"Hm," Naruto took in the near-vacant dormitory room. It wasn't much—just a clean room with four beds and some basic amenities.
Naruto couldn't complain about the room. It was a nice room, infinitely better than sleeping out in the forest or in some lonely alleyway.
He had no past and no one claiming to know him. For as he knew, he didn't have any place to call his own. That worried him that there was no record of a Naruto Uzumaki or someone like him on record, but with how Professor Goodwitch explained that there was a sizable chunk who lived off-grid or away from the Kingdoms, it became less surprising.
The fact that there were four main Kingdoms didn't sit well with Naruto, but he shook off that particular feeling. Something within him said there should have been five with a bunch of smaller ones....
He had been feeling similarly peculiar sensations since he woke up. Things that didn't sound correct to him. But with the overwhelming evidence pointing to the opposite, Naruto had to go against his gut feeling and believe what everyone was telling him.
There was no way an entire group of people was trying to gaslight him... Right?
Velvet wouldn't. The girl was simply too generous for her own good.
And her accent was kind of hot. Never heard one with a drawl like that before.
"Is there something the matter?" Professor Goodwitch stated, lifting her brow as she had been silently observing Naruto taking the dorm in.
"Everything's alright, just thinking." Naruto faintly chuckled briefly. With a sigh, he shook his head, glancing back toward the buxom teacher. "I do have a few questions since you said the semester doesn't start for another month... What am I supposed to do until my class gets here?"
"Given the student body is still on summer break until the fall semester starts, you are free to do what you will. Most students either take a vacation during this time, while others stay behind and focus on their studies and training. Some even take jobs from the board to earn extra Lien," Glynda replied, her tone a mixture of sounding annoyed at the obviousness as well as a hint of understanding, recognizing Naruto's situation was unique.
"And you won't have to worry about meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are free at the cafeteria. I'll give you a full tour in the morning so you can get to know the campus better." Velvet gave a shy smile.
"Thanks. That crosses off one of my problems." Naruto let out a relieved chuckle, glad he wouldn't have to hunt. And hearing that there were jobs available on a board here somewhere meant... "So, when I get my temporary license, I can accept some of those jobs, right? I could probably use some extra cash." Naruto asked, his attention reverting to Professor Goodwitch.
"Once you have it, that is correct. It will take a few days for a new scroll to arrive and for your license to be officially in your possession. Most students often have scrolls when they arrive on campus." Glynda nodded, stating as a matter of fact before frowning. "However, if you are to accept a job, I would recommend taking an experienced partner along with you. Given your inexperience and, for lack of better terms, obliviousness of obvious and critical details, having someone more knowledgeable to assist you is best for everyone's well-being."
"Hehe, sure... That makes sense." Naruto forced a laugh. He felt somewhat slighted, but given his circumstances, he couldn't blame the Professor for her bluntness.
Naruto lacked basic knowledge of things that were super obvious to others. It was just another concerning fact that he had to pile onto his list of worries.
At least he could deal with that problem. He would just have to nut up and study... Ugh...
Why did he hate the idea of sitting down and studying so much? ...Another mystery to add to the pile...
"It depends on the day, but I could go with you when you want to go out and take a job too. I don't think Coco or my team would mind." Velvet added again, her smile faint and timid.
"You've already done enough. You don't have to." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. It was embarrassing for her to help him so much. He hadn't done anything for her, and it didn't feel right...
"It's okay. I don't mind." Velvet gave a full, genuine smile, closing her eyes. "Assisting other people is a major reason why I wanted to become a Huntress. It's what I like to do."
Naruto felt his heart heavily thumping in his chest, finding himself at a loss for words. He awkwardly chuckled and nodded as Velvet's brilliant smile melted his doubt away. She looked so... Cute.
And then something within resonated with what she said. No, not just resonate. A part within him genuinely believed in those words. There was just a feeling that he would push himself to his very limits to help others...
"Ahaha, I guess it can't be helped. Thanks again." Naruto accepted Velvet's offer with a mild laugh.
"If that is all, I'll be on my way," Glynda observed the interaction between Naruto and Velvet with pursed lips before readjusting her glasses. "As a reminder, check in every morning to see if your scroll has arrived. It should take a few days, but there is a chance it could arrive sooner."
"Will do! Thanks!" Naruto waved as Glynda took her leave before his attention shifted to Velvet.
"Well, I guess I should do the same. It's been a long day, and I could use the rest... See you tomorrow." Velvet laced her hands behind her back as she awkwardly wiggled, her face flushed as she tilted her head away from Naruto.
"Sure. Guess this is goodnight. See ya in the morning," Naruto beamed and beamed.
"Goodnight," Naruto frowned as Velvet whispered and hurried out of the room.
That was... Awkward? Why was Velvet refusing to meet his gaze and swaying in such a manner?
"Eh, must have been really tired," Naruto remarked, shrugging his shoulders, oblivious to the signs as he turned to look at the dorm room he was staying in. "Guess I should get some rest, too. Not like I have much else going on until I get my license."
"I can't even afford to decorate until I do. I don't even have anything!"
[ X ]
The campus had more than Naruto had thought!
He had already seen a decent amount the day before with the gym and the training arena, but there was so much more! This school felt like a town itself with everything it had!
The only reason students needed to go into Vale was to buy specific ingredients or snacks not available at the convenience store here on campus!
There was a pool! A track! Pool hall! Bowling alley? A virtual reality arcade that also doubled as a training simulator?!
Naruto didn't know what most of those were besides the pool and the track, but they looked fun! He really wanted to experience that virtual reality simulator... The idea of fighting something that wasn't there intrigued him.
There was also the strange sensation that, for some reason, was somehow familiar. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Finally, there was the job board and the cafeteria. The job board frightened Naruto, but he kept that unsettling feeling from showing. It wasn't a physical board! It was a virtual hologram that could be navigated by freely touching it. That was something that Velvet demonstrated.
Naruto wasn't sure why; something didn't feel right about the situation. Something felt off.
However, he was able to put all that aside as they finally settled into the cafeteria for breakfast. And Naruto knew immediately, he was going to love this place. There wasn't a set meal for everyone. It was a smattering of everything, and he could pick and choose. While everything looked good, something in particular caught his gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.
Ramen.
"I guess you like ramen," Velvet giggled upon seeing Naruto's tray lined with several bowls and different flavors of ramen noodles, slurping a mouthful down greedily.
"I dunno if smell and taste is like muscle memory, but something called to me as soon as I laid eyes on it and smelled this delicious aroma. It was like it was meant to be." Naruto grinned after savoring and swallowing the heavenly dish.
"I believe it. Studies show that certain scents can directly correlate to fond memories. Maybe you have a special memory attached to ramen, and on an instinctive level, it brings you joy." Velvet as she softly chewed the bit of syrupy bacon on her plate.
"I think you might be right. Just wished I knew what that memory was." Naruto frowned, quirking his brow at Velvet's choice for breakfast, lamenting that he didn't know why he had such a love for ramen.
"What?" Velvet raised her brow at Naruto's peculiar look before scowling. "Wait, don't tell me you thought I was vegan..."
"Maybe?" Naruto nervously laughed, leaning away at the nasty glare Velvet gave him in return.
"No..." Velvet squinted before muttering under her breath. "Stupid stereotypes..."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't think twice about it and thought it was funny." Naruto apologized, bowing his head for forgiveness.
"It's okay... You won't be the last, unfortunately." Velvet released a pitiful sigh, shaking her head.
Naruto scowled upon hearing the bitterness in Velvet's voice as she sighed. He thought it funny that Velvet, with her rabbit features, was eating meat. However, how she responded to it made him feel there was more to that story than he thought. And feeling the sadness radiating from her made him worry.
What did he not understand?
"Do you not have any other clothes? You look like you just ran through a shredder." Naruto snapped out of his thoughts as another tray was put down on the other side of the table, as Coco joined and sat opposite him, soon followed by Fox and Yatsuhashi.
"No. All I have is everything that was on me and what little was in this pouch. Just a few kunai and shuriken. That's about it." Naruto shook his head and gestured to the pouch strapped to his thigh.
"I would offer, but I doubt I have anything that would fit." Yatsuhashi followed.
"Hey, no worries. I'm good. Don't worry about it." Naruto laughed, imagining the thought of trying to put on the same clothing that fit on Yatsuhashi.
Yatsuhashi was already larger than any other guy around! And he was only a year older than him! There was still a chance he hadn't even reached his full height!
That was absurd to think about!
"Would he fit in a spare outfit of mine?" Fox genuinely asked, his scarred eyes scanning the direction where Naruto was, sensing his presence.
"He might be a size too small for that. He's only a little taller than Velvet." Coco shook her head.
"So he's your height without your heels... Ow!" Fox smirked before grimacing as Coco elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a nasty scowl.
"What? I didn't give him your weight, which is, by the way, one hundred... Okay! I'll stop!" Fox complained before smirking as he earned a second ribbing from Coco.
"You better," Coco grumbled before letting out an exasperated sigh as she looked over her sunglasses toward Naruto. "Well, I guess before Velvet decides to take it upon herself to take you clothes shopping, I'll step in to help... But you're paying me back after you make some Lien, got it!"
"Sure," Naruto nodded, accepting Coco's terms.
Naruto really needed clothes. There had been a few awkward stares due to his state of dress, but it was all he had.
"And that reminds me," Coco's eyes sharpened dangerously. "Don't see you're getting alone time with Velvet. I'm coming with you on whatever job you end up accepting. I'm not leaving poor Velvet alone with some guy that she, and we, barely know.
"Uh... Okay," Naruto frowned, a little less accepting of Coco's terms this time. And given the dour expression Velvet was giving Coco, he was less inclined to accept those terms.
It almost sounded like she thought he was some kind of deviant.
"Coco... It will be fine." Velvet responded with a mild indignation.
"She will. She is more than capable." Yatsuhashi nodded in agreement, trusting his fellow teammate.
"You're only saying that cause you have a cru... Would you stop?!" Fox hissed as he was elbowed a third time.
"Only when you do, jerk!" Coco snapped back at Fox with a snarl before she took a deep breath. And with only a mildly irate glare toward Naruto, she exhaled. "It has nothing to do with that. I'm not saying anything bad about you. It's about all the anti-Faunus rhetoric that's been thrown around Vale. It's gotten worse, and it has been growing over the past few years to where the pricks are openly repeatedly saying shit and using signs to bar Faunus from shops. You know that, Velvet. I don't think any Faunus should go out into Vale alone the way it is right now."
"Unfortunately..." Velvet sadly replied, hanging her head and grimacing.
Naruto frowned, sensing the same despondent sadness and anger he had felt from Velvet as when he tried to give her that joking look earlier. That confused Naruto further.
There was some sort of racial tension between regular people and those with animal features?
Why? That didn't make any sense to Naruto. Outside a few visual peculiarities, they were basically the same, weren't they?
Naruto scowled, feeling a deep burning anger boil within him. Somewhere deep inside of him, there was a part of him that was pissed about hearing that people judged someone before they even knew them.
And that feeling didn't sit right with Naruto.
[ X ]
Naruto wasn't sure why, but he felt shopping for clothes was a bit overwhelming for him, at least with Coco and Velvet. Maybe it was clothing shopping with girls that was bothering him?
He would have picked a simple outfit with a good amount of orange and been on his way. However, they wanted to check and see how it looked on him and make adjustments. Pick out other items and accessorize and admire him...
It made him feel sort of weird.
...Not in a bad way, though. He liked their attention. It just felt off.
And so far, Naruto liked the outfit they had picked out. A black, uniform jacket to go over a new mesh shirt. Simple orange track pants, as he wanted.
Naruto mandated that one of the primary colors he wore had to be orange, and Coco and Velvet relented. He wasn't so sure why the color mattered to him beyond liking it, but he was passionate about having it on his person.
"Something feels like it's missing," Velvet mused, taking in Naruto's appearance, shaking her head. "Can't quite place it."
"Try this." Coco stepped over, tying a red band on his left bicep and stepping back to take in Naruto's new appearance. "The red works and brings the outfit together, but you're right. Something else is missing."
Naruto furrowed his brow thoughtfully, taking in his appearance through the mirror. He had to admit, Coco and Velvet were right. The outfit looked good on him... And something was missing.
Something that felt integral.
"I dunno..." Naruto rubbed his chin, squinting at his appearance for a moment longer before an idea came to him. "Hey, does this place have a headband? Or a long bandana. Something like that which I can tie over my head?"
"One moment," Coco turned around and searched the nearby shelves before returning with a long, black bandana. "This work?"
"Yeah, give me a second." Naruto folded it to where it was a band before wrapping it around his head and tying it in the back. Gazing into the mirror, Naruto smirked at his appearance. "There. How's that look?"
"What can I say. You were right. That's what was missing." Coco gave a short laugh before placing her hands on her hips.
"You look handsome," Velvet smiled before she flushed brightly as she caught Coco's grin.
"Oh, so you think he's hot, huh? You know you can say it." Coco teased and embarrassed Velvet, causing her to turn cherry red.
"Quit it." Velvet bashfully muttered.
"Alright, alright. I will. But I know the truth." Coco respected her friend's boundaries, but the twinkle in her eyes caused Velvet to flush further.
Naruto, while enjoying hearing the flattering banter from the girls, continued to look at his appearance in the mirror. He liked it. He really did. Everything looked right.
But Naruto couldn't help but think something was missing. Something vital that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Oh well.
"If this is good, let's see how much this costs so I know what I owe ya." Naruto gave a half-hearted shrug, pushing that thought aside before turning to Coco.
"Eh, you're good. Consider this one a freebie. I got what I wanted out of this." Coco smirked, eyeing Naruto's figure briefly.
"You sure?" Naruto frowned, noticing the gaze, but said nothing.
He had sworn she had checked out several other girls and guys they passed by in the same manner. Was she...
"It's fine. You're gonna need the Lien you get off any job you do for a while. You don't need to think about paying me back." Coco waved off Naruto's concern. However, much to Naruto's discomfort, she leaned in uncomfortably close and tipped her sunglasses and winked at him. "Just make sure to buy me dinner one of these days, okay, handsome?"
Despite the awkward gesture, Naruto found himself grinning. "Heh, I can do that. Consider it a date."
"Oh, a date you say. I'll hold you to it." Coco confidently smirked, turning and, as she moved toward the front desk to pay for his outfit, gave her hips an exaggerated sway.
Naruto refrained from whistling as he watched every movement, focusing on her supple...
"...I swear to Oum, I will end you if you so much..."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, the blonde fox ears on his head twitching as he caught someone angrily muttering.
Not someone. Velvet.
And she was intensely seething as she watched Coco retreat.
"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, leaning ever so slightly away from Velvet as he could feel the raw burning fury that had erupted in the usually meek and timid girl he had started to learn about.
"Ah!" Velvet recoiled, visibly hoping in fright. Her eyes widened, and her ears stood straight as she gazed upon Naruto in terror. "I'm sorry! I'm fine! I don't know what came over me there."
"If you say so..." Naruto didn't believe Velvet.
He scrunched and twisted his features into a scowl as he crossed his arms. Naruto had an idea of what was going on, but knew well enough to hold his tongue—no need to add fuel to the fire.
It felt rather refreshing to be desired by more than... One person...
Painfully wincing, Naruto massaged his temple before narrowing his gaze. He swore he saw a feminine outline during that thought.
...Who was this lady he had just thought about? And why couldn't he remember her?
[ X ]
"Finally." Naruto exhaled, gazing at the small piece of technology in his hand, which supposedly was a phone and his identity card in one.
It arrived on the day Glynda had anticipated it would, but it had felt like it had taken forever to get here.
Naruto felt patient, but he had been violently bored. He spent most of his time pushing his limits and seeing what he could do on the track, in the pool, and in the arena, until team CFVY dragged him away to the other recreations.
It wasn't his fault that everyone else was left speechless when he was running the track or swimming laps! He didn't feel like he was exerting himself!
Naruto felt he could have gone harder and faster.
And now Naruto was staring emptily at it, unsure how to operate it. He had seen Coco, Velvet, Yatsuhashi, and even Fox, who was blind, operate their scroll with relative ease.
Why did this device feel so complex?
"Yes, it will automatically update if you accept any jobs at the board here. And if anyone asks, you will find your identification here." Glynda nodded before she showed Naruto how to turn it on, and with a few taps and flicks, showed his badge on screen.
"Oh, cool! Thank you, Professor!" Naruto beamed, grateful for the demonstration.
It was like she read his mind.
"Consider nothing of it. For as physically gifted as you are, it is quite noticeable that you lack basic skills with technology. I would also remind you to start reading and studying the textbook in your dorm. Your knowledge of common knowledge is startling." Glynda replied, appreciative of Naruto's manners, before giving him a hopeless sigh.
"I've been trying..." Naruto gave a sheepish laugh before grimacing.
Every time he opened them and started trying to read, Naruto found himself passed out and having slept for several hours. He found the text so dry and dull...
The only information he was determined to find was about this Faunus Revolution he had come across. Naruto wanted more information about the tension between humans and Faunus.
"You're one of those kinds of students, I see... You're going to need a strict and firm partner." Glynda mumbled, shaking her head, having seen it before. With a shake of her head, she waved Naruto off as she saw Team CFVY approach. "That is all for now. They will show you how to take a post. If you have any questions after that, I'll either be here or in my office."
"Oh, hey, guys!" Naruto waved towards them before beaming at Glynda. "Thanks! I'll be sure to stop by!"
"I'm sure you will." Glynda exhaled, shaking her head as Naruto moved to join her students.
Her eyes narrowed while she watched them leave. Something wasn't right about Naruto. Amnesia could only explain so much. Such a lack of knowledge on things children of Remnant knew was disturbing. It wasn't normal to lack such basic information.
"Who are you, Naruto Uzumaki?" Glynda posed the question to herself, tapping her riding crop against her arm.
It had been over a week, and there was still no information on who he was. He was a mystery, and his lack of a past was a concern.
But with a sigh, Glynda shook her head. Thankfully, there was one thing that wasn't a riddle to solve about the boy. His heart was in the right place, and he already had the skill.
He would be a wonderful Huntsman someday. Glynda could guarantee that.
[ X ]
Naruto was sour about the job he had to take.
All those jobs that were posted on the board with hefty price tags, and he couldn't accept a single one because his license was only a temporary one, and he wasn't an official Huntsman! The travesty!
He had to take a mild elimination of an Alpha Beowolf and its pack. Whatever that was.
At least the ride out to this small, beautiful island town, Patch Naruto thought Velvet called it, was pretty cool. Flying on the shuttle was awesome. Naruto liked being in the air. It felt... Natural?
The fact that they landed at another school for training Huntsmen and Huntresses, but for those who were younger, was interesting to Naruto. It was neat to know there were several levels of school to become a full-fledged Huntsman.
Seemed very intensive. It must mean that whatever these Grimm happened to be were a real threat to warrant this amount of training.
Walking through a crowd of younger students to reach the entrance into the town of Patch proper, Naruto focused on the matter at hand. Looking around at the buildings, Naruto pursed his lips. Withdrawing his scroll from his pouch, he turned it on, and with slow, deliberate taps as he solved the puzzle of operating it, he nodded. "So it seems the grocery store owner posted the job. We should go ask them where he saw these Beowolves."
"Beowolves?" A young girl stopped and curiously turned toward Naruto.
"Um, yeah? You know anything about a group of them?" Naruto came to a halt. He turned to ask and see if she knew anything about them, only to come face to face with her brilliant and sparkling silver eyes.
"Oh! Are you guys from Beacon?! So cool!" Her silver eyes shimmered, and her black hair that shifted to red at the tips flickered in the breeze.
And then, to Naruto's shock, her body disassembled into rose petals as she bounced between him, Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet. "Oum! You're snap gauntlets with blades! Such a big sword! So cool! Oh, oh! Is yours in that briefcase? And yours in that box? Can I see? Can I see?!"
"No... We're here for business." Coco grimaced and leaned away from the peculiar weapon-obsessed girl.
"Oh, yeah! You said something about Beowolves, right?" The girl in a black dress and skirt, and red cape furrowed her brow thoughtfully for a fraction of a second before snapping her finger. "Oh, I ran into this morning, walking to school. I took care of them!"
"You took care... Of all them... And an Alpha? By yourself?" Velvet blinked several times, surprised by her admission.
"Impressive. Guess the jobs done." Yatsuhashi nodded, impressed with the girl in black's work.
"An Alpha? No, it was a bunch of the little ones. They're all over the forest between Patch and my house. I didn't see an Alpha." The girl with silver eyes frowned, shaking her head before furrowing her brow. "But, if there were one, I imagine it would be on the cliff near the coast. That's where... Where my mother's memorial is located at. I'd imagine an Alpha would be attracted to the negative energy that is drawn there. I always find a lot of Grimm nearby."
"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for the information." Naruto gave a respectful bow and modest smile.
"It's okay. It happened a long time ago." The girl with silver eyes returned his smile. Then panic took her. "Ah! I'm late! Gotta go! Nice to meet... Wait, my name is Ruby! Ruby Rose! Now it's nice to meet you! Bye!"
"Naruto! Hope we can meet again." Naruto waved as Ruby dispersed into a stream of rose petals and left an ear-shattering boom as she rushed to the main building of Signal.
"Dude... I can't see, and I can tell you that girl is fast." Fox responded, impressed.
"I couldn't even see her move..." Velvet's shoulders sank, staring in abject horror that a student in a lower school, even with her Semblance, moved that quickly.
"You couldn't?" Naruto blinked as he turned his attention to see Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet shake their head and stare at Naruto.
"Outside the aura of rose petals that surrounded her, no." Coco shook her head, staring awkwardly at Naruto.
"She's not surrounded by them; she becomes them before she carries herself to her destination. At least, that's how I think it works from what I was able to see." Naruto frowned, seeing all four of their expressions turn to disbelief.
Naruto's frown only deepened. He was really beginning to suspect that many of the things he could see or do weren't typical for someone his age.
And that raised so many more questions.
[ X ]
Following Ruby's advice, it didn't take very long to find the area she had mentioned. A cliff overlooking the sea just past the forest they were walking through.
The view was beautiful, but that wasn't what caught Naruto's attention. Ruby was right.
There was a pungent negative smog in the air. He could feel it all around him. It was potent.
"Careful, something's here. I can feel the negativity in the air. It's just past the tree line," Naruto stressed, his gaze searching for the origin of the sensation.
"Okay, what is your Semblance? You can feel negativity? Wouldn't that mean you could feel where Grimm are?" Fox addressed, giving Naruto an owlish stare.
"I guess? I just can feel it. Don't know what else to say." Naruto shrugged, unsure how to respond.
"So it's autonomous? That's useful... And also sucks if you can sense when someone lies to you." Coco mused before grimacing.
"Yeah, sometimes it's not great. I can decipher precisely what negative emotion someone is feeling." Naruto squinted, and Velvet shrank, immediately knowing he was talking about their trip to the store.
He knew she was jealous... No...
"There! Is that it?" Naruto squinted, seeing several black creatures that caused Naruto's spine to shiver.
What were these things? They were like humanoid wolves, with one much bigger than the rest. And they each had oily black skin. Strange white mask markings on their face. Random bone protrusions to simulate armor. Eyes emblazed with crimson rage and golden hatred.
They felt positively vile!
Naruto didn't hesitate. He flipped a kunai and several shuriken out of his thigh pouch, and he struck. He tossed his shuriken, letting them cut through the air, their aim true as he swiftly passed them and slashed the large one. His kunai slid through its spine like butter, its head severed from its body as his shuriken sank into the smaller ones' skulls.
They each dropped to the ground, their eyes lifeless as their bodies began to turn into a fine mist, much to his chagrin.
"What are these things?" Naruto muttered, stepping away and spitting the foul air out of his mouth. Shaking his head, he proceeded to return to...
Only to find his uniform jacket's collar gripped tightly by Coco as she stared directly into his eyes. "How are you that fast and strong?! Better yet!"
"I'm supposed to be the best! This isn't fair!"