The Last Kingdom

Disclaimer: I do not own Rwby, Naruto nor any of their respective Characters. They are property of Monty Oum and Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter 4: Crowns and Thrones

Distaster.

The earth collapsed beneath the massive weight of the monster's titanic arm as the floor lifted chaotically, the disarrayed battleground trembling in astounding display of the creature's ridiculous strength.

Its malevolent vermillion eyes glowed behind the thick cloud of dust that surrounded the beast as they roamed around frenetically, feral intelligence hunting for its hidden prey with the sole intent of ripping their bodies to shreds.

He stood a safe distance away panting haggardly after having escaped his enemy's barbaric assault, his oceanic gaze centered on the murderous beast as a weary smirk morphed his rugged features. "Alright, not quite the party I had expected."

"well, with guests like this guy, you can't exactly tango, loser" a serene voice breathed a few spaces on his side.

He turned momentarily away from the current threat to stare at the three companions that had decided to stay behind with him.

The individual who had spoken stood calmly observing ahead, his hands resting idly guarded in the depths of his pockets as his indigo hair swayed softly against the wind.

Somewhat further away to his left stood a tall man fully clothed in a dark green trench coat, his face hidden away by the high collar and black shades shielding any trace of his eyes. His attention was similarly held by their current opposition, his mind uninterested in the ongoing banter with the blond's partner.

Finally, at the man's side the lancer leaned on his weapon leisurely, his hazel gaze holding the creature with mild annoyance as the abilities displayed clearly surpassed his initial expectations.

"Think you can do better, pretty boy?" The blond mockingly said as his taunting eyes centered on his obsidian-eyed teammate "You are very welcome to try"

Kiba's and Shino's attention diverted to the other pair, confusion and seeming indifference alighting their gazes before they turned to the addressed boy as they awaited his reply.

For his part, Sasuke requited with a side glance brightened in taunting mirth to his grinning partner, the challenge resting palpable in the air around them. "Gladly" he said before resting his gaze on the infuriated monster.

For another insignificant instant his body remained completely motionless in the same relaxed disposition, his ebony eyes lacking emotional inflection.

Then, before the astonished gazes of his newfound companions his lithe form seemingly lost focus as it spectrally dematerialized into nothingness, no hint of sound or movement behind his charge.

"What the-" Wide hazel eyes forcefully turned in disbelief as they struggled to pursue the untraceable figure of the the midnight-haired boy, his superhuman sense of smell guiding his dumbfounded perception before finally stopping centimeters away from the hulking beast where the teen had appeared with a sinister blur holding a dispassionate posture.

"Absurd!" A somewhat more delayed shaded gaze followed the motion in stupefaction, his mind unable to comprehend the progression of the boy's inhuman movements. A chilling dread coursed through his spine as he redirected his attention to the grinning blond at his side, recognizing the undeniable reality that there was more than one monster living in their midst.

"Goddamn show-off" Naruto muttered amusedly as he witnessed his partner's overdramatic performance against the raging demon.

A pair of charcoal eyes calculatingly dissected the enormous creature standing imposingly before them, an intensity enlightening them with unbending conviction as the teen's mind processed his experiences and observations with a machine-like velocity that allowed him to gauge the creature's unnatural agility and power with pinpoint accuracy.

His form remained in that state for an insignificant fraction of a second longer before a colossal shadow abruptly loomed overhead, a swing of the Grimm's gargantuan arm impacting with the ground below as the foundations beneath erupted in utter havoc.

A thick and heavy curtain of debris covered the monster's entire field of vision before its instincts alerted it of impending danger targeting its rear, Its massive form leaping far away with incredible agility as it inspected the deformed ground for the nature of its sudden wariness without success.

It's landing was marked with excruciating pain traveling through the nerve endings of its achilles heels, robbing it of its momentum and causing it to collapse as the wounds spattered a black fluid.

"Tch, only a shallow cut, huh" the raven muttered as he measured the degree of the injury casted on the screeching beast, his blade stained in the creature's blood as he noticed with mechanical detachment its tissues fully regenerating.

Determined to inflict more substantial damage on his enemy, his figure blurred anew, reaching the space occupied by the alpha seemingly instantaneously.

The Grimm, in response to being subjected to such torturing pain, immediately succumbed to madness as it retaliated erratically.

An unending barrage of strikes wrathfully descended upon the space around it as its scarlet gaze single-mindedly pursued the figure that was the source of its agony, further decomposing the battleground as a roar of fury echoed on the desolated field.

The boy's phantom figure flashed with unconstrained speed as he skillfully avoided contact with the dangerous assaults fired against him, a haughty display in his superior mobility.

Sasuke silently landed on the even surface of a boulder amongst the rubble as his gaze closely followed his opponent's offensive before side-stepping another titanic impact.

A quaking noise approaching from his left side gathered his attention as the beast's second arm swung blisteringly towards him, the structure uprooting the very earth as it attempted to crush him against its weight.

With inhuman agility, his knees bent accumulating tension before propelling in an acrobatic back-somersault that allowed his figure to safely pass above the strike.

His hasty landing on a debris platform suspended above ground became interrupted with the continuation of the creature's attack, the edges of its massive appendage disintegrating it completely.

The boy's form safely materialized beneath the deep shadows casted by the beast in a crouching posture, his features morphing frighteningly with unconcealed blood-lust.

Upon noticing, it charged relentless, its instincts vilely unwilling to let a source of life out of its reach and ignoring as an ominous shadow emerged on its shoulders.

Agonizing pain flared through the monster's muscular neck as it screeched in profound anguish, coal blood erupting from a gash that spanned its entire anterior flesh. Mountainous arms swiped back and forth over its back with the sole intent of ridding the lethal intruder away, ragingly rolling over itself when the previous action proved fruitless.

The raven's feet connected inaudibly with the ground several meters away from the howling creature, his gaze reflecting mild annoyance "at this pace is gonna take all day" he said as the small knife he held in his hand spilled black before turning halfway to the individuals who had been spectating thus far.

The orange-clad huntsman trainee had a gloating grin framing his face as his eyes observed the pale boy's performance with smugness, eliciting a slight degree of irritation from his part.

The animalistic lancer alternatively held a wary frown accentuating his features as his gaze examined him closely, his brief scuffle with the monster apparently enough to warrant cautiousness.

The man in the trench coat for his part remained unreadable, his stiff posture pertaining more to a personality trait than a specific behavior towards the midnight-haired student.

Sighing faintly, he materialized back to his partner's side as he crossed his arms in resignation, his lips pulling into a straight line. "That thing's skin is way too tough to reach its vitals"

"Throwing around excuses already, I see" Naruto replied with an entertained snort, his gaze turning to the raven beside him.

An eyebrow twitched in childish aggravation before his taunting response died swiftly with the cries of the feral-eyed boy interrupting their conversation "Would you two idiots stop that already?!"

He had loudly stepped closer to stand between the bantering pair as his sharp index finger pointed at the confused-looking Faunus "We don't have time to keep wasting with your dumb arguments" he said before turning to the other boy, his index finger following "and you, what the hell was that all about? Is that your semblance or somethin'?"

Before either could respond, the painted man gripped the bridge of his nose in exasperation before continuing " you know what, I don't wanna know." He said lowering his arm and awarding them with another glare "How much good does all that power you freakin' monsters have do when you know nothin' about how to play with others"

"Hey! I know plenty about teamwork, Bub. Don't forget I was the one who offered to stay with that ugly first, you guys were the ones who decided to follow me" the fox faunus said as he scrunched his face defensively.

"You cheeky brat, that just means you're the one with the greatest ego." Kira responded, an untamed eyebrow twitching rigorously.

"Who are you calling a brat?, everyone here is at least fifteen years old, doofus" the other boy answered as he motioned to the rest of the group.

"Fifteen? You gotta be kidding me! They seriously let prepubescent children run around the most dangerous military institution created by man? What the heck is that Ospin guy sniffing?" The boy exclaimed in surprise, his gaze trained on the whiskered teen with a hint of disbelief.

"Hey dog-breath, I resent that comment just now. I'm fifteen years old too" a deep voice resounded away from the pair, their eyes turning to the midnight haired teen as he observed their interaction with faint indignation.

For an instant Kiba looked to be at a loss for words before he sighed deeply "Whatever man, I don't care anymore" he said turning to his so far mute partner "Shino, how do we beat that thing?"

Charcoal and sapphire traveled to the almost fully recuperated monster before centering on the shade-wearing teen.

"Now that he mentions it, what are that monster's weaknesses?, dr. Grimm" the raven side-glanced his partner as his hands returned to his pockets.

"I'm gonna punch you in the face" replied the blond with a polite smile, his gaze turning serious as he glanced at the creature. "Beowolves's primary weakness is usually just their low defense parameters. Unlike the Ursa or the Boarbatusk they don't have great amounts of heavy armored exoskeletons that provide resistance against sharp weapons, mostly focusing on speed and agility to capture their prey."

"The Faunus is correct in his description but that information is currently worthless, why, because the previous engagement has shown concrete evidence pointing to a severe discrepancy for this particular case" the deep voice of the man in the trench coat gathered the attention of the other teens, his unreadable gaze focused on the distant enemy.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he softly grumbled, his arms crossing as he awaited the man's continuation.

"The alpha beowolf possesses enough speed to greatly pressure the Faunus and avoid consecutive strikes coming from the knife-wielder. Its strength is great enough to overwhelm each member of the team individually. Its instincts and intelligence are excessively overdeveloped which allows it to perceive and evade the most critical offensives. And its defense parameters are substantially higher than the standard. Thus, the discrepancy is obvious"

Kiba glanced at the fiendish creature before returning to his stoic partner "So, how do we beat it?"

"Distraction, Immobilization, Elimination" the man replied "its defense parameters are still below those of an alpha class Ursa, neutralizing its main advantage will yield the most effective results"

The team's gazes focused their attention on the grimm as it completed its regeneration before it prepared to attack, their deadly weapons quickly drawn.

"Kiba and Naruto will distract it, their behavior and maneuvers are best suited to that specific task. I will immobilize its legs, my special concoction rounds will be useful to counteract its advantage. Sasuke will deliver the finishing blow as he has already exhibited the ability to seriously injure it" Shino methodically said, his hand firmly adjusting the shades covering his eyes.

The midnight boy turned to the masked figure before shrugging indifferently and letting his weapon vanish away.

"Damn, I hate playing support role. You better not miss next time, asshole" the blond said with an entertained grin as he lowered his posture in a hostile stance.

The animalistic teen spun his lance around before positioning ready to commence his offensive "You kids will have time to chat later, for now focus on taking down that thing"

"at my signal, everyone" Shino said before letting his mechanized wristbands transform into large pincers with small rounded cannons situated at the top surfaces.

"Do try to at least keep me entertained" the raven responded as he tilted his head in dark amusement.

"Go"

Naruto's form drove forward with formidable skill, his features focused solely on the growling enemy as it began its own furious charge.

Rapidly closing the distance separating them, he lifted Whiteout and Tempest aiming straight at the chest of the monster as he allowed them to transition into their gun conformation, the powerful engines in his weapons disjointing and adjusting sturdy contraptions to assemble deadly machines.

"Simmer down, Fido. The party is just getting started" he said mockingly as a thunderous echo reverberated throughout the barren wasteland, heavy rounds of solid lead firing off the shotguns and connecting with the beast's body in unmistaken violence.

Unflinchingly, the Grimm continued its assault letting out an ear-splitting roar as the damage dealt by the trainee's weapon amounted to minor bruising.

The boy hastily rolled on his side avoiding a razor-sharp claw as it had descended on his position before skillfully vaulting sideways as he attempted to flank his enemy.

Not deterred by his previous lack of success, the Faunus aimed his crafted weapons at the Alpha's steel-skinned back before pulling the triggers.

Raining gunshots were ringing resoundingly through the badlands when Kiba finally began taking action.

His bright red spear spun around his nimble fingers before he leapt at the creature with vicious intent.

The sharp blade made contact with the Beowolf's skin on its enormous shoulders as it quite literally failed to produce beyond shallow cuts, his face contorting into a frustrated frown.

In retaliation, the hellish beast swung its gigantic appendage at him, the sharp edges of its claws rasping with the metallic center of the long vermillion lance before blasting the boy's body away from the sheer force behind the attack.

Abruptly, the creature agilely bent its upper body in incredible display of flexibility and instinct as it evaded Naruto's viridescent blade before lifting its other arm in a counter-strike that collided with the sturdy edge of Whiteout, the faunus' figure blasting away as the resistance put forth was brutally crushed by the Alpha's overwhelming power.

The barbaric death-match was prolonged as the huntsmen in training engaged the fiend with unmatched dexterity and resilience, gunfire and steel raining down upon it with unrelenting determination as they simultaneously guarded each other from the Grimm's attacks.

A shaded gaze observed the high-paced confrontation with brazen calm, his mind analyzing and calculating the numerous movements of the devious entity before him.

Finally detecting an opening as the demon's gaze was captured by the veteran fox, Shino's right arm lifted before clinically firing the ammunition from the deadly cannon resting on his mechanical wristband.

To the team's utter surprise however, the beast's rampaging attention turned to the moving bullets before it evaded their path as it lifted it's body with tremendous speed in a high jump that darted a great distance away from the trainees, sharp fangs growling as it landed with great caution.

"No way! That thing's way too fukin' fast!" Kiba exclaimed in frustration as he panted wearily, his gaze following the marauding grimm before centering back on the midnight-haired boy standing by Shino's side "how the fuck did you even do this by yourself?"

"You're just slow. And besides, my weapons were ineffective against it too." The raven said as he maintained his attention on the mad giant.

"He's not bragging, consider me surprised" Naruto breathed in amusement before turning his gaze at the still man wearing the dark green trench coat as his gun-blades remained steadfastly aimed at the creature "Shino, was it? What do we do now?"

The shade-wearing man's gaze hardened as he had witnessed the swift response of the beast to their strategic maneuver, recognizing with no small degree of stupefaction that it had detected the potential danger in the smell of his paralyzing rounds exceptionally.

His mind whirled resembling highly efficient gears as he processed and adapted the information he had just gathered to his updated strategies, accounting for the great agility and perception the creature had irately displayed.

"We will have to adjust the plan. The alpha can, not only detect my paralyzing rounds by smell, but is now fully aware that we are aiming to use them against it. sasuke will have to join as tertiary support. Following that progression, remove its sight by stabbing its eyes and target its vitals as it recovers" He said neutrally, his shaded gaze turning to the aloof boy beside him.

Before the young raven could respond however, the blond's snarky voice traveled in their direction with taunting frisk "Not to rain on your parade, man. But I don't need jerk-face's help to make this puppy wig its tail. You just need to keep it still for a sec right? Looks like playtime's finally over" the boy said as his gaze returned to the mighty creature.

Sasuke's lips involuntarily lifted as his mirthful gaze focused on his partner.

Glancing at the boy with midnight hair before returning to the enemy ahead of them, a challenging grin adorning his features. "You told me yesterday I'd need an army to kick your ass to hell and back, didn't you? man must your luck really suck. Make sure to keep those pretty eyes of yours on that ugly over there. Won't wanna miss the show now"

"Hey Bub! I'm gonna take its left while you go for the right, think you can handle that?!" The blond faunus yelled at the painted boy crouching far away, his gaze remaining confidently locked on the vermillion-eyed demon.

The hazel-eyed teen snorted in mild indignation before directing his sharp gaze at the grimm "Whatever you say kid. Just make sure not to screw up, yeah?"

Planting his crimson lance on the ground beside him, Kiba dropped on all fours pawing the arid soil as he prepared to bring forth the ability bestowed upon his untamed soul.

His narrowed gaze slitted in resemblance to a beast as deadly-sharp canines and nails grew in size, his painted features scrunching in animalistic hostility before a deep growl that reverberated through the barren wasteland started manifesting rabidly

Naruto's eyes turned to the transitioning human as a grin raptly dominated his lips "Well I'll be dammed, that actually looks pretty intimidating"

The indigo haired teen observed the transformation in curiosity and fascination, an eyebrow lifting as he inspected the teen's figure morphing in perfect mimicry of a ferocious beast.

Shino's gaze remained on the fiend as it grew uncontrollably enraged at the huntsmen trainees with the sole desire to satiate its hunger, Kiba's transfiguration semblance not fazing him in the slightest "Your priority is caging him down for a single instant, if it can't evade my weapon then its defeat is already assured."

"Sasuke, use the moment the alpha's limbs are struck with my bullets to fire the strongest attack in your repertoire, judging by its size I estimate the duration of the paralyzing agent to be rather short. Do not miss" the masked teen continued without glancing at the addressed boy.

"Your precautions and concern are unnecessary. I'll send the grimm thrashing back into oblivion before you can blink" the raven replied as he adjusted his gaze to spectate the incoming clash.

No more words traveled between them as the man-beast hybrid Kiba had become initiated his blood-thirsty charge, his muscular figure accelerating beyond human capabilities due to a massive increment in physical aptitude.

Naruto followed the other boy's lead as he dashed towards the closing titan, his razor-sharp weapons held in the tight grips of his experienced hands with violent expectancy.

The blistering hybrid made the first contact with the monster as it lunged forward with uncharacteristic barbarity before tearing off a small fragment of its flesh drawing a torrent of coal blood with his fangs, his form blindingly passing over it as he landed facing its back .

The Grimm's agonizing screech echoed as it turned to retaliate, its mammoth appendage inches away from burying the boy before he swiftly evaded with inhuman nimbleness.

"That was strike one, you gotta watch out for the teeth cause it seems you really pissed him off!" Naruto exclaimed drawing the demon's attention as he descended towards it from above swinging Tempest in a downward slash.

His attack was effortlessly parried by the monster's left arm before he followed stabbing it violently with Whiteout, his feet grounding him firmly as he landed.

A bellow thunderously escaped from the beast's maw as its red eyes traveled to the taunting faunus before a new source of pain assaulted its senses in fatal intent, a second chunk of flesh ripped off its body by the hybrid.

In wrathful agony, the demon's gaze darted away from its previous prey toward the grotesque wound on its right arm before following the menacing figure of the boy turned monster predating with complete focus.

The beast released another deafening roar as it attempted to charge at the figure with the sole purpose of crushing him, seething surprise and confusion morphing its growling features when its left arm was immobilized by an overpowering force.

"That was strike two. Last chance ugly, give it your best shot" Naruto said haughtily drawing back the monster's gaze to its left arm as several pairs of tan hands forcefully restrained the structure with unrelenting iron grips, at least a dozen perfect replicas of the whiskered trainee supporting the original with enough accumulated force to completely subdue the monster that had previously held a staggering advantage in physical strength.

Both Shino and Sasuke observed with enormous surprise at the lethally proficient army created by the Faunus veteran as it single-handedly managed to suppress the erratic movements of the grimm, his solid duplicates performing feats unseen in even the most famous of clone semblances.

Before it could fully react, a subsequent wave of horrendous pain invaded the towering Beowolf's right arm anew as the hybrid continued mercilessly tearing off large fragments of flesh, a howl of agony escaping when a body landed solidly against wounded tissue with a pair of razor-sharp blades that impaled the muscular appendage.

"Tough luck big guy, that's strike three. You're out" said a figure indistinguishable from the whiskered teen imprisoning the monster's limb as it lounged against it before landing a bone-shattering strike on its maw that left it deeply disoriented.

Shino, exploiting the window of opportunity presented, fired the paralyzing bullets on the creature's feet with deadly accuracy, a colorless substance binding the enormous limbs to the ground beneath.

Reclaiming awareness and recognizing the immense danger approaching, the alpha violently thrashed as it attempted to liberate itself from its hateful bindings, the murderous instincts infused in its existence wildly driving it to destroy the living creatures around it.

Abruptly, a nimble figure inaudibly materialized on the creature's shoulders in a crouching posture that thoroughly surprised both Naruto and Kiba, mirthful black orbs connecting with blue ones

"You might want to step back somewhat, it's about to become scorching hot" he breathed loud enough for both to hear as he viciously exploited the restrained status of the giant to drive a devastating heel against its regenerating face, the crushing force sending it crashing with the ground below, fractured rock lifting in a massive layer of debris.

Heeding the raven's warnings the two huntsmen in training hastily released their semblance abilities taking considerable distance from the site of impact before observing expectantly at the descending figure of the midnight haired teen.

Unfeeling black eyes demonically morphed as the murky irises began spilling bloody crimson, two obsidian comma-like shapes emerging and surrounding the dark pupils while spinning around them slowly.

Scarlet met vermillion for one more instant before the boy brought a pale hand to his lips circling them subtly in a sentencing gesture.

"Burn in hell" were the last words offered before everything was consumed in flames.

Three sets of gazes widened in utter stupefaction when a gigantic mass of searing fire streamed out of the hovering boy's lips as it engulfed the entirety of the creature's enormous form in a boiling ocean that instantly melted the earth beneath, carbonizing the screeching demon and leaving nothing but crumbled ash.

A suffocating wave of heat rapidly spread through the surrounding air as it dried any moisture that had remained previously, the cloudy cyan landscape intensely alighting in all-consuming orange.

Naruto's left arm lifted before his disbelieving face as it safely protected his eyes from the bulldozing pressure and heat released in the discharge, his companions following similarly.

Before long the ambient temperature safely stabilized as the ground heat steadily began to dissipate, the affected sky swiftly returning to its original blue shade.

Sasuke stood amidst the ashen smoke at the charred center of a large, slowly-hardening molten circle where the fire had contacted the environment with unforgiving ferocity, a smirk adorning his lips and his arms crossing confidently on his chest as the vermillion glow of his demonic eyes vanished into their natural black.

"Too easy" he breathed as he turned partially to his spectating allies, his mirthful gaze resting on the whiskered teen.

"You really are a goddamn monster aren't you, bastard?" The blond faunus laughed excitedly as he slowly approached the other boy.

"That's rich coming from the guy who can duplicate himself indefinitely" the raven replied smirkingly as he flickered outside the molten ground stepping closer towards the group.

It was starkly clear they were both eager for a repetition of the confrontation they had previously held, the only difference lying solely in the absence of limitations.

Shino gravely observed the younger pair bantering animatedly in consternation, his mind replaying successively the unbelievable events that took place in the fight against the Alpha Beowolf.

A heavy hand strongly placed upon his covered shoulder drew his gaze to the face of his lifelong partner, the wild boy's hazel eyes staring at the pair with a mixture of curiosity and wonder "Don't let it bother you so much Shino, they are still just kids, after all. Besides, this will make school a little less boring, right?" Kiba vibrantly said as he addressed him.

His hidden gaze momentarily traveled back to the arguing boys before returning to Kiba "I suppose you are right. There is no gain in further concern for the matter"

"Well, we might wanna get going soon, man I'm starving" the painted boy said with an unwinded smirk as he wearily walked towards the other teens before stopping closely, his crimson lance held over his shoulder leisurely "Hey, if you two lovebirds are done with your little quarrel, there's a relic in my pocket waiting to be delivered so pack up and get going"

Sapphire and charcoal followed the gruff voice of the burly boy pausing their aggressive banter as they processed the spoken words.

"Ah! that's right! what the hell are we doing wasting time here?!" Exclaimed the blond in faint alarm as he redirected his gaze to the ashen temple ruins where their other companions had fled to.

The orange-haired teen had just impaled the screeching deathstalker with the sharp end of a large sized hammer leaving her, her male companion, the golden armored girl, and the clumsy blond safely standing on solid ground as the creature fell with the crumbling bridge in which it was positioned previously.

As for Ruby and the others, they were skillfully confronting the flying nevermore with their long-ranged weapons continuously firing bullets in its direction as they seemingly organized a plan to defeat it.

Naruto stared enraptured as the girls performed their daredevil maneuvers with great dexterity before releasing a loud whistle in admiration "They're pretty good"

The raven observed as Ruby and Weiss swiftly closed the gaping distance between them and the fiendish bird as Yang and Blake provided long-raged support, their teamwork greatly demonstrating the high competency of the aspiring huntresses.

His eyes absorbed and recorded each and every superhuman movement in their vast sight, elation filling his form as he witnessed the incredible prowess of several highly-capable fighters mid-action.

Their motley crew briefly remained spectating before the orange-clad blond stepped forward playfully saluting at them with his index and middle fingers, an exuberant smirk marring lips "well, it's been fun. I suppose I'll see you guys at the finish line. Never change"

With those words spoken the intrepid faunus broke into a breakneck sprint in the direction of the belligerent monster as his companions remained behind startled.

He jumped high in the air rapidly moving a tremendous distance away before a solid identical form to his own suddenly materialized beneath his feet which he used as a platform to furiously propel himself further and higher.

His action was timely repeated successively as he observed the giant nevermore that was pinned by the tail to a large ice structure Weiss had gracefully created.

She was currently using her glyph semblance to extend Blake's flexibly alloy-made cable in preparation to launch ruby towards their immobile target, hyper-acceleration being brought forth by the spring force of the sturdy wire.

He grinned delightedly as he increased his pace. ardently stepping over his copies and swiftly drawing his blades for a final theatrical performance.

Ruby's form flew with overwhelming force as the edge of her deadly scythe connected with the creature's neck before she ascended towards the top of the cliff making full use of her partner's shining glyphs to simultaneously maintain her direction and accelerate her strenuous movements.

Her eyes lit up victoriously as she reached the wide summit where her weapon encountered a strong resistance that made her turn to inspect, surprise filling her silver eyes when she processed the image of the whiskered boy impaling the eyes of the howling nevermore killing it instantly.

Despite her momentary loss of focus, the momentum she carried managed to completely sever the head in which Naruto was standing, leaving both their forms briefly hovering in the air before they maneuvered to land safely in solid ground.

"Naruto!" Ruby exclaimed once the danger was harmlessly passed, her form eagerly embracing him as she was filled with contentment.

"Told you I'd beat you to the top, kiddo" the boy grinningly said as he softly ruffled her silky hair.

Her vibrant eyes lifted joyfully encountering a warm gaze as they were both equally glad their test was finally over.

.

.

.

"-and then he just started jumping over clone after clone as if they were freakin' stairs! I'm telling you sis, it was one of the coolest things I've seen in my life!" Yang exclaimed animatedly as they all stood on a massive chamber that could hold at least five thousand people at once.

After Naruto's and Ruby's joyful reunion they had all met up at the high crest of the long cliff, brightly retelling stories of their amazing adventure before they handed over the relics to a warmly smiling professor Ozpin.

He had delightedly told them to go change before assembling back at the central auditorium of beacon.

With instruction from guides and staff it was accomplished in little time, which had left them, and hundreds of other tiredly-looking individuals curiously staring at the high-positioned platform where several instructors awaited the arrival of the headmaster.

That had been around half an hour before.

When he did arrive, in all of his mysterious glory, he had once again given a brief speech professionally congratulating the students all standing inside that spacious room.

Naruto had been surprised at seeing so many people congregated, misrepresenting their individual testing unit as the whole pool of applicants for the year.

Naturally, Ozpin had clarified that they had all been divided into one hundred examination cells consisting of thirty two students each, the resulting champions of each cell standing in that place.

Shortly after that, the process known as the "Coronation" had commenced. It was a fairly uncomplicated ritual where two pairs of successful applicants were adjoined into a four-membered team, a specific code name being selected to easily distinguish them from the rest.

From what he had gathered through observation, the teams were selected non-randomly. Several rules or elements placed in the testing trial had been the deciding factor in assembling each particular team.

For that same reason he wasn't able to predict how the teams for their specific cell would be arranged. After all, it had become evident that the hundreds of students currently standing around them had been subjected to trials with completely different parameters than theirs.

Despite that, it was a relatively extensive system as each applicant was publicly named, followed shortly by their exposition on the stage before the entire assembly of people with theatric undertones. Thus it was given the name "Coronation"

Several pairs of students had already ascended and taken their spots in their designated teams before leaving the space for the next group to follow, Naruto's company leisurely trading accounts as they calmly awaited their turn.

"Really?! Why did I have to miss it?! I can only imagine dozens of those beauties cutting down evil grimm" the red-hooded teen exclaimed as she wistfully looked at the pair of swords safely sheathed in Naruto's belt.

The whiskered blond chuckled as he heard the pretty girl's words, his warm hand lifting to softly ruffle her reddish-black hair "No worries Ruby, you'll have plenty of chances to see them later"

Amber eyes traveled to the speaking youth as the fair woman addressed him with faint curiosity "You have a clone semblance?" A slight hint of interest laced her words drawing the attention of the teen.

He smiled softly at her as his gentle eyes took her in bright disposition "not like any you've ever seen, I can assure you that. But essentially, yeah. I can make solid clones of myself that remain as long as I want them to from my aura" he languidly said smiling at her.

With unfolding fascination alighting her eyes she prepared to further inquire about him before the voice of the snowy-haired teen resonated softly with unhidden skepticism "The strongest clone semblance recorded in the archives of atlas lasts only an hour in approximation with decreasing timeframes per clone created and random variations for each trial test, how is it that no-one's heard of you before?"

The blond's gaze turned to the heir of the schnee company with a knowing smile faintly gracing his lips "Haven't been around for the most part" he said puzzlingly as he left the whitely dressed girl doubtingly eyeing him with confusion.

"That does explain the outfit" a voice mockingly said as it robbed the attention of the growingly annoyed blond who turned to the smirking face of his partner, the group around them falling into an easy laughter.

"Digging your own grave already, I see" replied the whiskered blond with a quivering grin while stepping up close to him as his eyebrows twitched in irritation.

"You need all the help you can get, after all. Call me a good samaritan" the raven breathed in amusement as his mirthful eyes locked with the blond's before the boy's lips morphed gradually into a grin.

"Why are you guys always fighting? I don't get it" ruby said curiously as her gaze alternated between the two antagonistic teens.

"It's their natural state, don't mind it too much, kid" the painted teen carelessly replied with an entertained snort as he calmly crossed his muscular arms on his chest "They've been fighting the whole time since you guys left, heck, apparently they seriously duked it out before they even met up with us"

The last commend drew the attention of the entire group as Ruby briskly turned to her whiskered friend with surprise "You guys fought? like 'actually-stabbing-each- other' fought?"

Naruto's gaze curiously turned to the dozens of eyes staring at him and his partner wondering what exactly they found so hard to believe "Well yeah, he's a dick so he obviously came to get his ass beat by yours truly" he calmly responded with a relaxed shrug as his attention focused on the red-hooded girl.

"As expected of a brainless buffoon, memory is not your strong suit. I'll try to hold back in the future, lest I cause you permanent brain damage" the midnight-haired boy replied with a leisure glance at the blond at his side.

The whiskered teen in question turned to the other boy before a grin dominated his lips "You're lucky the grimm came when they did, the beatdown i was gonna give you would have been tenfold what it was"

The raven faced his partner with a haughty smirk lifting his lips as he responded "Ten times zero is still zero"

Their gazes rapidly filled with tension that threatened on unfolding right there before a pair of pale slender hands softly pushed them away from each other disarmingly.

Charcoal and sapphire fell to bright golden locks of silky undulating hair as a pair of lilac eyes playfully alternated between the two of them "Alright guys, time to break it up. You're making little Ruby here a little nervous" she said laughingly, her melodic voice making the boys pause their altercation.

Blake swiftly took the whiskered faunus by the forearm as she brought him away from the raven whose eyes somehow emanated an eerie feeling that left her deeply unsettled.

A soft finger on his muscular chest drew the impassive gaze of the midnight boy as he found teasing lilac eyes staring playfully at him "Don't go causing trouble for us, cowboy. Or else your partner won't be the only blonde you have to look out for" she said with a sultry smirk.

His gaze filled with mischievous amusement before he slowly leaned closer towards her, his lips lowering to her ears whisperingly "That kind of threat doesn't help your cause, quite the opposite actually"

"Could you please stop flirting already? Where did decency go all of a sudden?" The alarmed voice of a blushing Weiss filled their small group making the pair separate as they turned to her incredulously.

"Nothing wrong with two attractive people expressing their feelings for each other, right guys?" The voice of the good-natured partner of the scarlet gladiator drew the attention of the other teens as his blue eyes stared animatedly at the snow-haired woman "guys?" He repeated when he heard no response, slowly turning to find several gazes holding him with disbelief.

"Sure, talking about the love live of my bastard of a partner is cool and all, but what I want to know is how you got into this academy, eehhh…." The whiskered blond said as he calmly approached the other teen.

"J-Jaune arc, my name is Jaune Arc. A pleasure by the way" the clumsy boy nervously responded as he offered a hand in greeting.

To his immediate surprise, the orange-clad teen doubtlessly grasped it in a tight grip as his mouth formed a vibrant grin "Same here Jaune. Name's Naruto Uzumaki. Still, that doesn't answer my question. No offense, but you seem a little…different than the others. How did you manage to get inside?" He asked again curiously.

As he observed his headache-inducing partner happily chat with the soft-looking boy, his eyes serenely glanced to his left side where he encountered bright silver orbs staring at him with curiosity "What is it?" He breathed softly as he turned fully towards the young girl.

"Could I possibly see your weapon? Is it a sword or maybe a hammer? I wanna know!" She breathlessly exclaimed as her gaze subtly roamed for hidden pockets or holsters.

He lifted an eyebrow before turning to the voluptuous blond girl standing beside him who only shrugged her dainty shoulders in return as a smile charmingly formed on her lips, unhelpfully prompting him to gaze back at the red-hooded girl in uncertainty

"You're a weird one, aren't you?" He muttered passively as he brought up a solid black box that had been previously hanging on his back waist before carelessly tossing it to Ruby who caught it alarmingly as she meticulously inspected it in her personal obsession with weapons of war.

"Before you ask, it's called Pandora. Twenty of my knives are stocked inside there, with a few other things. It's only a glorified storage unit, but it does the job" he calmly explained as the girl inadvertently pressed a tactile sensor that ejected a kevlar knife out of the black box which was easily caught by the boy.

"So cool! I've never seen one of these before" she said gleefully as she handed the weapon back to the raven, a blinding smile marring her pretty features.

"What in the world do you feed this kid, sunshine and rainbows? She's not real, is she?" He asked incredulously as he turned in surprise to the woman standing at his side.

The golden-haired teen in return stepped up to her to the girl before embracing her tightly as she smiled with unabashed pride in his direction "She's my beloved little sister, is what she is"

Further discussion was promptly postponed with the interruption of the Professor's deep voice as he announced the names of the quartet standing close to the whiskered faunus, the teens slowly traversing the distance to the center stage where they joined the professor while their faces were thoroughly displayed in a large hologram that easily let the other students identify the standing figures.

Naruto then realized that the teams were assembled by the type of relic the applicants had previously chosen. There had been sixteen relics back at the temple but only twelve had been retrieved.

He rapidly deduced that the objects he and his partner had selected were specifically altered to be of the same type so as to logically maintain the structure of the teams by the pairs they were composed of. He could only conclude that the system had arranged for the impossibility of claiming incomplete sets of relics.

His eyes lifted critically to the intellectual figure of the headmaster, his growing admiration and respect for the educator filling with caution at his superior mental faculties.

The girls clapped energetically as they cheered for the teens who had closely become their friends in the previous trial, their bright gazes alighting jovially as team JNPR(Juniper) was announced for having retrieved the white rook pieces, the good-natured Jaune surprisingly being selected as the squad leader.

Immediately after, as the newly formed group safely descended from the wide platform to an orderly line of assembled teams, Ozpin's voice proudly called the names of the girls beside him before the teens steadfastly advanced towards the grand stage and took their place standing in front of the headmaster, the new team RWBY finally coming into existence after having claimed the white knight pieces.

Ruby's innocent eyes widened with surprise when the professor named her as the leader of her own team, elation and nervousness rapidly consuming her as her gaze swiftly darted to her whiskered friend who was clapping wildly with an encouraging grin thrown her way.

He watched in unconcealed merriment as his young friend accepted her responsibility with growing confidence, the dejected light in the crystal gaze of the girl's partner not escaping his notice.

Before he could ruminate about that fragment of information, the professor's sagely voice announced the names of the next formation "Shino Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto Uzumaki. You four have retrieved the white ruler pieces"

He stepped forward to the grand platform alongside his unlikely companions while the large crowd around them parted in order to let them through, his sharp ears detecting faintly mixing whispers echoing among them that prompted him to acutely narrow his eyes as he partially managed to deciphered them "…id Uchiha…" "…one of them?.." "…that name before…"

His inquisitive gaze subtly traveled to the serene form of his midnight haired partner as he wondered the meaning behind those reactions, his focus on the pale boy missing a pair light amber eyes that widened in horrified revelation before falling obscurely to the empty ground and a crystal gaze anchoring itself gravely to the same individual in skepticism.

As they took their positions before the smiling headmaster, he regarded them individually with an optimistic glance before resuming his declaration "From this day forward you four will work together as team SSKN( Strike-Neo ), led by Shino Aburame. Congratulations"

Rocking applause filled the spacious room as their new team was proudly announced, his gaze traveling through the numerous faces of young teens marveling at the amount of emotion for something so seemingly trivial.

He turned to look at Kiba who was standing relaxedly with a strong elbow placed over the shoulder of his partner as he was seemingly narrating something he had found amusing, evidenced by the wide canine grin he was currently sporting.

His eyes then turned to the pale boy who had become his own partner in the previous trial, his hair softly framing his impassive features as he remained static with his eyes closed and his hands resting safely in the depths of his pockets.

He sure had been placed into an interesting team, it made him wonder what kind of adventures they'd share in the future.

Following the vibrant affair, the four boys descended from the crowning platform as they joined the orderly formation alongside teams RWBY and JNPR.

Naruto stepped closer as he embraced the euphoric red-hooded leader brightly congratulating her on her new rank.

Her eyes lifted in mischievous fashion as she smiled at him "A shame you didn't get to be the leader though. We would have matched"

The whiskered boy offered her an easy grin as he mockingly pointed with his thumb at his pale partner standing behind him "As long as that guy isn't the boss, I don't really much care to be honest"

"The feeling is mutual on my part. A blind fly would make a better leader than you" the charcoal-eyed teen casually responded as he remained leisurely resting behind the grinning blond.

Ruby's melodious laughter filled the small group as the pair's antics greatly entertained her.

Before they could continue their conversation, a familiar figure slowly approached them with calm interest.

He observed with wide surprise as the burly dark-skinned figure of the man who had performed as their guide that morning smilingly stepped closer to them, his rough hands holding a green binder tightly at his sides.

"Hey there, kids. First things first, I believe congratulations are in order. I truly didn't expect some of you to make the cut" his deep gruff voice laughingly said as his brown eyes quickly inspected each of them individually "Here's how things are gonna play out now. I've been assigned as the guide for cell sixty-three since the beginning of this whole show. What that means is that since there are so many of you, the instructors here usually leave the campus touring to us third-years. So for the remainder of the day you kids will be in my care as I show you all the cool places where your classes will be held."

"I'll explain as we go. Now, come on. It's getting crowded here" He said motioning with his head to follow as he turned and started walking away.

Glancing in curiosity at each other, they went after their guide passing the opened tall wooden black gates that lead them to a wide red-carpeted hallway where several sets of teams were departing.

The man once again spoke as they all started walking towards the east side of the enormous castle, passing flights of stairs and rounded turns into what he had referred to as the cybernetics department "For those of you who don't remember, my name is Otto Magnus. I'm a third-year student and was assigned by professor Ozpin to be your guide this afternoon. The first order of business for you first years is to get yourselves a scroll" he smilingly said as he took a small rectangular device from his breast pocket.

"This thing right here is your lifeline. It holds all your personal information gathered during the application process. It's how you will receive your grades and access the school's archives. It's how you will open the portable storages carrying your weapons. It's how you will gain access your dorm rooms. They are all personalized so that no one else apart from you is able to use it. Do not lose it" he said emphasizing the last words as he briefly waved the metallic device holding it in a tight grip.

"Now, of course those aren't it's only functions, but I'll let you guys find that out for yourselves" he continued as they finally arrived at the large office space.

The process lasted around half an hour before spending the rest of the day following after Otto as he thoroughly showed them the general facilities they would be using for the rest of their stay, the classrooms, the library, the cafeteria, the bathrooms, and finally the dorms.

It had been a long if not somewhat tedious journey, but the teens were grateful it was finally over.

Notwithstanding, as they were about to part ways with the burly third-year student the voice of the golden haired Faunus addressed him, the diverse gazes of the other teenagers falling onto him in surprise "Now that that's over and done with, how about you and me have a Mano a Mano?"

A grin confidently framed his lips as his right hand lifted motioning towards himself with his fingers in a challenging gesture.

"W-what are you saying?! He's a third year student!" Alarmingly cried Jaune as he took the other blond by the shoulders.

"Jaune's right, I don't doubt you are strong but the difference in strength from one year to another isn't negligible" Ren softly said in support for his leaders words.

"Are you seriously going to fight him? Now that I have to see" yang laughingly said as eagerness to watch the whiskered boy fight rapidly filled her.

"Well, well. It's the first time a rookie has challenged me so directly" The burly student said as he amusedly smirked at the faunus boy

Their gazes clashed as they seized each other up

"Alright. Now that I think about it, I haven't shown you guys the battle simulators we have here. Come on" he motioned for the others to follow as they traversed to a high security area somewhere on the north side to the classroom wing.

"Your name was Uzumaki, wasn't it kid?" The tall teen said watching as the whiskered boy shortly nodded before he lifted the binder to inspect it "You're old man Jiraiya's brat, aren't you? I knew I'd heard that name somewhere"

"You know my master?" The boy surprisedly replied as his wide eyes locked onto the other boy, his friends perking up at such information.

"Not personally. Guy's a legend though." He said in admiration as he subtly glanced at the whiskered boy beside him. "He's known as "The Sage" in the big leagues. Ozpin talks a lot about him."

Naruto smiled warmly as memories of his master swiftly traveled through his mind, a feeling of pride gradually consuming him at knowing such a great person.

"What do you mean he's known as? Do hunters get cool nicknames after beacon or something?" Ruby innocently asked as she stepped closer to their guide in curiosity,

The friendly boy laughed softly as his eyes went to the red-caped girl "Not exactly. You see, there are hundreds of huntsmen who graduate Beacon each year, same as in the other hunting academies. The best of the greatest of them, the ultimate warriors, are well renowned to professional hunters throughout the whole world of remnant. Uzumaki's gramps stands head and shoulders with all of them." He calmly explained as his gaze returned to his front.

"By all accounts they are invincible monsters capable of taking on entire armies of grimm single-handedly. They are the ultimate weapons crafted by humanity. As for their titles, well, they were awarded rather organically through their long journeys and impossible feats. Your name's Rose, right? You should have a chat with your uncle Qrow "Herald of death" Branwen. Guy's a badass but not the friendliest around."

"Woahh, didn't know uncle Qrow was so famous" Yang said with surprise as she listened to the tall boy.

"Who the hell comes up with these names, they sound a little over-dramatic to me" Kiba said as he walked beside his partner, a disbelieving snort falling from his lips.

"No kidding. They can be a bit fantastical but rest assured, they were given for a reason" their guide replied as he pointed a strong rough finger towards the red-haired girl standing a little ways behind them, prompting the whole group to follow with their gazes "You kids already have someone like that in here"

The green-eyed teen's cheeks warmed in a pretty rose blush as embarrassment swiftly filled her, the sudden attention placed on her rather unexpected.

"I thought you said titles were only given to the best of the best. Everyone knows she's the strongest among us, but she's still just a first year student." Weiss said inquisitively as her crystal gaze centered with slight curiosity on their guide.

Otto turned a knowing smile towards the group before calmly facing up front "Sometimes the talent kids exhibit is so overwhelming they immediately become well known to their peers and instructors even in a school as big as this one. It marks the beginning of their reputation as world renowned hunters. It's not very common, but it happens. A considerable amount of students already have a title bestowed upon them, "The Invincible Woman", "War Machine", "Eight Bridges of Death", "Murder in Style", you name it. Their prowess as warriors has earned them these titles that'll follow them for the rest of their careers"

"You have someone nicknamed "Murder in Style"? What kind of freak would get a name like that?" Kiba exclaimed in surprise, his eyes centered on the older boy with incredulity.

Otto for his part laughed nervously as the image of that person flashed across his mind "You have no idea, kid."

"So aside from Red here, are all those people you mentioned fourth-years?" The midnight-haired boy asked as he softly motioned to golden armored girl with his head.

"Most of them, yeah. But not all of them. There are some third years who are also well known among the academy, that's including yours truly" the dark-skinned boy pridefully said as he pointed a rough thumb to his face, his gaze falling easily on the young raven.

"You did seem pretty strong since the morning I saw you, wonder what kind of name it is you have." The whiskered boy responded with delight as his eyes settled on the taller boy "If it's not too much trouble I'd like to wait until after our little spar to hear that name of yours."

The muscular boy smirked in return as they stopped before a large-sized circular metal gate, an electronic tab the only source of entry through identification "That's all fine by me. We're here anyway."

Placing his scroll against the solid surface, the gears and locks within the large gate turned and opened allowing the them to part leaving a wide gap for the students to enter "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Area fifty-three."

The inside was an enormous white stage enclosed stunningly in a long rectangular area by sturdy bright metallic walls that let no light escape from the room. To the sides of the entrance they were standing on, long marble stairs extended towards a viewing room where the ones not participating in combat would spectate.

The students observed in surprised awe at the tremendous size of the room, the absolute emptiness inside somewhat unnerving.

Just then, loud speakers placed on the ceiling and beside the large widows that connected to the viewing room resounded with static before a strong masculine voice called the name of their guide in surprise "Otto! What the hell are you doing here, man?!"

The gaze of their burly guide rapidly turned to the far wide windows where concealed shadows could be dimly seen moving as the boy squinted it narrowly "Is that you Ty? Are you and Mel doing the dirty again in there because I swear.."

"Calm your tits Otto, the whole damn team is here going over some battle formations. Now answer the fuckin' question you piece of shit. i reserved the room for the whole day." The voice roughly responded clearly amused at the other boy.

"Rookie here challenged me to throw fists first day, couldn't help myself and agreed. Oh, he's old man Jiraiya's brat by the way" the tall boy loudly said pointing to the whiskered blond as he his eyes remained centered on the large windows.

"Why the fuck didn't you say it sooner?! I'd never miss the opportunity to see you get your ass kicked!"

Otto snorted amusedly before he turned to the surprised students "You kids follow those stairs to the viewing room where you'll be more comfortable. Uzumaki, come along. We don't got much time anyway. Miss Glynda is expecting you at four on the dot to go over some class prep." He said stepping over the endless white field.

The group of teens turned to the long stairs and started ascending to the concealed room where the voice had previously come from.

"Don't give an embarrassing performance" the raven-haired teen said softly as he serenely passed by his blond teammate in unconcerned fashion.

"i'll kick your ass after I'm done with him, don't worry" Naruto said confidently

"Good luck kid, go give it your all" Kiba said as he patted heavily the blond's strong shoulder before following the others.

"Watch out for the length" the boy in the dark green trench coat puzzlingly said before following after his partner, leaving the whiskered boy staring in confusion.

As he was about to step onto the platform, a soft pale hand took hold his right one in a gentle grip that stopped him disarmingly, his gaze turning to clash softly with an amber one.

"Are you sure about this?" Blake asked in concern as she recalled all the aura and strength the boy had spent on their trials throughout the day.

"it'll be a quick spar, nothing to worry about. Besides, how else am I suppose to impress you fair maiden" he said as he offered the girl a charming smile

The amber-eyed teen snorted at his words before returning a tranquil smile in his direction "You idiot"

He then took his heavy orange jacket off leaving him in a short-sleeved black t-shirt before he held it over for Blake to take, his eyes holding her gently "Think you can hold onto this for me?"

She grabbed the article of clothing gracefully before turning towards the long marble stairs, a short glance being sent his way before she started walking away "Don't make it a habit"

His eyes remained dazedly placed on her curvy form for a moment longer before they turned rigidly to his next opponent alighting in serious shade.

The man before him was not one to take lightly, he had realized. His stature as a warrior surpassed even that of his inhuman partner. For the battle waiting on that white daunting space, he would have to engage without limitations.

He confidently stepped inside as he stood a fair distance away from the third-year student, his eyes narrowing in complete concentration.

"The fight will last five minutes in total. Place it on default mode, and Ty, make sure to put the alarm this time" the dark-skinned boy said as he casually popped his neck in preparation "The walls of this little room have the ability of absorbing all kinds of dust fired their way, so use your guns to your heart's content. With that being said, are you ready kid?"

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The heavily wooden door opened easily as the figure of a tall navy-haired teen unlocked it for them, her golden gaze absorbing their youthful features as she merrily invited them inside. "Hi, everyone. My name is Melody Tesla, leader of team MTAL ( Metal ). It's a pleasure to meet you all" she delightedly said as she took each of their hands before shaking them in greeting, pausing shortly when she reached the youngest member of their ensemble to whom she freely embraced gushingly.

"Cut it out Mel, you're gonna end up killing the poor kid and I don't wanna pay for the damages" a deep raspy masculine voice, very similar to the one on the speakers, smirkingly called to the energetic girl, platinum hair falling shortly over tattooed skin as violet eyes captured the group in curious interest. "Name's Tyler Mars, Nerds. Don't go around waistin' it"

"Always the grouch, aren't you Mars?" A tall clear blue-haired teen with several piercings decorating his nose and mouth berated the tattooed boy before he turned to address them amicably "Pardon the eloquence of our second in command, you could say he's not had the best of days. You may call me Lars Jaeger, delighted to meet you all"

"Careful Lars, you're gonna make the big bad wolf blow a fuse again" a curvy teen with short dark violet hair teasingly said as she leisurely rested over the arm of a pristine white couch, an open bottle of beer held casually on her left arm before she took a sip and her cyan gaze turned to inspect them in entertainment "The one and only Ash Deschanel, at your service little pups."

The young teens in the group introduced themselves somewhat nervously as they examined the particular personalities of such colorful individuals.

Sasuke calmly passed by the navy-haired female as he approached the silver-haired teen seating comfortably in front a large console where they had apparently been replaying recorded fights all morning "Are you all third-years too?" His deep voice stopped all movement on the relatively large room as all eyes centered on the pair in curiosity.

A violet gaze landed inquisitively trying to dissect the layers behind the boy standing before him, impassive eyes clashing with his own instead "Who the hell are you, kid?" His raspy voice nonchalantly followed as he kept observing him.

"No one of importance. Now, answer the question" the raven replied apathetically

"We are indeed third-year students, young one. But if I may ask, what's the nature of that question?" The blue haired teen soothingly replied as he approached the side of the tattooed boy staring at the inquisitive young man.

"Judging by your previous interaction with him and the fact that you too are third-years students, I can assume you are all deeply acquainted with the guy who's about to fight my loser of a partner, correct?" The boy restructured his question as his gaze remained anchored on the silver-haired teen.

"if you're asking if I know what his dick size is I won't be able to help you there, kid. For everything else well, I'm listening" the violet-eyed boy replied as he matched the gaze staring indifferently at him.

"Don't be so fuckin' crass, you damn Mars. There are kids in the room" the violet-haired teen muttered as she softly glared at the boy.

The platinum-haired man amusedly glanced at the blushing faces of the silver and crystal eyed girls before returning sharply to the teen standing before him.

"Those gloves…" the boy softly muttered as the narrowing gazes of the four peculiar individuals resting variedly inside the room centered warily on his form "The insignia engraved in the anterior wrist…they're from the upper ranks of the twilight underworld, aren't they?"

His companions stared at him with varying degrees of reactions as confusion and curiosity largely predominated.

The silent amber-eyed teen had been actively avoiding any contact, intentional or otherwise, with him as her form had remained significantly tense throughout the brief time they had spent under the guide that day, the current discussion further eliciting a greater intent of detachment.

As for the snow-haired girl, she had been scrutinizing him for any suspicious activity as her glacial eyes retained an inquisitive light that was tightly wrapped around his mysterious background.

Ruby's nervous eyes centered confusedly on the pale boy as his obsidian orbs beheld the older student with absolute apathy, the growing tension in the room easily spreading about unimpeded.

Violet eyes narrowed in wariness and distrust as the words uttered by the eerie boy provoked faint alarm to unfurl across his face before swiftly acquiring a blank facade "Don't know what you're talking about"

A silent pause after the platinum-haired man's comment caused the other three older students to focus into the ongoing conversation with caution, their trained gazes vigilant of any hostile movement that could cause a violent altercation.

To Marth's surprise the teen sighed frustratedly before his form inaudibly rounded towards the large window in disregard, his gaze centered the confrontation that was shortly about to begin "Your facial reactions are enough to confirm my suspicions. Rest assured, I have no interest in harming your companion in any way. Still, it seems this guy will prove more difficult than I had originally expected"

He observed with apparent indifference as the the individuals prepared to engage in fiery battle.

"What was that all about?" The pleasant voice of the girl with the golden locks nestling playfully from his left side gathered his attention as his eyes rested calmly on her voluptuous form before they returned ahead.

"A story for another time. For now, how about a little wager?" his voice smoothly traveled with teasing hints towards the lilac-eye woman, a faint mischievous light enveloping his normally stoic pools.

"A wager? What kind of wager?" She replied with deep curiosity as her lips lifted, rich lavender pearls falling vibrantly on the boy's form.

"I wager that my extravagant partner over there loses the match within the first two minutes. If you think otherwise, take the wager." The boy said motioning to the teen standing on the white platform.

Yang glanced at the stage for a long moment in contemplation before facing the boy with a confident smile morphing her features "I'll take the wager, he either wins or pulls a draw"

The boy snorted in deep amusement before leisurely turning to the combatants who were standing a safe distance away "Your choice"

"Didn't specify the terms, cowboy. What do I get when I win?" She softly asked as a smirk formed on her lips.

"If you win, I'll let you decide on whatever prize you desire. If I win, you'll have to supply me with elaborate information about this uncle Qrow of yours." he breathed with confidence as his features adopted a casual veneer, his eyes turning to connect with her lavender ones.

"Way to disappoint a girl, handsome. What's with the interest in my uncle all a sudden?" She asked softly as the fine tips of her teasing lips fractionally lowered in mild dissatisfaction, lilac eyes beneath undulating golden locks alighting with faint confusion that blended into her usual mischievousness.

The pale boy's lips lifted into a smirk at her apparent discontent before addressing her with an inkling of roguery "No need to look so down, firecracker. There'll be plenty opportunities to gamble wages with higher stakes."

"As for you uncle, well, consider it professional curiosity" he nonchalantly continued as his muscular form rounded to lean against the hard glass of wide clear window. "What do you say, still interested?"

Her half-lidded eyes gleamed with seductive mirth as a sensual smile took possession of her lips before she confidently closed the minuscule distance between them, leaving her standing inches away from his figure while her long dainty right index finger clasped the fabric of his grey shirt, enticingly pulling his body lower and nearer until her devilish mouth was right next to his ear "I guess I'll have you dancing on my palm when I win, won't I cowboy?"

A husky laugher followed her comment before the boy returned playful smirk of his own, his voice whisperingly addressing her in an identical manner "i quite admire the certainty with which you speak, however misplaced it may be"

Their gazes lingered to one another for an additional instant before words coming the scarlet-haired woman's mouth swiftly drew their attention "It's Starting."

The younger occupants of the room approached the transparent glass with the sole intention of witnessing the battle that was about to take place, whispered remarks and thoughts about performance and results traveling around the wide room.

For their part, the older teens adjusted the viewing devices to capture the confrontation with the cameras that were positioned in the platform below.

The air inside the room became intense as expectancy and enthusiasm reached boiling point, the first battle of the semester finally about to commence.

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A/N: I read every one of you guys' reviews and I feel really grateful for the feedback. I agree my writing is too flowery, I was under the impression that it was way too dry before, so maybe I was overcompensating. I tried to fix it, but I might be to biased to tell. So yeah this is version two.

The Jingo: dude, I can't believe you're reading my story. I swear I'm one of your biggest fans. I completely love your writing and hope you keep doing so. I'm really grateful for the review.

ThE 4SsAsSiN 21: Thank you so much for the feedback man, I agree I have some things to correct. As for the weapons, I have something planned so don't worry.

Danish78: Thank you for leaving a review, I'm glad you're finding this even a little entertaining. I hope you like what comes next too.

I also appreciate everyone who didn't like it and took their time to at least try and read it before leaving a review. I hope I can become better and that you'll maybe enjoy future chapters.

A/N: And that's a wrap for chapter 4. I really want to apologize for all the time it took to get here but I simply wanted to put the best quality work I could into this. As a writer I still feel like I have enormous room for improvement and this tends to leave me erasing and writing and rewriting a lot of scenes. I truly hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Next chapter should be the end of the introduction arc before we step onto more interesting bits. I want you guys to know that one thing I consider truly important when it comes to writing stories like this full of action and supernatural abilities is the power-scaling and the threat the antagonists present. I seriously can't begin to tell you how much time I've spent thinking about how strong my villains are going to be compared to the protagonists we all know and love. And it's really interesting but frustrating too to balance the complete badassery and cool factor of our heroes with the looming threat that are the villains.

I seriously don't want to write another fairy tail or dragon ball where the antagonists are either one-shotted or the threat of dying simply goes away, it doesn't feel exiting to me reading stories like that. No offense to the fans of those series.

I truly feel like there is a way to portray our heroes as overpowered without reducing the complete awesomeness and danger that are well written antagonists. And that's what I'm aiming for really.

A little bit of info so that you guys don't chew me out in the future is the powers I'm gonna give Naruto and Sasuke. No spoilers but Mangekyou and Sage mode are definitely out of the picture. I feel like with just their basic abilities I could do so much, so I'm aiming to develop their powers in the coolest way I can without turning this into one of those fanfics where Naruto just plows throw everybody.

Once again, I hope if you liked the story leave a review, I'm always eager for feedback however harsh it is and hope you guys don't hold back with all the constructive criticism. I'm sorry if some of you disliked the addition of other Naruto characters but this story is going to be featuring several of them, if only for world-building and as I said before antagonistic purposes.

I also eagerly await to rewrite that was the mess of Adam taurus. Like he has so much potential to be a scary antagonist, I'm sorry if anyone dislikes the guy but imma play with my villains.

I guess that's it for today, thanks everyone. Happy hunting.