Welcome!

Cough...

Ugh, FML, Got sick, doing a little better now...

Trying something new this week.

Switching between writing chapters of this and Fox of Remnant every chapter since I'm ahead.

So when I'm finished when a chapter, I switch stories, and so on and so on.

I'm hoping that helps FoR as I was struggling with it, and it seems to help, and it seems to have boosted my work rate on HD too.

So we shall see.

For all those supporting my stories, thank you!

I do apologize to any reviewers I don't get to throughout the week and if I miss yours!

With work and life, it might happen, and I might forget who I've gotten to!

I try my best, but I don't always succeed!

It means more than you know!

Onto the story after this quick guest response!

To Guest - What Tai found out was exactly what happened in the chapter and is informing him of the events that happened. That is all.

"You're still not willing to tell me what Oz has gotten everyone into? Despite everything… And after what happened to Summer?"

"Tai, it's not that simple. I don't want to bring you into this any further since you stepped out to help take care of and provide for Yang." Qrow muttered softly as he lay depressed against his hospital bed, unable to look his friend in the face. "It was better for you to get out when you did. Trust me."

Naruto had taken Ruby and Yang out to the cafeteria for lunch, giving them this time. It was one thing he was glad the kid was around for, and he trusted him with. He was trustworthy with his daughters, and they connected with him.

The ice cream parlor incident aside...

Couldn't blame him for that, and he handled it appropriately. It was more his partner in crime that didn't…

It was strange that he trusted the kid in spite of the fact that he had known for about a month. However, there was something about his character that was genuine despite the barrier of communication between them.

He was trustworthy.

"Why the hell not?" Tai seethed as he sat across from his brother-in-law and stared deeply into his eyes. "It feels like I am already involved if you are coming back near death, and both my wives disappear in different ways because of it! Fuck, Raven reappeared for the first time in years and was at our doorstep again! What is going on?"

"I can't just tell you!" Qrow retorted passionately, keeping his volume low, considering where they were. "It's not just for your safety. It's for the girls. The kid. Hell, it's for so much more than that. It's even why she ran back to the tribe…"

"I would have to bring you into the world you left behind, as it was far more dangerous than we ever anticipated. I don't want to bring another person into my family into that mess. I don't want to lose anyone else." Qrow's voice sounded sombre and left Tai wavering.

Gazes met, and he steeled his will.

"Qrow," Tai kept his eyes steady with Qrow's. "I'm already involved whether you want me to be or not. I was a part from the start as you were all my team. My first wife left me for a reason I don't know. My second died for reasons that can't be explained because of the work we were doing. From the sounds of it, it got even deeper after I left. I'm tired of this and want to know. I need to know."

Qrow flinched at Tai's words. It was the truth, and he hated it. No matter how much Raven, Summer, or he had tried since Yang's birth to keep Tai away from this so they could keep their family safe…

They failed. Everything that happened indirectly affected their family.

Tai was dragged into it regardless of their intentions.

"If all three of you were involved, how long would it take me to find out? To learn something about what you were doing?" Tai asked, honestly wanting an answer. "I knew all three of you were working together and kept me out of it. I never knew why as we had worked together for so long… Then Raven left. You turned to drinking, and Summer tried to stay uplifting and positive…"

"But I could tell something bothered her every day, and she wouldn't say anything." Tai's shoulders lowered, and finally, his head hung. "And as dearly as she loved Ruby, she always had this forlorn expression when I read to her…"

"That's because most of those stories are based on truth!" Qrow blurted, his eyes shimmering as he looked directly into Tai's gaze. "Every single one of them! They hide Remnant's secret history left behind, some altered by time and others because someone wanted to keep some things secret! Others were meant to be vague and indecipherable unless the context behind them was known."

"You want to know why we kept you away? It's because we became part of something far larger than we ever imagined, Tai. And I can't express how much it pains me to say this. But what you are about to hear is what caused Raven to flee and the likely reason why Summer never came home." Qrow took a deep breath as his crimson eyes hardened. "There has been a secret war waging for centuries, and we became part of an organization to protect Remnant and all of life."

"And we face a foe like no other. The Grimm have a master, Tai."

"Again!" Ruby enthusiastically clapped, eagerly watching the scene with wide eyes as she sat at the table with her sister.

Yang simply had her fork yanked out of her hand by Naruto as he now balanced two forks on two separate fingers. Didn't need her to accidentally stab herself doing this trick…

Besides, it was a chakra control exercise for him, and she didn't have chakra from what it sounded like. Apparently, over time chakra changed and was used differently.

He wasn't sure, but it adapted, and it wasn't quite the same as it used to be. He wasn't sure the kids could use it the same way he could. So how was Crow Summoner calling those birds…

And what was with that bizarre bird and that portal?

Shaking his head and returning to the trick, Naruto grinned as he flipped the forks in the air. He caught the other ends with his fingertips. Thanks to his chakra, they stuck to his fingers relatively easily once he balanced the weight.

Ruby clapped happily once again. Yang looked mildly miffed as she wanted to try but was still impressed nonetheless.

He was asked to distract for a bit while Pops could talk to the summoner, so he would do what he could. They had finished their meal, and he wasn't sure how long he needed, but it had been roughly thirty minutes.

"Hoping they'll be finished soon," Naruto muttered as he flicked the forks onto his tray and grinned at the pair. "Running out of…"

"Oum, look at that animal over there…"

"Who let him around their children?"

Frowning as he struggled to understand everything from the nearby older man and younger woman eating with him, Naruto glowered. He was still able to figure out what the context stated with the words he knew and their glares.

He knew those stares well enough. He got those kinds of looks before as a kid.

Huh, this is what Kali, Blake, and their people had to go through? Guess he understood a little…

"Best go before anything happens…" Naruto muttered, knowing things could escalate and didn't want that, so he picked up his tray and gathered Ruby and Yang's to help them along. "Better get back…"

"Okay!" Ruby chirped as she slowly hopped out of her chair while Yang helped gather anything missed, following her sister and Naruto as they cleaned up the table and trash. "Qwo better?"

"Not yet," Yang shook her head and forced a soft smile at her little sister. "Got to rest for a bit. Dad says a friend from Atlas is coming by soon to help fix his leg."

"Let's go." Naruto motioned to the girls, smiling at the two as he tried to direct them, not wanting to get any closer to the sickly old man and his relative that was most likely visiting him.

"Thank Oum. The vermin is leaving."

"There, there, Grandpa. We can eat in peace now."

Naruto gritted his teeth. He would deal with it. He could. It was nothing new for him. Didn't understand some of it, but the message was clear.

He wasn't the problem.

The problem was the small blonde six-year-old with him that couldn't handle it.

"Yo! What's your deal? Why you both being so mean?" Yang retorted angrily as she confronted the pair, her eyes shifting from lilac, and shades of crimson and gold flickered and burned within.

"Yang!" Naruto responded before he gently placed a hand on her left shoulder, drawing her attention and gaze, he gave her a knowing expression before shaking his head. "I know… Anger, no good. Let's go."

Her shoulder sagging, Yang turned and followed as Naruto took Ruby's hand in his and gently led her away. He took a breath as Ruby gingerly walked in step with his slowed pace, looking confused and mildly upset.

Some people…

"Good riddance. At least that one knows his place…"

"Testing my patience!" Naruto growled as he bit his lip, his cerulean eyes darting behind him at the senile old man. "Bout to…"

"What is the meaning of this?" The old man suddenly shouted and jumped out of his chair as a hot beverage poured down his lap and scalded his lap.

"Ah, forgive me." A silver-haired man with glasses spoke eloquently as a mug in his hand jittered slightly. "I do apologize for that. Here, allow me to assist…"

In the next instant, the elderly man tripped over the silver-haired man's cane and cracked his skull into the floor. The man winced as he stepped back. "Clumsy me. Glynda, could you handle this? It seems I'm only making more of a mess out of this situation."

A tall and exasperated blonde woman sighed and rolled her eyes. She strode forward as the younger woman rushed to the elderly man's side. The tall woman took control of that situation as the silver-haired man strolled toward Naruto.

And he wasn't sure what to make of what he witnessed. Everything was done intentionally.

What was this man? Why did he do that? What was his goal?

But what happened next stopped Naruto in his tracks and alarmed him.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The silver-haired man offered his hand and a smile, fluently speaking in his tongue. "I understand if you are alarmed and hesitant, but I mean you no harm. I am a friend of Qrow and Bartholomew. It's nice to finally meet you after hearing so much about you, my boy."

"My name is Ozpin."

What could it be now?

Why was she summoned to her father's study?

She did well in Aurelia's tests recently. She had not caused a ruckus with their staff, even though she felt some deserved it.

Those strange looks they gave her…

Did they think she was odd looking? Was it because of her eyes? Because she was so short for her age? Because she was mute?

Why dammit? What's with your perplexing looks?

And all these garish decorations being strung up? Every year they were put up, but this year they seemed more extravagant than usual.

She was well aware of what season it was, but her parents were hardly here for the festivities. They were often gallivanting about and attending other events than being here. Quite often, the majority of the Solstice alone…

Her mother would then come in after spending time with her, which was usually the most joyous time of the year for her. The only real connection she had. But now, given everything that was happening…

Oh, lovely. Mother was here too. This was going to be a fantastic time, wasn't it?

Trivia hid her disgust with a slight roll of her eyes as the butler escorted himself from the room. The more she thought, the more she felt like letting loose and not caring. To live free like how she always envisioned…

But for now, she had obligations to fulfill, so she daintily strode forward as she noted her father and mother casually chatting. So she brought forth her scroll and activated her communication board.

You requested my presence?

Turning and acknowledging their daughter's presence, Carmel had a soft expression, while Jimmy had his usually stern and neutral indifference as he measured her demeanor. He then scoffed before shaking his head. "Still could use some work."

Trivia scowled but quickly hid it as she brought her scroll closer to her as her father continued. "Yes, we called you here to inform you that we will be hosting a party for our many business allies and rival Dust CEOs for the Winter Solstice."

Wonderful news.

She was going to be locked in her room again. It wasn't too different from what she was currently punished with, but she had at least some freedom to venture outside her room here and there…

"And we expect your behavior to be exemplary for it. As such, I'll be taking you out to get a designer dress, Trivia," Carmel added with a dazzling gleam. "This is a major event, and we must look our finest. A pristine presentation is an absolute must."

Trivia nearly stumbled, her eyes widening and narrowing to slits. She did not believe what she heard.

"This is a Winter Solstice party," Jimmy continued for his wife, eyeing his daughter carefully. "So several others are naturally bringing their families given the time of year. In particular, Jacques is bringing all his children."

"It would give me the smallest satisfaction if you could, for a night, show them up. Make them crack for the night by any means necessary." Jim's eyes met Trivia's while Carmel frowned, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "I can make it worth your will if you give me the one up on the man in any way. Having my daughter look like an angel while his supposed pristine snowflake, his precious Winter meltdown... Would be absolutely divine."

Trivia glowered at her father. Her eyes dashed over to her mother, who didn't seem pleased. However, she wasn't actively rejecting the notion. Her lack of resistance to her father's proposal and her visual appearance were all she needed.

Her mother was in agreement with the idea. She didn't want to look like she was.

She wanted to look like a proper parental figure.

Trivia refrained from biting her lip as her throat burned as she wanted to scream at her. With everything she had done, her mother stopped being that long ago…

"All you have to do is use your trouble-making skills for me, just this once," Jim added, drawing her attention back toward him. "And with your unique talents, staying hidden during it should be a breeze, dear."

Hating what she was about to do, her eyes glistened as her gaze bore into her father's defiantly. With a single typed phrase onto her scroll, she showed her desire.

You know what I want. Consider it done.

Trivia despised her father's smile. But more so…

She detested she caved into his will.

"What is going on?" Naruto mumbled as he took a deep breath of the cold night air and shook his head as the mist built exhaled around him.

Despite arriving back at the cabin as night fell, Naruto was restless and needed to work a few things out. He elected to come out and train. He needed time to think.

Training just helped him focus and get the jitters out of his system so he could do that.

So Naruto ran through the obstacle course and then do some target practice and chakra control exercises, he groaned. It wasn't enough at the moment. He needed something more vigorous, but he didn't have a partner.

Pops wasn't up for it and seemed frazzled. Seemed like he was having a day, too, and didn't want to bother him. And unfortunately, he was the only option, so he was fresh out of luck.

"Man, this sucks!" Naruto complained as he kicked a nearby tree, shaking it from the force of his blow and ignoring the annoyed caw from above. "Everything is so damn weird now, and I can't take it anymore! This is all so frustrating, and I don't know what to do."

"Crow Summoner comes back beaten to a pulp. He and Pops are now having some issues, and I don't know what this is about! Still getting looks of hate, but for new reasons, so that pisses me off! Then this silver-haired weirdo comes in and speaks as fluently in my tongue as Meow-sensei, so what the hell?" Naruto ranted and raved as he collected his thrown weapons from his targets. "Then there is the biggest problem of all…"

"Stupid fox and how I ended up in this situation in the first place! I want to be home, dammit!" Naruto grumbled bitterly, pausing as he took a breath to calm and collect himself when he noted something odd.

"What the…" Naruto frowned as he looked at his target. "I swear I threw more kunai than that…"

"Whoa!"

Naruto barely had enough time to turn and deflect a thrown kunai with the one he had just plucked out of his wooden target.

Standing in a defensive stance, he narrowed his eyes. A woman in a primarily black combat dress with touches of red stood before him. Arms crossed, she stared at him unimpressed.

Her crimson eyes measuring his worth…

Before her blade was withdrawn from its holster, a weird mechanism triggered as she did so.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto roared, knowing an answer was most likely not forthcoming in his tongue, but he wasn't well versed enough in the other language to ask or focused enough to try and use it.

He needed time and thought, and he didn't have those.

But he did get an answer. Just not the one he was looking for.

A burning red blade streaked for his neck.

"Shit!" Naruto's reflexes were only adept enough to match the blade, his kunai meeting the now glowing red saber as he kept his gaze and followed the strike.

But he noted something odd as he did. "What?"

"Ah!" Naruto stumbled back as sparkles of red powder trailed from the blade and fluttered into his eyes.

They were intensely hot, searing his sockets, causing intolerable pain. It was as if someone had thrown sand in his eyes, something he was familiar with, having fought Gaara, and that was irritable. But then, adding to the coarse feeling, there was the sensation of burning unlike anything else…

It was raw agony.

Wait…

That sound…

Ducking on sheer instinct, he knew what it was. The woman swung at him again. But this time he couldn't see it!

That would make this so much more…

She kicked him in the ribs!

Rolling with the blow once, landing on a knee, Naruto wiped his eyes to try and clear the odd substance out of his eyes. Everything was blurry and challenging to discern, but there was an outline of what was happening.

That was enough.

Now he was pissed!

"That's it, lady!" Naruto reached into his pouch and tossed a shuriken straight in her direction as she came his way. "Got something special I've been workin' on for ya! Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin!"

The woman stopped dead in her tracks as the single shuriken multiplied at the moment she nearly deflected the simple weapon. Her crimson eyes narrowed as Naruto grinned at the victory, having worked on the technique for quite some time.

Wanted to save it for a bigger moment, but this would do as he activated right before contact! Shuriken are typically used as distraction weapons, but when used correctly...

They could be devastating!

What, where did she disappear to?

His eyes widened as he turned his head away and barely deflected the woman's blade as she came from above and to his right, swinging her blade horizontally with a single hand. The red sparkles trailing behind the blade burned his flesh, and he cursed.

Then he felt the blade burning and slicing through his kunai and came straight for him.

And through the log he set up a replacement.

"That sword has got to go!" Naruto bellowed as his eyes dilated, an intense tint glimmering within as he withdrew several more shuriken. "Let's do this."

Flicking them forward again, the woman was ready and prepared for the same trick as before. She turned to meet his attack, this time more defensive. Her face seemed perplexed momentarily as the throwing stars' aim was off, and they sailed wide, but then she immediately brought her blade down, cutting through the wires that clung to them.

The slightest smirk was caught on her lips as she noted the boy was nowhere to be found from his previous position.

Only for several volleys of shuriken to be thrown toward her, all with wires connected to them.

Sheathing the odachi into her scabbard, she triggered the mechanism on her crossguard. Suddenly, the odachi released turned purple as she swung it around in a mesmerizing dance.

Every shuriken dropped as if something heavy had dragged it down to the snowy fields below, nullifying his plan.

"Okay, that's new!" Naruto cried from above, his two clones dispersing as their job was finished as he flew down, a brilliant glowing orb of chakra in his hand. "Ending this now!"

And she sheathed her blade back into her scabbard once more, her crimson eyes gazing straight above as her target flew in at an accelerated rate.

Her eyes widened momentarily before her finger twitched on the trigger.

And the brilliant white odachi met the drilling force of the Rasengan.

To Naruto's horror, the two forces were equivalent.

Despite the force and effort he was exerting into the attack, he could not overwhelm the slash of this sword! And what was this whipping all around him? Cutting into his arm, his torso, and his cheeks!

Why was the Rasengan not drilling through the sword like everything it ever made contact with before? Was that wind? Was she coating her sword with wind? Wait, was his Rasengan melding with the wind sending it everywhere?

How? Wasn't that a ninjutsu ability? How could she do that? She didn't seem to be a shinobi like he was!

What was this woman?

An eruption of wind and chakra eroded as the Rasengan burst. Naruto was unable to sustain it against the slash for so long. They both were flung backward, Naruto bumping and flopping against the snow as the woman skidded along the ice beneath her feet.

She slowly stood back up as Naruto growled, trying to pick himself off the frigid snow. He might need the fox on this…

Did the woman sheath her sword?

And was she smiling at him?

The hell was this day?

Wait a second!

That portal!

That was the same as that stupid bird!

What was this?

"Yo, who do you think you are?" Naruto yelled indignantly as he glared at the woman through squinted eyes as he got up on one knee. "Just showing up, challenging me to a fight, and then bailing? And what the hell was that about with Crow Summoner the other day? What is all of this…"

"Ow!" Naruto cried as an object smacked him in the face. "What the hell…"

"A sword?" In frustration, Naruto yelled out as the woman stepped into the portal, and it vanished behind her. "Dammit! What is this all about?"

Hearing several people calling his voice, most likely hearing his voice and coming to investigate as he was being loud if the earlier sounds of combat were enough, Naruto grabbed the offending object and waved it in annoyance.

"Who the hell are you, and what's your problem, lady?"

Chapter 19 Preview:

"Okay, so maybe their brother and sister or niece and nephew. Something like that?" Naruto mumbled as he threw back his head and leaned on the couch, staring at the picture he had procured. "So then what was her deal…"

"What that?"

"Little Red!" Naruto nearly jumped out of his seat, his heart racing at one million beats per minute as Ruby snuck up on him for what felt like the hundredth time. "How do you do that? Are you secretly a ninja prodigy or something?"