"You heading out? Ya know, if you wait a little while longer, Granny will be finished with our arms..."
"I don't need it. I have too much to repent for to wait around. If I am to pay off the debt of my sins, I mustn't waste a moment if I wish to carve a path of redemption."
"Mah, tried to stop ya. Just come back every now and then. Don't keep Sakura waiting this time, or I'll come find you and beat ya ass back home. You better believe it."
"Is that so? ...Hn, I'll be going... You look different than usual. What happened with her still on your mind?"
"I hate how observant you are... Can't hide anything from you, can I?"
"No... You are easy to read."
"Jerk. Yeah, she's still on my mind. I'm still looking for that book. Maybe... Well, maybe she can come back..."
"You would bring her back even though she wanted to return home? Hn, you refused to let me go, so I'm not surprised."
"Mah, it's not like that... She started to like it here. She even stopped looking for the book..."
"Hm... I'll be going now... You saved me, so allow me this chance to redeem myself. I'll find this book and bring her back."
[ X ]
(Remnant - Current Time)
This office had a familiar vibe. As the clock to the central tower ticked behind the headmaster as he brewed a kettle of cocoa on his desk, Blake observed the room. It was a simple room, unlike any other she had been in. Yet she couldn't help but feel like she had been here before. And in some way, she had.
This was like she was stepping into the Hokage's office all over again, only this time...
Blake exhaled. Even now, she was reminiscing over her time in that world. She couldn't stop thinking about it. So much time she spent trying to find a way home, and now that she had returned... She wanted to go back to Earth. Back to him...
"It must have been quite a journey," She lifted her eyes to the Professor as he set a teacup before her, briskly filling it with cocoa. "One would say supernatural or, perhaps, even magical."
"No one else has believed me so far. Not even my father or mother." Blake frowned, recalling when she returned home, stepping into her old bedroom for the first time in over a year. "They thought I had run away the entire time. Joined the White Fang against their will and fabricated a story to shift the blame. They found my journey to be ridiculous. Can't say I blame them after the last conversation I had with them went."
"Did it really matter?" Ozpin sat behind his desk and leaned back in his chair, reaching for his cup and gently bringing it to his lap. "Don't get me wrong. I understand better than most people when people don't believe what you have to say, for it is often ridiculous. But I would think, after a year without seeing their daughter or hearing a single word from her, I imagine they were simply to hear you were alive, and that was more important than anything else."
"It was. Even by the end, my goal was to see them again... To see all my friends again and tell them I was fine and not worry about me." Blake hesitantly smiled, thinking back on her return and their faces. "But you're right, it doesn't matter. I was home and more mature than when I had left. When I told them goodbye this time as I left to come here, maybe they were starting to believe that the story I told them was true."
"Surely you had evidence to the contrary. I have seen it with your clones spending time in the library while you are in class... Or with your team when you are in the library." A gentle frown curled on Ozpin's lip at the latter part.
"I did, but it wasn't necessary. They were simply happy I returned and now had a new view on life. I was a new person, and hearing that I was aiming to come here to become a Huntress to achieve my goals, they were worried but felt more assured than before." Blake frowned, gazing into the cocoa. "I do have to apologize. When I sent you that letter asking for acceptance here, there was an ulterior motive."
"I only wish to become a Huntress to gain access to information... To see if there is a way to return home."
[ X ]
(Earth, Two Years Prior)
It had already been several weeks. How had it been that long already?
Lying in bed as the sunlight flickered, golden eyes wavered. She still found it difficult to sleep in this place. In the mansion where the Hokage resided. That would be intimidating enough in this world, but this wasn't her world. She was trapped here... With no guaranteed way to return... To see her family again. To see Adam...
Blake whimpered, rolling over onto her side and tossing the sheet to the side. She gazed out the window as the sun rose, her ears twitching as she listened to the birds chirping. Those thoughts had become increasingly prevalent and increasingly difficult to keep out of her head. And it didn't help that the person assigned to help her find her way home suddenly had another mission and used what little money he had to hire some of his friends to help her while he was away!
It was a sweet gesture, although they could not find traces of anything, and she was left to search through libraries to see if the book had just randomly appeared somewhere else! It was frustrating enough on its own... But her curiosity was getting the best of her!
She wanted to know what was happening with him on his mission! She was invested in the story and knew they received information on a spy within the snake's lair, but...
Blake exhaled, vacantly gazing into the sunlight as her thoughts overwhelmed her. Was she ever going to return home? Or was she...
A knock on her door jolted her up, causing her to jerk the sheets over her chest. Glancing over at the alarm clock situated on the dresser next to her, Blake winced. It was well past the usual breakfast time. It was almost lunchtime. She was surprised she hadn't been checked in on yet, given the time... Lady Hokage wasn't a patient person...
"Pardon my intrusion, but I came to check on you," Blake heard the kindly nurse, Shizune, called out as her door creaked open. Blake exhaled, lowering the sheet as the kind nurse entered. It wasn't like she wasn't covered. She was thankful for the night kimono she had been provided. It was just the principle of the matter.
The last person she wanted walking in on her, even semi-exposed, would be him. She knew how perverted he was becoming! It wasn't his fault, but spending two and a half years training under the self-proclaimed super pervert had only enhanced the faults he already had... Hilarious faults when reading through a book, but in person...
Not so much.
"I apologize... I lost track of time." Blake lowered her head, acknowledging Shizune, unable to look up at her typically warm expression.
"I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. While I can't say I've ever encountered a situation like yours, everyone gets homesick. I can't begin to imagine how unsettling it is for you." Shizune gave a thin smile, the door clicking behind her. With a small bento box in hand, she glided across the room and set the box on her nightstand. "Lady Tsunade wanted to see if you were okay, so I brought you lunch to check on you."
"Thank you," Blake gratefully appreciated the offer, a faint smile gracing her features as she glanced at the box. Her stomach was rumbling, but she really enjoyed the food here. All the fish she could ever want... "I'll be out soon... By any chance, has he returned? I, well..."
"He returned this morning." Shizune's mood brightened as the conversation shifted. "He came by this morning to check on you and left a message that they would be at the library when you are ready! He's matured so much! He would have busted in here a few years ago and checked on you himself. Any time someone he considers a friend is in trouble..."
Blake's lips quivered, and she repressed a laugh. She knew that well enough. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed reading the book. His steadfast loyalty to his friends and willingness to do whatever it took for them...
"A friend?" Blake frowned, her ears curling on her head as it shrank into her shoulders.
"That's what he would consider you," Shizune scoffed with a smile, putting a hand on her hip. "He's really taken a shine to you. You, unlike many others, know the real him better. You know his secrets and accomplishments that many of us don't even know! I can understand why Tsunade believed that you were from another world... Your knowledge of this world and some of us is quite frightening."
Blake shrank further, her eyes shifting around her. It explained she was allowed to stay here, in the Hokage's mansion of all places. What she knew of this world... Of the people here...
It was a dangerous weapon that could be used against them... And Naruto, in particular. That strange group that had just shown up in the story...
"Don't keep him waiting!" Shizune chirped, waving her hand and turning to the door, a laugh in her tone. "Despite having grown more mature, he is still very impatient. I don't know how long he can keep looking through the books in the library before he breaks and comes to find you himself. The last thing you want is to be still indisposed as he breaks in here..."
"I'm getting dressed!" Blake threw the covers off her bed, rolling off the bed and toward the closet in the room. Her heart fluttered and she panicked despite wearing a kimono that thoroughly covered her assets. The idea of a boy breaking in when she was wearing nothing but her nightgown...
It was scandalous!
But if it was Adam... Maybe she could act that scene in...
Blake flushed, pulling out the clothes she had been provided. She didn't need to be thinking about any of this at all! And now she just wanted to find a way back home more than ever before!
[ X ]
This was an intriguing case he had been called for. At first, he was irritated to be called back from his information-gathering. While his research was fun, there wasn't much time left, so he had to put it aside. They had started to make moves, and any delay could be catastrophic. Not to mention, his old friend was beginning to become active again. And if he were moving, his student would be chasing after him...
But this? He could spare a moment. And if Naruto were enthralled with it, it would keep him distracted... All the better. Perhaps he could direct them and keep them distracted while keeping an eye out for them. Every second gained was valuable.
"Hm..." Jiraiya stroked his chin, examining the forest trail. "So they found her here... I would say there was nothing special about this place..."
Jiraiya frowned as he scanned the area. There was something about this place that didn't feel quite right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it reminded him of when his last student used...
His eyes sharpened at that thought. If he was right...
Withdrawing a scroll from his pouch, Jiraiya unraveled and took out a pen and an ink vial. Taking a seat on the dusty trail, he dipped his pen into the ink and flicked his brush onto the scroll. If he was right...
"Well, what do you know?" Jiraiya frowned, examining the scroll momentarily before looking up at the forest trail. "Isn't that something? I can't say I'm surprised, but I wasn't as ready to believe as Tsunade..."
"Now, what is causing these spatial distortions? And just who are you, girl?"
[ X ]
"Ugh, this is taking too long!" Naruto dropped in his seat in despair, looking at the sheer amount of books they had pulled from the shelves.
He had thought this would have been so easy! He was trying to find a book about a world called Remnant! How hard could that be?
Extremely difficult, apparently!
He had wanted to search the area where they had found Blake, but that area had been scoured since he had been gone! Hiring Team Kurenai backfired on him so hard! They all had abilities that allowed them to scope the area and left nothing he could even think of to search for! Their report was so detailed, too!
It was as bad as reading through these books! Why did Hinata have to write reports of novel length?! Why did Shino have to be so analytical?! Why couldn't they be more like Kiba...
"Ugh! Too much reading!" Naruto slumped onto the table, finally giving up as his eyes swirled. "I can't keep doing this!"
"We've only been here an hour!" Sakura scowled, sending a sharp side glance at Naruto. She gritted her teeth before smacking him in the back of the head with a book, causing him to let out a moan of pain. "This is your fault, need I to remind you! You volunteered for this! She's from another world, with only a mysterious book as its connection to ours! You had to realize that at some point, it was possible that we would have to scour every book around to see if we could find anything!"
"I thought we were gonna go on another fun adventure looking for this book!" Naruto shot back up and wailed, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. "How was I supposed to know it would be like this? Usually, we are on the road, heading to places like the Land of Snow, well, Spring now, or having an epic battle against those knights and dealing with that massive moving Fortress..."
"I would not consider those fun!" Sakura snapped and glowered at Naruto. "You nearly died on both of those! Why do you think I was inspired to become a medic ninja? It's because you and Sasuke... Kept getting hurt... And I didn't want to get left behind any further."
Naruto's expression softened upon seeing Sakura wince at the mention of their old teammate and slump into a depression. He grimaced. He could only imagine their run-in with Sasuke a few days ago didn't help matters either. Even he felt a sliver of doubt. With how cold and distant he had become... Could he even reach him? Could he...
"Um... Did I come in at a bad time?" Blake's voice snapped them out of their stupor.
Naruto's mood immediately improved upon seeing her nervously approach, rubbing her right arm while tugging at her white tailcoat and buttoning it over her black tank top. Nah, he could reach him. But first, he had something else he needed to do! And if he could return her home, surely he could reach Sasuke!
"Nah, just getting tired of searching through all these books!" Naruto chirped before glowering at the pile on the table.
"I can see that," Blake looked upon the scene and winced. She never meant to derail his journey with this side quest of hers... She never meant to be here at all! She just wanted to know what the next page in the book told!
He tossed his book onto the pile before slamming his hands onto the table and standing out of his chair, startling Blake and Sakura simultaneously. "Okay, that's it! We're heading out to find this book elsewhere! It's obviously not here!"
"What?" Blake flinched. What was he planning? Where were they going? They didn't have any leads.
Sakura seemed to be on the same page as Blake and frowned as she tossed her book firmly into Naruto's face to gather his attention. "And where are we going exactly? We don't have any information that points us in any certain direction! All we know is that she came here through a book about you!"
"Ow, could you stop that?" Naruto rubbed his face and stared darkly at Sakura.
"Only when you learn to stop being so impulsive." Sakura scowled, crossing her arms. "Now, what is the plan here? We can't just leave the village with permission to search for a book that could have clues without a hint of evidence on where we can find it."
"Bah, I'll get it! Don't ya worry about that!" Naruto dismissed Sakura's concerns with a wave, causing her to squint daggers at him. He flashed a confident smile toward Blake. "So let's get you all packed up and ready to go! Who knows how long this is gonna take?"
Blake blinked several times, unsure how to digest what was happening. Yet, holding his gaze, an odd sense of confidence filled her, along with a sense of hope. Even if he didn't have a clue what they were going to do, his unfounded confidence was somehow reassuring. And given his luck...
"Glad you feel that way, my pupil." Naruto froze as a man's voice resonated, and a smokescreen of white smoke billowed behind him. And with a clap, it all dispersed as an extravagant man with white hair triumphantly posed and beamed at him as all attention was drawn to him. "For I am here now!"
"And I may have found a clue, so get your stuff together! We're off on another adventure!"
[ X ]
(Remnant - Current Time)
How long had it been?
It was well over a year since he had seen her face. Since she came home... But she came back changed. She wasn't who he remembered. She was... Different.
Everything that he saw in her before had grown. She had matured, and that was something he desired to see... But her view of the world... The one he had been trying to cultivate for her... She saw everything differently now. Held a belief that people could change...
Looking through the darkness and up at stars in the night sky outside the window, gnashing his teeth together, he clenched his fist, crushing a photo in his hand. It felt like everything went wrong when he first lost her... His goals fell apart. If he had her at his side... Perhaps none of this would have happened.
Maybe he wouldn't be under this woman's thumb... And forced to face her again soon.
"So you decided to become a Huntress since you have returned." Adam snarled, tossing the photo aside. It unfurled as he glowered, glancing at the stars in the night. It was a simple photo. One of Blake... Standing alongside her new friends.
"You don't know how much this pains me, my dear..." Adam exhaled as he slid on his mask and turned from the night sky. "You were supposed to stand at my side... Not against me. Together with you..."
"We could have changed the world for the better."
[ X ]
(Earth - Current Time)
Night had fallen once more. The atmosphere was as festive as ever. And while he enjoyed everyone's presence and wasn't pretending to have a good time... The festival was a blast, celebrating and remembering all they had lost. It had been just over a year, and it felt right to put on this tribute...
Supposedly, he was going to have a speech? What was Tsunade thinking? What was he gonna say? Yeah, if it wasn't for him...
Naruto sighed, longingly staring into the drink his sensei forcefully handed him before gazing into the night sky. Fireworks sparked through it, and he exhaled again, shaking the drink and nearly taking a drink of it despite his better judgment. It reeked of alcohol... He knew Kakashi was trying to encourage him in his own way...
But if someone knew he hadn't been the same since the war, Kakashi was one of those few. Ever since he watched her disappear before his eyes...
"Never I thought I would see you brooding like this." A familiar voice chimed, causing Naruto to scrunch his face and glower. He glanced down from the sky to see Sakura sitting at the table he was occupying. She held a faint smile as she set down two teacups. "If you keep that up, people will start to think Sasuke is rubbing off on you if you keep moping around like this."
"Mah, that's not it at all. I'm just tired." Naruto huffed, turning away with a frown before pushing the beverage away. "I didn't even want this thing..."
Like I would let you poison your body, I live here! Kurama growled from within, screwing up his nose at the drink. He could smell it from within his vessel! What putrid concoction was this? Why did humans like this stuff?!
"I know. He told me he was trying to cheer up the glum one." Sakura snickered as Naruto shot her a dirty look. Her expression softened as she slid Naruto the extra cup of tea. "It's been over a whole year, hasn't it?"
Naruto nodded, sitting back in his chair. He gazed up as the fireworks streaked through the night sky. A soft sigh left his lips as he watched them burst briefly, taking the sight in. Finally, he broke his eyes from the sight and glanced back down at Sakura with a somber expression, taking the cup of tea she offered. "It has. So many people gave their lives up for this. And for the first time in our known history, we have a functional peace with all other nations... And I have that and so many people looking up to me for my part in it... Even my friends... But... I just..."
"You feel lonelier than ever before." Sakura's eyes shone with understanding of her friend's plight, the memory still fresh in her mind. The look on Blake's face as she dispersed in gold light and left this world...
"I found something."
A light thud pounded the table, startling Naruto and Sakura together and pulling them out of their somber states. However, instead of glancing at the book, their attention shot toward the voice. Sakura's eyes glistened adoringly while Naruto scowled and slammed his hands on the table. "Teme! Can't you arrive normally?! We were having a moment."
"I saw that," Sasuke said as he slid into a chair at the table, the slightest smirk on his face, seeing Naruto's raging scowl. His expression straightened to its usual impassiveness as he looked at the desk. "Found something that might interest you while I was sleuthing through her pocket dimensions. Something that didn't have to deal with her or her family."
"The less we have to deal with them, the better." Naruto spat at the thought of her before grimacing and clutching his left fist. Then, at the memories that followed. Having to tell her he couldn't reciprocate her feelings... "Gah. I'm still feeling it from that guy who kidnapped Hinata and her sister... Thanks for helping take care of that situation."
Sasuke clicked his tongue in affirmation. He then nodded his head to the center of the table. "Stop stalling. As I told you, I pay off my debts, and if I am right... I've held up my promise to you."
Naruto's eyes flickered at those words. Had Sasuke really ...
"Naruto..." Sakura's voice wavered, her attention focused on what Sasuke had retrieved before she turned to Sasuke. "You found it... You really did..."
Naruto's heart thunderously thumped in his chest. His eyes wavered but slowly moved to the object at the center of the table. And at the center, there was a solitary book. A black book with red trimming. One with the title Ninjas of Love.
"Perhaps," Sasuke stated in a dull tone, taking the drink Naruto was avoiding and taking a sip for himself. His lone uncovered onyx eye, however, stayed fixated on his partner."Perhaps not. What was the world that she said she was from? I believe you said... It was Remnant, correct?"
"What if I were to tell you this author is from Remnant? So even if this isn't the book, it's connected."