Hakuno was set comfortably in her bed with Berserker resting beside her while Saber looked at the poor girl with mixed emotions. Hakuno had been reluctant to be touched by her, her of all people! She was the Flower of Olympia, the incarnation of Venus! Yet this girl downright rejected her touch!

But it was a given, Saber had observed her Master carefully with her interactions with these Cyphers and now needed confirmation of her suspicions. She would go ask the trio of this mentality her Maestro was developing and put a stop to it before it festers into a sickness. With Berserker here, she could afford time to get the answers she needs.

*VIP Room*

Naruto opened the lid of his instant ramen while Sasuke bit into his tomato and Hinata munching happily on a cinnamon roll. Then a Servant opened the door forcefully, interrupting the mood as she looked upset with something. "…You're Hakuno's Servant. Something wrong?" the blond asked.

"Umu, there is something indeed wrong. My Master, my Maestro is reluctant to touch or even being close to others. She even participates in exterminating weaker enemy programs. Explain why she's developing this mentality." Saber demanded with a fire in her eyes while the three looked at each other and then at Saber.

"Excuse me your highness, but it seems that Hakuno has developed a mild fear of intimacy of any kind." Hinata spoke up as Saber gasped at that notion. "Give that she has a bond of sorts with her previous foes and then forced to kill them, the emotional pain must have been quite severe after she just…" Hinata trailed off as the three Cyphers looked away, equally pained expressions on their faces as they understood it.

"The life of a Cypher is a lonely one Saber; she will not be able to rely on anyone but herself when she ascends. You are seeing her trying to become independent from relying on others. Masters are those who rely on a protector and give commands, but a Cypher is a lone wolf that is cursed with solitude and self-reliance." Naruto told his fellow blonde.

He looked at her, a rather sad expression now adorning his usually cheerful face. "She's adopting the mentality as she draws closer, and the World itself is setting things up to cultivate that mentality. It is unusual for Hakuno since she's from a civilian background, for most Cyphers were born warriors or soldiers and are independent of emotional connections. It is forcing Hakuno to learn to let go of these bonds so she can be efficient in her role as a Cypher."

"But killing off these bonds she has makes her no better than an Attack Program or NPC of the Moon Cell! Is this way of life for you Cyphers live truly a hollow one!?" Saber demanded while Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Well, I just recently became one and I noticed that most of the current Cypher generation has been rather different from what you've described Naruto." The Uchiha spoke up, getting both Naruto and Hinata's attention. "It may have been like that in your generation, but they've been recently opening up to their emotions after this 'Dark Prophecy' thing your generation suffered from."

"They have?" Hinata asked, surprised.

"They have. I'm not sure what caused this, but it seems emotions are important for Cyphers since Menma embraced his negative emotions to give him that power boost to destroy that version of Konoha…Come to think of it, Hinata, didn't you channel emotions into yourself when fighting him in that last battle?"

Hinata's eyes widen in realization as an epiphany struck her like a bolt of thunder. She remembered using her own positive emotions inside her attacks against Menma and it gave her the edge to defeat him and cripple his power. "I did…But if the ways of Cyphers are changing, then why…?"

"…Someone wanted Hakuno to cast off her emotions when she ascends." A new voice spoke from behind Saber as one person was in shock at who it was.

"D-dad?" Naruto said in an uncertain voice as Minato Namikaze stood at the doorway with a tired smile.

"Good to see you, Naruto." Minato greeted with a nod as he held a file stained in blood and coffee. "While the whole Mecha-Naruto situation was handled by you and Sasuke, me and Itachi-kun investigated the place it was built. Danzō was involved. The group he works with caught wind of the upcoming Heavenly King of Fire and wanted her to be efficient at the cost of emotions. Killing those she had known…closing her own heart and emotions. It reeked of The Axis' influence." He tossed it to the table as the contents slipped out and Saber rushed to read it.

Each detail, of whom she would face was calculated by Cyphers that interfered in the SERAPH and had caused the Ark of Stars and the Void Cells to run rampant. Hakuno's infection was a bonus, they hoped that this alien power would make her stronger. Strong enough to confront Menma's own unusual powers. They were content with all of Hakuno's opponents until the fourth round, and then ensured mother and daughter fought.

Saber wasn't the only one to be enraged by this, Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata were as well. "How long have they known?" Hinata hissed out in anger while Minato closed his eyes.

"For a time before Naruto was liberated. Danzō forced a Chronograph Sorceress to reveal of Hakuno's existence with his stolen Sharingan." He answered.

Chronograph Sorceress, a legendary individual group of spell-weavers that read the flow of time alongside a group of Astrograph Sorcerers to help read the lines woven in fate and destiny. It was them that warned of the Dark Prophecy and foretold many other future events.

But to think that Danzō and the group he was associated with were aware of Hakuno's potential and future as the Heavenly King of Fire and was trying to groom her into their ideal weapon against Menma. It was Sai's situation all over again.

Saber did not take this well and stormed off while both Naruto and Sasuke shared a silent conversation with each other before nodding their heads. "Hinata, you're in charge of VIP until the Holy Grail War is over." Naruto told her as he and Sasuke got up to leave.

"Wait! Where on earth are you two going?!" Hinata asked, baffled by their silent conversation.

"Danzō has already reincarnated by now…" Sasuke began.

"So, we're going to make it his last life." Naruto growled with red demonic eyes and enlarged fangs.

"You're only defanging them; you have to find the head of the viper if you want them to pay." Minato countered with logic as Naruto frowned at how true it was. "The Axis is a group of old war hawks taking this balance of power the Dark Prophecy caused to militarize the Cyphers to their ideal cause of self-righteous holy wars. So far, they've remained under the radar with the current changes. But…if they had a Heavenly King on their side, they would have had a big political influence and Hakuno fitted the bill…until you were released in this very same world, she's in."

Ah, they feared Naruto's influence on her, to make her think differently from the old ways. That explained Mecha-Naruto, and why these Cyphers were on the Moon Cell. They feared his return that they had plants in each group Naruto had killed so far. Were they planning to abduct Hakuno when she's down and finish grooming her into their ideal pawn?

"Given how she'll react, the other Cyphers won't be allowed anywhere near Hakuno." Hinata mused as the three boys turned to look at her with confusion. "Oh, I befriended a rather eccentric AI in my free-time, has the hots for Hakuno-chan. Always keeping an eye out on the girl and secretly alters a few things on the menu board so her 'Senpai' can enjoy her favorite foods."

"…How do AI have feelings for a person?" Naruto had to ask. He's not good with technology compared to Hinata as said girl gave him a look.

"Want me to go full jargon on you?" she asked while Naruto held his hands up in surrender, not wanting to suffer from lecture that would put him in a coma again like Iruka-sensei did in the Academy.

Hate.

Hate.

Hate.

That's all she could feel right now. All Hakuno could feel is hatred for herself.

She walked alone in the dark recess of her soul, the emotional turmoil after killing her mother caused her to enter a comatose state when she returned to her Private Room. She hated herself for being a killer. She killed Shinji, Alice and her own mother Elise. She might have killed Dan as well as those four were close to her and all died being associated with her.

Was she Death itself? The Black Finale that awaits people at the end of the road of life?

She was going to become a Cypher too, a protector of humanity. But how can she protect if the only thing she knows is kill? This existence taxed her. She has no memories, only recordings of her life that offer little comforts of what she was before. No home, no family, no place in the current world.

It would have been better if she had been an NPC that could be reprogrammed or deleted if gone astray.

Hakuno told herself she fought for the future of humanity, but that was a lie.

She fought so she could live.

How pathetic could she really be?

But even now, she's lost any reason wanting to live. What was out there that she could protect? What is her reason for even being here?

As she continued her inner turmoil, she bumped into someone and fell on her rear. Now this alarmed her, for she should be the only one here in her own soul.

When she looked up, she saw her. Brown hair, brown eyes, same face, same school uniform and there was a gentleness to her that was reflected in Hakuno's own eyes.

"It's about to begin." The girl said as Hakuno was gapping at her in shock. She reached out a hand and smiled at Hakuno. "Let's go meet him. And help you remember." Said Hakuno Kishinami, or rather, the NPC version of Hakuno.

A/N:…What did I just write?