What was this?
Where was this?
Why was she here?
None of this made sense. How did she end up here? This place was fictional!
She had seen this place before. She recognized it from the artwork sporadically scattered across the page alongside the characters. It was how she recognized everyone when they found her. And now that she was here in their village...
She panicked and bolted. Seeing every detail she had seen before. The vast mansion where many of the main events kicked off in office that he wished to inherit one day. The town's streets and a convenient little ramen shop nestled just a short distance from where she sprinted from. The luscious forest that surrounded the quaint but archaic village.
But what loomed above all others was the one thing that made her stop. The first artwork shown... although he defiled it on one of his notorious prank sprees. His first one depicted.
The monument to former village leaders. This version was updated to include their fifth leader, the first woman to lead their village...
She stood rooted to the spot, staring at the monument, struggling to process her environment. This had to be a dream. This couldn't be real.
"Hey!" His voice resonated behind her, sending a shiver down her spine.
Of course, it had to be him sent after her after others failed. He had likely given chase once he heard she fled upon waking up. If it wasn't for her Semblance, Shadow, she wasn't sure she would have evaded capture several times...
Hesitantly turning, her entire body shuddering, golden eyes bored into cerulean hues stared at her with annoyance. Her eyes flickered in and out. Her heart thundered in her chest. Her breathing became ragged and raspy. None of this made any sense!
"Why have you been running and evading everyone all morning? ... I mean, I get it. Wake up in a strange place... Quite jarring... You've been giving Granny a headache..." His face stiffened and shifted, worry now etched on his expression. Her appearance had suddenly changed, and the way she was trembling... "Hey... Are you okay? You are ghostly pale..."
"Don't you faint on me again!" Naruto dove and caught her as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. "Dammit! Come on!"
"I just wanna know what's up with ya!"
[ X ]
This had been a frustrating morning.
There was something strange in the air today. Everything changed since the teams she sent to rescue the Kazekage and aid their ally in Suna returned last night. The negative energy of nearly failing their mission likely returned with them. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
Or maybe it was because of him. Ever since she knew him... Odd things happened around him. And not even because of him... They just happened. He was a magnet for them. And now...
A random cat-eared girl in the forest that they just happened to stumble on in his presence after what they could only describe as a flashbang, and immediately passed out upon seeing them? Panicking and fleeing upon waking, evading her ninja with an ability that seemed like a fusion of Substitute and Clone techniques in one?
Yeah, seemed like something that would happen around him.
"So, let me get this straight." Tsunade exhaled, massaging her temple, having the door to her office snapped open, and Naruto barged into her room with the unconscious body of the girl in his arms. "You were supposed to bring her back. Not knock her out."
"That's not what happened! She passed out on me again!" Naruto snapped, squinting at Tsunade while Sakura stepped beside him, snorting in amusement. "Why does everyone keep thinking that?! I'm better than that, ya know!"
"Funny as it is to watch Naruto squirm, she fainted again right as he found her." Sakura sighed, frowning and scrunching her brow at the girl. "I wasn't too far behind Naruto when he found her, and I saw most of their interaction. Something felt off about her, so I told him to bring her back here before waking her up. I think you want to talk to her for yourself. See it first hand...."
Pursing her lips, observing with Sakura, she placed her hand on the unconscious teen's head before applying her chakra and kept careful observation as the cat-eared girl jolted awake. Her pale features were immediately noticeable as Naruto released her and let her stand on her own, but what caught her attention was the look on her face as she scanned the room.
It was almost as if she recognized this place.
Sharing a glance with Sakura, who nodded, Tsunade furrowed her brow. This girl, who no one recognized and whose background yielded no results, recognized this room? That was peculiar; however, her reaction to seeing Naruto was the most surprising.
Clearly, she knew who he was, which, for some reason, scared her.
An unsettling sensation knotted within Tsunade's stomach as she watched her stumble away from him in particular. Something didn't feel quite right...
"No, no, no..." Blake muttered, eyes flickering and dilated as she intently focused on Naruto. Her ears wildly twitched as she shook her head in disbelief, tripping over her feet, yet she still tried to crawl back and away. "This can't be happening..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, dammit! We're trying to help ya!" Naruto repressed a growl and shouted back at her, expressing his frustration upon seeing her reaction toward him specifically. He understood she was confused and afraid of being in a new environment, not recognizing anything, so something was wrong... But... He hadn't done anything to her! Why was she acting so afraid of him?!
However, Tsunade immediately could tell his voice resonated with her—in the way it did with many when he first spoke to them...
It severely irritated her.
Blake's ears pinned back, and her eyes dilated and bore her unfiltered rage toward Naruto. "Calm down? Calm down! Don't tell me to call down! This shouldn't be possible! I can't be here! This has to be a dream! This world... I shouldn't be here! "
Tsunade's eyes flickered widely while Naruto continued to get frustrated by her reaction. She thought this was a dream? Her brow furrowed. That was an interesting tidbit explaining some of her rationale and actions.
"What do you mean, shouldn't be here! That doesn't make sense!" Naruto squinted and matched Blake's aggressive tone, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow. "This ain't no dream! We found you in the forest after a loud bang and flash of light on our way back home! You passed out before we could ask you what happened, so we brought you back to get some information just in case of an emergency!"
Blake's ears stood on end. Her eyes flickered. And Tsunade could read that she recognized something in what Naruto had told her. She quickly intervened, sensing that these two could argue for hours if left to their own devices; Tsunade felt she had more than enough to act. "Miss, regardless of his tone, Naruto is telling the truth. The circumstances of how my shinobi found you are quite unusual. We would appreciate it if you would cooperate so we can help solve any outstanding issues, as it's quite clear something has you distressed..."
"Of course I'm distressed! I shouldn't be here!" Blake hissed before shrinking at the stern gaze sent in her direction by Tsunade. With just a little bit of intent... Ah, if only it worked on Naruto... Nothing could control that boy when he got going.
The boy was headstrong, and no one could intimidate him. The boy acted even when he was afraid... A trait he shared with his master.
"I understand you are stressed. But to discover precisely what is wrong, you must calm down and tell us." Tsunade frowned, noticing her eyes were shifting, taking in every detail around her, and wincing as Tsunade snapped her fingers to draw her attention back to her. "Start from the beginning if you have to. Please tell us your name. Then we'll work towards your situation and why you shouldn't be here."
Blake's ears folded and curled. She shrank into herself, nervously twitching. Biting her lip, she fidgeted as she attempted to meet Tsunade's gaze. "You won't believe me..."
"Try me. I've seen my share of unbelievable things." Tsunade replied, carefully observing the fidgeting girl.
"So have I!" Naruto chirped, a broad smile stretching on his lips, ignoring the shaded Tsunade shot at him and the exasperated sigh from Sakura."From saving princesses and changing a land of snow into a land of spring to fighting a towering mechanized fortress! There ain't nothing you can say that will surprise me!"
"You say that now..." Blake muttered under her breath. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she glanced at everyone in the room. "My name is Blake Belladonna... And I don't know how, or really where to begin..."
"But I somehow ended up being sucked into the world of one of my favorite book series."
[ X ]
"I have a book written about me... Yatta! That's so awesome!" Naruto jovially pumped his fist in the air. He was suddenly in front of Blake, beaming and making her uncomfortable as she leaned as far back as she could. "Oh, I gotta read that myself. We have to find a way back for ya so I can go along and..."
"You can't be serious. You can't believe any of this story." Sakura's face scrunched. She couldn't hold her tongue any longer. How could Naruto be so gullible and believe what this stranger had told them? It was so fantastical.
"Mah, why wouldn't I?" Naruto came from his rush and scowled at Sakura. "I think it's cool! Coming from another world! The connecting thread is a book... It's like some of those fantasy movies, ya know!"
Sakura let out a pitiful sigh, dropping her head momentarily before glancing back up at Naruto with an annoyed glare. "Why am I not surprised you believe this?"
Blake's ears curled. She sent a hurtful glance toward Sakura. She understood why she didn't believe her. She would have had the same doubts in a similar circumstance...
"And why shouldn't we believe it?" Blake's eyes flickered, and all attention fell upon Tsunade, who held a straight face as she gazed upon Blake, almost scrutinizing her with her stare. Then, flicking her hand toward Blake, she posed a simple question. "Ms. Belladonna, who am I?"
Grimacing, Blake's eyes shifted for a moment. She was testing her? If her story were true, then she would know who they were... Taking a deep breath, she straightened her figure and gazed upon the Hokage. "Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of Konoha."
Sakura frowned. What was Tsunade trying to prove? She was the Hokage and renowned throughout the land. Very few people wouldn't know who she was...
"And who is she?" Tsunade motioned toward Sakura.
Feeling golden eyes shift toward her, Sakura leaned back. Okay, that was the point Tsunade was making. Still, she was her apprentice, and some people had to know who she was...
"...Sakura Haruno," Blake stated hesitantly, noticing the frown quivering on Sakura's face. She understood the disbelief, but if she followed the line of inquiry correctly, next would be...
"And who is he?" Blake fidgeted, seeing Tsunade motion toward Naruto. She was correct.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Sakura scowled. As much as it was annoying, mainly as it inflated his ego, Naruto was a known figure in particular regions such as the Land of Spring and Waves... He had a bridge named after him!
"And, what is special about him?"
Sakura froze, and Naruto went rigid. That didn't last long as he angrily retorted and barked at Tsunade. "Hey, what are you doing, old hag?"
"Proving a point. If she knows, her story is true, is it not?" Tsunade replied regretfully to Naruto but held a stoic demeanor. She understood his apprehension, but Sakura was on her way to learning... "If anything, given the report on your mission... She already knows."
Her eyes shifted toward her teammate. She hadn't seen him this nervous or agitated in a long time. Still, that left a lingering question. What was unique about Naruto? Why ask this question? Sure, Naruto was a unique character ...Wait, did she mean... She had only begun to suspect, given his reaction while rescuing Gaara...
And her? Why was she nervous? Sakura glowered. She was antsy and trembling at the question. Glancing nervously toward Naruto. There was no way this girl they just met knew anything more about Naruto than she did...
"I don't think I should say..."
"It's okay..." Naruto exhaled, biting his lip momentarily while glancing over at Sakura, whose eyes widened as she looked between everyone. "I've been meaning to tell Sakura... But if she already thinks she knows, this will confirm it."
His nervous glance at his friend made Blake wince, despite his friend's vote of confidence. She still didn't want to say... She knew how they painted his nervousness when the subject was broached in the pages... It was one of his few fears that he would lose his friends because of it... But with all eyes upon her, Blake exhaled, lowering her head to wear a shadow formed over her eyes.
"He possesses two souls... One sealed inside of him... The spirit of the Nine-Tailed fox."
Sakura's eyes widened momentarily, sending a worried glance toward a sullen Naruto. However, upon seeing his reaction, she frowned and looked as if she wanted to say something. However, before she could say anything, she was interrupted as Tsunade spoke. "Do you understand now? I began to suspect something, gauging her reaction, and now I am certain. It may be unbelievable, but I believe Ms. Belladonna here is from another world... One that has a connection with our own through a simple book."
"And if we find this book... We can send her home!" Naruto's eyes sparkled, losing the sullen demeanor he had had a moment before as he glanced over at Blake, excitement returning. "Well, let's get to searching! We'll find this book in no time!"
"I'm glad you volunteered." A sly grin crept across Tsunade's lips, causing Naruto to freeze. Usually, Tsunade was annoyed when he tried to get missions and found it agitating. His eyes narrowed. What was she plotting?
"Since you didn't find a book with her, it means we'll have to search for it." Naruto's eyes flickered wide, a sudden realization dawning on him as Tsunade's grin grew. "I'm assigning you in particular because if this book is about you, who better to find it than the story's hero?"
"So get to work. Who knows where it could be?"
[ X ]
"Wow! So cool!" Ruby's eyes sparkled as she soaked in every word of Blake's tale.
It was honestly uncomfortable to have her gaze be so fixated on her. Or doting. Blake leaned away from her team captain. This was almost like how Sakura looked at Sasuke...
"Damn, girl!" Yang thumbed through the pages, brow furrowed before smirking. "That's the weirdest start of a story I've heard... That would be so awesome to visit another world! I always dreamed of going to that one with all the street fighters who fight in world tournaments! See how I stack up!"
Blake scowled. A hiss caught in her throat. Her eyes narrowed before she took a deep breath to relax, and her features settled. She knew it was a simple wanton desire. Something most everyone had a dream about when they were kids, and on occasion as they grew up.
Still...
"Do you think it would still be fun if you were dumped into an unfamiliar place, without warning or cause... That you were hopelessly stuck with no way to return home... Away from your family. Your friends." Blake replied with a nonchalant edge, staring Yang directly in the eyes. "And then to realize all the training you've put in to make a difference here or carve out their path... Still leaves you as strong as many children who do the same in their world. ...And that strength is meaningless when the real threats arrive and can wipe out cities... Whole countries in a matter of seconds."
Yang swallowed the lump in her throat. Her eyes flickered wide, and she wildly shook her head, taking a hesitant step back. "No, no, no! I didn't mean to make light of your situation... I just..."
Blake glowered before exhaling in exhaustion, letting her expression fade to a more solemn one. She looped her finger against the fabric of a black bandana tied snuggly around her neck. She glanced down and weakly smiled at the metallic plate and the swirled leaf... Noticing the circled and indented scar etched on her hand... she still felt the pain.
Still, Yang wasn't entirely wrong to have such fantasies... She grew to love it there despite everything... And him. If only...
"It sounds too fantastical. I don't believe it." Blake's ears went rigid, and she suppressed a hiss. Her head shot up, and her gaze was met by two blue eyes staring quizzically at her before she took the book from Yang and glanced through it. "You realize how easy it is to fake a self-insert like this? It doesn't take much Lien to get a singular book printed."
Blake frowned. She didn't expect any of them to believe her honestly, so this reaction was more expected. Weiss being critical of her tale...
"But her story sounds so genuine... Like she's speaking from the heart." Ruby's lips quivered, and her brow furrowed as she turned to Weiss. "I don't know about you... But I don't feel like she's lying."
Weiss scoffed and shook her head, glaring at her naive team leader. "Ruby, here's a lesson for you. There are many people out there who can sound convincing even as they lie through their teeth. They are so charismatic that they can get almost anyone to believe their drivel. From politicians to CEOs to protest movements to heads of cults ... They all have the same thing in common."
Blake repressed a snarl. She knew Weiss wasn't aware, but she inadvertently insulted her parents. She knew her family had issues with the White Fang, but that was all his fault.
Oh, how she wanted to snap back... And her temper, the temper she inherited from her father, grew in her time away... All her time being around someone who wore their heart on their sleeve didn't exactly help...
"Okay, but then explain why she is constantly reading the book? Sounds pretty narcissistic to me." Yang scowled, crossing her arms. "And I like to think of myself as a good judge of character, and while I don't know Blake too well... I don't think she's lying. I think she's telling us the truth. Why would she go out of her way to tell us a fabricated story?"
As Weiss furrowed her brow and glowered toward Yang, Blake tilted her head at the two sisters. They believed her? She truthfully didn't expect any of them to when she handed them the book. Ruby, she thought, might have believed her. The girl was naive and had a whimsical view of the world...
Yang, on the other hand... Bubble and energetic as she was... Felt more grounded. As if she had dealt with and struggled with issues of her own...
"I will admit reading the book constantly is certainly odd... And I don't think she's a narcissist." Weiss admitted with a frown, glancing at her and shaking her head. "But, it is also a great cover story for someone who doesn't want to talk about their past. For all we know, the character could have the same name purely by coincidence. I've seen many people with names similar to those in books and the media..."
"Aren't those names usually inspired by the media, though?" Ruby pursed her lips with her head tilted. "It's kind of odd when someone has the same name as a character in a media form before that medium existed, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, usually... That is peculiar..." Weiss's confident features and composure fell. Clearly, that was something she thought of and didn't make sense...
Blake sighed as she rose from her bed. Gently holding her hand toward Weiss, asking for the book back. "We didn't expect any of you to believe me... It's fine to doubt us. That's what we expected..."
"We?" Yang immediately picked up on the strange word choice. "Us? Wait a second... I know you make clones for your Semblance, but this isn't..."
"Yeah, we. I'm just a clone." Blake took back her book from a wavering Weiss as the rest of her team was surprised by this admission. Setting the book on her creator's bed, the clone exhaled and shook her head. "She left a while ago... Left me here so she could get some air."
"What?!" Ruby stuttered, her eyes growing wide yet sparkling in amazement. "Wait, hold on! Your Semblance can create sentient clones?!"
"No," Blake's clone smiled and shook her head. "Shadow is our Semblance. The Shadow Clone technique is something we learned during our year in that world... From him..." The clone's expression faltered, and with a sigh. "Well, my time is up... If you want to talk to her, she's at the library. Bye."
With a plume of smoke, the rest of her team jumped as the clone of Blake dispersed. All three looked around wildly, unsure of what had happened, having seen her Semblance before. "What just happened?"
"I don't know..." Ruby's eyes shone vividly as she stared at where Blake's clone had been. "But that was cool! She really learned how to be a ninja! Her story must be true!"
Weiss scowled, sending a reproachful glance toward Ruby. "Come on, that was just her Semblance..."
"I don't think it was... Her clone disappears with an element or turns to shadows as soon as she uses it. This was something new." Yang pursed her lips and squinted at the smoke dispersing in the room. Grabbing her vest jacket, Yang slipped it on as she rushed for the door. "Alright, who's with me?"
"I'm going to the library to get some answers!"
[ X ]
"No... Still nothing." Blake softly sighed, running her hand through the spine of the books on the shelf.
There was nothing here. She had explored every shelf, unable to find what she sought. She had come to expect that...
Blake scoffed, a thin smile gracing her features, taking in the scenery around her. "I've done this before... To think I would do it again to try and find my way back... Who's there?"
Rapidly spinning, sensing someone approaching, her ears that were folded on her head stood up on end, surprised at who approached. "Professor? Sorry! You startled me..."
"No need for apologies, Ms. Belladonna. I should apologize for startling you with my intrusion." Oz faintly smiled at the young aspiring Huntress. Turning his attention to the books on the shelf, almost as if he was admiring them, she noticed his focus was still wholly on her. "I've noticed that you spend most of your off time here instead of with your team..."
"Ruby came to you, didn't she?" Blake frowned, taking in the headmaster's sudden appearance before her.
"Heh, I won't say she didn't express her worries. They are well-founded. She's still finding the confidence to lead and has two complicated individuals she's trying to reach," Ozpin chuckled. His expression softened as he pulled up a familiar book behind his back. "Her issues with Weiss are understandable... You, however..."
Blake stiffened, her eyes shifting between the book and the Professor rapidly. He had found out? But wouldn't he have had the same doubts...
"I have to say, your tale is fascinating." Brown eyes fell onto Blake as the Professor looked away from the book. "Your story is quite intriguing. You disappeared for nearly two years only to reappear with a new view on life and take action against people who would have been her comrades... Then there is this book. As someone who knows there is more to a tale than what is shown on the surface..."
"I would like to hear more from you if you wouldn't mind."