This little bastard was tricky. His armor on his back was tough. The Grimm spun wildly as it rolled and zoomed past. Naruto simply side-stepped with a grin as the Boartusk slammed into the tree and knocked itself senseless.
Naruto couldn't help but let out a snorting laughter as the Grimm shook the cobwebs out of his head. It wasn't too bright. He could easily position it and kill it whenever he wanted.
But Naruto was treating this as a learning experience. If the older a Grimm was, the more powerful and armored it happened to be, which meant there could be some challenges in the future. The more he learned about each type of Grimm, the more he could exploit when those circumstances arose.
As the Boartusk recovered, it snorted, leering at him wearily. Almost hesitant as it pawed the ground, determining if it should charge again or not.
Naruto raised his brow, both amused and curious. Was it starting to learn its tactics weren't working? Or had it realized it was fighting a losing battle, and it was thinking of running to preserve itself?
The latter would be interesting if it were true. Grimm supposedly had an intense hatred for humanity and Faunus and would typically attack indiscriminately. Choosing self-preservation would be a fascinating account to note and return to the Professors.
They could decipher and make use of that information better than Naruto could. He was out here trying to learn their tactics... And to earn some Lien. Mostly to earn some Lien.
He almost had enough to afford that table and pillow chairs Naruto really liked for his room... And that cute frog wallet!
Naruto would call Gama-chan, and he would love it! He needed it now!
"Guess that's all you have," Naruto clicked his tongue against the roof of the mouth the Boartusk furiously rolled past, tearing the ground apart as it did.
However, Naruto was done. He wasn't learning anything new about it.
With a sharp toss behind him, the Boartusk grunted and collapsed mid-spin onto its stomach with a kunai stuck deeply into the back of its skull. Naruto shook his head as he moved to retrieve it. Its armor may have been tough, and targeting the belly was the wise decision...
"Ah, dammit! I chipped it!" Naruto plucked his kunai out, noticing a crack in the edge, and groaned. "Whatever... Been needing to get a new resupply anyway. Better to bite the bullet and get it over with. Mah! And just as I was about to get that wallet..."
"Maybe I should figure out how much is on my card to see if I can swing it..."
[ X ]
Sitting at his desk in the middle of his clockwork office with a video playing on the hologram, Ozpin flipped the pages of an old book. His brow was furrowed in thought.
This had been an interesting two weeks. An intriguing mystery had been laid at his doorstep. And despite the multitude of more pressing issues, this incident has drawn Ozpin's attention.
Naruto Uzumaki, a boy with a mysterious past and no memory or knowledge of basic principles of Remnant... A young warrior whose skills were unprecedented, not just for his age but perhaps beyond what Ozpin had ever seen before.
With no record or any information that he could find of Naruto, Ozpin turned to other possibilities—searched through texts while he analyzed his peculiar skill set, speed, and strength. Was there anything that could lead him to solving where he was from?
"Interesting..." Ozpin drummed his fingers on his coffee mug before taking a sip of the cocoa within, carefully reading an old fairy tale word for word as a hologram played video feed of Naruto's recent displays at the track and the pool.
His image was barely visible, but a blur, as he either swam or ran.
"I've never seen you this intent on a student before," Glynda broke Oz out of his musing as he looked up beyond his desk to see her approaching from the elevator, carrying files of the incoming class.
"In all my years, I've never seen something quite like this. I can't help but be intrigued by the mystery that surrounds our amnesiac student... A student with a skill set I have never quite seen before." Ozpin's eyes twinkled with a curiosity and spark Glynda had never seen before.
"He is unique and quite talented." Glynda nodded as she stopped directly before his desk.
"Talent is understatement. I don't think it is hyperbole to state he may very well be on a different playing field than the rest of us." Ozpin watched the feed once more, almost mesmerized by what he was witnessing as it shifted to recordings of him eliminating several different types of Grimm with simplistic ease.
And then he tapped on his feed before another screen appeared with a chart that possessed measurable stats with Naruto's picture displayed next to him.
"You've personally calculated his stats over these past two weeks?" Glynda's eyes wavered before narrowing as she scanned the chart. "What? The hard numbers are absurd, and the projections of what he's capable of can't be physically possible. And his aura...! That would mean..."
"Yes. I'm most confident about his aura. I checked that several times and found it to be... Beyond potent. I am quite certain that with his aura alone, he could theoretically power the city of Vale for days." Ozpin stated, his tone unwavering and his curiosity piqued. "And I feel my calculated projections may be lowballing his full capacity. His movements are fluid and natural. He doesn't even seem to be pressing or pushing himself. Everything I see here is effortless."
"Oz... That's..." Glynda hesitated, unable to find the words as she carefully watched the videos before her gaze fell onto Oz, speechless.
"I know. It seems impossible." Ozpin nodded before he gazed upon the book he had been reading. "But what if I were to tell you that I believe that maybe he comes from another world. A world where such strength is necessary. And from whatever world that happens to be, he slipped between worlds and fell here?"
"To a world that could very well use a soul as pure and simple as his."
[ X ]
"Oh... Wow, this has changed a lot." Velvet blinked, looking around Naruto's dorm room, surprised by the dramatic shift there had been in two weeks.
Naruto had adjusted the four beds to one at each corner, boxed in by several shoji screens to give Naruto's eventual roommates some privacy. Underneath the window on the low bookshelf that came with the room, a new bonsai tree sat, soaking up the sun's rays. On the side wall that didn't connect to the bathroom, Mistrali art scrolls of rivers, amphibians, and foxes lined the wall.
There was a new chubdai table and four zabuton pillows set at the front and center of the room with a paper lantern hanging over the table. A new shelf had been set by the bed Naruto had claimed and was filled with a variety of stuff, including cute frog and fox plushes and what looked like a frog wallet. But above all else, the shelves were filled with a variety of cup and packet ramen flavors, along with a portable burner, pot, and kettle.
"Wow, I know you've been taking jobs daily, but how many did you take to get enough for this?" Coco lowered her sunglasses as she glanced around the room before whistling.
"I dunno, a good bit? I've been taking a couple of missions from the board every morning. Mostly taking out Grimm, but there were a few petty criminals I was able to track down and get the reward for." Naruto thought for a moment before detailing what he had been up to.
"Several jobs a day and tracked down a few bounties... Dude. There's more to life than work." Fox stared incredulously at Naruto for the amount of work he had put in two weeks.
"How else am I supposed to afford what I want if I don't work hard?" Naruto stated with a frown.
"It's good. Feels like home." Yatsuhashi gave a firm nod of approval.
"It does? Does that mean Naruto's from Mistral?" Fox furrowed his brow, aware of Naruto's situation.
"Naruto, when you bought all this, was it by feeling? Or did you remember some things?" Velvet asked with a hint of hopeful concern.
"I wish. At most, I've seen silhouettes when I think about things. I simply liked this stuff. I got a feeling it felt close to home." Naruto sighed before lightly smiling, looking around at his setup.
"I understand," Velvet grimaced, but upon seeing his expression softening at everything he bought, she came to a smile as he looked back at her.
His smile made Velvet flush and her heart flutter. It was just...
"Hey, handsome," Coco sauntered toward Naruto, hand on her hip and with a confident smirk. "I recall when I paid for that outfit, you said something about a dinner date. So how about it?"
"Did Coco just..." Fox awkwardly tilted his head and looked up in the general direction of Yatsuhashi.
"Yes," Yatsuhashi simply replied, frowning as his gaze shifted to...
"Don't you dare, you two-timing..." Velvet snarled, smoldering from behind Coco.
"Oh, now that's a side I haven't seen. I like." Coco turned back and raised her brow at Velvet before grinning.
"I did say that, didn't I... Sure. Why not?" Naruto recalled before he let out a short laugh and shrugged.
"What?!" Velvet snapped, her jaw slackening, and feeling a sense of dread knotting her stomach. No, no, no!
"Oh, ho! Alright then, tomorrow night. It's a date, and I know just the place. Seven sound good?" A cocksure Coco beamed.
"Yeah, fine with me." Naruto nodded, seemingly oblivious as Velvet deflated.
"See ya then, hun," Coco shifted and swayed her hips, turning around before lowering her sunglasses and winking at Velvet as she passed by her partner. "Sorry, Velvet, I had to shoot my shot. Got work on that confidence, girl. Take what you want."
Velvet bit her lip pitifully, unable to look Coco in the eye as she passed. Velvet had made it obvious. She was just worried that she would say the wrong thing or... And she didn't know if she should approach him or...
"Mah, am I missing something?" Naruto scratched his head, frowning at the curious interaction, only to blanch at the stare Fox and Yatsuhashi gave.
"Yes!"
"Okay then..." Naruto grimaced at their sharp tongues before frowning. Naruto glanced over at Velvet's shrinking figure as Coco had almost cleared out of the room before he faltered. "Oh..." Naruto closed his eyes and groaned.
He had noted Velvet's jealousy before, and he didn't even think twice about it! And now, he was causing friction between her and her partner... What could he do? How could he...
"Hey, uh, Velvet, want to go out later? Do something fun?" Naruto sheepishly laughed, rubbing his neck.
"Wait, what?!" Coco jolted, stopping at the door, her sunglasses falling off as she turned.
Velvet's ears stiffened as she hoped straight up. Her eyes wavered, and her heart furiously thumped in her chest. She nervously looked all around, unsure of herself...
Until she remembered what Coco had said.
"I would like that," Velvet dramatically calmed down, giving a faint, but genuine smile as she interlaced her hands before her. "The movies would be nice. A new one came out recently, I've been meaning to watch."
"Okay, cool. It's a date. I'll check out the times and let you know when we should head on over." Naruto grinned and shuffled his hand through his locks.
"I'll be ready." Velvet continued to smile despite her heart racing a mile a minute.
Little was she aware, Coco smirked from the doorway, nodding before she turned away. "Now that's what I like to see..."
"Let's see who can win his heart, shall we?"
[ X ]
This was new for Naruto.
Not watching a movie in a theater. Despite his lack of memories, he was certain he had seen one before. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that he might know someone in the industry. Or at least someone other than all these actors and actresses he didn't recognize.
He could see a woman's silhouette, but once more, no one came to mind.
No, what was new was settling down in the middle of a theater next to someone, his hand interlaced with hers as they silently watched this supposedly scary movie. A movie about these robots in animal suits killing people and kidnapping children.
Naruto wasn't interested, but Velvet was enthralled with it. She was paying close attention, even whispering and explaining the characters' and robots' motivations to him. The fact that children were possessing the murder bots was a terrifying element to it and added to the movie. Why not make it more straightforward that the kids in the dream sequence were robots?
...He was really struggling to follow along.
Whatever. Naruto was still having a good time. And it was all due to Velvet enjoying herself. Every time a scary moment happened, Velvet let out a light shriek, tightly grasping him for support as she leaned into him for more.
Only to reach over and grasp another handful of popcorn from his bucket.
Naruto chuckled and grinned. He could get used to this.
[ X ]
"Thank you. I really wanted to see that one." Velvet dreamily laid her head on Naruto's shoulder, leaning up against him as they exited the theater. "I know you didn't know anything about it..."
"Mah, that doesn't matter to me. I enjoyed the experience." Naruto laughed, sneaking his arm around Velvet's waist as they walked. She didn't jerk away and allowed it.
Score. She was so soft and smooth...
"I do have some questions. Like how that guy survived his suit collapsing and skewering his body like that." Naruto chuckled as they stepped into the street.
"Oh, don't get me started. It gets complicated. I don't think you want a whole hour lecture on the minor details they couldn't explain in the movie." Velvet snorted, shaking her head.
"It's really not." Naruto and Velvet stopped turning to see a young lady, roughly their age, with long black hair and a peculiar black bow she wore on her head. "Through experiments on his machines and the life essence of the children he murdered, he found a way to separate his... Soul..." The mysterious girl who approached them began to stammer, her eyes widening as she closely glanced at Naruto and Velvet, realizing they were on a date. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!"
"Nah, you're good. I'm actually curious." Naruto tilted his head, listening to every word the girl in a white blouse and open black vest to conceal most of her stomach said. And noticing the twinkle in Velvet's eyes, he chuckled. "Besides... I think Velvet would like to discuss the movie with someone who understood it better than I did."
"Oh, uh, I..." The young lady in black and white grimaced, realizing she had interrupted a date to nerd out.
Only for hands to be lifted by Velvet and her golden eyes to stare into Velvet's browns. "There's a nice cafe nearby that's open all night!"
"We can discuss the movie there! Our treat!"
[ X ]
"And because of the maliciousness of one particular child, he can't die as that child wants to torment him." Blake finally came back around to the question that started this conversation, which led them to this cafe.
"Huh, neat." Naruto smiled, the whole conversation having flown over his head.
And that was fine with him. He was sitting on a bench seat next to Velvet, excitedly bouncing up and leaning against him. She was still holding his hand. Seeing her smile while conversing over something she was really passionate about.
Naruto had no room to complain. Velvet, having a good time, was enough for him. And her showing affection through touch was more than enough.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Velvet jumped, feeling sheepish as she had been sitting and talking to Blake this entire time about the movie while Naruto listened. "I didn't mean to drag you to listen to this conversation that you know absolutely nothing about besides what is in the movie. I'm so..."
"Velvet, relax. I had fun. It's cute to see you get so worked up over something." Naruto smirked as Velet deeply blushed, causing him to laugh and shake his head. "Besides, what do I know about? I have amnesia. It's not like I know much about anything."
"You're an amnesiac?" Blake's head snapped to Naruto, surprised at that fact.
"Yup. Forgot everything except who I am. Can't remember anything, no one knows where I am from, or who I was before." Naruto answered honestly.
"Really? I've never read about a case being that bad before. I've heard of cases where there was temporary memory loss and complete loss of a few memories, but not everything." Blake pursed her lips, her interest piqued.
"The doctors said the same thing. Guess I'm just a special case." Naruto sighed, recalling how stumped the doctors and nurses were at the hospital.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to upset you." Blake grimaced and shrank into herself.
"Nah, you good. It's not like it bothers me." Naruto smiled, ruffling his hair. Then, with a gaze into the window to the street outside, he let out a sigh and found his resolve. "I can't let something like it bother me. Whatever happened is in the past. I gotta keep forging my path forward and make my future. Maybe I'll get lucky, and I'll learn more about what happened. If not, that's fine too. My past may have made me who I am, but what I do right now is more important, ya know?"
"That's a... Very positive way to look at things." Blake, after a moment's pause as Naruto's words took her breath away, responded.
"This is just what I gotta do. And, while I don't know who I was, I believe it's what I would have done before when something happened. It just feels right, ya know?" Naruto finished speaking with a smile.
"I do," Velvet gazed at Naruto dotingly before her face fell, and then became as bright as a cherry red tomato as she panicked. "Not like that! Not in that way!"
"Hehe... Is it my turn?" Naruto chuckled and earned an elbow to his rib.
"Ow... You're as hard as a rock." Velvet gingerly rubbed before her eyes bulged as Blake snorted along with Naruto. "No! Not like that! That's not what I meant!"
"Not my fault, you said it." Blake repressed the urge to laugh, sighing. "You two make a cute couple. I'm almost jealous."
"So is she." Naruto jabbed his thumb at an embarrassed Velvet. "Before we went on this date, her teammate asked me out for dinner. I think she was trying to encourage Velvet to take action, and well..."
"Don't tell people that..." Velvet's expression soured as her ears bent over and rolled.
"Oh, do you both go to Beacon, then? I applied this summer and just received my acceptance letter and will be heading there in a few weeks." Blake inquired, faintly smiling at the thought of someone familiar being at the school.
"I'm a second-year student. Naruto will be starting this year." Velvet nodded, brightly beaming.
"Yo, nice! I've been waiting for the next class to get here so I can get my team assigned! Cool! Nice to meet you." Naruto grinned, offering a handshake that Blake accepted.
"Same," Blake nodded, the bow on her head oddly twitching.
Naruto tilted his head at the strange motion while Velvet remained silent, pinching Naruto and shaking her head. He frowned, but followed her example.
"It's getting late... I should be heading out," Blake slowly stood from the table, giving a polite bow. "Thanks for humoring me. And thanks for the coffee."
"You're welcome. We'll see you soon." Naruto waved, returning to his typical upbeat demeanor.
"Have a good rest of your night," Velvet added with a light smile.
"I hope you two have a lovely night. Again, I'm sorry for interrupting your date." Blake waved back before she took her leave from the cafe.
"So... Why is she heading her ears?" Naruto waited until Blake had left to turn his attention to Velvet.
"It's... Easier that way. Fewer people notice, meaning less trouble." Velvet exhaled, hanging her head and grimacing.
Naruto frowned upon seeing Velvet bite her lip, and her mood deflated. He answered with a nod, but his brow furrowed. He had only started to read up on the Faunus-Human War and the aftermath. But to see it still so bad that Faunus would hide their features didn't sit right with Naruto.
He wanted to do something about it... But what could he do?
[ X ]
It was a mostly quiet trip on the walk back to Beacon. Thankfully, there was no incident this time. No problem with the weather. No Grimm.
The moon lit up the path as they had almost reached Beacon...
"Can we stop for a moment?" Velvet asked, clasping her hands around the box she brought along with her the entire trip.
Naruto frowned. From what he knew, Velvet stored her weapon in it. Why was she drawing...
Wait? Was her weapon a camera?
"I would like to take a few pictures. It's been a while since I've seen the moon this bright." Velvet held out her camera, taking a photo that immediately developed.
"Oh, you like photography?" Naruto curiously pursed his lips as he watched Velvet transfixed on the moon, taking several photos of it from different vantage points.
She even jumped into a tree to snap one!
So Naruto followed her, leapt up, and sat on the branch beside her.
"It's been a hobby of mine since I was little." Velvet nodded, staring at the moon with a thin smile. "Every photo I take is a snapshot of time. I remember what I was doing and where I was when I took every photo. In a way, it's a way to record my memories."
"I get it." Naruto took in Velvet's beautiful moonlit visage before he sighed and gazed upon the shattered moon. "I wish I had done the same... I lost all my memories. There's no telling what I lost. Who I lost? All I have is the moment. That's fine and everything, but it sort of sucks not to know, ya know? I would still at least like to know who I was and where I came from."
"I understand." Velvet sadly smiled, gently clasping her camera and nervously holding it out toward Naruto. "Would you... Like to make a memory with me?"
"A memory?" Naruto intently focused on Velvet, confused by what she meant. His heart raced at all the possibilities...
And then he saw her holding out his camera and laughed. Duh. She had just told him how she kept her memories.
"Sure," Naruto smiled as he carefully scouted closer to Velvet, allowing her to lean into him as he did.
"Could you hold the other end steady while I take the picture?" Velvet asked as she extended the camera and turned the lens onto them. Naruto nodded, reaching out and doing as Velvet requested. The light flashed as the two smiled before Velvet grinned. "Now a silly one!"
"Oh, I got this!" Naruto grinned, making a weird, demented face that made Velvet laugh.
"Yes, you do!" Velvet uncontrollably giggled before she tried to mimic Naruto's monstrous grin.
Two more photos were processed, showing their silly expressions. Naruto let out a belting laugh as he took one and grinned. "Oh, this one is a keeper."
Velvet continued to giggle for a moment before her expression softened. "Could we do one more? I would like a serious one."
"Serious one? Serious how?" Naruto asked, looking up from the photo and at Velvet, only to stare deeply into her shimmering brown eyes for a moment before they closed as she leaned into him.
And her soft lips gently pressed against his.
The camera flashed twice as their lips briefly touched and separated. Velvet gave a contented moan as her eyes opened with stars shining in her pupils.
Naruto's expression was of complete surprise as Velvet leaned back with a faint smile. Taking the photos from her camera, she slid his into his hand and nuzzled against him as she averted her attention to the moon. "Thank you for the wonderful memory. I will always cherish this night."
Naruto simply blankly stared at Velvet for a moment longer, then looked down at the photo of the kiss he shared. With a slight smirk, Naruto chuckled as he bared Velvet's weight, and he too gazed into the moon. "I think I should be thanking you... I still haven't paid you back for helping me. So we ain't even yet. If memories are what you desire, I promise to keep them coming."
"You better believe it."