Great to have ya back, folks!
Disclaimer: first chapter
Chapter 10: To Neutral Ground
Jiraiya attempted to stare down the dull, rusty gray eyes that belonged to Archer. Beside the Servant, Lancer occupied the seat on his left while Saber took the seat on his right. Lancer had one foot over the table, and took chugs at timed intervals. Saber calmly drank a cup of tea provided by Tsunami. Off to the side, Tazuna watched with an uneasy feeling in his gut that the upcoming conversation could end terribly. Archer himself leaned forward, and used his elbows to support his hands underneath his chin. The white-haired Servant's unyielding eyes told much of the man's attitude at the moment if Jiraiya did not give the answers he desired.
"Well? We've the time now. Speak, Jiraiya." Archer's baritone voice showed how serious this conversation was to him. When Jiraiya didn't give an immediate answer, his anger flared out slightly. "The boy's in danger, Jiraiya!" Archer's right fist slammed on the table. "I need to know what I'm dealing withto make the proper precautions. They're S-rank, that much I understand, but I need an idea of what type of skill sets they have! You've the information I need to keep him safe, so spit it out!"
Lancer's hand placed itself on Archer's left shoulder. "Tsurugi…lower your voice. I'm as mad as you are, but we are honored guests; the least we could do is be considerate." Archer turned to see the Servant of the Spear's eyes glow with an unnatural fury within those deep burgundy eyes.
"Yes. We are guests in this house, and we should treat ourselves as such, Tsurugi." Saber agreed. She turned to the man of the house, and bowed. "I humbly apologize for my friend's outburst, Tazuna-san."
"No, no." Tazuna waved off the apology. "It's understandable. I'd be enraged too if young Naruto is harmed in anyway." The bearded man took a glance at the kitchen, where Tsunami helped rid Naruto's hair of the red paint on the mop of wet hair. Inari ran would run from one side of the kitchen to the other to grab something his mother needed to fix Naruto's hair. Surprisingly, Naruto did not pry away, and willingly subject himself to the harmless procedure. "He's basically a diamond in the rough, and it'd be a shame to lose that ball of energy." He turned to Saber, "So keep this conversation going. I don't mind if yelling is involved. If anything, my daughter will come with a pan to silence you all anyway."
The men chuckled lightly before the atmosphere returned to its tense state. Three pairs of eyes, full attention, stared at the Toad Sage. Sighing, Jiraiya saw no way out; he needed to tell the truth to these Servants. "As you know, the Akatsuki are S-rank missing nin. They are an organization that target specific people for a specific something…" All the Servants caught on, but Tazuna, being the civilian he was, was left in the dust. "From all over the globe, these people, deemed the most dangerous by their own country, became part of this organization, and I'm left without an idea why they need them."
"You've got to be yanking our chains 'ere, Jiraiya." Lancer lowered his foot to the floor in a thundering stomp. "I thought you were a spymaster? Why do you have only that much information on that organization?!"
"They've been aiming to stay away from being found out by the world. All we've got are tiny skirmishes so far. Though sooner or later, they'll come back again." Archer and Lancer were unsatisfied by the answer.
Lancer's anger peaked. His mug of sakē was slammed on the table. "Then spit out what you got on them members, dammit!" Lancer shouted. "Names, abilities, tendencies, weaponry- everything!"
A book plopped on the table. "Will this be enough? I've bookmarked the Shinobi known to be in the Akatsuki. Known skills and behavior are listed along with modus operandi." The Servants stared, unimpressed. Jiraiya was purposefully straying away from conversation. The Toad Sage was wary of them with the reason being that their murderous intent was specifically aimed at him with such precision that no one but him felt the deadly sensation.
"We want to hear it from your mouth, Jiraiya!" Archer snarled. "A book hardly describes everything needed to know about these folks. What we need is cold," A hand slapped the table, "accurate," another slap, "credible," and one final slap. "hard intel that you have. Anything deeper than what a book gives is more than enough information than we need."
"You won't win this confrontation, Jiraiya." Saber calmly spoke. "It's best to say what needs to be said now. Anything held back will be a crutch in the future. The more knowledge we have on the enemy, the better prepared Naruto will be."
Jiraiya sighed deeply, now that there's no form of escape due to logical arguments far better than what he could muster. "Very well…"
Come sunset, Naruto's hair returned to its normal coloration. A quick look at the mirror, and the boy held a perpetual grin on his face. He thanked Tsunami for the help, and took to remind himself to thank Ino when he meets her again.
"I'm about to make dinner, why don't you wait at the table, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm thinking of going back over there. I haven't gone and talked to them before we got ambushed." Both mother and son looked aghast in horror. The boy was willing to go outside when he was already attacked in the same day? "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Those people aren't going to do the same thing on the same day." He patted his kodachis on his sides. "I got these, and a shield. Plus with my clones, anyone will have a hard time trying to find me at all."
Tsunami looked worried for the boy. "I can't stop you from doing this, can I?" Her words were met with silence. "If so, then take Inari with you. At least this way, he can snap you back to reality if there's an attack."
"Mom?" Inari asked.
"Tsunami-san…" Naruto said with furrowed eyebrows that showed his confusion. "Sorry for my bluntness, but are you right in the head? You're sending your only son with me, a target. That's downright scary, Tsunami-san!"
"And what about you, young man?" Tsunami shot back. "You're going out again to the graves when people are after you. That's just as stupid!" The woman didn't know why the maternal instincts kicked into overdrive, but she couldn't let this boy just rush out to uncertain death. "You may be a Shinobi, but from what I've heard from the conversation at the table, you're nothing but a Genin, an infantryman." Naruto winced at the fact, and Tsunami capitalized on it. Her hands pushed down on the boy's shoulders while her fingers gripped tightly. Surprisingly, her words became soft, and full of worry. "You were about to fight S-ranked Shinobi, apparently deemed the best of the best, and the most dangerous. Going with this idea of yours is the stupidest thing you could do at the moment, Naruto-kun! Just stay here for the rest of the day."
Inari placed a hand on his mother's left thigh. He needed to calm his mother down a little. Maybe then, she won't be as hysterical just a minute ago. "Mom…it'll be fine. This is Naruto-niisan we're talking about here." Tsunami faced her little boy. "He won't die on us; he's too hard-headed to do it anyway!" The blond Genin stared in awe at the boy who stood up for him. "Believe in him, mom." The young boy's words struck true, and the mother calmed down to an extent.
"Okay then." Tsunami said to her boy. "He can go, but he must get back here before the sun is fully down. If both of you don't come back in that time, then I'll have Jiraiya-san and the others come hounding for you two."
"Um…both?" Naruto asked for clarification.
The mother turned to the Genin. "I'm serious about Inari coming with you, Naruto-kun. Let him come with you."
Naruto exhaled, then nodded to the mother's request. "I won't let anyone harm Inari, Tsunami-san. Count on it!"
The two boys snuck out the back door, and went to the graves. Inari saw the destruction caused by the battle earlier, and wondered what monsters fought on this field. The little boy looked at the uprooted trees, the muddy ground, the makeshift rivers dug out by a blade from the looks of it. No words could describe Inari's awe and fear.
"S-So…this is what happened after the fight?" Inari uneasily asked.
"Yeah." The blond replied monotonously. After that fight, he was slightly bitter to himself for not being able to do more than block attacks. He's supposed to be learning how to fight! Why was he stuck in the background most of the time?! Is it because he lacked the necessary training? If he was lacking, then why wasn't his teachers doing more to help?
"…Why?"
"I don't know." Naruto lied. He knew it was wrong, but he needed to keep Wave out of this chaos. He won't reveal his secret to these people. They needed to keep their innocence. "It must be because of the sword. One of them reached for Zabuza's Kubikiri." Naruto pointed to the greatsword, still standing tall like a grave marker.
"All for a piece of steel on a handle?"
"It's rude to call a fine weapon something so basic." Naruto chided. "It's valuable to certain people. Zabuza was a famous swordsman; his sword would be just as famous. Someone would definitely want the sword. Either for cash or ownership, it's a unique blade." The Genin answered. Both boys walked to the grave. The wooden planks once fashioned like a cross, were torn pieces strewn across the muddy ground.
"Do you want to talk to them alone?" Inari asked.
"Yeah…if that's okay with you." He didn't wait for a response, and kneeled in between the graves. "You don't have to leave; just wait there silently."
"Okay!" Inari answered happily. The young boy walked around to inspect the encompassing damage done to the area. He made sure not to stay away out of Naruto's sight should problems occur.
The blond boy sat silently and still; completely unlike of him to do so. 'Haku…' He reminisced about the boy who started him on his journey to find strength, and an ideal to follow. The strength to fight for those he cared, and the belief that his strength came from that drive is the foundation of the boy's character. The desolate sewer that is his mind got a little brighter because of his friends. For the few he cared for, he would fight to the very end. 'You said a person is strong when they have something to protect right? I found people like that; people I'd die for, and yet…one of them left my friends and I. I fought my hardest, to the last bit of energy to get him back, but I still failed. Why?' He asked himself bitterly. He clenched his teeth and tightened his fists. 'Just what is strength? The most I can be right now is be a spiked punching bag.' Fist struck muddy ground. Frustration flowed outward.
Naruto stared at the zanbatō. His left hand wandered close to the steel. Servants inside felt the flow of mana rushing down the pipes of their sewer home.
"What's going on, Caster? This happened before…why is there mana in our Master?" Assassin questioned the expert on Magecraft.
"That old man told us we were fueled by Master's chakra. But he didn't explicitly say that no one has mana anymore." Caster answered. "Mana must be a dormant source, or it's been converted into this chakra…"
"Should it not be the other way around, Caster?" Rider asked. "Archer's constructs are made with Prana. What if that man said that Master's chakra is what fuels us, but during fights, that fuel is converted into what we need?" The hanyou considered that scenario.
"It's possible." Caster answered. "Chakra feels similar enough to mana, but feels diluted…not impure, but it's as if this energy is more free compared to mana, which feels more potent that what chakra gives off."
Ruler stepped into the conversation. "If that's true, then what is this energy? What is chakra?" The Servants contemplated the meaning of this turn of events.
"Just what did you do to get so strong, Zabuza?" The blond wondered. The moment his fingers touched the steel, something strange happened.
"Hmm?" Jiraiya turned to the direction of the graveyard. The Servants felt the same sensation as well. The Toad Sage felt it before, several times, during the travel to Wave, but passed it off as a fluke. But now…he wasn't so sure.
"A fight?" The Servants muttered.
"No…this is instantaneous. He's bumping into these skills naturally…unless you've something to add, Tsurugi." Saber whispered to the other Servants.
The Shinobi turned to the warriors. "You feel it too?" He got a nod from them. "Strange…"
"What's so strange, Jiraiya?" Archer asked. "If anything, what's strange is you reacting to this sensation." Strange? Him? He was the first one to feel that; it was Nature chakra! He would know since he's a Sage after all. What's strange are these Servants reacting to Nature chakra! How could they feel pure chakra? Instantly, Jiraiya felt wary of revealing information on this topic yet. Too theoretical to find a conclusion. He needed a test.
"A request, Tsurugi. Conjure up a sword." Jiraiya said.
"Conjure?" Tazuna interrupted.
"A special skill I have." Archer supplied. The Servant of the Bow tried searching the Shinobi's for any ulterior motive. Seeing none, Archer let Prana flow to his arms. Jiraiya kept his expression still as can be. This feeling is the same as the other times! A-Are these Servants…
Using Nature chakra?!
Archer projected Kanshou and Bakuya in flawless condition. "Pardon me asking, but why do you need to see me make a sword?"
"A theory…but we'll talk about that later. I believe it's my turn to ask questions from you three. Particularly, how will your skills be learned by the boy? Ken is all swordsmanship. Aka is speed and spearmanship. But you… aside from your archery skills and swordsmanship, you've a skill unheard of in a long time. Archer wondered what Jiraiya meant by that. "It's a feat my only the experts of chakra molding can do."
Archer stifled a laugh. Him? An expert? Utter nonsense. If Tohsaka were here, she would have laughed the whole night just hearing anyone say he was an expert as something. "That's funny, Jiraiya. You know…this skill is a botched up little thing that I modified to suit my own self. Using it at first was a destructive ability to my own body because I didn't know what to do."
"Destructive?"
"I'm twenty-seven, Jiraiya." Archer told the man. "I used to have red hair and a normal carnation skin color."
"Huh…figured you'd dyed your hair and got a massive tan."
The moment Naruto touched the sword, the materials used to make it implanted itself into his mind. The sword contained seven layers incorporated into its form. The outermost sides, and the beveled edge were comprised of hard steel, carbon steel that was tempered to form the sword's shell. To the sides, a thin layer of slightly softer alloys braced the frame to allow some bend side to side. It's core is made of a soft steel alloy to prevent the sword from destroying itself from the inside when an enemy's sword makes contact full force.
Then memories seeped in. Naruto didn't want to look further, but his body yearned the knowledge like a moth to flame. Kyuubi noticed this, and it reminded the Biju of several instances when it occurred with its previous warden.
'So…a bloodline? Or a skill passed down through the clan?'
The transfer of memories, of how the man wielded Kubikirihoucho, was instantaneous, but seemingly unending to the boy who watched it all. Zabuza's swings were wide, but effective in keeping enemies out of range while he cleaved them. His dexterous hands allowed him to swing one-handed with either hand. The fact he could even twirl the heavy blade in one hand surprised Naruto. The blond took note of one way to go on the offensive with the sword by faking an attack by showing your back to the enemy, but immediately block it with the flat sides of the sword. The boy saw it as a great parrying maneuver. He saw the impressive feat of the giant cleaving tool fly in the air with pure arm strength. Naruto saw it before, but it was an amazing sight to see that Zabuza only chucked it with a simple swing.
In his mind, Naruto saw the practical applications demonstrated by Zabuza could be upgraded to be more…devious, misleading. Wait. Why did he think he could do better things with the sword? He wasn't planning on taking it; it was a dead man's sword, and he would leave it there.
"Really, Master?" Asked Rider from within Naruto's mind. "Like you said, the sword has its own fortune. It'd be a shame to a pirate to not plunder this dead man's loot."
'No, Rider. I'm leaving it here. The sword should be left with its owner; I don't have use for it. Even if I do, I don't even have the arm strength to pick it up!'
"How honorable of you to say that, Master." Berserker told to his Master. "Despite that, I implore you to reconsider Rider's suggestion."
'You want me to steal?' Naruto asked his Servant. 'Why?'
"You stole your village's scroll of forbidden techniques." Rider argued. Naruto uneasily coughed. "There's no need to feel shame if you do steal it. The dead have no body to prevent you from completing the act. Besides…a sword is used to fight. It is not meant to be a grave marker. To keep it as one means none shall ever use it forevermore. If so, best destroy it at the hilt. A broken sword is useless to anyone who seeks it."
Berserker cut in, "Furthermore, leaving it here is a danger to these people. If one man already sought it, it's inevitable that others would seek it as well." Naruto listened carefully. He was torn between which choice was best; the choice to honor a dead man, or the choice to protect the people. Both struck a chord to the boy, and the Servants could see that. Despite being an assassin, the boy had honor, valor, charisma; all of which are the striking characteristics of either knight or samurai. "Your decision, Master?"
Naruto removed his fingertips from the cold steel. He stood up while still staring at the sword. 'What will it be, me? Leave it as a memoir, or bring it with me for safekeeping?' The boy grunted in frustration. Each choice bore a consequence, but this heavily favored one side. He wanted the sword to stay in memory of Zabuza and Haku, but he couldn't ignore the safety of the people. If there's someone who'll become a second Gato to these people while using this sword…
The mere thought sickened Naruto.
"Naruto?"
"Hm?" The boy faced the source of the sound. "Ken-sensei?"
"I thought I'd keep an eye on you two. Tsunami-san pleaded with me to watch over you two once the ten minute mark of your journey to here came."
"Huh…"
"Have you said your final thoughts, young man?" Saber asked. "It's getting quite late."
"Y-Yeah…but." Naruto trailed off. His words hitched on the very edge of his tongue. Why did he hesitate?
"Continue."
"I'm starting to think that keeping this sword here…might be a bad idea." Saber crossed her arms. Inari watched silently while he leaned on a tree. The two shared a question of why.
"And, pray tell, why?" Saber motioned her right hand to swivel at the wrist to keep Naruto talking. "Is something the matter?"
"N-Nothing too bad. It's just…those guys came here for the sword. I'm scared of what will happen to these people if another person takes the sword for themselves. I want this sword to stay here, but if it means others may be harmed…" The boy lowered his head as if in shame for his indecisiveness.
Saber kept silent for a while. Her Master faced a decision that clouded his mind. Interesting. Perhaps this could be a trial for her Master to learn the hardship of choices as a leader. Although the choices are somewhat trivial, this was important for her Master, and she would do all she needed to guide him into the right path. "What do you wish to do about this?"
"I-I don't know!" Naruto answered. "That's why I'm asking you what I should do."
"A leader has to make hard decisions for himself and his people." Saber said. Naruto listened carefully. He understood a little; his Servant tried to explain sacrifices are needed at times. However, part of him wanted everyone to be happy -even the dead deserved a little bit of hapiness. The knight continued. "Do you satisfy the needs of the many, or supply the need of the few, or in this case, the deceased? I cannot make this choice for you. You must learn to make your own choices; you are your own master."
Naruto sighed. He hoped it hadn't come to that. But she's his teacher, and he complied to her word. There was truth in Saber's words. He's his own master. He shouldn't need to rely on the voices of his Servants. They can be there as a voice of reason, but he will have the final say. So he turned to the giant blade behind him, and touched the pommel. In a second, Naruto's hands gripped the sword's handle and pulled. Surprisingly, compared to Caliburn, this one was slightly lighter, though it didn't make it any easier to yank it out.
Saber's right hand wrapped at the handle. She too pulled to help her Master. In one tug, she helped remove the sword from its station as a grave marker.
"Thanks, sensei."
"It's no problem, Naruto." Saber reassured. "Try raising it." Naruto did so, and almost had the tip half a meter off the ground. Naruto's shaking arms showed how much he struggled. In the end, he gave up lifting it the way Saber does. The sword's tip embedded into the ground.
"…" Inari watched in awe. 'So this is a strength of a Shinobi… Cool!'
"Weight distribution makes it heavy. Size is also another factor. All the force rests on the tip; this is meant to decapitate..." Saber explained. "To even lift it off for ten seconds is no small feat. None of the squires your age could accomplish the same thing you did just now."
"Thanks for the compliment." Said the boy with a small smile. "Now could you help me carry this?" His Servant nodded, and handled the blade like Zabuza did: over the shoulder. Naruto envied Saber's raw strength. He wanted to have an easier time with that sword Saber gave him, but it's heavier when swung. This one was just plain heavy.
The night had little story to offer. Dinner was delicious; night had a cool, sea breeze; the nocturnal animals and insects livened the silent night. However, Naruto himself did not like peaceful. He needed to get stronger. Out at the front yard of the house, the boy practiced with the decorated sword. Like before, the sword became heavy when swung. Initially, it was heavy in general. He didn't question the slight ease in his swordplay; his mind focused on mastering the blade.
"Is that enough, Master?" Saber asked to the panting boy. "You've improved by leaps and bounds. Take a rest. You've earned it." She gave the boy a small smile. With the moonlight framing her face, Naruto couldn't help but see Saber as nothing but beautiful. He blushed a little. Dare he say she looked prettier than Sakura. He realized where his thoughts were going, and shook out of it.
Naruto huffed. He wasn't done yet. The boy charged at the knight. His sword was above his head. He knew it was a brash, idiotic strike, but there was a reason for it. Every time he fought, he mimicked the red-haired woman, the phantom that danced in the battlefield. Sword met the one sheathed in wind. Saber parried, and Naruto allowed himself to follow the direction of the redirected blade. The woman swung at Saber's left. The boy twirled clockwise, and aimed to strike Saber's left like so. Saber parried again by hooking the sword over hers, and chucked it upwards. Naruto watched the She saw her Master take a heavy step and used full effort on the swing aimed at her shoulder. Saber arced her sword over her head, and slashed to the left. Naruto stumbled to his right from the force of Saber's clash.
Saber took her chance to counterattack. She dashed and swung at Naruto's exposed right. Surprised, Naruto's left hand reached out to his unguarded side. In instinct, he activated the shield right before Saber's invisible sword. Another round of surprise effectively silenced Naruto. Saber's blade repelled Naruto, and sent the boy airborne into the trees. The boy had no time to scream from either the pain or the shock value.
Naruto leaped out of the trees, and landed just outside the forest. He barreled himself at Saber with shield in front.
"Another rash attack? What do you aim to do?!" Saber shouted. She pulled her sword, ready to thrust, back. Naruto readied himself for the upcoming attack by skidding forward to soften the inevitable strike. Saber thrust at Naruto's shield. Metal rang around the field. The ground where Naruto's feet were on caved in.
Naruto's eyes focused on that red-haired woman as she ducked under the attack, and swung at the unprotected abdomen. The boy realized what to do next.
"Get you open!" Naruto answered with full confidence. Naruto shifted the shield's face skywards, and rushed in from underneath Saber's thrust. Naruto's sword shone under the moon's rays. He slashed left, at Saber's midsection, and hoped for the best. Strangely enough, it was easy to swing that time. Saber noticed this ease; moreover, it looked completely natural. She had no time to waste. She bashed the shield to redirect Naruto's near-perfect counter. Naruto missed his swing. He jumped back, but did not retreat without one last swing at her. Saber easily blocked.
"Impressive. You have this much fire in you despite all your defeats. Your tenacity befits a lion." Naruto grinned at the compliment. "Why do you keep thinking you'll win the next confrontation?"
"That's an easy answer." Saber waited for his response. "I'll win because my heart is burning with desire to go on; I'll win and vanquish anything that stands before me." He said proudly to the knight in front of him. Saber looked genuinely awed by the boy's determination verbally expressed with such fervor. "Adding on to that, my persistence and a voice inside me echoing "I can make it" won't just let me give up even when I can't stand up again!" Naruto brandished the sword in front of him with proper stance applied.
'Caliburn…accepted him?' Saber wondered. She shook off the thought, and evaluated her Master's performance. "You've a warrior's heart, blood full of valor, and a body that can't seem to understand the meaning of limits. You're on the fast track to becoming a knight if you keep this up." The boy rubbed his head; he became bashful at such compliments. Saber lowered her sword, "Will that be all?"
The boy refused. His shield returned to the gauntlet. "Until I land a blow on you, I won't stop!"
The boy fought with all he had. His ingenuity struck back against Saber's experience. Following the woman's movements also helped out. Every slash was perfectly arced to his defenseless areas; however, Saber's experience and abilities never let the woman get hurt. Each attack, each clash, each step was countered by the next move. Saber could see the boy lacked the proper swordplay needed. All swings were natural, but ultimately were improvisations done by circumstances of that instant. The boy's eyes scanned around. The body constantly moved. Saber recognized the potential threat in her Master.
Her Master constantly ran tactics in the middle of battle. Instances after each contact of metal brought a different maneuver, a different angle to achieve the same result. If that failed, another set of plans fired off in Naruto's brain. Each movement had a sense of uncertainty at the start. But when he does move, he finishes the act.
Swords brushed past each other. The air rushed back into the vacuum cause by the impact. The two battered themselves against each other, an act of raw strength. Saber clearly had the advantage. Her opponent's ground caved with every clash.
The boy however did not care. His eyes were focused on that woman with red hair. He followed her moves, her steps. And despite following them, Naruto knew beforehand that each movement the woman did was something he would have done in the first place. The two thought on the same wavelength. Both were crafty, but the woman had the experience. All Naruto had was the instinct.
Heavy chorus of metal banging against metal rang out.
The people in the house watched silently at the boy, the hero of their land fight to improve himself. They couldn't sleep. The reason was simple. One only needed to hear the grating metal echoing in near pitch black night.
Naruto leaped up, his sword over his head and behind him. Such an obvious attack would easily be blocked. He needed a surefire way to land this blow.
Saber's instincts alerted her of an attack behind her, and stepped to the side. Her arm swung out to take her spot. The sound of a pop reached her ears. 'Clone…' She looked up at her Master's sluggish landing. Naruto dashed with the sword nearly grazing the ground. He sliced upwards. Saber easily batted it out of range. Naruto forces a deadlock, then turned on his heels to get past her defenses. He had full access to her exposed sides and back. He swung full force. 'It's slower…' Saber noticed.
She took action. Her sword swung at the upcoming attack, rendering it useless at that instant. She used the flat of her blade, and smacked her Master's knees to submission before swiping it across Naruto's face. He spun in the air, and rolled on the ground. She ran towards him, and kept the point of her sword right at the boy's neck.
"Dead." Saber announced to a knocked out boy. "You really don't know your limits, Master. What say you, Tsurugi, Aka?"
Both men on the rooftops jumped down to the ground. The man in red spoke first. "Tenacious. There are times his swings are natural, but there are sloppy, sluggish ones. The sword is constantly evaluating the boy's capability as a knight."
Lancer spoke next. "Aside from the surprising agility, the only times his swings slowed down were when he fought dishonorably. The attempted stab to the back and the small outnumbering through the use of clones showed the sword forcing the kid to exert much more to hit you."
"I see I'm not the only one. Caliburn is easing the load if the boy fights the honorable battle, and punishes him by becoming unwieldy if he doesn't." Saber said lightly. "I need to teach him the values of a knight if he's to progress..."
"Is that really necessary?" Archer asked. "Why not let him learn to fight with your sword? The way you're doing it…it might take years."
Saber snapped at Archer. "The boy is on his way. He just needs to learn that he shouldn't fight 'dirty'. That and all warriors have some form of discipline, Archer. This one, this sword, is fairly strict and quite…difficult."
"Understatement of the year…" Archer muttered. The Servant walked over to the down and out Uzumaki, and carried the boy over his shoulder. Saber said nothing, and disappeared into the house. Archer turned to Lancer, "Say…did you see?"
Lancer leaned back. "Hm? You mean the hormones of a prepubescent boy just leak out at the end? Yeah. Seems like…you and him are alike in some ways."
"In what way?" Archer questioned. Lancer scoffed lightly.
"Figure it out yourself." Lancer said lazily before he retreated back into the home.
Archer gazed at the knocked out Master on his shoulder. He sighed. Almost mutely, he said, "If he starts spouting that he wants to make the world a better place with smiles all over, then I'll see the similarity. Until then…he's still Naruto Uzumaki."
How he would rue the day he uttered those words.
The gang and Tazuna's family crowded the stairs leading to the ship bound for Iron Country. The obligatory rounds of farewells, hugs, and handshakes took under five minutes to do.
"You be good out there, kid." Tazuna said as he patted Naruto's shoulder. "Who knows what dangers you'll face at the other side of the sea." The old man turned to Lancer, "Aka-san. Here you go." He handed a tall bottle to the spearman. "A bottle of Wave's finest sakē."
Lancer bowed. "Much appreciated." Tazuna nodded, and walked away.
Tsunami took her turn, and handed the boy a rather large lunchbox. "I can't have you eating poorly now. There's enough for all of you for the two day trip. Safe travels." She rubbed the boy's head, and messed with his hair. She too walked away, and stood next to her father.
Inari walked up to Naruto last. He looked embarrassed. "I don't have a gift for you nii-chan, but take care." Naruto kneeled to face Inari on eye level. "I'll try to keep my family safe, so you try stay safe too." Naruto smiled.
"Hurry up! Ship will leave in a minute with or without you guys." Yelled a crewman aboard the ship.
Naruto noted the warning, and rushed his farewell with Inari. "Thanks, Inari. Tell Tazuna-jiji and Tsunami-san thanks, okay?" Inari nodded. "Oh! And a favor. Could you give them a proper gravestone? It doesn't have to be extravagant, just a small one with their name will be enough. Can you do that?"
"Uhuh!"
Naruto patted Inari's back. "Good. Take care." The turned around. "Let's go." The group enter the deck of the ship.. Naruto and the others waved at Tazuna's family one last time, then waited at the passenger area aboard the ship.
"Are you ready kid?" Jiraiya asked from behind Naruto as the group walked to their own rooms in the passenger area. "As far as I remember, you haven't gone past the sea, have you?"
"I went to the north before, not the eastward direction. But it's an experience I'm willing to come across." Jiraiya, satisfied by the answer, entered his room. He and Saber took to their shared room aboard the ship while Archer and Lancer had a separate one.
Both males Servants -actually one Servant in blue- grinned mischievously as he pulled out a pencil and a notepad to continue the collaborative work with Archer, Berserker, and Rider. Archer handled characterization; Berserker would handle plot; Rider handled female kinks; Lancer handled plot and outlines. What they shared together was the actual writing of the lovemaking. And by far, Lancer had the most passion for this work. He and his comrades will surpass Jiraiya's work!
A glimpse of the future
Beads of sweat ran down skin; the humid air of this summer night aided the increased temperature in the room. Lust boiled hotter and hotter with no signs of it evaporating anytime soon. A shirt had been thrown aside to one corner of the room. Mesh armor too. Belt unbuckled, and pants unzipped. Hair ties were launched; gloves hung on the ceiling fan; and torn wraps littered the floor.
Supple lips kissed the nape of a neck. The action entices a moan and a frenzy of hand movements that messed with the man's hair. Soft fingers lingered at the back of his head before one reached for the other's chest. The massage of roaming hands made both want more.
"Take me…" She spoke softly. Her partner's hands roamed with greater fervor.
Callused fingertips, done by extensive amount of battles, ran down silky sides of a lithe, flawless woman. Short trips became zaps of electric passion. Sparks shocked her body, and she needed more.
Wanted more.
Craved it!
Her man never showed her this side; it made her legs twitch madly, and her nether region to flood. Nerves wild pushed eager hands and fingers to touch, to continue the exploration. Her pants were long gone, but her top had stayed, rolled up at her collar. Her bindings were ripped open. Perky pairs of breasts, the size of the palm of his hand, heaved with every breath she took.
His face moved from his lover's neck to go lower. With his partner's back arched, he leaned to close the gap. He buried himself in between his lovers mounds, and relished the feeling of the soft pair that caressed his cheeks. He shook his head side to side, his mop of hair tickled his woman's assets. His woman cradled the back of his head to keep him there; however, the man's strength wouldn't allow him to fall to his lover's pace! His hands slid up to grope her breasts. She moaned at his bold move. Her pleasured sounds rose when he suckled on her nipples, and licked one or the other to stimulate them.
"Mmmm…hurry." She begged huskily. "Ah!" They rolled on the bed. Like a fumbling mass with no form, they fought for who'd get top position. In a flash, two arms were bound by one hand while the other glided over the flawless abdomen. The man won this stage in the battle of pleasure.
He leaned in close, and kissed his woman on the lips. He deepened the kiss, which pushed his woman further into the bed. The woman fought back with equal passion. One of her hands slipped out of his grasp, and she hooked her left arm underneath his. They shared the kiss for an unknown amount of time; tongue was used extensively. When their union of mouths ended, they gasped for much needed air. The two panted, but they couldn't stop. They haven't even started yet.
The man stared at his lover. With bated breath, he spoke to her. "Sh…don't worry. I'll tend to your every need, milady."
His woman chuckled lightly, "You better, my dear sword and shield."
"Pffft!" An impressive fountain of tea glistened in the air before spraying the window next to him. "Gah! Koff! Bleh…guh." Naruto wiped his mouth. Soon, he felt stared at. True to the assumption, many of the civilians enjoying their lunch inspected him, a stranger to these parts. He rubbed his head, and wiped his mess with the tissue dispenser on the table.
"So what do you think?" Lancer asked with a cheeky smile.
Naruto faced his Servant, and stared at him with eyes full of malice and death. "What the hell?!" He snarled to the Servant. Lancer was taken aback by the intensity of his Master's anger. "You can't just write my wet dreams, Aka-nii!" He whispered harshly.
Archer walked to the table, and took a seat, "Hoh? What did I tell you, Aka. He knew where the source material came from." The man mused while trying his best not to laugh at his Master's misfortune. "So? Fork it." Lancer regrettably handed the red Servant a handful of Ryo.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You betted on this sort of thing?!" Archer wasn't surprised by the question, and chuckled a little.
"Well…" Archer pointed to Lancer, "this guy here didn't at least try to hide it. The positions, the actions, even the dialogue -near lack of it- were written to the point of verbatim; had he added the names, you would have just torn the manuscript." The Master fumed while his face, blushed and red like never before, sported a scowl.
"Hahaha! That's so you, Naruto." Lancer laughed with a palm covering half his face. "And I've got to say…for a nice guy like you, you're quite the rough guy when you get into it."
"Aka-nii!" Naruto hushed.
"He's not wrong." Archer assured. "Pinning her to the wall, then mindlessly-"
"Are you seriously talking about this in public?!"
Lancer raised a finger. "It's an unwritten law that an older brother, or at least an older brother figure that said brother must rub any dirt he has towards his younger brother. This goes vice-versa in which the little brother can enact revenge by rubbing blackmail material all over his older brother."
Naruto leaned back on his chair, and crossed his arms. "Where'd you hear that?"
"Observation."
"…" Naruto grabbed his cup of tea, and sipped.
"Why don't you ask her out?" Archer asked. "If you're thinking of her like that, might as well do it right by going to first base."
Naruto had the worst timing yet again, and spat his drink to the window again. And yet again, the Master wiped his face, and coughed out any lingering tea stuck in the back of his nasal passageways. "Tsurugi-nii!" Both Servants let out a throaty chuckle, much to their Master's dismay.
"No harm done." Lancer said coolly. "It's been years since you saw each other, just try it. If she rejects you, at least you tried. Though with the way she undressed you with her eyes, I doubt she would reject you instantly." Naruto gagged. Though on the inside, signals rang in his head.
'Did she really think of me like that?'
"Go for it. We already know how you think of her, and don't try to fool yourself into thinking otherwise."
And that about wraps up this chapter. What do you think? I hoped you enjoyed it.
So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.
This is Azure signing off.
