This war had taken its toll.
He was physically and mentally exhausted by the end of it, after everything that had occurred.
And the end after fighting through it all, having managed to defy it all despite a Goddess suddenly descending upon the world and nearly overwhelming him and Sasuke...
It was finished...
Only it wasn't, as there was one last thing to take care of.
Sasuke still wasn't done, and he had to set him straight. His friend was still on the warpath, and after one last encounter...
They both lay beside each other, breathing labored as they stared into the parted sky from their fierce encounter with one another.
It was over...
Yet he couldn't say either of them came out victorious.
With both of their arms ripped apart and blood pouring on the stones and dirt beneath them, their bones crushed, and their muscles torn and shredded from exertion. Every breath was pained and labored, his vision blurring and darkness creeping on the edges.
He used every ounce of chakra inside of him, and even the Yin half of Kurama within him was exhausted, nothing left. The fox wasn't here to heal the wounds to keep him alive...
Obito wasn't here to transplant Kurama back inside of him...
Sakura and Kakashi were too far away.
So this was it?
This was the end?
Naruto bitterly let a laugh escape his lips.
"Got your wish, didn't ya? Made me use every last thing I had to stop ya from this insanity... Just to make ya listen to me in the end." Naruto released a bitter laugh.
"Hn..." Sasuke grunted, unpleased with the outcome, his eyes weakly falling onto Naruto's frame. "Why? Just why..."
"You know why..." Naruto refrained from rolling his eyes as he exhaustedly retorted before grinning at Sasuke. "Just couldn't give up on ya. I should have. But nah, wanted to make sure you knew exactly what it meant to be my friend. The depths I was willing to go to ensure you would listen to me..."
Sasuke remained silent, staring absently at Naruto.
And somehow, Naruto wasn't finished. He let out an agonized chuckle as he gazed up into the sky. "Funny thing is, here we lie, taking our last breaths... And you ain't got nowhere else to go, so shut up and listen to me! You're probably just as close to dying as I am, so I want to make damn sure you hear this!"
"What?" Sasuke's eyes flickered in recognition before he groaned. "No..."
"Yeah, we're dying here..." Naruto smirked and almost laughed, seeing Sasuke's reaction. "Neither of us could hold back. I told you back then this would be the outcome. You didn't listen to me then, so you're gonna now..."
Sasuke's eyes shimmered as he stared into Naruto's ceruleans, as they burned with fervent passion.
"I always saw that pained look in your eyes. From the very beginning, since we knew each other, I knew... I understand why you went the path you did. In that situation, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. The pain is immeasurable, and I can't even imagine what it was you have been through." Naruto paused, his breath getting more ragged by the second. "I have been alone all my life, too. Ignored or treated like crap by those who didn't ignore me, with a rare few good interactions. I get why you made your choices... I just didn't want you to suffer through it alone."
Onyx eyes grew, but Naruto wasn't finished. Memories of his brother began to fill his mind...
Naruto was far from finished. He kept going.
"It's why I have been chasing you, you know?" Naruto grinned, his eyes gleaming one last time as they began to dull slowly. "I didn't want to give up on ya as I felt there was something worth fighting for in there. I've seen you at your best. What you are capable of and know, you are so much more capable... I didn't want to leave you in pain, although I think I did a little more than today..."
Hearing the passion in Naruto's voice as he told him off, Sasuke's eyes drifted back to the sky above. His mind wandered to his brother and memories of his family as he closed his eyes. And then finally they shifted to Naruto...
Knowing how alone he was...
Yet somehow able to overcome it by seeking bonds and friends...
Doing everything he couldn't... Yet he wanted to do...
Things he thought that were weak, yet he too let seep into his life... And let his team become his family...
Seeing that pain and recognizing it, yet unable to comprehend how he had overcome it. Just able to walk in the light unafraid and stand before him...
Naruto wasn't just the friend he always needed... He was his goal. To become something like him...
Just like his brother, he was always ahead of him.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open as his breath ran ragged as the morning sun's light hit his face...
"Morning?" Sasuke muttered, grimacing as high winds began to shift and rain and hail pelleted his body.
Time had passed. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but he was still alive. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in annoyance. And Naruto said they were dying...
"Naruto, you good?" Sasuke groaned, agonizingly turning to face his brother forged in blood before his expression curdled.
Naruto's body was gone... All that was left were sparkles shimmering and traveling into what seemed to be the eye of a storm and grand light above.
"What the fuck?" Sasuke grunted, staring into the brilliant light, his eyes narrowing.
Whatever that light was, he felt a powerful presence behind it. And worst of all...
He could sense Naruto's presence with those sparkles, heading into the light. "Hey, get back here! I don't care who or whatever you are!"
"Give Naruto back!"
[ X ]
Finally...
I've been waiting for someone just like you...
Wait... You?
I don't need you... Be gone.
Yes.
You are what I desire.
You are what I need to recycle this world that my daughter's pesky children have tarnished.
It's time to take back what was once mine.
And you will be my champion.
[ X ]
What was with this insane weather?
Two brown eyes glistened fearfully as her hair and long brown rabbit ears whipped wildly in the storm. A mixture of hail and rain ravenously poured from the rain-wrapped sky. Trees wildly shook and swayed, branches violently snapping and being carried off into the wind.
Was this a tornado? The skies were so clear earlier. And there was no indication that a storm was brewing. The weather had been calm recently.
Now, as Velvet bit her lip and ran through the hail and rain, shielding her eyes with her hand, she could clearly hear the storm warning beeping from her scroll attached to her hip. Great.
Today was a perfect day to head into town to check on her mother and go shopping with her. She had just returned to Vale from visiting her father in Atlas, and wanted to spend some time with her. And now, on her return trip to Beacon, she was caught in a freak storm!
Oh, why didn't she take a taxi? Why was today the day she desired to take a trip through the forest between Vale and Beacon?
"Better inform Coco what's going on..." Velvet stated to herself, her accent thick and drawn out, reaching for her scroll, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
Velvet's eyes narrowed and, on pure instinct, she leaped to the side as a thunderous crack and a flash of light singed the earth where she had previously stood. Her heart raced as she remained squatted beneath a whipping tree, seeing the grass smoldering on the path to Beacon where the lightning bolt that nearly struck her had struck.
"Guess my training has paid off," Velvet clutched her chest as she tried to control her breathing and heart rate after the near-death experience.
Velvet wasn't sure her aura could take a natural bolt of lightning without expecting it.
"Hm?" Velvet's long rabbit ears twitched upon hearing a groan.
It wasn't the creaking groan of wood breaking. It wasn't a growl of an animal, or worse, a Grimm. It sounded...
Human.
Velvet's eyes bulged as a young man, roughly her age, lay close to the area where she was crouching, buried under several snapped branches.
"Are you okay?" Velvet called out, assisting the young sun-kissed blonde teenager by riding the heavy branches off him.
"Been better," The blonde, blue-eyed teen mumbled, massaging his temple as he pushed himself up to a seated position. "Ugh, what's with the weather?"
Velvet grimaced, noticing the rough state of his clothing and the amount of bruises, scrapes, and welts that covered his body. It seemed he had a rough go of it before the storm had blown in.
But her heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts turned darker when she noticed the flick of a particular body part on the top of his head. He was Faunus, like she was...
Could he have been...
"I don't know. The storm came out of nowhere." Velvet shook the thought out of her head, offering a hand to her fellow Faunus. "Here. Let me help you up and get out of this storm. Campus is nearby."
"Campus?" The fox Faunus blinked several times, seemingly unaware that he was walking on the path between Beacon and Vale, as he accepted Velvet's offer and groaned while she helped him to his feet.
"Uh, yes. We're next to Beacon Academy." Velvet gave her fellow Faunus an awkward yet concerned glance.
Didn't he know where they were? That didn't sound good. With how roughed up he was, Velvet wouldn't be surprised if he had head trauma or a concussion.
"Huh, never heard of it." The boy frowned, shrugging his shoulders before shaking his head. "Whatever, let's get out of this storm. The hail seems to be bothering you."
"Ah, yeah," Velvet nodded, trying not to flinch as the icy stones bounced off her. However much they hurt, she couldn't help but be concerned about him. "Are you okay? Not feeling dizzy or anything?"
"A little hazy, but not enough to bother me. Think I got my bell rung, that's about it. I'll be fine, don't worry!" The boy's frown deepened for a moment before he gave a bright smile.
"Okay," Velvet responded with some hesitancy before pointing down the path. "We're not too far. Let's stay close to the tree line as we go... I was almost struck by lightning in the middle of the path."
"Oh, damn. Yeah, let's do that then." The fox Faunus noticed the smoldering grass and grimaced, following Velvet's lead as she knew the way.
Velvet, despite leading the way, occasionally glanced back toward him to check on his condition. She didn't want him to collapse if he did have brain trauma suddenly...
"My name is Naruto, by the way." He chirped as Naruto followed without issue, a smile still adorned his expression.
His gaze fixed on her.
Velvet flushed at seeing such intense eyes be laid upon her from behind. She knew he wasn't looking, but it was still a little uncomfortable...
But also enlightening to know she was found attractive.
"Velvet," Velvet smiled back, pointing through the rain-wrapped storm ahead. "You can barely see it, but we're almost there."
"Oh, wow... That's cool! Never seen a place like that before!" Naruto beamed, shielding his eyes as he squinted to see further into the distance. "So... What's the school for?"
Velvet's heart skipped. Her eyes quivered, and she looked back at Naruto in stunned silence. He didn't know that Beacon was an academy for Huntsmen.
That wasn't good. She was worried his bell might have been rung a little too hard.
[ X ]
"I don't know what to tell you, Velvet. He's perfectly fine." Thumbelina Peach turned to Velvet, shaking her head as she glanced back toward Naruto. "Sure, he's a bit banged up and bruised, but he seems perfectly fine.
"Are you sure? He doesn't seem to know anything about things I would think would be common knowledge. He didn't know what kind of school Beacon is." Velvet asked with a worried frown.
"I sure don't. Or what kind of job this Huntsman or Huntress thingy Velvet mentioned after." Naruto scratched his head, confused about the situation and concerned over why Velvet was so worried.
It felt like he should know what she was talking about, but Naruto didn't.
"That is a little odd." Thumbelina pursed her lips inquisitively, returning her curious gaze to Naruto. "I'm only fluent with basic medical knowledge. Anything with the brain would be beyond my expertise. Perhaps it is temporary amnesia induced by a concussion? ...Let's just ask a few basic questions. What's your name and age?"
"Naruto Uzumaki. Seventeen." Naruto frowned, recalling the information quite easily.
"Good, good. Now, where are you from?" Peach asked.
"I... Uh... Huh?" Naruto tried to answer, only for nothing to register.
"Oh, that's not good." Thumbelina's alarm was raised as she stared at Naruto. "Let's try something else... You know we are at Beacon Academy, correct? A school to train Huntsmen and Huntresses. What Kingdom is that located in?"
"I honestly have no idea what a Huntsman or Huntress are, and what the fuck is a Kingdom?" Naruto blinked, arching a brow as the words didn't sound familiar to him in the slightest.
"Oh, that's really not good." Thumbelina nervously muttered, turning back to Velvet. "As soon as this storm settles, I'll have him transferred to a hospital in Vale immediately."
Velvet could only numbly nod, staring at baffled Naruto in horror. He didn't know where he was, where he was from, or what a Huntsman or Huntresses was. Professor Peach was correct.
This was not good.
[ X ]
Ugh, Naruto hated being at the hospital. He didn't know why or how he disliked being here, but he instinctively had a foul taste in his mouth at being here.
He hated it all. From the sterile scent to the white walls, Naruto detested it all.
And it bothered him that he couldn't recall why he didn't like hospitals!
Naruto struggled to recall anything but basic information like his name and age! And that was literally it! He didn't know where he was from or how he arrived at this place, or why he was in the forest on the walking path between Vale and Beacon. Anything about himself or what he was doing before!
All that information had vanished!
And it stumped the doctors, who were unsure what was wrong with Naruto. They were unable to find any evidence of trauma to his brain, any chemical imbalances, or any other factors that would give them an idea of why he couldn't remember anything.
Naruto was perfectly healthy, although he couldn't recall anything!
Wonderful! He had stumped the doctors and nurses! How could this day get any better?!
As if he had invited the world to mock him, Naruto heard a knock at his door. His brow twitched repeatedly, repressing the urge to grind his teeth. Open mouth, insert foot.
"Yeah, come on in!" Naruto let out an annoyed huff, crossing his arms and leaning back in his hospital bed.
He winced, hoping it wasn't Velvet. He didn't want to be rude to her. She was trying everything she could to help him. He had to find a way to pay her back. She was doing so much to assist him in this trying time...
"Ah, foul mood, I see. I can understand that." A peculiar man that Naruto hadn't met before stepped into the room.
A man with silver hair, glasses, and wearing a black suit with a green inner shirt stepped in, using a cane to prop himself up. "Greetings, you can call me Ozpin. I'm one of Velvet's professors. Her headmaster, if you will."
"Ah, okay?" Naruto stared incredulously at the man, unsure of his intent. "What do you want? Why are you here?"
"Just curious. It's not often someone is found by my school without any recollection of who he is or where he's from." Ozpin responded, observing Naruto with a curious glint in his eyes.
"I guess," Naruto retorted with a squinted stink eye before sighing.
It checked out. If he were in charge of the school, it made sense to look into the odd appearance of someone on the property who had no memory. It was what Naruto would do in the same situation.
"I don't know nothing, so you're out of luck if you are here to ask me questions." Naruto scowled.
"I am well aware. I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. I can infer, not well. I will leave you be." Ozpin gave a light chuckle.
Naruto sat and seethed in his hospital bed. He wanted to mouth off but held his tongue. The man was simply trying to lighten the mood. Horribly, but he was trying.
But before he could leave, there was a knock at the door again. This time, Velvet called out from the other side. "Naruto, can I come in?"
"Yeah," Naruto gave permission, and the door opened to reveal the brown haired Faunus, surprised at Ozpin's presence.
"P-professor Ozpin?" Velvet, carrying a lunch tray, couldn't control the tremble in her voice upon seeing her school's headmaster suddenly appear before her without warning.
"Relax, Ms. Scaraltina. I was simply here checking in on the mysterious individual you found during the storm. It wouldn't do if I didn't check in on such an interesting case you found yourself involved in." Ozpin faintly smiled, stepping aside to allow Velvet to enter.
"Oh, that makes sense," Velvet shyly responded, nervously rubbing her bicep as she stepped in. "I brought lunch."
"Thanks," Naruto forced a smile as Velvet set down the food tray on the table next to him.
Again, his thoughts shifted to the shy girl. Despite everything, she was trying to help him. If he could only do something for her...
"Ah, one thing," Ozpin stopped just before exiting, calling attention back to him. "I have heard that in cases of amnesia, while the memory may be hazy, the muscles of one's body retain honed years of memory. Perhaps you can learn a few things by trying out what you can do."
"Uh, okay. I'll try that." Naruto's brow raised once more.
Naruto couldn't argue that. He wasn't sure why, but what the headmaster said did make sense. And he really wanted to get out of this hospital. This place wasn't doing him any favors.
"I hope you well," Ozpin waved, but as he exited the room, Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Hey, you left something behind!" Naruto called out, noticing a book was left on a counter.
No response. Velvet jogged to the door to call him back, but as she glanced out, she oddly glanced back and tilted her head. "Wow, he left quickly... I'll take this back... Huh, that's strange."
"What? What is it?" Naruto frowned, standing out of his bed and checking what the book Velvet said was peculiar.
"It's a basic history book about Remnant." Velvet stared at the book, stupefied as Naruto joined her. "I think he left this on purpose."
"Hey, I don't remember anything. I'll take what I can get," Naruto scratched his head before his stomach rumbled. "But before I try out what he said about muscle memory..."
"Let's enjoy lunch, I'm starving."
[ X ]
The school really wasn't all that far away. It was an hour walk at most.
With Velvet stating that was where she did most of her training and workouts, Naruto figured it would be a good place to see what he could do. He was physically fit, and he felt strong. Maybe he was training to be a Huntsman?
It didn't take them long to arrive, but the pace at which they traveled bothered Velvet. Naruto was easily able to keep pace and had to throttle down not to surpass her. And given how alarmed Velvet was by how easily Naruto kept and surpassed her pace on the way back to Beacon, he had to assume that his pace was abnormal.
From what he had learned, Beacon was a school for training warriors to fight whatever these Grimm happened to be. If he was keeping pace and surpassing a student, Naruto had to infer at the very least that he could very well be a student at another school or, perhaps, someone who had enrolled in one.
And forgot everything about his life. Joy.
It also didn't help that Velvet kept looking at him occasionally. Her look confused Naruto. He could see that she was bothered by his physical aptitude... So why was she blushing?
It took a moment for Naruto to understand before chuckling to himself. That made sense. He had checked her and that round plush...
Naruto shook his head. He was still wearing the tattered clothes Velvet found him in—the orange tracksuit pants and the torn mesh shirt that didn't leave anything to the imagination.
"So, where to?" Naruto asked, looking around the campus, unsure where Velvet was leading to.
"I was trying to think... Maybe Professor Ozpin was suggesting physical exercise." Velvet pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I could tell from the jog over you have a... Peculiar running style... But it works for you, as you were easily keeping up with me? Maybe lifting weights?"
"Okay," Naruto repressed the urge to frown at what he felt was a jab toward how he ran.
What was wrong with his running style? Sure, he held his arms back and leaned his body forward. Why was it so awkward to her? It was aerodynamic!
"Yo, Velvet! You're finally back!" A feminine voice shouted as another young lady in a brown and black attire, wearing sunglasses and a beret, approached before scowling at Naruto. "Who is this? ...Wait, is this the amnesiac you ran into?"
"The one and only! The name's Naruto." Naruto grinned, recognizing that this girl had to be one of Velvet's friends.
"Charmed. You can call me Coco." Coco raised her brow over her sunglasses before turning her attention to Velvet. "Why did you bring him here? Isn't he better at the hospital?"
"They have no clue what to do with him. And since there is nothing physically wrong with him, and he is of sound mind otherwise, he's allowed to check out whenever he wants." Velvet sheepishly rubbed her bicep.
"Your headmaster showed up and said that while I can't remember anything but my name and age, maybe my muscles retain some memory. Velvet thought the school would be the best-equipped place to test that out." Naruto added, smiling like a fool.
"Oh, yeah. With your athletic build, I think I see his point. Your memories are hazy, but anything autonomous should be hard-wired." Coco nodded, taking a good, hard look at Naruto, almost admiringly so, before shifting back to Velvet. "Gonna test him on stuff like speed, agility, and strength?"
"I'm... Confident he's plenty fast. ...He kept up with me in a steady sprint on the way here without breaking a sweat." Velvet grimaced as Coco's complexion paled.
"Velvet... Outside those with speed Semblances, you are the fastest on campus." Coco's sunglasses slid down her nose, her eyes wavering before she glanced back at chuckling Naruto.
"Oh, I thought that was a jog. I was holding back, so I didn't run past you." Naruto nervously chuckled, combing his hand through his spiky locks.
"I was afraid that was the case..." Velvet winced as Coco's jaw hung loose.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!" Coco held one hand to the other's palm and pressed them together. "If you're gonna help him discover what you can do, count me in."
"I've got to see this.
[ X ]
Coco and Velvet could only stare in awestruck terror.
Velvet's idea of lifting weights was sound. Many simple lifting exercises could test one's muscle limitations and how strong the muscles associated with them are.
And those questions about Naruto were shattered entirely as they couldn't find a limit.
It didn't matter what the exercise was. Bench press. Deadlift. Squat.
He easily lifted any weight they put on the bar with seamless effort. And now, they were standing before him as he finished a dead lift where the bar snapped from the weight they placed on each side that he easily picked up.
"Ehehe... Guess I don't know my own strength." Naruto chuckled, dropping a bead of sweat down the back of his head at the stunned looks Coco and Velvet were giving him.
"Yeah, you can say that." Coco's sunglasses had completely fallen off as she robotically turned to her partner. "Velvet..."
"Where did you say you found this guy? Are we sure he's from here?
[ X ]
There were so many weapons to choose from!
Naruto marveled at the arena Coco and Velvet had taken him to. It was strange to think this was a classroom. All the seats on the south end made it sort of look like a stadium, but Naruto supposed that made sense. If this was where students sparred with one another, the other student taking notes on the battle made sense.
He was enthused with the simple choices they had. Swords. Axes. Hammers. Knives and daggers.
Naruto could name one, and he could find it! Even a gun! He never used one of those before!
How did he know that?
Naruto frowned. In fact, why did he know about all these weapons? And why did they feel familiar to him?
He was less fluent with some and really comfortable with others. It was clear he had some formal training of some kind if he felt comfortable with them. Especially with the kunai and shuriken...
"Hey! This is where you guys have been! What's going on?" A male voice echoed from the entrance of the stadium.
"We were worried." A deeper male's voice followed, expressing his concern over his teammates before stopping, looking peculiarly in Naruto's direction. "Uh... What happened here?"
Naruto turned to see who had joined them, only to find a young, dark-skinned man with copper hair and similarly colored clothing, and another huge, young man with olive-toned skin walking toward the flabbergasted pair of Coco and Velvet.
"Him!" Coco and Velvet pointed directly at bewildered Naruto.
"Huh? What'd I... Oh." Naruto blinked, unsure what everyone was talking about, before he focused on the stadium and classroom around him.
Scars of slashes and prominent impact craters were scattered throughout the room, far from where he had been swinging the variety of weapons. And in fact, most of the weapons he had wielded had snapped or shattered...
He did all this? On instinct?!
"Okay, I sense your alarm. What am I missing? Details, please!" Fox exclaimed, his concern evident.
Naruto could only nod, grimacing at their shocked features. "I can feel that too... Sorry. Seems like I got carried away..."
"What do you mean you can feel that?! My Semblance allows me to do that! What's your excuse?!" Fox shouted, pointing in the vague direction of Naruto as Coco, Velvet, and the unnamed large teen with them stared absently at him.
"Uh... A what now?" Naruto tilted his head, perplexed at the new word he was hearing.
"Velvet, where did you find him?! This isn't normal! This guy is moving faster than some of the Professors!" Coco clapped her temples with her palms and dragged them down her face.
"I told you, I just found him unconscious on the way back!" Velvet whimpered, staring at the unnatural feats that Naruto had just performed.
Naruto couldn't repress his frown. He was faster than some of the Professors? He was capable of doing this without thinking twice about it? Able to keep up with the fastest student in Beacon? Lift all those weights without a sweat until the equipment broke?
Even Naruto was starting to question who he was.
"Huh?" Naruto's attention snapped as he noticed an odd sensation as an aura of some kind swept over his collateral, repairing all the damage he had accidentally inflicted.
"Quite impressive... If not a little reckless." A well-endowed and tall blonde woman in a white blouse with a black skirt and a purple cape strode into the arena.
"Indeed, it is. What do you think, Professor Goodwitch?" Ozpin, who was walking in stride with the woman, amusingly glanced around the room.
"We still have no idea who he is or where he is from. He has no background." Glynda whispered before giving an agitated grunt as she stopped alongside her students. "But I know that look... Do what you wish."
"You know me too well," Ozpin stepped forward and greeted Naruto once more. "We meet again."
"Yeah, what do you want?" Naruto scrunched his brow, glaring at Ozpin.
He wasn't sure why, but he was getting a strange feeling from him. It wasn't negative, well, he sure had a lot of self-loathing radiating around him...
Why could he feel his negative emotions?!
"Guess I don't put off the most positive feeling, do I?" Ozpin chuckled, causing Naruto's gaze to sharpen and his distrust to rise. The man sighed before his features straightened. "I know you have many questions, and so do I. Your peculiar arrival and where you are from are amongst them. However, what is clear is your skill and temperament. I cannot overlook such promise when the world needs more Huntsman."
"I would like to offer you a chance to hone those skills here at Beacon."