A/N: EDIT: Flames again. Really? REALLY?! Can't we all just get along? Stop telling me to die, will ya?!

Furthermore, the reason Naruto has TWO Semblances? That's a plot point. You'll hear about it in the third chapter.

After all, this is our boy we're talking about here. Just reincarnated in a different body.

There, that's the disclaimer out of the way here.

Sorrrrrrrrry~! Work issues kept me away longer than I liked.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Yes, we've had quite the timeskip! I won't say anymore for fear of spoilers, but...get ready to smile.

Naruto and Emerald have changed more than you think, this chapter goes to show just how much has been altered.

Furthermore, Ozpin and Glynda's speech is paraphrased from Volume One. Hope that alleviates any confusion.

My team is busy with real life issues atm, so its just little 'ol me writing again for now.

Well, the Corona Virus is certainly making an impact isn't it? Things are getting crazy out there. One of my two jobs even go shut down due to his madness. And the other involves retail and foodstuffs. I've had an up-close-and-personal view of just how nasty things are. Angry mobs, fighting over water and toiler paper, not to mention food and milk. I almost got knifed over food.

FOOD!

You know, it really seems like people are losing their mind these days. I get that the you-know-what virus is bad and all here in the States; sometimes it feels like the world's about to end. I get that its causing panic, but c'mon! We've survived far worse than this, and I know in my heart that the world -all of us!- will get through this just the same. Hang in there guys and gals. I know we can get through this. Strange as it may sound, I have faith in humanity.

Just as I believe in each and every one of you. Alright, onto the story notes!

Emerald's Semblance has had the chance to evolve over time, in that she can cast it on more of people without collapsing immediately. It gives her intense migraines of course; too much strain and she'll knock herself right out.

Think of her as a tame/less spastic version of Nora in this story; in that she's VERY open with her affection towards Naruto and quite protective. They aren't together yet. Now that I think about it, Emerald's and Naruto's upbringing is quite similar to what Red and Nora went through. Both grew up as orphans. However, I want to point out a VERY big difference. Vacuo has hardened Naruto and Emerald in ways that Ren and Nora aren't yet capable of. They've done some dark things to get to Vale, things they're not proud of, but did anyway.

Now I COULD have taken the easy route and slapped them with Cinder, following the events of canon.

But then I thought to myself, I want this to be something different than usual. New! Unique!

Emerald will keep Thief's Respite of course, because its a nasty, wicked little thing.

Someone also pointed out a quote for me that describes this story perfectly:

"Bad guys who protect their friends are the best kind of friends to have."

As for the team they're on...hehehehe...you won't be disappointed.

In fact, this chapter is easily one of the dirtier ones at that.

Someone asked if Illia is in this story. Aye, she is!

Wonder if you can spot her?

"Why do you put up with me like this? I'm poison. I'll just drag you down again."

"Eh, I like trouble. Peace is boring. Life's more fun this way, you know?"

"But why?! You'd have a better life without me! Your Semblance-

"Nope. You an' me? We're besties now. Tough luck."

"Dolt! You...you could go anywhere Be anyone!"

"So you're saying I should choose, then?"

"YES! Finally, you're listening to me-

"Then I choose to be your friend."

*screams incoherently*

~early days.

Rise and Shine

He was having the dream again, wasn't he?

Naruto knew it the moment he opened his eyes and found himself standing in a sewer for what felt like the umpteenth time. When he inhaled, the cloying and musty scent of decay invaded his nose. When he moved, the faint slosh of water lapped against the legs of his jeans. When he strained his ears, he caught the distant sound of deep breathing. Well. That confirmed it. Dream it was. Who thought up this tacky scenery anyway? Was this meant to intimidated him. And it had. The first few times. Now? It was already old hat to him.

Naruto craned his neck, frowning in the dim light as shadows splayed across his face. "Here again, huh?"

It was always like this; every night since he'd turned seventeen, this vision had plagued him without fail. That had been a month ago now. It wasn't even that unpleasant anymore, really. Just...confusing. Every night he woke to find himself here, standing at the end of a long corridor, bleak metal-green walls stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see. As always he would glimpse something standing on the other side.

Something -or was it someone?- was waiting for him.

He didn't know how he knew, only that he did.

Just as he knew he'd fail to reach the other side in time. He always did. No matter how softly he stepped, no matter how quickly he managed to move. He suspected even if he ran at it full steam, he would inevitably wake before he found the end of the corridor. It was simply a fact of life. One that had grown increasingly tiresome. If this dream was trying to tell him something, it wasn't doing a very good job. Weren't visions supposed to do that? Impart nuggets of wisdom or something?

Didn't stop him from wading through the swampy water again anyway.

"Look, whoever you are, I don't get what you're trying to tell me." his voice echoed out into the dank corridor. "But this needs to stop."

Silence reigned supreme. A blond brow twitched.

"Fine. Be that way."

Against his better judgement, the blond surged forward in a mad dash, sending water spitting at his heels as his body blurred. Blue eyes squinted into the darkness and the salty spray, desperately trying to glimpse at the large antechamber beyond. There was something there. Something large. Red. He just couldn't discern its shape. Not yet. But he'd reach it this time. He was Determined. Nothing would wake him before he made it. So it came as something of a surprise when he did; crashed into the room beyond the corridor at last to finally find...

Hot, fetid breath washed over his face.

...teeth. Lots of teeth. More than he could possibly count.

Shit shit shit! What the hell is that?! Reverse course! Stoooop!

Naruto slammed himself to a halt, water spraying up at his ankles.

There was no other word for the creature looming before him, nor the toothy maw looming before him. The body connected to it? More so. Gods, it just didn't end. Sprawled in the darkness like some kind of great god, it didn't make any move to attack. Worse, the beast didn't appear to be terribly interested in him. If anything, it seemed to be...asleep? He wasn't sure if he should be appalled or relieved. It was just laying there in the darkness, snoring softly. There was something familiar about it; as though he'd found a long lost friend.

An itch started in the back of his head.

"Wake up."

"Not this time, you bastard." Naruto growled. "Who the hell are you?"

"Wake. Up."

"I said no, godamnit!" he grit his teeth. "Who are you?! Why do you keep bringing me here?!"

"I SAID WAKE UP!"

Now that aggravating itch ignited into full blow pain, causing him to snarl and, clutching at his aching skull.

His boot shot out and kicked the creature right in the snout. "Oh, for crying out loud! Pay attention to me, damnit!"

With that, he got his wish; though he'd soon regret it. A massive crimson eye snapped open to regard him in the black. Naruto sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. His own reflection gazed back at him within that bloody iris. His own face...and yet not. Warmer, without his faunus traits. With less scars and a strange metal headband wrapped around his forehead. Then that terrifying eye blinked and the image was gone, replaced by the giant freaking fox right in his face. Its voice was thunder in his ears:

"You're not ready."

"Wait, what the hell does that-

Then a giant crimson paw came crashing down upon his head and he knew no more.

(.0.0.0.)

"WAKE UP!"

Naruto's eyes snapped open with a start; not from Emerald's voice, but the inhuman snarl that haunted that last moments of his dream. Just as well too-because not a heartbeat later a pair of pillows sailed toward his face. He grabbed at the first, only to blink when his hand passed through it like so much empty air. Not so the second; the second was anything but an illusion; it smacked him right on the nose and sent him tumbling out of bed with a roar like a startled Ursa. To his credit, he successfully evaded the third, snatched it up with his tail, and flung it back at her face.

"Hey! What the hell, Em?!"

"Shush!" her voice surged at him as he scrubbed sleep from his eyes. "We worked our asses off to get out of that hole in Vacuo! Do you have any IDEA how hard it was to forge all that bloody paperwork?" His silver jacket sailed out and smacked him in the face as struggled upright, fingers wrapping around the red-streaked material. "I'm not going back there because you slept in!"

"Slept in for what...?" Naruto groaned.

Grumbling all the while, his mind reluctantly concluded its threat assessment and concluded he wasn't in peril by the time he pulled on a pair of worn black jeans alongside a tattered saffron shirt. Right. One bed, a dirty window spilling shards of morning light into the room. Walls of faded cream and a carpet that hadn't been cleaned in months. This wasn't Vacuo. This was Vale. More aptly, this was their apartment; the one they'd been renting for the better par of a week now in preparation for...what was it again? Damnit. He'd forgotten. His bleary mind grasped at the details and they slipped through his fingers like so much rainwater.

So what the hell was he forgetting?

"Catch!"

Devil's Retribution whipped toward his head from the corner of his eye, and Naruto instinctively snagged his treasured -and aptly named!- weapon out of the air, staggering a bit before the paired red and black blurs could whirl from his grasp to decimate a nearby wall. His fingers closed around the curved steel as he swung it onto each arm, feeling it hum pleasantly beneath his grasp as the heavy metal within absorbed the impact, sealing it away to be unleashed later. They weren't small; on the contrary, anyone else would've struggled just to wield one of them with both hands and here. That he could wield one to each wrist spoke of his strength. Donning his weapons always felt like coming home...or it would have if he hadn't nearly lost his head just now.

He said as much. "Watch it! You trying to kill me or something?!"

"Sorry!" Emerald's head poked around the corner! "Just get ready already, will you!?"

Securing the twin circular great shields to each wrist -and careful to check his reflection in their polish- gave the young man's mind mind a moment to kick itself back into gear. He almost wished it hadn't. Pure Atlesian steel shimmered back up at him, and he saw his eyes widen within. Oh. Right. That was today, wasn't it? Emerald had every right to be mad at him then.

Sure enough, a tan teenage blur shot past him, shedding and donning clothes in a writhing whirlwind of brown and green.

"C'mon! We're gonna be late for the Hunter exam! Quick! Use your Semblance to get us there!"

His ears twitched. "What? No! I'm not some glorified teleporting taxi!"

"I'll buy you a weeks worth of ramen!" she shot back.

Blue eyes lit up. "DONE!"

"Wait!" much to his annoyance, she stepped back when he approached and performed a quick spin. "How do I look?!"

Say what you would about her, but she certainly had a...unique taste in fashion.

Today's attire was much as it had always been; in that it consisted of a sand-worn white jacket alongside a shallow olive crop top and pants that hinted at the flowing curves beneath. White shorts flowed down into brown chaps that ended at her calves and long belt wrapped to keep her weapons in a pouch. Thief's Respite winked out at him for a moment as she presented her back to him, her hips swaying just so. Her hopeful expression, that silent desire for his approval melted any resistance he might've mustered. This was the girl he'd fallen in love with. The girl he'd sworn to become a Hunter with. And she was asking him how she looked?

He never stood a chance.

Naruto swallowed thickly, suddenly struck by an inexplicable urge to kiss his longtime friend and bend her over a-DOWN BOY! He ruthlessly slapped down his libido when it reared its ugly head. Alas, the same could not be said for his mouth and a lone word tumbled out of his lips before he could think to hold himself back.

"Beautiful."

No! Bad tongue!

This was mutiny!

Em's face went red.

"O-Oh." She turned, twirling a strand of mint green hair in her finger. "Is that so? Do my hair, would you?"

It wasn't a command, but a request, one he responded to nonetheless.

Reaching around, Naruto plucked a hair tie from the dresser and helped her bind her flowing green locks into a loose ponytail. Under normal circumstances she preferred to wear it down, but he understood the need to make an impression. Emerald liked her hair. She'd taken to growing it out ages ago; he suspected it had something to do with a remark he'd made about it when they were children. Still, who was he to complain? She looked good. Damn good at that, though he wasn't about to trust his tongue again.

So he took a step forward again.

"Hold up." her hand settled against his chest.

His lips pursed in a thin line of displeasure. "Now what?!"

He wasn't expecting her to bury her head into his chest, wrap both arms around him, and inhale deeply. He fought down a pleasant shiver as her own scent rushed over him. At such close proximity, it was near impossible to ignore. She smelled of shampoo and mint, all warm soft curves and toned muscle pressing against him. It felt...nice, all things considered. She hadn't done this in awhile. Which left him utterly baffled as to why she had chosen to glomp him now. Weren't they running late already?

"Uh...Em?" Naruto croaked. "What are you doing?"

She hummed happily into his chest. "Just getting my fix."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. Uh-oh. A content Emerald meant a mischievous Emerald. This did not bode well for him. Or maybe it did bode well. Girls were confusing and he knew Emerald better than most. He didn't much feel like pushing her off at the moment. Meh. In the end Naruto gave in and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Don't let go, alright?" he warned. "Its gonna be a bumpy ride."

Scarlet eyes gleamed up at him. "Let go? Of you? Never."

And the world fell away.

(.0.0.0.)

Naruto didn't much like his Semblance.

It was the first -the one he was even now utilizing at this very moment- not the second that troubled him. All told, the second was...suited to the skills he'd cultivated over the last ten years. He'd learned to fight and win through any means necessary, to cover distances quickly when engaging any and all opponents. Even he knew how uncommon it was to possess such a unique ability. One powerful Semblance such as Emerald's was rare to begin with. But two? Someone capable of wielding two separate Semblances? That was unheard of.

Ah, but he digressed.

His first, not-so-aptly named Flash, allowed him and anyone in contact with him to travel between any point he had marked with Aura-infused ink. A touch was all it took to mark something and he could mark a lot before his reserves ran low. On paper it sounded like a perfect Semblance. Near instantaneous teleportation? Emerald had once equated it to something called fast travel from one of her video games. In combat it was particularly potent. Not quite super speed, but something on another level entirely.

The downside? Each jump was a blind one.

All the world would turn bright and gold whenever Naruto used his Semblance and he often had little control of how he landed. Nor could he see who or what was on the other side until he'd already made the "leap" as it were. Longer jumps would leave him exhausted for days at a time. The more passenger? The more strain. He would know. He'd tried jumping back to Vacuo once when he was younger. Once. The return trip had left him with a raging fever, leaving an equally frantic Emerald to nurse him back to health. It wasn't something he was keen to try again.

Fortunately, the apartment they'd rented with the last of their savings wasn't far from the Academy.

Unfortunately, their landing wasn't exactly gentle this time around.

"Oomph?!"

Emerald's arms tightened around him as reality snapped back into existence, holding on for dear life. They didn't so much land as they did drop; because he'd placed the mark for his Semblance just a little higher than he should have. Better for it to be high up and hard to reach -as well as remove!- than risk it being discovered and destroyed. Still, their landing was rather softly all things considered.

"Not bad, hotshot." Emerald hummed, content in his arms. "You stuck the landing this time without any problems. Good job."

"I'll say," a new voice crooned beneath them, causing the unlikely pair to jump. "There's just one tiiiiiiny little problem. Well, maybe not so tiny."

Naruto and Emerald looked down as one. Much to their dismay, a pair of a black wire-rimmed aviator sunglasses stared back at them; framed by daring dark hair, and a young woman's rueful-yet-pained smile. Well, that much was to be expected, given they were all but sitting on her stomach and pinning her to the ground. A beat of silenced passed between the trio. Then another. Another still.

"Hello, there." Their victim groaned, patting Naruto's tail. "Could you get off me, please?"

The blond spun upright with a mortified yelp, pulling his partner with him.

"Sorry!"

Caramel-colored eyes regarded them as she climbed to her feet. "Well, you didn't have to do it that fast...

Something in Emerald bristled as she laid eyes on the girl.

The newcomer -whom she solemnly swore to refer to as Sunglasses henceforth!- had a...unique taste in fashion.

For that was exactly what the brunette seemed to be wearing; the latest designer brands from Atlas to Vale, and a long cocoa-colored shirt with dark brown trousers with ribbons and a waist cincher to match. For some strange reasons she had a number of cartridges slung into her belt along the length of her hips alongside a long drape of black skirt hanging on her right side. And of course she had to top off the look with a pair of dark brown, high-heeled leather boots with more buckles. Did this girl had a fetish for bukcles and ammo-belts or something?

Worse, Naruto seemed to have taken it into his head to give her a once over. "You're not hurt, are you? We landed pretty hard."

"Don't sweat it, hot stuff." Sunglasses hummed, dusting herself off. "Its not everyday I get double-teamed."

Emerald bridled anew at the insinuation. "Who the hell are you?"

Sunglasses sketched a shallow bow.

"Coco Adel, aspiring huntress at your service." she paused with a touch of flair, straightened, and touched a finger to her smirking lips. "At least I will be once I ace this test. Say, that's a nice Semblance you've got there, whiskers." her head tilted, regarding something over his shoulder. "Teleportation, right? Haven't seen one like that before. Must be useful." she flashed a wink at him. "Can I keep you?"

Naruto nearly choked on his own tongue and Emerald was only a beat behind.

"What?!"

"Kidding, I'm kidding!" She laughed.

Naruto blinked, ears flatting against his head. "So how did you-

"Well, I was looking at that before the two of you came dropping in".

The now-named Coco waved up at the black seal mark had Naruto placed on the wall and sure enough their gaze followed hers. He'd marked a random patch of stone on the Academy grounds. Not very smart in hindsight, but he hadn't been thinking at the time. Mistakes were made.

With a thought, he leaped up and slammed his palm against the mark to banish it.

"Well. I was wondering who had the balls to slap graffiti up there." Coco paused to to plant a hand on her hips as she tilted her shades down, exposing those bright eyes again. "You've got stones, kid. What's your name?"

...Naruto." Surely there wasn't any harm in telling her that. Was there?

"Hmm. Foreign." her grin blossomed anew. "I like that."

Emerald didn't.

Something ugly had reared its head in her heart the moment she laid eyes on this girl and now it bared its teeth like an angry dragon in the face of this unprecedented threat. Was this...jealousy? She wondered if it was. Emerald had never experienced the like before. She'd spent years honing her skills alongside her partner. Trained up her Semblance to the point that it was the literal equivalent of a mindfuck as they traveled the world together. Moving to Vale and trying to become Hunters had been her choice as much as his. The life of a thief was a poor one, and they'd wanted something better than Vacuo. Atlas...Atlas had been a rude awakening.

Damn Naruto and his curiosity. Why did he have to steel those shields?

And now on the first day of what was to be their new life, someone sauntered in and said things to him Emerald would never dare speak aloud.

Already she felt the beginnings her Semblance start to sizzle in response to her stress. It wasn't that this girl was pushy; on the contrary, she walked a fine line between sense and snark, navigating that tender tightrope with ease. She was just so full of...personality. Under any other circumstance Emerald was certain they would have gotten along swimmingly. But now that personality that was directed toward Naruto. Her Naruto. He didn't even seem to realize it, fielding her endless questions as he did. Well, she could change that, couldn't she? Just a thought, a bit of focus on Coco, and her Semblance would do the rest. Not Naruto. He'd see what she was up to right away. Better to startle her rival than...

Her mind actually rebooted for a moment, causing the girl to blink.

Reality slapped her. Oh god, she had a rival on her first day.

Right, that did it. She was pissed.

Naruto sensed something amiss immediately; he knew it by the chill that shot down his spine, just as he saw Emerald's red eyes begin to brighten. She was about to unleash her Semblance, a tell so minuscule that only he saw it; and even then that slip of knowledge was born from spending years together. No one else could possibly notice. Frankly, it was something of a miracle that he did; likely because he'd been exposed to it time and time again in the last decade. So long as she didn't catch him when he was half asleep, he could always tell fact from fiction.

"Hey, now." Which was precisely why he slipped in and laid a hand on Em's shoulder before she could do anything untoward to Coco. "We're all friends here!"

"Are we?" Emerald's smile was a touch too sweet. "I can't recall."

Coco caught it too; because she hefted her purse over a shoulder. Wait. Was that thing a purse? Emerald wondered. It looked more life a briefcase. Was that supposed to be her weapon? Beggars couldn't be choosers she supposed, but now the look the girl was shooting them looked almost...coy, by comparison.

"Wait. Are you two...?"

She made a motion with her fingers.

"Together?" Naruto frowned. "Not like that."

"So you're free for the taking, then? Good to know."

Thankfully, someone intervened before Emerald could throttle her.

"Oh, gods." a distant voice cried out in meek dismay. "Coco, what did you do this time?!"

The brunette's head snapped to the side as the rapid sound of footfalls approached. "Nothin', bun-bun. Just making new friends-HEY?! Don't drag me!"

Not another one!

"We're already late!" came the whine. "We don't have time for friends!"

Sure enough, a brown blur latched onto the fashionista and promptly began to haul her off. Emerald was half inclined to let her. Nevermind being late; losing a few minutes was more than worth it if she meant she could distance herself from this girl. She would have gotten away with it too; if Naruto hadn't seized the opening and snagged her by the wrist, dragging him forward after them at a brisk pace. The illusionist tried to dig her heels in, to no avail.

"Traitor!"

A bland look silenced her.

"Oh, hush. We're going the same way."

"This here's Velvet Scarlatina." Coco said by way of greeting as they caught up. "Don't mind her. She's shy."

The girl offered a meek, wave. "H-Hello."

Emerald immediately realized the newcomer was a faunus if only because of her rabbit ears. By contrast, her doe-like eyes made her seem almost harmless. Clad in a brown long-sleeved jacket that wrapped down around her chest over her, shirt, she wore golden spaulders and vambraces on both arms, with a similar belt, and her heel and toes were likewise defended. Her leggings were more of the same, but by then Emerald had already dismissed her as harmless. If Coco was an alpha predator then this one was a harmless little bunny by comparison. No pun intended. Didn't mean she had to like the way the girl was looking at Naruto.

"You're a faunus?"

Much to her chagrin, the blond preened. "Ears gave it away, huh?"

Velvet's own perked up. "N-No! Not at all! Its just, I couldn't help but notice your tail...

"Fluffy, right?" Coco reached out to brush a hand through the golden fur, causing the whiskered warrior to jolt.

"Stop that!" he hissed, swatting her hand.

"Oho, sensitive are we?" the brunette waggled a brow at him. "Make sense, I guess. Velvet's kinda the same way with her ears and all."

"COCO!"

"What, just being honest!"

Emerald wanted nothing to do with that conversation, but a thought occurred to her and she seized on it as they walked. "Why were you running late?"

Velvet's ears drooped at the distraction and the poor girl suddenly looked like someone had kicked her puppy. "Coco's fault. Not mine."

"I needed my coffee, okay?!" the brunette flung up her hands. "That Vale slop is disgusting! What's your excuse?"

Naruto and Emerald exchanged a wry, knowing look. Don't you dare! the latter willed at him.

"Slept in." the former confessed immediately, scratching the back of his head.

"Seriously?" Coco guffawed right back. "Didn't take you for the type."

"I'm not." Naruto sniffed, his prided wound. "Em kept me up-

Emerald stomped on his foot, drawing a whine. "Why?!"

"No reason." she stuck her tongue a thim.

In short order the unlikely quartet bustled their way to Beacon with a few other latecomers. All the while Emerald prayed she'd never see Coco or Velvet again. That they'd simply go their separate ways and be done with one another. No more interruptions. No more new faces. It was a simple wish, she thought. Surely the gods would grant it.

The gods laughed at her.

She knew it the moment her shoulder clipped someone who wasn't Naruto. To be fair, it wasn't Emerald's fault. She'd been clinging to his arm and hadn't gone out of her way to bump into anyone deliberately. Someone had tried to bull past them and wound up clipping her instead. She glimpsed red hair and a pair of broad shoulders out of the corner of her eye before she wrenched her head back. Nope. Not doing it. Not interacting with whoever the hell that was. She didn't want to people anymore today. Her first instinct was to clamp down on her tongue, lest she draw even more attention to themselves.

"Hey!" Leave to her partner to raise his voice. "Watch we're you're going!"

The redhead turned and Emerald glimpsed a frown set in a pale face. It was a young man, thank the gods.

Clad almost entirely in black, it made his slim figure and sharp eyes all the more striking. Wait. Was that a sword at his belt?

"My apologies." his voice was crisp and brisk, as though he were reciting lines from a script. "I wasn't paying attention." The tension in his shoulders and the deathgrip on his weapon told another story. He looked fit to burst at any moment. Indeed, when his gaze found Naruto and Velvet, he almost looked as though he would speak further. Only then did he deign to finally look at her and Coco. Whatever the stranger saw between the four of them must have calmed him somehow; because those stern eyes softened and his hand fell from the hilt of his sword.

"You gonna say something else, angsty?" Coco arched an eyebrow as she tapped her foot.

Her quip almost made Emerald smile. What was it with this girl and her nicknames?

The swordsman blinked, somewhat taken back by her blase tone.

Shaking his head, he muttered something and strode away.

Emerald followed him, the fainest frown on her lips.

It sounded almost like he'd said acceptable.

"Who the hell was that?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Who knows?"

They continued on in companionable silence after that and soon arrived at their destination; no sooner did they reach the academy grounds than they found themselves bundled together and crammed into the auditorium like a pack of sardines.

Emerald wasn't surprised to see a microphone awaiting on stage.

Well, that settled her suspicions. Someone would be giving a speech, she realized with a pang of dread. Perhaps it was the Vacuo girl in her, but she loathed speeches. They were flowery and a waste of time. Actions were what mattered, now pretty words on stage. Any attempt on her part to slip away was ruthlessly thwarted as the bodies pressed in tightly around her and her companions, pinning them in place, Coco and Velvet all crushed in against them. Bastards. Why had she agreed to become a huntress again?

When a hand found her shoulder, she almost jumped.

"Breathe." Naruto's voice was a warm breath in her ear. "We're not in any danger here."

Emerald squirmed, suddenly aware of just how close they were to each other, and not at all disliking it.

"I hate speeches," she grumbled, flicking a glare over her shoulder. "You know that. There's no point to them."

"Maybe not," her partner favored her with a roguish grin, but his eyes narrowed when he saw her hand stray toward's Coco's pocket. "Don't. We're not thieves anymore, Em."

She wilted. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."

His chin settled on her shoulder. "They do, don't they?"

Emerald felt a slow blush heat the back of her neck. "What're you doing?"

"Getting comfy." came the yawn. "Something tells me we're gonna be here awhile."

"What-don't fall asleep on me!" She shook herself to throw him off. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to distract me."

Blue eyes twinkled merrily. "It worked, didn't it?"

Sure enough, by the time she turned back to the stage, a smartly dressed man clad in black with pale hair -Ozpin, Naruto whispered to her- had already stepped up to the mic.

Coughing into his fist, he commanded their attention.

"I'll keep this brief. I see many of you here before me today. Some from Altas, Mistral, Vale, and even Vacuo." Naruto and Emerald perked up when that bespectacled gaze raked over them. "Whatever your backgrounds, whatever your past, you have traveled here in search of knowledge; knowledge to hone your craft and acquire new skills." he paused for effect, waiting for his words to sink in. "And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. As I look amongst you now, I see the potential for greatness; but also, wasted energy in need of purpose, and direction."

Coco sneezed, but still Ozpin continued:

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge will only carry you so far." his gaze swept over each of them, from a slight looking girl bearing a whip, a stunning young woman clad in a sinfully sensual red dress. "It is up to you to take the first step and in that, I wish you well."

With that, he stepped aside and a woman in white stepped forth to take his place.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight." she instructed, keen eyes boring into each of them in turn. "Tomorrow your initiation begins. Until then, you are free to move about the campus as you see fit. Dismissed."

"Sounds like quite the wait." Emerald groused.

"I'll say." someone grumbled.

She thought it Naruto's voice, but when she turned, she found a boy with silver hair and leather armor waiting for her. What? Where the devil had her partner gone? Red eyes flicked left, then right to no avail. Somewhere in between the speeches, the press of bodies had parted and they'd been separated. He wasn't anywhere to be seen, nor were Coco or Velvet at that. Where had they gone?

"I'm sorry," she muttered, trying to excuse herself from the mess she'd fallen into. "I thought you were someone else."

"I get that a lot. Mercury Black." the silver-haired youth beamed and offered his hand. "Nice to meet ya."

Emerald twitched; not out of any dislike for the silver-haired boy...but something else. She'd always been able to read people, even as a little girl. If a thief didn't know how to read their mark, said thief didn't live long. It was a mistake she'd made once when she was little once. Once. Never again. Ever since she'd ever kept her guard up. And something about him made a silent voice in the back of her head hiss. So she refused his hand and stepped back half a pace. Then another. And another still.

"Sorry." she said." I don't shake hands with strangers."

Mercury arched a demure eyebrow. "What's wrong? Scared?"

Emerald bristled. "Of you? Hardly." She was terrified. "I didn't-

"Em, come on." Naruto's voice called somewhere behind her. "We've gotta get ready!"

"Where the hell did you go, red eyes?!" Of course, that was Coco again.

"Right, they're looking for me." she sighed, relieved. "Gotta go."

Perhaps should've hesitated. Should've watched him.

Instead she turned, dismissing him in her haste.

She missed the leer Mercury shot at her back.

...see you around."

A/N: Aaaaand the plot thickens.

Mercury's creeping about. But for good or ill, I wonder...?

Adam is FAR more sane in this story, not at all the psycho we got in later volumes.

We'll get to see the good bits next chapter, this one was more of a preparation, and I DID promise an update today.

NOW HOLD ON! WAIT JUST ONE SECOND! Before anyone hauls off and starts shouting at me for the stunt I've just pulled. Did we glimpse a certain psychotic redhead? Or a certain power hungry woman we all know and love/despits? No, surely not. Surely not. Right? Now, whatever would bring Adam and Cinder to disguise themselves and attempt such a scheme, let alone together? And a girl with a whip. Whomever might that be?

I'm being sarcastic, of course.

That's right. Without Emerald, Cinder wasn't confident to try and tackle Amber head on. I mean, they BARELY got her when it was three against one. Anything less than that and she wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Probably has something to do with Amber being alive and walking around as an independent huntress.

I DID say this story would be one for the ages.

Naruto's weapon idea and dual semblance came from the idea a fan suggested, but with a vicious twist. Shields are meant to protect...but they can smash your face in if you're not careful. Which led our boy to use his like the good 'ol Captain America of yore. But his are rebounding PAIR of shields that store kinetic energy and unleash it with a push. Couple that with his already absurd physical strength atop his past life, and you've got a walking tank. No swords for him. He doesn't need them, though I dare say he could teach Jaune a thing or two if asked.

As for his Semblances; well, "Flash" was already explained quite well.

His second, Reaper's Touch is exactly what it sounds like. It weakens and drains his enemies; even kills under certain conditions. But he has to hit an enemy for it to work. And the strength Naruto drains goes right to him; though he can use it to heal as well. Its not something he wants to use on human enemies. Nor is it a guaranteed thing. Think of it as luck based. For example, Ozpin or Salem, who are absurdly strong would shrug that off. Qrow's Semblance would likely negate it entirely. Finally, in case anyone didn't catch it, I've been heavily hinting that some last vestiges of Kurama still linger within Naruto. Memories of his old life, bits of his old power, that sort of thing.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review Would You Kindly?

Keeps an old man alive.

Have a preview.

Hints ahoy!

(Preview)

Where where where?!

Emerald slammed forward the moment she hit the forest floor. She needed to move. Needed-

To her credit, she made nine steps before a whooping streak of silver and gold struck the ground before her like a falling comet.

Naruto straightened in the dust, shields collapsing on themselves, having cushioned his fall. Bastard actually struck a pose, one hand poised toward the sky. "I have arrived!"

Emerald couldn't help herself; even as started laughing her burned from grateful tears, tears she scrubbed away before her partner could see. Because that was precisely who he was.

"Bah! Its not like we can't handle ourselves here." Devil's Retribution smashed through an Ursa, slashed into a Beowulf and rebounded off a nearby tree to land in his waiting grasp once more. "A few Grimm? After what we've been through? Child's play. The one's in Vacuo were worse."

Emerald restrained a shudder. That was putting it mildly.

A distant crunch said otherwise.

"Huh." Naruto noted. "Somebody just died."

Emerald shrugged. "And nothing of value was lost."

With a silent fist bump, Gold and Emerald continued onward.

Emerald swore.

Velvet whimpered.

Naruto sucked in a breath.

"Why is that bastard pulling her ears?"

He was up and out of his seat before Coco could stop him. "Hey, wait! She can handle-

"I'm not going to hurt him. I'm just going to talk to that boy. Loudly. Repeatedly. With my fists."

Without another word the enraged blond stalked across the cafeteria, ignoring any and all attempts to call him back.

All three women watched in quiet silence at what followed, their heads tilted near horizontal to follow each and every movement.

Mercury sauntered over. Saw the disaster, and paused to whistle. "Damn. Didn't know you could bend the human body that way. Looks painful."

Coco snapped a picture. "I'll say."

Naruto stormed back with sound and aplomb, Velvet draped in his arms like a princess. If the latter made a quiet keening noise between her teeth, no one dared comment on it. No one dared look at her face either; her cheeks were just as red as her name before she buried her head in his chest.

"Nobody messes with our bunny."

NOTE: Yes, you'll get more details than this in the actual chapter.

R&R~!