Chapter 7: Perspective of Strength and Weakness

A/N: WE'VE DONE IT! WE'VE BROKEN 1,000 FOLLOWERS FOR THIS STORY! IT'S THE MILESTONE! IN UNDER 15 DAYS!

Kind of wild, honestly. Honestly, this is super wild. Thanks for reading so far!

Word count of chapter: 11,700.

Word count with A/N and Review Responses: I'm going to do these later. I'm just tired.

Chapter 7 START

Shadows of doubts. Fear creeping around the corner, just behind the shoulder, counting every little mistake, waiting to pounce at the hesitation.

Taiyang's body clenched when Naruto called him down. A hand placed on his shoulder softly, telling him to calm down, did little to abate his cautious disposition. He turned and saw Summer smiling at him with her thumb up, and he felt slightly calmer.

"Thanks." Her smile widened, and he managed to crack a small upturn on his lips. He looked forward and stood up and walked to the bottom of the steps, and then jumped down to the ground level, channeling a small portion of his Aura to his body to prevent the weights of injuring any joints due to the increased impact. He landed in a crouch, and then marched forwards with a set-frown, his eyes shaky but resolute to succeed.

Naruto had finally turned away from the headmaster and shifted his gaze over to Taiyang with a genuine smile. "You can take them off." He looked up to Summer and nodded. The girl seemed to understand immediately and threw the black key down. Casually, he caught it between his index and middle finger, and held it still in the air for all to see. "This is proof that hard work can make a difference, Taiyang. One week of work is no laughing matter, but is simply a reminder that one's work ethic extended over a long period of time is the consistency that creates miracles. Know this before your spar."

Taiyang took the key from Naruto's outstretched hands and unlocked the weights on his limbs. A deep sense of satisfaction as the weight released from their clasps spread across his body, and he felt the relief of three hundred pounds let go of him. He experimentally stretched his body and moved for a bit.

'I'm faster than before. I also feel a lot lighter!'

He hopped in place on the balls of his feet, preparing for his spar with a cautiously optimistic heart. Maybe this would be an opportunity to see how much he had grown. Not only to show the rest of the class that he wasn't the same student that he was on the first day, but also to prove to himself that he wasn't a failure. That he could have as much growth as his own team and be able to provide cover and utility to them.

Naruto walked to the middle of the arena and pulled out a Scroll. His head tilted up, and his eyes slowly scanned across the students. He placed his hands on his hips after tapping on his Scroll and putting it away, and the tell-tale signs of the Arena displaying its two fighters played out. Taiyang felt his heart sink.

"Today is going to be a bit special. It has been one month and a week since the first day of classes, so I'm going to spar each person individually. I will provide you with critiques and scores later tonight, so please be aware of your Scrolls after around 8 P.M. I believe in every one of you, so come at me with the same intent as I told you on the first day."

Raven hardly felt the same excitement that the rest of her peers experienced. She had sparred with the professor every other day, and it was for this reason only that Raven was able to keep a level-head and remain relatively calm in the midst of all the teenage energy. Being the case, she couldn't help but let a small smirk adorn her lips, as even she felt some kind of anticipation for her spar.

Summer felt vexed, but was hopeful. She did not want to let the professor down, so she was willing to give it all that she had. For the past month, he had been pushing her and had given her something she hadn't felt in a long time. A dedication to her as a student. All of her other professors had gifted her a look of hope, but not in the way that Professor Naruto had. He looked at her as if she still had so much untapped potential, whereas all of her other professors in her earlier years had seen her as a hope of her generation. As if she had reached the pinnacle, and would only continue to grow because she would get older and have more experience. As if she had already realized her potential at a young age, and yet was the star of her generation. It was difficult to meet expectations, but with Naruto, it felt as if his expectations were something to look forward to, rather than something that weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Qrow felt...uncaring. It was the same thing as the first day, but with a different audience. There was the single variable in the situation, which was the headmaster. The very same headmaster had seen Raven and Qrow and had given them a special entrance into the academy along with a scholarship. Not only did they not have to pay a dime out of their pocket for the education the school provided, but they were actually given money to stay. As the headmaster said, they were an 'investment for the future.' Qrow felt his mood dip slightly at the memory, but otherwise remained neutral. He was here, and that was what mattered. He needed to become strong first; all other opinions on the situation felt rather unimportant in the long run.

Taiyang had it the worst of the four. Imminent demise was directly in front of him. Naruto was already in stance, and the blond's position was steady and resolute. There was no minute shifting. If not for the fact that Taiyang knew that the professor was just talking a moment ago, he would've thought the professor to be a stone or an ornament to the training facility. His heart raced, and the blood in his veins were shifting between fiery hot with embarrassment and fear, and arctic cold with worry. He recalled how badly he had been beaten on the first day, and he could hardly comprehend how this bout would be any different than then. Naruto was so much stronger than he was back then, so what would be the deciding factor for any change today?

"Breathe."

That single word had so much command, yet such a calming nature, that Taiyang listened and breathed. He did nothing but breathe. He inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the breath alone as the air filled his lungs and slowly escaped his lips. Nothing else matter in this moment.

Naruto nodded slowly, a smile already gracing the boy's lips as he always had. His eyes crinkled, and he slid further into a stance.

"Defend yourself."

That was the only warning Taiyang received before he was besieged by a flurry of strikes. He barely tilted his head to the left when a punch went directly for his face, the fist nearly sliding by his nose. He forced his head even further back when he saw the hand come back for his face with an open palm. The professor was intent on using his face as a grip.

"Duck!"

He instinctively listened as a kick whiffed right overhead, the leg sweeping above his head with such force that his hair was forced upright for a second before dropping to his normal mop. Out of reflex, he righted himself immediately and backflipped away to assess the situation.

The professor was standing in the middle of the arena, his right leg up and his arms high, guarding his face.

"Not bad. You're a little faster than before."

Once again, the professor rushed him. Naruto threw out a few experimental jabs, each of which Taiyang managed to redirect away from his body or lessen the blow, taking the hits with his Aura and reducing the damage taken. However, none of them were direct hits.

Something inside of his stirred. An instinct flared a warning, and he listened, bringing both of his hands high. Suddenly, Naruto was above him, a leg coming from above as the blond professor front flipped in the air to build momentum with his axe kick. It was far too late to dodge, so Taiyang channeled Aura into his arms and prayed that it would successfully block.

The moment that the professor's leg made contact against his guard, Taiyang nearly stumbled at the force that struck him downwards. His knees buckled, but he braced himself. As if it was possible, the professor increased the weight of his kick, and Taiyang's guard finally broke, his arms dropping and his shoulders couldn't bear the weight any longer. His body was forced to the ground, his hands slamming against the floor and his head low.

Without a moment's hesitation, he rolled on the ground to create distance. In a show of flexibility and supreme athletics, Taiyang rolled on his back and onto his hands, using it as a springboard to push off nearly thirty feet away from his starting point. Sliding on the ground, Taiyang immediately checked his surroundings, hissing in pain at the same time. His eyes zoned in on Naruto, who was standing still with a calm, reserved emotion on his face.

He hated that look. It wasn't the smile that the professor normally had on his face. It was different, far different. Almost alien on the professor's lips, and so unwelcome that it felt like it shouldn't have ever been there. It was as if he were nothing more than just another individual, something for the professor to analyze and break down with ease. And yet, there was a small portion of the professor still in that small lilt of the lips, the smile hardly gracing the expression of Naruto by the tiniest of margins.

It was through this that Taiyang knew that Naruto was not taking this seriously. The only thing he was taking seriously was teaching him how to fight and grading his improvement, but that was it. Naruto was eyeing his movement and reactions, but was limiting himself so as not to injure him.

For some reason, this made his blood run with flames. Volcanic anger spewed forth, and he felt his Semblance begging to be used. He'd only need one hit to make this work. Just one single hit to get this all started and make the professor rethink how seriously to take this graded exercise.

'No. To me, this is more than just a grade. This is my pride and my strength being tested.'

Taiyang burst forth, channeling as much Aura as he safely could into his legs, becoming one with speed as a tunnel of air came into life. Naruto's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but the professor was already in movement, his hand in place to defend against a punch directed towards his liver. However, what he didn't expect was the punch to be so light, considering how quickly the blond student had come at him.

He experimentally blocked another punch with the same amount of effort, expecting it to be equally soft. He was mildly surprised when his hand was blown backwards with far more force than the first hit. Resetting quickly, Naruto prepared himself for a punch, adjusting his strength level to the second hit. When the kick came, it appeared in the form of a roundhouse that sped towards the right side of his ribs. He blocked it with his right arm, but once again he was shocked by the amount of force that came into the kick.

Despite how powerful the kick was - it had blown Naruto's hair in the same direction of the kick, the locks of bright blond billowing to the left without abandon - the professor remained standing in the same spot, his feet remaining locked in place. He had not budged. Taiyang kept up in offense, picking up speed and power as he kept his assault up. The longer he attacked the more powerful he became. Faster. More accurate. It was as if each hit he landed against Naruto's blocks added up into the next attack, and into the next consecutive blow, and these successive strikes would collectively add up in the following offensive strikes.

Naruto kept blocking the flurry of blows, steadily increasing the amount of strength he put into his limbs as the force of the blows came harsher and harsher over time. He dutifully noted that Taiyang became stronger and faster on a linear scale, based on the momentum and force he placed in his previous strike. With that, he was easily able to adjust to the battle as Taiyang blurred around the arena. The student was using more Aura for offense than Naruto had used for defense; it was currently around seventy percent aura left for Taiyang, whereas Naruto still had yet to use a single drop of Aura.

Indeed, everything that Naruto used was simply physical strength. It wasn't because Taiyang was weaker than he was at the moment; that may have been a part of it, but the majority of the cause for why he had no need for Aura was the gap in experience and skill between the two. His eyes were capable of locking onto the student and keeping up with the blisteringly fast pace that most first years would have difficulty maintaining a solid look on, much less defending themselves against. After all, it was a herculean task to ask a first year to defend against something they could barely see. But Naruto could see, so he remained steadfast and calm, using the option that required the least effort and movement, readjust his form and blocking with relative ease. Occasionally, he would push Taiyang's strikes and kicks in a different direction, adjusting the force and the direction of the attack.

Taiyang began to realize, after nearly a minute of attacking relentlessly without pause, that Naruto was still able to keep up with him, even with his Semblance ramped up to such a degree. He wasn't surprised, but he was slightly put out and the fire in his chest that burnt hot early like a supernova was cooling into a white dwarf. It was still hot, and still very dense in his chest, but no longer the same burning passion that made him suddenly take the offensive.

He rushed forward, meeting Naruto in the middle of the arena with an axe kick from above, coming down on him like a meteor. By all intents and purposes, this attack would be able to break through walls and shatter the bones of most students through their Aura. So it was to Taiyang's surprise that Naruto caught his kick with a single hand, his other arm listlessly relaxed to his side. The professor then smirked, as if asking him if that was all he had.

All fear lifted away from him, like a morning mist blown away by a tempest. He could do more. Taiyang could do just a bit more until his body wouldn't be able to handle the strain of his Semblance any longer.

But he could push even further beyond.

Activating his Semblance again, he ignored the strain on his muscles as they screamed at him in warning, informing him that they were in danger of tearing or straining if they were pushed any further. He knew his body the best; he could go one more boost and then his body would shut down or immediately reset his Semblance. That being the case, he'd have to utilize this opportunity to attack as his last chance to prove to himself and to this professor that he was more than simply a student at Beacon.

He was a promising prospect for a Huntsman.

"Here I come!" Taiyang roared, jumping away from the professor, who did nothing to hold onto his ankle. The moment he landed, he cracked the earth and burst forth like lightning, thunder clapping after he disappeared. At this point, he was far faster than the speed that Summer had shown. The issue was that he himself had difficulty keeping up with this speed. But it mattered not, as his target was directly in front of him. He'd reach him in only a tenth of a second. All he'd have to do is put his arm in front of him in the form of a punch and the momentum would do the rest.

It happened all at once.

First, then were a sudden crack in the air, as two energies came into each other and clashed. Taiyang's fist met Naruto's open palm, and the sound of the clash echoed like a sonic boom, exploding loudly.

Then, a gust of wind caught up to Taiyang and blew past Naruto, forcing the hair of the professor back. The professor's eyes were completely clear of the bangs, and the student was able to see the smile slowly crinkling up to his lips and the way his eyes narrowed with the expression of content and happiness.

And finally, without Taiyang even able to see the counter, the professor spun and kicked Taiyang in the side of the head with his heel, knocking the older blond away from him and out of the arena. With that, thirty percent of his Aura was immediately knocked off, and the arena's system blared, alerting the combatants and the students that Taiyang had reached the red.

"Ow..." Taiyang mumbled, uneasy as he attempted to overcome the vertigo. He crunched up and stood, wobbled for a moment, and then leaned against the arena with his arms and looked up at the professor. "Did you really have to kick me that hard?"

Naruto shrugged. "You let your guard down; if you protected yourself with Aura, that would've mitigated the force of the blow quite a bit." He smiled. "But good job. You improved quite well in only a month." Taiyang beamed at the compliment and grinned widely. "You'll received critiques and notes later. But for now, I'll again say that you did well for what you've learned. Just make sure to keep training hard to increase your base strength; after all, it would do well for you and your Semblance, dattebayo."

Taiyang nodded, understanding clearly what Naruto meant. With that, he turned away and walked towards the stands. His Semblance...Naruto hadn't even been surprised when he began to use it. He was hoping for at least some kind of reaction, but it was without a doubt that the professor knew what his Semblance was. After all, he was a professor, so he probably knew what every student's Semblance was.

He walked up the stairs and rejoined his teammates. He failed to notice the general shift in perspective that the other students' looked at him. He was in a new light. But at the same time, he had given the professor a spotlight to portray how skilled he was at hand to hand. No one would be able to match him, and Raven noticed this.

By the time he was sitting, Raven was fuming in her seat. That professor...he was holding back against her so much this entire time. And here she thought that she had seen improvement over the course of the last month. She stewed over the subject at hand, inwardly frustrated that Professor Naruto was that much stronger than what she had expected. And here, she thought she had been catching up, slowly but surely. But Taiyang's little show as the first spar, which was more than what she could muster at this point in time, showed that she was far from reaching the level that she wanted to.

After all, her goal was the professor himself. To become stronger than he was. And the bar had just been set so much higher than it previously was.

"Wow, you did so well!" Summer exclaimed to the shell-shocked Taiyang. The blond teammate hardly registered what she said. He seemed to be in a sort of a daze, stuck in a trance after having been complimented by the professor on his improvement and effort in the training.

"Ah. Thank you," was the listless response. Summer took no mind to that and chattered along.

"I didn't know you could move so quickly! You're almost as fast as I am!"

Qrow blinked. Almost as fast? Wasn't Taiyang clearly moving much faster than she was in the team battle? Did that mean...she was even faster than what Taiyang had just shown?

"What kind of unbalanced team are we?" Qrow muttered to himself. Something about their team composition and the general skill expression and power level already set him as something odd. They were far stronger than the normal squad of four. Far stronger. In what world did their team make sense?

Qrow turned his head to set his gaze on Ozpin, the inquisitive headmaster as calm and still as ever. Whatever was going through that man's head, it didn't quite sit with him in a settling way. He had been a student of Beacon for little over a month, and he had no doubt now that each of the four of them were easily top of their class. If not consecutively top four students, then at least in the top ten. And that was considering the over one hundred students that had been accepted into the academy.

Usually, a team's balance was considered based on one's personality and also their general skill sets. Aura manipulation skills were greatly considered as well. Surprisingly, Beacon did not care too much for Semblances for balancing out teams; in that regard, they were the opposite of Atlas. According to Professor Naruto, Beacon prided itself on creating well-functioning teams that worked primarily off of experience and lots of training. Any team that had graduated from Beacon would be able to take on many challenges, see any situation through as best as they were able to, capably finish a mission even without one of their members available. That was the kind of teams that Beacon created. Units that were easily interchangeable and smoothly swapping if the time required it, and doing so with no real difficulty.

But of course, teams always preferred their original teams. And also understandably, they performed the best with their teams. It is with this information in consideration that the first team that is made, which is usually permanent in the long term, is so important. Teams that were strong usually last together for years. And the stronger they were, the longer they lasted. It was simple. And over time, they built up a bank of experience so large that it was rather unheard of to hear members fall after being in the field for over twenty years.

So Qrow had to ask: why were their team skewed in such a way that they would be falling into that category? What did Ozpin have to gain for it? It was clear that he wanted them to stay in the future; that much he could garner with ease. But for what?

"Don't bother with that." Raven's eyes slimmed and her orbs darkened to a bloody red. "It doesn't matter if our team is strong if there is someone out there clearly stronger." She said this looking pointedly at the professor, and the other three in the team felt a chill run down their spines. All three knew exactly what she meant. She wanted to be as strong as Naruto, and then surpass him. Qrow understood her best. It was Raven's very nature to want to be strong. For so long, she was the strongest one in her tribe, and it was practically her identity. They both knew that coming to Beacon, they might find training Huntsman and actual Huntsman that were far more experienced and powerful than they, but not to this degree. To be so utterly meek and worthless compared to the blond professor, this was not expected. And Qrow knew it grated on Raven's nerves to the last nerve ending.

It probably wouldn't have antagonized her as much if he had been someone of similar mindset to her. That the strong survive, and that the weak remain meek and live only to serve the strong. The weak never live the life they want, and thus they are dead. Never truly living their own lives, always a slave to the whims of others.

But Naruto was nothing like that. True, he was strong, and he was living the life he wanted to. But he did not seem to take the same perspective that the tribe had, and not by a long shot. In fact, there seemed to be a fundamental contrast between her tribe's mentality and the professor's mindset. And she had yet to grasp what that difference was. So far, she had been able to comprehend that he loved his job and deeply appreciated the act of teaching. Perhaps it was simply that; he enjoyed helping others, and therefore that was the difference.

But - no. There was something else. Something else entirely, and she couldn't place a finger on it.

"Until I am stronger, I won't consider my stay at Beacon a success."

This time, it wasn't only her team that perked up at this. A few others that heard Raven's proclamation turned in her direction, a myriad of reactions to her absurd claim. Stupefied, none of the other students deigned to speak up. None of them even had the gall to ever think of themselves as strong as the professor anymore, and to even say so out loud with conviction was a task only one deemed insane could accomplish.

Well, it was a good thing indeed that Raven was never considered normal, and that her tribe valued strength.

Taiyang breathed out slowly. "He's our professor. He knows all of our Semblances and we don't even know his. How are you ever going to beat him?"

"He doesn't know our Semblances."

Now that got the full attention of all of the students in hearing range. The professor's calling for the next student to enter the arena was completely forgotten. The professor didn't know any of their Semblances?

"What do you mean?" Taiyang's confusion was clear. "He's our professor; he'd want to train our Semblances, too. There's no way he doesn't know."

Raven slowly shook her head. "He asked me if my Semblance has to do with 'connecting with others.' That already told me that he doesn't know what my Semblance is." She had written 'Bonds' on her application to Beacon. It was close enough that she could tell anyone asking that 'they aren't wrong', but they weren't necessarily correct, either. "That's one facet of my Semblance, but that isn't the application of my Semblance, so that's how I know he doesn't know."

She didn't care much for revealing what her Semblance was; no one would be able to guess what the actual ability was unless she used it. Besides, it was unlikely that she would create any bonds with students at Beacon, so stating as much did no harm to her. Raven shrugged, tapping her bicep idly.

Taiyang widened his eyes. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that he stood in the center of the arena, not at all knowing what my Semblance actually did and simply defended anyway?" A sickening feeling crept up his stomach. He suddenly felt a lurch and the urge to throw up. His Semblance could kill others easily if it went unchecked, especially if it was to the degree that it was against Naruto, but against an unsuspecting student. He was so sure that the professor knew, so he felt comfortable pushing his limits, and the professor was absolutely no slouch when it came to combat. But even a professor taken by surprise could be injured handily.

Combo Breaker. His Semblance was entirely based on how long he could maintain his offense, and the longer he could keep up a combo, the stronger and faster he got. He took whatever kinetic energy from the first blow and combined it into his second, and that would be taken over into the next. It would consistently add up, and if left unchecked, became extremely lethal. However, the drawback was that once he missed an attack, he would have to start over.

It was why he was so surprised at how genius, yet simple Naruto's training plan was for him was. Raise his base value in strength and speed, and this would result in a faster growth in his Semblance. If you added one plus one over and over again, it would be far slower than if you added two by two. Raising his base would increase how much faster and stronger he would get with each boost, so he assumed that Naruto knew exactly what his Semblance was.

"Not really. He also told me he has a general idea of everyone's Semblance already." Raven looked at Taiyang, who only looked slightly relieved at the news. "Even if you had injured him, you can't forget that none of us have actually seen him lose a single digit of Aura. Was he even channeling Aura during your spar?"

"No," Taiyang breathed out slowly, relief and shock both coursing through him. Naruto had not once activated his Aura to strengthen himself and his body and had defended himself. That was all skill, technique, and pure power from his body. "Holy shit...that's just not real."

"It is. And that's the goal to reach," Raven voiced resolutely, her eyes zoning in on the professor. Currently, he was locked in a spar with one of the students. The student was on the offensive, and Naruto was constantly tapping the joints and getting in the guard of the student. Over time, it became clear that what Naruto was actually doing was correcting the form of the student during the spar. How the hell he was doing it, she had no clue, but it was clear that he simply was. The form became much crisper and cleaner as the spar went on, and even the student seemed to realize what was happening. And he let it happen, constantly attacking, even when sweat saturated his forehead and matted his hair.

Summer watched the spar with eyes of pure admiration. "I'd like to be as strong as he is one day, too."

Taiyang stared at the two women in his team with incredulity. Qrow chose to roll his eyes, but looked over to Ozpin again. The headmaster was watching the spar with a sprinkle of interest marring his eyes.

"I don't get it...none of the focus is on the student, but rather on the Teach." No one heard him. Everyone else was too focused on the dance and performance the professor was showing the rest of his students.

Qrow's thin eyebrows dropped a level as the young Huntsman-in-training squinted his eyes. He confirmed his suspicions. The headmaster's eyes flicked as Naruto moved, not when the students attacked.

Odd.

Later, when he was called, he saw that Ozpin did actually recognize him for a moment, but the headmaster's attention was once again transfixed on the combat instructor immediately after. Qrow was handedly shut down, although he did have to admit to himself that despite his distracted state - which the professor noticed - he did better than the majority of students.

Maybe the headmaster was curious where the professor had gained such monstrous strength as well.

Summer did as well as she always did, impressing the entire class with her speed and maneuvers. She was smart with her tactics, but Naruto seemed to read everything she did like a book, keeping up with her speed mentally with little difficulty. In the end, she didn't manage to break past a single percentage from the professor, but it seemed that the professor moved with far more intent and quickness compared to when he faced the other students. That seemed to be enough for Summer. The compliment he gave her made her absolutely beam.

Raven was also far beyond what the rest of the class expected. What she lacked in speed, she made up for with precision, technique, and keenness. Once again, she was able to take a single percentage off the professor, but nothing more. She accepted it for what it was, but seemed frustrated the entire fight. After the spar and even after he complimented Raven, the black-haired beauty roughly thanked him and went to her seat in the audience.

At the end of the class, Naruto thanked the headmaster for coming to watch the class, and Ozpin simply returned the gesture with his own thanks for humoring his stay. He would leave after addressing the students, informing them of what he had seen. He had seen tremendous growth and a bright future ahead for this class, and hoped that the next time he visited, his vision for the first year students would be the same.

When class was dismissed, the general mood of the students was quite swell. As high as a kite.

Except one individual.

"You were holding back this entire time against me." Naruto tore his gaze away from his Scroll, which he was typing into for grades and comments for each student. He was already watching recordings of the spars and giving critiques, despite the fact that class had just ended.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow as if to display confusion, but Raven felt that the emotion shown was completely done for show. "I hold back against everyone."

Raven's expression took a dark turn. "You know what I mean, professor. You've been holding back - " she paused, unsure how to explain herself. She shook her head and swiped an arm across her chest. " - you've been going easy mode on top of easy against me during our spars!" She felt insulted.

Naruto remained silent. His blue orbs looked at her, glancing at her rapidly shifting eyes due to her tumultuous emotions. He then closed his Scroll and put it away. A moment of silence passed, and he walked so that he was in front of Raven.

Raven held her ground, meeting Naruto's gaze with her own. Unwilling to back down, her steel resolve still felt some reverberation due to her respect to the person in front of her; he was stronger. But still, she had to show that she was strong as well.

"What do you think Aura is capable of?"

She almost showed surprise at the question, due to its unrelated nature. However, she kept cool and answered just as coolly. "It can be used as offense and defense, strengthening our bodies."

Naruto nodded. "And what else?"

Raven's pupils dilated. The professor never asked questions without meaning. "W-what do you mean, 'and what else?' That's what it has been known for. That's what the books have been telling us for centuries." But she felt it. Naruto knew something, and he was about to share it with her.

He gave her a soft smile. "Do you mind if I borrow your odachi?"

Raven handed it over without a moment's hesitation. She pulled the blade out of its sheath and gave it to her professor, who eyed the red blade with wonder and an appreciation for the work it was. Anyone else, she would have denied such a request, but this professor in particular did not ask for things without reason. Nor did he ever take anything for granted.

"This is a beautiful blade. Does it have a name?"

"Omen."

"Omen." Naruto tested the name, and decided that he liked it. "It has a nice ring to it." He raised the blade into the light and inspected each section, eyeing it like a professional. "A black handle, with a red blade long enough to reach a target without retaliation due to its absurd reach. Usually held by one hand, and occasionally held by two is specific circumstances." Naruto lowered the blade and held it so that the head of the blade was inches from the ground.

Raven held in her surprise. He was completely comfortable with her weapon, wielding it in a fashion that showed that he was versed with a weapon like hers. His stance was open, but it was a stance and the way he gripped the handle showed comfort and understanding of the weapon in his possession at the moment.

"You fight with an odachi as well?"

Naruto shook his head. "My preferred weapon is actually something far more expendable. However, I am rather well-versed in swords of multiple natures due to my Semblance, as well as a bit of luck."

Again, it was his Semblance. What exactly was it? Of all of the guesses she had, none of them actually connected to a weapon.

Naruto turned away from her, and then he changed. He channeled Aura, but it was different from the way she had ever seen it before. It came out in droves of yellow, swirling and spinning around him like a deadly vortex. The density of his Aura was like no other, and it began to form around his body. However, instead of sticking to his form, the Aura coating him slowly shifted over to the blade in his hand. It stilled, taking shape around the blade and finding peace with its form, no longer spinning. However, there was an ear-piercing sound that began to echo, coming from her blade.

Without any fanfare, the blond nonchalantly swung the blade in a blur. The Aura left Omen, flying in an arc through the air in a flash. Before she could even widen her eyes, the arc made impact against the wall of the arena and caved the structure in slightly.

The building...was not supposed to take damage. Raven eyed the crater on the wall as if it was an anomaly that had no right to exist in this plane. Students had missed bullets and used their Semblances in combat, using it against other combatants. None of them had ever actually created so much as a cut against any surface in the room. And it wasn't supposed to. The arena was meant to be sturdy so that no stray ability would break through a wall and injure a random passerby outside. It was also meant to protect the technology inside.

The fact that a single swing of the blade from nearly a hundred feet away and created a crater almost five feet wide in diameter left her feeling very uncomfortable. But also...entirely eager. That was strength. She turned away from the impact and to her professor, who had his blue eyes on her. At that moment, she could not deny to herself that he was, no doubt, the strongest person she knew.

Ozpin didn't count because she had never seen him fight. And all of the other professors, she had never been so impressed by their presence. They did nothing to hide their nature, and she found nothing to be enamored by. However, Naruto hid his true nature. At this moment, he showed a little bit of it, and it enticed her. It drew her in like nothing else.

He was smiling, but it wasn't the kind smile of her professor. It was the smile of someone that knew combat and appreciated it. That knew that they were strong. And yet, his smile still held the same sentimental love for her as a student.

It was a contradiction. It denied him his quest for strength. If he was training her, then he wasn't training himself. Or at least, there was less time for him available for his own growth. This fact both upset her and amazed her. He was this strong without any formal training, and everything self-learned. With this revelation, she confirmed that he was so far advanced in Aura that the books could not compare. He was strong and enjoyed combat, and she loved that.

But he acted so much like a professor that loved to teach. To train students so that they could go strong as well. He shared his wealth of knowledge, not at all caring for the fact that he was giving up so much time for the possibility to gain new heights in strength. She disagreed with this mentality on a fundamental level. He wasn't greedy.

And she was.

"You...love fighting."

Naruto widened his eyes momentarily, but he regained his composure easily enough. He chuckled honestly and scratched the back of his head with the hand not holding the weapon.

"It's not so much that I love fighting. I think it's better to say that it's all I know, and that I understand combat and appreciate it for what it is. It's an art, and it is an amazing way to communicate in ways words cannot."

Raven crossed her arms, not at all impressed with his answer. "Fighting isn't used to replace words."

Naruto seemed intrigued. "It isn't? When words fail, we turn to our fists. When we cannot say anymore, our hands do the talking for us. And sometimes, combat helps each person understand the other. Why are they fighting? What are they fighting for? What are their beliefs? All of this comes from our very being when we fight, and we express ourselves with our body when our words cannot.

"You don't seem convinced. But let me give you an example that is rather base level. The Faunus fight back against the government and the people that discriminate against them. They use words, but sometimes words fail. Sometimes, words cannot be used. They fight. You can tell from that fight how enraged a Faunus is, but also their character. Perhaps you can see their rage at the system, because it isn't directed at you. You can tell that this particular Faunus is blinded by his rage due to the inequality, and therefore blindly attacks everything in sight. Or another Faunus is relatively peaceful, only fighting because she believes her cause to be just and right.

"Each scenario is different, and words can give you an idea of a person. But so can action. And actions tend to speak louder. Anyone can understand another person at a fundamentally base level through their actions, and fighting is no different. However, at a high enough level, you can actually understand each other at a much deeper level."

Raven still seemed unimpressed. "Then why can't I understand you?"

Naruto eyed her, and then openly laughed. "That's because you simply aren't strong enough. Get stronger and fight me in five years, and maybe you'll begin to understand me at a deeper level."

It wasn't an insult. He was simply telling her the way he viewed it. The way he saw the situation. But she disagreed.

"Two years. I'll be strong enough to take you down to a knee with your Aura active," she promised. She thinned her lips resolutely. There was a lull in the world as the two stared at each other, one in resolute determination, and the other in calm kindness.

"I suppose if you could do that, it would be enough." He held out her blade for her. She took it and re-sheathed it. "But you have quite a ways to go if you want to be able to do that." Again, it wasn't an insult. It was clear how large of a gap there was between him and her. "Perhaps learning more about Aura manipulation would do you wonders."

"It would," she said easily. Naruto smiled.

"I'm surprised that you asked about my character before asking what ability I had just shown or what my Sembance was." He seemed pleased. She turned her head away, a light red dusting her cheeks.

"I...know you wouldn't have told me your Semblance anyway. And I want to figure it out for myself. Besides...you would tell me the ability you just showed me eventually. I'd rather understand why you're strong than how you became strong. Your existence and the way you live are simply too contradictory. So I had to ask."

He laughed at her reasonable response, mouth wide open as his head tilted back in his amusement. "True," he said, confirming her expectations. "I could explain it to you, but why should I play favorites and show you alone when I could explain it to the rest of the students?" He took Raven's silence as her answer. "Then again, there's nothing stopping me from answering a question from a student that asked a question, so I'll explain some things to you."

"If you have a person, and you say that 'Aura enhances the body, both in defense and offense,' what do you think of?"

"A coating. A layer around our body. Sometimes, we can channel it to specific parts if we have extremely good control of our Aura."

Naruto nodded. "True. When they have good control, some of them are able to spread their Aura to their feet only, or to their hands. But Aura is an energy that we extend as a channel, and I want to remind you that it extends outside of our body." Raven recalled when he summoned his Aura and it came out swirling in a startling vortex. "It's versatile beyond what people think of. For example, if I channel Aura to a piece of my hair, what happens?"

Raven watched in silence as the blond pulled out a single string of blond hair from his root and a yellow glow surrounded the hair. It strained and grew taut, straightening and extending to full length. He held up the hair to his eye level, inspected it for a moment, and then looked back at Raven. "A hair's constitution is not very resilient nor durable. However, you could think of it as a glass cannon. If I threw this right now, I'd probably be able to pierce the wall. What it lacks in destructive property, it now makes up for in piercing capability."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Raven couldn't hold in her excitement, but also how much of an issue this brought up. "If that was the case, wouldn't everyone have to be considerably more careful during international events. Or when politicians meet other politicians from other kingdoms, there'd be way more security, wouldn't there? If a hair could kill someone, then wouldn't the guards and such have to be bald?"

Naruto imagined it for a moment, found the thought hilarious, and laughed at the idea of Ozpin with a shining dome. "I'd love to see the headmaster with that kind of getup. But no, that isn't the case. The reason is - " he brought a finger up to his lips, and smirked slightly. " - because no one is capable of this ability other than me. First, think how difficult it is for someone to channel Aura throughout their body in an efficient manner. Now, think about how much harder it is to use that Aura and utilize it in specific parts of your body. That's already something that most people train for years to obtain."

He smirked at her, and she felt goosebumps travel up her crossed arms. "Now, I want you to think how difficult it is to be able to extend Aura outside of your body. To change the composition of an object by injecting your energy through that object. To strengthen the constitution of a sword, a bullet, or a piece of hair - these are considered impossible tasks by everyone in this world. That's what the books will tell you."

"Then...why are you able to do it?" The more Raven heard, the more she felt that she was not talking to a normal teenager. It frightened her. Antagonized her. Enriched her. Excited her. Aroused her. It made her feel so many different emotions all at once, because she didn't know how to feel or think about this professor in front of her. Simply put, he was a different breed that she so badly wanted to unlock the puzzle for, but didn't have all the pieces available to complete regardless. It left her frustrated and always wanting more.

"Because I'm in tune with my soul. If everyone in the world knew that this was possible, then I'm sure that eventually, a few people would pop up capable of what I am. But here's the thing: these are the more basic of applications that I am capable of. True, I can't make fire or wind out of nothing, but I can use Dust as a catalyst to create flames that would make a pyromaniac blush.

"The thing is, Glynda has the highest Aura affinity of the fourth years, but even she can't even get her hair to straighten, much less set fire to Dust the way I can."

Raven stared at her professor, unnerved. In front of her was possibly the most versatile person on Remnant. She had realized quite a while ago that Naruto was strong, but to what degree? This explanation answered far more than she had expected...and possibly wanted. Forget four years. If Glynda wasn't even close to his level of understanding Aura, then she was screwed. In battle, knowledge was extremely vital. If one side lacked critical information, such as the abilities of the other opposing end, then the one with the lack of information was always at a disadvantage. Because Raven would never know fully what Naruto was capable of, then he'd always have an advantage over her in combat.

"You're strong, right?" The way the question was phrased was clearly not meant to be taken literally. Naruto caught on and smiled.

"I'm strong enough to protect the things that matter to me."

What a typical answer from him. Raven looked away from his eyes and set her gaze on the wall that had been crushed inwards from a swipe of her sword. There was no way she could accomplish a feat like what he had done.

"How many people what you're capable of?" Raven asked. His answer honestly scared her.

"Nobody knows what I'm capable of. And personally, I'd like to keep it that way; it means that it was never necessary to show what I can do."

For the first time in her life, she was glad somebody was genuinely on the side of humanity and was a good person. She couldn't see Naruto against the goodwill of the world - the thought felt too hollow and unreal.

"Does Glynda know?"

"Of course."

"How did she respond? Because I don't know how to feel about this information."

"She said 'Okay, I believe you,' without really believing me."

Raven's eyes met Naruto's. "But she believes you now?"

He grinned, a beautiful smile stretching across his lips. "As much as people on Remnant believe that the moon is shattered."

It was a still, cold night. Winter was quickly approaching, and the slow chill of the night came unrelenting. It was always on the horizon, but during the night, the frigid air came like an onslaught, quickly claiming the land and covering it like a blanket made of ice.

Near the clearing that the combat instructor normally held office hours, Raven was swinging her odachi, attempting to channel her Aura into her blade and create an Aura arc that would extend from her blade into the air. She was there for nearly two hours, slicing her sword through the air without break, not even having stopped for dinner due to her concentration.

Despite her efforts, however, her blade would not even shine with the slightest glimmer, a far cry from the way it burned bright in the hands of her professor.

Footfalls to her left alerted her of another presence. She turned and caught Glynda walking over to her. The upperclassman was dressed in a casual outfit, a stark contrast from the regal and upright presence she normally exuded. A blue hoodie with strings hanging listlessly with pockets for her hands, and black jeans that comfortably fitted her legs.

"He showed you?"

Raven turned her head to face forwards and swung her blade again, channeling all of her Aura into her hands. At least, she attempted to. The Aura in her body coated her in a thin sheen and quickly coalesced around her hands, but it did not do so cleanly. Instead of concentrating in her palms in a neat manner, it revolved sporadically and violently near her arms, and only a smidgen of her Aura actually traveled up the blade. When she swung Omen, the only arc that left it was a slice of air.

She breathed deeply, frustration having long since left. Now, she only kept swinging her blade with a single intent, a trance having taken over her mind. However, the direct approach from Glynda and her question broke her out of her shell. Sweat dripped down her forehead. She realized that her entire body felt hot as her clothes clung to her body due to the moisture. Thankfully, the night was cool, but it also had the rather unwelcome affect of feeling far too cold against the sweat. Raven realized that she would have to call it a night soon; she could possibly catch a cold.

"He did." She sheathed her blade into the giant revolver chamber and placed it against the tree next to her.

Glynda stepped closer so that she was beside Raven, looking at the same scenery. The two of them looked out into the open expanse of land outside of the walls of Beacon, beyond the fences and walls. In the night, it was an endless land with silhouettes of mountains and ridges.

Suddenly, Glynda spoke. "You know, I thought you'd be here. He didn't have Office Hours today and sent us a message. He told us that he was talking to a student in his combat class. It was rather easy to narrow down who he could be talking to, especially after he cancelled Office Hours for today. And the subject of the matter became rather apparent after watching you swing the blade with a certain goal in mind."

Raven remained silent. Glynda shifted her glasses and turned her eyes up to the sky above. "When he first showed his base abilities to me, I thought that it was unfair. Why was it that Professor Uzumaki is able to do all of these things at a younger age, but I am unable to accomplish even half of the things he is able to do? Thoughts like that negatively plagued my mind. I realized that it affected my performance in class and my concentration in classes were reduced, to my embarrassment. So I decided that I would do what I could during my other classes, put all of my focus on myself and my growth. I began to attend his Office Hours, trained on my own every day, took care of my body, and practiced my Semblance every single day for an hour at minimum.

"Thanks to our Professor, I can honestly say that I'm the top of my class by a rather large margin." The taller blonde paused, her green gems reflecting the image of the moon. An aura of pride emerged, but was quickly whiffed away, stolen in the wind. "But I wasn't satisfied. So I decided that I would be his assistant. That way, I could be near him for the majority of the day outside of classes. I could analyze his schedule, see how he trained, and hopefully utilize this information to catapult my growth once more.

"What I learned appalled me. He trains less than I did." Glynda's smile returned, amusement filling her face as memories came into mind. "In fact, the majority of his time was spent analyzing footage during combat class and writing critiques for every student. For a good portion of the day, he'd stare at paper with a blank expression. When I joined him, he would talk to me instead of completing the work on his desk."

This time, she didn't stop the giggle, finding clear humor in the situation.

"When I offered to help, he would spend the time given to him by meditating. I was...upset, but decided to take a scientific approach and attempt it myself. After all, it was an observation, and all that would be necessary to check this strange hypothesis of mine was an experiment. So I meditated. The meditation helped me tap into my Aura to a level I hadn't known was possible in such a short period of time. Something that would've taken me over a decade, he helped me realize within a year."

Glynda pulled out a string of her hair and channeled Aura into her right hand. Slowly, the hair caught between her pointer finger and thumb straightened until it was ramrod stiff. Suddenly, she threw the hair at a tree about twenty feet away. Raven nearly dropped her jaw as it pierced through nearly three feet of trunk, and then the rock behind the tall tree.

"You can do it?" Raven couldn't stop the surprise in her voice, her eyes lighting up. Glynda allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"I can do it partially. I can pierce three large trees in succession if we went to the forest that held the initiation. But our Professor...can pierce through at least twenty of them."

Raven breathed in sharply. That kind of destructive power was already bordering unstoppable. "Do you still feel that it's unfair?"

Glynda looked away from the carnage she had created and her green orbs caught onto Raven's red gleam. "I don't."

"Why not? Don't you want to be as strong as he is?"

The blonde's smile took a mature edge. "I'm sure you realize this, but you asking the question of whether or not I wish to be as powerful as our Professor admits that he is stronger than we are." Raven slowly accepted that to be true. She came to realize that as a fact rather early on, but accepting it took a bit longer. "Once I accepted that significant detail as a fact, it was rather simple for me to accept other things that came with it. But the one thing that I have to be most appreciative of is the fact I became thankful that he even allowed me to enter his world. I can tell myself that I won't go out into the world as a Huntsman that will have to fill into the shoes and expectations of a Huntsman, but rather one that is stronger than the majority of currently active Huntsman in the four Kingdoms. He taught me how to look at the world in a different way, and how anything can be applied to a subject if I take a certain perspective. He may not be the smartest tool in the shed when it comes to logistics and paperwork, but he is the best when it comes to unorthodox approaches and unpredictable thoughts about Aura and combat.

"He trusted me enough to show me a bit of his ability and life, and I've grown because of it at an extraordinary rate. Now, he's shown you, because he trusts you as well. He believes you can grow as well, and I do, too." In the soft moonlight, and the frigid air, Glynda's mature smile was possibly one of the most captivating images Raven had ever seen in her lifetime. It was worthy of a still capture that would be saved in her Scroll for decades if she could've taken a shot in that very moment. But the moment was short-lived.

"Why do you two trust me so much?" 'I have to go back to my tribe one day.'

Glynda looked at the girl in front of her and saw someone teetering on the edge between two sides of her conscience. Somehow, the usually calm and brash first year seemed concerned and uncomfortable with the trust she was given. It was as if she wanted to run away, so as not to deal with the responsibility of this expectation that both she and her Professor had placed on her shoulders.

Raven eyed her sword, the one constant in her life. No matter what, it would never betray her. The sword never fails the user, but only the wielder fails the blade. It was a relationship that was far simpler than that between her and her brother, and especially easier to comprehend than the bond that Glynda and Naruto were trying to create with her. She felt her walls caving as she unconsciously slowly let them in, her hands figurately reaching out to them without even noticing.

"You realize that the first thing you did when you learned about his secret was train? Anyone that has a one-track mind towards strength and actually listens to our Professor can't be a bad person. After all, you trust him, even if you don't quite realize it. Therefore, he trusts you. And he does not trust blindly." Glynda lifted something off the ground from a few meters away and brought it in front of her so that Raven could clearly see it. It was a large cup of water, the cup clearly taken from the cafeteria. Glynda gestured to it, and Raven took it with two hands, eyeing Glynda gratefully and drinking from the source greedily. "Besides, I trust you because you are too honest, and your emotions show clearly. Your actions are all based on how you feel."

Glynda's tender smile came into full display as the moon escaped the loose grip of a few stray clouds.

"And from what I've surmised, you're a good person."

Raven's red orbs analyzed her sword. After a few moments of silence between the two, with only the night's zephyr to alert them of the passing time, she looked up again at Glynda. "I still don't get it. Even if I'm a good person, why would he show it to me and not to the fourth years who are going to be Huntsman soon? They probably have a much better grasp on Aura than I do, and they're going to be fighting the Grimm."

'And possibly other people.' The fact that she was from a tribe in the outskirts of civilization that routinely stole from villages was a detail not lost on her. But even she had a conscience. It wasn't about completely raiding a town of all of its value. Otherwise, there was no reason for them to stay in a location; they had to leave enough for the town to pick up on her feet and start over again. But sadly, killing was not uncommon.

People fought people all the time. That was human nature. She had no doubts that people would fight others as long as humanity existed. But at the very least, this increase in firepower for humankind would result in the Grimm lowering in risk potential.

"You ask the same questions I did, but the answer is rather obvious. You're probably thinking that the benefits for humanity outweigh the potential pitfalls this boon presents, am I correct?" Glynda nodded when she caught Raven's expression. "And you think that the Grimm would be on the background, as humanity would be in the forefront of all risks. We'd live in a utopia where humanity would be the only worry, as greed and pride would be our downfall in the future, and not the Grimm." Glynda's face changed so it was forlorn and solemn. "Professor Uzumaki only had to tell me one word, so I'll do the same for you. If you're like me, you'd understand."

Glynda breathed in, remembering the face her professor made when she spoke the word. It was calm, but underneath the ocean orbs of his, lapping with relative consistency and comfort, was a raging turbulence that none could survive. His entire body was tense, and she held herself back from grabbing onto his hand to let him know that it was alright. After all, he wasn't alive when it happened; he was too young. But his eyes and body betrayed something to her, because it seemed like all other things that he shouldn't know, he understood this as well. Yet he was young, but was aware of the horrors of it.

"War."

Raven felt at a loss. How could she not think of this. There was no doubt that the professor had already thought about the potential of teaching his students; that was all he did every day for as long as he could. He no doubt considered how the information would spread to the other Kingdoms, and that the Grimm would be mere fodder compared to the increased strength of the Huntsman. But, it appears her professor was more of a realist than she had expected, and had gone the route of not sharing his knowledge.

"So...the answer he chose was to not share so that humanity would always be afraid of the Grimm. I can't say I particularly agree with his decision. I don't want to live in fear of Grimm for the rest of my life."

Glynda looked at her hand, open palm up to the sky. "I'm more afraid of people that could utilize this strength. Humans are innovative, and we evolve based on our conditions. If we didn't have Grimm as a common enemy, then all that'd be left are humans. We had multiple wars in history, even with Grimm present as a prominent force. If you gave these people power, what would happen?" She clenched her fist and looked at Raven. "You give Faunus access to this power, would they be as peaceful? How about the retaliatory force from those against Faunus gaining equal rights? Would they be peaceful, either?

"You want both humanity to be strong and for it to be in unison, despite its history of discontent and tension. Even though we are currently in a time of relative peace, can you truly tell yourself that there aren't people in the shadows with machinations that wish to tear down this peace we live in? Or that they want to revel in the society we have now while juicing out the fat from the loopholes present in our current system? Society is not perfect, and neither are people. In my opinion, gifting this knowledge to everybody in the world would head us to a war that could potentially wipe out the majority of the world's population."

Raven shook her head. "But Naruto is our professor. If he was the one to teach everyone, would dispute him? Also, how many people in the world are strong enough to fight him?"

Glynda looked at her, and then pointed her finger at Raven. Raven lifted an eyebrow, unsure what that was supposed to mean.

"Professor Uzumaki cares about us."

Once again, Raven felt her world shatter. It was because she realized, twice in one day, that she knew so little of the world around her. First, Naruto made her realize that she had no deep comprehension of Aura and how to manipulate it. And now, she came to realize that Naruto worried that if information spread about the fact he knew how to manipulate Aura at such a level that was incomprehensible and unable to be recreated, then they would come for him. They, as in other humans or Faunus that want to gain that knowledge for their own purposes, and not for the future of humanity. After all, Naruto would no doubt be careful with who he spread his understanding of Aura to. The problem is, when they were rejected, there was the possibility that some wouldn't give up from there.

They would go after those he deemed precious.

"He told mehe's strong enough to protect those he cares about." Raven felt like she was grasping at straws; everything she said, she hardly believed herself. But she said it anyway, if only to hear what rebuttal Glynda had.

Glynda dropped her hand to her side and smiled sadly.

"He already lost students."

Raven went into her room quickly, shutting the door behind her quietly without looking. She ignored the questioning look from her brother, and she held in her displeasure when Taiyang and Summer discussed their grades from Professor Naruto and the critiques they gave them. Apparently, the two of them both did well. Taiyang got a B, and Summer got a solid A.

Raven didn't have the heart to read the message Naruto sent her, containing her grade for the month and analysis for her progress as well as how she could improve from her on out. Not after tonight.

She went straight for the closet to grab her sleepwear and walked quickly to the bathroom, not hearing Summer and Taiyang call out for her to see how she did on the combat class. When the door shut, the two of them looked over to her brother, but he only gave them a shrug. Even he didn't know.

A few seconds later, the shower turned on. Mist built up in the bathroom, and steam took over.

Raven stepped inside the shower, caring not for the hot droplets barraging her naked skin. Her feelings were all muted.

All except shame.

She couldn't remember the last time she cried. But her hot tears were hidden by the shower.

For the first time in years, she felt shame.

She realized that she was weak.

Chapter End

A/N: I apologize for the late update. Finals and life caught up with me, and I'm a bit exhausted from this political climate. I had to take a break from the internet and spent some time with family and friends. I haven't edited the chapter or read any fanfiction as of late, so I'm a bit rusty right now. But I felt that I should post this chapter before I hold it back for another week or something, so I decided to post this chapter without review responses for now. I may edit in later, but it won't be tonight. A bit tired and exhausted.

Again, did not edit this chapter and wrote it straight, so here goes!

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