Wow, it's already been three months since my last update... damn. Guys I'm so sorry. I have no excuse why it took so long and I hope you can forgive the tardiness.

Part three of Walking the White Line. Hope you like it. Now, to answer some concerns raised in the last chapter or simply replies to reviews. Let's get those out of the way.

Black Guy: (Not the first username I would go for but... to each his own) I should explain that this title is not a reference to anything in pop culture. It was an idea I came up with after seeing the lack of stories which revolved around the possibility of a Naruto Torchwick. So, even if there might be similarities between my story and whoever this 'Cash' person is that you were referring to, it was simply coincidental.

Kurama587: I kinda hinted at the reason why Cinder doesn't know who Naruto is in the last chapter but if you didn't get it, let me explain. Naruto may be well-known, but his infamy isn't international. It's only criminals in Vale and the police force that are really aware of him. I've also implied that the reason Cinder hired Roman was for his contacts in Vale, which means that she didn't have any contacts in the kingdom, so she wouldn't know about him... yet.

Michael289: No, he won't be taking such drastic measures to avoid Cinder. He doesn't even know who Cinder is yet.

With that out of the way, ON TO THE STORY!

Naruto flipped through the channels without purpose. Despite the fact that the television was on, he had hardly spared a glance at the appliance. His eyes were unfocused and seemed to stare off into space. Beside him, Neo was far too preoccupied to notice the teen's odd behavior. He had foregone the choice of wearing a shirt, instead only sporting black sweatpants and a pair of slippers. Neo was seated beside him on the large couch, ice-cream in hand. She was still wearing her nightwear, a silk white blouse with pink pajama bottoms. She was barefoot as she curled up in the couch, her fluffy pink slippers on the ground in front of the couch. The girl was nearing her last ice-cream tub yet still ravished the dessert with gusto. The picture they presented was almost like two siblings unwinding on the weekend in front of the television, and the truth was not too far off.

Normally, at times like this, both Naruto and Neo would not have been found indoors. Neo was normally out with his older brother, doing gods knows what. Naruto had learned early on not to ask too many questions of his brother's dealings. Oh he knew what he did, he just never asked what he planned to do on any specific day. Naruto in return, would use his brother's absence to go out and have fun. Whether this meant doing so petty thefts to pass the time or simply going out for a stroll was entirely up to his mood and preference.

It was just the way things worked in the Torchwick house.

Yet today, things had changed.

He wasn't sure why Neo was still here outside of the fact that apparently Roman could handle whatever it was he was doing by himself. The girl hadn't obliged much information outside of that and Naruto was sure that even if he pressed the issue, Neo was not one to oblige him. The girl was stubborn like that and got her kicks from frustrating the blond teen.

For himself, the answer was linked to his brother. Roman had called last night. That wasn't entirely out of the blue except for the fact that the orange-haired criminal had left a few days ago on some secret job and had informed his younger brother that he wouldn't be able to call him. Naturally, Naruto's curiosity was piqued but his brother had shut him down rather abruptly.

'It's not your concern, don't worry about it,'

He had been pissed and had stewed over it for a while before deciding a night out on the town would have cheered him up. He hadn't lied to the police chief when he said that he was visiting an ice-cream store when he stumbled upon his brother. For all intents and purposes, he had thought his brother had left the kingdom. If there was some secret job he was doing and didn't want Naruto to find out, surely he would have done it outside of Vale. Naruto's contacts were just as large - perhaps even larger - than his brother's, so if something big was going down in Vale, Naruto would know as well.

Like I was saying, running into his brother and a bunch of Junior's goons had been unexpected. So when he say his brother fighting off the cute red head, he had intervened, jumping to the redhead's side of the fight because 1) she was too cute to ignore and 2) it was payback for not telling him about the job.

Sure, he never usually asked for details on his brother's jobs but secret heists were an obvious exception to this rule.

Naruto had expected for his brother to be pissed off at him for the stunt before they both laughed it off, which was why he had been caught off kilter by ht e near frantic tone of Roman through his scroll.

"Dammit Naruto! Just what the hell were you thinking!" Roman hissed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about big bro,"

"Cut the crap Naruto! You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Come on Roman, don't tell me you're mad about what happened. It was just some harmless fun, nothing to be pissed about," Naruto was sure his brother was being over-dramatic again.

"Harmless fun? HARMLESS FUN?! You don't get it, do ya? What you did tonight pissed of my boss. The only reason why you're still alive is because I said I'll deal with it. This is me dealing with it. Listen to me Naruto - and I mean really listen - lay low for the next few weeks." Roman ranted into the scroll and Naruto felt himself speechless for a few moments from the passion in his brother's voice.

"Wha- "

"Don't question me! Not now. Just... just hang out in the apartment or something. I don't care what. Just stay outta sight until I say so."

"You can't - " Naruto tried to speak again but was interrupted again by Roman's shout.

"NARUTO!" Roman paused to release and sigh and Naruto could taste the tension. "Naruto... just this once... I'm begging you, just listen to me,"

Never had he heard his brother so despondent. Roman was a figure of composure and confidence, and to hear him act this why was a huge shock. Naruto had relented under his brother's tone, promising him to keep out of trouble for the next few weeks. So for now, he would stay at home and watch television or do something to occupy the time.

That was the plan.

A small tug on his sleeve drew his attention from the flickering screen onto the diminutive criminal he shared the couch with. He noticed her small pout along with the myriad of empty ice-cream tubs that littered the floor and he immediately put the pieces together.

"Neo... no." he answered firmly.

She clutched onto the sleeve of his shirt.

"I can't Neo, I promised Roman to lay low for the next few weeks,"

The girl's eyes went wide and slowly filled with tears.

"I-I- I... dammit! I'll go okay. But if I get into trouble with Roman, I'm throwing you under the bus!"

The girl beamed. Her tears were gone immediately and she grabbed the remote out of Naruto's hand while the blond left the room. Under his breath, she heard him mumble something that sounded suspiciously like 'Multi-colored ice-cream freak'

Naruto grumbled some more as he pulled the apartment door open and stepped outside.

'Not even a few hours and my plan is already shot to hell,'

"I'm leaving now, dad!"

Black hair with crimson tips, silver eyes and pale skin, Ruby Rose made a definitive character. Coupled with her bright and optimistic attitude, it made a lot of sense why the girl was cherished by most who met her.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to tag along? It won't be a problem for me," a voice responded to her call. He immediately swam into view as the tall figure of her father made an appearance. He was dressed casually; a simple pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He had a light stubble around his chin, the same shade of golden blond as his roguishly rueful head of hair.

The girl sighed. "I'll be fine dad, I'm a big girl now. I can go to into the city by myself now," the girl explained.

"I know that. It doesn't mean that I don't worry about you."

"I know dad, but I'm going to Beacon in two days. You can trust me to take myself,"

Taiyang relented. He knew what she was saying was right. Having been trained by Qrow, Ruby had grown monumentally and could deal with any common criminal that came her way. Plus, with her semblence, she was near untouchable except to the best of the best. Physically, he was assured about her safety. But the girl was socially-awkward and painfully shy when in a large crowd. What he feared was her getting hurt, but rather someone taking advantage of her naïvety

"Fine fine," he raised in hand in mock surrender, leaning off the door-frame as he walked towards her. They were standing on the porch at the front of the their cozy little house on the small island. It was just after 12 noon and the sun was a brilliant globe in the barren sky. He closed the gap between himself and his progeny. "But you have to give your father a kiss first,"

The girl blushed fiercely. Why, oh why, did her father have to be so embarrassing? She could feel the heat in her cheeks and knew that with her pale skin, it would be impossible to hide. Thank for small mercies that her sister and uncle weren't present, who knows how mercilessly they would have teased her if they had been here.

She placed a chaste kiss on his cheeks before withdrawing suddenly, flushing under the bark of laughter from her father. "There, now was that so hard to do," he laughed. Ruby said nothing, her eyes on her father's watch.

"Oh no! I'm gonna be late!" She squeaked before dashing off, a swirl of petals in her wake. Taiyang watched it all with a small frown. 'Damn, I'd hoped that chatting her up would have made her missed the ferry. Oh well... '

Ruby was a red blur as she dashed forward. If you'd blink you would have missed her, the only evidence of her presence being the rose petals she left behind. The reason for her rush was because she had a ferry to distance from the Rose's/Xiao-Long's/Branwen's (it's a crazy household) residence to the ferry was a good 30 minutes if you'd walk, but at the pace the red missile was moving, she would reach there in 5 minutes.

In the end, it had taken a little over 4 minutes for the girl to arrive. And she was right on time as the ferry was just about to leave. Bolting towards the large vessel, Ruby made her way onto the ferry, using her small frame to slip in between the mass of bodies that were boarding as well. The residents of Patch that were familiar with the small speedster could only shake their head fondly as the girl zipped by them.

The ride from Patch to Vale had taken about half an hour and Ruby was elated when they had arrived. She didn't do well in crowds and she felt intimidated by the vast amount of persons on the ferry as they had made their way across the ocean that separated Vale form Patch.

Vale looked just as magnificent as ever was Ruby's thought as she disembarked the sea vessel. She was moving in a more sedate fashion, ducking her head slightly as not to draw attention. It hadn't really helped much to be honest. As a huntress-in-training, she would always stick out as a sore thumb among the civilians. It was due in part to their bright colors hunters and huntresses were prone to wearing. Her brilliant red and black contrast greatly with the blander shades of green and beige those around her wore. But a major part to her stand out presence was her weapon. While in its compact form, Crescent Rose was still made for a large carriage, the sniper-scythe hybrid drawing its fair share of wary glances.

Ruby disentangled herself from the throngs of people making their way off the ship. With her impromptu acceptance to Beacon Academy, Ruby had only two days to prepare herself for the next four years to come. So that had spurred her decision to come to Vale to buy new school supplies. She had a clear goal in mind that included a shopping list that needed to be completed before night came. Yang was somewhere in Vale and Ruby was hoping to catch a glimpse of her older half-sister in order to hitch a ride back. It would be a lot better to return with her sister than to go home alone.

The girl raised her head high as she explored the city. She would be a Beacon student in two days time and that was only the first step towards becoming a hero.

'Just like mom was,'

Naruto would be the first to admit that he wasn't one for stealth. Sure. he could be sneaky when he wanted to (you had to be when you were a criminal) but he didn't possess the ingrained ability to avoid an entire city. Vale was a massive place and Naruto was sure he would be recognized. Roman had given him clear instructions to stay out of sight but he would understand how plans would fail when you were near Neo. The small girl danced to the tune of her own drums and didn't care for your wants and needs unless they were aligned with her own.

This was why he found himself shifted through the masses with a large brown coat with upturned collars. The clothing stopped mid-calf, and underneath it, he was dressed in a black military-style shirt with grey pants. He didn't attempt to hide his face nor change his walk, that could possibly even draw more attention to himself. Instead, he walked slowly and confidently, moving at such ease that most wouldn't spare him a second glance. It wasn't the best strategy to go unnoticed in such a large crowd but it was the best he could come up with.

'Damn it Neo, must you be such a pain!'

He checked the time on his watch, noting that it was just a few minutes after three in the afternoon. It was getting a bit late and he was sure Neo would be angry at him for taking so long but... it served her right.

He took a final turn, spying his destination in the distance. The large pastry store was up ahead, right at the end of the street. It was a common sight for him to be here. Naruto nodded. The faster he got in, the faster he could get out.

The door opened with a familiar jingle and Naruto felt refreshed by the blast of cool air that rushed at him. Within the store, they were less than ten persons within excluding staff, but Naruto only had eyes for one.

'Lil' Red, we meet at last'

As he approached the counter where the girl was, thoughts of an angry Neo was the last thing on his mind.

Ruby felt that she deserved a reward. She had spent nearly three hours wandering the streets of Vale by her lonesome and had finally completely the shopping list for her school supplies. When she was completed, she had sent the new stuff to Beacon before her, not wanting to have to struggle with carrying the purchases home.

So yeah, Ruby Rose deserved a reward for her work today.

So when she saw the large pastry store in the distance, she had zipped right inside. Her flurried entrance had gained her a few laughs from the cashier at the counter which caused her to blush. Uncle Qrow had always said that the girl would get a little crazy when it came on to sweets. Maybe he was right after all.

She had just finished ordering her slice of cake when an arm snaked its way around her shoulders. She tensed first, before spinning on her heels and pushing the person off her. The stranger feel with a thud, and caused for most conversations to fall quiet. A stark difference to the lively dine of sound she had walked into.

"Hahaha," the boy chuckled. His laugh was a low baritone that seemed too mature for his age (she was assuming he was around her age). "Well, I certainly didn't expect that reaction," He stood from his spot on the floor, patting down his coat as he did so. "This is first time a girl has ever rejected me so easily. And a pretty one at that. I'm hurt," he spieled.

Ruby had to fight down the blush on her cheeks. 'He called me pretty,' This was the first time a boy her age had done so, and Ruby was surprised it had such a strong effect on her. She turned away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes again. He must have noticed her embarrassment because he gave a bark of laughter in response. It wasn't teasing as her father's was earlier, but rather filled with pure amusement at her actions.

"Tell me Red, don't you remember me? I'd hoped I'd have made a bigger impression the other night," he spoke, for the first time, Ruby really drank him in. Oh drink she did. Her blush intensified.

"W-What are talking about?"

The boy laid a hand over his heart, a dramatic display of agony on his face. "Woe is me! Alas, the fair maiden had forgotten her knight in armor. Had I made such a horrid impression that she felt it better to erase my face from her recollections. I weep in sorrow! Woe is me!"

Ruby waved her hand in frantic denial, a hot blush on her cheeks as most in the store were watching the scene play out in avid curiosity. "No no no! Of course I remember you!" she lied, hoping that he would stop making such a huge scene.

The boy instantly beamed, "Great then, how about lunch? Just you and me!"

"I-I uh... already ordered," she tried to dissuade the odd stranger but he was too lively to shoot down.

"Even better, we can eat here," he slipped behind her and faced the cashier. "I'll have whatever she having okay? And make it on the family discount, would ya?"

Ruby tilted her head her curiously. Family discount? Did that mean he came here so often he was given a discount? As she allowed for Naruto to lead her away, she felt another question pop into mind.

If Naruto was here often, why did the cashier look so scared to see him?

Ruby ad Naruto meet and the roller coaster is about to begin.

You know what to do,

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