During this strange moment of affection resulting from an impulse and gratitude, Yang began to lose her excitement, where shyness that she didn't know before this day returned to make everything more awkward than it already was with the sudden increase in her heartbeat.
W-what am I doing?! Yang stood rigid, almost petrified with drops of sweat born of nervousness spreading over her skin heated by the touch of her supposed greatest enemy in the world! Worse yet, why am I enjoying this?!
Before, she had thought that all this had happened for nothing more than the heat of the moment! But now, it seemed that wasn't quite the case and the implications of it only served to make it worse with the gentle sensation of Sasuke stroking her back in an attempt to reassure her that made her want to hug him tighter!
This couldn't go on like this, or she would be the one trying to drag him into a room!
As if in an attempt to change the course of this situation, Yang let her sharp tongue speak for her.
"W-why do I feel like kissing you again?" she forced herself to say, using a joking tone that was almost an automatic defense mechanism she had, but Sasuke didn't seem to understand that given his reaction to the suggestion. He took it seriously, didn't he?
The possibility of them kissing again was there and her heart didn't help by raising her blood pressure to the point of making her dizzy, almost in...anticipation?
Realization that confirmed the change of heart within her and raised dangerous implications about it all.
Unfortunately or fortunately, she didn't know which and it served to increase the conflict within her, Sasuke still had his head in place and was alert to the instinctive threat she posed as he disappeared from her hands and reappeared a few feet away.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to pass this time," Sasuke rejected the mere thought of having this girl's lips on his again, not knowing how it would end...or prefer to think he didn't. "I've had enough kisses for one day."
Maybe even for a lifetime.
"How did you..." Yang disregarded his apparent rejection, being again the only man in her life to do that, justifying part of what she was feeling, and focus on what he had just done only to then remember what Weiss had said earlier when they were inside that locker. "You can really teleport?!"
Her question sounded more like an accusation than anything, Sasuke noted.
"Kind of," he neither confirmed nor denied that ability, not very interested in divulging that kind of information about himself without good reason. "Why does it matter?"
After all, after what he did in clearing this kingdom of its Grimm, teleporting shouldn't even be considered something to get worked up about.
But in reality, it was, especially when there was only Kaguya and maybe Obito, if he was still alive, who were able to replicate that feat and not exactly in the same way that Sasuke could do.
Except, that only applied to his world as there was a chance that in Remnant such an ability would be even rarer or even non-existent.
Not that Yang knew that or even cared, having a different reason to be acting that way, angry at him.
"It does matter!" Suddenly, instead of wanting to kiss him, she wanted to punch that cute, indifferent little face of his! "That's because you could have gotten us out of here in a heartbeat before the others arrived, so we wouldn't have to... to..." she was lost in the memories of that damned locker and was beginning to believe that she could never look at one of those things again without remembering what happened inside! Even worse, she could hardly look at Sasuke without remembering all that! Damn, I've been completely corrupted!
Not that she wasn't already, but not to that level!
But it wasn't for nothing that this was happening, because undeniably they almost had sex just now!
As for Sasuke, he came to the same conclusion he had before, seeing this conflicted girl acting this way, like a girl, and he didn't know what to do with the way it messed with him, only that he preferred it when she was on fire and wanting to hit him.
A strange way of thinking but one that made it easier to have Yang around.
"It's not like I didn't want to do it at that time," Sasuke looked away, trying to push away that nagging feeling inside him while clearing that much up so as not to be seen as a pervert...not that the whole thing had been my fault. It was Yang who had that terrible idea and teased him to the limit, after all. "But not only did you not give me much choice for acting abruptly, but then I became unable to use this ability of mine by having my field of vision restricted."
Among other things.
That situation was so absurd that it undeniably affected Sasuke's ability to think rationally.
The truth was that in the heat of the moment, neither of them had their heads on straight.
"Oh..." Yang wasn't expecting this turn of events, being basically blamed for what happened. Well, I am, but he didn't have to rub it in my face! Especially when he was the one who made the first move and went all alpha male on her! "Hmph!" Inevitably, she had a page from her little sister's book in hand as she puffed up her cheeks, crossed her arms, and looked away, pouting. "That's a pretty stupid limitation for a god to have."
Although, she would admit that it made sense, especially if his powers came from his eyes, as she imagined to be the case and was sure the other girls thought the same.
Sasuke himself had admitted outside that police station that his eyes were no ornament and were special...just like Ruby's, apparently.
One of the reasons he was interested in her little sister in the first place.
That aside, it was undeniable at this point that not one of them knew much about him, almost nothing to tell the truth.
Fortunately, it seemed that Sasuke was more willing to open up to her a bit after they became intimate, even if only for a moment.
Unfortunately, what he had to say could only raise more questions and not the good kind.
"I'm not a god, Yang." Since Sasuke had arrived in this world, he had been called as such so many times that even he was beginning to believe it, especially when taking into consideration his left eye, connection to Hagoromo and Indra, and the moon seal on his hand that represented half the power of creation. That and the world where I am now. While in the Elemental Nations, there were Kaguya and Naruto to surpass and rival his power respectively, in Remnant, Sasuke reigned supreme. To my knowledge. There could be something hidden in the shadows of this world, just as there was in his with Black Zetsu and Kaguya. "I may have the power and characteristics of one, but I am not a real god."
At least, not yet.
Sasuke had everything to one day claim a place among those worthy of that title, but whether he would become one or not was still something to be decided later next to his final answer in his quest for peace.
Until then, however, he was only human; a very special one and the last Uchiha.
"You are not a god, but you have the power and characteristics of one?" Yang repeated to make sure she didn't mishear and Sasuke nodded to her, confirming his own words, which were not responsive enough. "So what are you exactly? A demigod? Or..." she clenched her fists at what was going through her head and wanted it to be a lie but needed to question, "Some kind of demon?"
If he was, it certainly helped explain a lot of things and at the same time complicated what couldn't be worse.
Like, she kissed and almost got consumed with lust by some kind of demon?!
What, if anything, did he really want with her little sister?!
An unexpected question that revealed some of what Yang thought about him and inevitably raised questions about the other girls' opinions.
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, deep down, was there a doubt like that present in their minds?
After the darkness demonstrated the night before, Sasuke wouldn't find it strange if so. At the same time, his heart was warmed by the fact that they showed no sign of thinking that way; that instead of demonstrating fear, they displayed concern for him even now, to the point that he could feel it present in their Aura.
Certainly, showing that hidden, loving side of his heart had some influence on all of this.
In that case, Sasuke would summarize his existence to Yang in a simple and...human way. "I'm just a seventeen-year-old boy with more problems than my power is capable of solving."
Which was true, regardless of how vague such an answer might have been.
Yang didn't seem to agree with him.
"Bullshit!" she would never believe that! If someone like him is 'just' a boy, what does that make us in comparison?! Fucking Ants?! The thought of this sank into her stomach and denial was inevitable. "I've seen what you're capable of, so there's no way that can be true!"
Otherwise, what kind of world did this guy come from?!
Better yet, what the hell were they supposed to face later on?!
Could there be someone even stronger than the woman who hurt Sasuke? If there was, what exactly could they help with, even if they received the promised power?!
An indirect answer to these doubts was there when Sasuke decided to walk toward her to make her heart beat faster, rendering her unable to retreat or try to avoid his approach. In fact, it seemed that she wanted to have him closer as if his previously threatening presence had become comforting even as her mind created illusions about his dangerous origin. So when Sasuke stopped before her, inches from her face, she shuddered, but not from fear. That's because he was leaning closer and closer to her while wearing a calm and serene expression that almost made her meet him halfway to have his lips but notice that this wasn't his goal when he whispered in her ear.
"Yang, you have no idea what I am capable of," Sasuke decided to end this conversation right there as he walked away as soon as he finished speaking. Maybe if Ozpin and that General have something interesting prepared for me at this initiation, you will have a better idea of the problem at hand and why Ruby is needed.
If she still thought of him as some form of monster, Sasuke couldn't do much to change that opinion, he only knew that when she saw his full power, that would be the day she would realize that he was even more than a mere demon; she would realize that compared to him, Kaguya was much worse.
Yang stood there, still for a moment as she watched for the second time that day Sasuke's back and that red and white symbol whose meaning remained a mystery to her, just like this boy was.
This time, however, she wasn't feeling the same way.
That blind hatred inside her had been appeased and something else was taking its place.
The turmoil in her heart, however, remained the same, perhaps even worse than before.
This conflict that Sasuke brought with him from another world couldn't be taken lightly, especially now that this threat had only escalated to unimaginable levels while the limit of Sasuke's power remained unknown.
That must be why, contradictorily, Yang would rather not know of his full capability and remain in ignorance for as long as she could if it would give her the peace of mind she so desperately wanted, even if it was one based on lies and denial.
Taking a breath, Yang decided to follow Sasuke as she occupied her troubled mind in formulating an excuse for her current appearance, certain that she would need a very good one so as not to hurt her naive little sister's feelings.
In the main hall, the festive and friendly atmosphere among the students from different parts of the world remained even after hours since their meeting, all thanks to the good news regarding the brighter future ahead of Vale with the extermination of the Grimm.
In the center of it, there were three girls whose mood and weariness was in contrast to that of the others around them, all because they were empty-handed after basically scouring the academy for Sasuke... and Yang, in Ruby's case.
At least no one seems to have been hurt, and although some Faunus had been startled for no more than a moment, nothing had escalated to alert the academy teachers.
So they believe, anyway.
"Have either of you found him?" Weiss asked just for the sake of asking, guessing what the answer was after merely seeing the expression of these two. Where did he go then?
Imagining that he was simply gone made her anxious as if she was about to lose something important.
A situation that was familiar, harking back to the time Winter had left everything behind and joined Atlas's army. An almost absurd comparison, as she barely knew Sasuke for him to represent such a loss as her own sister.
Regardless, she felt the same way.
"Nothing so far," Blake was frustrated, this being the first time in a while that she had really put effort into something and gotten no result. "It's almost as if he's completely gone."
Something that, given his ability, didn't seem like a very absurd feat to consider. The implications of this possibility, on the other hand, were not at all encouraging. On the contrary, it discouraged Blake in a way she couldn't explain and raised questions that were not helpful at all.
Did her parents, and...even Adam, feel this way when she left without saying anything? Such a consideration gave voice to the doubts suppressed in her heart to torment her mind with guilt.
Contrary to the pessimistic expectations linked to Weiss and Blake's past experiences, Ruby, although upset, had not been discouraged, much less given up.
"He's still at school," she could almost feel it, she just couldn't tell where exactly he was, "Or else why would Sasuke come to Beacon in the first place?"
The certainty in her words seemed greater than the logic used and showed confidence that should be considered unfounded, yet motivating.
If this naive girl believed Sasuke had not abandoned them, why should Weiss and Blake give up? Especially when what was said was in fact true?
Sasuke went to a police station to register in this world and agreed to conditions to have his recommendation with Weiss, which the others didn't know about yet and was a trump card she intended to use to get an advantage in the race for his heart.
That aside, the point was that even if he wasn't at Beacon now, Sasuke would definitely return.
"In that case, we just need to keep looking," the sun might be setting, but Weiss needed to prove her resolve as well. "Find a map of this maze of a school to see if we haven't missed anything."
One possibility was the restricted areas for student access, but she would keep that information to herself.
"Let's expand the search outside the school grounds and ask around if anyone has seen him, especially other girls," Blake was along with Weiss on this one, not wanting to let this passionate little rose have an advantage over her with her unwavering belief born of her powerful pre-teen fantasies. "Checking the Internet might also be a good one, given his popularity."
Another place to check was over the academy itself, Blake remembered that Sasuke seemed to enjoy a sunset, but she preferred to keep that possibility to herself.
As Weiss continued in this planning with Blake about their next steps, a chuckle gained their attention for they noticed the other girl's reaction to this improvised alliance, looking at them with a tender smile on her face.
Ruby Rose, as always, seemed too happy for her own good.
"You were acting like that before too," Weiss didn't fail to comment on it this time, especially since she was unable to share this demonstrated feeling without good reason. "By any chance is this situation funny to you? Even more so when your sister might be in trouble?"
Disregarding this could only mean that this girl had some screw loose, something that would certainly explain a lot.
"Not exactly," Ruby didn't want to give that kind of impression, much less offend these two with her sudden mood change. "I'm worried about Yang, but I believe she's with Sasuke and... well?" that sounded more like a question, and no one could blame her for that. The fact was that Yang could get on anyone's nerves, only Sasuke wouldn't hurt her without an excellent reason. After all, he could have done so before, on more than one occasion, so there was no reason for it to happen now. "Despite everything, I'm just glad that the three of us are working together, you know, like a team!"
Weiss and Blake looked at each other, not having realized that, and once again, this smiling girl was right.
After all, there they were, three girls who couldn't be more different, but shared feelings for one and the same boy, helping each other for the sake of the one who held their hearts.
"As for my sister, she can be...complicated," Ruby knew that better than anyone, but that didn't stop her from loving her, "But I wish Yang was here too, being a part of this."
It was hard to imagine that mass of resentment voluntarily helping with something that didn't involve digging a shallow grave to bury the body of a Sasuke she herself helped kill, but Blake and Weiss refrained from making their slightly dark opinions known.
Suddenly they smiled a little with the realization that not one of them felt like bringing this girl into reality and destroying her dreams.
That's because a smiling Ruby Rose wasn't so bad to have around, motivating others to smile too, and maybe that was something both Blake and Weiss needed in their lives.
It was during this moment of mutual acceptance that the one that Ruby, Blake, and Weiss had been looking for decided to return to them.
The voice that made them aware of this, however, belonged to someone else that two of the three didn't care at all about.
"Being part of what?" Yang rested her hand on the ropes tied around her waist, something that while odd was more stylish and comfortable than expected as she let her presence and that of a reluctant Sasuke known as soon as she entered the hall, being sure these girls were talking about her just now. "Something good, I hope."
She smiled and all, trying her best to look natural, hiding her concern of the possible reaction gained by her current appearance and... being completely ignored...?
Why am I even surprised at all?! Yang felt stupid and invisible when all three of them passed by her so fast that they looked like a red, white, and black blur, heading straight for the one who disliked all this attention, especially with the clear fact that they were all about to throw themselves at him! It's almost as if I'm not here!
She expected this from those two, but Ruby? She was her sister, for God's sake!
Being ignored like this only served to feed that bad side of her emotions.
Sasuke, on the other hand, as he made his way to the hall, expected a mixed reception between some scolding provided by Weiss, a possible attempt at sexual harassment from Blake, and a show of excessive concern from Ruby.
He was right about everything.
"Sasuke!" echoed in his mind almost in the form of one of his worst nightmares as he had three girls jump on him, making his eyes go wide with the impact that forced him to use some Chakra to keep his ground. "You're back!"
His whole body shuddered instinctively, wanting to be anywhere but there, mainly because of the unnecessary attention he was attracting to himself.
However, after what he had done to Yang, Sasuke felt some sort of obligation to accept the concern, moderate lust, and affection of these girls without having the right to complain.
Otherwise, his ultimate escape tool, also known as the Rinnegan, would have done its job by that point.
A questionable use of such a divine eye and all the pain and suffering faced to obtain it, yet necessary to help keep his physical integrity intact if necessary.
Something that, inevitably, was already compromised after what he almost did with Yang.
"What happened?!" Weiss basically demanded as she battled these other two for more space in his arms, noting his current state and blushing because of it. "W-where are your clothes?!"
The sash and rope he was wearing are gone!
"Some bitch cornered you in the locker room, didn't they?!" Blake immediately defined based on the traces from before what the problem was and didn't even notice Yang having a vein popped in her forehead for the more than direct offense, being too busy scanning the room for the possible culprit she would have the honor of putting in her proper place! "Just say who it was and I'll make her regret it for the rest of her life!"
No one could try their luck with her man and think they wouldn't get a one-way ticket to the hospital!
"Waawawaw!" Ruby was regretting getting there faster than Weiss and Blake, being crushed by them against Sasuke's fully exposed chest to make her mind boil as her new imagination ran wild! W-what do I do?! She couldn't be the only one affected in this way and not say something! You can do it, Ruby Rose! Or else she would lose to these other girls and that couldn't happen! "Iwassoworried!Thinkingsomethinghadhappenedafteryougotangryand...and...and!"
She stopped to take a breath and didn't even know what she was talking about anymore, her mind close to total collapse!
In the middle of all this, Sasuke had that feeling of guilt affecting him in a way that seemed worse than before.
Earlier, when he had been hugged by Yang...not inside the lockers, after that, when he had made peace with that girl by agreeing to let her little sister go, but without clarifying that this decision was not up to either of them but Ruby herself, there was the odd thought that having a girl in his arms wasn't so bad.
Probably, Sasuke was slowly getting used to this after it had happened so many times since he arrived in Remnant.
That was because before, the mere act of sharing this kind of affectionate gesture made him feel so many negative emotions, such as sadness, fear, and anger for reminding him of what was lost in the past, as well as what would happen if he allowed himself to accept those feelings again and ended up losing everything.
Hugs were a symbol of bonds, love, and family, and that inevitably hurt.
Now, however, even with the mindset that Sasuke would leave this world and the people in it later when he returned to the Elemental Nations, having three girls in his arms at once; girls who had undeniably managed to open a breach in his heart and create affective illusions, was too much for him to handle.
Slowly, they were beginning to break him; his previously unshakable resolve to want to go into the darkness and remain there alone for all eternity.
His hands trembled, wanting to hug them back and make these feelings reciprocal, but he didn't.
Sasuke couldn't give in; weaken at any point, or his revolution would never happen.
While there was no certainty that his extreme method would work, destroy to rebuild was still the only one he had, and while Remnant, at first, had made Sasuke believe that his revolution was flawed, at the same time, there were clear signs that having a common enemy helped maintain a certain level of peace.
It seems that conflict and indecision is the only thing that remains unchanged, Sasuke ended up expressing a defeated smile, especially seeing Ruby's eyes spinning as she mumbled incoherences and her skin heated to levels that shouldn't be normal. At least, I'm not the only one.
He wasn't wrong.
Yang stood there, observing everything with an undeniable touch of melancholy in her gaze, showing yet another side unknown even to her before this day.
She was noticing something besides her anger; something she had preferred to ignore all this time... Not the feelings she definitely had for this womanizing bastard, but about the fact that maybe the one she had to convince about all this was not Sasuke but Ruby.
An impossible mission, given the development before her.
That must be why Sasuke agreed with me earlier, Yang couldn't rule that out, because Sasuke was definitely not an idiot. He knows that Ruby is the one with the final word, regardless of what I want.
Unless she used force, nothing could be changed...especially since she had no such power.
Even if she did, Ruby probably would too, and she would be back to square one anyway.
What should I do then? Yang clenched her fists, doing her best to ignore these strange feelings toward Sasuke and focus on what was bothering her in the first place. To keep Ruby from getting hurt?
Either emotionally or physically.
Unfortunately, there was no simple answer, only that she had no intention of giving up and would do whatever it took, no matter what, to protect her little sister.
That was something Yang could proudly say had not changed; the strength of her determination to keep Ruby safe.
Nothing to say today, so I'll just leave the chapter here for you guys.
Review, and if you want to support me and read ahead take a look at my P t r & on (slash) Bertoti
The next one comes out on the 15th.