A/N: Double Update Today!

This one's shorter that I'd like, but hey, I'm back.

Had to rework my plans for this story a bit, yet here we are.

As ever, the Embers rule Remains; sad as that may sound, its the truth. If folks don't like this story...well, it won't be continued. Most likely, I'll delete it if it comes to that. I haven't the time to write something folks don't like. Two jobs keep me terribly busy as such that I have barely any time to write.

And still, I try my best to persist with the daily updates. Why, you ask? Oddly enough, it keeps me sane.

I really can't write without feedback, sad as it sounds. Sorry to bother you...T_T

Now for a few questions. Only some brief ones this time.

Q: Take a team into the mountains?! Oh god, they're hunting the Wyvern...

A: Yup.

Q: More Roman bits, m'lord?

A: Sorry, Roman runs away with the story from time to time. He's just so damnably fun to write!

Q: Cad Bane's here to stay, right?

A: Indeed he is.

Q: Can we get some more characters form-

A: Nope. Want to keep it relatively tasteful.

Alright, think I've kept you waiting long enough, I have.

You came here for a story, didn't you? Don't mind the rambling of sickly man.

As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! Hope you enjoy!

"So be prepared, ladies and gentlemen! Be prepared for our coup of the centuurrryyyy~!

Be prepaaaared for the murkiest scam~!

"None of that, Roman! No singing!"

"Booo! Hiss! Spoilsport!"

~Roman.

Partners in Preparation (Prelude to War)

"You take in all kinds, kid!"

Naruto hummed. "Thanks for the compliment."

Roman brained him with Melodic Cudgel. "It wasn't one!"

Rather, he tried to; much to his chagrin the bemused blond ducked at the last moment, whirled, and drove an open palm into his torso. Pain blossomed across three ribs as he hurtled back and struck a wall. Aura crackled angrily, but it did little to dull the pain. Bastard. He was certain he'd have a bruise there come morning...if there was a morning.

Move!

A shadow fell over him. Instinct yelped. He tumbled aside; just as well too; because a fist pulverized the space he'd just been in.

He didn't miss the crater that punch left behind. "Oi, oi, oi! I thought you said hold back!"

The boss cracked his neck, mismatching eyes agleam. "This is me holding back!"

Roman groaned and forced himself to his feet in spite of his aching joints. Bit of training, Naruto said. Keep their skills sharp, he said. Give the people of Mountain Glenn a show, he said. It sounded like such a good idea at the time; a grand way to lift everyone's morale, entertain the masses, and test their skills in one fell swoop. Simple, no?

.

..

...They'd all been at it for the better part of a five minutes now and no one-not a single solitary soul!- had landed so much as a scratch on the Boss.

Roman very much doubted they would.

Through an aching eye he saw Sienna spring from the fog and sling her chained-whip round the Boss's wrist; only to be summarily yanked into a wall for her efforts. She struck it and kicked off, launching herself back into the fray with a snarl. 'Ol Cad Bane snapped off a series but found each extinguished against an open palm, one after the other in seamless fashion. Satin slipped in on his flank while he was distracted, leaped onto his back and tried to suplex him in that moment of inattention. Naruto laid her out in a similar fashion, batted another bold aside, and knocked Bane sprawling.

All this. In less than a minute. Wasn't fair, Roman decided.

To be fair, he wasn't using the Eye, his laser sword, or any of his more...explosive skills. Wouldn't have been fair if he did, ya know? But even with that generous handicap, he didn't see this ending in their favor. Even with numbers on their side-they outnumbered him!-and still, he was picking them apart like rank amateurs.

It proved to be something of an enlightening experience. For them, of course. Not so the crowd.

Judging by their cheers, the fine folk of the Glen were eating this up.

A swarm of broken masonry rose behind Naruto -Glynda's work no doubt, wherever she was hiding- drawing the blond's wary eye. Cad took the opportunity to slap in a fresh clip and unload on him. Rather than stand his ground and face the storm of stone and plasma like any insensible person, he turned and ran, kicking his way edgewise up a nearby building to evade the barrage. He didn't see the faint shimmer of air behind him as he landed back in the streets. But he would. Any second now.

"Oi!" Roman snapped up Melodic Cudgel and fired. "Eat this!"

Naruto swayed aside, letting the dust round sweep high and wide to the right. It struck Neo and broke her cover. A soot-covered face scowled his way.

The blond barked a laugh.

Roman winced despite himself. Oops?

Credit where it was due, Neo didn't flinch. She surged forward with a soundless snarl to meet the Boss head on. Sienna raced in after her. Satin wasn't far behind, and Glynda with her.

What followed couldn't be called a duel. It was too fast-paced for that.

The five of them fell into a mad waltz of blows and counter-blows, wild kicks and parries, precise blocks and grapples, whirling weapons all. Roman knew he couldn't hope to shoot into that mess for fear of hitting a friendly or worse, pissing someone off. Evidently Bane must've realized the same; because he lowered his twin pistols and refrained from firing into the brawl.

"Ain't gonna try your luck?"

"Naw." he drawled. "Not getting involved in that tumble."

Roman leaned upon his cane, grateful for a chance to breathe. "For once we agree!"

Cad had slotted in nicely with their mad band of misfits; it was merely a matter of finding a place for their sharpshooter. And by the look of it, he'd found that place...in the most unlikely of ways. One had but to look into the stands to see it. Emerald and Velvet had starry eyes on the sidelines. Even young Blake was gazing at them, rapt with attention. If it weren't for Adam watching the melee like a work of art, Roman might've feared for his sanity.

Bane flicked them a glance. "Why're the girls grinning at me?"

Naruto chuckled. "Preeetty sure they want marksmanship lessons."

"From an old hand like me?" Oddly enough, that seemed to amuse the aging Faunus. "Well, I'll be."

A cry from the melee drew their atentons.

One minute. Sixty whole seconds. That was precisely how long Glynda and the rest managed to hold off. Then the tides turned.

Naruto reared back, headbutted Sienna, slugged Satin in the stomach, then reached out with his right hand, ripped Neo off her feet and flung her his way. Roman had the good grace to catch his partner; but unfortunately that action occupied both his arms. He realized his mistake a second later as Naruto swept his legs, flung a palm at them and pushed. In that moment, he saw his lips move.

"Shinra Tensei."

It was like being struck by the hand of an angry god; their aura broke and they crashed to the ground in a tangled heap.

Dust rounds pinged off Naruto's armored back. He whirled and flicked a knife at Bane's feet. The gunslinger frowned; said frown became a snarl as the paper tag attached to it exploded, hurling him away.

Glynda held out a full six seconds alone, Roman found-enough to actually press Naruto for a moment. Who knew she had it in her? He saw it all from where he lay; when the Boss made a grab for her wrist she slapped it aside and drove a heel palm into his face; forcing him to sway aside. He caught her next in one hand, wrenched her limb down, only for her to flow up and over him, vaulting him to yank his own limb behind his back.

Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered something to him. He laughed and turned to smoke, leaving her grasping empty air.

Not a heartbeat later, his hands burst from the ground. Locked around her ankles.

Glynda had time enough to look down and swear. "Son of a-

Then he yanked. Down she went, buried to the neck.

What followed would forever be carved into Roman's mind...that and Neo's now-relentlessly-clicking scroll as she took picture after picture of the sordid scene. Really, her glare just made it all the more worth it. Jutsu were proper weird things. It shouldn't have been possible to do trap a woman in the pavement like that, yet there she was, hurling imprecations at him. Didn't matter. They'd lord this moment over her until the day she died; or she killed him. Whichever came first.

"Lets call it, there." Naruto clapped his hands, then turned to face the cheering crowd. "Anybody else wanna give it a go?"

Unsurprisingly, no one else mustered up the nerve after that. He wasn't surprised after that being.

Romand heaved a sigh of relief. At least they hadn't seen that crazy huntress around."

Give him Glynda any day. She could be reasoned with, to an extent.

Summer Rose though...he'd done his research. Girl was nuts.

Which of course, begged the question. Where was she?

She'd been awful quiet these last few weeks...

(.0.0.0.)

"Honey...?"

Summer held up the test.

Taiyang blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice, now.

"Wow." he stammered. "That's just...okay...I think I need to...

"Ouch." Qrow winced as he toppled like a fallen elm. "Didn't see that coming...

(.0.0.0.)

"Oi, boss! You've got a visitor!"

Naruto craned his neck and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Even then he didn't answer his clone's call; not audibly. He waved a hand their way and kept his eyes fixed firmly on the sky, greedily chugging his water bottle. Wasn't enough. He knew it wouldn't be. He was still parched. Training was thirsty work on a good day; training people up to a shinobi's standard?

Donwright exhausting, that.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting...?"

He craned his neck, mildly nonplussed, and turned to face the newcomer. He was a well-dressed sort; at a glance, some might mistake him for a posh gentleman from one of the upper echelons. He knew better. A keen intellect lurked behind that affable smile...no matter what that ridiculous mustache might suggest. Really, damn thing looked like a fuzzy caterpillar...

"And who might you be..?"

"A pleasure to meet you." the man sketched a gracious bow. "My name is Arthur Watts."

Watts? His brow furrowed. "Never heard of you. We ain't hiring at the moment, so you can leave the way ya came-

"I couldn't help but overhear your little...Atlas problem." his smile was nothing short of smug. "Perhaps I can be of assistance...?"

Naruto's throat went dry.

"I'm listening...

A/N: And there we go. Next time: Partners in...?

As ever, the Embers rule Remains.If folks don't like this story...well, it won't be continued. Strange as it might sound, live for reviews and feedback; without them, I simply can't write a single word. So by all means! Speak up! Really, that's no joke. Your feedback is the reason this story continues. Ever bit helps. It keeps me going in these crazy times. So by all means! Speak up! No review is too short or too small!

As ever, read the previews before you review, please.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

Only a few previews today.

'Tis a surprise~!

(Preview)

Sienna pinned him down and lowered herself onto him.

Warm lips brushed his ear. "Don't you know teasing a cat is a bad idea...?"

"So we hit the docks, take a bit of SDC dust and get away clean. Are we clear?"

"Sure thing, boss. What could possibly go wrong?"

...you've jinxed us. I hate you."

...I used to be a soldier, back in the day." the armored man heaved a sigh and levered himself upright, ignoring the creak of his joints therein. "I fought the good fight for my country, for Atlas. And what did I get? " he turned his head aside and spat. "Fucking nothing. But this!" He slung his shield away and stepped to him with. "What you're doing here? Its gonna be a stye in Ironwood's eye. Ha! I bet you make the old tin can seethe like nothing else." This time there could be no denying his smile. "I wanna be a part of that; make that bastard PAY for throwing me away. So whaddya say. We got a deal?"

Sienna flicked her ears forward. "What did you say your name was?

"Jensen." The newcomer took a long drag on his pipe. "Rather go by my old designation if its all the same to you. Call me...Soldier."

Roman's brow shot right up to his hat. "Fuck a duck, is that who I think it is...?"

Naruto leaned past him, regarding the hoe he'd carved in the wall.

The choice was obvious. He clasped his hand. "You're hired."

R&R~!