A/N: EDIT: The flames need to stop. At this point they're just senseless rude and cruel. Can't we all just get along? This is fiction after all...

Not to mention the lack of reviews and surge of flames is really hurting my ability to update daily.

I really don't like updating late at night, but its all I can do lately. Blasted job.

This is...a shorter chapter then I'd like, but as stated above, I'm working weird hours at the moment. Doesn't help that I'm not feeling all that well lately. Not quite sure why, maybe I'm just pushing myself too hard with these consistent daily updates. So many people seem to like them, but in the same vein its wearing me thin...

*Grins*

Ready to have a good time?

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you are!

So lets get right to the the meat of the matter, shall we?

But first, lets answer your burning questions, comments, and concerns!

Q: So what's Naruto's alignment here? Asking for a friend.

A: At this point, Naruto is slowly embracing the path he's set on. Not good, not evil, just...at this point? I'd say more morally grey.

Q: Is Glynda trying to convince Naruto?

A: Trying is the operative word here. Our boy might be too far gone for her to pull back; moreover, he's done a lot of good so far. Why give that up and let himself be judged by people he doesn't give a flying fig for?

Q: Will we see more of Summer?!

A: Eventually. Be careful what you wish for...and once again! I'm not bashing her. Naruto has a skewed view of her; because she basically shot first and asked questions later. Maybe if they sat down and talked, things would work out better between the two of them. Maybe not.

Who can say?

Q: Naruto's just making enemies all around, isn't he? First Summer, potentially Ozpin, and now Atlas.

Are you trying to push him into Salem's arms? If so, you're doing a good job of it.

A: To quote Ruby...nope! Not spoiling anything! Recall that not all battles are won with fists. Some are won in the mind. Others, public perception. Sometime you win by not fighting at all. After all, this story wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if Naruto just steamrolled his way through everything. I'm sure you didn't come here for that.

The intrigue's ramping up, as we're well into the second arc now...

Alright then, I've kept you long enough.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes.

Now then, lets get started.

"Listen, Satin. Do you know what the most important part of being a criminal mastermind is? What makes the difference between a dreaded honest-to-god kingpin and some two-bit mugger? What makes people whisper your name not just with fear, but respect? What makes them look up you with awe and say, "damn, I wanna be that guy?" Well? Do you know the answer?

"I'm sure it wouldn't be my place to say, Roman...

"Presentation. And right now? The boss is putting on a show. Least we can do is watch his back if things so sideways.

"Wait, will it go sideways?"

"Eh, fifty-fifty. No plan survives contact with the enemy."

~The Plot Unfolds.

Partners in Presentation

Life was a matter of perspective, Naruto found.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, or so the saying goes. Where some might see evil, other saw good. Take Roman and Neo for instance. They were undoubtedly criminals. Before they'd met him they had lied and pillaged and stole to their hearts content, flagrantly flaunting the law wherever they went. Yet they were criminals with a code; they did not kill, they seldom took captives, and when they did, they always released them in one piece. There was less blood on the streets for their actions. And for all their crimes, they had taken him in, given him a chance to recover and lick his wounds.

Was it so wrong that he empathized with them for that?

Then you had those like Glynda Goodwitch; those who tried to do good work in deeds, but in the same vein struggled with a system that actively inhibited their efforts to do good. Laws held her back, red tape kept her from stepping out of line, and an all too vigilant superior keenly aware of the public image prevented her from acting on her own. She was more bound then any of them. Even today's little...excursion had only been achieved by effectively breaking the law.

Sasuke shimmered into existence at his side, snapping him out of his reverie with a smug smile. "She'll make a fine ally...once she sees the world for what it is."

Naruto glowered at the specter until he faded way. 'Really? Now? Of all times! Shoo!'

Only one he vanished did he deign to relax.

Was this a trap?

Paranoia argued it must be. He was in the heart of Vale, alone with no back up. It certainly didn't feel like a trap; not with Glynda's arm looped within his own, her hip resting comfortably against his as they sat together on the bench. When she'd promised to show him the better side of Vale, he hadn't expected her to start with...well, this. If Glynda called a squad of huntsmen down on his head, he'd have to fight his way free. And, yet, as that death squad never materialized, he felt the tension ebb away.

Feeding ducks in a pond was oddly relaxing, all things considered.

He flicked a bread crumb into the pool, smiling but a little as a duckling snapped it up. Its mother swam close and herded it away a moment later, but not before Glynda managed to tempt it with another piece. The fowl ate right from her hand. A soft smile touched at the corner of his mouth as he watched her.

The scenery could only be called idyllic, downright serene even.

Better yet, there wasn't a single soul to bother them. None had come by in hour since they'd settled here. He didn't think anyone would. You'd never expect to find such a secluded little glade here in Vale. The quiet silence brought him more peace than she knew. Still, he had to ask why they were here, if only to satisfy his own curiosity.

"So," he shifted a little, trying to ignore just how warm her body was against his, "Did you bring me here for a reason?"

Glynda's lips twitched ever so slightly.

"I come here at least once a week." she flicked another bit of bread into the water and watched the ducks. "It helps me to settle my mind." Her nose wrinkled abruptly. "Excuse me." Her nose wrinkled and he had half an instant to blink as she jerked back. "Achoo! I'm sorry." she straightened a little. "I seem to have caught a bit of a cold.

Gods, that was a cute sneeze-no! Focus! Don't be distracted!

"Here." he handed her a red handkerchief, one of the few he'd purloined form Roman.

"Thank you." she dabbed at her nose for a moment, then made to return it.

"Keep it." he waved her down. "I've got plenty more where that came from."

A golden brow rose. "And what do you expect me to do with it?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you like?"

...as you wish." before his very eyes she folded the crimson cloth into a delicate square and placed it in her pocket. "You're a good person, Naruto."

The sudden statement caught him flatfooted. "Excuse me?"

"As I said, you're a good person." Glynda shifted a little against him, the bag of bread crumbs forgotten as she turned to regard him fully. "If you truly were the monster many make you out to be, you wouldn't have come here." Her hand came down over his, rooting him in place. "And yet, you didn't even deign to disguise yourself."

Because it wasn't necessary.

Sad as it may seem, if it came to a fight, Glynda really didn't stand a chance. He knew he could beat her in a fight; more than that Roman and Satin were standing by to assist as needed. To say nothing of Neo and the hidden shadow clones he'd carefully seeded in Vale -one of which was attending to a most important mission!- long before he'd presented himself to Goodwitch.

Really, it wasn't fair. For her.

"I believe most people are good," Glynda continued, heedless of his inner thoughts. "Just as I believe that you want to do good. All your actions thus fa seemed geared toward that front."

Naruto couldn't help but scowl at that. He'd said those words once. But what was good? Glynda seemed to be. He'd grant her that. She actually appeared genuine in her attempts to know him better.

But for every Glynda Goodwitch, there was a Summer Rose.

People like Summer Rose claimed to do good, to the exclusion of nearly all else.

A good huntress, as he had learned, was not necessarily a good person. Had Summer not shown him that?

Summer Rose was a huntress, but in his eyes, she was nothing else. Summer Rose hadn't stopped to listen. Summer Rose saw a criminal -when he hadn't been one one!- and attacked without hesitation. She struck him as little more than a thrill chaser, glory-seeker, someone wishing nothing more than to hunt down those she deemed to be evil and consequences be damned. Even now thinking of the silver-eyed warrior drew a scowl to his lips. He felt exposed out here, naked and vulnerable to attack in a way he hadn't been back in Mountain Glenn.

He kept expecting to see her face around every corner; even if his mind knew she wasn't here, his body was ready to bolt at the slightest provocation

Too loud, too gung-ho, too determined to chase their prey to the exclusion of all else. Black and white. No grey. Absolute justice. Absolutely.

But she was wrong. Like it or not, justice was what you made it in this world. He'd seen it firsthand.

If not for him, Roman and Neo would still be two-bit criminals. Satin would still be chained up in that awful dungeon. Velvet would have wasted away, dying a slow death of starvation. Emerald might have turned to a life of crime, or been picked up by someone infinitely worse than a criminal. Sienna and those she had taken under her wing would've been gunned down by Atlas. So what if his actions weren't strictly legal? He'd saved people. That was what he did, damnit.

Sometimes laws simply didn't work.

Sometimes you had to bend them, break them even.

Sometimes, you needed to take matters into your own hands.

Some might say that was Sasuke's influence at at work, but he disagreed. His mind was his own. Every decision he made had left him to this point. Did he regret them? No. Winchester needed to die. There was no other way to. Left alone, he would have paid his way out and continued his crimes.

Which brought him back to the matter at hand.

"A wise man once told me, that once you've been hurt, you learn to hate." Naruto reached down to the grass and spied a stray stone. "And yet, if you hurt another you become hated and you shoulder a sense of guilt." He flung it into the pool with a twist of his wrist, causing it to strike the water in such a way that it went skipping across to the other side. "But it is because one understands such pain, that generosity towards others becomes second nature. That's what makes us human."

Glynda looked away. "Wise words. Who told you them?"

"My teacher." for a fleeting moment he saw Jiraiya's smiling face in those still waters. "He taught me everything I knew. "What would the old pervert say if he saw him now? "He was a great man. I didn't really understand him at first, but...heh." a rare grin overtook his whiskered cheeks. "I know I do now."

"He sounds like a wise man." Glynda agreed, bobbing her head.

For a wild moment Naruto imagined what the old sage would've thought of her. No, wait. He already knew:

"Good gods, she's gorgeous! Look at those hips! Way to go, kid! You bagged yourself a winner!"

Glynda would've slapped Jiraiya upside the head and thrown him into the water besides. His mind took the scene and ran with it, imagining his reaction if he met Satin or, sage forbid, Sienna.

Sasuke even echoed it. "They would've thrashed him. I'd pay to see that."

Something snapped deep inside in Naruto. The dam burst. It began as a soft snort, one he failed to conceal behind a clenched fist. Then it became a giggle, one he was unable to muffled behind his palm. Before long his snickering evolved into an outright cackle, mad laughter taking him as he doubled over and clutched at himself. Tears pricked at his eyes, of joy and sorrow both. Jiraiya would never see this new chapter of his life. Never play grandfather to Velvet or Emerald. Never grant him any more words of wisdom, never embarrass him with his stories.

Glynda spoke again, plucking him from the sea of nostalgia. "I'd love to meet him someday."

His jaw tightened. "I'm afraid that's not possible."

Guileless green eyes blinked. "Whyever not?"

A dull flash of pain. "He...died."

"Oh." sorrow flitted across her face. "I'm sorry." her fingers threaded with his. "I didn't know-

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago. I've made peace with it." And he had, as much as he could. "I...I'd like to think he'd be proud of what I'm doing. And why wouldn't he? Since I came here," when her brow furrowed, he hastened on. "I haven't killed a single soul that didn't deserve it. Can you say the same?"

She looked away. "I...cannot."

He felt a bit guilty baiting her like that.

Unbidden, his mind flitted back to a rather...interesting discussion he'd had with Roman and Sienna just last night...

(.0.0.0.)

"We must respond!" Sienna's fist slammed down on the table as Naruto looked on. "They tried to kill our people! This demands a show of force!"

"There's been bedlam for one night, don't you think?" Roman flicked a spent cigar from his mouth and crushed it underfoot. "We've got enough problems to deal with already without you bringing an armada down on our heads. Thanks for that, by the way." his visible eye regarded her intently beneath the brim of his battered hat. "Just how I wanted to spend my evening."

"Why you cheeky human-

"ENOUGH!" Naruto raised his voice, silencing them both. "I've heard your arguments. Roman, what's the status on Satin? Is she safe...?"

"She's bringing the kids back as we speak." the master thief preened. "I've got teams clearing out some buildings for our new...tenants." he amended hastily at Sienna's wither glare. "If its all the same to you, I'd rather not have to deal with an angry bunny when she sees this mess."

"Yeah, me neither...

Sienna perked up, ears twitching just so. "You didn't mention children."

"Velvet and Emerald." he interposed, raising his good hand. "They're adorable little runts. You'll love 'em. And I get that you're angry, Sienna. I do." his gaze strayed to the refugee camp below the main building, all the distant fires burning in the night, and frowned. "But we're not taking down Ironwood's flagship. That would send the wrong message and put everyone here in danger. Is that what you want?"

...no." she subsided with a scowl of her own.

"Look, I'm not going to let this slide either." his next words had her leaning forward. "Honestly, Atlas has been a thorn in my side, too. First that SDC bounty, now this...really, I don't get why they want my head so badly. Its becoming a pain." he leaned back in his throne with a put upon sigh. "Until tonight, I haven't done anything to antagonize them...

"Why does Atlas want you dead?" Roman tapped a single finger to his forehead. "Because you're too powerful now. You've changed things. You get shit done. You take hits like a champ, grit your teeth, and come back for more. Sometimes you let people live when then they need to die, but you make an impact."

Naruto looked away, anger coiling in his gut like a snake. "I never wanted to in the beginning."

His gaze flicked to Neo. She winked and offered him a soundless shrug.

"What're you gonna do? Retire?" Sienna laid her head against his shoulder. "Live a idyllic life in a log cabin somewhere?" she laughed and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "That ship has sailed. This?" she flicked a hand at the ceiling, at the throne, and those around them. "This your life now. This is what you do. You're a walking nuke. Your enemies are either your best friends, or dead. Own it already."

Naruto flicked a gaze over the throne. Sasuke's specter nodded back at him.

...fine." he stood.

Sienna frowned. "And where are you going?"

"To make some friends. But first." A lone eye flashed with his shoulder, searching for someone. "Neo!" That eye continued to burn as a certain mute sidled up to him and pressed herself into his side. "Heh." he pulled her close. "Love ya too. Say, how long can you safely maintain those illusions of yours?"

The little minx grinned; it was just the wrong shade of vicious.

"Really?" Naruto's grin matched hers. "That long, eh?"

Roman quirked a brow. "What're you up to?"

Sienna smirked. "I like that smile."

She would. "I've got an idea...

(.0.0.0.)

In the end, this was a distraction for Glynda as much as him.

If she was occupied, moreover she was with him and her Scroll oh-so-conveniently silenced, she wouldn't be aware of what was transpiring at Beacon. All the better. Ignorance was bliss, as they said. He felt a brief flash of guilt, one he was sure Neo wouldn't as she went to work. She'd surely had enough time to study her from afar by now; which meant she was likely away, and one of his clones with her. It was a good plan. Simple, as all the best ones were.

In a way, he was helping Glynda.

By keeping her occupied here, the authorities would be utterly baffled when "she" reappeared in Beacon. You see, Naruto wanted to have a word with Ironwood and Ozpin. And wouldn't you know it, they were both in the same place at this very moment! How convenient! He just needed someone to help him get onto the school grounds. Transformations were all well and good, but he needed his to be believed, and not seen until the pivotal moment.

That's where Neo came in. Silent and unseen, she'd do her work better than he ever could.

Once the authorities came to their senses, everyone would be pointing fingers at one another. Accusations would fly left right and center, implicating everyone. Everyone except Glynda Goodwitch, who, thanks to him, held an ironclad alibi. Nobody got hurt, they got what they wanted, and most of Vale would be left scratching their heads after this.

After all, seeing Glynda in two places at once was sure to prove her innocence.

"Are you alright?" Naruto blinked and snapped back to reality.

His gaze drifted past the pond, to the dist Beacon Tower.

A tower where he knew Ironwood would be.

"I've never been better...

(.0.0.0.)

Sometimes, Satin Scarlatina wondered if she'd gone mad.

Oh, she most certainly had; at some point fate had tied her to a wheel and set it spinning down a hill, leaving her destiny unknown. She could but ride it out and hope for the best. Under normal circumstances, she might have disagreed. She'd stomp her foot and argue otherwise, swearing up and down that she wasn't mad as a hatter, that she wasn't insane, that she was a perfectly reasonable young woman. But the definition of insanity didn't apply here, did it? Insanity meant doing the same thing over and over again, expecting things to change.

And make no mistake, things were changing.

Really, she was quite happy with the current turn of events; not only was she safe and sound but she'd been reunited with her daughter. Moreover, little Velvet had a father again. She was too young to truly realize what she'd lost, and Naruto fit into the role of "Papa" all too easily. In...ahem...more ways then on. Good lords, you could grind meat on those abs of this.

What was she talking about? Oh, right. Stalking.

She'd returned to Mountain Glen just last night and found herself wrapped up in this harebrained -don't make the pun!- scheme from the start. She'd have no less. Sure, the children had sulked at being left under the eye of watchful shadow clones and Sienna, but really, the less said about that woman the better. It was for the best, and they'd be reunited by the end of the day.

But right now?

Stain had doubts...and she was understandably cross to find that blond hussy making eyes at her man.

Well...he wasn't hers yet, but still! Seemed she had to mark her territory. She'd be sure to do that the first chance she could. Right, focus!

"I still don't understand why we're doing this." she muttered as she wound the binoculars down. "They're just...sitting there. Nothing's happening. Nothing at all."

Roman hummed. "That's the point."

The faunus flung up her arms. "How is that the point?!"

They'd gone out of their way to shadow Naruto from afar, careful to avoid being seen. If that huntress was keen on taking him anywhere else, she hadn't done so yet. She would of course -their luck wasn't that good- but for now they were able to observe them relatively ease from their rooftop vantage.

"Listen, Satin." Roman planted his cane in the asphalt. "Do you know what the most important part of being a criminal mastermind is?"

She shook her head.

"Of course you don't. Let me rephrase the question." he flicked a cigar out of his pocket. "What makes the difference between a dreaded honest-to-god kingpin and some two-bit mugger?" a lighter came out and in a single click, he was breathing deeply. "What makes people whisper your name not just with fear, but respect?" his voice rose, taking on an almost musical note. "What makes someone look up at you with awe and say to themselves, "damn, I wanna be that guy?" Well? Do you know the answer?

She frowned. "I'm sure it wouldn't be my place to say,...

"Presentation." he snapped his fingers. "And right now? The boss is putting on a helluva show. Least we can do is watch his back if things go sideways.

Satin scowled. "Wait, will it go sideways?"

"Eh, fifty-fifty." Roman shrugged. "No plan survives contact with the enemy. Heads up! They're moving."

His eyes lingered on a lonely spire in the distance.

"Any minute now...

(.0.0.0.)

James Ironwood was a man of conviction.

He was a soldier of resolve. He did not falter, he did not waver, for to do so meant defeat.

Atlas could never be defeated; even if by some miracle they were, it was paramount that the world believed otherwise. If one kingdom thought another weak, they would wage war upon them. Such had been the way of the world since time immemorial. Good soldiers followed orders after all, and he had tasked his with the elimination of Sienna Kahn, the criminals who called themselves the "Flame" and who would stand with them. No matter the cost. He had hoped the people of Vale would prove understanding.

"What were you thinking?!"

Ozpin showed him no such understanding.

Ensconced in his office high atop Beacon tower, he found himself subjected to the full weight of his old friend's gaze.

"I came here to help you, Oz."

"Help?" Ozpin leaned back and adjusted his spectacles. "By bombarding the Emerald Forest in the dead of night and frightening my students? Yes, I can see how helpful that would be." He barreled on before he could hope to get a foothold. "Or perhaps you speak of your ships in the skies, or your battleship at the docks. Quite the bit of damage, wouldn't you say? Bit off more than you could chew, did you?"

His good mood soured.

"The Flame has proven more...capable than they expected. Nothing more. Nothing less. We'll be prepared for him next time."

"There will be no "next time", James. You need to recall your men. Now."

"Putting the matter of the SDC bounty aside, the man stole Atlas technology." Rather than aruge, he led with another line of attack instead. "In that alone, we have jurisdiction to hunt him."

"I believe it was Roman Torchwick who appropriated this "lightsaber" of yours." his old friend steepled both hands and laid his chin to rest atop them. "Furthermore, you opened fire on civilians last night. Do not think I am without my sources."

This again?! Was he blind?! Could he not see?!

"They were White Fang!" James swept a hand across the desk, scattering papers to the floor. "There are no innocents! If they side with that murderer, then they are evil!"

Behind them, the doors slid open. "Evil, are we? How rude."

James stiffened.

No.

It was impossible. He didn't want to turn, had no desire to pivot in place, knowing full well what he would find there.

His body betrayed him regardless and he saw the face of his tormentor. Naruto Uzukamki stepped out of the elevator, lone blue eye regarding them intently. His whiskered visage wore a small smile, as though he were struggling not to laugh at some unspoken joke. He advanced but two steps, no more, no less, and came to a halt before them. That visible eye blinked, regarding the ruined desk and scattered papers.

"Am I interrupting something...?"

Ironwood drew his pistol. "How did you get in here?!"

Naruto cocked his head. "How else? I walked." his piece said, he clasped both hands behind his back. "General." his voice was colder than a Schnee's heart. "I believe I have some of your men. They're rather anxious to come home after last night's...incident."

"Give them back at once!"

"Calm, now." Ozpin stood slowly, one hand upon his cane. "There's no need for violence here."

"What violence?" the blond frowned, mildly put out by such a remark. "I didn't come here to fight you. Either of you." his gaze slid to James and cut away just as sharply. "I want to talk." that lone blue eye swept back to Ozpin. "With both of you. Peacefully."

And let him pour his poison in their ears?! Never!

James scoffed. "Atlas does not negotiate with terrorists! Certainly not you!"

"And how am I a terrorist?" the young man dared a step forward. "In less than a year I've done more to expose the corruption in this city than either of you have." That lone blue orb narrowed upon James. "Maybe once I'm done here I'll pay Atlas a visit next, see what or who I can root out there."

Another step. James raised his weapon. "Stay back!"

"I will not." the charismatic young man advanced. "Not until I've said my peace."

"James." Ozpin stepped around his desk slowly. "Put the gun down. Now."

"Never!" He would not falter here, not when it mattered most. "If he wants to talk that badly, he can do so behind bars."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Naruto's retort proved immediate. Another step now. "Don't listen to your friend, James. Do it. Pull that trigger. See what happens."

Ozpin reached for his arm. James wrested it away. "Surrender!"

Naruto stood before him now, utterly unarmed. "Go ahead. Shoot. Coward."

Due Process barked once; a short, sharp sound that swelled in the silence of the tower.

It was a clean shot; through and through; the bullet struck center mass, pierced his chest and slammed into a wall. Naruto looked down at himself, frowning. He touched a hand to it. Sighed. There was no blood. None at all. Not even a drop. His gaze rose, disdain visible in his eye.

"How incredibly...disappointing."

Then his body shattered like so much glass.

James jerked back. A Semblance?! But when-

"I suppose I should thank you for the footage."

"Now, then...as I was saying," another Naruto walked out of the lift. "Neo? Did you get that?"

With a faint tinkling of glass, a petite girl materialized beside him. In her hands, she held a single scroll. A dull red light flashes from it, indicating that it was still recording. Her mismatching eyes narrowed merrily as she flashed a jaunty little wave. Even as Ironwood took aim she vanished again, seamlessly shielding herself in an illusion. His gun barked anew and a flash of steel swiped out, swatting the bullet down into the floor.

"Now, then." Naruto's smile was all teeth. "Imagine the trouble I could make with that footage. Still want to ignore me?"

Ozpin's face turned ashen. "This is unnecessary. I would've spoke with you in good faith."

"You, maybe." the blond conceded with a shrug. "But not your friend."

James snarled at him. "Wretched criminal! We'll see you hang!"

Naruto merely smiled at his outburst. "Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, General."

Ironwood opened his mouth to refute him, only to find his tongue dead in his mouth. What witchery was this...?!

"Like I said, I came here to talk." Still smiling, Naruto ripped the bandage from his face, exposing the bright orb lurking within. "And make no mistake, we are going to talk!" he spread his arms wide, encompassing them both. "And what better way to do so, than with this?" his lips quirked in a smile. "Wouldn't want anyone to interrupt the three of us, after all."

Due Process snapped up-

James barely had a chance to gasp before the entrance burst into black flames; a fire that didn't spread, but rather clung to the metal doors, fusing them shut. Ironwood tried to move. He really did. But his body just felt so heavy. He was still taking aim when his world shimmered into a shroud of red and black. Then the genjutsu snared him, stilling his soul. He threw his will against it, to no avail.

In the end, the general was forced to stand by and do the one thing he had no desire to do. Listen.

"Much better." Naruto pulled up a chair and slid into it. "Alright, you first. Let's talk."

Ozpin sank back into his own. "What did you wish to speak of?"

The shinobi's smile grew.

"Glynda, for starters...

A/N: Naruto's making moves!

And we there have it. Don't you worry, we're not done here!

We'll have "that" meeting with Kali and Ghira later; as well as the Rex, bit.

It just felt right to focus on the main gang here. For those wondering, Sienna's currently IN Mountain Glenn tending to things. Satin and the rest deserved their chance to shine.

As ever, I cannot write without feedback. No reviews, no inspiration, no story. Looking forward to chatting with you all!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

Here, have preview!

Future ones, at any rate.

Been watching Invincible as of late. Its given me...ideas...

(Previews)

Lisa Lavender knew a story when she saw one.

And this?! This! Was! News!

Summer bolted upright.

"I know that look." Taiyang followed her. "Summer, no! Bad Summer!"

"Don't try to stop me, Tai! He's gone too far this time! I have to catch him while I still can-ow!" He flicked her forehead and she subsided with an anxious whine.

Hold it. What she'd just said...

Taiyang frowned. "Wait, are you...?"

She guided his hands to her stomach. "Surprise...?"

Tai's jaw clicked open with an audible pop. He made a noise. "Bwuh?"

Yang absolutely jolted to her feet, little lilac eyes alight with life. I'm gonna be a big sister?!"

In the background, Qrow choked on his whiskey and crashed off the couch. "I'm gonna be an uncle?! AGAIN?!"

Satin climbed into Naruto's lap. He sniffed. Frowned. "Are you drunk?"

"Maaaaaybe."

He sighed and let her push him back to the covers.

He soon had his chance.

He sensed the attack coming long before the blade fell. Even then it was well within his power to stop it. He could have moved. Could've dodged. Instead, he allowed it, if only to prove his point. He hardly felt the knife slide into his back. Which is to say it barely hurt. At all. Whomever they were, they certainly weren't Summer.

"Really? Why did you think this would work? How stupid are you?

"You're under arrest!"

"I think not."

His arm cracked backward.

"Now, where were we?"

"You're just going to leave them like that?"

"Meh, why not?" he shrugged. "Better this way. The police would hardly believe me...

Salem considered the new before her. She blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

The headline was sweet, sweet music to her ears. Oh, Ozpin. You utter fool...he was being led by the nose and didn't even realize it.

"Watts."

"My lady?"

...I think I'm in love."

Then the castle echoed with her laughter.

"We've got our targets? Great. You all know what to do."

Naruto considered the board before him.

"And that's checkmate."

This would blow's Vale's elite high-society wide open.

R&R~!