With Yang's cue to help Ruby, who had managed to engrave her face on an iron wall, Sasuke refocused on his Scroll with renewed good humor, now controlling a devouring mouth in a maze full of ghosts? If it weren't for a stupid-looking blond boy threatening to vomit on the people around him, especially after what Ruby had just done to scare everyone, Sasuke could have enjoyed a moment of silence, but it didn't last long.
Soon, the windows of the Bullhead lit up with video images, broadcasting the latest news.
The public disclosure of vital information was one of the things about this world that Sasuke couldn't understand.
While he respected the transparency of this world's government, which did not leave the masses in the dark, a welcome change compared to the Elemental Nations, it remained a major security flaw that no one seemed to notice or care about.
Not only did this news reveal the vulnerabilities and flaws of each kingdom, but it also sent a warning to criminals who were being sought and gave them time to escape.
That and it unnecessarily frightened the masses, something not highly recommended in a world where excessive negativity could mean the beginning of the end.
Even so, Sasuke couldn't help but focus on this news, absorbing information that would help him refine his common sense.
The subject being reported this time was the destruction of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city by what appeared to be a fight between Shinobis.
So I was right, and there are people out there who exceed their peers. While the local authorities speculated about an accident involving large amounts of Dust, Sasuke could recognize the clear signs of battle. Let's hope there's someone like that in Beacon, too.
Ruby Rose and her silver eyes looked promising, but it didn't hurt to have more options.
It would certainly make his stay at that school much more worthwhile.
The next piece of news made Sasuke pause in his train of thought, and his eyes narrowed as he came across an extremely familiar face.
He wasn't the only one.
"Ruby, tell me..." Yang's eyes glowed red at the sight of someone whose description and name matched the one provided by her little sister. "Isn't that the trash that attacked you last night?"
Someone whose head was on the list of countless Hunters within her father's and uncle's circle of friends, even outside Vale.
"Hmm?" Ruby didn't answer right away, still disoriented after bumping into an iron wall, but only until she saw the face of someone she would never forget and felt instinctive goosebumps at that! "It's-it's that pervert! Roman something!"
According to the information being shared, both by the broadcast and by the pair of sisters, it was clear to Sasuke that this robbery had taken place after his encounter with the man in the white suit.
It seems I was naïve. Sasuke allowed himself to be deluded into believing that if even he, someone possessed by the Uchiha clan's curse of hatred, could wake up to life and change after a near-death experience, so could a mere street thief. Clearly, I was wrong.
Not only that, it seemed that this Roman was some kind of pervert who had attacked Ruby Rose and left her in that deplorable state from last night.
When Sasuke came across this excuse of a man again, he would have to get rid of him.
Permanently.
"Did you fight this person?" he asked Ruby, who looked at him, remembered what had happened just now, and went back to hiding behind Yang. Could she be any more obvious?
This girl was so innocent that she basically wore her heart on her sleeve...and that only managed to trouble Sasuke even more.
Because of his complacency, someone like this had to go through an experience that no woman should, especially one so young and pure.
"Y-Yes. Yesterday, before I met Yang and you." Ruby didn't know how to act around Sasuke, and as if that wasn't bad enough, she'd just made a scene in front of the boy who liked her! Congratulations, Ruby! Now he must think you're just a kid...
One who needed to hide behind her older sister.
"Did he...do something to you?" Sasuke kept asking as he analyzed Ruby's Aura levels, and she wasn't far behind her older sister. What's more, she has a Semblance that partly makes up for the noticeable lack of speed that other people seem to have.
Considering what he knew about Roman, Sasuke couldn't understand how she ended up in that deplorable state.
Ruby Rose should have been more than capable of dealing with or at least repelling someone of that level, especially with the critical state Roman was in after Sasuke defeated him, and what happened as a result of his Genjutsu attempt.
As for the girl in question, she could only hear little bells ringing in her head as her heart pounded nonstop.
Is-Is he worried about me? Her face warmed up as a silly smile formed, which she tried to hide as she hugged Yang tighter. Gosh, what should I tell him?!
Ruby couldn't even look at Sasuke now!
You've got to be kidding me... Yang was stunned to witness something considered impossible until this day. She's falling in love with something other than a weapon!
What's more, it was with someone whose face was a total mystery!
In a way, it was kind of cute and pure to develop feelings for someone in such a circumstance, but Yang supposed that nothing could be more "Ruby" than that.
At the same time, the rate at which this was happening was a problem. While Yang had a certain interest in Sasuke and believed him to be a nice guy, she still had her reservations about him.
"N-No..." Ruby managed to whisper after a moment of silence necessary to calm her little heart, then glanced shyly between her locks of reddish-black hair. "A Huntress, who is also a Beacon professor, showed up to help me just in time."
Glynda Goodwitch was someone who would always have her and her family's gratitude.
"I see." Sasuke felt strangely relieved to hear that nothing too serious had happened, probably because it was his fault for letting that piece of trash live. Considering her personality, if Roman had done anything inappropriate to her, Ruby would have been in tears when we met last night.
With that cleared up and out of the way, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed at her level of strength.
After all, this girl was at the top of the list as a candidate for a possible ally, but she lost and was almost molested by someone Sasuke defeated with one blow.
Yang endured more than that and put up a fight, even if he had taken it easy on her.
So there was only one thing to be said.
"Ruby Rose," Sasuke called out, and the girl jumped at the sound of his voice. "You need to get stronger." Judging by the reaction she and her sister were having, this was not something they had expected to hear from him. "This time, you got lucky and were saved, but what about the next one?"
You never know what kind of monster could cross your path out there.
Sasuke would know, especially after what happened on his first mission, going from a mere escort to a life-and-death fight against Zabuza and Haku.
Ruby let go of a Yang who seemed displeased with how brutally honest and straightforward Sasuke was, not knowing what to say, only that he wasn't wrong.
That pervert had mocked her a lot during her attempt to stop him, always asking if there was anything else she could do while throwing her around with his insane physical strength and powerful Semblance...
Even so, hearing that along with the tone of disappointment coming from the first person who had just admitted to liking her, hurt a little.
"I want to become stronger." That's why Ruby decided to join Beacon even though she knew she wasn't ready, because there was no better place to help her reach her full potential. Just like it was with Dad, Uncle Qrow, and...Mom.
Someone who, despite being strong and walking through this world like a hero straight out of a fairy tale, ended up becoming a distant memory and an empty tomb on top of a hill.
"You're not weak, Ruby." Yang knew this from experience, and while she was stronger, her little sister wasn't far behind. "It just happened that perverted piece of trash had a powerful Semblance, enough to take on even a full-fledged Huntress."
In fact, from what she'd found out about Ruby's savior, Glynda Goodwich was the strongest Huntress in Vale, if not in the world.
With that in mind, even if Yang didn't want to admit it, Roman Torchwick was insanely strong, possibly a prodigy like Sasuke, but one who decided to use his gifts to pursue his own selfish desires and go against humanity.
"I know." Better than anyone, Ruby wanted to scream in frustration, but managed to hold her tongue and avoid making another scene. "It's just...I don't like feeling like this." Afraid of not being enough. "That's why I need to get stronger, so that something similar doesn't happen again."
Yang wanted to say something about that, but she couldn't, especially when she knew the feeling of being powerless in front of someone vastly superior. The difference, however, was in the type of person each of them had met, and she was glad it had been someone with a heart in the right place.
"That's a good mindset to have." While Sasuke didn't have or has the best of motives to continue chasing power, it was undeniable that his path had led him to this point, where his mere existence could influence the entire course of history in his world, possibly this one too. "If you want to help people, you have to start by being able to help yourself."
And that was only possible through strength.
Sasuke was tempted to reach out and offer Ruby power, but he wouldn't do anything like that until he was sure that she could be of real use to him. To be honest, even Yang was a potent ally, all the more so because of her physical strength and Semblance.
As much as he didn't like to admit it, this female version of Naruto was the best this world had to offer against Kaguya.
Until now, at least.
"I don't know if I can agree with that." Which meant a lot coming from Yang, someone who considered herself strong and unstoppable, but only until she met Sasuke and had her ego destroyed. "Having people you can count on is also a kind of strength."
Again, Sasuke saw a bit of Naruto in this girl, and it bothered him, especially when there was truth behind her words.
After all, when he was little, being in a team was a must, and the opponents he had to face were too much for him to handle alone.
Later, even after he gained power, Sasuke still needed help to hunt down Itachi.
With that in mind, there was Karin, who could track down his brother, a girl who loved him and would do anything to be by his side. Besides finding Itachi, he had to deal with Kisame, and that was where Suigetsu's goal aligned with his. Juugo would follow him because of a promise made to someone else, and Sasuke wanted him because he was a force of nature that he could control and use as a weapon.
Team Taka was not made of true allies; there was only a game of interests keeping them together.
The same could be said about Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.
As for the Fourth Great War, the opponents he had to face were on a completely different level. Each of them was a monster in their own right, powered by an infinite battery in the form of the Ten Tails.
Above them all was Kaguya; immortal and immune to almost every form of Chakra in existence. He needed Naruto to face her because the Sage of the Six Paths only gave him half his power; otherwise, Sasuke would have let that loser get caught by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, too.
For that reason, his search for an ally in Remnant was out of necessity to help save his world and prevent another from being caught in the middle of this conflict.
There was no room for sentimentality or such childish beliefs that only served to thwart him.
"Tell me, Yang Xiao Long," Sasuke suddenly spoke, and the two sisters felt goosebumps at his change of tone. "Where exactly were those allies of yours when I beat you in that nightclub?"
Such a revelation surprised Ruby more than it frightened her, immediately glaring at her sister, who was hiding something so important from her.
Yang hadn't expected to be put up against the wall like this, but she didn't let it faze her, and the answer she had could only be one.
"I'm looking at him right now." She smiled, even more so after seeing the way Sasuke had remained silent and unresponsive. "You didn't see that one coming, did you?"
That had to be the cleverest comeback ever!
At least, that's what Yang believed.
For Sasuke, he could hardly believe how stupid that answer was.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked just to be sure, and the girl in front of him nodded as a testament to all her foolishness. "Then you're more naive than your sister."
Ruby puffed out her cheeks at having her way of being attacked out of the blue, realizing now that Sasuke could be a bit mean when annoyed about something. As for Yang, her eyes twitched for a second, but her smile didn't falter; it just became warmer and kinder.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said as she stroked her little sister's reddish-black hair, which couldn't have been cuter when she was pouting. "Besides, you helped me when I needed it." This boy could deny it if he wanted to, but the truth remained. "There aren't many people out there who would have done the same."
Especially after all the shit Yang had given Sasuke, someone who just wanted to be left alone with his liver-killing tea.
The cloak he wore by itself, hiding his face and all, was a sign of that.
"I helped you on a mere whim." Sasuke also did it as thanks for Yang having taught him a lot about this world and because of his renewed sense of morality, but she didn't need to know that. "Two weeks ago, I would have abandoned you in the hands of those men without even thinking twice."
In fact, it was very likely that Sasuke would have burned her alive with black flames and smiled at the sound of her screams of agony as he imagined being one of the targets of his revenge.
Wisely, he chose not to clarify this fact.
"Say what you want, but it won't change what happened." Yang treated Sasuke's words as male stubbornness, but with some curiosity. "What could have happened in two weeks that would make you change so much?"
If he was telling the truth, which she doubted, it must have been something big.
"I don't know," Sasuke found himself answering immediately, just as he would have done with Naruto. "What made you stop dressing like a harlot overnight?"
Yang felt the blow behind this retort and had a kinda forced smile, kinda not. While she felt offended, part of her loved this exchange of barbs.
In a way, it even felt like they were real friends, and the mere thought turned her smile into something more natural.
"So." Ruby stood between them, trying to keep it from escalating in the wrong direction and becoming part of the conversation again. "What's a harlot?"
She already had an idea of the meaning based on what Sasuke had said, it probably being something adult and related to a woman who dressed extremely revealingly.
"Nothing you need to know," Sasuke and Yang replied together, making Ruby wince, but only for a second before she smiled too.
It seemed that they were getting along just fine, and Ruby loved that.
"My little sister and her...purity aside, let me ask you this." Yang hugged the girl who could stay like this forever and resumed her conversation with Sasuke. "If you believe so much in individual strength, which makes sense given how strong you are, why bother coming to Beacon?" Not that she was complaining. "You might as well skip a few years like Ruby and become a Huntsman almost straight away!"
Sasuke was that kind of genius.
In fact, if he turned out to be a Beacon teacher rather than a student, Yang wouldn't be surprised.
As for Ruby, she had her little silver eyes shining again as she looked at Sasuke in admiration.
If Yang, someone who prided herself on her own strength, was recognizing him to this extent, then Sasuke must be truly incredible!
Just as expected from the boy who liked her!
"I suppose you're not wrong." Sasuke was an anomaly even in his world, but that was beside the point. "However, while I have the strength to walk the path I've chosen on my own, I don't have the necessary knowledge."
There was a lot he needed to understand about this world in order to change his own, and he couldn't do it without entering this Academy.
Ruby couldn't help but be impressed again, once more hearing something coming from this boy that sounded profound and revealing.
Strength wasn't everything; knowledge also mattered.
"Does that mean you're not very bright?" Yang didn't miss the opportunity to mess with him and even had the nerve to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sasuke, much to the displeasure of her little sister, who couldn't hide the hint of jealousy. "That would explain the way you're using your Scroll."
In a way, she felt bad for the little electronic device that was suffering at the hands of this tyrant.
"Yang, did you know?" Sasuke stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the girl who was getting strangely comfortable around him. "I just need a second to send you flying through the window behind us."
In fact, he could do something much worse, but Sasuke was refraining from going back to the way he was before.
Threatening, on the other hand, was still a valid method of intimidation.
Yang let out a small laugh, taking it all in as a joke.
"True, especially when you're so much stronger than me." She pulled away a little and walked towards her sulking little sister. "But you would never do that."
There were many reasons for this, but only one was funny.
"Oh, and may I ask why?" Sasuke was curious now and a little amused at how wrong she was. Maybe I really should throw her, just to make a point.
Or maybe not, since that was definitely something he would have done with Naruto.
"Well, the reason is quite simple." Yang smiled even more as she pulled Ruby closer and declared loudly. "You're interested in my little sister, so you can't be mean to me, or she'll be mad at you!"
Immediately, she let go of Ruby and raised her arms to fend off a flurry of punches from the girl glowing like a tomato.
"Bad Yang!" Ruby almost cried, unable to believe this traitorous sister of hers! Everyone's looking at us now!
She hated being the center of attention!
What about Sasuke? What was he thinking now?!
Suddenly, Ruby was hating being unable to see his face!
In a way, that was a good thing, because Sasuke's expression promised nothing but pain.
I should throw them both out of the window. He regretted having implied that his interest in Ruby Rose was romantic. Now, I have to put up with being part of a scene like this.
At least it was just these two girls, because if Sasuke hadn't been hiding his face, it would have been ten times worse.
Then, just as he was about to say something about all this nonsense, the blond boy from before decided to give in to his nausea and stain the floor between them.
While Sasuke moved before he was hit, the same couldn't be said for one of the sisters.
"Yang, there's puke on your boots!"
"No, my new boot! I'm going to kill this bastard!"
Sasuke took a deep breath and decided to simply walk away from something that had managed to become even more absurd.
So, as interesting as it was to see Yang strangle a stupid-looking blond boy, almost like Sakura used to do to Naruto, he had finally arrived at Beacon.