Welcome back, everyone! As you can expect, this chapter is going to deal with the fallout from the last two, and see the beginnings of the villages starting to realize they're about to suffer MANY outside context problems. Read on to see how all of that turns out!

I do not own anything.


Fox Tails and Whirlpools

Chapter 15 - Kind and Unkind World Pt.2


What's new is old.

Damon had heard the saying before and honestly believed it. His brother had been a bit reluctant to, what with being the more excitable and optimistic one. He knew better though. At times, one didn't so much change their roles in life, they merely found a different place or way to execute them. Being a doctor, that's something he always felt he should have been grateful for. Even if it brought pain, he wanted to do what he could to help people.

He'd only been in this new world for little over a month at best, but Damon wanted to believe he'd done a little bit of good.

"MOMMY!"

"KARIN!"

A smile graced his lips while watching the two redheads run into each other's arms. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't much, but it was enough for him to feel a sliver of happiness. All around him lay the broken remains of a once-peaceful village, its citizens either dying or traumatized for life. Oddly, that made the parent-child embrace all the more heart-warming. Naturally, it ended the moment he looked away from the pair; his eyes caught those of his Servant…and the little girl who was watching the familial reunion with a choked-up expression. In one glance, Damon knew she was a child of the Enoshima Clan…and she'd probably just been orphaned. His Servant took one look at him, a deep frown on his face then looked away. Just about everything Damon needed to know was told in that one expression.

"You said you were a doctor, didn't you?" Came the level voice of the village's leader.

In a short time, he'd come to know Shimeji, he didn't exactly like the man. Yes, he'd acted…professionally, but that wasn't enough for the African-American male. Regardless, he bit his tongue as he turned to face the village head. "Yes, I am. Alecto…she probably won't come back, so the village should be safe."

"For the moment, assuming no other Master-Servant teams decide to drop in for a visit." The samurai gave no reaction to the sharpened glare his Master sent him. Or the frightened gasps of those around him. "Lord Shimeji, does this village possess any horses?"

The question caught him completely off guard. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Horses." Munisai pressed while swerving his gaze toward Damon. "Do you have any I can use?"

Shimeji caught onto what the Servant was playing out. How he felt about the topic was anyone one's guess. "Daiju, take this man to the stables. Any horse he fancies he's free to use."

At first, Shimeji's bodyguards jumped at the sound of his voice then took a moment to process his request. Daiju, the ninja he'd spoken to, looked to Munisai and nodded.

"Ryūzetsu," The Saber's voice came as a shock to the ashen-haired girl. "If you wish to avoid further trauma, do not leave that man's side. He will see to your safety, be sure of that." Without another word, he motioned for Daiju to give him directions. The ninja took off running with Munisai following after him.

As she came up to him, Damon could get a feel of just how the little girl had been put through. Without a doubt, she wasn't going to be getting much sleep any time soon, no one was to be honest. Kneeling down, he put on a brave face for the girl. He could have tried to say something to her, but nothing would sooth the tempest of worry and fear that had likely consumed her. While he couldn't do it, someone else could. Silently, he watched Momo's daughter, Karin, run over and throw her arms around the girl. Immediately, Ryūzetsu returned the embrace.

"I'll help you," turning to his right, he found Momo standing before him. Her eyes had hardened telling him there would be no debate about what was to come next. "I'm this village's chief doctor so these people are my responsibility."

For whatever reason, Damon felt his shoulders slacken with slight relief. "Alright then, let's get to work."

The Hidden Grass Village didn't have a very big population, little more than seven hundred at best. Of that, around a quarter or so had serious injuries. Those were the ones Damon tended to first. Luck was with him as he had just enough puppet dolls he could treat the critically injured then work his way down.

Naturally, the villagers asked him questions he didn't have time to answer. In total, he possessed eight clay dolls that could move at good enough speed. They were all set down before him, his mouth already speaking the incantations needed. By the time they were all arranged in perfect order, he was ready; Damon slammed his palm into the ground, causing a multicolored burst of light to surround him. Seconds later and the light ran along the ground, splitting into eight rays that stopped at the dolls. Onlookers averted their eyes, when they were able to look back they saw eight identical versions of the wizard who'd saved their village. Each of the duplicates took one look at the original before running off in separate directions.

"Your world's version of the Shadow Clone jutsu?" Offered Momo as Damon stood upright. The fact he wasn't feeling dizzy was a testament to the new heights, this would allow him and his fellow wizards to achieve.

He'd heard of this Shadow Clone jutsu before. Even after a month, he was still struggling to wrap his mind around the fact this world ran on the ways of the ninja, mystic arts that were practically extinct in his homeworld. "Something like that, use anything in my medical kits you think you'll need."

Search and rescue came first with the able-bodied searching the villager then bringing them in for emergency medical treatment. Among them were Damon's duplicates, all of whom used their magically-endowed strength to move apart rumble and the like. Some of them began emergency treatment right then and there. As they were extensions of Damon himself, they possessed all of his medical knowledge, and his personality. All of them blocked out the gasps and whispers as he used the medical magecraft he'd do diligently studied to hold off the passing of whoever he could.

The land was overflowing with energy he could tap, and that's exactly what Damon did. His Pallet Swap once more fell onto the Leaf Green setting. With it, he commanded the dormant energy beneath the village's structure to rise and obey his command. Vines and tree branches rose through the earth, bulldozing aside ruined and burning structures. In turn, Damon created something new, a medical center formed from tree vines and leaves. Wood arched and moved, forming into medical patches and stitched when required. Momo was the closest thing he had to an assistant, yet Damon couldn't keep from watching her for fear of her winding up being another patient to treat.

As she'd asked him to do, she requested for the injured to bite her. And as with him, they found their injuries gradually healing…at the cost of Momo's health declining.

She's sacrificing a portion of her life energy to restore theirs! Realized the dark-skinned wizard while doing his best to stem the blood gushing from a female villager. Quickly as the thought came, it was pushed back so he could focus on the task at hand. That still didn't stop his highly-trained ears from picking up the sound of the redhead's breathing. It was growing harder with every breath.

Once he finished saving his current patient, he directed his attention toward Momo. Blood caked his hands and filled up his nostrils. "Ms. Uzumaki," he called, catching the redhead just as she was about to start moving again. When she looked to him, Damon could clearly see she was a second away from falling downward. He caught her before that could happen. "Sit down and get some rest."

"Not…while they are still people who…need my help." Breathed out the single mother. Even she could feel her legs beginning to wobble beneath her.

"Yeah, but two people right now need you a tad bit more." He calmly replied. "Don't worry, it's not the first time I've been in a situation like this before." And knowing his luck, it sure as hell wasn't going to be the last.

Since the "reunion", Ryūzetsu hadn't left Karin's side, not that anyone could blame her. She hadn't seen one relative or member of her clan so the little redhead was all she had. Momo had taken to the dark-haired girl extremely quickly and become her second pillar of strength. Now it was time to return the favor. Both little girls had stayed with Damon and Momo as the former set up the "relief" center. Knowing what was happening around them, the girls stayed out of the way, but always made sure they knew were either of their caretakers were. Upon seeing Damon carrying a weakened Momo, Karin immediately jumped.

"She's just a little exhausted." Offered the African American as he helped place the older woman against a wooden root he'd created. "Can I trust you girls to look after her?"

Karin looked to him with a quiet fire burning in her eyes. The foreigner held back a smirk as he'd seen that shine before, in the eyes of several of his fellow resistance members. It quickly became obvious how his Servant had taken a shine to the little redhead. She gave him an affirmative nod followed by Ryūzetsu doing the same.

Damon got about six feet from the girls when he suddenly cried out and clenched his head. "GAH!" The pain was sharp and hot, like a super-heated needle running through his chest. Faintly, he heard Momo call his name followed by her footsteps. Soon enough, she was on him, along with the girls.

"What is it? What happened?" She questioned, noting the pained look in his eyes.

"One of my…dolls, something happened to them. They were destroyed." Breathed out the young doctor. "Wait a minute, this energy, it's-"

Naturally, the shaking of the ground cut him off completely. It caught everyone off guard, from the villagers being treated to those doing the treatment. Fear raced through the faces of all those present as their minds immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. Damon, on the other hand, knew it was Alecto or Caligula. While both may have been warped, once Alecto lost interest in something, that was it, and Caligula actually obeyed his Master. No, everything in his blood was telling him it was something different. Getting to his feet, he ran for the opening in the vines and found himself staring at the late evening sky. Smoke columns were rising…and being echoed with explosions, and screaming.

Damon had been through enough battlefields to know what the sounds of grief were like. The ground beneath his feet shook as men who'd just lost everything took their rage out on everyone and everything around them. He knew that ordinary shinobi didn't have the power to do this, they needed something to channel their emotions.

Something like a sword.

His answer came to him in seconds, following another explosion that sent rock and dirt rocketing outward in all directions. It just so happened Momo had caught up to him, and as fate would have it, the girls had followed her. All of them covered their eyes, and when they opened them, the found one of the causes of the destruction standing before him.

"C-C-Cousin…cousin…cousin Nenki," Whispered Ryūzetsu. The first fellow Enoshima clan-member she'd laid eyes on since the tragedy began, and she wasn't running to him. She had good reason.

First, he was near shirtless, and bleeding from nearly every corner of his body. Actually, the more Damon looked, the more he realized the blood couldn't have belonged to him. Not only did it smell different, but it looked fresh. Unlike Ryūzetsu's ashen hair, his had been stained crimson leaving only a handful of ash-gray strands. His own hypnotic light purple eyes had a red tinge to them that further highlighted the murderous fury that had consumed the man. What drew Damon's attention though, was the sword he held in his right hand. A sword that was dripping with blood. It was a European-style broadsword, one that was glowing with mystical light.

All it took was a few precious seconds for his mind to realize what had happened, and what was about to happen. Damon cursed at sending his Servant off to catch Alecto and Caligula because now, he could sure as hell use his support. "Listen to me, Nenki, right? You have to put that sword down, trust me, it's-"

"Shut-up! Just shut the hell up!" Thundered the man. In his hands, the sword blazed to light with a hateful red-aura that made Damon's skin crawl. Behind him, Momo held onto Karin and Ryūzetsu. Behind them, an entire group of people trembled as murderous killing intent flooded the area. The guards that had been assigned to guard the relief center looked very much ready to act. "You…you bastards…every last one of you! How could, how could you do that!?"

"Nenki, it wasn't right," Softly spoke Momo, having already deduced how bad the situation was. "But you have to believe me, more killing isn't going to make-"

"I said shut the hell up!" His arm swung out, and with it flew a crimson-colored arc-shaped energy beam. It sailed across the ground before crashing into a nearby building, demolishing it like a pile of twigs. "My clan…our clan…we've spent decades serving this village! And how the hell does it repay us, by offering us up on a silver platter! You tell me, how in the hell am I supposed to stay calm about that!? Huh!?"

The sword tip was now pointed at all of them. Sweat poured down Damon's neck as his eyes spied the rune that had been inscribed at the base of the blade. Rage. So, not only do I have to deal with Alecto and Caligula, but I have to handle those damn war junkies making an already bad situation worse! Only his luck could have been this poor. Still, that wasn't going to stop Damon from trying. "It was wrong, but it's not too late. My partner is tracking them now, there's still a chance for your clan."

"A chance for us? A chance for what?!" Snapped Nenki, further brandishing the sword. "This village, all of you sold us out!"

"We did what we had to do!" Shouted one of the ninja guards. Internally, Damon cursed. "Would you rather we let that woman and her partner destroy the whole village!"

"So you traded my clan to save your own sorry asses!" Roared back the sword-wielding ninja. It was clear he was growing more and more intoxicated by the power of the weapon he now wielded.

Ryūzetsu saw what was happening to her cousin. Gathering what little courage she possessed, she stepped forward. "C-C-Cousin Nenki, i-it's me, Ryū. You remember me, right?"

Evidently, he did. Nenki's murderous gaze slackened as he laid eyes on his fellow clan member. "Get out of the way."

Amazingly, the little girl found the strength to shake her head. "N-N-No, I-I won't."

"Do it!" Screamed Nenki. "These bastards have to pay for what they've done! They sold us out! Turned us into lambs to be slaughtered!"

"My partner is-"

"To hell with your partner! Who the fuck are you people anyway!?" The blade was now focused squarely on Damon, as was its wielders hatred. That was acceptable. "I…I heard the rumors, strangers coming from another world. Why the hell…why the hell did you people come here, huh!? Why did you do this!? What the hell did we ever do to you all!?"

Inhaling deeply, the dark-skinned male held up his hands as he stepped forward. "Nothing, you people did nothing and I'm sorry for bringing our problems to your world. If it'll make you feel better, you can kill me, but spare these people. They don't deserve it."

His right eye practically bulged out of its socket. "Deserve it? Deserve it? What the hell did we Enoshima do to deserve being sacrificed like lambs! We-"

If his teammates could see him now, Damon was sure they would have cracked a joke or two. If he hadn't gone into medicine, many noted he would have been a track star. That talent was on display as Damon sprinted the fifteen or so feet separating him and Nenki. His fist slammed right into the man's stomach. Even with the physical force, he ran an electric jolt through his arm and into Nenki's body just to make sure. It worked as the sword fell from his hands and onto the ground, his eyes rolled back and sleep overtook him.

Moments later and the guards had his hands tied behind his back, and were a stone's throw away from beating him to within an inch of his life. One of them eyed the sword.

"Don't touch it!" Damon barked, summoning a leaf-covered branch from the ground. Getting down on his knees, he began wrapping the blade up in the magic-sealing leaves. Even if the sword's power was no longer active, he couldn't take any chances.

"What was that? What's happening now?" Demanded Momo, looking just as winded as he was feeling inside. "Is it that woman, did she come back?"

"No, this is worse. Another Master-Servant pair, one that gets off on causing chaos wherever they go!" Answered the American as he finally finished sealing up the sword. Around them, the sounds of mayhem had lessened, meaning the other weapon-users had either been subdued…or had burnt themselves out. Damon tried not to think about the latter as he looked to one of the chunin. "Hey, put out an alert for a pair of people! One of them will have olive skin, curly brown hair, and hazel-colored eyes! He'll have a mark atop the right side of his forehead! As for the second, he's a dwarf!"

"A what?!"

"A dwarf!" His shouting carried over for blocks. "Just go to Shimeji and tell him to put the village on alert for them!"

The chunin looked hesitate, but ran off to deliver the message. Once he was gone, Damon ran his hand along his face.

"Damon, please, what's going on? Another…Master-Servant pair like you and that samurai? Who are they, what do they want?" Again, Momo was by his side, placing her arms on his shoulders in a vain attempt to keep him calm. Rather than be at the side of her cousin, Ryūzetsu was alongside Karin, both looking to him for an explanation.

He knew they weren't going to like it. "The Master's name is Pedru Degane. In my world, there exists a criminal organization called the Italian mafia, he used to be a part of it…before he got greedy and double-crossed his employers. He sells arms and anything of interest to anyone he can market to. His Servant is…" Finally, he found the strength to stand. The sun had almost completely set and darkness was setting in. He was truly wishing he hadn't sent Munisai out into the wild. "His Servant is Reginn, a dwarf and one hell of a blacksmith. That sword is his work." He motioned to the now-wrapped blade with a look of pure disgust. "Together, they go from place to place selling arms and such, and robbing whoever they can while fighting is going on."

He'd told it plain and simple, and what he'd told them had all three females horrified. It wasn't just them, his words had reached the Grass ninja, all of whom were looking at him with wide eyes filled with worry and fear.

Keeping his mouth shut would have been the wise thing, but it was better he tell them all now then wait it out. After all, as bad as things were, they were going to get worse, much worse. "Pedru and Reginn…they used to be a part of a syndicate called the Basilone Family."

Karin picked up on his word choice. "Used to be?"

Grimly nodding, the African-American male never once took his eyes off the horizon. "They got greedy and double-crossed them. The Basilone Family doesn't take being double-crossed well so they put a hit out on their heads. If luck is with any of us, then hopefully none of them have caught up to them yet."

What courage Ryūzetsu had managed to gather had quickly faded. "A-A-And if luck i-isn't with us?"

Damon grimaced. "…Then this village, no, this whole land is about to learn what my world's version of warfare looks like."


"Uh-huh, correct, correct…and correct. You did it, my little one-tail." Proclaimed Tamamo with a proud smile on her face.

"I…I did? Really? Awesome!" Excitement flooding through him, Naruto jumped from the table and took off, running around the living room while Tamamo merely giggled in amusement. Beside her stood two foxes, both of whom barely reacted to their mistress' adoptive son causing quite a bit of noise. One of their number did join him though, happily chasing after the young blond with playful yips. Naruto finally came to a stop and hugged the furry familiar.

Hakuno saw the spectacle from the kitchen and couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. Though it was usually him who helped Naruto with his homework, Tamamo proved a more than capable substitute. Though still feigning denial, it was clear she'd adapted to this world's ninjutsu and genjutsu fast. He liked to think Naruto had a hand in that, she truly was doing her best to fill the maternal void that had been forced upon the whisker-faced child. So far, he was willing to say she was doing a fantastic job at it.

As for himself, well, fatherhood was one road he never thought he'd walk, but for Naruto's sake, he was willing to try it. He looked back at the pot before him, double-checking all the ingredients she'd thrown in. Tamamo had decided it was his turn to cook, and for a meal he was going to try soup. It'd be something different and he was hoping he could slowly pull Naruto off an all-ramen diet. And perhaps get him to like his cooking as much as his wife's.

His finger was less than a centimeter away when he felt a chill run up his spine. Oh hell, now what? Shoulders slack, he glanced toward the window, and surprise, he found a vest-wearing monkey ready to knock at it. Quietly, he walked over and opened it, enough for the brown-furred mammal to climb in. After a quick look around, its eyes found Hakuno's soup-covered finger. Smiling a little, he offered it.

"Mmhm, tastes good, never had something like that before." Spoke the small creature.

"Fasolada," answered the human. "A Greek recipe, I'm assuming Lord Hokage needs us?"

Immediately, the messenger monkey's face fell. "Yes, it's serious, very serious. You and the new guys, Hokage Tower, right away."

Of course he was right, when it came to predicting danger he might as well have come to an A-ranking. Sighing, he looked back to the living room, where his wife and son were busy enjoying the evening. Sensing his mood change, Tamamo looked up and met his eyes. Immediately, she got the picture. Naruto followed shortly afterward, having sensed the shift in the mood.

"Naruto, daddy and I promise, we'll be right back before you know it, but you have to stay inside the house, alright?" In little over five minutes later they were dressed and ready to go out. Naruto was doing his best to hold it together. "We're just going down to see Mr. Sarutobi, nothing for you to get worked up about, okay?"

"Al…alright, but just…um…can you make it back to tuck me in?" Shyly, the young jinchūriki looked away, a blush pulling on his cheeks.

The foxes surrounding the family snickered, Tamamo quickly took after her animal creations. "When have I ever not." After her short kiss on his forehead, the blond found it in him to smile back. "Now then, make sure to eat up everything on your plate, and clean up once you're finished. Don't worry, your father made enough soup for you to eat your fill."

"Let me know what you think of it once we get back, okay?" Offered the Master ,placing a hand atop his head.

"Yeah, of course I will! Just hurry back, alright!"

The married pair smiled back, nodding a yes to his request. Once outside, they took the first steps to fulfilling it. As a Servant, Tamamo's speed was four times greater than an average human's. Thanks to his new body, Hakuno could keep up with his wife. One minute they were standing before their home, and the next they were at the front door of the Hokage tower. Tamamo took the lead with Hakuno following shortly behind her. He already had a feeling what this surprise meeting was going to be about.

Once the door to the Hokage's office flew open, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Bonsoir." Chimed Chandler, throwing up a hand while Okada continued to scowl at a piece of paper in his hands.

"Let me guess," Hakuno started. Without missing a beat, Tamamo marched over and tore the paper out of Okada's hands. She promptly ignored his protests. "Another incident caused by a Master and a Servant?"

Hiruzen's face was fittingly grim. "Yes, this letter arrived almost an hour ago from the Village Hidden in Grass. They were attacked by a mysterious duo, one a woman and the other a man. They-"

"Alecto and Caligula."

The Third Hokage watched with muted interest as Hakuno's face darkened. While it never reached the same scornful sneer of Tamamo, he could see distaste brewing within him. He made a mental note to inquire about the history the couple shared with this latest pair later.

"Alecto Galanos, a former doctor turned biologist researcher." Stated the Japanese teenager. His hands came together and from them a burst of light. When he opened them back up, a solid-light scripture hovered before him. He slid it over to Hiruzen, who took the documentation with a small note of surprise. "She and her husband worked on something called the 'Noah's Revival Project', an undertaking to re-introduce animals of all sorts and shapes to the Moon Cell. Her husband…he…"

Seeing her lover hesitant to revisit the incident, Tamamo decided to speak for him. "During one of the skirmishes with my Alter Egos, her husband perished. Driven mad by grief, she undertook a mad quest to find some way to resurrect him. To aid her in this, she allied with a Berserker, one of the emperors of Roman."

At the snap of his fingers, the light-screen document changed. Hiruzen said nothing at the trick, he merely examined the information regarding the Berserker Servant. After a full minute, he glanced around at the four.

"I…well, he…certainly deserves the title of 'Mad Emperor'."

"Oh, trust us, Roman has a very long list of lunatics and degenerates for the lost and depraved to draw from." Snapped Tamamo.

"Anyways, if she attacked the Hidden Grass then there must be something there she thinks can bring her husband back to life." Chandler stated. He was looking visibly healthier since the treatment Hakuno had given him. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Bringing the dead back…does this world possess magecraft of that caliber?" Spoke up the Assassin, his gaze directed toward the village's leader.

As he leaned back into his chair, it became obvious the topic matter wasn't one that Hiruzen wanted. In light of the past days' events, he could hardly be blamed. "…Yes, though such jutsu is few and far between. Not to mention often times it…comes with a cost, one that no man of moral standing could bear to pay."

"We're not talking about a person of moral standing here, Mr. Sarutobi." Cut-in the fox-eared woman. Her earlier annoyance had hardened into a cold apathy. The change was proof enough that these two players on the board weren't to be taken likely. "She can and will do anything if it means bringing her husband back to life. By now, for all we know, the village may very well be nothing but a pile of rubble."

"Which is exactly why we must decide what must be done, such a thing cannot and will not go unnoticed, especially by the other Five Great Nations." Hiruzen stated.

"And that's not counting the smaller ones, they'll be scared witless after something like this." Chandler added, crossing his arms. "Look, we can't let Alecto and Caligula run wild, especially Caligula because we all know what he'll get up to if Alecto doesn't reign him in." When his eyes met those of his Servant's, the manslayer grinned. "Let me and Okada go, we'll stop her."

"A tempting offer, but the matter is already being looked into."

The five said absolutely nothing as the unseen but always felt the sixth occupant of the room made himself known. Hakuno and Chandler looked to each other as Danzō stepped into the light. Okada, who hadn't yet formed a solid opinion of the man, gazed at him as if he were a house-cat strutting across the room. Tamamo's glare made it perfectly known she hated being forced to share breathing space with the man. Only Hiruzen seemed willing to openly tolerate his presence, but that didn't stop him from questioning his statement.

"Danzō, what do you mean it's being looked into?"

The edge in his voice was almost admirable. "I already have a team on their way to investigate the matter." He answered sharply.

Tamamo's hands found their way to her hips. "And we weren't informed of this because…?"

"Because you are civilians thus the information was not yours to know of." Fired back the bandaged shinobi.

Gold eyes and orange eyes bore into the man. While he'd already made a bad impression on Tamamo, he wasn't doing well with Okada. Similar to the Caster, one face-to-face meeting was all the swordsman needed to know what sort of man Root's leader was. One that wasn't to be taken lightly.

As usual, it fell to the holder of the hat to ease the tension. Somewhat. "This letter just arrived little barely an hour ago, the messenger bird carrying it had collapsed at one of our border stations and the message itself have to be relayed. Are you saying you intercepted it before it got to my desk?" It wasn't a question, and Hiruzen certainly wasn't happy about the conclusion he'd come. Sadly though, he'd come to expect such things from his old teammate. "Regardless, I fear one ninja team, even those under you, won't be able to contain a threat of this magnitude."

"If your ninja are as wet behind the ears as some of the riffraff we've encountered, then it looks like the village doesn't have much hope." Cackled Okada, heedless of the sharpen glare that the one-armed man sent his way. Proudly, he turned back to Hiruzen. "Lord Hokage, allow me to go forth, I shall save this Hidden Grass Village and return with the enemies' heads before midnight."

"Except the village is miles away, and as you said, more than likely gone by now." Coolly suggested by the founder of Root.

In silence, Hakuno and Tamamo met each other's eyes. This meeting of the eyes didn't go unnoticed by Hiruzen, who again, watched the silent exchange. He could tell Hakuno was asking Tamamo for something, and the Caster was ready to give in. Going over what he knew of them, he couldn't help but note how the Servant seemed to defer to her Master when acting out. In turn, Hakuno seemed to openly ask for Tamamo's cooperation when carrying out a plan or deed. It wasn't quite the sort of relationship that came to mind when thinking of Masters and Servants. What the pair had wasn't just a work-relationship or simple partnership. It was a bond, one tempered by love, trust, and experience.

I wonder, how many other pairs like theirs exist? How many now walk among us?

Breathing out a sigh, Tamamo clapped her hands grabbing everyone's attention. "You can make it there, rather it's in time to save anyone or fight her off. Well, that might be for luck to decide. What can be done is get you there in an hour or so."

Okada leered at the fox-woman. "And how exactly can that be done?"

With a glare, Tamamo held up two strands of hair from her tail and a set of talismans. After pulling one of the glass doors open, the woman began a quiet chant. In her hands, the talismans and hair strands glowed. First, she threw the strands out, then the talismans. Onlookers watched in silent and open-mouthed amazed as orange light and tendrils of wind coiled around one another. Born before the light of the rising moon hovered two foxes, each almost as large as a horse with fur the color flames. At their heels swirled masses of purple and cyan-colored wind. The foxes yelped, then bowed their heads toward their creator.

"You two will go on these." Answered the Heian-era Servant with a commanding voice.

Okada did a double-take. "Wait a minute…you want us to travel miles riding on atop some furballs created from your sorcery and hair?!"

Tamamo's glare could have bore a hole in concrete. "No, Chandler will be riding one, you will be holding onto the other's back as they literally ride the wind to get you where you need to go. Oh, and one word of sass and you're walking back to the village."

While their Servants devolved back into their usual antics, Hakuno and Chandler's eyes met each other. The former spoke first. "I'll go create as much Indu as I can, if you feel the curse flare back up, drink as much as you need to. If you encounter anyone who could use its help, I'm trusting you to do the right thing."

"Je comprends." Answered back the older man.

"Indu? What is this 'Indu' that you speak of?" Inquired Danzō, taking a step forward.

For once, coldness colored the teenager's eyes as he looked to the one-eyed ninja. Upon turning to Hiruzen, they softened considerably. Once the Kage gave his nod of approval, Hakuno was out the window, literally. A silvery glow of light trailed him as he moved from roof-top to roof-top. Not back to his and Tamamo's home, but their shop which contained all the supplies they'd need.

"I must say, he is quite fast." Noted the scar-chinned veteran, momentarily forgetting his annoyance at being ignored.

The Third Hokage picked himself up just as quickly. "Tamamo," he began, catching the fox's attention. "Would you…could you possible create one more of those fox familiars? There's one other person I'd like to add to this mission."


The rebellion of the Enoshima Clan hadn't lasted long. Even with the mysterious weapons in their hands, their efforts to avenge themselves were doomed to fail. In fact, for a few, wielding the mysterious weapons had done what the attack couldn't - seal their fate. Hiyu felt it sad and pitiful, but she didn't let it distract her from doing her job.

She dispatched three to tail the unhinged duo as they'd fled the village. Hiyu specifically gave them orders not to engage unless absolutely necessary. In the meantime, she and her fellow Root ninja set their sights on another goal. She'd further split apart her group of ten, sending Tsuchinoto and two more to secure the weapons the Enoshima survivors had wielded. After such an attack, the Hidden Grass wouldn't be able to keep the weapons under secure lock and key, making them easy pickings. That…left the survivors themselves.

Again, security wasn't much, at least not the standards she lived by. Granted, many of them were either too injured to do much or too young to cause much trouble. Regardless, the village wasn't taking any chance and had turned one of the few buildings left standing into a makeshift prison. Making things all the sweet was the relatively lax guard that had been ordered to keep the Enoshima clan members under lock and key. Breaking them out…convincing them to come with her would be a trivial matter. Predicting the worse, she'd brought along several sealing scrolls capable of containing even a jonin or anbu-level ninja. They were still experimental, recently excavated from the ruins of the Hidden Eddy Village, but Hiyu had confidence in them.

Their target lay in sight, a three-story rectangular-shaped building that had avoided the day's carnage. All of it was the perfect set-up for a snatch and grab.

And of course, that's why things had to go south.

The tranquility of the night was broken by the explosive tower-shaped burst. Hiyu's blood slowed to a crawl in her veins as she watched the fiery blast demolish the rooftop and light up the night sky.

"Hiyu..." Offered one of her companions.

"I…I see it." Her trained ears heard it all, the fear and anger-laced shouting that could only indicate that something horrible had happened. Another explosion rocked the building, this time blowing a hole out the back. The prisoners were escaping. This isn't right! Someone else…someone else is making a move on this village! Perhaps it would have been better if they'd stuck to their original goal and headed towards the Hidden Stone Village. Behind her mask, she grimaced. It was too late for that, nor could she afford to withdraw and leave the outcome of the situation unknown. Depending on how things turned out, this could have negative repercussions for the Leaf Village. "Fan out and observe, unless your hand is forced, remained out of sight."

No one protested her decision, they obediently followed her orders.

Hiyu waited a full minute before she herself began to move. The Enoshima Clan survivors would do one of two days - seek vengeance upon the village, or attempt to flee. Obviously, the Land of Wind was out as trying to cross the desert was a death sentence. Some of them would go for the Land of Earth, the Hidden Stone Village. If nothing else, Hiyu wouldn't let that happen, she'd kill the survivors first.

She at least did something about the fire, summoning a rain cloud that would gradually put out the flames. Afterwards, she began to move.

Chaos was quickly spreading through the Hidden Grass Village. After a full day of mayhem, the village's surviving chunin and jonin had been made ready and were filled with vengeful energy. Those who bore grudges against the Enoshima Clan or ninja clans in general now a way to let those feelings out. Hiyu felt disgust rising in her throat, but repressed it in order to continue her mission. As she predicted, a handful of the Enoshima were trying to carry-out a doomed goal of avenging their clans. It wasn't going as well as they could have hoped, which was exactly what she expected. None of the Grass ninja were keen on taking prisoners, even if their opponents were their friends and comrades just this morning. They were threatening the stability of the village, and for that death could be the only result.

Still, some of them were doing well for themselves. Hiyu watched from the rooftops as one group of survivors almost literally cut a path through the village. Some of them were wielding more of the strange weapons: two-handed double-edged swords, gauntlets, flails, and spears. She couldn't help but note how unusual the weapons were, especially the markings on them. She'd never seen anything like them, not even in ancient history books. Hiyu knew she'd have to capture at least one or two so she could find out where they'd gotten their hands on them. She was placing her money on another one of these "Servants" being responsible.

The group's luck ran out little more than two minutes later. All the hairs on the Root member's neck stood on end as she watched an explosion of red energy, then witnessed a crescent-shaped arc slice through the street and everything in its path. Her eyes snapped to the source. Somehow, one of the Grass ninja had gotten their hands on one of the mysterious weapons, this one of a more familiar design.

A red glow covered the nodachi, an unearthly aura that reeked of power and blood. Unlike the Enoshima clanmen, the grass ninja wielding the weapon was retaining his sanity. That right there spelled the end of the survivors. The man, perhaps a jonin, took a fighting stance, then went on the attack. Hiyu's breath caught in her throat at the sight of one of the survivors being split from shoulder to hip. The young ones within the group naturally shrieked in fright. Luckily for them, their elders were smart enough to protect them. A horizontal slash that seemed to be the swing of a scythe, it would have killed them all had one of the adult Enoshima not blocked the attack with his own weapon.

He hadn't come alone, more Grass ninja sprung from the shadows, and from there it became a slaughter. Men and women fighting for their lives, children crying for mercy, all in the confines of a village that they'd all called home just this morning.

"Even here…hundreds of miles away, nothing's different, it's all the same." Muttered Hiyu. Memories of the blood-purges flowed back to her as she witnessed the same atrocity being carried out before her. From experience, she knew that the children would not be spared, after all, there was a chance they would grow up and seek vengeance. Her heart shuddered at the thought, and then took control.

"Ice Style-Crystal Ice Mirrors."

Before her, the crystalized mirror materialized. Silently, she stepped forward, disappearing into the reflective surface.

She'd calculated where to appear, right in the thick of the commotion. Naturally, her sudden appearance from the icy mirror came as a total surprise. At least, for those who paid attention to her. They immediately went on the attack.

Hiyu drew her blade and parried the oncoming attacks, and dealt the death blow when the opportunity presented itself. As much as she hated to admit it, a twinge of joy shot through her. After almost two weeks of inaction, she was finally able to get some action for herself. In spite of the building excitement, Hiyu did her best to keep her mind on the target - the children.

There were obstructions of course. Narrowly, the stepped out of the way of the nodachi-user just in time to avoid being decapitated. For the opponent who'd been coming at her, his head rolled to the side, blood spewing from his neck. Very briefly, she caught the look in the man's eyes-cold indifference, the same as hers. He reared his sword back before thrusting it forward.

CLANG!

The bandana-wearing ninja's copper-colored eyes narrowed. "You're from the Yuki Clan."

Remarkably, her ice sword held up, though cracks were quickly spreading along the hastily-forged sword. "I used to be." She feeds her chakra into the ice-blade, causing the molecules within it to excite. A second later and the blade shattered into a cloud of blinding-white vapor and bone-chilling cold. Her opponent was off guard, as were those around them. "Ice Style-Cold Snap!" Her proficiency with her clan's jutsu was so she could initiate a few of its techniques with a single hand sign. Without a doubt, the Cold Snap was the easiest and most often used, it had excellent versatility.

Her body swelled with icy energy which quickly exploded outward. With his body already covered by the icy-vapor, the cold wave hit the sword-wielding ninja in full force. How long he'd be frozen, she couldn't say, but it would be long enough for her to make a getaway. The others were equally caught off guard, giving Hiyu the window she needed. Turning on her heel, she took off through the myriad of ruined buildings and torn greenery. Eyes forward and ears open, she quickly picked up the sound of children running and crying.

Hiyu wasn't the only one on their tail, more grass ninja were coming, no doubt with orders to kill. Up ahead, she saw and heard explosions. Her grip on her sword tightened as she came upon what turned out to be a clearing. Beyond it lay a downward sloping gate that leads into the forest.

The slaughter had already begun. Four children, two barely into their teens and the last pair no more than ten-years-old, lay dead in pools of their own blood. Only one remained, a little girl who couldn't have been older than six or seven at best. There was another girl, one with redhead clearly showing she wasn't a member of the Enoshima Clan. Yet, she was still brandishing a short sword with the intention of protecting the youngest survivor. She was all that the crying girl had left as the last adult defender fell, blood gushing from his side curtsy of the ax-blade wielded by the grass ninja advancing upon them.

Said ninja sensed Hiyu's presence, he immediately came at her, his ax held high and ready to cut her down. She twirled out of the way, knowing that one blow would spell the end for her. She kept dodging, realizing that her opponent had neither the mind nor skill to use the weapon in his hands properly. In his eyes, Hiyu saw madness and bloodlust gradually taking hold of the ninja's soul.

"Ice Style," Whispered the masked kunoichi as she twirled out of the way of a downward slash. Two more attempts were made, with similar results. Having grown frustrated, the Grass ninja drew back the axe, mystical energy pooling around the blade's edge. "Icicle Spear!" Water vapor condensed into her hand into a six-foot javelin she ruthlessly thrust forward. The ice cleaved through the man's chunin vest and through his major organs. His movements came to an immediate stop, but Hiyu wasn't finished with him. She molded the ice spear into a crescent-shape, then pulled. Blood exploded outward from his side, almost the entire right side of his waist missing courtesy of her attack. The weapon toppled to the ground, and his body went soon afterward.

Ignoring the blood and bodies around her, Hiyu continued toward the direction where the two girls had no doubt fled. Her blood was pumping in her ears, though she didn't understand why. She wanted to say it was merely the familiarity of the scene around her. Focusing on her intended goal, she made for the steps believing she'd find the two girls and be able to subdue them.

Instead, she found only one, and not the one she'd been targeting. "What the…!"

The redhead lay on the steps, clearly unconscious with her short sword lying barely a foot from her. Several feet from her lay another body, a grass ninja, an arrow having pierced his neck. Nowhere to be found was the Enoshima female.

"This…this can't be happening! No it's-!"

THUNK!

A single arrow lay impaled not two centimeters from her feet. Hiyu stopped dead in her tracks and looked out into the forest. She could sense it, presence the likes of which made her hair stand on end. And the smell, it was absolutely revolting.

She looked to the arrow then into the darkness of the forest before her. The message was clear - she was to go no further.

Hiyu's fists clenched. Whoever you are…damn you to hell for this.


"Hm, seems like he finally croaked, a shame too. He was almost there." Cackled the cloak-wearing creature while his Master proceeded to kick the corpse to see if the man was truly gone. He was.

Pedru wasn't expecting much, but he was always willing to put his money on being entertained. The commotion at the Hidden Grass Village had without a doubt proven to be that and more. Looking away from the corpse, his eyes found their way to various smokestacks and fires rising from the village. Even though his eyes still hurt, he could see just enough to know that the settlement had been hit hard. A dark grin spread across his face.

"Well then, the 'rebellion' should be coming to an end. Most of them are dying out, or surrendering. Miserable wretches, but I suppose they bought us enough time to get ahead of the pack." Snickered the Servant before kicking the corpse. The once-living jonin rolled over onto his back, his glazed over purple eyes stared at the sky. Afterwards, he glanced upward, his eyes shut and his senses open. "Pedru, we should probably get moving, now. Fulvio and Philoctetes are moving out of the area. We should do the same if we want to stay one step ahead of those bastards."

The arms-dealer looked over the body at his and his Servant's feet. The man's injuries had proven to be too much for him, he'd expired mere inches from reaching his goal. Pedru's hazel-colored eyes fell to the temple that sat on the lone island in the center of the massive lake. The odds hadn't been in the man's favor. "You know, Reignn, I'd like to come back here, see what's in that temple. They say this lake was formed atop a sleeping dragon."

At the mention of the word, "dragon", the Caster's body shivered. "…We can do that after things have quieted down. For now, we've got to get moving. Do you want to face Leron and his men once they catch-up to us?"

"Well, if this Box of Ultimate Bliss is as strong as everyone says it is, then we won't have to worry about any of them." Fired back the human as he rubbed his eyes. "I suppose you're right there. Let's get going, the quicker we can get to Hozuki Castle, the greater damage we can do to them." Upon hoisting himself onto the horse, a dark chuckle escaped the Italian's lips. "We have to set up the surprise for our former employers, don't we, Reignn?"

The clouds passed allowing the moon's light to shine down. While the lake behind them sparkled, the face of dwarf was revealed. His wrinkled face resembled tan-colored sandpaper more than anything, his eyes sunken in and his thin lips twisted into a horrid smile. Eyes the color of amber shimmered with greedy light. "Yes, we do still owe them!?"

With those words, the Caster-class Servant assumed spiritual form thus vanishing from the human eye. Pedru kneed his horse, causing it to rear back then take off. Its rider never lost the malicious grin for his mind were filled with thoughts of the type of mayhem he will have set into motion by sunrise. That was still more than six hours away. A lot could happen in six hours.

Like one's whole world coming to an end.


As you all can probably guess, I'm not down torturing the Hidden Grass Village or its residents. Multiple parties are set on a collision course and readers, trust me, it's not going to be pretty.

This chapter introduced another Master-Servant pair, said pair I'm sure you can all imagine is going to cause some trouble. For those wondering or too lazy to look him up, Reignn is a dwarf from Norse mythology and is the foster father of Sigurd. He was responsible for teaching him blacksmithing and runes as Reignn was incredibly skilled in various fields.

Now, after two chapters of putting it off, the Servant sheets for Shinmen Munisai and my version of Caligula!

Class: Saber

True Name: Shinmen Munisai

Epithets: "Unrivaled Under the Sun" and "Iron-Face Hirata"

Origin: Japanese History (Muromachi Period)

Alignment: True Neutral

Alternate Classes: None

Natural Enemy: His Son, Shinmen Takezō

Parameters:

Strength: C+

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: E

Luck: C

NP: C+

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance (D)

Riding (C)

Personal Skills:

Eye of Mind (True)(A)

Clarity of the Blade (A) *A skill given to those who devoted their lives to the way of the sword. Prevents degeneration of one's swordsmanship under any effects. Of course, this Skill can be a negative as the natural urge for a swordsman is fighting, which can make them hard to control.*

Tōri Jitte Ryū (A) *The jitte fighting style created by Munisai that would eventually become the basis for his son's legendary Niten Ichi-ryū. A fighting style that can switch between lethal and non-lethal depending on the situation and Munisai's feelings toward his opponent.

Noble Phantasm(s):

Ten no Sakeru: The Parting of the Skies

Rank: C+

Type: Anti-Unit ~ Anti-Army

Range: 1~99

Description: The accumulation of Munisai's skill and reputation as a master swordsman. As pioneered by his son, there exists five elements: fire, water, earth, wind, and void. Whereas Musashi mastered all five, his father focused on two, but took one element to its maximum potential - that element was the void. By freeing one's mind of all obstructions, Munisai call upon the power of ether, the energy dwelling in the divine heavens, to perform an army-leveling attack. Naturally, such power requires nothing short of absolute concentration and swordsmanship few can reach. Munisai's son was one such person; the Ten no Sakeru exists as the "fifth slash" in Musashi's own Six Realms, Five Plans, or at least the one that belongs to one version of his son.

Kyuu Burōkun Kumo: All Who Fall by the Wayside

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1

Description: As his first Noble Phantasm is an accumulation of his skill as a swordsman, his second is the same for his skills with the jitte. Over his life, Munisai faced and defeated a great many warriors seeking to claim his title. Over time, he developed a technique involving his jitte that hit nine "critical points" on the human body. This move can be executed using either his jitte, or with his swords as it is a form of martial arts made into a Noble Phantasm. Nine strikes in total, each directed at a different part of the body. Should they hit, the opponent will go down through the circumstances differ on who it's used on. A normal human will die, but a Servant will find themselves stunned to the point they are even unable to assume spiritual form. In the worst case, the final strike, often directed toward the center of the body, will be enough to destabilize any Servant with an C or lower rank in Endurance as the vibrations will shatter their spiritual core.

Class: Berserker

True Name: Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, AKA Caligula

Epithets: "Mad Emperor" and "Emperor of Depravity"

Origin: Roman History

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Alternate Classes: Rider and Caster

Natural Enemy: Orion

Parameters:

Strength: D++

Endurance: D+

Agility: D

Mana: C+

Luck: E

NP: B+

Class Skills:

Mad Enhancement (B+)

Personal Skills:

Imperial Privilege (A)

Sadistic Constitution (A)

Imperial Collector (B) *A skill representing the financial crisis Caligula created and attempted to solve by heavily taxing Roman citizens and merchants, and in some cases outright killing them to seize their property. This skill allows for Caligula to gather wealth and money…by stealing it from others, often the latter realizing after Caligula has left the field of battle. Basically, as emperor, he's exercising his right to steal your money and you can't say shit about it!*

Mental Pollution (Luna) (B) *users can possibly be understood by those who possess a similar affinity for the moon as themselves* (*cough* Shukaku)

Noble Phantasm(s):

Gemina Aqua Via: Roads of Glory Carrying my Madness

Rank: D+

Type: Anti-Unit ~ Anti-Mind

Range: 1~20

Description: A result of Caligula's magecraft rooted in the aqueducts that were built during his life and his own insanity. As they carried water through the empire, this Noble Phantasm allows Caligula to "carry and transfer" his madness onto others via the watery rings that surround him. They can be changed into ice (solid) and water vapor (gas) at his command and augmented by nearby sources of water. As they carry his "madness", any doused by the water will gradually find their minds becoming tainted unless they possess some form of mental shielding. In worst cases, those doused by the watery rings will devolve into shrieking mindless wrecks…which Caligula will proceed to marvel at.

Diana Nami Nave: Glorious Barge Dedicated to the Goddess

Rank: B

Type: Anti-Army ~Anti-Unit

Range: 1~99

Description: The second of the two ships built by Caligula and associated with Lake Nemi. It isn't a battleship, but rather more like a floating temple dedicated the worship of Caligula's "patron" goddess, Diana. While aboard it, all of Caligula's parameters are increased; he can control all aspects of the ship at will including being able to merge with it thus allowing for surprise attacks. The ship is part way between a Reality Marble and a Bounded Field, existing as a living distortion within the area, making all with a hint of spiritual awareness able to feel its presence. It's inner decks and such served as torture chambers and a maze for its owner to "play" with his victims once they come aboard. At the heart of the ship lies a divine mirror fashioned in honor of the moon goddess. Ordinarily, this mirror would serve as a Noble Phantasm, but only if Caligula were summoned as a Rider or Caster, as a Berserker, it is merely a strong Mystic Code he must use cautiously lest it be lost.

As you can see, a different Caligula than the one Grand Order gave us. On that note, I removed Glory of Bygone Days because I found it highly historically inaccurate and misleading. Caligula was not sane for the first four years of his reign, hell, he barely reigned four years before he was assassinated. All that isn't mentioning the sexual misadventures he got into…

Je comprends is French for, "I understand".

Fasolada is a Greek soup consisting of dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables.

That's all for now. Until next chapter where the action will continue, and more characters will be traumatized!