She was... A reincarnation? A transmigration? Of Naruto's friend?
And that her awakening of this power led him to believe this was his world?
Blake was struggling to wrap her mind around what Naruto revealed to her about why he left after Atlas. She completely understood...
Her ears dropped as she gazed over at a silent Naruto sitting before the campfire and winced. To learn that this world very well could be his well into the future? Her heart went out to him. Blake had longed to return to Mengarie after spending several years away from her family, despite how she had left. She wanted to see her mother and father again.
If she couldn't? Blake wouldn't know how she would react. She'd be devastated.
Blake could only hope that maybe his theory on what happened was wrong... But then how did she inherit the same soul, will, of his friend? And what grander purpose did this mark put on her shoulders?
Blake didn't understand any of it.
It muddled her thoughts further. With all the issues she thought were important, everything was flipped on its head when she discovered Naruto in the middle of the forest.
Now, it didn't seem like their meeting was by chance any longer. That it was preordained by fate...
Blake snorted, shaking her head. After spending the amount of time she had around Naruto, fate was a concept. One controlled their path and could change it through hard work.
To make the impossible possible.
"Are you sure about this?" Naruto broke the silence, looking over the fire and directly into Blake's eyes.
Blake scowled. Did he really think this revelation would change her mind?
Thankfully, everyone else had long since gone to bed or was resting, mulling over their own revelations. In just one evening, many revelations were made.
Except for Neo... Where did she run off to?
And yet, for Blake, the idea of an immortal evil looming was the lesser of those revelations. It didn't seem to bother her all that much.
What agitated her was why Naruto was giving her the option to back out? The reasoning was sound; however, Blake felt slighted by that act! It pissed her off!
However, it made her pause for a moment. Was that how she felt? Or was it a feeling that resonated within her because that's what he would have felt?
Blake shook her head. What did that change about her?
She was still who she had always been. That hadn't changed. Being a reincarnation was shocking, but it didn't change who she was. All it did was confirm the weird feeling she always had around Naruto.
It made sense of something that had confused her for some time. Her trust in him ever since she had met Naruto. Why she believed in him.
It was because the soul that was attached to hers—or was hers? ...Whatever this soul was to her, it had faith in him.
And now, after spending all this time with him, so did she.
"You made me a promise," Blake responded after a deep breath, meeting Naruto's gaze with some annoyance. Then, with a sigh, she shook her head and gazed down at the campfire. "Some things make more sense after what you told me. I am still trying to come to terms with it all, but it makes sense why I felt... Drawn to you. Believed in what you said so readily... Believed that, somehow, after you made a promise to change the way people think about Faunus... You could make it happen."
"Huh... I guess I made a promise of a lifetime, didn't I?" Naruto lightly chuckled, scratching his chin. Then, with a glance toward Blake, he broadly smiled before turning his gaze to the fire. His expression sharpened and focused. "And I have more reason than ever to make that a reality... This world may be different, and I don't know what happened to it, but it is mine. I'll get those answers as I change this world..."
"One step at a time."
[ X ]
What the hell were the two gabbing about?
Neo scowled as she tried to listen in on Naruto and Blake's conversation from, hidden by some crates, further away from the campfire. She couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying.
Some things she was able to make out and made sense. None of it was about what was discussed about the immortal witch they had brought up. Concerning that they felt there was something more pressing to discuss...
But Neo couldn't say much. It was the least of her concerns as well. The main thing she was worried about was protecting Roman. It just so happened that she felt that this unstoppable witch could very well be behind the strange power that woman displayed.
However, Naruto had a strange power and managed to bend the will of the General of Atlas and his army...
Neo stayed silent, looking over her shoulder as she watched and listening to their conversation, contemplating her next step—before rolling her eyes. "Just one of you come out and say it..."
She couldn't peg down what their relationship was based on. There was some underlined connection between them, something even they had just admitted to. It didn't make the most logical sense, but what relationship did?
Neo understood that. She fell for Roman under bizarre circumstances that finally gave her the freedom to choose what she wanted to do with her life. To cause mischief and mayhem to her heart's delight...
"I know you," The voice of the Huntsman from the bar caused Neo to scowl.
Someone was stalking her.
However, she confidently smirked and turned her attention to him, hand on her hip. "I'd be surprised if you didn't. I think I've seen you in Junior's before."
"Why are you way out here?" Qrow glowered, furrowing his brow, confusion evident.
He was likely aware that her records stated Neo was mute, and her speaking threw him off.
Good.
"Oh, I just felt like taking a vacation. Getting out of Vale, see the rest of Remnant. Just happened to get caught up in a whirlwind of chaos that led me to be here." Neo sarcastically retorted and rolled her eyes.
"I doubt that. I've read your file before. You wouldn't leave his side without reason." Qrow's gaze hardened, unaffected by her sarcastic demeanor.
"Maybe he cheated on me? Have you ever thought about that? That's a good enough reason to leave, ain't it?" Neo gleamed at seeing Qrow bristle at her statement.
It was fun agitating the older man.
"Perhaps, but you don't strike me as the type to walk away... Peacefully." Qrow responded, unamused by Neo's playful tone, wanting to get to the heart of the matter.
"You barely know me, yet you think so lowly of me? Oh, how impudent of you!" Neo feigned indignation, her grin never leaving her lips. "Bbbut... As out of line as you might be, you happen to be correct. I would indeed take out my spite on any bitch who would dare touch him and ruin the good thing we've had going. And just for you, I happen to have a bitch to spite. The kid just so happens to have caught her attention, and I'm gonna milk that for what it is worth to make her suffer."
"Ruin the... Shit! I was right." Qrow raised his brow before cursing under his breath.
This act, however, earned Neo glower. She didn't like that reaction in the slightest.
"Oh, don't tell me I'm right in assuming that bitch is connected to the immortal witch." Neo's expression soured, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
That was the last thing she needed to hear right now!
His silence was deafening, yet said all Neo needed to hear. Of course it was.
"How wonderful." Neo tone was laced with agitated sarcasm as she looked back over her shoulder at Naruto. "Just one more reason to bet on him. Let's see if he can do something impossible again."
"He's two for two so far."
[ X ]
"The kids shouldn't be brought into this," Qrow growled as he stood at the exit of the tent, glancing out as the morning sun gently rose.
"I'm younger than most of them." Naruto glowered at Qrow's assertion.
He had just turned seventeen as dawn rose while he was fighting Sasuke... This raised the question of how he would keep track of his age now. His birthday technically passed in this world, but he hadn't been here for a whole year yet.
...Not even close... Almost half a year? ...He lost track a while ago...
"You are different. You may be young, but you are not a child." Raven responded, her expression sour as usual.
Naruto swore she physically couldn't crack a smile.
"Mah, I guess," Naruto shrugged before shaking his head, averting his attention from Raven to Qrow. "It's their choice to make. If they want to get involved, I'm not gonna stop them. This is as much their fight as it is any of ours. All I'm gonna do is make sure they're ready."
"You really think a few weeks is all it's going to take to accomplish that?" Qrow narrowed his eyes.
"It's what we've got. I'm gonna use it. We gotta act before school opens. Don't want the students coming back to get involved." Naruto furrowed his brow, glancing back out of the tent. His focus on a single individual, lying in bitter solitude in a cage, awaiting what came next. "And you might not like to hear this, we gotta let him go if we want to catch them all in one swoop."
"That is the worst idea I have heard yet. We should execute him. That man has killed countless Huntsmen along with several members of my tribe." Raven's gaze sharpened as she snarled.
"And how will that help?" Naruto raised his brow. "Look, I get it. You don't trust me, but I want them to know what I'm doing. Tyrian already knows he can't beat me. Couldn't even land a glancing blow against me. Now, he knows I'm far more capable thanks to Kurama, and he can't face me alone. He'll need his allies. And if I have the relic, they're all gonna have to come to me, where I can get the drop on all of them."
"Or that she'll just come personally." Qrow retorted with hesitancy before shaking her head.
"Or say that somehow, she is aware of how dangerous you are and that you are a threat. She has lived for millennia. She can wait you out." Raven added with a sneer.
"The more she waits, the better. Gives me more time to prep and train to deal with her. I still have a lot of work and training to get better at sealing. She'd just be giving me time to find a way to lock her up forever." A grin wormed its way onto Naruto's expression.
"But sooner or later, she's gonna have to deal with me, and it's gonna be on my terms."
[ X ]
The light of dawn had broken. Naruto had already been awake and had headed ahead to prep for their plan of attack. He had been in the tent for quite some time now...
Blake hung back. Naruto would inform her of the plan afterward. The adults didn't seem pleased that she wanted to stand alongside Naruto and fight.
And that was fair. She was still young and still learning about the world. Learning about herself...
But she had found a reason to fight. One she was willing to risk everything for... A genuine chance to change things and save the world?
It sounded almost like a fairy tale.
Blake snorted but smiled to herself. Being a part of a fairy tale sounded... Sort of nice.
Her gaze shifted to the rest of the girls, and Blake frowned. While she was willing to risk everything to pick up this fight, she couldn't put that burden onto others. She had already taken a risk before when she joined the White Fang, believing she could change the world. And while the stakes this time were higher, Blake felt there was a difference this time—that she could actually do something.
She tepidly glanced down at the crescent moon on her palm. She apparently had the power to cause significant change as well...
"You can't be serious?" Weiss gave Blake a bewildered stare.
"I am," Blake stated, as she looked up and met Weiss's stare. She understood Weiss's puzzled expression. Ilia's raised brow. Penny's curiosity.
All of them were unsettled or didn't understand the gravity in Penny's case. Blake didn't want to push any of this onto them. In fact...
"Look, I'm not here to convince any of you. I am well aware of how insane this situation sounds. I'm still finding it hard to believe." Blake let out a soft sigh before looking down, a despondent glint in her eye. "But I am so tired of running when things get hard."
Ilia's brow immediately raised, mildly frowning as Blake continued.
"I ran from home and joined the White Fang, believing I could do something more. Then I ran from the White Fang when I realized just how heinous and far Adam was willing to go... We could only run away in Atlas!" A firm resolve built on Blake's expression as she growled, clenching her fist, and she stood off the ground. "And whether or not this is a mistake, I'm putting my faith that maybe this time, I can do something."
Weiss flinched briefly when Blake's voice rose, looking despondent for a moment. Ilia had a strange, perplexed yet understanding look. Neo was indifferent...
And Penny was excited?
"All right then! Let's get going! I am combat-ready and more than ready to help. Friend Naruto helped me when I needed it most, and if it is possible, I would like to assist him!" Penny brightly beamed, hopping up and dusting off her skirt, ready to go.
"Ah, Penny..." Blake stammered, taken aback by Penny's eagerness.
She didn't mean to convince anyone to join alongside her. However, seeing Penny's broad smile, Blake bit her lip. She had been so genuine in her desire to help Blake since Atlas. But it was quite possible that if Naruto was confident that the person who hacked Penny was involved in this mess...
"I don't have much of a choice but to join. I'm already involved in this." Neo bit back a hiss and instead rolled her eyes and sent a glare toward Ilia. "Time to pick a side. Stick with us and fight against her and free your friends... Or fight against him."
"You're joking, right? There's no way this is all connected?" Ilia paled before biting back a curse upon seeing Neo's shaded glare. "Gah...! Great! Beautiful! ...Can't believe I'm saying this, but if that's the case, I'll see this through."
"Good choice," Neo scoffed, hiding her smirk.
"Seriously?" Weiss gave an exasperated glance toward them, unable to understand their decision.
"Yeah. If the woman who took control of our sector of the White Fang is working with this immortal witch, I'd rather fight her again than go back knowing what I'm going up against." Ilia jabbed her thumb toward the tent.
Weiss stared in disbelief at the other four she had been traveling with. Her eyes wavered, and she trembled. "Wait, you said you were from Vale... That means..."
"The fight is there, too, princess. And if we're going on the fact that he's tracking the guy who hacked Penny, it's safe to assume all four kingdoms are involved. There's no avoiding this." Neo snarkily commented.
Weiss shrank from Neo's words before grimacing, biting her lip as she thought on these revelations.
"Wait, hold on. I didn't agree to any of you joining us." Blake recoiled, glowering as her gaze shifted between Neo and Ilia in particular.
Ilia might have been her friend, and she wanted to help her, but she was following them under Adam's orders. And Neo was a criminal...
Who she had been consociating with for a while now... And she had traveled with Adam, who didn't have the cleanest record... And Naruto, technically, at least from the sound of it, was a criminal in Atlas, for now...
Blake refrained from scowling. Was she just a magnet for that kind of attention?
"Well, you're getting it whether you like it or not. You still need a pilot." Neo taunted with her smirk.
"But... How will any of us stand a chance?" Weiss frowned, recalling the magic Raven displayed last night. The spine-shivering power she felt behind her control of raw nature.
"By training," All attention was brought to Naruto as he approached. He scanned each of them, shaking his head. "None of you are ready for that kind of fight. Not yet, at least."
"Give me some time to work with ya, and I think I can change that."
[ X ]
None of this sat right with Qrow. This kid wanted to gain access to a relic to draw out Salem?
He was insane.
However, with the damage he saw inflicted on the camp and how tepid Raven acted toward Naruto, he recognized the kid was something more than he let on. If Raven really was the Spring Maiden and had been for some time, she had a mastery of those powers...
And in one display of power, he caused a Maiden, who happened to be his bullheaded sister, to back down?
Yeah, Qrow wasn't dumb enough to challenge the kid. However, he wasn't someone to willingly lie down and not act. His plan was suicide, and the other kids and that Atlas machine had decided to join him.
Qrow was fine if it was just him. A lone kid with that sort of death wish? If that was what he wanted, fine. It wasn't a loss...
Unless Salem broke him and converted him to her side... That would be a massive issue...
"Huh?" Qrow scowled, hearing his Scroll beeping as he stepped back onto the gas station's outskirts.
He needed a drink after all this.
"About time, Oz. Got a situation out here." Qrow answered, pulling the screen up to see him face–to-face.
"I assumed so from the urgency of the message you sent last night. However, you were out of range until now, so I haven't been able to respond. What have you come across?" Oz replied, his expression neutral and his hands interlaced with one another.
"I think I ran into the kid you came across in Vale. The one that just smacked James and his pride around like it was nothing. He's found the maiden and is planning on taking the relic for himself." Qrow frowned, noticing Ozpin relax the more he spoke.
That was suspicious... What did he know?
"Ah, I see." Oz calmly nodded. "Then I will contact Leonardo and let him know of his arrival and to open the seal."
"What?" Qrow froze in place before his gaze sharpened. "You wanna run that by me again?"
"I will open the door and allow him to take the relic. It is far safer in his hands than behind any barrier I have made to keep her away from them." Ozpin stated with an unwavering expression.
"Safer? ...What are you leaving out? Who is this kid?" Qrow snarled.
"He is someone we can trust. Someone with the power and ability to finally end this millennia-long stalemate." Oz fluidly responded before heavily sighing. "However, I do worry now that the Sun has finally returned home... I believe we have a greater threat on the horizon."
"And it is one only he and the Moon can deal with."