A/N: Please read this author's note first, would you kindly? Thank you!

Unfortunately, now my grandmother is dangerously ill, meaning I have to look after her.

This year just keeps hitting me -and everyone!- in the gut...we've all lost so many people...it just gets to me sometimes...

Still, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. Despite crippling pain, I put my heart and soul into this chapter. This one's got a little bit of everything. Chaos, laughter, action, drama, even a bit of 'ol fashioned romance and the like in surprising places. Also, if you think NarutoxBlake is the only pairing in this story? Well, I mean it IS the main pairing, but who is to say other characters can't find a bit of love with one another? More on that later. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I assure you.

So, yup. This story will have plenty of pairings. Feel free to vote on them in your reviews. I'm all ears!

Right then, I think that's just about everything. I've kept you long enough. Shall we begin?

Title is a pun, of course. As ever, I own no references, themes, or memes.

Of course this isn't a rick-roll. I an't that cruel.

Book puns. Book puns for days.

"The stone strikes the water. It creates a ripple.

The ripple becomes a wave. The wave sweeps forward.

The wave brings change. Some good, some bad. But change nevertheless...

~?

Never Gonna Put You Down

Karma wasn't really something one considered when settling a debt of gratitude.

But this? This put a smile on Naruto's face, right and proper.

"Batter up!"

A single swing of his arm sent another White Fang squad flying through the air like straw dolls. One of them caromed off a shipping container and wedged himself there. Another skipped across the ground like a flung stone and crashed into her fellows; a bowling ball scattering so many bowling pins. A third proved even more unfortunate. Really, his momentum had him cartwheeling through the air quite gracefully...right before he landed in the drink. Hmm. Points for style if nothing else.

Was this a competition, he wondered? Should he be competing for points against Blake?

Someone brought a baton cracking down on his head.

Naruto grunted and lashed out in a vicious mule kick, spearing the man's groin. The poor faunus crumpled with a wheeze and he grabbed him by the face, slamming him into yet another of his comrades. He used that poor bastard as leverage and leaped onto the shoulders of another. From there he kicked off their broad back, twisted in the air, and brought an open palm down on mass of white and black trying to close with him.

A keening sphere ignited in his grasp. "Giant Rasengan."

The explosion that followed was nothing short of spectacular. Bodies flew in every direction. Those at the epicenter of the blast were the lucky ones. They perished almost immediately. Unfortunate, but there was nothing he could really do about it. He hadn't intended to kill them. Not his his fault these folk were squishy. The unlucky ones were those left behind; they were flung far and wide at vicious velocity to smash into the ground, left with manged limbs and broken bodies. Screams of pain filled the night, swallowed by a fresh peal of thunder.

Naruto landed into their midst in a pointed crouch, cloak flaring behind him like a cape.

Rain lashed at his face as he stood, blue eyes wild and wide.

"Haven't you had enough, yet?" he shouted into the storm. "If you keep going like this, you're all going to die. I mean, you can keep trying to kill me...

In his experience, terrified enemies surrendered rather quickly. Surrender meant less bloodshed. If that meant scaring them out of their wits...well! It was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He could've cackled like some madman, but that just wasn't his style. Plan B, then!

...but my friend here might take issue with that."

Yet another bullhead fell in a ball of fire as Kurama swatted it out of the sky.

Someone threw down their weapon and turned tail. Another joined her. Another. And another. Another still.

"See?" Naruto smiled at those who continued to waver. "There's no need for this. Just lay down your weapons and we can talk-

"ALL HUMANS MUST DIE!"

A chainsaw crashed down at his head, only to be intercepted by a golden hand at the last moment. It spat sparks against the protective shroud of his cloak, unable to pierce his defenses. He glimpsed an absolute brute of a man straining with all his might against him. His size meant nothing. His strength meant nothing. The ground cracking underfoot? You guessed it. Nothing. Slowly, gradually, the whirring gears ground to a halt against the unmovable force that was Naruto's palm. Below the man's mask, his jaw twisted in confusion. A bead of sweat ran down his brow, lost in the storm.

The brute looked at his chainsaw.

Down to the "human" effortlessly holding it at bay.

Back to his beloved chainsaw once again, now melting in his hand. "But you...how...

"Have it your way, then." A red eye rose to meet him, squinting against the rain. "I tried to make peace. Guess I'll settle for war."

A golden fist cracked against armor and bone, causing the giant -Banesaw, if his name was to be believed- to fold over his limb like a wet paper towel. Naruto gave him a one final lick for good measure, cracking his mask and laying him out flat. More turned and ran after that. Shadow clones chased them down to the last man. Naruto stalked after them, dispatching any foolish enough to challenge him.

"You're enjoying this." laughed in the back of his head.

'Course I am." Naruto hummed as he kicked the legs of another grunt out, deflected a bullet, and flung it back in the face of a would-be sniper. "I've got some stress to blow off." He tried to ignore the body that fell limp at his feet. Bad guy. Shooter. Killer. Ignore! "Besides, these bastards made Blake cry. I take that real personal."

"Softie."

Kurama scoffed as he batted one last bullhead from the sky. It crashed to the ground like a falling star to join its fallen brethren, depriving the faunus of their air support at last. His reign of terror didn't en there. With a sky-splitting roar, the giant kitsune leaped down from a nearby warehouse and bounded after those who continued to flee. Naruto considered calling him back for a moment, then thought better of it. Kurama never got to have anymore. Where was the harm in a little chase? He'd have the survivors begging for mercy or worshiping him in the next five minutes...probably the latter.

That left him and Blake with the last of the dregs.

You see, this battle was simple. Naruto liked simple. Simple was nice. Simple was good. No tricky issues to deal with here, no matters of doubt or guilt to consider, simply black and white. What they had here was a bunch of bad guys in need of a good 'ol fashioned beatdown. Just like that old days. In that, Kurama was all too eager to assist. Together, the two of them cut through the white fang like wheat. Blake was somewhere in the grand melee, but he'd lost track of her in the storm. That was fine. She was a big girl; surely she could look after herself-

"On your left." Kurama informed him primly.

Naruto yawned. "I've got him."

A golden fist whirled up, catching the slim barrel of a metal cane before it could bisect his skull. Firm fingers locked around Only then did he deign to look at his attacker. Blazing red eyes met startled green and found little power there. Hmm. Rather fashionable fellow, this. Might steal that hat off him. He was feeling festive.

The cane snapped open at its base, bringing him face to face with a targeting reticle.

His attacker grinned and squeezed the trigger. Blue eyes widened.

"Checkmate, kid."

Naruto's head snapped to the right, allowing the blast to shoot harmlessly past him. It struck a container and ignited it, birthing a mighty column of fire. Both men balked. One turned to the other.

"You know," Naruto drawled, "Sneak attacks aren't sneaky when I can sense them coming a mile off."

"Nobody's that fast." Roman Torchwick recoiled. "Not even Red. What the hell are you?!"

He grinned. "Just your friendly neighborhood shinobi."

Clenched knuckles thundered into the side of Roman's face and sent a tooth whistling free into the air. His hat flew from his head and struck another shipping container. Naruto tracked it with one eye, making a note to retrieve it later. Because remarkably, the thief didn't faint, much less falter. He actually held on, the tenacious prick. More power to him! Pretty damn impressive! Huh. This must be that aura thing Blake had mentioned a while back. Oh, well. He'd just have to him him harder.

Roman turned his head, sparks skittering across his face. "That...hurt. But it'll take more than a lucky hit to beat me!"

Blue eyes burned a stormy red again. "Care to test that?"

His foot scythed out and Roman met it with a knee. Naruto didn't miss the wince that followed. Aura whined angrily, nearly buckling beneath the force of that attack alone. He could have pressed his advantage there. He chose not to. Some would have called him a fool for that. He called it mercy.

"Alright," instead the whiskered warrior stepped back and gave his foe a chance, both to breathe and speak his peace. "You're not half bad."

"Tch." The man fumbled for a cigar, remembered it was raining, and gave up. "Don't get cocky."

Was it arrogance when you knew you would win? Naruto disagreed. This battle was already over. It was merely a matter of time now. Yet something held him back. It wasn't simply his sixth sense that stopped him, but rather the negative emotion emanating from the man before him. Anger. Frustration. Those he could understand. He pushed them aside and looked deeper. Then he saw fear. Lots of fear. But not fear of him. He feared someone else. Even now in the heat of battle, that terror clung to Roman Torchwick, pervading every fiber of his being.

When he inhaled, Naruto caught the scent of fire. Fire and ash. Hesitation became reluctance, now.

"What are you so afraid of?" Words escaped him before he could hold them back.

Roman flinched. "The hell're you on about?"

"You." he raised a finger as a fresh peal of thunder shook the heavens above and stabbed it in his direction. "You're terrified. And not of me. Don't lie. I'll know if you do."

"Eh?" Green eyes blinked rapidly. "Well, aren't you a piece of work. Don't tell me Ozpin sent you here? Did he really see this coming...?"

"Who the hell is Ozpin?" Now it was Naruto's turn to blink. "What're you talking about?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" the thief wagged a finger at him. "Now who's lying? Spoiler. Its you."

"You're not making any sense!"

From that single, glorious misunderstanding, two worlds would change.

"Tell you what." The mastermind planted his cane into the ground and wiped a bit of rain from his brow. "I'm cold, I'm wet, I'm miserable, and I'm not going to make any profit from this." He turned to look back towards the city. "Chances are, the cops are already on their way and you're not gonna let me leave, are you?" Oddly enough, his grin only grew. It was the smile of a desperate man. "That damn fire bitch will kill me for getting captured. May as well throw you a bone." he leaned forward, "Tell the old man he's looking for a bitch named Cinder. Cinder Fall."

For better or worse, the name burned into his brain. He couldn't forget it now even if he tried.

"We don't have to do this."

Roman tilted his hat forward, briefly hiding his eyes. "Afraid we do now, kiddo. Gotta keep up appearances. Sorry, but I won't be going quietly!"

Then he lunged.

They traded a wild series of blows, parrying and feinting their way across the docks. Gunfire mixed with chakra in the rain. Roman was good. Very good. He knew better than to face him head on; and so he gave ground, constantly falling back, unwilling to challenge him in a direct contest of strength. All the while, the numbers of the White Fang continued to dwindle. Beset on every side by Kurama, bad weather, and angry shadow clones alike, they were soon routed. Naruto didn't pay any attention to them.

He only had eyes for his opponent.

A quick feint and a sudden jab at his nose ended things.

To his credit, Roman got his cane up in time to block the latter. It didn't make a lick of difference.

Just as before, he tried the same trick. Even as the thief tried to squeeze off a shot, Naruto gently reached up and grasped the thin barrel in his fist. This time? He squeezed. Metal buckled with an awful shriek. Melodic Cudgel made an ominous nose as its payload stopped short. With nowhere to go, the fire dust round tried to bull forward through the ruined barrel. It turned the metal a deep cherry red. Metal warped. Twisted. Bulged. Roman released his weapon and tried to pull back, only for one hand to seize a fistful of his coat and yank him close.

Naruto grinned as their foreheads touched. "Bang."

Melodic Cudgel imploded a heartbeat later, spraying them with white-hot shrapnel. Naruto ignored it by virtue of his cloak and Kurama's healing factor. Roman was not so fortunate? Forced to push his faltering reserves to the fore or risk having his face pulped, there was nothing he could do. He snarled as the last of his Aura shredded away under the blast, leaving him defenseless.

"Ow, damnit!" he choked. "Not so rough! You're gonna kill me at this rate!"

Naruto surged into the smock and caught Roman by the coat. A flick of his wrist hauled the taller man into the air.

"Neo!" the gentlemen thief called out into the ensuing smokescreen. "Stop playing with the bloody cat and help me already!"

Somewhere in the smoke, he heard a gasp of pain. Blake!

"Behind you!"

His sixth sense screamed a warning even as she called out to him. A whirling dervish of pink and white-brown fell upon his back, forcing him to release Roman or risk being impaled. He struck at her quickly, and much to his surprise, his fist slammed through her chest, impaling her in a shower of red. She slumped listlessly against his arm, mismatching eyes wide with disbelief. Soon enough, the life fled from him. Horror paralyzed Naruto. What?! No! He hadn't meant to do that! He hadn't-

Her body shattered like glass, leaving him holding nothing.

Whatever fleeting dismay he might have felt vanished in that instant.

"Illusions." Kurama's presence rushed back in. "Troublesome girl. To your right!"

Something shifted in the smoke and he whirled to meet her, slapping her blade aside before it could open his throat. Eerie eyes regarded him, flickering with fear. Naruto looked down. Saw the blood on her blade. It wasn't his. She had yet to wound him. Which meant she'd hurt Blake. Badly. He looked past her and saw a familiar form, slumped down on the docks. This one wasn't an illusion. A strange burning sensation seared in the back of his head. Ah. Anger. It had been so long, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like.

"That," he hissed, "Was a mistake."

Neo made a noise that might've been a whimper, if she weren't mute.

Clawed fingers swept out, tearing a thin line across her cheek before she could vault away. Naruto gave chase. Illusions? Teleportation? Didn't matter. He gave her no rest. Offered her no reprieve.

Whoever this "Neo" was, she was even better than Roman. She didn't fight. She danced. When she finally fought back, he actually found himself pressed for a moment...before he overwhelmed her. When she reappeared and struck out at him again, he bent his back, allowing it to run parallel across his spine. Then he reached forward, striking her weapon with all his speed and strength. A quick punch shattered the steel, leaving her clutching at the hilt, now little more than a jagged shard protruding from the handle.

Neo balked, shock slowing her movements.

Naruto didn't give her a chance to recover; even as she stepped back he grabbed her by the throat -she was just so light!- and rammed her into the first solid surface he could find. That it just so happened to be a certain shipping container was pure luck on his part. Metal buckled against her back. Aura shattered in pink sparks and she went limp, eyes rolling in her head. One hit. That was all it took to knock her out. He grabbed the steel and all but folded it over her body, trapping her in place.

Once, the thought should have frightened Naruto. He was too angry to care. "You're done."

"Yup." Roman raised his hands as he advanced upon him. "I give. Take me to Ozpin."

Naruto knocked him out with a vicious right hook and left him there in the rain. A small, petty part of him wanted to push the man into the reservoir and let him drown for all the trouble he'd caused him. The rest wouldn't allow it. Once more he restrained himself. A quick twist of the wrist rendered the same treatment unto the master thief. and left him in a less-than-cozy metal sandwich beside his partner.

He looked up to find the crimson lens of a camera following him.

"Huh." Kurama mused. "So they have those here, too."

A shuriken whirred from his hand and shattered it.

From there, three quick strides carried him to Blake's down form. His heart beat faster with every step. She wasn't moving. No. Calm down. Just...just breathe. She was fine. He could still sense her. That meant she was still alive. You couldn't sense a corpse. By the time he reached her, the pounding of his chest threatened to drown everything out. Kurama muttered something, but he couldn't hear him. Everything had gone red.

With a supreme effort of will Naruto wrestled his emotions under control, knelt down, and nudged Blake's shoulder.

"C'mon, kitty-kat. Rise and shine."

Bleary golden eyes fluttered open to regard worried azure.

"Someone attacked me." she rasped. "I saw her go for you...tried to warn you...

"Yup, you did good." He hoped his smile didn't reflect his anxiety. He couldn't see her injuries properly in the rain, but blood was never a good thing. "Real god."

"You did all this...by yourself?" She rose slowly, favoring her right leg as she regarded the fallen bodies. "Just what are you?"

"Hmm?" he looked away, trying to hide his relief. "I already told you. I'm Naruto. That good enough."

Blake sighed. "We still don't know what their objective was."

"Fair point."

He stomped over to one of the few remaining grunts. A quick kick righted the poor sod and jolted them back to the world of wakefulness. A knife flashed out at him. Naruto scoffed and slapped it aside with his bare hand, sending it skittering away into the storm. The grunt crawled backwards like a drunken crab.

"You'll never take me alive, huntsman!"

"I'm a shinobi." Naruto scoffed. "Not a huntsman."

"Y-Yeah," she wavered in the wind. "What's the difference?!"

"Quite a bit actually." Naruto stepped forward, shadows shrouding his face. "See, a huntsman would arrest you. I, on the other hand, am in a very foul mood right now...

His smile grew. Now it wasn't a pleasant one by any means or measure. Too many teeth. His eyes burned red as Blake looked on, sapphire shimmering into scarlet. Say what you would, but Naruto just wasn't a very good actor. He'd made that abundantly clear. Blake sorely hoped that's what this was. Just an act. A ruse. A trick. What had he said about that partner of his?

"Basically, start talking." Kurama laughed through him, then. It was a deep, throaty sound. "Tell us your name, rank, where your base is. Everything. Unless you want to squeal like a pig."

The faunus gulped as a hand tore away their mask. Oh. Would you look at that. It was a girl.

"What's your name?" Kurama hummed.

...Deery." she gulped.

"Start. Talking."

By the end, the White Fang grunt did in fact, squeal like a pig. Names. Dates. Places. Thirty seconds. That was was how long it took for her to break when faced with the eldritch horror that was Kurama. Blake wasn't sure if she could be dissapointed or not. The man was clearly a volunteer and not at all willing to die for the cause. She didn't know much, but knew enough to paint a worrying picture all the same.

Their words shattered Blake and her beliefs.

The White Fang were here. In Vale. Adam was here. In. Vale! They were planning something. Of what, she knew not, but they had been the ones to collect the dust, they had been the ones to take it, to attack innocents, to...to...oh gods. She felt dizzy. Was she going to faint? It felt like she was going to faint.

"Lovely." a quick yank on the shoulder plucked her upright and pulled the poor girl to her feet. "You can go now."

The grunt, a deer faunus by the look of her, wilted under that searing gaze. "But where do I go?!"

"Dunno. Apparently a man named Ozpin's in charge of this. Look for him."

"Y-You mean the headmaster of Beacon?!"

The blond shrugged.

...yes?"

Deery locked onto Blake with desperate eyes. She stamped down a fresh surge of dizziness, but not the pity that followed. No. Never that. She'd been lost like her, once upon a time. Faltering, losing faith in the White Fang, searching for a way out. She'd found one. Perhaps this girl might be able to do the same. Unlike her, she had information. Intelligence. Ozpin would leap at such a thing.

"Go to Beacon. He'll help you. Tell him," she swallowed, "Tell him Blake Belladona sent you. He knows my name. Tell him you have information."

Kurama whipped around. "Tell him the name Cinder Fall. It seems to be important."

"Th-Thank you." The girl babbled, looking between the two of them. "You won't regret this. I'll make it up to you!"

"See that you do." Kurama retreated as she ran off into the rain. Naruto surged back to the fore. He fixed her with blazing blue eyes. "There. Its done. Now call your team."

She wilted. "Do I have to?"

"Blake."

"Alright, alright." Under his watchful gaze she fished out her scroll from gods knew where and dialed a quick number before pressing it to her ear. "But don't blame me if they-ack?!"

Judging by her wince, someone had picked up immediately.

"BLAKE!" A girl's pitched voice came from the receiver. "Are you alright?! Where are you?! We've been so worried!"

"I...I'm sorry." her ears drooped flat atop her head. "Weiss was right...about everything."

There was so much more she wanted to say to them, but her throat closed up. Something was wrong. She tried to speak, to say more, only to falter a step. Then another. Her scroll tumbled from her hands and struck the ground. Ruby's voice yelped from it and she tried to tell her that she was alright, that she was fine, but she wasn't. Her breath came in short, fitful gasps, driving her down to a knee.

Naruto moved to catch her. "You're hurt. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Blake? Are you there?! Blake! Who's with you?!"

Lie. Don't let them know!

"Its just a scratch." she rasped.

He looked down. "You've been shot."

"I...have?" she blinked at him. "I feel fine. I feee...

Blackness closed in crushing her before she could lie again.


(.0.0.0.)


Blake slumped in his arms and for the first time in his life, Naruto didn't know what to do.

Naruto touched hand to her torso and swore when palm came away bloody. She was dying in his arms. With each passing second she grew weaker. Where was a hospital?! He didn't even know where to look. She was cold in his grasp. No. No, no, no. This wasn't happening. Not here. No, no, no! They'd won! She couldn't just...could she? His eyes strayed to the book bound at his waist. He knew a healer. In his world. Tsunade would be able to save her. She was the best damn medic he knew.

Did he dare try?

Blake groaned in his gasp.

Just like that, his decision was made.

Naruto tore a page out and crammed it into his pocket. Just in case. He laid the tome flat upon the ground, leaving the pages open. A faint golden glow enveloped the words within. Before hesitation could sink its cruel claws into him he gathered Blake up in his arms and tucked her into his chest. She moaned fitfully.

In the distance, sirens began to wail. Last chance. Now or never.

"You'll be alright." he whispered. "I'll save you. I swear."

Then he dove forward.


(.0.0.0.)


Blake swam in and out of consciousness for what felt like hours.

It could have been days for all she knew.

Months, even.

Something told her it hadn't been that long at all, but how could she know? Time got funny when you were feverish; by now she was downright delirious. She saw things. Heard voices. Some called to her. Others pushed her away. As she lingered on death's doorstep, her soul drifted. She witnessed impossible visions that made heart hurt, glimpses of a past and future she'd never remember.

And among them, she glimpsed a little girl in black with wild blue eyes, whiskered cheeks, and dark hair. Atop her head, lay a familiar pair of ears.

Blake saw her. And in that moment, she saw her. She smiled.

"Go back, mama." the girl whispered.

Her mind choked. Ma-?!

Blake's mind tumbled away and forgot what she had seen a heartbeat later; because what she beheld next? Yeah, that eclipsed it utterly. Blake Belladona looked up. Up. Up again. Just like that, she found herself gazing at a monstrous fox from shadows. It was large. Larger than it had any right to be. Behinds its back lay nine crimson tails, limp against the ground A scarlet iris creaked open to regard her. She saw her reflection in it, yet felt no fear. Monster met faunus. For the longest moment, Neither moved.

"You don't belong here, cat." A jaw-popping yawn swallowed anything she might have said. "Wake up. He's waiting for you."

And then.

Without any warning.

The world came rushing back to the fore.

Bleary eyes fluttered open to a white ceiling and the faint drip of an IV. Everything ached. Her head, her chest, especially her stomach. Where was she...?

The tinny beat of a heart monitor confirmed her suspicions.

Hospital. Her addled mind babbled. I'm in a hospital...why the hell am I in a hospital?!

At the end of the day, she was still a huntress. She pushed her panic down and took stock of her surroundings, followed by herself. Someone had bandaged her torso with gauze, leaving her to glimpse the red bandages beneath. When she moved, she felt the stitches there protest painfully. She was alive, then. Against all odds, she'd managed to survive her injuries. It seemed almost too fantastic to be true. She'd felt the pain as it pierced her torso. She hadn't been able to move, much less breathe. Yet here she was.

She turned her head, grimacing as the stiff muscles fought her for every inch. Sunlight spilled through the window, framing a vase of flowers.

Sure enough Naruto lay there beside her, sound asleep in a folding steel chair. His head hung to one side as he snored fitfully. Huh. He twitched in his sleep. Who knew? The sight drew a soft smile to Blake's face, despite her best attempts to resist. She stretched out a hand toward him, but couldn't reach him. Not with aggravating her stitches.

A single shadow clone stood near the door, wide awake as it stood guard. Blake saw it and it saw her.

The doppelganger pressed one finger to its lips for silence and returned to its lonely vigil.

Well. That settled it. She was doomed.

This was like a torrid romance fresh from one of her novels; one of the darker ones, minus all the angst and edge. That suited Blake just fine. There was such a thing as too much edge after all. Sometimes a simple fluffy story was just what she needed. N-Not that she'd fallen for Naruto, mind you! She hadn't! No! Not at all! Not yet!

She considered him for a moment, ears twitching atop her head. Golden eyes narrowed.

She was admittedly fond of him, and he had saved her life, but what did that mean? Her ears twitched again, moving just so as she stifled a yawn behind the palm of her hand. Still her body protested further. She dared to stretch as best she could, a tiny moan fleeing from her lips.

It was enough to wake him. "Hrrk?!"

His head snapped forward with a snort. "Oh. Hey! You're up!"

"Where am-

"Easy, there. " he pushed her back down when she tried to sit up. "You lost a lot of blood. Grandma said it was touch and go for awhile there."

"Grandma? Where..." she croaked the word, "Where am I?"

"You're safe." he reassured her quickly. "This is one of the best hospitals in the Elemental Nations."

"Wait." She seized on the word, even as her throat protested. "I...you...what did you do?"

Naruto pressed a glass of water to her lips. She drank greedily.

It didn't stop her question. "What did you do?"

"Alright, but can't get mad at me."

"What. Did you. Do?!"

"I...may have panicked." he admitted, speaking far too quickly for her liking. "You were bleeding out in my arms and I couldn't heal you in time; much less get the bullets out. Didn't know where a hospital was." He looked away, cheeks rosy. "So I took you to the one person I knew would be able to save you."

Her face turned ashen. "Do you mean...?"

"Yup." he smacked his lips. "Welcome to my world. Hope you enjoy your stay."

A pit opened in Blake's stomach. Her world. Gone. She'd never be able to go back, never see her team again, never...!

"Don't panic! Ya can go back!" Naruto flailed his arms when he saw her expression. "I tested it with one of the pages. Still works." he batted the book bound in his belt. "I haven't let this thing out of sight, but we were able to run a few tests. Time passes slowly here compared to your word. Well," a grimace followed as he struggled to explain. "So long as you don't linger in between them. Kind weird, ya know?"

Blake tried to speak, but her stomach betrayed her.

Naruto thrust a bag into her arms and she voided the contents of her stomach. Panic and feat threatened to choke her, and her throat closed for a moment before she managed to master herself. It was all too much; too fantastical to believe. Before she had been able to push the possibility aside, but now that she was staring it dead in the face...she couldn't ignore it any longer. This truly was another world. One a breath apart from her own. Real enough to see, to know, to touch...

Naruto offered her another glass of water. She drank it eagerly, glad to wash the taste of sick away.

The very moment she finished, he offered her his hand. "Soo...want a tour?"

Aaaand there went her train of thought, derailing itself in a fiery explosion. All thoughts of Adam and the White Fang went sailing right out the window.

Did she want to see what this world was like? Did she dare allow herself to get attached? This was something out of a a dream. Fantasy, even. She could reject his offer, of course. Demand that he bring her back to her world at once, consequences be damned. And he would, too. She knew that. Naruto was a gentle soul, for the most part.

But would she ever have this chance again?

Shyly, almost tentatively, she took his hand. Her fingers curled around his. "I'd love one."

"Good, good. We should probably hurry, though."

Blake blinked. "Why?"

"Well," As she looked on, the whiskered warrior scratched his cheek. "I wasn't exactly quiet when I brought you here, and I'm pretty sure my friends are pissed to all hell with me for vanishing-

The door slammed open with a thunderous crack, causing them both to jump.

A man clad in what Blake could only believe to be military fatigues came strolling through at a decidedly lazy pace. He saw them, saw Naruto rather, and perked up at once. His dark eyes were chips of flint. One foot dragged after the other while he took his sweet time crossing the room to them. Most of his face lay hidden behind a half mask, but somehow despite that -or perhaps in spite of it- Blake could see the shit-eating grin lurking behind that cloth facade.

"Well, well, well." the masked menace purred, "Hello, Naruto. I lose you for most of a day and suddenly, I find you in bed with an adorable catgirl. How my student has changed."

"Wait!" Blake sputtered wildly. "Its not what it looks like!"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! We aren't...!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

One hand settled on Blake's shoulder as she struggled to rise, gently yet firmly locking her in place. The other clamped down on Naruto, preventing his escape when he tried to bolt. Just like that, he had them. Then the masked madman tugged on each of their shoulders, reeling them in like a pair of fish until his face hovered mere inches from his own.

"By all means." Kakashi Hatake's smile was just the wrong shade of triumphantly vicious. "Explain."

A/N: Yeaaah, he's never letting Naruto live this down. Not a chance in hell!

Welcome to the Elemental Nations, Blake. Hope you enjoy your stay.

And here's where the story really starts to get juicy.

Time is...an odd state between the worlds, as it were. If you're familiar with a certain Hyperbolic Time Chamber, think of it like this. Time passes slowly in Naruto's world compared to Remnant. To better clarify: a year over there is akin to a day in Remnant. Perfect place to train, no? Of course, if you stay in the void between the two for more than a few moments, then time gets all sorts of weird.

As ever, reviews keep this old man's engine alive, so I'll be looking forward to them.

Soooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the Previews!

As ever:

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read at your own risk!

Ask yourself this. How screwed would Salem be if the Elemental Nations found a way to Remnant. Answer! VERY!

(Previews!)

Blake balked.

"This is...its beautiful...


Cinder seethed like a naughty child at bedtime.


Kakashi tittered softly. "She's sweet on you."


"Torchwick?! Why are you working for Ozpin?! When did he hire you?!"

The thief grinned. "Why, Red! You wound me!"

"Miss Rose, do calm down...


"Back to Beacon, then?"

"Not alone, I think." Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "I'd like to see this world for myself. My search for Kaguya's remnants hasn't been fruitful...

"Sure, if you can get through the damn book. We're still not sure how it works. They're trying to make a gate from it...

Blake made choking noises.

Naruto was dangerous enough. But another monster like him? MORE?! In Remnant?! Her world was not ready!


...Kurama. Did you start a cult?"

"What can I say, the mortals have good taste."

"All hail the golden grimm! Long may he reign!"

...I retract my statement."

R&R~!