A/N: REVIEW FOR IT FEEDS MY ENGINE OF CREATION!
Here! Over NINE thousand words of blood, sweat and tears for you all!
Ahem.
Fighting a nasty bout of depression to write this, so there's that.
But in other news...
HOLY CRAP SO MANY REVIEWS~!
MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FOR TWO CHAPTERS! 0_0
Alright, lets get right into the meat of the matter, the issue that everyone wants. There is a LOT of debate on the eventual pairing. I hear all your concerns and am listening. I'll do my best not to let you all down. In that regard, please keep telling me what you all think, and enjoy watching the characters grow and evolve. Not sure how to feel about Sieg though. I mean, I was never attached to him like the others, but I don't want to kill the poor bastard just because of that...
Which brings us to the next question:
How do you all feel about other Naruto characters in this story?
Mind you, I have no intention of copying RedhathackerSin's shtick in that regard. If I do it, its gotta be unique and with different characters. Hashirama for example. Imagine the chaos if he was somehow summoned instead of another servant. Good lord, he'd give everyone a run for their money. Naruto included. Now, I'm not going to do it unless you guys and gals are on board. I don't want to flood this story with Naruto characters. That would sour the story, I think, and it blurs the lines a little too much.
So let me know what you think in your reviews...
...and get ready to smile.
Furthermore, this chapter reveals some of the "restrictions" placed upon Naruto due to being summoned as Berserker class, rather than Assassin as he expected. Speaking of assassins, I'm taking a few minor liberties in regard to the summoning of Jack the Ripper, considering we never "see" the place she's been summoned at in any real detail.
And let's face it, she got dealt a BAD hand in Apocrypha.
Also, bit of word play regarding Sisigou and Saber's dialogue after they've left the church. Don't mind that!
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm going to say it right now...
...Apocrypha girls can be fucking terrifying when they want to be.
...impressive. might I ask your name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto! Berserker of Red! Have at thee, Lancer!"
~?
The Best Laid Plans
She had his scent.
It had taken her a fair amount of time-many an hour even-to track, but she'd finally succeeded here, in the late hours of the morning. Credit where it was due, Berserker had done well to elude her for so long. Against any other Servant he might've eliminated any and all traces of his presence. But she was above all things a huntress. A tracker without peer. No one could equal her in the art. For all his caution he'd failed to take into account the matter of his scent. Even now it lingered in the air, a heady scent of prana leading east, mixed with something she couldn't quite identify. No matter. With her speed, it was only a matter of time now.
She supposed it wasn't fair of her to use such a method to find him, yet she had no other recourse.
Shards of light burst through the clouds ahead of her and she avoided them, choosing to stay to the shade of the trees. The sanctity of the earth and soil. It was here that she was most at home, not sprinting about in the open or racing headlong through the sky. Unlike a pair of men she knew.
For someone who should have been a "Berserker", Naruto was very good when it came to concealing his presence.
At first, she'd nearly followed the second source.
Faint to be sure, but also him.
Another "clone" of his?
A challenge?
Somehow, the thrown gauntlet only made Atalanta all the more determined to succeed. If this were a race, then she wanted to be the one to triumph. To come out on top. To snatch victory, like the victory she had been so cruelly denied so long ago. She would have the final say this time. Regardless of what Rider said. That damn fool of a man. Who did he think he was butting his nose into matters that didn't concern him? The thought irritated her with every leap, each stride only serving to further exasperate the huntress. She wouldn't put it past him to race her there just to annoy her.
He'd teased her of course, but this time there had been an edge to it.
"The two of you are more alike than you know."
What did that mean?
More than that, Berserker's own words lingered.
"I want to help you achieve that dream."
In the end, she'd set out for the city.
Towards that stronger, roaring presence.
Atalanta had many questions, and she suspected he held the answers.
(...Scene Break...)
The clone's journey was finally coming to an end.
With the incessant heat of the afternoon sun beating relentlessly down on its head, it was almost grateful.
It had traveled far across Romania; indeed, much further than one might expected of a simple kage bunshin. Leagues upon leagues spanned its journey, from Trifas to Sighisoara, then finally Bucharest. Burgeoned with far more chakra than its lesser brethren, the blond doppelganger had covered these great distances in a single day, uncaring of what-or who-saw, all in search of a single goal. Its mission was of paramount importance, and its severity could not be understated. The very outcome of the Holy Grail War might hinge on its actions here tonight. After all, this was the task assigned it by the original.
To wander.
To search.
To see.
This world was wonderful and wide and so very new; and they knew next to nothing about it. For a ninja, such a crippling lack of intelligence could easily prove fatal. But he wasn't here to gather intel on the enemy-though any sliver of information would be gladly welcomed-that task fell to another clone. His purpose was far more mundane by comparison, though no less vita. It was here to record potential fall back points, set up safehouses, observe then report back, and the like. This might be little more than a game for Naruto, but for his Master the risks were terribly, horribly real.
She only had one life, after all.
Any enemies it encountered were to be reasoned with of course-where was the fun in leaping into a fight unprepared?-but if it came to blows it had been given a very specific set of seals. Seals which would cause the rich chakra/prana in its veins to violently self-destruct and take the enemy with it. One might call it a suicide mission, but the clone was content with that. This was its purpose after all. If it perished in the outing then it would simply return to the original and be recreated again. Its thoughts, its memories, the very essence that made it "him" would live on in the original.
The clone was content with that.
At any rate, it had completed its task and surveyed the whole of Romania. Several fall back positions had been "marked" in case of an emergency. Stockpiles of food and water were safely stored underground or secreted away by hired hands. People were happy to follow orders, so long as they were being paid for their services. What did it matter where the coin came from? If it weren't for that damn class penalty, the original would have simply summoned a small army and been done with it, but alas it was not to be.
This was they hand they'd been dealt by the Throne and they would just have to work around it.
Perhaps if they'd been summoned as Assassin, they'd be able to use Hiraishin more reliably. As it stood, his father's infamous jutsu was going to do him precious little good as Berserker. Any use he might have gotten out of it was negated by another annoying penalty. A single use would break each of the nine kunai he held. Sunder them, beyond all hope of repair. He'd had to be terribly selective about seeding them. One had been planted near the distant road in case of emergencies, but the others...
Frankly, it was more than a little annoying.
Indeed, the clone was preparing to dispel itself when a spike of prana caught its attention.
Help.
The word stabbed at him, twisting in his mind.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Did I get spotted or something?"
Like a sharp knife thrust through its gut, so too did the clone lurch to the side, its back slamming against a nearby wall. Almost painfully close in its proximity, the sudden swell of energy lit up his senses in a blazing storm of light, only to fail and fade just as quickly. As though someone had pulled the plug on an exceptionally powerful spell and left the remnants to gutter out and die. Or they'd been interrupted. Violently. Neither should have been impossible. Improbable, at the very least. The odds of someone summoning less than a block away were impossible. Absurd.
And yet...!
His body didn't hesitate.
Uncaring for the scene it made, the clone flung itself out of the alley and into broad daylight. A single leap carried him upward toward one of the taller buildings, bringing him within reach of what he sought. His good hand locked around a weather vane, using the momentum to swing himself upwards to safety, both feet alighting on a rusted fire escape. Ah. This was the place, then. Kicking off the metal rail, he propelled himself forward and through the nearest window he found. Bits of broken glass and metal lashed at his crossed arms as he crashed through, landing in a pointed crouch.
Hmm.
The room was larger than he thought.
A sprawling expanse with a towering bed to match, it reeked of luxury, the kind most would kill to attain in a single lifetime alone, never mind several. Gilded curtains twisted under his boots as he stood, crushing glass underfoot. Someone's workshop no doubt, and a rather gaudy one at that. Yet something was off. The scent of blood filled his nose when he inhaled, a coppery tang both everywhere, and yet nowhere. Lives had been taken here. Many of them. A tang of despair filled his lungs when he breathed, the bitter grudges of the slain and the departed assaulting his senses.
He'd expected to find the enemy waiting for him within, or a magus.
Someone or something resembling a threat to his person, at the very least.
Not...this.
Instead he found bloodied walls alongside a man missing both his jaw and an arm, as well a woman with her guts torn out. A cursory glance confirmed that the former was still alive, if only just. Alas, the same could not be said for the woman. She'd gone down hard and lay sprawled over what he could only assume was a summoning apparatus of some sort; a circle carved using her own blood as an inscription. Strewn haphazardly over the floor, her innards hung about in grisly relief. Whomever she was, she hadn't died well. Had she managed to maim the other before she died? No, there was something else in here, rather, someone...oh.
This time it wasn't the blood that made Naruto balk.
'Gah! Stop, stop, stop! Avert thine eyes!'
Curled between them in the fetal position lay a bloodstained wisp of a girl...clad in attire entirely too scandalous given her age. Despite all the original had seen and remembered in his many years, this easily exceeded the bounds of reason. Just what in blazes was she wearing?! What kind of Loli exposition was this?! Sputtering, he hastily wrapped his cloak around her shoulders without a second thought. A tiny, muffled whimper greeted his noble efforts and a small hand felt its way around his. As he looked on, a pair of faded golden eyes peeked out of the tented fabric, framed by a mess mop of ashen hair. Particles of fresh mana wafted from a deep wound in her thin frame in fading relief, vanishing into the air as she gazed up at him.
In that instant, he became frightfully aware of what she was.
She had no presence.
Not at all.
None.
Assassin!
His hackles rose and the fingers of his right hand twisted into taut claws at his side, forming an edge harder than steel. A single twitch would drive that hand through her heart and end her life. At least, in theory. Maybe someone like Sasuke could've done that. Killed a child in cold blood. Without pause. With no remorse. But Naruto? He couldn't and his clone quickly came to the same conclusion. To strike at someone who looked so pitiful, so helpless...someone who'd done nothing to him...
"Oh, hell no." he muttered. "Sorry, boss. I can't do it. I'm not killing a kid."
Stirred by his words, the girl blinked up at him blearily.
"Mommy?"
Urk.
In his youth he'd been horribly awkward with children. Now? He was an old hand at it. Having great grandchildren did that to a man. Careful not to expose his flank, he crouched down beside the bloodied girl, ready to spring away if she attacked. She didn't appear to have any weaponry on her person, but he'd learned that lesson well with Atalanta. Any Servant could someone their weapon in an instant. Even a dying one. He wasn't about to take her lightly. Pity her perhaps, and stay by her side until she died, of course, but underestimate her? Never. He'd seen too many friends nearly die to vindictive enemies on their last legs. If this little one tried anything, anything at all, she'd regret it. But until then...
"Hey, there." he hummed, stroking the small of her back. "What's your name, kiddo?"
...Jack." she rasped weakly. "I'm cold. I want to go where its warm."
"Where its warm?" Naruto blinked.
"Mhmm."
Her hands fisted around the lapels of his coat, tugging weakly at first but with surprising strength. Abruptly they pushed inward, seeking the skin beneath. Sharp nails dug into his flesh. Eh? Wait, just a second there! Blue eyes took in their bloody surroundings and a ghastly pall of realization dawned on him. Where its warm?! A flicker of danger warned him of her intent and he batted her questing palms away with firm gentleness. Servant or not, the strength of "Jack" was many tiers below his own and he overpowered her with ease. Something dangerous flickered in the wounded Servant's eyes and the sight of it made him clamp down hard on her wrists in spite of her struggle.
"No, no!" he admonished her, wagging a finger. "None of that. I'd like to keep my guts where they are."
She tilted her head at him in silent confusion.
"But I'm cold."
"Then I'll warm you up another way. Here."
With a grunt he scooped the dangerous girl up in his arms and led her to the bed-not like that!-in a series of quick strides. Nimbly evading the worst of the gore, he plopped her down on the mattress and began to bundle her up in the low-hanging sheets. The rest he tore fee to create an impromptu cloak of sorts for the silent Servant. All the while, those golden eyes never left him. Berserker suspected she was watching him just as much as he was watching her; each waiting for the slightest sign of of hostility. If he knew she was a Servant, she likely knew the same about him.
"Jack, huh?" he hummed as he worked, as much to distract himself as her. "That sounds kinda familiar-
"Why don't you feel real?" she asked abruptly.
The clone tittered softly at her inquiry.
"Because I'm not. Just a clone."
"But you're Berserker."
"Hmm?"
Her sudden statement elicited a slight pause in him, nothing more. With age came experience after all. He might be somewhat restrained in this form than he'd like, but with his youth restored none of that mattered. With his current level of strength he could fight for days without rest, and his own reserves of chakra were pleasantly topped off by his Master's bountiful supply of prana. Even he, a mere clone, could give any enemy a run for their money. In the unlikely even that things devolved into a battle between him and Assassin, he remained confident in his victory.
Of course, his pleasant smile reflected absolutely none of the inner machinations of his mind. Nope. Not at all.
"That's right." he supplied. "I'm Berserker, but you can call me Naruto. And you're Assassin, aren't you?"
"Mmm." her head bobbed in agreement. "I'm Jack. Jack the Ripper."
This time, the Throne supplied the rest.
Naruto hissed out a breath.
Jack the Ripper.
He'd just struck up a conversation-an acquaintance at the very least-with one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Might just be easier to let her disappear. Safer, certainly. Clearly something had gone wrong during her summoning and she'd attacked her summoner. The sacrifice he'd used-potentially as a catalyst?-appeared to have perished during the ritual as well. Recently at that, judging by the warmth of her body. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume she was a sacrifice mean to empower the ritual. Clearly, Jack had taken issue with that and maimed her "Master" to the point where he would both be unable to speak or otherwise issue orders to her for the duration of the war. The thought made Naruto shake his head. It was pure chance that he'd even been in the area at all during her summoning. A few seconds later and he would've been gone, dispelled and sent back to the original without so much as a second thought for any of this.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
"Don't suppose you'd be down for a truce?" he posited, watching her carefully. If she was a Servant of Black...
"Sure. You're nice." her soft reply nearly floored him outright. "Are you sure you're not my mommy?"
Naruto's jaw nearly struck the floor.
'That was easy!'
Urk.
"Eh...I'd prefer big brother, honestly." he admitted, recovering with a small shrug. "No matter which was you slice it, definitely not mother material."
'Kay."
Jack hopped off the bed, shaking off the sheets to expose herself. Idly, he noticed her wound was no longer visible. Strange. Did she have Independent Acton or had she simply healed? He was fairly certain she didn't. He knew full well he had a passive healing skill thanks to that mark of his, but did that extend to those he considered allies? Perhaps it did. Regardless, he didn't have to worry about the girl fading away now. Of course, that still left the matter of her mangled master lying in the corner, slowly bleeding out. He supposed he could tend to the man's injuries and save his life, but regenerating a jaw? That would be-
...we can call you that?" Assassin lilted, commanding his attention, "We've never had a big brother before."
She touched a finger to her chin, considering the word, rolling it on her tongue.
"Hmm. Brother." she spoke slowly, frowning to herself. "Naruto-Onii-chan."
The blond in question bit back a small smile at her childish behavior.
Odd. Why was she referring to herself as we? Strange, that.
"First time for everything, I suppose. So, we good?"
A wide, beatific smile blossomed on her face.
"Yay! Onii-chan!"
With a startling burst of speed, Jackie slammed into him. The clone tensed, expecting an assault of some sort, only to realize his mistake. She hadn't attacked. Not in the least. She was hugging him. Crushing her face into his stomach, little arms squeezing his back for all she was worth. An old memory flicked through the annals of the clone's mind. Ah. He remembered being embraced like this before. First by his children-then grandchildren and great grandchildren thereafter. Old memories. Good memories.
A strange, warm feeling blossomed in his chest.
"There, there." he sighed, mussing her hair. "Good girl."
Jack hummed happily and nuzzled her head deeper into his cloak.
Presumptuous though it might be for one leading such a fleeting existence as this, the clone decided to take pity on Assassin. He knew a lost soul when he saw one and this girl...no, it wouldn't be a stretch to say she was several. Countless souls coalesced into one body with one mind, one purpose, one drive. The desire to live. He could understand that. Sympathize with it, even. What was wrong with living? It wasn't a sin to be alive, after all. What you did with your life, well...that determined your worth in life. This one, Jack, he reminded himself, had been denied even that. She didn't need to rest. She needed a purpose. A reason to live. Pity he couldn't think to give her one.
Honestly he almost felt sorry for the poor thing; her luck was even worse than his...
"Here, Onii-chan." Jack piped up, distracting. "You can have these."
At first Naruto-the clone-didn't understand her.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean-
Until his hand roared in pain.
"What in blazes...?!"
He looked down.
Oh, hell.
In disbelief he gaped at the crimson mark now staining the back of his hand. Etched in the twisted shape of a dagger, pommel, hilt and blade. A strange, eldritch tattoo, in the shape he'd never seen before yet was terribly familiar with all the same. After all, he'd seen a similar mark on Jean's hand. He knew what it meant, but he didn't understand how. By rights, it should've been impossible. His eyes didn't deceive him. Though he squinted and scrubbed furiously at his face, the same mark remained. The mark, and all the power that came with it.
As he looked on it pulsed red.
Ordinarily a clone couldn't sustain any sort of real injury, but he had been reinforced with that very idea in mind. He could endure at least three life-threatening blows before the chakra comprising and sustaining his body evaporated. Theoretically, such an act would render him smoke. His experiences and memories would then be transferred to the original. The process of transferring Command Seals to him hadn't been painful, but at the same time it'd put undue stress on his already failing body. Ordinarily, that wouldn't have bothered him, but unfortunately the damn spells had recognized him as a temporary being being and thus raced right through his link the Original and latched on for all they were worth. Sure enough, the clone experienced a beat of incredulous surprise from its creator. Damnit, he hadn't known she could do that!
Jack tilted her head.
...did I do something bad?"
The clone palmed his face, groaning.
"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong...
Yes, yes she had! Terribly bad! Horribly bad!
The Original was going to utterly murder him for this!
Never had the shadow clone been so thankful for his ability to dispel.
As far as it was concerned, this wasn't his problem anymore. Nope! Let him deal with it!
Pivoting to face the petite Assassin, the clone sighed and raised his freshly marked hand in command.
"Right then, Jack-chan. I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. By the power of this command spell I order you to...
(...Meanwhile, Leagues Away...)
'They're not following.'
"Seems like it."
Kairi Sisigou risked a wary glance over his shoulder and found himself somewhat relieved to find that his Servant had spoken true. Relieved, and moderately concerned. Neither that damn priest or his Servant had made any attempt to trail them after they'd gone and refused their offer of alliance, but he couldn't say the same of Jean with any certainty. After the grand scene Berserker had made back there, he expected Kotomine would likely retaliate against him and his Master sometime in the near future.
And that just wouldn't do.
Sisigou was admittedly rather fond of Jean; the woman took absolutely no nonsense from anyone and they'd worked well together in the past. She could be a bit of a recluse at times, but she took great pride in her work ethic and always saw a job through to the end. It just wasn't in her to make rash decisions without thinking things through, it was in part the reason she'd survived where others failed. If someone made the monumental mistake of riling her they faced long, exacting vengeance. A bibliophile though she might be, the woman packed a mean punch.
She was going to get herself killed in this war if she wasn't careful.
Berserker seemed skilled to be sure, but if that woman was who he thought she was...he'd be in for a bad time.
Still, Mordred had told him the truth, after all. Of course she had. Saber wasn't the sort to lie. It wasn't that she lacked the moral fiber to do so; rather, she was simply too proud to ever consider a deception. Even now her rough voice echoed through their bond, words buzzing about in his head like a swarm of irritated hornets as he left the church behind and entered alley.
"They haven't left the church?"
'Even an Assassin would have to materialize to attack.' she growled. 'I'm too good to let that happen. And that Berserker guy doesn't seem the type.'
"Fair enough," he relented.
'Master, why wouldn't you work with them?'
"You didn't want to, either." Sisigou pointed out.
'That was just a gut feeling.' Saber retorted petulantly, he could almost see her crossing her arms in a fit of righteous indignation. 'That Semiramis woman smelled like my mother. Women like that must never be trusted, not ever. Besides...that bitch was watching him.'
"Watching who?"
'Ha? Whiskers, of course.'
Sisigou nearly missed a step.
This was a trap. Yes. Definitely a trap. A landmine he absolutely refused to step on. To suggest otherwise meant doom. To even imply that Saber was fond of the blond or experiencing such sentiment was just asking for a knuckle sandwich. No, he might even lose his life if his tongue slipped right now. Wisely, he chose to ignore her brief bout of jealousy and press on as if nothing had happened. Yes! Ignorance was the key! He'd seen what she had done to Shakespeare and that poor bastard was still alive. So long as he pretended nothing had transpired between the two of them, he would keep his head...maybe.
"Then it was the right decision." he amended. "I trust your intuition."
A beat of awkward silence passed between Master and Servant.
'Well, thanks. I'm glad my Master's not some boot-licking sucker. Ah! But not too glad. Medium glad-AHA!'
Mordred manifested beside him in a swirl of mana, her abrupt arrival momentarily taking him back. As did her crazed grin. Without pause or preamble-nor an explanation-the Knight of Rebellion bounded straight past him and rounded the nearest corner at near impossible speed. Then she hit something. Or perhaps someone hit her. Tackled, more like.A startled grunt greeted Sisigou's ears, punctuated by a brief struggle as someone flung a rough curse and crashed into a wall. The ruckus almost made the old necromancers smile. Mordred must've bitten off more than she could chew; because she started squawking immediately.
"Oi! Don't pull my hair, Berserker! I'm sorry I jumped you, aright?!"
"Aw, but your ponytail's just so fluffy!" a familiar voice cooed. "I can't resist! And yet you get so mad when anyone calls you a-
Mordred growled.
"I WILL GUT YOU!"
Berserker was waiting for Sisigou when he finally found them.
Indeed, he was treated to an almost comical sight. Somehow the whiskered warrior had managed to pin Saber against the ground, trapping both arms behind her back, and was now batting at her hair with his good hand while the other held her down. Probably best that he'd intervened. Mordred looked like she was about to bring the entire block down on their heads if he didn't get off her soo-oh, wait. As he approached Berserker grinned and clamored off the enraged knight, nimbly leaping onto an adjacent rooftop out of her reach before her blade found something...tender.
"Hey! Leave my bits alone, Saber! I need those, ya know!"
Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to stop Mordred.
"Get down here and I'll chop 'em, bastard!"
Berserker's body wriggled playfully.
"Ahh, scary! I don't wanna~!"
"Why ya little-
"Saber!"
Mordred didn't quite flinch when Sisigou barked at her, but she did growl. For a fleeting moment, Sisigou wondered if she'd disobey. Berserker certainly excelled at getting under her skin. Tenuous friendship or no, she was looking more than a little irked.
"Oi, Master! That's not fair! He started it!"
"So did you by sneaking up on him." the necromancer admonished her. "Let it go. You can stick him full of holes if he does it again."
Mordred managed a murderous mewl.
"Promise?"
"EH?!" Berserker squawked from his precarious perch. "What are you, a sadist?! I'm not immortal! That'll kill me!"
"Tch." Saber folded both arms across her breastplate. "Fine, spoilsport. On one condition. I want clothes."
"Clothes?"
Naruto and Sisigou blinked as one.
...ha?"
"Don't give me that look! It's not my fault! I just can't stand walking around in my armor all day! It doesn't feel comfortable! So!" Mordred sulked, stomping a booted foot against the ground for emphasis. "Either man up and buy me something else to wear or I'll make ya use a command seal." the knight threatened. "Your choice, Master!"
...he really did have a troublesome servant.
"Fine, fine. Just put your sword away before someone sees."
With a pleased hum, the warrior knight did as she'd been commanded.
"Right, you can come down now, zombie! I promise I won't murder ya...yet."
"Always nice to see cooler heads prevail." Berserker snarked down at them, snapping off a faux salute before dropping back down off the roof to slide down the wall. "I'm glad you made it out of that place in one piece."
Sisigou heaved a silent sigh of relief.
These two...they just might be the most dangerous Servants in the entire war. If they ever fought seriously, their surroundings-as well as anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire-would be utterly annihilated in the blink of an eye. In that aspect alone, it was critical to keep them from fighting in a populated area. Should they unleash their Noble Phantasms in broad daylight for everyone to see...well, that wasn't something the Association would be able to sweep under the rug easily. Yes, it was absolutely imperative he kept the peace between these two...
...even if it threatened to tear him apart.
"So why'd you run out of there like the anyway?" Mordred muttered, flushing. "Were ya scared or something?"
"No." a sour look flashed across his face, "I just don't trust that shitty priest. He reminds me of Uchiha Madara. So I got my Master the hell out of there."
Mordred tilted her head, a questing note in her tone.
"Madara?"
"Eh, someone who died a long time ago. No one you need to concern yourself with. Anyhow!" grinning, the blond berserker smacked a clenched fist into an open palm, "As much as I'd like to finish what we started back there, I'm here on official business this time around. Ahem." A pause followed as he coughed into a fist and shifted his weight to his right leg, allowing the true weight of his words to sink in. "To put it bluntly, my Master would like to request an alliance. With the two of you. Frankly, I'm all for it." his hand rose, palm offered in friendship. "Whaddya say?"
A beat of silence passed between the three of them.
"She probably wants information, considering you dragged her out of there in a huff before she learned anything." Sisigou amended with a small smile. "Regretting that now, aren't you?"
The blond's expression turned sheepish.
He made a pinching motion.
"Just a little~!"
"Ha?"
Mordred growled aloud, suddenly peering the blond's outstretched intensely. When the blond didn't reply she seized his outstretched limb and hauled him close. For his part Berserker didn't resist, only uttering a soft noise of confusion when his fellow blond hauled off and grabbed him. Those aqua orbs weren't focused on his face. Indeed, it didn't exist to her in that moment. Her fierce gaze was focused firmly upon his extended hand with a laser-like intensity, ignoring all else. Sisigou followed his gaze and felt his heart still.
He knew those markings.
"Oi." frowning, Saber drew him closer still. "Since when did you have friggin' Command Seals on your hand? Those weren't there back at the church!"
Naruto sighed.
"Bit of a story, there...ah fuck it. If we're going to be allies, we shouldn't keep secrets."
Turning his head to a vacant rooftop, he snapped his fingers.
"Jig's up, Jack! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
A faint breeze registered behind Sisigou's flank.
And then, quite suddenly, she was there.
Mordred's loud squawk spoke for him.
"Where'd the chibi come from?!"
(...One Brief Explanation Later...)
"So that's the long and short of it. Say hello, Jackie."
"'ello!" Assassin waved happily.
Naruto drooped like a kicked puppy as Jean leveled a dark glower on his back. One didn't need telepathy to know she was put out with her Servant. Of course, she had every right to be. He'd gone off and done something incredibly foolish. Rather, his clone had. It could've easily backfired and wiped him out. That it hadn't was something of a miracle. He knew he should argue. Put up a fight at the very least. After all, he wasn't at fault here. Jack had been the one to transfer her command seals to him. Such a feat should have been impossible, and it would have been had her master lived. Yet that didn't change the outcome. Besides, he simply didn't have the will to try and argue semantics with his allies. That was neither here nor there.
Actions have consequences.
One of those "consequences" was currently squeezing his hand for all she was worth.
Which was rather considerable, know that he thought about it.
"Onii-chan," she whispered, "I'm really hungry."
"Hmm? Don't you have enough mana?"
Golden eyes gazed up at him.
"But I'm hungry."
As if to punctuate that statement, her stomach growled.
"Ah. Don't worry, I'll get you some hamburger or something before we head out, okay?"
"Yay!"
Having relocated to a more secluded location, they were relatively safe from prying eyes. Berserker didn't mind that. If they were going to have a gathering at all then it was best done in secret, away from the prying eyes of the Black Faction or those of a certain priest. With only one entrance, this location was relatively well guarded and had the added benefit of restoring their mana at a healthy rate. This was all well and good, considering he burned a fair bit of mana merely by supporting Jack's existence, and that was handicap enough on its own. Multiple bounded fields also prevented anyone from ambushing them.
But did it have to be a crypt?
If there was one weakness he still hadn't parted with from his youth, it was his fear of ghosts. Graveyards just didn't sit well with him.
Judging by Mordred's sullen expression, she felt the same.
"In regards to the alliance," Jean made of a show of adjusting her glasses, "Do we have an accord?"
"I don't see why not." Sisigou shrugged. "You've been up front with us so far."
A flicker of torchlight momentarily rendered her glasses opaque.
"And the Grail?" she pressed.
'Geh. Scary woman...
...we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."
"So we're in agreement that the zombie did the right thing?" Mordred chimed.
Naruto's head whipped around with such force that those nearby felt his neck crack by proximity alone. A beat of silence passed between the two servants. Followed by another. The another still. Another. Just when Saber was beginning to wonder if she ought to take back those words her fellow blond blitzed her. Not an attack, she realized too late. Seizing her in a crushing embrace, Berserker sighed in contentment and rougly nuzzled her face like a happy cat. A crimson flush all but crawled up the knight's neck, rapidly rising in her cheeks and flooding her face. His scent filled her nose when she breathed and for a moment, just a moment, she was taken back.
"Mordred!" he wailed! "I knew I liked you! You're alright!"
His words reactivated her in a rush.
"B-Baka! Get offa me! Now!"
With a demented smile, the rejuvenated blond spun away and hid behind his Master. For her part, Jean silently palmed her face and weathered Saber's glower as a flush burned her ears. This. This was her Servant. The one she was supposed to entrust her well-being to. Why had the gods forsaken her...?"
"Berserker, behave yourself. Now, Sisigou, what's this about the Ruler class?"
Grateful for the distraction, the Necromancer stood at attention.
"I'm afraid I don't know much about her beyond what I already mentioned," he explained, shaking his head. "If you're thinking of cultivating her as an ally, I wouldn't. She likely won't be around for long."
Naruto perked up.
"What makes you say that?"
...call it a feeling. That priest strikes me as the sort to meddle."
Naruto nodded slowly, absently thumbing his chin in quiet agreement.
"Noted. A fifteenth servant, huh? So when do we attack?" he inquired, drawing several startled looks. "Night? Night sounds good."
"We've stolen a Servant from the Black faction and now you want to assault their base of operations?" Sisigou sighed. "Won't that be like poking a hornet's nest?"
"I wouldn't call it an assault...
"Oi, what're ya doing?"
As they looked on the blond simply sat down and tucked his legs beneath him, settling into a peaceful meditative crouch. If he was at all annoyed by the sudden scrutiny he did little to show it. He merely closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh...a long-suffering one as Jack immediately plopped down beside him and claimed the vacant space between his legs for herself. Well. This was somewhat...awkward. How was a man to focus when you had someone like her clinging to you? His exasperation was only sharpened by the quiet intentions he felt radiating from her.
Poor thing just wanted to be close to him.
"If Onii-chan's going, she puffed out her cheeks, "So am I~!"
The whiskered warrior shrugged in defeat, never once opening his eyes.
...see? Just think of it as aggressive expansion."
Mordred's smile bloomed.
"Ha! I like it!"
"We don't know if the rest of the Reds can be trusted." Naruto pointed out, turning his still-closed gaze from his crouch to peer at an equally excited Mordred. "I can vouch for at least one other person, but I don't have a reliable method of contacting her. And since my clone saw fit to use a Command Spell to summon Jack here, we have three servants instead of two. Saber, Berserker, Assassin." he flicked a finger to each of them, including himself, in turn. "All things considered, we're lucky. We have two front line fighters and a rear guard. Jean and Sisigou will stay here and provide support via Command Seals. It might be best if we had one more, but for a first assault I think the three of us will do...
Jack bristled in his lap.
"Four."
All eyes save those of a certain blond turned toward the entrance.
Toward the faint sound of approaching footfalls.
Saber's blade snarled to life.
Naruto inhaled quietly.
"Aha."
Even with his eyes screwed firmly shut-concentrated on drawing the surprisingly resistant energy of this world-Naruto felt a small smile tug at his cheeks. Well! Seemed his ill-luck was finally taking a turn for the better at long last. Hell, he felt like grinning! He'd been hoping to contact her again, but he simply hadn't possessed a reliable means of doing so, beyond running her down. For her to willingly seek him out meant she either had an annoying large bone to pick with them, or her intentions were more noble. From what he knew of her legend he doubted it was the former. Likely the latter then.
Through his sixth sense, she blazed like a beacon of light.
Conflicted perhaps, yet also decisive.
Fascinating.
"Scary, scary." he hummed, tilting his head in her direction. "I didn't even sense you coming until just now. Remind me never to piss ya off...
Slowly, she stepped into the light.
...Atalanta."
Mordred didn't lower her blade.
"The hell is she?"
"Archer of Red." Naruto chimed. "Ran into her a little while ago. Didn't think she'd actually come after me, though...
Atalanta's ears twitched.
In the end, she acknowledged none of them; neither Master nor Servant. Her head turned, taking in the dim surroundings of the crypt and the crude table they'd erected between the four of them. Emerald eyes narrowed upon the worm parchment there, reading the map at at a glance only to dismiss it as well. Finally, her piercing eyes locked onto him, pinning him with the single-mindedness of a hunter seeking their prey. There was fire in her eyes, hot yet tempered by restraint. Instead of the anger he'd expected there was only...confusion?
"Berserker."
"Hmm?" the blond stirred from his meditative crouch, a gold eye finally creaking open. "Need something?"
Curiously he felt her gaze settle not on him, but rather, Jack.
When next she spoke, her voice almost faltered.
"Who...who is that child in your lap?"
Everything clicked into place.
"I'm Jack. Who're you?"
Perhaps pleased to be acknowledged by someone other than her precious person, Jack rose from the blond's legs to bar the huntress's path. At least, he assumed she was pleased. Her once expressive face had shut down, replaced by a steely look he'd not seen from her before. In that instant "Jack" didn't exist. She became Jack the Ripper. No, not pleased, he realized. Wary. Alert. Cautious. Ready to slice up into Atalanta if she so much as twitched the wrong way. Surely Atalanta must've sensed that she was a Servant too, yet she made no move to defend herself, even as the petite girl conjured a dagger.
Instead, Archer's visage was a riot of emotion.
Disbelief, confusion, joy, and a hint of fear. All these flickering feelings and more danced across her face, there one moment and gone the next. Naruto read them all like an open book. As if she couldn't decide whether to unleash her bow-disastrous as such a close quarters battle would be-or turn tail and run. Something had her spooked, and he suspected he knew what it was. Still, he held his silence. If he spoke now he might easily send the volatile Archer over the edge and who knew where that would lead...?
"You are the Assassin of Black. Tell me, why are you with Berserker?" she inquired bluntly, staring at her. "What is he to you?"
"Oi," Mordred growled, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing ignoring the rest of...?!"
Without so much as a glance, Atalanta loosed three arrows into the wall opposite her.
"Be silent, Saber." she replied in a dead voice. "This doesn't involve you."
Once those harrowing orbs found Jack the Ripper.
This time, Jack gave her reply gladly.
"Onii-chan saved me." she answered, beaming with all the innocence and guilelessness such as only a broken child could possess. "He heard my voice when no one else would. He wrapped me in blankets when I was cold and told me I was safe. He promised to feed me and take care of me. I...he's important."
It was like flipping a switch.
"Ah."
Atalanta's hand descended for a second time-not to attack, but to ruffle Assassin's ashen hair. This time, there could be no mistake the blissful expression on the girl's face. Beaming, she leaned into the outstretched palm and hummed softly. Then Archer was past her, nimbly skirting the small Servant in favor of her Master. Naruto made no effort to rise; indeed, he remained right where he was, meditating in spite of the danger. If attacked in this position he risked suffering a fatal wound before he could defend himself. Even then he didn't move.
Had he known her thoughts, he might've.
Through this single act alone, he'd unknowingly endeared himself to the nimble huntress more than any mortal before him. Beyond that, his actions warmed her heart. Not enough for her to consider breaking "that" sacred vow, but enough to thaw the ice between them. Closer than before. In this alone, this simple act of kindness would become a catalyst that led to something extraordinary. A miracle beyond miracles, that act of defiance in which one turned their back on the heavens and another forsook the gods themselves. But for now...
Neither knew.
...may I join you?"
Naruto merely sighed.
"Eh, sure. Plenty of room."
After a moments consideration, Archer claimed the space beside him.
"I take it you have a plan to assault the Black Faction's stronghold?" she posited after a long moment.
Naruto frowned.
"Well, we do, but-
"Then I shall join you."
It wasn't a question, but a command.
A beat of uneasy silence passed between the uneasy party.
Jean and Sisigou had held their tongues until this moment, fearing the worst and trusting the Servants to handle it. Now that they had diffused the tension, they found themselves at something of an impasse. For another Servant to simply waltz in and join forces with another out of the blue...it was unheard of. That Atalanta of the Red Faction had just done so without her master utterly baffled them. Jack, for her part, was content to stay silent so long as her "Onii-chan" continued patting her head like that. And Mordred...well...
"Did you seriously just-
Saber opened her mouth to argue-
A crackle of awareness interrupted her.
'Of course! One of the damn knives goes off now!'
"Change of plans, guys. I'll be going on ahead. See ya in Trifas~!"
With a laugh Naruto vanished, leaving a broken kunai behind in his wake.
The last he heard of them was an exasperated growl belonging to said huntress.
"Not again!"
Then they were gone; the world lurching and twisting around him in a swirling vortex; flashes of gold and red interposing with silver as he surrendered to the pull of the technique. In this form it was very much a one-way jutsu, allowing for him to travel great distances at speed, but at the cost of not being able to return so lightly. This kunai in particular had been the one he'd planted near the highway. That it had triggered meant one of two things; someone had either attempted to remove it, or it had detected a threat against a third party. It was the latter that worried him. He'd never mastered Hiraishin, and in this limited capacity it was very much a double-edged sword.
If there was a Ruler in this war, and if she'd been attacked...
Unfortunately, he neglected a vital component in this.
The nine kunai could be moved. Flung or thrown.
Such as an explosion rendering it airborne.
And now, by that very definition...him.
Reality rushed back with a dull roar, and a world's worth of momentum came with it. Fire flickered in his vision, forcing him to squint even as he plummeted to the earth. By the time his vision cleared he beheld a startled face that he hoped-prayed-wasn't the Ruler class Servant. By then it was already too late. He couldn't have stopped even if he wanted to. Not that it mattered anymore. Whomever had drawn nearest to that kunai was in for a world of hurt and several broken bones besides. He could make them pay for disturbing him, at the very least.
Even as he fell he saw them fighting.
Two figures waged war like never before, one a burning man, the other a woman with striking gold hair. That was all the information provided by his heightened senses at this distance. Judging by the woman's efforts, she was the one forced on the defensive, yet still she fought on despite her opponent's lance...wait. Lance? Yes, that was definitely a lance of some sort. Which made the other one Ruler.
Ah.
Good.
Well, that was easy.
"DYNAMICENTRYDATTEBAYO!"
A pale face flashed before his vision.
This was all Lancer of Red heard had time to see.
That brief, searing flash as something fell out of the sky.
A rigid leg, straight as an arrow; that booted foot swooping towards him in a searing hurricane.
Then a cackling Berserker drilled him headlong into the earth as though he'd been struck by the hand of an angry god.
A/N: JACK HAS BEEN SAVED AND ALL HELL IS ABOUT TO BREAK LOOSE~!
Stayed up really late to finish this, so I look forward to seeing your reviews in the morning!
Yeah, had to push the Fran bit back this time due to time constraints. Again, let me know how you guys and gals feel about other Naruto characters being included in this. I don't want to just jam a ton of them in for no reason; I feel it should be tastefully done, or not at all. After all, I'm putting a lot of effort into this story and I don't want to ruin it for you all.
Next time is Naruto vs Lancer!
Ah, but who IS Lancer?
Ready!
Set!
Go!
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previewssss!
Care to guess what I'm thinking?
TELL ME WHICH ONES YOU LIKE AND WHY~!
(Potential Previews)
She shook him furiously.
"Why'd ya run off?!"
"I~didn't~mean~to~!" Naruto groaned out between shakes.
"I do not understand you."
"Nothing to understand, missy."
Jeanne frowned over her shoulder at him.
"Why are you like this?"
"Eh? Why am I like what?" Naruto posited. "You'll have to make more sense. Now, hold still...
"You have an old soul, yet a young body." her frown deepened into a wince as he patiently continued wrapping her wound. "Ow! Not so tight, please. You claim to be a Berserker class, yet your sanity clearly remains. This should not be possible. You're an aberration. You shouldn't be here. So I ask you, why?"
The young man shrugged.
"Just lucky, I suppose. I got a second chance to enjoy life." He paused, hands grazing her leg. "I don't really know why and frankly I don't care. There doesn't have to be a reason for everything, ya know. Look at you." he laughed, thumbing his nose. "You're alive again, same as me. I'd say that's a cause for celebration, right?"
"Perhaps you speak the truth. Yet even so, I have a duty to-hmm?!"
Her words trailed off in surprise as he kissed her forehead.
A cheeky smile greeted her blank, stunned silence.
Then came the blush, creeping up her neck.
"W-W-W-Whatever was that for?!"
...you need to loosen up."
Inhaling calmly, he began to draw power-
The world screamed at him.
"Kill you!"
Mordred pivoted in place.
Clad in physical clothes for the first time since he'd seen her, she actually cut a striking figure.
"Oi, how do I look?"
"Like a gir-
CRUNCH.
"Choose."
Naruto stiffened.
"What're you on about?"
A grim smile answered him.
"Choose who lives and who dies."
"Berserker! I order you to use your Noble Phantasm! Unleash your full power and destroy the enemy before you!"
A tearing grin split his face.
"HAPPILY, MASTER!"
Saber swore.
"Oh, shi-
R&R~!
