A/N:...here's that part two I promised, at long last.
RWBY revival is a go~! Sorry for the delay, life Covid absolutely wrecked me.
Long Covid -side effects- are even worse, but I'm trying to push through as best I can...
I've been told by everyone I've seen that I'll just have to "ride it out" since the symptoms aren't life threatening. T_T
With my sixteen year anniversary on this site nearly here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
"There is nothing so powerful in this world as a parent.
After all, that's how it started, wasn't it?
Two parents. One argument...
~?
Who Spiked the Punch
Kyojuro was settling in well.
Naruto took great parental pleasure in just how quickly his son fit in with Team RWBY; not just that, but the lengths he went to win them over.
Really, it was like looking at a younger version of himself, all brash enthusiasm and indomitable determination, spiced with a subtle charisma even he didn't seem fully aware of. Ruby had been won over the moment she laid eye on him, Yang wasn't far behind, while Blake remained speculative but appeared open to civil discourse. Weiss seemed to be the last holdout, but he suspected she'd cave soon; once Rengoku decided he was going to be your friend, he was GONNA be your friend, come hell or high water.
Or maybe fire in his case. That really was one helluva semblance he had. Sometimes he almost thought it was...well, magic.
The boy was full of boundless happiness and curiosity; an endless hunger for excitement and the world at large.
For just as Kyojuro reminded him of himself, so too did he resemble his mother.
He even had her red eyes, though thankfully not her pale skin and hair.
A bittersweet pang coursed through him; one he swiftly suppressed. Better times. Happier times. Simpler times. It never could've lasted between them, they both knew full well going in; but while it did, it was...beautiful. In the end, they were too different, from different worlds, almost literally. There could be no fixing her back then, anymore than she could hope to corrupt him. Nor could they easily destroy one another. Result? Stalemate. Unstoppable force meets an immovable object. They'd parted on amicable terms -better than most!- and gone their separate ways.
He'd not seen her since.
That...was probably for the best.
Besides, this way, they both had a fond memory of those days and-
Myrtenaster poked his chest, distracted him from his complicated past.
He looked down and found a certain surly Schnee glaring up at him furiously. "Fight me."
"Why should I...?"
"Because if I'm fighting you, I'm not dealing with those dolts." she jerked a thumb over her shoulder to where Kyojuro and Ruby could be seen eagerly comparing weapons while a bemused Blake and Yang looked on...at least until they too were goaded into showing off their own kits. "I'd rather be knocked about by you than listen to one more word about gearshifts from my silly sister!"
The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. "So you admit Ruby's your sister."
Weiss made angry Weiss noises. "Shut up and fight already!"
Tempting, buuuut...nope~! "I've got a better idea."
Batting aside her rapier, he placed two fingers to his lips and whistled harshly, capturing the attention of Kyojuro and the others.
"Alright kids, gather round." he beckoned them down. "All of you against me. How's that sound?"
Varying degrees of interest flicked across their faces:
Ruby looked all for it, Blake appears cautiously optimistic, while Weiss was still looking to fill him full of holes. Kyojuro was even now thumbing his sword free from his scabbard.
Yang alone blanched. "Us? Fight against you? Nuh-uh! We'll get smoked!"
A savagely sly smile split his face. Oho? Had someone learned their lesson from last time?
"Maybe you're right," he thumbed his chin and pretended to consider her words. "That won't be much of a challenge. Tell you what, I'll only use my legs. How's that sound?"
Silence reigned supreme. Ruby tried to agree, but Yan clamped a hand over her mouth.
"No? I'm already letting Kyojuro fight alongside you. How's that for a handicap?"
Yang shook her head firmly, but he could've sworn he saw the beginnings of a smile in her eyes. "Nope. Not good enough. Sweeten the pot."
.
..
...now he understood.
Greedy, gluttonous girl.
'Like father like daughter...
"Honestly, you lot." he couldn't help but laugh at it all. "How about this? Whoever manages to land a clean hit on me gets to learn a super secret technique."
Weiss scowled. "That sounds awfully shady. What could you teach us anyway?"
"Well," he planted a fist on his hip, "what would you like to learn?
The siblings looked amongst themselves, suddenly intrigued.
Gotcha. The hook was set, now to place the bait.
Yang looked his way first. "Anything we want?"
"Anything within reason." he held up a finger to forestall the deluge of requests that were sure to come. "I'm not teaching you any assassination techniques like chidori." Blake pouted a little, but he held firm. "You're not ready for something like that."
Ruby's hand shot up first. "I wanna be stronger!"
Yang cocked her body to the right, considering. "Gimme something that makes me faster."
Blake was silent for a moment, then. "I'm not particularly fast are strong. Something that works well with my semblance."
Weiss bridled a bit under his gaze, but at Ruby's nudging -an elbow to the ribs really did wonders- she found hr voice at last. "...I suppose a bit of versatility would not be remiss.
Naruto bit his lip so damn hard, if only to stifle the laughter that threatened to burst free.
Oh, Weiss. She really couldn't be honest with herself, could she?
Rengoku merely shrugged. "I've already mastered your techniques, Father. A chance to fight you again is more than enough."
"You've even got a handle on the Rasenshuriken and the Majestic Flame Destroyer?"
Ruby tilted her head. "Rasen-what?
Her brother beamed. "Yes."
"Alright.
He could already think of a few things to teach them. The Rasengan for Ruby, because his baby girl really needed to rely on something other than her scythe. An introduction to the Eight Gates -alongside training weights- would work wonders for Yang. Blake in particular would benefit massively from learning shadow clones once he unblocked her chakra. Weiss...yeah, he supposed he could teach her "that" now, couldn't he? It would make her less fragile on the battlefield. She had asked for versatility after all.
Naruto spread his arms wide, then tucked them behind his back and locked in place behind his back with a spike of chakra. "On the count of three...come at me. You can use any kind of tactics you like, including teamwork and semblances, so long as you don't leave the yard. I won't use my arms, as promised."
He hadn't mentioned jutsu or headbutts.
Kiddos were about to suffer a nasty surprise.
Such was life. Better they learn it here from him rather than lose a limb somewhere else.
"Three...
The kids tensed.
...and two...
Kyojuro's blade gleamed in the light.
...one! Begin!
Naruto kicked forward with both feet as they blitzed him.
(.0.0.0.)
Cinder stopped by the shop hours later.
Upon seeing his face, she paused.
"What happened to you?
"Nothing much." Naruto leaned back behind the counter and smiled as he pressed an icepack to his right eye. "Kids got the drop on me. They actually managed to get in a few good hits before I sent them packing back to Beacon.
All of them had managed to hit him at least once.
Let it be known that Naruto Uzumaki was a man of his word.
He'd heal soon enough, but he was just so damn proud to do it right now. He wanted to keep this shiner for a little bit, ya know? As a reminder. A gift, if you would.
And speaking of gifts...
"Thank you for getting me a gift in Blake's place." he knew Cinder was the culrpit when she stiffened "That was kind of you."
She shrugged one shoulder. "I'm flush with cash at the moment. It was no bother.
"And why, exactly, do you have so much lien at the moment?"
She flushed a deep, blood red. "I...have my reasons."
"Cinder...don't make spank you."
All that blood drained right out of her face. "You wouldn't!"
Naruto began to drum the fingers of his right hand against the table."Try me."
The door opened with a soft chime, sparing her the indignity; if only for the moment.
But not for long.
"Hello~!" Summer sauntered in, bearing a deep blue bottle in her right hand. "We've come to celebrate-oh." she paused upon seeing Cinder. "You have company.
Kali sashayed in behind her, with Willow bringing up the rear, each bearing a bottle of their own.
"Who's this, now?"
Wuh-oh.
This was either going to be very good, or very bad.
"This is Cinder," he introduced her for the sake of those who hadn't already met her, "My adoptive daughter. Say hullo, Cinder."
"Hmm." Kali scoffed. "Younger than I expected-
Cinder made a grab for Kali's bottle and tried to brain her with it.
"Don't drink that!" She batted her hand away. "This is meant for adults, not little girls."
Heat crept up the back of Cinder's neck as she flushed. "I'll have you know I'm quite old enough-
"No, you aren't." Summer corrected her with a benign, motherly smile. "Not enough for this. Not by a long shot."
"Now see here you-
"Ohhh, I see now." Willow his a smile behind her hand. "You're daddy's little girl, aren't you? You don't want anyone to take him from you; how precious."
Cinder made angry Cinder noises.
Naruto couldn't help but join in on the fun.
"Well," He shrugged, "She always was needy. When she was little she kept crawling into my bed-
"Father!"
"What? I least I didn't mention the teddy bear..
.
..
...oops?"
Cinder fled with a curse. "I'll get you for this!"
Summer and the others laughed at her plight. More fools they. Girl had a mean streak.
Naruto smiled ruefully. Poor girl. He'd buy her something nice to make up for it. Several somethings.
"But now that's she's gone," Willow revealed another blue-glass bottle hidden behind her back. "More for us!
In short order they dragged down an old table from the loft and four chairs besides. He broke out the good glasses and away they went. And why shouldn't they? With the girls gone back to Beacon for the night, they were free to do as they please. It felt...good to drink with them again. It really had been too long.
But eventually, the topic drifted to darker matters, as he knew it would.
"Its decided, then."
Kali laid her drink down with a limpid smile.
Summer mirrored the motion, not looking best pleased.
"We have an accord then." Willow smiled softly as she caressed the rim of her wine glass. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend?"
"I'll agree...on one condition. Raven has no place here."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Naruto took a long drink from his bottle and passed it around. "Screw breaking her legs, I might just kill her straight up if I ever see her again."
Summer sighed. "Even if came crawling back on her hands and knees?"
Naruto took another sip of the wine.
...as if she ever would."
Her betrayal stung even now; despite all he'd said and done, he still couldn't understand why. They'd been good together. Hadn't they? Had he ever known the real her? Was it all one big lie? He wanted to believe it wasn't his fault, that he couldn't have seen it coming, even though he tried. She'd always been a coward.
Ha.
Raven the Craven.
Had a nice ring to it, ya know?
Summer tried again. "I know you hate her, but that's still Yang's mother. Doesn't she deserve a chance to reconcile-
"Nope."
She whined. "But at least Yang-
"Nope." he smacked his lips with an audible pop.
Summer's right eye began to twitch. She paused. Waited. And then. "Let me finish my sentence-
"NOPE!"
She flew over the table at him with a shriek, only for him to catch her by the hips.
The moment he did, she latched onto him.
Wait. Why did he feel so warm? Really warm.
More than that he could hear his heart beating...
"Well," Willow crooned coyly, "Since its father's day we thought we'd get you a gift of our own. We thought long and hard about it. What didn't you have?" she circled round the table on the right, even as Kali moved to the left. "Dust didn't seem appropriate, and you don't lack for funds these days, so we three put our heads together and came up with something grand...
His eyes widened. 'The wine!'
"An aphrodisiac." Kali confirmed with a bemused smile and here at last he noticed her flushed cheeks, the darkly lidded gaze she gave him. "We drank some of it too, naturally. Its only fair. You see, it takes some time to work, but once it does, the effects are very...potent.
Summer dropped her cloak and shrugged out of her dress.
Kali did the same with effortless grace.
Willow was only a heartbeat behind.
"Nope!" Kurama covered his eyes with both paws and dove out the room. "You're on your own!
.
..
...gimme that."
Naruto grabbed the bottle and necked it, drained it down to the last drop, then cast it over his shoulder. He didn't even have time to hear it shatter against the wall; Summer reached him first, planted a hand on his chest and pushed him down. She followed as he fell straddling him with her hips, smashing her mouth against. Naruto let her bowl him over as he came up for air.
Taking his eyes off her was a mistake.
Willow looped both arms behind his back.
Kali took him by the face, steering his lips to hers.
He had time enough to smile. "The things I do for family...
Then there was no more time for words; their night descended into a carnal haze.
A/N: Boy got jumped.
Working on posting this story on A03 so you can see the lemon there, eventually.
Aaaaand scene. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Better yet, would you like weekly updates? Do let me know!
As ever, the "Embers" rule remains in effect for now. If folks don't like this...well, I won't be able to continue it. Truly, it pains me to say that, but I work two jobs, and days off are a thing of the past for me as of late. Reviews are the fire that keeps me writing. Without them, I cannot put pen to paper. Simple as that. Every bit of feedback matters, large or small~! Your voice matters! Speak up! I repeat, every bit of feedback matters...even if people think it doesn't. And there we have it.
So in the immortal words of Atlas... ...Review, Would you Kindly?
Here, have a preview! Hope they make ya laugh.
(Preview)
Pyrrha stared at Cinder.
Cinder stared back.
It was war.
Jaune was the prize.
"What the hell is he?!"
He was a one man blender, that's what he was! A human meat grinder ripping through the gang. He shot one man dead in the head, crushed the skull of another underfoot, and impaled a third on his fist. All this without a sound. No reaction. Just that same, eerie, blank look upon his face. Gunmen opened fire, only for him to whirl, using his latest victim as a shield against their hail of bullets. Their body bucked and slumped. Someone tried to reload. That was a mistake; the moment they did, he surged forward. A single leap carried him the rest of the way and then he was among them, leaping their makeshift barricade.
He threw the corpse at them. "Catch."
A faint beeping reached their ears.
And then. There was fire.
He strode through it, trailing shadow and flame.
A wise man once told me something. There's a monster inside all of us. Its a simple matter of knowing where to look. Now, then...
"All the smoke, huh?" he turned his head aside and spat out a bullet. Blue eyes gleamed red as a wide grin spread across his face. "Alright. You've got my attention. I hope its what you wanted."
It was not.
"Oi."
"What have you done?"
He grinned. "Scorched earth."
Ruby hit Winter in a cloud of crimson petals. "New sister!"
Weiss stomped a foot. "Ruby Rose! Unhand my sister this instant!"
"But she's my sister too...
Winter quirked a brow. "Who is this small sassy child?"
...TIME TO LET THE MONSTER OUT."
R&R~!