An Untraveled Road

by NeonZangetsu

There's an old saying in Atlas. Don't mess with a Schnee. Ah, if only he'd been given that choice. Fate had other plans. Flung into uncharted territory, a wayward ninja finds himself on a new battlefield; one he's not at all prepared for. His decisions here might just make the world of Remnant a better place...or destroy what remains. Who can say? NarutoxWillow. NarutoxHarem?

8. The Storm Cometh

A/N: PLEASE READ THIS WOULD YOU KINDLY?

Ignore any errors, the site is being glitch once more. I'm trying to fix them as they appear.

Trolls all over the comment section again. Pay the fools no mind. Or better yet, laugh at 'em. Its what I'm doing~!

Managed to get this out before "New Gods of Remnant" and what can I say? Little!Cinder is a treat to write, as is the rest of the cast.

Speaking of which, I get the distinct feeling Rooster Teeth is going to properly reveal the rest of Cinder's past in the up and coming season; so I'll just state this here for good measure. Its been hinted that she hails from Atlas, as such clearly, this story was written LONG before any potential spoilers or "canon" regarding Cinder's past and the like. Just covering my bases here. Who knows? They may never reveal it. That's fine too. But I just know some folks will squawk, so here we are, cutting them off before they can.

Remember, this is a work of fiction. Lets just sit back and enjoy the story, eh?

FINALLY we can start using the timeskips again. And on that note, we're leaping forward a month~!

Now, then! Question time!

Q: Sooo...that was a pretty fierce argument. They gonna be alright?

A: People fight all the time. No relationship is perfect; Naruto and Willow certainly aren't.

We've all seen Williow's mental state in the show. We know that in her youth, her personality was a mix of Winter/Weiss, but in the same vein she was always a very fragile person emotionally. And we all know how stubborn the Schnee family is. Very stubborn! Exceedingly stubborn! I've never written a more stubborn family in all my days!

It certainly doesn't help that she and Naruto were raised in different environments. They need to talk out their differences like adults.

Naruto is at fault, but so too is Willow.

Q: What kind of inventions can we hope to see from Watts now that Naruto's won him over?

A: You'll see some in this very chapter! Furthermore, its been stated that Arthur wanted someone to appreciate his work.

And since he has the bloody SCHNEE FAMILY -and Naruto!- lavishing praise on him right now, he's quite the happy camper. Lets see if he stays loyal.

Q: What inspired you to include Little!Cinder in this story?

A: Originally, her role was nearly taken by Sienna at first, but that's been done before. We wanted to do something new, something unique; since its been all but stated by Cinder herself that she has a fierce dislike of Atlas -implying she hails from that kingdom- we ended up choosing her.

At the end of the day, Cinder's just a child. She may TRY to act older, but she's still a street-rat from Mantle. She might be someone now, but the fact remains that she came from nothing and doesn't like being reminded of that. If she hadn't been picked up by Naruto and Willow, she would've grown into the Cinder we all know and loathe.

Right now, she's a sweet little cinnamon bun...with an edge. A final note on her appearance there, she's been growing her hair out over the last month.

Q: Just how strong IS Little!Cinder at this point?

A: Not very, but she's getting there. Her Semblance has been stated to have near unlimited potential when it comes to creation and destruction. She's something of a living forge, using living heat to create fire and flames, glass, even metal at one point when she finally acquired the full might of the Fall Maiden. Now imagine what she might yet do if someone trained her, gave her a nudge in the right direction, and taught her how to TRULY use her gifts. I've got three words for you:

Unlimited. Blade. Works.

Q: Has the pairing been decided?

A: *zips lips*

Q: I see you moving pieces around in the background here, old man. You're up to something. What's your endgame?!

A: Trust me, its going to be something grand. We've nearly reached the climax for this arc.

Q: Where be the Winter Maiden?! You've been teasing her!

A: HERE be the Winter Maiden! Going by the timeline, Fria -or is it Freya?! Everyone keeps changing her name!- should be in her late forties-early fifties right around this time. Not quite her prime by any means, but still very dangerous and not yet suffering from bouts of dementia. And have you SEEN what she looked like when she was younger?! I have! Holy cow! I don't have the link for the pic anymore since it vanished back into the aether, but damn!

Alright, then! I've kept you long enough.

SECOND EDIT: Begone, trolls! Don't make me bust out the flyswatter! Yar! Back! Back you go!

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

"What manner of assassin gives their name to his victim?"

Simple. The confident kind. It'll be the last thing you ever hear."

~?

The Storm Cometh

...why am I wearing a blindfold?"

"Its a surprise." Naruto's mouth twitched into a tiny smile as he continued to guide Cinder down the hallway. "Trust me. You're going to love this."

Cinder's little shoulders twitched at the implications and although Naruto felt her eyes narrow beneath the dark cloth, she yet held fast. She didn't try to escape. She didn't tear the cloth, didn't bolt, didn't run away. Make no mistake, he could tell she wasn't happy about this secrecy, but she she deferred to his judgement. A month ago that would've been unbelievable. Cinder would've whined and cried, skittered away the moment he even suggested such nonsense. Now? It simply served as another sign of how far she'd come. Made him proud, it did.

"You say that to me," his daughter clicked her tongue at him, "And yet I still fail to see why I need to be blinded so."

The blond quirked an eyebrow, though he knew she couldn't see it. "Wait. Did...did you just crack a joke?"

Her heard whipped toward him and she nearly stumbled for it. "Absolutely not! I said no such thing!"

"Sounds like you did...

She scowled and stomped a foot, falling into a petulant pout as they walked. Naruto bit back a chuckle and ushered her onward, knowing that to laugh now would send the girl into a sputtering frenzy. Cinder loathed being mocked. So he held his tongue and schooled himself into silence.

Kurama held no such reservations.

"Oh, she's going to be a terror when she's older...I can't wait!"

She really was, wasn't she? Hmm. this was a strange feeling, pride in someone else.

Unfortunately all that pride was overshadowing by a deep, unyielding guilt. For a month had passed.

Nearly thirty days after their argument, and still Willow refused to speak with him. She wouldn't even look his way when they passed one another in a the hall. It shouldn't have come as a surprise; he'd always known her to be stubborn, but somehow, it did. He would've thought her anger would've run its course by now. Instead, it continued to smolder. Whenever he drew near, she would stomp away. He'd tried to speak to her several times now. Each time, she asked him if he was sorry. Each time, she saw his confusion. Each time, she walked away. Trapped in the mansion, they couldn't bear to be around one another.

It wasn't even that Naruto thought her incapable of keeping her word either; rather, he failed to see what he'd done wrong.

He wanted to help people. Kali needed his help. The White Fang needed his help. He was keeping a promise. Where was the problem? He'd wracked his brain for days on end and found nothing. Willow claimed she didn't understand him. Naruto was beginning to realize he didn't much understand her, either. But he wanted to. He didn't want to see her cry again. But why had she? After all, it wasn't like they actually were...oh. Oh, dear. Maybe their ruse had worked a little too well.

For all his bravery, Naruto couldn't face the knowledge Willow Schnee might be genuinely interested in him.

He could topple mountains, wrestle with tailed beasts, and crush Grimm with ease. But romance? It terrified him! He didn't know the first thing about relationships! Give him an enemy or a good fight any day! Those he knew how to handle. Not someone who may-or-may-not have feelings for him.

Rather than face that possibility, he'd thrown himself into his work, desperate for a distraction. In that sense, taking Cinder out today was as much an excuse for himself as it was a reward for his ward.

"Just how dense can you be? You can't keep running from this."

"I'm not running." he grumbled. "Just waiting for Willow to apologize, you know."

"Foolish boy!" Jaws snapped at him. "She's not the only who needs to apologize here!"

The wayward warrior perked up. "Why? Do you know something?"

A weighted silence passed between the two of them.

"Its fairly obvious, really." the fox finally relented after a lengthy pause. "But entertaining as it would be to tell you, this is something you need to come to terms with on your own. At this rate you're not going to realize the truth unless some mook slaps you upside the head with it."

"Can't you just give me a hint?!" he hissed back.

"Alright. You're both being selfish."

Naruto balked. Selfish? Him? How?! Willow he could understand, but him?! Once again, how?!

"Very much so, that's how." came the jaw popping yawn. "Now I'm taking a nap. Wake me when you need me...

Naruto sighed and tapped a hand to his forehead as he guided a still-silent Cinder around another corner. Ugh, this was going him a headache, he just knew it. Even as his partner retreated into slumber, his mind seized on the suggestion he'd left behind. How could he possibly be selfish as Kurama claimed? Selfishness implied that he was a greedy person. But he wasn't! If anything, he was selfless! There was no sacrifice he wouldn't make for those he cared about. He would die without regrets, offer up his life with zero reservations, fly into the very sun itself if it would keep his friends and family alive.

Could that be considered selfish by someone? Reckless? He didn't think so. It was the truth. He knew he couldn't be killed easily.

But did Willow know that? Ridiculous. Of course she did. Didn't she...?

"Why have we stopped?" Cinder's question rang through the empty corridor. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto hissed as the thought slipped out of his grasp again. Blast it all, he'd nearly forgotten about his girl. Again! Bad brain! Bad!

"Just a migraine." he delivered her a quick headpat and forced himself to move on. Technically, it wasn't a lie. All this contemplating was making his skull twitch. He'd think on it later. For now he placed one hand between Cinder's shoulders and gave her a quick nudge. She snapped it up in hers and held on instead, causing his right eye to twitch.

'Demanding little thing. Fine. Have it your way...

Taking the lead, Naruto allowed his ward to walk side by side with him, rather than ahead. And if he heard her exhale in relief, then he didn't dare comment on it. She'd never admit it, but holding his hand reassured her in a way that his voice just couldn't. Even now he glanced down, saw her fingers white-knuckled around his own. As if she feared he'd vanish into mist the moment she let go.

"Just a few more steps now." he adopted what he hoped was a soothing tone. "Keep going. You're almost there."

"You said that five minutes ago." she growled, but the words lacked rancor.

...want me to carry you?" he offered. "Would that be better?"

Heat crawled up her neck. "Yes-I mean no!"

Just ahead of them, a pale door whirred open with a faint musical chime. Cinder tilted her head and tried to place it, then the sounds that came from the room within, only to give up with a scowl. Naruto fought down a snicker as she sulked. If there was another thing Cinder Schnee despised, it was failure. She wanted to be the best. To exceed in every facet of life. But she was just so damn adorable when she pouted. Of course she wouldn't know this place. She'd never been here before. If he had his way, she'd become a regular here.

Naruto raised a fist and banged it against a nearby wall. Once. Twice. Thrice. The sound traveled away swiftly, like ringing a gong.

"Not now, blast you!" Arthur's voice rang out from somewhere deeper within his workshop. "I'm working!"

"Too busy for an old friend?" he called back with a smile. "I can come back tomorrow-

A distant crash answered almost immediately. "Hold that thought!"

Cinder frowned at the noise. "Who or what was that?"

Naruto smiled. "A friend, kiddo. Wait for it."

She blinked. "For what?"

Naruto bit back a laugh as the faint scent of burnt metal reached his nose, punctuated by a harsh clang as Watts set aside whatever project it was he'd been working on and hastened in their direction. Cinder would grow used to Arthur's erratic behavior soon enough. He certainly had. The man hadn't left him much choice in the matter.

As such, when a somewhat disheveled Arthur Watts came sliding around the corner -a noise the caused Cinder to yelp!- Naruto didn't bat an eyelash.

"That." he chuckled.

Though his tan face was dirty and his lab-coat smudged with who-knew-what, the scientist had never looked more alive. There was a high, wild light burning in those keen eyes, as though the man were stood on the cusp of some great discovery. It burned higher still when he saw the two of them. Naruto felt Cinder hide behind his legs, but Watts scarcely seemed to notice her.

"Please, forgive my appearance." he bulled forward to clasp his palm instead. "I didn't realize it was you, much less that I'd left my door unlocked."

A blond brow rose as they shook. "Might wanna watch that."

"Oh, but I am." His ally winked. "Rest assured, you needn't worry about my safety." straightening, he clasped both hands behind his back. "Have you come on business?"

"Nah, this is more of a personal visit." Naruto conceded. Frowned, when he realized the hand he was clasping was more metallic than he'd first thought. "Hey, What's that on the back of your palm?"

"Hmm? Ah, this." Watts hummed, flexing his fingers in the red gauntlet. "Just a pet project of mine. Something I've been working on in my spare time." The gauntlet -for it could be nothing else- almost seemed to hum as he made a fist with it. "Its not quite complete at the moment, and I've admittedly not given it my full attention." he opened his hand again and waved it about, allowing them to glimpse an odd glowing circle within before he made a fist with it once more. "So many ideas, so little time-

The gauntlet pulsed and Naruto's instincts shrieked a warning.

"Yeow!"

A beam of light shot past him as he swayed out of the way, singing the air just over his right ear before slamming into a nearby bulkhead

"Still working the kinks out." Watts regarded the now pitted metal surface with a frown, followed by his gauntlet. "Blasted thing keeps misfiring. Must be the power source. Bloody arc reactor." a wry chuckle escaped him, almost as if he found that amusing somehow. "But time waits for no man, it seems."

Naruto blinked. Arc-what-now? He'd understood none of that. In the end he settled for a shrug. "Always brimming with ideas, aren't you?"

"I've you to thank for that. But I see you're not alone." he noted Cinder a heartbeat later and stepped back. "Finally brought her, have you? Then you've come for that."

Naruto finally remembered to tug the blindfold off her eyes. "We have."

"I'll fetch it, then." his mustache twitched. "Just a moment."

Golden orbs squinted up at him in quiet indignation, making sure he was still there. Only then did she deign to look around. She noted Arthur's retreat for but a moment before her gaze swung back to him in silent inquiry once more. Naruto was having none of it and turned her head back to the scientist as the man removed a weighted case from beneath his desk. Even then she didn't quite comprehend what was going on.

"I still don't understand why you brought me heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere~!"

Naruto had never heard Cinder squeal before.

"Mineminemine!"

Huh, neat. He hadn't heard that one before, either. First time for everything, he supposed; No matter how many airs she might put on nor how she scoffed at her youth, at the end of the day Cinder was still very much a little girl. She might try to act like an adult -and it was adorable!- but no matter her facade, she couldn't quite hide her age. And the moment his daughter laid eyes on her new weapons? Why, her words became a shriek as shot across the the room like a bullet from a gun.

Poor Arthur nearly found himself bowled over when he presented them to her.

"You didn't tell me they were ready! They're beautiful!" Cinder cradled the black-and-white blades to her chest with an euphoric grin. "Can I keep them?!"

"Of course you can keep them." Despite his sour mood, Naruto found himself smiling at her innocence. "They're yours."

"Do they have a name?"

"Indeed." Arthur's smile lifted the edge of his mustache. "They are called Kanshou and Bakuya. Do be careful, though. They're quite sharp."

Cinder's grin was like a flame, bright and hungry as she turned her weapons end over end. Naruto didn't need his mark to sense the joy emanating from her. She'd been pestering him about her weapons for days now; he had put her off time and time again. It only made the surprise all the more sweet.

"Now firmly grasp them and use your Semblance." Watts instructed.

Cinder dithered, eyes narrowing. "I'll break them."

"Rest assured, you cannot."

Reluctantly the young girl gripped the hilts in her hands and, after only a moments hesitation, flared her Semblance. Naruto saw the moment that she did; beheld the stray spark snarling through her eyes. Fire came easily to Cinder. It always did. She had a temper and it manifested in her gift. He saw her shoulders tense, felt her Aura flare as she braced for an explosion.

Naruto didn't quite expect her blades to burst into flame.

Neither did Cinder by the look of it, for the young girl startled and nearly dropped her now burning weapons before she caught herself. Each edge continued to burn bright, even as she clutched their hilts tight. Somehow the flame stayed within the metal and didn't race down the cloth-wrapped hilts to burn her, even when Cinder began to move them.

"What is this?" she whispered. "Magic?"

"Don't be absurd." Watts scoffed. "Magic doesn't exist. This is the power of science. Your weapons were designed to conduct and amplify the heat you generate." He held out out to her as a baffled Naruto looked on, ringed fingers indicating the silently seething weapons in her hands. "Your father was quite vocal in his demands. As such, it took a bit longer than I had anticipated, but I believe you'll come to appreciate the finishing touches far more than you would a rush job."

"You asked for curved swords." Kurama deadpanned. "Curved swords that Cinder can set on fire whenever she wants?!"

'No!'

Naruto really hadn't. He'd asked for durable weapons that could turn into a bow, perhaps even make use of Cinder's semblance. Nothing more. Watts had simply taken that request and run with it; no, he'd gone above and beyond what was asked of him. Honestly was a little frightening...and amazing. Not for the first time, he counted himself lucky they'd won him to their side.

He didn't want to think what life might be life with that sort of wit pitted against him.

Cinder frowned, gazing into the flames. "How do I shut it off?"

"Simply release your Semblance." Arthur said.

She left go of her gift and the fire guttered out, leaving the curved swords just as they'd been before.

Naruto whistled. "Nice work, Watts."

"Oh, but we've only just begun!" Arthur crowed. "Cinder, dear, would you kindly press the hilts together and hold the blades away from yourself?"

The surly girl did as she was bade and something clicked in the base of her cherished weapons. As she looked on the hilts meshed together, forming a single grip thanks to a pair of unseen magnets. A string of elastic steel cable sprung from back of the leftmost blade and connected to its twin, causing the fiery girl to tilted her head. Naruto did the same, not quite seeing the purpose at first, but then...ah. There it was.

"Its...a bow!"

Cinder's exclamation drew a rare laugh from Watts.

"Quite. The cable was a devil to figure out; it couldn't be too strong or you'd never be able to draw it back." he waved a hand, tracing another holographic diagram from his ring. "Of course, if it were too loose, you'd not be able to shoot with it.

Her brow furrowed. "Doesn't have any arrows, though."

Watts arched an eyebrow. "I was led to believe that was where your Semblance came in."

Something clicked in the orphan's mind. Golden eyes narrowed, flickering with a pale spark as she exerted her gift again. This time she willed the heat to crystallize; forcing the fires to gain substance were none was to be hand. An arrow of sharp glass formed against the string, crude and hastily made, but an arrow nevertheless. Cinder set it to the string and attempted to draw it back. Thin arms quivered with exertion. Sweat beaded her brow, but the bow barely budged.

She wasn't strong enough; Naruto realized it a heartbeat before she did.

"I can't shoot it." she gave in with a gasp, shoulders slumping. "I need more strength."

"We'll work on that and you'll aim later." he promised, patting her shoulder. "For now, just focus on getting used to the blades."

"Hmm!" her head bobbed.

Cinder disengaged the bow and gave her new black-and-white blades a few test swings, carefully gauging the weight of her new weapons as she pushed herself through a series of quick movements. Each swipe generated a breeze, slicing through the air like a knife through hot butter, each back-swing sent her hair flying around her shoulders. She'd been growing it out over the last few weeks, gone from a scraggly mess to a cloudy curtain that ran down her back.

If he didn't know better, he'd say Cinder was trying to mirror Willow with her hair down. The thought almost made him smile.

"Careful there," he chided when she missed a step and stumbled. "Don't wanna break 'em now, do we?"

"Quite impossible, I'm afraid." Arthur preened like a peacock as Cinder flung herself into a fresh combination of sweeping strikes. "Those blades were forged from a rare alloy that can only be found here in the Kingdom of Atlas. They're virtually indestructible." His gaze strayed. "Unless your father cares to test his luck?"

Little Cinder gasped and clutched her weapons to her dress, suddenly afraid he'd take them away.

"Arthur!" Naruto snapped the word.

"A joke, nothing more." To his credit, the scientist realized his gaffe the moment blazing blue eyes rounded on him. "That was in bad taste." he was just as quick to raise his hands and placate them. "I meant no harm by it, I assure you. You have my word." A grimace plucked at the corner of his mouth. "I am not...the most eloquent when it comes to people. It was not my intent to offend."

The worst part of it all?

Arthur was telling the truth. Naruto could sense that much. He felt surprise, shock, laced with a bite of fear for having upset them, but not anger. Not hatred. He didn't know Cinder enough to like or dislike her. That he felt relaxed enough to make a jest at all was something of a miracle. Naruto still wasn't much pleased with him. He'd nearly undone a month's worth of hard work with a careless phrase and now he could feel Cinder glaring at the man with open hostility. Honestly! Between these two, it was like herding cats!

"No, its fine." he sighed, pushing a hand through his messy hair. "Just apologize to Cinder."

"To a child?" His mouth twisted. "Must I?"

"Watts."

"Oh, very well!" the genius unbent enough to groan beneath his glare. "My apologies, child. It shan't happen again."

Cinder still hesitated, eyes flicking toward him. "You're...You're not going to take them, right?"

"No." Naruto cut that nascent thought down before it could take root. "They're yours."

A shaky smile bloomed on Cinder's face. "Okay...

Arthur saw it and shook his head.

"Come here, and I'll give you their sheathes." he beckoned to Cinder once more. "Do be careful. They might be too heavy for you, even if I attach them to your belt-

"I'm not weak!" Cinder bridled immediately. "I can carry them!"

"My dear, I never said such a thing...

Naruto restrained a rueful smile of his own. "Say, is that other weapon ready?"

"Indeed." Arthur returned to his desk and withdrew a fresh case as Cinder bound her blades behind her back, leaving the slight girl to admire herself. "I just finished it this morning, crafted it to your specifications. Hardly an elegant tool, but needs must, I suppose."

He was right on that account.

Sienna's new flail was a vicious, chained thing, far better than the old leather cord Kali had taken from her. Poor girl had been jumping at shadows ever since. She'd be better able to protect herself with this...and it would go a long way to easing tensions back in the mansion. At least if Cinder's minion was armed -and wasn't that an odd thing to say?- he needn't fear her running away.

Naruto considered it a moment more, then closed the case and took it up in his right hand.

"Good work as always. How much do I owe you?"

Watts blinked. "Owe...?"

"Yeah, you deserve to be paid for your work, don't you?" Just plain common sense, that was. Everyone had the right to wages for good work and Arthur's went well beyond that. Moreover, Nicholas had given him access to the Schnee accounts a week back, so money was hardly an object. "Go ahead, name your price."

"There's no need."

Full of surprises today, this one!

Naruto frowned. "Of course there's a need, you worked hard on these...

"Nonsense, I won't hear of it." Arthur slashed a hand through the air to silence him. "I'm already the talk of the scientific community for your arm alone and Nicholas pays me more than enough as it is. I'd look a right fool if I started demanding more money from you now. Thanks your patronage, not only have I been able to research the very bleeding edge of technology, but I've become downright infamous."

Naruto flicked a quick glance over to Cinder and found her fiddling with her weapons. Content that he wasn't ignoring her, he turned attention back to his erstwhile ally.

"How so?"

"Think of this, if you will." Watts raised a finger. "That arm of yours is one of my finest creations." said finger indicated his mechanical arm with a grand wave. "Forgive me for saying this, but I'd not have made it for you if Nicholas didn't seek me out."

"That's fair." the whiskered warrior found himself shrugging. "But I still don't see how one arm made you this popular."

"It didn't." Arthur's grin grew. "You did."

"Me?!"

"Not only did you acclimate to your new limb remarkably well," Watts was all too happy to continue, "But you put on quite a show for the Headmaster of Beacon himself. Now you're in the midst of brokering peace with the White Fang. The man engaged to Willow Schnee. An outspoken voice for peace and equality everywhere. And you're using my arm."

Realization broke like the dawn. "People know your name because of me. What I've done."

"Quite so." Arthur flexed his armored hand as the strange glowing blue-white circle within continued to pulse softly in his grasp. "I've already had many injured veterans coming to me for the sake of prosthetics alone. Why, I may even branch out into the weapons business if my...current endeavor goes to plan. No," he shook his head anew and hit the gauntlet behind his back, "If you insist on paying me, I'd ask that you do so with knowledge, not lien."

Naruto had a sinking suspicion about that. "What sort of knowledge?"

"Tell me," Watts leaned forward, "Do you know Pietro Polendina?"

Both man and tailed beast blinked in unison. "Who?"

Their ally doubled over with a cackle; it was a sharp, relieved noise that sounded like it hadn't much use in years.

"Did we just break him?"

"Finally!" But no, Arthur leveled out, dabbed a mirthful tear from the corner of his right eye and straightened his back once more. "Someone who doesn't know the man or worship the ground he treads upon. You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that. If you meet him, pay him no mind. He's a hack and a fool, one devoted to Aura. I'd rather focus on a more...potent substance."

Yeah, he wasn't liking where this was going. "You want to know more about chakra, don't you?"

"Not so loud!" Arthur all but hissed the words and pushed in closer. "The walls have ears. Ironwood's spies might hear us, even here. Nevermind the Council. You and I, we can change the world, but we must be careful about this. If anyone else gets even an inkling of what you can do...

The rest went unsaid; no one would leave him be. Thus far he'd only ever shown his abilities in a limited setting. If he ever went all out...

"Panic at best, chaos at worst." Kurama chimed unhelpfully with his two cents. "Its not as if anyone else can really do anything with chakra so long as they lack the coils, but...well. You humans have ever proven yourselves clever creatures. I shouldn't have to tell you to be careful about who you share this information with."

'Can we trust Watts, then?' he asked.

"You can trust him to use whatever you give him."

Well. That simplified matters. 'I'll just keep things basic for the time being, then.'

"Change the world, huh?" Naruto thumbed his chin. "So long as we make it a better place."

"Well, yes." Arthur blinked. "I thought that went without saying." he extended his hand. "Would you be willing to collaborate with me?"

Naruto regarded the offered palm for a moment before he made his decision. While his time in Atlas hadn't done much to harden his heart, it had stripped away his naivete in other matters. Arthur wasn't a bad person, but he could be a tad too enthusiastic for his own good. Ironwood, however, seemed the sort to use whatever he was given in a military fashion. Arthur wasn't connected to the government nor the council in any real capacity; if only because Nicholas kept him on retainer. That was the only reason he even deigned to consider this at all.

Kurama chortled softly. "If he betrays us, we can always kill him. Not like he could stop us."

...you really are a little too blase about bloodshed, you know that?'

"Anything chakra-related that you create, you run by me first before releasing to the public." Naruto willed himself to speak slowly, throwing the full weight of his intent behind every word. "Anything. I mean it. Break your vow and you get nothing. Hide anything from me, and you get nothing. Lie to me and -you guessed it!- you get nothing." Azure orbs narrowed when the scientist when he tried to protest. "I'm serious, Watts. Chakra is no joke. It can help people, but this might blow up in your face."

"If supervision is the price I must pay then so be it." Arthur leaped on it. "Do we have an accord?"

Naruto stepped forward and clasped his hand. "I'll see what I can do."

"Brilliant!" Arthur shook his hand briskly. "We're in business."

"Don't make me regret this." he warned.

"You wound me, good sir!"

Cinder bulled between them before Arthur could interrogate him further, bless her little heart.

"Can we go train now?" She all but hopped in place, a rare burst childish glee overpowering her skittish persona. "Please, please, please?!"

Naruto flicked a longing look at Arthur. He found no help there. The older man crossed his arms in a determined X-shape to ward him off. They wouldn't be using his testing area anytime soon; not after he'd trashed it the last time. Still, did he even know how to fight? Curiosity stirred the pot and he flicked a glance to the holstered pistol in the man's belt. Eh, he probably could. Wasn't important.

"We can practice after we give Sienna her weapon." he patted Cinder's head instead. "Then she can train with us."

"Must we?" she sulked beneath his palm.

"It would be rude to ignore her. Remember what Willow said."

Cinder shook free and kicked a wall in a rare display of churlishness. "If you say so, Father...

Oh, dear. The word alone made Naruto want to groan. Father. Not papa. Not daddy. It was warning enough, and he knew to read between the lines. She was angry with him. Cinder, at least, was easy to understand. She wanted his attention in all things; and when he wasn't able to give it, she sought out Willows. Now that he'd gone and inducted someone else into their little circle, she didn't know how to deal with it. Naturally, she'd fall back on her natural response. Measured aggression.

By the Log, she was going to seethe over this, wasn't she? Blue eyes flicked back to Arthur. Best to wrap this up before Cinder started spitting. "Did you need anything else, Watts?"

"We can talk another time." the scientist replied as he paced back to his desk to retrieve some papers. "I'm a bit busy with another project and I'm eager to get back to it."

"You mean that storage scroll I gave you?" Interested again, Naruto perked up. "Were you able to replicate it?"

"Not quite, but its admittedly not the center of my focus at the moment." Oddly enough, man seemed hesitant to admit anything more on that particular front. He was usually so keen to brag, too. "This one is something of a...personal nature for me."

"Just how many projects does the man work on in a day?!"

That was the question, wasn't it? Watts had a brilliant mind to be sure; it just seemed...scattered sometimes. He was eager to prove himself in every field he could. Perhaps a little too eager, even. That didn't make him a bad person. He just needed someone to keep him on the right path. He said as much. "I'd love to see it when you're done."

A spark shot through his eyes. "Rest assured, you'll be the first person to see it. You've given me quite the inspiration."

"Good to know." Naruto clapped him on the shoulder with his artificial arm. "Then I'll look forward to seeing the results of your work."

"Trust me, this will be...revolutionary." Watts preened anew. "Let me know if you have anymore requests for that arm of yours. My door is open anytime."

"You've already given me a grappling hook." he laughed and raised said limb high to inspect it for a moment. "What else can you put into this this? A rocket launcher?"

Cinder perked up, her sulking momentarily forgotten. "That sounds useful."

"More than that, my dear." Arthur cackled. "Much more."

Naruto considered his arm anew. "Hmm."

"No." Kurama vetoed him immediately. "You do not need a rocket launcher. You're overpowered already."

"But the priiiiize!"

"Can we leave already?" Cinder tapped a foot impatiently against the tiled floor. "I'm hungry."

Blue eyes swiveled towards her. "Need help with your coat?"

Pale cheeks flushed with red. "No!"

"You needed help earlier...

Kurama chuckled.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm? What's up?"

"Protect this child."

"Don't have to tell me twice, bub!"

Naruto bid his goodbyes and helped Cinder squirm back into her winter garb, grinning all the while.

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

If the streets of Atlas were cold in the morning, late afternoon was downright frigid.

"Blasted storm!"

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as a fresh gust of arctic wind slapped him in the face, biting through his thick orange scarf to sting his cheeks. He jammed both hands into his jacket pockets, braced himself against it, and kept walking. Honestly, he'd never understand how the people of Atlas withstood the weather like this. Must be a genetic thing. He couldn't think of any other reason why anyone would willingly endure these kind of temperatures.

"I'm sorry, did you say something? Its quite warm in here."

Naruto bit back a curse and stomped forward as the snow continued to lash at his face. Stupid bastard, warm and safe inside the seal. It wasn't as if he hadn't bundled up either; he'd been given a thick coat in Schnee colors, and even then the lack of heat was driving him mad.

This storm didn't feel right.

There was too much energy in the air; even now he could feel it sucking away any warmth like a physical thing, as though it were trying to freeze the very world itself. He had to raise his arm to shield his face against the lashing waves of ices and sleet now, grimacing as he did so. Even the Land of Snow hadn't been this much of a nightmare and he'd been a kid back then.

"You alright back there?" he called.

...'m fine." a muffled voice answered after a moment's pause.

By contrast, Cinder felt no shame whatsoever in using him as a wind breaker. Clad in a pale blue coat of her own and clutching to his left hand like a lifeline, she trotted after him with measured steps. She wouldn't meet his gaze. No doubt she was still sulking. He could feel her glaring a smoking hole into his back even now. This was over Sienna. Naruto just knew it. The weather wasn't helping. If anything the storm had grown worse.

It didn't make any sense. The forecast for today had been...well...it wasn't a spring day, but this storm was absurd! He couldn't feel his nose!

"We're not going to make it back to the mansion at this rate." he decided. "Lets find someplace to wait this out."

Cinder's little head bobbed and she made to follow him as he peeled off toward an alcove.

Naruto chose a shop at random, squinted at the sign within, and grinned.

"Well, well." He mused. "What're the chances?"

He opened the door and a bell chimed.

Almost immediately an angry gust of wind lashed at the blond's back and tried to rip the knob from his grasp. Naruto stood fast, opening it enough for Cinder to squeeze through. She scurried in ahead of him, happy to be out of the cold. Couldn't much blame her for that. His fingers were going numb already beneath their gloves and he could see the snow spilling in behind them.

"Close the blasted thing already!" a man's voice called from behind the counter. "You're letting the cold in!"

Naruto complied at once, wrenching the worn wooden frame shut behind him with a grunt of effort.

"Sorry for the intrusion." He apologized, turning to face the owner. "Crazy weather, eh?"

"Shop's closed, friend."

He found himself face with a lined tan face framed by bright violet eyes and close-cropped pale hair; not quite white, but not really a true blue grey either. You could tell by looking at his beard. Burly arms folded before a creme-colored shirt and pale blue apron as the shopkeeper considered him. The fellow seemed friendly enough at a glance, if a touch wary given two strangers that had all but barged their way into his place of business. It smelled suspiciously sweet in here. Almost as if...well. That was a surprise. The sign had been right after all.

"We really are sorry for barging in like this." A second apology and a bit of lien set him to rights. "I'm sorry if we startled you. Here. For your trouble."

...alright." a beefy hand swept the money off the counter. "Suppose you can stay 'till the storm dies. Not seen a storm like this in ages."

"Thanks." Naruto stepped forward to clasp his hand, finding his own nearly lost in the larger man's grasp. "We appreciate it."

"Say, you look familiar." the man peered at him. His eyes widened as Naruto peeled back the scarf and pulled away his winter hat. "Waitaminute." he blinked at him owlishly, only just now recognizing his face without the obscuring layers. "You're that one, been on news." violet eyes bulged in recognition. "The one who made peace with the White Fang! As I live and breathe."

Naruto tried to ward it off. He really did. "To be fair, the peace isn't a certain thing yet. Kali and I are still working on it-

"You're Naruto Uzumaki!"

Cinder shook her head as she struggled out of her coat.

"By the gods, a celebrity in my own home! I can't wait to tell my Mary-

"Shh!" Naruto clamped a hand over the man's mouth before he could shout again. "Not so loud! You'll wake half the neighborhood!"

Thomas grunted, blinked, realized he wasn't trying to strangle him, and relaxed. Only then did the blond dare release him. "Please don't make a scene."

"Erm, right." the man recovered quickly and stepped back. "Sorry about that. Welcome to Thomas Hill's Sweet Shop, then." he spread his arms wide, indicating the array of sweets around him. "What can I get ya?"

"Aha! I knew this was one of those!" a pause followed as he felt a faint pulse of dishonesty from the man. "Wait. Is Thomas really your name...?"

"Aye, used to be known by a different name back in my heyday." the large man admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I'd rather go by Thomas now if its all the same to you."

With that sorted, the blond flicked a triumphant glance to a still-sullen Cinder, then their surroundings as he took her frost-covered coat and hung it up alongside his. He caught the gleam of interest in her golden eyes and made no mention of it. Kids liked candy, right? Maybe this would help. Not like it could get much worse.

Thomas's abode was a homely little shop all things considered, just the kind you might find way back in the Hidden Leaf if you knew where to look. Small, but not tiny, yet not overwhelmingly large at that. Confectionery treats lined the shelves, some sealed in plastic bags, others lined in clear cases, still more kept in large barrels near the back. A faint, almost familiar aroma wafted through the air. It felt like coming home.

"We'll have something sweet." he said for lack of any other idea.

A pale brow rose. "Might need to be more specific on that front there, lad."

"Taffy, then." he paused, then reaffirmed it when Cinder granted him a begrudging nod. "And maybe a bit of warm cider for her, if you've got anything."

"Sure thing."

A fracture broke through Cinder's sulk. "What's cider?"

"Oh, you're in for a treat, little miss!" his gaze flicked to Naruto. "You'll be wanting something stronger for yourself, I reckon?"

"No, no." The blond flailed his hands. "I'll have more of the same."

"Coming right up, then." Thomas grunted. "Pull up a seat and make yourself comfortable. I'll crank up the heat. So, you and that Schnee girl, eh? That's real?"

Kurama scoffed. "More than you know, less than you think...

'Go back to sleep already, furball!'

Cinder wandered off between the shelves as they began to banter back and forth. Naruto nearly went after her, only to realize he didn't know what do say. He'd been right. The sulk was out in full force and she looked ready for a protracted siege. She'd be in a foul mood until he resolved it. Just like Willow. Ugh. Why were girls so complicated?

Thomas nudged him with an elbow. "She yours?"

"Yup."

A silver brow rose. "Really, now? Aren't you a bit young?"

"She's adopted if you must know." Naruto clarified with a sigh, turning to brace his elbows against the counter. "We took her off the streets down in Mantle."

"Thought as much." the older man stroked his beard. "She's got that look about her."

"Fearful?" Naruto asked.

"Rough." Thomas countered, setting down a tankard of cider for him. "Most folk from down below are like that. Great grandmother was the same way, even when she found her way up her." A brief flash of nostalgia gleamed through his bright eyes as he watched the blond drink. "Oh, she could cuss up a storm when you pissed her off. This was her shop, you know. Been in the family for years."

"Really?"

"Aye, but we're not talking about me." he waved his curiosity away. "We're talking about your little one."

Naruto grimaced. "We are, aren't we?"

Perhaps there was something wise in the older man's gaze that Naruto saw in that moment. Perhaps he wanted someone to talk to. Perhaps he was simply tired of fumbling for answers on his own. Whatever it was, it had him folding like a house of cards.

"I don't know what to do with her sometimes." He lowered his voice to a whisper to avoid being heard. "Cinder's my responsibility; I want to look after her, but I'm not sure how." he leaned out and found her wandering out of earshot. Only then did he dare continue. "I try to reassure her every chance I get, but she's just so damned skittish sometimes. I keep screwing up. How do I fix this?"

"Oh, that's easy." Thomas clicked his tongue. "Just honest with the lass. Works every time. Should sort her right out. Ought to help with your other problem, too."

Naruto sputtered. "How did you...

"To answer your first question, I'm the oldest of seven siblings." The man guffawed beneath his disbelieving stare. "As to the second...well." he flashed a golden wedding band on his finger. "I've made my Mary angry a time or two. You've got the look of a man whose been in the doghouse for weeks now."

Was that all he had to do? Just...be honest?

A rueful chuckle filled the air as the storm swelled outside. "Thanks for the advice."

"Think nothing of it." Hill clapped him on the back. "For what its worth, thank you the preview."

"Eh?" Naruto squinted at him. "Preview? What're you on about?"

"Missus is pregnant." Thomas chortled, then outright laughed when Naruto's brow shot into his hairline. "Already six months along now, but we're hoping for a girl. Might name her Robyn. If she's anything like yours, we know what to look for." the laughter continued. "And what not to do."

"Hmm. Robyn Hill." Naruto sounded out the name, unable to place quite why it felt so familiar to him. "Has a nice ring to it."

His marked hand twitched and the blond gripped his wrist to hid it as much as the voice that hissed in his ear.

She will change everything...if she survives.

And here he was hoping the blasted thing had finally gone silent.

"Of course, that's assuming m' shop's still around." Thomas continued, startling him.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Shop isn't doing so well." he admitted, sweeping a scarred forearm across the counter. "The two of you are the first customers I've had today, and that was before the storm it." His weathered face creased as he looked around. "Mary's military, but she's on leave right now. I can't go on long hunts anymore with my leg as it is. Might have to move down to Mantle at this rate; living in Atlas is eating us both out of house and home, never mind the overhead. This place used to be so alive, yet now...

Naruto followed his gaze.

It was a lovely little place, but now that he knew what to look for, he couldn't deny that it looked worn. Old. Well-cared for certainly, but he was willing to wager not many folk had a sweet tooth in Atlas. Or even knew of this place at that. Such a shame. The cider was good and the candy sweet without proving cloying. An idea dawned in the back of his mind.

...he was going to regret this, wasn't he? No, scratch that. He wasn't.

"Soft touch." Kurama grinned back.

"Do you have a Scroll?"

"Aye." Thomas fished around in his apron for a moment. "Bit of an older model, though."

"Let me see it." Naruto held out his hand. Thomas placed it into his palm and he quickly keyed in his number.

"There. You can take a few pictures, if you want." he hand it back, pushed himself upright, and snatched up his half-empty mug. "Go on. You have my permission. Let your customers know I shop here." a rare epiphany whispered in his ear, and for once, he listened to it. "Or better yet, get some pictures of me and Cinder. That might help. If it doesn't, I'll try to put you in touch with Nicholas-

"Nicholas Schnee?!"

-and I'll see if he can help." Naruto continued, digging a finger in his ear when the man's voice jumped several decibels. "That sound fair?"

Thomas proved quick to rein himself in, but even then his eyes were wide. "I don't understand. We've only just met. Why do this?"

Naruto could't quite contain the peal of laughter that followed.

Why not? He liked helping people. He lived for it. If he could make even one life a little better every day, then that was reason enough to keep living. It might sound foolish, and maybe it was; but that was just the way he was wired. If someone was in danger right in front of him, if someone needed help and he was given the choice of interfering or walking away...well. He knew what choice he'd make. He'd damn well do something about it.

"You're a good man, Thomas." he granted his new ally a smile. "I can tell. You deserve to raise your child in peace."

"What," the man groused, "You have some kind of semblance or something?"

"Yeah, sure." this time, he didn't fight the smile that bloomed on his face. "Lets call it that."

"Bugger me." he looked fit to keel over, and only Naruto's hand on his arm prevented him from doing so. "You're a kind soul, lad. You don't have to do this. Ours savings are keeping us afloat and-

"Thomas."

"Eh?" the father-to-be blinked.

"Shut up and accept my goodwill already."

Naruto took that moment of confusion to make his way over to Cinder. She saw him coming and skittered away, pretending not to be eavesdropping, to be fascinated with the shelves. He wasn't fooled for a moment. His sixth sense told all; he could feel the anxiety eating away at her again. She was a nervous bundle of stress and confusion once more.

"Thirsty?" he offered her his mug, only to frown and set it aside when she refused it. "Alright, that does it. Spill the beans."

She looked away. "Spill what?"

"You're angry with me." Naruto blew out a sigh and ran a hand through his still-damp hair. "If not me, then something I did. I'd like you to tell me why."

Her little shoulders tensed. "Its nothing."

There it was again, the fear. He thought she'd lost that.

"I'm not going to hit you for speaking your mind, Cinder." Naruto said as much, careful to keep his hands firmly in the pockets of his trousers while presenting as least threatening a profile as he could do her. "Go ahead, tell me what's wrong."

"You're sure?"

Naruto nodded.

Cinder blinked, frowned, took the reprieve for what it was, bobbed her head once and...

"Do we have to give that stupid cat a weapon?! She doesn't deserve one!"

...well, he should've expected that explosion.

With that remark, Naruto was suddenly and intensely glad that they'd left said Faunus back at the manor. Cinder's remark would've sent her into a rage. Cinder wouldn't have backed down, they would've fought, and then the three of them would've been flung back into the blizzard. Thankfully, Sienna wasn't here. Cinder was however, and she looked fit to spit. Or cry. Whichever came first.

"Yes, we do." he sighed. "It sets a bad precedent otherwise."

"But what about me?!"

Naruto blinked, not understanding. "What about you?"

Cinder made a noise that sounded vaguely like a sob. Watery amber eyes glowered up at him, and he realized she really was about to cry. She must've felt like he was belittling the gift he'd given her. Nothing could ever be further from the truth. He'd asked Watts to make because he knew it would bring Cinder happiness; something she'd not had much of growing up. Now he'd made her feel like a burden instead. Damnit, he needed to stop putting his foot in his mouth like this.

"To be fair, I commissioned your weapon first." he exhaled softly, choosing his words with great care. "Sienna's came second."

Cinder bit her lip, wrestling with some unseen emotion. It hit him a moment later. Fear.

"You can't have another daughter! I'm the only one you need!"

Oh, dear. "Is that what this is about?" he sighed.

Behind them, Thomas coughed awkwardly. Naruto groaned. Taking a moment, he took Cinder by the hand and tugged her deeper into the shop. Once he was certain the shopkeeper couldn't see them behind the shelves -he'd long since given up up on the idea of not being heard by now- he knelt down and pulled the fiery girl close. She dug her heels in of course, for all the good it did her.

"You silly girl." he said as he hugged her tight. "C'mere!"

Cinder turned to a hellcat in his grasp almost immediately, fighting and flailing to get free.

"Stoppit!" She wailed, kicking and thrashing. "You're a liar! Let me go! I don't believe you! You're trying to trick me!"

"Nope. Never." His laughter stopped in her tracks. "You're stuck with me now. I'm never going to let you go. Neither will Willow."

Her lower lip trembled as her chin cam down over his shoulder. "But you said...!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't meant that." Naruto cut in quickly. "I spoke without thinking. I'm sorry. Look, I may not be that old, but it doesn't change the fact that I took responsibility for you that day. You're my kid, alright?" he couldn't quite keep the rush of heat from his face when he said the words. "Nothing's gonna change that. No one's going to take your place. If they try?" He grinned. "I'll kick their ass."

Cinder made a keening noise through her teeth.

...really?"

Damnit, now he was embarrassed again. He wasn't even old enough to be her father, but there was no denying Cinder looked up to him all the same. He had to set a good example for her. That meant trying to explain himself, even if he felt like a fool for it.

Naruto pulled her back to arms length and held on, locking in her in place.

"Even if I do have other kids someday, it won't change anything." he smiled at her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "It'll just make you the eldest." her brow rose and he hammered his words home in that tiny moment of weakness. "You were first, Cinder. You'll always be first. No one can take that from you. Not me, not Willow, and certainly not Sienna."

Now it was Cinder's turn to blink. "You said I'd be the eldest...?"

"Yeah, like a big sister." he booped her nose. "Sounds grand, doesn't it?"

Something fearful flickered in her eyes as she scowled at him. "You won't abandon me? Even if you and Willow...?"

Naruto coughed to hide his embarrassment when she trailed off. "That's...that's not going to happen for awhile yet. Maybe in the future. You'll be older, then." her mouth opened and he barreled on. "Much older!"

Her brow drew down again, not stormy, but eager. "Promise?"

"Yup." he ruffled her dark hair. "Willow and I won't let anything happen to you. Do you know why that is?"

She shook her head slowly, eyes never leaving his. And in that moment, Naruto let the mask slip.

Cinder wanted honesty? Alright. Honesty it was. She'd get the full, unvarnished truth.

"Because you're my daughter." he pressed his forehead to hers, willing her to hear the honest sincerity in his voice. "You're not just a Schnee. You're an Uzumaki to me. If someone lays a hand on you?" his eyes met hers as he growled the words, remembering what she'd suffered. "Their hand comes off. If someone gives you a sour look?" Little Cinder drew in a shuddering breath, trying to speak, but he smashed through her fear, through her anxiety, through her everything. "Yeah, they're going blind. If someone calls you a street rat?" He mimed a yanking motion. "I'll pluck out their tongue. Do you understand?"

It was true, too. He'd never let her go back to the hell he'd seen in Mantle. Never again.

But now Cinder had gone terribly silent. For a moment he feared he might have broken her. Her eyes widened. Narrowed. Blinked. Her lips parted, but no words emerged. Not even a noise. A thread of doubt wove its way into Naruto's heart. Had he said it wrong? He'd been honest, just as Thomas told him. Maybe a little too honest?

"Hello?" Naruto waved a hand before her face. "Remnant to Cinder? You there-

"Papa!"

"Oomph!" Breath burst from his lungs as she slammed back into his chest, fingers tangling in his sweater. "Alright, there you are! You had me worried for a second!"

"I'm sorry," she bawled against him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Her words dissolved into tiny hiccups as she held on for a moment more, afraid to show weakness. And then he felt he dam burst. Her tears soaked his shirt. Naruto didn't fidget. Didn't complain, even when his legs began to fall asleep. He simply held her. He wasn't sure how long for. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? It could have been any one of the three.

Finally, she went silent in his arms.

"You good?" he asked softly, stroking her back. "Should I call Willow down here?" She might even come, too, if she knew Cinder had broken down like this. "You don't have to let go if you don't want to...

His daughter laughed wordlessly as she pulled away; it was a child's laugh, not the laugh of an orphan.

"No, I'm...better now."

"Great." he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Willow would've killed me if she saw you crying."

"Speaking of which," Cinder planted both hands on her little hips, "You need to make up with Mama."

Mama?

"Ohhh, we are NEVER letting Willow live this down."

"Not you too!" Now it was Naruto's turn to fling up his arms. "I will, alright! I just don't know how to go about it." and he still didn't. Honesty was all well and good, but he was beginning to think Willow wanted more than just honesty from him. He wasn't sure he had it in him to give that. Or if he even knew how. "I'm...I'm working on it, alright?"

"Hmm." her little nose wrinkled in confusion. "Did you try banging her?"

Kurama howled with laughter. As did Thomas. Naruto nearly choked on his spit. "CINDER!"

"What? That's how it works in Mantle."

She grinned, and for once it was an honest smile; the smile of a child who felt all was right with her world. Even now Naruto could feel the last of her fears evaporating like so much mist, dread burning away to be replaced by staggering confidence. Unfortunately, that also meant she felt comfortable enough to run her mouth again. To laugh, even.

"Well, this isn't Mantle. And don't cackle." he flicked her forehead and shook his when she swatted at him. "Whaddya think you are, a demon lord or something? Boys won't go anywhere near you if you act like that."

"Don't care about boys." She sniffed imperiously. "They're icky." A blond brow rose at that and she fixed him with a scowl. "Not you. You're better. You're not some stupid boy. You're-

"A man, yes, yes, we've been over that." He patted her head. "You're making me feel old."

"Hmm." Rather than fight, she leaned into his hand wholeheartedly and latched on.

"Say, what happens if Willow and I don't make up?" he asked on a whim.

Cinder turned a bleak look on him. "I'll tell grandpa."

"Her first threat!" Kurama crowed like a proud parent. "I think I just shed a tear!"

"And on that note," Naruto sighed. "I think its time we leave. Sounds like the storm passed out there, too. Can't hear it anymore."

Thomas was grinning from ear to ear when they returned to the counter. He even had a complimentary "Told you so" ready for the two of them with their taffy, the cheeky bastard. But he'd been right. Honesty had solved the problem with Cinder. It might be more...difficult with Willow, but he wasn't alone in that matter either, was he? He had friends. He had allies. Folk willing to help him. He just had to decide to do about it. To do that, he needed more advice, the kind close friends could give him.

On a whim, Naruto fished out his Scroll and shot a quick text -before he could change his mind!- to the last person he'd thought he would.

"Summer, I need your help with Willow."

The message dinged helpfully, informing him it had been sent. It would likely take time to reach to reach Vale. Summer was Willow's friend, after all. Surely she'd know what to do. He caught Cinder giving him a baffled look, still unable to read as she was. Perhaps it was best not to mention this to her. Where Summer went, Team STRQ followed. He could only hope they'd stay in Vale and talk to him through his Scroll. He didn't think the Schnee Manor was ready to handle those four again.

Kurama whined in his head. Actually whined. "What have you unleashed?! She'll never let us be after this!"

'I'm just asking for a bit of advice. What could possibly go wrong?'

"Everything?! She'll come here herself!"

Nope. Deny. Deny. Deny! "Nah...

"So, kiddo!" Thomas asked suddenly, piercing the veil of his thoughts, "Have you made up with your old man?"

Naruto found Cinder's face a curious study of contrasts as she clutched to his hand. She didn't answer, instead choosing to gnaw on the taffy he'd gotten her. The rosy hue of her cheeks told them all they needed to know, further reaffirming his hopes in her. There was good in this girl. She just needed someone to guide her.

"You'll be a good father, Naruto." a beefy hand clapped him on the back.

Gah! Praise! His one weakness. "You probably won't be half bad yourself. Have some faith."

With that said, the two of them bid their goodbyes and donned their coats quickly -the once damp material having dried quickly on the heating rack- then with one last promise to keep in touch and return someday soon, they sallied forth into the cold once more. Behind them, Thomas shivered as a fresh surge of frigid air slapped him in the face.

"Really is a strange storm, this...

---

(.0.0.0.)

---

Once outside, Cinder was quick to exercise her daughter privileges.

By now, Naruto wasn't even surprised when the spry little thing climbed on his back like a monkey; he simply gave in and let her clamor atop his shoulders without complaint. He come to expect such from her by now. At the end of the day Cinder liked to be held, whether she was doing the holding or otherwise. She did it to remind herself that he was real. That should've worried him, bu the just found it so damn adorable. Now that their argument was behind them and that proverbial bridge had been rebuilt -reinforced, even!- he found the walk back to the manor all the more satisfying.

Although it was still snowing outside, the worst of the storm seemed to have fled, leaving behind a bitter chill, but none of the horrible sleet and pelting drifts of before.

Cinder tried to catch snowflakes with her tongue when she thought he wasn't looking. So damn precious.

It didn't make the going any less treacherous however; even with the wrath of winter well behind them, the streets were still slick and the footing treacherous.

Well, if you weren't a shinobi.

A simple sheen of heated chakra against his boots was all it took to keep Naruto plodding steadily forward. Where others might have slipped and slid, he walked ever forward, unflinching as the path began to slope under his feet. He could see the manor in the distance now, they'd arrive in half an hour if he kept up at this pace. And before sunset, two. No doubt everyone was worried about them.

Cinder tugged his hair, seeking his attention.

"Why couldn't we have taken the limo?" she asked. "It would've made today a lot easier."

"Well, there's three reasons for that." he laughed, breath fogging into steam. "For starters, I thought today would be a quick trip. Second, if we had used the car, you and I would probably still be fighting." Her lips pursed, but remembering her breakdown, she didn't dare speak out against it.

"And the third?"

He wiggled a blond brow up at her. "Paparazzi."

"Fools." Cinder hissed at the word. "We should kill them."

"I wouldn't be above cracking a few skulls, but no, we can't do that."

It went without saying that that journalists would have stalked any car leaving the manor like a pack of Beowolves. Neither of them would've had a moment's peace. Cinder deserved better than that. She'd already missed out on nearly ten years of her childhood; that was a lout of lost ground to make up for. And she couldn't well have that with cameras hounding her every step now, could she? Say what you would about Naruto Uzumaki, but when he got attached, damnit, he got attached.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" he asked instead. "Dunno about you, but I'm starving."

Her eyes lit up. "Anything? I can pick anything, and the chefs will cook it?"

A commotion up ahead spared him the indignity of a reply.

"Get away from me!"

Naruto's head whipped toward the sound, boots crunching against the ice as he ground to a halt. Cinder heard it as well and slid down his back, freeing up his arms and immediately seeking shelter behind him. Good. She had weapons now, but she didn't know how to use them; which meant she wouldn't rush into a fight foolishly. His artificial limb clicked into place, folding out to form a shield well above his fist. He swung it back, keeping it near her at all times. Better safe than sorry.

No attack came; but another shout did.

"There." Kurama snapped. "In the alley on your left. Three blocks down!"

"Cinder. Get behind me and follow closely." he barked. "If there's trouble, I want you to hide."

She obeyed instantly, seeking the safety of his back.

Without warning, the storm shrieked back to life around them, all boiled anger and emotion; fear and terror lashing out at everyone and everything within reach. Storms didn't have emotions. He had to sprint now to make any headway, trusting that Cinder would do as she was told and keep behind him at all times. Another cry went up ahead of them.

"I said leave me alone, blast you!"

The ring of steel clashing against steel reached his ears. Someone was fighting, and fighting hard. He summoned a pair of shadow clones, ordered them to hang back with Cinder and bolted. Swift steps carried him up and around a building, then quite suddenly the blizzard was gone; rather, he'd broke through an gone; he nearly blundered right into them before he realized what was happening.

A dark shape hurtled toward him, radiating anger and hate. An ax flashed at his face.

Instinct took over. He swung. Metal met flesh and the latter yielded with a crunch. A body hit the floor.

He found six masked men surrounding a woman in dark blues and white robes, her face hidden by a strange cowl. One of them held a knife under her chin, forcing her into stillness. No, wait. He told a lie. There had been seven before he'd accidentally laid one of them out. Now others turned to face him and...and...

What the actual hell.

While such a sight was more than enough to rouse an ordinary man's temper in any situation, it was the bodies surrounding them that truly startled Naruto. There had to be at least a dozen of them, some frozen, others burned, still more violently hacked to pieces by some unseen beast. Others looked to have been smashed into the walls themselves, ground to a pulp by the very street itself. Now that he could see again, he noticed the bloodstains on the woman's pale robes and jacket. She'd defended herself, clearly.

"What the hell happened here? She's just a little thing. The storm couldn't have done this."

'Doesn't matter. We're putting an end to it.'

Naruto snarled and cracked his knuckles.

"What's all this now?!" He pushed some chakra into his voice, amplifying it as he stalked forward. "Get away from her!"

"Oh, good." rather than panic, the woman perked up as he approached. "Someone finally noticed that ruckus."

Ruckus? Was she referring to the storm or her shouts? Something was off here. She was too calm. She didn't seem to care that she had herself surrounded; barely appeared to notice the knife tickling her throat. And the way she spoke was downright old-fashioned. Charming in its own way to be sure, but baffling all the same.

"Get back!" The knife-wielder latched onto her shoulder as he approached. "She's coming with us!"

"No." She hummed as her eyes blue began to glow beneath the cowl. "I don't think I am. Thank you for the distraction, my good knight." as Naruto looked on, he glimpsed a smile in the shadows of her hood. "Be a dear and help me dispose of this lot, would you?"

Strangely enough, her quiet confidence and lilting voice set him at ease.

"You heard the lady." he raised his voice again in a warning. "Let her go before we break your everything."

One of her captor snarled. "Ha! You and what aaaaaaaaargh?!"

His words warped into a squeal as a torrent of glowing ice erupted across the fingers holding the knife and raced across the length of his arm, encasing it up to his shoulder. He tried to backpedal, tried to get away, but the woman simply reached out and pulled him close, embracing him from behind. Yet more ice sprang from her fingers as she held him tighter; that frigid element lashing out with an eerie hunger, spreading rapidly across his torso like vines of pure hoarfrost.

One of his companion's lashed out at her with a shortsword and in turn she used her victim as a shield, taking the blow low in the ribs.

A wet gasp arose and it wasn't her own.

"Now, now," the woman tittered into the man's ear as his fellow balked. "That wasn't very nice, stabbing your friend like that. "I thought there was loyalty among thieves."

In a single seamless movement the woman leaned forward and pressed a palm palm to the swordsman's face. An awful crack splintered the air and he tumbled backward, clawing at his crumbling visage. The rest tried to take advantage and close on her, but she swayed away, thrusting her first victim between them to gain distance.

Despite himself, Naruto whistled. "Should we...should we help?"

"I think she's got this under control."

The first man cried out in abject horror and reached for the woman with his frozen arms, to no avail. His fate was already sealed from the moment she'd touched him. Before the glowing ice could complete its grisly work and consume him completely, the woman raised her arms and slapped twin open palms against his semi-frozen back.

"Boom." she declared, smacking her lips together with a resounding pop.

Really, the result was nothing short of explosive. Pale fingers pulsed as fire met ice. Frozen armor shattered -alongside a good portion of the man's torso!- spraying grisly chunks of superheated metal and red ice back into his fellows in a concussive blast. They found themselves blown back by the force of the explosion, flung clear off their feet.

"Marcus!" one of them yelped! "You said you had her under control!"

"Not anymore!" came the answering shout!

Naruto ignored it entirely, suddenly wondering whether this woman needed help at all. It certainly didn't look like it.

"Dear, me." she hummed, frowning at her even-bloodier robes. "Now look what you made me do. I'll need a good wash to get this out. I do hope you're happy."

One of them lashed out of her face and missed, tearing the cowl away from her face as she vaulted away. Glass slippers kicked off a wall as she launched herself in Naruto's direction. For a fleeting moment he glimpsed a high, wild smile on her youthful face; then quite suddenly she landed at his side, robes fluttering in the breeze.

...what are you?"

She smiled softly at him with burning eyes. "Just a girl. No one special. Shall we?"

Together, they turned back to the the would-be kidnappers. The ghost of a smile lit Naruto's face when three of them shrank back almost immediately. Beside him, the woman raised a bloody hand and ice crackled at her fingers, curling around digits in cruel claws. She looked like she knew how to use him. Naruto's smile turned feral.

"We shall."

His body blazed gold and he blitzed the remaining men with extreme prejudice. The first barely had time to raise his arms to meet him; a single roundhouse punch thundered through his guard and struck him on the jaw, sending him spinning into a wall. From there, a quick stomp put him down for good.

The second fared little better; his weapon passed through empty air and a kick found his ribs, wedged him against a dumpster. Unlike his comrade, he didn't rise.

The third desperately reached for a pistol, only to find his very hand frozen in the holster. Dark eyes bulged and he frantically tried to peel his finger away, but it was already too late. Poor sod didn't even have a chance to scream before he found himself frozen solid. He was shattered by the woman a heartbeat later, much like the last. A fourth blanched and turned to run, only for her to fling a spear of ice through the back of his knee and send him tumbling to the ground.

The last remaining thief looked between the two of them, somehow decided he was still the easier target, and lunged.

Naruto twitched. "Seriously?!"

A hand touched his wrist as he slapped it aside, and he felt a tug against his chakra. For a moment, he almost felt ill. As if someone or something were trying to pull the very life out of him.

"No, you don't!"

Whatever it was, it snapped back like a rubber-band as Kurama rebuffed the attack. Whatever he'd thought to attempt, the thief paid dearly for his arrogance. Clenched knuckles barreled into the side of his face and sent him spinning away into the wall with a harsh crunch. A tooth whistled free and struck the floor but for some reason the bastard got back up again.

"What's with your Semblance?" he drawled. "My client didn't say anything about this."

"Don't have one." he cracked his knuckles. "Surrender."

"Nah." the newcomer grinned. "Don't feel like it."

Naruto's right eye twitched and he blurred back into the stranger's guard to smash a furious rasengan into his gut. Aura crackled and his victim crashed through a wall with an angry yowl. Even then the blond didn't dare take his eyes off him. His suspicions served him well.

Not a moment later, the assassin climbed back to his feet, swaying like a drunkard at last call.

"Damnit, he wasn't kidding." the killer croaked, one hand massaging his stomach. "You hit like a truck. There goes my perfect record."

"What the hell is he?! That would've dropped a bear!"

Naruto felt his smiling slipping away with each passing moment. He'd been actively holding back -wouldn't do to kill someone that he might be able to interrogate after all- but to see someone shrug off one of his signature techniques with barely a scratch...well. It was more than a little alarming. He could see the tear in the man's dark clothes, see the undamaged skin, see the unaffected muscle beneath. Something was wrong here. Terribly horribly wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Last chance." he warned. "Give up before I really hurt you."

"Nope." Laughter greeted him. "Like I said, that's not gonna happen."

A new voice chimed in. "I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter, young man."

A torrent of ice erupted behind the assassin, sealing the street behind and cutting off his escape. It roared higher still, sealing off all avenues of escape preventing him from simply scaling away to safety. With a muffled oath, the man clicked his tongue and tried to make for the other end of the street, only to find that denied to him as well. Naruto turned to find the source of the ice; his erstwhile ally knelt with one hand planted against the street.

"You didn't think I was going to let you leave after all that, did you?" Her smile remained him of someone he'd rather forget. "Your boys roughed me up quite a bit earlier. Allow me to repay the favor."

Now the ice crept across street and stone alike, seeking the assassin to the exclusion of all else.

"Every man has a choice." the killer scoffed as he skipped backward, evading it with ease. "A man chooses. A slave obeys. And I'm no slave." An iron-shod boot lashed out with intent and incredibly, the ice shattered as he stomped down on of force, shattering street and steel alike.

Naruto stiffened. No one should have that kind of strength. It wasn't possible. "Just who are you?"

"Curious, are we?" the man preened, lowering his limb. "Ice ain't so deadly if you know how to deal with it. And since you're clearly dying to know who I am...

Much to Naruto's dismay, the man reached back and pulled his hood away awa from his face. Revealed was midnight silver hair and pair of stern brown eyes set in a pale, yet chiseled face, lips quirked in a smirk. A thin line of blood dripped down the corner of his mouth from where he'd lost a tooth, yet when that grin grew, he saw only pearly white teeth.

"I knew it. Regeneration." Kurama spat the word like a curse. "Didn't think we'd see something like that here. I'd say it was his Semblance, but...

But that couldn't be now, could it? He'd displayed many of them. Far too many.

"I go by plenty of names these days." the assassin sketched a shallow bow before them, one arm sweeping across the length of his chest like some kind of gallant dancer from an age long forgotten. "But you? You can call me Marcus Black. Assassin extraordinaire, snatcher of Semblances, and all around badass, at your service." he straightened, pulling that same arm back across his body. "You'd do well to remember my name." Those eerie eyes of his flashed past Naruto to lock onto the young woman behind him. "It's going to be the last thing you ever hear."

Why expose himself here and now? It seemed foolish; downright arrogant even.

Naruto's mark pulsed again, setting his hand afire from within.

Avarice. Greed. Everything will be mine.

"Some assassin you are." He shook it off and stepped forward, placing himself between the two of them. "What kind of killer reveals himself to his prey?"

"The confident kind." Marcus grinned and tugged up his hood again. "We'll meet again, whiskers. You're on my list, too. But first...

Instinct shrieked and he dove forward, even as he the older man drew a pistol and squeezed off a trio of shots.

He flung up his shield arm to protect himself, but the dust rounds never found him-nor did they strike the woman behind him. Too late, he realized the man's intended targets. Three shots. Three cries. Three lives snuffed out in the blink of an eye. His senses told him what he would find even before he turned around; the men he'd disarmed were already dead where he'd left them. There was nothing to be done but balk.

"Why would you shoot your own allies?!"

"Dead men tell no tales." Before their very eyes, the-man-named-Marcus began to blur. "See you around, Schnee."

"Not a chance!"

Marcus simply ceased to exist. One moment the assassin was standing there with insufferable selfsame smile of his, in the next, his body flickered and he simply wasn't present anymore. Golden fingers slashed through empty air as Naruto missed his target, momentum sending him sliding forward on the ice. He spun around, ready for a counterattack, but it never came. His every instinct screamed that there would be, yet as moments passed into seconds, then a full minute, nothing happened.

He'd vanished before he could reach him in time.

It wasn't a matter of speed; he surely would've caught him if it were. So then, where...?

A pit of dread opened in his stomach. "Cinder!"

"Here!" she scampered forward from where she'd hidden herself, tucking her small body into his side. "I'm alright. I stayed back. Just like you told me."

"Good girl." he held her close.

Wherever the man had disappeared to, Naruto found couldn't sense him anymore. No matter how far he stretched his senses, there was no sign of him. That didn't make any sense. Even if he'd run off, he'd surely be able to detect that unique bundle of negative emotions. Unless...

"Teleportation." sure enough, his partner confirmed his fears a moment later. "Whoever he was, he's long gone now. He's out of my range. Could even be down in Mantle for all we know."

Naruto swore. There'd be no catching him now. Blast it. Behind him, he heard the crack of crumbling ice.

"Well, that was bracing." their ally hummed as she pushed herself upright. "Noting quite like a bit of evening exercise to get the heart racing, wouldn't you say?"

Naruto turned to regard her with renewed scrutiny, only to hiss as his marked hand sang.

The moment their eyes met something sparked, and it wasn't his emotions.

This woman was ice personified. She was cold, yet warm. She was the blizzard. Winter in its prime. The Power was hers to command, and though many lusted after it, none could touch her. She was strong, yet isolated. Alone. Her days were already numbered, as were all those who had come before her. Time would be the death of her, not battle, the years slowly stripping away her strength until her mind was gone and only a shattered shell of herself remained.

"Maiden." a strange, unfamiliar voice whispered in his ear. "Winter Maiden. Destined to fall. Destined to be cut down."

Naruto batted it away with a growl.

"Don't let me die."

Those eerie words invaded his head, pervaded his mind without warning, each one summoning a fresh pang of pain. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and the words turned to so much mist in his mind; gone but not forgotten. He cast a glance at his hand, alarmed to find the fingers there trembling. He forced them into a fist and clasped his wrist with his artificial arm in a vain attempts to make the spasms cease.

'Knock it off!' he gripped his arm, willing the damn thing to be silent.

It took every bit of his strength to bring his rebellious limb back under control. That was new. His new mark had been relatively quiet since he'd first met Team STRQ. It hadn't made a peep when he met Kali and Sienna. Why was it acting up again? Why here? Why now? Why like this?! His mind was reeling, still off balance from whatever fell vision had been forced upon him. Alright, calm down. Breath. In and out. In. Ouuut...

A hand came down on his shoulder, jarring him back to reality.

"Are you alright?"

She couldn't be called young, but neither was she old. He'd place her in her late thirties to early forties at best, but even then he couldn't be wholly certain of her age. Hers was a distant beauty, lovely to be sure, but in a distinguished, almost regal manner. Her hair was the palest of sky blue, steadily going silver in places. Sharp and blue. Like ice, he thought.

Were those...flames? Burning in her eyes?

Naruto blinked and they vanished, leaving him to wonder if he'd imagined it at all. No, he was sure he'd sensed something from her just now. Not chakra, or even Aura, but a different feeling altogether. For a fleeting instant he found himself thinking of an older Willow. Wait. Where had that thought come from?

"Is there something on my face?"

The blond blinked, realizing he'd been caught out.

"N-No," he coughed into a fist and stepped back, "You just remind me of a friend."

"I do?" those bright blue eyes blinked as she tilted her head to regard him. "Whomever might that be?"

To Naruto's senses, they burned impossibly bright, as though lit from within. There was something...odd about this woman. In his mind's eye she burned with energy, cold blue light made manifest. But there were other elements there as well. Earth. Water. Fire. Air. Her being was a veritable fountain of energy, waiting to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Yet she held those forces in check. For all her earlier savagery, she held herself now with impeccable poise. Her smile was an honest one, and the relief in her eyes almost palpable by comparison.

"Come now, don't stare like that." she chided. "You'll make me blush."

"You fight good." Cinder chimed, capturing their attention. "How did you do that trick with the ice? Was it a Semblance?"

"Its you fight well, Cinder." Naruto corrected with a wary smile as he pulled her closer. "We'll work on your grammar later. Sorry about that, miss...?"

"Oh, dear! Where are my manners?" the woman lifted her skirts and curtsied deeply. "My name is Fria. Most call me Freya. My thanks you have, for my timely rescue."

Only when she rose did she notice Cinder's intent stare.

"My, my!" she cooed, touching one hand to her cheek. "Aren't you a precious little thing!" Those strange blue eyes flitted back up to him again as the girl squirmed away. "Is she your little sister?"

Cinder sputtered. "Sister?!"

"Daughter, actually." Naruto amended, stepping closer. "Are you alright? We can take you back to the Schnee manor if you need medical attention...

"You mean Nicky's house?" Frey hopped in place and clapped her hands happily. "That sounds grand. How is he? I've not heard from him in quite some time. I wonder how he's been...?"

"Eh?" Now it was Naruto's turn to blink. You know the old man?"

"Why of course I do! Nicky's a dear friend of mine." Freya covered her smile with a pale hand, blue eyes flashing. "I've not see him in-oh, blast it all." She missed a step and faltered suddenly, frowning at her right leg as if it had betrayed her just now. "It would appear I might've pushed myself a bit too hard. I might have to take you up on that offer of aid after all."

"I'll say." Cinder whispered. "You're bleeding."

Naruto rounded on her.

The young woman blinked and looked down, following his gaze. Her eyes widened as she beheld the spreading spot of red on her dress, just below her ribs. She'd not noticed it with her coat. Neither had they. Trembling fingers touched the wound and came away red. A spark of fitful flame guttered out in her gaze. And yet she did not panic. Even as her face went pale, she turned and looked at Naruto. A trembling arm stretched out towards him.

"Would you be a dear and catch me?" she asked breathlessly. "I think I'm about to fain-

Naruto dove forward just before Freya's legs buckled beneath her. Just as well, too; because the Winter Maiden crumpled bonelessly in his arms. Any attempt on his part to rouse her failed spectacularly; when he laid one hand against her forehead, he was alarmed to find her skin eerily warm to the touch. Even when he threaded some chakra through his marked hand and tried to push it into her body, she didn't wake.

"Willow ain't gonna like this...

Footsteps reached his ears as he rose, rapidly approaching from the north. Whoever they were, they didn't feel like friendlies; a wash of negative emotions only served to confirm his suspicions. More of the last, more men come to attack Freya, and he still didn't know why. He couldn't just leave her here, but something told him taking her to a hospital was even worse of an idea right now. If this group -whomever they were- had the gall to attack in broad daylight, a hospital raid wasn't out of the question,

That left the manor. It was still nearby after all, in the opposite direction, and moreover, heavily guarded. At top speed, he could be there in a moment.

"Cinder." Naruto blew out a sigh, decision made as he pulled Frye's limp form into his chest. "Up on my shoulders. Quickly now. Hold tight."

She complied immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck for dear life.

Blue eyes burned red as Naruto bolted away in a flash of golden light.

And the world of Remnant changed that much more.

A/N: Aaaaand cut!

Alright, lets answer your questions here.

Firstly, Willow wasn't in this chapter for a damned good reason.

Second, that was Fria -or is it Freya?! So confusing!- with the storm earlier and no, she didn't die. Just collapsed from blood-loss.

Thirdly, yes, that be Marcus Black. Mercury's father. The infamous assassin. A man who can STEAL and wield multiple Semblances; something that was never expanded on in RWBY. Such a shame.

Next chapter shall be called Before You Go. Taking some inspiration from Lewis Capaldi there. The "ball" mentioned in the preview of last chapter is already shaping up to be nearly thirty thousand words on TOP OF THIS and I can't hold back the chapter an longer. We'll have a Cinder and Willow P.O.V. next chapter, along with the rest and all the good bits everyone's been waiting on.

So In The Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? It keeps us all alive.

Without reviews, we wither and die. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Now then, we do hope you enjoy the previews. Read at your own risk, of course:

Why? Because next chapter, things start to get heavy. Once more! Read at your own risk! Big scenes ahead!

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

(POTENTIAL Previews)

Summer regarded Naruto's text with wide silver eyes.

"I need your help with Willow." it read.

"Raven! Portal! Now!"

---

"Willow's gonna sing?!"

"Wait, does that mean Naruto's going to sing, too?"

A pause followed. Someone clapped their hands over their mouth. Too little, too late.

"NARUTO CAN SING?!"

---

"May I have this dance?"

---

"He knows too much, James. Far, far too much."

"Oz, you're being paranoid."

"Am I?" the Headmaster's didn't take his glare of the dancing pair, unlikely as they were. "One incident I could overlook as coincidence, but two? Three? No, I think not." Exasperated, he gave up and downed his flute of whine in a huff. "I though it odd that he was so adamant against joining Beacon at the time, now I see why. He's forming a power base in Atlas. The Schnee Family is all but besotted with his every deed, the White Fang sing his praises, and now he's befriended the Winter Maiden! Tell me, what am I to think of that?! He could be an agent of Salem for all we know!"

A dark brow rose. "I find that unlikely, given his behavior.

"Damnit, man!" Ozpin buried his head in his hands. "Not you, too!"

Another brow rose. "Calm, old friend."

"I...yes. Perhaps I'm overreacting." with a supreme effort of will -and a deep breath!- the immortal calmed himself. "Regardless, I need to speak with him; I simply must, if only to know where his loyalties lie."

"Good luck prying him away from HER for the next hour."

To his credit, Ozpiun blanched.

"Yes, well, I can wait...

---

"Do you have any comment on the matter?"

"Miss Waters, was it?" Naruto's smile suddenly seemed a little more plastic than before. "See that microphone there in your hand?"

"Yes What of it...oh. Oh, dear." the reporter eyed him warily, only now recognizing just who he was. Raven wanted to cackle. Fool of a woman. She'd been fishing for a story alright, but instead of a minnow she'd gone and caught herself a shark. Too bad, so sad. Now Naruto was mad.

"Yup." Raven's grin was just the right shade of vicious. "That thing's going up your ass if you don't take back what you just said. In three...two...one...!"

R&R~!