Authors Note:

I'm… alive? I'm alive! Ha! Take that Larry!

Since there is very little information on Amber, I took some liberties with her character and background.

I'm considering giving Naruto a weapon. Any suggestions?

Also, any suggestions on what Amber's semblance should be? To my knowledge, we never learned what it was. It does not have to be battle-related, but keep in mind that there should be a reason that she did not use it in her fight.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the rights to RWBY or Naruto during my, admittedly long, break.

For the first time in weeks, Amber slept peacefully. This wasn't her rough sleeping bag or that cold, metallic tube where she struggled for life. This was a real, soft, oh so warm bed, and she was determined to squeeze every second of rest she could from it.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. She groaned as rays of afternoon rudely pulled her back to consciousness. Her eyes briefly fluttered open, before she screwed them shut. In a stubborn attempt to escape the light, she flipped over so that she was laying face down on her pillow. She'd earned a few extra hours of sleep.

She might have gotten it too, if it wasn't for the room's other occupant. "And here I was thinking you'd want to see me." A glib voice remarked. A voice she knew all too well.

As she recalled recent events, Amber lifted her head to glare at the offender, though it had no real heat behind it. "What gave you that idea Qrow?" The scruffy man sat in Ozpin's chair with his legs casually propped up on the desk. Looking around, she saw that her bed was situated on the far side of Ozpin's office from the large windows, about equidistant from the desk and the elevators.

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that I saved your life." He casually picked his ear with his pinky. "Did you know you drool in your sleep?"

Amber stiffly sat up and looked down at her body. She vaguely remembered wearing a white tube-top and skirt when she woke up, but somebody, most likely Glynda, had changed her into a familiar set of clothes. Could they really not find anything other than the school uniform? "Oh, have you been watching me sleep this whole time? A bit creepy, don't you think?" She quipped, stretching out the stiff muscles in her back.

"Of course not." Qrow swung his feet off the desk and stood. "We took shifts."

Amber pulled on the comfortable, albeit plain, boots that were by her bed. "Oh, like that makes it any better." She said as she stood as well.

He shrugged. "If it helps, I only got here an hour ago." He just a few feet shy of her.

"It really doesn't." They stood there, eyeing each other, before they embraced.

"Damn, it's good to see you." Qrow told her, his voice thick with emotion that might surprise anyone who'd only met his rougher side.

"Same here." She pulled back. "I guess I should thank you for saving my life. Again."

He shook his head. "I'm not the one you should be thanking."

Amber frowned in confusion. "Why not? You were the one that rescued me."

Qrow sighed and pulled out his flask. "I did, but not in time." He paused to take a swig of his drink. "However they stole your powers hurt you. Badly. We could barely keep you alive, and even then, your condition was slowly deteriorating." He took another drink. "If Naruto hadn't literally fallen into our laps, you wouldn't have lasted the year."

Naruto. He was that Toad Faunus from the vault. "Who is he anyway?"

"I should probably let Ozpin explain." Qrow pulled out his scroll. "I need to call him anyway to tell him you're awake." Just as he was about to do so, the elevator chimed. "Speak of the devil."

Ozpin walked into the room carrying a tray of food, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. "Amber. I'm so glad your awake." He hurried over. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good all things considered." Even though being on deaths door less than forty-eight hours ago, her only real ailment was a small headache. Suddenly, her stomach growled angrily as she caught a whiff of whatever Ozpin brought with him. "Hungry though."

The two men chuckled in amusement. "Indeed." Ozpin said, handing her the tray. She slightly disappointed to see that it was only a simple soup and some bread, but she understood that it was best to start off light after spending extended periods without having anything solid. Ozpin gestured to the two chaired in front of his desk. "Come sit. We have much to discuss."

"Absolutely not!"

"Amber-" Ozpin tried.

"No. I am a huntress. More than that, I'm a Maiden. You can't seriously expect me to agree to this." After managing to finish her meal, Amber had told Ozpin what little she could about fight. Most of her memories were hazy, but that woman's face was seared into her memory. You never forgot the person who violated your soul. In turn, Ozpin brought her up to speed on everything that had been going on, including Naruto.

Ozpin sighed tiredly. "It is precisely because you are the fall maiden that I'm asking you to do this. Despite the fact that Ironwood's Atlesian technology prevented you from suffering any significant muscle atrophy, you're still vulnerable. If they defeated you at full strength, then how do you think you'll fare now that they have half your Maiden powers?"

"So send me off with Qrow!" Amber countered in frustration. "The two of us will be more than enough."

Beside her, Qrow scoffed. "Oh, that's a great idea; stay with the literal bad luck charm. See how that turns out." He said sarcastically.

"Amber, something big is coming, and these people will never stop coming for you. At least this way we'll be ready for them."

She knew he was right, but still. She'd worked her butt of to get to where she was. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to." Qrow said. "As hunters, we often have to do things we don't want to, but we do it because it's our job." He took a sip from his flask. "Besides, it's only temporary. You only have to do this until we either get them, or we get your powers back."

Seeing that she was wavering, Ozpin continued. "If you die, then there is a good chance that your powers will seek out its other half, and then Salem will have access to the relic of choice. We cannot allow that to happen." His gaze softened. "And… we don't want to lose you again."

"…Fine." She relented.

"Thank you Amber." Ozpin turned to the man beside her. "Qrow, if you would be so kind."

"Alright." He stood and started for the door. "I'll be right back kid."

Amber glared at him, though the corner of her lips twitched as she fought off a smile. "When are you going to stop calling me that? I'm twenty for dust's sake."

Qrow faced her as he backed into the elevator and held up his flask. "As soon as I stop drinking."

"So never." She supplied.

Qrow smirked. "Exactly."

From the edge of the courtyard, Ruby watched as Naruto and Nora exchanged excited whisperer with a mixture of relief and trepidation. On one hand, she was glad to see that he wasn't letting his situation get to him. On the other hand, she didn't like the devious expressions on their faces.

"How long have they been like that?" Yang asked.

Ruby looked at her scroll. "About twenty minutes."

"Should we be worried?"

Before Ruby could answer, Ren's head popped up out of a nearby bush, startling Ruby enough to jump into Yang's arms. "No, you should be afraid." Ren said with, ignoring their reaction. "You should be very afraid." He shuddered as sunk back into the foliage.

Ruby shared a weary look with her sister. "Why?" Yang asked as her sister got off her. When no response came, she walked over to the bush. "Why should we be afraid?" She asked, annoyance creeping into her voice. Again, no response came. "Ren-" She parted the leaves to look at him, only to sigh. "Aaaand he's gone."

"Woah!" Ruby exclaimed as she circled the plant. There was nothing by it, so he shouldn't have been able to leave without them noticing. "How'd he do that?"

Yang shrugged. "Who knows?"

At that moment, Nora let out a somewhat disturbing laugh. "Oh that's perfect!"

"I'm more worried about them." Yang finished.

Ruby agreed. She didn't know what they were planning, but it couldn't be good. They should probably do something to get on their good side before they began their all-out prank war. The question was how? Ruby couldn't bribe him with cookies, even if they were perfect, what with their sugary goodness and gooey, delicious, choco- She shook her hear. 'Focus!' Naruto wasn't a cookie fan. He liked- A lightbulb flashed in her mind.

"Hey Yang, we're allowed to go to Vale, right?"

"Sure. I mean, it's Friday, so it's not like we have any more classes till Monday." She said. "Why?

"Well, I was thinking we could take Naruto to that noodle shop you told me about."

Yang's eyes lit with understanding. "A Simple Wok?"

"Yeah, the one with the giant bowls of ramen!" Ruby confirmed.

As if her words were a summoning jutsu of their own, Naruto was suddenly right beside her. On an unrelated note, several students lay dazed on the floor between them and Nora. "Giant bowls of what now?" He asked eagerly.

"Only the best ramen you've ever tasted." Yang declared.

Ruby swore she could see a fire burning in his eyes. "Then what are we waiting for? I need to see how it compares to Ichiraku! Let's go!" Naruto looked like he was about to run off when Yang's words stopped him.

"Hold up. You don't have any money, remember?" Ruby had to giggle at the sheer look of horror on his face. "Of course, I could pay for you," He looked at Yang with a glimmer of hope, only for her to snuff out. "buuuut I won't."

For his sake, Ruby did her best to hide her amusement as Naruto fell to his knees with anime tears streaming from his eyes. "There there." She said, patting his head. "Don't listen to her. I'll get you some ramen."

He sniffed. "Really?"

She nodded "Really."

"Well isn't this touching." Someone commented from behind them.

The trio whipped around to face the newcomer. "Uncle Qrow!" Ruby launched herself at him and latched onto his arm. He stretched his arm out, lifting Ruby with it. "Oh it's so good to see you! Did you miss me? Did you miss me?!"

Qrow seemed to consider this for a moment before smirking. "Nope." He ruffled his hair and set her down.

"Qrow!" Yang pulled him into a quick, but still tight, hug. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she released him.

"Oh, you know. Typical huntsman reasons." He said vaguely. "Still breaking boy's hearts?" Qrow asked, inclining his head at Naruto.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Lay off it old man. I was just teasing him." She draped an arm over Naruto's shoulder. "Qrow, meet Naruto. Naruto, this is our uncle Qrow."

Naruto waved at him from within her hold. "Hi."

"So you're the guy Oz has been going on about." Qrow said

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "You know Ozpin?"

"Oh yeah. We go way back." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure he asked me to bring you to his office."

"He's not in trouble, is he?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"He better not be." Nora commented as she reached them. "We haven't even started our… uh… extracurricular activities yet."

Qrow waved his hand in dismissal. "Nah. He just wanted to talk about something."

"Can it wait? Ruby offered to buy me ramen." Naruto ducked under Yang's arm. "She's nice like that, unlike some people." He shot Yang a mock glare, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue.

"Afraid not." When Naruto slumped in disappointment, he continued. "Tell you what. If you come see Oz with me, I'll get you all the ramen you can eat."

Naruto instantly cheered up. "You sure? I can eat a lot ya' know."

Qrow chuckled, obviously not taking his warning seriously. "Don't sweat it kid. You can't be any worse than Ruby with her cookies." Oh how he would regret those words.

As he rode the elevator with Qrow, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what Ozpin wanted. He couldn't have found a way for him to get home already, could he?

After sending Gamaton off to with a letter for Tsunade, thankfully Weiss had her school supplies on her, he'd gone to talk to Ozpin. The others had wanted to go with him, but he hadn't wanted them to get in trouble for missing class. When he explained the situation, Ozpin had not only allowed him to remain at the school until he left, but he also offered to help him find a way home.

Since he had no better options, Naruto had accepted. And who knows, he might learn a thing or two before getting home. And rest assured, Naruto would get home. He still had to save Sasuke from himself. Not to mention the threat from Tobi. In the meantime, he'd keep training and keep getting stronger.

"Naruto," Qrow started, causing him to look at the older man. "Thank you."

"For what?" Naruto asked.

"For saving Amber. I've known her since she was little, and she means a lot to me. So, thank you."

He grinned. "I'm just glad I could help." He paused. "How's she doing?"

"See for yourself." Qrow said as the doors opened to show two people conversing at Ozpin's desk, and his eyes lit up as he recognized them.

"Hey Amber!" He greeted loudly, despite the size of the room. "You're awake!"

She faced him and offered a smile. "Sure am. I hear I have you to thank for that."

Huh, a lot of people had been thanking him recently. "Ah, it was nothing."

"No, it most certainly was not." Ozpin denied. "Without you, Amber would have had no hope of surviving. We are in your debt." Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, unused to so much praise. "However, I'm afraid I must ask another favor of you. It could be dangerous, but you do not have to accept."

"Sure, lay it on me." Naruto said, missing Amber's slight frown. The Professor was helping him get home, so he had no problem helping him out. Maybe he had a cool mission for him. It explained why Qrow was here. Despite his obvious drunken state, he carried himself like a seasoned warrior. Kind of like Tsunade.

"I would like for you…" Naruto leaned forward in anticipation. "to take Amber on as your partner."

"…Huh?" That wasn't what he had been expecting. Naruto glanced over at Amber, who seemed somewhat annoyed. Hopefully it wasn't directed at him.

"I would like to make Amber your partner here at Beacon." Ozpin repeated.

"Okay. Why?" Naruto asked. "Not that I have a problem with it or anything, but isn't she already a huntress?" That's what the headmaster had told him yesterday.

Amber threw up her hands in agitation "Thank you! That's what I said."

"Too bad you already agreed." Qrow commented. "What's that thing you always told me? Oh, right. No take backs."

She sent him a glare, though it held little heat. "Shut up Qrow."

"If I may continue," Ozpin interjected, before addressing Naruto. "I want Amber here at Beacon for her own safety. To understand, I must give you a small history lesson." Seriously? School just ended an hour ago, and now he had to listen to more history? "I don't suppose you're familiar with the Story of the Seasons?"

"Nope. Never heard of it."

He nodded. "I thought as much. Most people in Remnant believe it is just a fairy tale, but I assure you, what I am about to tell you is very much true. Long ago, there was man who, burdened from lifetimes of suffering and his own failures, had given up on humanity. He shut himself off from the world, content to live the rest of his days in solitude. That is, until four sisters visited him. The first urged him to meditate to come to terms with his suffering. The second brought him fruits and flowers and brought his garden back to life. The third convinced him to step outside his home and embrace the world. And the fourth showed him how to look at all that he had and be thankful. Their kindness stirred something within that man that he hadn't felt in a long time: hope. Hope that all was not lost; hope that there was still good in humanity."

Naruto listened, unsure where he was going with this. At least it was more interesting than Professor Port's stories. "To thank them for their kindness, the man blessed them with incredible powers in hopes that they would continue to help others around the world." Naruto frowned as the picture started to come together. "And thus, the first maidens were born, each named after the seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. However, much like the seasons they are named after, the Maidens are ever-changing. When they die, their power seeks out a new host who becomes the new Maiden."

"Amber's a Maiden, right?" Naruto asked, voicing his suspicions.

Ozpin blinked in surprise. "Yes, she is. The Fall Maiden to be exact. How did you know?"

"I could feel a second source of energy when I was helping her yesterday. I'm guessing that is the Maiden powers." Naruto shrugged. "I didn't say anything about it because I didn't know if you were keeping it a secret." After all, with the similarities to a Jinchūriki, he didn't want to take the risk of revealing something personal without her permission.

She smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate the concern Blonde." Again with the thank you.

"Any time." He said, then began addressing Ozpin again. "But if she's so strong, then why are you so worried about her safety?" Did it have anything to do with the condition he'd found her in? And why did the situation feel so familiar?

"Because," Qrow explained, "There are people after the Maidens. They already captured Amber once and managed to steal part of her powers before I rescued her. It's only a matter of time before they come for her again. You can imagine what would happen if the wrong people get their hands on this kind of power."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Shit." This was the damn Akatsuki all over again!

"Yes, 'shit' indeed." Ozpin agreed. "That is why I want her to become your partner. Not only will it give her an excuse to remain at the school, constantly surrounded by hunters in training, but you will be there to protect her should the worst happen."

"Why me?" Naruto asked. Not that he had any problem with it, but it seemed a bit out of the blue.

"Because, quite frankly, I believe I can trust you." Naruto hadn't been expecting that answer. "If you were working with them, then you would have killed Amber when you had the chance. Instead, you revived her. Add to that your willingness to fight alongside strangers in the forest despite your exhaustion, it is clear that you won't abandon her. Additionally, you're the only student without a team. It makes it easier to explain her sudden appearance." Ozpin clasped his hands. "So tell me, will you do this for us?"

Naruto thought about it. It made sense, and it's not like he was just going to abandon someone that needed his help. "Alright, sure!"

"Just like that?" Amber asked in surprise.

"Yep!" He said, giving her a large thumbs up.

"You do realize how dangerous this is, right? They were strong enough before, but now they have a demi-maiden on their side. If you fight her, there's a very real chance that you could die."

Naruto shrugged. "So? That's never stopped me before."

She stood there, unsure how to respond. "Ha!" Qrow clapped him on the back. "You've got guts. I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Naruto grinned. "Good, because you still owe me dinner. Oh, that reminds me," He faced Ozpin again. "For some reason, they don't serve ramen here. Can you do something about that?"

"I'll see what I can do." He said, amused.

"Awesome." Finally, he would no longer be deprived of the treasure that was ramen.

"One more thing." Naruto focused back on Ozpin. "It's to our advantage if the enemy believes that Amber is still out of commission. As such, she will attend school under a fake identity, going by the name 'Autumn'."

"A bit on the nose, don't you think." Qrow observed.

Ozpin just smiled. "Perhaps. I believe the phrase is 'hiding in plain sight'." He grabbed something from under his desk and held it out to Amber. "We also got you this."

She took it, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Really, a mask?"

"I'm sorry, but we cannot take the risk that someone might recognize you. We don't know how much influence they have, or who is watching."

"I know." She sighed and put it on. "It's still irritating though." The mask was very different from Kakashi's. Instead of cloth, this was made from some sort of flexible, somewhat leather-like breathable material that would cover most of her face. It was stylized to look like a maple leaf without the top peak, with the bottom two blades curving down over her cheeks while leaving her mouth uncovered. It was a deep green with gold trim and matched well with her olive skin. If you looked closely, you could make out some of the scarring around her left eye, but overall it did a fantastic job. (AN: For reference, see themotleymasquerade/art/Green-and-Gold-Leaf-Mask-348105861 and remove the top peak. Their other work is pretty cool too.)

"Looks good." Naruto complimented her, getting a smile in return. "So is that everything Oz?" He then asked.

"Yes. Tha-"

That was all Naruto needed to hear. "Come on!" Naruto grabbed both Qrow's and Amber's hands. "It's ramen time!" he cheered as he dragged both of them into the elevator.

Weiss had just settled in for some light studying before dinner when Ruby burst into their room. "Weiss, get up! We've got to go!"

"She looked up from her notes. "Get up for what- Hey!" She protested as Ruby began dragging her from the room. "Where are we going?!"

"To the docking bays!" She said, not slowing down at all. If anything, she went faster, and Weiss was having trouble keeping up as the campus blurred past them. "Hurry! Yang and Blake are already there!" Weiss would have protested, but she was too busy trying to stay on her feet. Was she using her semblance or something? She must have been, because they reached the docking bay in record time. "We're here!" Ruby called as they came to an abrupt stop next to their teammates, who were by a waiting airbus.

"About time." Yang teased.

"Hey, Qrow's not even here yet!" She protested.

Weiss screwed her eyes shut and held her head as she groaned. "Is she ok?" Blake asked.

Yang shrugged. "She'll be fine. Ruby just got a bit too excited is all."

Ruby sheepishly pushed her index fingers together. "Heh, my bad."

"Well, looks like everyone made it." A rough voice spoke from behind them.

Blinking in an attempt to clear away the nausea, Weiss faced the speaker, and her nose promptly wrinkled in distaste. "Team, meet my Uncle Qrow!" Ruby proudly announced. This ruffian was her uncle? What was he even doing here? "Uncle Qrow, these are our teammates, Blake and Weiss." She introduced, pointing to each respectively.

"Pleasure." He replied with a nod.

"Great. Can we go now? I'm starving!" Weiss's gaze flicked over to Naruto, who she'd somehow missed, along with his companion.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The girl asked, and Weiss's breath caught as she got a good look at her. She was gorgeous. Objectively speaking of course.

Naruto shot her an apologetic smile. "Oh, sorry." He turned to team RWBY. "Guys, meet Autumn, my new partner."

Authors Note: Yes, I am well aware that Tsunade is in a coma.

Any outfit ideas for Amber? It makes more sense for her to wear a different outfit, but I have zero talent for fashion.