Hikari nodded. "You're right. We'll all probably get into a lot of trouble for running off without telling anyone." She said dejectedly. "Just one thing...what do we do with the bastard? I mean, we can't just leave him here, can we? Will that amulet wear off?"

Once he was sure that Sasuke wasn't getting up, Naruto turned to Blake. Instantly, his expression softened. "B-chan...are you okay?" He asked, moving over towards her.

"Weiss sounds like she knew what was going on, but I'm not going to wake her up just to ask that type of question. I say we bring the bastard back with us and let Ozpin deal with him, no offense Itachi-sensei" Yang said. One of her teammates was captured and one was almost killed. Right now she had no intent on being nice to the bastard.

"I agree with sis. We don't know if the Amulet will wear off or not and if it does...well, I'd rather not think about it," Ruby said with a light shudder.

"I...I'll be fine. But...you aren't mad at me? I could have killed you..." Blake said softly.

Itachi gave a slight nod. "None taken. I agree that he should be brought back." He said.

"Right, then that's what we'll do." Hikari said decisively.

Naruto shook his head. "Of course not. It wasn't your fault, and you remembered in the end. And anyway..." He pulled her in for a hug, "I couldn't ever be mad at you, B-chan...because I love you."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise as she returned the hug. 'He...he loves me?' she mentally asked. The blush that came to her cheeks was hidden from Naruto since she was so close to the fox but she was glad that he had the same feelings for her that she did for him. "I'm glad...because I love you too Na-kun," she whispered back.

"When he becomes conscious...I want to talk to him," Ark said, seeing the others look at him suspiciously. "I swear it will only be for talking. You can even keep Moonlight with you while I do it. All I want are answers," he added.

Naruto's eyes widened, before a smile overtook his face. He had never imagined that Blake would return his feelings. He hugged her tighter before releasing her and holding her at arm's length. "I'm so glad! That was what I was gonna tell you before this all happened, and I was so worried that you'd reject me, but you didn't!"

Hikari bit her lip, but nodded. "Okay, but you'll have to make it quick. We can't risk him getting loose." She said, trying to think practically.

"I was about to say the same thing...before Sasuke kidnapped me," Blake admitted, a smile on her face as she was glad that Naruto returned the feelings she had.

Ark nodded, knowing that was the best he was going to get.

Naruto almost laughed in his giddiness...almost. "Well, I'm glad we both got to say it, then." He said. "Um...so, do you want to go on a date sometime? Like, an actual date date?"

"Uh, guys? Could you continue your conversation after we get back to Beacon?"

"That's actually a good suggestion that you two should take...I want to get Weiss some medical attention," Ruby added. She was worried about her partner.

"At least you don't have to worry about staying out after curfew," Itachi said. Since he was a teacher, he could tell Ozpin about what happened.

"That's not entirely true. We could be let off the hook because Itachi-sensei was with us, or that could just get him into trouble as well." Naruto said.

Itachi winced a little. "I admit that I was hoping it wouldn't come to that, but you do have a point, Naruto-kun." He said.

((Could you avoid posting for Itachi from now on? Wolfie is playing him, and she's picky about how he's written. She doesn't like other people playing her characters.))

(Sorry...Phoenix will try and avoid this in the future. Think we should go into a timeskip, heading back to the academy?)

((Yeah, that sounds good.))

(alright then)

Ruby looked behind her for a second, glad to see her team safe and sound...well, all except Weiss at the moment, but they were safe, they were alive...it was all that she could ask for at the moment. And with Yang carrying Weiss, the ravenette made a mental note to tease the two about it later. It would be fine revenge upon her sister for all the teasing that was done in the past.

Areku walked back in silence with the rest of his team, questions coming to the forefront of his mind, silently wondering which he should ask first and how he would get them out of the bastard. Perhaps Itachi could hold down his brother's Aura while he asked? He would have to ask the teacher about that when they got inside. Seeing Ozpin waiting outside for both teams, he just knew this was going to get worse before getting better.

Sensing that Ark was struggling internally, Hikari walked the whole way holding his hand. She was tired and sore, but she knew the night wasn't over, especially when she saw Ozpin waiting for them. This was going to be difficult.

Itachi carried Sasuke the whole way back. He was prepared to explain the situation to Ozpin, as he knew the headmaster would be waiting for them upon their return. Sure enough, there he was when they got back. He opened his mouth to speak, when Naruto spoke up instead.

Naruto hadn't let go of Blake the whole way back. He knew the whole episode was his own fault, and he was prepared to own up. That's why, when they got back to see Ozpin waiting for them, he spoke before anyone else could. "Before you ask, everything that happened tonight was my fault. I know you'll want to ask us all a lot of questions, but please don't punish any of the others. I'm the cause of all of it. I accept full responsibility. And before any questions are asked, Weiss-chan needs medical attention right away."

Ark smiled softly when he felt Hikari's hand intertwine with his own, silently grateful for his girlfriend helping her. "Thanks," he whispered softly. If he was alone with his thoughts, he wasn't sure what he would be doing right now. Despite how sore and tired he was, both physically and mentally, he knew that the night wasn't over just yet, especially when he saw the headmaster of Beacon Academy waiting for the two teams and teacher.

Blake was blushing the whole way back, and had a soft smile that no one could take off her face at the moment. She was alive, Naruto returned her feelings and Sasuke was about to be put into a holding cell and milked for all the information that could be milked from the asshole. Seeing the headmaster, she cringed lightly. "It wasn't just his fault sir, it was mine as well. Na-kun and I thought we could take Sasuke and failed. I got captured and both Team HANA and Team RWBY came to rescue me. If you're going to punish him...you should punish me as well," Blake said seeing Naruto turn to her in surprise. "You aren't taking full responsibility for this Na-kun," she said firmly before also agreeing that Weiss needed medical attention.

Ozpin was waiting for both teams and Itachi, knowing that they were out after curfew. What he didn't know was the reason why. If it was for something stupid, then he would be having words with Itachi and handing out punishments to both teams. Seeing the teams coming up over the hill, he got himself ready to give them a lecture. However, before he could say anything, both Naruto and Blake told him that Weiss Schnee needed medical attention and that they were to blame.

"Take Ms. Schnee to the medical bay. Ms. Belladonna...Mr. Uzumaki, as the previous situation concerning the younger Uchiha is known to me, and the fact that you had a teacher with you at the time...I will be handing out no punishments this time. Do not make a habit of breaking curfew, understood Team RWBY, Team HANA?" he said, making sure that everyone understood how serious he was.

Naruto was about to protest that Blake wasn't to blame, but she pretty much told him otherwise. So he just nodded, looking at the ground. Waiting for the verdict to pass. When he heard that they wouldn't be punished, his head snapped up, eyes going wide. He nodded to show he understood. "Yes, sir." He responded, along with the rest of his team.

Hikari smiled a little at Ark and squeezed his hand, showing her support. She kept her mouth shut, though, knowing that the less they spoke, the easier it would be to sort everything out. As soon as Ozpin told them that they wouldn't be punished this time, she felt a huge weight lift of her shoulders. "Yes, sir." She said, and was reassured by the sound of her team mate's voices speaking in unison with her.

Itachi nodded in understanding as they were let off the hook, just this once. "Sir, what should we do with Sasuke-kun? We brought him back here, figuring it would be better than simply leaving him to possibly escape. I know that Areku-san wishes to speak with him and ask a few questions. What is your decision?"

Yang nodded quickly that she understood the situation before moving as fast as she thought she could without harming Weiss to the medical bay. Once there, she saw that the Healer would take it from there, placing Weiss stomach down on the bed so that she could work on the girl's back, muttering how lucky she was as she got to work.

Ruby gulped and nodded, but stayed silent, knowing that if she did open her mouth then the Headmaster might take back what he said just a few moments ago. Besides, she was the leader of Team RWBY and she should have known better...shaking her head lightly, she waited for Blake, wanting the two of them to check up on Weiss before going to bed. She didn't know about her sister or the cat Faunus that was her teammate, but she was dead tired from running, then fighting, more running, and finally all of this just a few moments ago.

John Ozpin thought about this for a few seconds as he took a sip of his coffee, knowing that it would be a sticky situation if handled incorrectly and while he had a feeling that young Ms. Starr would stop Areku from doing anything rash, he'd rather not tempt fate. "I will allow Areku to ask his questions on two conditions. One is that he leaves his weapon in his leader's hands. The second one is that either myself, or yourself Itachi, should be there to supervise," at this he put up a hand to stop what he knew would most likely be coming from the young clan orphan. "I do this moreso for the safety of yourself Mr. Tenjin rather than Sasuke's. Just in case he tries to strike you down and escape," He finished, hopefully that Areku would understand the conditions.

Ark didn't even have to think twice as he swung Purgatory Moonlight off of his back and deposited in the hands of Hikari, knowing that she would treat it with the same respect that he did. He wanted to know why Sasuke killed his clan, and who helped him to achieve that feat.

(Question: We talked about Cinder Fall being Amaya's mother and I've been pretty much hinting that she's the one who helped Sasuke kill Areku's clan. Should we have Sasuke tell Areku to ask Amaya about her true last name, saying that her mother wasn't as dead as she believed or something along those lines? Ark wouldn't blame Amaya for Cinder's actions but the question is there)

Hikari took the weapon carefully, treating it with respect. She was a weapons geek in the first place, so her boyfriend's weapon would be almost as important as her own, in her mind. "I'll wait for you in our room, Ark-kun." She said.

Itachi nodded. "I will go in with him. I know my brother's style, and I can easily subdue him if necessary." He said, still holding Sasuke over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

((Yeah, Wolfie thinks that's a good idea. After all, it's something Sasuke would do, just to plant the seeds of distrust in the team, just to be an asshole. And it would add an interesting angle to the character's interactions.))

"Thanks Hika-chan, and I'll see you and the others there," Ark said with a light kiss to her cheek before turning towards the teacher and headmaster, knowing that she would take good care of his weapon. Speaking of which, he'd have to talk to Itachi about an idea concerning the old quarterstaff, but that was for later. Now was the time to ask Sasuke questions that he deserved answers to.

"Come on Romeo, you can see Juliet tomorrow, I'm sure," Amaya teased Naruto as she nodded towards Ark, following Hikari towards their room. Now that she knew Naruto was once part of the White Fang, she wanted to pick his brain for anything concerning the attack on her home. Sure he said he knew nothing, but any piece of information could be vital to finding out who ordered the attack, among other things. Plus, it was her job to tease the fox faunus, especially as his partner.

Naruto's cheeks burned, but he waved at Blake and followed his team mates. He knew there would be questions the second they got back into their room, and he wasn't looking forward to it. But he also knew that he owed them whatever answers he could give, so he sucked it up. Once they got back to the room, he turned to look at the girls. "Okay, I'm gonna bet that you have questions. Go ahead and ask, I'll answer whatever I can." He said.

Itachi turned and followed Ozpin to wherever they were going to be keeping Sasuke, making sure that Ark was close by as they walked.

Amaya grinned lightly as she saw Naruto blush deeply, along with Blake, who she saw wave back towards Naruto. Once they got back to the room, she was about to ask Naruto to talk before he spoke, saying he would answer any questions that he could. "Alright Foxy...if that's the case, then who is the leader of the White Fang?" she asked.

Sasuke woke up in a dark cellar and tried to move, but found that he couldn't. He had the Amulet of Gilgamesh on his neck, but he noticed that it was somehow currently inactive. 'Most likely that Schnee bitch. When I get out of here, I'll target her and ransom her off...' he thought before seeing the Headmaster of Beacon, his target and...his brother. Seeing his brother caused anger and hatred to course through his veins.

Naruto blinked. "Wow, starting off with tough ones, huh? Well, I'm sorry but I really don't know that one. I was just a kid when I left, and really only the most trusted adults knew who the leader really was. The person could even be different now than they were back then. I never even saw the leader." He said honestly.

Itachi saw the exact moment when Sasuke spotted him. He knew that look of anger, the fire of hatred that burned in his brother's eyes. Sasuke would never know it, but seeing that look directed at him truly hurt the elder Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun, it is good to see you awake. Areku-kun here would like to ask you a few questions. Headmaster Ozpin and I are here only to make sure you and he both remain safe." He explained calmly, as if he were simply talking to a relative that he hadn't seen in a while.

"I wanted to make sure you would be answering questions, but I figured you wouldn't know," Amaya said with a shake of her head. "Sorry. Though there is a question I think both of us deserve an answer to: you aren't afraid of being a faunus, and sure, I would have been mad for a while if you told us straight off the bat, but...why did you keep being an ex-member of the White Fang a secret?"

"And if I refuse to answer Brother?" Sasuke asked, saying the word 'brother' as if it were poison.

Naruto's ears drooped and he sighed, slumping down on his bed. "Honestly? I've always been...pretty ashamed of that part of my past. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't tell anyone about it if I could manage. Like I said, I was only there until I was about five years old, so it's not a significant enough part of me that people need to know. I probably would have told you guys eventually, when I was ready, but right now I just wanted to keep it to myself." He told them.

Hikari nodded. "I can understand that. I'm sorry we had to find out this way."

Still keeping calm, Itachi answered, "I truly hope you do not have to find out, Sasuke-kun. I am not in charge of your fate, but I would like you to remember just exactly the things I can do to you if you don't cooperate." His eyes flashed red momentarily, like a reminder.

Amaya listened to Naruto speak and once he was done was silent for a few seconds. Before it could get awkward or uncomfortable, she got up and sat next to Naruto before wrapping an arm around him and pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Listen Foxy...I'm not going to completely apologize for my actions, because some of it was deserved. But...I'm going to apologize for my actions when I heard you were White Fang," she said. The ultimate thing she was trying to get across was the fact that she was okay with him.

Sasuke scowled as he saw his brother flash his eyes red for a second. "Alright, fine. Ask" he said with a scowl.

Hikari went and sat on the other side of Naruto, putting her arm over his shoulder. "Yeah, me too. You're still okay, Naruto-kun." She said.

Naruto blinked, then smiled, keeping back tears. "Th-thanks, you guys. I don't know what I did to deserve friends like you." He said, wrapping one arm around each girl and hugging them close for a moment. But only for a moment, since he didn't want to be inappropriate.

Itachi nodded slowly, glad that he had gotten his point across. "Areku-kun, I believe this is your chance." He said, handing the floor over to Ark.