AN: Hey everyone. I know, it's been a while. Based on what I said last time I'm sure plenty of you thought I was done. Well, things haven't changed. I am still not sure when, if ever I will be getting these chapters out. But, I did finish this up so here it is. Now, here is the part where I address the criticism, and boy is there a lot. Some of you, not a lot, but some of you are still harping on me about the taking away Chakra thing. It is what it is at this point. Someone else mentioned that this is just Naruto playing tag-along with a bunch of teenagers. To that I say, while that is a bit true at first, that's not going to be the whole thing. Also, Naruto is a teenager. He's 17, like the majority of first years in Beacon.
One criticism I do understand is those who complained that I gave Naruto a staff because it's too similar to Sun. I do understand that complaint. However, I would counter that by saying that no matter what weapon I gave him it would be similar to somebody's. That's how wide the weapon variety is in RWBY. Also, the reason I gave Naruto a staff is, well, he picked a staff. The Truth-Seeking Orbs can be molded into any shape. What did Naruto mold them into? A couple of staffs. What weapon could possibly match Naruto more than one he picked? Now I might agree that the one long staff I gave him is a bit too similar. I might decide to adjust that at some point.
Now, with that long spiel out of the way let's get to the chapter.
Chapter 5 – Time for Class
Naruto had awoken in his new room and felt well-rested. Unlike a few days ago in which he was too excited to sleep, the previous day's initiation left him plenty tired. As he woke up, he had fresher eyes to look at his new room. The walls of the room were split between two different colors of grey. Towards the bottom it was a rather dark grey. The upper half was also grey to an extent, although much brighter and more closely resembling the color of a cinderblock. Separating the two spaces of gray was a strip of different shades of brown. The door was the same color as the upper half of the wall. The room also had a rather large window, which Naruto was quite happy about due to him enjoying a nice breeze when he sleeps. There were four twin-sized beds lined up against the wall with the window. The beds had white sheets, a single pillow with a white pillow casing, and a red blanket. Naruto may have his own room, but the room itself was intended for four people. Directly under the window, having two beds on either side of it, was a brown wooden nightstand. The room has a single restroom with its own shower. There are also two wooden desks across from the beds, each with a single wooden chair and multiple shelves above them.
Naruto was a little weirded out. He was not used to his living space being so clean and tidy. "Is this what having a clean room looks like?" The perplexed blonde asked out loud.
"Strange sight, isn't it?" Kurama asked in turn.
"Yeah…" Naruto said with a pause. "Maybe I'll actually work a little harder keeping this one clean."
Kurama fell silent. He could not comprehend the words that just came out of his friend's mouth. "Are you serious when you say that?"
"I mean, I'll try." Naruto said, not at all trying to convince that fox that he was really going to do it. He then laid back down on his bed as he stared at the ceiling and decided to further converse with Kurama. "Hey, Kurama. What do you think the first class will be like?"
"I'm sure you'll be practicing combat at some point in the day, if not in the next couple days. But, I doubt the first class will have actual physical activity." The fox predicted.
"What makes you say that?" Naruto inquired from the fox.
"A combat school is still a school." Kurama answered. "Also, let's not forget what we've heard from Glynda and Ozpin so far. On the ship, Glynda said "it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." Then, Ozpin started his speech by saying, "you have all traveled here today in search of knowledge." So, seemingly the top two authorities in this school emphasize gaining knowledge along with training. Which means the classes here will be as academic as they are physical."
Naruto nervously gulped upon hearing that. Academics has always been one of his poorest attributes. "Oh, this is gonna be bad…"
"Oh, calm down. You sound pathetic." Kurama stated. "You're not the same little kid you were back at the academy. Yeah, you're still pretty thick-headed. But, that doesn't mean you can't handle it. Look, your goal at this place is to actually learn. Back at the academy your focus was on just trying to be noticed." Kurama pointed out.
Naruto did not think about it like that. It was true though. At the Leaf's Shinobi Academy, Naruto was so desperate to be acknowledged by someone, that he poured his everything into mischief and pranks to force people to notice him. With more focus on actually trying to learn what he needs to know about being a Huntsman, it should go more smoothly. "Thanks, Kurama. I'm really glad you're here." Naruto said genuinely.
"Shut up, kid. I don't wanna vomit after just waking up." Kurama stated almost reflexively with a grin. He and Naruto may be friends, but that did not mean that the fox would be used to having a conversation without throwing out some snarky remark at him.
Naruto smiled. He knew how the fox really felt about him. Naruto then looked at the clock and seen he had about two hours before his first class started. "Well, guess it's time I started the day."
"Start with a shower. After yesterday you probably smell like Saiken." Kurama stated, referring to how hard Naruto worked yesterday during the initiation.
"Does Saiken really smell that bad?" Naruto asked the fox. Naruto's interactions with Saiken had been through their connected Chakra, so Naruto did not actually know what the Six Tails smells like.
"He's a giant amorphous slug that oozes corrosive liquid! Of course, he smells horrible!" Kurama yelled, irritated that he even had to answer that.
"I didn't know! Jeez…" Naruto said before he headed into the restroom. Upon taking off his clothes, Naruto also took off his metal arm. He then steps into the shower and gives himself a thorough cleansing. After all, he did just get compared to an amorphous ooze dripping slug. He finished his shower now feeling much more refreshed. After some of the steam cleared, Naruto was able to get a good look at himself in the mirror. After comically admiring his physique, he noticed his stump of an arm. This of course made him recall his old life.
So much has happened to him in just 17 years. He was born under the tragedy of the Nine Tails attack that resulted in the death of his parents. He was persecuted against and had death wished upon him ever since he was a baby due to his status as a jinchuriki. He struggled to make friends and have kin, only for his best friend to leave and almost kill him. Since then, he's fought several extremely lethal rouge shinobi from the Akatsuki that wanted to capture him. He's fought Orochimaru, who was one of the Leaf's deadliest enemies. Pain, a delusional but incredibly powerful shinobi with a god complex who trained under the same master he did. He then fought a world war, fought against Madara – the most infamous shinobi of all time, and even battled with gods.
After all that, here he still stands. It may be a new world, and he may only have one real arm, but he was still alive and very much kicking. After that trip down memory lane, Naruto equipped his metal arm again. After remembering how much he has been through, Naruto was more motivated than before and ready for whatever the day brings.
"Well, you seem more chipper." Kurama commented.
"Yup! I'm ready for whatever this school is gonna throw at me!" Naruto said excitedly. He left the restroom and was about to put on his usual clothes. He figured he could go have a leisurely stroll while waiting for it to get closer to class time. However, Naruto noticed something in the drawers that he was not expecting. It also had a note on it. He grabbed the note and it said that this was the school uniform that he had to wear to class. Naruto then inspected the uniform and was not pleased. "This, this can't be right…" Naruto thought to himself. The uniform consisted of a black suit lined with gold, accompanied by a blue vest and a white shirt with a red tie. "There…there's not a spec of orange on this!" Naruto shouted as if this was an absolute travesty.
Kurama held his head. "Kid, as someone with orange fur, let me be the one to say it. You need to get over this orange thing of yours."
Naruto just widened his eyes at the sound of what Kurama said. "You traitor…" Naruto said with contempt in his voice. This caused Kurama to hold his head again. Naruto kept looking at the uniform. "Time to bite the bullet…" Naruto said as he put on the uniform. To his surprise the clothes fit perfectly. "How did they know my sizes? I don't remember telling them."
"Perhaps they snuck in while you all were sleeping and found out." Kurama said in the least serious way possible.
Naruto just kept messing with his tie. "I hate these things, ya know."
"Get over it. Now let's get going." Kurama said to his friend as Naruto left the room and headed to his first class.
Naruto was now in the classroom that his first class will take place in. He is early, so he starts killing time by messing around with his scroll. Every few seconds he watches the instructor pace slowly, waiting for people to show up. The instructor's name was Professor Port. He looks to be either middle-aged or early old age considering his gray hair and mustache. He has a gut the visibly shakes when he moves. In terms of clothing, he wears a double-breasted burgundy suit with gold piping and buttons. His pants are tucked into olive boots. "Huh, I've never seen a mustache like that…" Naruto thought to himself. A few minutes later, he sees teams RWBY and JNPR come sprinting in. "Uh, you guys okay?"
Ruby, now catching her breath, responds by saying, "We spent too long working on our room. We had five minutes to get here…"
"That sucks." Naruto responded. "Well hey, you guys can sit next me!" Naruto then motioned to the four empty seats next to him.
Yang smirks upon hearing the invitation. "Thanks, Whiskers." Her and her team sit at the desk, with Ruby next to Naruto followed by Weiss, Yang, and then Blake. "So, how's the solo room?"
"Oh, I slept great in it! There were four beds, which I guess they'll come pick up at some point. If not, I can just toss them out the huge window in the room." Naruto informed her.
"We have a pretty big window too, makes it nice and breezy." Ruby added.
Weiss, upon hearing Naruto's idea to toss the beds out the window responded with, "That's property of the school, you can't just throw them out the window!"
Naruto rolled his eyes upon hearing this. "Do you have to be so uptight all the time? I hear that causes indigestion." Yang and Ruby snickered at his remark.
Blake then entered the conversation. "It's not like we'll get in trouble if Naruto does it."
"See?!" Naruto shouted indignantly. "Why can't you be more like Blake?!" Weiss just glared at Naruto before they were interrupted by Port.
"It's 9:00. Welcome to your first class here at Beacon! My name, is Professor Peter Port. I'll be taking you all with me on a journey, as I regale you with tails from my youth! It is in these tails that you will learn the best ways to take down those that would threaten our well-earned peace!" Port said, introducing the class structure to the students.
There was nothing but silence from the students. They did not know what they were in for. Naruto on the other hand, had dead eyes as he could tell this was about to get very boring. "Kurama, are you sure I can do this?" He mentally asked the fox.
"I thought Naruto Uzumaki never backed down." Kurama said with a chuckle, teasing his friend.
"Oi! Don't use my stubbornness against me!" Naruto shouted internally back at the fox. Their squabble was ended as Port started speaking again.
"Monsters! Demons…" Port began his lecture. "Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I, merely refer to them as prey."
"This guy can't be for real…" Naruto thought to himself. He then looked to his right as he could hear the sound of Ruby sleeping. He could not really blame her. After all, if it was not for the fact that Kurama would yell at him, he would probably do the same thing. Weiss was taking notes, presumably from the diagrams of the different Grimm behind Port. Yang was just sitting up straight trying to listen, and Blake seemed to be staring off into space. Ruby was then woken back up when Port let out a confident but loud laugh.
"Uh…" Port let out upon seeing that he had lost the attention of his students. He attempted to grab their attention again. "and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now, as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses…" Port than does a tongue-clicking sound and gestures to Yang, who in turn laughs nervously. Naruto just began snickering at the interaction he just saw. Port then continued to drabble on and on. Some random student stood up and gave a slight cheer, only to feel embarrassed at being the only one and sat back down hanging his head. Naruto gave the student a few claps.
Yang then whispered to Naruto, "What are you doing?"
"I thought the guy earned a few claps for trying to get into this snooze fest." Was Naruto's answer. Yang merely nodded.
"That is what you are training to become." Port continued on. "But first, a story. The tale of a young, handsome, man. Me. When I was a boy…" Most of the students at this point began drowning out Port.
Naruto could hear Ruby going nuts with her pencil. Ruby's snickering only made him more curious. Ruby then showed her teammates causing herself and Yang to laugh. Naruto tapped her on the shoulder, so she showed it to him, and it was a poorly drawn Port with an exaggerated gut who seemed to be radiating some kind of stench. Naruto also started laughing.
Port then cleared his throat making the students jolt their attention back to him. "In the end the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity. And I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high. Celebrated, as a hero." Port then bowed. "The moral of the story? A true Huntsman must be honorable." Weiss began to grow more and more irritated as Ruby kept messing around more and more. "A true Huntsman must be dependable. A true Huntsman must be strategic, well educated, and wise."
"How much longer can this possibly go on?" Naruto thought to himself.
"By my estimate you still have a while to go." Kurama said to answer Naruto. Naruto felt more energy leave him upon hearing that.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Port asked the class.
Weiss, whom had begun to tremble with irritation from Ruby, shot her hand up quickly. "I do sir!"
Naruto just looked at her confused. "Seriously?" Naruto said out loud. Naruto may not be the brightest, and he has been overconfident himself. However, he knew that if any of the students already had all those traits, then why were they at this school?
Weiss just glared back at Naruto. "Shut it." Was her only response to him.
"Well then, let's find out." Port said, calling out Weiss. "Step forward and face your opponent." He then motioned to a cage in which all could be seen were evil red eyes. The Grimm let out a wild growl from in the cage.
Weiss was now in her combat skirt and ready with her rapier, Myrtenaster. The scene was set for a battle to begin.
"Gooo Weiss!" Yang shouted from her seat.
"Fight well!" Blake cheered and was waving a tiny Team RWBY flag that she somehow got a hold of.
"Yeah! Represent Teeeam RWBY!" Ruby cheered.
"Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" Weiss yelled back to her teammate.
"Oh, sorry…" Ruby said timidly. Naruto's eyes narrowed at this. Blake and Yang cheered too, but they didn't get yelled at. Naruto had hoped the issues between Ruby and Weiss had been cleared up back in the forest, but that was clearly not the case.
"Alright. Let the match, begin." Port announced before he then chopped the lock off of the cage with his musket axe. The cage door then fell revealing the Grimm to be a Boarbatusk. It then charged directly at Weiss who in response hopped up and tried cutting the Boarbatusk, but it completely failed against its armor. Weiss then readied herself again as the Boarbatusk stood ready as well. "Haha, wasn't expecting that were you?" Port said, commenting to Weiss.
"Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby said to encourage her teammate. Weiss and the Boarbatusk charged each other with the Boarbatusk getting the better end of the exchange as it caught Weiss' rapier in between its tusks.
"Bold, new approach. I like it!" Port further commentated.
"She's going about this all wrong…" Naruto said. "That thing's got way too much armor to try and thrust at it like that…" Naruto had taken down multiple Boarbatusks during the initiation, so he has experience on the matter.
"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby further cheered. Weiss then looked at Ruby irritated. This break in her focus caused the Boarbatusk to be able to send Weiss' rapier flying to the other end of the room. Now unarmed, the Boarbatusk knocks Weiss over.
"Oho, now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asked, furthering his commentary.
"Seriously?!" Naruto shouted indignantly.
"Calm down Whiskers, it's not that big a deal." Yang advised. Naruto calmed himself, but he was still shocked that Weiss made such a blatant mistake. The Boarbatusk charged right at Weiss and she just managed to dodge causing the Boarbatusk to run into the desk as she ran and retrieved her blade.
"Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armor underneath—" Ruby advised to Weiss before she was interrupted.
"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss shouted indignantly back at Ruby. Ruby then looked down crestfallen.
Naruto put on hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Ruby. I'm sure she didn't mean it." Ruby found some comfort in what he said, but she knew it wasn't true. Naruto then further conversed with Kurama. "I guess I should apologize to you, Kurama. I was acting like Weiss when I fought those Beowolves when we first got here."
Kurama was watching the battle through Naruto's eyes. He seen and heard everything that was going on as the Boarbatusk began spinning like a Buzzsaw towards Weiss. Kurama then said, "No, you don't need to apologize for that. It's not the same thing." Weiss made a glyph causing the charging Boarbatusk to fall on its back exposing its unarmored flesh and Weiss then runs it through with her rapier, just as Ruby told her to do. Kurama then continued. "Back in the forest, you merely wanted to be able to handle your first fight on your own. It had nothing to do with thinking you were too good for my advice like Schnee seems to think when it comes to the young one."
"So, she's even more like the old Sasuke than we thought." Naruto internally added to the fox's assessment.
"Basically." Kurama answered.
"Bravo! Braa-vo!" Port stated, congratulating Weiss. "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress in training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and, stay vigilant. Class dismissed." Weiss then storms off.
Jaune, whom had been quiet all class says, "Sheesh, what's with her?" Ruby then ran after Weiss.
"This won't go well…" Naruto said, before he decided to follow.
Naruto was looking for Ruby and Weiss. He just knew Weiss was going to snap at her, so he figured she could use a friend when it happens. What he did not expect was to run into Ozpin before he got to them. "Oh, uh, hey professor. What are you doing here?"
"I imagine the same thing you are." Ozpin answered Naruto as he then began to hear Weiss and Ruby.
"What happened to all the talk about, working together? I thought you believed in acting as a team." Ruby asked her teammate.
"Not a team lead by you." Weiss then corrected her. "I've studied, and trained, and quite frankly, I deserve better."
Naruto, now standing next to Ozpin, just sighed and said, "Not again…" Ozpin nodded. He too knew about the tension between the two teammates.
"Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss further commented, tearing down Ruby even more before she walked away. Naruto was pretty shocked at that part. After all, he was standing right next to the guy. Before Naruto could go check on Ruby, Ozpin had already walked up to her.
"Hmm. Now that didn't seem to go very well." Ozpin commented to Ruby about the situation.
Ruby in her vulnerable state decided to ask "Is she right? Did you make a mistake?"
"That remains to be seen." Ozpin said with a smile.
Ruby looked perplexed at the answer. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it's only been one day. Ruby, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet." Ozpin informed her.
Naruto stood there baffled thinking. "That's not helping!"
Ozpin then continued. "But at this moment I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them. Do you?" He asked her. Ruby stood there, not sure how to answer. Ozpin then further explained, "Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Ozpin then turns around. "You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time, to think about how you will uphold it." Ozpin then walked off leaving Ruby there to think.
"Wow, that was really good." Naruto said to his headmaster.
"I'm sure you would have achieved a similar result." Ozpin responded.
"I dunno." Naruto said with some doubt. "I mean, I know what I wanted to get through to her, but I'm not sure I could have done it as effectively as you did."
"Maybe not. But then again, you are still learning as well. You may have exceptional skill, but that does not mean that you don't have a long way to go." Ozpin informed him.
"I definitely believe you on that. Heck, I don't even have a semblance yet." Naruto gave info to Ozpin in turn.
"You wouldn't be the first. Even when you do unlock it, there will still be many lessons left to learn. Many journeys left to go on." Ozpin explained to Naruto, who was taking in every word. "I am curious, when are you going to tell them about your arm?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "H-how did you know?" Naruto asked in shock. He thought he was doing a good job in hiding it.
Ozpin then just let out a chuckle. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Uzumaki." Ozpin then walked off.
"He's one to not be underestimated." Kurama commented.
"Yeah…" Naruto said answering the fox. He then heads over to Ruby. "Hey Ruby, you doing okay?"
"Yeah, I think I'm good." Ruby said with a smirk.
"That Ozpin sure can leave you speechless, huh?" Naruto said to further the conversation.
"That sums it up pretty well." Ruby responded.
"So, I came here to help cheer you up. Ozpin definitely helped, but I think you could still use a pick-me-up. Come on, I'll get you some cookies after class" Naruto offered to Ruby.
Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of getting cookies. "Yes! Cookies!" She shouted with glee.
"Oi! I said after class!" Naruto shouted to prevent his quirky friend from losing it.
On the other side of the equation was Weiss who was caught up in her own self-absorbed world. She spots Professor Port and approaches him, hoping to plead her case that she should be leader. However, it did not go the way she had planned. Port thoroughly put Weiss in her place, and then had left her with some advice to evaluate the way she has been approaching things.
"I…can't be wrong." Weiss said to herself. "I'm Weiss Schnee…I'm the best. I'm…" Her thoughts continue to trail off. She had convinced herself for so long that her skills were unparalleled, and no one had tried to convince her otherwise. She is very skilled, there is no doubting that. It wasn't her family name that got her into Beacon, it was her ability. After all, Ozpin is not the type to just let someone in because of who their family is. In fact, considering the issues Ozpin has with some people in Atlas, there is no way he would give a Schnee special treatment. Yet, as soon as she got here, she has been challenged in her superiority multiple times. This started to make her think, "Could I have been wrong?" She then starts walking back inside the school, as classes were not over for the day. She spots Ruby back with her friends.
"You promised her cookies? You don't know what you've gotten yourself into." Yang told him.
"Oh, come on, can it really be that bad?" Naruto asked her.
"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you." Yang warned. Ruby can just be seen laughing.
Weiss continues to watch for a bit. She sees no one trying to tell Ruby that she was wrong. Yet, Port did not hesitate for a second to tell her how wrong she was. She then entered the classroom as class started. Throughout it, she tried to analyze what happened during the initiation. She did really well during it, but it was not as if she outshined the rest of her team. She played an equal part in taking down the Nevermore, but that was it, an equal part. She was not like Naruto who went toe to toe with a Death Stalker and actually held his own for a bit. And it was Ruby who came up with the plan that beat the Nevermore. While Weiss did not falter in believing herself to be great, she began to understand that she did not stand head and shoulders above everyone else.
Naruto and Ruby are outside the building where Ruby is feeding on the sugary delights that were promised to her by Naruto. Naruto is wondering if the cafeteria ever serves Ramen. His cravings are starting to be more frequent.
"Soon enough you'll start going through noodle withdrawals. Imagine you being stuck in a place with no access to noodles, much less ramen." Kurama said, teasing Naruto.
"Oi! Don't even joke about that!" Naruto loudly thought back to Kurama as if they were describing a doomsday scenario. Naruto then noticed how quickly Ruby was downing the cookies. She might even be more ravenous than Naruto when he has Ramen. "Jeez, I thought those would last at least 20 minutes, but it hasn't even been 5…"
"But they're so good! I can't contain myself!" Ruby responded excitedly. Whether or not that is due to her natural sunny disposition or due to the sugar is difficult to figure out.
"Man, Yang wasn't kidding…" He thought to himself. As Ruby continued to eat, Naruto thought this might be a good opportunity to get some advice on something he lacked. "So, can I ask you something?"
"Aren't you asking something right now?" Ruby responded.
"Oh, good point." Naruto acknowledged. "You know about Semblances, right?"
"Well yeah, pretty much all of us do." Ruby answered.
"Yeah…" Was the only thing Naruto could say. He was embarrassed to outright say he doesn't have one yet.
"Why are you asking?" Ruby now asking the question.
"Well, I…" Naruto paused. "I don't have one…"
"Wait, you don't have your Semblance yet?!" Ruby shouted in complete surprise. She has every right to be surprised though. Naruto was one of the standout stars of the initiation test, so much so he got to stay at Beacon despite not having a designated team. Yet he does not even have his Semblance yet? Such a thing is crazy.
"Oi! You don't need to sound that surprised, ya know!" Naruto responded defensively.
"S-sorry…" Ruby let out. "It's just weird seeing someone with your level of skill not have a Semblance."
Upon hearing that, Naruto knew he may need to come up with a cover story. Obviously, people here would be trained to try and get their Semblances when being taught how to fight. Now here he was, someone who obviously knew plenty about combat, yet doesn't have a Semblance? That's pretty suspicious. "The village I come from is a bit, I guess old fashioned? They say Semblances aren't reliable enough in combat, so they don't bother teaching it and stick strictly to other aspects of combat." Naruto said with his on-the-spot story.
Naruto's story would make a lot of people skeptical. Luckily, he was talking to Ruby, who bought it no issue. "Oh, I guess that makes sense."
Naruto breathed a subtle sigh of relief. "That was close…" He thought to himself.
"You're lucky you're talking to the most naïve girl here. I doubt anyone else would have bought your half-assed story." Kurama stated.
"Oi, what do you want? I've always been honest! Lying isn't my strong suit, ya know!" Naruto responded to Kurama's taunt, which simply caused the fox to grin.
"Are you asking how to get a Semblance?" Ruby asked, bringing Naruto's attention back to her.
"Well, yeah actually…" Naruto said, still kind of embarrassed.
"It's kinda different for everybody. Mine kicked in during training one day, for my sister it was completely different. Honestly, it's just kinda random." Ruby answered.
"Dammit!" Naruto responded. "So much for that…"
Ruby noticed Naruto was disappointed and was trying to think of what to say to cheer him up. "You just gotta keep trying! And you're good enough to where you'll be just fine until you get it!"
Naruto smirks. "Thanks Ruby, that helps a lot." This caused Ruby to also grin. "So, what is your Semblance?"
"Super speed!" Ruby answered.
"Super speed?" Naruto questioned. "So, you can run really fast?"
"Yup! Watch!" She dashes away in a red streak of rose pedals causing a large gust of wind to send leaves flying.
"Holy crap! That's really fast!" Naruto responded. Ruby was definitely the fastest person he'd ever seen in this world.
"Thanks!" Ruby shouted. "There's all kinds of Semblances, but I think I got the best one." Ruby said with a proud look on her face.
Naruto smirked. He thought the sudden confidence was adorable. It kind of reminded him of Konohamoru, who was like his little brother. The difference here being that Ruby seemed more endearing. That being said, Naruto also felt a need to test himself. "So, wanna spar? I kinda wanna see what facing someone with their Semblance is like."
"Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!" She then runs off to a more secluded area. Naruto then follows.
Naruto and Ruby were now on he the outskirts of Beacon. Far enough where they wouldn't cause damage to the school, but also close enough to where they didn't have to worry about Grimm interfering. Ruby was wielding her Crescent Rose at the ready. Naruto was holding his Orange Spark in staff mode in his right hand. The tip is resting on his shoulder. They were ready to begin at any moment.
"You ready for this, Ruby?!" Naruto exclaimed.
"You know I am!" Ruby responded back as she initiated the battle by leaping forward and striking with a downward motion. Naruto hopped to the right and swung Orange Spark at her before Ruby swung herself over her scythe to dodge the strike. However, Naruto quickly responded with a rising reverse elbow strike towards where Ruby was going. Ruby guarded up, so she didn't take a full hit and got sent back. "An elbow? No one's countered that with an elbow before."
"Frog Kumite's a bit different than regular martial arts!" Naruto responded.
"Frog Kumite? That the style of your village?" Ruby questioned.
"Oh, uhh…" Naruto knew he might have messed up.
"Do you need to keep digging that hole?" Kurama inquired.
"I know! I know!" Naruto responded to the fox. "Not exactly. It's my master's style. He had this weird thing about toads and frogs." Naruto told her in desperation. He was not about to tell her that he learned martial arts from an actual toad.
"That's pretty weird." Ruby commented.
"You have no idea!" Naruto yelled as he dashed towards her. Ruby grabs her Scythe and dashes back and starts firing shots. Naruto starts running around to avoid the bullets before configuring Orange Spark into rifle mode. Naruto then fires a couple shots making Ruby have to move from her spot. She rushes at Naruto and swings her scythe to which Naruto jumps over. As he's coming back down he configures Orange Spark back into staff mode and slams it down onto Ruby, whom blocks with Crescent Rose. Ruby's strong but Naruto is definitely stronger, so Ruby has to roll back. She then rushes back in and starts exchanging strikes with Naruto. Sparks fly off as the metal clashes with against each other. Naruto may be physically stronger, but Crescent Rose is a much heavier weapon which more than makes up for it. However, Naruto uses his agility to get in closer to Ruby and headbutts her in the nose.
Ruby was now holding her nose. "Ow! What was that?!" Ruby responded indignantly as Naruto continued to pressure her. As Naruto filled his staff with wind Dust, Ruby knew it was time to step things up. She grabs her scythe and activates her Semblance making her burst right towards Naruto who was definitely not expecting it. Naruto guards up but he gets caught on the head and gets sent tumbling back.
"Damn…" Was all Naruto could get out.
"That speed burst adds a lot of force. You can't afford to be caught off guard again." Kurama commented.
"Yeah…" Naruto mentioned back as he gets back up. Ruby speed dashed again, but this time Naruto managed to roll away. Against Ruby's speed Naruto can only seem to dodge. "This is insane! She's really good!"
"Is she really though? Sure, she's fast. But…" Kurama further commented. Naruto kept an eye on Ruby. He then noticed what Kurama was hinting at. Ruby's dash is fast, but there's not much she can do during it. It's also wholly linear. She also can't seem to stop mid-dash and dodge. This was a weakness Naruto could exploit, especially with his Orange Spark's ability. Naruto readies Orange Spark as Ruby is about to dash at him again. Once Ruby lunches herself, Naruto slams Orange Spark on the ground making a wind shockwave. The shockwave trips Ruby out of her dash and sends her tumbling. Naruto takes the opportunity and kicks her further. Naruto then configures Orange Spark into rifle mode and shoots at Ruby who is getting up. Ruby gets hit in the shoulder a few times, but her Aura keeps the bullets from doing much damage. Ruby then starts running away trying to collect herself. Upon running out of shots, Naruto has to load another clip giving Ruby the opportunity to hide and think of what to do.
"Man, he's really good. I was kicking his butt a minute ago and now all of a sudden I'm the one running away!" Ruby thought to herself. "And the shockwave completely knocked me out of my Semblance! It's so cool!" She then remembered that she was in the middle of a spar and couldn't afford to let her inner weapons fangirl run wild. "Snap out of it Ruby! You've got to think of something!" She then peaks her head out and sees Naruto looking for her. She panics and hides somewhere else. "As long as he's got his weapon, he can just blow me out of my Semblance when I attack…" Ruby then realized something important. "Wait, it's not specifically his weapon, it's just the conduit! It's the Dust that makes the shockwave! But…how do I get rid of his Dust?" She then peaks her head out and sees Naruto checking his pockets for more Dust, but he doesn't seem to have any.
"Crap…" Naruto expressed out loud.
"You weren't prepared for a sparring session today, so you only brought the one tiny vial of Dust. And now you're out. That about sum it up?" Kurama inquired.
Naruto sighs before responding. "Yeah, that's about right…"
Ruby, upon seeing Naruto's lack of Dust thinks, "Now's my chance!" Ruby then comes out of hiding and dashes at Naruto again. Naruto guarded up and took it, but still stumbled.
"Crap! I'm in trouble!" Naruto shouted.
"Yes, you are!" Ruby shouted as she once again started overwhelming Naruto. However, her last display ate through a lot of her Aura. She can't use her Semblance much longer. "I gotta finish this quick, or I'm the one in trouble." She thought to herself.
Naruto meanwhile was thinking to himself, "What to do now? I lost my shockwave so now I can't stop her Semblance."
"Remember Naruto, you may be new in this world, but this is far from your first opponent." Kurama informed him.
"You're right, thanks Kurama! I've fought lots of guys faster than me. Haku, Lee, Neji, and even two Raikage! Raikage…" Upon thinking that he then remembered his fight with the third Rakage. "I know how to handle her now!" Naruto mentally responded to his friend. He then readies himself for Ruby's attack. Ruby dashes at him one more time, but Naruto manages to maneuver his body to her right and punches her right in the side, cutting off her momentum and making her slam into the ground clutching her side. As she's about to try and get up, Naruto has his Orange Spark in rifle mode pointed right at her face. "I win!" Naruto then extended his hand to help her up.
Ruby sat there in shock. Not only was she beaten, but she was beaten in the middle of using her Semblance. That being said, she wasn't mad, or even disappointed. She took his hand and upon getting up she shouted, "That was great!"
Naruto grinned. He was glad she wasn't sore about losing like he would have been when he was younger. "That was a hell of a fight Ruby! You really put me through the ringer!"
"Thanks! But wow, if you're this good without a Semblance, imagine how good you'll be when you have one!" Naruto kept his reassuring grin upon hearing that. "So how did you know to hit me like that at the end?" Ruby inquired.
"Oh, that?" Naruto responded. "Well you see, when I ran out of Dust I remembered how back in my old town there was this one guy I was fighting who was not only huge, but really fast too. His ability had nothing to do with speed, but that didn't change the fact that he was faster than me. Thing was though, his side was always unguarded when he would strike. So, when he attacked I was able to knock him over that way."
"Whoa…" Ruby was amazed at how skill and experience can overcome speed and power. She then remembered Naruto mentioned his Dust and her inner weapons fangirl was once again released. "That shockwave was awesome! I had no idea the Dust would make it to that!"
Naruto laughed. "It also adds impact to all my regular strikes too."
She was really excited. "Does the type of Dust change the function?"
"Not to my regular strikes." Naruto mentioned. "What does change is the big attack. That shockwave I hit you with is from wind Dust."
"What does the other Dust do?" Ruby asked.
"Well I've only tried three types so far." Naruto answered. "Wind makes that shockwave. Fire also makes a shockwave only it's smaller and less powerful, but it has the benefits of lighting things on fire. Lightning Dust will make lightning spread a certain distance on the ground in front of me shocking what it touches. Big weakness though…"
"What weakness is that?" Ruby said unable to contain her curiosity.
Naruto thought about if he should tell her. But since Ruby is his friend he thought she could be trusted. "There's a cooldown period between when I can use each of those attacks. Once one of those attacks is used, then I can only add one small Dust vial for 2 minutes. And the big attack can't be used at all until the cooldown is over. I'm sure you know 2 minutes is a really long time in a fight. It's why you don't see me using those big attacks over and over again."
"That's so cool…" Ruby let out before she noticed the sun was starting to set. "Oh no, I have to get back and study! We got so much homework!"
Naruto snickered. "Nerd."
"Hey!" Ruby responded indignantly.
"Oh come on, you know I'm joking!" Naruto responded.
"Yeah, well thanks for the spar Naruto! See ya!" Ruby then runs back. Naruto just smiles as she does.
"Seems like you practically adopted her. That's a bit overkill having two blonde older sibling figures now." Kurama commented.
"Maybe, but I would have given anything when I was younger just to have one. I don't see a problem with it." He responded. Kurama smiled and actually looked happy. He was worried Naruto might return to being that lonely kid again. However, as long as Ruby's around, that's not going to happen.
Chapter End.