"I still can't believe you thought you weren't gonna pass, Whiskers." Not for the first time, Yang teased Naruto.
"When I heard there was a written test, I panicked," Naruto admitted. "I've never been good at written tests. I mean, I've never failed an important one, but I've still never been good at them." Naruto motioned to the third member of their trio. "What about her? You're not surprised at all that Ruby's coming?"
Ruby was beaming wider than she ever had before, sitting next to them on the airship to Beacon. Several nights ago, while Yang was packing to head off to Beacon and Naruto was helping her, Taiyang had left the house in a rush. He hadn't explained where he was going, only that he'd be back in a few hours. Sure enough, he had come back hours later, with a smiling Ruby in tow. They explained how Ruby had met Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon, and how he had personally invited her to join his academy.
And so, just days later, the three of them were aboard Beacon's airship, heading out to the illustrious academy. No matter how many times Naruto rode on an airship, although it wasn't much many so far, he never quite got tired of the view. Mountains rolled by in the distance, and far below, the cityscape of Vale drifted past like rolling waves. It was another beautiful day, a radiant sun shining bright, glittering of the ocean like shining gold.
Yang was dressed in the same clothes that Naruto first met her in, the same outfit she wore to take the entrance exam. Naruto gathered that it was what she liked to wear when she planned to fight, possibly because it was easy to move in, or something like that. Ruby was dressed the same as she usually did, including that rosy cloak of hers. Naruto, for his part, had done his best to patch up and clean his jumpsuit, with less than great results.
Around them, the other students-to-be were abuzz with activity. There was a palpable sense of excitement in the air, the collective joy of realizing a life-long dream. Naruto felt out of place amidst these people, and couldn't help but wonder if he had cost someone else their chance to attend the school of their dreams. Well, it's not like they only accepted some set number, right? Naruto tried to find some comfort in that fact.
"Oh, I think I can see Beacon now!" Ruby called out. Naruto and Yang stepped over to the window, and sure enough, ahead of the airship, they could see an almost castle-like arrangement of buildings, built on the edge of the cliff. As the airship neared it, a hologram appeared on the screens around the ship, displaying a blonde woman.
She spoke to the assembled students, welcoming them to Beacon. She introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch, and congratulated them on being among the few to make it into Beacon. When her brief speech concluded, a hush fell over the crowd, before almost immediately being replaced by more excited murmuring and chatter. More and more people were noticing Beacon on the horizon, and the airship was drawing closer with each second.
Finally, it docked with Beacon, and the doors slid open, allowing the students out into the campus proper. As Naruto stepped out, he looked up at the magnificent building ahead, dwarfing its surroundings by its sheer height. Structures resembling aqueducts circled the main courtyard, capped at each end by what looked like battlements. A beautiful fountain, decorated with a statue of a man and woman towering over a Grimm, adorned the center of the courtyard, with the path circling around it. In turn, surrounding the path was a decorative pond, which flowed back underground and to the center.
Ruby and Naruto were transfixed by the sight, while Yang still found enough wits to speak a few words of praise, "Wow… It's way more impressive this close up." Naruto had to agree. Back home, he had never seen anything like this. Ruby, on the other hand, had her attention captured by something much closer to the ground.
As the new arrivals intermingled with the wandering students getting settled in for their new semester, Ruby was enthralled by the various weaponry that she saw those students carrying. "Oh my gosh! Look at his gun blade! Oh, oh, and her buzzsaw spear!" She started to wander after them, only for Yang to grab her by the hood and pull her back to them.
"Easy there, little sis. We've got somewhere to be today," Yang chided. Ruby pouted, but since Yang was right, she couldn't say much. "Hey, Naruto, did you hear about the team thing?" Naruto shook his head. "So, I've heard that we're gonna be on teams here at Beacon, and apparently, they get assigned pretty soon after we get here. I wonder if it'll happen at the entrance ceremony?"
"Teams, huh?" Naruto wondered aloud. "I haven't really worked on a normal team in a long time. Not since…" Naruto stopped. The last time he'd been on a three-man team, led by a jonin, was when Sai and Yamato joined them to confront Orochimaru. It was also the last time that he had seen Sasuke. Since then… Sasuke had killed his brother, as he had wanted to for years, and yet, he hadn't come home.
Naruto sighed. He couldn't let it eat at him, not now. He had to work on getting back home first. And for that- "Since when, Whiskers?" Yang pulled him out of his thoughts.
Naruto flashed her a grin, moving on from his doom-and-gloom thoughts, "Since I was back home! We worked in teams of four usually, but sometimes it'd be more or less than that. One time, we set out with a group of about twelve of us to track someone down."
"Wow, must've been a really important person," Yang said. "Huntsmen teams are four people big, at least according to Uncle Qrow. Dunno if they get any bigger than that, though."
"Can't wait to see who we get teamed up with!" Naruto exclaimed. Last time he was put in a team, he was with his crush and his best friend or rival, depending on the day. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of people he'd get to know this time around. He'd be with them until he could get home, so he figured he'd probably end up getting pretty close with them.
"We gotta try to team up together!" Ruby jumped in.
Yang rubbed her head, "Aw, Ruby, even if we're not on the same team, we can still hang out. Besides, we don't even know how the teams will be assigned!"
Ruby pouted, "I guess so. I just don't wanna be with people I don't get along with."
"I'm sure you'll make friends with 'em in no time!" Yang beamed.
"Ugh… I don't wannaaaa," Ruby whined.
"Hey, guys?" Naruto asked. "Where are we actually going?" They had been walking as they chatted, but they had drifted away from the crowd. They were on a path around the main building, that huge tower. Suffice to say, it didn't seem like they were headed in the right direction.
After turning themselves back around, the three finally found there way to an auditorium of sorts. A number of other students had gathered there, milling around and chatting with their friends. Some people called out to Yang, waving her over. Naruto recognized one of them from Patch. Must be her friends, he thought. "Hey, sorry guys, I'm gonna go catch up with some of my buddies from Signal! I'll catch up with you guys later!" Yang apologized. She hurried off to where they were, leaving Naruto and Ruby behind.
"Wai-" Ruby started, but it was too late. "Oh, Yang! Ugh, she's always like this." She looked to Naruto, as if for agreement or support.
Naruto shrugged, "Don't let it get to you. She'll be back later, I'm sure." He turned his attention to the stage at the far end of the room, which was currently empty save for a microphone standing centerstage. "I wonder who we're waiting for?"
Ruby shrugged, "I dunno, probably the headmaster?"
Yeah, that made sense. Naruto looked around at the rest of the room, examining the other students here. A few people stuck out to him, mostly due to how they were dressed, but a couple were more… Well, it was hard to explain. One girl stood with an air of caution to her, as if she was totally on guard. A couple were clearly more experienced than the others, who likely learned the same as Yang or Ruby did, in a classroom. He wondered why that was, where each of them may have come from.
Lost in thought, he didn't hear Ruby until she poked him in the side, "Hey!" she called, "Naruto!" He looked at her with a sheepish grin. "Do you think we'll end up on the same team?" She seemed nervous as she asked. Thinking back to their conversation about teams, she really didn't seem to like the idea of being split up from either Naruto or Yang.
Naruto smiled, "Yeah, I bet we will!" He gave Ruby a little thumbs up, and she gave a little smile back.
"I can't wait," she said. "I'm getting so anxious thinking about it."
"It's nothing to worry about," Naruto reassured her. "Even if we do end up on other teams, we'll always be around, y'know?"
"Yeah… I guess so," Ruby half-heartedly agreed. She didn't seem convinced, but she also seemed to accept that there wasn't much to be done about it right now. "Maybe we-"
Whatever she was going to say, she was cut off but a loud tone sounding throughout the auditorium. Up on stage, a man in black clothing, walking with a cane, stepped up to the microphone. In a glance, Naruto could tell something was different about him. Unlike the others around the room, even those with clear experience, this man, who Naruto took to be the headmaster, stood with an air of confidence that only came from decades of real, genuine combat experience. This, Naruto thought, must be the difference between a student and a real huntsman.
Before Naruto had time to think about it further, the headmaster spoke, "I'll… keep this brief." As he spoke, he gazed out over the crowd, his eyes never resting for longer than a moment at a time. It was impossible to tell where exactly he was looking, or who he lingered on, but Naruto had a hunch that certain students caught his eye. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." Several students around the room murmured amongst themselves. Naruto himself felt like it was a weird way to greet a new group of students. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
As the headmaster finished, he stepped away, leaving the stage the same way he came in. Another woman, the same as on the screen on the airship, stepped up in his place. She spoke briefly, telling the students to gather in the ballroom that evening to sleep, and that the next day, their test would start. With that, the students were dismissed, allowed the next hour or two before sunset to explore the campus.
As they left the auditorium, Naruto and Ruby couldn't find Yang. Presumably, she was swept up in the crowd. Nevertheless, the pair followed the flow until it dispersed outside, students going off to find their luggage or the ballroom itself. Naruto rubbed his head as he watched the crowds break off from each other, asking, "Where do you think we should go?"
Ruby shrugged, "I guess we should just go to the ballroom. The sun is gonna go down soon, so we don't have a lot of time until we gotta go there anyways. Besides, I don't have a lot of stuff."
"Let's get goin' then," Naruto directed. He and Ruby followed the crowd that was headed further into the campus. It didn't take long to reach their destination, a pretty grand building with floor-to-ceiling windows making up an entire wall. Funneling into the building, the main room was expansive, and it was clear why all the new, dorm-less students would spend the night here.
Looking around, it seemed as though the men and women were sleeping on opposites sides of the hall. Rows and rows of bedrolls were arranged, with a pillow for each. Naruto nudged Ruby to get her attention, "I guess this is goodbye, for tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, before the test, yeah?"
Ruby nodded, "See you then!" With that, her and Naruto split up. Naruto made his way over to the male side of the hall, and sat down on a random bedroll. He leaned back a little, thinking back over the last several weeks. Looking around the hall, it dawned on him that depending on his luck, he might be spending the next several years in this place. He glanced over towards the women, but he couldn't spot Ruby or Yang anywhere. At least he had found good friends here. And who knew how many of the people around him would end up being great friends, in time?
"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" someone asked. Naruto looked up. Standing over him was a blond boy, smiling awkwardly as he held his bag over a nearby bedroll.
Naruto waved him down, "It's fine, go for it!" The boy plopped down next to him like he had been standing for a week.
"Geez, thanks. Everyone else looks so scary to be around," he complained. "I'm Jaune, by the way. Good to meet you."
Naruto smiled, "Naruto Uzumaki. You think so?" He looked around. Sure, some of the dudes were flexing and showing off to each other, but no one seemed that intimidating. "I guess it's just how you look at it, huh?"
Jaune shrugged, "I guess so. They just seem like they'd be really hard to talk to."
"Ha, maybe so," Naruto laughed. "I bet they're not that bad. I mean, you thought I'd be fine, right?"
"Well, uh, you just seemed less…" Jaune stopped. Naruto raised an eyebrow, but he didn't continue. Instead, he changed the topic, "How about this stuff tomorrow, huh?"
Naruto grinned, "You nervous?"
"N- No!" Jaune denied. "Just, wondering what you thought about it, is all."
"Alright, alright," Naruto let it go. "I think it'll be fun. I hope." Naruto hadn't really though much about it, after all. Was it a written test or a physical one? Was it even a test? "What about you?"
"Oh, uh, y'know, I've got no reason to be nervous." It wasn't exactly hard to read Jaune; he seemed like he wore his heart on his sleeves.
"That's the spirit!" Naruto encouraged him regardless. Jaune gave a small, nervous laugh, and fell silent. Naruto looked around the hall, and realized that most of everyone else had already gotten changed into pajamas. "We should probably get ready to sleep, huh?" he posed to Jaune.
"Oh, yeah, you're right," Jaune agreed. The two stood up, and after a quick search, found a back room where they could change, brush their teeth, and anything else they needed to do. Before long, they were back in the ballroom.
Taking a look around, Naruto noticed small huddles of people had begun to form. People were already getting to know each other, it looked like. He heard Jaune coming up behind him, and turned to look. He did a double take; Jaune was dressed in some kind of blue onesie. Well, Naruto couldn't really speak, he'd worn two different jumpsuits since his arrival here, and they weren't exactly normal clothing even back home.
"That's so much comfier!" Jaune exhaled. "C'mon, let's head back."
Naruto had to admit, walking with him was a little embarrassing, but only because Naruto himself was used to being the buffoon. It was weird to see it from the outside. As they walked, though, he finally caught a glimpse of Yang and Ruby, both lying next to each other. He gave a little wave, which Yang noticed. Ruby was busy reading something, it looked like.
"Y'know, you're right, I'm not even worried about tomorrow!" Jaune told him as they walked.
Naruto grinned, "Yeah? Good!"
"Yeah!" Jaune continued, "I bet it'll be a cinch."
Naruto had to agree. No matter what came tomorrow, he'd tackle it with all he had.
Admittedly, the view over the Emerald Forest was beautiful. True to its name, the trees sparkled with a brilliant green, a far cry from the red leaves of what Naruto had learned was called the Forest of Forever Fall. The sun was out today, as well, casting a radiant light over the expansive woods. Doubtless, though, it wasn't all beautiful. Even from way up atop a nearby cliff, Naruto could sense that the forest was teeming with life, and that very little of it was friendly.
He, and the other new students, were arrayed on a clifftop, stood of metal platforms not much bigger than they were. The headmaster, Professor Ozpin, and Glynda Goodwitch stood before them, introducing their exam to them. They were to claim a relic from some ruins deep within the forest, then return here. Throughout the instructions, Naruto couldn't help but feel like Ozpin kept sneaking glances at him.
Nevertheless, before long, they were told to prepare their 'landing strategy', whatever that meant, and that they would begin shortly. Naruto felt like he missed something for a moment, but Jaune apparently also didn't know what a landing strategy was. For Naruto, however, his question was answered pretty quickly when he saw that the start of the line of students had gotten flung far into the air over the forest.
'They're just launching us in? What's the point of that?' Naruto wondered to himself. Regardless, he stretched out his legs, stood up tall, then dropped into a solid stance. When it finally came to his turn to fly, he pressed up, jumping with the platform's launch.
All of the sudden, he was soaring through the air, faster than he'd ever moved before. Those platforms had some serious force, it seemed! He glanced around for a moment, seeing other students around him being to transition to their various landing methods. He spotted Ruby's bright red cloak just as it dipped into the tree line, and he could definitely hear Yang as she rocketed past him through the air, using her gauntlets to shoot herself ever further forwards.
He himself got ready to touch down soon thereafter, as he spotted a clearing in the woods. He flipped around, grabbing out a kunai, and just as he reached the trees, jabbed into one of them, killing his momentum in seconds. It took two more trees to stop himself fully, and he dropped down to the forest floor. He stood, looking up into the sky again at anyone else who might have been in the air still. He saw someone flailing around… Jaune? It looked to be him, but he was so far away that Naruto couldn't quite tell for sure. Hopefully his landing went alright.
At an, admittedly, overly relaxed pace, Naruto started to make his way through the forest. According to the professors, whoever he locked eyes with first would be his partner for the next four years here. Although he hoped it would be someone like Yang or Ruby, he wasn't overly concerned with seeking them out. He had a hunch that he'd be able to get along with just about anyone here.
Before much longer, he couldn't hear anyone else above him, so hopefully, everyone had landed safely. He could also hear what sounded like gunfire. If he had to guess, he'd say that someone had already found, or been found by, Grimm. It was probably best to keep his guard up. His kunai wouldn't help him much here, but he could match their strength well enough. He listened closely as he walked, trying to stay alert for anything out of the ordinary. It was a far cry from how he usually approached stuff like this.
Finally, though, he heard something. Footsteps, and rustling bushes, not far from him. They were soft steps, so they weren't Grimm, at least no kind he'd seen before. Nevertheless, he readied himself for anything. Poking his head through the brush, he came face to face with the business end of a scythe. In an instant, Ruby pulled it back, jumping forward with her arms out. Giving Naruto a tight hug for a second, Ruby let out a huge sigh of relief, "Oh my GOD, I'm so glad it was you!" She fell backwards, sitting and leaning back. "I dunno what I would've done if I was with someone I barely knew."
Naruto laughed, somewhat agreeing. He sat down next to Ruby, "I wonder if Yang is having as much luck as we are?" He glanced over at Ruby, who just shrugged.
"Who knows? She has a bunch of friends who came with her. It's not gonna be hard for her to fit in, y'know?"
Naruto laughed, "Yeah, especially if yesterday is anything to go by. So, you and me, then?" He reached his hand out as he stood up, offering to help her up, as well.
She took his hand, and he pulled her up as she stood. "Looks like it!" she answered with a smile. "Wanna get going towards that temple or whatever, no?"
Naruto nodded in agreement, and off they went. The forest was calm around them, though the occasional sound of gunfire rang out through the verdant expanse. All over the Emerald Forest, the newly formed teams were fighting against the Grimm, getting to know how their partners fought. Some worked well together; others, less so.
The midday sun high overhead, its shine poking through the canopy above, the pair made their way deep into the woods, heading towards the relics they were told to bring back. Their heads were on a swivel, keeping an eye out for any possible dangers. Several times, one of them thought they heard or saw something, something that ended up being just an animal.
Finally, though, they could make out the unmistakable growl of a Beowolf on the prowl. Ruby readied her rifle, and Naruto got ready to make a clone. Listening carefully, Naruto could make out the footsteps of at least half a dozen of them, circling just behind the brush and trees. They were preparing an ambush. He nudged Ruby, gesturing behind them, trying to signal her to watch their backs. He knew she was capable of taking on at least two Beowolves at once, and although he had trouble actually killing them, Naruto felt confident in taking on the rest.
Silence lingered for a moment, before all hell broke loose. Several Grimm pounced directly at Naruto, who immediately created two clones to back him up. He heard several shots ring out behind him, followed by the sound of metal on metal. He could only guess that Ruby moved into melee, or was forced to. He had to focus on his own fight, however. He and his clones moved in to take on the five Beowolves. One slid under the leaping pack, kicking one of them up into the air, and leaping up after it. The other clone, finishing creating a Rasengan in Naruto's hand, pulled out a kunai to use for defense.
Naruto himself, Rasengan in hand, ducked inside of the wide swipes of one of the Grimm, and rammed the Rasengan square in the middle of its chest, and with as much force as he could muster, thrust towards another one, sending his target flying into it, sending both into a tree. The one he hit began to dissolve, but he had no time to worry about that- another was upon him. He raised his arm, aiming to block one swipe by meeting his forearm with the Grimm's. He allowed it in a mite closer, before slamming his palm into its jaw, sending it reeling for several moments.
In the air, his clone kicked several more times into the Beowolf's midsection, sending it inches higher with each blow. For the final kick, he turned in midair, slamming his heel down on the back of the Grimm, sending it ground bound. A small crater formed around it, the ground caving from the impact. That wouldn't kill the beast- the Grimm were too hardy for that- but it'd keep it down for at least a few moments.
The other clone kept the fifth Beowolf busy in a defensive fight. Its claws came nowhere near him, the kunai more than able to deflect them. In the meantime, Naruto himself stretched his hand out behind him, feeling his clone, who had landed just behind him, form another Rasengan in his hand. When it finished, his clone immediately started forming another in his other hand, while Naruto thrust the first into the Grimm he'd just stunned, destroying it. The second Rasengan was used on the formerly flying wolf, turning it to dust. With three down, and one of the two remaining only just now rising, Naruto made a Rasengan for his clone, who went to join the other. He glanced over his shoulder, where Ruby was being pressed by a Grimm still. He was tempted to help out, but he knew she could take it, and he had something yet to do.
He watched for a few moments as the Grimm he'd sent into a tree rose, seemingly still stunned by the impact. He stepped towards it, then darted in, waiting for the arrival of his remaining clones. He didn't have to wait long, as he heard the impact of a Rasengan behind him, and the pop of a clone. With a brief rush of memories, he knew his last clone was coming up on his right. After a kick to the last Beowolf's head, he thrust his hand out, and readied his chakra. His clone began to shape it with little delay. Moments later, with one last Rasengan, Naruto finished off the final Grimm. He turned quickly to see if Ruby was doing well, and saw her rushing over to help him. The pair shared a grin.
Victory was theirs, and it was time to find that temple.
Woot, I'm back. Sorry all, hit a snag with the writing with, if you can believe it, deciding who to partner Naruto with. Not sure what I'm gonna do with Weiss, or if I'm even gonna include her. I've never particularly cared for her as a character, but honestly, that goes for several characters, at least early on.
I also ended up being pretty busy with work and other hobbies the last while. After spending several hours a day typing up stupidly repetitive code, that last thing I want is to keep typing after that. Except tonight, apparently.
I've gotten a lot of support since the last chapter, though, and I appreciate all of it! You guys are great.
See you next time, which, hopefully, will come quicker than this.
