In the skies, the shattered moon shone as brightly as it could during this night, helping to illuminate the streets below, and despite the time of day, there was more movement than when Sasuke had arrived in this world. Above all, he watched these people ignorant of the existing danger, living their mundane and carefree lives, as if there were no so-called Grimm pressing them daily towards extinction. This bothered him, almost as much as the recent revelations obtained through that faunus girl in the bookstore.
Besides the threat native to this world, which might still take years to succeed in destroying everything, the literal end could happen long before that, at any moment in fact. All it would take is for Kaguya to defeat Naruto ahead of time, not be satisfied with the power she would gain from all those Shinobis, and decide to come to him wanting more, then these people would also become plant compost before they knew it. Of course, as cold as he could be, Sasuke would still fight to try to stop that walking calamity with everything he had, even if it turned out to be a losing fight. Still, what bothered him was the fact that he had to do it alone. Although receiving help was humiliating and he would never admit to needing it until he had reached his full new divine potential, this world wasn't his, so there was no obligation for him to give his life for these people... besides the guilt of being the possible catalyst for this impending tragedy, but the point remained.
Someone in this world should put himself on the front line and fight to save his home or die trying, as he would do.
Just like in my world, here should have those who exceed their peers and hold great power, like the Kages. Sasuke would disregard the possibility of there being anyone like him and Naruto. Both were anomalies; reincarnations of demigods who received the blessing of someone who was basically a literal god and thanks to that they reached a level that the rest could only dream about. Someone strong enough to be useful to me must exist, or at least have one of these Semblances with a promising effect, and maybe I can even make this person, or people, stronger.
That was a possibility, Sasuke would keep it in mind for later, deciding that he already had other goals that demanded immediate attention.
Among those priorities was that which made any world work, besides power; good old money. Fortunately, getting it was still as easy as it had been in his time under Orochimaru's tutelage, where his financial assets as heir to the Uchiha clan ceased to exist after leaving the village.
Pickpocketing without getting caught was never a challenge, but compared to a world where almost all people were clearly untrained civilians?
It was no different than picking a juicy tomato from a plantation with no owner.
That must be why these so-called Grimm are such a threat because there is almost no combat strength to resist. Sasuke still needed to see for himself before determining the real threat of these things, unsure if a more militaristic society like that of the Elemental Nations would have had a different outcome in the current situation of this world. Hard to say.
If these things were attracted by negativity or perhaps even empowered, the method in which his world developed could have resulted in something much worse. However, it was also true that, based on what he had learned so far, these things could very well have been extinguished to this point if a large part of the population had received minimal training as was done in Konoha, which was clearly not the case.
Sasuke would take that into account later, also deciding to leave this issue aside until he had more information and focus on the present task, where collecting the money needed for future expenses during his stay in this world wasn't a problem but the result of getting it.
Moving at speeds undetectable to civilians and possible surveillance cameras, served to aggravate the ignored precarious condition in which he found himself.
My body hurt. Sasuke wasn't one to complain for no reason, even more so after experiencing the torturous effect of using Susano'o for the first time. In this case, real pain for him was probably no different than that inflicted on someone being tortured to death. Looking at his almost trembling arms, numerous red marks became visible and were throbbing with piercing pain, the same could be said of his legs. The result of being hit by the needles made from Kaguya's hair.
At least this technique didn't have the same effect as those bones that turned everything into ashes used by her, or Sasuke wouldn't even be alive to complain. Not only that, there were fractures and ruptured muscles to add to this painful and uncomfortable list.
Before, while his body was warm with the heat of battle and numbed with constant Chakra circulation, it was easy to ignore this pain. Now, after he had cooled down and lowered his power levels until he could get close to a faunus without scaring them and avoid gaining unnecessary attention, it was really affecting him to even walk.
That damned woman really took a toll on him and that was a condition Sasuke couldn't find himself in for long.
In his current state, with roughly a third of his Chakra points sealed, his power was limited to the point of making him unable to hold his own in a fight against Naruto, let alone Kaguya.
That's why this world would be doomed if that woman appeared out of nowhere because he wouldn't be able to stand up to her or be a real threat.
I need medical attention, Sasuke hated to admit this fact, even more, when considering the visit he would have to make to the policing center of this kingdom. Showing up in this state will definitely generate more questions than I am willing to answer.
A solution was needed and he had one in mind; one that he didn't like at all.
Sometimes sacrifices are necessary, he reminded himself when he finally spotted a type of hospital, one that seemed to accept both humans and faunus, fitting his current need, where he could be considered both because of his eyes. Sure, he could conceal his visual prowess and downcast state without the slightest difficulty, but without documentation, Sasuke needed to make up a story, put his hood aside to start relying on his good looks, use his eyes and injuries to emphasize the excuse created, and demonstrate a friendlier personality, something he wasn't known to have. Unfortunately, he didn't know anyone capable of being more accepting than Naruto, his only friend. Is my pride worth the headache of trying to infiltrate the society of this foreign world without relying on my Sharingan?
Maybe, but Sasuke was in too much of a hurry to waste time trying when the alternative, though humiliating, was much easier and more practical.
It wasn't that much of a big deal. After all, he was in a different world, whose opinion of others was worth less than nothing and was merely a temporary stay.
Taking a deep breath, he decided that he would level down for a few minutes and adopt some aspects of his stupid friend's personality.
Sacrifices, indeed.
Vale was a different place, Weiss would say. Not just because of the more pleasant local temperature when compared to the seemingly endless cold of Atlas, or the clear inferiority in the technological and structural development of the city as a whole, but in the very way people and... faunus acted.
Somehow, they seemed to be happier and more cheerful, not to say lively, something that didn't make much sense to her. Atlas was much richer, nobler, and more prosperous, and also had fewer faunus to cause trouble with their usual practices of terrorism and assassination attempts against her family members. In Vale, on the other hand, it seemed to be the complete opposite, where she didn't need much to notice the signs of poverty and feel insecure with so many of these faunus on the loose to certainly increase crime rates.
So, how could a clearly inferior place be remotely better? Perhaps it was for the same reason that Beacon was considered superior to Atlas' academy?
Whatever the answer, Weiss was sure she would come to understand these differences with the time she would be away from home.
Four years without seeing him... Weiss didn't even see her father's face before she was dragged by Winter to the nearest Bullhead and left. There was a sense of urgency in her sister's actions that kept her from contesting and simply obeying in silence. I can imagine why. The reason was obvious: her father set up that test believing she would fail and must have had a fit of rage when she exceeded his pessimistic expectations. After all my effort and dedication, instead of supporting my choices; his daughter's, he was rooting for my failure.
Could she really call someone like that a father? The unpleasant answer only served to worsen her mood.
Odiously, however, she understood his motives, especially after losing Winter. He had always wanted an heir molded exactly in his image, and all his efforts went in vain when her sister decided to oppose the idea of living being a mere puppet. Similarly, Weiss didn't want and would not be the object used to continue someone else's ambitions, no matter who it was.
Weiss wanted to walk on her own two feet, pursue dreams and live her life where she could know more than the confines of her home, which looked more and more like a prison over the years, be able to visit places of interest to her and not to introduce herself to possible business partners of the company; literally like a doll that could very well be used as barter material for a meaningful alliance through an arranged marriage. After all, there was still a third child he could use and was probably starting to use at this very moment.
Such realization made her feel bad. In a way, Weiss just did the same as Winter and left her burdens as heiress to Wintley.
As annoying as the boy could be, it didn't change the fact that he was still her family and was practically alone with their obsessive father, as the mother figure was absent and too busy keeping company with a bottle of alcohol to have time for them.
All things considered, perhaps she understood some of the reason for the cheer found in Vale, provided by this hitherto non-existent feeling of freedom for her.
Going from Atlas to Vale wasn't being any different from leaving a painting where everything was composed of monotonous black and white to a landscape rich in intriguing and unfamiliar colors.
That must be why she felt so out of place even when she was the center of attention.
Her family's characteristic white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, the refined attitude of an elegant lady, and undeniable beauty didn't help her fit into this new setting; only as the piece of a different puzzle and her comfort was in knowing that she wasn't the only one.
After she had managed to defeat that Grimm-possessed armor during her father's test and left in a hurry before her hard-earned opportunity was taken from her, Winter demanded that she went directly to the most famous medical center in the Vale to be examined and care for her injuries.
It would have been good to know beforehand that faunus were also allowed here. Weiss didn't want to be like her father; a prejudiced person. Her experiences at the hands of this savage race, however, did nothing to change her opinion. Still, it is surprising to think that a medical center that almost belongs to my family would agree to attend and treat faunus.
Surely there was something wrong in all this, such as the treatment given to faunus being somehow inferior or more expensive.
Unfair, many would say, but the history of hostility between them said otherwise.
Despite the circumstances, the faunus was lucky to have such acceptance in this place, and Weiss had no say in any of it, for she had no power in her words, and even less when her status as heiress was revoked.
Political and racial situations aside, it tended to be relatively easy to identify her and her antecedents with a mere glance, and she became the center of attention, the target of male admiration and lust, and female envy, not to mention the kind of spiteful looks those ungrateful faunus got.
Nothing beyond the usual.
So it was unusual, not to say unheard of when someone else managed to attract even more attention than she did.
A second before she was taken away by a medical team to have her routine examinations requested by Winter, a boy her age walked through the doors, and for a moment it seemed as if the world had been silenced just for him. Relatively long, spiky dark hair served to adorn a face that managed to be beautiful even with the expression of pain on his face. The clothing was unusual; extravagant even, very similar to the style seen on a Huntsman, with that purple rope tied over a sash at his waist, a turtleneck shirt, slightly open to show a bit of his defined chest, black pants, and sandals of the same color. One dangerous detail, however, would be how haggard he was and the clear evidence of wounds and blood on his clothes.
Above all, were his eyes.
What in the world is that? Weiss focused on the red and purple, a combination so strange that it seemed to be natural, even more so for the one who displayed such eyes. A faunus? That was the first thing that came to her mind, but it didn't make sense, because there was no such animal. A type of Semblance, then?
Before any more unanswered questions were asked in her mind, a nearby doctor came out of the trance that seemed to have infected much of the local female population, taking the initiative to approach this boy, and this woman wasn't the only one.
Weiss could swear she saw most of these women blushing.
He's not that handsome... or is he? Suddenly, her curiosity increased. Weiss had always been kept away from other people, so she was unfamiliar with the world on more levels than she would like to admit, especially when it came to boys. They tended to be... sinful? She didn't have an exact word, only that she disliked the way they looked at her and as such preferred to keep her distance and be indifferent even when she was forced by her father to interact with the sons of his partners. As for this boy being surrounded by the affectionate concern of the female public, and... some men? Weiss decided to ignore that last part and agree that he was... attractive, much more so than anyone else, but that didn't justify such a commotion generated by so many women of different ages. He doesn't seem to be comfortable with his situation at all.
As soon as the doctor started talking to him, probably checking his condition with enthusiastic dedication hardly seen in anyone in the business, and getting some answers that Weiss couldn't hear, the gesture that started the chaos happened.
He smiled, so brightly that even Weiss was stunned and felt her heart skip a beat, defining once and for all that yes, he really was handsome and she wasn't the only one to think so if other people's reactions served as confirmation.
While Weiss would admit that she was shaken for a moment, clearly caught off guard, the same couldn't be said for the other women.
Seriously, it seemed that a fight would be sparked at any moment between the doctors and nurses, as well as a few patients, for the mere opportunity to be his benefactor. While the boy's expression tried to remain smiling and grateful, one could see the slight tensing of his facial muscles and something akin to desperation in his unique eyes.
Feeling that she should do something about it, Weiss decided to step in and extend a helping hand to the one boy whose beauty she recognized and who understood what it was like to be the target of the opposite gender's carnal desire.
Besides, she kind of wanted to get to know him a little...
Sasuke made a lot of bad choices in life, and that was undeniable. Only, not one seemed to be worse than making the stupid move of smiling in the presence of women.
What the hell was he thinking?! It was bound to result in trouble!
As usual, in the Elemental Nations, women who knew him and were aware of his reputation after leaving the village to join Orochimaru, had no fear of death when trying anything with him. Now, just imagine what it would be like in a different world, where no one knew anything about his family, actions, and lineage?
Obviously, it would result in a bloody pandemonium!
Sasuke entered this hospital hoping to get a few looks as usual and perhaps gain the attention of a nurse and use her to help with his situation. When a doctor came to him, Sasuke did his best to pretend to be injured, just as a weakling would do, and tell a little lie. So far, everything was going well, then he made that mistake of smiling and now he was almost scared as he was surrounded for the second time in the same day by thirsty women and it made him angry, especially as he felt hands trying to touch him where they shouldn't. It was only a short time before this anger got the best of him and made each one of those damned women have the same vision as that faunus girl, capable of making her believe that he was Death. Better yet, maybe he should present them with the opportunity to meet death for real and kill each one of them for this affront to his personal space and physical integrity.
A tempting thought.
However, before he could use his hatred to turn fantasy into reality, the voice of salvation sounded and Sasuke tensed even more at the dazzle of his beautiful benefactor.
For a moment, Sasuke could have sworn he had found another Otsutsuki in the worst possible scenario.
Yes, I changed the name of the story, sorry to disappoint you with that little moment of hope when you thought it was a new story. Well, since this is no longer quite a rewrite, you shouldn't be mad at me, right?
Anyway, I'm a little excited that I was able to do an update today, so don't forget to leave your thoughts on the chapter.
If you want to support me and read chapters ahead you can visit my page on P t r & on . (Slash) Bertoti.
Nothing more to say so I see you all again in two weeks.
Until then.