A/N: EDIT: Really getting worn out here...hardly any feedback at all...T_T

As ever, review and feedback keep me motivated. Without them, I can't write a single world. Every bit of feedback helps.

Blast, this got delayed longer than I would've liked. This chapter...just...kept...growing!

Feels strange, knowing this story is nearing its conclusion.

No questions this time. I'll let the chapter do the talking.

Looking forward to chatting with you all real soon~!

As ever I don't own ANY references, quotes memes or themes. Not a wit, not a one.

We've been building to this for awhile. Hope you're prepared.

"I just...want to help people. That's it.

Yeah. That's it. All I've ever wanted.

Why won't you let me help?"

~All the References.

For the World

Flames were lovely.

There was a certain beauty to be had in cleansing dragonfire Naruto found; in that it burned everyone equally. Rich and poor. Good and evil. Sane and insane. A purity that couldn't be found anywhere else. He felt almost at peace as he watched the forest burn. If left along long enough, everything might burn. It was an oddly pleasing thought. He could sit here all day and roast marshmallows.

Still, he knew he couldn't; if only because his conscience wouldn't let him.

"Well, might as well fish him out of there."

With a quick command to his mount, Naruto dismounted and dropped down to the burning forest. Limned in the light of a dozen burning blazes, he marched to his destination and claimed his prize. It was was all too easy to retrieve Gaara's stunned body from the sand remains of Shukaku; he didn't even put up a fight.

He was, unfortunately, quite awake.

"Why...?"

Naruto dropped down to his haunches. "Why, what?"

Weary green eyes glowered into his as he hauled him out of the wreckage. "Why didn't you kill me...?"

Naruto nearly missed a step. Kill him? No, no, no. That wasn't the plan. That had never been the plan. Knock some sense into him? Certainly. But to end him...nope. He wasn't one to waste potential; and he certainly had no desire to kill someone who'd suffered through hell and back.

After all, he'd made a promise.

"Like I said earlier, you're my little brother now, Gaara." he favored his fellow jinchuuriki with a grin as he slung him over one shoulder. "That makes you family. Family means no one gets left behind."

"Fool." the exhausted redhead flailed at his chest, to no avail. "We're the same age...

"Nope." Naruto smacked his lips with a loud pop. "Little brother. Its settled."

"You're weird."

"Ha!" the hybrid grinned. "You think I'm weird? Wait 'till you meet Salem. The stories she could tell you...

A quick leap carried them up and out of the burning wood.

Credit where it was due, the Wyvern reacted quickly; gravity barely had time to sink its cruel claws into them before the beast swooped by and caught them on its broad back. Between its shoulders, Naruto spared a sigh for the blaze below. Maybe he'd overdone it a bit after all. The fires were already raging, creeping toward the village in the distance. He needed to get back there, and soon. But first...

"Probably oughta put this out."

He set Gaara down, then turned his gaze upward.

Burning blue eyes bled flames as he looked to the sky, raised his hands, and exhaled. Alright. Focus. Just as he'd done so many times before. Salem's power-her magic given freely-flowed through his veins. Power to take the very world and shape it to his whims. And so he did. The spell formed in his mind and he gave it life, coaxing the sunny blue skies above to do his will. He didn't force his will upon nature. He merely gave it the proper nudge to take action.

The heavens answered.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, neither for wrath nor rage, but life. They swirled forth from his will to blot out the sun completely. A low rumble of thunder passed through them, accompanied by a stay drop of rain. Then another. Followed by another. Water cascaded down from on high and he basked in it, allowing it to wash over him as the rainstorm burst into existence. All the blood and sand were soon washed away, the flames below dampening, as they died a sputtering death.

Gaara stirred at his feet.

"So this is what rain feels like...

"Nice, ain't it?" Naruto spared him a rueful grin.

A small smile touched the madman's mouth. "I suppose it is...are you certain you won't kill me?"

"I am." he shook his head. "You're meant for more than this, Gaara. So much more."

His former foe growled. "You say that as if you know...

Naruto didn't answer. There was no need. Instead he held the storm close like an old friend in his heart, until nothing of the blaze remained. He could have held onto it; used it to blasted the trees apart and render the forest so much ash. Instead, like a friend, he turned away from the Power and let it go. It raced away to the east. Towards the village. Nature took its course and for a singular blinding moment he left his body and became the storm, felt himself in every tranquil raindrop, every breeze, every cloud.

He saw it all.

Looking down upon the village, he saw, not through his eyes, but through the rain itself.

There was Salem in the arena, dueling dead men and a treacherous snake as an injured Hokage clutched at his arm. Her head snapped up toward the clouds, regarding him for a moment before she threw herself back into the fray. Then the clouds swept him away and he was elsewhere.

Further out he watched a pillar of flame immolate a giant snake to ash. Cinder's handiwork, no doubt.

Further still, he glimpsed Hazel ripping an unlucky ninja in half.

He gave himself to the storm and swept out yet more, away from the main forces, towards the outskirts.

His eyes beheld a squad of Sand Shinobi lurking near the gate, standing over the ruinous remains of what he assumed were slaughtered sentries.

No.

Not sentries. Unarmed.

Civilians. Women and children.

Tranquility became wrath. He drew the rain around him like a cloak and sent it crashing down on the unaware ninja in a roaring flood. They didn't even have time to scream as he drowned them, grabbed them, smashed their bodies against walls and buildings alike. A thought was all it took, to send another wave slashing down in a current of jagged ice. There were no survivors.

He "saw" another death squad in the street near Ichiraku and his heart twisted. Their blades were red.

Kill them. Kill them all.

He screamed, and in place of his voice, thunder boomed. Lightning forked down striking at the murderer. His reserves plummeted. Corpses pinwheeled into the air. Not enough! He swept the storm around, feeding more of himself into it, searching for fresh victims, fresh BLOOD-

"Skrreeeee?"

A low trill rumbled through the heels of his feet, breaking his concentration.

Reality snapped back like a rubber-band and quite suddenly, Naruto found himself back in his body, gasping for air.

Salem had warned him about this. Using her power came with risks, as all things did. If he overexerted himself in using her gifts, her magic, he risked losing himself. It was a slow, insidious thing; one he knew about and thought himself prepared for. It took more than a little will to claw himself back from the brink.

"Good girl." he bent to stroke the Wyvern's mask, silently thankful for the interruption. "Take us down. I can handle things from here."

Another rumble.

He could feel the giant's concern, sense it connection to him; a deep and primal thing that clawed at his senses. It sensed his anger. Its wings were his wings, its hunger, his hunger. It wanted to rip and tear; to rend his enemies and all who would stand against him. And it would. In time.

Temari was waiting for him when they finally touched down.

She was also drenched from head to toe thanks to his little thunderstorm. Oops.

"Please, I beg of you!" Said concerns became secondary when she all but threw herself at his feet the moment he disembarked. "Mercy! Don't kill my brother!"

Naruto looked over his shoulder. His Wyvern shrugged helplessly. Gaara rolled his eyes where he lay. Neither lifted so much as a finger -or a claw!- to help him. Why did everyone think he was out to kill redheads today?!

"Hmm?" he felt Salem's regard stir in the back of his mind. "Already found herself a concubine, have you? She looks nice."

Naruto nearly choked on his tongue. "We are not having this conversation."

He wanted to die. "Get back to your fight already!"

"Oh, very well. I'll see you soon..."

Belatedly the blond realized a certain someone was currently grappling with his leg.

"Don't worry. I'm not out to kill anyone if I don't have to." it hurt to see the suspicion in her eyes. "By the way, you're adopted. Kankuro, too."

"Wait, what?" the sand blond blinked rapidly, then flailed backward. "Excuse me?! What was that just now?!'

"Did I stutter? You're all adopted." he patted her head. Welcome to the family, blondie."

"Don't bother arguing." Gaara rasped from the Wyvern's back. "Won't work...

She flung up he arms. "I don't understand!"

"You don't have to." Naruto hooked a thumb into his chest. "I believe in mercy. It'll take a lot more than this to break me." A sunny smile broke through his battered visage. "So lets be friends, eh?"

The kunoichi regarded his hand like a poisonous asp.

Naruto watched her hand stray to the fan on her back. His shoulders tensed. Don't do it, you silly girl. Don't make me kill you. But in the end she didn't try. Temari took one step back. Then another. A third now. Whatever she saw in his eyes must've truly terrified her, because she didn't dare take her gaze off him.

"Let me get this straight." she held up a single finger. "You beat Gaara with an inch of his life...

"Yup." Naruto's head bobbed.

"Chased us down...

"I also did that, yes."

"Set the forest on fire...

"To be fair," he touched a finger to his chin, "That was Luna."

Temari absolutely hissed at him. "Who in the Sage's name is Luna?!"

Behind him, the Wyvern trilled happily.

"That would be the dragon's name." a smile creased Naruto's whiskered cheeks. "Don't ask me. Salem did it. Just be glad I didn't bring out Monstro."

Gaara propped himself up on his elbows. "What's a Monstro...?"

"Giant whale. Nasty piece of work. Might use it to conquer the world some day." should he have said that aloud? Oops. "Ignore that last bit. Not important."

"You're mad." Temari plopped down on a log. "Stark raving mad."

Naruto opened his mouth to say more, but for a sudden spell of vertigo. Nausea shook him to his bones; what little he'd eaten threatened to come boiling back up his throat and he nearly choked on it. Instead he caught himself on a burnt tree. Clawed fingers bit down into the bark for purchase holding fast.

"Alright." he croaked the word, then laughed a little. "I'm alright" he chortled again as his voice broke. "I think I'm little drunk on power right now; might've used too much magic." his legs buckled briefly before he wrestled himself upright. "Oh, wow." pearly white teeth grit as his entire body doubled over in a violent seizure. "That's new. Really overdid it." Heat burned his world red and he blinked down at his hands. They'd gone pale as he reverted to his Grimm form, but now they were different. Humming. Pulsing.

They were glowing.

"Huh." he blinked. "That can't be good."

Temari didn't dare budge from her seat. Not a bit.

"And now you want us to just be...family? Friends? Just like that?"

"Seems par for the course at this point." Here at last his legs failed him; his body buckled and he lost his grip, slumping down to the ground. "I'm tired of fighting."

Bright jade eyes narrowed.

"I have conditions."

"Name 'em."

Temari did just that.

"Alright. We have a contract."

(.0.0.0.)

Salem craned her neck toward the forest.

"And so it begins." a small smile graced her lips. "Such a darling boy."

Satisfied in her contractor's victory, she returned her attention to the ruined state of her right arm. Really. Why was it always the arms? Did the snake have a fetish or something? They were so annoying to regenerate. Especially the fingers. If she didn't get the fingers just right, she'd have to break them and start all over-

A wall of fire crashed down on her, scalding her from head to toe.

How rude. You weren't supposed to interrupt someone when they were monologuing. It just wasn't done.

"When will you learn, little man?" she hummed as she regrew her ruined body. "I. Cannot. Die."

Orochimaru's sword passed through her flesh and split her in twine.

Still smiling, she spread her arms wide. "Care to try again?"

Not a yard away, Hiruzen lay sprawled on ground.

"I feel strangely irrelevant here...

(.0.0.0.)

"Do we have an accord?"

Naruto wasn't sure how much time passed; seconds, minutes, hours perhaps? He didn't pay attention. He and Temari bantered back and forth, bandying words about like coin. She gave her terms. He gave his. They came to an agreement. It was simple. Effortless, really. She only wanted three things. He was happy to give them. What were those things, you ask?

Well. That's a story for another time.

"And you'll keep you word?" She frowned only a little as a horde of shadow clones shephered her onto the Wyvern's back. "You swear?"

"I never go back on my word." he gave her a leg up. "Go support Salem and the others. She'll know what to do with you."

"You're certain?" She wrinkled her nose at him. "Not the Hokage?

"No." he said. "The old man can't be trusted with this."

Her hand grabbed at his sleeve. "And you?"

...don't worry about me."

He couldn't go near the village now. Too much hatred. Too much negativity. Even if he did, he'd just be burden. He could barely move. Talking itself was an effort. But he wouldn't die. He just needed to rest a bit. Away from her, away from everyone. Even the act of creating those clones threatened to make him sick. Needed to detox. Get all the backlash out of his system. Salem's power wasn't something to be used lightly, and he'd expended a great deal here today.

"Go!"

He slapped Luna's flank and with a mighty backwing the beast took flight, rattling the treeline.

Naruto watched them go with a weary sigh.

"Right. I think I'll just lay here for...a...bit."

He closed his eyes. Just for a moment. He wasn't sure how long, only that he did.

"Naruto...is that you?"

Blue eyes snapped open, mildly alarmed; but only for a moment.

Someone was pushing through the brush ahead of him, a dark shape in the gloom. He sat up with a wince, trying to see them.

And then he did.

"Hey, Sasuke!" A grin flashed across his battered face. "I was wondering where ya were!"

For this was Sasuke Uchiha limping his way, make no mistake; though he looked to have seen better days. His outfit was decidedly different at that, a deep singular black compared to his blue shirt and white shorts. One of his arms was wrapped up in bandages for some inexplicable reason. Unbidden, he recalled Shikamaru's words. He'd said something about an injury...was he hurt? Small wonder he'd missed the Exams. But what was he doing way out here? Had he come looking for him.

His old friend walked up to him. Stumbled into his arms.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Naruto patted his back. "You have nothing to be sorry about. Thanks for coming to find me-

His body shuddered.

He looked down to find a black knife jammed into his chest.

Buried to the hilt, it stuck out clear as day. Naruto blinked at it, not quite comprehending. A thin line of blood ran down his jaw.

"Sasuke...?"

Then the pain hit.

A wordless snarl tore itself from him as every fiber of his being cried out in singular agony. His body betrayed him and crashed down to one knee; he narrowly caught himself with one hand before he could crash facefirst into the dirt, but only just. Another knife crashed down at his chest and he slapped away, gasping as it tore an ugly red trench in his arm. He saw the bone beneath.

"Why...?"

"I had to do it." his teammate babbled. "He wouldn't stop." The boy stumbled back, gripping his head. "He's so loud!"

Without warning, his eyes changed.

Such a tiny thing. They flashed gold. For just a moment.

"So, you're the one she chose." When he spoke he sounded older somehow, infinitely so. "How incredibly...disappointing." It made the words all the more strange as they came from Sasuke's mouth. "I expected more from her."

Naruto grit his teeth. "Who...?"

"My name isn't important." his right hand reached behind his back and removed something from his pack. "Even if I gave it, the words would mean nothing to you." His fingers curled a silvery hilt of some sort; as he looked on it unfolded into a cane, one he leaned both hands upon. "For what its worth, I'm sorry it came to this."

Naruto tried to stand.

"Sasuke" merely cracked him across the head with the cane, sending him sprawling.

"This is for the good of the world."

Through bleary eyes he saw other figures approaching. Girls.

His fading mind tagged them by the colors they wore. Red. White. Black. Yellow.

"Why did you do that?!" One of them -he wasn't sure who- snarled at the false Sasuke. "We would've talked him down! Made him see sense!"

"It was a calculated risk, miss Rose. Best to strike when he was weak."

Naruto struggled up on one knee. "I won't let you...!"

"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter." the cane arced up. "Rest now and know that I will soon send your Master to join you." I am sorry for this."

It swept down and slapped into an open palm.

Clawed fingers curled around the black cane. Crimson chakra bubbled up.

"No." A low growl tore through the air. "You're not sorry. Your kind never is." Blue eyes rose and bled red. "But you will be."

"Sasuke" or rather the parasite controlling him, frowned down at his victim. "What madness is-

Scarlet light blurred. Clenched knuckles barreled into his face.

Ozpin rocketed into the trees.

A/N: The end begins.

As ever, reviews keeps me alive.

Poor, RWBY. Reincarnated or not, that was just foolish.

Naruto's content to just EXIST in this story, but if you set him off...

Soooooooo In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? It Keeps A Man Alive...

And of course, here are some previews for your care and time~!

References are references as always and I own absolutely nothiiiiing!

(Previews!) And a warning!

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

YE BE WARNED!

Sasuke screamed at him.

"KILL ME!"

"Is this what you wanted?!

His hand closed around Red's face and slammed her into the ground.

"Well! Congratulations! Look what you've made me become! I hope you're happy!"

"Never test the temper of a good man. You won't like what happens."

Hero? Me? No. I'm not a hero. I'm just a boy with a fox. So here's a suggestion, from me, to you."

For once in your life, do the smart thing. Let somebody else try first. And if you can't?

Run. Just...run away. RUN!"

"Mercy. Such a little world. Mercy. Mercy, MERCY."

"You will show mercy. You're a good person."

...I was. Until you killed me."

"Mercy."

Say it again.

"Mercy!"

One more time.

"MERCYYYYYYYYYYY~!"

R&R~!