A/N: Just a heads up. Site crashed for a few hours and now the private messaging system for the site is down at the moment.
Rest assured, reviews are still showing up, and I can see them.
I'll get around to responding to them once they're all fixed.
WARNING! As ever, the "Embers" rule remains.
If folks don't like this, POOF! Away it goes. Deleted! Reviews are the fire that keeps me writing. Without them, I cannot put pen to paper. Simple as that. Every bit of feedback matters, large or small~! Your voice matters! Speak up!
Hope you're prepared. We're near the finish line here, folks
Only a few questions this time.
Q: ...we're gonna get some more character deaths, aren't we?
A: Yes. That was always the plan. I hate killing characters, but it was a part of the plan when I first wrote this.
Q: Why does Naruto remind me of Isshki when he's dealing with RWBY?
A: Waitaminute. Isshki? The Boruto villain? You mean the guy who kicked everyone around like a punching bag?
Well, you're not wrong. Naruto's had enough of their antics at this point; they've poked and prodded him without end, taken over the body of his best friend, not to mention kept him away from the Leaf in its hour of need. if they keep fighting him, it won't end well. Now that I think on it, he might be mistake for an Ootsuki at a glance when he's in his transformed state.
As he is now, I dare say he and Salem could give that polite bastard a run for his money.
Q: How soon is this story ending?
A: Quite soon.
Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough, I think. Shall we begin?
As ever, I own no quotes, references, memes or themes~!
"Enough. You girls want to be difficult? Fine.
"I'll get you all, then.
One. By. One."
~?
Pressing Forward (Prelude to the End)
Orochimaru didn't consider himself a terribly emotional being.
Make no mistake, he felt them as any other would; but he'd ceased being beholden to them long ago. He was beyond the concept of kindness and love. He did what he wanted, when he wanted. His life was driven by two things; curiosity, and the pursuit of eternal life. He sought the secrets to immortality itself; true life, not this wretched excuse for a jutsu that forced him to hop bodies just to survive. Nothing else mattered. For the rest of the world he felt only curiosity at best, mild intrigue at worst. Yes, all things considered, he didn't feel as most did.
Yet here and now? In this singular moment?
"I think I'm in love."
Because his foe would not die.
"Is that so?" Dulcet tones crooned at him. "I'm flattered...but unfortunately for you, I'm already spoken for."
Standing across from him, Salem reached up and set her jaw with an audible pop as she regrew the rest of her face. Her lips quirked in a smile as black light flowed across her ruined visage, perfecting it once more. In a matter of moments she was hale and whole again. Fascinating. Utterly fascinating! What was her secret? He wanted to know! No! He MUST know!
The invasion meant naught compared to this discovery! The Sand could drown for all he cared!
He swayed under a spear of black light, hands already slamming into another seal. A storm of wind battered her away, but only for a moment. Salem came up swinging, uncaring of her wounds to drive clenched knuckles into the side of his face. His smile never faded for a moment, even as felt something shatter in his face; even he crashed down into the roof.
Sasuke? Who was Sasuke?! He wanted this woman!
"Come now," she crooned at him. "Is that all?!
Golden eyes roved over her, considering the pale beauty before him.
It shouldn't be possible. She shouldn't exist. And yet she did.
More than once she'd crashed into the barrier, only to tut, pat out the flames, and attack anew. The human body had limits. Orochimaru knew this better than most. He'd made a habit of pushing them. Yes, they could be poked and prodded, even broken at great physical cost, but there were limits nonetheless.
And yet she continued to defy them.
He had seared the very flesh from her bones, cut her in half, to no avail. Even trapping her in a genjutsu availed him naught. He'd managed it once -once!- only for one of her summoned creatures to promptly trot right up and snap her out of it. Pain was a crude way to wake from Genjutsu, but there could be no denying its effectiveness. How admirable. He dared not close to the distance with her, either. Not after that last punch. She knew how to fight barehanded and blast it, her attacks hurt.
But there were other ways to fight a battle.
...Salem, was it?" Yes, he recalled her giving her name earlier. "We need not be enemies." he offered her his hand. "Stand aside." his gaze slid to Sarutobi, wasted and gasping for air at their feet. Old age had imposed cruel limits upon his body, and sealing away the First and Second Hokages had taken much from him. "Let me kill that wretched old fool, and we can part as friends."
She paused.
Touched a finger to her chin.
"How quaint. You wish to serve me?"
Hardly the phrasing he would have chosen, but that was one word for it.
"I prefer the term...alliance." Orochimaru chose his words carefully when her eyes narrowed. "What say you? I can offer you many things. Wealth, fame, power...
"Unfortunately, my intended is rather...fond of this doddering old fool." she nudged his ribs with a bare foot. "Though I don't see why." The nudge became a vicious kick, sending the old man sprawling. "You made the life of my Contractor quite difficult."
Orochimaru tittered a little at that. "Yes, he is a bit of a senile fool, isn't he? I dare say you'd be doing the world a favor if you killed him now."
Hiruzen wheezed. "Don't listen to him! He lies!"
Orochimaru didn't deny it. He'd already seized upon another word. "Contractor, you say? Whatever does that mean?"
"Come now," her smile was sin incarnate, "Allow a lady some secrets. If you knew their identity, you might pursue them. That would make me...cross."
Aha! The Uzumak boy! He'd displayed abilities similar to her own. Best not reveal that. He had no desire to make an enemy of this woman. It would take time to eradicate her, time he couldn't afford. Even now he could see the invasion faltering outside the barrier. Someone was out there, burning the enemies of Konoha to death. He could hear their screams from here.
A dull crack snapped him back to reality.
"Oh, my." Salem tittered softly, concealing a smile behind a pale palm. "It would seem Hazel finished dealing with the last of your...Sound Four, was it?." Scarlet slits peeked over her shoulder. "Be a dear and leave the redhead alive, would you? I find her talents amusing."
"Yes, my queen."
A bead of sweat ran down Orochimaru's brow. "So, about that alliance...?"
Salem considered for a long moment, one monster unto another. The world held its breath.
And then.
"I'm listening...
(.0.0.0.)
"You won't get away with this!"
How many times had Ruby said that already?
More than Naruto cared to coun by nowt. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?
Warded by an entourage of growling Grimm and stoic Shadow Clones alike, Team RWBY was frog-marched back to the village. They were decidedly subdued for the most part. They'd had to carry Blake -she wasn't going anywhere fast with that wound- and the Schnee was sound asleep after the beating he'd inflicted upon her. Even goldilocks over there had clammed up once he'd threatened to take her other arm. Sasuke slumbered on, the parasite within him stilled for the moment. Even if he wasn't, his body was broken. He couldn't move anything below his neck.
Ah, but Little Red! She just! Didn't know! When to shut up.
"Look," he held up a hand to forestall another argument. "Its over. Just be quiet."
Ruby glared silver daggers at him. Blasted eyes. They made his skin itch. He wanted to pluck them out...but no, that wasn't his way. He refused to stoop to their level. He'd bring them back to the village and see them clapped in irons. From there, he could focus on a way to get that...thing out of his teammate.
"You care about your team too, don't you?" Blake groaned from where she lay on an Ursa's back. "They wouldn't want you to do this...
It was the worst thing she could have said.
Naruto stopped short, and his army stopped with him. Anger sparked back to life in his heart. Really, it wasn't her fault. She didn't know. How could she? It changed nothing.
"My team?" Naruto clenched his teeth until he felt his jaw ache. "My team?! I saw Sakura's dead body in the arena." Even now his mind sought to reject that She might be alive. He might've made a mistake! "Sasuke went and got himself possessed by your holier-than-thou leader." A grimace stole over his visage as he realized he hadn't seen hide nor hair of their teacher. "I have no idea were Kakashi is. For all I know, you killed him."
Ruby bridled. "We'd never do that!"
"Is that so?" He took vicious pleasure in punching a hole through her argument. "You're right. Forgive me. You'd just ambush an innocent man."
Yang huffed and gripped the ruined stump of her arm. "Innocent, my ass. You're a monster."
Naruto absolutely twitched.
"Dear girl," Salem's voice cooed in the back of his head. "That was a poor choice of words."
"Monster?" The battered blond rose to the bait happily. "Perhaps you should speak more softly to me, then. Monsters are dangerous, and just now, shinobi are dropping like flies."
"Then your friends!" Blake flailed for something to change the subject. "What about them?!"
His temper snapped.
"What about them?!" Naruto rounded on her, causing the Ursa carrying her to freeze beneath the weight of his regard. "Were you going to kill them, too?! You and those damn Sand shinobi!"
Weiss warbled where she lay-when had she awoken?-earning his ire. "We aren't with them!"
"And yet you attacked in the middle of an invasion." Naruto thumbed his chin, unable to keep the scowl from his face. "What a coincidence."
The Schnee clammed up.
Naruto felt bitter tears sting at his eyes as he grappled with himself. His every instinct demanded their deaths. Or perhaps that was the Grimm in him. He hated this. He hated them; if only because knew they really weren't with the Sand. That made this worse. So much death. So much destruction. They could have done something. Could've fought against it. All this, wrought because of him. Maybe...maybe it was time to leave. No. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of saying it aloud.
"You could have helped. Could have saved so many people. But no." he spat at Blake's feet. Well, foot now. She only had one after he'd taken her leg. "For whatever reason, you chose to hunt me down instead."
"We had to!"
Ruby quailed. "What's going to happen to us?"
"You'll be interrogated." he shrugged, uncaring of their suddenly ashen faces. "Ino's dad will probably do a deep dive into your heads, followed by Sasuke. And if I have my way?" Sapphire slits snapped into cold crimson as he glared bloody red daggers at her. "You'll never see the light of day."
Ruby whimpered. "You can't take us into a warzone like this! We'll die!"
"What war?" he turned his gaze back to the village; where the sounds of combat had long since ceased. "Its already over."
Weiss struggled upright on her unwilling mount. "You won't get away with-
A finger stabbed into her face.
"Not another word. Or I swear I'll gag you."
He wasn't surprised when the rest of her team attacked.
Even surrounded by Grimm, the prospect of damnation eternal motivated the broken girls to rally for one last desperate offensive. Or perhaps it was because he'd threatened their teammate. Who could say? Not him. He no longer cared. He was ready for their final offensive, pulling the Grimm back with his mind even as Ruby's eyes flashed.
An unlucky few turned to stone, buying them precious seconds to strike.
Yang kicked forward from that light with a cry, lone gauntlet barking with dust to propel her forward. She swiped clumsily at his head and followed through; keeping him on the defensive for all of three seconds. His heel rose and feel in a single sweeping kick, striking her in the temple. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell. She struck the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Naruto lowered his leg and pivoted to face the rest. Cold eyes met startled silver, baleful blue, followed by guilty gold.
"Enough." he rounded on them. You want to be difficult? Fine. "I'll get you all, then. One. By. One."
A finger stabbed toward Weiss.
"You're first."
"No!"
Ruby lunged and was subsequently backhanded for her trouble. Her back kissed a tree and crashed through it, hurtling her deeper into the ruined forest.
Naruto spread his arms wide. "Care to try again?"
Begind him stabbed her rapier down, conjuring a glyph beneath her. Naruto turned to face the wounded warrior, pale face twisting in a scowl. A giant hand burst through the circle she'd created as something dragged itself upright. What was that? A knight? Blake would never be able to walk again, but it didn't stop her from trying to assist her teammate.
Gambol Shroud barked to no avial, shots diffusing harmlessly against an armed armored back.
Naruto ignored her, focusing instead on the summoner. A quick snapped his fingers had his Grimm swarming Weiss, driving her down, pummeling her. Whatever she'd tried to summon dissolved into so much dust. Blake barely had time to cry out before the horde fell upon her in turn. She didn't even put up a fight.
"Murderer!"
Ruby burst out of the trees, swiping wildly at him with all her might.
"I'm no murderer. They'll live." Dead eyes narrowed upon her, drinking in her fear. "But fine. Have it your own way then. Mask."
That ghastly facade slammed down on his face. His right hand swept outward, conjuring a swathe of darkness as he moved. It struck Ruby head on and clamped down upon the little reaper's face; or more aptly, her eyes. She gasped in pain, flailed and clawed at it, to no avail.
"I can't see!" she thrashed on the forest floor, keening loudly. "What did you do?!"
"Nothing." Naruto tugged the mask halfway down, exposing a baleful red eye. "Its a blindfold made of pure Grimm. If you won't behave, I'll knock you out and gag you as well."
Silver light built behind it, causing it to bubble at the edges. His hand closed around her throat before she could free herself. A single sweep of his palm slammed her into the floor. Damn her eyes. Just looking at her made his skin crawl in this form.
"Don't be difficult." he growled as he pushed her face into the muck. "Keep that on or I'll have to pluck out your eyes for real." Not something he wanted to do, but there it was. "Understand?"
Ruby nodded furiously as he squeezed her windpipe. "Okay, okay! I get it...! Stop...! Can't...breathe...!"
"Good girl." he threw her onto a Grimm to carry her. "I never intended to kill any of you."
Though her eyes were hidden, hope dawned in her face.
"After all, death is a mercy." His reply plunged her back into despair. "After everything you so-called "heroes" put me through, you'll get what you deserve."
Yang surged up behind him and plowed her fist into his face.
Naruto's head snapped to the side with an audible crack, neck twisting in a way no human's should.
Pain. He hated pain. He reached up and caught her by the wrist as his neck back. "That one was free. My turn, now."
A vicious kick finished what he'd started, snapping Yang's head back. She flew into the air only to meet his foot again as he flickered into existence above her. Another kick sent her slamming into the dirt. Her head kissed a rock as she fell. Blood spattered the ground. She didn't rise again. Her limbs twitched as a scarlet pooled beneath her skull.
Ruby cocked an ear toward her sister.
A meek whimper filled the air.
"Y-Yang...?"
A/N: Did I just...?
The plot's starting to wrap up, and its been one hell of a ride.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
(Previews)
Gaara was silent for a long moment. "Earlier you called me brother. Did you mean it?"
Naruto clapped him on the back. "Sure did."
Orochimaru tittered softly. "I accept these terms."
She kissed his forehead. "You're alright. Trust in me...
"Hello, Ozma."
The prone body growled. "You...!"
"Look how you've diminished...such a shame...
R&R~!