Hey, back with another installment here. Nothing to say except yay for the return of FSN UBW! Anyway, let's get a move on!

Disclaimer: first chapter.

Night 4

"Is that all you have? I thought you were unpredictable."

"Shut up! I'm going to be an Ally of Justice, and I will save him! I promise that it'll happen!"

Two voices rang inside Shirou's head. They were arguing…in the middle of battle. Sounds of metal banging on metal reverberated in this empty, black void of his mind. Why he wasn't getting any visuals to what's happening bothered the Emiya boy slightly.

"Is that so, Master? You promise that you'll redeem your friend and become an Ally of Justice? You are more delirious than I thought. What's more you plan on achieving this by becoming Hokage. What gives you the idea you'll attain that position? Being Hokage won't give you the acceptance of your peers, it is their acceptance that gets you there in the first place! Even then,"a set of blades shattered under the force of someone's relentless assault, but that did not deter the any form of retaliation-", that will not give you the complete loyalty of your comrades! You must earn that loyalty!" The man young Archer fought ended his speech in a rather violent clash of blades clanging and scraping against each other's metallic surface. "Your wish to be Hokage is nothing more than a lie; a falsified desire you continually pursue to solidify your existence!"

Shirou's vision finally showed a moderately battle-torn crater with an evading Archer fighting that red-clad Servant. Wait. Why would the Servant fight his Master?

Archer immediately recreated the Yin and Yang short swords to meet the man's attack, "You're wrong! It's changed drastically from that!" Archer slashed through his Servant's outstanding defense for an amateur swordsman, but missed his mark due to his Servant bending backward to evade the blades. The sword's silhouette form obscured his view of the searing sun as he bent back to somersault away from the man. Archer kicked up dirt, momentarily blinding the dual-wielding man with the maneuver. Upon recovering, Servant Archer charged again with a mighty yell.

"Then tell me! What's changed, Master?" Both sword wielders clashed some more before they moved away from each other to create arrows for their summoned bows, "Tell me how it's changed from that weak, naive perception? Enlighten me!" he demanded as he nocked three arrows. Archer didn't feel the need to close one eye to aim at his Master, and looked ready to release the string.

Archer nocked three arrows, and shot it at the aiming Archer, "After Mastering Saber, I know that duty comes first! That as a person aspiring leader, my duty to my friends and to my village are more important than that! That as an Ally of Justice, I can make a world without conflict by following these ideals. That despite how much I value Sasuke as a friend, he has to pay for his crimes! That there's no slap on the wrist for him!" The man dodged the arrows gracefully and countered with a loaded salvo of his own. Shirou noted that this may be Archer's Servant Archer.

"Are you sure it's that easy for you to do? Are you ready to kill him should he refuse to return? Your sense of justice is common logic to many Shinobi or any military member of any army of any nation or race or so on. You are merely borrowing that sense of justice! It's not yours to own! And you boast about ending conflict? Laughable. Conflict exists, and won't die out." Servant Archer summoned his short swords once more and ran to his Master to prevent him from shooting more arrows. The instantaneous burst of speed made the blonde flinch slightly, yet he narrowly eluded a slash aimed for his head.

"If it's borrowed, then what of those other soldiers? They carry the same ideals. So what's wrong with that?" Archer demanded as he reassembled the bow and opted for Kyuseki's base form, the sword, "What's wrong with borrowing a sound ideal?" He too charged at his opponent, ready to clash metal repeatedly.

Servant Archer slammed Kanshou and Bakuya on Archer's Kyuseki with great force, making the young man buckle his knees from the sheer power of his Servant's strike. Archer's knee dug deep into the ground more and more while his opponent increased the weight of his strikes. He answered, "Don't mistake ideals to be one's drive to fight! Those soldiers are under orders; it's merely protocol for those who've deserted their ranks to be arrested or killed. As for you, Saber is merely a template! She embodies the ideal of justice, of righteousness, but that can't be you! She taught you her way of thinking, but only you can choose if that is something you can follow dedicatedly as some sort of creed you carry to your grave!"

Having enough of the onslaught, Archer pushed his Servant away, "What are you trying to say?" He asked after dodging both Kanshou and Bakuya. "That my beliefs, my ideals, my new way of life are wrong?! Then tell me, Archer!" He swung at his opponent, "What. Am. I. Supposed. To. Do?!" With each word, a swing of his sword forced the red Archer to block consecutively. The sound reverberated around the forest woods, and it effectively scared off neighboring fauna. Sparks flew by; the ground cracked with each powerful clash. When the blonde Archer aimed for his Servant's neck, the red-clad man raised his swords, parrying the attack.

"Forge your own ideals!" The Servant shouted as he slammed his Chinese Falchion short swords on Archer's sword, "This new ideal of yours is nothing but a fantasy you continue to lie yourself into believing! If you can't make your own, then drown in the ideals you've come to accept as your own and die!" Shirou could see that his Servant stiffened under imposing Archer's harsh and unforgiving words as the young Archer struggled to parry his own Servant's unrelenting assault, metal carnage strewn across the grass as pieces of broken swords, "You are your own person! You choose how to dictate your actions! You are not Saber! You are -" Servant Archer finally broke his Master's guard, and he slashed at Archer's pauldrons to show the unyielding will behind those focused azure eyes. The attack forced the orange Knight to kneel with his sword stabbed at the ground. Dirt and mud as well as blood splattered among the grass blades. Archer's grip on the handle tightened increasingly. He suddenly rose to retaliate.

"I know that!" The young man answered, returning Archer's barrage with his own, "But I've come to cherish those teachings, and even now, I'm taking your words to heart, Archer. I want to make my own ideals, but I want to see the various ways of thinking I'll come across."

"Huh?"

"I want to see other ideals, and see if I can learn from them or not! To see what's right for me!" Blades clashing echo throughout the forest; it never ceased clanging, "I want to see how else I could live my life! My nindo of never giving up is one thing, but it's incomplete!" Servant Archer disarmed his Master, whom was forced to trace again, "Most of all..." Archer fought tirelessly, swinging broken sword after broken sword, never faltering, "Despite my borrowed ideals, I'll never regret adopting it because it is now a part of me, as your teachings of the importance of making my own path will be just as important to me!" With reinvigorated strength, he broke his Servant's swords. He looked elated at the sight of finally breaking his Servant's main weapons, "What happened in the past is something I'll accept, and won't regret, Archer!"

"Well then, lets see how you forge you path through your experiences, shall we?" Archer smirked as he said-

"I am the bone of my sword…"

Shirou's vision altered as rapid, static images of the red Servant's face is displayed. The clarity of the picture showed the tanned face and white hair of the Servant. But staring at it, Shirou could not help but find a sense of familiarity. Pain shot through his brain like lightning piercing through. Images of swords embedded in a battlefield invade his mind. He saw the man again, and he said something that ended his vision.

"I am you, and you are me." Warning signals went off in his brain, and the pain the he felt before multiplied as if he was inside a thunderstorm that electrocuted his body repeatedly. Jostling in his bed, he screamed; his hands clutched his head to ease the pain that would not halt. He had no control over his body. Legs drag over the bed sheets, his torso shuffled out of the bed. His Prana bathed the room in it, and he unconsciously projected weapons he saw in those static images.

"GuaaaaAAAAGGGHHH!" His guttural cry of agony echoed around the residence, alarming both Servants. Archer and Saber entered the room to see their Master clawing at his heart, and screaming his head off in the suffering he was experiencing. Archer approached Shirou without caution, and knew full well the dangers of what he will be doing.

More and more swords materialized into existence, and repeatedly stabbed the floor around Shirou. The boy kept seeing the man in red repeat the same line over and over. Saying how they are one and the same. He denied it. That man couldn't be him. If he were that Servant, he would tell Archer to embrace his ideals, borrowed or not. The images of war, blood, and him fighting this man came to full display.

"In the end, all that I was left with was nothing but regret."

'No.' Shirou said. 'No!' He hated this man. This man hated his ideals; that is not him! 'I'm not him! This has to be a lie! I won't be a man that regrets my ideals.' The images flashed back and forth between Archer versing his Servant and him fighting this exact same Servant. The parallels and information overload along with Shirou's denial pushed his body's fight response to maximum overdrive.

Archer took no time to get closer to their time-bomb of a Master, and grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Wake up, Master!" He shook the boy back and forth, but they young man would not break from his visions. Archer's attempt only fueled Shirou to fight back. Many a sharpened blade appeared above Archer's head, and rained down on him like arrows raining from the heavens. The sudden appearance did not faze the Archer for he continued on with th only action that could make him stop. "Shirou Emiya! Wrought Iron Hero! Wake up! Stray away from the field of blades, Emiya!"

Archer's voice distorted into that Servant's own. The voice mocked him if the tone in the man's voice was any indication. "AAAUUuuggGgrraaaAHHHH!" Shirou only made more blades in defiance.

"Naruto!" Saber called out to the blonde. "Get out of there!"

Archer raised his right hand, "Rho Aias!" The seven-petaled layer shielded the orange Knight. Metal clanging made a symphony of battle above him while his hand still shook his Master. "C'mon, Master. Wake up!" His gentle grip on his Master tightened to near bone-crushing levels that brought Shirou's focus on the pain right at his right shoulder. Still, he would not wake. Archer channeled a Chidori in his left palm with voltage enough to not cause too much sensory overload and negative effects to his Master's body. "What Ally of justice are you if you can't handle the dreams of a dead man?!" Archer angrily clamored. "Is that who you are? Spineless and weak that you can't handle the visions of my past? Answer me, Shirou Emiya!"

Shirou's eyes opened in full alert. The constant assault of raining swords stopped. The boy examined his war-torn room. "W-What…? Arc-UGH! Oww…my head. Hagh…What happened, Archer?"

"You were screaming bloody murder while you rained down swords in your room. What do you mean you don't know what happened?!" Archer demanded. "While I'm glad you're making progress with Projection, you not being able to handle my dreams are another matter entirely."

"Dreams?" Shirou repeated. The Servant's tanned face and white hair invaded his mind again. "Grk! Aaagh…" Archer and Saber saw their Master clutch his head, the phantom pain still lingering. "Your…Servant Archer, has made a-ugh…a lasting impression, Archer." Shirou once again grasped his head to ease the pain.

"I see…"

"Did you know I-"

"Yes. Now what did you see?"

"You fighting him, and static images of me fighting him." Shirou answered. A surge of Prana filled the boy's arms. "It's…so confusing! With you, he promoted freedom of ideals and seemed to cherish his, but with me, he wants to say his ideals filled him with regret! Gah! My head…I can't- I won't be like him!"

Archer sighed. He spoke softly, a great contrast to his initial yelling. "Wrought Iron Hero, Heroic Spirit Shirou Emiya. Black Steel Smith, Counter Guardian EMIYA. You saw two different versions of your future. Simply put, the one who embraced his ideals is my Servant, you, who fought the one who regretted in following his ideals is the Anti-Hero. But it is one reality compared to the unlimited parallel universes that I won't go into detail lest I destroy the last bit of brain cells you have."

"I…W-Wha? Did-?"

"Yes. As I said, in one reality, you became a Hero while in another, you became the Anti-Hero. The you that fought Counter Guardian EMIYA became Heroic Spirit Shirou Emiya. I told you because there's no point in hiding it. The more you would try to discover the tale, the more you would suffer." Shirou slumped forward, and stared blankly in front of him. The bomb his Servant dropped on him stupefied him completely. His eyes darted left and right, the swords, countless in number, were still there. He replicated those swords with glaring imperfections resembling glitches.

"I'm surprised they're still here, and in huge numbers to boot. You should have been exhausted after that." Shirou looked proud being able to withstand exhaustion after creating this many swords. "But I won't complain. We've made progress. Let's get you some breakfast." Archer stood up, and walked out of his room. Saber stood silently, unable to speak.

"Saber."

"Yes, Shirou?"

The boy was ready to ask his question, but relented. "No. Nevermind. A man must never know his future." He struggled to stand, but managed to exit his room. Unconsciously, the metal forest of swords dispersed into Prana. "Come…Saber. We need to eat, right?" Saber nodded, and held her Master upright as they walked to the dining room.

"How are you, Assassin?" A voice asked the Servant shrouded in black. "Are you enjoying this War?"

"No." Assassin answered sincerely. His fight with Archer was a stress reliever, but they were holding back too much. The two of them were conscious of the amount of damage they did, and were doing all they can to limit it while making their fight enjoyable. He may be a Counter-Guardian, but he learned to care for the people too. It was one of the things that just happened after traveling the world in search of enlightenment.

"Oh? I thought you would have wanted to fight Archer." The voice said almost in a whine. "Did I do something wrong?" Assassin sighed at the question. It was hard to answer. Half of him thoroughly enjoyed this so far all because of Archer, yet he was taken out of a peaceful inactivity to this blasphemous War. He needn't return to conflict. He had enough of that during his lifetime. "Then what is it?" The voice questioned.

"Was I summoned to be your entertainment, Zelretch? Was I summoned to amuse Archer?" The man chuckled.

"Now, now. You say it like it's a bad thing. You enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"Leave. I appreciate the thought, but you shouldn't meddle deeply into this War. I thank you for the opportunity by giving my Master a catalyst to summon me, but as it stands, my mission is far more important than this War." Assassin warned.

"Worried about me?" The man asked with north in his voice. "How unusual." He commented. "Though you do realize that your mission correlates to the shadows in this War, right?"

"I do. Though which shadow it is, I'm finding a hard time to figure out." Assassin admitted. "Hn…" He grunted. He did not like this mission. It was much too ambiguous. The lack of information to go on was rather startling too. How could he find his targets if he doesn't know which one to target. He had enough. For now, he would focus on his Master's needs. "Don't bother me again, Vampire."

"Right. Godspeed, Assassin." Zelretch's presence left the room. Assassin sighed deeply.

'A chance meeting with that guy… What are the odds?'

"You what?! You met the enemy, but did not engage in combat?!" Shinji's incessant ranting had gone on for the better half of the morning, and had no hint of stopping anytime soon. Rider stood facing her Master impassively. While she didn't approve of the boy, she would follow his orders. However that principle is thrown away when she saw Archer's capabilities. She would risk her life to protect Shinji then die rather than die in normal circumstances. Sakura would want that at least. "You're so useless, Rider! Useless, useless, useless! You had the perfect chance, and you blew it. He's the greatest threat here, Rider. Why didn't you take the opportunity to kill the bastard?!"

"Because my options are limited, Shinji." Rider answered while hiding the fact that she knew of the existence of the eighth Servant. "Archer is a Servant, yes. However, he's a Servant from the future, with no previous background or legend to learn from and counter against. He's blank, and the Throne of Heroes can only give me so much information on the matter. In other words-"

"You're taking caution." Shinji growled. "Regrettably, I will allow that explanation for now. But once we know more of his capabilities, we strike. Understood?" Rider nodded, but noted the reluctance. It seemed Shinji was determined to gloat at Archer's face that he's a worthy Master. Admirable, but foolish. Archer would cut or shoot him down in no less than a second if he had the chance. Still, to force Shinji to act competent even slightly is an accomplishment. "Good. For now, we'll use the Blood Fort to set you up to par against these Servants." He left the room with the intent on not having any further discussion. Rider wanted to say that the action might provoke Archer into fighting, but impassively turned to her Astral form and went to the Matou's study when she confirmed her Master left the room.

If she can't find out his legend, she can research the Noble Phantasms she did recognize. First, she picked up a book on Chinese historical text on the Spring and Autumn period, when the Yin and Yang Dao swords had to have been forged. She took her time, but reached her designated section to read.

Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, or otherwise named as Kanshou and Bakuya. Their swords, bathed in the blood of Mo Ye, Gan Jiang's wife, were only made possible because of her sacrifice. She looked back at the time when the swords seemed to revolve around her, and had a hypothesis that this sacrifice bred a type of link between the two swords so that they would be inseparable. That had to be the only reason why a sword curved back like a boomerang.

She had already made contingency plans, each with the one shared objective of not allowing Archer to throw away those swords. She closed the book, and wondered under what book would Archer's multi-form Noble Phantasm could be.

"Master." Saber called the attention of the Tohsaka. "I've a terrible feeling about today. This omen…might bring about the world's discovery of Magecraft." Rin's eyes widened, the swiftly narrowed to analyze her Servant's words. "Last night, with Archer setting the sky ablaze, there are those that will spread the news of some kind of attack. While it's on a manageable level, if it goes any farther, the existence of Magecraft might be exposed for everyone to see."

"And how did you come about this speculation, Saber?" Rin asked, taking a seat on the couch. "Surely besides the possibility of rumors spreading that you have more substantial evidence to back it up."

Saber exhaled. "I feel that due to Archer's attack, one is foolish enough to try and one up Archer's already impressive blunder." Rin understood the message. "If someone were to try something like that, then-"

"No need for worry, Saber." Rin interrupted. "I welcome this suspicion. If going by your instincts, then we have a fight in our hands that we have to sweep up quickly because of Shinji and Rider. With Archer as our ally, we'll be in good shape." Saber squirmed a little. The orange Knight's words still dug deep into her soul, but she shook it off.

"Master, you don't understand. What I saw last night was a battle between titans of equal power."

"Are you lacking confidence in your abilities, Saber? What did you see?" She leaned forward, her interest peaking ever so slightly. If someone had even put the supposed strongest class on edge, then she needed to hear what Saber had to say. "What has you on edge?"

"This upcoming battle will most likely tear up the school and a part of the city. If Assassin comes, the latter is likely to happen in conjunction with the former. Assassin has Noble Phantasms able to keep Archer at bay, Master. And vice versa, Archer himself seems to have the ability to contain Assassin. Their clash proved it when their battle headed for the skies, and Archer was forced to use Excalibur Galatine. An authentic Galatine might I add. That and he has possession of Arondight as well as a dragon."

Rin recoiled into the sofa. "What?! Archer has Galatine?! Even Arondight? What the hell is he? A sword collector?" Rin bit her thumb. Just when she thought she had a battle plan against Archer, he throws this curveball. "Just great. My plans are ruined." Saber looked seeing her Master like this, but she had to say the truth, and advise caution. Right now, they needed to plan, and not head into any unnecessary battle. Archer and Assassin had proved their mettle for this war; it is the other Servant like her Saber who seem to need to step up their game. The aforementioned Servants were able to showcase their abilities because they knew that even with the knowledge, there won't be any use to them, and that they have well placed arrogance because they have the skill to back it up.

"Shall we stay at home and reassess the situation then, Master?"

"No. We'll face this threat head on, and contain it." Rin replied with finality. She stood up, and grabbed her bag. In her mind, contingency plan after contingency plan were being made at a rapid pace. Attack plans and escape plans were manufactured quickly, revised, then set aside. "Saber, when we get to school, I want you to find those magic circles and dismantle as many as you can. We want to weaken that Bounded Field should it be activated."

"Understood."

"In other news, the ongoing investigation on the random explosion that rocked Fuyuki city airspace is at a standstill." Rin had turned on the television, and this is what she sees. Archer's actions are causing uproar in the public. She's sure that the Association will have her head for letting this War go over the top in her territory. "The theory of a terrorist attack doing a bombing run and exploding in the sky is so far false because search parties are reporting that there are no signs of wreckage from any plane of sorts. Others suggest that the strange and sudden appearance of a thunderstorm in the middle of the night shot down that plane, thus exploding the contents midair. In summary, both theories so far are false with no wreckage to prove if a terrorist attack was aimed at Fuyuki city. No known groups are claiming responsibility, and many are doubting. Hayato-san, what does the Chief of police in Fuyuki city have to say?" Rin turned the television off because she did not want to hear the rambling of people who don't know the truth.

Archer looked at the pained expression on his Master's face, and wondered how to go and help him. Saber thought the same. Thankfully, Taiga wasn't there to witness this, or there would be blood spilt.

"I'm fine, Archer." Shirou said as if reading the two Servant's minds. "Really, I am. don't worry about me. I'm built tougher than a car." He patted his chest to display how well he was, and showed that there wasn't any lasting effects. Archer deduced that Avalon might have had a factor in it, but he couldn't be sure. "Besides, we need to talk to Tohsaka about plans for our next move. with your power play, I'm sure the others are taking caution."

"Oh? You know tactics?" Archer asked while sipping a small cup of tea. "A surprising ability for you to have if I do say so myself."

"No. It's common sense." Shirou answered. "You showed them who has the bigger bite, and they have to step back and reevaluate your threat level, Archer. Doing so means we have a window of opportunity to not get attacked for a while, hopefully. So we need to take this chance to formulate a plan to counter when an enemy Servant rises to the occasion and challenges you." Archer and Saber saw the tactical mind this Shirou had. "But…knowing Shinji, he'll most likely go and do the opposite by attacking."

"Ah yes…the Matou." The orange Knight sipped his tea, and grabbed an orange book with a red 'Do not' sign on the back cover. He grabbed a sandwich off the plate, and took a bite while he read intently. Saber frowned upon the action as if it were dishonorable and deplorable as a person. "With his bratty and impulsive attitude, he's the one to watch out for the one to take the first strike." He took another sip of his tea without having his eyes leave the pages of the book. "Foolish, but that in regard is also smart because rationally, no one would dare challenge us after a display of power like that. That boy…oh I wonder if he will be foolish enough to rush in to take that first strike."

"So you'll eliminate Rider if he does challenge us?" Shirou asked. Archer waved the question off. "What does that mean? Wha-…? You have a mouth; use it to speak words, Archer."

"Shinji isn't even the real Master of Rider. I don't need to take him too seriously if he'll continue like this." Archer spoke nonchalantly as he read the book. "I can just push Shinji out of the way, and be done with it for the day. I'll take away his control of Rider, and return it to its rightful owner. I can have my fight with Rider later under the command of her real Master."

"Real Master? You mean he isn't Rider's actual Master?"

"Yup." Archer answered after flipping a page. "There's no possible way that the Matou, one of the founding families who created the War, have declined to such a considerable level as portrayed by Shinji. In fact, it's such a shame that I might do the Matou family a favor by offing their flippant brat." Shirou flinched. Saber silently ate because she didn't want to interfere with this conversation.

The red-haired boy slammed his palms on the table, and stood above the Servant. "You're going to kill him?"

"Only if he's beyond saving." Archer answered. He flipped a page and narrowed his eyes at the content. A chain popped out and wrote something down on a notepad Shirou didn't notice earlier. He looked to be taking notes. Yet despite the focus he placed on the book, Archer still went on with his explanation. "There are fools, and then there are incorrigible fools." Archer said without hesitation. "If he's the latter, he will die. If he's the former, then he will have a spark of genius strike his head like a two-by-four, and not engage us in combat. If Rider has done her job properly of advising Shinji of not making a move, then we won't have an encounter today." Archer said with certainty in his voice. "If she failed, then the school will become a battleground. Admittedly that's a lot of 'ifs,' yet there is some basis to my predictions."

"How could you say that? How can you talk about death so easily?" Shirou demanded. "You're a hero, aren't you? Can't you protect them? Where's your heroic pride of protecting the innocent?!"

Naruto stared at the massive black orb of destruction. He wasn't ready to die. Yet here it is, death staring at him in the face and only getting closer with each second. There's no time to use Avalon. This is actually it.

"Hey, hey I thought you don't give up no matter how bleak it looks." His eyes stared back at purple ones hidden by the bangs of fiery red hair. "Ugh…damn this thing is strong." The newcomer was shielding Naruto via the strongest barrier fuinjutsu that no one has ever seen. Black ink markings expanded with the intent on taking in the whole blast.

"Aki…get out of here!" Naruto ordered while in pain. "You can't be here!"

"No can do, bro. I have to keep maintaining it, or we'll both be blown into dust."

"Then let me handle it! You don't need to be doing this!" Naruto shouted at him.

The red-haired teen grinned from cheek to cheek. It was like looking in the mirror as the smile was exactly like Naruto's standard grin. Yes, his words were filled with morbid and somber undertones. "Heh…like I told you, I can't. I can't let this guy just take away my brother like this! I'm going to keep fighting!" Just then the barrier cracked.

Naruto's fears were confirmed. Not even Aki's shield would hold. The unstable power behind the Bijudama rammed against the barrier, making the fuinjutsu-user to wince and step back from the repulsive force. Yet stubbornly, Aki pushed back, and poured all his Chakra into this shield. Little by little, the cracks were mending, but not fast enough. "Get outta here, Aki! I can-guh!" He looked to his abdomen, bleeding after being punctured by a sharp rock. "Just go!" The cracking sounds increased in both number and volume; the shield wouldn't last much longer.

"Nii-san. I-" The barrier broke. Aki was vaporized in almost an instant.

"TATSUMAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKIIIIIIIII!" His world became red.

Archer's face tightened into a scowl. Shirou didn't think Archer could make a face like that. "First of all, pride is only there if you're proud of something." Archer snapped at the boy. The Servant lowered his teacup and book to stare at his Master. Saber analyzed the situation; Shirou stepped on a land mine. "In battle, you need to cast away those thoughts. This is a War. Anything can happen. You can feed your meaningless pride to the dogs because a battle in its most basic and primitive form is nothing but conflict in which the basic goal is to survive. Pride has nothing to do with surviving this War, Master." Archer's eyes turned a harsh red, and the pupils became a slits like a fox. Shirou relented, and sat down. The Servant's eyes returned to their normal coloration, and continued on. "On another note, is there a true hero -not a superhero in those comics- who hasn't killed? Why would it be a shock to you to know if I'll kill Shinji? Compared to that boy, I've decimated armies like Saber has. We've killed to survive."

The more Shirou heard Archer talk, the more he got irritated at the Servant. His fists were clenched tightly. "Disgraceful." Archer heard Shirou say. "Despicable! Archer, how could you say such things? A hero shouldn't be saying such things!"

"Do you really want to run the risk of him harming the innocent?" Archer questioned the boy. "Shinji is the type that will use anyone and anything to get results; everyone will merely be his pawns in this War that he thinks is a game. And with Rider's special Bounded Field, which is stationed at school by the way, everyone's Mana will be sapped dry in order to strengthen Rider." Shirou's mind wandered back to the fire. The countless dead bodies sprawled over debris and other rubble haunted him to this day. Those people were burning, trapped, and were desperate for help that would never come. "What makes you think Shinji wouldn't want his Servant stronger in order to spite me?! He hates me because I called him unworthy as a Master. Naturally, he would want to make an 'In your face!' statement that would only become a hazard to the city, the Mage's Association, and the world."

'…So that's why Alaya called to you. You've changed. To this person who would protect your friends and the innocent from harm by any means necessary.' Saber thought to herself. Memories flashed to a certain life and death situation. The day when Archer cried a river for a sacrifice he did not want. 'Is this some sort of punishment you're dealing to yourself, Naruto? Is it because of that day that you've become a more aggressive warrior?'

She remembered Naruto's screams echoing over the battlefield as the sky turned red. The guttural roars of two beasts soared higher above the sounds of battle when moments before, an explosion rocked the combat zone. The drizzling rain became a storm as the clear water that came from the heavens turned red like the clouds.

"…" Shirou could not refute. Archer's tactical mind had already deduced Shinji's personality almost to a tee. The Emiya Master was silenced by Archer's verbal dosage of cold, hard truth. Still, he just couldn't abide by that conduct. There had to be another way.

"Why listen to the words of a dead man?" Archer asked dismissively. He returned to his book. "My words are null and void. I'm a Servant. You're the Master. You can always command me to not do the deed. I'm only here to make your wish be fulfilled."

"Archer…"

"Hurry up, Master." Archer said in a more calmed tone than just minutes ago His gaze averted from his Master's towards anywhere but him. Talking about this stirred memories he hadn't want to remember. "You'll be late to school at this rate." The orange Knight took his Astral form, and disappeared from the room.

"S-Saber…what was-?"

"That's Archer." Saber answered knowing full well what the question would be about. "The merciful warrior that turns ruthless when potential innocent blood will be spilt. The kind of man that went out of his way to help anyone that might be harmed. The kind that would deal death ten-fold for the action of a fool that knowingly or unknowingly caused by targeting civilians. That's the Servant you summoned, Master. He's a sleeping dragon just waiting for an excuse to wake up and bare his fangs." Saber finished her meal, and vacated the room to let her Master clear his thoughts, and focus on her own. She finally saw the similarity between him and Naruto now. When both were young, they were naive and idealistic. Both were willing to give a person a second chance. And as time has shown, Naruto just became a more benevolent version of Counter Guardian EMIYA; he was disillusioned thanks to war, and he would want the same to happen for Shirou if only to spare the boy of even more despair in the future.

Shirou closed his hands into fists. All of Archer's words had irrefutable points, and he brought tactical insight to other possible outcomes that may occur in the near future. For a Servant that liked to goof off, Archer was terrifying when he acted professional. "…I hope you don't do anything rash, Shinji." He took his plate and the others to clean up before tidying himself up with a shower and putting on his uniform.

Outside the house, Archer stood silently, and sported a frown. He was in full 'Sentinel' mode. "What is it, Nee-san?" He asked without turning to face the King of Knights. Saber had appeared behind him with unknown intentions.

"I see you're mulling over it again." Archer did not react. "I hit the nail on the head, am I right?" She walked towards him, and stopped just by his side. "I thought you said you wouldn't regret what happened in the past?"

"…I guess it's easier said than done." Archer admitted with a hollow chuckle.

"Now, now…don't get all sentimental on me, Naruto. You have a job to do right now, and that's to keep Shirou safe." She reminded the archer.

He scoffed, "You forget that you have the same job too, Nee-san. You not being in the action does not call for you to get all bossy with me." Saber frowned at Archer's haughtiness. To strike at his ego, she pulled his ear like a scolding mother ready to give an earful to her child. "Oww! Hey, quit it! Now's not the time for ear pulling, Nee-san! I'm a grown man for crying out loud!"

"A grown man you may be, but I can still boss you around." Saber said to the struggling Archer.

"Oww…okay! Ease up on the pulling already." He begged. Saber easily let go of Archer's ear. She smirked at her victory over her surrogate brother. He would always fall for the ear pinch. She knew he was playing, but this was their relationship now; like a brother and sister would have. "Man, now my ear's all sore like last time…"

"You'll be fine."

"Yeah right." Archer narrowed his eyes at the woman. "I almost lost my head because your ear pinching stung for a long time." Saber laughed. Just remembering him fumbling about the village to evade his pursuers was a refreshing sight to see.

"Oh yes. I do seem to recall that." Saber said. "And I do recall that it was your fault to begin with."

Archer blushed at the memory. "How is getting launched into the hot springs my fault?!"

"For getting into that situation in the first place. How could you not miss the human boulder barreling behind you?! It was only fair the women to try to take your head for your mistake." Archer slumped at the memory of reading his manuscript for his next book to edit it. He didn't notice the demon cat sprint by, and was caught in the crossfire when Chouji once again chased after it. Flying through the air wasn't so bad, though his manuscript was destroyed in the process.

At least he had a copy.

"Saber-nee. I think for this one, you need to come as backup." Archer suggested after receiving from his slump. "I've a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of chaos." They couldn't and wouldn't let their guard down.

"Can't you cover it with your clones?"

"What good is a clone if it get's hit? Shirou may be able to fight, but it's far from satisfying."

"Fair point." Saber answered. "So does this mean I'm fighting in the front lines now?"

"Only if there is such an attack." Archer explained. "You'll be there just in case a full-blown battle brews in school. This way, we lessen the risk of Shirou using a command spell to summon you, and you can clear out an area to protect him and show your worth as a Servant. I've been in the limelight for a bit too long, and you could use some quality time with him."

"That's what you said last time, and who ended up saving him?" Saber asked rhetorically. Archer chuckled in embarrassment. "Plus, I don't think a battle where his life is on the line could be considered romantic."

"Bah. Excuses." Archer said. "You've got your beauty to flaunt."

"You know…your personality is such a mix between you, Archer, and Lancer that it's so disorienting."

"Aside from Berserker, they were the only ones making testosterone in a sea of estrogen." Archer snapped at the woman. His eyes were twitching. "So it's no surprise that I want to go with them. They were my brothers in all but blood. Then the rest of you were…" He trailed off for reasons left unexplained.

"What, Archer?"

"Nothing." Shirou exited out of the house with his school bag with him. His face showed that he still had a lot on his mind, but neither Servant pried. They could only guess what their Master thought. The more plausible answer would be Shinji's fate while the other thought could be his future as a Hero. "You packed up, Master?" The boy nodded warily. Archer's resolve frightened Shirou. He had to admit Shinji is a less than amicable person, but it didn't mean the guy had to die. "Worry not, Master. Let me be clear that I won't do anything until he does something that harms you or the general populace."

That did not clear the boy of his worries. "Do you have to do this?"

"It's a necessary evil. If you must, then use a Command Spell. I promise I won't resist this order." Shirou stared at his left hand. A piece of the sigil had been smudged out. He already wasted one calling him to fight Caster. And while Archer is rather compliant, he didn't want to run the risk of Shinji dying because of his actions. If he'll be punished, then let him be punished by the overseer of this War.

"Archer, with this Command Spell, I order you to not kill Shinji if he does harm the innocent by using Magecraft." The boy's order was verbalized. Yet the sigil did not react to his words. He reeled his hand back in, and inspected the marking. Nothing was smudged aside from the first pice of the Command Spell. "Huh? Why-?" The sigil lit up then dispersed to reveal another smudge. For Archer, the commanding force of the Spell tingled his body for a moment. The Servant sighed. It was to be expected of his Master. The Servant's Archer admitted to being a stubborn nice-guy that would save anyone and everyone; this came as no surprise.

"I was about to wonder why it did not react instantly, but I guess we can ignore it. Command Spells don't judge the quality or the resolve of the order given after all. Come on! Don't you have school to attend to?" Archer flashed a small smile as he melded into the wind.

"Shirou…"

"What is it Saber?"

"Do be careful." Saber said softly to the boy. Shirou's face lit up at seeing and hearing the gentle side of Saber. From his initial perceptions, she seemed to discarded her womanhood. He was glad to see that wasn't the case. He bowed to the woman, and promptly left the residence to head for school. She sighed. Then her senses alerted her, "What, Archer?"

Archer reappeared with a grin on his face. "You're slowly getting there, Nee-san. All you need is a broom, an apron, and cooking skills to be a housewife with Shirou as your husband." He chuckled softly, much to the ire of Saber. "Next thing you know it's 'Shirou~ harder~" Archer emulated Saber in pleasure quite well. Saber did not like that. "Then there'll be hardco-geh!" The woman grabbed Archer's collar, and lowered him to the point her forehead collided with his chin. He was in the middle of talking, and his tongue was out. "MPPPPGH! GWUUUH!" He cupped his mouth and kept all the pain inside.

"I'll be following closely, Naruto. Go on ahead. You've a Master to protect, no?" She inwardly grinned from ear to ear. 'Serves him right!' Archer glared at her with eyes that just screamed 'You'll pay for this in the most embarrassing way possible.' The Servant spat blood that came from the bitten tongue that would heal quickly then left to accompany Shirou. The day has only started, but the tension in the air was palpable. Whatever would happen next, there would be unadulterated destruction, and nothing would deter the inevitable.

In an unknown location, Zelretch analyzed the situation. "The board is set. Who will take the opening move, and strike with a gambit? Will it be the brash child, Shinji? The opportunistic Caster? Or perhaps the scouting Lancer? Either way. Today will be more destructive than last night's battle. I wonder how the Association will clear this up. Lord El-Melloi II, what is your take on the condition of this war?"

"Don't bother me, Lord Schweinorg. I'm trying to beat this Amatsumaguchi." Said a long, black-haired man sitting diligently on a velvet red armchair. His hand were occupied by a portable gaming device as he played a monster hunting game to pass the time.

The Vampire sighed. "Is it really the time to be indulging yourself with games?"

The man asked back, "Is it really the time for you to intervene for the pleasure of just doing it?"

"Touché." Zelretch replied. "Though I never actually planned on intervening, I might just do it if only to spite you."

"Please don't wreck the system you oversaw in building."

"Now what makes you think that I'll do something drastic like that?"

"You gave the schematics of the Jewel Sword to Nagato Tohsaka despite having a distant relationship that wasn't even similar to a Teacher/Student relationship. If that isn't drastic, then I don't know what is."

"You worry too much."

"And you meddle a bit too much as of late."

"I suppose. Still, I need your honest prediction of what will happen. Won't you indulge an old man?"

"It'll be one big mess the Association will be pissed off at because of things not under the Tohsaka's control. Finer details are a moot point in this matter."

"I see. I can't argue that prediction because that's most likely what they would do."

"Shouldn't you be roaming around finding new students to break?"

"Why what a splendid idea. Take care now, Lord El-Melloi II." The Vampire left the room, leaving the man to his own devices. He paused his game, and inspected the parchment that did live update on the Grail War in Fuyuki.

"What a giant mess to clean up."

And I'll end it here. This part of the chapter was meant more to be a 'calm before the storm' type of thing, so I do apologize for the lack of plot. This was more of tactics and what to do next than plot all because I want to show the 'knowledge is power' gimmick the War likes to portray in between the lines. While no identity is actually being found, the fact that a reconsideration of original tactics as shown by Rider and Rin become prevalent because they are now wary of Naruto's new skills and armaments.

As for Naruto fighting Archer. That's your only sneak peek at that. And about him revealing Shirou's identity as Archer, well…it was blatantly said in the dream, and Naruto isn't exactly subtle, so being blunt was the most likely thing to do in this case.

Now for Naruto acting like EMIYA. I'll say this: Naruto's eyes had been opened by the viciousness of war, but does not become like EMIYA in regards to regretting his actions. Naruto embraces the truth while also doing his damnest to protect the innocent and his precious people. So if you were confused by that, then sorry if it looked like that.

This was a 'meh' chapter IMO, but I hoped you enjoyed it. If there's problems, tell me about it, and I'll try to rectify them.

So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.

This is Azure, signing off.