Chapter 33: Attack on Grimm

The airship ride to the mission location was a lot longer than team MNKM expected, and without a real idea of what awaited them, three of the members were growing more and more anxious. Marie had ordered her team to sleep, ensuring to wake them if they arrived The resident ninja, however, had remained in a lotus position the entire time, which made the team leader arch an eyebrow. He was sitting with his eyes closed on the floor of the Bullhead, but the scowl on his face made it clear that something was bothering him.

"Hey, Naruto, what's wrong?" asked Marie. She got up from her seat and walked over to him. Naruto opened a single eye and looked up to her, and sighed.

"It's nothing," he said dismissively. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up to the ceiling for a moment. He looked back to his partner and noticed her staring at him with an expectant expression. "What?"

"Something is bothering you and I want to know what it is, so spill it," she demanded. "I've thought about it long and hard, and frankly, I need to step up as a leader, so tell me how I can help."

Naruto looked surprised at her determined expression and gave her a smile. "Well, I doubt you can help, but if you must know, I can't free Kurama… well at least not yet."

The shorter girl sat down across from him as he talked. She crossed her arms in front of her. "Why do you want to free him? I mean, not even a few months ago, he was supposedly going to end the world, and now you're buddy-buddy with him? I mean, I know you like trusting people, but isn't this different?"

"I already told you we were on different terms then," he began to explain.

"I know, but is it really safe to let something that powerful out? I mean, we only have your word to go on… not that I'm saying I don't trust you, but aren't you a bit too forgiving? You mentioned he wrecked your home."

Naruto's expression visibly fell, the last comment striking a nerve. "I never told you that for you to use it against me," he said with a scowl. "I know what he's done, and we've been talking it over almost everyday- look, I know the way I phrased things at first was pretty bad, but Kurama's not evil." He turned slightly as he heard Kurama call out to him. "Alright, fine."

"Wait, 'alright, fine' what?" asked Marie. The answer she received was Naruto's eyes reddening and his whisker marks becoming more prominent. "What the hell?"

"Brat," Kurama's voice said. It was much deeper and there was a malicious edge to it that caused a shiver to go down Marie's spine. "You have questions, go on, ask."

Marie had never had first hand experience with the creature residing in Naruto, and if she was being honest with herself, she had begun to doubt it existed, until Ozpin mentioned it before they left. After the Headmaster confirmed it, she began to feel a strange wave of dread, but sitting in front of it wearing the disguise of her best friend nearly made her heart stop. "W-what are you?"

"I'm a Chakra beast," he answered simply enough. "I doubt your world has any equivalents, but I was often referred to as a demon, a force of nature, the strongest of the Tailed-beast, go on, take your pick." He gave her a fanged smirked. It was clear he was reveling in her fear, before he noticed something behind her.

"Kurama?" asked Midnight, who had woken from her slumber a few minutes ago. She noticed the familiar eyes that had accused her of murderous intent at the dance. She walked over, wearing an uncomfortable smile. "I have good news!"

"Er-what?" the Bijuu asked befuddled. Nobody had ever approached him like this before and it unsettled him.

"Those feelings, that night," she began, not noticing Marie's astonished expression at how casually she spoke. "Those weren't my feelings, it was my Semblance. Sapphire explained it to me the other night." She knelt down in front of him, her smile growing as she spoke, her reservation slowly dissipating. "Once I learn to control it, I won't hurt those around me anymore."

"Mindy, what the fuck?" asked Marie, finally finding her voice. "You KNOW him?"

"Of course she knows me," Kurama chuckled, shaking his head. "We're kindred spirits, she and I." He turned his sharp gaze back to Marie and chuckled even louder. "You meat-bags never cease to amuse me. Here I thought Mindy was the spineless one, yet here you are, unable to stop trembling in my presence. Where's that bravado you're so used to wearing?"

"Don't tease her," Midnight tried to defend. "I was afraid of you at first too."

"Was?" asked Marie.

"He's not a bad person," she explained. "Naruto trusts him, and so do I."

Marie looked back to the sharp-toothed, feral Naruto but still felt that lingering fear. The malice in his eyes was evident, how did it not affect Midnight? Before she could ask, Naruto's eyes reverted back to blue.

"Well?" he asked. "He's not that bad, right? Oh, hi Mindy."

"Morning, Naruto," Midnight said with a smile.

Marie sat there a bit miffed at how lightly the two were taking the situation but ultimately decided not to dwell on it. Midnight apparently had prior experience with the self-proclaimed demon that resided in Naruto. "What was with the oppressive atmosphere? It disappeared as soon as you came to."

Naruto began to stretch and yawned lightly. "It's hard to get used to, but you do eventually."

"Mindy seemed pretty used to it, how do you explain that?" she asked. It was evident that she was still riding the wave of adrenaline from the brief encounter.

"I didn't really feel anything," Midnight confessed. "Sapphire said my Semblance has made me feel all sorts of negative emotions. I guess I've gotten desensitized to it."

Marie's face fell. She stared at the timid girl and suddenly grew a great deal of respect towards her. She had experienced the murderous intent for a bit over a minute and she was still trying to catch her breath, yet Midnight dealt with these kinds of emotions every second of every day and did her best to function. Overwhelmed by the realization, she embraced the snowy haired girl.

"M-Marie?" squeaked Midnight. Without hesitation, she held her back. "It's okay."

"I'm trying to comfort you, dummy," Marie said, her face buried in Midnight's shoulder.

Naruto cleared his throat to get their attention. He had walked over to Kohl to wake him. "Um, girls, I think we're here."

"It's about time," Kohl said, sitting up in his seat. "Ugh, how long have we been on this stupid airship?" He noticed the two girls embracing and raised an eyebrow. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing important," Marie replied, composing herself. She looked over to the bird Faunus and gave him a warm smile. "Come on, let's get going."

As soon as she and Midnight got off the ship, Kohl approached Naruto, quizzically. "What the hell was that? Marie was smiling about something..."

"She's just excited for our first mission," he replied. "Hell, I am too. Ozzy said I can cut loose, and with Kurama giving me his support, I'll finally see what I'm capable of."

"I don't know how I feel about that," Kohl admitted. The two boys walked off the ship and reunited with the other half of their team. He looked up to the sky, still dark. "Huh, I thought it would be daytime by now."

"It is," replied a gravelly voice. The two looked over to see the disheveled Qrow looking menacingly towards the sky. "Names, Qrow Branwen."

"Are you the Huntsman we're shadowing?" asked Kohl, looking over the man's appearance.

"Yep," he replied, taking out a flash from his breast pocket. He took a swig and sighed. "Well, Naruto, how's the fox doin'? Oz told me you two came to an understanding of some sort."

Naruto shrugged halfheartedly. "Yeah, I guess you can say that. Where do we start?"

The three were only mildly surprised that Qrow knew Naruto, so they remained silent. Kohl readied his weapon, eager to get into the action, before looking up at the sky again. "You said it was daytime, right? So what's up with the sky? Where are we?"

"Evernight," answered Qrow. "Me and a couple of other Huntsmen were able to fend off the majority of the Grimm by the borders of Vale, it's only the sea we really had to worry about… but sitting around passively waiting for them to come to us really isn't my style. I decided to take the fight to her."

Team MNKM came together, each wearing a serious expression. Naruto spoke up, confused. "Taking the fight to who?"

Qrow brushed it off, capping his flask. "Forget I said anything. We're just here to clear out as many as we can for as long as we can. You four stick together, I'll scout ahead."

"Wouldn't we be safer if we all stuck together?" asked Midnight.

"No, you four wouldn't," replied the half-drunk man. "Which of you is the leader?"

"I am, sir," Marie replied, taking a step forward. Qrow looked her up and down, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Make sure you take care of them," he replied. He arched backwards, his back popping a few times. "Rendezvous back here in eight hours, I'll take care of the bigger Grimm. Don't get surrounded, don't underestimate your enemy, and most of all… don't leave each other's side." With that, Qrow hoisted his massive sword on his shoulder and walked off towards the black forest. The Bullhead didn't stick around much longer, leaving the four of them essentially stranded.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think our first mission would go like this…" Kohl replied, looking around.

"So… we're just here to kill Grimm?" asked Marie, perplexed at how little instruction. "I think he was drunk."

"He's always drunk," Naruto replied, recalling his first mission with him. "Mind if I comb the area?"

An excited smile spread across Marie's face, a smaller one on Kohl's. "Oh, hell yeah, let's see what you can do!"

"It's been a while, but let's see if I still got it," Naruto replied crossing his fingers together. He wore a wide grin as he called out the name of his favorite technique. "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The three non-ninja members stared wide eyed as a massive cloud of smoke surrounded them. As soon as it cleared they looked in awe at the sheer number of clones. Marie managed to find her voice first. "How? What the hell is even that? I thought you were going to make like ten, tops!"

"Ozpin said I could cut loose," Naruto replied with a toothy grin. Wordlessly, the army of Naruto's ran in different directions. "If I had asked Kurama for a little boost I could probably make two or three times as many."

"I hate you," Marie huffed, crossing her arms. "What good are we if you can summon an army at will?"

"Well, they can only take one good hit," he admitted, shrugging. "They're more useful for thinning out the the numbers and gathering info."

"Why didn't you tell Qrow that you could scout ahead for him?" asked Midnight. "Wouldn't it be better if he was around if we got overwhelmed?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Naruto replied with a shrug. He was about to continue, but he felt several clones dispersing. "Whoa, that was quick."

"What was?" asked Marie.

"I don't know… they sort of just collapsed and were killed by flailing arms."

Kohl readied his weapon, a bit unnerved. "Do you clones have a limit on how far they can go?"

"No," he admitted. He reached into his pouch and took out a pair of kunai and began to channel wind chakra around it. Marie was going to make a remark, but the near invisible aura around them made her refrain. As another clone dispersed, he threw it directly towards where the incident had happened. The blade when straight through the few trees, surprising his team.

"What else can you do?" asked Kohl, seeing little resistance the trees provided. He was both impressed and a bit envious.

Naruto didn't respond, as he felt more and more clones disperse.

"Naruto, have you gotten a good look at that thing?" she asked. He nodded. "Does it screech when it attacks?"

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"I think it might be an Imp," she replied, her hand gripping her sword tightly. "I've encountered one a few years ago. They're tougher than they look, and can attack from a distance."

"You think you can guide us, leader?" asked Naruto.

Marie nodded, and began to direct the group. "I'll take the front, with my Semblance, I can avoid most attacks. Naruto, if you and a clone to keep watch of my blind spots, I'd greatly appreicated. Kohl, be ready to back me up if I get overwhelmed" she looked over to Midnight. "Mindy, do you think you can use your Semblance?"

"You want me to use it?" she asked confused.

"Grimm are universally attracted to negativity, right? If you lure them here out in the open, we don't have to worry about falling into traps or ambushes."

"I-I'll try," she said, unsure. She sheathed her weapon and looked at her hands. Her aura was a bright yellow now, her mother's influence no longer making it green, and it radiated from her like a torch. If what she was told was true, she had an absurd amount of Aura, which made it incredibly hard to control. "I… I can't!"

"I believe in you," Marie said. "You're much stronger than you think, Mindy. Stop holding back, we'll protect you."

Mindy nodded, shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought back to being a prisoner, the way her mother controlled her, the way she manipulated her. She let go of the guilt she felt for hating her mother. She allowed her Semblance to take over her entirely. Midnight's hands began to tremble as they reached for her sword. Once she opened her eyes, she could see how her Semblance was affecting her team.

Marie had broken out into a cold sweat, a quiet panic taking over her. Her knees shook, but she held a determined look on her tried to grin through the grimace on her face, but it was clear that she was overwhelmed.

Kohl was nearly keeled over and struggling to breathe. He was struggling to get up to his feet, relying on leaning against his sword. He finally managed to look up, his face mirroring Marie's.

To her surprise, Naruto was standing still, albeit, he was hunched over a bit. He turned back to her only to reveal Kurama's red eyes and elongated fangs. He wore a wide grin, clearly reveling in the negativity. "Not bad, Mindy. Not bad at all."

Midnight smiled at him shyly, before she felt the ground began to shake. The four of them looked over to see a stampede of Grimm, varying from Boarbatusks and Ursai, to creatures none of them had experienced before that didn't resemble animals or mythical creatures. Some of them ran or slithered, while other flew or glided towards them.

"There's hundreds more in the forests," Naruto informed, as more clones dissipated. "My clones are thinning them out as best as they can, What's the order Marie?"

"I think it's time for some fireflies," she grinned. She ran into the fray of Grimm, Kohl taking her place in the formation. The three of them could barely hear her over the roars and growls "Naruto, Kohl, Mindy. Tipsy Turvy, go!"

Kohl put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, the two of them vanishing. Midnight drew her sword, ready to hold her ground. She could faintly see the footprints of the two boys splinter in opposite directions. The distant sounds of Marie's wisps of fire Dust erupting was the unspoken signal, and Naruto and Kohl reappeared, each holding the rope of Kohl's harpoon gun taut, causing the closest Grimm to trip over causing a slow domino effect. Midnight splintered her sword into its bladed-whip form, unleashing a flurry of slashes at the Grimm that began to stand up. Marie arrived by her seconds later, cutting down a Griffon as it flew over the growing pile.

"Nuke them, Naruto!" Marie called out, as she and Midnight jumped back towards Kohl. Naruto used a clone to throw himself up into the air, and another to push himself down, holding a massive version of his signature technique in his hand. The massive swirl of whirling chakra grinded each Grimm it touched into dust leaving behind the faint black smoke.

"We have another wave coming," he announced. The four got back into position, only to see a herd of Goliaths charging straight at them. These Grimm were on a completely different level than the young and bloodthirsty Grimm that preceded them. Marie began to rack her brain at how to handle such a threat, when the foremost Grimm fell.

"What happened?" asked Kohl, raising his sword once again. The four watched as Qrow yanked his sword out from the Goliath's neck, before jumping away from the tusks of another. The veteran huntsman looked over to the team accusingly.

"What the hell are you four doing?!" he shouted. "You haven't left that spot since I've left?!"

"We're luring them to us," Naruto shouted back, being closest to him.

Qrow grumbled under his breath, and continued evading the massive Grimm. When the opportunity presented, he lunged towards Naruto, facing the enraged Goliaths. "Just how, exactly, are you doing that?"

"Mindy's Semblance," Naruto replied, as the two clones above him landed behind him. He extended both his hands back and they began to rotate the Chakra for another volley of attacks. "These guys have tough armor, right?"

"Yeah, it's best to strike between the bone plates," he replied, clearly irate. Naruto's voice changed again, and he let out a deep chuckle.

"No, I don't think I will," uttered Kurama. The rasengans morphed from blue to a deep purple as red chakra began to bleed into it. In a blink of an eye, Naruto was darting straight towards the Goliath who charged back. Qrow was about to spring into action, but Naruto sped up further and rammed both orbs into the forehead of the Goliath. The bone cracked without much resistance, and the technique burrowed into the Grimm's head. It trumpeted out in pain, only for Kurama to plunge his clawed hands into the beast's head and tear off the white armor. He began to laugh maniacally, as red chakra began to cover his body.

"Kid! Get a hold of yourself!"

"No need, Branwen! Things are just starting to get fun!" Kurama roared with malicious glee. The red chakra fully formed, and he went straight to three tails. He fell to all fours and ran towards the next closest one.

"Wow," Midnight said, watching in awe at how effortlessly the massive Grimm were being destroyed. Marie and Kohl had returned to her side and watched the red blur.

"So… what do we do?" asked Kohl. "His furry friend seems to be enjoying this."

Qrow walked over to them, a serious expression on his face. "Which of you is Mindy?" There was a sharp edge in his voice.

"I am," Midnight replied. "My name is actually Midnight… but...um…" She cut herself off as he continued to give her a piercing glare.

"What is your Semblance?" he demanded. "The kid said you lured them all out here. How?"

"I… I don't have a name for it," she confessed, "but radiate negative emotions…"

Qrow let out a humorless laugh and palmed his face. He looked back up and glared daggers at her. "Well? Quit it! If you keep this up, it'll only be a matter of time before the big ones are sent in."

Midnight immediately complied, doing her best to reel in her influence. She could see Marie and Kohl start to breathe easier, but Naruto was still shrouded in red, leaping to and from Goliaths. It took her much more effort than she expected to diminish the affect of her Semblance, and it left her a bit winded. "O-okay."

Kohl and Marie regrouped with her, the latter wearing a wide grin, seeing that Naruto was nearly done finishing off the few Goliaths left. "That went way better than expected, good job Mindy!"

"You think that went well?" Qrow asked harshly. "You four essentially gave away our position to the enemy! We lost our only advantage before we could use it! What the hell were you thinking?"

Marie shrank back at his sudden outburst and took a step back. "I-I…"

"You might think fightin' those things out in the open would be easier, but what will you do when they start coming from above? Or the sea behind you?! Have you ever encountered a Megalodan? Or a Sei Feilong? They aren't pushovers, kid, what your team did was stupid and reckless!"

Marie felt the sting of his accusation, but she felt that it was unwarranted. He was the one who gave them little directions and it was Ozpin who said Naruto was allowed to let loose. She could feel her temper rising, but did her best to keep her voice steady. "You were the one who told us to kill as many as we can," she pointed out, putting herself between Qrow and Midnight. "We were able to clear out both waves, and Naruto was combing the forest to thin out the Grimm so we wouldn't get overwhelmed. He was also able to relay information back, unlike you!"

Qrow crossed his arms and glared at Marie. He didn't raise his voice, but the edge to it was clear as day. "Do you want to get your team killed?" he asked simply. Marie faltered a bit, confused by his question. "Look at your teammates, kid. The only one here capable of fighting endless wave after wave is Naruto, and I only say that because I've seen him do it. If you try to put yourself and your team on his level, you'll end up becoming a liability." He pointed to Midnight but didn't break eye contact with Marie. "How proficient do you think she is with her Semblance? I've been gone less than an hour and she looks like she's about to pass out. That would bring your team down to three. One of you would have to actively protect her, bringing your effective fighting force down to two. Do you think that two people alone can keep you from getting surrounded? Naruto may be able to make clones, but if you continue to rely on his ability, you three will never grow and just hold him back. Now, let's say he went down in the thick of it. What would you do then? Do you have any contingency plans in the event that happens?"

Marie bit her tongue, knowing that much of what he said was right. Qrow looked over to Kohl and Midnight who seemed unsure about what to do. Naruto had heard what he said but could understand where he was coming from. While he and Qrow never had a full conversation about it, they both knew what it was like to lose somebody close and blame it on themselves. Qrow mentioned he lost Ruby's mom not long after he confessed his blunder regarding Hinata. This outburst came from a place of regret and pain, not malice.

"I'm sorry," Marie uttered out under her breath. She refused to look anyone in the eye, instead focusing on the ground. Qrow turned away, putting a fair distance between himself and team MNKM.

"Hey, we're okay," Naruto said to his partner. "We just need to shake off all the rust, we'll show him."

"Am I really holding you back?" she asked.

"W-what?" he asked suddenly. "Was that what you got from that?"

"Just answer the question," she demanded. The look in her eyes spoke volumes to Naruto. She would know if he lied.

"I… I don't know," he answered hesitantly. "I mean, I held back before because I was paranoid about going nine-tails, but after getting on the same page with Kurama, I haven't really had the chance to go all out. I wouldn't say I held back because you or the others couldn't keep up, I just never found myself in a spot where I had to go all out."

"I know you're on another level," she admitted. "But are you afraid to stop holding back because of us?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, and sighed. "How about let loose here and now? Most of my arsenal isn't suited for fighting with a team, and this sort of environment would be perfect to show you why."

"Alright, do it," she said. "I'll have Mindy and Kohl stay back."

"I'll let Qrow know," he replied. Naruto walked over to the Branwen and noticed him drinking from his flask again. "Hey, Qrow."

"What do you want, kid?" he asked annoyed. He still hadn't cooled off from reprimanding Marie.

"You didn't have to say what you did the way you said it," Naruto answered, crossing his arms. "Marie is doing her best, and Midnight is exploring her Semblance here because we all know that it would be stupid to do so within Vale."

Qrow looked over to the blond ninja with an amused expression. "Did I strike a nerve?"

"No, I understand where you're coming from," he confessed. "I'm just letting you know that we did think this through, even if it make look reckless to you. I haven't encountered a single Grimm I can't take on my own, other than when I was keeping my abilities close to the chest. That's why I'm going to show you just how capable I am. Back in Forever Fall, I was still a bit hesitant, but now, Kurama and I are on the same team. So, stay back so you aren't in the splash zone."

Qrow raised an eyebrow, but he knew Naruto wasn't one to brag. He motioned with his hand to go ahead. Naruto dismissed his small army of clones, getting a good layout of the forest. He shut his eyes and red chakra began to leak from him, fully coating him in a matter of seconds.

"You sure about this?" Kurama asked, seeing Naruto standing in front of his cage.

"We gotta start somewhere," he said with his signature grin. He grabbed the edge of the paper seal and tore it off in one swift motion. "After this, we'll figure out how to break this cage of yours."

Naruto opened his eyes once more. He looked behind him to see nine transparent tails waving gentle behind him. The cloak didn't manifest the bone or muscles like before, which made him wonder why that was. He'd figure he'd ask Kurama about it later and looked towards the distance as a handful of Grimm began to emerge.

"Are you ready to do this?" Naruto asked the fox. He heard a low chuckle in the back of his head.

"Brat, I've been waiting for this for decades."

"How about you get the first test run?" he asked. There was a deafening silence that followed, making him wonder if he said the wrong thing. "Kurama?"

"...Is that a serious offer?" he asked lowly. "You're willing to trust me here of all places?"

"Consider this an apology for what my people have done to you," he replied.

Kurama seized the opportunity immediately. He had been given limited control before, such as his brief conversations with Marie and Midnight, as well as his small scuffle with Sapphire, where he still had hold back. Now, he watched as the specks of black with white rushed towards him and he only felt an eager blood lust. He let out a terrifying laugh as he began to manifest his body. First, the chakra became denser and darker, making it impossible to recognize Naruto. Next, the bones formed, followed shortly by the muscle. He went onto all fours as his skin and orange fur formed, the cloak of chakra disappearing as it did. His full transformation was complete, and now he towered over the soulless beast that ran towards him.

"Holy shit," Qrow said, nearly dropping his flask. He stood dumbfounded as the massive fox stood to its full height, easily over 100 meters. The three students stared in astonishment as their teammate grew and transformed. It's massive tails swished around gracefully, but as Ursai or Beowolves approached, they were either crushed or swatted away like bugs.

Kurama rushed into the thicket, breaking the trunks of trees as if they were toothpicks. His rabbit-like ears could be seen over the tops of the trees and a distant roaring of laughter. The ground shook as he stomped around and swung his tails.

Marie fell on her rear, her legs collapsing under her. "I can see why he holds back at school…" she whispered. The sheer power made her shiver in fear

"What the hell do we need Huntsmen for if he's around?" asked Kohl. He thought back to when he believed himself to be on Naruto's level and felt as if all his training was insignificant. He tried to brush the thoughts away, not wanting to let his envy get the better of him again.

Midnight looked on silently, feeling a strange sensation in her stomach. She never imagined Kurama to be so massive. The 'demon' that resided in Naruto wasn't mindless, nor did she believe it was inherently evil. If what her sister said about their mother was true, the lack of freedom had taken a toll on her sanity, and it seemed Kurama was no different. She felt sympathy for the fox and happy that he and Naruto had been able to come to an understanding with each other. She put her hand over her heart and began to wonder if things could have been different with her mother, but came to realize that her soul was finally able to rest now that they were separated. The woman that took care of her sister so lovingly wasn't the same one that was inside her head and Midnight was finally able to accept it. Skylar wasn't her mother, she was a victim, just as much as Midnight was.

"Mindy, are you alright?" asked Marie. She gently put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Midnight looked over to her, unaware of the tears that had begun to fall from her face. She turned to her team leader with a smile growing wider than she has ever worn. She was surrounded by friends and they could all tell when something was going on in her head, even if she wouldn't usually voice it. Kohl was watching her as well, both clearly aware of her feelings. Midnight felt elated, feeling the love of her friends. "I've never felt better," she said in a tone much happier than usual.

Marie took a step back, eyes wide. She began to look Midnight up and down, before asking, "what the fuck, Mindy?! Are you getting off on this?"

"W-what?" asked Midnight. Kohl, who was about to voice something, fell to the ground laughing. "What do you mean? Why are you laughing?"

Marie took a moment before she chuckled to herself as she could see the confusion forming on her face. "I'll explain later," she told Midnight. She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her in close. "You really aren't afraid of that thing?"

"No," she admitted. "I was at first, but he tried cheering me up not to long ago… The only people who've done have been you, Kohl and Naruto."

Kohl stood up from his laughing fit and approached the two. "Is this really the time to have a heart to heart?" he asked, gesturing to the explosions off in the distance.

"Do you see any Grimm getting past Whiskers?" asked Marie. "Even Mr. Branwen is taking it easy, look."

The three turned over to Qrow who was turning his flask upside down, not a single drop left. He capped it and sighed to himself. He mumbled something under his breath and grabbed his sword before heading towards the raging fox.

"Where do you think he's going?" asked Kohl. "He wouldn't try to get in Naruto's way, would he?"

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing," Marie shrugged. "Come on guys, we should at least help where we can. Mindy, do you think you can tone down your Semblance a bit?"

"I can try."

"Good. Kohl, how's your Aura?"

"Got plenty," he replied.

"Alright, guys, let's do this again."

A/N

I'm not abandoning this story, but I will admit that my ability to write as often as I want to has dwindled. It's almost been a year since I've updated this particular story, which is unacceptable in my eyes. That being said, I can't guarantee a new update anytime soon. The winner of the contest has relinquished his prize, so the guest OC's that were supposed to appear later down the line may not happen. Neo Masked Blaster, if you see this, please contact me so we can discuss the possibility of your OC's appearing, as you were the runner up. Sorry for the delay.

Review Corner:

Guest(Sep19): Story isn't dead, I'm just not as quick to update as I once was.

yourself8548: Your review really helped me push forward with this chapter and I thank you for that. I take great pride in my OC's, even if they end up differently than I imagined initially.

Guest(Jul27): I'm thinking of you too, friend. Shame I couldn't message you to tell you sooner.

Red-Umbreon40: I still find it weird that people ship my characters, because I never had the intention of romantic pairings. We'll see how things go for them, but romance is not the goal of this story, so I won't promise anything.

Guest(May20): It brings me great joy that people enjoy my attempt at what amounts to shitposting of my own story.

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Guest (Apr29): Sorry to keep you waiting, and I hope this was close to what you were expecting.

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Guest (Apr26): I will.

SlyFox9: This update must have thrown you into another loop, huh? Hopefully it was worth the wait.

Stevie572: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far!

THE-Twilight-Blazeknight: Your reviews are some of my favorite, and it's a joy to read them every time. I can't wait to hear what you think about this one!

Ultimatrix bearer: I don't even know how to respond to that. I haven't lost any limbs, thankfully. Also, Endgame was great.

rex4487: I'm not done with school (Started up again before I updated), but I'm almost done!

Brightheart10: I was alive then, and I'm still alive now.

Ikasuki: Although I doubt you've read up to this point, thanks for the criticism. In regards to your points, I guess I'm not the type of author you'd like to read, that's fine. However, in regards to Naruto 'losing' the pillow fight, like, dude, it's just a pillow fight. It's not like he was actually trying to hurt people, it was all in fun. Him not using Kurama's chakra early on is him being paranoid. People in life don't always act consistently, and while it's a little OOC for him to refrain, try to understand that if he did lose control there would be nobody that could realistically stop him. In addition, he doesn't know a thing about the world in Chapter 3, which is where you left off. and his senjustu, it was an imperfect 'burst'. If he absorbed too much natural energy, he'd turn into a frog statue, and in this case, he used too little due to how rushed he was, which resulted in it petering out before he landed the hit. I didn't say it explicitly, but I thought it was implied. Sorry if it went over your head.

Roland's Blade: If you stuck around, you'd see him at full power here, but I guess not. Sorry.

Born2BeGodLike: He's back to full here, but I guess you quit too. Sorry.

Alright, having addressed all of the reviews, I just want to let you all know that if you want to contact me for any reason, I don't really check my PM's anymore. A link to my twitter can be found on my bio, so use that. I don't post anything, but it's the best way to reach me. I don't care how trivial you think your questions may be, I'll be as earnest and straightforward as possible without getting into spoiler's territory.