A/N: So there's a bit of an author's note here, but I'm back! Miss me guys?!
Many thanks to Dylan Millwood, without whom this chapter would have never existed. He's been a good friend and a helpful co-writer, loyal to a fault. Go and check out his stuff!
Now then, onward!
After all, I DID say this story was going to branch out...
(EDIT: I rewrote a bit towards the bottom regarding Naruto saving someone as well as another bit. It was a typo and needed fixing.)
Of course, reviews feed my engine of creation, and I appreciate them!
"...there's a hole in your back."
"Yes, I was quite aware."
"How are you alive?"
"Not telling!"
~?
I Love Revenge
Need I say more?
There can be no sweeter satisfaction than turning the plans of your enemy on their head. Be it delight or disaster, there's just something sublime about it. Nothing simpler. Everyone loves their plans, their schemes, plots and peddling; only to fall into despair when it fails. Their hope turns to ash in their mouth and there's that fleeting moment of realization. Their eyes widen. They fall short of breath. Start speaking gibberish. Because they know you've outplayed them. That all their plans have come to naught. That they're in for a bad time.
Now, I'm not the sort to visit that sort of debauchery upon any random passerby, no, no, no.
That would be unbecoming of a shinobi.
I'm more selective when it comes to my targets. Especially when said target enjoys less savory activities in broad daylight. Hmm? What kind of activities you ask? Well, you'd need to be more specific. For instance, I have absolutely no qualms with a farmer defending himself from brigands. Hell, I'd happily led the poor sod a helping hand and give his attackers a swift kick in the balls besides. But if you're asking me to sanction the acts of a cult of deluded flame worshipers, to let their acts stand...
Setting innocents afire.
Slaughtering nonhumans.
Burning people at the stake.
A man might take issue with that...
(...With Our Heroes...)
Velen.
Some might find it beautiful.
Others would call it outright hideous.
Arwen was explicitly of the latter opinion.
The very land itself was rife with crimson cadavers; corpses dropped in the fields, hanging from the trees, strewn out across empty battlefields. This had been a place of death and war. There could be no life here. Crows descended in droves to feast upon the carrion. Feral dogs and much worse roamed the woods. Bandits and highwaymen hounded and impeded their progress at every turn, until finally they drew steel on the lot and beat them back from whence they came. And her people lived here? In this savage land?
Every step felt like an insult to their memory.
She had an even lower opinion of the city they were about to enter.
Had she known the mind of her guardian, she would've thought otherwise.
Naruto eyed the Free City of Novigrad as though it were the plague. A foul odor lingered in the air, threatening to turn his stomach. It reeked of despair. For someone so finely tuned toward emotions-indeed, able to sense them-the sprawling city before them threatened to crush his spirit entirely. This...was not a good place. A pall of despair seemed to hang over the city like a shroud, choking the life out of it. Strange smells assaulted both his psyche and his nose alike; the rank of raw sewage, the filth that came from too many unwashed bodies crammed into a space entirely too small for them and there, above it alll..
Burnt flesh.
"Oh, can we not?!"
Geralt bit back a frown.
"Hey, you wanna talk some sense into-
Arwen shook her head rapidly.
The White Wolf sighed.
"Something against the free city, I take it?"
Naruto stopped dead; slitted, ruby eyes locked on the other man's yellow ones.
"You mean other than the fact that it's the base of that filthy cult of the Eternal Fire these days and they fuel that fire with the flesh of those they burn alive in the streets?" He retorted, eyes blazing even as his dry retort left his lips. "Yeah, we're gonna have a bad time here."
Geralt frowned.
"What makes you say that?"
The blond grunted at that.
"Heard about it when the goons of that arse, Radovid the Witless, tried going after a few of the healers in White Orchard." he rolled his shoulders in an expressive shrug. "Crazy Thursday...messy, too. Long story short, the "free city" is a cesspool with the collective mindset of that bastard Jacques de Aldersberg...just like Radovid likes it."
Those eerie red eyes regarded the gate with a hint of concern.
"Lets just do our business and be done. I don't like the feel of this place."
The White Wolf, considered arguing the point, and frowned. If that were true, the odds of finding Triss were going to be slim to none then. That wasn't news he wanted to hear. Would make finding Ciri before the Wild Hunt did difficult. And Jacques de Aldersberg...he remembered the Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose. He'd founded the Order upon remnants of the Order of the White Rose, but had taken its underlying philosophy in a radical and uncompromising direction. A fanatical follower of the Eternal Fire, he aimed to overthrow King Foltest, bring about a new age and destroy all non-humans, whom he viewed (at best) as relics of the past.
Using stolen Witchers' secrets, and with the aid of the Salamandra organization, Jacques had created mutant soldiers to uphold the increasingly twisted ideals he espoused. It was clear that he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Before joining the Order, it was rumored that Jacques was a vagrant fueled only by his hatred of non-humans.
And if this city was anything like that...
"Alright...guessing you don't like Radovid any more than you do Emhyr."
Remarkably, Arwen was the one to pipe up.
"That's not the half of it."
"That's putting it lightly, kiddo." Naruto grunted, mussing her hair with a gloved hand. "This so-called king horrifically killed people simply because they chose to study something that bothers him. Sure, some magic users are nasty pieces of work but for every such one there's dozens of harmless village healers or travelling herbalists and some mages and sorceresses are downright heroic. And when he runs out of mages, what then? Turns on the non-humans? And what happens in the event the non-humans all leave or get killed off then? Who will that bastard and his thugs torment then? But I digress. Just know if we're going there, things WILL get ugly." the shinobi grunted.
"How ugly?" he asked.
It was never a good sign when a Witcher used that word to describe a situation. As such, he had a bad feeling about that coming from the whiskered young man's mouth.
Naruto scowled.
"If I could, I'd turn the whole city into a blood-drenched crater full of rubble and corpses."
At that, the White Wolf raised a brow. Genocide of an entire city? That was ugly! Well...if Novigrad had really gotten that corrupt, the Wolf had no problem understanding where the young Witcher of the School of the Fox was coming from with that.
"So...if Novigrad has turned as bad as you say...what do you plan to do when we get there?"
...this."
The smirk the blond gave actually had Geralt unnerved as he pulled out a rolled up scroll-from where, the Wolf Witcher had no idea, seeing as his younger counterpart had just a pair of black leather breeches, a black leather jerkin, and black leather boots and gloves along with his Fox School witchers' medallion, and unrolled it to expose a set of unfamiliar ruins that then glowed a faint blue light for a second before there was a poof of smoke that obscured their vision.
How had he done that?! That was no Witcher skill!
Waving their hands, they managed to clear away the small cloud and...
"How did you get those?!" Geralt yelped, his eyes widening as he saw several sets of familiar, frost-covered, skeletal-themed armor on the ground.
"That scar-cheeked daughter of yours and I have met remember?" he hummed, carefully re-arranging his trophies. "Or have you forgotten why you beat on me back in White Orchard?" Naruto said dryly. "That Ciri girl's quite the spitfire. Seen her fight. Added onto that, those freaks chasing her don't ever expect the chase to get turned inside out so the hunters become the hunted-oi, don't touch that, Arwen."
The little elf made a noise of annoyance, but withdrew her hand as asked.
Geralt crossed his arms, actually letting out an amused bark of a laugh as he smirked. True, a male calling Ciri a spitfire would have upset him...but then, the Witcher knew better than anyone just how overly appropriate the term was for the ashen-haired girl. As for her powers and fighting abilities, it was reassuring to know Ciri had gotten that skilled. Also good to know the Wild Hunt's numbers had been somewhat whittled down, and the Witcher made a special note that the Hunt never expected the roles to reverse.
"As for Novigrad and it's corruption...was thinking hunting season comes to the 'Free City'." An impish smile plucked at his whiskered cheeks. "This Fox has a few tricks up his sleeves, after all."
Oh...Geralt hated when he was right!
The White Wolf sighed.
"Right, then. Let's get this over with..."
When he looked back, the blond and the armor were gone.
"Shit."
It didn't take long to see where they'd gone.
Towards the pyres.
For a most unusual had expression had stolen over the blond's features; though he still mustered a tiny smile, his once calm visage now seemed to twitch with the very required to effort to maintain it. He was failing, at that. Spectacularly. His red eyes seemed to burn like coals in his skull, and as Geralt looked on, the blond's composure shattered entirely. A low snarl snaked past his lips and his hand twitched towards his sword and its hilt, fingers curling around the cold weapon with obvious intent.
As if sensing his intentions, Arwen tensed and ran after him.
"Naruto, don't-"
Too late.
"I'll fucking gut him."
What happened next would forever live on in infamy.
A flicker of blond hair revealed the blond's location, but too late.
Shit.
"No evil can survive the Holy Fire!" a distant voice reached his ears." The Holy Fire enlightens, burns and cleanses! Behold the flame of grace and mercy!"
Too late, he realized what was about to happen.
"Special pyre for you, freak - nice slow burning. You'll beg for mercy in all the voices known to you, like the others of your species!" Caleb Menge shouted, but as he was about to toss the torch onto the pyres-one binding a doppler impersonating Chappelle, the former Temple Guard commander-a hand settled on his shoulder.
"Would you care to rephrase those words, you son of a bitch?"
Clenched knuckles barreled into the side of his face.
"What in blazes?!"
Looming over him with a face fully of complete and utter hate was was tall young man with tanned skin and marks on his cheeks that resembled three whisker marks on each cheeks, he was dressed in a pair of black leather breeches, a black leather jerkin, and black leather boots and gloves; all dark as pitch, like shadows themselves had been folded into cloth. His blond hair stood as a glaringly stark contrast, bright yellow hair that was spiky and stuck up in all directions like the spines of a sea urchin, making it look like rays of the sun in a way.
But what was really telling were the eyes.
Blood red with an animalistic black slit for the pupil.
Thaese and the fox head-shaped medallion made it apparent to Caleb what this being was.
A Witcher.
"And what do we have here?" Turning his head aside, the rabid believer spat out a tooth. "Didn't think we'd see your like here, Witcher."
The young warrior scoffed.
"Drummed-up conspiracies, mass arrests and show trials resulting in group executions...knew this city was a load of shit..."
"You want to join them, freak?"
By way of answer, the blond marched past him. Simply stepped around him and approached the nearest pyre. A clenched fist barreled into the brittle wood, shattering it with ease. Moments later, a knife flicked out. Once, twice, thrice. With smooth, easy strokes he began to cut the captives free. When a guard attempted to intervene with his work, he received a hard cuff on the ear for his troubles. In short order, both doppler and sorceress alike were unbound. Left shivering at his feed, the latter looked at him in wordless disbelief.
"I...you...why?"
"Arwen."
Wordlessly, the little elf appeared by his side and ushered them away.
By then, Menge found himself boiling.
This...this...this fool! How dare he!
"What are you doing?! Witchers are supposed to be neutral!"
"Do I look like I give a damn about neutrality? " the blond asked, flicking a hand to his back. "Now, then...draw."
Menge blinked.
"What?"
"Draw you damn blade...or I'm going to cut off your bits."
Geralt palmed his face.
'Of course, he flies right off the handle...
A lone hand closed around the right-most sword and hauled it free with a glimmer of cold steel. Upon drawing his blade, Naruto wasn't surprised when people gawked at it. After all, it was a custom sword Naruto had made himself, having picked up smithing a bit back in White Orchard. It was a single katana-type sword with two reinforced parallel blades forged with one being steel and the other being silver, and both blades having dimeritum mixed into them, with the two blades set a small distance apart from each other.
Of course, no one knew this.
They likely thought it was witchery of some sort.
Their inane fear and suspicion suited his methods just fine.
The design's intent was to trap an opponent's blade between them and disarm them, as well as to leave close-set parallel wounds when it cut an opponent; since wounds of this nature were nearly impossible to stitch closed, infection would be nearly unavoidable and anyone on the receiving end of one of the sword's blows will die a painful death by disease if not cut down in the duel. Rather than being an unbeatable sword, it was a sword that ensured death for its opponents.
"In the name of the Eternal Fire, I strike you down!" Caleb shouted. The man went for an overhead strike with his sword, yet Naruto scoffed at that and his hand shot out. In the next instant, the man's wrist was broken with a sickening snap and his sword fell to the ground with a clatter. Naruto wasted no time stabbing the man in the knee and turning the blade, electing a scream of pain.
"You know there's something I've wondered: What makes the fire you worship so special? I mean, either there isn't anything special about it and your Eternal Fire has no power and those who follow it have been lied to and made to support murder; or, in order to be "eternal", its mystical, which therefore means all who are involved with it's worship are guilty of affiliation with magic, which mean they all must be burnt alive, as decreed by the Church of the Eternal Fire itself!"
A beat of silence passed between them.
Caleb Menge glared, his gaze blazing with utter loathing as, at the words of this freak, the gathered crowd all gasped, then started murmuring among themselves. This thing had put thoughts into the heads of the masses! And with thoughts, Menga knew, came questions! QUESTIONS! If the light of the Eternal Fire was going to maintain its significance, it couldn't permit questions, only obedience! Blind, mindless obedience! For one to think otherwise, to question...that way lay destruction. Perhaps his tormentor knew this.
A fist smashed into his jaw, dashing him from his thoughts and sending him tumbling.
"Well? I'm waiting! Which is it, you piss-suckling zealot? Is the Eternal fire a lie or should every man woman and child that believes in it die for following it? Answer the question! What makes the fire you worship so special? What about it is an different than a common campfire? Answer!"
"Oi! You! Don't speak blasphemy about the Eternal Fire!"
Arwen's shriek of surprise came too late.
"Look out!"
Snick.
Attacked from behind, Naruto stumbled in surprise, startled to realize someone had actually gotten the drop on him through no fault but his own. His act of mercy, backfired. Spectacularly. A blaze of fire roared up his right side as he turned, clutching at the sword protruding from his back. A bloody cough erupted from him as he turned to face the one who'd dared-literally-stab him in the back. He saw Arwen out of the corner of his eye, watched her bring her bow down hard on his assailant's head, screaming, but too late. His vision was already swimming. Turning red with anger, he tilted his head to regard the one who'd tried to strike him down.
"Are you...fucking serious?"
The very guard he'd struck only moments ago sneered up at him from the floor.
Moments later, Arwen carved a fresh red one across his throat.
Infuriated, he backhanded Menge again when the latter tried to strike at his unprotected flank. A chorus of bloody shrieks greeted him as he turned to face the crowd. Moreso as he ripped the blade free from his ribs. Not a crippling wound by any means, but he wouldn't be lying down on that side for awhile. Of course, none of them knew this. They simply assumed this man-this monster-had survived been stabbed right through the guts as if they didn't exist. In their eyes, that made him a monster, or something straight out of divinity. Naturally, such an opinion could swing either way.
Naruto intended to fix the mob firmly in the latter category.
"Well?!" he roared. "What is the Eternal Fire, then?!"
Those watching all started muttering.
What did make the Fire special?
A beat of silence followed.
Followed by another.
Another still.
"WELL?!"
Rather than answer, Menge surprised him. He expected an oath, a rash of vicious vitriol. Something. Anything. To defend himself, at the very least. Instead he simply stood there. Gawping. His mouth hung ajaw, gaping, a fish plucked from water. Anger dawned in his eyes. Followed by fear. Terror. Realization. Naruto saw the exact moment when it dawned upon him; Menge's brief instant of clarity. He knew he'd been had. Tricked. Deceived by someone he'd assumed to be little more than a fool. Funny, that fool had turned his very plans on his eyes. The situation was precarious now, the people restless. One word could turn their confusion to anger, and fan that very anger into mindless, frothing fury.
Grinning, Naruto gave it one final push over the edge.
"Say, doesn't that make you a heretic, then?"
Wordlessly, Menge turned and fled.
And all hell broke loose.
A/N: More chaos next chapter and booooooooy is it going to be a doozy! And there you have it! My first stab at a crossover with the Witcher series! I do hope you liked it! Pairings and suggestions are welcome a plenty! And YES, Naruto clearly isn't a witcher, but the incident with his eyes will have most folk thinking he is. Consider it something of a running gag. What'll happen next? Will our knuckle-headed ninja make it home? Will he even want to?
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And of course, enjoy the previews of an oncoming chapter!
(Preview!)
"A Gwent Tournament?! Mine, mine, mine!"
"There's no stopping him when he gets like this...
Naruto grinned.
"Well, hello beautiful...
A beat of silence passed between the two of his.
Then she crushed her lips against his.
R&R~! =D