'I can't keep doing this' Shirou thought. 'I've gone over every conceivable factor and I can see no true obstacles in paving the way for Naruto to be Hokage. So why can't I stop worrying.' For the umpteenth time, Shirou desperately wished Servants could sleep.
True, his beloved Saber was able to sleep, but she had been a special case. Oh, he could lay down and close his eyes, but sleep would never come to him. Looking into the night Shirou could tell that dawn was still an hour away. He had already climbed to the top of the apartment to scout the area. With Reinforced eyes, Shirou had memorized the various turns and corners within sight.
Truthfully, Shirou was bored. 'What's the point of being summoned to this place?' The summoning made no mention of a Holy Grail or it's equivalent to be fought over. Hell, Shirou was still trying to figure out how he had been summoned. It wasn't because of the fox demon. Had the demon been used as a catalyst, an anti-hero or a counter guardian would have been summoned. Instead, Emiya Shirou, the 'Magus Knight' as the people had called him, was summoned to this world. '
'Magus Knight,' Shirou smirked at that title. He hadn't even been knighted in life for his work. Everything he had done in life was to fulfill his father's dream of being a hero and Shirou's dream of being reunited with Saber. Shirou had fought countless battles with the odds stacked heavily against him. He had survived where no-one expected him to. Fighting men and monsters, Shirou had been elevated into a source of inspiration and awe. The Burial Squad had been in his debt. The Mage's Tower would have declared a sealing designation, but Blue and Zelretch had intervened. granted, that intervention had come with a price. Shirou had made friends with Magicians and True Ancestors. When he finally died, Shirou had no regrets. He just wanted to see Saber again.
No matter how he looked at it, Shirou couldn't figure out how he had been summoned. Naruto didn't give off any feelings of magic except from the demon, and that magic felt different than what Shirou had seen over his life. 'Different world, different rules of magic maybe?' Shirou pondered. Shirou resolved to look in on this mystery, but dawn was approaching rapidly.
Shirou decided that it was about time to begin cooking breakfast. 'Maybe the smell of food will wake him before the alarm.' Just before dawn, Shirou had finished making miso, rice, rolled omelets, sausage, and grilled fish. Shirou turned to announce breakfast when Naruto's alarm went off. Shirou watched in amusement as Naruto hit the alarm and went back to sleep. Secretly, Shirou had hoped this would happen. Filling a cup with water, Shirou raised it above Naruto's head. Instinct kicked in, and Naruto was out of bed in an instant. "I'm up. I'm up" Naruto cried waving his hands rapidly to appease the servant. Disappointed, Shirou poured the water down the sink.
Naruto dove into breakfast without hesitation. Seeing that Saber made no move to eat himself "Aren't you hungry?" Naruto asked. Shirou smiled slightly. "As a Servant, I can eat if I wish, but I don't have to while you supply me Prana." Naruto tilted his head at this, "Prana?"
"Basically, Prana is magic fuel." Shirou summarized. "You are naturally supplying me with everything I need. Eating is no longer necessary."
"That's weird" Naruto commented.
"If it makes you comfortable Naruto, I can eat in your presence." Shirou suggested
"Sure" Naruto replied. Smiling mischievously, Shirou pulled out a set of chopsticks and stole one of Naruto's omelets. "Hey," Naruto cried out.
"Was this not your order Master?" Shirou joked.
"Get your own food Saber." Naruto said sourly.
Shirou grabbed some bowls and dished out some rice and miso soup. For the rest of breakfast, Shirou kept trying to steal another omelet while Naruto guarded his food jealously.
'I'm glad I can do this again. Saber would have killed me. Rin would have shot me, and Illya would have used her eyes.
After breakfast
Shirou cleaned up the remnants of breakfast while Naruto showered and dressed for school.
"Naruto, you really should wear something other than another Orange shirt." Shirou critiqued.
"Like you're one to talk, you're always wearing that red outfit." Naruto rebuked.
"It's a magical protective suit," Shirou replied lightheartedly. It was true though. He had been given the outfit after he had dueled the 25th Dead Apostle, ultimately resulting in it's destruction...The shroud of Martin that's the name of the outfit... or what it was made from rather. Unfortunately, no one but him and the Burial Squad remembered the name anymore.
"Haha," Naruto replied deadpanned.
"Now then Naruto, do you have anything planned for today?" Shirou asked seriously.
Naruto tilted his head to the side, then nodded.
"Yeah, today is the day I learn what team I'm assigned to." Shirou nodded then asked "What time do you have to be there?" Naruto looked at the clock, "Um, at nine." he responded.
Shirou saw that it would be two hours before they would have to be there. "Very well then Naruto. Since we have time, tell me about what you dreamed about."
Naruto looked sad and lowered his eyes slightly. "I-I- I saw your dad die." Naruto answered mournfully. Shirou nodded his head once.
He remembered that day clearly. That had been the day he declared he would be a Hero. Looking back, Shirou could not recall ever being sad about the memory.
To him, it had been as if his father had accepted death when Shirou declared that he would become a hero. Back then, he hadn't been sad his dad died, he had been determined to fulfill his promise.
"Very well Naruto, I need to warn you that either tonight or tomorrow night the dreams will get bad again."
Naruto paled a bit. "Why's that Saber?" fear filtering into Naruto's voice. Shirou sighed sadly, "War, you will be seeing a war unlike anything you've ever heard of."
"What should I do?" Naruto asked, hoping that he wouldn't have to see another fire like the first night.
"Do?' Shirou responded. "There's nothing we can do except talk about what you dreamed. I can't stop the dreams. I can only say that things will get better." Naruto sighed deeply and lowered his head a this.
Shirou decided to change the subject to something lighter, lest they both become depressed. "Tell me about those carvings on the mountain. They must be important men."
Naruto, grateful to be on easier ground began telling about the four Hokages and their various deeds. Time passed for the two until it was about 8:35.
"Naruto, it's about time we left." Shirou reminded. Naruto got up and grabbed the last of his supplies and stuffed them in his pockets.
The red and orange duo left the apartment and headed to the academy. When the two arrived at the academy, Shirou saw a great deal of children starring at him.
While Shirou would admit his skin and hair color made him exotic, he wished they would at least try to hide their gawking. Naruto lead Shirou to a classroom and entered.
Shirou noticed that all conversations in the room stopped as soon as Naruto had opened the door. Shirou was getting used to the glares from the adults, but these glares seemed different; less hostile and more snide.
Some of the children were sneering at Naruto. As far as Shirou could tell only four children stood out differently from the crowd.
A girl who looked related to Neji was blushing. 'Either a cold or a crush,' Shirou determined. One boy was busy stuffing his face with chips and looked curiously at Naruto, while the boy next to him was trying to sleep. 'Social outcasts like Naruto.'
Finally, there was a third boy in the corner of the room who had his eyes covered with goggles and his mouth was covered with collar of his coat. 'Can't tell what he's thinking.'
"What are you doing here dead last?" one boy called out
"Yeah, and what's with the head plate?" called out another
Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but Shirou covered his mouth. "Naruto has been declared a genin by the authority of the Hokage and Iruka. If you have any disputes, I will deal with them" Shirou announced.
This caused a stir in the ranks. One of the boys mocked Naruto "How could dead last have gotten the Hokage's permission? He can't even do a proper Jutsu."
Shirou walked up to the loudmouth and leaned forward and smiled evilly. "I could swear you called me a liar boy. I must be hearing things."
The boy paled at Shirou's face. "N-N-no sir. J-just misspoke."
The room had grown quiet again. A raven haired boy snorted at this exchange. "Pathetic" Shirou decided to ignore the upstart boy. 'He's the kind of guy who believes he's better than anyone else. Unless he shapes up, he'll be dead soon enough... kinda reminds me of Shinji'
Shirou indicated Naruto to sit down while Shirou placed his back against the wall. Shirou watched how Naruto went to sit next to a pink haired girl who kept switching her gaze between the raven haired boy and Shirou.
Unfortunately, Naruto missed the body language and sat next to the girl blocking her view. The girl promptly kicked Naruto causing him fall over the table towards the raven haired boy. Shirou watched with amusement as the boy turned to Naruto only to have both their lips touch as they collided.
The raven boy ended up lying beneath Naruto, the sight of the two in such a suggestive way made many of the girls squeal in protest.
"Get off him Naruto"
"Sasuke is ours you dick."
'I should have been the one to kiss him"
On and on they screamed, while Naruto and Sasuke quickly separated and began spitting while wiping their mouths.
"Naruto, you sick bastard" Sasuke yelled.
"My mouth's.. it's been violated" Naruto declared.
Shirou shook his head "There's worse things you could have kissed Naruto" Shirou said while shuddering. He remembered when he had accidentally tripped and kissed Luvia in front of Rin.
Rin ended up trying to shoot him with Gandr screaming "I'll kill you, you damn pervert!" while Luvia chased him demanding that he now marry her after taking her first kiss.
Shirou shuddered even harder. He remembered when he turned a corner and ended up knocking himself and Blue down and kissed her. Rho Aias hadn't been enough to protect him from her wrath. According to her, that had been her first kiss too. It had taken the timely intervention of Zelretch to keep Shirou alive... 'Good times'
Shirou's comment hadn't endeared him to the females in the room. Several shot him looks of death, but this didn't face him. 'I've been glared at by experts kids.'
The contest of wills had collided and Shirou came out the clear winner. The room had gone noticeably darker when the door opened and Iruka walked in on crutches. "Settle down everyone." Iruka told the class "It's time to assign each of you to three man teams and assign you to a jounin." Iruka began calling out students and assigning them.
After each team was created, an adult would appear in the doorway and lead the team out. Listening to the assignments, Shirou suddenly noticed that Iruka had gone from team six to team eight bypassing team seven altogether. Finally, after team 15 left the room only five people remained in the room.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, you guys are team seven." Iruka reported.
The pink haired girl, who was apparently Sakura turned to Shirou "So I guess you're our instructor. My names Haruno Sakura." she introduced herself. Shirou blinked at this.
"Saber, but I'm no jounin."
Sakura was clearly taken aback at this. She had assumed that Saber was a jounin who had arrived early and was waiting for his team to be assigned to him. She had thought him strange with the outfit he wore, and a little exotic with his looks, but she knew stranger ninjas, like the one dressed in green spandex.
"I'm afraid Kakashi is notorious at being late," Iruka interjected. "I had hoped that he would show up if I had assigned your team last." Iruka shook his head and shrugged. "Guess it was too much to hope for. In the mean time, please stay here until he shows up."
Iruka gathered his crutches and headed out the door where he paused. "Oh, Naruto, I haven't forgotten that I owe you a ramen for becoming a genin."
"Hell yeah, Iruka, your the best." Naruto exclaimed. Shirou smirked at that. 'He's really looking forward to that ramen'
Five minutes later
Shirou was worried for the future of the team. Naruto kept ignoring Sasuke while trying to ask Sakura out. Sakura kept ignoring Naruto while trying to ask Sasuke out. And Sasuke ignored them both, instead he spent his time eying Shirou as if he believed he could measure Shirou's power.
Ten minutes later
The genin were clearly becoming antsy. While Shirou was a seasoned enough campaigner to pass the time quietly, the children were clearly in need of stimulus. 'And I have just the thing they need.'
Behind his back, Shirou traced two wooden swords and smiled. When Naruto paced close enough to Shirou, Shirou brought forth his wooden swords and delivered a rap to Naruto's head. "Ow, what was that for?" Naruto cried out.
"An enemy could attack you at any time, you need to improve your reflexes." Shirou lectured. Sakura giggled while Sasuke smirked.
Both were cut short when a thrown wooden sword bonked both of them on the head. Tracing two new swords Shirou said "Both of you could do with improvement as well."
A 3 on 1 battle commenced. Naruto pulled out a kunai while Sasuke and Sakura picked up the wooden swords and advanced on Saber.
Shirou somersaulted over Naruto and rapped him on the head. He then duck a slash from Sasuke and hit him on the leg.
Shirou rolled away from Sakura's slash and tapped her on the side. "You're all open, team up against me." Shirou commanded.
At first, teamwork was sporadic. Sasuke and Naruto kept arguing with each other while Sakura kept cheering Sasuke on. After a few dozen hits to various body parts, however, the team decided they would rather try to beat up Saber than fight amongst themselves. Not that it did any good of course.
For over an hour the three genin tried to score a hit on Shirou, but Shirou was faster, smarter, and more experienced than them. 'Have to admit though, their teamwork is improving dramatically.' Shirou thought as he sidestepped a thrust from Sakura and back stepped from a vertical slash from Sasuke.
Naruto threw a kunai at Shirou who deftly blocked the attack and countered with a flying wooden sword to the chest. Tracing a new sword, Shirou tapped Sasuke's knee and Sakura's forehead.
"Don't stand still while throwing weapons Naruto, keep moving lest you invite a counter attack. Sasuke, watch you feet, it'll be damned hard to fight if your bleeding like a stuck pig. Sakura, raise your guard up. Can't fight with a sword in the head." Shirou commanded. The genin took the lessons to heart as they continued the assault.
Shirou noticed a new presence was coming towards the door and jumped away from the genin. Not noticing the invitation to stop the fight, Team Seven continued the assault. Shirou saw a familiar gray haired man in the doorway watching the antics. Shirou somersaulted over Sakura delivering a hit to her head and backed up towards the newcomer. Spying the stranger, the team ground to a halt panting from their sparring match.
Kakashi looked over the sweating teenagers "Um, as first impressions go I have to say, you three seem dedicated." Naruto raised a finger and pointed at him "You're late." Kakashi smiled at the familiar reaction "Yeah, sorry about that. I got lost on the road of life."
"LIAR" all three genin yelled. All three of them looked at each other surprised how in sync they all were.
"Don't complain," Shirou lectured. "more often than not, you will spend hours or days waiting for instructions before you can move on." The three genin looked surprised at that. It had never occurred to them that this would become a standard problem. Kakashi coughed, "Lets all meet up on the roof. "
Roof of the academy
"Right, now that everybody's here lets introduce ourselves so I can get a good idea of what you guys are like." Kakashi said. Shirou took the initiative being used to this kind of thing.
"My name is Saber. I like cooking, cleaning, and making friends. I hate seeing people suffer in front of me. While I have no mastery in weapons, I am proficient in most types. I have a beautiful woman who I love and miss dearly. I have no real goals at this point in time." Kakashi nodded his head, but Sakura spoke up. "Excuse me Saber, but what is your purpose here if you're not our instructor?" Shirou looked at Sakura
"Basically, I have a contract with Naruto. I am to protect him for the duration of my contract and will not be separated from him. While I am not directly a part of your team, I will be working along side you during your missions."
Kakashi focused on Sakura "Well, that's basically it. While we will be focusing on our missions, he will be focusing on working with Naruto." Again, Sakura had to ask "But why him?"
Kakashi was about to answer when Shirou spoke up first, "The details of the contract are no business of yours, so kindly refrain from asking." Sakura flinched at the rebuke while Sasuke snorted. 'What makes Mr. Dead Last so special?' Sasuke thought disdainfully.
"Anyway," Kakashi said, "We still haven't heard from the rest of you."
"Oh, oh, me, me!" Naruto shouted. "
My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen. What I like even more is the restaurant ramen Iruka buys me. I hate waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook."
'Does he only have ramen on the mind?' both Kakashi and Shirou thought. Naruto continued
"My dream is to become Hokage and have everyone acknowledge my existence." Kakashi smiled at that 'Well that was a pleasant surprise.'
"You also dream of landing a hit on me, but one step at a time Naruto" Shirou joked.
Sasuke, Sakura, and even Naruto laughed at that. There was no doubt in their minds that Saber was strong. It was Sakura who went next
"My name is Haruno Sakura. The thing I like is...well the person I like is..." Sakura was blushing while looking at Sasuke. Her face suddenly contorted to a frown, "The thing I hate is Naruto." Naruto looked devastated from that.
'Ouch' Shirou flinched
Kakashi indicated Sasuke to speak. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are many things I dislike, but I don't really like. My ambition is to restore my clan and I have a certain someone I have to kill." Sasuke said while looking dark.
Shirou calmly took a wooden sword and hit him on the head. "Knock off the emo trip. You're not old enough to talk like that." Sasuke glared at Shirou, who glared right back. It became a battle of wills.
Shirou saw that Sasuke had witnessed something horrible in life, but Shirou had seen countless more, it was Sasuke who looked away first. Quietly, "I don't know what you saw boy, but I have seen things that make whatever you saw pale in comparison. If you intend on killing someone, do it with a calm head with the right intentions." Shirou spoke.
"I have seen countless men burn themselves out trying to get revenge for something." Sasuke rolled his eyes only to have his head get hit once more. "Don't roll your eyes at me boy. Listen to my advice or you'll wind up dead in a ditch with no one to mourn you. You want to kill someone, fine, but with your attitude you'll be dead before you even reach your goal." Sasuke was left to ponder that statement.
'Maybe the Hokage should have assigned the team to him.' Kakashi thought. 'He quickly gets the team to cooperate, and his advice is sound. I have he might even calm Sasuke's rage... I hope'
"Well then since everyone is done," Kakashi began, but Shirou interrupted him. "Hold on, it's your turn to tell us about yourself." Kakashi frowned from the interruption, but saw that Naruto and Sakura were nodding.
"Very well, my name is Kakashi. My likes and dislikes are none of your business, but I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi said. After a brief pause, "Right. Anyway, I expect everyone to meet at training ground seven at dawn for your final test. Don't eat anything, you don't want to throw up."
With that, Kakashi jumped off the building. "What the hell?" Naruto yelled. "What does he mean final test? What was the test at the academy for then?"
Shirou paused to consider the question then said "Probably to separate the wheat from the chaff."
"Ooooh, and we have to do this without breakfast." Naruto complained.
Shirou shook his head. "I've thrown up many times from exertion and combat, but I've never regretted eating beforehand." Addressing the genin, "Make sure you all eat a good dinner and breakfast with protein and carbs before the test. It wouldn't do to exert yourselves on an empty stomach."
Sakura groaned, "But I'm on a diet." Shirou smiled at that. He remembered Rin and Luvia going on various diets back in the day.
"Don't worry about your weight, I can help you lose whatever you gained easily." Shirou said waving a wooden sword. Sakura had to admit it, Saber gave one hell of a work out. Sasuke grunted and got up to leave. Saber held a hand out "If you want revenge so badly, train with me. I might be able to keep you alive." Sasuke pushed the arm aside and kept walking.
"If all else fails, I can at least make you stronger." Shirou called out. That pulled Sasuke up short for a second. Not looking back, Sasuke replied "All right then, as long as it helps me kill him." Shirou shook his head at this. 'his mind is deeply rooted on this... what could possibly turn him so twisted like that? Turning to Sakura and Naruto he asked "Where's training grounds seven?"
Sakura looked at Saber quizzically. "You don't have to be there til tomorrow." Shirou waved a hand dismissively "We know the location of the test, it would be to our advantage to scout the area out."
Sakura and Naruto both nodded at this, it made sense to them. And it wasn't like they had been forbidden from going there early. Standing up the three of them headed off to training area seven.
Hokage's office
"Well Kakashi, what's your opinion of the team?" Sarutobi inquired
"Honestly? As long as Shirou is in the team I believe that those three will become strong." Kakashi replied. With Shirou providing a backbone to the team there was no limit to what was possible. "While they were waiting Saber was getting them to work together fighting him. It seemed a little rough, but they were getting good at covering each others openings. He's also tempering Sasuke's anger. Saber might be able to heal Sasuke's wounds. I think they need him more than they need me."
The Third smiled at this assessment. 'Saber's arrival might be the most fortunate thing for this village in a long time. He ignites a fire within everyone he meets, pushing them to be greater than what they were before.' The Hokage was not so deep in his musings that he didn't notice a familiar presence entering the room. "Danzo, it's been a while." the Third said.
Danzo was an old man with his right arm bandaged and the left side of his face covered in bandages. Though he walked with a cane, he is still one of the deadliest ninja's in the village. "Sarutobi." Danzo replied.
While most of the village thought the two despised each other, it was a well kept secret that the two were friends.
Though both had different ways of protecting the village, both would gladly sacrifice their lives to protect the village, they just had different ways of doing it. True, Danzo did resent that Sarutobi was named the Third Hokage instead of him, and he did think Sarutobi was soft, but that didn't stop the two of them from being friends... and the bitterest of rivals
"I have just finished reviewing the file on the outsider and came to discuss what must be done about him." Danzo said. "You have good timing, I was just asking Kakashi what he thought of Saber." Sarutobi replied. Danzo gazed at Kakashi and inquired, "Well? Do you think he's a threat boy?"
Kakashi bristled at that. "A threat? No. In fact, I believe that he will be a boon for this village. He's already begun training several genin. He also seems to care a great deal for the health and safety of the genin. No Danzo, I do not believe this man will ever be a threat to the village." Danzo snorted at this. This was to be expected from the student of the foolish Fourth. That kind of softness would be the doom of the village.
"So you say," Danzo said, distrust audible in his voice, "How would you evaluate his skills?" Kakashi pondered that for a second then said "He could easily match one of the Seven Swordsmen from the Hidden in the Mist village. He might be better."
Danzo considered that. Weak willed ideals or not, Kakashi would give fairly accurate analysis of the intruder. If this man was as good as one of the Seven Swordsmen, this could be used to the village's advantage. The only thing needed would be some sort of leverage. "Is there anything we can use to get this man to work for us?" Danzo inquired. Kakashi clenched his fists and reported with gritted teeth
"He is devoted to protecting Naruto. He mentioned something about his contract. In addition he mentioned a woman, but no name." Danzo nodded at this information.
Using Naruto, Danzo could manipulate the man to fight for the village. If he could get a hold of this contract and transfer it to himself all the better. He would need to send out members of Root to look for the woman. If they got her to move to the village, Saber would probably fight to the death to protect her.
"Find out what you can about the woman and where he comes from." Danzo ordered.
"Danzo, I am Hokage not you." Sarutobi reprimanded.
Danzo glared at Sarutobi "I won't let you let this man slip away from us Sarutobi. The future of this village is at stake here. If you won't do this, then I will use my resources to do so."
Sarutobi sighed at Danzo's words. Friend or no friend, Danzo could easily make Saber an enemy and that was something the Hokage would not allow. "Kakashi" the Hokage ordered, "Find out what you can about this man, but be discreet. The last thing we need to do is anger him."
Bowing, Kakashi left fuming. He didn't think his new book would be enough to calm himself down. He decided to visit the memorial again.
Danzo and Sarutobi looked at each other. It was getting harder to maintain their friendship over the years. "Danzo," the Third began, "I don't believe that Saber will ever work for the village. He himself said that he is Naruto's sword and shield."
Danzo snorted at this, "Everyone has their price, everyone has a weakness. All you need to do, old friend, is find it."
Sarutobi picked up a document and began filling it out. "We may not need to manipulate him, he seems willing to help others out." Danzo was skeptical at this, everyone did something for a reason, everyone did something for a gain.
It was possible that Saber was planning on subverting the younger generations. Nodding his head slightly, Danzo left and began planning on appropriate measures. The Root would support the tree from the shadows.
Training Area Seven
Shirou, Sakura, and Naruto were busy scouting the area out. The training ground was a clearing in a forest with a stream running through it. Off to the side were poles shoved in the ground and further on stood a memorial. Shirou looked over the small thing and read that it was a list of the dead from the last Great Ninja War.
'Truthfully, for a war, these casualties are low, but for a village alone these are devastating numbers. They can't keep this kind of war up' Shirou analyzed. Shirou looked over the area and watched as Naruto and Sakura were going over the area as he had instructed. The two were to look for any unusual marks in the terrain, as well as potential spots for hiding and traps. So far no traps had been discovered, but several hiding spots were noted.
"Saber, we found another one." Naruto called out. Shirou walked over to the spot and looked it over before shaking his head. "No, too small and not dense enough to hide in." Looking the over bush closely, "It would make a good place to place a trap however. See how the grass is tall between here and that tree. Place a trip wire there and this could be a good place to herd someone into." Over the years, Shirou had learned a great deal on making the terrain into his favor. It had helped improve the odds of survival.
Shirou turned to look at a new presence entering the clearing, it was Kakashi. Kakashi's eye widened slightly and said "Tampering with the training grounds is forbidden before the test."
Shirou smiled at this and said, "It is standard procedure to scout the area out of a potential conflict. No instructions were given forbidding us to look over the area. If you hadn't wanted us to look over the area, you should have omitted the site of the test." Kakashi was impressed at this man. 'The way he talks says that he is a veteran of combat.'
"True, I didn't say anything to forbid you to look over the area, but no modifying the area." Shirou nodded and went over to Sakura who had been motioning to him.
"What do we do now Saber?" Sakura whispered.
"We continue what we're doing." Shirou responded in a normal voice
"Kakashi has probably memorized the area long before we came here. Anything we spot he will already know about." Sakura nodded and continued looking over the area.
Kakashi made no indication that he had heard the conversation, but he found himself smiling under the mask. Kneeling before the memorial Kakashi thought 'Obito, truly, I have a good feeling about the future.' Kakashi grinned even wider 'That is is, of course, if they can pass my test.'
After an hour, Shirou heard Sakura's and Naruto's stomach gurgle and smiled. "I think we should pack it up for today. It's about time for dinner."
Sakura blushed while Naruto chuckled. Looking at Sakura Shirou asked, "Do you wish to head home, or do you want to eat with us?" Naruto rounded on Sakura "You have got to try his cooking, he's the best." Shirou smiled at the compliment but knew he was nowhere near the best. Rin still ran circles around him cooking. Sakura had long since passed him by, and even Illiya was one hell of a cook now. It was kind of sad now that he thought of it, he probably could have dominated them if he had chosen to live the simple life. But he had chosen to be a hero, and he didn't regret it, after all... he had someone waiting for him.
"Sorry, but I have to go home," Sakura apologized. Naruto looked a little chest fallen at this, so Shirou decided to cheer him up. "In that case, Naruto, I seem to remember Iruka promising you dinner." Naruto's face lit up at that "Ramen!" he said jumping for joy like a kid at Christmas.
Shirou resisted rolling his eyes 'I swear, his real dream is to discover a land made out of ramen instead of being the Hokage.' The two returned to the village and headed off to the academy. They found Iruka at his office filing away the last few reports about his students. "Iruka-sensei" Naruto yelled as he tried to jump on him. Shirou had to restrain Naruto before he injured Iruka.
"You promised to take me out to Ichiraku." Iruka smiled at his former student, holding his arms up to fend off Naruto he said, "Alright, alright we'll head over there now."
Ichiraku Ramen Stand
"Old man I want a bowl of ramen with eggs and pork" Naruto called out excitedly. "Coming up Naruto" called Teuichi. A young woman smiled when she the customers and said
"Hey Naruto. Iruka treating you out for dinner again?"
"That's right Ayame." Naruto agreed sitting himself down. Ayame looked over at Iruka and smiled even brighter.
"You always make his day Iruka." Iruka blushed slightly
"This place always makes the best ramen" he said embarrassed.
"Flatterer," Ayame joked. Looking over at Shirou "Hey handsome. What'll it be?" Shirou held up his hands and said "None for me, I didn't bring any money with me." Ayame pouted at that. Iruka turned to Saber and said "Don't worry about it, it's on me. You did save out lives." Shirou took a seat and said
"Thanks." Looking at the expecting Ayame he ordered "I have no preferences, surprise me." Iruka ordered a pork and egg ramen himself.
While waiting for the food, they content themselves with talking about how their day went. Iruka, Ayame, and Teuichi laughed when they heard about the impromptu sparring in the classroom.
The idea of three children ganging up together to try to land a hit on Saber was hilarious. Shirou kept a highly detailed description of the whole fight while Naruto blushed at how he had acted. When the food arrived Shirou took a few bites of his food, placed the chopsticks down and smiled. "Hey, Teuichi." Shirou called out. "Whats up?" the old man asked with a bit of worry in his voice.
"If I show you how to make a better ramen, would we get our meals for free?" Shirou offered. Teuichi's face darkened at this. "Are you saying my foods bad?" Shirou shook his head while Iruka and Naruto looked at him like he was a heretic. "Not at all, but I can make it better. And if I can't, I'll do the dishes. How's that?"
Teuichi pondered this a second and grunted acceptance. Shirou promptly got up and ran to the apartment. He came back with a few spices in hand. Entering the kitchen, Shirou went to work. Making the noodles from scratch, Shirou took out a pot and began making a new batch of broth. Naruto and Iruka kept themselves occupied eating their ramen and having seconds while Ayame and Teuichi glared at the interloper. When Shirou finished, he laid out four bowls of ramen. Everyone went and took a bite of Shirou's creation. The noodles had been cooked to perfection. The broth was rich but not overpowering with a hint of spiciness. The combination of the two was divine. Teuichi stood up from the table and placed his hat down in tribute of the meal. Getting down on his knees he begged "Please, you must tell me how you made this." Ayane was shocked at her father, but understood that this was far superior to what they were making. Naruto and Iruka were too busy enjoying the food and prepared to ask for seconds.
Shirou smiled and began writing down the recipe. Holding the paper in front of the old man, Shirou said softly
"My demands are simple. First, give me credit for the creation. 'Saber's Special' has a nice ring to it. Second, Naruto and Iruka get a free bowl of ramen every week. Deal?" Naruto's eyes widened at the possibility of free food from his favorite stand every week.
Teuichi and Ayame smiled at this as well. The demands were cheap. Rather than asking for a percentage of the profits, two free meals a week would be cheap in comparison.
Teuichi got up and shook Shirou's hand before taking the recipe. "Deal" he said with a toothy grin.
"Yahoo" Naruto cried. Shirou turned to Iruka and Naruto "Don't forget, the meals free tonight," he reminded them. This made the two smile even more and began ordering thirds.
Within a week, 'Saber's Special' would become a hit sensation, and very profitable for Ichiraku.
Naruto's apartment
Naruto was stuffed. He knew Shirou was a good cook, but this new ramen was the best ever. He had eaten ten servings of 'Saber's Special', and had never gotten tired of it. Teuichi had even offered Shirou a job at the stand, but Saber had refused and said his place was with Naruto.
Once home, Naruto set his alarm and prepared for bed. Saber was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. Saber was strange, he could cook better than even Teuichi, fight better than anyone he had ever seen, and he was smart. Naruto wasn't sure where Saber had come from, but he was glad that Saber was here now. With a full belly, Naruto slept heedless of what he might dream about tonight.
Shirou had had enough. No more nights spent worrying about what couldn't be changed. No, he needed to do something. It was time to do some investigating. The Hokage's explanation was omitting something.
The Hokage had kept talking about a legacy. From what he had heard from Naruto, the fourth was no war hawk. So, it was unlikely that Naruto was to be a weapon or a shield for the village.
There was also the unexplained fact that Naruto had summoned him without an obvious catalyst. In addition, Naruto was somehow providing Shirou as much Prana as he could possibly need. Reverting to spirit form, Shirou decided that Naruto was safe for the moment and left for the Hokage's office. There had to be something in that building that would answer some of the mysteries of this place.
Naruto dreamed again that night...
He dreamed of a lonely boy learning how to cook. Fuji-nee tried to raise him, but it seemed as if Saber was the one taking care of her. He was so serious. Never cracking a joke, never taking a day off for fun. The boy would train in the bow and sword in the day, while training his magic at night. Saber gave no concern for things like friends or fun.
His whole life was dedicated to the promise made to his father. He would be a hero, everything else was unrelated. Naruto saw Saber being used. The people around him saw the helpful attitude and abused it. If something needed to be done they'd ask him.
The people never questioned why he helped them. Never saw that this was the best he could do at the time. Saber was no hero, so he had to help others.
Only Fuji-nee tried to help Saber, but she was relying on him too. Not one friend, not one person who truly acknowledged him; then came others. Issei tried to get him to change, to no avail. Ayako tried to stop him, but he was relentless. Sakura came to make it easier but he kept insisting on his way.
On and on, Naruto saw Saber who wasn't Saber. Saber joked, Saber laughed, Saber resisted. The boy didn't do any of this.
So Naruto dreamed, dreamed of a shallow life.
Dreamed of an empty life.
Dreamed of a false life
he dreamed of a hill covered with swords...
"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a great man." Ciel began, the eulogy. "Emiya Shirou, known as the Magus Knight to many, was a friend to us all. His life should have been a tragedy, but he refused to bow down. He took his sadness, his pain and turned it into an epic tale that will live on for thousands of years."
Before Yumi stood a crowd. Every person here had known the clumsy fool. In front stood Rin and Luvia, heirs to Second Magic, both restraining themselves for the ceremony. For many, this was considered a miracle. Acruied and Skiki held hands, both married due in no small part to Shirou's work in securing an elixir of eternal youth. Aozaki Aoko and Kischur Zelretch stood in attendance for the fallen hero and part-time student.
Half the Burial squad had come to honor their unwitting champion. Much of the crowd was surprised see some of the execution squad in attendance. Why they, who had chased him for years, had come was beyond them. Several magus from the Tower had come.
Not all willingly, but when Blue commands, Blue is obeyed. Taiga, who would have some of her memory modified later, stood beside the memorial crying her eyes out. "Why'd you do it Shirou? Why'd you have to follow that promise? Why? Why? Why?" she cried... she had lost her love... and she wanted to keep Shirou safe... as a reminder of the man she loved... Kiritsugu Emiya.
Ciel continued "We all have our memories of how we met this unique man. I remember how I met him while cleansing the town of Wallalup. I had come to kill all the ghouls in town only to see them all dead. I went into the church and saw him killing the last of the ghouls. He turned to me and asked me if I had anything to eat." Ceil smiled at that.
"Over the years, Emiya Shirou personified his ideal of being a hero." Ceil said with a sad smile. "From fighting armies to tackling dead apostles alone, Shirou kept fighting against the odds."
"I still can't believe he took Seras on for four hours," Acrueid said. She remembered that she had been on a date with Shiki when she felt the titanic battle between the two of them from over a hundreds of miles away. She had to abandon Shiki to race towards the battle between the 25th dead apostle and Shirou. When she had arrived, she saw that both were on the verge of exhaustion and death. It had been a simple matter to finish off Seras from there. It would go down as the easiest kill she ever had.
Shiki remembered when Acrueid had brought Shirou to his house to recover from the battle. They had struck a bitter rivaly when Shiki asked why Shirou had been so reckless. Shirou's response was "Someone had to do it." Anyone that crazy was worth avoiding.
Shirou's philosophy was to save all lives. Shiki killed lives. It had taken Acrueid's forceful nature to get them to work together. It wasn't until Shirou went into the Dark Pyramid for the elixir that the two of them became friends. Looking back, he wished he had believed in Shirou's dreams and ideals.
Akiha looked at the ground. Her first impression of him had been a reckless moron. After she had gotten to know him, she had been proven right. It was the strength of his ideal and his love for his Saber that had kept him going. She still remembered him walking in while she was entering the bath. She was still surprised he had survived the night.
"From the defense of tiny villages, to battles that shook the world, Emiya Shirou stood at the front. He never backed down, he never surrendered to despair. He was a source of inspiration during the Battle of the Blood Moon."
Many who had fought in that horrible battle remembered his speech, it was clumsy and not that good if truth be told, but his strength, his fire, his drive to keep fighting had swayed them to stand their ground and win.
"He was the redeemer of the dragons"
Zelretch petted the head of the young dragon by his side.
"He was truly a Magus knight, and he was the best of us" Ceil ended.
"He was a fool" Rin said, "A world class fool." with a chuckle... as tears rolled down her beautiful blue eyes.
"Truly," Luvia agreed, "I have never met a more foolish man in my life." She herself cried... she harbored a no small amount of love for the foolish white haired mage.
Several people in the audience nodded their heads at this. Hero or not, Shirou was always recklessly foolish. Fool or not though, Shirou was the best of them. If they were in trouble, he would come running to help them. He had once literally dragged his half dead body to protect Luvia from an attack. When a Philosopher threatened a city with deadly golems, it was Shirou who confronted him in his workshop.
The crowd would all give their speeches on how Shirou had changes their lives. Rin's speech was blunt, telling about all the flaws he made during the grail war, however one secret she would keep to her own grave... her own love that flourished over the failure of a magi... who had grown into the hero of this century. She had tried to get him to love her, but his heart was stolen by his own Saber.
Luvia, or course made a speech of praise in recreating the jeweled sword for her (and Rin), which had led to Her (and Rin) to being accepted as apprentice(s) to Zelretch. (Ignoring the invaluable help given by Illya)
Rin had turned to Luvia and would have begun attacking if Blue hadn't stepped up next.
"Emiya Shirou was like a son to me..." She said. A number of the crowd muttered at this confession. "I have never seen so honest a boy in my life. I wish he had been my child. I would have been the proudest mother in the world. Where others fled, he stepped up. What we deemed impossible, he did."
Aoko was beginning to cry. "His death was a cruel one. We all should have been here at his side, but we refused. We swore that this was necessary. Better to let a few thousand die than let the world be in danger." Aoko was clenching her fist "Instead, he said 'No, its not right to let them die, we need to help them.'" Pointing her finger at the downcast crowd "We all told him he was crazy, let the counter guardians do their job. Yet, he went on without us. And look at what he did" Spreading her arms wide
"He saved them, all these people were saved. He killed the White Beast of Gaia. The very creature sent to kill all humans."
Most of the crowd avoided her gaze, only Zelretch and the dragon looked her in the eye.
Acrueid stepped up next. "No human has ever done so much for my kind. He saw my fears of my love aging while I remained. He saw this and left. He ran, ran into hell itself to find the last elixir of immortality and youth." Acruied tightened her grip with Shiki. "All for me and Shiki. When he brought that vial to me, he gave it without hesitation." Acrueid placed her free hand on her heart. "Anyone else would have drank it without hesitation and kept the gift to themselves. He gave it to me so that I could be with my love forever. It has been my honor to have had such a good friend. I will miss him."
The next one to speak was unexpected, the young dragon. "I've heard many stories about the Redeemer. I know not what is true or untrue from these tales. I do know that Emiya Shirou has shown me the value of intangible things. My kind has always prided ourselves with our collections. To us, we valued only what we could touch. Emiya Shirou has taught us the the value of ideals, the value of love, and the value of friendship." The dragon turned to look at the crowd "Know this, my kind will never forget the Redeemer. When all others have forgotten him, we will remember." The dragon spread it's wings and flew off.
Many turned to Zelretch, who merely chuckled and said "We all knew he'd get himself killed one day. Hell of a way to go."
The rest of the funeral was sombre. Speeches were made, but there was no good cheer. No laughter, no jokes. They had lost a noble man. Possibly the noblest man born in a thousand years. Finally, the crowd left in ones and twos. Till finally only Rin, Shiki, Acrueid, Zelretch, and Aoko remained. Rin passed her hand on the gravestone... as saying goodbye to her best friend and long time crush... someone she cherished and fought... sometimes in jealous rages... others due to misunderstandings... but he always had a space for her in his heart.
Acrueid turned and hugged Shiki tightly. "Promise me," she whispered, "Promise me you won't leave me." Shiki leaned his head to her ear "I promise my love. We'll be together till the end." Acrueid nearly crushed him in her hug "If I lost you, I-I" she trailed off. Shiki rocked her slightly and whispered "It wont happen, I'll always be right here."
Zelretch calmly touched Rin's shoulders and said "You'll see him again." Rin turned to her master. Zelretch always knew more than he let on. She grabbed his arm, heedless of what it might entail, "Tell me," she hissed. Zelretch calmly removed her arm and said "You'll see"
Aoko narrowed her eyes and said "When you see him, bring him to me." Shaking a fist at the grave, "He still owes me"
They looked upon the grave stone. On it was a poem he composed about himself,
I know where I will go, yet not where I will be
Have witnessed much, but have yet to see
Fire is my blood, and my heart is steady
Steel is my bone, and my soul is ready
My swords will cut, but never rust
Life was false, but in death I trust
I cannot stop, I could not flee
I can only pray, that she waits for me
Finally, they all left with both sadness and grief and a flare of hope
But... they all knew
He had been reunited with his beloved... he had finally found it...his hill of swords.
Author's note: once again, I have to thank L33t Horo as my Beta. Through him my stories improve tenfold. NEED REVIEWS. Seriously, it's hard to make a better story without feed back. I can take the criticism people. I admit this is my first fanfiction I ever wrote. By definition, it was going to be inferior. Have to say, writing that poem was hard. I had to try to keep the UBW rhythm, and i still think i messed it up. (No, this will not be his chant, he uses a different one for UBW)