Hunting or Bust: The Journey Continues

Dust 19: Seeing Them Off

Man, I did not mean to keep everyone waiting. I've just been losing track of a lot of time recently. Hopefully this can start to make up for that!

By the way, I've just started an alternate NarutoxRWBY story with Agurra of the Darkness called Never After: Wonder and Madness. Check it out if you want!

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Now the next matter on the docket; we have a meeting with Huntsman Minato Namikaze and Huntsman Qrow Branwen."

"Send them in."

The door slid open and the two men walked in to meet Mistral's council. The group around the table met the two distinguished men with nods, "Huntsman Namikaze and Huntsman Branwen, thank you for meeting with us today."

"We're happy to answer your call, sir." Minato nodded towards the seated individuals, an uneven shade of a beard starting to grow on his face, "Might I ask what this summons is about?"

"We wanted to address the urgency of the security problem in the wake of Leonardo's death."

"I understand it's the most pressing issue in the Kingdom, but as I've stated with all of you before it isn't a problem that can just be fixed overnight. The Hunters that were recovered were only a small portion of the Hunters lost over the last few months. And the support we're getting from the Hyūga clan and the Menagerie forces - while essential - is only temporary. It will take time to bolster our forces again."

"We understand, and we're sympathetic to the losses to the Hunter community, but the protection of the Kingdom is our highest priority. Thankfully, it would appear that Huntsman Branwen has a suggestion. It was his request that brought us here today."

Minato spared his comrade a surprised and suspicious look as he smirked and stepped forward, "Alright so safety and security are our biggest concerns. Can't rush it. Need it right away. Yadda yadda, blah blah blah - all on the same page." He waved his hand around, sipped on his flask, and then exhaled, "Then the answer is clear; we gotta reopen Haven as soon as possible."

"What?"

"I know a bunch of the students are already heading out to Vacuo and Shade to continue their education while the school is shut down. The best thing we can do is get Heaven fixed up and in working enough condition that students can come back in a semester or two. Until then, Haven can act as a hub for Huntsmen and Huntresses to respond to missions and red alerts around the Kingdom." Qrow shrugged, "It was an idea Ozpin proposed in case something should ever happen that would require emergency responses in Vale. Unfortunately, with Beacon gone, we couldn't use the idea back then, but while Haven ain't the prettiest at the moment it still works as a place to work from."

The council members shared looks of intrigue and interest at the idea before someone spoke up, 'But Haven no longer has a headmaster to oversee reconstruction and operations. That should be our first task before attempting to workshop this central hub idea."

"Good point. And as a close personal friend and confidant of Professor Ozpin, I would like to suggest a new headmaster of Haven."

"Who?"

Qrow lazily threw a thumb over his shoulder, "Him."

All eyes turned to Minato and it was after a moment of stunned silence that he responded, "Huh?"

"He's one of the most accomplished Huntsmen on Anima. He's the director of a Hunter organization here in Mistral. Plus he made a stand at Vale, Menagerie, and Heaven during all these crises." Qrow shrugged and drank from his flask, "No one seems better suited than Pretty Minnie here."

Swayed by the idea and its logic the council huddled together and started to mummer to each other.

Qrow smiled victoriously at the way the suggestion was going before he was suddenly pulled aside to see Minato's scowling face, "Over here." He dragged him aside as they had their sidebar during the council's deliberating, "What the hell are you doing?"

Qrow shrugged, "What? It's a good idea. You're someone who can take charge. The Kingdom needs defense right now and you're the guy to lead it. What's the problem?"

"How can you drop the responsibility of a school and its facilities on me without consulting?"

"Because if I brought this up before you'd say no - even though you're the best guy for the job." He nodded his head, "Yeah, I know it's a scummy move to pull but it's essential. Plus, you've been told what the school was protecting and who our actual enemy is. Having that knowledge is important for preparing defenses for Mistral."

"Qrow, I can't be the headmaster." Minato grumbled, "With Kushina-"

"Exactly. She's gone now. Behind bars." The blond's eyes narrowed dangerously, but instead of backing away Qrow leaned in with narrowed eyes as well, "And I know Kushina well enough that she wouldn't want you moping and dwelling on mistakes and regrets and what-ifs. She'd want you to do what you've always done. Be a Huntsman people can rely on and look up to. That's why it has to be you." Qrow knocked his fist against Minato's chest, "What do you say?"

"I say this is a pretty inopportune time to drop this - seeing as until recently I had suicidal tendencies and just the other day fell off the wagon."

…

…

"Are you sober now?"

"A few days."

"Good." Qrow patted her chest awkwardly, sparing a look back at the council before whispering, "Probably best not to let them know that."

"You stupid-"

"Gentlemen, we considered the proposal and see quite a lot of merit in it. Huntsman Namikaze, what do you think of taking on this duty?"

Minato spared one last glare at Qrow who silently put his hands together and begged. With a put-upon sigh, he slumped forward, "For the good of the Kingdom I think I can help restore Haven and use it to help Mistral. If you're not taken with the idea of me being headmaster we can work that out another day."

"That's good. However, there's one small hiccup. If you are to be taking the role of headmaster - interim or otherwise - it will complicate things if you are the acting director in charge of your company. We'd be concerned of split focus and conflicting interests."

"If that's your concern, I have someone in mind who can take up the role in my place."

"Are they capable?"

"He's the smartest man I know."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Ugh."

"Shikaku? What's wrong?"

"I don't know." The older man shuddered and rubbed his head, "I just felt a feeling of immense dread and horror run through my whole system. Like my life is about to become a whole lot more miserable."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Naruto?"

"Hm?" The whiskered Faunus' ears popped up when he heard his name. He looked over at Sasuke as his friend stepped up to his side on their walk through Mistral's streets, "Sorry? What did you say?"

"You don't know why your dad asked us to come to Skyggen?"

"No, he just messaged me and said we should all come over." He lazily shook his head, "I don't know what's up."

Sasuke looked back and saw the worried look Kiba and Tenten were sharing. Even though their team was finally together again it was hard to ignore how subdued and unenergetic Naruto had been since his mother had been arrested. They wanted to raise his spirits but they couldn't think of anything to effectively fill the hole that loss had left behind.

With a sigh Kiba stepped up, closing the distance and wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulder, "C'mon, don't wanna keep your old man waiting by dragging our feet, right? So let's go."

Naruto watched his partner grin and felt a hand pat his back, looking over to see Tenten walking over with a comforting smile. The Faunus managed a small smile as well before nodding in agreement. They continued walking, striking up small conversations about what to have for dinner tonight and places they could visit in the city. Naruto made a joke about Kiba and Sasuke showing them around Atlas when they finally arrived which earned a chuckle from Tenten while the duo just groaned miserably.

Once they arrived at Skyggen they made their way in and found Chōza and Inoichi waiting for them by the door, "Hey kids, glad you could make it."

"Tenten!" Chōza greeted the ponytailed girl with a hug, "Oh, it's gonna be tough walking through these halls again knowing you ain't gonna be around to help."

She smiled, "That's why Fū, Shisui, and Bee are picking up the slack, right?"

"It's a relief having more personnel around here." Inoichi turned and started walking ahead with his cane, "Although a few of them might need a little more time to get accustomed to working in the office."

"Bee and Fū?"

"Yep. Plus we're also dealing with a change in guard at the same time."

"How is Mr. Shikaku handling his promotion? I bet he's thrilled to be in charge of the whole company now."

"In between all the paperwork and setting things up he hasn't failed to curse out Minato every chance he can get."

The young Hunters shared a laugh at the older man's joke. But when they saw the unflinching face of Inoichi and Chōza's solemn head shake a cold sweat ran down their faces instead.

"Guys! You're here!" Fū called out from down the hall as she and Chōji were busy carrying some supplies up from storage. She quickly dropped her box atop a grumbling Chōji's and apologized before making her way over, "Man, you didn't waste any time."

Kiba shrugged, "It sounded urgent so we came right over. What about you? What are you doing?"

"We have to move some spare supplies over to the school for that big project and I'm helping."

"Just you?" Sasuke asked, looking over her head back at Chōji as he kept moving the boxes, "What about Shisui and Bee?"

"O-Oh," A faint blush darkened her cheeks as she looked aside bashfully, "Um, they may or may not already be allowed to go out on missions while I'm stuck back here. But it's totally unfair! You won't believe the reason they're making me stay behind!"

"Is it because your Semblance is too destructive to use in concentrated, populated areas that need the immediate attention required?"

"And that you can't go out on missions until you've gotten a better handle on it?"

The mortified blush on her face deepened and Naruto and Tenten were impressed at their teammates' concise deduction. She stomped her foot, "O-Okay, that might be it, but you won't believe how they made that decision!"

Chōza and Inoichi showed skeptical expressions, "Fū, you sent the giant test weights we used in training your upper power limit flying through the air and shattered the wall."

"That was only once!"

"But it was several weights."

"It's not that big a deal!"

Sasuke and Kiba tried to placate their upset friend, however the snickers and teasing words they let slip out as they did had the opposite effect. Before she could argue or insist any further Chōji yelled from down the hall, stomping his foot and demanding she hurry back because he wasn't taking care of this all by himself. Fū flinched, ran back to help, and waved her friends goodbye before rejoining Chōji in their duties. The young Hunters waved her goodbye before following the older Huntsmen through the halls again.

"Dad!" Naruto brightened up and called out when he finally saw Minato standing by some of his coworkers. He had changed into his fight attire with a belt of knives on him, "Are you going out on a job or something? Do you need us to come with you?"

Minato chuckled, "No, I'm not going on a job. This is all for something else." He nodded his thanks to Chōza and Inoichi who waved them goodbye and wished them luck. NKTS shared a confused look before Minato continued, "So I know you're headed to Atlas next to deliver that lamp, and whatever you have to do after that is up in the air, right?"

"Yeah," Tenten nodded, "Once we secure the lamp I don't know what we're doing. Staying in Atlas?"

"Or taking a position at either Vacuo or Vale to protect the remaining Relics?" Sasuke added.

Minato approached, "Right, so until you're there you don't know what might come next. In that case, I feel a little better about this suggestion."

"What suggestion?"

"I want you to spar with me."

NKTS looked at the older Huntsman in shock as his request rang in their ears. Naruto's ears twitched in his hair before he blanked in surprise, "Are you serious?!"

"Of course I am!" The older blond grinned and drew one of his knives, "I want to test that you guys can handle yourselves out there and I figure the best way is to see for myself. So I suggest a spar if you're up for it."

Kiba tilted his head, "How would that work? Do we each take a turn fighting you or-"

"No way, Kiba! It'd have to be all or nothing!" Tenten immediately said. She turned to her teammate with a grimace, "Me, Naruto, and Pyrrha tried fighting Mr. Shikaku once after the first semester of Beacon and we got trounced. And Mr. Minato is one of the top fighters in the organization along with Kakashi and Anko."

"Plus if we're going traveling with Qrow we'll be running into people like Raven or that scorpion Faunus Ruby told us about. Not to mention that huge guy working with Cinder and her grunts. This is the perfect chance to test whether we can hold our own against people of that caliber." Even with a nervous twitch in his ears Naruto couldn't hide the smile of anticipation growing on his face, "You guys wanna give it a shot?"

"Absolutely!"

"Hell yeah!"

"I'm in but hold on." Sasuke pulled out his Scroll and stepped aside, "I didn't know we'd need our weapons so I left mine behind at the house."

"Are you gonna call it here? Did we get rocket lockers set up at the house like Nora wanted?"

"No, but Ruby can pop over and deliver it in a few minutes. Seems like the easiest option."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Ruby deliveries! Fast and easy weapon drop-offs! The price is that I get to watch the match! Can I watch the match?! PLEASE?!"

NKTS looked down at the excited hooded girl as she started vibrating in place with Sasuke's blade and sheath in her arms. Her reaction was pretty much expected…

What they didn't expect was to see the rest of RWBY, JNPR, Oscar, and Qrow all appearing with them outside of Skyggen's entrance.

"Um, thank you, Ruby." Sasuke accepted his weapon from his young friend, "Did you-"

"Everyone heard you were gonna fight Naruto's dad and we had to see it!"

"I can't believe you didn't invite us!"

"I wish you guys luck."

"I brought popcorn!"

"Minnie versus his kid? Man, this is gonna be a riot."

"Easiest option, eh?" Kiba said sarcastically while shaking his head as Sasuke conceded that there might have been a better way to do this.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

With the members of Skyggen and their friends watching from the viewing window, NKTS stepped out onto the Atlas-style training ground inside Skyggen's building. The four young Hunters found themselves standing across from Minato who had already drawn his knives and was loosening up by bouncing on his heels.

The former students stopped beside each other, feeling the pressure of the moment weigh on them as they faced down a professional. Naruto let out a slow exhale as his hand reached back and settled over Squall's grip, "You guys ready?"

The rest of NKTS immediately drew their weapons. He nodded and pulled out his short blade, turning it into a reverse grip as Free Reign covered his hand.

Minato stopped bouncing, sticking his fingers into the loops of his hilts and spinning his knives around his hand in anticipation. He looked up towards the viewing glass and nodded to the people behind it.

("Don't break too much now that I'm in charge. Minato, I'm looking at you. Three! Two! One!")

A tone followed Shikaku's declaration and signaled the start of the fight.

And just in time for a yellow flash to appear behind them.

Naruto and Tenten had enough sense of who they were fighting to already make a move the moment the fight started. But Sasuke and Kiba had to move as their instincts told them they were in danger.

Minato turned with a twist and slashed at them, his knives glowing white hot and exploding out when his weapon clashed against theirs. Tenten was blown back by the force but Naruto weathered it, skidding back before he turned the grip of the kodachi in his hand and rushed in.

Sparks flew as Naruto and Minato rapidly exchanged blows, the older blond striking at his son with two knives as Naruto warded them off with his blade and Aura hand. As they fought the others quickly made their move; Sasuke, Kiba, and Tenten brandishing their weapons as they swarmed towards Minato from all sides.

Minato flashed and appeared over their heads. Kiba immediately stopped and started firing, releasing a hail of bullets over their heads before Minato could land. The older man's blades blurred to shred through the bullets before they could get close to him. In the process gathered a massive amount of electrical power, lightning arching off the knives before they shot off towards Kiba.

Sasuke tackled his tattooed friend to the ground before he could be hit by the bolt. As the electricity tapered off Tenten slid in and spiked one of her sticks up at her former boss only for him to appear behind her in a flash. She blocked his strike and flipped backward to catch her stick as it returned to her hand. With a yell, she charged back at Minato-

He flashed away in time for Naruto to tackle through empty air and collide with an unsuspecting Tenten.

Minato appeared a few feet away and shook his head watching his son and friend tumble on the ground. He was about to speak up before he felt a subtle rush of wind from his flank and turned to guard against the incoming katana. He quickly knocked it aside but found Sasuke spinning with his riposte and bringing the sword back around.

The young Uchiha forced the older Huntsman on the back foot. His family blade came from every direction and at different intensities, Minato's flaming and sparking knives rising just in time to block his attacks. Even with only one hand to hold his weapon Sasuke moved with frightening ferocity and sharpness.

Minato blocked his katana against one of the prongs of his knife, dragging down the sword's length before landing an elbow strike that knocked Sasuke off his feet. But instead of hitting the ground, the young Uchiha planted his hand down to push himself back up and launch a rapid kick against the older Huntsman. The shotgun sheath on his hip snapped off and hit the ground, Sasuke quickly planting his feet and kicking it at Minato as the older blond managed to dodge and step in-

He heard the sound of a shotgun cocking behind his head.

Minato ducked and rolled aside before Kiba could fire into his blind spot. Kiba turned and followed after Minato, about to pull the trigger and fire a powerful blast from the shotgun-

The Huntsman disappeared in a yellow flash, leaving a charging Naruto to face the end of the shotgun before Kiba could pull the trigger. The whiskered man flinched back and his partner cursed before pulling the shotgun back in a hurry.

Minato reappeared over their heads, kicking Naruto in the back and into Kiba as they toppled over. The older blond landed and immediately parried Tenten and Sasuke's simultaneous attacks.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Qrow groaned and pulled out his flask, "Oof, this is just hard to watch."

"C'mon, Naruto, you got this! Get your dad!" Yang flinched at a particularly hard punch, "O-Oh, not like that."

"Kiba! Hit him with a right! The other right! The other, other right! Get him before he-" There was a yellow flash followed by a particularly loud curse, "Yep, he teleported again. I told you to hit him!"

"You can do it, Tenten!" Blake bounced on her feet, "Just get a hand on his knife and you'll be able to take it out. Come on!"

Weiss was especially jittery, bouncing side to side in tandem with Sasuke's movements and strikes. Little cheers with his attacks were mixed with light gasps when he was knocked back or countered. But not once could she bring herself to look away from the action.

"I-I don't get it!" Oscar was nearly pressed into the window, watching in silent dread as his friend kept gaining ground with his team only to lose it a second later when Minato broke their formation and knocked them aside, "Why can't they get the upper hand?"

"I'm not sure." Ren also watched with a puzzled expression, "They've all been training, fighting, and growing much stronger since Beacon fell. I'm uncertain if they could face someone like Mr. Namikaze by themselves, but as a team, they should be able to handle them."

"That's the problem." The younger crowd looked to Shikaku as the pineapple-haired man shook his head, "They aren't fighting as a team."

Once they had been made aware of that, the fighting they watched appeared in a different light. No clear communication. No warnings about positioning. Invading each other's paths while in the middle of attacking. Now that they knew what they were looking at they couldn't help but see just how uncoordinated NKTS' attacks were.

"I-I don't get it." Jaune shook his head, "Team synergy and battle coordination were a central part of what we learned at Beacon. Each team has to grow and handle it their own way." His thoughts lingered back to how difficult it was to match and sync with his team due to his lack of training, but how things got easier with time, "For us, we settle on a strategy beforehand and do our best to fulfill the roles needed to complete it."

"With us, it started with calling out team attacks and code names." Ruby looked over at her team, "Now I don't even have to say anything because I trust them to be able to act and support however they have to in the heat of battle."

"And they are doing that too." Inoichi nodded, "Tenten trained extensively to learn how to follow the rhythm of battle and cooperate with Hunters she wasn't familiar with to keep the flow of the fight going."

Chōza nodded, "And those two boys are well-suited to working together. They attack and respond almost on instinct with each other."

Their eyes widened as the truth fell into place, "S-So you're saying-"

Qrow pulled back his drink and burped, "The prodigal son is screwing it all up."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Naruto let out another primal scream as he rushed at his father. But bit it off when Sasuke stepped into his path and interrupted him. The whiskered fox tried to maneuver around his friend but saw a yellow flash as his father teleported out of sight again.

A firm kick to the back sent Naruto off balance, slamming into the ground and cutting Tenten and Kiba off mid-rush as he picked himself up. All four of the young Hunters were panting and trying to catch their breath while Minato wiped his cheek clean.

He shook his head, "Honestly, I expected this to be a much tougher fight."

Naruto did too. And he silently cursed that their performance wasn't to the standards they were expecting.

"If this is all you can offer then it might be best for us to call it here." Minato looked at them all with disappointment, "You aren't ready for the journey ahead if this is all you can-"

"Time!"

The arena went quiet and all eyes turned to Kiba as he spoke up, "Time!" He crossed his arms in a T-formation, "Can I call time? Timeout! Timeout! We need a minute. Give us a minute and we'll get back into it."

"Timeout? You can't call timeout. In a real fight, your opponents aren't going to give you a timeout. The Grimm certainly aren't going to let you catch your breath. If you can't handle-"

"TIMEOUT! CAN WE JUST GET A TIMEOUT, PLEASE?!"

…

Minato raised his hand defensively and stepped back nervously, "Take all the time you need."

"C'mon!"

"H-Hey!" Naruto grunted as Kiba grabbed him by the collar and dragged him off to the side. Sasuke and Tenten shared a look and shrugged before following their teammates. Once they were a few steps aside Kiba let go of his leader as Naruto snapped with a twitching eye, "What was that for?!"

"Because you need help getting up, dumbass!" Kiba barked back, scowling before he crouched down and huddled up with his team. With a groan, he dragged his hand down before clapping, "Okay, what the fuck is happening, and why can't we beat your dad?"

"He's fast. Faster than anyone I've ever fought." Sasuke spared the older man a look, "His reflexes feel almost instantaneous."

"And he's got a ton of experience fighting other people. We can't hope to handle someone like him without a plan."

"Yeah, but it's us. We should be able to give him a fight! So why-"

"Stop." They stopped talking when Naruto crouched with them, a sour frown on his face as he nodded, "I'm screwing this up. You can say that."

"It's mostly you."

"You could be doing better."

"As long as you noticed."

Naruto's eye twitched in response before he collected himself with a breath and a slow exhale. When he opened his eyes and saw their expectant looks he grumbled, "While I was waiting in Mistral, I went on a mission with everyone else. I fought alongside Jaune and Oscar while we were outside the city. Some stuff happened and I - I realized something; I had forgotten what it was like working on a team. After that, I trained with Yang and Weiss to get some of that old teamwork back. I thought I got enough of it but…"

"Tenten," He looked over at his ponytailed friend, "You've been fighting alongside professionals to become better. Sasuke, Kiba," He looked at his best friend and his partner, "You two traveled the world to collect a team to help this fight. But me?"

He looked down at his hand, covered in his orange Aura as he closed his fist, "I kept getting further and further away from the person I was at Beacon while I tried to survive. I thought I was getting better, and I think I am, but not enough to be fighting with you guys again." He lowered his hand, "Not enough to be a leader."

They could understand that. After hearing the stories of what Naruto had gone through since the Fall of Beacon they couldn't hold it against him that he wasn't at the top of his game like before. While none of them had an easy time with Beacon and what came after, they at least had others to help them through their lowest point. But their leader had to weather it all by himself before finally making it here.

He wasn't ready for a challenge like this.

…

"So how do we fix it?"

"Huh?" Naruto looked up and blinked, "What-"

"We'll need to set up training periods. At least an hour or 2 working on our skills together."

"One in the morning and one at night!"

"And we should spend some more time getting our flow back. Maybe watching movies or playing games again?"

"Great idea, Sasuke!"

"W-Whoa, whoa," Naruto looked between them as they kept listing off ideas and plans. It was jarring to come forward with that sobering confession and get…no response, "What are you guys doing?"

"Well we're not just gonna let you sit in squalor and brood on these feelings, are we?"

"We could separate and try to handle things ourselves, but then we wouldn't be Team NKTS anymore."

"And you're our leader, Naruto. We're not about to give up on becoming a team again after all this time just because of some bumps in the road." Tenten and the others shared a smile, "We'll follow you to the end, Naruto. Count on that."

"…"

"You gonna cry?"

"Sh-Shut up!" He snarled as he rubbed his eyes dry before his team could take any more chances to be entertained by his swelling emotions. He sniffled and spared a look towards their smiles. Despite himself, he couldn't help the grin that split his face and the chuckle that slipped out. It slowly grew into a hearty laugh that his friends joined in delight when they saw his gloomy demeanor change after its persistence for the last few days, "Okay, you're right. No point just complaining about it. Need to start fixing. We gotta be better. Which begs the question…"

He looked back and the rest of his team joined him, looking back at Minato as the older Huntsman waited for them to finish their convening, "What do we do about this fight?"

"Well, you're our leader." Kiba said, "We could keep trying to brute force our teamwork until we can react to each other on instinct, but…"

"But your father is going to put a stop to that real fast if we waste time."

"So what do we do?"

…

Naruto slowly held out his hand, holding it towards Kiba as his tattooed partner stared at it. He shrugged, "Back to basics?"

"Heh," Kiba smirked and clapped his hand in return, "Now you're talking!"

Sasuke and Tenten nodded, clapping each other's hands before they separated.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"They're getting up!"

Everyone focused back on the fight as NKTS finished their huddle and stood to face Minato once again. Naruto standing by Sasuke with Kiba and Tenten stepping back just a few feet. Even though it had only been a few minutes, the way NKTS carried itself was far more focused and collected than just a moment ago.

"What do you think they'll try now?"

"It has to be something good."

Naruto and Sasuke stepped forward, the Uchiha turned with his katana pointed forward as Naruto slipped his finger into the loop of his kodachi, extending his Aura out like a rope. He started spinning his blade rapidly, the tip cutting along the floor and kicking up sparks as he slowly strode forward ahead of the others.

The blade whipped out at blinding speed but Minato jumped up in time to dodge its sweep, swinging his knives to send out fireballs and bolts of lightning. Naruto and Sasuke separated as the projectiles impacted and exploded behind them as they rushed toward Minato. Naruto yelled, stretching out his Free Rein and bringing it down on his father.

Minato disappeared with a flash before it could reach him. Sasuke sniffed at the air, instantly recognizing where he was as he turned and charged him. The young Uchiha rushed the Huntsman without fear, meeting his knives in a splendid exchange of strikes too fast for the eye to see. Naruto followed after them, stretching out his Aura to catch his father while he was engaged with Sasuke.

Minato jumped back to avoid his son's grab but found himself beset by both men a second later. He warded off and blocked their onslaught of attacks without pause or hesitation. He narrowed his eyes and knocked their blades away, ready to counter-

Sasuke ducked at the last second as a knife flew over his head and straight at Minato's face. He just barely managed to knock it off its path before he saw Naruto duck as well.

The machine gun fire of Kiba's tonfa was intensified by his yell. As Minato desperately cut and blocked the barrage of bullets that came his way, he had no way to react to the leg that swept his foot and caused him to topple over.

Minato immediately righted himself and watched Naruto rush him with a grin. He traded blows with his son as Kiba circled and started firing at his feet and flank. The Huntsman struggled to fend them off and that only grew harder when he jumped over the chain that swung by his feet.

He kicked Naruto away and flashed to another spot on the field to gain some distance. Watching as Sasuke and Tenten stood back up - the latter holding the chain he had just dodged - they turned to face him again. Tenten clapped Kiba's hand while Naruto clapped the back of Sasuke's. The Faunus and Uchiha rushed forward while the other two ran to the side.

"What are they doing?" Oscar asked as he saw the four former students attack, clap each others' hands, then attack again in different pairs, "Why do they keep clapping hands?"

"They're signaling who they're working with." Qrow said with an amused chuckle, "It's an old type of exercise used by newly forged teams. It takes time to create the effortless trust and reliance you gain with others on the battlefield. Sometimes you use codewords or bark orders, but this way you have teams signaling who they are working within the heat of battle."

"O-Oh." Oscar looked down on the battle and watched the others fend off Minato's attacks and force him to teleport to safety. Even though it might have been an old-fashioned teamwork technique there was no denying that their teamwork and coordination had become much more stable since their huddle, "But what if he watches who works with who and cuts them off?"

"I think they've considered that."

With Ozpin's guidance, he followed the flow of the battle a little bit better and he watched as Tenten and Kiba fired at Minato to keep him at bay. The tattooed Hunter circled to keep the Huntsman under gunfire. And Naruto rushed around to circle him as well, going on a path that would directly cross with Kiba's.

Naruto clapped his own hand as they rushed past each other in Minato's blind spot.

And just like that it all clicked into Oscar's mind. Team NKTS made a show of clapping their hands together as loud as possible to show who was working together. And they could recreate that clap whenever they wanted as long as Minato wasn't watching. Tricking him into thinking that the teams had switched and opening him up to combos he wasn't anticipating. Minato was strong and capable, but keeping him alert of every move and possible combination they could do would make him wary and question what they would do next.

A caution that would leave him open for a split second.

Minato parried and pushed and fought the quartet off, hearing yells and calls and claps from every angle. He wasn't sure which ones were genuine or misleading just to leave him guessing. He teleported and struck at them with fire and lightning but they were not intimidated. They weathered and pushed through it all before rushing at him from all sides.

Sasuke attacked from the front, rushing at him in a deep stance with his katana drawn. He made to swing and Minato prepared to fend him off-

But the Uchiha dropped his katana without care, instead drawing his sheath and aiming the barrel at the ground.

He fired at their feet and Minato was engulfed in a cloud of dust and smoke.

Just like that, his vision was clouded and he could no longer teleport as effectively.

Heh, did Naruto tell them about that or had Tenten suggested it?

In his musings, Minato felt something move behind him and whipped about to swipe at his attacker. He just barely caught the sight of Kiba ducking underneath his swing, fastening the chain Tenten had made around Minato's legs to keep him bound. He cursed and tried to stab into the man's back-

His knives skirted off Tenten's metallic hands, her palms swallowing up the metal of his blades and leaving him holding nothing but handles. With his weapons made useless Tenten kicked him in the chest and unbalanced him.

Long enough for Naruto to grab the chain attached to his feet and spin.

"WWRRAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Naruto roared, lifted his father off the ground with all his might, and slammed him into the floor hard enough to crack it. The rest of NKTS immediately followed, surrounding Minato and aiming their weapons down at him as the Huntsman groaned on the floor. The older blond shifted and propped himself up on his elbows to look up at Team NKTS.

"…"

"Heh," He smiled, sitting up and holding up his hands in defeat, "You win."

"You promise?" Naruto asked, eyeing his father suspiciously, "Because that took a lot of work, and if we let you back up and you wanna keep fighting then I'm not sure we'll have this chance again."

"I promise."

NKTS stood around him tensely for a moment before looking at each other, "What do you think?"

"I'm not buying it."

"Can we tie him up completely to make sure he doesn't move?"

"Give me a second and I can make a bigger chain."

"We could knock him out. That will make sure he doesn't try to make a move."

"H-Hey, I can hear you! I give! I give up!"

The door to the training room opened and they all looked over. RWBY, JNPR, and the others rushed in with cheers and congratulations for their friends' success. NKTS started to ease up as they realized they had truly won the spar. And with big smiles, they rushed in to celebrate with their friends.

Minato sighed in relief as he started to loosen the chains wrapped around his legs. As he did his friends came over to watch the kids' celebration, "They did pretty well, right?"

"Still rough around the edges but I can see why you trust them to head to Atlas." Shikaku smirked before turning to Qrow, "But that means you're gonna have to watch out for them."

"Keep doing what I've been doing? Pfft, you're as insightful as ever, Pineapple." Qrow scoffed as he and Shikaku flipped each other off. He watched his nieces smile and jump in sync with their friends, "Kinda reminds you of the old days, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Minato smiled, "It does."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

It was late, and Naruto didn't want to stay up too long because tomorrow morning was the day their team was finally making the move to Argus. To take a chance at the base up north and gain passage to Atlas with the Relic in tow. He decided to head downstairs for a drink and a midnight snack before calling it quits.

When he walked down he saw his father hunched over the table with a small light hanging over his head. A small wave of dread filled his stomach as he rushed down urgently, "Dad?"

"Huh? Naruto?" Minato looked back, "Oh, hey, you heading to bed? I'm gonna be a little while longer." He turned back to the table and as Naruto walked over he saw he was poring over sheets of paperwork, "As I should have expected I got screwed with this job Qrow dumped on my plate. It's gonna be a lot of late nights for a long time."

"Oh, right." Naruto brushed it off with an awkward smile, "Sorry to hear that."

"You thought I fell off the wagon again?" His fox ears lowered into his hair after his father so quickly saw through him. Minato smiled sadly as he pulled out the chair to his side, "I can't exactly blame you for worrying. After that night with your mother, it's not like I haven't shown a pattern."

"I'm sorry, Dad." Naruto sat by his side, leaning back into his chair as he looked down at the table and all the papers strewn across it, "It's hard doing what she said, isn't it?"

"What part?"

"Being okay." He said, "I mean I know what I have to do, and I'm so happy to be with my friends again. But…" Naruto looked up and around the house, "It's hard knowing we can't see her anymore."

"Yeah, you're right." Minato nodded solemnly, "But I think that's why doing work like this," He patted the papers in front of him, "Is so important. Helping the Kingdom recover and securing the school's safety. Delivering the lamp to Atlas and preparing the forces for the next possible attack. We have missions to take care of. Purpose. And she's believing in us to take care of them."

"Then we will." Father and son looked at each other with confident smirks before bumping fists, "Can you keep an eye out for Mom while I'm away?"

"I'll be able to visit her soon enough, so I'll make sure she's okay. You look out for yourself, and your friends, alright?"

"It won't be like last time, Dad." He grinned, "I'm not sure how long I'm gonna be gone this time, but I'll make it back. I promise."

"I know. Just - just be careful while you're in Atlas, okay? You never know how what's going to happen next in that city."

"Oh, right, you came Atlas."

"Born and raised in Mantle. Lived there for most of my childhood."

"Until Jiraiya took you in." Naruto nodded, sitting up in his chair to look at his father directly, "Dad, what was it like? Living in Atlas?"

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Today's the day!" Nora cheered at the top of her lungs, jumping atop the chairs of the train station as their team gathered for the trip up to Argus, "I can't believe we're finally here!" She dashed off the seats, wrapping her arms around Naruto and Jaune's necks, "One trip up the Argus Limited," She rushed over to shake Weiss by the shoulders, "A few hours rushing north," Finally she jumped and landed in a startled Kiba's arms as she pumped her arms, "And we'll be taking up the coast of Argus!"

The day had finally come for their group to venture out of Mistral and make their way to Atlas. That trip entailed traveling up to the north coast of Anima and stopping by Argus, one of the largest and most populated cities on the continent. Which also happened to have the largest military base off of Solitas.

It was there that with Qrow's credentials, his past with Ironwood, and the fact they had the missing Schnee heiress with them they might be able to convince the soldiers there to let them through the shutdown.

"Hehe!" Nora kicked and squirmed with excitement, "I can't wait!"

"Nora, can I put you down now?" Kiba groused as the short ginger stayed curled up in his arms until he dropped her into a seat.

"Don't celebrate too much, Nora." Tenten stepped in, a faint smile on her face as she had to put a damper on her friend's celebration, "Argus isn't exactly a beachfront coast. This time of year you go out there in a bikini and you're more likely to freeze than anything."

Ren tried not to show how disappointed he was knowing he wouldn't get to enjoy the sunny beach while stopping in Argus. But he quickly shook the idea out of his head and composed himself, "We have a very important job to do when we arrive in Argus. We must stay vigilant and focus on the task at hand."

A rush of petals followed Ruby as she arrived with her Petals Burst, "Guys! I got a bunch of snacks from the shop!"

"My girl!" Nora cheered.

Yang quickly rushed over to look in her sister's bags, "Did you get everything we need?"

"Chocolate! Chips! Ready-made sandwiches! The works!"

"That's my sister!"

Weiss hung her head and sighed tiredly at her partner's choices, "Ruby, they'll have food services on the train. And it will most likely be a more dietarily sound and filling meal than the snacks you buy at the store."

"Spoken like someone who's never been on a road trip!" Ruby responded with a grin as she swatted Nora and Yang's hands away from her bag, "This is the standard stuff! If you don't have this before going on a trip, you're doing your trip wrong!"

"I'll take your word for it."

"Hey, guys!"

They all looked over to see a group of people arriving to see them off. Sun, Fū, Bee, and Shisui waved to everyone. Ghira and Kali stood by their side with Ilia hiding meekly behind their backs. Tenten snickered when she saw her father Tyvetyve standing among them with a smile. Blake, Tenten, Kiba, and Sasuke quickly excused themselves to say their last goodbyes to their friends and families.

"Wow," Jaune marveled, "I know that isn't everyone but…it's crazy to think how many people we've gotten to know after everything that happened."

"Yeah," Naruto stepped up and leaned back against the chairs as he watched his team and friends say their last goodbyes, "It's nice knowing we can leave Mistral in good hands while we're gone."

"What about your dad?"

"Nah, he's got a ton of work he needs to focus on. Plus we talked for a while last night so I think we're set." Naruto smiled, looking down at the purple bandana he had tied around his bicep for good luck, "I'll see him again when we finally come home."

"Home…"

Everyone looked over as Weiss looked down at her case with a sullen expression. It was no surprise that she hadn't been very thrilled to find out they were returning to Atlas to secure the lamp in a safe place. She wanted to return to her homeland even less than Sasuke and Kiba who had only just broken through the lockdown.

Ruby looked at her partner sadly as she handed her bags to Nora and Yang, "Weiss," She stepped over and sat down by her side, "I know you're worried about going back home, but you don't have to be. You aren't gonna be alone this time. Team RWBY is with you all the way, and so is everyone else." She hugged her partner, "So please don't worry, okay?"

Despite her attempts to stay stoned-faced and dreary, Weiss couldn't hide the faint smile and giggle that came with her partner's encouragement, "Thank you, Ruby."

"Aww," Yang cooed, "That's so sweet-"

"Yeah, there ain't nothing to worry about, little lady!"

"Not when we're around!"

"And there goes the moment."

Two adult men intruded on the group's conversation. They were dressed in firm, easy-moving clothes with great weapons on their shoulders and even greater smug smiles on their faces, "I'm sure you all must have been fretting about taking the big ol' train to Argus, but you don't have to fear anymore! Because Dee-"

"And Dudley-"

"Are here to serve!"

…

As they stared at the older men in silence, the others rejoined after saying goodbye to their friends. Blake stopped by Yang and leaned in to whisper, "Who are these guys?"

"The Huntsmen in charge of defending the train, I think."

"Dear god."

"We couldn't help but notice that you guys have a pretty large group coming on the train today." Dee fixed the spiked mace over his shoulder, "And we'd like to let you know that our services are available."

Sasuke quirked an unamused eyebrow, "Services? Aren't your services supposed to be guarding the whole train?"

"They are, of course." Dudley lowered his rifle and leaned against it in an attempt to appear roguish and charming – an attempt that faltered with the unimpressed looks the girls were giving him, "But for a nominal fee we can make sure you and your belongings are treated with priority safeguarding – in case anything goes wrong."

"That's a generous offer," The group was saved from having to deal with the knuckleheaded duo as Qrow walked in, "Here's a tip for our two astounding Huntsmen; instead of whoring yourselves out and demeaning the job for everyone you should be guarding your post on the train. Helping people make their way in. Double and even triple-checking the defense systems and entries. Y'know, real Huntsmen stuff."

"And who are you?"

"Qrow Branwen; real Huntsman." Qrow brandished his license and took a small bit of delight in seeing the duo clam up, "And I just did some of those things for you while you guys were over here flaunting your 'services' for some quick Lien. Flaunting – by the way – to some of the first responders of the Haven incident." Qrow added with a nod back to his younger companions, "So how about we offer you our services in case you need them – free of charge, of course."

Dee and Dudley looked utterly humiliated as they slinked off before any more could be said. Luckily for them, most of the group was too mature and composed to do anything else as they walked away in shame.

Unfortunately, Ruby, Yang, Naruto, and Nora were not as they did a mocking little dance and waved the two mediocre Huntsmen away.

"I dread to think that those two might have graduated from Beacon. And I know it's impossible to expect the best out of every Huntsman and Huntress, but it's still disheartening to see those who would treat such an important job so cheaply."

"Hey, at least you got some shining stars around you reminding you of why you made the schools." Oscar offered to the soul in his body, "Try not to think of every not-so-stellar student that gets scrapped from the bottom of that barrel."

"That isn't quite as assuring word I had hoped for, Oscar, but I'll keep that in mind."

("Attention all passengers. The 10:30 train by the Argus Limited is now boarding. Please collect all your belongings and take your seat aboard the train. Again, please collect all your belongings and take your seat aboard the train. Thank you.")

"That's us." Qrow walked over and scooped his bag up before securing it around his shoulder, "You kids ready?"

RWBY, JNPR, NKTS, and Oscar collected their bags and stood with smiles and looks of anticipation on their faces.

"Hehe!" Ruby stepped forward, a big grin on her face as she pumped her fists, "Okay guys, next stop, Argus! Are you ready?!"

"YEAH!"

From the way, a wrinkled old woman flinched at the screams echoing from the other side of the platform. Her eyes clicked and whirred as she groaned and waddled into the train, "Damn kids, screeching about everything every chance they get. I swear…"

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Done

And the gang is setting out to Argus with Atlas on the horizon! I sure hope no unforeseen circumstances or accidents occur that might jeopardize this trip!

Perish the thought!

I've been listening to music again and it has me pumped up to get back into the swing of writing again, which is good because I've been kinda burnout recently. But taking a short break to relax, pet my dog, and play some new games definitely helps to get through it.

Anyway, now on the Argus Limited, our friends make their way north while they leave Mistral in the capable hands of the one staying behind!

Let's see what happens next!

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