Author's Note:

So, if you keep up with any of my other fics, then this is the story that I hinted at. A kind of twist on a 'Naruto as Jaune' idea that I've been throwing around for awhile now. This chapter is kind of a big deal for me, it showcases everything that I've learned about writing over the past two months that I haven't posted.

Huge shout out to my beta Enbi. She helped go over this chapter and spent quite a bit of time helping me flesh it out properly.

Also want to shout out EndoplasmicPanda and Dakeyras for helping me with my writing. Both of them make some pretty quality content. On the off chance you haven't read their stuff, you should really go check them out.

Hopefully you enjoy it.

Naruto never understood what Shikamaru found enjoyable about watching clouds.

Laying on a rock surface, one that he presumed to be Madara's head, he stared up at the sky and hated the entire experience.

It probably had something to do with his arm. His right arm, or to be more specific, the one which was currently missing.

Yeah. That might've had a little to do with it.

He was going to die here, not that it bothered him much. He didn't fear death, never had and it seemed that he never would.

"Yo Sasuke, you still alive over there?"

He watched Sasuke open an eye, glancing at him out its corner. His only show of acknowledgment being a grunt.

"It looks like we really did a number on one another, huh?"

A cough bubbled forth in Naruto's throat, and he hacked up blood onto the stone. A bit of it had pelted Sasuke in the face, giving him a new reason to grin. He was glad that he and death could team up to pester his old rival.

He noted Sasuke's glare, and if his body had been responsive enough to shrug, he would've. But hey, battles to the death tended to put you in a state like this.

He heard a sigh escape from Sasuke's lips.

"You did it Naruto, you beat me," Sasuke said, a light breeze picking up and stirring the ends of his hair. "You've won, it's over now."

Naruto snorted. "It was never about beating you, ya idiot! It was about trying to protect the people that you were trying to hurt. You make it sound like some sort of pissing contest, that ain't it at all!"

In reply, all Sasuke did was grunt and look away. Naruto laughed to himself, thinking that Sasuke's response was pretty fitting of... well, Sasuke.

Then the pain came back.

Honestly, calling it a return wasn't fitting; the pain had never left, instead it had numbed for a time, almost as if he had gotten acclimated towards it.

It hurt, oh did it hurt.

It would come and go in waves, feeling dull at points, but then stabbing, surging forward in a way that was impossible to ignore. It wasn't just his arm, but the entirety of his body. Several bones were fractured at the very least and it wouldn't be too far of a guess to think that some of them had been outright crushed.

One of his ribs had shattered during the fight, splintering and piercing several of his internal organs. That seemed the best answer for why he was coughing up blood.

Not that he minded that part. Getting spittle on Sasuke's face wasn't worth nearly as much.

It wouldn't be much longer now. With both his and Sasuke's arms pooling blood like busted well pumps; it was easy enough to surmise that the end was drawing near- for the both of them.

With time running low, Naruto had to make a decision. He hoped and prayed that Sakura would arrive on time, somehow being able to save them. He hoped that Sasuke would come back to Konoha. He hoped that they would all be able to be Team Seven. He hoped that they would all make it out alive.

It seemed that even that was too much to hope for.

Someone had to end the infinite Tsukuyomi and Naruto had no idea who else could. Holding onto the hope that Sakura would even be able to save Sasuke now seemed moot.

Now was a time for realism. Even if Sakura arrived on time, he doubted that she would be able to help. No, he knew that the only way to save Sasuke, the only way to lift the infinite genjutsu, was to use the last of his chakra and save his friend.

It seemed that he would have to save Sasuke.

A groan escaped from his lips, his one open eye closing. He loved Sasuke, they were brothers, but if Naruto did this he knew he would die.

God, he felt like a hypocrite. Everyone feared death, even himself.

It was one thing to hold onto the hope that Sakura would arrive, but if she didn't, the world would have little chance. No, this was something that he had to do.

It was funny in a way; Naruto had heard story after story from his old sensei about war and battle. All of those damn stories, and he had heard a lot of them, but no one had ever told him how hard it was to move after fighting a god or two.

Naruto Uzumaki, greatest shinobi in the world, hero of the elemental nations—and he couldn't help but compare himself to a slug as he tried to get onto his stomach.

In hindsight, rolling over his stub of an arm hadn't been the best idea.

The pain had come and gone in waves earlier. Now, the pain was immense, forcing him to grit his teeth; his arm—or what remained of it—was sensitive and felt like a roaring inferno was licking at it.

He knew Sasuke was staring at him. This was what he deserved, going out of his way to help this bastard, nothing but mockery and pain. It was so unfair.

Now on his stomach, Naruto reached out with his left arm, placing his hand on Sasuke's midsection, that action alone making his entire body scream in protest. With his hand in place, chakra surging forward, coating his arm in a glowing orange.

He could feel the drain on his already near-empty reserves. No doubt, this would be his last sacrifice.

"Sorry Sasuke, you'll have to become Hokage for the both of us."

It was corny, oh god, was it corny. If the situation wasn't so serious he would've made a joke or two about his last words. They sucked… they sucked bad.

Regardless, he watched Sasuke's eye widen, his breaths coming in short gasps. Naruto wished his chest hurt less; he could get a good chuckle out of Sasuke taking those words seriously.

"Naruto stop!" Sasuke yelled, eyes widening as the terrible realization of what he was about to do dawned on him. "You don't have to do this! We can hold out for Sakura, she'll make it in time!"

Both of them knew that wasn't true.

"Sorry Sasuke, but you need to make it through this. Save the world, you're the only one that can, y'know?"

Naruto wished he could laugh at the situation. Even in the throes of death, his verbal tic was making itself known.

"Become the greatest Hokage, for the both of us."

With those final words, Naruto closed his eyes, dying as he had lived; protecting those that were dear to him.

The shield was a weapon—yet it wasn't.

Perhaps that was why Jaune Arc loved it so. He could use it offensively, but its primary purpose was to protect.

He aspired to be like his shield, wanting nothing more than to protect people, hoping to achieve recognition from his family and those around him. He had always wanted to be a hero.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality."

Jaune Arc released a slow breath, his nerves trying to make themselves known. Now he had the chance; the chance to be like his shield—the chance to become a hero.

"A paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all."

A calmness washed over him. His heart rate steadied, his eyes closed, and he felt in tune with the world around him. It was like he had connected to nature, being able to hear the sounds of it, and feel it—not only on his body, but through him.

Being in touch with nature felt so… different. It was if his worries had washed away, holding no root in reality. Those problems felt like they were never rooted at all, simply there, for he and everyone else to ignore.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death."

An energy flooded him, one that he knew didn't belong to him. It felt warm, compassionate, yet also reluctant.

Pyrrha had told him that Aura came from the soul. He could feel how her very being reflected through it, her emotions, her entire being shone through the energy that had invaded his senses.

"I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

When Pyrrha's hand disconnected from his shoulder, his aura awakened, and it felt amazing.

And the implications—it shields our hearts, Pyrrha had told him—he had become like his shield.

"I used my Aura to unlock your own and the energy that protects your now is yours," Pyrrha said, offering him an easy-going smile. "You have a lot of it."

Jaune lifted his hands, admiring his new glow. It not only looked cool, but if filled him with a strength that he had never known to be present, coming off of him in waves and giving him senses that he hadn't even known he had.

He wiped his finger across his face. The scratch from the tree was all but gone. For a moment, he marveled.

But suddenly the smell of ramen invaded his nose.

Jaune didn't have much experience with the foreign food, but the salted beef broth made for a distinct odor.

He blinked, the forest around him immediately replaced by some sort of warm-wood stand with an older man behind the counter, wearing a chef hat. Then another man, one clothed in a green vest with a scar running across his nose, caught his attention.

Hand extended, he ruffled Jaune's hair, and the entire time he could do nothing but gape.

'Holy crap! This dude is massive,' he couldn't help but think. Jaune considered himself pretty tall for his age, standing a bit over six foot, but even he had to crane his neck upwards just to look at this man!

As soon as it had appeared, the spectre faded away, almost like it had never been present to begin with. The smell of ramen vanished, replaced by the fragrance of the tree sap and the nature around them.

Everything had returned; the normalcy of the woods, the quiet chirping of the birds and the sound of the wind running through the tall grass. The most startling contrast being the temperature. The stand had felt hot, stuffy in a way that was indicative of the venue, but now he could feel the cool wind on his face.

Jaune shook his head. What was that, earlier?

He shouldn't have been thinking about these types of things, he had an objective.

"Pyrrha!" he called, attempting to get the attention of his teammate. He started to jog, hoping that he could catch up to her.

They still had to find the relics after all.

Jaune had once heard that when you were about to die, your life would flash before your eyes. But this was not the case, at least not for him.

He'd never expected anything to happen when he had forged his credentials to get into Beacon. Even now, making his way across the bridge with the hammer girl, he couldn't help but think that this entire situation wasn't real.

It was too surreal, like he had been thrust into one of his fantasies. He was playing the role of the gallant knight, fighting against the creature of Grimm, bringing glory to his family name. The only difference now was that he didn't have the skill that he usually did when he was 'playing hero'.

No, this time he was grounded in reality.

People here were depending on him. His partner, his friend Ruby, and even the other students; all of their survivals hinged on everyone working cohesively in this situation. He would have to remain strong, for all of them.

He surged forward, using his shield to block the strike of the death-stalker, one aimed at his partner. He winced, his arm heavy and numb from the weight behind the blow.

He noticed that Pyrrha was safe, but she'd tumbled, thrown away by the other pincer. His refocused on his enemy, only for his breath to hitch.

The death-stalker's stinger had risen and it was poised to strike directly at him.

He couldn't move. His body remained locked into place, his mouth had gone dry, and he could feel perspiration break out on his back.

All within a fraction of a second—funny how encroaching death made you hyper sensitive of everything around you. He noticed that no one was in close enough proximity to help him; he was all alone. A day late and a dollar short.

Not even a week away from home and it seemed he wouldn't be making it back. Jaune was sure his father would be proud.

He heard Pyrrha scream. She was the easiest to differentiate. He had even heard something from Ren and Nora, but his body wouldn't respond. His muscles felt tight and unresponsive, he was sure that there was no way to move.

Time had never felt so slow.

His eyes watched the stinger move towards him, hissing through the air. It was the end of him.

Jaune had once heard that when you were about to die, your life would flash before your eyes. But this was not been the case, at least not for him.

Instead he witnessed the life of someone that he had never known, someone that he had never heard of. Someone named Naruto Uzumaki.

He wasn't sure what he saw exactly; everything happened so fast.

Jaune was no longer watching the encroaching stinger; no, he was now watching something amazing. A fight between a warrior that could summon the wind in his hands, throw it, and cause landscape-altering explosions.

He watched the same warrior talk with the man who had threatened his home, forgiving him in a way that Jaune wasn't sure anyone was able. Their wills had clashed and he had learned the story of Naruto Uzumaki—the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

Was this what it meant to be a hero? Had his aspirations been false all along?

The vision ended and reality returned. Once more he found himself at death's door. The stinger of his enemy approaching.

The stinger drew nearer and then it was gone; his arm outstretched, the appendage of the grimm was on the ground—wildly flailing about.

It took Jaune a handful of seconds to realize what had happened.

A foreign energy had moved throughout his body. It had started at his core, moving outwards towards his arm and through his blade.

It wasn't aura. No, this energy felt unique-distinct in a way different from aura. Where aura felt tame the new energy had felt uncontrollable.

When it hit his sword, something changed. The wind had kicked up around it, blowing in wild directions, and the blade had cleaved straight through the tail with ease-running through and removing it from the body of the death-stalker.

He stood there, rooted in position. He had watched the light-blue film retreat from his blade and disappear as if it had never been there. All he could do was remain still, mesmerized.

And just like that, he couldn't breathe.

All air that had been in his lungs had expelled, the death-stalker that he had forgotten about making its move, striking him.

The blunt side of its claw had hit him hard in the stomach, forcing all air from his lungs and sending him straight into the dirt. Jaune had never wanted to become so intimate with the ground. It had never been on his list of priorities.

His vision was bleary, he couldn't stand, and his entire body felt like it was on fire. A grand situation to wrap up such a grand evening.

His vision suddenly became dark. Something was blocking the sun. Oh yeah, he was in the middle of a fight.

Jaune rolled, getting away from his impending doom.

Not a second too soon; the ground next to him had undergone an upheaval and thrown him into a tumbling frenzy.

He stood, legs shaking, while Ren attempted to draw its attention.

"Pyrrha!" He shouted, his voice coming out rough and scratchy in a way that seemed unnatural. "Give Nora a boost!"

The plan had seemed to click in an instant. Pyrrha had nodded and a manic grin had stretch across Nora's face.

They had moved in sync. Pyrrha set herself low, using her shield as a platform for Nora to jump on and project herself off of. Once in the air she had propelled herself further, using her launcher, and then using it once more on her descent—increasing her momentum and causing the strike to rip through the exoskeleton like paper.

He grinned to himself at the display. Stumbling over to his father's shield, picking it up and strapping it, along with his Crocea Mors, to his waist.

His entire body felt destroyed by that fight, his legs felt unsteady, and his arm numb in a way that he didn't think possible.

But they had done it, they had defeated a death-stalker.

Even watching Ruby kill a nevermore in the coolest fashion ever, her scythe ripping the head off of the elder-grimm in a gruesome display, Jaune was still proud of what he and his new friends had accomplished.

He had stared death in the face and cut off its stinger. Jaune felt like it was quite the heroic accomplishment.

He watched Ren flop down on the ground next to him. "Wake me up when this is over."

Yep, nothing strange for this hero.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark; the four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will be known as team CRDL—led by, Cardin Winchester."

Ozpin paused, looking at the four boys that he had put on the same team together. But no, he thought, that wasn't quite right. Because they were boys no longer.

They were warriors, now. Hunters in the making. Childhood had ended for them the moment that they had signed on for this academy, most definitely by the time that they found themselves in the Emerald Forest.

His eyes then drifted to one point of interest throughout this entire adventure; one Jaune Arc, only male son of the Arc family.

Ozpin had been reluctant to accept Jaune at first, seeing the poor quality fake transcript on his desk. But when he had read the name, found out who exactly was faking their way into Beacon?

He had all but double downed, increasing his already substantial gambles. He could see himself at the blackjack table in some seedy casino, playing against the queen—putting everything onto these two students.

It might not have been the brightest of decisions. Jaune Arc had no training. But if he turned out like any of his ancestors, or even his father, Ozpin was sure to get his money's worth.

So far, his bet had paid off. His initial reaction, and gut feeling, had not been promising, but then the engagement in the woods had happened.

Jaune Arc had separated the tail of a death-stalker with little effort.

Ozpin knew that if his poker face wasn't so strong, a grin would've split his face at that exact moment.

He had never expected to see something like that in his lifetime. He had never expected to have a student with such an unknown ability.

Ozpin was glad that he had accepted the boy into Beacon, after all, he had turned away promising candidates.

Anyway, this ceremony had to continue.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie; the four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team JNPR."

A small smile graced his lips, turning his eyes to meet the boy who had intrigued him so much during the initiation.

"Led by Jaune Arc."

The boy seemed stunned, mumbling to himself, but it hadn't phased Ozpin in the slightest. "Congratulations young man."

This time the faintest of smiles did pull on Ozpin's lips as he watched the Nikos girl punch her partner in the shoulder, sending him stumbling in quite the comical fashion.

His attention turned towards the other students that he would be assigning to a team, or at least, the one that was on his mind. One Ruby Rose.

He wasn't sure about how this team dynamic would function. They had worked together well in the forest, but he was sure egos would play some sort of role.

He hoped that this team could become something great. He truly thought that they could.

The visage of a team he had once taught lingered on their forms, a team that he had created much like this one, and had failed. A light sigh escaped his lips. No one here knew his tells, but he felt his right eyebrow twitch at the thought.

Ozpin wouldn't make the same mistakes this time.

A creature of habit he may be, but he refused to fail a group so similar, so promising, once more.

Some of the strongest of the generation culminated on this stage right now, between the girl with silver eyes and Mistral's champion; he saw a chance here. A chance to finish what had started so long ago.

Ozpin knew that he was making his team, knew that these eight children would shoulder great burdens to come, and he hoped they would be ready. He had seen great teams rise and he had seen great teams fall. Preparedness was key, several teams had been ready for the responsibilities thrust upon them.

Team STRQ hadn't been.

Maybe this time, things would be different.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao-Long; the four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, the four of you will work together as team RWBY."

He paused, taking a breath, and looked down the row at each member of this new unit. What he was about to say would not bother one member.

"Led by, Ruby Rose."

Surprise sprang to each of the members faces. One by one, he watched each of their faces morph, each one betraying something different.

From bafflement with the young girl herself, to more of an objection with the girl that was her partner—it was almost painful to watch in a way. Seeing students go through things like this, well, it was never fun.

He watched the girl's half-sister embrace her in a hug and a sigh came from his lips.

"Looks like things are shaping up to be an interesting year." He turned his head upwards, looking out one of the various windows, and looked at the moon.

He drew parallels to himself and the white (broken) ball in the sky on occasion. He had shattered in a similar fashion, and he wasn't sure if he would ever put himself back together again.

All he could do was push onward and hope that he gave a brighter future to the younger generation.

Instill his experience with them, hoping they didn't make the same mistakes.

No matter what, this year would be interesting at the very least.

Chapter End

Author's Note:

I have about half of the next chapter done, I'll keep information up on my profile showing how close it is to being finished.