Weiss could only watch in silence as the girl called Ruby lit up as she held the boy's hand in front of her, so much so that she looked more radiant than the sun shining in the sky.
That and she was blushing to the point that her ears were red, but not enough to overshadow her happy smile and shy attitude.
With just that much, Weiss was sure that she had just witnessed the exact moment when this girl fell in love, and unexpectedly, she envied Ruby for that.
This was something that every girl had fantasized about at least once, but how many could claim to have been able to experience such a unique and magical experience?
If Weiss wasn't wrong, she was sure that not even her older sister had fallen in love yet, and she was already twenty years old. Considering her status as a Specialist, Winter must have met countless extremely capable people around the world, and not one of them had managed to move her heart.
That in itself spoke volumes about how difficult it was to find love, especially for someone who was constantly the target of greedy and desingenuous people.
And this mysterious boy was able to awaken such a feeling in Ruby. Inevitably, this somewhat diminished her suspicions of him, but not her curiosity. Not only that, he seems to have a deep understanding of how real friendships work.
Again, it was something Weiss had never experienced in her lifetime, and the same could be said of her older sister.
Sure, they saw each other as friends, but the bond between them was something much deeper and more meaningful.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the rest of her family.
Her younger brother didn't like her, not to say he hated her. Her father only saw her as a means to an end, and her mother...wasn't much more than an empty shell who wandered around aimlessly, always holding a bottle of wine in her hands.
Let's just say that it wasn't just because Beacon was considered the best Academy that Weiss had crossed the world to study and try to become a Huntress.
She was trying to escape a nightmare and turn a dream into reality.
Starting now.
"As you may already know, I'm Weiss, Weiss Schnee," she decided to put aside all these personal problems, formally introduce herself to this boy, and rewrite her bad first impression. "May I have your name?"
Sasuke put an even shyer and smiling Ruby on her feet and looked at this snow princess, slightly confused by this abrupt change in behavior that went beyond her attitude.
Her aura is fluctuating with emotion. He noticed, and that wasn't all Sasuke could see. She's stronger than Ruby, almost rivaling Yang.
And that made Weiss someone worth getting to know better.
"Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke." He returned the greeting with the same level of cordiality and gestured to the girl who was yet to let go of his hand. "And this is Ruby, Ruby Rose."
This made the girl in question snap out of her daydreams and jump with embarrassment.
"Nice to meet you, Weiss!" Ruby was quick to let go of Sasuke, albeit very reluctantly, and greet this super-beautiful girl. "I hope we can be great friends!"
Apart from being on the same team as Sasuke, nothing would make her happier than the chance to create a new friendship!
"Right..." Weiss didn't know what else to say to this enthusiastic girl or how genuine she sounded in her words, so she turned her attention to the boy who held her curiosity and a great doubt that didn't want to go away in her heart. "Are you a faunus?"
This took Sasuke by surprise, unable to understand why she was asking that particular question, and he wasn't the only one.
Just as it was at the Bullhead, Ruby couldn't help but wonder what Sasuke really looked like. Now that she was sure there was someone even cooler than that black cloak in there, she wanted to know more about him.
Was Weiss right, and was he really a faunus? If so, what was his unique characteristic? Kitten ears? Or maybe a super cute fox tail?!
Just thinking about these possibilities excited Ruby to no end. However, there was also a part of her that didn't care about any of it.
At the end of the day, Sasuke was Sasuke, and the way he looked wouldn't change that. So she would respect his privacy and wait until he revealed himself.
"Why do you ask?" Sasuke was curious, even more so when this wasn't his first time being mistaken for a faunus. That, however, happened because of my eyes.
So how did this girl come to this conclusion?
Considering that there were countless Semblances with effects as diverse as the bloodlines of his world, there was a chance that she would be able to see his face.
However, Sasuke believed that to be extremely unlikely.
Not only could he see nothing special in her eyes, very different from Ruby's, but Weiss wasn't showing any affection for him.
Again, Sasuke knew that this way of thinking was arrogant, but it was something that had happened so often over the years that it had become a pattern that was hard to ignore or deny.
It only happened that Ruby and Yang were an odd exception to that natural order.
"Your clothes alone would be enough to hide a good part of your face, but you still use your Semblance to deepen that concealment," Weiss elaborated and even got an "Oh" from Ruby. "With that, I can only assume you're a faunus and..." She hesitated to continue, but that was something she needed to get off her chest. "Possibly a member of the White Fang."
While she understood that faunus generally faced persecution, hardly anyone would go so far as to hide in public like that.
Unless he had something to hide.
"White Fang?" Ruby felt as if she had heard that name somewhere before, and not because of anything good. And what about Sasuke's Semblance?
As far as she knew, his unique ability was based on speed, just as he had shown the night before when he disappeared into a whirlwind of green leaves.
Just thinking about how similar their Semblances were made Ruby happy. Not only that. Apparently, they both had a pair of special eyes, too.
In a way, they seemed to be made for each other~
As for that shadow that hid his face...who knows, maybe it was one of the powers of his eyes?
After all, Sasuke had only shown his right eye and not his left.
Again, while it was something Ruby was curious about, she wouldn't bother Sasuke with questions...quite different from the curious girl in front of her.
"You know, Remnant's largest terrorist group, made up solely of faunus and whose only purpose is to annihilate the entire human race?" Weiss couldn't contain the sarcasm in her voice as she informed Ruby. "Only someone living under a rock wouldn't know about that."
Or someone from another world. Sasuke really needed to catch up on his common sense, because this piece of information was something everyone should know...even if Ruby was an exception. It seems that this White Fang is much more extreme and dangerous than I initially thought.
To the point where they could be compared to the Akatsuki in how far they were willing to go to get what they wanted, and for that, they should be dealt with accordingly.
No matter the motive behind their actions, genocide was not the solution.
Sasuke was living proof of that and of just how ugly the consequences could be.
As for Ruby, she blamed the cartoons for her apparent ignorance, but who could blame her for that? This kind of thing that Weiss was talking about was always surrounded by tragedy, and she didn't like sad things.
"I can see where your concern is coming from." Sasuke really did, because no one who hid their identity the way he was doing was trustworthy, just like Obito. "However, being a faunus doesn't necessarily mean being part of a group of psychotic terrorists." Just like not every Uchiha who ever lived was someone bad, regardless of the pattern set by Madara, Obito, Itachi, and himself. "I'm sure there are plenty of human criminals just as heinous as those in the White Fang, but that doesn't make you one of them."
Ruby couldn't agree more.
Just think of that pervert, Roman something, and all the trouble he had been causing in Vale.
Weiss didn't say anything in response because she knew that this boy was right, but that didn't erase all the bad experiences she'd had with the opposite race.
Not just her.
How many people around the world had been hurt and killed by the White Fang?
With that in mind, no matter how right this boy might be, that didn't answer her question or erase her suspicions.
"My point is: judging an entire race by the actions of a few is simply ignorant prejudice." Sasuke saw enough of this as he grew up, both in the way the village treated him and with Naruto, too. "While this White Fang is made up of extremists, I doubt that all faunus support such dangerous ideals."
Otherwise, Remnant would still be at war with more than just the Grimm.
"You say that, but you hide your face from the world." Weiss couldn't help but let her bitterness and resentment shine through with a cynical smile. "Can I assume you're ashamed of being a faunus?"
Ruby almost winced at this abrupt change of tone and at how evil this princess seemed to be now.
Sometimes, she forgot that girls could be like that.
Yang was a good example of this.
As for Sasuke, he didn't expect to have a nerve struck by Weiss' words.
After all, he was hiding because of his physical appearance, but not out of shame. If anything, Sasuke was proud of who he was and the traits inherited from his family. What he hated was having that image, which meant so much to him, violated in the minds of almost every woman who crossed his path.
"I'm not a faunus, but that doesn't mean I don't have my reasons for hiding my face." Just as it was with Yang in the nightclub, Sasuke was doing his best to stay calm and not let his emotions dictate his actions; he was beyond that now. "If you don't believe me, believe in the security of Beacon and that this school is more than capable of keeping a terrorist away."
Theoretically speaking.
At the end of the day, he had hastily forged his documents, yet he was still accepted. If anything, Beacon's security left something to be desired.
"I...suppose you're right," Weiss sighed as she admitted, otherwise she wouldn't have come to this academy in the first place. "Be that as it may, you don't intend to spend four years at Beacon without showing your face, do you?"
If he made it through the initiation, of course.
Being good with words didn't mean being good at fighting. Although...part of her hoped he was capable enough.
It wasn't every day that Weiss crossed paths with someone this interesting.
"Maybe." Sasuke didn't intend to stay at this academy for more than a month, let alone four years. This princess has a point, though.
Would he be able to spend his time at Beacon without having to reveal his face?
What if the Academy demanded that of him?
It could be a problem, but not a very complicated one to solve.
In the worst-case scenario, Sasuke would simply start releasing killing intent steadily and force everyone to leave him alone.
"So," Ruby found herself intervening in an ongoing argument for the second time today, but for a good reason...one that had nothing to do with jealousy. "Your name is Weiss, right?" she continued, determined to form a new bond with this girl. "If I'm not mistaken, it's an Atlesian name?" A smile, extremely natural, she was sure. "And what's the meaning behind it?"
Maybe it was something super cool like Sasuke and Yang's names!
Weiss looked at Ruby and could see how nervous she was from that smile alone. If it had been before, she would have ignored this girl, but that little speech by Sasuke about friendship had influenced her much more deeply than she would have liked to admit.
That and Weiss was curious about Ruby, the girl who had just fallen in love, and how much she knew about this boy.
Surely, they must have known each other for some time now, and this wasn't their first meeting.
"You're right, and the literal meaning of my name is White Snow," Weiss said with a certain pride in how appropriate her name was, even if it could come with some not-so-pleasant nicknames, and only then did she realize something. "Wait...you don't know who I am?"
That had to be the biggest surprise of the day.
"Err...should I?" While Ruby was happy with how similar their names were, she knew nothing about this girl, only that her family name sounded extremely familiar, just like that terrorist organization. "Wait, you're, like, super famous?!" She got even more excited about the possibility. "Of course you are! Even your name is like that of a princess!"
Just like that, her nervousness and insecurity had given way to enthusiasm and admiration, almost believing that Weiss had stepped straight out of a fairy tale!
"Going by that logic, you'd be considered a princess too." An extremely enthusiastic one who might need to cut out sugar from her diet, Weiss had to say. "But no, I'm not a princess, I'm an heiress."
Of a legacy tarnished by her father's corrupt hands, and which she intended to restore to its former glory.
It didn't matter how.
Until then, Weiss would focus on making a name for herself and gaining influence as a Huntress.
Who knows, maybe she would even get the authority she needed to hold Jacques accountable for his crimes personally.
Unfortunately, Weiss was far from realizing this dream, and as a Schnee, she had to deal with the criticism and hatred of many.
Even on the other side of the world.
"Not just any heiress, but the heiress of the largest Dust extraction conglomerate in Remnant." Came the voice of a girl with long black hair and amber eyes. If it weren't for the coldness in her eyes, they could even be considered golden. More striking than that was the fluffy bow tied on top of her head and how pretty she was. "The same industry known for its controversial working policies involving faunus and questionable business partners."
That made Weiss visibly tense up and her blue eyes narrow with the same level of resentment she was receiving.
No matter how many times this happened, it never got any easier, and that was exactly why she hated these kinds of people, ignorant of the truth.
Weiss, Winter, Whitley, her younger brother, and even Willow, her mother, had nothing to do with Jacques' stupid decisions!
As for Blake, she couldn't just keep watching without letting the truth about Weiss Schnee and her family be known.
This was her way of warning the young girl in the red cloak and the mysterious boy in the black one.
The beautiful scene of romance that these two had created just now was so sweet that it could cause diabetes, and Blake wanted to protect that. As a bonus, she had the opportunity to get under the skin of a Schnee.
However, her moment didn't last. Soon, she felt goosebumps rising on her back and her instincts screaming danger in a way that only happened in life-or-death situations.
As an immediate reaction, Blake went on alert, reached for her weapon, and focused her eyes on the source of her discomfort, only to be taken aback.
The boy in the black cloak?! She was confused for a second, but only until she saw a single red eye with three black commas glowing amidst the darkness of his hood. What the hell is he?
Suddenly, everything about this boy screamed danger and death.
"You're a faunus." Sasuke didn't even need his Sharingan to come to that conclusion; her reaction alone revealed that much. That and her childish bow aren't fooling anyone.
That aside, it seemed that even suppressing his Chakra almost completely wasn't enough to go unnoticed by a faunus.
Earlier, when Sasuke was waiting for the flying metal thing to arrive, the few faunus present on the scene avoided him without even knowing why.
This was a testament to their senses and of just how dangerous Sasuke was.
"I see." Weiss exhaled along with her anger, but kept her hand on the hilt of her weapon as a precaution. "It's not for nothing that you have such a negative opinion of me."
So much so that she had yet to meet a faunus who wasn't hostile to her and her family.
Blake, on the other hand, was heartbroken to have her cover blown before she'd even passed the initiation!
And to think I tried to help him! She was staring at this boy with narrowed eyes, her hostility more than evident. I thought he was a faunus, but it seems I was wrong.
Otherwise, he would never have exposed her like that!
"I understand where you're coming from, but I'm going to make his words my own." Weiss pointed at Sasuke and gained the attention of everyone present. "No one is the same, let alone thinks the same, so don't put me on the same pedestal of hatred as my father!" Not just her, the rest of her family didn't deserve to be targeted like that either! "I'm not him, and the only reason I'm here, in Beacon instead of Atlas, is to redeem my family's name and legacy!"
That got a strong reaction out of Sasuke, and suddenly, Weiss genuinely had his interest and curiosity.
Not only did he see this girl in a different light, but he could relate to her goal on a personal level. Unfortunately, even with his efforts during the war, there was no turning back for him and his clan. This was especially true with what he was planning to do.
At least, that was the case back in his world.
In Remnant, if Sasuke wanted to, he could easily make a name for his clan.
That would certainly make Itachi happy and his parents proud.
"You say that, but I can see that you don't have a positive opinion about us," Blake rebutted based on an undeniable truth. Even so, I have to admit that she has a point.
At the end of the day, Weiss wasn't the one making the decisions and the lives of the faunus more miserable.
Better still, if this girl really was deviating from the path that Jacques Schnee had paved, there was a chance that things would change after Weiss took over the SDC.
Based on what this girl had to say, Blake wasn't so optimistic.
"That's because your people never gave me a reason to feel anything that wasn't negative!" Weiss's tone froze under the influence of memories of a lifetime under a controlling father and an alcoholic mother, both affected by the extremist actions of the faunus! "Attacking, kidnapping, and killing my family members at the slightest opportunity! Not to mention the robberies and attacks that always result in innocent people being injured or killed! So excuse me if I'm not the most forgiving person in the world!"
With that, she turned her back and stormed off before she made the mistake of letting this argument get out of hand.
Fighting with a faunus in public would only serve to worsen her family's reputation, and that wasn't what Weiss had come all the way to Beacon for.
As for Blake, she couldn't find it in herself to go on either after hearing all that. She had always known that the Schnee family was constantly targeted, even if it was indirectly, but never that it was this much.
That must be why there were only five of them left in the world.
Just thinking about how low the White Fang had descended made her stomach turn, but it also served to consolidate her decision to leave them behind and seek a new path.
That was why Blake was in Beacon, trying to get results in the fight for equality through acceptance and cooperation.
Unfortunately, it seemed that neither of their plans was working out as expected.
With Weiss and Blake gone, only a heavy atmosphere remained, along with how evident the racial division in Remnente was.
Ruby was about to go after Weiss, but was stopped by Sasuke.
"I think she needs some time alone." Just as he didn't want anyone meddling in his life, Sasuke was tactful enough not to do the same with other people. Sometimes I forget that I'm not the only one with problems.
At least he had gained a lot of information from what had just happened, and that would be useful going forward. Still, it wasn't enough, and he wanted to learn more, especially about Weiss.
They seemed to have a lot in common.
Ruby just nodded and held Sasuke's sleeve, not knowing what else to do as she thought about everything she had just seen. Soon, the two of them were following the other students towards Beacon's main hall.
Not a word was spoken between them the whole way there.