Again, much love to those enjoying the story so far.
Seriously, was not expecting this level of response.
I seriously appreciate it.
To everyone leaving comments,
It gives me so much more inspiration and fire.
I'm a little over a month ahead in schedule releases currently.
Working on Chapter 10 as we speak.
All I simply wanted to do was make my own Naruto/Neo story.
Glad everyone else is along for the ride.
Sometimes in this story, scenes will be similar to one another.
As they are told from different character perspectives.
I'm going for a different approach to storytelling to show what each character sees.
Which does mean...
Sometimes a Character's Narrative may be unreliable.
Let me know how think it turns out.
And if any time you catch a character's thoughts, I put I instead of their gender or name instead,
Feel free to inform me of that mistake, as I missed it on editing and didn't catch it.
Also, for a coming scene later...
I had already written before Neo's little stunt in Volume 9.
This power was shown in A Roman Holiday before the Volume came out.
Response to drewbear89: It's more that I cannot answer the question if he can summon or not, as it reveals a critical element of the plot that is about to be revealed in a later chapter. Your points are valid, except do recall Fukusaku does reverse Summon Naruto to Mount Myoboku, which is a physical place in his world that is reachable by foot through secret paths, to train him for Pain. He does have the chakra, and there lies a key issue of summoning and it being a Space/Time jutsu. This issue has been thought out, my friend. Had an entire other Naruto/RWBY story (over 500,000 words) to think through this problem on why I wasn't allowing it.
Something is about to be revealed very soon that, while is a trope (I believe anyway) to traverse someone over in crossovers, is a bombshell for the person involved. Hope this provides more clarity.
Response to Zero: This is my interpretation of Neo's backstory. Without trying to spoil much here (As I recommend the novel if you love RWBY and particularly Roman and Neo), she lived a very restricted, sheltered life that didn't allow her to really leave her home. I'm taking a few liberties with what was given in the source material, creating my own scenes, and putting my own spin on it. Things are changing from it and are not playing out the same as in the book, although a few events here and there will play out with different characters that weren't there to make things play out differently and eventually have a dramatic change.
That being said, Jimmy and Carmel, I feel, are on point. Anyone that's read the novel feel free to point anything out there.
In this strange city, he had to find his bearings and determine where he was. It did not seem like it was a hostile enemy village like he first thought when he awoke, and now Naruto was slightly embarrassed. The odd-talking people may very well have been caring for his wounds. Every person he had come across seemed to be a civilian.
He couldn't even see another shinobi amongst the relatively sparse group of people he encountered. With the size of the city, he felt he should have been coming across more people, as there were more in the streets of Konoha than in this metropolis... Was that the correct word? Sakura would be annoyed with him knowing he didn't pay full attention to her tutoring…
Naruto only wanted to spend more time with her…
Shaking his head as he looked around the city square he found himself in and frowned, flakes of snow still gently falling. If this place wasn't a threat, he needed to find a library or something of that nature to locate a map. Anything that could point out his current location, and he could get his geography straightened out and head back home. Leaving this place without knowing where he was heading could lead to dire consequences…
Especially if there were more of those wolf things outside.
He was more confident he could handle them now as he felt his chakra flowing steadily. But his body was sore and stiff while many of the wounds still hadn't completely healed. He always recovered quickly. That was something he learned by accident when he stabbed himself to rid himself of poison when Kakashi-sensei jokingly commented about it on their first real mission, and his wound regenerated in minutes. But he never had injuries this severe, and it seemed to take a bit longer for the Nine-Tails to heal…
Unfortunately, he knew the fox was now responsible for that. He didn't like it, but it was one blessing the stupid rabbit fox gave him. So he'd take that but still didn't trust the monster. It was the reason for…
"Oiy! You following me, bird?!" Naruto developed a tick mark as a caw as he looked above him and saw a black crow glide and land on yet another light post. "I thought I was rid of you! I'm ready to roast your small butt and cook you for…"
"What's that smell?"
Sniffing the air as several aromas wafted through his nostrils and noting the abominable bird's wing pointed out into the distance again, Naruto narrowed his eyes. Was it leading him? What kind of bird was this? A summon?
Who used crows? Ah, he should try using summoning, as at least Gamakichi could prove somewhat useful in this situation as a second set of eyes. But what was in that direction…
"Oh…" Naruto's stomach growled as the odor became more pungent, and he recognized what was just before him.
A small concession of various food trucks.
Glaring up at the bird once more, one eye twitching, he muttered under his breath as he ran to the light post. "Okay, you've earned a second reprieve on life. Hope I used that word right. Sakura would smack me knowing I was only partially paying attention…"
"You don't have to agree!" Naruto quietly yelled at the annoying black rodent with wings as he looked over at the collection of food stands and started to scope out what he could easily sneak in and grab. "Too many things that are required to be cooked on the spot. Need something ready-made…"
"Woah? What the… Little girl?" Naruto blinked in confusion as someone ran into him carelessly.
He caught a brown-haired girl before she fell and helped her stand up after she bumped into him and nearly stumbled onto the concrete. She was pretty petite, so he immediately thought she was around the age of Konohamaru, if not a little younger since she was just a tad smaller than him, as she tripped against him. But upon seeing her face, Naruto knew that wasn't the case. She was physically older than that. She almost looked like…
She was about his age.
Why was she small? He understood he was undersized for his age compared to the rest of his peers, but what was her reason?
And were her eyes different colors? One pink and one brown? Huh, that was kind of neat.
Naruto twitched. The bird was laughing at him. He knew it! It was clear to everyone, even the girl! She was annoyed by it, using her hands and waving at it as if trying to shoo it away.
She then turned her attention to him and bowed, perhaps asking forgiveness for bumping into him; Naruto chuckled. Most people would have said an apology. So he was thankful that she used a gesture and didn't make it more awkward for him. Unable to understand the language being spoken around him made things very difficult…
His eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed a brilliant rose as his stomach roared. Naruto knew he was hungry as he hadn't eaten in some time, but come on! In front of a peer! Stomach, what was this? The betrayal was real! Meet a girl that looked his age, even if she was tiny, and he immediately embarrassed himself…
Yeah, that checks…
"Do I have Baa-chan's luck or something? No, I had this kind of trouble before I ran into her. Supposedly, I gave her good luck at the slots the other day when she brought me along. She claimed I was her lucky charm…" Naruto grumbled as he scratched the back of his neck, thankful that the girl couldn't understand him.
Being in a place where no one understood what he said did have its advantages.
Although now she was oddly staring at him with a tilted head, he wished he hadn't spoken out loud. That was a lapse in judgment. Of course, that would freak her out as she probably only knew her language and…
Wait, what was she doing with her hands? Was that…
Was she using the same code language Kakashi-sensei was teaching his team for silent communication during missions?
If it was, he didn't understand some of it as they had only gone through some of the basics of the code, which he thought was a language developed explicitly in Konoha for non-verbal communication for Konoha shinobi. So a girl out in this strange town knowing it was baffling to him but…
He understood just enough of what she said. Him and hungry, and with context clues, he figured she must have been asking if he was hungry.
Seeing that she started to look depressed, and her shoulders sank after a moment of him not responding as he was still dumbfounded, Naruto held out his hand and clenched his fist. He then bobbed it back and forth in a nodding manner, still having a strange look as he wasn't quite sure what to make of this situation.
"What the…" Naruto was taken off guard as the girl's face filled with glee, and she suddenly jumped forward, gripped his left wrist, and started to pull him toward the concession of food stands. "Hey, wait…"
"Strong little thing…" Naruto muttered as she pulled him into the middle of all the concession stands as she happily bounded around after releasing him, looking at each available stand and gingerly rubbed his wrist.
The girl suddenly showed him a card that looked like the debit cards he had seen given out by Konoha's banks. He never really trusted depositing his Ryo into them before, preferring to have his cash on hand. But why was this girl so chipper? Was she trying to repay him for accidentally bumping into him or for saving her from biffing it into concrete? That wasn't necessary…
Stomach, come on! Really?! He didn't want to take advantage of this…
Sighing, Naruto pointed at the nearest stand, hoping that would satisfy the girl. He didn't want to take advantage of her kindness, but her endearing look of sheer adulation on her face…
It was as if she was having the time of her life. And he was swept alongside and caught up for the ride.
More code? Naruto did not understand a single bit of the hand signs she used this time. She was extremely fluent in it, making him question how she knew them. Or why she knew them. In fact, he hadn't heard anything come out of her this entire time.
Seeing her frown momentarily, her face brightened back up as she trotted over to the stand and proceeded to order regardless. Well, he would get something from there. He wasn't too picky about most food as long as it wasn't vegetables…
Frowning as he watched her interaction with the salesman, he noted she pulled out a device from her pocket and tapped at it before showing it to him. Not once did she speak during the entire transaction before handing over the card.
First off, what was that device? There were still so many things he didn't understand from what he saw here, but it looked like a mini-portable computer! He was used to the giant block computers at the library or the laptops at the hospital, so if that was a thing here…
What was this fantastic fairy tale land? Where was he? Where did Sasuke leave him after their fight?
Secondly, what was this girl? She was a mystery and…
A familiar scent drew Naruto's attention. His eyes darted in the direction it came from, instinctively knowing where it came from. He knew it all too well, for it was his most craved dish.
And there it was.
A Ramen Stand.
Oh, if he had noticed that before, he would have pointed to that! Screw not taking advantage of the girl's kindness. Free Ramen!
The amount of times he tried to trick his friends, teachers, and or any unsuspecting soul into getting him a bowl…
Well, they were numerous, and Teuchi had almost put up a BE WARNED OF NARUTO sign in his shop. He didn't because it meant more business for him, but he appreciated the joke.
"What the…" Naruto suddenly felt something cold placed in his hand, seeing a milkshake placed in it, and then the tiny girl beamed brightly at him as she latched onto his left wrist again. "Wait, not again!"
His eyes snapped in the direction she was pulling, and now he was confused. What was this girl? Was she paying attention to what he was looking at? She led him straight to the Ramen Stand. But why? She already got him something…
Why was she acting in this manner? He didn't understand it in the slightest. She was simply so delighted and thrilled that he couldn't quite comprehend…
Seeing her pat the stool beside him and beam at him after making the order, something clicked in Naruto's mind as he looked into her eyes. That glint beneath those vibrant off-color eyes. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt something in them. Something he understood. He couldn't describe it, but…
Naruto felt it deep inside him.
Placing the cold milkshake on the counter as he took a seat, Naruto still was somewhat apprehensive. While this wasn't the weirdest thing to happen to him, as the wolves topped that list at the moment, this was odd. But seeing the strange brown-haired girl happily suckle on the milkshake, despite how frigid it was around them, and found it satisfying, he had to chuckle.
She was an odd duck. Then again…
How many people would say the same about him? His sensei had given him the nickname of Konoha's Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja…
Kakashi-sensei was a jerk.
Seeing the girl next to him stiffen as she looked behind him as he heard some of that strange language, Naruto frowned. Why did she look so uncomfortable?
Turning around, he noted older girls than him, at least by a few years, one leading the pack with two flanking her. Ironically they were all dressed in a similar fashion. All had short, spiky hair. Short-sleeved black jackets, pale blue tops, tight miniskirts with silver chain belts, and chunky boots.
A punk gang of girls? They were missing spike collars if that was the case…
But he did note that they were focused on the brown-haired girl and talking straight to her. And she seemed pretty bothered by it, shaking her head as they stepped up to her and spoke again. She touched her throat and shook her head again, trying to ignore them.
Naruto immediately understood why he hadn't heard her speak this entire time from that gesture and why she was using code.
She couldn't speak. Wherever this place was, someone was taught code language for those who couldn't communicate verbally. He never thought about that before, but for those that were mute…
They needed some way to speak too!
His eyes narrowed as the girls continued to approach the girl he was with, almost in a stalking-like manner as they continued to talk, and she kept shaking her head, her eyes burning. She obviously told them no, and they weren't accepting it.
Okay, he wasn't about to let this stand. He'd give them a fight if they wanted to pick a fight.
Stepping out of his chair in front of the girl, Naruto defensively positioned himself in front and barked at them. "Hey, she's saying no jerks! Back off!"
While the girls were surprised at his intervention and his strange dialect, what followed alarmed even Naruto.
A small fissure ruptured in the concrete beneath the three girls, making them stumble and nearly lose their balance. The three turned and parted enough for Naruto to see what exactly caused the crack in the ground…
And there stood a copy of the girl he was defending.
With pink hair.
Looking absolutely livid.
No.
No. This couldn't be happening! She didn't think it was such an issue!
Had her father been right all this time? Was this why they always made her wear contacts when she went into public? Was having two different eye colors that terrible?
Was it her height? Was being so short for her age a problem too? Blonde boy didn't seem to mind, and he was roughly her age! Why?
Why were things like this?!
"And what is she wearing?" Another one of the girls sweetly resonated in a singsong voice. "Oh, look at those shoes! They are so cute. I'm going to throw up!"
Trivia felt her face warm, and she trembled. She threw shaded daggers with her eyes toward the girl as she felt her throat burn, words wanting to come forth. She wanted to speak and tell her off.
"No one asked you, Heather." The last spoke, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Better than your sense of taste when we picked you up off the streets."
"Eat a bag of dicks, Mags!"
"Girls!" The leader snapped at them and shook her head, focusing on Trivia with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Let me introduce myself."
"I'm Cookie, and as you have, no doubt, heard, these are my friends Heather and Mags." Cookie smirked as she stepped forward and gestured towards her friends. "We couldn't help but notice how you came across that friend of yours, and you were so generous enough to buy some milkshakes and even dinner for the both of you. So how 'bout some milkshakes and dinner for the three of us, huh darling? I'll take Mint-chip if you don't mind while we hang out with your cute friend."
"Butterscotch for me." Mags grinned.
"Too cold for milkshakes, girls. Just ramen." Heather rolled her eyes. "Also, not very cute. Bit of a runt…"
Trivia shook her head, scowling at them. These girls were mean, and they could bugger off for all she cared. After insulting her, they now wanted something from her. Like she was going to get anything for them! She was already going to get in trouble soon as her father learned she was using his Lien regardless…
So she wanted to enjoy her time out, not let these troglodytes ruin her adventure! So she shooed them away, motioning at her throat in the process that she could not respond, and tried to turn back around to the stand to ignore them. It's not like they would do anything with so many people around and watching…
"Hey, come on now," Cookie said as she stepped closer, glowering at her response. "Don't be that way. We only want to be your friends. And the best way to get to know you is through some food, wouldn't you say? Wouldn't want this to get ugly now, little girl. Just be a doll and play along."
Her throat tightened, and tears bubbled around the corners of her eyes as she silently yelled at them, turning back around to face them. She shook her head and screamed, no words coming. How she wished that for once she could finally speak. That someone could hear…
Blonde boy?
Are you helping me? I can't understand what you are saying, but thank you! But also…
Are those bandages under your clothes? Oh, no! You are hurt! No, this isn't good! These girls look rugged, and I don't think I can be much help without my…
Neo! I summoned her again! But how? I've never managed to manifest her to this extent before! Wait…
Does everyone see her?
Trivia's eyes widened as Neo stalked towards the girl that called herself Cookie, circling the three girls. Everyone was paying attention to her movements! They could see her! But how? She was always a figment of her imagination. Her illusions were never that strong before…
Until earlier today.
"What is going on?" Cookie screamed in surprise at the pink-haired intruder before shaking her head angrily. "Whatever! Mags, Heather, take care of the runt! I'll take care of this little…"
Her words died on her tongue as Neo rushed forward. Her punch connected solidly to her face, and Neo's hand shattered like glass at that moment. It then rippled through the rest of her body, and her body disintegrated in the air. Cookie landed flat on the square of her back, blood splattering the front of her face and shirt. Neo's head grinned manically as it finally dissolved, looking down at her bully below her.
Her job was done.
Trivia silently screamed and hunched over. She felt like something was burning around her, crackling like a fire was burning her. What was this sensation? Why was it so painful? This never happened before when her other illusions dispersed or even when she broke Neo last time…
"Whoa, Cookie!" Heather called in, surprised.
"Freak!" Mags shrieked as she stood over Cookie, looking ready to pounce. "You'll pay for that!"
Trivia panted as she looked up, panting as she surveyed the scene. She didn't know what had happened, but her friends looked irate. They were staring straight at her too.
A flash.
A crowd! Oh no! People were surrounding them! Scrolls were held out, and they took pictures of what had happened.
No! There was a chance she could have gotten back home and pretended as if nothing had happened. But if there was visual evidence she was outside…
Sirens! Red and blue lights! No! No! No!
Blonde boy! Let's go! We can't…
"Get back here, you little bitch!" Mags screamed as she lunged at her with Heather right behind her.
Trivia's eyes widened as she tried to flee. This was all so horrible. But now they wanted to fight! She wasn't a fighter! She didn't know how to defend…
What just happened? Why were both girls bound together by rope and tied up? When and how did that happen? And why is blonde boy behind them?
Did he do that? Amazing! Is blonde boy training to be Huntsman? Is that why he is bandaged beneath his clothing?
Bouncing off someone in front of her again, Trivia groaned as she stumbled backwards. She lost her balance and would have fallen, but she felt two arms wrap around her and help her back to her feet. Looking up, she smiled to see it was the blonde boy. He helped her again.
He was so kind! But why did he look so alarmed…
"Hey, you there! Stop!"
The police! She couldn't be seen like this! Her father would know, and everything would fall apart and…
"I got everything handled here, officers. Take those three in over there, if you don't mind." A rough voice spoke in front of her, the same person she smacked into! "They've been causing a ruckus here from what I've been noticing and should be charged with misdemeanor public disturbances. These two were only defending themselves."
"Huntsman Branwen." The officer spoke, and Trivia felt cold. "Understood. Thank you for recounting the situation to us. It isn't the first time these three have been in trouble around here."
As the officers turned to leave and deal with the three girls, she realized running was no longer an option. There was no way she could escape. She had run smack dab into a Huntsman. Her father had recognized she had disappeared, so he called a Huntsman to help.
Oh, she was in such trouble!
And why did blonde boy seem so agitated too? Did he have a history with this Huntsman? Oh no, was this his master? Oh, this was the worst if that was the case…
"Kid," The black-haired Huntsman knelt before her to speak to her at eye level. "I understand you are afraid and worried. That's understandable. I've got a few questions to ask you, but there is something more important to me…"
"I think you can help me as you have been the first person I've noticed who can communicate with this knucklehead. And I really need to talk to him and explain a few things."
Chapter 5 Preview:
Not very good with Sign. Said something along the lines of 'Your Welcome, Jerk.'
"He signed something like jerk?"
Didn't understand the word he used. The way he used it was insulting. So I chose a word for him that seemed fitting.
Qrow's right eye twitched. He then rolled his eyes and sighed before grabbing his flask and taking another drink. "Fair enough."
"And Summer wondered why I didn't want to settle down with a nice girl and have kids."