"Like "awkward" and "embarrassing" maybe? Naruto-kun, just relax. You're so tense it looks like we could use you as a table." Hikari said.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Alright, well...I guess you have a point. So, Blake, without the presure from anyone else, how about we go hang out? We could spar, or just...talk."

"I would like that," Blake replied with a soft smile on her face. It would be the least she could do to start apologizing for her teammate's actions. Plus...she wanted to tell him the truth about herself. Not letting anyone know was starting to get to her, and she believed that she could trust Naruto.

Naruto nodded and grinned brightly. "Great! Let's get out of here before they do anything else to us." He suggested, shooting an anxious glance at his team mates. He wasn't sure if they meant well, or simply wanted to embarrass him.

Blake nodded, knowing that Yang would try something to her if they stayed around any longer. The cat-like Faunice knew she meant well, truly she did, but it was still embarrassing all the same. "Good idea. Lead the way Naruto."

Without bothering to answer, Naruto grabbed Blake's hand and led her away from their team mates, fast. It never occurred to him that holding her hand would have repercussions.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Hikari started to chuckle. "Who wants to bet that he has no clue he just grabbed her hand?" She said deviously.

"I don't take sucker bets," Amaya replied with a light giggle as she sighed lightly. While she was curious about what would happen with Naruto and Blake, she wasn't going to interrupt or spy on the two.

"So...while Naruto is on his date, what should the rest of us do, hm?" Ark asked. Yang had walked away from the three of them so they were the only ones currently in the hallway.

Hikari shrugged. "Well, we were all going to train after breakfast, before all that crap with Weiss happened. We could still do that." She suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, Leader-chan" he replied with a light smirk on his face before he remembered something. "Also...didn't you say you would help me with mastering my aura?" he asked.

"Oh, that's right I did!" Hikari's eyes widened. "I totally forgot! I'll still do it, though. I did promise." She said.

"I know you will, I just wanted to remind you Hika-chan,” he replied. He knew that he had also promised to help her get into shape, as she requested. "Well then, how about we get started on your training Hikari? Amaya-chan, think you can help?" he asked.

Blake blushed lightly when Naruto grabbed her hand, but hadn't said anything about it as she was led away from the Academy. Curious as to where they were going, she kept her mouth shut and her eyes open.

Naruto didn't let up his quick pace until they were well away from their meddling teams. When he did stop, they were in a little garden-like courtyard behind the school. No one was around, so it seemed like a good place to relax. "Okay. We should be safe here." He said, turning to her and letting her hand go. "So, what do you want to do, 'tebayo?"

Hikari nodded. "Right. I think there's a training area somewhere on the school grounds, so we can go there." She said, starting to lead the way- in the wrong direction.

"And you're going in the wrong direction,"Ark said with a light chuckle as he led the others out into a small clearing that he saw the other day. Sure it didn't have any Grimms in it, but that was beside the point

"I honestly didn't have any plans Naruto," Blake admitted as a reply. She had to admit that having him hold her hand was a nice feeling to have...

Hikari blushed and turned around. "Ahaha...I knew that." She said, embarrassed, and followed Ark to the clearing.

Naruto looked sheepish, his ears going flat. "Oh...okay. Right. Neither did I." He said, trying to save face.

"Sure you did," Ark said with a light grin as he led the girls into the open clearing.

"Well...I can think of something, but it's not on campus. You don't think the professors will mind today, do you?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't think so, dattebayo. After all, it's a free day, and we're supposed to explore and stuff." He said.

Hikari said nothing until they were in the clearing. "Okay, what do we start with sensei?" She asked with a smirk.

"Alright. The reason I asked was because someone told me about a very good restaurant there," she admitted. It wasn't as if she were asking him out on a date or anything, right?

"Well, I know you can fight and I know you know how to use those scissors of yours. How are you when it comes to fighting without them? he asked.

(Whenever Phoenix sees the Scissor Swords, I think of Ryuuko from Kill la Kill *inserts sweatdrop*)

Naruto grinned. "Oh, great! I'm starving! I didn't get to eat breakfast, since that nasty Schnee girl went and ruined everything." He said.

Hikari sweatdropped. "Absolutely awful. I mean, I'm okay at dodging, but my form is terrible and I can't land a punch to save my life..."

"Let me see,"Amaya said quickly. She wanted to see what Hikari's form looked like and would correct it as best as possible.

"Sorry about that by the way. We're working on her, but she's not making it easy," Blake admitted. Plus there was the fact that she hated Faunice like Naruto and herself...

Hikari bit her lip. "Okay...do you want me to just show you, or are you going to spar me?" She asked nervously.

Naruto shrugged. "It's fine, she's not your responsibility. Still, if you can make her behave better towards our leader, that'd be great."

"It would be better if you showed me. I sometimes forget to hold back when sparring," Amaya admitted with an awkward laugh.

"We will try our best when it comes to the Princess," Blake replied. "Now then...how about we go get something to eat?" she asked. He had told her how he hadn't eaten because of everything that happened earlier that morning.

Hikari nodded. "Okay...don't laugh." She said with a half-hearted glare. She got into a fighting stance- which was somewhat sloppy- and started off on what was supposed to be a martial arts form, but ended up looking like a clumsy child trying to dance.

Naruto laughed and cheered. "Great! I'm starving, let's go!" He said, pumping a fist and waiting for her to lead the way.

Amaya and Ark didn't laugh, but they couldn't hold back the grimace that was on their faces. She told them that she was bad, but they didn't think it was that bad."Don't take this the wrong way Hikari-chan, but...you look like a drunken duck," Amaya said as she saw the stance that Hikari was in. "Now then...are there any katas that you know of?" she asked, wanting to see her fight so that she knew what they had to work with.

Blake giggled lightly before nodding and led the way towards a small deli that she heard about on her way over here to Beacon. During the walk, she couldn't hide the light blush that was adorning her face as she heard remarks from other people saying what a nice couple the two of them made.

Hikari's face was an impressive shade of red. "Sure, I know them...in theory. But I can't...do them..." She answered, ignoring the drunken duck comment. That one was just too much. "The problem is practice, I think. My tutors always expected me to get it right the first time, so instead of breaking it down into bits that I could practice, they just showed me the whole Kata. And then they got frustrated when I would mess up a part that I couldn't remember. My parents stopped hiring them after the third one quit..."

Naruto, oblivious as always to everything but his stomach, walked along happily beside her. He heard none of the comments, and didn't see her blush at all.

Areku growled lightly after hearing that. "I hope your parents didn't pay those tutors a lot, because they're all idiots. It's one thing to expect them to believe you can do it right, but that doesn't give them the right to just quit when you can't do it right...Amaya-chan, take over for a bit. I'll be right back," he said as he tried to restrain his anger. If they couldn't properly teach her, then he'd instruct her in the Tengun style of martial arts. If that didn't fit her, then he'd look for something that would suit her.

"We're here," Blake said as she finally stopped in front of the deli that she was told about. It wasn't much, but she heard that they made very good sandwiches here. Holding the door open for Naruto, she waited for the fox to enter first.

Hikari, not used to having someone tell her it wasn't her fault, blinked a couple times. "Oh...okay then. Thanks." She said, watching him walk away. She turned to Amaya and smiled sheepishly. "Go ahead, Maya-sensei. I'm all ears."

Naruto walked into the deli, then held the door open for Blake. "It smells nice in here. I bet they make some good food." He said optimistically.