Wandering through the academy as Atlas's forces help guide students to the aircraft to shuttle them to the schools of their choice, Naruto sighed as he stared at the Relic of Knowledge in his possession.
All of this damage, for this? Was knowledge really that powerful?
And what was with this weird whistling wind? It sounded like a woman was speaking to him in some indecipherable language!
Naruto shook his head. He knew the answer to that. And then there was the small side effect that if Salem gathered them together, she could destroy the world...
Yeah, it was a powerful object.
Naruto was strolling away from the damaged campus while using his clones to assist with what was necessary. He didn't want to have to deal with how irate the others would be.
Naruto knew that James and Qrow would question his decision. That Raven would be upset that he allowed Salem to survive after seeing him permanently damage her.
And Naruto did not care what they thought.
He genuinely had faith that by breaking her, Naruto could reach her. In the same sense as him beating down Sasuke until he finally listened, given enough time, she would break.
Naruto was sure why, but he felt that he could. There was something in her eyes when he gazed into them that convinced him that she wasn't as evil as Ironwood let on.
There was a hint of humanity hidden by raw, just anger. And that reminded him so much of all those he had come across before.
Zabuza and Haku. Sasuke. Nagato. Obito.
All filled with raw hatred and desire to change or destroy the world to fulfill their ambitions. All with a motivation that Naruto understood.
He may not know what Salem's motivations were, but Naruto had a sense they came from a place of pain. And while they were misguided and destructive, he could say the same to everyone he had come across before.
This was nothing new for him. It was only a matter of time.
We could use the relic to learn what her issue is, ya know? Kurama pitched, causing Naruto to scowl.
"When I say, ya know, it sounds right. When you do it, it sounds like you are mocking me." Naruto glowered at the chuckling fox within.
You could say I am. Kurama grinned wildly.
Naruto only fumed more, stomping further away from the campus despite knowing he could outrun Kurama. His annoyance lasted for only a few more moments before his gaze softened and fell upon the relic once more. "Would that be a waste, though? Qrow told me it only had one more use. Rather use it to figure out how I ended up here."
Kurama's odd silence that fell after Naruto's statement left Naruto with deep lour and narrowed eyes. Kurama's silence was telling.
"What do you know, fox?" Naruto growled.
A lot. Kurama snorted before withering as he could feel Naruto's contempt aimed toward him. Look, kid... It would be easier to explain with her around.
"Her?!" Naruto questioned, a cold fury focused upon the fox.
The fox had been acting relatively strange since he woke up. He almost seemed unbothered by the circumstances when he did...
He did oddly state he was aware of the situation. When he explained it to him, he took it all in stride... Even deflected to Kaguya's origins...
"Naruto!" Blake shouted, quickly closing in on his position as she rushed beside him.
"Hm? What's up? I'm not going anywhere... This time. Just needed to give everyone else some space. You can feel they're pissed at me." Naruto tried to appease Blake, feeling the contempt in her gaze.
"I don't believe you?" Blake hissed, staring at Naruto for a moment longer. "You're about to go do something stupid, aren't you?"
"I'm not that predictable, dammit!" Naruto responded with a low roar, grumbling to himself with a few choice words.
"Maybe to most, but I think I've figured you out." Blake shook her head, hand on her hip as she took in Naruto's features and how he was glancing at the relic. "Something's wrong. What is it?"
"Guess I'm just trying to figure out what I want to ask. I've got so many questions, and I'm struggling to narrow 'em down to one." Naruto sighed, combing his hand through his locks.
Blake's eyes glistened with compassion, her ears glumly folding to mirror her expression. "Oh... I can understand why that's a challenge."
"Yeah. Not sure what I want to know, ya know?" Naruto forced a smile to lighten the mood.
Blake repressed the urge to recoil and instead nodded. She understood why. Sometimes, not knowing was a blessing while the truth was a burden.
But in this circumstance...
"Then let's use it and summon this being of knowledge," Blake stated, approaching Naruto and gently placing a comforting hand over his hand holding the relic. Naruto's gaze shifted to her, and she gave a light, encouraging smile. "If there is one thing I've figured out about you, it is that when it matters most, you have a solution. I believe if you stand before this being, the answer will come to you."
Naruto pursed his lips momentarily, meeting Blake's gaze. A hint of confusion washed over him as a strange and uncomfortable feeling washed over him for a moment, but he set that aside to deal with later.
"Right, let's do it." Naruto returned his focus to the lamp. With a calming deep breath, Naruto held it out before him as a single whisper left his lips.
"Jinn."
[ X ]
This couldn't be! It didn't make any sense! How could she be damaged in such a manner?
She had always recovered regardless of the damage inflicted upon her. She had long since become numb to it and could move through any pain inflicted upon her.
But this... It still hadn't recovered. Even after the rest of her body returned from being incinerated.
It frightened her. And the calmness of his tone... Bothered her.
Made her think twice.
Salem had no choice but to return to the Evernight. To her tower, to seek out information.
And through her tower she stormed with furious intent. Tables and chairs were flipped with unnerving ease, with simple flicks of her wrist. Her eyes shone furiously as she marched through.
She had not suffered a personal defeat since being cursed, and since her children had betrayed her to align with their father. It was almost humbling if it hadn't scarred her pride.
That boy was a menace. One she could not overlook. He could inflict lasting damage upon her. It was possible he could even kill her...
But would that be a bad thing?
Salem scowled as she entered the study in the tower. Many years of knowledge she had collected and recovered resided here. Many from this current generation of man.
And quite a few from the age of man she was born in.
The power the child displayed was not something she had seen in humanity before. When first described, she thought it was a blessing from the God of Light because of the boy's resemblance in that form to the God. While it could be true, what she felt from it was more reminiscent of what those of her age were capable of.
No, it felt more primal. Familiar.
Running her finger through the library of books she kept and restored, Salem's jaw tightened. That gold aura she witnessed from the boy bothered her. It felt like the stories her father used to tell her about his and her mother's ancestors.
The blessed ones.
Finding the aged book she sought, Salem snarled as she pulled it out of the shelf and leafed through the pages. That was the last person she ever wanted to think of, but what remained of his collection of history could be helpful in this scenario.
Salem would scour every book she possessed to discover more about this odd phenomenon. This strange power acted like magic but felt like Aura.
"Could it be," Salem muttered, her eyes sharpening as she scanned over a particular line of text, her gaze wavering. "No, that can't be..."
"Have they really returned?"
[ X ]
Everything froze around him, except for Blake—not as a cold freeze, but as if time itself had stopped.
Leaves in the breeze froze in mid-air. Butterflies and insects remained motionless. The very air itself stilled.
As Blake nervously glanced around, Naruto's eyes narrowed as a form materialized from the lamp before them.
And immediately, Naruto flushed as the figure of a gigantic blue, voluptuous woman took shape right in front of him in a provocative pose. One that hung her massive mammaries in Naruto's face.
Oh, he didn't need another Tsunade situation. Naruto didn't need to deal with that right now... Or around Blake.
"You took your sweet time. I've been waiting for you." Jinn giggled as she leaned away, giving Naruto a knowing smirk.
"Why do you not have clothes?!" Blake furiously blushed, glaring harshly at Jinn as she nestled and nudged her between the genie and Naruto.
"Why would I need them, child? I'm just an ethereal being with no concept of your human sexuality. Although it does highly amuse me." Jinn responded with a smile and a laugh. The ground shook behind Naruto and Blake, and Jinn's gaze rose, and her smile broadened. "Ah, Kurama. It has been some time, my friend."
"Some time?" Naruto's head snapped behind him and toward the Nine-Tails as he sat behind them.
Yes, I am afraid. Kurama exhaled, pitifully glancing over toward Jinn. Could you...
"Of course. I've been waiting all this time for this very day." Jinn beamed as the time-locked world around them faded into a white void.
"What's going on?" Blake shouted, alarmed at the sudden shift.
"It's an illusion. Possibly a vision. We're still where we were." Naruto responded to calm his partner, quickly catching what Jinn had done with a furrowed brow.
However, Blake was more important at the moment, and to help comfort her, he gently laced his hand with hers. She jumped at first, looking at him with alarm, but when she saw his demeanor, she began to settle down. Blake was still quite anxious, which was fair, but calmer as she squeezed his hand.
"I thought there was a set amount of questions that you could answer. That's what I was told." Naruto glared at Jinn.
"For humanity, yes. Of human flesh you may be made of, but you have long since ascended those bounds and have become the Sun." Jinn replied as the world of white faded, and they were shown a visage.
One where they stood on a weathered rock of a world with no life to be seen for miles. The only signs were the flickers of stars in the sky. And even then, they were far fewer than he was accustomed to.
Naruto scowled, but he did not respond. He simply focused on this forsaken, dusty wasteland they had been brought to. "So what, you're just gonna answer all my questions then?"
"I'm going to tell you the entire story." Jinn mused as she gazed down upon Naruto before smiling. "Then, if you have any other questions, I'll answer them."
"Does that go for me as well?" Blake asked nervously.
"Of course, my lovely Moon. You have a touch of divinity, and I'm not bound to abide by the laws placed on me for either of you." Jinn gave Blake a genuine smile.
"Okay... Cause I have a lot." Blake timidly glanced around at the wasteland.
"I understand. It's why I came to the beginning." Jinn stated as golden and purple lights flashed through the dark sky. "This world was cold and lifeless, as all worlds were. Life was a mere afterthought. Then, two beings descended upon this universe to settle their idealism and war with one another."
Naruto bit his lip upon seeing cosmic shaking as the beings of golden and purple light fought, shattering the cosmos. Stars formed and collapsed in their wake. Planets were obliterated.
Yet as the fighting wound down, all Naruto could think of was how familiar their auras felt to him.
"But the longer they fought, the God of Light and Dark Lord began to learn their squabble wasn't accomplishing anything. They could not convince the other to see their point of view, but as brothers, they no longer wished for such violence and destruction. So they came to a truce and began to make life throughout the universe." Jinn continued as the Brother Gods descended upon the planet, the God of Light dipping his hands into the dirt and clay.
Forging a great and mighty tree that gave birth to life. To humanity.
"And for the first time, life came to Remnant, or as it was known for quite some time, Earth," Jinn stated with a small smile before she sighed, her gaze falling onto the Dark Lord. "But in the shadows, the Dark Lord forged a creation of his own to maintain the balance he sought. And a race that would begin to annihilate the universe and treat it as their playground was born. The Otsutsuki."
Naruto tensed while he gnashed his teeth at the sight of the Dark Lord forging the Otsutsuki, aware that Kaguya was an alien who had descended upon their planet. What he wasn't aware of was that she was a part of a race—a race that seemingly did what she did to every planet with life.
That could be an issue.
"The Dark Lord would soon learn the folly of his hubris, watching as his creation caused planets to go extinct. Watching the creations of his dear brother be wiped out so thoroughly that he willingly came to his Brother's aid to eliminate his threat to their balance." Jinn explained as humanity flourished on Remnant...
Before two Otsutsuki descended upon the world.
Naruto recognized Kaguya, but was confused. She didn't come alone?
His eyes widened as Kaguya struck the other down, and the visage began to change as a large tree grew, and Kaguya was adored and worshipped by humanity. To the point, she settled down with a human man and had two children.
"Grandpa Sage..." Naruto muttered as they watched the children's lives unfold rather uneventfully.
"This possibility was not something either of the Brothers had predicted. The change that their creations would bond with one another and forge a peace." Jinn sadly smiled as she too watched the scene before it changed to a gruesome battlefield, one where Hagoromo and his brother fought their mother. "But alas, it was only a calm before the storm. Once the tree bore fruit, her destructive tendencies returned. And the Brothers came with a solution during this furious battle. Seeing their creations had made a new life together, their curiosity grew, and they decided they would gift this life a fragment of their power. Power that would be carried down from generation to generation."
"The first Sun and Moon were born." Jinn waved as the battle ended with Kaguya being sealed away, Hagoromo's brother ascending to the moon, while he remained on Earth. And as his children were born, Jinn sighed. "And soon, it was discovered that with that gift, they had also cursed them with their conflict. The brothers fought and fought throughout the eras as their descendants inherited their will... All until one day something unique happened... And the cycle was eventually broken."
The vision shifted to a lush forest and village. To a scenery that was all too intimate for Naruto.
"Konoha," Naruto whispered as the village wrapped around them.
Blake recoiled and gave him an astonished look, her eyes bulging as she saw the nostalgic gleam in Naruto's gaze as he looked upon the unfamiliar city. And she gasped as her gaze fell upon an image that Naruto was solely focused on.
A younger version of himself walking alongside three other people. A tall man with gravity-defying silver hair. A young girl his age with long, flowing pink hair. And a brooding boy in navy blue wearing white shorts.
"Haha! I told you I'm the best!" Young Naruto proudly boasted, walking ahead of the others.
"Shut it, loser. You got lucky." Sasuke muttered, staring a hole in the back of Naruto's head.
"Nu-ah! Make me, bastard!" Naruto glowered, balling his fist into his palm and cracking his knuckles.
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, glaring at Naruto, but was held back by Kakashi.
"Mah, settle down, you three." Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh as he separated them. But with a crease of his mouth, one could tell he was smiling as he gazed upon Naruto. "You did well today... But don't let that get to your head. You have a long way to go."
"Hehe... I remember that day. First time I did something Sasuke couldn't and caught that stupid cat." Naruto chuckled fondly at the memory with a hazy gaze.
Blake solemnly turned her attention to Naruto as the image transitioned. She only knew a little about what Naruto's life was like before. Seeing a small, but simple scene give him such joy...
Honestly, it made her feel a little jealous. And wanting to see him smile like that more.
A true, genuine smile. Not just his big, dumb, doofus smile that he always wore.
Maybe she should have him talk more about his home...
All of those thoughts shattered from Blake's mind as the world shook around them, and a flash of gold and purple light similar to the beginning of this story erupted all around them. And as it faded, a version of Naruto Blake was all too familiar with who lay next to Sasuke, their arms severed from their final blow.
"And though the ending wasn't as happy as one would like, the cycle was broken this day as the two children of the Sun and Moon finally learned to accept one another." Jinn gave a short but sad smile as their world darkened, only for the Brother Gods to descend. "This act of understanding caused the Brothers to change. They saw the world anew with this answer. And to honor the life that gave them an answer of how to end their feud, they blessed them to become the Sun and Moon."
"To pass on their newfound peace to the next generations." Jinn displayed a new scene with two new individuals fighting another of Kaguya's race, defeating him soundly and scattering his remains into the wind.
Individuals who caused Naruto to recoil.
A girl who shared features with Sasuke, wielding a Sharingan and a Rinnegan like his, standing next to a blonde-haired boy. A boy with one cerulean eye etched with a determination that Naruto recognized.
But what confused him was that the boy also had an eye similar to the Byukugan?
"Wait, how is this possible? We didn't father any children?" Naruto turned his attention to Jinn with a frown.
"Your friends, while too late to save you, arrived in time to preserve your genetic data so your genes could be passed down to future generations. Throughout many generations. Through cycles of humanity. All to fight and eventually destroy every last remnant of Dark Lord's greatest mistake until only she remained." Jinn responded, and the faint outlines of Sakura and Hinata formed behind the teenagers.
Naruto went rigid upon seeing them, his eyes wavering and his body quivering as the world of white returned. Still, Naruto and Sasuke's children remained momentarily before their images changed and became different individuals over time.
So many generations...
"Wait, that's... Mom?!" Blake shuddered as, for the first time, Sasuke's descendants obtained cat-like Faunus features.
And a woman who looked very similar to Blake next to a rugged and tanned man with dusty blonde hair, who seemed very familiar to Naruto. Had they met?
"Oh, that's her dad." Naruto snapped his fingers, recalling glimpsing the man when he picked Ruby and Yang up from the police station.
"Yes, they are of your lineage, like you are of his lineage. It's why you were able to inherit the will of the Moon." Jinn nodded before her gaze shifted to Blake. She told her shrink, she smiled before waving, and two figures melded into one. "There was even a moment where the lines were temporarily merged during the second age of man... And a force of nature was born."
An elegant woman with striking blonde hair and blue eyes stood before them. One that caused Naruto to growl. "Her? She's of both our bloodlines?"
Jinn only gave a simple nod and a pitying smile as Naruto exhaled and lowered his head. "Figures... Guess that makes sense to what I'm feeling..."
Blake shrank, glancing down uncomfortably, struggling to process the story Jinn had told. Feeling Naruto's hand give her a reassuring squeeze, she tentatively looked up at him before frowning. "You're taking all this rather well..."
"Eh, confirm a lot of things for me. Honestly, it makes me feel better to know I became a spirit like Ashura and Indra." Naruto gave a comforting smile. However, it didn't last as his gaze shifted to Jinn again as he pursed his lips, confused. "What doesn't make sense is why I returned while Blake inherited Sasuke's will. Shouldn't I have, you know, become one with that blonde girl... Ow! What?!"
"You could have worded that better," Blake growled and glared at Naruto after elbowing him in the ribs.
"You would have, yes." Jinn nodded before she glanced up and toward Kurama, causing Naruto and Blake's attention to also shift to him. "I believe this is your conversation now."
I know. Kurama grumbled before exhaling, giving Naruto a pitiful glance as his partner gave him a quizzical look. Naruto... We're tired... It's time for us to rest.
"Us?" Naruto squinted, looking up at Kurama before his face fell. "Wait... You said before you were still split..."
I am. I did it to keep you from being suspicious. Kurama nodded as a crimson sheet of chakra flowed from beyond and into Kurama, causing him to shift as a tenth tail grew. But now that you know the truth of what happened, I can reveal my true form.
And that I had the creator forge you anew so we could finally rest, together.
[ X ]
"Why did you trust him? Inform me to trust him! He had the opportunity, and he pissed it away, dooming us all!" James stood before his desk and sneered over the intercom, staring into the holoscreen of Ozpin at his desk beside Glynda.
"She's going to remain hidden and wait him out. We lost our only chance to win..." Qrow scowled, leaning against the wall in James' office aboard his airship.
"I'm sorry, but it sounds like you expected a victory." Ozpin rested his chin on his laced fingers.
"What?" Ironwood snarled, balling his fist, enraged by Ozpin's answer.
"You knew he wasn't going to destroy her?" Orow scowled, biting back his own anger.
"I knew that she could not be defeated and will eventually rule Remnant when the time comes. I have seen it." Ozpin responded with a sigh before faintly smiling. "After she takes over from the next King of Remnant."
"Next King... You can't be serious." Qrow's features paled, and his eyes wavered. "The kid?"
"Deadly, I'm afraid. Jinn was all too happy to inform me of why I couldn't defeat Salem after I asked why." Ozpin shrugged, an odd satisfaction coming over him. "But if that means he can break her and return her to the way she was before that fateful day..."
"I am all for seeing that version of Salem return."
[ X ]
"Ugh, where did those two go?!" Ilia muttered angrily, scowling with her arms crossed, scanning the campus.
They had been searching all day for where Naruto and Blake had wandered off, unable to find a trace of where they had gone. All they could do was meet at the entrance to Haven and gather intel from one another.
"I, unfortunately, was unable to follow their aura trail." Penny gave a worried frown, wondering where her friends had gone.
"Some tracker you are. Betcha they got the fuck out here after pissing off the general." Neo snorted before grimacing. "We might want to next... Who knows what a man like that would do?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss snapped, glaring at Neo momentarily before shivering, recalling the General's expression when they left Atlas.
Neo had a point...
"Yo!" Naruto's dulcet tone called out in the distance as Naruto and Blake strolled toward them and the entrance, coming from the wilderness.
"Where have you been?" Weiss coldly glared at Naruto before giving Blake a look of understanding. "Bet he tried to leave us again and you had to wrangle him again..."
"Hey! That's not what I was doing! I was getting answers!" Naruto glowered, holding up the Relic of Knowledge before rolling his eyes.
"He really was. And after we got them... We just kind of lost track of time, talking." Blake gave a faint smile with a light flush of her cheeks.
"Uh-huh. Talking, right." Ilia snorted upon seeing Blake's flush.
Blake snarled, glaring daggers at her friend.
"Mah, believe what you want. It's what we did." Naruto shrugged as he turned his attention to Neo. "Neo, can you call Roman?"
"Huh? Why?" Neo tilted her head awkwardly. Naruto gave Neo a bland stare and raised his brow before Neo's expression lit up with excitement. "Oh, we're going back! I'm on it!"
"Give her a warning for me, would ya?" Naruto nodded before broadly grinning. "Tell her, she'd best leave town before we get there, or I'm gonna break her over and over against just like I'm gonna do to her master."
"Cause for the first time since I came to Remnant, I know my purpose and what I want to do."