"Ladies and gentlemen! Human and Faunus alike, it's that time! We have arrived at the final match of this year's Vytel Festival! What a winding road we have taken to reach this point! I would have never expected this match-up as our Finals' outcome, but we are here!" Professor Port's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, drawing all attention onto the arena below.
Preparing the audience for the last match of the tournament.
"Yes indeed, partner, this is an exciting matchup, one that was not anticipated. There was little doubt the prodigy of team SPEC from Atlas would have reached this round despite his tough first-round match against Miss Pyrrha Nikos, his opponent from team ARBN, who is a tough nut to crack. After his team lost their very first match to team SPEC, they went on a run! No matter the situation, even when it seems he is down and out, he manages to reverse fate itself and grasp victory from the clutches of defeat! I can't possibly predict the outcome of this match!" Professor Oobleck enthusiastically endorsed this match in his typical rapid speech.
"Did they have to mention me?" Pyrrha let out a pitiful whimper, hanging her head shamefully as she sat in the crowd with her team and friends to watch this final match.
"Pyrrha..." Jaune frowned, seeing Pyrrha deflate before grimacing.
He was unsure of how to broach what she felt. From what he knew, Pyrrha had never suffered a defeat before. Jaune had noticed she had been sullen for the past several days and wished he knew what to say...
"Yo, what about me? I nearly beat that knucklehead!" Yang raged, glaring up at the intercom and shaking her fist angrily at it.
"No, you didn't. He knew exactly what to do to beat you and executed his plan, regardless of how much damage you inflicted on him." Blake blandly sighed, lifting her gaze from her book and raising her brow at her partner.
"Come on, partner! You're supposed to have my back!" Yang whined, deflating somewhat.
"Yang, you're my sister, and I always believe in you... But you got to admit it was clever to turn Burn against you and make you knock yourself out." Ruby sheepishly grinned, admitting the truth to her sister.
"Rubes..." Yang's mood soured further, looking for any support amongst her friends.
"Don't look at me." Weiss huffed, looking away when Yang turned her gaze to her.
"Can't say I'm surprised by that. You went to the dance with him instead of Mr. Dark and Brooding." Yang sulked before grinning, deflecting the attention.
"I only went with him as he won that stupid bet! I wouldn't be seen in public with a dolt like him otherwise?" Weiss snapped, coldly staring at Yang.
"So how do you explain the date a couple of weeks ago then?" Ruby gave a sinister smirk.
"I... uh..." Weiss recoiled, her entire face flushed as red as a tomato. Whether from embarrassment or indignation, no one could tell.
"Stop teasing her." Blake rolled her eyes and shot Ruby and Yang an annoyed glare.
"Right? Besides, they make a good couple! They complement each other very well." Nora chirped, her tone ever playful.
"They do make a cute couple." Pyrrha softly smiled, the conversation lifting her spirits to a degree.
"Heck ya, they do!" Reese's voice resonated, waving toward them as her team, along with Sun and Neptune, holding bags of popcorn, joined them.
"Sorry, the lines to concessions were a killer." Sun slid between Blake and Yang, handing a bag to Yang before sharing a bar of chocolate with Blake.
"Thanks," Blake's mood lifted as she took a bite, sharing a brief smile with Sun.
"Whoop, whoop! You're the man!" Yang grinned, shoveling a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
Weiss's blush deepened to an even darker shade before she muttered under her breath as Arslan, Bolin, and Reese took the empty seats to her left.
"Never thought he, a Faunus, would go on a date with the Schnee heiress... Gotta say, didn't have that on bingo card." Bolin chuckled, scratching the side of his face.
Weiss grimaced and hung her head. Oh, if her father ever learned that not only did she spite the young man she was betrothed to her at the dance, and had another date with a Faunus...
"Here," Arslan slid a small bowl of frozen blueberry cream yogurt. "Naruto said it was your favorite and they had it."
"He told you that?" Weiss stated with a hint of surprise.
It wasn't like she told him to keep that secret, but...
"I'm his partner. Someone has to keep an eye out for that idiot. Never know what stupid stunt he's about to pull, I swear. ...I wouldn't mind if someone took some of that responsibility away from me." Arslan snorted, sharing a thin smirk with Weiss before her gaze shifted to the arena down below as two figures walked out of each tunnel.
Weiss's gaze followed and fell onto one particular figure as they walked out of the tunnel. Onto a lone fox-Faunus confidently striding forward despite the odds stacked before him. Undeterred by the previous result when they last faced one another.
Yet Weiss knew better. He held a hint of doubt. Fear that the result, despite all his effort, wouldn't change. He faced it head-on with an unparalleled, raw determination that left her speechless.
Gave her hope that things could change.
"He is a dolt, that's for sure," Weiss faintly smiled despite feeling the same apprehension about the direction of her life. But with a deep breath, she held her hand to her chest as the two stood at the center of the arena and faced one another. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Now let's hear it for our final two contestants of the Vytal Festival!"
"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!"
[ X ]
Never once in his life had Naruto felt this anxious.
The pit in his stomach as butterflies circled within his tummy. His lips were cracked, and his throat was dry. He felt like, at any moment, the nerves in his stomach could tightly clench and cause him to vomit.
And despite it all, Naruto never felt more alive! He wanted this moment! To show everyone precisely what he was capable of! To let the whole world know he was Naruto Uzumaki, and he was someone to be remembered!
Not just some orphan duffus that bounced between foster homes who was too bright and loud.
After today, everyone would know his name.
Especially this cocky bastard before him.
"You should surrender, loser." Sasuke casually stated, a hint of agitated venom lacing his tone. His expression shifted to a conceited confidence that caused Naruto to grind his teeth. "Everyone already knows how this is going to end. You already lost to me at the start of this tournament. Nothing has changed since then."
"Shut up!" Naruto snapped, balling his fists tightly, his anger rising.
However, internally, he frowned. That was the exact reaction Sasuke wanted. He was trying to get a rise out of him. Fluster him and cause him to lose focus.
The last thing Naruto wanted was to give him that satisfaction.
"Heh," Naruto took a deep breath before a faint but confident smirk graced his features. "Then you don't know how hard I've worked my butt off since then. I'll show you just how much I've improved as I wipe the floor with you. Ya better believe that!"
Sasuke darkly scowled, narrowing her gaze momentarily. Yet for the untrained eye, for a brief moment, one could swear the corner of his right lip curled into a smirk.
"Is that so? Then show me." Sasuke drew a hinged tanto, loading a vial of red dust into its chamber before firmly grasping the handle.
Naruto responded by simply withdrawing a handful of shuriken with his left, a kunai in his right. They were cheap but effective weapons, but ones Naruto had confidence in. He had been training with them all his life, for they were all he could get his hands on when he was younger.
"Let the final match of the Vytal Festival commence!" Professor Port's voice resonated over the intercoms.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He threw a volley of shuriken toward Sasuke as he rapidly approached. As expected, Sasuke deflected them with a bored expression, scattering them about and embedding them into the concrete of the floating arena. However, it gave him just enough time to slide into his guard.
The steel of his kunai clashed with Sasuke's tanto. Again, Naruto had expected that. This was a test. He wanted to see if Sasuke caught on to his plan this time.
And as kunai and tanto repeatedly clashed, Naruto had to refrain from smirking. He was so focused on what Naruto was doing, it seemed like he didn't notice.
Time to go hand-to-hand.
Sasuke's eyes sharpened as Naruto unexpectedly tossed his kunai, whizzing past his cheek as he barely evaded in time. His attack failed, and Sasuke would not allow such a foolish endeavor to go unpunished. He rapidly flipped the handle of his tanto and stabbed into Naruto's lax guard, straight into his chest.
The crowd gasped, but Sasuke narrowed his eyes. It went in too easily.
"A clone," Sasuke whispered as the Naruto before him dissolved into a plume of smoke, stopping as he stared across the arena.
And as the smoke faded, Sasuke grunted as he barely avoided a straight hook to his chin before he took the following knee to his stomach. He skidded a few feet back from the blow, using the momentum to flip several times away and create distance.
Sasuke scowled as he glanced over to see the smirking fool.
"How?" Sasuke asked a simple question, recalling his replacement trick the last time they faced one another, and from how Naruto beat Yang.
"Heh, don't think you are the only one who is capable of using a wide array of abilities. Our Semblances are more similar than ya think!" Naruto shouted, cracking his knuckles and withdrawing another kunai and a handful of shuriken.
Sasuke glowered as another volley of the throwing stars sliced through the air toward him. They were thrown so haphazardly that he hardly had to deflect most of them. It felt like he was just throwing them to distract him and close the distance to press a preconceived notion that Naruto was better up close.
A notion Sasuke desired to squash. Naruto wasn't even better than Pyrrha in that regard, and he soundly defeated her.
He wouldn't allow Naruto to take the fight to him.
"Huh?" Naruto slid to a stop as Sasuke vanished with a twist of his feet.
His eyes sharpened as he scanned the arena, searching for his opponent. Sasuke didn't just leave, nor did he turn invisible.
Nah. That couldn't be... He couldn't be moving that fast... Right?
"Ugh!" Naruto grimaced as Sasuke appeared at his left side and wickedly slashed his tanto into his chest.
Naruto was barely able to turn and parry the strike, but Sasuke kept coming. With lethal accuracy and frightening speed. Its slice nearly caught him, and he was just able to deflect with his kunai, even using his arm band on his left and using his aura to shield him further.
He was coming at him with reckless abandon, wanting to show how superior he was.
Good. Almost time.
"Huh?" Naruto was taken aback as Sasuke grabbed his left wrist, and he brought it up to guard against his next slash.
And to his shock, Sasuke used his momentum and drove a cracking knee into Naruto's jaw that sent him flying and skidding across the concrete.
But Sasuke didn't relent as he landed, holding out his tanto directly at Naruto. With a flick of a specialized trigger on his tanto, the blade folded in to reveal a barrel in the handle as it extended.
And a burst of flames rushed from the barrel like that of a flamethrower briefly, before growing exponentially from the push of his aura—a sweeping flame which engulfed Naruto and enveloped his entire being in its searing heat.
Sasuke only sneered as the crowd gasped, horrified at the thought of the finals ending in such a manner. As the flames pittered into an obscuring smoke, he let out a deep breath.
Somehow, he felt disappointed. Like he wanted their fight to continue, however, Sasuke shook his head. It didn't matter to him how it ended. As long as he was victorious, he could reach his goal. And then...
"Gotcha!" Naruto's voice carried from the lapping flames and billowing smoke.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as razor-thin wires shimmered in the air from a singular point with the flames and smoke, and attempted to wrap around him.
He wouldn't allow that to happen. He leapt over them effortlessly as the wires cut through the air that he previously occupied.
Only for what they had connected to be drawn into said spot and collide with one another.
The shuriken he had so hapzardly thrown earlier. So he had used them to try and...
"No!" Sasuke's eyes grew exponentially as his focus zoomed in on the inner ring and saw the red shine within.
Naruto had filled them with Red Dust!
An explosion ripped from underneath Sasuke and caught him in the blast, sending him careening to the other end of the arena as he was separated from his tanto. Sasuke flipped and recovered effortlessly, skidding to a stop only for his eyes to waver as from the smoke and flames, Naruto emerged and had closed the distance upon him, looking only mildly charred and smoky, before catching him squarely in the face with a straight right.
Sasuke internally grimaced as he felt his face crack from the blow, knocking him off balance. And it was far from over.
Naruto's assault was furious as every punch, kick, and knee connected to his torso or to his face, jarring Sasuke repeatedly from the onslaught. He could feel Sasuke buckling with each shot, but he had yet to break his aura.
"Ack!" Naruto grunted as Sasuke finally countered, striking back with an elbow that caught Naruto on the left cheek.
...He almost felt a few of his teeth pop out of his socket from that blow...
"Argh!" Sasuke spat a wad of spit as Naruto firmly landed a gut punch in response.
Only to follow a harsh strike to the temple that would have knocked most people out instantaneously.
Naruto was not most people, and he struck back with a boot to Sasuke's jaw.
Sasuke countered by grabbing his ankle and tossing him over his shoulder and into the concrete, dazing Naruto for a moment as his head snapped awkwardly. He immediately mounted Naruto, striking him repeatedly in the jaw to end the fight as quickly as he could, smashing through his pathetic guard.
But why wasn't his aura cracking? Why couldn't he break him like he had had everyone before?!
"Do you honestly think you can beat me?!" Sasuke shouted, pounding Naruto's face repeatedly, feeling his opponent slacken beneath him, unable to put up a guard any longer. Yet Sasuke kept striking, unwilling to let go of the idea that this loser could push him. "I'm better than everyone! I am the best! Get that through your thick skull and just give up! No one can..."
Sasuke's words died as a furious right caught him in the face, knocking him off Naruto and several meters away from him before he could recover into a crouch. He snarled, prepared to rush forward, when he froze, rooted to his spot.
A cold shiver ran down his spine as Naruto unnaturally rose. His body contorted as his ankles lifted all his weight, then he limply stood upright. And then his body tensed, and Naruto sneered, his pupils bleeding crimson as he snarled. "You don't get it, do you! This isn't about being better than you! This is about everyone recognizing that no matter who you are, with hard work, anyone can overcome whatever is put in front of them!"
Outstretching his right hand, the one with the strange circular mark in his palm, Naruto growled as his aura visibly began to condense and spiral into a blue orb. "That is who I am, Sasuke! I will never quit! I refuse to run away. I will fight to the bitter end to show everyone who I am and what I am about!"
"What is that?!" Sasuke hissed, his eyes wavering at seeing Naruto project his aura into an ominous orb.
He had heard of people, after many years of training, being capable of weaponizing their aura. However, those were Huntsman with years of experience and training. Naruto was his age! He had been training to do that for several years, and he hadn't even come close to something like this!
And this nobody could just do something he couldn't?!
Snatching a vial with a pure yellow crystallized Dust, Sasuke crushed the glass and clutched the crystal in his left palm, the crescent moon shining as electricity crackled around Sasuke. If Naruto could weaponize his aura, so could he!
He was considered the greatest prodigy that the General had ever laid eyes on! If anyone could do it by just seeing someone else do it, it was him!
"Then prepare to be put in your place! No one is my equal, and I will show you why!" Sasuke snarled as lightning condensed into his left palm, stabilizing as what sounded like the chirping of thousands of birds coursed through the arena.
"Sasuke!" Naruto bolted forward, carrying the orb at his side, staring directly into Sasuke's eyes as he mirrored his movement.
"Naruto!" Sasuke threw back his left and swung it forward as Naruto did the same with his right.
Lightning met raw aura as the two gnashed their teeth, staring directly into one another's gaze. The ground cracked and cratered beneath their feet while lightning violently sparked and flung in every direction, cutting deeply into both Naruto and Sasuke, their aura unable to protect them.
Yet neither relented as dark light consumed them into an orb. They pushed their attack forward, seeking any advantage to move past and strike the other. And as the dark light turned to a blinding light, their uncompromising gazes bore into one another as they both threw one last wild punch with their free hand, catching each other's jaw.
The roar of an explosion ripped through the arena as the concrete shattered around them.
And Naruto and Sasuke collapsed through the falling rubble, plummeting to the platform and crumpling as they met the ground.
Neither moved an inch as the crowd looked on, weary and confused as many more explosions followed.
[ X ]
"Naruto! Wake up!"
"Eh?" Naruto shot up from his bed, kunai in hand as his heart raced.
His gaze sharpened as he wildly glanced around his surroundings, searching for an intruder. He wouldn't have someone get the drop on him again. Take all his stuff in his sleep...
"Whoa! Easy there, bro!" A familiar voice calmed Naruto as he started to recognize where he was.
"Reese?" Naruto questioned as he glanced around once more, seeing his teammate leaning away from him before grimacing.
That's right...
Naruto grimaced. He was in a cabin—a simple room with four beds and a circular window to peer out to the rocking sea outside.
He let out a deep, regretful sigh as he slid his kunai into his pouch attached to his orange pants. "Sorry about that... Guess I was sleeping deeper than usual."
"No kidding! You scared me for a second!" Reese scowled before she softly smiled. "Yeah, probably should have thought better than trying to shake your shoulder. I should know better than that."
Naruto bit his lip. His team knew why he was always on the edge.
He didn't have the greatest of childhoods. Bouncing from foster family to foster family. Unable to trust any of them as his stuff often disappeared and was frequently found in the possession of his foster siblings...
At least until he found his home with the rest of his people, he was given a chance and taught how to look after himself.
"I'm still sorry." Naruto shook his head shamefully as he felt his long, golden fennec fox ears dropping onto his blonde spiky locks. Glancing up at Reese, he exhaled. "You would think after a year of spending time with all of you, I would have relaxed... I trust you guys. I really do."
"Hey, it's no problem. We know you do, just like we trust you. Headmaster Lionheart wouldn't have allowed us to head out and compete in the Vytal Festival otherwise." Reese grinned, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Now wakey, wakey! We gotta go!"
"Eh? We arrived at Vale?" Naruto's eyes bulged, and he coughed several times.
"We just docked! Arslan and Dolin are waiting on ya and sent me back to wake you... Jerks!" Reese scowled, throwing a particular finger toward the general direction she knew them to be on the ship.
"Well, what are we waiting for! Let's go!" Naruto hopped out of bed, padding out the creases in his zipped, collared black shirt before giving a broad grin. "Can't wait to see Vale... Wait? You said Arslan and Bolin are waiting... Where's Sun?"
"Doing his thing," Reese beamed, causing Naruto to glower before palming his face.
"Of course he is. Can't leave that guy alone for a second. We had a plan to cause mischief together, dammit!"
[ X ]
That was... Awkward.
While running into another Faunus was far from unusual, being winked at by one as they passed by her while escaping from ship crewmates was. A stowaway had just tried to flirt with her...
And Blake was blushing! Dammit! He wasn't that charming!
Or was she that starved for attention from another Faunus... No! She didn't need another guy right now! Or anyone for that matter!
She had enough to deal with without adding a relationship to her list of problems and worries!
Although he was pretty handsome... And had a set of abs that made her...
"Quick! We can't let him get away! After him!" Weiss ordered, turning her focus to the direction where the monkey Faunus had fled.
"Right! Let's go!" Ruby gave the okay, prepared to chase after with her partner and to make Blake and Yang follow along.
She knew Yang would do so, enthusiastically. Her partner wanted to know more about her possible opposition to the Vytal Festival. Blake, however...
Blake didn't even want to be a part of it! But her team had already qualified despite being first years! Ugh! If Adam caught notice of her on any of the televised matches...
"Hold it!" A firm voice called out, halting their momentum before they could start their chase.
Blake frowned as her entire team turned and glanced down the dock to see four individuals casually approaching them, having left the boat.
The first, and the owner of the voice, was a young woman with blonde hair and darker skin dressed like a rugged fighter. To her right was a young man who reminded Blake a little of Ren, probably of Mistrali descent, given their similar features.
Next to him was a punky young girl with a blue hoodie and aqua-to-teal hair, widely grinning as she pulled a hoverboard off her back. And last, at her side...
Blake's breath hitched. Her eyes quivered as she stared in open shock.
There was no way... She hadn't seen him in years! Not since she... Ran away from home...
"And who are you?" Ruby asked, her curiosity getting the better of her before sparkles gleamed from her gaze. "And is that a hoverboard? Oh, that is so cool!"
"Yeah, you like it? I made it myself." Reese showed off her hoverboard, her grin widening even further.
"So cool!" Hearts glistened in Ruby's eyes.
"Reese, follow Sun and report back to me. Make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble." Arslan rolled her eyes before giving her teammate a half-hearted glare.
"On it!" Reese flipped her hoverboard and hopped onto it, zipping past them with blistering speeds.
"He's with you?" Weiss scrunched her brow and glared at the team before throwing a nastier glare toward Naruto.
"What'd I do?" Naruto raised his brow, questioning her venomous glance toward him.
"She's a Schnee..." Bolin discreetly whispered, believing Naruto would only hear him.
Not realizing Blake could as well, causing her to frown as Naruto's expression depressed.
"Oh..." Naruto recoiled before sighing. "Yeah, that makes sense..."
Blake winced at his defeated expression before taking a deep breath. She had many things she wanted to see to Weiss, but the last thing she needed was to reveal to her that she was a Faunus...
"He followed and stowed away with us. As his seniors, he's our responsibility until the rest of his team gets here... Some leader he is." Arslan exhaled, putting each hand on her hips.
"So you guys are here for the Vytal Festival?" Yang inquired, barely able to contain her excitement at the prospect of facing off with each of them.
"We wouldn't be here otherwise," Naruto neutrally responded, shaking his head before briefly flashing a smile and waving at Blake. "Yo. Been a while."
"It has." Blake simply nodded, keeping her gaze firmly locked on Naruto, a hint of worry that he would say something.
He was always so loud and open about everything... But he was good at keeping secrets... Except, he didn't know she was...
"Wait, is she... Ow!" Bolin snapped his attention toward Blake before he yelped as Naruto elbowed him.
"Yeah." Naruto simply replied, sharply glaring at his teammate before smiling. "Well, we can catch up later. We'd better go help Reese contain Sun... Who knows what trouble the Monkey King is about to unleash upon Vale? What havoc could he be bestowing... Without me."
"You are not to join in on his shenanigans, understand?" Arslan bitterly snorted, glancing over toward Blake, looking over her for a moment before shrugging. "Guess we'll be seeing each other sometime later. Have a good rest of your day."
"You as well," Blake repressed her urge to frown at the peculiar gaze Arslan gave her.
It was like she was measuring her worth or something...
Wait, was she Naruto's partner? Oh... That made sense if she was...
"Hope to meet you guys again, too!" Ruby waved as Arslan, Bolin, and Naruto strolled past them on the pier.
Blake let out a sigh of relief. Naruto likely knew where she went and had an idea that if she was now a student Huntress, things had changed.
She bit her lip and repressed the urge to grimace. Naruto had changed a bit from the last time she had seen him. Hopefully, he wouldn't judge her too harshly for her actions... He was one of her few friends...
"So... You know that hunk? Is he an ex or something?" Yang catily elbowed Blake with a grin, desiring to know more about her partner.
"Nothing like that. He's just a childhood friend." Blake rolled her eyes while giving her partner an annoyed side eye.
Blake had noticed Weiss's frown, but she said nothing further as she glanced down at her scroll before grimacing. She knew why, and it was a subject she had wanted to broach with her for a while...
Guess it was going to happen sooner than she would have liked it to...
"Hmph, let's keep scouting around. I doubt they're the only teams showing up today. I can only imagine who else has arrived." Weiss turned her back to her team as she started down the port.
"Weiss, wait up!" Ruby jogged after her partner as Blake and Yang hung back, sharing a look with one another.
"You notice Weiss's tone too?" Yang frowned, placing her hand on her hip as she carefully observed her teammate.
"Yes. She is not happy about something." Blake joined Yang, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, which is weird considering she is the one who suggested this. Wonder what that message was about?" Yang scratched her chin, slowly trailing behind so Ruby and Weiss didn't get too far away.
"I wonder..." Blake simply nodded.
She saw Weiss had received a message of some kind. And whatever message she had received dampened her mood.
And whatever that message was worried Blake.