"Aura is the manifestation of the soul," Glynda explained, pacing in front of the first-years. "And it is one of our greatest weapons against the Grimm, with several uses: Enhancement, which allows the user to momentarily increase their speed or strength. Protection, which acts as a shield from damage; some of the more experienced users can generate directed shields at will."

She tilted her head at Ren. "Healing. While it can heal small wounds easily, larger wounds will take more Aura to heal and may only be temporarily fixed. More than one prospective Huntsmen have died after a battle from an injury they think is healed, only to bleed out once their Aura dropped. This is one of the reasons why every Huntress and Huntsman is partnered together and put into teams."

Up in the stands, Naruto sat with his chin propped on a fist, looking very attentive despite the sunglasses covering his eyes. "Aura can also be used to unlock another's with no experience accessing their own, though this is dangerous and should not be attempted without both adequate training and supervision." Glynda continued, her green eyes scanning the crowd of students behind her glasses. "The Enhancement usage of Aura also extends to weapons and armor, allowing for enhanced offence and defense, though it differs with every person and weapon."

"The final use is known as 'Semblance', which is the projection of Aura in a more tangible form that can interact with the physical world outside of a user's body. It is unique to each and every person. Everyone can manifest their Semblance through rigorous training of body and mind."

The blonde witch finished her lecture, taking note of those who were scribbling notes and those who were not paying attention. "Our first lesson will be on the Protection usage of Aura. This will be done through carefully monitored spars. For the first spar, we will have those who seem to believe they can slack off in my class: Cardin Winchester and Naruto Uzumaki, come down." She announced, glaring at the blond and the brunette.

Cardin huffed and stepped down into the small arena, looking back up and finding his opponent still sitting.

"Mr. Uzumaki, come down here now." Glynda called again, a note of irritation entering her voice.

Pyrrha looked to her partner and nudged his side with her elbow. Naruto's elbow slipped from the bench and slammed the side of his head against his seat. "What?" He asked groggily, sitting up and rubbing his head. "What'd I miss?"

His teammate pointed down to the arena, where both his opponent and teacher were glaring at him. "You've been called down for a spar," She whispered quickly, "You're supposed to be demonstrating using Aura defensively."

"Ah!" Naruto stood from his seat and quickly skipped down the steps, hiding a yawn behind his arm. "Alright, I'm here. Are we using weapons and Dust or just weapons?"

"Just weapons." Glynda replied to his question shortly, irritated that one of her students had been sleeping in her class, going to sit with the students as a screen with both students' pictures lit up. Underneath both pictures was a blue bar depicting their Aura Levels.

Cardin had his mace over one shoulder, watching as Naruto quickly stripped off his school jacket and tossed it on the bench next to Ruby, unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up past his elbows before doing something similar to his pants.

The blond stood away from the brunette, cracking his knuckles as Glynda announced, "Begin!"

Neither male moved for several seconds, simply watching the other cautiously. Then, Naruto yawned again and Cardin ran forward, mace drawn back. The blond ducked under the side-ways strike, landing on his hand and swept the legs out from under his opponent. As Cardin fell, Naruto continued his spin, switching hands and bringing his heel down on the brunette's stomach.

The armored man hit the ground roughly, a portion of his bar being depleted as his opponent back-flipped away from him. He pushed himself back up with a growl, gripping his mace tightly.

Naruto sighed to himself. Cardin is easily angered, and though he has strength, speed isn't his strong point. Better to just end this fight quickly.

He dashed forward, jumping over Cardin's quick swipe and planted both of his feet on the armored plate and flipped back, pushing Cardin off-balance. As soon as his boots touched the ground, Naruto was running at the stumbling Huntsman again, skipping away from a wild strike and kicked his opponent in the stomach, the brunt of the force absorbed by his Aura but the rest knocking his breath out.

He planted his foot and spun, slamming his heel into the side of Cardin's head, sending the younger man skidding across the floor.

His burnt-orange Aura flaring around him, Cardin roared in anger, rising to his feet and charging at Naruto. He swung heavily and Naruto stepped forward, folding his arm over the mace's pole, trapping it against his side. His knee met Cardin's stomach, his leg snapping out to kick him away, pulling the mace away from its' owner.

Naruto gripped the mace and swung quickly, three times. The first strike struck Cardin in the side, knocking his breath out; the second landed against his knee, dropping him to the floor; and the third met his head, sending him sprawling onto the floor, dazed but not unconscious.

Below the picture on the screen, Cardin's Aura level flashed red, while Naruto's bar was still full. "The spar is over! Naruto Uzumaki has won." Glynda announced, standing from her seat, her bright eyes narrowed on the other blond.

Looking at the group of students, all with faces varying between slightly awed or somewhat shocked; though Yang was giving him two thumbs-up. "What?" He asked. "I'm a year older and I used to be a bouncer…and a bartender…bartender/bouncer. I have experience fighting angry drunk people."

The older Huntsman approached the younger one and stuck his hand out. "No hard feelings."

Cardin smacked his hand away angrily. Not amused, Naruto dropped the mace on top of the wielder and walked back up to his seat, bumping fists with Team RWBY's blonde.

The Goodwitch made a few notes in her scroll and looked up. "That concludes today's class. Please read chapters two and three and be prepared to turn your notes in next class."

As she finished, the bell rang. The students shuffled out of the door and spilled into the green walkways, heading towards the next class.

"It's Friday!" Nora cheered happily. "You know what that means!"

"It's the end of the week?" Ren replied dryly.

The excitable one of the team reached over and pinched his cheek, smiling widely. "Nope! Well, that too, but it means that tomorrow is the weekend! Which means two whole days of doing nothing!"

"We still have homework." Her calm companion pointed out, rubbing his face. "And training."

"But that's so boooring!" She whined, crossing her arms and pouting.

Naruto stumbled forward as a pair of arms clamped around his shoulders and a cheerful voice sounded in his ear. "What's boring?" Yang asked, hanging from his shoulders. "And how could it be boring on the weekend?"

Pyrrha shot the dangling blonde a bemused look before answering. "We're going to be team training tomorrow. Getting to know each other's skills."

"What, really?" Yang looked to Nora, Ren and Naruto. "Come on! It's the first weekend of the year! We can go to Vale and have fun!"

Blake was quick to point out the positives. "But it is smart to know more about your teammates' skills. Perhaps that is something we can do as well?" She directed the question at Ruby, who blinked in surprise.

"Oh! Well, that does sound good, but…" She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I need to catch up on some homework…"

Weiss gasped in shock. "Really?! It's the first week of school! How can you be behind already?"

"It's advanced stuff!" She defended, crossing her arms and pouting.

Yang pumped her arms in the air. "I'm completely caught up!" She cheered. "So my weekend is completely free!"

She nudged her younger sister in the side. "If you need help, you know you can just ask, right, Ruby? I'll only make fun of you a little bit."

Ruby pushed her sister away, blushing in embarrassment. "No, I'm fine! I just need to…urgh, study."

The last word was whispered with utter revulsion, causing most of the group to laugh, even Weiss smiled while rolling her eyes and Blake chuckled lightly.

"Well, training is just on Saturday." Naruto commented, taking a drink from his bottle of water. "Sunday will be free. I have to go to Vale that day, anyway."

The two teams entered the next classroom and ascended the steps with RWBY taking the front row while NNRV took the one above them.

"So." Naruto looked up from his notes to see Yang looking up at him with her chin perched on folded hands. "What are you going into Vale for? A secret liaison, perhaps?"

The blond snorted and shook his head. "You could say that. I'm meeting with Undertow for practice."

Yang leaned forward with interest. "Really? Band practice?"

He nodded and flipped a page. "Yup." His blue eyes peeked at her over the rim of his sunglasses. "You sound interested."

She nodded quickly, blonde hair whipping about. "I am! Can I come, please?"

Naruto shrugged and made a note. "Sure."

"Yes!" Yang flashed him a wide, happy smile and turned back to her table.

Almost as one, the class collectively groaned as the History Teacher, Bartholomew Oobleck, zipped into the room.

I now know why Ozpin drinks tea, Naruto thought to himself as his pen scribbled over his paper. 'Bart' definitely has a way of putting people off of coffee.

…

Three hours later, Beacon was winding down for the weekend. Many of the students were sprawled over the lush green grass, discussing their plans.

Naruto sat alone atop the first-year dorm, watching as the sun slowly touched the horizon. A feminine grunt drew his attention as a pale hand appeared over the lip of the roof, followed by a head of red-tipped brunette hair framing an equally pale face, cheeks slightly flushed from exertion.

Ruby finished her climb onto the roof and plopped down next to blond with a sigh. "I'm so glad this week over!" She said with a happy smile, leaning back and bracing her hands behind her.

Naruto chuckled lightly. "Studying isn't really your thing, is it?" He asked, giving her an amused look.

She looked away, pouting. "I know all of this stuff is important, but I don't see how." Ruby admitted with a shrug. "I mean, if we know how to fight, why do we need to learn all this other stuff?"

Naruto shrugged back. "How would you have built Crescent Rose without math? Most of this stuff seems boring, but it does have applications in real life. I have to use algebra constantly when I'm making my prototypes, though my job literally one of the only ones that do."

The younger Huntress giggled at his sigh of dismay. "You're right, I know. It's just…not fun."

The older Huntsman nodded. "Definitely, but a lot of life isn't fun. We just have to deal with it. Of course, one of the better ways to deal with it is by spending time with people you have fun with." He shot her a small smile.

Ruby blushed a little and smiled back before sniffing and looking around in interest. "What smells so good?"

"Ah, right." Naruto reached to his side and grabbed two steaming grey mugs with the Beacon Crest on them, handing one to Ruby. "I made us some hot chocolate. I figured, it's Friday, why not treat ourselves?"

The brunette girl took a small sip of her drink and sighed in happiness. "It's really good," She practically moaned, taking another drink.

Naruto smiled and held his cup out. "A toast? To our first week at Beacon?"

Ruby clinked mugs with him and both drank deeply.

They sat back in silence, occasionally sipping their hot chocolate, and watched as the sun sank beyond the edge of the world, throwing orange and purple beams into the clouds and across the hills.

"You know, I'm glad I met you, Ruby." The blond stated suddenly, setting his empty mug aside.

Ruby flushed and looked at him owlishly. "What? I-I mean, I am too!" She sputtered, quickly wiping her lips. "Er, why though?"

Naruto gave her a small, somewhat sad smile. "I used to live in Atlas before moving here two years ago, and even at my company, I didn't have any friends. The closest person I had was my publicist, Chris, and only then, it was a professional working relationship. It got better when I met with the other members of my band, but I don't see them as often as I'd like."

He scooted closer to Ruby, until their sides touched. "I met your sister first, but I really talked to you first. And after we got here, you became my first friend. And after that, friends just seemed to pop out of the grass. You, Yang, I think Blake likes me, she's kind of quiet, Weiss has grudging respect for me, and I have my team."

Naruto grinned at the girl next to him, looking up at him with a red face. "I'm glad I met you too…" She said lowly, leaning into his side.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she did the same to his waist. They sat, holding each other quietly as the sun disappeared and the stars lit up the sky.

Unwilling to move, but growing tired, Naruto sighed. "It's about time to turn in." He muttered, sort of resentfully.

Ruby nodded slowly, and they didn't move for a few seconds. "My butt's asleep."

The blond snorted. "Mine too. I think that means the rest of us want to go to sleep, too."

"Yeah."

They stood, regretfully, and hopped down from the roof onto the top of the dorm. In the darkness, the young brunette blushed as an idea wormed its way into her mind. "Hey, Ruto?"

He glanced at her, hand on the doorknob. "Yeah, Rose?"

She had to stand on the tip of her toes to reach his shoulders, but Ruby grasped them and pulled him down a bit before pressing her lips to his cheek.

She pulled away, a bright blush on her cheeks, squeaking out, "Good night!" before vanishing in a burst of speed down the stairwell, leaving behind a few rose petals that drifted away on the wind.

Naruto blinked, standing stock-still, stunned and surprised. Slowly, he brought a hand up and touched his cheek, feeling the fleeting warmth of Ruby's kiss gently fading.

Looking up at the shattered moon, he sighed and tapped a metal plate on his gauntlet. "Control, how do things look tonight?"

"All quiet tonight, Shadow, nothing the police can't handle." The female on the other side replied. "You should take this chance and get some sleep. You look like shit."

He huffed and sniffed. "You don't need to keep reminding me, Chris. I am very much aware of how sleep-deprived I am. Call me if anything comes up."

"You know I will. Goodnight."

The glowing screen closed and Naruto yawned, stretching his arms back and getting a few quick pops for his effort. He descended the stairs slowly, his footsteps echoing through the quiet building and slipped into NNRV's room, closing the door quietly.

He looked over his team, all sleeping in their beds, and smiled to himself.

Naruto quickly stripped out of his clothes and put on his pajama pants on before laying down on his bed and closing his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

…

In the middle of the night, Nora blearily blinked her eyes, sleepily wondering why she was awake. Then she shivered and remembered why: she was really fucking cold.

Glancing around for her wayward covering, she found it near the door, having kicked it across the room in her sleep. Like usual.

Deeming it too much effort to get up, walk over to her blanket, pick it up and bring it back, Nora slowly pushed herself up and looked to her roommates.

Ren was silently sleeping, curled tightly into a ball under his blankets with his hair in his mouth and a stuffed hamster in his arms. He hadn't always slept like that, but as kids, Nora constantly snuck into his bed and always, always, bit him while she slept. Then he would wake up, push her off the bed and swaddle himself in blankets as protection.

Pyrrha slept on her side, snoring quietly, which made it easy to cuddle up to her…except for all of her damn hair! As pretty as it was, it took up half the bed when she was asleep, and Nora hated waking up covered in hair.

Naruto, as opposed to his other teammates, didn't sleep well at all. He constantly, though slowly, thrashed in his bed, muttering incomprehensibly and sweating. He also gave off a lot of ambient heat, which made him the perfect bed warmer.

Decision made, Nora slipped off of her cold bed and padded across the quiet room, standing next to Naruto's bed and waited for him to turn her direction. When he finally did, she gripped his arm to hold him still and slipped under the blanket, pressing her back against his chest, pulling his arm down hold onto while she slept.

Already warming up, Nora smiled sleepily to herself and closed her eyes, quickly falling back into slumber.

Naruto shifted in his sleep, getting used to the body in his bed before settling down, unconsciously squeezing the girl in his arms.

He didn't react when she sunk her teeth into his arm.

…

The first thing Naruto was aware of when he woke up was the scent of…oranges? Pineapples? Mangos? Something tropical, anyhow. And the brush of something soft against his nose, and the warmth of a slim but definitely female body held in his arms…

Nora. His eyes slid open, glaring at the wall across from him. The orange-haired hammer-wielding girl had snuck into his bed. Again. And if the slight smacking sound was any indication, she was also sucking on his arm. Again.

Naruto sighed and glanced over at his teammates. Ren was asleep and Pyrrha…was staring at him, something twinkling in her bright green eyes. Whatever it was faded quickly and she smiled at him.

"Good morning." She said cheerfully, keeping quiet.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and glanced down at the girl sucking on his arm. "Why does she do this every night? And how do I not wake up?"

That glimmer flashed through the red-head's eyes for a split-second before she shrugged and pushed her blanket away. "I don't know, sorry. You'd have to ask Ren." Pyrrha quickly gathered up her stuff and headed to the bathroom to catch the first shower.

Naruto glanced after her, frowning a little. I thought she was a morning person. He sighed once more and started shaking the girl in his arms. "Nora."

Nora barely reacted, as usual, only hugging his arm tighter and snuggling against his front, which presented…other problems.

It's not as if Nora wasn't attractive, with a pretty face, an athletic body and though her personality could be tiring, she was excitable and fun to be around.

Which made it all the more…concerting for Naruto, given the morning affliction felt by males, and the way the Huntress in his arms was pressing her rear against it was presenting…problems.

"Seriously, Nora, wake up!" Naruto said through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to kick Nora out of his bed. He didn't want to hurt his teammate; his reaction to waking up with someone in his arms after none being there the night before wasn't her fault. She probably didn't know how uncomfortable it made him.

Her lips left his arm and she muttered out, "Five more minutes…" sleepily. She made to snuggle into him even more before stiffening, her light blue eyes flying open in shock.

Her lips parted, trying to form words as red suffused her cheeks. "Is-is that…?"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah." He muttered quietly.

Nora audibly swallowed nervously, her fingers fluttering on the arm she gripped. "I-uh, Ihavetotakeashower!"

She pulled out of his arms and dashed for the bathroom. The blond sighed and slumped on his bed. There really was no way for that to end without one of them feeling uncomfortable. "How do I deal with her?" He whispered to himself.

"You have to be blunt." Ren commented, sitting up and extracting his hair from his mouth. "She's not that hard to talk to, she just talks a lot."

Naruto jumped at the unexpected voice, turning to look at his male teammate. "Did you have to deal with this, growing up?"

Ren nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. She's a biter and cuddler. It's why I cover myself with blankets." He ran a hand through his long hair, separating out the saliva-soaked strands from the dry ones. "If you don't like it, just tell her, she'll understand."

The blond hummed in thought before grabbing his clothes and getting ready to leave. "Can you tell the ladies to meet me in the clearing?"

"Sure."

…

Naruto sat in the clearing, which was located away from the main buildings and near the forest, being both out-of-the-way and relatively hidden, both good things.

He sat quietly, his electronic cigarette between his lips, occasionally puffing out clouds vapor that dissipated in the morning air.

The rustling of bushes drew his attention to the approaching figures of Blake and Yang, the blonde looking rather chipper that morning, and the brunette rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Morning," He greeted, white vapor escaping his lips. "Sleep well?"

Yang cheerfully replied, "Yup!" while her partner shook her head while shooting the blonde a dirty look.

"I didn't. Yang snores." She stated, crossing her arms.

"I do not!" Yang replied, sounding offended.

Blake simply shrugged and sat next to Naruto, yawning lightly. Yang huffed and plopped down on his other side.

"Where are the others?" Naruto asked, noticing the lack of red and white.

"Rubes is still asleep, and Weiss is primping." The blonde commented, waving her feet to pass the time.

"You know it's not going to be fun, right? We're just going to spar and see what needs improving." Naruto stated, adjusting his gloves.

As if summoned, the rest of team NNRV arrived in their battle clothes, looking forward to training.

Naruto stood and brushed the grass from his pants. "Well, time to work. Later, ladies."

They watched him walk over to his team and start talking, Blake noticing that he had dropped his cigarette on the ground. She picked it up and looked it over, only for Yang to snatch it out of her hand and put it in her mouth. "What are you doing?" She blandly asked.

The blonde shrugged with a smile and took a draw, frowning in confusion as the vapor streamed out of her mouth. "Here, try it." She said, holding it out to her partner.

Blake gave her a dry look with a raised eyebrow. Rolling her eyes, Yang cleaned the mouthpiece off on her shirt and handed it to her.

Blake sucked on the end, before pulling it away and looking at it weirdly. "This is just water vapor. There's no tobacco."

"Weird, right?" Yang said, looking at the small electric cigarette that seemed to have no purpose. "Why would he have one that doesn't work?"

They traded questioning glances before turning their attention on the team as Ren and Pyrrha started to spar.

…

True to Naruto's word, the day wasn't all that action-packed. He had Ren spar with Pyrrha while he did the same with Nora.

Ren was agile, and his control over his Aura was pretty impressive. However, he lacked stamina and deeper Aura pools.

Nora was very strong, and could be very fast, even with her hammer out, but she lacked refinement, expending too much energy too quickly.

Pyrrha was a well-rounded fighter, with her sword-javelin-rifle combo, and her shield, she had close- to mid-range combat well covered, with the added years of tournament fighting under her belt.

To that effect, Naruto had Ren run through stamina-building exercises with him, while Pyrrha worked with Nora to teach her some restraint in combat and to be more efficient with her weapons.

They worked for hours, until the shadows became long and the moon shown in the sky, falling to sleep quickly after a rushed dinner.

…

"Again, Nora? Seriously?"

…

Yang waited by the air-ship that would be traveling to Vale, impatiently tapping her foot while leaning against a lamppost, her arms crossed.

"Hey, have you been waiting long?" A voice spoke up, drawing her attention to the speaker.

Naruto was dressed very casually, forgoing his usual suit-like wear for simple clothes with solid colors. A white shirt, a light blue unbuttoned shirt over that, with simple black pants and grey shoes, without his weapons.

"Only about ten minutes," She said, before leaping forward and grabbing Naruto's hand, dragging him onto the ship.

Unlike her fellow blond, Yang wore her usual outfit, as it was both good for battle and parties, because she was just efficient like that.

"Whoa, slow down, Yang!" Planting his heels, Naruto dragged them to a stop just inside of the ship. "We're not taking off for a little while yet, there's no need to hurry."

She smiled sheepishly, releasing his hand. "Sorry! I'm just really excited. Undertow is my favorite band."

Naruto planted himself at a window seat and kicked his feet up. "Really? Have you been to any of the concerts?" He asked, peering at her over his sunglasses.

"Yeah, the one at Vale Concert House last year." She replied, joining him in a similar position. "You guys played my favorite song, 'Monkey Wrench'."

He snorted and laughed a little. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed that was your favorite song. Did you know that Balta wrote it?"

The time spent on the ship as it traveled to Vale was spent chatting about songs and bands.

The air-ship jerked lightly as it docked at Vale, and the blond duo disembarked to find their favored mode of transportation waiting on the road. "My baby!" Yang called happily, running over to her yellow, orange and red motorcycle, giving the machine a hug and petting the paint job. "Did you miss mommy? I bet you did!"

Naruto shook his head and rolled his vehicle out of the transport, straddling his cycle before kicking the engine into gear. "Follow me when you're done scarring the kids, Yang!" He called before hitting the gas.

Yang looked up at his retreating back and jumped on her machine, securing her yellow helmet and goggles. "Wait up!" She called, zooming after him.

They traveled through the streets at a quick pace, weaving through traffic and cutting corners, eventually arriving at a worn-down warehouse downtown.

Naruto parked his motorcycle near the entrance and hopped off, waiting for Yang to do the same before approaching the door. "Welcome to our practice studio," He announced grandly, showing her the surprisingly clean interior.

"This is where you guys practice?" She asked, somewhat confused.

"Yup." He answered simply. "It's out of the way and no one cares if there are loud sounds coming out of it."

Naruto waved to two women sitting around a table. One was shorter than the other, with light blue and blonde hair cut into a short bob. The other was taller, thinner, with long dark red locks that hung near the middle of her back. Both wore glasses, the one with blue hair wearing oval and the latter, rectangular lens.

"These are my band mates," He stated, somewhat unnecessarily. "The lady with the blue hair Balta, and the lady with the red hair if Roja. Ladies, this is Yang Xiao Long, she's a Huntress and goes to Beacon with me."

The two traded glances and almost simultaneously raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you said bringing fans to practice was a bad idea?" Balta questioned, giving the starry-eyed blonde a wary look.

Naruto shrugged and took the star-struck Yang by the arm, seating her at the table. "True enough, but she's a friend and a fan. And look at that face. Who could say no to that face?"

Roja chuckled and held her hand out to Yang. "You aren't going to be catatonic this whole time, right?"

The blonde shook her head and uncharacteristically blushed in embarrassment, shyly shaking the presented hands of the bassist and the drummer. "Sorry, it's just…this is so awesome!"

Balta gave her a grin and stood with Roja, approaching their instruments. "We'll talk later. For now, just sit back and listen."

They took up their positions, standing in semicircle with the drummer and bassist standing forward of Naruto. "You want to start?" He asked Roja, playing a few practice notes on his guitar.

"Sure. Let's take 'Black Sheep' from the top."

Sitting a the table, Yang's eyes slowly got wider and wider as they began to play, a smile breaking over her face as she watched. They looked happy, grinning and singing together, which was one the reasons they were her favorite. They genuinely enjoyed playing, and it showed in their music. It was just as energetic as they were.

After that, Balta took the lead with the darkly lyrical 'The Pit', in which she and Naruto harmonized for the whole song, making the vocals take on a whole new quality that was unique to them.

And after that, Naruto took the lead with 'Rope', another fast, energetic song with a heavy guitar and drum focus and a rather shouty chorus that was very enjoyable.

They played for what seemed to be hours, switching between furiously pounding beats to slow and melancholy tunes. By the end, they were all very sweaty from exertion, even Yang, but they all looked very satisfied.

Balta plopped on her chair with a heavy sigh, blowing her sweaty hair out of her face. "Whew! Man, that's fun, but it takes it out of you."

Roja nudged Naruto's elbow. "Why don't you use those bartending skills and whip us up some drinks?"

The blond wiped the sweat from his forehead and kicked open the cooler, retrieving several bottles of soda, passing them to the ladies. "Look at how good I am, I even bottled them after I was done!" He stated jokingly, cracking open a bottle of cola.

The blue-haired woman retrieved a deck of cards, quickly shuffling them. "So, Yang, you're a Huntress, right? What's that like?"

She sipped her bottle of orange soda and shrugged. "Mostly homework right now, but soon we'll be killing Grimm, protecting people and making a name for ourselves." She scooped up the cards passed to her. "How did you guys meet? And what are we playing?"

"Mistral Six." Roja replied, tossing two cards down. "Balta and I were living in Mistral six years ago, performing on the streets while looking for a job to hold down. We had just finished playing when this blond kid comes up with a guitar and asks if he can play a song with us."

"We didn't have anything better to do, so I said, 'why not?'" Balta picked the story up, exchanging cards. "We just started playing a song together, just a random instrumental, but it drew a huge crowd. After we finished up, he looked at us with a smile and handed Roja a business card, but before he could say anything, this girl about his age with green hair stormed up and grabbed him by the ear."

Naruto rubbed the side of his head, remembering the event. "Yeah, that wasn't fun. I win, by the way."

The blue-haired woman groaned in annoyance and shuffled the cards again. "The girl dragged him away, berating him about leaving work early, and I remember being just really confused about that, until I looked at the card and found that the blond kid was actually the mysterious pre-teen CEO of a new but starting-to-get-noticed company called UCI."

"After that, we met up occasionally to play, and every time we'd get really big crowds, and I suggested that we become a band." Roja cut in, "And the rest is basically history. Undertow was formed and we got recognized. Not much else to tell, really."

"Nope, not really." Naruto commented. "We meet up every once in awhile to play and occasionally have a concert, but I'm usually so busy with…a lot of things that we don't get much time."

"Why'd you join Beacon, then?" Yang asked with a frown of confusion. "If you're so busy, why would you become a Huntsman?"

Her fellow blond sighed. "I'm CEO in just name, mostly. I only make really important executive decisions and create prototypes, and I occasionally present new inventions, but that's about it." He took a deep drink and set the empty bottle aside. "Truth is, I've been bored for awhile. I've been taking up random jobs for maybe two years now to stave it off."

Yang hummed in thought and let it drop, dropping a pair of cards on the table.

…

The two blonds waved to the departing car carrying Balta and Roja as it drove off. "Well, since we both know the way back to the dock, you want to race?" Naruto asked Yang with a challenging grin.

She narrowed her violet eyes on him and smiled back. "You are on, buddy." She jumped aboard her cycle and kicked it on, strapping her helmet and goggles on as he quickly made for his own. "Later!" She called mockingly, zipping off and leaving behind her giggles.

Naruto scowled playfully and followed after her, maneuvering around a car to keep her in sight.

True to the name, Yang's Bumblebee was flighty and easily darted in between cars, narrowly avoiding people and streetlights.

As they came closer, Naruto found himself falling behind. "Well now, that just won't do." He said to himself, pressing a button on the console. A hidden panel popped up, revealing a red button blinking innocently at him. He smashed that button and revved the engine, and the Dust-enhanced engine roared as blue flames shot out of the tailpipe.

Yang perked up as something made her hair stand on end and turned around, just as a black blur zipped passed her, nearly making her lose her balance.

"Later!" Mockingly drifted into her ears as Naruto disappeared from her view.

"Cheater!" Yang shouted, hitting the throttle.

Buildings streaked together, the speed pulling at his body as he sped through the streets. The glimmer of water shined in his eyes, and as the docks came up, he hit the breaks and sharply turned the bike, skidding across the pavement and throwing up sparks.

His tires left long marks on the road before bumping up on the wooden dock, and he slowed to a stop seconds later, steering himself back on the street.

Naruto waited for awhile, leaning against his bike with his arms crossed, and gave Yang a triumphant look when she finally pulled up. "You cheated." She growled, pulling her helmet off and glaring at him.

He simply grinned at her. "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying." He nodded at his own sage wisdom, before planting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers at her. "Nananana!"

Yang playfully pushed him over, standing over his fallen form with her hands planted on her hips. "That doesn't count, you cheated! I was totally winning!"

Naruto pushed himself up. "Well, yeah. Why do you think I cheated?"

She pouted lightly and punched his arm. "Jerk."

He laughed at her visage. "Come on, I'll even buy you dinner. To show you just how magnanimous a winner I am."

The restaurant they went to was a diner, one with wooden booths and leather seats, where the waitresses wore pastel blue uniforms and white aprons and called everyone 'Darlin'.

They ordered a burger, fries and a milkshake each, strawberry for Yang and vanilla for Naruto.

"So, Yang. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" He asked, sticking a fry in his mouth.

Yang set her half-eaten burger down and wiped her mouth on her arm. "Like what?"

Naruto shrugged. "Like…anything. Where you grew up, things like that."

"Oh. Alright." The blonde took a drink of her milkshake. "Well, Rubes and I grew up on a small island named Patch, which is off the coast of Vale. We were raised by our dad and our mom, well, until she died on a mission."

Naruto wiped his mouth on his napkin and leaned back in his seat. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She waved it off quickly. "Don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago. What about you?"

"Well, I think I was born in a small town somewhere outside of Atlas," He replied. "I don't remember if I had parents or not, but I grew up on the streets of this little town. The people there didn't like me very much."

Yang frowned lightly. "Why?"

Naruto pointed at the marks on his cheeks. "They thought I was a Faunus, and they really, really, did not like Faunus."

"You aren't a Faunus?" She asked in surprise. "I thought you were?"

The blond man snorted ungracefully. "No, I'm not. These are birthmarks, they just happen to look like this. I lived in that little town until I was five, then…I was in an accident, and ended up wandering through a forest, where I met an old man who took me in."

"Really? You just met someone in a forest?" Yang asked skeptically.

He nodded seriously. "Yeah, I did. He had lost his kids a year before and had moved into the forest to spend the rest of his days alone. He ended up taking care of me, teaching me how to read and write. He was old, and he died five years later."

"Oh." Yang muttered, looking contrite. "Sorry about that."

Naruto smiled sardonically at her. "It's alright, it happened when I was ten. He contacted an old friend of his and they brought me to Atlas."

A stilted silence fell over them as the waitress dropped off the check, which Naruto paid.

"Well, we should get to the transport," He spoke up after a minute.

Yang nodded and they exited the diner, walking down the docks with their bikes. They approached the transport and left their vehicles to be loaded on to it and sat at the end of a dock, with their feet dangling off the side.

"You know, I've been wondering about something." Yang started as Naruto was tuning his guitar. "You've made it pretty clear that you're the CEO of a big company, and I know that Undertow makes a lot of money. Those tickets were freaking expensive."

Naruto huffed and started playing, his fingers dancing over the board. "The thing is, I don't make all that much for playing with Balta and Roja. Most of what we make is given to them because they need it. Whatever I make, which is about fifteen percent, give or take, is reinvested into my company."

The plucking of strings filled the air. "I play for fun, mostly. Before I had my accident, I found a guitar in the trash. I fixed it up and taught myself how to play."

A sudden image intruded into Yang's mind, of a young boy with messy blond hair in a threadbare shirt and shorts, sitting in a dirty alley behind a dumpster, carefully strumming the strings of a battered guitar.

He continued, unknowing of her thoughts. "After my accident, my hands were damaged, and I thought I would never play again. The Old Man actually used to play guitar when he was younger, and he helped me pick the skill up again. It's a good way to exercise my fingers and remember the Old Man at the same time."

"Oh." Yang muttered quietly.

Noticing her dour mood, Naruto set his guitar aside. "What's up, Yang?"

She shrugged, kicking her feet over the sparkling water. "It's just…how many people here don't have tragic back-stories? Seriously!" She threw her hands up. "It's this whole place is a magnet for tragedy! Jeez, planet, what the hell?"

Chuckling at her outburst, her fellow blond shook his head. "That's just life, Yang. Shit happens. It's how we deal with it that really matters."

Sighing, she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think so too. And I know just how to deal with this!" Yang suddenly cried, shoving Naruto's back.

He shouted in surprise as he slipped off of the dock, his flailing managing to snag one of Yang's boots, and that was the only thing that stopped him from falling the water. "If I'm getting wet, so are you!" He shouted, pulling her off with him.

They both splashed into the water and burst out of the surface, laughing and coughing.

Shaking his head, Naruto retrieved his sunglasses and slipped them on his shirt, turning to look at Yang. He froze as the setting sun reflected off the water, bathing her in a light of orange-gold. Her hair lying limp from the water, the water glittering in the sunlight, her mouth curved in a broad, happy smile, a light blush on her cheeks.

Her violet eyes opened and landed on him, the laughter fading. "That was fun!"

Naruto shook his head, trying to ignore the way his stomach flopped. "I guess you could say our date ended with a 'Yang'."

Yang gave him a dead-pan look and dunked him under the water. "Mediocre!" She yelled as he popped back up.

As they climbed back up, she glanced back Naruto. "So, this was a date, eh?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Well, yeah, I thought so. I mean, we went and listened to some music, we raced, we had dinner and we watched the sun set. That sounds like a date to me, and a good one at that."

Yang smiled to herself and scaled the pole easily, pulling up on the dock and shaking herself off. Noticing Naruto still climbing, she bent down and offered a hand. "Need some help?"

"Well, this really rude lady pushed me into the water and got me all wet, so yes, I could use some help, thank you." He replied mockingly, though not rudely, taking her hand.

The blonde Huntress easily lifted him onto the dock. "There you go, milady. I shall hunt down this foul miscreant for your honor!"

Naruto chuckled and pretended to swoon in her arms. "Oh, I would be ever so grateful, dear sir!"

Yang suddenly grabbed him around the shoulders and bent him over backwards, his head nearly perpendicular to the wood of the dock. Before he could ask what she was doing, Yang leaned in and pressed her lips to, his surprisingly gently.

His hand cupped her cheek as he returned the kiss, her wet hair falling in a curtain around them.

Yang pulled away and met his bright blue eyes with a small smile and light blush. "See, that's ending a date with a 'Yang'."

She set him on his feet and strutted off, turning to shoot him a smile as she went.

Naruto shook his head with a smile, gently touching his lips. "What a woman…" He mumbled, following after her. Catching up, he put his arm around her shoulder, and she wrapped on around his waist, and they walked into the transport with a smile.

…

Fiery eyes scanned a multitude of screens closely, watching and waiting.

A thick beam of light speared into the room, drawing the attention of the eyes. A man wearing a pair of welding goggles on his forehead, with a thick brown vest, fingerless gloves and work boots and pants. "I heard ya wanted ta see me?"

"Yes, I did." Cinder replied coldly. "I've heard that you are experienced in dealing with the one called 'The Shadow Grimm'?"

The man, scratched his scarred jaw and nodded. "Yup, I've definitely faced that masked tool a couple of times. Barely escaped with life."

Cinder nodded simply. "I need your explosive expertise for a few…special jobs."

The man grinned and leaned on the doorway. "Well, you came to the right man."

...

...

...

A/N:Well, there you go, the next chapter. Not as much on the action side, but a little more character and team building.

I would like to point out that Naruto is a year older than most everyone in his class, and he's spent a long time as a vigilante, so naturally, he would be more experienced. Just something I wanted to make clear before some complains.

I did phone it in on the singing. I just got tired of it and I didn't want to type out all the lyrics. It'll show up again, but only on occasion.

As for the songs:

Black Sheep by Metric

Monkey Wrench and Rope by Foo Fighters

The Pit by Silversun Pickups

And the acoustic guitar at the end is Paganini's Hip by Ewan Dobson.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Why not review and tell me if you liked it? And if you also liked my writing, why not take a look at my other stories, like the Fallout 3 story 'Dare to Wander' or my popular Mass Effect story, 'Still Not A Hero'?

Shameless Self-promotion, ho!

Stay Awesome.

~ Soleneus

P.S.: It took me awhile to write this, and all together I had to deal with family stuff, personal stuff, including sickness, so if some it seems a little choppy, well, there you go. I'm not exactly sure when the next one is coming, but don't worry, I won't abandon this. I have a lot of ideas pretty much constantly, so narrowing down to focus on one story is harder than you might think.

Stay Awesome Some More.

~Soleneus