A/N: Minor typo to correct, the Archer class has been replaced by Avenger. Not Caster.

Sorry about that!

So lets clarify. Kariya didn't become a Master this time around; ergo, Tokiomi has Berserker rather than Archer as his Servant. Sorry, Gilgamesh. You're not in this story...but Berserker...well. I'll not say more, but Naruto and Jeanne will have good reason to fear that one. I'm sure you all know who it is. After all. WHO IS THE STRONGEST BERSERKER?

The answer might surprise you. Speaking of surprises...

*Exhales deeply*

Surgery's gonna be tomorrow into Monday. Might not be able to walk or work for awhile after it. With luck I'll be able to go home quickly...but my luck hasn't been the best as of late. Still, after a bit of crunch, I've managed to prepare some updates to be posted during my week-long absence, so you, the reader, won't go without. I'll not say what those updates are. They're going to be a bit of...a surprise.

Still, looking forward to your comments, critiques and feedback.

Not much else to say beyond that.

Here. We. Go.

"I fear no man, but that thing? It terrifies me."

~?

Forsake Your Fear

Jeanne knew her Master was broken.

From one Alter to another, she could see the signs in Naruto while he and Gilles pored over the map of Fuyuki City. It wasn't the scowl on his face, his narrowed eyes, nor the silent determination radiating from him. She liked those aspects. Best to have a Master who wouldn't balk over brutality, someone not afraid to dirty their hands in battle and bloodshed.

This was war. People died in war. Put up, or shut up.

Naruto walked the walk and talked the talk to be sure, but there were times like these when his ruse became brittle. Hollow. When she glimpsed the anger and resignation lurking behind the facade he worked so hard to construct. It wasn't much, and it wasn't often, but it was enough. Quite alright, that. She liked broken things. After all, she was broken too.

So it was as she considered the next phase of the plan.

On a certain level she knew much of their recent successes were owed to luck as much as skill. They had taken down Lancer with deceit and blitzkrieg tactics, striking hard and fast while the weaker Servant was unable to react. He'd been dead long before he posed a threat. By comparison, Caster -Gilles!- was a happy accident. They hadn't planned to encounter the madman, much less join forces with him at all. It just...happened. Still, he had agreed to work with him once he'd agreed curtail his more...heinous tendencies.

Their next target wouldn't go quietly into that good night. Good. She wanted a fight. Speaking of which...

"Oooh, contractor!" Gilles cried in delight at something she hadn't heart. "I never realized you were so depraved! Such wickedness! Such cruelty! I cannot begin to fathom it! How mad you must be! How insane! Come, let us show these foolish Servants how a true was if fou-gack?!"

"Quiet, you." Jeanne removed her elbow from the madman's ribs, effectively silencing him. "I can't hear myself think."

Caster latched onto her instead. "Ah, Jeanne! Once more you grace me with your presence!"

"Don't cling onto my leg!, damnit! Leggo of me!"

Cold blue eyes rose to meet hers as she sent him flying with a kick; in that moment she caught a flash of gratitude in Naruto's face. He'd never say it aloud, of course. Blond bastard was far too gruff for that. She'd take the token for what it was. Small signs like these reminded her that despite all outward appearances, her Master was still a human being. Good. She had no desire to follow someone without emotions.

"We need to plan our next move." As she looked on he leaned over the table; A scarred hand indicated the four remaining pieces arranged there. "I've decided on our next targets."

Avenger followed his gaze, and Caster -after he picked himself up and crawled back over- swiftly followed suit with her.

Saber.

Rider.

Berserker.

And of course, Assassin.

One of these could be dealt with easily. Assassins were weak. So long as you didn't let the ambush you or pull out their tricks. Pin them in a corner, force them into a fair fight, and they'd crumble like wet cardboard. The rest would not. Any Saber worth their salt could fight like hell. A Rider was absurdly agile and difficult to pin down. To say nothing of the overwhelming power that was a Berserker. That...was not a fight she was looking forward to with any relish.

"We're going to split our efforts." Naruto's tone brooked no argument. "Caster will hunt down Assassin and root them out.

"But of course." Gilles cackled. "I will see it done."

"Good." their Master nodded. "Jeanne and I...

"Hey!"

...will search for Rider." he declared, leveling a firm glare in her direction as a finger stabbed down against the map. "They've been seen in this area. By all accounts their Master is a weak-willed student who blundered his way into something he wasn't prepared for. Kill him, and we kill the Servant. Better yet," his finger tapped down again, sweeping the Rider piece toward the isolated Assassin. If we can get Assassin and Rider to fight one another?" His tan palm came down, swatting the aforementioned pieces down in a single sweep. "Two birds with one stone. Should they fight, we can pick off the survivor."

"We need to move quickly." he reminded them, further her mood. "Beast is still hunting me. We need to have the Holy Grail in hand before he gets here. When he finds this world...

He swept a hand atop the board, miming the action of clearing it.

...game over."

"Then I shall be off!" Gilles snapped off a merry salute and vanished into astral from, leaving the two of them alone.

Jeanne shook her head. "Really, he just rubs me the wrong way sometimes...

"I've been thinking about sacrificing him if he fails." Naruto admittedly freely into the silence that followed. "As far as Casters go, he's quite weak. Maybe we could use him as a catalyst to pull someone better over to our side."

"Ha?" The Avenger in her bridled as a scowl touched her lips. "What're you taking about?! I'm the only Servant you need!"

A blond brow rose. "Can you win this war by yourself?"

"Tch." she glared at ceiling and folded both hands behind her head. "What do you know?!"

"Not much." Naruto took a seat and crossed one leg over the other. "But I don't want you to die, Jeanne."

Heat rose to her cheeks. Stupid Master. Now he decided to be sentimental! She couldn't tell if he valued her for her combat prowess, or if the idea of her death genuinely upset him. She knew he wouldn't give her anything resembling an answer if she asked. She settled for a glower instead. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

As she looked on, her master pulled a strange-looking stone from his coat.

"This is a rune from a bygone age." he held the gleaming inscription up for her to see. "I didn't want to use it. Still don't. I'm not sure what it might summon." his hands turned it end over end as her golden eyes narrowed upon it. "A Caster? A Lancer? Something better? Something worse?" He gave a helpless shrug. "Who can say? Still, I wanted to let you know."

"Why?" she challenged.

"Because I've given your words some thought." he stowed the rune, steepled his fingers and laid his chin atop them. "We're on the same side, Alter. We may be using one another, but there's no point in keeping secrets from one another.

W-Well! When he put it like that, she could see the logic behind his words. Still, her doubts persisted. "Why can't we just go after Berserker?"

"In truth?" Naruto spared her a sidelong glance. "Because I don't have a plan for that monster. I haven't even seen it yet. Anything that the Tohsaka clan summoned is going to be a monster." A flash of something burned in his gaze. "It looked like fear. Surely she'd imagined it. Who knows what they pulled. Heracles? Beowulf? Some other monster from myth and legend? No," with a shake of his head he leaned back, drawing a creak from the wooden frame. "I'm not a man who takes chances, Alter. Not anymore.

She leaned forward, chasing him. "Then who do you have a plan for?"

He opened his mouth to answer-

"Food's ready." a gruff voice chimed.

Not a heartbeat later, someone pressed a plate of pancakes into her startled grasp.

Shadows clones were useful. Very useful. It was akin to being waited on hand and foot by literal copies of her master; soulless beings without a will, lifeless dolls that followed any order. Naruto could enforce his will and personality on them at any time, but without that? Damn things almost reminded her of puppets dancing on strings. The thought should have bothered her; once upon a time it might have even tormented her. Now? She found she rather enjoyed their silent company. Minions should know their place, after all.

"Pancakes?" she regarded the dish with confusion. "The hell did you go and make this for?"

"Its still morning." Naruto shrugged. "Everybody loves pancakes. Don't they?"

Jeanne sniffed it. "Seems alright."

"Then eat it." he smirked.

Her eyes flashed.

"I will!"

Rearing back, she snatched up a fork and stabbed it into the fluffy pancake. It bled butter and syrup. Naruto's grim smile didn't waver in the least. Avenger took a bite. Golden eyes widened explosively and the squeal that followed could not be muffled. Despite himself, Naruto couldn't help but preen as she tucked into her meal. Just a little. Just bit. She'd tasted his cooking and hadn't insulted him. One point in his favor.

"While you're eating, I'll answer your questions." he continued slowly, forcing the words out of himself. "I may not have a plan for Berserker yet, but the rest...

Jeanne paused, swallowed, and regarded him with fresh intent.

"Tell me your past, first." she demanded. "You said no more secrets."

Another brow rose. "All in good time. Hear me out first. My plan for Saber is...

Naruto told Jeanne all his schemes for the war plan then. He revealed it all. His first plan, his second plan, his contingency plans to the contingency plan. Her lips parted. As he continued, her jaw clicked open, golden eyes growing wide, wider, widest still. These strategies...well, monstrous was the first word she thought to use but no, that didn't even begin to describe it. No wonder Gilles had called him depraved. This...well. This was just broken. How could one man account for so much? How the hell did you plan for one idea to fail just to make sure the next succeeded?

"Jeez, and I thought I was twisted...

Without warning, Naruto offered her his hand. "Do you trust me, Avenger?"

Jeanne eyed the calloused palm with wary anticipation. Trust him? Hell no. He wasn't mentally sound. But she could trust him to act in his -and her!- best interests at least. He wouldn't throw her aside, if only because they shared a common goal and a common enemy. Moreover, she liked this plan of his. It was just twisted enough to work. Yet she didn't like prospect of breaking the system and summoning another Servant. She was the only one he needed. Not some uppity Caster or anyone else. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained...Aw, what the hell.

If he was going to go all in, she might as well do the same.

A mad giggle burst out of her. "Ha. Haha. Hahaha! You know what?! I do! We'll burn them all!"

Still laughing to herself, Jeanne Alter grabbed Naruto's hand, reeled him in and kissed him soundly on the lips.

A/N: Well, well, well~!

Naruto's fixing to screw Gilles over if he fails and use his corpse to summon something else. Gee, a rune wielding Servant. Wonder who that could be *cough* SKADI! *cough* Hmm. Nope. No idea. Suppose it'll remain a mystery. On that note, I hope you're all ready for absolute chaos; because that's on the horizon. It'll be glorious, I can promise you that.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? It would mean the world to us.

Sorry, no previews. Don't have time to write them. Getting ready for surgery.

Scratch that, I can manage some real quick. Don't jump to conclusions. The answers might surprise you.

(Preview)

"Daddy?"

Naruto swore. Not Jack. Then who...

Blue eyes bulged. "Oh, what the blue hell?!"

"Throw her in the mud. We'll see if she's more cooperative then."

Avenger whistled. "Damn, that's twisted...

"The Grail will be mine."

Kiritsugu fought down a frown. "You'll have to kill me for it."

"You misunderstand. I already have. You were dead the moment you met me."

The young man's smile chilled him to the bone, rooted him where he stood. He couldn't move. Instead he found himself force to watch as the swordsman set one hand against the sheathe of his sword, steadying it. The other drew it in a long, languid motion. Naked steel escaped with a rasping hiss, bringing with it a sudden flash of light. And quite suddenly, he was free.

"Threefold slash."

Kiritsugu narrowly evaded the sweep that followed, ducking low as a biting gust of wind separated seven strands of dark hair from his head. He blocked the second with his weapon. He took the third on his shoulder as he charged in, closing the distance between them. And so battle between the Masters was joined.

~Nz.