in hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Salem! I've come to bargain~!"
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading this! Hope you have a great day~!
Warm regards,
~Nz.