And I'm back! The winning swords of the seven that Naruto will find will be Nuibari, and Kiba. When he will get those swords will be unknown at the moment; didn't think that far ahead with specifics like those.
Also, I graduated a while ago. Hooray of early leave from high school!
On with the chapter!
Disclaimer: first chapter
Chapter 8: Practitioner of the Way of the Sword
Naruto closed the Icha Icha novel loudly. The sharp, almost deafening sound startled Saber and Jiraiya. He answered no to Saber's question about how babies were made. Saber hummed lightly; refused to answer. Soon after, he had asked Saber about what a man did to the woman in one chapter of the book. Saber explained sexual intercourse so bluntly that Archer did not need to materialize to simplify the subject matter.
"Perfect timing." Saber said. She looked at the book, and inspected its contents. "That man is having sex with that woman." Naruto tilted his head in confusion. Saber elaborated. She grazed her hands over the words, explaining the situation without any other appropriate substitute. "You take what makes you a man, and thrust it into a girl's private parts." Naruto froze like a stone statue. The other Servants were equally shocked, but some were appalled at Saber's unexpected behavior. Among these appalled were the rest Knight classes and Ruler. Caster shrieked when Saber chose to be blunt on the subject. One would think a King like her had tact for such a sensitive topic concerning their young Master.
The Servants inside Naruto's head were utterly shocked. The most affected by Saber's outburst were Berserker and Ruler. Since the two Servants were Knights, they were appalled by Saber's behavior. 'Where did she learn to be so blunt?' The two Knights asked.
"High…ness…" Beserker called lowly. Never had he experienced or seen this side to his King. The regal King Arthur(ia) Pendragon was a stoic (wo)man who hardly displayed much emotion except for flooding charisma. Berserker had to reconsider his life choices after he saw Saber act like that.
"Guh! Revolting words from a woman of her stature!" Ruler claimed; she's obviously the most hostile reaction between the two. Her hands were already placed on the scabbard and handle of the sword. "She stains the very noble name of Chevaliers everywhere with the vulgar language she displayed." She brandished her sword. "To experience this shame…I might as well expose my innards to Gaea!" Such conviction did not spur much attention from the others, who where baffled by Saber's actions. The other Servants' gaping faces told much of their inner thoughts.
Archer was the first to recover out of the group, and smirked at the sight. He decided to have a little fun."I'm surprised." Archer remarked as he materialized into the real world. "Usually, being blunt would be my job, Saber." The white-haired Servant turned to his Master. "What Saber says is true, Master. That is how babies are made."
Naruto's overheating face expressed all that was needed to be said.
"I don't want this anymore!" Naruto declared. He threw the novel at his perverted teacher. The novel struck the back of Jiraiya's head. "It sucks, and it's too perverted! No wonder women hate it and its creator!" He stormed ahead of the Sannin. The boy's heavy footsteps left distinct prints on the soft ground. The red Servant followed after his little Master to keep the boy safe from ambushes. He could hear Naruto grumble lightly about perverts, and how he's surrounded by them.
Archer decided that he might as well teach the boy proper awareness of his surroundings since he's outside at the moment. He traced Kanshou, and whisked the blade just beside Naruto's head. Alerted by the sound, Naruto reacted quickly by pulling out his shield. The force of the impact was not one Naruto was prepared to defend against, which resulted in the boy rolling forward. Naruto quickly moved into the new motion to recover a second later.
The boy dusted himself off, then stared at Archer. "What was that for?"
"Making sure you were paying attention, Master. And I must say, you've quite the reaction time. You even got your friend's little contraption to work within seconds. Bravo." Archer complimented with a small mischievous smile. He then gave his face an impassive, yet amused tone to his offer, "And if you want, I could probably help you a bit with your Kodachis." He pointed to the pair of weapons strapped to Naruto's waist, "You aren't used to blades yet, so why don't I give you tips?" He offered his hand that held Kanshou. "Choose it now or later, you will learn how to use your mother's gift eventually." Naruto stared at his Kodachis with slight wonder. It was a birthright to him long forgotten, but eventually given. His mother ordered for the creation of the blades he held onto. It would be a shame to pass them off as decorations.
So Naruto looked to the blade in Archer's hand, magnificent in craft. The black blade with red hexagonal pattern looked so…alien to the boy that he couldn't help but look at its uniqueness. His eyes traced the curvature of the blade, the glistening material that could blind his eyes if angled right, and the simplistic design of its shape. Its almost bronze-like guard and black leather-wrapped handles give a stark contrast to the blade. The Yin-Yang symbol on the handle also tipped him off that this sword was merely one part of a pair. Enraptured by it, he activated his dormant Circuits sparked to life as the boy unconsciously used Magecraft to examine the blade further. Naruto visibly winced, and rubbed his eyes at the pain.
Archer looked at the boy strangely. That old man did say this Chakra replaced Prana as a fuel source, but it did not mean Chakra was the only source of energy within his Master's body. In fact, he still had his Prana in him, but Chakra is used as a substitute for the rest of his and others bodies. The Servant of the Bow could clearly feel the trickle of Prana flowing through Naruto's body. Maybe…maybe Archer just might be able to teach his style to someone.
Naruto recovered from the pain in his eyes. Beautiful the blade may be, it still looked deadly in the right hands. That sword especially looked comfortable in Archer's hand. Naruto still held a drive to not kill anyone yet; he made a self-imposed challenge to defeat any enemy by non-lethal means in combat. Lethal victories would only help against the wicked, and even then he was still reluctant on that part.
Saber walked next to Archer. "You can teach him, Archer, but only how to use those swords. It wouldn't be fair to sneak in your training when I'm supposed to be his teacher." Her sword at her side, Saber stabbed its point on the ground as a sign of her assertiveness on the matter.
"I make no promises, Saber." Archer answered as he lowered his outstretched arm. He dismissed his construct, and "If I deem it necessary that he learn the skill, I will offer it. I am an independent Servant; I have the ability to do so." Archer pointed out. Saber placed a hand on her hip, yet her faced showed neither sign of approval or refusal. Without warning, Saber pulled her sword out of the ground, and then turned around.
"Do what you will." She said. "Your points were fair, and it only serves to help our Master become stronger. But!" She started to say. "I'll make him a Knight. He'll be honorable, gallant, ambitious, unyielding, calm, just, skillful, and decisive." Archer said nothing since he knew full well Saber would follow her word. Jiraiya had other thoughts in mind. Those traits Saber mentioned were not synonymous with a Shinobi. "I'll make him a proper warrior; one who lives and dies by his creed." To the untrained eye, Archer was relaxed. To seasoned warriors like Saber and Jiraiya, Archer flinched almost a millimeter in that instant.
Archer narrowed his eyes. 'So she saw it too…' He turned to his Master. 'Our Master is on a path of self-destruction. But…maybe I can change that.' Archer asked Naruto, "What is your most strongest belief, Master?" Archer interrogated. "What keeps you going, to continue the fight, to refuse to bend to your knees?"
Naruto smiled widely, "That's easy!" He declared happily. "I fight to keep my precious people safe from harm! I want to keep them safe, and so I fight to achieve that goal. If I'm going to be Hokage, then that means I'll need to get stronger not only for those people, but for the rest of the village too! And if I'm stronger, maybe I can probably make Sasuke see reason, if only a small chance." Archer smiled a little. The boy was naive, that he could admit. He knew his Master was doing all he can to prevent the world he perceived to be from destruction. Naruto continued to deceive himself of the pain that would inevitably come. The boy did not want his already broken world be shattered by a massive disillusion caused by reality.
Archer could see a little of himself in the boy's personality. Despite the difference in drive, Naruto would stubbornly fight to uphold his ideals. Ideals and drive…they may work together, but one must not confuse one for the other. Ideals pave and direct a person's way of life. His Master effectively created an ideal around his drive to protect. Melding the two could either spell disaster or something miraculous. He internally groaned. EMIYA was getting to him if he was considering to change his Master's way.
"…Good." Archer told the boy. "You've a destination. Now we just need to find the path to get there." He would indulge his Master's drive to protect for now. Let the boy see the world with his very own eyes, make him live it. Then like lightning, strike down that perception of the world to keep the boy rational.
"Huh?" Naruto wondered.
"Nothing… just drivel." Archer waved it off, and walked away. He didn't turn around, "Are you not coming, Master?" Naruto hastily followed after the man, and maintained the pace the Servant made. The two chatted about irrelevant things that made the boy smile. Saber could hear Naruto's elation when Archer displayed a wall of swords just behind the Servant.
"Hmph…" Saber huffed lowly. Jiraiya wondered what caused the woman's ire. "At this rate, Master may be more attuned to Archer class." She groaned audibly, her frustration evident.
Jiraiya, effectively the third wheel of the group, asked, "What needs to be the qualification to be any of the Servant classes, if I may ask?" If Naruto would be fit for Archer class, he wanted to know why. Heck, why would the boy even be fit for Archer class? Last he heard, he had miserable accuracy with Kunai and Shuriken.
Saber didn't answer for a while. The four people just walked the same direction with two immersed in their own little conversation. The Knight considered whether or not to reveal more of their existence to those unfit to know about Servants and the Holy Grail War. Eventually, Saber relented, "To be a Saber, one must be an expert of close combat; moreover, they mainly use swords or polearms to fight. An Archer uses any projectiles for long-range combat, and are renowned for their independence. Lancers are the swiftest, and they are experts at spearmanship. Riders are Servants familiar with mounts as part of combat. Casters are mystics with skill unparalleled in the art of Magecraft or in this case, your so-called…jutsus. Assassins are your expertise; you should understand what they are capable of. Berserkers are mad warriors with brutish strength and lack of sanity. As for Alter Ego, and Ruler…they are unconventional classes. Even I don't know much of their skills."
Jiraiya took in the information, and analyzed them. He connected Naruto to a few classes like Berserker, Rider, and probably Caster. Naruto could be an Assassin or Saber if the boy used those Kodachis properly. He nodded, fully understanding the basic capabilities of a Servant. But one thing bugged him, "Why is Archer an Archer? All I see is him making those swords."
Saber explained it as simple as possible, "He can shoot those swords, and he's a good archer in his own right. One of his arrows plants craters on mountains, and that's it he misses a ground target." Jiraiya looked skeptical at the answer. But who was he to judge? Archer was the one summoned into that class. Besides, it's Naruto's problem to deal with, not his at all. Though he did have one more query to clarify with the Servant.
"You said the kid is a Master, but what keeps you in line as his Servants? You said that you and the others follow him because of your pact, which is like any other contract with a summon, but what binds you to him? I don't see a summoning scroll in which he used to call you guys."
"Our form of summoning is rather unique compared to your era's version." Saber answered. Jiraiya waited patiently for an explanation. "First, a summoning circle has to be made, you recite a chant while holding a catalyst, an artifact of the past, and take a few drips of blood to seal the contract. But to even have that, the Master has to be branded as one." Saber pointed to Naruto; more specifically, his left arm covered by the gauntlet. "Master's mark is on the back of his hand, and those marks give him exact power over us if he calls a command in conjunction with his mark."
"So you're under his thumb the whole time?" Jiraiya interpreted.
Saber looked at the man strangely. "Are your summons faithfully obedient to you? Do they bow to your every whim?" She snapped at Jiraiya. The Sannin jerked back a little from Saber's interrogation. The Knight turned away, and looked at the male duo in front of her. Archer and Naruto were like older and younger brother with the latter cheering at the former's displays like a starstruck little boy seeing an idol. She glanced at Jiraiya, still cautious of a future outburst. "I would imagine the answer is a 'no' since pacts as serious as any other prioritize a partnership rather than total servitude to the summoner. Besides that, us Servants used to be alive as well; we have our own personalities and souls. Total servitude is not in our blood." Well except maybe Gawain, but even he had his own form of independence.
"I-I understand." Jiraiya stuttered. He did not want to get on this lion's bad side. He knew that the Servant had reigned in her anger, and did not want to know her fury; if it's anything like Tsunade's then he did not want to get stabbed. Or have junior get cut off as consequence. "That's it for my questions." He declared sheepishly.
It had been several days after the departure from Konoha. Archer had taught Naruto basic motions when dual-wielding swords. Naruto did decently for a beginner, but Archer needed him to be more than that, so the Servant hardly made it easy overtime the pair sparred.
The sun began to set; the group had set up camp near a river. It was peaceful in that nature wasn't impeded by the sounds of human life interfering too much. Two tents and a campfire were situated at a small clearing by the river. Lancer had come out to help fish some dinner, while Archer took Naruto to practice dual-wielding weapons. The spearman needn't see the training to know their little Master wasn't doing so hot.
"Uwa! H-Hey! Ow! Nononono not the elbOWAA!" Naruto's cries of pain and distress echoed loudly; Lancer did not flinch. In fact, he was enjoying this situation far more than he should.
He called out, "Heh. This Master of ours ain't so bad, wouldn't you say, Saber?"
"A change in scenery no doubt." Saber answered while sparring with Jiraiya on top of the water. The two fought blow by blow, neither gave the other a chance for a decisive strike.
"Aye. The boy's a riot. He's much better company than Kirei, Gil, or Caren." He leaned back, reminiscing the tense atmosphere between him and those people. Compared to them, Naruto was infinitely better company. Saber was pushed back by Jiraiya's palm strike, and "Hey!" Lancer shouted at the Knight and Sannin. "Could you not get in the way of dinner?! I know Heroic Spirits don't need to eat but I'd like so taste in my mouth ya know!"
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Lancer ducked, and stared up. Naruto's terrified face shocked the spearman.
"Master? What are you-"
"I HAVE NO IDEEEEAAAAA!" He shouted as he bolted towards Saber and Jiraiya like an arrow.
Saber stopped, staring at the projectile. "What's this? An unknown Noble Phantasm?" Jiraiya stopped and stared as well, not knowing the human bullet came towards him in particular. Speed unprecedented caused the man to take a fight or flight decision, one he couldn't make in time. The two colliding bodies crashed through several trees on the other side of the river.
Silence filled the clearing; only the flowing river rung through peoples ears. "…Ah?" Lancer uttered with a raised eyebrow. He looked at the scene as if it was déjà vu. It felt familiar for sure; he just didn't know where he saw this. He delved deep into his memories, and got his answer. The echo of dialogue between him and Archer during that time when Berserker chucked him like a bat.
Naruto: Defeated
Jiraiya: Dead (?)
"I found my counterpart of this era!" Lancer cheered. Just to be clear, he means Jiraiya. The Sannin was just as much a playboy as he, laid-back as he, and serious when needed to be. Oh, and the man's the butt of most jokes so far like he is! It's like Lancer found his reincarnation in the form of a hermit! "What a lovely time to be alive!" He pulled his fishing rod, and somehow got a ridiculously large tuna during the moment. It flailed, trying to splash away the hook from its mouth, but nothing happened aside from slapping itself silly on Lancer's face. "Ow! Quit squirming ya damn dinner!" Once done, he held it by the tail. From his head, the fish reached his abdomen. He looked over the wreckage on the other side, and called out, "You okay there, Master?"
A lazy and weak thumbs up appeared over the debris before flopping on top of his unconscious body.
Saber turned to the Archer far behind Lancer. "Just what did you teach Master?"
The man shrugged. "What I'm supposed to." He snickered slightly, and hid it with a hand. "I knew he would be bad, but not this bad." Archer's taunting comment caused the ground to rumble. An army of clones appeared out of thin air. The one in front of Archer held his Kodachis in reverse grip, and cocked his right hand as if to punch the red Servant. Archer's face showed no surprise or emotion at all; he was simply indifferent. Archer traced Kanshou, then swiped up with unimaginable speed, which allowed him to parry the clone's attack. The Servant's right leg swept, and struck the unguarded clone into another group. The mere force of impact dispersed the group almost immediately, yet did not even leave a dent in the numbers produced. The man swept his right hand back, and produced Bakuya behind him to block a strike in the back. With a swift turn, Archer butchered the clone's legs. He returned his hand to the right, to cut down another charging clone. He then turned clockwise and ended with an overhead double strike that bisected a clone. He opened his arms out to meet the blades of two clones in pincer formation. He brought out a foot from under him, and slammed his Prana-infused foot on the ground in front of him, which caused the ground to cave in. A string of smoke erupted like cracks on the ground. Archer let the two clones he blocked slip into range, and then grabbed the arms of the clones to slam them into the ground. He turned around, and projected his bow, nocked an arrow, and fired consecutive shots within a second.
Red streaks skewered holes into the clones, which dwindled numbers exponentially. The more unique few who survived had dodge the attacks fluidly like Lancer would with his high level of agility.
That was strange; only high-level opponents could dodge his shots. Something was going on. His Master's erratic movement differed from the way Archer saw it at the moment: calculated, and hardly had openings in them. Archer had the gut instinct that this wasn't the same child he fought a minute ago. If anything, Naruto was possessed, or at least his clones are. That in itself is another inconsistency. Usually if the caster has been struck, the technique used would be extinguished. That didn't seem to be the case here.
The remaining clones weaved around the arrows by jumping, moving heads slightly, parrying, or even catching the arrows. Archer had to commend the evolution of the clones, and it really solidified his theory that Naruto was being possessed. The first one came in with a flurry of slashes that oozed offensive pressure that was precise unlike the original. One strike followed by another came in within milliseconds of the previous attack; wind screamed as the blades cut the air. Each strike missed, yet the clone trudged on one a step at a time in tune with his offense.
Archer noticed the clone sweep a leg that fell short. In that time frame, he saw the grip the clone had on the Kodachis were different; one was held normally, the other in reverse. This clone even exuded a different aura around itself as if it was totally different from the original. The boy's red hair got longer like a woman's. The clothing changed too. It struck Archer that this image, this illusion was of the person that possessed Naruto's clones. And from how this apparition controlled the clones so well, Naruto's form of brute force had a foundation in the form of this woman.
A man trapped in an ocean is open to the dangers that lie on and beneath its surface. Be it the currents one can't escape, or the wave he or she must survive against, that person will first be battered by the waves.
"First Dance: Wave's Crest." The clone whispered. Both his arms swiped horizontally with power equal to a truck. Archer was surprised by the force that pushed him back visibly. The clone flared his Chakra to his arms, flipped grips, then swung the other way. Archer blocked again, and reeled from the same amount of force he thought his Master did not have. The clone attacked overhead, and Archer was there the parry it. The Servant readied himself for the strike like a man who readied himself to brace against a wave. Steel made contact with steel. Sparks born from the clash showed how forceful the attack was. Weapons ground against the other like sandpaper on sandpaper; it was difficult to pull away from the clash. Archer saw the clone's face now. Unlike Naruto's passion in his strikes, this one had half the fervor, but ten times the skill and an unwavering, taciturn expression. The clone landed on the ground, and swung his Kodachis with expert precision. Each time either Kanshou or Bakuya met one from the pair, Archer's guard gets wrought out like a wave does to a person stranded at sea. The clone withdrew his weapons, then aimed them upward in an uppercut motion. Archer's already weakening guard broke; his arms were raised up high.
Waves are forceful; a part of nature, part of the ocean, which is unhindered by whatever it crashes into. If waves as forceful as a typhoon emerge, a flood will come.
Naruto's consciousness didn't know what that voice was, but he knew it was a woman's. Why he gave her metaphors, he didn't know; however, he did see images of a red blur. He heard the chorus of metal grating on metal, the grunts and growls uttered in battle, yet all his unconscious mind could see was a red-haired woman dancing. It entranced the boy to focus more into the motions.
Like Archer taught minutes before he got thrown towards Jiraiya, "Never make the blades intersect; they must be parallel, or come one after the other." The woman did just that minus her getting beaten by her spectral opponent. There was a rhythm to it, a set of steps. First, a rapid pace, with a flurry of attacks, then heavy steps with both weapons joined together for a stronger attack. Naruto then saw clones come with her to join the battle. She brute forced her way into her opponent's guard.
"Second Dance: Flooding Surge!" More clones appeared beside the frontal attacker. The closest two trapped Archer from both sides with their attacks. The Servant smiled; he was forced to project more than necessary. Another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya intercepted the attack. Then another pair arrived like crashing waves, and Archer was the rock they were going to crash into. Archer backed off, and saw more clones adding to the oppressive and offensive wave. The squad of clones attacked, then switched with another, never even giving Archer the chance to have a brief respite between confrontations. Each blow that Archer blocked weathered his preferred weapons. Saber and Lancer could see chips of the married swords fly outwards as seconds pass by. It was only Archer's experience in battle that allowed him to survive this onslaught; if he had been any less capable, he would have been beaten by now.
He could see it in the clones' eyes. Those blue eyes reflected like steel; they were the eyes of a swordsman.
Water is a part of nature, essential to all life. And as part of nature, even it has its dangers. A whirlpool, a tsunami, a rogue wave, all these show the terror water can be. Those able to survive the flood, must then swim out of maelstrom's inescapable embrace, or drown.
The clones grew in number as they surround the mysterious opponent the woman fought so elegantly. They were windmills that wanted nothing more than to slice and dice the enemy. Naruto realized the woman was teaching him; this dance was for him to learn and use.
"Final Dance: Tempest Ambush!" The clones made a momentary stop in the span of one second. Heavy steps signaled the upcoming attack as orange buzzsaws homed in on the Servant from the front and back. From north, south, east, and west, from up above, and down below, Archer saw that he had no form of escape. It's as if he was trapped on the seafloor while he gets torn apart by the current.
Yet Archer composed himself. His experience allowed him to calm himself, and think of a strategy that can help. The solution was easy enough once he thought about it. With a deep breath, he uttered a soft, "Trace…on." Metal rain impaled the clones, and popped them out of existence. The steel that carved and blemished the ground easily dissipated into blue specks of dust that fluttered in the air. The others were silent whereas the Shinobi were still somewhat unconscious, if not dazed a little. This strange spike in skill surely wasn't Naruto's own; the Servants could attest that. Naruto, who only first held an actual sword for a little over three to four days, shouldn't be able to perform sword styles in perfect order like the clones displayed. Whatever this event was, it was surely unnatural in every sense.
Inside the mindscape, Kyuubi mentally wondered, 'How? How? Where did he learn the Ocean's Snare?' The beast clawed the ground, which dug trenches deeper than the intended scratch on the surface. It then remembered a crucial fact: infusing Chakra and a part of a soul into someone sometimes meant infusing knowledge. The beast growled menacingly. 'Don't tell me…you've ingrained your skills into your son, Kushina?! Is the speed or your son's sword skills your cause as well?'
Caster took notice in Kyuubi's change in demeanor. It knew something she didn't, or at least a vague idea or whatever the Biju thought about. The hanyou Servant stared at Kyuubi's cage, and more closely, she inspected the lock, the seal that pulsed in almost a harmonious rhythm. "Master…"
"Eh…damn it." Naruto groaned as he escaped the grasp of unconsciousness. He sat up, and rubbed his head. He knew he hit something, so when he looked to see a path of toppled trees, he wasn't surprised. "Aw man. Did you really have to beat me that hard, Archer?" He placed a hand on his neck, and tilted his head, which popped the air bubbles in his neck. He then bent his back, and got rid of the kinks there. " I know I suck, so tone down on the beatdown." He grabbed his weapons, and continued, "Like seriously, your first lesson was how to not mess up the motions when dual-wielding, then you just do this to me. You suck as a teacher."
Archer scoffed loudly, "Don't make me laugh, Master. I, for one, am a firm believer that first-hand experience is a great teacher. It gives you incentive to not get hit like you did just a while ago, and gives you insight on how I fight. I'm making you adapt, and I must say, you suck." Saber sported a look of disbelief; Archer had the gall to insult their Master. She was about to reprimand the red-clad Servant, but was cut off by Archer's next words. "I thought your so-called unpredictability would do you some good, but as it stands, you need to learn the motions before even attempting to spar against a seasoned swordsman."
Naruto grew suspicious at Archer's words, "So you mean this was all a test to see how I am at the moment?"
"Precisely so, Master. Now I think it's time to have some dinner, wouldn't you say?" He swiftly grabbed the fish Lancer caught, and produced a cutting board and a bag full of ingredients no one knew the Servant obtained. The man proceeded to scale the large fish with precise movements like an experienced chef. Archer looked at his Master, "Well? Aren't you helping me?"
Naruto recoiled from the question. "Huh?! Is this part of training too?"
"Of course! Being able to cook your own meals is a valuable skill. And I will make a chef out of you once we return to Konoha." He beckoned the boy to come closer. "So come on, and help me chop up some of these ingredients. Lancer, you can salt the fishes you caught once I'm done scaling them, and Saber, you can stoke the fire." Lancer grumbled at Archer's order, but he followed it; he just needed to wait until Archer was done with scaling the fish. Saber dutifully tended to the fire by placing firewood for the campfire. "Daylight's burning, Master. Help me."
"Okay, okay!" Naruto shouted, and stood up from his seat. He took a step, and felt the ground seem…fleshy. He looked down to see he just stepped on Jiraiya's fingers. He turned back, then saw the downed body of Jiraiya. "Eh? That's all it takes to knock you out, Pervy-Sage?" The Sannin grumbled, his face faced the ground while his voice was muffled. "Well at least you got game with Mother Nature. Are you into that stuff?" He laughed a little, and ran towards Archer to help.
'I'm going to skin him alive; Minato's son or not!' Declared an irate Jiraiya.
After half an hour of preparing the food, a feat that was a bit taxing on the already white-haired Servant, they were ready to cook. Teaching Naruto how to cut frustrated the man. It took him ten minutes of berating the boy get him to handle a knife right, and even then the cuts were worse than sloppy, so he made the boy cut the ingredients into cubes for better aesthetics for the end product. So as he cooked the fish over the campfire, he bluntly told Naruto he sucked. That angered Naruto, but not enough to attack the man who gave him an embarrassing lesson accompanied by pain. Besides, there was a more pressing matter to attend to.
"Um…is that safe?" Naruto nervously asked as Archer cooked under a ridiculously tall fire fueled by what Archer called a sword.
"Of course it is. Saber just needs to add more firewood, then we won't need this to heat up the pan." And add more firewood Saber did. Like a blue blur, Saber added branches, small trunks, even bark to tend to the fire.
"That looks like an overgrown Zippo lighter." Naruto said to the Servant.
"It's a sword." Archer said back. "Trust me. See the shiny white bevels? That's the blade. It's not a lighter." Naruto groaned in frustration.
"Then what's with the strange, rectangular red frame -that looks like a dog- over it?" Naruto questioned. He pointed at the fire-starter. "What about the thumbwheel and windscreen?!" Archer was genuinely surprised when he heard Naruto identify major parts to a lighter. "If that isn't a frickin' lighter, then I don't know what is! Next thing you know, we have a scissor blade. Or! Or even a strange, huge Kusarigama that is hidden in the form or a sword, or can launch high-speed projectiles from long-range!" Archer sweated a bit. He searched his library of blades to see if there were anything of that description, and found that there was a copy of a scissor blade, and he remembered a scythe that could be a gun from a web show. As for the sword that can be a scythe, he also had a copy in his trove of blades.
"It's not my design, if you want to know." Archer said. "All I know is that this can produce flames, and with the amount of daylight we have left, this'll speed up the process."
"But it has to-"
"Don't question a smith's design for a weapon, laddie." Lancer spoke as he sat on a log while reading Jiraiya's book. "Weapons are meant to kill; this one just has the function to burn its enemies. Though you have to admit, it does look like a lighter, Archer. Just where did you find that weapon?" Archer did know what to say. Question is...would he tell the truth, or feign ignorance?
"I forget, Lancer." Archer lied, "But if I remember, I found it being advertised on T.V."
"Really? They advertised that thing in your time?" Lancer asked seriously. Archer realized he dug himself a grave. His image as a hero would be ruined if they find out the origin of this weapon.
He mentally cried, 'Damn you, Fuji-nee for getting me into fighting games!' He shook his head mentally.
"Man…your time got livelier. I wonder if many people bought that." Lancer wondered out loud. "Oh! Tell me, Archer; was this part of standard equipment of your Mage's Association? It just had to be if a weapon, a mix of technology and magecraft, was crafted so well!" Naruto had to agree. It was a unique weapon to say the least, and if Tenten were here, she would have drooled an ocean to figure out how the weapon was made as well as how it worked. They continued chatting about other topics until dinner was done cooking. When it did, everyone had a piece of the food. Despite the lack of need to eat, Naruto urged that the others should get some food in their systems.
Everyone but Berserker ate. That spectacle was something that amused everyone except Naruto.
"Oh come on, Berserker! Eat up!" Naruto whined. "Take off that helmet of yours, and get some grub in your gut." Berserker shook his head. The armor scratched itself with the speed Berserker used to show his answer. Clinks and clanks echoed in the forest, and so did a headbutt to helmet. "Get rid of that stubborn attitude, Berserker!" Naruto braced through the pain, and stared into the visor of Berserker's helm. The boy reached to both sides of the helmet, and tried to yank out the piece of forged steel from Berserker's head. After minutes of grunting and moaning, Naruto gave up pulling on it. He took out Caliburn, and decided to bash it!
As if Berserker would let that happen. The Knight caught the blade with one hand. "I…don't wiSH! T…RemoVE my helM!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Naruto shouted. "I don't wanna see another Kakashi-sensei! Take off that helmet, Berserker! And for goodness sake, talk and act normally." Every Servants' eyes grew wide. The way Naruto said that sentence felt familiar with all of them. Naruto's Command Spell glowed through the gauntlet. Everyone, entranced by the sight, saw the glow quickly dissipate. "Huh?" The boy grunted. "What was that about?" Saber sighed deeply. She would have to explain it again? Troublesome the act, it looked to be necessary. She opened her mouth to speak when Berserker interrupted.
"Very well, Master. Your wish is my command." Berserker answered fluidly and with a smooth, baritone voice. The Black Knight removed his helm, and revealed a spotless, handsome face with hair as black as night and ended just below his shoulders. Everyone but Saber was stunned to see the man behind the metal mask. "Is there something wrong, Master? Or could your order have lacked something in it? Please do tell me if there's anything wrong so I can rectify the situation."
"Uh…"
"Yes?"
"Who are you, and what have you done with Berserker?"
Not much happened after that besides Saber ridiculing Naruto for forgetting the power of a Command Spell. The boy shrugged off her lessons as if they were trivial, and would not have much impact. The flat of her blade begged to differ. The woman stabbed her sword into the ground, and mustered her best teacher impression. She towered over the boy easily, so when she stared down at him, the boy felt like an ant. Saber's rant silenced the boy enough to get her point across that any order full of certainty would be fulfilled by the Servant via Command Spell, and he couldn't continuously do that or else the pact would be severed. The boy wondered how many Spells he had left, and the Servants, more specifically Caster, found that Naruto had twenty-six left.
Naruto was shocked to say the least. He turned to Saber to clarify what she told him before that there were only three Spells only available per person. The Knight nodded, but reasoned that because of the sheer number of Servants under his beck and call, Naruto had been given a custom sigil meant to be one mark that all nine shared. Well maybe not shared, since Saber guessed that each Servant still followed by the rule of three absolute orders like she did.
Either way, this was one of the many orders that would come to pass.
The group arrived at the bridge, where it connected Wave country to the mainland. Out in the horizon, hidden by fog, the island became a successful country with a focus on seafood as a staple of their economy. "We're finally here!" Naruto cheered as loud as possible. Drivers of supply carts stared at the boy cautiously because of the particularly loud outburst. The drivers and passerby managed to veer away slightly from the boy and his entourage of strangely dressed people. The Genin realized his actions, and decided he would try to have a low-profile for himself and his Servants.
"I don't think so, Naruto. While there's signs of a bustling town in the form of people moving in and out, I don't see it." Archer told to the boy. He stepped in front of his Master, and turned to him with his arms out wide to showcase the gargantuan structure. "We're only at the opening of a bridge, not a town that you spoke of. Methinks you sir are lying." Naruto glared at the Servant, who gave a knowing smirk. Jiraiya and Lancer snickered lightly in the face of Naruto's anger.
"Shut up! Our destination's just past this bridge, believe it!"
"Right, right." Archer said half-heartedly. "So…any reason why the bridge is named after you?" The Servant pointed to the sign atop the bridge, where the words 'The Great Naruto Bridge' were emblazoned in large Kanji. That earned a look of confusion from the boy. "What? You don't know that something was named after you?"
"Heck no! I don't even know what I did to get such gratitude."
Lancer spoke up, "Well, well…it seems you're on your way to making your own legend it seems." The spearman smiled, and patted his Master's head softly. "Good on ya, boy!" He then pressed harder on Naruto's head to mess with the boy's hair. Unamused by it, Naruto forcefully yanked the hand away from his head so he could fix the strangely tame mane that is his hair. All the while he frowned whereas everyone else smiled at the bond that already formed so seamlessly. Jiraiya himself thought that this development was a miracle; he needed the boy ready, and the Servants Naruto summoned would be more than sufficient to help him grow as a Shinobi and as a person. The boy already saw some of the Servants as family, so the benefit of improvement would be even more tremendous as time goes on.
"We better not waste any time. Sun's about to set again, and I'd like to sleep on a bed. And since we're back in society, you need proper aliases and less inconspicuous clothing." Almost immediately, Lancer donned a sky-blue, hooded cloak with fur lining the hood's opening. It had white lines that shaped the shoulders of the man, and came down almost at ankle length. Archer removed his red crop jacket, and replaced his black armor with a simple black tee. He opted to change his hairstyle to his old one, but decided against it to instead wear a pair of black-framed glasses. Saber, who had dispelled her armor ever since they got near the bridge, replaced her whole gown with a royal blue kimono with gold flower decals and trims. Thankfully none had witnessed the change, or there would have been problems. "Okay…what'll I call you?"
"Ken Kishi." Saber replied.
"Tsurugi Karada." Archer answered.
"Aka Yari." Lancer responded.
"Well…I guess those are better than calling you by your Servant class, I suppose. Let's go." The walk to the island would take a while, and as they got closer, the many other people that traversed the bridge noticed Naruto. One of them, a citizen of Wave, rushed home to spread the news; their hero returned.
Word spread fast, but the people of Wave did not react so energetically as if their one and only messiah had graced them with a blessing. The men and women waved to the boy, and went in their merry way. The kids who recognized him would flock around the boy for a moment, then leave after getting a 'hi' from the Hero of Wave. Among these kids, Inari, a young boy wearing green suspenders over his cream shirt, and the grandson of the bridge builder, Tazuna, heard the rumors, but waved it off because he focused in his prototype design to make a small park bridge that spanned one end of a park lake to the other side. He was under the tutelage of his grandfather, an old man in a black shirt and tan pants with gray hair spiked backwards and had a pair of glasses and a mustache that formed seamlessly with his beard, oversaw his work at that moment. So when messenger boys reached the two to confirm the news of Naruto's arrival, Tazuna proposed a small break to meet the hero. Needless to say, when they saw the whisker marks, they immediately identified Naruto. Inari was quick to make a joke out of Naruto's red hair, and got a quick knock on the head. Tazuna asked why Naruto arrived to Wave, and who were the strangers who came with him. Naruto introduced the Servants and Jiraiya to Tazuna and Inari, and were met with proper greetings. The bridge builder offered his home as a place to rest. Naruto tried to refuse, but Tazuna insisted. Inari was quicker when it came to drag the Genin to their house.
"Hey, Tsunami!" Tazuna greeted. "Look who's back." A woman with long, navy blue hair came from one hallway. Her neck-length bangs covered her eyes. She had on a yellow apron, suggesting that she was cooking in the kitchen. Underneath the apron, she wore a pink blouse with a rather tall red collar and cuffs on the sleeves.
"What is it dad? I'm busy cooking dinner." She turned her head towards the front door. "Naruto-kun!" She cheered delightfully. "My, my what a surprise. Your hair changed." She then acknowledged the other people at her door. "And you brought guests. Apologies, my name is Tsunami. My I know the names of those who are accompanying our country's hero?"
Saber stepped forward. She donned a prepubescent voice of a boy, and introduced herself. "Ken Kishi, Tsunami-san. The man next to me-" She pointed to Archer, "is Tsurugi Karada. The man in the cloak is-"
"I can introduce myself, Ken." Lancer snapped. Saber raised an eyebrow. The spearman took a step, and grabbed the woman's left hand. Lancer's lips met Tsunami's delicate knuckles. "Hello there, lady. My name is Aka Yari. Pleased to meet you." He smiled handsomely at the woman. Naruto stood agape. Tazuna and Inari weren't amused by Lancer's advance. Archer was ready to reign in the Irishman, but was genuine;y surprised when Tsunami answered.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for suitors at the moment, Aka-san. The same goes for the hermit." Tsunami bluntly answered. Jiraiya, who had taken down notes at furious speed while he took in the woman's motherly beauty, looked like he'd been stabbed at the heart. His hopes of serenading the woman were all but lost. At least could make the woman a character for his books.
"Name's Jiraiya, Tsunami-san."
"Well I'm pleased to meet all of you. Since you came here unannounced, I must take some more time to prepare. I sincerely apologize." Archer offered his services in cooking. He pressed the woman to help her finish dinner. Unable to refuse, she let the Servant accompany her in the kitchen. As such, the others were left at the door to chat. They moved to the dining table to have a more proper talk. The bridge builder asked what Naruto's plans were, and the boy answered that he needed a ride to Iron country, and that he needed one as soon as possible. Tazuna explained that there's a boat that would leave the next day, and that the captain of the ship is quite punctual. Being on time wasn't Naruto's problem, but the fare was.
"If you're talking a fare, then the pay for each person is 1,500 ryo. The boat leaves at daybreak." Tazuna explained.
"That'll be fine. We can manage that right guys?" Naruto asked his Servants. They gave a wordless nod to their Master as an answer. "See? We'll be there."
Inari joined in on the conversation. "Who are you people?" He asked the Servants specifically.
"We're mercenaries of the regular kind." Lancer replied for the Servants. "Our job at the moment is to teach Naruto here the disciplines of the sword, the bow, and the spear. There are others, but they're all across the world, so we're meeting up with them." He glanced towards Saber, "Ken here is the first teacher, and he'll be showing Naruto how to fight with a sword." Both grandfather and grandson beamed at the news.
"So young, and a teacher! You must be a very gifted swordsman, Kishi-san."
Saber bowed. "I'm humbled by your words."
"So what happens after you teach Naruto-niisan to be a proficient swordsman?" Inari continued his questions.
"I pass on the torch to Tsurugi." Saber motioned her hands towards Archer, who faithfully cut up vegetables at blinding pace. "He'll teach your niisan how to shoot with a bow…aaaannd possibly how to cook." Inari was satisfied by the answer, and moved on to other topics like what had happened since Naruto left Wave country.
"Then I head butted the guy after I jumped off the Chief Toad, and bam! I made him wake up!"
"Wow! That sounds so cool. Is that what usually happens when you're a Shinobi? you beat up monsters and help princesses?" Naruto's happy mood turned 180. Everyone but Inari saw the change immediately. His cheery face didn't show the disappointment that rattled his heart.
"It's…a once in a lifetime thing." The Genin replied. "Excuse me. I think I'm going to go to that place for a bit. Tazuna-ossan, they're still there, right?" Tazuna wondered what Naruto was referring to. He rattled his aged noggin for what the Shinobi meant.
He snapped his fingers, "Oh you meant that place. Yes. They're still there. I've asked the smith to polish it from time to time to not let the thing rust. Me and Inari go there from time to time; we keep it in tip-top shape. Go ahead. With the pace dinner's going, it will be done in half an hour." Naruto acknowledged the man's words, and promptly left the home. Saber followed. Archer apologized to Tsunami, and explained that he needed to keep a watchful eye on the boy. She let the man go, and thanked him for the assistance. Jiraiya and Lancer decided to stay to give the boy a bit of privacy.
Naruto strolled beside the wall of trees before venturing into an opening. He walked with a normal pace, caught unaware by his thoughts and troubles. 'Being a Shinobi is all I can be. Being a Shinobi means I have to kill for the mission. I understand that… But why can't there be another way?' He looked at his right fist, clenched to the point his knuckles were white because of the amount of pressure applied. 'Sasuke…' Naruto's walking stopped when Archer placed a cautious hand on his shoulder. Archer gray eyes stared past the trees, where Naruto's destination lie. The boy followed the Servant's example, and searched past the trees for the intruder. There were no words needed to be said; someone is nearby, and that person doesn't seem to keen on being friendly.
"Hm? Who goes there?" The stranger asked. "No use hiding. My sword can smell the Chakra coming off you like a damn buffet!" Naruto's eyes grew wide. The Akatsuki were here?! That guy is here?! "C'mon out, and lemme rip ya to shreds!" Naruto glanced towards Archer and Saber for a plan of action. Unfortunately, they were on a level of communication that he hadn't reached yet. Minute facial expressions and head gestures were the whole conversation between the Servant of the Sword and Servant of the Bow. Archer turned to face Naruto.
"I'm afraid we'll have to confront this person. It's only one man; however, he wields a hefty blade. Are you prepared for a battle?" Naruto nodded. Their odds were for him and his Servants in terms of numbers; moreover, since they're heroes, they should be able to handle one swordsman of their caliber or somewhat close enough in skill. The three trudged on, and revealed themselves to the man who called them out.
Kisame Hoshigaki, a man with the skin color and appearance of a shark. His pale blue-grey skin contrasted with the black gill facial markings on the cheeks. Dark blue hair fashioned like a shark's dorsal fin, and a scratched headband of Mist hid the hairline. The man donned the cloak of the Akatsuki, a black, high-collar cloak adorned with red clouds outlined by white trims. Just beneath, an indigo pair of pants, white leg warmers, and indigo sandals. A brown sash went over his right shoulder, and wrapped around the back. Behind him, a sword wrapped in bandages sat unmoving. Kisame grabbed the gold handle of his blade. The skull pommel added to the image of death by shark to heightened levels.
"Oh?" He asked, amused by this scene. "I come here looking for a fallen colleague's blade, and look who I get? My target." The missing-inn observed the strangers beside Naruto. Swordsmen, the both of them. "Name's Kisame Hoshigaki. You two…I don't know, but what I know is that Samehada is drooling to take a bite out of you two. So what're the names of my sword's meal?"
"Like I'd give you that luxury, Fin soup." Archer mocked. Saber outstretched her hand in front of Archer. "What's the deal?"
"Calm yourself." Saber commanded. "It's proper etiquette to introduce ourselves." Saber stared at the Akatsuki member in the eyes. "My name is Ken Kishi. The man who mocked you is Tsurugi Karada." The man was unamused.
"Sword Knight and Sword Body. Who the hell are you fooling with those aliases?" Kisame hefted his blade in front of him. "Tell your real names, or I'll gut them out of you!"
And…dammit another cliffhanger!
I'm really sorry about that. I just seem to have gotten Ufotable's habit of ending in cliffhangers as of late. Not much to say since what you see is what you get.
As you know, the names are a representative of their identities. Saber's is "Sword Knight," Archer is "Sword Body," and Lancer is "Red Spear."
So review, follow, favorite, I don't care. I'm done with high school, and as such, my summer may hopefully be devoted to fanfics and vidyagaems.
This is Azure signing off.