A/N: Not my best chapter, but if I waited any longer, I'd have to delay it another month. Didn't want to do that.

So! Here we are once again! I'll never forget my Arcane stuff, don't you worry.

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here.

That's no joke. Really, it isn't.

If folks don't like this...well, I won't continue it. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule -two jobs!- I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Now, onto your questions comments and concerns!

Q: Powder is going down a dark path, methinks? We all saw what she became in Arcane, and with chakra thrown into the mix...that can't end well...can it?

A: What makes you say that? She's starved for attention to be sure, and she wants to make something of herself, but that doesn't imply darkness. We all want something. We all crave something, be it affection, recognition, or even a simple smile from those we love.

Yes, she has the potential to go bad, but don't we all? After all, it only takes one bad day.

Time will tell if Powder has hers.

Q: Will Powder be gunning for Naruto when she's older?

A: Nothing to say to that effect at the moment.

Q: Timeskip when!

A: Minor timeskip now! Well, of a sort. I did warn you THAT event was coming...

Q: Just how much have things shifted?

A: More thank you think~!

Q: ...Naruto's not going to take very kindly to Piltover's shenanigans, is he?

A: No. No, he is not. Much of his attention has been focused inward, on Zaun, and trying to make things better for the residents there. He hasn't had time to think of Piltover; if only because they haven't made themselves a problem yet.

YET.

But if -when!- they do...how do you think he's going to react?

Alright then, I've kept you long enough. Lets get into the meat of the matter and have some fun!

Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!

Hope this chapter puts a smile on your face~!

"...look at all this loot!"

~?

Look Out For Yourself

Powder had never been prouder.

Why wouldn't she be? As far as she was concerned, she had every right to grin like a loon, and frankly, she didn't care who stared at her. Let Vi worry. Let Mylo scowl. Let Claggor balk. Just thinking about what she'd done today -what she had accomplished!- put a spring in her step.

Why, you ask? What was the reason for all this merry madness? Nothing simpler.

Because the heist had gone off without a hitch. That's right! Chase aside, they'd gotten off scott free.

.

..

...well, mostly. Basically. Pretty much. So what if they'd ransacked a Piltover penthouse and run from the a few enforcers? You couldn't get an omelette without breaking a few eggs. They were fine. Everyone was juuuust fine. They each had a sack of loot to their names, and the enforcers hadn't been able to catch them. Really, her only regret was that she hadn't had a chance to showcase her sick new skills.

Would it have been too much to ask for a few guards to fight? Yes? No? Maybe so?

Regardless, she couldn't help but preen as she sling her sack of ill-gotten gains over one shoulder. She was somebody now. Not a Jinx. No. Never a Jinx. No matter what Mylo said. Screw Mylo. What did he know? And besides, it wasn't like anyone had noticed beyond a few enforcers...

...why did she feel like she was forgetting something.?

A distant explosion echoed behind them.

She winced. Oh. Right. Thaaat...

(.0.0.0.)

"You seen the kids?"

"Nope." Naruto kept his eyes on the scroll before him, never once looking up as Vander closed the attic door behind him. "They're kids, Vander. Not baby birds. Let 'em stretch their wings once in awhile." he traced a thin line across it, then frowned when the ink smoldered away. Blast it. He'd never been the best at sealing. "They're probably running around the lanes. Nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say." distantly he heard the reformed gangster pull up a chair. "You only deal with Powder for a few hours. I've got to corral all four of the little buggers every day."

Was it? Powder was a handful to keep track of at the best of times. And really, it was two. Vi seemed determined to keep an eye on him. He didn't know about the boys -they avoided him like the plague- but the sisters were difficult enough to deal with on a good day.

"They're good kids." he muttered, tracing another black line on the parchment. This one held when he applied chakra to it. A smile creased his whiskered visage. "Just give 'em a chance."

"I could say the same about you." The man must've lit his pipe; because his nose caught the faint scent of smoke in the air. "Powder looks up to you. Don't squander that."

"I won't. What's the worst that could happen?"

A beat of silence stretched between the two men.

Vander sighed into it. "...you do realized you just Jinxed it, right?"

"Bah!" The blond scoffed, rolled up his scroll, and pivoted to face him. "Silly superstition. I didn't Jinx anything."

A faint tremor rattled the world. Both men paused.

Naruto palmed his forehead with a sigh.

"Maybe I spoke too soon...?"

(.0.0.0.)

"Take no prisoners, boys!"

Strange as it might sound, Powder was grateful when Deckard and his gang jumped them. He and his poorly-named bullies were nothing -less than nothing!- but it finally gave her a chance to shine. No more running. No more being the useless little sister, the Jinx, the one everyone hated.

Today? She fought back.

Deckard lunge at her with a snarl. "Gimme the loot, you little shit!"

Violet shouted a warning probably fearing the worst. She needn't have worried. Deckard dove, to which Powder dodged back. He made a blind grab for the sack she held; the move was obvious, telegraphed even, and she responded accordingly. His hand swept down, fingers clenched into a claw. Powder's hand slashed up.

Bone cracked and he recoiled, clutching two broken fingers. "I'll skin ya alive!"

She beckoned. "Gotta catch me first, ugly!"

Adrenaline spurred him onward as he surged after her. Powder didn't fight. She danced; swaying in and out of his loping strikes. Giving ground to her adversary, yet it was on her terms that she did so. Hers. Not his. When she retreated she did so knowing precisely where she was going; guiding him to the point he failed to see.

"Never use your gifts to be cruel." Naruto's voice ran in her head. He'd been quite clear on that front. "Do you understand, Powder? When you do fight, make it clean."

She dodged aside, losing a strand of blue hair as a wild fist hurtled past. A smile touched her lips. Of course she understood. Yup. She understood perfectly. This wasn't cruelty now, was it? This was self defense. She was defending herself from an idiot who didn't know any better.

And besides, Deckard was so very slow.

Had he always been this slow? Or was she just that much fater? His fists scythed through the air in uncoordinated arcs; any one of which would've knocked the wind right out of her...if they connected.

Big if, that.

"Now, I may not don't have the eyes," Naruto's voice came back to her in an instant, "but I know enough to take someone down without hurting them too bad. Y'see, its all in the pressure points."

Deckard's right arm whistled past and Powder stepped up, driving two taut fingers into the point near the base of his shoulder. The limb dropped loose at his side. He balked at it, unable to understand what just happened to him. The moment he did, his face turned an alarming shade of red. He ripped a knife from his belt.

And if that doesn't take him down? Well...just hit him harder. Always worked for me.

Powder took a stance just as she'd been taught. A quick hop carried her forward. Her right hand clenched into a fist. And she let it fly.

Deckard never her coming. How could he? The larger boy was still winding up when she nailed him.

One moment he was bearing down on her with a crazed look in his eye.

In the next...

Powder swayed back with deceptive grace, weaving left and right like water, leaving his knife to sweep harmlessly past. Then her eyes flashed and she SLAMMED a fist into Deckard's stomach with all her might. The larger boy folded over her outstretched limb with a grunt, retching for air. Ribs didn't just crack. He was still gasping when a rousing uppercut caught him in the chin. She felt something shatter under her fist. The impact launched him into a wall. The boy slid down it and dropped like a sack of potatoes; wheezing softly.

Claggor gaped. "Wow."

Mylo whistled. "Daaaaamn...

Vi found herself frowning. "Since when can you do that?"

Powder gripped her wrist, hiding her hand behind her back. "Since...um...awhile ago?"

(.0.0.0.)

Naruto was waiting at the Last Drop when they returned.

Vander wasn't with him. Somehow, that made it worse. So much worse.

Those normally gentle blue eyes were hard and stern, both arms crossed before his chest. One foot tapped impatiently against the floor. He didn't have to say anything. One look was all it took. His head jerked toward the back door. Powder peeled off from her siblings and followed him, heedless of Vi's protests. Said protests died when he planted a hand between her shoulders and guided her in one of the backroom.

He steered her to a chair, sat her down, and crouched before her. "What did you do."

Powder wilted a little on the inside. "Alright, but you can't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad." he patted her head. "I'd just like to know what you did."

She gulped once, marshalled her courage...

"We hit a house!"

"Did you?" Naruto quirked a brow. "Any good loot?"

Powder opened the heavy sack she had. A low whistle was her reward.

"All that training really paid off!" her grin was nothing short of euphoric. "I kicked ass! And look at these!" She held up a trio of tiny glowing spheres. "Aren't they pretty?"

Naruto eyed them with an air of dread. "What...what are those...?

"Dunno."" really, she didn't. "Can I keep 'em?"

He didn't answer that; instead, he hit her with another question. "Did you have anything to do with that explosion in the upper city?"

Silence reigned between them.

Powder wanted to tell him more. She really did. But she couldn't' she absolutely did not dare. Vander was gonna be plenty cross with Vi already; anymore news might make him explode. Especially once he learned of the, ah...explosion. Why had it been delayed? She had been careful with the shiny stones. Sure she might've dropped one when she ran, but why would it take so long to explode. She was missing something here, but she was just a kid, damnit! How was she supposed to know?!

Naruto sighed into the silence. "You know, I taught you better than this...

That tore it. Powder warbled once and surged forward.

"I'm sorry!" Her head slammed into his stomach. "I won't do it again! I promise! If you'd just teach me more stuff, I wouldn't have to...!"

Naruto tensed for a moment. Eventually, he deflated.

"You can't learn everything I know. Not yet." his fist curled around a mote of light, stifling it. "Absolutely not. Things like the Rasenshuriken are too dangerous."

"But you said you teach me!" He could feel the thorns in her voice. "You promised!" Just like that she changed gears. "Please, please, please? Can I at least learn the Rasengan?"

...fine." his face softened into a careworn smile. "I can try to each you that, at least."

Powder dared a tentative grin. Everything would be alright...wouldn't it?

The very next day, the Enforcers hit the lanes.

A/N: There we go.

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.

If folks don't like this...well, I'll not continue it. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?

They keeps an old man alive.

And enjoy the previews.

As ever:

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Get ready to smile~!

Obvious references are obvious~!

(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.

Powder raised a hand. "Question! "What's a sage?"

Naruto's smile was all teeth.

"You're about to learn."

"Don't do this."

...I'm sorry. I have to."

Vi thrashed against her restraints.

...what do you want with me? Lemme go!"

"A moment of your time. Silco smiled softly. "Nothing more...

Those two, they don't understand power. They're not willing to dirty their hands. But I am. And so are you, I think."

Vi paused.

They shot him in the face. Naruto's head snapped back.

Powder screamed...until his head swung back down.

There was a bullet in his teeth. His eyes were gold.

"The funny thing is." he bit down hard, shattering the casing between his incisors. "Under any other circumstance you might've had a point there.

R&R~!