How did he not know?
How much did he not know?
What else did he not understand?
How did he not understand?
Blake did not understand anything about this situation! And it frustrated her beyond belief!
There was no way he was playing dumb! She couldn't believe it! No one was that moronic! Could play that stupid and act so innocent about everything he was saying!
What made it worse was that he wasn't her most concerning issue! He was a mere inconvenience, taking a spot in her head that wouldn't go away! A part of her mind wouldn't drop him, even now, as her thoughts kept shifting to him.
Something in her mind kept returning to him!
Sighing, she plopped down in a seat and placed her hands on her temples to rub out her frustrations.
This had been a day. Here she was, in the middle of a hospital after dropping off this blonde-haired enigma of a human, unsure what to do next.
She couldn't return! She burned that bridge, even if she felt it had been crumbling before, and knew it was time to go. There was nothing left there, and now he would chase her.
The White Fang would look for her, and she would have to hide her identity.
But where could she go to hide from them? Be safe?
She couldn't go home again. That was too obvious, and they were stationed right there. As much as she loved her parents, she couldn't endanger them. She knew he would attempt something regardless of where she was. He wouldn't hesitate even in front of her father...
Adam was like that, and it made her nervous.
So where? What could she do? Staying on the run wouldn't do her any favors. She would eventually be spotted and caught when she was tired and brought back in. And she wouldn't know what would happen then, as she had seen all kinds of fates for deserters. Some were kind...
Others were not. And with Adam tracking her...
"Breaking news," Blake scowled, hearing the holo-vision in the waiting room interrupt her thought and draw her attention to the screen before her eyes narrowed at the scene.
It was the train they were scheduled to hit and steal Dust from this morning. And it was a smoldering wreckage.
Blake shivered as the news anchor continued, explaining that what had happened was a White Fang terrorist act, and the severe loss of life caused by the act only left her stomach turning.
He had carried out his plan. Blown up the train after taking the Dust containers. And killed so many people...
And she wasn't there to stop him.
Blake covered her mouth in horror as tears flowed down her cheeks, trembling as she looked away from the holo-vision. He was lost, and there was nothing she could do. The Adam she thought she knew was no longer there.
He was devoured and engulfed in darkness.
And she barely climbed out of it to stay in the light...
Blake held her head low, laying her ears flat on her head while her eyes dimmed, unsure of what her future held. Her heart clenched, and she bit her lip. "Oum, what am I going to do..."
"Yang!"
Blake's head snapped up as a young voice caught her attention in the hallway just outside the waiting room. She frowned as she peeked out to see what the commotion was about.
It was a teenage girl wearing a black dress with red trimmings, rushing ahead of someone she could only imagine as her father, though she hardly saw the resemblance. But she flew in front of him, rushing and grabbing ahold of a blonde-haired teen that possessed far more features in common with the man and could immediately tell she was his daughter.
And she looked pretty bruised and beaten up, with a black eye and a few bandages on her face, and a roll of tape on her left knee. Yet, for some reason, she was smiling like a fool, grinning as she got embraced. "Sup, Ruby!"
"Will you stop getting into fights all the time? I was so worried when I heard you were in the hospital again!"
"Pfft, it was nothing. Should see the guys that thought they could take me." The teen called Yang waved it off as if it wasn't a big deal, still grinning like a fool with her eyes closed.
"Yang Xiao Long." Her father's stern voice rang out as he crossed his arms and stared down at his daughter, making Blake wince as well, for she knew that voice all too well.
She remembered when her father used it on her when she was in trouble...
"Uh-oh," Yang flinched and lowered her head, her grin quickly disappearing as Ruby let go of her before looking up timidly into her father's gaze. "That's a tone I don't like to hear..."
"Just because you've been accepted into Beacon for Huntress training doesn't make this behavior acceptable, young lady." Her father scowled, then exhaled, his features softening. "I understand as much as anyone what you are doing, and I support you doing that, but this is a little much. Not everyone has a tantrum button they can use and get through tough situations all the time. You're going to run into a situation where that isn't able to work, and then what, Yang? What's going to happen?"
Blake's ears twitched as she listened. This girl was training to be a Huntress? And she was accepted to Beacon? Hold on...
"Also, you got your butt kicked this time. Was someone throwing kicks as you suck at blocking those?" Ruby laughed as her sister turned her attention to her before bopping her on the head. "Ow! What did you do that for?"
"I do not suck at blocking kicks! They're just beneath me!"
"Yeah, they are. That's why they're called kicks, eh? Eh?"
"Did you just try to pun me, Ruby? That is my job! Stick to your lane!"
"My children are a lost cause..." The father ran his hand over his face and sighed. "Come on, you two, let's head home before the sun sets. Maybe we can stop and grab dinner on the way."
"Oh, oh! Can we get noodles?" Ruby jumped excitedly, joining her father's side. "I saw this neat little stand as we came over and wanted to try it! Can we, can we?"
"I'm game!" Yang grinned, pulling out a pair of shades and sliding them over her battered face. "Think I know the place Rubes is talking about, and I wanted to try it myself."
"Looks like I'm outnumbered here, so noodles it is!" The father chirped as they walked down the hall, a smile on his face, and chuckled in his tone, enjoying the company of his daughters as they left Blake's hearing range.
Blake's ears stopped twitching as she settled back in her seat, a thoughtful expression coming to her face. She had never thought about it before until now, but...
With all her training, she had the skills. She had killed Grimm quite easily before. Could it be possible for her to send a letter and her records so that she could...
Her eyes shimmered as she now had hope. If she could get into a place like that, it was somewhere that the White Fang couldn't easily access! Even Adam wouldn't be able to touch her while she was on the premises of a Huntsman academy!
It was worth a shot!
It was her best shot!
Now she just needed to find out how to get her records...
That was going to be a pain.
[ X ]
He had to say it.
Naruto did not like hospitals. He didn't have many fond memories of them. That trend was following suit, and he was perplexed.
Everything that the girl was speaking about left him baffled. The item called a scroll was even more confusing, as that wasn't what a scroll was! Scrolls were things you could write or put stuff into, thanks to seals!
Vale. Remnant. Grimm. Faunus.
He didn't understand anything she said, but in fairness, as he looked at the equipment he was hooked up to, it was more advanced than anything he had ever seen in Konoha. He knew Tsunade had made a lot of medical advances in the last few years, and he had seen a few tech upgrades, but this was a massive improvement over anything he had seen. Naruto recognized some of it and its functions, but other things...
His mind was swirling with the influx of information.
Something felt seriously off, and Naruto couldn't figure it out, so all that was left to do was meditate and feel it out. Find out what was happening for himself.
He could have gone into his chakra state, feeling Kurama's presence within, but wanted to give him some rest. His buddy earned it.
Besides, he could still strangely feel that form. And if he still had access to it, well, Naruto was gonna use it.
Naruto couldn't explain why he had it. He thought, to reactivate it, that he would need the rest to visit, like Old Man Sage said they should? He didn't know what to make of it.
The girl, Blake, was her name, wouldn't be of any help. He was sure of that. She was already giving him odd stares when he didn't know something. Didn't want to press her further, if she was even still here. Might have already left, which wouldn't surprise him, given the situation.
Taking a calming breath, he focused on drawing upon the natural flow of the world's energy. He had to make sure no one was coming by so as not to freak them out, as he had noticed how shocked Blake happened to be when he temporarily took the form to heal his wound.
Didn't want to cause a panic.
It was more complicated than usual, and he began to wonder if the old sage had taken the powers back. That would blow, but with Kaguya defeated and sealed away, did he need them?
Wait, it was more difficult to channel the world's flow than usual. It felt different. Off.
Something was wrong with it.
There was darkness within it that he did not like. It felt foul. Tainted. Disgusting.
There was also an unusual flow of energy, in sync with the natural flow of raw energy, that he couldn't identify. And both interfered with his ability to meld and draw on natural energy.
Then a surge built within, and Naruto smiled.
Nope.
The old man didn't take them away.
He still had it.
A golden aura lit up around Naruto as he sat in his hospital bed. Nine orbs floated around him. His eyes snapped open, and he could see everything.
He wasn't anywhere near home anymore.
Naruto couldn't feel anyone he recognized. No one was there. Not a single person.
And everything was different. So much different from what he last saw when he first felt the world...
He wasn't even sure this was the same world. It didn't feel the same.
"Where am I?" Naruto puzzled, unsure what to make of what he was feeling. "Did something happen after my fight with Sasuke? But how? We were on the verge of death..."
Frowning as another worrying thought crossed his mind. Only he was found, not Sasuke. Where was his friend? Despite his lack of awareness upon returning to consciousness...
He smelled wildflowers. His scent was there. So why wasn't he right there and found by Blake, who admitted she found him by the smell of his blood?
"This is too confusing," He grunted, scratching his head as he let his aura fade, feeling a familiar presence walking to his door. "Guess I am gonna have to do some old-fashioned investigation to figure out what's happening."
"Where am I even gonna begin, though? I don't have a clue where to start."
[ X ]
"How are you standing right now?"
"Very easily," Naruto responded to Blake's astonished question with a quip that would make Kakashi proud as she entered the room, watching him slide on his ravaged fishnet shirt and struggling to slide on his jacket.
Doing things with one arm was quite tricky!
It was a miracle he got his pants on! Thankfully, he was ambidextrous, but losing his dominant arm was still an issue. And it took time for him to learn that trait, as it was something Sasuke had commented on that saved them during the Chunin exams when someone posed as him, as they were too efficient with their left hand...
Stupid Sasuke noticing things...
Did get him to improve, though, so...
Blake's ears and eyes twitched. Was he mocking her? She asked a serious question!
She repressed a snarl. No, if he didn't know anything, he would amuse himself by taunting the Faunus. So she decided to approach him with a different method.
"What I mean is, how have you managed to recover so quickly?" Blake glowered, still annoyed with his earlier joking. "I've never seen such Aura regenerative abilities. You had sustained what the physicians started as life-threatening injuries, and within a day, you are standing only bruised and sore? What are you?"
"Really strong." Naruto could feel Kakashi's eyes smiling at him for that witticism.
Blake blew her top as her golden eyes contracted as she vividly glared at Naruto. "That doesn't... Strength has nothing to do with this! Ah! Why are you so frustrating? Why don't you know anything? None of this makes any sense! Stop laughing! You think this is funny?"
"I'm sorry," Naruto tried to contain his laughter, failing miserably as he observed the irate cat girl before him, who only seethed further at his reaction. "I can't help it. I see a cute girl, and part of me has to poke some fun at her. Probably why I got punched so much!"
"I'm about to punch you right now, jerk! Sounds like you pick on girls!"
"Please don't! That's not how I meant it, I swear!" Naruto held up his hands in mock defense as he shrank in front of the black haired cat-girl. "I'm sorry! I feel strangely comfortable around you, and I don't know why! You have this odd familiarity that I can't explain, and you... Have a scent I recognize!"
"A scent?" Blake went rigid and stood straight, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end as she looked at the blonde in front of her. "You can smell my scent? How? That's not something a human should be able to do. Only Faunus have a strong enough olfactory capacity to do that! What are you?"
"Okay, so what? I can smell you. I guess that makes me a Faunus?"
"That's not how it works!"
"Well, I don't know what you want of me! I'm trying to figure it out, and you aren't making this any easier!"
Blake made a frustrated gargle of noises as she gazed up at the ceiling in annoyance, ready to give up and leave, never to return. This wasn't worth the hassle!
But curiosity was killing her! And something inside of her was eating her alive, so she needed to know! Just what was so peculiar about him that was drawing her attention? And why was she so interested?
It bothered her!
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she decided to try this again. Maybe it was just her approach and being on edge after what happened with Adam in the forest and seeing the news on the train.
Opening her eyes, letting them glisten, she softly sighed. "I apologize, I'm a little off after everything, and my emotions are all over, and I don't have control over them. It all happened so quickly that I'm at a loss, and I don't have many options left. I can only hope that the plan I have crafted works. If it doesn't, I'm not sure what is next for me... There isn't much hope for deserters like myself, even for who I am..."
Naruto tilted his head, having an expression of understanding as she relayed what was bothering her, for he had been there and seen it firsthand. A soft expression filled his features, and he smiled, a light chuckle leaving his lips as he scratched his head. "Guess that makes two of us. Sorry if I have been less than forthcoming, but I'm rather taken aback by everything around me and don't understand it either. I am at a loss and defensive. So I get where you are coming from."
"We have both been discombobulated, it seems." Blake smiled, oddly feeling relaxed by his genuine admission.
"Discum-but-whated?"
Blake twitched. Did he seriously not understand what she just...
She saw the grin and sighed. He was still playing with her. She couldn't tell with him, as she couldn't gauge anything with him...
He felt too unpredictable.
"I feel this is the norm with you, isn't it?" Blake hung her head.
Naruto gleamed at her with a massive grin. "I've gotten better over time, but oh yeah, my prankster's spirit has never left me. And I feel you are too down in the dumps and needed a lift, so joking is the only thing I've got! Got to do something to make you feel better otherwise, you're gonna drag me down too, and I ain't got time for that!"
Blake scowled, squinting at the annoying blonde. How did he know that she was upset and having a hard time? While he could have inferred it from everything before and what she had just said, he had been joking the entire time she stepped into this room, and his playfulness...
"What are you doing?" Blake's eyes opened wide as she saw him open the window.
"Is it not obvious?" Naruto blinked as he looked back, confused. "I thought it would be apparent by what I just said."
"You can't just leap out of the hospital!" Blake shrieked, eyes bulging as he already had a leg out the window. "They haven't cleared you yet! You still look like you just were beaten half to death..."
"Me beaten half to death is better than anyone else. I can guarantee that." Naruto had a broad, cocky smirk as he closed his eyes. "After all, I have been training to be the best there was since I was young and became my village's leader. Got no time to sit around here, so I'm gonna go and solve this mystery!"
"See ya!" Naruto waved as he leapt out the hospital window, coasting through the air as the wind breezed through his hair, taking a deep breath of...
He began to have a fit of coughing, barely landing on the concrete below safely before spitting up.
"Oh, by the Sages, this air is horrible! It tastes awful! What is wrong with it?"
[ X ]
It was official.
Naruto had no clue where anything was or what he was doing.
Wasn't helping people, who were giving him nasty glances and staying clear of him. He scowled as it hit a little too close to home, but this one he could blame himself. He was the one who came outside looking like a beaten-down street bum.
And now his belly was rumbling, and he had no clue how to afford anything in this place. It was annoying that one place he went wouldn't accept his Ryo and treated him like a scoundrel. So he was in a new area and had to procure a new currency.
He was most likely gonna have to make it to the wilderness tonight and hunt if he wanted a meal. He had to thank Jiraiya for teaching him that skill. He sighed, a sad smile on his face as he thought about his sensei.
He loved the man, but...
He wished they had done more when they went out. Their trip was more about teaching him how to become a man than anything else. It wasn't really about training, although there was some of that too. If they had done more training, he felt maybe...
Shaking his head as there was no need to dig up the past, he forged ahead, trying to figure out where he was. There was an odd scent about, and he knew it.
Naruto grinned.
Saltwater.
That meant fish! With a bit of ninja wire and the few senbon he had, he could easily procure a meal for the day! It wouldn't be elegant, but it would do the trick!
At least until he figured out how to make some money here and understand what was happening and where he was, but that would be the next step. Survival was always step one. And since no one was actively hunting him, procuring food and water was most imperative. And as water fountains and bathrooms were plentiful, that wasn't an issue...
Finding the source of the scent, Naruto marveled at the scene of the docks for quite some time. It wasn't too different from what he had seen before when he had traveled by boat, but the sea had always amazed him. It was such a majestic sight. One he enjoyed beholding.
As he traveled onto the docks, scouting for a place to fish, Naruto felt the minor inconveniences slowly accumulate around him as he sat on the edge. It was so much more difficult attempting things he had naturally done before with both hands, and it was frustrating. He was tempted to summon a shadow clone to help him, and even then, he came to a hard realization that was harder than before, too!
He knew how to summon with one-handed signs, but he was going to have to relearn everything!
By the third time he dropped the senbon while attempting to tie the wire onto it, he was genuinely agitated. "Are you kidding me? Will you get on, you stupid..."
"Allow me."
Frowning as he thought he felt her presence, Naruto scowled as he noticed Blake kneel, taking the senbon, and did what he could not. "So you did follow me? I have to ask why?"
"I don't have a good answer for you." Blake finished tying the wire to the senbon, handing it to Naruto as her eyes gazed longingly at the sea. "I wish I did. Finding you the way I did triggered something within me. I don't know how to explain it, but I didn't want to leave you alone. Now, with everything that has happened, I feel this can't be a coincidence. I believe there is something more to it, and I want to know what it is."
Gazing curiously at the cat-eared girl with his head tilted, Naruto had an odd sense of deja vu. If he didn't know any better, he felt like someone was listening to him when he was talking to...
"Besides, you obviously need more help than you are willing to admit." Blake flipped her hair and gazed at him with a confident grin. "And you don't know anything around here, so you are bound to only get into trouble. I feel obligated to keep you out of it after the hospital incident. They called the police and everything, and they are searching for you right now to bring you back. They couldn't possibly believe a half-dead person was able to get so far."
"Nani?" Naruto jumped in his seat, alarmed at the prospect, before chuckling as he tossed his senbon straight through his target. "Well, not the first time I've alarmed people at a hospital before, so that's nothing new. But okay, I'll accept. Having a partner right now couldn't hurt. The more friends, the better!"
Blake expressed curiosity, looking almost puzzled, before her eyes glistened in excitement upon seeing Naruto reel the wire back, seeing the size of the fish being drawn back. "Oh! That's a keeper! Yes, my darling... I will love you for eternity..."
"Someone likes fish, I see." Naruto laughed at her reaction, unable to control it as he plopped it on the dock and watched her gaze upon it with sparkles and hearts in her eyes. "Guess I'll need more than I thought to feed us both!"
"Yes! All the fish!" Blake's head shot up, her ears perking, and the broadest smile he had seen on her so far. "I'll cook!"
"Works for me, WildFlower!" Naruto shot back, tossing the senbon back in and hitting his next target, while Blake looked on ecstatically.
Even though internally, she was even more curious about him than before...
How did he know she liked wildflowers?