A/N: Sorry for the delay here, folks.
Writer's block is a bane I would't wish upon anyone.
Covid knocked me flat for awhile and devastated my update schedule, to say nothing of the side effects from long covid.
I'm still dealing with that more than a month later, though apparently its not life threatening so I have to just "ride it out" according to the docs.
With my sixteen year anniversary -has it really been that long?!- on this site rapidly approaching, 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.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.
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 little novel remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. That's right! Do let me know~!
Folks were asking where Neo ran off to....careful what you wish for~!
And we finally get to see 'ol Ironwood live a little.
The sheer SASS in this chapter is off the charts!
"You're pure evil!"
"Am I? You throw that word around an awful lot. Evil! Cruel! Abominable! I don't think you understand the meaning of those words, missy. Nothing I've done thus far has been even remotely evil. But alright, let's say that I am for the sake of your argument. If I truly am "evil" as you say, by the very definition of what you've just said, that would make me necessary evil. Lawful evil. The kind that focuses on maintaining peace and order no matter what. The kind that does what needs to be done, because it MUST BE DONE, but takes no pleasure in it.
Trust me when I say you don't wanna see neutral evil, or sage forbid, true chaotic evil.
That's the kinda evil that renders you a pretty red smear on that wall over there.
I could do it, you know. It would be easy. No one would ever know.
Do you understand now? Take a page from Neo's book.
Because ya see, Silence...is...
~?
Silence is Golden
Neo loved ambushes.
Naruto knew she did; he'd studied her psych profile inside and out before he met her.
Yet even so, she actually actually managed to catch him off guard. Little hellion got full for marks for that.
She came out of nowhere; one moment he was hard at work at his desk signing off an another requisition form to send supplies down to Mantle -paperwork was the bane of every soldier!- and in the next, a familiar weight settled atop his shoulders. Long, wild hair tickled his nose as she all but draped herself over him and he looked up to find her hanging upside down, grinning ear to ear. Steel made a mildly exasperated noise through their shared mental link, but made no attempt to dissuade her. She knew better. This was Neo, after all.
Hmm.
She smelled like cotton candy.
That sly smile of hers was nothing good, he knew nothing he should involve himself in. And yet:
"Alright, I'll bite; where have you been? Its been days and I haven't heard a peep from you. What're you up to this time?"
The silent girl's saccharine grin grew wider still, like the crafty cat that caught the careless canary and slaughtered its entire flock.
"If this is about Roman, I haven't made any progress yet. I'm still trying to find a way to bring him back, its just these eyes of mine." He touched a hand to his temple. "Sometimes I'm so certain I can use the Rinnegan, and then it feels like it just out of my reach. There has to be a way to break through; to unlock them and keep them unlocked...
She patted his arm.
"What's that? You believe in me?"
A nod, then another series of quick gestures.
"Neo."
She didn't answer verbally, she really couldn't, but Roman's little apprentice had other ways of expressing herself. Body language was clearly one of a stirring show of dexterity, she bent down, flowed off his shoulders, and plonked down in his lap. From there, she waved her arms expansively, firing of a series of increasingly rapid gestures.
"You're not making any sense. Use your scroll."
She shook her head, rolled her eyes, flounced off his, and stomped a foot.
And then, quite suddenly, something happened.
Pink fractal light burst from the point of contact and assumed human the striking likeness of...herself. One, no, two perfect copies of herself flanked the original on either side.
"Huh." He tilted his head, mildly bemused by the display. "That's neat. But I don't see why showing off your semblance would-
The rightmost copy strode up to him, flung her arms around his neck, and planted a wet, sloppy kiss on his lips.
His eyes bulged as she disentangled herself from him and sashayed backward, hips swaying.
Oh.
Ohh.
Ohhh~!
Illusions that could initiate physical contact?! She hadn't been able to do that before! That was...that was new.
"Real illusions, huh?" he thumbed his chin anew, considering. "That'll be useful. Can they fight?"
A nod.
"So that's where you've been these past few days. Training your semblance? Making...this?" He gave the nearest copy a nudge, only to hiss when Neo doppelganger bit him, drawing blood. "I gotta say, I'm impressed.
Her grin grew was entirely too toothy for his liking. Out came her scroll, her thumbs flying across the keys.
Thus beaming, she showed its contents to him.
"Fun?"
"Neo, no." He booped her on the nose before she got any ideas. "No using this against innocents."
Her eyes lit up and she whipped out her scroll, typing quickly. "Idea!"
His brow furrowed. "Am I going to like this idea?"
A frenzy of typing followed before his erstwhile ally minx showed him the scroll again, grinning from ear to ear.
I fact, he liked the idea. He liked it very, very much. "You know, that just might work.
Neo kissed his nose and strutted away from him with slow, catlike grace.
Naruto blinked, touching a hand to his face. "Did I just get rizzed...?"
Penny was gonna squeal when she heard about this.
(.0.0.0.)
Penny sneezed.
"He's talking about me, isn't he?"
Sure enough, her scroll rang a heartbeat later, confirming her suspicions.
She snatched it up quick smart, set it to her ear, and listened intently as a moment passed.
And then the wides of smile bloomed across her freckled face."Sensational! I will be right there!"
"Penny?" Steel swung down from her bunk bed with a sleepy yawn. "What on Remnant was that about-wha?!"
She swept her "sibling" off her feet, up into her arms, then rocked away with a flare of maiden fire. "There's work to be done~!"
(.0.0.0.)
"Don't be so grumpy. The meeting wasn't that bad."
James sighed a heavy sigh into his hands. "I am not grumpy."
Robyn nudged his side with her elbow. "You most certainly are; you're glaring holes in the table again.
.
..
...was he?
Ironwood touched a hand to his temple and grit his teeth as another migraine struck him head on. He could feel his Semblance flaring up again; Mettle chafed at being constrained on a good day, but now it was battering at his skull like a wild animal, demanding release. Maybe it was time for another pill. Naruto had cautioned him against taking too much of those blood pills, but it had been hours since his last dose and he craved, no, he needed relief; anything to quell the cold calculating machine within.
"Councilman Sleet and Councilwoman Camilla are being...difficult." he edged the words out, narrowly resisting the impulse to simply have them hauled back into his office and have them shot. "They don't understand why we're still enforcing martial law. Sometimes, I think they don't want to understand."
"Of course they don't." she scooted her chair closer to him and laid a hand over his own. "You haven't told them the new plan."
"Would they even believe us?"
"You'll never know until you try. I'm sure they have the best interests of Atlas at heart. And if they don't," she winked his way, "My happy huntresses can always throw 'em in the slammer."
A wry chuckle burst out of him. "Naruto would like that, wouldn't he?"
Robyn hummed a little and leaned into him.
Truth be told...he found himself enjoying her company. He'd been wary of her at first, but she'd proven herself as a Councilor time and again. She was honest, blunt, and not afraid to take someone to task if they said or did something stupid. Her semblance was also an absolute boon to his efforts. Someone who could tell the truth at a touch? He couldn't ask for a better partner in the war against Salem.
Wait.
Partner?
Or maybe more...?
Naruto had suggested it earlier, but he'd not given it much thought. And yet now that he did...
When was the last time he'd been with someone? Truly been with them? He couldn't recall. And yet when he looked at Robyn these days, he-
No, it was nonsense. She probably didn't feel the same.
What he wouldn't give for Clover's advice right now; but now, he was off wandering about doing gods knew what with Qrow...
"Foolish sentiment." Mettle writhed out his ironclad grasp while he was distracted and hissed at him. "Remnant is in danger, and here you are thinking about relationships. Your emotions will be the death of Atlas. Better to just take the whole city and leave-
Ironwood growled, popped another pill from his pouch, and stuffed his Semblance back into its cage.
Robyn tilted her head. "Mettle again?"
He made an annoyed noise and banged his head against the desk.
Aura crackled dully as he groaned into the metal.
"Should I take that as a yes...?"
"Very much so." He lifted his head and granted her a careworn smile. "Its fine. I have everything under control."
Her lips pursed, forming a thin line of concern. "And how many of those pills have you taken today?"
...only a handful."
And he was fine. Really, he was. So long as he kept his dosage under control, he wouldn't have to worry about rebound or any other side effects. He needed to be strong. Had to BE strong. Atlas couldn't afford for him to fracture now, much less BREAK-
Robyn laid a hand on his arm, distracting him once more. "Why don't we take a break? Naruto can run Atlas for a few hours."
Could he? "He's busy enough. He won't be happy about that-
"Actually, I will~!" One of the blond's clones thrust their head through the door way, beaming brightly as three more of his comrades scurried by behind carrying a series of mysterious black crates. "Go on you two, take a sick day. You've earned it; I've got this."
James drew himself up and clasped both hands together, snorting in brief irritation as a strand of dark hair briefly obscured his vision. "But what about you?"
"Eh, you know how it is," he waffled a hand lazily. "Interrogations to plan, allies to make. Don't worry about Team RWBY." There was something to his voice just then that set off an alarm in his head. "I'll have Yang and Blake settled and sorted by the end of today. Just need to give Ruby and Weiss a call to make sure they're on board."
"What makes you so certain they will be?"
Naruto smiled. It was not a nice smile, but one full of teeth. "Neo gave me an idea...
Torchwick's compatriot? Why did he have a bad feeling about this? "I don't suppose you'd be willing to elaborate?"
"Nope~! Enjoy your day off!" the shadow clone winked vanished in a plume of smoke, leaving them alone.
Robyn looked back to him with a smirk. "You heard him. Why don't we have dinner together?"
His heart thudded in his chest. No, no, must focus. "All I heard was a harebrained scheme-
Robyn growled, took him by the chin, thumbed his face to hers, and kiss him full.
All thoughts of duty, honor, and responsibility went flying out the window.
Oh. That was a surprise. He hadn't thought she felt the same.
"Dinner?" she crooned.
"Dinner." he managed a numb nod.
"Good general." She grinned. "And if you play your cards right, you just might have me for desert...
(.0.0.0.)
The door to Blake Belladona's cell lurched open with an ominous creak and her Doom strode through.
She looked up from her cot, knees tucked against her chest, only to scowl at her guest.
Guest. Ha! As if she had any say in the matter; she was a prisoner in every way.
Well! She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of rising to the bait.
"I won't speak with you."
"Fine by me." Naruto sat down at the table opposite her with a spring in his step, opened his briefcase, and began to rummage around in it, much to her annoyance. "I'll do enough talking for the both of us. You can listen. Or don't." he shrugged one shoulder. "The outcome will still be the same."
He extricated a piece of paper from the case and laid atop the table.
One of her ears twitched at the sight, and of the faint smell of freshly dried ink. "What's that?"
His smile was sly, akin to a bemused fox smirking at a cat. "Thought you weren't going to talk to me?
Blake bared her teeth at him; if looks could kill, he would've been a smoldering pile of ashes on the floor. If only.
"Won't you join me?" he gestured to the seat beside him. "It must be uncomfortable sitting there, locked in those cuffs."
.
..
...what did she have to lose?
It wasn't like he could take anything else from her.
As if sensing that very thought, Naruto's smile suddenly sharpened.
Blake didn't like it; and that sudden flicker of fear spurred her up off her cot and into the chair.
"May I see your arms?"
Reluctantly, she offered them.
This was a trick. A trap. She'd be ready when he...he...
.
..
...unlocked her cuffs?
"See?" he granted her a sweet, saccharine smile as she balked openly at him." Isn't that better? Now we can talk as equals."
She glowered golden daggers at him and yanked her arms back, crossing them before her chest.
"Yikes." he whistled once. "You really hate me, don't you?"
She hissed, ears, flattening against her head. "I hate what you represent."
He steepled both hands and laid them to rest beneath his chin. "And what is that?"
"Absolute power." she scowled at him. "Maximum authority. You've been running circles around us, twisting the laws to your benefit, consolidating your strength, killing any who oppose you-
Blue eyes rolled in mild admonishment. "Spare me the white fang speech."
"I'm not with them anymore!"
"I know." His head bobbed in agreement. "If you were, we wouldn't be having this conversation. And speaking of the White Fang, tell me, how IS Adam Taurus these days? I'm sure his corpse has long since rotted by now."
Rage. Incandescent fury. Despair for the life that could've been.
Blake saw red and surged to her feet, ready to brain him with the cuffs he'd opened. "You no-good whiskered sonuva bitch...!"
"My mother was a very nice lady, I'll have you know." his smile remained, but his voice had gone colder than pure ice dust. "Don't treat me like a killer when you've shed just as much blood as me, you little hypocrite. At least I stuck to my beliefs. You've been so wishy-washy its a miracle you've survived this long."
She slumped back into her seat, momentarily defeated. "I own't betray Yang. You can't ask me to-
"I'm not asking you to." his declaration rattled her, if only because she couldn't sense a lie in it. "But I am asking you to realize what you're up against. I'm a shinobi, Blake. I walk with shadows. You'd think I wouldn't; because you've only seen me be bombastic and flash, but when I want to try-
A knife set itself against her throat.
She hadn't even heard the shadow clone enter the room, much less get behind her.
He snapped his fingers and a surge of wind flashed past, rending the wall.
"I'm a slow learner, its true." the clone dispelled itself, leaving her clutching her throat, gasping for air and all the while, he remained calm, cool and a collected. "But I do learn. Case in point, would you believe I though all of this was a dream at one point."
Of all the absurd, asinine...! "You can't be serious."
"I am!" a bitter bark of laughter burst out of him. "I was so convinced of it at the time, of my own immortality, that I did some pretty foolish things, looking back. But this is real. I'm real. You're reall. All of this?" he gestured to the confines of her cell, "Is real. And you bet your deluded ass Salem is real, and she is coming here. We don't have time to squabble amongst ourselves here. Every day we waste is another one she uses to prepare.
"As if you're any better. You're pure evil!"
"Am I?" he didn't flinch in the face of her accusation. "You throw that word around an awful lot. Evil! Cruel! Abominable! I don't think you understand the meaning of those words, missy. Nothing I've done thus far has been even remotely evil. But alright, let's say I am for the sake of your argument."
He held up a finger, shimmering with nanites. She'd seen what those could do, how easily they could devour matter.
"If I truly am "evil" as you so stubbornly say," he drawled slowly, choosing each word with infinite care, "Then by the very definition of what you've just said, that would make me necessary evil. Lawful evil. The kind that focuses on maintaining peace and order no matter what. The kind that does what needs to be done, because it MUST BE DONE, but takes no pleasure in it, here to put things to rights, whether you like it or not. I keep James in check and he does the same for me. Trust me when I say you don't wanna see neutral evil, or sage forbid, true chaotic evil. That's the kinda evil that renders you a pretty red smear on that wall over there.
Blake followed his gaze and for an awful moment, she saw it; her own broken body, splattered against the wall, limbs askew.
Her gorge rose in her throat, choking her as all the blood drained from her face
It looked so real, right down to the dead, vacant look in her eyes.
The sight vanished and she rounded on him, incredulous. "I...you...what was that just now? What did I see?!"
"I could do it, you know." Naruto prattled on, his smile never once fading. "It would be easy. No one would ever know. Would you like to go down that road?" When she didn't answer, he granted her a tilt of the head. "Do you understand now? Take a page from Neo's book. Silence is golden. Now stop running your mouth before I decide you're more trouble than you're worth and start breaking your bones.
"You won't get away with this!"
"Get away with...?" he coughed in sheer disbelief. "Is that what you think this is? If we wanted you dead you would be! Countless times!"
Something cracked in her heart, just then. "We...?
"Ruby wants to believe you. So does Weiss."
"No...no tell me you didn't get to her...
"Me? That was all Ruby. She's willing to wait things out. So we will. We'll all wait. And you'll rot in this cell." her eyes widened and he waved a hand, silencing her. "Oh, you'll be well feed and cared for of course, the very best Atlas can provide, but we both know that's not the problem. How long can you wait? Days? Weeks? Months? Year? You'll waste away. Your skills will weaken. Your muscles will atrophy. Lucky for you, we don't have that kind of time right now, and we need every available hand we can get. So I'll ask you this one last time? Are you with me?
...suppose I agree. What then?"
"We already have Tyrian in captivity, but not his accomplice. Only one man could infiltrate our systems so easily. He even left us a calling card of sorts...
He slid a picture across the desk, revealing a dark-haired man with a mustache. "Do you know who this is?"
She tilted her head, considering. "Arthur Watts?"
"I do. Who else could mess with the code in Mantle so easily?" more pictures followed. Then there's Hazel, and this girl...they're coming here, and they're going to kill everyone. Do you understand? Everyone. I can't stop them by myself."
She clenched her jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction he sought.
"I've lost people too, Blake." Naruto pushed the paper her way. "I know what its like to wish for a better world. Help me make one. Help me stop them.
It was too much.
Blake let herself break.
"Yang." she croaked the word.
Naruto blinked quickly. "Come again?"
"Bring Yang here, and I'll sign your damn paper...
(.0.0.0.)
The door swung open.
Yang tensed, expecting Ruby.
Nope. It was worse. Much worse.
Naruto marched in, hands clasped behind his back. Two soldiers followed to flank him, their faces hidden by heavy helmets. Huh. They were kinda short. Musta been scraping from the bottom of the barrel and snatching kids from the academies these days. She wasn't surprised. Seemed like something Ironwood would do.
She scowled at the lot of them. "What do you want?"
The blond bastard stepped forward.
"We're going for a walk.
She plonked down on her thin cot and crossed both legs beneath her. "Nah, don't wanna."
"Your compliance isn't necessary." He stalked forward and wait-why was his hand behind his back, now he was moving it and-ow!
She glimpsed a syringe in his hand, carelessly discarded into a pouch at his waist. "What was that?"
"I'm sorry, Yang." He nodded to the helmeted guards. "This is for the best."
Her world spun.
Together they wrangled her to her feet -how were they so strong?!- and frog-marched her out the cell. She tried to right back, tried to resist, but her strength failed her, no more than that, she could scarcely see straight much less think. Marshaling the tattered threads of her thoughts, she tried to glare at him, and failed spectacularly.
"Don't try to run."
She bridled. "You think I won't?
His response proved just as terse. "I think you won't get far."
He led her down the hall in silence, but not for long. "Where are we going?"
"Blake wants a word with you."
Her heart hitched. "What did you do to her?!"
"Nothing." he rolled his eyes and kept walking. "Keep up."
She eyed the corridor. Blank white walls, and a series of doors. Maybe...
"Go ahead," Naruto hummed happily, drawing her ire. "Make a break for it. Then I can tell your sister I told you so."
Yang glimpsed a flicker of movement out the corner of her eye-gone now as she looked over her shoulder, a flaming bright hair.
Penny?
No, surely she was imagining things. Right?
She hadn't heard from her mysterious "Friend" for days now, but she would have gladly welcomed his words now. The voice had told her to wait for her moment, that it would know when the time was right.
Was this her chance? Her moment?
Naruto was clearly distracted, and she was sure she could handle these two mooks-
The lights dimmed overhead and died in a sputter of sparks, plunging everything into shadow.
"Seriously, Watts?" Naruto's eyes glowed green in the dark, the eerie green light of his upgraded nanites shimmering through. "Now? For her? Is that the best you can do?" He waved a hand toward the nearest wall and touched the other to his ear. "Steel, execute programs one through four."
Several things happened at once.
First, the lights snapped back on, only for the door ahead of them to slam shut. Down went the light yet again, yet this time a series of emergency lamps kicked on above, bathing the corridors in eerie scarlet light. An alarm wailed overhead somewhere and the entire hallway shook.
Naruto sighed. "Really? Gimme a break...
Another door opened in an adjacent hallway.
Yang saw her moment and took it. She whirled and drove an elbow into the nearest soldier's side.
Naruto was on her in an instant but she threw the poor lout at him, forcing him to catch the guard as she bolted for freedom.
The door opened before her, revealing Penny in all of her smiling glory. "Salutations~!"
Nope! Not fighting her!
She pivoted and lurched in the opposite direction, cursing her weak legs.
Didn't matter what he'd drugged her with, she was still a huntress and she wouldn't let a bunch of amateurs way her down; now matter how out of it she might be. Never stop, never silent, never surrender. She swayed under one, jabbed another and lurched forward, meandering into the path of another. She knew she could trust in her aura to tank any rounds, though they all seemed be rubber rounds. Damn, they really wanted to take her alive, didn't they? Well, too bad! She'd fight tothe tend. No surrender here.
Where was Blake's cell? What about Weiss? If she could just find them, then together they could make her baby sister see sense.
She...she had to protect her, ya know? She had to-ohsitcrapNO-
The next "door" before her became something else entirely; that once solid surface shattered like so much glass, sending her crashing headlong into a wall.
"Wha-?!"
She tried to backpedal, pivot, find another route, but her boot struck a sudden patch of ice that hadn't been there a second ago rendering her lunge an awkward stumble. Even then, she might have recovered, no, she would have, were it not for a flurry of crimson petals cutting her off at the pass. The scarlet streak swept her legs, and sent her sprawling to the floor. She tried to rise, only for a heel to press down on her throat and twist, wrenching painfully against her aura.
Familiar mismatching eyes glared down at her with murderous intent.
"No, Neo." Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her backward. "I believe we've made our point. Ladies?"
Neo stepped away with a saccharine smile and Yang soon realized why; because one of the guards sighed at her in a very familiar voice.
"You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"
Her stomach bottomed out.
...what?
Yang didn't want to look up; but her eyes betrayed her and her heart wrenched as she beheld her so-called minders. One of the guards removed their helmet and she recognized a familiar white brain come flying free, eyes as true blue as the sky. A dark, yawning pit opened in her gut as she looked to the other guard, the shorter of the duo...no...why...
"Weiss?! Ruby?!"
Her sister's face pinched in resigned sorrow as she tucked her helmet under an arm. "I'm sorry, Yang...but I knew you'd try something like this. You never think...!"
Penny rounded the corner beside her, smiling brightly. "Salutations once again~! Your harem privileges are hereby revoked, effectively immediately~!"
Naruto slapped his forehead.
Weiss absolutely choked.
Neo clapped happily.
Ruby squeaked, face gone red. "Penny, no! We've talked about this! You can't go around inviting everyone to a...a...to that!"
The half-maiden beamed at her in return. "I understand, friend Ruby! Which is why I won't let your sister be a part of it!"
Yang's mind fizzled, then rebooted, her face twisting with fury. "As if I'd ever wanna be a part of that rat bastard's...!"
"Precisely." Penny's smile gained an edge. "Goodnight, not-friend-Yang. You have the right to remain silent."
"And you have the right to shut the hell up! I didn't do anything wrong! C'mon, tell 'em...Ruby? Weiss?"
Her teammates wouldn't even look at her. They should be siding with her and Blake!
And yet they didn't Because they'd chosen Atlas -him!- over her and Blake.
It wounded her more than words.
Something snapped in Yang's chest. It felt like her heart. Was this how Mom felt with the whole Ozpin thing? Being the only sane one in the room? When everyone ha turned against her? Was this why she'd fled? She'd never, ever forgive her for that, but here and now, caught in a similar situation she felt she could at least understand. She'd been right after all. Except "Ozpin" wasn't to blame for this. She knew who was.
It was his fault. All his fault.
Stupid no good blond bastaaaaard!
"Naruto!" She lunged upright, teeth bared-
Penny hooked her by the shoulder, spun her right round, and reeled her in like a fish. She knew what was coming next but she was too slow, too drugged up, too sloppy. Her clumsy block was shunted aside like it wasn't even knuckles barreled in as a fist filled her vision.
Her aura, already strained, simply couldn't hold up.
Pain shattered Yang's world.
Darkness swam in.
A/N: Aaaaand scene~!
To be clear, yes, Ruby and Weiss were real.
Penny, too, with her silly humor at the end again.
Not everybody wants to be with Naruto in this story, ya know...
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story, welll...it won't be continued! That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with virtually no days off. That makes my free time terribly limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like.
Reviews are my fuel. I can't write without them~! Not a wit or a word!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews! They're mostly the same.
Wouldn't do to spoil things, now!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE~!
(Previews! First one is condensed for a reason.)
"You okay?"
Ruby tucked her knees into her chest. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"
Naruto sat beside her. "Not really, no...
Proximity alert.
His blood ran cold. There's something massive on the radar.
He knew the answer already, though he dearly wished he didn't. He stalk past her to the window and gazed out at the cloud behind. Dark and gloomy nimbuses, crackling with red light. Hope warred with disbelief. No. It couldn't be. Not here. Not now. Not yet...not this soon.
But it was.
Salem. She's here..
"I am me."
Wasn't she?
Her thoughts were jumbled.
IT IS TIME.
No, no
Pyrrha gripped her skull and doubled over, pressing her head to the table. "Hurts...
Jaune stood up and circled the furniture quickly, reaching her in an instant.
Her nose was bleeding. So were her ears.
"Y'see, I find this business rather fun." Naruto gripped the brute by the shirt and hoisted them upright. "I don't want your assistance or your adulation...
A punch blasted his prey through the wall.
...what I want is your disintegration!"
Huh. That rhymed. Well go figure.
"Come on, then!" he spread his arms wide. "Call your friends! Two against one, or three, or four?! No! MORE!"
"Is one life not worth peace?"
"You'll never stop at one!" he crushed a Grimm's throat and flung it into a Berringel, bowling dozens down. "I'll take you all on!"
Are you ready, Emerald?"
"Y...e...s...
"Listen to yourselves! None of this matters right now!"
"LOYALTY ALWAYS MATTERS!"
Penny squeezed his hand. "I do not like this plan. Please be safe. I love you."
She rushed the last bit out, freckled face red.
Naruto laughed a little. "Love you too."
"Excellent! Can we have a child now?"
"Penny, why?!"
Watts smiled. "Ready?"
"Always."
...go. Now!"
Neo smiled at Emerald.
Emerald scowled back. "Get out of my way!"
Neo shook her head slowly. And behind her, the world...shifted.
"Take...the...girls!"
"You won't take them." he stalked down the stairs to meet the abomination, nanites already swarming around him. "You won't hurt them. You won't touch a single hair on their heads."
The Hound snarled at him, baring its fangs. "TAKE!"
Naruto snarled back. "COME ON THEN!"
A massive paw swiped at his face. He caught it. Then the other. They grappled with one another, arms straining...
He swept his hands forward and the air fractured around him for miles in every direction. Miles, and each one containing countless mini Rasenshuriken, a veritable minefield as small as it was potent. Lets see you survive this one!"
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
Do let me now if you enjoyed this~!
May you have a great day filled with luck and laughter.
R&R~!