Reading Just A Simple Janitor

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or RWBY. The fiction that is Just A Simple Janitor belongs rightfully to AzureFlameXIIIGod, and he doesn't own the two either.

Prologue: The Interview

Within the Huntsmen and Huntresses' school of Beacon, located on a cliff at the edge of the City of Vale, there are four heroines in training that are attempting to enjoy their staycation. A staycation from school, but why you ask? Well, a few days ago, a small horde of Grimm had broken into the city, and damage control was currently being taken care of by older students and faculty.

This left the younger first years with two options: either go home until the school re-opens for the Vytal Festival or stick around and wait for the slight possibility of a mission to be sent your way.

The rookie team of RWBY had chosen the latter, and thus, had an entire recreational room to themselves for a better portion of the day. However, after three hours of the old cartoon Sugar Rusche, one member had had enough.

Yang Xiao-Long had a limit to how many times she could hear a bubbly pop song that lasted less than a minute. And that limit had been reached with the end of the last episode.

"Ruby, I'm done asking." The buxom blonde teenager glared her formerly lilac and currently red eyes at a shorter, paler girl who held a device in a death grip. A gloved hand reached out, palm up and teeth ground together. "Give. Me. The. Remote."

"But we just got to the third season's cliffhanger! I have to see what happens next!" Ruby Rose protested with a small whine. Silver eyes glanced over at the white-themed girl seated on the couch, content with watching the two sisters fight. A plan formulated instantly. "Weiss! Go long!"

"What?" The girl managed to ask before the object that had caused the fight suddenly flew at her face. Startled by the sudden inclusion into the sibling spat, Weiss Schnee couldn't react in time to avoid being hit in the face by the item. It bounced off and she put her hands over the impact. "Argh! Ruby!"

"I told you to go long!" Ruby complained from where she was stuck in a headlock under Yang's arm. This was done by the blonde to keep Ruby from zipping over to the thrown device and snatching it out of the air.

The remote flipped as it descended before the final member of the team held her hand out and caught it expectantly from where she sat in the lone armchair. The dark leather-bound book in her other hand's grasp lowered and two amber cat-like eyes stared at the sisters tiredly.

"...Do you know how hard it is to read when you're both acting like this?" Blake Belladonna did nothing to hide her mild annoyance, but masterfully concealed the amusement she felt over observing their argument.

"Yang/Ruby started it!"

"Ugh, give me that," Weiss said as she snatched the remote from her teammate's hand. Blake shrugged and went back to her book while the white-haired girl changed the channel. Yang sighed in relief and tears poured down Ruby's face.

"Traitor!" She pointed an accusing finger at Weiss. "You are a traitor to the Sugar Republic!"

"And you're killing far too many brain cells with that garbage." Weiss coolly retorted while she flipped through the channels. She stopped when she came across what appeared to be the school's headmaster on the television. "Huh, Professor Ozpin is on."

"Boring..." Yang groaned as she plopped down on the other end of the couch, Ruby pouting beside her in begrudging agreement. "Let's see what's on Song Screen."

"Please, they don't even play music anymore." Weiss huffed. "All it is now are those horrendously scripted 'reality' shows. With nothing but drunk buffoons that look good."

"...You say it like it's such a horrible thing."

"Shush, I'm trying to watch."

A man with messy gray hair and a pair of spectacles examined the résumé in his hands. Quite a lot of odd jobs for one the same age as the students who first enter his academy.

"...Okay, what is this?" Blake asked, setting her book down and watching with mild curiosity as various jobs on the résumé highlighted.

Weiss tried to pull up a guide, but nothing happened. She furrowed her brows and then attempted to change the station. The screen hardly flickered.

"...I...Don't know." Weiss frowned.

"On it." Yang whipped out her scroll and began to search for the title of the show they'd found. As soon as she finished entering the search, her scroll illuminated and a detailed sketch of an eyeball appeared on her scroll's screen, an audio bar below it that lit up as a voice came through.

"H-Hello? Is this thing on? Hello?"

Yang looked at her teammates, then back at her scroll. "Yeah...?"

"Oh, huh, cool. Didn't think this would actually work here. May I ask whom I'm speaking to?"

"Yang Xiao-Long." Lilac eyes narrowed slightly. "Who're you?"

"And what's with the eyeball?" Ruby chirped.

"Xiao-Long...Xiao-Long...Why do I know-Ah, here we are. Universe RVA4? No, no...KBC-24?...Oh! Of course, BB15-RT-V3-Prime. That's where you are." The voice, a male one, muttered. "And to answer your question, Ms. Rose, the eyeball is my symbol. You have those there, do you not?"

"What'd he just say?" Weiss asked.

"The eyeball is his symbol-" Ruby began.

"No, not that! The random assortment of letters and numbers!" Weiss glared at the girl before she glared at the phone. She idly noticed the television had paused. "Are you using coordinates to spy on us?"

"Now, now, no need for alarm, Ms. Schnee. My coordinates can hardly do anything of that nature. The only way we can communicate is through your device. And as to your question, Ms. Xiao-Long, my name is unimportant. If you must call me anything, you may call me The Seer."

Blake's bow twitched and she looked over at the scroll. "...You're a prophet?"

"...In a manner of speaking, Ms. Belladonna, yes. I suppose you could call me that." The Seer let a chuckle out. "Now, how did you all and I cross paths? Hm, let me see, let me-Aha! You've stumbled across one of my charges-er, channels."

"...You casually spy on our headmaster in dramatic lighting often?" Yang asked.

"Er, well, no. You see, how do I put this? Mm...Bluntly is best, I suppose." The Seer sighed. "What you are viewing is an alternate dimension-"

"Uh-huh, I'm hanging up now, Creeper." Yang put her thumb on the disconnect button. The call continued and she frowned. "...I said I was hanging up."

"Yes, I heard you. Unfortunately, Ms. Xiao-Long, closing the links between two dimensions is hardly that simple. Believe me, I wish it were that simple." The Seer grumbled. "As I was saying, what you see before you is an alternate dimension, a world where you exist, but there are slight changes."

"How slight?" Blake inquired. She got odd looks from her team and blushed lightly. "What? This is like something out of-"

"Physician Inquiry, I believe the series is called there."

"...It's not Physician Inquiry for you?" Blake asked.

"No, no. I, or rather, a good portion of dimensions have what's called Doctor Who."

"...That's a much better title."

"I concur."

"Excuse me, but are you two finished flirting or should I get a camera?" Yang asked with a smirk. Blake sent her a glower and there was an embarrassed cough over the line.

"Er, right," The Seer said sheepishly. "Well, I do apologize for the intrusion, but I must continue. You've stumbled across a window to an alternate dimension of your own. There will be similarities, differences and, spoiler alert, possible outcomes of events to come. However, bear in mind that this is a fictionalworld compared to yours. Names, faces, places and things may be the same, but they are not real. Just as to the people of that dimension, you are the fiction."

"...So, we could see something that would happen in the future, but we can't trust it because the source is fictional, right?" Eyes turned to Ruby and she pouted. "What? I read! ...comics..."

"Precisely, Ms. Rose," The Seer said. "Now let me see here...You've found dimension AF13G...subsect J-Alpha-5-J. Hmm...An apt title."

"What is?" Blake asked.

"I believe you'd call this in your tongue Just A Simple Janitor."

"...Sounds like it's anything but simple." Yang drawled.

"That will be up to you to decide. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a few other guests who –""HADES!" The Seer's exasperated sigh could be heard with thunder in the background. "Oh, wonderful, they've started to argue again. I'll leave my end open. If you have any questions, just ask."

The scroll's screen dimmed and the call ended. The four girls shared a look with each other before Ruby looked at Weiss.

"Let's see what it's about." She smiled. The four then looked at the screen as it resumed to play.

All of them were things the applicant was at one point good at until he changed into another job. From what the previous employers have said, the applicant was dedicated to his work, however menial the task. That being said, he did not stop satisfying his urge to have a little fun. The man certainly knew that a young adult needed to cling on their last footholds of childhood. The man lowered the paper that held his client's job history, then leaned forward in interest. His midnight black suit's creases ever so slightly moved into their new positions.

"You know, in this light, Ozpin doesn't seem so bad on the eye." Yang rubbed her chin. She was a judge of aesthetic character primarily, opposed to her sister who judged traits and weapons first before the looks of another person came to mind.

"...I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Weiss said dryly.

"Shh!" Ruby shushed them.

"So…tell me why a young man, who has his whole life ahead of him, want to wash it all away in a demeaning job as a custodian?" The applicant did not answer. "I see. Let me rephrase that. Why are you limiting that raw potential you have as a Huntsman?"

"Huntsman? Ooh, the plot thickens."

"Yang, seriously, shut up."

The man handed down a tablet so that the applicant could see what he saw in the younger man. It was a camera recording of what transpired several nights ago: the apprehension of two gangs in a turf war in Vale's main plaza. Among the sea of gang members, one who stood out was the applicant himself holding several bags of groceries in the middle of all the madness about to ensue.

The applicant, a young man with a golden mane of spiky hair, shook his head. He crossed his arms, and attempted to bounce off the question. "I thought I was being interviewed whether or not I get the job?"

"And thus ended Just A Simple Janitor, he didn't get his dream job," Yang mumbled under her breath with a smile.

"Yang..." Blake groaned.

"What? This is boring! We can barely see Ozpin, let alone whoever husky-voice is." Yang complained.

Her scroll illuminated. "To be fair, you did stumble across what could be called a trailer for a series."

"Who asked you?"

"Point taken."

"You are." The man replied. The recording continued playing. The two mobs who were parted before had converged on the young applicant's position. Whatever words were said in between were insignificant. On screen, the young man was hounded by enemies from all around. Swords, axes, batons, and guns were drawn. The young man evaded the melee attacks without any wasted movement, then countered by disarming them one by one via the breaking of clavicles, elbows, or wrists.

"...I stand corrected." Yang blinked. She sat back and her lips quirked into a smile. "This guy doesn't sound half bad. Now, if only we could get a shot of him."

"He broke multiple bones to disarm his opponents." Weiss pointed out. Ruby nudged her. "What?"

"Yang and Dad fight similarly." The leader of the team whispered.

"...Oh." Weiss blinked. She had honestly forgotten that Yang was a fight, to borrow a term she'd heard used before, junkie.

When it came to the offensive, it was there that the young man showed his sloppiness. His punches weren't proper, and were akin to mindless flailing due to the fact he added too much force onto a hit that would not land. Despite it, he knew how to move in and out of range. He was quite wily too; he ducked and weaved right into their guard, and tripped them down before he stomped on their faces. Crude, but effective enough.

"This guy sounds like he belongs in Road Combatant," Ruby said under her breath. There was a snort from Yang's scroll that drew the four girls' eyes to it. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing, just thanking my maker for certain names." The Seer replied.

The Headmaster stopped the recording, and continued his speech. "As Headmaster of this prestigious Academy, I'm supposed to evaluate both aspiring students as well as staff." The Headmaster took a sip of his coffee, then continued after he set the mug down on the table. "What boggles me is that you're the first of your age group to ever file an application to work here in my school. Most people your age who come here send their transcripts -not their résumés."

"Unless you're Jaune." Ruby snickered.

"...Did he send in a résumé?" Weiss asked.

"Uh, um, no. Just, forget I said anything."

"Done." Weiss turned back to the television and missed the pout that fell on Ruby's face.

"And this is important why?" The young blond asked irritably. "I'm here for the job. I'm not here to become a student. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Many would think otherwise that you were at the right place at the right time." The Headmaster said critically. "You sent a hundred men to jail. Not a small feat for inexperienced fighters. You've potential, boy. Why waste it?"

"Because I'm not capable. Because compared to them, I'm nothing. Because I have better things to do. Because I don't need to fight Grimm to make the world a better place." The young man snarled honestly. Ozpin was not intimidated by the young man's rising anger accentuated by his feral appearance.

"...He's a Faunus?" Weiss asked.

"Do you always jump to that?" Blake asked dryly. Her concealed ears twitched in mild aggravation.

"Oh, that was one time! Let it go, Blake." Weiss grumbled. She was a Schnee, yes, and her trust in Faunus as a whole wasn't all that great, but she trusted Blake after she learned who she really was.

His attention was drawn over by a cough to a blonde woman in a white, collared, long-sleeved shirt that puffed at the wrists, and revealed a sizable cleavage.

"A worthy adversary in the art of mammary warfare." Yang nodded while she crossed her arms under her own impressive bust.

"God, Yang..." Blake groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Weiss gave the blonde a look of disgust.

"...I don't get it." Ruby mumbled.

She wore a black business skirt that ran from her thighs to just beneath her bust, where the buttons to keep it in place were. She stepped forward with footsteps signaling her every intention.

The boy knew the intention a person had towards him by the footsteps they created. Loud, heavy steps with erratic rhythm signaled anger or something along the lines. Soft springs in their steps meant they were happy or at least relieved by something. This woman…she was angry. Her sharp tone easily confirmed his guess. "I would not speak with that kind of attitude, Mr. Uzumaki. You are still being interviewed. It's unwise to speak to your possible employer like that."

"...Ruby, take your hood off." Yang sighed and reached over to grab the red hood on the girl's head.

"If I can't see her, she can't see me!" Ruby rationalized. Yes, Professor Goodwitch was a great role model, but Ruby somehow always wound up on her bad side. And frankly, that riding crop freaked her out.

The young man leaned back into his chair. "But it really has nothing to do with the situation, lady. I'm trying to get it back into that topic, not go deeper into why I can't enter your school."

The two executive members of the Academy stared at each other. "Ozpin…"

Ozpin seemed to deviate from the woman's hidden suggestion to not press further into the issue. "'Can't,' you say?" The applicant sent another bout of silence. "Pray tell can you not come to my Academy normally?"

"The way he phrased it does raise a few questions," Blake said thoughtfully.

The young man raised an eyebrow. "I thought you want experienced students for that?"

"Are you not?" Ozpin fired back. "You carry yourself as a capable fighter."

"If you can call surviving in the red-light district experience, sure. Yeah, sure. Let's go with that." His snappy and disheartened answer irritated the woman. While it was normal; the way the boy talked irked her for some reason. The boy waved his hand as a way to dismiss or undermine whatever skill he has. "I have experience, but not against Grimm. I only know how to fight people. It's not even a proper or clean way. My methods are dirty with no style to them. I use anything and everything I can to win in a fight. I don't even have a proper weapon; just my fists and some fancy pair of gauntlets that don't do anything."

"Okay, now I really want to know what he looks like," Yang said under her breath. A guy that used gauntlets in a fight, wasn't afraid to get dirty, and didn't really have a style? That was pretty much her, to a T, except she didn't need style: she was style.

Ozpin was interested at that. "A weapon you own, but don't know how to use? Peculiar…"

"I'm not here to learn, sir." The young man reiterated. "I'm here for a job."

"Why is it important for you to get this job?" Ozpin wondered.

"I'm broke for one."

"That's a good reason." Blake noted. "And he's not resorting to crime. Which is very tempting for a lot of people who can fight and have weapons. Look at Torchwick, for example."

"Oh, please. He's in jail!" Ruby waved the girl off with a snort. "The good guys always win and the bad guys always lose."

"Life isn't that simple, Ruby."

"Yeah, well, we're trying to make it that way, right?"

"Yeah, you tell her, Rubes!" Yang cheered with a smile. She ruffled her sister's hair and laughed at the pout sent her way.

The blond answered snappily. "By the way that's another reason why I can't come into your precious academy." Ozpin diligently listened whereas the woman, Glynda, forced herself to stay calm. "Tuition is a bit too much; several digits more than what I get biweekly or annually. Other than that, I want to get this job because it pays far better than any janitor job in any place in Vale."

"And what will you do with that money?"

The young man turned away, and faced the cityscape of Vale outside the window of the Headmaster's office. "Survive. Being an orphan for your whole life will teach you that."

"You don't have to broadcast it," Blake said under her breath. She did admit, though, usually that played a good sympathy card for people who sought out occupations.

Neither Ozpin nor Glynda showed any signs of reacting to his self-disclosure. "Another is that I have to repay my debt to the lady in the orphanage. If it weren't for her guidance, I'd be stuck being a petty thief that stole people's wallets and snacked on leftovers while I slept in cold warehouses. She also helped me write that piece of paper in front of you."

"Hm?"

"I can barely read, sir."

"...He's illiterate, too?" Blake frowned.

"What's that mean?" Ruby asked, genuinely confused by the term.

"He can't read or write," Blake said to the younger girl.

"What? But, what about public schools? Like Signal?"

"Public schooling isn't cheap, Ruby." Weiss chided the girl. "It costs lien for parents to send their children to school."

"Not to mention most Faunus, if he is one, have similar difficulties because of intolerance outside of Vale." Blake added.

"Orphan and possible Faunus, yeah. I don't see him going to public school for long." Yang nodded.

"You're talking pretty decently for one who can barely read." Ozpin noted. "Shall I chalk it up to your experience in the streets that made you knowledgeable?" A nod. "Well…that's most interesting. Why have you not had the chance to learn?"

"Well again…I-"

"There are public schools, you realize." Ozpin pointed out. "You could continue your education there; it's free after all… How have you not done that?"

"The orphanage is in shambles, Headmaster." The young man explained. "The monthly bills to keep water pumping in there as well at the Dust needed for heating and air are some of the utility problems we have. Space is another; there are so many in the orphanage now that there are three to a bed and five on the floor in a four-person bedroom." A fist hit the table. "The landlady needs that money to expand and get space. And with that many mouths, food is another problem. I've been working three jobs to keep it up and running. A few of the older ones are doing the same. I then gave it up to get into this one because it paid far better than the others combined. We owe our lives to that woman and the orphanage she allowed us to live in. So from the moment we could talk and do small work, we did everything we could to make that orphanage better. We didn't have time to learn because we chose to help her."

"...Well, at least he has a noble reason behind it." Weiss mumbled. She knew she wasn't ready for a high position because that sob story was pretty darn good. She would've hired him on the spot.

"Seriously, picture, would like one." Yang mumbled with a small frown.

"You're serious about repaying debts, it seems." Ozpin mused.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" The applicant asked sarcastically.

"Snarky, I like it." Yang grinned.

"I will allow an honest man an honest job." Ozpin remarked. "And you have been awfully honest with me." The man stayed silent for a few moments after. "I shall hire you, Naruto Uzumaki."

"...I feel like I should know that name." Blake frowned as she tapped her finger on her book. It was titled Duality, about a man who had two spirits living inside of him, one of a raging beast and the other of a warrior of justice fighting to defend his home.

"His name sounds like a fruit." Yang mumbled. "One of those, whatchacallem, mini-oranges."

"Oh yeah! Dad used to get those all the time!" Ruby nodded.

The young man's eyes brightened. "However, a condition if you will." The young man dulled instantly. "You will continue your basic studies here in Beacon. I will not force you to take any classes, but there is the library you can go to in order to advance yourself no matter how small the triumph. You're even free to enter the gymnasium if you are inclined to keep yourself fit."

"Please, please, please let us see a picture of him." Yang pleaded with her hands pressed together.

"You're never usually this obsessed with seeing someone," Ruby said.

Yang looked at her sheepishly. "My imagination is going wild. I just want a clear picture."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, suspicious of the condition. "…Really?"

"I only want to help you." Ozpin replied sincerely. "And if giving you an education is the only way I can, then I will give it to you. So…will you take the job, Naruto?"

Naruto considered it. While he needed the job, he didn't need to learn. He was already far behind everyone else; he couldn't catch up no matter how he tried. Saddening yes, but it was a truth he admitted to himself by making his sole purpose in life to help the lady and her orphanage. But to get this job, he had to learn at his own pace. It didn't need to be overly difficult in concept at all or even too advanced for his literacy level. What to do… He hummed as he wondered whether or not the deal was worth it.

"I'll do it."

Ozpin smiled as he handed a tablet and a set of keys. "Then you will need these. A Scroll here is like an electronic key and identification here for this academy. The actual keys there are for your room and for the various custodian closets found in the several buildings on campus. Refer to you map on your Scroll for navigation."

"What about my uniform?" Naruto asked. "Don't I need one to separate me from the students? It would be quite confusing for others to think of me as one of them."

"Already supplied in your room."

"Seems like you expected me." Naruto observed.

"I have no idea what you mean…"

"He's sneaky like that," Ruby said with a nod. She liked her headmaster. He was pretty sly for an older guy.

"Is that it?"

"Indeed. Congratulations on getting the job, young man." Ozpin said. "May your time here with us be of benefit to you. You can use the rest of your time to familiarize yourself with the place if you so choose." He outstretched his right hand. Naruto took it, and firmly grasped the Headmaster's hand. Soon, the young man left the room with a skip in his steps. The young man's retreating back showed the heavily used orange crop jacket and black tee-shirt. His black pants were somehow still in good shape, but they've seen quite a bit of action. The extra pockets on the thighs were almost torn apart, but still capable of carrying something. The elders could see the content Naruto had through his body language, and it brightened the Headmaster's day a little.

Glynda on the other hand was concerned. She was the first to speak her mind. "Was it wise of you to do this?"

Ozpin lowered his head. He took the Scroll on the table, and replayed the scene he showed to Naruto. "I pray it is. Naruto's existence is a problem. His guardian already explained that clearly to us."

"...Oh, an unwanted accident. That's awkward."

"I highly doubt that's what he meant, Yang."

He paused the video right when Naruto brandished his so-called useless weapon: a pair of vibrant red gauntlets that shamed the brightest of reds with its color and form that fit perfectly on Naruto's hands and forearms. Intricate designs of flame wrapped around the wrist and forearm, where a piece of it was structurally different compared to the rest of the armament. Right at the elbow looked to be a set of thrusters. On the back of each hand was a crystal dome that bore unreadable text on its surface. "He is able to wield the Cielo Fiamma, but cannot activate its famous combat ability."

"He has not unlocked his Aura yet?" Glynda guessed.

"It seems to be since Aura consumption is the only way to summon the flames of Cielo Fiamma." Ozpin answered. "The manifestation of his soul is his weapon; it is the flame itself. Lupa has explained this already. Fiamma Primo's weapons only worked because it was linked to his Aura. Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto." Ozpin recited. "Iridescent flame, cleanse all." Glynda was confused about the random phrase. "The activation code of Cielo Fiamma. He has half of the weapon's potential awakened. All he needs is his Aura to release its full power. If what she said is true, and that Naruto is a direct descendant of the first leader of the White Fang, then his Aura would be uncannily similar.

"...He's a what?" Blake asked, her eyes wide and her mind racing.

"So he is a Faunus." Weiss mumbled. She looked at Blake. "Are you all right?"

"I think the cat's tongue was got by someone else." Yang joked with a small smile.

"Boo!" Ruby gave her sister a thumbs down.

"Oh, what do you know, you're fifteen!"

"And a half!"

Famous Huntsman families are known to have a specific Aura, Naruto would be no different. With the way the White Fang previously handled succession, Naruto would be the one currently at the helm. In the event that the current White Fang finds out there is one, true heir to the seat of leadership in their organization, they will stop at nothing to kill him at his weakest. They will stop at nothing to prevent a peaceful coexistence."

They will stop at nothing to extinguish the flames that united a people.

"...We're watching more of this." Blake's voice was firm and held no opening for argument. There was a fire in her eyes and she set her book on the table beside her.

The sight of Blake setting a book down in order to watch a show, or what was perceived to be a show when in actuality it was a glimpse into another dimension, made Weiss agree with her, if not to only satisfy her curiosity as to who this 'Naruto' was and how he was related to the founder of the White Fang.

"Binge about some guy who's our age doing physical labor while we study? ...Sounds good to me," Yang said with a grin. She hopped to her feet and grabbed her scroll. "I'll get some snacks."

"I'll go too!" Ruby offered as she got to her feet. "You never get enough cookies."

"Or, here's a thought, you eat too much."

"Blasphemy! I drink milk!"

"That's not an argument Ruby."

The sisters continued to argue as they walked away and Weiss looked at Blake curiously.

"So...About this Fiamma..." Weiss began.

"His name isn't known here, most of the history of the group was lost," Blake said. She frowned and furrowed her brows. "It can't just be a coincidence..."

"What?"

"Nothing, just, thinking aloud." Blake mumbled. She frowned as a new thought came to her mind. "Do you think they'll grab some tuna salad?"

"...Blake have you ever seen any of us go for the tuna salad?" Weiss asked.

"...We should go with them."

AN: And there ends the first reading I've made of RWBY. Again it was with full permission of AzureFlameXIIIGod that this was made. This will be (hopefully) a bi-monthly, if not weekly update on my part.

Y'all know what I want ya t' do!

R-E-V-I-E-W!