"Alright, now that you guys have eaten, taken a break, and Kushina bonded with Summer a little bit, who wants to read next?" Killerssg asked when Summer shot her hand up, wanting to have a turn.
"I'll do it. I'd like to have a go at it since I think nearly everyone else has gone." Summer said as their host nodded and snapped his fingers as the book appeared in her hands.
"That was cool, how'd you do that?" Anko asked with a quizzical look.
Killerssg just shrugged his shoulders and smirked at the pouting form of Anko since she wasn't getting an answer.
"Let's begin, I want to know what happens next." Tsunade said in excitement and anticipation. Summer nodded and cleared her throat before reading.
"Chapter 5: Give and Take", an interesting title." Summer said as everyone agreed and started the chapter.
Emerald had a Grandfather.
She must tell everyone!
No! Resist!
"Aww, she's so excited, but doesn't want to be embarrassed about it is so cute." Kushina cooed with a laugh as she must've been excited to learn she has a family that cares about her wellbeing.
"I think it's adorable that she's acting like a kid and how excited she is about finding that she has a grandpa, knowing that he'd spoil her if given the chance." Tsunade added her own thoughts with a smirk.
She slammed the brakes on that train and bashed her head into a fluffy pillow before her mind could run away from her again; as it had so many times in the last hour. Warm fabric enfolded her face and she kept it there as her cheeks burned, determined not to let anyone see, only pulling back once the inexplicable urge passed. Bad Emerald. No shouting! Grandpa had done enough of that for the both of them. If one were to listen closely she could've sworn still heard him running around Vale hollering his head off, long after they'd gone back to the hideout.
"OZPIN! I HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER!"
Nope. Not her imagination, then. That was a thing.
The audience laughed at the thought of Naruto acting like that and their wishes were granted when the screen showed Naruto shouting in excitement for the world to hear. It made them laugh even harder. Summer was groaning at her lover's actions, but couldn't keep the smile off her face knowing he cared about them.
"SUMMER! DID YOU HEAR?! I HAVE A GRANDSON, TOO! ISN'T THIS WONDERFUL?!"
Mercury grumbled into an arm to hide his flush. "Damnit? Its been hours...is he ever going to stop?"
"QROW! I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN! THAT'S RIGHT! YOU HEARD ME! THEY'RE ADORABLE! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!"
"Huh, so it's not just Emerald that's getting embarrassed, but Mercury too. You think Cinder's also feeling like it too?" Kakashi asked with an amused expression behind his mask.
"Definitely. I do find it to be quite entertaining though." Jiraiya couldn't stop his chuckles every so often.
"He reminds me a lot of how Minato was when he learned that I was pregnant. He shouted to the whole village about it." Kushina mused, getting a blush from her husband while Summer looked at him in surprise that her father-in-law was like that, given how cool and collected he seemed.
"Kushina!" Minato groaned with his hands over his face while she and everyone else chuckled.
"Unlikely." Cinder groaned, rolling over where she lay. "There's no stopping him when he's like this. He'll be at it all night."
Emerald felt an unfamiliar heat crawl up her neck as she craned her head toward the window. They could hear him all the way out here? Seemed grandpa had a healthy set of lungs. He sounded...proud. Not that she blamed him. If she had any...well...friends, she'd be shouting too. A faint pang of regret tugged at her. Friends would be nice. Maybe someday.
Someday.
The one-time urchin gave her head a mighty shake, trying to dispel such thoughts, but it was no use. Family. The word -the very concept!- had already taken root deep inside of her heart. It refused to let go. Something had awakened in her; never in her life had she wanted something so badly and never known until she received it. Any attempts on her part to dislodge such sentiment only made it dig in. She had a family. Just thinking of it drew a tiny smirk to her face. Before long it became a smile, followed by a giddy grin, the sort she'd not worn since she was a little girl.
You see, Emerald's reasoning was simple. Naruto had adopted Cinder. She was his in all but blood. He'd said as much.
In turn, Cinder had taken her off the streets.
From there it only took one tiny leap of logic to make sense of things.
For if Naruto claimed to be her Grandfather...well, what did that make Cinder unto her? The answer was deceptively simple.
That made Cinder...her mother.
Emerald kicked her legs and muffled a giggle into her pillow. Happy day!
"She seems happy about the whole thing. I'm happy for her." Kushina smiled at the girl on the screen. She was happy that she had someone that she could call family aside from Cinder. Her baby boy was making her and Minato proud.
"She does and I'm happy for her too. It's like she's acting like a kid getting a new toy or candy. It's great to see her and the others even if they'd deny it, acting like kids every so often." Minato said as he held his wife with a smile on his face as Kushina was so happy for the green haired girl.
"Even if she's not related by blood, Emerald thinks of Cinder as her mother and since she's actually admitted it without actually saying the words. I think all of us are happy for her." Anko said with a real smile and not one of her smirks that she usually gave. She was actually happy for the girl.
I always wanted a Mother...
A little girl in her head absolutely squealed with glee.
And Cinder didn't deny it! Oh, sure, she had huffed and rolled her eyes at first, but she'd made no attempt to refuse his words. Even now, safely out of earshot, she'd not yet said anything to that effect. There was a part of her that feared she would; yet with each passing minute her fears shriveled away. It wasn't long before she felt bold enough to speak.
Nor was she the only one affected.
She poked her head up to see Cinder still sprawled in her own cot, staring blankly into a handheld mirror. Frustration was written across every aspect of her face, from her golden eyes to her pursed lips. She tilted her head to the right, then the left now, scowling at her reflection as she failed to find any blemish within.
"Am I losing my touch?" she muttered to herself. "No, surely not...
"So, um...?" Emerald smacked her lips. "Mom?"
Mercury gagged just out of sight. Prick. Screw him.
"Ha! Atta girl, they even act like siblings!" Anko laughed, heavily amused at the scene going on.
Everyone else laughed or snickered just as amused as the Snake Mistress was.
Cinder made a noise of discontent. "Do not call me that in public."
...but we're not in public right now. So...I can call you that now, right?" Emerald hedged her next words. "J-Just so we're clear?"
Cinder made angry Cinder noises. "You're not going to let this go, are you? He's infected you."
Pleading red eyes met unamused gold. Eventually one of them yielded. They had to.
Cinder set her mirror down and picked up a hairbrush. "Come here."
"Oh I knew that my grandbaby would give in. She may act cold to everyone, but she'd let her in eventually. I'm proud of my grandbabies." Kushina said as she bounced in her seat as she watched the two interact and mingle like mother and daughter ish.
"She does seem to struggle with showing compassion to others, it's no doubt because of her less than nice childhood, but she's trying at least." Tsunade said with sadness, but was also glad that she was trying to be better.
"And whoever hurt my granddaughter will not be happy if they ever meet us." Minato said as he narrowed his eyes, spinning his tri-pronged kunai in his hand, getting shutters from the others except Kushina was nodding in agreement with her husband.
Emerald blinked. "Ma'am?"
"I am trying to be...nice." Cinder seemed to physically struggled with the word before she spat it out. "Do you wish to brush my hair or not?"
Emerald didn't need to be told thrice. She all but blurred into Cinder's bed.
"Such a child." Cinder huffed, yet nevertheless remained motionless. "If I find a single a hair out of place...!"
"You won't!"
Emerald ran the brush through that ebony mane in slow, vertical strokes, careful not to tug. Cinder took great pride in her long tresses; she'd never let alone touch them before. That she was letting her do so now was a sure sign of her stress. Something had gotten to her. Two guesses as to whom. First two didn't count. Gramps must've said something to her.
"And no doubt made her frustrated at whatever it was. He has the knack to frustrate others." Jiraiya mused with a chuckle as Anko, Tsunade, and Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"He has a habit of giving headaches without even trying." Tsunade said with a groan at the memories, especially when he'd call her granny.
Still, there was a part of Emerald that envied her longer hair. Maybe she should consider growing hers out...
"Once you've finished with mine, I'll start on yours." Cinder's shattered her reverie like so much glass. "Its time we tamed that rat's nest you call hair."
...thanks." Emerald was only too happy to comply with the command. "I'd like that..."
Cinder...didn't really know how to be nice, but she was making an effort now. That mattered. It meant something.
As she worked, Emerald cast about for Mercury. She needn't look far; he hadn't budged from where she'd left him. Even now he was staring into space as he lay on the floor, expression decidedly vacant...until he raised a lone finger in salute. Yeah, he was fine. Bastard.
"They really are like siblings, the way they interact and call each other's names." Kakashi chuckled, feeling like these two must keep things interesting, especially if they are with his student. He had to repress a shutter as he thought about the craziness those three would get into together.
"I love it. Despite how they interact, you know they'd have each other's backs." Kushina said in obvious joy.
"Yeah, and I find it quite interesting. I remember meeting them for the first time and I was so excited at the time, I may or may not have scared them." Summer gave a nervous chuckle as Kushina grinned in approval.
"I'd have done the same thing, so you're fine." Kushina waved her off with a grin.
Well, at least she wasn't the odd one out.
She knew he wouldn't be quiet for long; wasn't his style, that.
"So," Mercury drawled the word, speaking with great care. "Is the plan still on, or what...?"
A pillow smacked him in the face muffling the rest of his words.
"Why would you say such a thing?" Cinder lowered her arm. "He knows everything! If I make even a single move, he'll tan my hide!"
The group snickered at the thought of the young adult like Cinder getting spanked by Naruto. It just didn't seem possible for someone like Cinder to receive that kind of punishment, but know Naruto he would do something like that.
"What about Adam?"
Cinder scoffed. "What about Adam? Fool can get himself killed for all I care."
"But you already have half the maiden power." Emerald pointed out. "Why stop now? Surely he wouldn't mind if you finished what you started...?"
Golden eyes regarded her over a shoulder. "Yes, he would. He already knows."
Emerald nearly missed a stroke. "You told him?!"
"What choice did I have?!" their mistress flung up her arms, an almost girlish flush in her face. "It was that or...
"What," Mercury scoffed, "Did dear 'ol daddy threaten to spank you or something?"
Cinder didn't say a word. She didn't have to; her expression was telling.
Mercury topped back, howling with laughter.
Emerald bit her lip to stifle a giggle.
"Best. Grandpa. Ever."
"And they love him even more for now even putting Cinder on her toes like that. She feared Naruto spanking her more than anything else." Summer giggled, knowing her husband would do it too.
"They're just so cute, I hope we see more of them in the future." Kushina cooed with a smile.
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto's exultation was heard halfway round the world.
"I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Everyone laughed, just imagining it would be enough to make even the most serious person chuckle. Summer felt embarrassed that her lover was acting like that.
(.0.0.0.)
Ruby considered herself a good girl.
"Oh we're back with Ruby, she's so adorable. She definitely takes after you." Kushina hugged Summer with a smile as Summer smiled at her daughter.
"I wonder what she's talking about though in why she's talking to herself." Minato raised a curious brow as he wondered what his granddaughter was talking about.
The others shrugged their shoulders as Summer went back to reading.
She did good things, fought bad people, and definitely didn't eat cookies before bedtime.
.
..
...
Alright, she maybe she'd fudged that last bit.
Summer smacked her forehead as a groan escaped her lips, knowing that her daughter picked up her love of cookies from her. The others noticed this and couldn't help, but smirk in amusement.
"I take it that she gets it from you~" Tsunade said with a chuckle.
"It's almost as bad as Naruto with ramen. She must get it from him as well except it's for cookies." Jiraiya said as everyone except Summer nodded in agreement while the woman mentioned only blushed embarrassingly, knowing that it was really from her where her thing for cookies came from.
"Both of us I'd say, but I also have a love for cookies, so I'd say that she gets it from me more than Naruto." Summer admitted, her blush evident.
Two out of three wasn't bad, right?
And yet!
One little screw-up, a single good deed gone wrong, and her life was thrown out of whack. Life had been good. Life had been simple. Now she found that life torn three different ways; trapped between her coursework, the responsibility of being a team leader, and now her first job! She was only fifteen, for crying out loud! Too much!
"It's not so bad, this gives her the chance to get to know her father at least." Minato said with an encouraging smile.
"I remember when she learned that he was her father, she was so happy and had cried from sheer happiness. It was one of the most wholesome moments I'd ever seen." Summer said with her eyes beginning to moisten.
"I think anyone would be excited to meet their dad or mom after not knowing for so long would make anyone happy." Tsunade nodded with a smile.
"I do agree though that she might be a little too young to have a job. She's only fifteen after all." Summer said, getting understanding looks from them. She was her daughter and wanted her to be a child and only have to focus on school to become a huntress.
"Jeez," she grumbled to her herself, "You break one window and they throw the book at ya...
It wasn't that she disliked working for Naruto; she just didn't know the first thing about running a dust shop.
Emphasis on running.
Her body flitted to and fro, a whirl of red cloth and petals as she went about her work.
Naruto had forbid her from running the till, claiming she was much too young. Ruby was grateful for that. Really, she was! She'd only just patched things up with Weiss a few days ago; anyone outside that close-knit circle of friends and family would've proved far too difficult to interact with. No sir, she wasn't ready to deal with customers yet! Nope, nope, NOPE!
"I take it that she's not very comfortable when it comes to talking to people?" Jiraiya asked with a raised eyebrow.
Summer nodded slowly as she gave a sigh at her daughter.
"Somewhat, she's more of an introvert and would rather talk about weapons and so she didn't get out a lot growing up." Summer told them as they nodded in understanding.
"That's cute, she has a love for weapons. I'm sure I could help her break out of her shell." Anko had a glint in her eye that made Kakashi and Tsunade nervous, having seen that look several times in the past.
"Anko, no, bad Anko, no corrupting the child." Tsunade deadpanned at the snake mistress who pouted.
"Oh, come on, I wouldn't corrupt her." Anko argued, but they weren't hearing it as they just stared at her blankly, making her pout more.
Unfortunately, that meant most of her tasks were menial ones by default.
Sweep the floors, stock the shelves, sort the Dust. That kind of thing.
Was it wrong that she enjoyed the latter? Just a little?
Everyone chuckled at her question. She was like a kid at a candy store while the women were cooing at the scythe wielder.
"She's just so cute. You two created an adorable child." Kushina was already in love with her granddaughter and she hasn't even met her yet.
"She is. My little gem." Summer said with a gentle smile on her face.
Sparks and 'Splosions was larger on the inside than it seemed from without; most of its backroom consisted of towering shelves, each level labeled with an appropriate sealed container It was here that Ruby spent most of her time, flitting too and fro like a hummingbird. A few cases had been knocked askew by the last battle, scattering their contents across the floor. Really, it was a miracle none of if had exploded. She supposed that had something to do with the mixture. Naruto had mentioning something about his Dust being tamper proof...
There was so many different kinds here; even combinations she'd never seen before!
She discovered one such stray crystal on the floor, a fist-sized jewel red as her namesake. Pale fingers picked it held it between her fingers. She tilted it a little, grinning as it caught the light.
"Pretty...
Even she could see there was something special about this bled; it was there in way it shimmered, pulsing in her grasp like a tiny heartbeat, almost as it were happy to see her. Like it recognized her. She shook her head, dispelling such thoughts. Don't be silly. Dust was just Dust and nothing more. It wasn't alive. It didn't have feeling. It certainly wasn't conscious! Right?
So why did Naruto call it Chakra Dust? Did the name mean something...?
"Chakra Dust? Does that mean that Naruto created a new type of dust?" Jiraiya asked rather impressed with his student.
"Yeah, he infused Chakra with Dust and this was the results. From what Naruto told me, it took him months to get it perfected since it would become unstable when he first started." Summer said, surprising everyone.
"Very interesting. Who knew that the gaki would be able to create something completely new?" Anko asked as everyone nodded in agreement, but his parents couldn't keep the grins off their faces at the pride in their son's achievement.
"Now where the heck do you go...?" silver eyes flitted left, then right, searching for its matching case. Red meant fire dust, so that meant it was probably on one of the upper shelves...
"Be careful back there." Naruto called from the front of the shop. "Let me know if you can't reach anything."
Ruby fumbled with the crystal for a moment, narrowly catching it.
"Okay!"
Her eyes caught an empty case on an upper level.
She hopped in place, straining for it. Her fingers brushed the ridge outline of a case, unable to get a good grip. Ladder? Who needed a ladder?! She didn't need a ladder. She was a big girl; she'd do this herself. No help for her! No sirree!
"Hehehe, she's certainly got some spunk in her." Tsunade said with a smirk as Summer beamed with pride.
"I can't get enough of her, acting like a big girl." Kushina was having so much fun with this and was loving the girl more and more as she learned about her.
"She wants to prove she can do anything. Reminds me a lot of Naruto when he was a Genin days when team 7 was first formed." Kakashi said as he eye smiled, seeing how much she was like his student.
"Hrrngh!" her brow furrowed. "Jut a little...more...! Can't...reach!"
"I've got ya."
Her heart skipped a beat as strong hands settled under her shoulders and scooped her up into the air. They lifted her as father might his daughter, hoisting her with ease.
"Yeek!"
She flailed for a moment, startled at having been caught out, but only a moment. Determined to see her task through, she reached the rest of the way and thumped the crystal into its padded case. It slotted in with a soft click; then those strong arms reeled her back in, setting her down on the floor once more.
...thanks."she muttered, unwilling to meet his eyes.
"Don't worry about it." Naruto sauntered back the way he'd come with a merry whistle, leaving Ruby with her thoughts. "Holler if you need me!"
Ruby stared after him, gone red in the face. She wasn't stupid. She'd seen the old photos back at the house; noticed the way Mom looked at them. Those whiskered cheeks, so much like her own, yet with three marks instead of two. And the way he acted around her, well, that was a dead giveaway.
Could he be...? Was he...?
"Awww, she wants to know her daddy and has a feeling that he's him." Anko said with a giggle.
Summer had a melancholy look as she listened to her daughter's thoughts and couldn't help, but feel bad for waiting so long to do something about it. Seeing her daughter wanting to know him so much made her heart ache at the thought.
Minato saw her daughter-in-law having conflicting thoughts and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, knowing what she's probably thinking about. She smiled at the gesture and nodded to him telling him that she was fine.
Ruby wanted to believe. Really, she did.
She knew so little about her Father. Mom had said he was something of a free spirit, but any other details were sparse.
Unbidden, her mind flitted back to their first meeting.
When they'd met that night during the robbery, he'd been surprised to see her. Shocked. As if he didn't even know she existed. What kinda of parent was that? Had things really been so bad between him and Mom that they hadn't talked for fifteen years? Neither had outright said anything to her about it, which left her uncertain. And in that uncertainty, a thorn of fear caught at her heart.
Just who was he, really?
"I feel bad for her, she wants to believe that Naruto's her father with the similarities they have, but she's scared that she could be wrong." Jiraiya said with a sad smile.
Everyone felt bad for the fifteen year old who only wanted to know who her father was and with her having her suspicions, but also doubt made them feel worse, especially Summer since she could've at least told her more about him and who he was. She was just glad that she now knew though and ever since they reunited as father and daughter, he had spoiled her and spent as much time as he could with her.
The door chimed once, heralding another customer.
"Welcome, welcome!" Naruto's voice was warmth and friendliness personified. "What can I get you...oh." His words frosted over, going from sunny to glacial in an instant. "Look who the cat dragged in."
"I could say the same of you." a sharp, almost nasally voice intoned. "To think I'd find you here…
"Ugh, this guy's voice is just annoying. Who is this guy?" Anko asked with a frown.
"Bastard sounds like a greedy businessman." Kushina scowled, wondering what the man would want with her son.
"His name is Jacques Schnee. He's scum alright with no care about anything or anyone and doesn't care what happens to anyone as long as he can make a profit from it." Summer said with a scowl that the other joined, not liking the man. And they had just heard of him!
Ruby scuttled out of the back and peeked halfway around the corner.
There was someone there alright, but he didn't much look like a customer. If anything he reminded her of one those solicitors that used to pester them before the moved out to Patch; the kind that wouldn't take no for an answer. Clad in a crisp white suit with a bristle snow-white mustache and hair to match, he was every but a businessman through and through. His eyes were chips of wintry ice, Weiss at her worst.
'Wait, why am I thinking of Weiss?'
"Maybe that's her father. Poor girl, I feel sorry for her if that's her father." Minato said with a grimace.
That got a lot of flak when they all thought the same thing and started making comments about the man and how the girl must've taken after her mother more.
Summer merely chuckled knowing it was true, but she was looking forward to them learning about Weiss not being related to him at all, but to her lover. She could already imagine the looks on everyone's faces, especially Kushina and Minato's.
There he stood, flanked by no less than ten men, each wearing a pale blue suit of their own. They didn't look like good men.
"I understand you struck two of my employees." their leader's voice was crisp, almost nasally. "May I ask why?"
A faint smile creased Naruto's lips. "I wouldn't say struck, Jacques...
"You know what you did!"
"Do I?" the blond tilted his head just so. "I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest idea what you mean...
"You shoved a man's head up...!"
"Right, right." the whiskered warrior snapped his fingers. "I remember. Those two. They started it." his smile gained an edge. "Just as Roman started this mess. Seems everyone wants a piece of me these days…
Ruby perked up. "Roman...?"
Torchwick had tried to rob this place, but still...
"In any case, it doesn't matter." Naruto's resonant voice snapped her back to reality. "We both know you don't care about your lackeys. No," and here he shook his head, "You're here because I gave you an excuse. That's all you ever needed."
"Oh come on!" Kushina shouted, having caught on what the man was trying to do.
"He's going to take the shop from him, bastard." Minato muttered darkly while twirling his kunai dangerously while glaring at the screen.
"Well, he's not going to be getting it if Naruto has anything to say about it." Jiraiya said with a smirk.
"This is Naruto we're talking about, he'll be fine." Tsunade waved off the parents worries that eased them slightly, but weren't happy about the situation still.
"I can't wait to see what the gaki will do to the man and the others that are with him. I wonder what he'll do." Anko said as she went into a thinking pose as her mind conjured up several images that made her giggle sadistically.
Her giggling was ignored as they went back to the book wanting to know what would happen next, well except for Summer who had to stop herself from smirking.
"I suppose you think you're clever." Jacques sneered. "Don't you?"
"Ain't hard when dealin' with ya." the shopkeeper hummed. "Weiss didn't get her brains from your sorry hide."
Jacques spat at his feet. "Filthy cur."
Naruto's rejoinder proved just as swift. "Arrogant little shit."
Ruby muffled a squeak behind her palms. This was Weiss's dad?! Oh gods. She'd thought the name sounded familiar. Jacques Schnee. Head of the SDC. Richest man in the world. What was he doing in Vale?! An awful pit opened in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this. An awful, terrible feeling...
Jacques confirmed her fears a moment later when he pulled a piece of paper from his jacket.
Three rapid steps carried him to Naruto's desk, where he thumped it down.
"I'm here to shut you down." blue eyes traveled to the document in question. "As of today, the SDC owns this entire city block. Your shop included."
Well, she certainly had her answer now!
Naruto blinked once. "Oh, you think so, Jacques...?"
"Insolent cur!" A hand struck his face. "You think you're so big!"
"Kill him!" Kushina, Anko, Minato, and Summer shouted simultaneously, ready to kill the guy that wanted to shut their son's/brother's/husband's shop down.
This caused Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi to scoot away from the four and found themselves very afraid, but were also upset with the man as well at hitting him like that.
A blond brow quirked, framing a devilish grin. "Your wife certainly thought so."
The world fell silent. And then:
"YOU DARE?!"
"Bahahahaha!" Anko laughed as his words as she nearly fell out of her seat as the others started either laughing or giggling as well. Surprisingly Summer was also laughing as well, but than again this was against the guy that struck her husband, so she wasn't mad at all.
Kushina suddenly stopped laughing as she recalled his words and her eyes widened to epic proportions as she came to a conclusion, but didn't say anything as she wanted to be sure.
"Damn, he slept with his wife, he must be ballsy to say that to someone as powerful as him." Jiraiya started giggling and was proud of his godson at banging not just Summer, but the CEO's wife. He wondered what she looked like if he was able to get her attention.
Ruby's yelp was concealed by the man's roar.
"Oh, I dared plenty." Naruto's smile was nothing short of smug now, the sort Yang wore when she pulled off a particularly clever pun. "Up, down, sideways." When the stunned businessman didn't answer, he only laughed at him. "Still don't get it?" the smugness in his smile was so thick Crescent Rose would've snapped upon it. "We did the horizontal dance." his fingers wiggled in a lewd motion anyone with half a brain would recognize. "I bonked her brains out. She screamed my name."
Jacques reeled back on his heels. "When?! Where?! How?!"
"Now there's a proper question." Naruto tilted his head a fraction of a degree to the right. "How old is Winter again?"
"..."
"..."
"I HAVE ANOTHER GRANDBABY!" Kushina jumped to her feet with her hands clamped over her mouth to conceal her squeal and excitement as she started jumping up and down in her spot. Everyone else sweatdropped at her, but smiled nonetheless, especially Minato.
"What does Winter look like? If that's true, I want to see what my granddaughter looks like." Minato said with contained excitement.
As his question was asked the screen showed what Winter looked like and Kushina was in awe of how beautiful she was. Everyone else was impressed with her beauty, but also the way she seemed to carry herself was that of poise, firmness, and strong-willed.
She is a tall and fair-skinned young woman with slate-blue eyes, black eyebrows, and long white hair. The latter of which is tied back in a bun that is high on the left side of the back of her head, along with bangs along the right side of her face and a small, curled lock of hair down the left just above her shoulder. The only thing that gave away her relationship to Naruto was the whisker marks on her cheeks and the blue eyes, otherwise everything else seemed to come from her mother.
Her outfit consisted of a white long-sleeved coat with a single dark blue clasp around the center waist holding it shut alongside a red jeweled brooch on the collar. The coat's length runs down to her ankles and the sleeves are split from shoulder to elbow. She wears a white pleated sleeveless blouse with a dark blue waistcoat. A pair of white trousers with dark blue garters alongside a pair of gray thigh boots with black detailing around the knees. She also wears a pair of black forearm length gloves with gray trimmed cuffs.
"She's beautiful." Kushina was in awe of the girl on the screen and couldn't help, but feel proud that her granddaughter seemed to be in the military and high ranked if anything based on her outfit.
"She certainly takes after her mother since she got most of her looks from her." Minato said just as in awe as his wife.
"Yeah, she looks just like WIllow, but she also has Naruto's drive to be her best and to never give up." Summer said with a smile.
Jiraiya started giggling pervertedly and writing in his notebook when out of nowhere he was suddenly sent flying as Kushina had been the one to punch him in the face with a scowl on her face.
"No perving on my granddaughter, my daughter-in-law, or any of my other grandbabies." Kushina growled at the man who nodded frantically while he groaned on the ground as Minato shook his head in exasperation at his sensei.
"Oh so that's her name huh? So we have Willow and Winter. I wonder…" Tsunade trailed off when her mind went to another person that had been introduced in the previous chapter and she gained a knowing smirk on her face.
Jacques turned an alarming shade of puce. Ruby would've giggled, if she weren't so terrified.
"Surely I would've noticed!"
"You would have," Naruto conceded with a nod, "If you were even a remotely decent father. But then again, you haven't realized you're sterile yet. Or," he snapped his fingers, "And stop me if you've heard this one before, but when was the last time you touched your wife?"
"That's absurd! Jacques brow shot into his hairline. "I...I...that is...?" He fumbled for words, and failed to find them. "What have you done to me?"
Genjutsu's a heady thing. Fortunately for you, I'm handy with disguises, and Willow adores her children." Naruto gave a half-hearted shrug. "Or should I say our children?"
"Wait, that would make Weiss our granddaughter as well." Minato said with a giant grin, feeling happy that his family was growing.
"Congratulations sensei. I'm proud of Naruto for not only getting a wife like Summer, but also another special person." Kakashi said to his teacher who nodded in thanks to him.
Summer was giggling behind her hand as she saw her in-laws excited about their family getting bigger. She wasn't mad in the slightest at least not anymore. And besides, Naruto would treat all his children and wives equally, no matter who they were.
Ruby heard Jacques' throat close from here.
"Winter's the only one aware of it, naturally." still the blond prattled on. "And the only one with whiskered cheeks, though that's nothing a little makeup couldn't fix. Weiss and Whitley won the genetic lottery there. They don't suspect a thing." he chuckled a little at some unspoken joke, then. "Did you know Weiss actually tried to buy me out? The gall."
"Why tell me this?!"
"Because." Naruto said calmly, "Turnabout is fair play. And no one will believe you."
"You...you...!" Jacques sputtered, reminding Ruby of a small white field mouse trying to puff itself up when faced with a fox. "You're lying! You're trying to rile me up!" he adjusted his coat and harrumphed. "That's all this is! You have no proof...why are you taking out your Scroll?" he flailed his arms! "Stop that! Stop it at once! I am TALKING!"
"Are you?" Naruto looked up from his phone. "I hadn't noticed. Excuse me a moment, would you? I need to take this...
As Ruby looked on aghast he pressed it to his ear.
Jacques howled! "Listen to me!"
Naruto held up a finger for silence. "Shhhh...
"YOU...!"
"Hello, Willow!" Uzumaki's face lit up like the sun. "You have perfect timing!"
Jacques died a little on the inside. Ruby saw it in his face.
"This is officially the best day of my life. He's making this guy his bitch without even trying very hard." Anko smirked while trying to withhold a laugh.
"And Ruby's just watching this whole thing happen." Kushina giggled when her mind thought of something. "And she's finding out that she has sisters aside from Yang." She said, much to her joy and the others.
"I hate to burst your bubble," Naruto cooed, ignoring the man utterly. "But I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem." A pause followed. "No, no, everything still works fine. Yes, we're still on for next weekend." he twirled a tan finger idly in the air. "Oh? White lace? That's nice. Might have to pay Atlas a visit." With each word, Jacques grew paler still. "Look, I've got your rat bastard of a "husband" here in my shop...although I suppose he's about to be your ex-husband…
""Ex-husband", he said. So he's going to be taking over the company?" Jiraiya asked, intrigued with what was happening.
"Actually no, Willow runs the company until Weiss is ready for it. She's already been making changes to it for the better and not just for humans, but faunus too." Summer said to them with a grin.
Jacques foamed at the mouth.
"What's that? Sure! Naruto held out his Scroll. "She wants to talk to you. I've put her on speaker."
Trembling fingers accepted the Scroll. There was a silence. And then.
"Hello, bastard."
Ohhh, he looked angry. "You whore! How dare you?!"
"How dare I? How dare you! You married me for my last name. You used me. Abused me. Is it any wonder I'd cast you aside at the first opportunity?" the woman's voice was decidedly smug, waspish even. "My children were never yours. Telling you that after all these years gives me more pleasure than a thousand bottles of wine."
"Damn." Anko whistled in amazement as she listened as Willow basically said fuck you to the man and how the kids weren't even his, but Naruto's all this time.
"I like her." Kushina grinned along with Summer who nodded in agreement.
"I'll have you sued for this!"
"Dear Jacques, I'll be incredibly surprised if you survive the next five minutes...
Ruby couldn't hear the rest of what was said -their words dissolved into a shouting match after that- but whatever it was turned the already pale man positively pallid.
"How dare you!" Jacques ended the call and launched the scroll at him. "I'll see you on the streets for this!"
"No." Naruto caught it and stowed it effortlessly. "You won't do that."
"I could have you killed! Here and now! You think I won't?!"
"You could." he received a nod. "But you won't."
"Ha and this guy thinks he can kill my little brother? Fat chance of that happening." Anko snorted in amusement. This guy could do nothing that would harm him in any shape or form.
"You have no idea. That and if something did happen to him, nothing would stop Kurama from making the one responsible suffer and it wouldn't be pretty." Summer said, knowing how the fox would go through hell for his best friend and partner.
That got everyone wincing and nervous knowing what Kurama was capable of and they didn't want to fight him again. Once was enough in a lifetime.
"And why is that?!"
"Because you remind me of someone. He had a stick up his arse, too." a hand swept out, clearing the counter. "This man thought all the world was his oyster; that people were his to do with as he pleased. He pillaged and plundered wherever and whenever he saw fit, never once feeling guilty for those he hurt." Blue eyes flickered a faint shade of gold as orange dusted his eyelids. "Would you like to know his name?"
Ruby certainly would. He sounded like a bad guy in need of a good thrashing!
Jacques gulped. "No, I think not-
Naruto's smile had entirely too many teeth.
Ruby whimpered a little at the light burning in his eyes.
"His name was Gatou." The man who-might-be-her-Father steeped his fingers and laid his chin atop them. "A seedy little worm of a businessman, just like you." Jacques shrank back, but Naruto made no move to engage in the least. "His life was most irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but his end wasn't. Y'see, he thought he could take over a tiny little country called Wave...
"Does this story have a point? Are you dictating your obituary to me?!"
"Patience." Naruto temporized with a raised hand. "We're just getting to the good part."
Ruby wondered if she could call an ambulance. But not for him. Yet she couldn't bring herself to pull her Scroll.
"So!" Naruto clapped his hands, startling the lot of them. "Gatou. Real scum of the earth. He got away with it for a while; because let's face it, money talks. But eventually the people he sought to oppress rose up against him. He died at the hands of a demon, screaming and squealing for his life like the little pig he was.
Jacques had begun to sweat now. "Demons don't exist...!"
"Maybe not so, but they live to fight against creatures of darkness after all." Summer said, getting understanding nods from them.
"We used to think that the Tailed Beasts were demons, but it was mainly because of their power and humans fear what they don't understand. Naruto helped everyone understand and realize that they were nothing like demons and were more than just power with how they had their own thoughts and feelings." Minato said as he along with the shinobi present winced, having thought similarly.
Summer frowned at these words. While Kurama could be annoying and snarky, he was anything, but a demon, so it upset her that he and his siblings were thought of as such.
"You have no idea. You live in a world of gods and monsters."
Ruby shrank back a little, not liking the sound of those words. Not one bit.
"I was just a boy back then, but Gatou's death really resonated wit me, y'know?" Naruto mimed a gun with his fingers and pressed it to his temple. "Men go to prison. Dogs get put down. But you're not even a dog, Jacques." Here at last he stood, towering over the little man. "You're a rat. Still, you've caught me on a good day.
A hand snaked out, catching him by the face.
"You see," his fingers dug into the man's pasty visage, "I recently learned that I'm a father again, so for the sake of the very naughty daughter who's been watching us for the better part of five minutes now...
Ruby squeaked and ducked out of sight. Busted!
"Now that they both know, I can't wait for their reunion, it'll be cute to see how she'll react." Kushina grinned in excitement and anticipation.
"I wonder what she'll do. Will she do what Naruto did to me when he met me in the seal?" Minato asked, getting Summer's attention at what Naruto had done.
"And what did he do to you?" Summer asked very curious as was everyone else except Kushina who chuckled, having been told by her husband.
"He punched me in the stomach." Minato chuckled at the memory and he couldn't blame him for it either.
"Pfft." Summer held her laughter in. "He would do something like that." She said, smirking in amusement.
And wait, had he just called her his...?
...I'm going to give you one chance to undo your mistake." with her line of sight denied, she only had their voices to go by. "Leave Atlas. Leave Willow." she heard Naruto released Jacques, heard the spindly little man all but stumble back. "Renounce all claims to the Schnee name and go into hiding. Do that, and I'll let you walk out with your dignity intact."
Silence swelled in the room.
Jacques croaked into it.
...shoot him."
Ruby's head snapped towards them. "What?!"
"Sir?" One of his guards saw her at last and bridled.
"Shoot! Him!" Jacques stabbed a finger at Naruto. "I want him dead!"
"What the hell?!" Kushina shouted as she stood up with rage filling her eyes as they suddenly gained a demonic look. Everyone excluding Summer were terrified, but what made it worse for everyone was her hair flew up and separated into nine strands much like tails.
Summer was in awe of her mother-in-law, wondering how she did that and managed to put the fear of god into everyone, including her own husband.
"I need to learn how to do that or something similar." Summer muttered as she watched the redhead go on about what she'd do to the former CEO once she got her hands on him.
But the noise!" Frantic eyes cut toward Ruby herself, and the weapon on her back. "There's a witness."
"Kill her, too. This is a bad neighborhood." his smile was nothing short of greasy. "We'll blame their deaths on the White Fang or some such. Such a shame."
"Oh he's so dead and he better be glad that he's not here or else he'd answer to me for threatening to kill my family like that." Minato growled as his aura was threatening to envelop him while trying to calm himself down.
"He's in for a rude awakening if anything happens to her." Jiraiya said with a snarl, not surprising anyone as everyone else was having similar thoughts. They also knew how close he was to his student and his family, this including Naruto's kids and any wives he has.
For the first time since she'd met him, Naruto stopped smiling. "Very poor choice of words, there. I'll have to tell Kali."
"What the hell is a Kali?"
Naruto's smile returned tenfold. "A story for another time."
"Who is Kali?" Tsunade asked after getting herself to calm down which hadn't been an easy thing to do.
"You'll find out in the book, I'm not spoiling anything." Summer pointed at the book with a smirk while Tsunade, Kushina, and Anko pouted at being denied an answer.
"I wonder if this Kali is another woman that the brat is familiar with~" Jiraiya said as he started giggling pervertedly.
They all decided to ignore him, but they couldn't help, but agree with the man since that would make sense. Sadly though, they'll need to wait for the time being until she's introduced in the story.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back. "SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM NOW!"
Ten pistols barked in seamless unison.
Tell bullets met empty air.
Ten men screamed as Naruto all but materialized beside the nearest gunman, swept the man's legs, caught him by the collar as he fell, and swung him around like a flail into his fellows. Bones cracked horribly, smashing several of them aside. One particularly unlucky grunt crashed through the recently repaired window, shattering it once more.
Ruby made a keening noise through her teeth. "Not again!"
Naruto's voice overrode it with a mighty bellow. "Damnit, I just had that thing fixed! Stop blowing holes in my shop!"
Everyone including Summer just slapped their foreheads with their palms at his words.
"Idiot." Summer muttered under her breath, but had a fond smile on her face. She wouldn't want him any other way.
"He really is Kushina's son." Tsunade said as said mother pouted at the Godaime's words. How rude of her!
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HIT HIM!"
He whirled just as the others reloaded, effortlessly interposing his captive's body between him and harm's way. The poor thug bucked in his grasp as hot dust seared into his body, yet failed to penetrate. The blond grinned and bulled forward with his impromptu shield. Clawed fingers closed around another's weapon, yanked it from his grasp, and turned it on him.
"Remember that bit when I said that I considered guns uncivilized?" The harsh click of a round entering the chamber filled the room. "I lied."
The dust pistol barked twice, felling its former owner.
He wasn't alone.
"Banzai!"
Kurama crashed down from the second floor, flattening two more despite his slight size. The poor gunmen struck the floor with a dry wheeze, even as their compatriots drew a bead on him.
That was all Ruby needed to see. She dove in with a yell, scythe swinging. Crescent Rose became a hurricane of of crimson, mowing down them down; so much wheat from chaff. It was all downhill after that. Even as she caught them with the blunt end of their weapon -sending them crashing into the street!- she heard the harsh crack of a weapon and knew that the rest had fallen.
"Hahahaha I like this girl! I'd like to take her on as an apprentice." Anko said with a wide grin.
"No!" Everyone, especially Summer denied, not wanting to know what would become of the scythe wielder under Anko's tutelage.
"Poor sports." Anko muttered with a pout.
"As much as I care for you Anko, I'm not having my granddaughter scared to death with your methods.
"Kurama also joined the fight and that alone just spells disaster and with all three of them fighting, who knows if the shop will survive or not." Kakashi said with a pale face as he imagined the chaos that they'd bring to the world.
"Oh god." Jiraiya and Tsunade said at the same time with horror stricken faces as they also realized how dangerous that combination was.
"Fools! You'll never work in Atlas again!" Jacques fumbled for a pistol in his coat, only for his faltering fingers to fail him. "Blast it! Just you wait! I'll show you...!"
"I'm tired of waiting; of seeing people be unhappy." Naruto caught him by the throat and wrenched him down, splintering the floor with the sheer impact. "You took that happiness from Willow. Now I'm going to take something from you. How's your dignity sound?
Jacques thrashed in his grasp as he looked on. "You'll rue the day you crossed me!"
An open palm cracked across the Schnee's face. "Say it."
"No!"
Naruto slapped him again, denting his face. "Say it.
"Hahahahaha, he's making him his bitch, I love it!" Kushina and Summer were giggling madly along with Anko as they watched the screen play out the scene with grins on their faces.
"This is pretty funny seeing him get what's coming to him, especially with how he had treated his wife for years." Minato frowned, knowing that Jacques was a horrible husband and only used Willow to get into the family to control SDC. If he ever met him, he'd shove a Rasengan up his ass.
"He's practically making him scream uncle to him." Tsunade giggled in amusement as everyone else was enjoying this moment.
"Bwugeh?!"
Another smack sent teeth flying through the air, punctuated by a squeal. Naruto struck him again. Followed by a fifth blow. Six. Seven now.
"I can do this all day, Jacques."
Ruby was tempted to let him; she stood by with arms crossed.
"I'm sowwy!" Jacques wailed as an eighth backhand rocked his rapidly swelling face, lisping through hideously bruised cheeks. "Fowgive me...! I'll cancel the contwact! Lemme go!"
Naruto's brow furrowed. "I think...not. I'm not done with you yet."
A ninth blow sent the wretch spiraling into unconsciousness.
Naruto released him then; to which Jacques struck the the ground with a dull thud. He didn't rise again. Just like that, silence pervaded the dust shop. Ruby dithered in, feeling every bit a naughty child, knees twisting to and fro with thinly veiled anxiety. Crescent Rose collapsed into its portable form on her back; even that noise seemed to echo in the quiet that followed.
"So, um...?" she swallowed once. "What you said...?"
"Oh, she's referring too him being her father. How cute~" Kushina cooed as the screen showed Ruby acting nervous as her body showed her nervous she was, but had a hopeful look.
"I will tell you this much, it was a heartfelt moment between them." Summer said, much to their happiness as they didn't want to miss anything.
Naruto perked up, more a reflexive twitch than anything else. It nearly undid her.
And yet Ruby couldn't bring herself to say it. The word lodged in her throat, choking her. No! She pushed through the doubt, the pain, the fear and it burst out of her.
"D-Daddy?" it was the whimper of a little girl who'd gone without one for far too long.
...yeah. That's me." He looked away with an awkward chuckle and scratched at his cheek. "Guess I've got some explainin' to do, huh?" The blond stood slowly as Kurama dragged bodies away in the background. "Don't suppose a lifetime's worth of dust would make up for all those missed birthdays?"
Ruby giggled in a fit of hysterics. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.
"How about this, then?" He opened his arms wide. "Wanna hug it out?"
Silver eyes fluttered in a rapid blink. "Just like that?"
He grinned. "Hugs make everything better."
"Dawww I can't take it, this is just so adorable." Kushina had tears in her eyes as she and everyone else watched the scene play out. She was proud of her son making it up to her daughter and was happy for her grandbaby to meet her father.
"And with how she called him "daddy", she really is so cute." Minato grinned with a proud smile as he also had tears in his eyes at the touching scene happening.
It was such a dad thing to say; so much so that it broke down the last of her defenses. Ruby lost control. She dove forward with a sob, crashing into him in a flurry of crimson petals. Rather than endure it Naruto caught her under the arms and swept her into a crushing hug. She buried her head into his chest, stifling a sniffle. Fifteen years. Fifteen years of not knowing, of guessing and wondering, and suspecting, but never having. And now she did. Like she'd found a missing piece of herself.
He was right. Hugs really did make everything better.
"And he always did give the best ones too. So warm, you can't help, but melt into him when he hughes you." Summer said with a loving sigh while no one said anything, but were happy for the reuniting family.
"That was amazing!" words flew from her mouth as she babbled unrestrained. "You took them apart like it was nothing! You're the best!" Realization dawned a heartbeat later. "Wait, does this mean Weiss is my sister?!"
Naruto sighed. "Ruby, no."
She grinned up at him. "Ruby, yes!"
The door crashed open before he could get a word in edgewise.
From her sprawled position in Naruto's arms, Ruby had a perfect view of it all as her mother came barreling in, weapon in hand.
Oh, right. It was about time for her to pick her up, wasn't it?
"I heard gunshots!" Summer cried! "What on earth...
She took look at the bodies.
...haaaaappened...
Blinked twice.
...here?"
"Did I miss something?" she planted a hand on her hip, just now noticing Ruby in his arms. "Wait, you told her, didn't you?"
Naruto's grin was utterly unapologetic. "...pretty much."
Ruby dared a tentative little wave at her mother.
A slow smile spread across Summer's face.
"Well. That simplifies things, doesn't it?"
Ruby wasn't sure she liked the look in her mama's eyes just then. It was an expression she'd never seen before; really it almost looked like...hunger. But that couldn't be right. Why would Mom be hungry? There wasn't any food around here, just dust and ohhhhhhsheunderstoodnow.
"Ohohoho, something you want to tell us, Summer~" Kushina giggled slyly while looking at her daughter-in-law as she wiggled her brows in a suggestive manner.
Summer blushed at her words and pulled her cloak up to hide her flushed cheeks.
"So naughty and in front of your daughter too~" Anko whistled as she smirked at the huntress who was now flailing her arms around.
"I was just excited, okay!" Summer shouted in embarrassment after having had enough teasing from them.
Summer surged forward and tackled Dad. She kissed him fiercely, slamming him down to the floor.
"No more beating around the bush." the words were a growl. "Mine!"
"Hey-ow!" Naruto barked a laugh. "Not in front of Ruby!"
Ruby reared back, eyes bulging in her head.
There could be only one response.
"EWWWWW! Gross!"
Summer couldn't close the book fast enough, wanting to end the embarrassing moment with her husband while others looked at her in amusement at her actions.
"That was great! Learned so much and also how our son's family is getting bigger with each reveal." Minato smiled at the thought.
"Not only that, but he kicked the hell out of that suit. You could tell he wasn't used to being humiliated and played like he was." Anko said with a proud smirk.
"And Ruby got to know he was her father too and the reunion was cute." Tsunade added with a serene smile.
And that's the chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Killerssg out!
Who should be brought in next?
1. Ruby
2. Willow & Winter
3. Willow
4. Winter
5. Naruto
6. Team RWBY
7. Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury