For a moment, Ozpin said nothing, but his amused expression seemed to speak for itself.
Unlike Glynda and the way one of her eyes was twitching in response to this attitude, he liked this boy and how brazen he could be, even in a situation like this.
This kind of calmness and confidence was not something usual in someone of his age, where even Weiss Schnee, a girl being prepared to take over Remnant's largest conglomerate under the strict tutelage of Jacques Schnee, had faltered in the presence of a supreme authority.
An understandable reaction, especially considering that Ozpin could decide the future of any hunter in training in this world without even trying.
Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed more concerned with those around him than himself.
An excellent quality to have, but one that raised questions.
"Considering how... eager you were to join my academy," Ozpin began, granting the young man's wish to get straight to the heart of the matter. "You don't seem to care about the consequences of your own actions."
A contradiction that gave life to his doubt, and the boy's indifferent response only served to confuse him further.
"That's because your academy is just a means to an end, not the goal." Sasuke saw no point in lying about it and shrugged before looking this man directly in the eye. "Besides, I already knew you were here for me."
You didn't have to be a genius to come to that conclusion; there were enough signs for even the girls to have noticed it, justifying their concern.
"Interesting." Ozpin was slightly impressed, but instead of responding immediately, he opened a folder and began placing photos of a familiar face on the table. "Almost as interesting as seeing a crime lord like Hei Xiong calling in so many favors overnight in order to get you into this academy."
Quite a surprise, but one that seemed justified considering the state his club was in, destroyed to the point that the building's structure was damaged and almost compromised.
Whatever had happened last night, Sasuke was involved and managed to strike fear into Junior's heart to the point that he finally made incriminating mistakes. Thanks to that, Ozpin had everything he needed to imprison this problem or control it to prevent a worse one from taking its place, like Roman Torchwick.
So, in a way, Uchiha Sasuke had done the entire Kingdom of Vale a favor.
As for his fake application, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Even now, there were others like Jaune Arc and even Blake Belladonna who secured their places at the academy through questionable means. However, in the case of these two, only their applications had been tampered with. Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, had each of his documents forged in record time, and that was something impossible to go unnoticed.
Otherwise, the security of Vale and Beacon would be considered a bad joke capable of endangering the lives of its citizens.
Sasuke said nothing in response, still focusing on the photos before him and the fact that Junior was a much bigger fish than he had initially imagined. As a result of such a reputation, it was likely that his every move was under surveillance by high-ranking authorities, and Ozpin was part of that group.
Regardless, Sasuke couldn't blame that scared bear for this outcome. In fact, he had been warned that there was a high chance he would get caught.
The expected result of forging a multitude of documents in a short period of time.
"The most ironic thing about all this, especially considering you don't even have a criminal record, is that Vale provides identification to anyone who comes from outside the kingdoms." Ozpin had a certain amusement tied to the tone of his voice. "The same is true for those who want to join Beacon. Even without experience at a preparatory academy, there are tests for those who are capable and haven't had the opportunity."
In short, everything Sasuke had done was completely unnecessary.
"That... would have been good to know beforehand." As much as he hated this man's condescending tone, Ozpin had a point. "But as you yourself pointed out, I am someone from outside the kingdoms, so I wasn't aware of this piece of information."
Junior, on the other hand, should have known about everything, but since he was on edge because of what happened, that alternative probably didn't even cross his mind.
That, or he believed that Sasuke had a dirty name, and going through conventional means was not an option.
Either way, it didn't matter. What was done was done, and there was no going back.
"You're right." Ozpin could see the mistake behind his administration and that something could be done about it. "From now on, I will make sure to put up notices outside the gates of Vale and on the streets as well."
That would save time and trouble going forward.
Sasuke didn't know what to say about that, only that this Ozpin seemed to be a competent leader.
Unfortunately, the same could be said about the Third Hokage, so you never know what kinds of secrets someone like that kept.
"With that out of the way, I need to know more about you." Ozpin decided to address what mattered most at the moment and the reason he was having this conversation in the first place. "You said that my school is only a means to an end. Would you mind explaining?"
Sasuke was slightly surprised, not understanding what this man's intention was. After all, he had just been caught involved with a "crime lord" and violating countless laws. If the reaction of the woman behind Ozpin was any indication, Sasuke should be expelled or even imprisoned.
Well, not that it would happen, but they should at least try.
Since that wasn't the case, perhaps this was an opportunity to really make progress with his problem and get an outside opinion... literally.
"All right." Sasuke took a deep breath, and after considering his options, he decided to reveal a half-truth to them. "I'm from a village called Konoha and..."
What followed was a short story about the life of this young man that only got worse the more Ozpin and Glynda listened.
Konoha, or the Leaf Village, was located in a secluded corner of Mistral, just like many other settlements that weren't even on the map. This particular village was founded by the union of two enemy clans that reached a peace agreement after countless conflicts: the Uchiha and the Senju.
The mere origin of this village alone raised red flags.
Over time, the Senju Clan gained more control over the village by electing their leader as Hokage, which was the highest title established in the military system they adopted, equivalent to a Council Member or Headmaster.
As a result, the Uchiha Clan was designated as the village's police force, even being pushed to the outskirts to guard the prison.
Ozpin could immediately see the problem and where this was going.
As a result of this decision, the Uchiha Clan became excluded from the village they themselves had helped to found, and this raised tensions to another level, to the point where the Clan planned a coup d'état to regain control.
This would have resulted in civil war and the destruction of the village, especially given the level of negativity resulting from this conflict.
However, things did not reach that point because of one person: Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother.
This young man was revered as a genius like no other, to the point that he was appointed captain of a team of Huntsmen when he was only 13 years old.
Something difficult to imagine, but which Ozpin has seen happen once every century, if not a millennium.
Using ideologies such as the "Will of Fire," Konoha manipulated its forces to put the village above everything else, including their families.
With Itachi, they went further and used the life of Sasuke, who was only a child at the time, as a bargaining chip: an ultimatum.
Either Itachi allied himself with Konoha and helped exterminate his own clan in exchange for keeping his innocent little brother alive, or both of them would die along with their family.
Itachi chose to save Sasuke and kill all the other members of the clan, including his father and mother.
The mere thought made Glynda tremble with rage.
As if that weren't enough, Itachi was branded a criminal and traitor, forced to live in the shadows to continue protecting the village and his little brother.
No matter how you looked at it, the lives of these two brothers were tragic in a way that no one else could understand.
"Itachi recently succumbed to an illness, and only then did I discover the truth," Sasuke continued, having a hard time containing the emotion in his voice even after omitting so much about his history. "I hated him for a decade, wishing for nothing but his death while serving the village that took everything from me like a fool!"
Ozpin was speechless, especially after seeing this boy's right eye glowing red and the cold emanating from his Aura.
With just that much, he could tell that Sasuke wasn't lying.
After walking this world for so long, Ozpin didn't need external factors like a Semblance capable of detecting lies to reach that conclusion.
Sure, Sasuke wasn't telling everything, but the truth behind what was being revealed was undeniable.
And to think that something like this happened in my world without anyone knowing. Ozpin had a bad taste in his mouth that he hadn't felt in a long time. "So that's why you're here, young Sasuke? Seeking the authority of a Huntsman to bring justice to the people responsible for all these crimes?"
At least, that's what he wanted to believe.
The alternative was the dark path of revenge and blood that could cause this young man to lose himself forever.
An option Ozpin didn't want to consider.
"Not exactly." Sasuke had already done that, even if only partially, with Danzou's death. "Two of those responsible for giving Itachi his orders are already dead, and the other two are so old that merely being alive can be considered punishment." The kind that couldn't compare to what awaited them, where he intended to serve the souls of those two to the King of Hell, but no one here needed to know that. "No, what I want is to change Konoha into something new."
That wasn't an answer Ozpin or Glynda were expecting, but in a positive way, and one that softened their expressions.
"At the end of the day, as much as I hate that village, the people themselves are not responsible for the actions of their leaders." Sasuke could see that now that his eyes were no longer clouded with hatred. "That's why I want to destroy that broken system and then rebuild it, a village without darkness. I will reform Konoha."
And the Shinobi world as a whole: that would be his revolution, a way to validate his family's sacrifice and give purpose to his existence.
The problem now was how he intended to do all that, especially after Remnant proved to be a contradiction to his answer.
"That... is a noble goal on your part." Ozpin visibly relaxed, and the same could be said about Glynda. "Which would also explain all those books you've collected."
This boy was looking for an answer, which explains why he considered Beacon a means to an end and acted indifferent about the possibility of being expelled.
After all, this wasn't the only place in the world with books and knowledge.
Still, that doesn't erase all the darkness in his heart. Even if Sasuke hadn't admitted with his own words his resentment towards Konoha, Ozpin could see and feel it. Which makes him a walking target for the Grimm, including that thing.
It's hard to say whether that would be a good or bad thing.
On the one hand, it would be easy to find the target and prevent other students from being involved in unnecessary danger. On the other hand, Sasuke would provide that thing with a meal like no other.
At least he is forming meaningful bonds with those three. Ozpin couldn't forget about Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, and Yang Xiao Long. With that, even if the worst were to happen, he should be fine.
In that case, despite the risks, it was worth keeping this boy around and guiding him on the right path.
"Uchiha Sasuke," Ozpin began, gaining the boy's attention and a critical look from Glynda. "I know you're not telling us everything about your situation, but there is truth behind your words, and your goals are true." That was undeniable, and while he wanted to know more, Ozpin needed to give it time to gain this boy's trust. "With that in mind, you have my permission to participate in the initiation tomorrow."
Which was just a roundabout way of saying he was accepted into Beacon.
"However," Ozpin continued before Glynda or even Sasuke could say anything. "Considering the enigmatic nature of your origins, your presence here will be treated with caution and under constant supervision by Beacon staff."
Whether directly or indirectly, with the help of the robust surveillance system recently installed to help protect Amber.
"That..." Sasuke was genuinely surprised, not expecting such a decision. "Why?"
Honestly, while he spoke the truth behind his problem, he did so to try to get an opinion, not acceptance.
"Because you seem lost and in need of guidance," Ozpin was sincere about it, something rare for him. "As a teacher, that is my duty."
Besides, expelling and even trying to imprison this boy could end up pushing him in the wrong direction, and that wouldn't help anyone.
"I see." Sasuke didn't know what else to say about this unexpected development. Well, at least I avoided expulsion or worse.
Not that it made much difference.
If Sasuke wanted to read these books, no one in this world could stop him.
"As for your village's problem, I would like to help," Ozpin offered, even though he was already planning to do something regardless of this boy's response. After all, this matter involved the lives of countless innocent people and should not be taken lightly. "Mistral may not be under my direct authority, but I have enough influence to mobilize the local government into action."
With that, they could put Konoha on the map and take action against its questionable policies, which included training and using 12-year-old children in combat.
Sasuke was one of them, which explained how he was able to scare Junior into helping him.
This boy, before him, was no longer a child since he was 7 when his clan was massacred and had been on the battlefield for at least 5 years now.
This was completely unacceptable and could not continue to happen.
Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't seem very inclined to agree, and it wasn't hard to understand why.
As the last member of his clan, this boy felt it was his responsibility to honor his brother's sacrifice and become Hokage.
The title given to the strongest Hunter in his village.
Not only did Sasuke believe he had the ability to take that title, but he could do it all on his own.
"While I admire your determination and confidence, it also shows the extent of your naivety." Ozpin made this boy narrow his eyes dangerously, but he didn't care. "No one, young Uchiha, not even gods, can do everything alone."
Otherwise, this world, despite its flaws and curses, would not exist.
This little lesson only served to make Sasuke even more restless, especially since he knew there was truth behind this man's words.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be considering recruiting allies to help in the battle against Kaguya.
However, history has proven time and time again that things never worked out the intended way.
Just like it was with Madara and Hashirama, and... with Sasuke and Itachi.
"I can see the conflict within you," Ozpin snapped this boy out of his thoughts. "That is why I will give you time to think."
In the meantime, he would search for Konoha himself.
"If…you prove yourself trustworthy," Sasuke broke his silence as Ozpin stood up to leave. "I will consider your proposal."
Perhaps having someone from another world to help him with more than just facing Kaguya could be promising.
After all, only Sasuke could travel between dimensions. With that, people from this world would never be a problem.
"It seems you're not so naive after all." Ozpin had a small smile as he saw more than just a lost boy, but someone capable of looking beyond his own pride. "Oh, and one more thing. You can keep your hood on if you want."
That way, Beacon would be a little less chaotic than the alternative.
Sasuke said nothing to that, only appreciating the permission that would make his life easier.
Before leaving, Glynda approached this boy and held him in a tight hug, surprising him.
"You've been through a lot," she murmured, before stepping back a little, but keeping her hands on his shoulders. "If you need someone to talk to, my door is always open."
Once again, Sasuke didn't know what to say, especially because he could see the sincerity behind this woman's green eyes.
Glynda had no ulterior motives, and that was extremely rare.
"I know it's your choice, but if possible, keep your face hidden and..." She paused for a moment and adjusted her glasses, then looked away with some discomfort. "Try not to get any of your classmates pregnant."
Because that could be a problem, and just to be sure, she would arrange for contraception and sex education classes for her students.
Better safe than sorry.
With that said, Glynda left the library with a stunned Sasuke, never expecting to hear something like that.
Although... restoring the Uchiha Clan in this world wasn't exactly a bad idea, and something to think about.
Oh well, Sasuke needed to survive the battle ahead to consider the option.
Now, he needed to do a quick work on these books and join the girls for the rest of the night.
Tomorrow, the initiation begins.