A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?

Shorter than I'd like it to be, but it can't be helped. Work calls T_T

As ever, the Embers rule remains in effect. If folks don't like this story, POOF! Deleted. Away it goes. That's no joke.

So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! Reviews are fuel these days, and sometimes it feels like chatting with you all is all that keeps me going. Just wanted to thank you all for the feedback. Every bit of it helps. Really, it does.

In other news I'm still horribly sick, my boss is making my life hell, and I'm at my wits end.

I suppose this chapter reflects my current state of mind...which is not the best at the moment. Its time for a change, I think. No job is worth this, and its time I found another that isn't actively killing me.

Q: What are you updating next?

A: Archon, hopefully.

Q: ...you gonna do an Arcane fic?

A: Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy sounds like a grand title. That's all I'll say.

Good lord, Naruto and Powder/Jinx would wreak such havoc...

*Grins*

Q: How bad has Naruto snapped?

A: Ironically, this isn't him at his worst. Emerald was the first thing in his reincarnated life that really mattered. He found her, or rather, she found him, and they were inseparable. They grew up together. Lived together. Fell inlove. Now thanks to Cinder's machinations, she won't wake up.

For him? Its like losing a piece of himself.

Cinder took something from him, so he took something from her in turn.

I can already hear the questions. How badly did he break her mind? Is she a drooling wreck now? Read and see.

Q: He's gone full All For One hasn't he?

A: Not quite. Reviving Emerald is his priority, and he'll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Maria and the rest might try to stabilize him, but take that away and hoo boy...

Well. You'll soon see.

Alright, then. I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, no?

As ever, I own no references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! They're merely tributes.

"See no evil...speak no evil...hear no evil...

...but evil still occurs. Why is that?

Why do the wicked prosper?

Why do the good falter?

WHY?!"

~A Grieving Partner.

Speak of the Devil

"Sorry I'm late, Em. Miss me?"

Emerald Sustrai didn't open her eyes.

Somehow that hurt Naruto more than her silence ever could.

Once, she would've retorted with a snappy quip. Rolled her eyes. Slapped his shoulder. Now she did none of those things. Nothing at all. She just...laid there, alive, yet not alive, little more than a shell of her former self. Bad enough that she was laid up in bed wearing that awful gown, yet the indignity of being unable to do anything -to watch as the doctors fussed over her!-i t was maddening. The steady blip of her heart monitor droned on and on, a steady beep-beep-beep that confirmed her vitals. Nothing more.

"I know, I know." he muttered to himself, slumping a little in the chair. "I shouldn't be moping around. There's work to be done. But I just wanted to check in."

"..."

A frown marred his face.

"I miss you." he looked down, wringing his hands. "Its not the same without you here."

Had her eye twitched just now? Or was he imagining things? It felt like he was grasping at straws.

"Get better soon, ye hear?" his voice nearly broke with emotion. "There's still so much I want to show, you tell you...

She didn't answer. Of course she didn't. He hung his head.

...and I will." he muttered. "Once you wake up."

Ozpin had spared no expense. He'd brought in the finest doctors from every corner of Remnant. Secretly, of course. It wouldn't for Salem to catch on. Each assured them that, aside from her fluctuating aura, Emerald was the very picture of health. That ghastly bullet had been extracted from her long ago; Ironwood was even now trying to unlock its secrets on his flagships. A bullet that pierced aura was bad enough, but it had clearly done something more to Emerald. They just didn't know what.

Without those answers, she wouldn't wake.

He'd tried everything; pouring his aura into her, using his life-force to burgeon hers, all for naught. She didn't even twitch.

"I'll save you." In a sudden pang of desperation, Naruto reached out and laid his hand over hers. Her fingers were so cold. "I will." he swore. "Don't worry...

A sudden epiphany hit him as his palm traced Emerald's. If he didn't have the right tools for the job, then he just needed to find them, didn't he? Surely there was a healing semblance out there somewhere. The human soul could accomplish incredible things; and he held the keys to unlocking it. For him it would merely be a matter of trial and error. But to save her, he'd have go back. Become that...thing again. He didn't want to go back. He'd given it up. Reformed. He had risen above the temptations of his Semblance and become a better person for it.

Unbidden, he recalled a memory.

"With great power, comes great responsibility. You mustn't lose yourself...

"I won't, Ozpin. Its the other way around, ya know. You see, I understand now. I've held back for so long. And my loved ones suffered for it. No more. NOT ONE MORE."

His teeth clenched until he felt a tooth crack in the back of his jaw. It healed a moment later.

For her sake...!

His hand clasped hers anew.

"I'll fix this." he whispered. "I swear on my soul. I won't let it consume me."

He wasn't sure how long he sat there at her bedside, pondering things. Eventually someone caught his sleeve and tugged at it.

"Are you...alright?"

Belatedly, Naruto remembered that he wasn't alone. Right, of course he wasn't. How silly of him to forget. Everyone had come to see her. Even Adam's team.

"I'm fine, Blake." He stood slowly, like a puppet severed from its strings, and plastered a smile to his face. "Of course I'm alright. I've never felt so alive." Blank red eyes regarded her. "Why do you ask?" And it was true. He knew what to doe. It was all so clear to him now. "I'm just going to go for a little walk...

Behind her, Pyrrha winced just a touch. "That's what worries me."

Maria whistled. "Right, you're scary when you get angry."

Freya nodded once. "Agreed...

Scary? They hadn't seen scary. But he wouldn't be showing them. His wrath lay elsewhere.

"Now wait just a second!" Maria must've read his face too; because the revitalized reaper grabbed his arm before he could rise. "Whatever you're thinking, don't. Bad idea. Even for you." Her fingers tightened on his arm and held fast. "I know you're angry. I know it hurts. I know you want to scream. But this isn't the way. If you do this, there will be no going back." Silver eyes drilled into his. "Trust me. I know."

Naruto patted her head once and shook free. "I'm sorry. Its already too late."

Blake stepped up beside him. "We're going with you."

He rounded on her with a hiss. "No. You're not."

Pyrrha joined her. "Yes! We are!"

"YOU WILL NOT!"

His voice boomed with thunder, so much so that they physically sat down in the face of his fury. Something deep inside Naruto shied away from their startled expressions. It hurt him to frighten them that badly, but he refused to use his Semblance on them. There were some lines he wasn't willing to cross. Even now.

So he ignored their cries. "Cinder."

Behind him a shadow stiffened. "Yes, Master?"

Illia frowned a little. "Wait. Master? Since when does she call you that?"

Naruto didn't deign to look at the frightened faunus. "This Junior fellow you mentioned earlier...does his gang have Semblances?"

Glassy golden eyes regarded him for a brief moment before she nodded. She didn't resist in the least. He hadn't left enough of her mind to resist his questions.

...anything I can use?"

Cinder told him, of course. She had absolutely no say in the matter. And the world wouldn't miss a few gangsters. As far as he was concerned, he'd be doing the world a favor.

Adam took one look at her and winced. "What did you do to her...?"

"What I had to do." he grunted. "Come along, Cinder."

She shuffled after him. "Yes...Master...

He knew just where to start.

(.0.0.0.)

Junior ran for his life.

He fled as he'd never fled from anything before in his life; all but throwing himself through the club to escape. The Club. Not his. Not anymore. Gasping for air he vaulted a bloody table, flung his body over a pair of corpses, and slammed toward the door. Scarlet shoes -they'd once been black!- slapped against the floor. Behind him he heard a softer tread, lighter, but no less dangerous for it. So too did he hear the the sounds of slaughter that followed in his wake.

Senseless, single-minded spite at its finest...and it didn't make a lick of sense!

All his men gone. The twins? Gone. Cut down in cold blood by that freaking fire bitch. Why should she betray him? He didn't know. She'd just walked in and started killing! Call him a coward, call him a craven, call him by his real name, it didn't matter. He wasn't sticking around to find out why. No arrests, no questions, just single-minded slaughter. Miltia and Melanie didn't last ten seconds. Even as within the first ten seconds. He supposed that was a mercy.

And so Hei Xiong ran.

Behind him he heard it all she was tearing through his body like a blender, ripping them apart.

A sword of glass flashed out among the neon lights, pinning his foot to the floor. He recoiled and clutched at it. Her hand c

"Why are you doing this?!"

She smiled as she sashayed forward, and that smile was a blank, vapid thing indeed. "Because my master told me to."

Something in his soul quailed. Master?! What master?! This bitch answered to someone?!

Junior tore his foot free, limped away and flung the doors open.

Someone was waiting for him there.

A hand shot out, struck Junior's chest, and sent him stumbling backward. Cinder pulled up a chair behind him; he all but stumbled into it.

"Don't run now," a low growl pierced the silence. "We have so much to discuss...

The young man before him looked calm. Too calm. Blood spattered whiskered cheeks dimpled in a friendly smile, yet for all that his eyes were red and glassy. Junior saw the bodies behind him. Panic bleated and he tried to rise from his chair. A dagger slammed down, nailing his thigh to the wooden frame. A scream tore out of him, only to find itself muffled against the back of his palm. Something in him shriveled, his very life force slowly sapping away beneath the touch of those clawed fingers.

They fell away at least, leaving him wasted and gasping for air.

Mentally and physically exhausted, it was all he could do to raise his gaze.

His mind gibbered in wild dismay. "You're kidding me, right?! Why is she listening to you?!"

Naruto flicked a long look over Cinder's shoulder. In a single seamless movement, he pivoted.

"Cinder."

The shell of a woman perked up. "Yes?"

"Sit."

Her legs folded beneath her and she landed on her knees, tucking her knees beneath her. Naruto walked to her and held out his hand.

"Paw."

Her palm slapped into his.

Naruto hummed in appreciation. "Good girl."

Oh gods. He wasn't lying; he was telling the truth!

Junior whimpered. Just a little. "What do you want from me?!"

"Your life, for starters." The blond turned to face him once more; his smile would've slain a Schnee. "I'm cleaning house." Keen eyes focused on him, burning like twin coals in his skull. "Nice Semblance ya got there." his head cocked just so. "Cinder said it helps you heal faster. Think I'll take it for a start. As for the rest...?" his lips pursed into a thin line. "You won't be around to see it. No point in telling you. For what its worth, I'm not sorry for this."

Junior whimpered.

"No, wait! Please! I can help you! I-

A hand closed around his face and his words piqued into a reedy scream.

A/N: To be clear, Naruto's gone off the deep end.

He's wiping out any and all associates of Cinder, searching for a semblance to heal Emerald and then...well...lets hope she wakes up soon. If she doesn't, there won't be much left to save.

As ever, the Embers rule remains.

If folks don't like this story, POOF! Away it goes. That's no joke.

So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!

As ever, reviews keep this old man writing. Looking forward to chatting with you all! Hope you enjoyed!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... ...Revieeew... Would You Kindly?

Hope you like the previews~!

(Previews!)

"Someone needs to talk to him."

Blake leaned back on her cot and buried her face in a book. "Not it."

Pyrrha studied her shoes with singleminded intent, refusing to utter a word.

Maria sighed. "Kids these days.

Younger body or no, her mind was still very much that of an adult. She'd seen her fair share of madness. And this?

"Nope. Not having it."

Someone had to set him straight. Before it was too late.

"Let me show you what true resolve is."

"You're not going to stop me?"

"No." Ironwood considered him for a long moment. "I hope you know what you're doing."

...so do I, James."

"Dear boy," Pale fingers flicked through the smoke. "Don't be so naive. believe we may be able to help one another."

Naruto scoffed at her. "You have nothing I want."

"How many semblances do you intend to take?"

...enough."

"You're a slave to Ozpin, boy. You just don't realize it."

Blue eyes flicked up and down. "You know nothing about me."

"On the contrary. I know everything. I lost my sister to his machinations...

And now comes the temptation that power brings.

Looking forward ot chatting with you~!

~Nz.

R&R~!