It's been a while since I updated this. Sorry about that. From college life, personal stuff, and F-ing PLOT BUNNIES, my progress with this chapter had drastically slowed. I hope you forgive me, and enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 11: Steel in Body and Mind
"Halt! State your names and business!" Yelled a guard at the gates of Iron Country.
"I'm Jiraiya of Konoha's once renowned Sannin along with my disciple, Naruto Uzumaki, and a few mercenaries hired to teach my student armed combat. I believe I sent a letter a week ago to your leader? Has he received it?"
"Indeed I have Jiraiya." The samurai leader said from behind the line of guards at the gate. The old man wore bandages over his head, and covered everything above the ears and eyebrows. He had a wrinkled face that shaped the bags of his eyes and a gray Fu Manchu mustache to match his long, straight hair that ran along the back. "Now I presume you want me to accept you, your apprentice, and these mercenaries into my home?" Jiraiya nodded. "You also presume that because of your student, that I will allow him to learn under me?" Another nod. "Adding on to the fact that I know the boy's mother?" Another nod. Naruto's eyes widened, and hoped to look for answers from Jiraiya, who ignored his student for the moment. The Servants flinched, and prepared their weapons when the leader of the country reached for the handle of his sword. The man waited a minute. His hands were ready to draw his sword, but ultimately his blade. "So many assumptions…but not without merit I suppose." His right hand released its grip on the handle. The others relaxed as well, but stayed on guard.
"So…?" Jiraiya asked as politely as possible with that one word.
"I'd rather have introductions first, if you don't mind." The leader said. He walked forward, and turned to the blond Genin. "I'm Mifune. You must be Naruto Uzumaki." The boy stiffened. "Your eyes say much about your heritage. Headstrong, near fearless, hard-headed much like your mother." He then turned to the Servants. "And you mercenaries, Ken Kishi, Tsurugi Karada, and Aka Yari…self-proclaimed masters of a specific type of armed combat. You look like young men hardly old enough to see war, yet your eyes convey something different." He took a long pause. "Interesting. Very well. Come." Mifune turned around, and entered the gates of his country.
"How do you know my mother?"
"In due time." Naruto sighed. "So…what gave you the idea to come to my country?" Asked Mifune as he and the boy in orange walked the the porch facing the sparring grounds of the samurai dojo that trained the country's armed forces. Naruto eyed the training samurai diligently while absentmindedly following Mifune to their destination.
A few swordsmen clashed against their opponent with speed and grace in their strike. Their motions, smooth and swift, were more elegant compared to Saber's style of fighting. He could see the priority in each style. Saber's time had more armored opponents; she would need a blade that could bash through that armor. The katana was more prevalent here since hardly anyone, barring the samurai, used metal armor anymore. For shinobi, clanking metal gave away position. Due to that, swords were now forged to accomplish the function to sever limbs. The katana easily did that. And with their advancement and excellent smiths, the normal katana in Iron Country could slice through the armor mainly used by the samurai.
With the facts he somehow knew installed in his mind, he watched a pair strike each other in a rhythmic pattern of offense and defense. Slices were aimed to maim, yet both were skilled enough to block those strikes in time. They parted ways, and sheathed their swords. They lowered themselves, knees bent, and ready to draw. The sheer speed of the draw blinded Naruto at that instant. Light reflected off the metal, and bounced into his retinas. Metal bashed metal and echoed. When his vision cleared, Naruto saw the two dance around each other's attacks. One jumped and swung down while the other swiftly arced his sword upwards in retaliation. The one in the air recoiled backwards. He landed, and blocked the next strike then moved it off to the side.
Naruto deemed this fight will drag on for a while, so he answered the samurai lord."I need to learn to discipline myself in the art of sword wielding." Naruto answered with little difficulty. "My teachers say I've a talent for it, but I need refinement. My sword master, Ken-sensei, said that he taught himself how to fight by reading up on the ancient scrolls of his ancestors, whom fought in the western art of swordplay in the time of knights."
"Knights, you say?" Mifune repeated in shock. "I thought I'd never hear that brand of warrior again."
"Why are you so shocked?" Naruto curiously wondered.
"Knights were the western mirror to the samurai. Their Code of Chivalry is similar to Bushido for us samurai. And despite being on the other side of the hemisphere at that point in time, we respect them for their identical ideologies." The two were silent. They left the public sparring grounds, and entered Mifune's own private training ground.
The area was a platform in the middle of a Koi moat. Two bridges connect the platform at the north and south side. A post stood in the middle. Naruto didn't know the architectural purpose of it, and didn't want to ask. They stopped walking when they reached the platform. Mifune did a set of hand signs in front of the post, and a sword popped out of smoke. The man instantly threw the object. The unknown bonked the boy's forehead, and set him down on the ground. The object clattered on the ground.
"Tell me boy." Mifune started to speak in the middle of their sparring field, "How different does a katana feel from your kodachis and that other sword I see you use with your other sword master?" Naruto stared at his blade. Traditionally leather wrapped, the handle was snug and comfortable to grasp. The guard was a simple circle with no decorations on it. The blade was sharp and well maintained from what he saw. The scabbard in his right hand was black with no designs; a trainee's sword.
"It feels strange." The samurai lord looked quizzically. "It's the first time, yet I feel like I know how to swing it around like an actual swordsman." The man perked up.
'Kushina was like this too.' Mifune thought calmly. "Demonstrate, young man. If you can cut the post behind me from your spot, then I'll believe that you have some talent in the arts of the katana." He stepped to the side. After several paces, he motioned the boy to commence. Naruto took a stance instinctively. His left hand, which touched the handle, firmly gripped the handle. His left side moved forward while his legs lowered and bent.
Any weapon can be considered an extension of one's self. A sword can be both literal and a metaphorical extension. In the literal sense, the wrist is now the elbow to the arm that is called a sword. To hold a sword is to consider it as a bone, a part of your body. Now…imagine a line where the sword will cut.
Naruto closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. The voice was now a man's. Familiar, yet not. Ancient, yet alive.
Firmly grasp the handle.
The boy already did.
Lean forward and Pull!
Naruto's stance made him dip forward. Mifune was almost flabbergasted. Something had to be in Uzumaki blood that made them so attuned to blades! The boy was instinctively performing Iaido on the first try! The boy pulled fast and cleanly. The line he imagined, diagonal and shallow, was traced completely by his drawing arm. With the arm outstretched, Naruto saw the damage he thought he would inflict on the post.
A nick. Just like he predicted. It came as a shock to him that his body moved like he knew how to do it for years. Though with the visions of the red-haired lady invading his mind whenever he fought with a sword…the impact was lessened to some degree. He returned the sword to the scabbard in one, smooth motion. "Is that okay?" He asked eagerly with a smile at the end.
The samurai sighed, and shook his head. "Uzumaki… Never nothing with their people."
"Um…did I do something wrong?" Naruto asked uneasily. The boy looked back and forth between the post and the sword he used. He had gone with the flow this whole time, and it had yet to steer him away from a proper cut with a bladed weapon. Could the voice in his head be wrong this time? The sword in his hands felt heavier at the thought of failure. The samurai only told him to cut, not sever a chunk of the post, right?
"No." Mifune replied. "In fact, for your first try, your attempt is stellar. Your sword, if slashed horizontally without a stance, may not have reached the post from your position. Since you did a stance then leaned forward as you drew it, you managed to nick it by the point. Your teacher wasn't mincing words when he said you've talent for this. From what Kishi-san has told me, your first grasp of a sword was about three weeks ago." Naruto confirmed the fact. "I see. Maybe a latent bloodline ability? I'm not sure. Anyways…you need refining in your skills." Naruto's eyes lit up like fireworks. "As such, you'll need the best of the best. I shall be your teacher in learning the katana."
The Servants cheered. Their Master would gain another teacher to help in his journey of strength. Caster above all was the most gleeful; her Master was amazing to pull it off so instinctively. Berserker thought the same, but wondered if this ability was something similar to Eternal Arms Mastership, a skill he has. Assassin noted that Naruto's attack was as silent as possible during the draw. Sure there were sounds, but compared to the background noise, the sword was drowned out easily.
The knight-class Servants were in a myriad state of awe. Lancer whistled at the quick study of a Master he had. Archer felt a chill in his body resonate for a moment, but dismissed it to focus on his Master's impressive swing. Saber realized that there was more hidden potential within her Master, and she would bring them out to light.
In the distance, a cheering Naruto jumped for joy. His silhouette against the sunset was a sight to behold for they had yet to see their Master this happy.
However the happy moment ended when Mifune smacked the boy's temple.
A few minutes later, a beaten and bruised Naruto twitched in the middle of the platform. His amateurish skills failed to defend him from the samurai lord's onslaught. Despite the pain, Naruto stood up to fight again.
He was tossed to the rails, flipped on his butt, launched into the koi moat, and repeatedly made to make out with the ground. The Servant cringed, but eventually recovered. They understood pain was a good motivator. The phrase "no pain, no gain" made sense to them.
"I'm surprised you let your guard down. Who knew drugging your favorite food would be your downfall?" A man chuckled in the dark. "The thought is so amusing. Tell me…how does a boy like you get this…powerful then manages to screw up this badly?" Asked a voice from the void in front of Naruto. Pinned at his outermost limbs by kunai with a special sealing matrix, the boy could do nothing. "Is it those teachers of yours perhaps? They thought you were nigh invincible now? Such a waste of talent." Naruto could hear the disappointment in the man's voice. "They could be more beneficial had they taught our military force the same techniques you know now. Tell me…where are they?"
"As if I'd tell you!" Naruto snarled.
The man in the dark chuckled. His footsteps signaled Naruto that this mystery individual walked back and forth, almost amused by his answer. "I heard you had become a hero to people around the world. At least to the people you saved. Now that is a waste of talent. Your samurai code that you follow to some extent…has ruined your potential. Shinobi are assassins! And yet I hear you've forgone that?! So much for that dream you spouted years ago."
Naruto struggled under his restraints. "Cut the crap, and let me go, bastard!"
"You still won't give away where your Servants are? For shame. I thought we could come to an agreement. But I guess some rumors are true. Your body is steel; you endure the pain. However…" The man snapped his fingers.
"NARUTO! Save me!" A woman screamed from the darkness. That voice…he felt like he recognized it! What was she doing here? Why was she here?! The woman grunted and struggled. Several taps to the ground signified she wasn't tied down lie he was. He was stabbed at his extremities. Hands were stabbed just like his calves were.
"What did you do to her?!" Naruto demanded while he shook his body in rage. "Tell me!"
"Steel is indeed your body; you're not even flinching at the sealing kunai. But…I do wonder if the same applies to your mind? To your will? Let's test your so-called 'unyielding will' Naruto-kun."
"NARUTO!"
Naruto shot up from his bed. Sweat framed his face. He swallowed air desperately. 'Another vision… Whose voice was that?' The one who screamed his name was definitely a woman. Though it felt familiar to him. The pitch and volume of her desperate cry chilled his body. Despite it being a dream, Naruto could not wipe it off his mind.
He had failed in that dream.
Saber materialized beside his bed. "Is everything okay, Master?"
Naruto neglected to respond quickly. His mind was still focused on that vision.
"Master! Answer me!" Saber demanded in a louder voice. The action snapped Naruto out of his trance.
"Ah! I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere." Naruto confessed.
Saber sighed. She was foolish to think her Master would brush off the screams of a damsel in his dream. Though it gave her hope that her Master would become a chivalrous knight like she hopes. She placed a caring hand on Naruto's right shoulder and said, "Think not too deeply on what you saw in your dreams, Master. Visions are visions for a reason: you can change them."
The young Master smiled. Saber's words were true in a way. Though as a vision, it left him wondering. Why didn't he call out his Servants? If he did, that girl could be saved. Granted the vision ended before the event was resolved, but his Servants should have been on the move by that time! He stopped pondering, and stood up. He had sparring practice in the morning, and couldn't be late for that.
Katana met katana. A boy in orange clashed against an elderly man in samurai armor. Sparks emerged from the point of contact. They broke away not a second later only to bash against each other once again. The swift steps of the young one set him on par with the samurai's skills; however, like all others the samurai hid more than what he showed.
Naruto fared better when he used his head to trick the swordsman, but was lackluster in everything else in the samurai's eyes. Naruto slashed at the man's eyes, but did so in a way that only marginally missed the optical organs. He instantly sheathed the sword, and slid into range by pushing forward. His scabbard swung to his back as he grabbed his kodachis. Somehow the samurai swiftly disarmed him of his smaller blades without harming him. The samurai's blade struck the boy's neck, but not hard enough to behead him.
"Naruto. I accept your career as a Shinobi, but it seems you've a hard head just like your mother. The samurai withdrew his sword. "Crafty with feints and movements, but that's about it. Being unpredictable becomes predictable at some point, young man. And if you'll wish to learn the proper way to wield a katana or any sword for that matter, you must learn to find your own way to fight. Your movements are fluid and instantaneous like your mother's; capitalize on that. However, I've seen your mother move. That leaves your method of attack blockable by my standards." Naruto huffed, but accepted the advice.
Naruto bowed, an action now ingrained in his body when the man in front of him struck him for disrespect. "I thank you for the advice, but you can't expect my mind to just stick to a style."
"You'll find your style eventually. No one can figure out theirs from the start." The samurai replied. "It took your mother three years to stick with one she felt comfortable with." The fact shocked the boy. "By then, she was proficient in dual-wielding, my own style, and four swords at once."
"Eh? Mom was that good?" The old warrior nodded.
"You Uzumaki take to the blade quickly. You've proven yourself a little competent using a sword. You can take on bandits with your skill, but against trained samurai or shinobi, you will lose your grasp on your weapon." The man closed his eyes to think. "Hm…I believe your mother was in the same situation as you. In terms of skill level when she came to me for help, I mean."
"It's still surprising -mind-boggling even- that you taught my mother, Mifune-jiji." Naruto said to the leader of the Land of Iron. "Really…how does a Leaf Shinobi just reach the shores of Iron country, and got to learn from the leader of the samurai?"
"Uzumaki and their luck I suppose." The bearded man guessed. Though something felt off about the answer in Naruto's ears. "Come. Lunch will be served soon, and I believe your other sword master would like to train you in his arts." Naruto nodded, and the two walked to the interior of Mifune's dojo.
"Morning everybody!" Naruto greeted gleefully.
"Good morning, Uzumaki-san!" The samurai in the room greeted back ten-fold in volume. The boy cringed due to that and because of the formality. A month and a half of integrating into the life of a samurai, Naruto still kept his self relatively the same. Mifune chuckled at the boy's fuming face. Just like Kushina, Naruto never liked formalities. However a month and a half culled his spunky attitude. Naruto actually bowed to his senpais and to Mifune after being part of the dojo.
"How many ti- I give up." He sulked and his shoulders sagged. He took his seat at the second row, near the middle of the room. Mifune sat at his own seat, an elevated podium that had a secondary function as a viewing platform for unannounced spars.
"I see you're all well warmed-up." The samurai lord spoke. "Some fared better, and show no signs of exhaustion. Good. A fit body is something to be desired and needed in this line of work." The man took a pause. Everyone stiffened. The man was about to announce an unplanned spar! "Kisaragi! Uzumaki! Ready your blades!" The others swiftly vacated the floor, and moved to the walls. Naruto and an older boy were left in their place.
Slowly, the floor became colder. Frost formed.
"Eh? I'm fighting Jin-senpai?"
"Empty Sky Form: Summer's Advance!" Naruto acted on reflex. He scrambled to stand. Naruto's opponent had his sword pointing skyward with the aim to bisect Naruto's torso. Too late to back away, the boy stood his ground. His left hand thrust forward then acted like a shield. Sword impacted Naruto's hidden shield. The impact shook the room, yet did not shatter the floor. Naruto jumped back, and shook his impacted arm. Pain rattled over his left arm. He disengaged the shield, and cradled his wrist. Naruto's opponent sheathed his sword. His calm, noble-like voice pierced through the pain Naruto focused on. "Come now, Naruto. You best learn to react quickly. Your opponent will not wait for you to ready your blade."
The sparring partner came into view with blade ready to be drawn. A white flash obscured Naruto's eyes. Once again by reflex, the boy pulled out his sword to block the incoming attack. The boy skidded backwards from the force of the attack. He did not expect a brief respite from assault. Blue stared at green. Weapons were sheathed back into their scabbards. "Jin-senpai…" The boy readied for another round of assault.
"Have you recomposed yourself, Kouhai?" Jin Kisaragi asked smoothly. As part of the samurai dojo, he wore the dojo's uniform, a white top and a pair black hakama pants, with pride. Short, straight, blond hair framed the older practitioner's face. His sword was special. After being in several spars -all ended with Naruto's defeat- with him, the boy had memorized the details of the weapon. A blue scabbard with an interesting v-shaped lock hid the silver blade connected by a green, leather-bound handle and topped off with a silver pommel. The lack of change in air temperature told how much Jin held back. The whole room should have been ice by now, but the floor only has a thin sheen of frost.
"I'm surprised you would hold back against me, Captain." Naruto spoke calmly. "Should one of the members of the Special Arms battalion really hold back?" Jin smiled.
"Still boastful after your thirty match loss streak?" Jin snidely asked. "I'm surprised your confidence hasn't waned."
Naruto shrugged. "It's a learning experience."
Twin flashes of light met in between the two combatants. Another came a second later. Swings were wild, yet accurate. Both aimed to maim, yet their skill made it miss just by a few centimeters. The flurry of attacks impressed everyone as Jin's rapid offense was rarely seen. To have a student who took up the sword in a month and hold his own against the better swordsman is stunning!
The knight-class Servants watched from the main doors, amused by the banter and awed at the evolution in skill. Saber stoically sat in a seiza position, whereas Archer leaned on a wall with his arms crossed, and Lancer doing the same except with a bottle of sakē in his hand. Lancer grinned at the speed of the attack. As one of the fastest Servants, the attack was beautiful to see. "Anfa is catching up in speed. Bowl Cut's gift is doing wonders for his muscle growth."
"Anfa?"
"Gaelic for Tempest."
Archer moved on to the main point. "The gift was well thought out. His body is growing accustomed to the weight. Skill wise, he's still an amateur, but he has a mind ready to learn."
Saber agreed with the red Servant. "He has your cooking to thank for as well, Tsurugi. Had yours not been nutritious, Naruto's body will only bear the weight, not grow. Aside from that, he has unbelievable determination like someone I knew from a long time ago." Archer wondered who Saber meant. Lancer intelligently took a sip to not say something wrong out of turn.
The flurry ended when Jin arced his sword upwards, parrying Naruto's blow well out of guarding position. Jin prepared the next strike by returning his sword to the scabbard. The moment Jin pulled his sword, the clang of metal rang out. A frozen blade tapped Jin's neck.
"You've learned at break neck pace." Jin complimented.
Naruto smirked. "I told you it's a learning experience." He emphasized. "I'm surprised I was fast enough to catch you off guard with this last move." Naruto whipped his katana to the side to wipe the frost on the surface of the blade. "I see I've learned something new. Weapons may make a warrior stronger, but the skill to use it is what matters most."
"Are you saying I don't know how to use my own sword?" Jin questioned.
"Nope!" Naruto happily answered. He raised his sheathed katana. "I know how to use mine!" Everyone smiled at Naruto's infectious, happy attitude, and clapped at the first victory Naruto achieved.
"Hey, Tsurugi-sensei…where are we going?" Naruto asked as he and his Servant strolled into the marketplace, the social hub of the city. Denizens of the city flocked here daily for the self-manufactured or harvested goods from all over the country. The tea restaurants, soup shops, grill bars were commonplace here compared to Konoha. The near eternal winter of Iron Country prioritized foods or meals that were well heated.
The pair overheard commotion deep into the horizon.
"C'mon, Good Guy! Treat me to some restaurant! Tao's starving!"
"Dammit, Tao! Not this again! My militia salary won't let me live another week if you keep begging for food using my money."
"Don't sweat the small stuff!"
"Gah! My wallet! Get back here, you thieving cat!"
Ahem…Among these nutritional goods, manufacturing goods thrived here as well. Iron or steel tools, weapons, and or things of the sort were also a common thing to be found in the marketplace. Archer had scouted several places for a suitable smith that would be able to both weave and forge some armor for his Master. That, and he could use some new material for his Blade Works. The two would go to a reputable store many recommended.
A Body of Steel.
Archer choked on the instant he heard it the first time. It sounded a bit too uncanny for his liking. Not that it really mattered. What really mattered was that his Master needed to unlock and heal his atrophied Circuits. It could help with teaching his Master his brand of Projection magecraft. But first, he needed his Master to regain control of his lost Circuits. The many times Naruto saw a weapon, he unconsciously wanted to examine its structure and make with small harm done to the body -mostly at the eyes. If this kept going, even with the Kyuubi's healing, his eyes may deteriorate by the time he actually goes into combat against an army.
He may need Caster's help to find the extent of the atrophy. The more his Master continues using his Circuits, he will lose his ability to fight.
"We're going to look for a smith to get you some new clothing and extra armor." Archer answered.
"Why do I need new clothes? I like my outfit. Plus, wouldn't extra armor just weigh me down?" Naruto questioned. He stared at his arms and legs. The weights were already dragging him down at times. More armor only meant more load on his body. He didn't like that.
"First of all, the Akatsuki know you're out of the village. They know what you look like. The least you could do is change your clothing's appearance." Archer answered clearly. "As for armor, you'll just have to bear it until you can return to your normal speed." He easily dismissed the issue. Naruto fumed.
"I don't care. I like my own clothes!"
Five minutes later…
"Oh what's that?! Hey, mister what's this one made out of? Eh? A six sword holster? Who would need that? A reversed bladed katana? Hey, Tsurugi-sensei, check this out!" The orange blur that was Naruto Uzumaki sped into aisle after aisle pointing at fascinating works done by the smith. Halberds, axes, katanas, nodachis, tantos, spears, naginatas, wakizashis, kusarigama, kunai, shuriken, nunchaku, and all sorts of other close combat-oriented weapons littered the store. The weapons and armor were reflecting light, a sign of a well-polished and diligent care for the craft. Archer began collecting the weapons as part of his Blade Works instinctively.
All were finely crafted with a mixture of alloys that allowed each and every one of to have some rigidity while being flexible at impact. In fact…all of them were made like it. The small variation in materials to form specified types of weapons are sorely outnumbered by this smith's signature way to make weapons. Archer walked around with this in mind. His casual glances caught the stocked weapons, but not once did he stop and stare. He focused more on his hyperactive Master, who unknowingly showed himself as an extremely curious boy when it comes to equipment like the weapons shown on the wall and the islands in between.
"Excuse me, sir." An elderly man asked from behind Archer.
"Hm?" Archer glanced backwards at an elderly man with ridiculously long, gray hair. The man was hunched over, with his hair flowing down and hindered Archer from clearly looking at the man's face. He turned around to at least be respectable to the man. "I'm sorry, did you want to pass?"
The man shook his head, then lifted it. Archer saw the man's face clearly now. The man wore a black eyepatch over his right eye while the left showed a black pupil and a very dark brown iris with a heavily wrinkled bag underneath the eye. His mustache were like a pair of scissors originating at the nostrils while his beard looked like a waterfall that ended just by his ribs.
The elderly man said, "No, not at all. Though I'd like your little follower to calm himself. He's bothering the other customers and my work."
Archer's eyes did not show shock or surprise. This man was the store's blacksmith. He bowed without warning. "I dearly apologize. I did not know the boy would act like this." Archer sensed his Master get closer. He waited when the boy was in range to slam a fist on the boy's cranium. "I'll keep a tight leash on him."
"Oh no. I don't want that." The man shook his head. "I appreciate the enthusiasm. It's a rare sight for someone to take this much interest in my work so verbally. All I ask is the boy control his feet, hands, and mouth."
Archer not so subtly glanced at his fallen and defeated Master. "You hear that, Naruto?"
"Ye…ah, Sensei." Naruto groaned out.
"Good." The elderly man happily interjected. "Now may I be of any assistance?"
"I'm looking for a special armor set along with clothing that suits the set. Preferably several copies of the outfit with refitting seals on both armor and clothing." The smith hummed at the order.
"Quite a special order." The man walked to the counter. He stopped when he realized both Archer and Naruto did not follow. "Well? Do you want to stay here to look at stocked, mass-produced work, or do you want my better products in the storage?" The Master and Servant pair walked to the smith with sheepish looks on their faces. The smith smiled, and gestured the two to go past a metal door behind the counter, and the two did so. "Sen!" The man called out.
"Yes, sensei?" A voice from behind one of the aisles shouted back.
"I leave you with taking care of the sales at the moment." The man explained.
"Special order?"
"Special order."
"I see. Don't take too long. I can scarcely keep up with demands some of these customers are making."
"You'll do fine." The man reassured. He went into the room Archer and Naruto entered. The sight of a face-down Naruto pinned down by Archer's foot caused the smith to raise an eyebrow.
The smith looked at the boy when the boy's started speaking. "C'mon!" Naruto whined. "It's awesome!"
The smith ricocheted back to the white-haired Servant. "While I understand the armor set is well-made, I cannot allow you to buy the clothing that goes with it!"
The eyeball returned to Naruto. "What do you have against orange?!"
And flung back at Archer. "Do you want to be a shinobi or not?!"
"Aw come on!" Naruto shouted in frustration. He flailed underneath Archer's foot like a cockroach that refused to die. "That's blackmail." Archer crossed his arms.
"I'm not sure if you know the meaning of the word."
"You're using my dream to be Hokage to not let me have that awesome orange cloak!" Naruto answered angrily. "It's the exact same orange I have; it'll look good on me! C'mon, Sensei! Please?!"
The smith took the chance to intervene in the spat. "I see the boy sees something he likes." The statement incited a groan from the Servant and a smile from the boy. "What is it that has gained your eye, boy?" Naruto quickly pointed to his object of interest.
In a glass case, a hooded, orange cloak hung neat and wrinkle free. The cloth was asymmetrical due to the stylized right sleeve. A stripe of blue ran down the length of the sleeve, and adorned with strings that crisscrossed at the endpoints. The cloak ran down the length of a person's ankles, and had three distinct tails, one at the front between the legs, and two split at the back. The armor set was a lustrous silver that reflected every source of light off its metallic surfaces. The pauldrons were a pair of four-layered armor pieces stack on top of another to protect the wearer's shoulders. A prominent line of orange ran along the curvature of the armor, and unified with the cloak's color. The breastplate was a simple, wrapped sheet of metal that was sturdy enough and flexible enough to allow torso movement. A small metal piece looked to pin the cloak at the top of the breastplate and was strapped just underneath of the armpits. The fauld and tassets were connected together by a pair of leather straps, and protected the wearer's hips and thighs. The orange design on the breastplate curved downwards to the base, and seemingly connected to the fauld.
"Ah. That one. My daughters' best work."
The two customers stared at the smith. "Daughters?" They asked in sync.
"My eldest designed the cloak. My youngest crafted the armor." The man pointed out. "It still boggles me how they got it into their heads to make a design of a knight. I guess strolling down to the lake does inspire some people…" He mumbled the last part to himself, but Archer hard it clearly. "Though they did tell me someone was destined to wear this. A boy aspiring to be the best."
"Destiny?" Naruto scoffed. "I make my own way old man."
"I do believe we carve our paths, young man." The smith agreed. "However, I also believe that destiny has a hand in our lives. Though who am I to ramble about philosophical topics to a boy?"
"'The die is cast' as some say." Archer spoke softly. The Servant looked over the set once more, and imagined his Master wearing it. No doubt it suited him to a tee. Still, it conflicted the man. Was Naruto not supposed to be an assassin? Why should his Master wear this? "I understand, but I don't like it. Despite that, I shall purchase this set for the boy." Naruto was stunned. A few moments later, that face morphed into glee. "How much does it cost?"
"None." The smith answered. His face plastered to the cased set. "I shall give it to you for free." The customers sputtered. "I can't deny Mifune-sama's apprentice, can I?" He turned around. Archer was a bit cautious of the generous offer. "This set has been around for eight years. My regulars may have batted an eye to it once or twice, but never had the same interest as the boy. It would help my daughters' egos to know that their best work had finally been sold."
"What about extras?" Naruto asked.
The smith caressed his beard. "Now those I will have to charge you."
"I'll take ten!" Naruto eagerly said. Archer sighed. He lost this battle.
It took ten minutes for the purchase to be finalized along with the necessary accessories to allow the boy to fit into his new clothes and armor. Alongside refitting seals, a camouflage or recolor seal was added for pure aesthetic taste. The final product made the boy more idiotic looking than a serious warrior. If he had been a little taller, some would take him more seriously. That is not the case at the moment. The armor felt weird to Naruto, and the clothes would probably hinder his movement. The extra weight already slowed him down to some extent.
"The extras and accessories will be 850 ryo." The two sputtered at the price. It was within the budget Jiraiya gave, but this was a bit too cheap in Archer's eyes. This had been in near level of the smith's final products; moreover, those were three times the price value! Seeing the faces, the smith explained, "First time customer discount, depreciation factor, and some other discounts got you a 45% discount total."
"You luck is so convenient it feels like a Deus Ex Machina."
"I know." Naruto agreed wholly. Archer handed the smith the money, and the two bowed in thanks. They left the store lighter in the pocket, and heavier all over for Naruto.
"So what next?" Naruto asked.
"I teach you my special skill." Archer answered ambiguously.
Another month had passed, and the boy grew from his 147.5 (4 ft 8) cm to 156 (5 ft 1) cm. The growth came from both nutrition and the needed growth spurt as decided upon by his body. The set he bought the month prior now suited him better now that he lost some baby fat on his cheeks, and his physique had become more leaner and muscular from training. His headband was now on his neck like a scarf.
He was by a lake, still in liquid form, and meditated on a skill Archer demonstrated before. He sensed a familiar energy flow through his body. More solid than free-flowing chakra, the sensation burned his body in a sense. The untrained, nearly phantom-like Circuits flickered to life inside his body.
Judging the concept of creation
Naruto flared his Magic Circuits. "You must know the material and replicate it." Archer said as Naruto focused on the image of Archer's main blades.
Hypothesizing the basic structure
The image became clearer. It shape took form in his head. It however lacked the materials as it was only a shell at the moment.
Duplicating the composition material
There, the texture and make of the blade emerged. The distinct white and gleaming black surfaces of the blades formed. The multi-layered groups of alloys that formed the shape and sturdiness of the blade slowly branched from the hilt.
Imitating the skill of its making
The structure of the blade was finished, and all he needed to do was bring it into the real world. Mana sparked in his palms. Uncontrolled energy shifted from side to side like a surging electric storm.
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth
The energy compacted into the shape of the weapons. He focused on the previous steps, and replicated it in the real world. Naruto struggled, his inexperience hindered his progress with the technique. The Magic Circuits flared even more, overloading the technique than necessary. He only had two more steps to go.
Reproducing the accumulated yeaX* #%^URFV$)%$?:L}|+=-! &
The process stopped abruptly. The energy lashed out, and blew the young man out of his attempt.
You were never the strongest, but you were unyielding
You were never the fastest, but you kept moving
You gathered power to be equal with those around
You chose to tread the mountain of obstacles to find the way…
You always found a way despite the trials
Imposed on your body, implanted in your mind,
Strained on your muscles, and battered your will
Not once retreating, not once victorious,
Not once surrendering, not once reconsidering
Not once did you lower your swords
No…your weapons
With these at your beck and call,
Ideals were within reach
The scope of your ideals became unlimited…
Dare I say Infinite
As you drew blood of thousands upon that graveyard, you understood.
Spiral down to madness, accept the violence,
You were a weapon. You were meant for nothing more than
Mindless slaughter.
The romantic life of a hero,
The glory of being the victor,
The pride of a warrior
All nothing!
Standing on top of your slain foes, and even your own allies
You were the victorious, the hero
Who stood last on that Battlefield
The best was what you were
But you weren't satisfied
To be the best was insignificant, just a stepping stone
Justice, you sought
The ideal you reached…became who you were
But even that sole, accomplished ideal, your life…
Blood became fire, body of steel
Mind of indifference, arms of death
But that glassy heart carried a regret. Brethren and enemies fell.
But Justice was all you cared about.
The once bleeding heart,
Now beat for no one
As you leave your scars across time…
Know this…
…I am the ideal…
I am the weapon you become.
I am the bone that made you yield
I am the one who slew you, Naruto Uzumaki
He had not heard the voice. His ears were ringing. His vision got blurry. The faded sight of his worried Servants were the last he saw before losing consciousness.
Again, sorry for the long update wait. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will focus more on what led up to the final scene here, Naruto's discovery of his Magic Circuits. I admit, I was lost for a while when doing this chapter. That's why its does month time-skips.
Feel free to call Naruto's jump in skill whatever you may think. I have no idea whether or not it fits as ridiculously cliché development, a Deus Ex, pulling it out of my ass, or a legitimate plot point.
So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.
This is Azure signing off.