Authors Note: Hey, everyone. This was supposed to be out yesterday, but I may have added a few more scenes. However, Unlike the previous chapters, this will take on more of the fallout of Naruto's presence. I hope you all come to enjoy it.

Guest Responses Below:

- I suppose that you could consider this take of Naruto to behave more like Sasuke. But, I am really trying to put forth how much he's been corrupted by Danzo. This is a reclamation fic. Heel gradually revert back into something a bit more recognizable through character interactions and developing relationships.

- As to how Danzo acquired Naruto, you will learn of it in a later chapter in a flashback. However, I am not sure as to when would be the most opportune moment to do so as I want the flashbacks to be more random in nature. But, I would like for them to correspond to something that is happening to Naruto in the present. On another note, the police have no idea who is and isn't a criminal when they arrive. All they know is that people are dead and their's a teen choking someone laying on the street.

- A Reader: While the damage isn't delved into in this chapter it will be in the others. This one primarily deals with the aftermath of Naruto's actions. Don't worry, you will learn more of Naruto's past in future installments.

- To the Guest: You are correct there, however, the police have no idea as to what transpired before they had arrived. All they know is that people called about a robbery that devolved into a shooting with deaths present at the scene.

- Yes I suppose that this is a little gritty, and their will be a romance. However, don't expect it to be a normal romance in any stretch of the imagination. It will be dysfunctional at best. As to when, it will take some time as I want to flesh out characters even more. Romance takes time to develop, so expect it further down the line. Besides, he has yet to actually interact with the individual I have in mind. (P.S. I'm not telling who. Its a secret.)

(Story Below)

From behind a pane of glass, Ozpin observes a group of bustling surgeons. Together, they operate on a blonde woman lying prone between them.

In closer inspection, Glynda's figure comes into focus. From his vantage point, the Headmaster can briefly spot a few surgical retractors holding back folds of her flesh.

The medical professionals are active in operating within her chest cavity. A surgeon then motions toward his subordinate and takes a perforated rib plate and tenderly screws it into one of her ribs.

Then with a delicate hand, he gradually brings another portion of a rib to it and binds them together. Beside him, a colleague mimics him and begins to treat another fractured rib.

Nearing the end of the operation, Ozpin tears his eyes from the freshly sutured wound. Looking past the tube protruding from Glynda's torso, his eyes land on the softened and still features of her face.

The woman's lips no longer carry their ever-present rigid indifference. Nor does she posses the stern expression that typically envelops her eyes.

Now all he can see is the ventilator mask partially covering her face. Once they've finished, the lead surgeon begins to remove his gloves and mask. Discarding them into a bin, he approaches and leaves the operating room.

"How bad is it?" Ozpin inquires the man. The surgeon runs a hand through his hair and leans against the wall.

"She's lucky the police arrived when they did. Any longer and she may have asphyxiated on her own blood." Ozpin frowns while the operator retrieves a scroll hanging by the room's door.

Flipping through the pages, he lands on the most recent set of files. "The blow that she'd sustained. It's done significant damage. She has five broken ribs, numerous fractures, and a collapsed and punctured left lung."

With every word, Ozpin's hand increasingly tightens around his shuddering cane. A slight snarl crinkles his nose before he snuffs it out. "I see." Ozpin tersely remarks.

Tucking the scroll into one arm, the doctor places a comforting hand onto the Headmaster's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Sir. All she needs is time to heal." The graying man absently nods and makes to leave.

"Hm. Is. Is she stable?" With a blink, the surgeon raises a brow. "Uh. Yes. I suppose that she is. But-."

"Then I expect you to have her prepped for departure by daybreak." Ozpin intones with a sense of finality. He then makes to walk out of the room. "But, Sir. A move-."

Ozpin holds up a hand to silence the man. "Thank you for your concern. However, I believe that she would fair better under my care. Now. Please see to it that it is done." At that, he leaves the stunned man to his work.

In the shadows of the night, the faintest of shimmers warp the air of a cop-congested street. Their vehicles flashing strobe lights coat the lines of shuttered shops and restaurants into a mixture of reds and blues.

By a taped off alleyway, the shimmer lifts a band of caution tape. Once within the secluded corridor, the slight shimmer pauses before a pool of drying blood and numbered evidence markers.

In a shudder, the mirage shatters into numerous pieces of fractured glass. The reflective shards quickly evaporate away into glitter and then nothing.

Behind the veil, a girl stumbles forward and falls to her knees. Her amaranth and cinnamon curls frame either side of her tear tracked cheeks.

Every so often, bands of platinum highlight her unkempt hair. As she chokes on a sob, the teen's irises sporadically flash through shades that correspond with her hair.

Raking a hand through her scalp, she digs in as haggard, and hushed cries escape past her lips. Droplets of the girl's blood drip past her hairline while she brings her hand to caress the scarlet puddle before her.

She bends closer to the cool pool of gore and brings her shaky hand up to her face. The limb drags itself and smears the remnants of Roman's blood across her cheek. A quivering and fractured smile blossoms from her twisted lips.

Yet, amid her moment, a blinding light envelopes her. She squints into the beam to find the silhouette of a lithe woman.

"Oh, my light. Miss. What are you doing, h-here-." The figure remarks. But she ultimately comes to a halt at finding the teen with blood painted across her face.

"The f-fuck?" The woman stammers out as she drops her flashlight. With the obstructing light out of the way, the teen narrows her hetero-chromatic eyes onto the officer.

The deputy quickly draws out her sidearm and levels the pistol on the multi-colored girl in front of her. "Put your hands where I can see them." The officer asserts.

Off to the side, the teen grabs hold of her discarded lace umbrella. When she lifts it, a portion of it is stained and drips Roman's crimson blood back into the puddle beneath her.

As the Neapolitan girl turns to face the woman, a rabid snarl deforms her lips. With a shinkt, a needle-like rapier blade sprouts from the umbrella's tip.

"Fuck!" The woman grunts out as she fires off a shot at the teen. Just as the round makes contact with the girl's forehead, the teen shatters into hundreds of fractals. "Wha-?"

Before the woman could make sense of it, the teen's foot phases into existence beside her. It promptly then slams into the officer's hand. The blow promptly knocks the pistol from her grasp. "Kya!"

With a pivot and a bend, the Neapolitan female seizes hold of her ankle by her cane's hook. A quick tug subsequently leaves her stumbling to the side.

In a quick burst of speed, the teen springs off the brick wall and twirls her foot around. The roundhouse to the officer's temple launches her into the opposite alley wall. The deputy's body nearly bounces off of the sturdy surface.

Yet, a wet shlickt roughly nails her head against the shop's exterior wall. Her mouth droops open as the officer's eyes lose their luster.

At the pinned woman's side, the teen releases a shuddering breath. Her limbs rm and body remain rigidly extended in place. The girl's arm remains outstretched as it wields her umbrella.

Said sun-shade is currently jousted through the deputies temple and into the brick wall. Shutting her eyes, she deeply inhales through her nose. With a twitch of her thumb, the teen activates a switch on the umbrella's handle.

The instrument then re-sheathes the blade and allows for the deceased officer to collapse onto the street underneath her. After a second, a fresh puddle begins to pool around the woman's perforated head.

After a moment, the teen kneels and scrounges through the body's belongings. However, the vibration from her pocket induces her to a stop.

Retrieving a scroll from her pants, a frown befalls her.

The text message written across the screen displays no name. 'Where'd the fuck you go, Neo?' Said girl merely scowls and flexes her forearm. The device promptly shatters with slivers of glass embedding themselves into her pal.

Neo didn't react to the injury in the slightest and merely proceeds to pull the glass out. Slicing through her jacket, she ties the strip around the fresh wound.

When she makes to forage through the body's belongings once more, one of her ears twitch. A chorus of footsteps and voices quickly begin to near her position. With a silent curse, her eyes flash. In an instant, Neo and the body vanish into a shimmer of light.

The tap of a cane on the tiled floor precedes Ozpin while he shuffles through a hospital corridor. He persists in hobbling past room after room till he approaches a closed door.

A collection of hushed whispers permeates from the room. Bringing up his cane, he taps it against the door. The individuals on the other side, hastily quiet down.

"Uh. Come in." A gruff voice calls out from within. Ozpin opens the door with a soft click and peers in.

"Ah, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" He muses aloud. His pupils pan around, and spot Ruby nestled against Tai's side. Her puffy red eyes blink as she rubs one with her fist. Off to the side, Yang sits with her hand, ensnared within her fathers.

Looking back to the Hunter, Ozpin takes note of the purple and yellow hand-print coiled around his throat.

"Oh, uh, Ozpin. I didn't think. Uh-." The Headmaster stays his words with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"No. No. It's quite alright. I just wanted to see how you were doing is all." He affirms while he watches as Taiyang readjusts himself to a sitting position atop of the medical bed.

Ozpin looks to either of his daughters. "But, do you girls think I could borrow your father for a moment?"

Tai looks down at the girls and lightly hugs Ruby with his right arm. "Yang, Ruby. Can you two give us a sec?" After a moment of thought, Yang nods and stands up from her chair.

She proceeds to offer a hand to her sibling. "Come on, Rube. Um. How about we go get dad some cookies?" The little girl nibbles on her bottom lip and silently nods.

Taking her hand, the brunette slides off of the bed and trails after her sibling. Once the door closes, Ozpin takes a seat in Yang's chair. For a brief moment in time, neither of them spoke to each other.

"How are you feeling, Taiyang?" Ozpin questions as he swivels his gaze to the horrid bruise wrapping around his neck. "Heh. Honestly. I feel like shit. And the girls. They're tough. But. Hm. The way they look at me, I swear. It's. It's like I've got a foot in the grave." Tai states with a dejected sigh.

Ozpin shakes his head and runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "I'm sorry to-."

"No. You. Heh. Y-You, don't get it? I was this close. Th-This fuc-kin close," Tai asserts with a trembling voice. His forefinger and thumb pinch at the air in front of him.

He sniffles as a new set of tears brim at his eyes. "A l-little more and. And-." He attempts to whisper out as a choked sob hinders him. Tai all the while collapses against his bed's backrest. "A-And that would've been it."

"Heh. I'd be gone. My girls. Damn it. They'd. Gruh." He grunts out as he punches the bed's side rail. The room then devolves into a nearly impregnable silence while tears dripped past Tai's cheeks.

"B-But. Heh. I. I know you're not here for me." The blonde asserts.

A small sigh succinctly escapes Ozpin. "No. I suppose not." He mutters in a nearly silent admission under his breath.

"Then what're you here for? What do you want!? A play by play?" Tai prods with a wave of his arm. "I bet you've already got the footage."

The Headmaster nods and props his chin atop his right thumb and forefinger. "Perhaps, but I'd like to for you to assess him for me."

Tai's brows furrow at the request. "The freak?" At his elder's nod, he snarls and turns his gaze out the window.

For a few minutes, neither spoke. In the end, it was Tai that broke their silence. "He. Uh. He wasn't normal. I-I don't think he ever considered any of us a threat."

Within his mind, he flashes back to the grim instance. The flicker of a Kunai embedding itself into someone's chest comes to the forefront.

He shakes his head and brushes off the memory. "But-." Tai starts with a pensive thought.

"But, he didn't kill you, or Glynda, for that matter. Tell me, did he restrain himself?" Ozpin prods the man.

For a scant second, the father ponders his words. "I. I'm not sure if-. Hm. It was on a whim. If I'd give it a word, he was amused."

Now it was the headmasters turn to crease his forehead. "I beg your pardon?"

"I-I couldn't bring myself to kill him." At that, Tai blinks and mumbles something to himself. He turns and looks over to Ozpin. "I think. Hm. He may just be vindictive. We never tried to kill him. Roman did."

Ozpin narrows his eyes at the remark and steeples his fingers. "I see." After a moment of inactivity, Ozpin frowns when he feels a subtle vibration in his breast pocket.

He reaches in and retrieves his scroll. Following a quick peek, he nods to himself and places the device back from where it came.

"Well. It seems like our chat has come to an end." He states in the midst of rising to his feet. The Headmaster pats Tai's shoulder and dips his head.

"Whether you believe me or not. I'm glad you're alright, Tai. I'd rather not have your girls lose anyone else." At his words, a stout grimace forms across Tai's lips. He then ushers himself out before the blonde could formulate a response.

By the faint light of a campfire, a small dagger shinks out of its steel housing. A pair of hands deftly turns over the hidden blade and inspects its various components.

"Hm. That could be useful." A voice off to the side remarks. Naruto looks up from the mechanism and looks over to a clone with a scroll rolled out in front of it.

Written atop of the parchment, a mess of seal arrays are visible. Off in the corner of the paper scroll, a sizable heap of dust rounds and his purchased crystals lay.

The duplicate, however, had its attention focused on the retractable dagger within the hands of the original. "Maybe-." Naruto murmurs as he unseals one of his wakizashi. "Hm. You don't think we could mimic it?"

The doppelganger scratches at its cheek and contemplates the question. He ultimately shrugs and motions toward the device. "I don't see why not. It'd solve one of our problems. At least you wouldn't need to waist chakra to seal every damn thing."

Naruto nods absentmindedly and persists to take it apart to catch a glimpse at its interior parts. After a few minutes, he places it down beside him and retrieves two pistols from the ground.

While one posses a revolving cylindrical magazine, the other holds a sliding ammunition clip within its handle. "What a waste of Dust." He mumbles to himself while he takes out the Dust rounds.

Naruto then turns back over to his clones. A pensive expression is plastered onto his visage. "Hey, do we still have any Bokuton powder?"

"Uh. Maybe. Probably. Can't remember the last time we used any." Tapping a finger against its chin, the clone gestures to a few other paper scrolls stacked behind the original.

"We could check the scrolls. If anything, we'd be able to make some more if we need to." The duplicate raises a brow to the initial question. So what's the powder for anyway. Now it was the originals turn to shrug. "Just got an idea. Might be worth looking into is all. With a dip of its head, the clone returns to its task.

Naruto then leans back against his tree and ponders aloud. "So. You think the Dust's worth the effort?"

"Hm. Yea. They're worth it. But-." The clone drifts off. His hand lifts a scarlet bullet from the assortment of rounds. Naruto raises a brow at the pause and prods his companion. "But what?"

"They're brittle. Unstable even. They're potent enough. But, every time I try and hurry it up. They'll react." He states in conjunction with the Dust round in his hand exploding.

The faint wisps of its burgundy smoke billow away and evaporate into the atmosphere. "Hm. Then we'll just have to compensate for it." Naruto asserts while motioning to the seal.

His doppelganger nods beside him. "I know. I'll handle that. But, you've gotta start finding a way to support yourself out her. There's no telling how long you'll be stuck out here."

Sat in the Hospital Lobby, Yang lightly twirls a scarlet tipped lock. Ruby sits curled up into her side. Every once in awhile, she'd shudder and releases a few tears.

A sizable chocolate chip cookie lies nestled in her hand. It rests there forgotten with the smallest of nibbles taken out of one side. She drops it onto the bench and wraps her now free arm around Yang's midriff. A fresh wave of stifled tears shakes her petite frame.

"Oh, Rube." Yang murmurs, as a new bout of tears brim her eyes. She pulls the little girl onto her lap and begins to rub circles on her back lightly.

"Shh. Its. Uh. Everything's fine. Dad's still here. Okay. He's not goin anywhere. I-I promise." For minutes on end, the pair sit huddle together in the desolate lobby.

Through one of the windows, the dark silhouette of a bird fly's past the moon. A few seconds pass by, till a tall figure emerges from the shadows.

Entering through the foyer's front sliding door, the facility's sterile fluorescent lights illuminate the figure. A sizable bladed weapon hangs from the small of his back.

The man's shaggy dark grey hair and scruffy beard accent his sharp, burgundy eyes as he scans the sparse crowd. Off in the distance, he catches sight of a teen with luscious golden locks.

Nearing the girl, he notices another bundle of nearly crimson mahogany hair, nuzzled into the crook of Yang's neck. He stops just behind them and kneels to there level.

Without a shred of hesitation, the man wraps his arms around them. The girls stiffen at the touch. Yang's lilac eyes spring up and catch sight of the man's disarming smile. "Q-Qrow?"

"Yea, it's me." He intones gently into her ear. She relaxes into the embrace and leans her head onto his shoulder. He gently ruffles Ruby's hair and peels himself off of them.

"Uncle Qrow? Y-You. You came." Ruby remarks past her sniffles. "Of course I did, kid. I take it Tai's upstairs?"

The blonde nods and gestures over to a pair of elevators with her chin. "Yea, he's on the second floor."

"I see" He then steps around the bench and gently ensnares Ruby within his arms. She blinks as he lifts her into his chest. "Come here, kid."

He then brushes aside her discarded cookie and takes her former seat beside Yang.

His deftly props his weapon against the bench's armrest with ease. Yang bites on her lip as she watches their uncle gingerly hold her sister atop his lap. She brings her arms to wrap around her midriff.

Yang makes to look away from the pair but is jerkily pulled into a one-arm embrace. "Huh?" She looks up to only to find a crooked smile on Qrow's lips. After a brief pause, Yang finds herself mimicking it.

Without much of a fuss, she leans against his chest. Opening an eye, the blonde chances a glance at Ruby. A choked whimper breaches past her lips while she curls up against Qrow.

His strong arm clutches her dainty frame against him. "It'll be alright, kid. Tai's a tough cookie. He'll make it through this." Yang peers up into Qrow's tense jaw and piercing eyes.

Once more, she finds herself nibbling on her bottom lip. As a war of emotions lay clouded behind either of their expressions.

He then leans down and places a tender kiss atop of Ruby's crown. His thumb tenderly stokes at her moist cheek.

Walking through a corridor, a young but short woman with a head of raven hair saunters through a lobby. Her officers uniform sways with every sashay of her hips. Bringing up a hand, she tucks in a rouge lock back into her brimmed hat.

She comes up to the front desk and hands the man at the counter her badge. The secretary blinks and squints at the badge through a pair of glasses. "Ah, Miss Begonia, is it? What can I do for you?"

The woman lifts a small finger to her neck and points out a scar running across her larynx. He squints to the faint discolored line marring her throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know-." The man begins but is waved off as she hands him a handwritten note. After a quick read, he nods to himself.

"Ah. Okay." He murmurs to himself while he jots down her name onto the log.

Handing back her badge, he presses a button and releases the latch on the double doors. "Now, just head on down, and it'll be just to your left."

Begonia offers the man a small smile and a wave before strolling down the hall. He gives her a half-hearted wave in reply before returning to the magazine lying on the counter.

Further within the facility, the young woman opens a room filled with rows of square, steel cabinet doors furnishing an entire wall. A set of metal autopsy tables and supply cabinets line the opposing side.

She hesitates momentarily before taking a step over to an electronic scroll stored within a wall-mounted container. Retrieving it from the holder, she sifts through the names cataloged in its database.

After a fleeting second, the ravenette pauses before one particular name. Roman Torchwick.

She swivels her gaze to the right and spots the locker number 201. Dropping the scroll haphazardly to the floor, she unsteadily approaches the far left locker.

Begonia pauses before the metal door. She takes a deep breath before raising a shaky hand and turns the latch. With a tug, the cabinet slides out and clicks into place.

A body now lays ahead of her; only a thick sheet separates them. The vinyl cover warps around and vaguely defines the proportions of the man.

Biting on her bottom lip, she tentatively picks at the top of the sheet masking the body.

Gradually, she pulls it past the corpse's head to reveal Roman's pale face. Her hand proceeds further down to reveal the stitched gash across his slit throat and punctured chest.

A light whimper escapes her lips. The woman's hand reaches out and cups his cold cheek.

Around Begonia, the air once again shimmers and shatters away to reveal Neo shuddering form. Roman's dried blood cakes the side of her face, mats her hair, and cakes her knees and arm.

Collapsing against the locker, she releases a silent wail as tears track down her cheeks. For minutes on end, the girl lays partially atop his still body.

Choked sobs repeatedly rack her frame as a few of her tears turn a light crimson after traversing across her dirtied cheek.

Yet, in time, the teen's hands curl into shaky white-knuckled fists. In a bout of rage, she slams one of her hands into the cabinet door of locker 202—nearly silent roar tears past her trembling lips.

Droplets of fresh blood drip past her shaking fist and stains the brushed steel door.

Stumbling away from the cabinets, she comes to lean against a counter of to the side.

The seconds gradually devolve into minutes. After some time, Neo's eyes glint. She slowly stoops down and haphazardly begins to search through the varying chemicals held within a set of cabinets.

Finding a few gallons of Isopropyl Alcohol, Acetone, and Hydrogen Peroxide, she proceeds to place them in a pile at the center of the room.

With a subtle nod to herself, she heads out of the room and into a neighboring one. A portable X-Ray machine lies dormant off to the side.

The girl bends down to inspect its base and proceeds to open a door concealing its inner components. Her differing chocolate and vanilla irises trail across its various parts till they land on a nest of black rechargeable batteries, nestled in the back.

Retrieving two, she begins to make her way back to the morgue's primary holding room.

For a moment, she stands there and glances back over to Roman. Then, without warning, she lifts a battery over her head and smashes it into the ground.

The liquid battery cracks and proceeds to spill sulfuric acid onto the tile. She carries on to the next battery and slams it beside its brother.

Walking over to a cabinet, Neo pilfers through its contents before she pulls out a bottle of Potassium Permanganate. She then sets it atop of the autopsy table.

Returning to her pile of chemical jugs, the Neapolitan teen proceeds to empty their contents all over the floor, cabinets, tables, and Roman.

"What's with all the noise?" Behind her, the heavyset secretary opens the holding room's door. "H-Hey! What're you doing?" He calls out to the young woman.

She quickly darts to the man and sweeps his legs out from under him. "Gyuh!" He grunts as he collapses onto the ground. The colorful girl takes a bottle of acetone in her hand and slams its open threaded neck down his gullet.

He gurgles around the obstruction and makes to push her off. She immediately utilizes her elbow and slams it against the back of the container.

"Gyuhg!" He intones from around the bottle's mouth. With a sneer, she moves to repeat the action again and again. This persists till the man's hands flop limply to the tiled floor.

With a sneer, she wipes droplets of splattered solvent onto her black pants. The teen then grabs the collar of the man's uniform and proceeds to drag him over to the small pool of acid.

Using the rest of the bottle, she soaks the secretary head to toe and splashes the final few ounces of acetone between him and the rest of the mess.

After a short respite to gather herself, she makes her way over to the bottle of Potassium Permanganate.

With the build-up of fumes, she blinks back the tears in her eyes and covers her mouth and nose with her jacket's lapel.

Retrieving a few plastic bags from the counter, she pours the entirety of the black Potassium Permanganate powder into a single bag. Promptly, she succinctly wraps and seals said bag within two others.

She hazards one last look to Roman's peaceful expression and stands over the mix of acetone and sulfuric acid.

Closing her eyes, she sheds one final tear as she struggles to make a sound. "B-By." Neo coarsely forces out with a set of coughs following the word. The hacks from her throat jostle the thin line still ever-present on her throat.

Without any other hindrance, Neo drops the bag and dashes out of the room. The plastic bag unceremoniously plops into the puddle and begins to hiss, bubble, and dissolve away in the acetone's presence.

Neo persists in running without pause. Bursting out of the front entrance, she maintains her pace and races across the empty street.

From within Tai's medical room, Yang sleeps peacefully within her father's arms. Said man, however, has his gaze occupied with Qrow. The man's arms encircle around Ruby's as she sleeps atop his lap.

Her even breaths daintily brush against the collar of his neck. Qrow soothingly rubs the teen's back while his unfocused eyes trail out the room's window. The pair of moons and set of rings meet his gaze.

Qrow shifts his eyes back over to Tai. When he meets the man's stare, he narrows his eyes. "What is it?"

He groans out following a ragged sigh. A small smile makes its way onto the blonde's lips.

"This. This is nice." Tai whispers out. Qrow merely snorts out and shakes his head. "I didn't know you liked hospitals." His response is only met with his companion rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Yea. Yea." Qrow mumbles while he shifts his posture. All the while, careful not to wake the child within his arms. "Hm. Qrow." Said man looks up from his musings. "You know. Hm. Why don't you stay? At least for a little while. I know the girls would love-."

"Tai. You know that I can't-." Qrow mumbles out as he turns his eyes over to a barren wall.

"And why the fuck not?" Tia interrupts with a harsh whisper. "Another fuckin mission? A bottle? When is it enough? She's. Hm. She's gone. Look, I know it hurts. But, you still have her. For light's sake. She's going to beacon. When will it end?"

He states while gestures to the Ruby snuggled in his lap. "Please. Just stay. For once, be apart of her life! Our life." He quietly shouts at him. After a few minutes of silence, Tai prods further in a calmer tone. "Don't you want that? Wouldn't Summer want that?"

However, instead of responding, Qrow jerkily lifts himself off of his chair. A slight snarl decorates the ravenette's lips. Once he collects himself, the man gently lays Ruby into Tai's unoccupied arm.

Yet, from his vantage point, Tai spots a few droplets of water cascade past Qrow's cheeks.

Then without another word, he walks out of the room. A long and tiring sigh ruptures from within Tai.

"Fuckin hell." He murmurs to himself as he turns to look out the window. Off in the distance, the vague silhouette of a bird flashes past the ethereal skyline. Just as Tai makes to close his eyes, a pair of lilac irises open up to the world.

Out on top of one of the forested hills of Patch's northernmost port, a large crow lands within a seasoned oak-tree. From within its large branches, Qrow leaps down and meets the gaze of none other then Ozpin.

"Ah, I see that you've finally made it." Qrow narrows his eyes at the man and approaches at a sedate pace. "As you may have come to learn, we have quite the formidable delinquent on our hands."

Coming to a stop before the man, Qrow flashes forward and punches the man's Solar Plexus. The Headmaster's eyes bulge from within their sockets.

His breath and spittle discharge violently from his lips. A mesh of aura ripples throughout his skin as he collapses to his knees. Only a set of raspy wheezes resonates from him while he attempts to catch his breath.

"Heh. I suppose. Heh. That I deserved that. Gruh." The graying man groans as he makes to pick himself up from the dirt.

"You deserve more," Qrow growls out through a snarl. He walks off a few paces and turns away from the Headmaster. After a long drawn out sigh. The ravenette forces the tension to leave his shoulders. "What'd you fuck up this time?"

Ozpin picks up his cane and pushes himself back onto his feet. After a brief respite, he steps up beside Qrow.

"Hm. I. I may have misjudged the character of a child." The admission elicits Qrow to raise a dark brow. "A kid?"

"Yes, if I was to hazard a guess. Around Yang's age." Gesturing to the scroll kept within his breast pocket, he proceeds to speak. "I've already sent you the footage and my own notes to your scroll."

Qrow pulls said device from his pocket and pulls up a message displaying a video feed from a security camera.

"So. You just want me to bring him in or something?" Ozpin's tightening grip on his cane creeks the wood ever so slightly. "Hm. If feasible, yes. But, you are more than free to neutralize the target."

Qrow blinks and swivels his widening gaze over to Ozpin. Yet, the Headmaster unflinchingly connects his narrowed eyes with him. "He's an unknown, with a blatant disregard for human life and an active threat to Remnant. And that's besides his gifts."

The ravenette narrows his eyes at his superior. "Magic?" He prods the man. Much to his surprise, Ozpin merely shrugs. "Perhaps. A corrupted form, if anything."

Ozpin gestures to the figure in the midst of combat on Qrow's scroll. "Just see to it that you get it done." Just as he makes to leave his subordinate, the sky lights up and is promptly succeeded by a thunderous explosion.

They look to the horizon to find a building in the distance engulfed in flames.

A sliver of tension leaves the men as they both come to see the port's hospital still intact.

However, they narrow their eyes on to the turbulent flame rising from a nondescript facility in the distance. Without another word, the pair burst forth toward the scene.

End Note: Hey, I hoped you all enjoyed the new chapter. The next will incorporate more of the younger cast, Naruto, and Qrow. Additionally, I wonder if any of you caught on to a few subliminal things written through out this chapter and how it would effect future chapters. All in all, thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear back from y'all. Next chapter comes out in a week if everything goes to plan.