The ballroom of Beacon Academy was filled with new students on their first night, sleeping bags spread across the floor as they prepared for initiation the following day. Naruto sat cross-legged on his borrowed sleeping bag, still wearing his tattered orange and black outfit—the only clothes he possessed in this world.
Around him, students chatted excitedly about their combat schools, their weapons, and their hopes for team assignments. Naruto remained silent, painfully aware of how little he understood about this world. He overheard fragments of conversation about "Grimm," "Huntsmen," and "Semblances"—terms that held no meaning for him just a day ago.
"You look like you've seen better days," came a cheerful voice.
Naruto looked up to see a tall blonde girl with lilac eyes standing over him. She wore an orange tank top and black shorts—sleeping attire that seemed to draw attention from several male students nearby.
"I'm Yang," she said, plopping down beside him without waiting for an invitation. "Yang Xiao Long. And you're the guy who helped my little sister Ruby last night, right? The one without a weapon?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," he replied, surprised by her directness. "And yeah, that was me. Not that I was much help."
Yang playfully punched his shoulder, harder than most people would consider friendly. "Don't sell yourself short! Ruby said you took down some of Junior's guys with your bare hands. Pretty impressive for someone with no weapon or Semblance."
Naruto rubbed his shoulder, wincing slightly. Without his enhanced durability, that punch actually hurt. "About that... I don't exactly know what a Semblance is. Where I'm from, we use different... techniques."
Yang's eyes widened with interest. "Seriously? You're not from the kingdoms?" She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Are you from outside the walls? How did you survive the Grimm?"
"It's complicated," Naruto sighed. "I had... powers. Different from what you have here. But I lost them recently. Now I'm just..." He gestured to himself. "This."
"Powers, huh?" Yang said skeptically, though her smile never faltered. "Sure, why not. This world's full of weird stuff." She stretched her arms above her head. "Tell you what—we can train together. You've obviously got some fighting skills, even without these mysterious 'powers' of yours."
Naruto perked up at this. "You'd help me train?"
"Of course!" Yang grinned. "Any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine. Plus, I'm curious to see what you can do."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "First things first though—do you know about Aura?"
"Not really," Naruto admitted. "Ozpin mentioned it, but..."
"It's like a force field made from your soul," Yang explained, making a protective gesture around herself. "It blocks attacks, heals wounds, and powers our Semblances—which are like unique abilities tied to our personality."
Naruto thought of his chakra—how it had once flowed through his body, an energy source that empowered his techniques. "So everyone here has this... Aura?"
"Everyone has the potential for it, but it needs to be unlocked," Yang explained. "Most combat school students have theirs unlocked before coming to Beacon, but..." She studied him for a moment. "If you really don't have yours activated, that makes your fighting last night even more impressive."
She glanced around, then beckoned him to follow. "Come on. Let's find somewhere quieter, and I'll see if I can help unlock your Aura."
Naruto followed Yang to a small meditation alcove off the main ballroom. A few potted plants created a sense of privacy, and moonlight streamed through the windows, casting everything in silver light.
"This should work," Yang said, sitting cross-legged and motioning for Naruto to do the same. "Normally this is done by instructors, but my dad taught me the basics."
She placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders, her expression growing unexpectedly serious. "Close your eyes and focus on my voice."
Naruto complied, feeling strangely vulnerable. Without his powers, without his chakra, he was placing his trust in someone he'd just met.
Yang began to speak, her voice taking on a rhythmic quality: "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
A warm sensation spread through Naruto's body—different from chakra, which had felt like fire in his veins. This was gentler, like sunlight spreading beneath his skin. He gasped as a golden glow enveloped him, pulsing outward before settling just beneath the surface.
"Whoa," Yang breathed, pulling back her hands. She looked slightly drained. "That's... a lot of Aura. Like, a really unusual amount."
Naruto looked down at his hands, sensing the new energy flowing through him. It wasn't chakra—not exactly—but it felt... familiar, somehow. As if his body remembered what it was like to channel power.
"Does this mean I have a Semblance now?" he asked eagerly.
Yang shook her head. "Not automatically. Semblances usually develop over time or appear in moments of extreme stress. Mine lets me get stronger the more damage I take." She grinned, flexing her arm. "My hair also catches on fire, which is pretty cool."
"So I need to figure out what mine is," Naruto mused.
"Exactly. But even without a Semblance, Aura will make you tougher, faster, and stronger than a normal person." Yang stood up, offering him a hand. "We should get some sleep. Initiation tomorrow will be a good chance to see what you can do with your new Aura."
As Naruto took her hand and stood, he felt more hopeful than he had since Stephen King had stolen his powers. This wasn't chakra, and he wasn't the immortal shinobi he once was.
But it was a start.
As they walked back to the main ballroom, Naruto noticed something strange. His movements felt... lighter. When he stepped over a student's bag in their path, he found himself clearing it with surprising ease. His reflexes seemed sharper too—he caught a pillow thrown across the room without even thinking about it.
"Whoa," he muttered, looking at his hands in surprise. "Is this the Aura?"
Yang nodded with an approving smile. "You're already feeling it! Most people take a while to notice the difference, but it looks like you're adapting quickly." She playfully punched his arm again. "Maybe you weren't totally full of it about those 'powers' after all."
Naruto couldn't help but grin. The agility he felt now was nothing compared to his former abilities, but after spending a day as an ordinary human, even this small enhancement felt incredible. He experimentally jumped in place, surprising himself when he rose nearly a foot higher than he expected.
"This is amazing!" he exclaimed, drawing curious looks from nearby students.
Yang laughed. "Just wait until you really learn how to use it. Get some sleep, Whiskers. Tomorrow's going to be interesting."
Meanwhile, in Beacon's clock tower, Professor Ozpin sat at his desk, reviewing student files on his scroll. The office was dimly lit, with only his desk lamp and the glowing gears of the clock mechanism overhead providing illumination. A half-empty mug of coffee sat cooling beside him.
The air shimmered, and a portal of swirling purple and gold appeared in the center of the room. Ozpin calmly set down his scroll and reached for his cane.
"Well, this is unexpected," he said, his voice betraying no surprise as Stephen King stepped through the portal, followed by the massive purple form of Thanos.
"Professor Ozpin," Stephen greeted with a casual nod. "Or should I call you by one of your many other names? Ozma, perhaps?"
Ozpin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who are you? And how do you know that name?"
"I'm the author of your downfall," Stephen replied, the Maiden's power glowing in his eyes. "Or rather, the editor making some necessary revisions to this story."
Ozpin stood, his grip tightening on his cane. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I suggest you leave. Now."
Thanos stepped forward, his massive form dwarfing the headmaster. "The wizard thinks he has power," the titan rumbled.
"Who are you?" Ozpin demanded again, backing toward the elevator.
Stephen smiled. "Don't worry about screaming for help. I've created a convenient plot hole where no one can hear you, no matter how loud you yell."
Before Ozpin could react, Thanos moved with surprising speed for his size. The titan spun around, presenting his enormous purple buttocks. "Submit to the cosmic posterior!"
"What in the—" Ozpin began, but his words were cut short as Thanos backed up, trapping the headmaster between his massive cheeks and the wall.
"Mercy!" Ozpin screamed, his voice muffled by the titan's gluteal prison. "What is happening?!"
"We're taking you out because I think it would make the story more interesting," Stephen explained calmly, examining his nails as if the sight of a millennia-old wizard being smothered by alien buttocks was perfectly normal. "Without the chess master moving pieces around, our young protagonists will have to figure things out for themselves."
Thanos increased the pressure, his face a mask of concentration. "Activating capture butt move," he announced solemnly. There was a flash of light as the Infinity Gauntlet glowed, and the struggling form of Ozpin began to shrink.
When Thanos finally stepped away, where Ozpin had stood was now a small doll with silver hair and tiny spectacles, frozen in an expression of dignified horror.
"Nice," Thanos said, picking up the Ozpin doll and examining it with satisfaction. "A fine addition to my collection."
Stephen King walked to Ozpin's desk, sitting in the headmaster's chair and swiveling around to face the window. The shattered moon of Remnant cast an eerie light across Vale.
"With Ozpin out of the way and Naruto stripped of his powers, things are going to get very interesting indeed," Stephen mused. "Now, let's see how our young shinobi handles initiation without his precious chakra to save him."
Thanos tucked the Ozpin doll into a pouch on his belt. "What about Salem? She's still out there."
Stephen waved dismissively. "Oh, we'll get to her. But first, let's see how our little interdimensional fish out of water adapts to his new reality."
ttt
The rising sun cast long shadows through the massive stained-glass windows of Beacon Academy's clock tower, bathing Glynda Goodwitch's stern features in a kaleidoscope of colored light. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor as she exited the elevator into Ozpin's office, a stack of student files clutched against her chest.
"Headmaster, we need to finalize the initiation plan before—" Her words died in her throat as she surveyed the empty office.
Ozpin's chair was pushed back at an odd angle, his desk uncharacteristically disorganized. His signature mug sat half-full, the coffee inside stone cold. Glynda frowned, adjusting her glasses with one gloved hand. The headmaster was meticulous about his schedule, and they had planned to meet at precisely 7:00 AM to review the day's preparations.
"Ozpin?" she called, moving further into the room. Something crunched beneath her heel—shards of what appeared to be green glass from one of the ornamental vases that normally sat on the windowsill. Nearby, a small scorch mark darkened the otherwise immaculate floor.
Glynda's eyes narrowed as she activated her scroll, her fingers moving swiftly across the screen. "Ozpin, this is Glynda. Please respond immediately." She waited, the silence of the empty office broken only by the rhythmic turning of the giant gears overhead.
No response.
With a sharp exhale, she initiated a call to the rest of Beacon's administrative staff. "This is Professor Goodwitch. Has anyone seen the headmaster this morning?" The chorus of negative responses only deepened the crease between her brows.
Glynda moved to Ozpin's desk, her trained eye cataloging every detail. His scroll was missing, but the cane he carried everywhere—his most treasured possession—leaned against the wall behind his chair. That, more than anything else, sent a chill down her spine. Ozpin would never willingly leave his cane behind.
The soft chime of the elevator announced a new arrival. Professor Peter Port strode into the office, his impressive mustache quivering with each breath. His red hunting outfit stood in stark contrast to Glynda's professional attire, and the axe-blunderbuss combination weapon at his side gleamed in the morning light.
"Glynda! I received your message. Ozpin is missing, you say?" Port's booming voice filled the space, echoing off the windows.
"It appears so," Glynda replied, her voice tight with concern. "His cane is here, but he's gone. There are signs of a struggle, though slight."
Port twirled his mustache thoughtfully, examining the scorch mark on the floor. "Most concerning. Perhaps the security cameras—"
"Already checked," Glynda cut him off, gesturing to her scroll. "The footage from last night shows nothing. Just static from 2:13 AM onward."
"Sabotage?" Port suggested, his jovial demeanor giving way to the experienced Huntsman beneath.
"Possibly." Glynda moved to the window, looking out over Beacon's sprawling campus where new students were beginning to gather for initiation. "But who could infiltrate Beacon without triggering any alarms? And why target Ozpin specifically?"
Port joined her at the window, his broad shoulders squared. "What do we tell the students? The new first-years are expecting the headmaster's welcome speech in less than an hour."
Glynda's grip tightened on her riding crop, her knuckles white against the black leather. "For now, nothing. We proceed as scheduled while Bartholomew and I investigate. The last thing we need is panic on initiation day."
"And the speech?"
A rare moment of uncertainty flickered across Glynda's face before her features settled back into their customary determination. "I'll deliver it myself. I've heard Ozpin give the same welcome for years now." She moved to his desk, pulling up the speech notes on the computer. "Yes, here it is. The same one he gives every year, with minor variations."
Port nodded, his expression solemn beneath his bushy eyebrows. "I'll alert Bartholomew and the other staff, quietly. We'll find him, Glynda."
"See that you do," she replied, already scanning Ozpin's notes. "And Peter? Increase security around the Emerald Forest. If something is happening, initiation would be the perfect time to strike, with all our first-years scattered and vulnerable."
As Port left, Glynda remained standing at Ozpin's desk, a rare feeling of dread settling in her stomach. In all their years working together, through countless crises and dangers, Ozpin had never simply... disappeared. Something was very wrong.
She glanced at the time—thirty minutes until the welcome ceremony. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her blouse and picked up Ozpin's speech notes. The students were depending on her. The school was depending on her. Wherever Ozpin was, whatever had happened to him, she would maintain order until he returned.
Or until she found him.
The amphitheater hummed with the excited chatter of hundreds of new students. Bright-eyed teenagers filled the hall, weapons of all descriptions strapped to their backs, hips, and arms—the next generation of Remnant's defenders gathered in one place.
Among them stood Naruto, his tattered orange and black outfit making him stand out even in this eclectic crowd. Yang had found him again, bringing Ruby and a white-haired girl who had been introduced as Weiss Schnee. The heiress had looked him up and down with barely concealed disdain, particularly at his battle-worn clothing.
"Are those burn marks?" she had asked, pointing to the singed edges of his sleeve. "And what kind of weapon is that?" Her eyes had flicked to the standard-issue training kunai Ozpin had provided him with—a far cry from his former ninja tools.
Before Naruto could form a response that wouldn't involve his recently stolen godlike powers, the lights dimmed, and Glynda Goodwitch strode onto the stage. The students' excited murmurs died down as they realized the stern professor, not the headmaster, would be addressing them.
"Welcome to Beacon Academy," Glynda began, her voice clear and authoritative as it carried across the amphitheater. "Headmaster Ozpin sends his regrets that he cannot be here to welcome you personally, as an urgent matter has required his immediate attention."
Naruto's enhanced hearing, courtesy of his newly unlocked Aura, caught Glynda's slightly elevated heartbeat—a telltale sign of deception that his shinobi training had taught him to recognize. Something was wrong.
"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills," Glynda continued, reading from Ozpin's notes but infusing the words with her own strict cadence. "And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."
The speech continued, talking about wasted energy and the responsibility of Huntsmen and Huntresses. Naruto only half-listened, his attention caught by the worried glances exchanged between staff members at the edges of the hall. Professor Port's hand remained close to his weapon, and the green-haired professor with the wild hair—Oobleck, if Naruto remembered correctly—was moving too quickly from exit to exit, checking security.
"Something's not right," Naruto whispered to Yang.
She glanced at him, her lilac eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"The professors are on edge. And Goodwitch is lying about Ozpin."
Yang followed his gaze to where Port was scanning the crowd with unusual intensity. "You're right. They're acting like they're expecting trouble."
"Your first task begins tomorrow," Glynda concluded. "Be ready. You are dismissed for today." Her final words were clipped, lacking the headmaster's usual philosophical touch.
As the students began to disperse, Naruto caught Glynda's gaze across the crowd. For a moment, the professor's mask of control slipped, revealing genuine concern beneath. Then her eyes hardened again, and she turned sharply, exiting the stage with urgent purpose.
"I'm going to find out what's going on," Naruto said, moving toward the exit Glynda had taken.
Yang caught his arm. "Sure go ahead are you sure that you can do it with out my help." Yang said as she cracked a smile.
Naruto gently removed her hand. "Trust me, Yang. I might not have my old powers, but I've got experience with things going wrong. A lot of experience." He offered her a confident smile that echoed his old self. "Besides, I owe Ozpin. He gave me a chance when I had nothing."
Before Yang could protest further, Naruto slipped into the crowd, following the retreating form of Glynda Goodwitch as she headed back toward the tower. His shinobi training might be all he had left, but it was still more than enough to shadow someone undetected—even someone as perceptive as Beacon's deputy headmistress.
Whatever had happened to Ozpin, Naruto intended to find out. And if someone was responsible, they were about to learn that even without his godlike powers, Naruto Uzumaki was still a force to be reckoned with.