A/N: Please read this note, if you would. Big things are happening! First, I've been terribly ill, and its affected my update schedule as a result.
Second, is a continuation of the last fragment.
Third, I have some very exciting news; fairly soon, I'm going to be doing something a little...different.
I could wax poetic about it, but basically, it's going to be a massive tribute story to the now-infamous Arc Royale by Coeur, albeit on a different, and larger scale.
I can never hope to compare to the sheer insanity of that story, but what I'm working on, will be a massive tribute to it, but instead of multiple versions of good old Jaune Arc, we will be getting different versions of Naruto instead, each from my many, many, many RWBYxNaruto stories.
I already have all the title chosen -Winner Takes All- the iterations and anchors chosen on Salem and Ozpin's side alike, the sides drawn, the prize made. It's going to include nearly all the nations -Vale, Mistral, Atlas, Menagerie- with the exception of Vacuo, because honestly, we know next to nothing about that place outside of the books and it's not all that entertaining. I simply hesitate to make said story at this time because the site is glitchy as all heck, and I'm not sure how well a battle Royale would be received. I'll just mention it here and we'll see what folks think.
Do let me know what you think of that made little idea of mine, feedback means the world to me, truly, it does. As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes. Not a wit or one. They're tributes, one and all. 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 should become a story. Simple as that.
In other words...everything is up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
The dialogue is chapter is a clear and obvious tribute to Rango...
...and Naruto's bloody terrifying in this.
"Go to hell, you bastard!"
"Honey, war IS hell. You think you know it. You don't.
I was born in it. Molded in it. By the time I finally found peace...it was boring."
~Just an Outlaw.
Just an Outlaw (Part II)
Cinder couldn't breathe.
She tried, make no mistake, but she couldn't.
Air simply refused to leave her lungs; it was frozen in her throat, a block of solid ice choking her.
The source sat before her, dressed in a black-on-blue suit with a grey tie, wearing that gods awful gaudy trenchcoat of his. He was exactly as she remembered; he hadn't aged a day since she'd last seen him. Time held little meaning for him...except for those eyes. Those terrible red eyes. Stark and slitted scarlet, his pupils were akin to that of a feral beast, narrow and intent, ready to attack. Worse perhaps were his sclera, the traditional whites of the eyes smoldering a shadowy black not unlike that of Salem herself.
Only a few minutes ago he had her by the throat. Now here he was, sitting across from her in the warehouse, arms planted atop a simple folding table and she, sitting before him like a naughty child. She felt small. Like a powerless child sat down before their father; except this was so much worse; because he wasn't her father at all, but something worse.
Much worse.
And he was here, humiliating her, all while that smirking fool Roman looked on!
Naruto Uzumaki tapped a scarred finger against the table, commanding her attention.
"Hello, Cinder." when he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes. "You look nervous. How have you been?"
She fought down the urge to flinch, trying not to cower in his presence. She hadn't heard from him in forever, hadn't even known he was here until he came crashing back into her life like the wrecking ball he was. Were it not for Roman name-dropping him, she would've been caught wholly unprepared. As it were, she hadn't even had time to flee.
Now she, Cinder Fall, the woman who would lay Beacon low, found herself trapped.
"Answer the question, Cinder."
"Yeah, Cindy." Roman sniped, drinking her humiliating in. "Start talking."
Fool! Did he have any idea what he'd unleashed by inviting him here?! They were, all of them, going to die!
Rather than draw a knife, her blond benefactor gestured to the green-glass bottle of wine on the table before her and the pair of glasses before it. "Thirsty?"
She knew better than to refuse him; she'd already learned that lesson long ago. Quickly, she practically sprang to her feet, uncorked the bottle and began the painstaking of pouring; in a matter of moments his glass was full, followed by her own.
"Go on," he cajoled her, pointedly not touching his own, dark eyes drilling into her like a lancer's barb. "Drink."
Was it poison? No, surely not, he wouldn't come all this way just to drug her. Or would he?
Cinder took the plunge and knocked her flute of wine back briskly, ready for the worst.
To her surprise it never came; the beverage was surprisingly sweet.
She hadn't thought Naruto the sort.
"Its an older vintage from Vacuo." her guest -or was he her host?- explained, finally deigning to sample his own glass. "Very rare, very expensive. Had your fill?"
Cinder dared a tentative nod, not yet trusting herself to speak.
Naruto's face crinkled, eyes squinting in a smile. "Lovely."
Then he broke the bottle over her head.
Truth be told didn't so much see as hear him move; one moment he was smiling at her like a proud parent; in the next an almighty crash filled her ears and she found herself drenched in wine and glass besides. Her aura prevented him from bashing her brains it, but it did nothing for the pain -and likely concussion- that followed.
"Cinder, Cinder, Cinder," she heard him tut through ringing ears. "I'm not angry; I'm disappointed."
Blinking stars out her eyes, she staggered to her feet with an indignant noise and sought to lash out; only for him to upend the table on her and flip it entirely, sending her sprawling to the floor. Through bleary vision she barely beheld what followed:
Emerald yelped somewhere out of earshot, said yelp became a cry of pain as he backhanded her and Mercury besides. Roman squawked and raised his hands, showing himself harmless, and Neo was suddenly beside him, or perhaps she'd always been there all along, hiding herself from sight. She'd need to remember that.
Assuming she survived the next seven seconds.
Not three later, she found him reaching down for her, seizing her by the wrist. He hauled her upright until her wrist creaked painfully in her grasp and held it there, keeping her right arm in the air, making it painful just to breathe; she couldn't think of a counter, much less an explanation.
"Well? What do you have to to say for yourself?"
She gulped and took the chance to inhale regardless. "I-
"Shhhh." a finger pressed to her lips, silencing her. "I hear you've been bragging about how you brought the White Fang to heel. With one word. Or was it one arrow? Maybe a bullet?" the blond bastard tilted his head, smiling softly. "So many stories about you!" he laughed a little just then, it was a hollow, tinny sound that chilled her blood. "I can't remember them all."
Mercury grimaced behind them. "Who the hell is this guy...?"
Naruto's grin practically split his face. "Who am I...?"
Cinder despaired silently.
"They're mere pawns, sir. No one of consequence-
Too late, her employer released her wrist and pivoted to regard both Mercury and Emerald alike. The latter had gone silent, her dark face quietly furious, bright eyes narrow.
'No, you twit! Don't use your semblance on him! You'll provoke him!'
"And these must be your minions!" If Naruto felt her semblance he did little to show it; laughing, he stepped between her pawns and slung both arms around their shoulders, practically hanging off them. "I've heard so much about them!"
Cinder gulped. "You...you have?"
"Of course!" His gaze was merry, but those bright red eyes promised pain. "I've four of my own. Team NDGO." he tittered with faux happiness, idly mussing Emerald's hair as he went. "Good girls. Loyal girls. They jumped at the chance to turn against Shade Academy...after all, who doesn't want to rule the world?"
He even had agents in Vacuo?! Was there no place his influence didn't reach?!
"Silly me, here I am bragging about my accomplishments. But that's not fair, is it?"
He looked back to Roman and his goons; the latter of which had stopped loading dust to watch her humiliation.
"All these good folks here believe your little stories, Cinder. They believe you're just a stone-cold killer, don't they?" he pinched Emerald's cheek, drawing a whine from the poor girl. "Why, they even fear you. They think you're gonna lead them to glory and fame. To riches and infamy~! But we know better, don't we?" Releasing her, he withdrew his arm from Mercury's shoulders and sauntered back her way, boots clicking harshly against the pavement. "So why don't you show your little minions here what you're made of? Show 'em you really are?"
Cinder fumbled for a response, but he didn't give her time to muster one.
"Why don't we play a little game?" he stopped just shy of her, hands in his pockets. "Draw your bow and shoot me." he forced her to do so, smiling as he did. "Just one arrow, right?" he stared intently at her, and, as she looked on, turned his back on her. "Right in the back. Go ahead, maiden. he spread his arms wide, facing away from her without a care in the world. "Shoot me."
Even Roman winced. "Oi, boss, isn't this a bit much-
Naruto rounded on him, teeth gone sharp and eyes blazing red. "LET ME DO MY JOB! You brought me in and now we're gonna play this thing out to the end!"
Roman raised both hands and backed away. "Alright, alright, you're the boss...
With his capitulation, Cinder's last hope withered and died.
Naruto rounded on her, boots clicking against the warehouse floor. "Now where were we?"
Cinder drew the string back and froze, uncertainty warring within her. It should've been easy. An arrow in the back, just like she did with Amber.
But she couldn't do it.
Or rather she could; but she was too afraid to follow through.
This was a test. He'd almost certainly kill her if she tried. Wouldn't he?
Naruto craned his head back over his shoulder, one blood-red eye peering at her. "Well? What're you waiting for?"
Her weapon fell.
...I thought not," He laughed aloud and pivoted in place to face her fully, grabbing her by the face. "You didn't do any of those things you said by yourself, did you? You're not even from Vale ARE YOU?" his voice warped as his shadow took on a monstrous shape, that of a beast with nine tails, amplifying his words further. "SAY IT!
She hung her head, but he wouldn't allow that and forced her to look at him. "No...
"And where are you from, hmm? Where were you born?"
Her lips trembled. "Mistral...
"Come again?" Naruto tutted and pinched her cheeks between his hand. "Oh, speak up!" Rolling his eyes, he looked over his shoulder at Roman, Mercury, Emerald and the rest. "I don't think your friends here heard you. You're not even a maiden, are you? You had Amber at your mercy but you couldn't even kill her right; you had to make it a fight; because you had to feel good. Your ego cost you her power; you couldn't even finish the job before Branwen came running.
She hiccuped, warbling a little. "That's not...
"All you've done is lie to these people." his fingers bit deep into her face even through her aura, hard enough to bruise. "Intimidate them, ride my coattails use my name to force them into line. You're nothing but a fake and a coward. A scared little girl. You haven't changed at all. Ain't that right?
...yes...
He seized her by her hair and yanked. "LOUDER!"
Tears ran down her face as the last bastion of her resolve broke. "I'm a fake!"
"Good girl." He released go and circled round her, taking hold of her shoulder. "This is my city. I have plans for it; plans you so foolishly disrupted with your bumbling. Now I have to restore order to the untidiness that you created. So be a good little girl, RUN back to Mama Salem, and TELL her that Daddy is BUSY cleaning up YOUR godsdamned MESS!"
A shove sent her stumbling; she couldn't rally, couldn't speak, could only sob.
"Oh, and Cinder? I'm keeping your minions. They're mine now."
"But I earned them...!"
"You've earned nothing, least of all your life. I'm only sparing your life because it would be a pain to train up another asset. " He paused, considering her anew, gaze hardening, voice dropping to a low baritone of a growl to shatter the last of her resolve. "If I ever see you around these parts again without my permission, I'll rip your soul out between your tits, feed it to the shinigami, and broadcast your dying screams across the CCTV for all of Remnant to hear! NOW! GET! OUT!"
When faced with imminent death or exile, the choice was clear. The last of her resolve broke. Cinder fled, weeping..
Naruto paid her no mind; he was already looking away, thoughts turning toward the future.
"Now, then. You're all under new management. Lets get to work...
A/N: Oh dear, a competent villain...
There we go, another plot bunny contained...for now. Unless you'd like to see it become a story.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write.
Sooooooooo...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly?
Hope you enjoy this new year, and may it be filled with lots of luck!
EDIT: And there we go. Hope this piqued your interest.
See you all tomorrow, one way or another.
Warm regards,
~Nz.