Outfoxed
AN: Bit of a experiment with this one.
For those that don't know, but I used to post in much shorter chapters (it's fine if you don't know, those chapters weren't my best work). But with my release of all of my other one-shots (Broken Crown, Don't forget the sun,) some of them not doing as well as I'd hoped, I want to try something new with this one...
What if for this story, and some of my other ones that aren't quite the length of a normal one-shot (being longer) but not quite as long as a story. I break them up into much shorter chapters?
Worth a shot.
I do have chapter Two ready, and I may post it a bit sooner than I usually would.
This also gives me opportunity to release some of the longer one-shots I've had sort of ready, but have been left unfinished, and likely will for some time.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Fate or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners: Musashi Kishimoto and type moon…
6/23/23
Chapter 1
Magus'
He didn't like them one bit. The ability to use magic circuits passed down through vast generations of families.
Each mage family usually specializes in one thing or another. Seals, astrology, biology, even necromancy, you name it, there was a magus family that spent generations researching the topic.
All for one goal… to reach the root.
To attain true magic was the ultimate goal of all mages, at any means necessary.
He didn't like it one bit, in fact he hated it.
Each magus was willing to do anything, to perform the darkness of tasks, just for the slightest of chances it would benefit them in the long run.
You couldn't trust them, they were liars, cheats and killers, and they didn't care one bit about anything else.
But who was he to talk? He was one of them.
He was a magus, and had been for several years. But now? He was just a freelancer, hired to do the dirtiest of jobs imaginable by the worst people imaginable.
But there were certain jobs he found enjoyment in, this one in particular was one of them.
A strange set of pentagrams were found within a normal suburban house, right at the scene of the family who lived there's murder.
The circle was made in blood, but there was one particular thing that caught his attention. The crest was made by a particular family, one who had been forced to be disbanded by the mages association for years.
This was likely the reason he had been hired to find out who did it…
And take them out.
He'd only wished that the string of murders wasn't leading within fuyuki, especially so close to the grail war.
XXX
(Within a small suburban house)
"Fill. Fill. Fill 'er up, fill" he repeated to himself, as he spread the vile and cursed liquid across the hardwood floor with his bare foot. As he idly heard, the soft voices of the news program played across the small TV within the dark room. "Repeat… four times…" he read off, before he thought about it.
"Or was it five?" He asked himself, recalling what he had read previously. "Um, destroy each time it is filled… Right?" He questioned, before he finally looked at the grimoire he was carrying.
"Fill, fill, fill and fill," he counted off, as he raised the appropriate number of fingers within his free hand, to help him count.
"That's five times!" He resolved. "Okay," before his attention was caught by something else in the distance, looking towards the only light within the dimmed room.
"Maybe I was a bit too forward," he commented, watching the news program before him, as he leaned across the back of the family's couch.
They were talking about a pentagram of blood being found within a murder scene… although he could help but take a small semblance of satisfaction within this work.
It was then that the man, the father, who had been sitting on the couch finally collapsed, as his severed head finally hit the floor. Blood splattered across the ground as he heard the faint plop of something wet fall. He didn't care, though, even if it had been a clean cut, one of the best in his career. As he turned the news program off, finally turning his attention to the only living occupant within the room.
"Do you believe in demons, kiddo?" He mused aloud, to the tied up little boy as he laid across the hardwood floor, unable to escape.
"All the papers and magazines call me a demon," he said as he got closer to the boy. "But suppose demons really did exist. Wouldn't that be rude to the demon, Y'know?" The murderer questioned.
"That's why you gotta be clear on these things," he told the boy, as he leaned down to finally face him, as fear filled whimpers littered the room.
"Yo! I'm Ryunosuke Uryu, and I'm a demon!" He jokingly introduced with simile, before he thought about it once again. "I dunno if that's exactly the right way to go out it," he thought.
Musing his incoherent thoughts into lousy ramblings.
"And then. I found this," Ryunosuke showed the kid the pages within his grasp. "It's some old book from our storehouse," he explained, flipping through a few of the documents. "Looks like my ancestors were researching how to summon demons."
"And so I thought; I've gotta find out if there really are demons!" The red-haired boy exclaimed, before another though occurred to him
"But you know…" he sighed, standing up and paying close attention to the magic circle he'd laid across the ground. "If a demon really did appear, it'd be pretty stupid to just chat with it and send it back to hell." Ryunosuke reasoned.
"So kid…" he flashed the young tied up boy a smile, "If a demon does show up, would you mind letting it kill you?" He asked, not that the gagged child could answer.
The boy screamed through the cloth that was tied around his mouth, as he tried to squirm out of his restraints, all to no avail.
The deranged murderer only laughed, "Hahahaha! I wonder what it's like to be killed by a demon! Not many people get to find out— Ahhh!" He screamed, as a faint burning sensation lit the back of his palm, as faint red markings appeared before him.
A dim blue light was cast from his summoning circle, one that lit up the entire room. "Huh?" He questioned, was it finally working.
He couldn't help but feel some type of giddiness about what he was about to see. He watched in anticipation as lightning thundered all around him, as sparks ignited and the seals glowed a bright red. White smoke filled the air, as an uproar sounded around him.
He was excited, I mean who wouldn't be? He was about to meet a literal demon! After all, wouldn't be?
Light engulfed the room, leaving him completely blind as he tried to cover his eyes.
But as the light died down…
"Nothing," he stated, there was nothing that happened. The noise stopped, the lights ceased, and everything was silent. The only thing that could be heard within the room was the faint cries of the young boy tied up.
It was another failed attempt.
But there was something different about this failure, as he noticed it almost immediately.
"Huh?" Ryunosuke questioned. Leaning down, he trailed the summoning circle with his finger, but something was off.
There was a set of strange symbols that surrounded it, ones he had not placed himself. They were dark, black even, like ink, contrasting to the crimson red that he had formed the circle out of.
They almost looked like… kanji? But why would that be there?
And then he heard it…
Step.
The faint sound of the door outside opening, could be heard, as he paid attention to the nearest entrance to the exit.
Step. Step.
He heard the light sound of footsteps nearing him, as the wooden floorboards creaked under the pressure. Had someone found him?
But that couldn't possibly be the case, he still had things to do! He still had a kid here, still fresh and powerless enough to be murdered.
He didn't have time to entertain some no good cop that came snooping around.
Step. Step. Step.
Silence.
And then the footsteps stopped, not a sound could be heard.
Slam!
The wooden door was slammed open, breaking into pieces as a man made his presence known. Ryunosuke didn't have the time to discern just who the man was, as he was too busy dodging the incoming objects that were hurled towards him.
Ducking over the nearby couch, as he tried to gather his bearings. He spotted the projectiles that had been thrown at him. Sharp blades? Kunai, embedded themselves into the hardwood floor.
Reaching into his pockets, he tried to fish for his own blade. Finding it, he finally tried to discover just who had attacked him.
The wasn't any police officer, he knew that. What kind of police officer would use throwing knives? Especially as their first action, weren't they supposed to be the 'good guys?'
This man was prepared, not like any of his other victims. It was as if he was expecting him to be here, or expecting what lay inside.
Ryunosuke tried to poke his head off to the side of the couch. But it was to no avail, as another set of kunai had been launched towards him, forcing him to duck back behind the couch.
Grabbing one of the embedded blades on the ground within his palm. The murderer spotted the shadow of the figure casting down upon the floor. Discerning his location, he tried to throw his new blade towards the man, a blonde, but the intruder only blocked his attack with another one of his own knives.
Ryunosuke used the opportunity to get in close, trying to stab the unknown figure in the chest. His charge was halted as a harsh knee was sent into his stomach, as he was left coughing up blood.
The male's attack was relentless, as a harsh punch was sent towards the boy's face, knocking him to the floor.
Ryunosuke grit his teeth, this wasn't supposed to be this way, he was supposed to be the killer. He wasn't supposed to be the victim!
In anger, he threw his blade at the man, but it was unable to strike him, as he had blocked it once again, only filing Ryunosuke's inner rage.
The boy shot himself off the floor and tried to get close to the blonde, throwing a harsh punch with the same fist that had his command seals. But his strike was easily blocked as his enemy caught his fist. As a punch was aimed at his right cheek.
Ryunosuke recoiled from the blow, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. As a harsh knee to his stomach, knocking the wind right out of him, as he was sent to the ground in a heap, his hand still being held by his adversary.
"Who… are you?" The serial killer questioned, only barely able to speak as he was left panting on the ground for fresh air.
The man leaned down, as Ryunosuke saw the figure's blue eyes interlocking with his own brown ones.
It was at that moment the murder saw it all, as his life flashed before his eyes. Every child he'd murdered, every kid he'd slaughtered. Every parent he's dismembered, and every teen he'd decapitated. Ryunosuke saw it all, he didn't like what he saw.
Ryunosuke wanted to scream, to plea for his life to do something.
But no words came, it was like his entire body had frozen in fear. Unknown to him, kanji had appeared all across his body, similar to that of his summoning circle.
No! This wasn't supposed to be how things were supposed to be! He was supposed to be the one killing! How else was he supposed to fill the boredom within his life? He still had things to do, he still…
"Your death," the man answered, as a knife materialized within his palm, it inching closer and closer to his neck and…
Soon, Ryunosuke only saw darkness, much to his inner relief.
XXX
Naruto looked at the body he'd just murdered. His job was done; he'd eliminated his target, carefully, as to not draw attention, that's why he had neglected to use any firearms. Although, judging by the family that had already been murdered within the house, he'd doubted that this event would be able to be swept under the rug.
But he only shrugged his shoulders, it wasn't his job to ask questions.
And if his client wanting this in the dark he was sure they would do that themselves.
Finally taking the time to look around the room, Previously, as he entered the house, he had slightly paid attention to a small family photo that hung across the wall. Naruto could only see the scene he had come to expect, but even still he did feel a slight pang in his chest.
The father's head had been severed, his body leaning down on the ground next to the television. The mother had been diced to pieces, although he did take note that the woman's clothes hadn't been torn off. Let it never be said that Ryunosuke was a necrophiliac, he guessed that could be a plus.
The child…
A muffled cry in the corner of the room caught his attention.
Black hair, dark eyes and slightly tanned skin, a cute kid by anyone's standard. A model Japanese boy that could endear any local to him.
But now? His cute eyes were etched in pure terror, as he stalked forwards. The boy only seeing the blonde man reaching down towards his face, as he prepared for the worst, not being able to meet him in the eye any longer.
He once again tried to scream, but he knew he couldn't, and so only muffled cries escaped his lips, as they filled the room.
The sound of tape being ripped apart reached the boy's ears, as he suddenly gained movement once again.
Naruto tried to form a calming smile across his face, although he doubted it appeared that way. "Don't be afraid, you're going to be fine," he reassured the boy, as he tore the rest of his bindings off, as well as removing the boy's gag. But even still, he was silent. His words likely being forgotten in the wake of his pure terror.
"Can you stand up?" Naruto asked the child simply, easy enough for his clouded mind to understand. As the child did so, struggling to remain upright as his legs had fallen asleep from lying across the floor. Luckily, Naruto had managed to steady him, laying calluses hands across his shoulders.
"Alright, you can leave the room now, wait outside, I'm sure some people will come find you, don't tell anyone you saw me," he told the child, as he pointed towards the door he had previously caved in.
Naruto doubted the boy wished to remain in such a place, especially with his parent's corpses just a few feet next to them. Only God knew how much trauma the boy would have to endure from this event. With any luck, the boy would be found by the authorities, long after he'd left.
He did feel some pity for the boy having to be forced into the foster system, but in the end that was better than living on the streets. His looks would help in getting him adopted into a nice family, he knew that much.
The boy did as asked, and Naruto couldn't help but keep a small smile across his face as the boy left. In another life, the boy would have been brutally slaughtered, torn apart limb from limb by a rabid monster.
He could only hope that the boy would recover from this.
His target had been killed. All he had to do now was survey the room and take care of anything he'd left behind.
He only hoped the boy would keep quiet about his identity, or at least the shock of what happened would make his memory a bit fuzzy.
He had taken a chance letting the boy go, the boy had seen his face. Any good Magus worth his skin knew that protecting the secrecy of magecraft was of the utmost importance, one like of a child wasn't more than allowing that secret to spread. Any good magus would have killed the kid and been some with it.
He only hoped that his employer would cover up the details once news for out.
But, truthfully, it didn't matter.
"You're quite kind, goshujin-sama," a voice spoke throughout the room, it being so soft and endeared that he almost didn't notice it.
But it took him only a second for him to react.
Manifesting a kunai with his hands, it was on pure instinct that he struck for her stomach, the new figure not making any protests. She did, however, brace herself for the pain.
Biting her lip, the figure, a woman, prepared herself for the blow, not bothering to attack him. The woman only raised her hands towards the air to show she wasn't a threat.
Naruto stopped, she looked so resigned, so defeated, it was so surprising it caused Naruto to freeze in place.
Tentatively, the woman opened a single eyelid, looking at the man.
At first Tamamo was confused, she didn't expect to be summoned, much less in her spirit form. But when she'd looked around, she'd been horrified, as the dead bodies of a family laid about. And while it was true that she had no qualms killing, she'd always found respect in a close-knit family, and so this dug deep.
What's more, she'd thought that her master was a complete and utter psychopath, something she didn't quite like. Wasn't the grail supposed to summon you with compatible masters similar to their own personalities? That didn't inspire much confidence within her.
Everything made much more sense when she saw the man before him, as she'd just now been able to manifest within her physical form.
She eyed the man in front of her, the one she knew to be her master.
His skin was tan, and the brightest hue of blonde hair she had ever seen, it reminded her of the sun, which was fitting, given who she stemmed from. He had three whisker-like birthmarks marring each of his cheeks, ones that almost reminded her of a fox. Again, very fitting given who she was. And although his face could be seen as somewhat feminine, she could definitely see his wildly handsome looking appearance.
His clothing was strange, he wore all black clothing, with black open toed boots, all under a long red haori.
But the most peculiar thing were his eyes, they looked so… cold.
Naruto stared at the woman before him. To most men, she would be considered drop dead gorgeous. And even he had to admit she was beautiful.
With her exotic pink, peach-colored hair that was tied into two twin tails by a pair of blue ribbons that reached down, as bangs covered her forehead. Her face was heart shaped, and her large eyes were a beautiful shade of amber.
Her attire was strange, as she wore a navy blue kimono top with detached sleeves, with gold and white trimmings licking the top with a black and old obi. She also wore what appeared to be a black and white color across her neck. As she finished off the look with a pair of blue knee-high socks, the same color as her kimono, with a tall pair of black heels licking the bottom of her feet.
He idly noted that her kimono was cut low, so much show that she showed off much of her generous amount of cleavage. As well as her showing off her creamy white thighs.
But the most striking thing were the inhuman traits she possessed. Spotting a pair of brown fox-like ears atop her head, as well as a large brown bushy tail across her back.
"Who are you," Naruto questioned, eying her suspiciously as he still had his blade pointed towards her.
The fox woman gulped, "my name is Tamamo no Mae, Caster Class, and I believe I am your servant within Fuyiki's 4th grail war, husband," she answered honestly.
Naruto's eyes widened, but he recognized that this woman was in fact, in all likelihood, telling the truth, no human would have such inhuman fox-like appendages.
And then there was her name. Tamamo no Mae, the great nine-tailed fox demon that was said to terrorize Japan, labeled one of the three great demons within the country. She would undoubtedly be powerful.
He filed the name she called him for later, but for now he had a more pressing matter.
This servant had labeled him her master, within the Fourth Holy Grail War, but that couldn't be possible. If anything, he had expected the red-haired murderer to be a master, not him. He didn't want a part in this fight, nor did he have a wish for him to grant.
Not only that, but he shouldn't be a master, he knew he wasn't. And as he cast a glance towards his right hand, he should see it completely barren of any command seals. But as he cast a glance at the back of his palm…
'Shit' he cursed in his mind, and there they were, three swirl marks upon the back of his hand.
He cast another stray glance towards the back of Ryunosuke's hands, and the command seals he had spotted upon the boy's hands were nowhere to be seen.
Naruto lowered his blade, as Tamamo perked up. The blonde exhaled, as he pivoted on his feet, making his way to the nearby door.
"I need to get out of this damn city," Naruto sighed, leaving the fox-girl in his wake.
Tamamo didn't know what to do, but she quickly ran after her blonde master. "W-wait! I want to come too!" She yelled, chasing after Naruto.
Their meeting was strange, but fate knew that their relationship would only grow to be stranger.
End Chapter.
An: Now, obviously this takes place within the Fate/zero timeline. Great show, waver and iskandar is still my favorite duo.
However, this won't have much of the actual plot within it.
Tammy: Tamamo is one of favorite waifus from Fate, and imo a great pair for Naruto. And I haven't even played EXTELLA
But in my quest to get her on FGO,I've spent a grand total of 29 ten rolls just to get her.
On my way to bond 10.
Naruto: If you haven't quite caught it, but this is more of an edgy, yet kind Naruto. Willing to do what is necessary, yet at the same time still retaining his ideals.
He's sort of like Kiritsugu in some aspects.
This was done to differentiate him from some of my other Naruto's in the other Fate stories I've worked on when I originally worked on this story.
It should also pair well with what I plan to do with Tamamo.
Naruto's abilities: Another thing I did to differentiate Naruto was his abilities. And as a magus, I wanted him have his own unique family magic. Something powerful, but not OP. But I also wanted to incorporate some space/time aspects.
And so, I googled 'Characters with Space and time abilities'
Many characters popped up, ones that I didn't quite know or want to use... 'August 7th' from Darker than Black.
Now, if you haven't heard of him, I don't fault you. He's a one-off, jobber character that only has 2 minutes of screentime. But he's busted. With the ability to basically distort the space around him.
(you should watch the fight it's only like two minutes long)
Now, Naruto won't have quite the same abilities. But he has inspired me. So he will have his ability to store and use objects within any part of his body with his seals. As well as some slight special manipulation given enough prep time.
Naruto Leaving Fuyuki: Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but servants aren't necessarily required to stay within Fuyuki.
Granted, the chances of them winning are low, but given that neither Tamamo, or Naruto necessarily have an interest in the grail, it doesn't really matter.
Now, I was told that without being near the grail mana costs to maintain a servant would be high. But then again, given that this is Naruto (a energy powerhouse) I don't see that as a problem.
FGO update: Well, a lot has happened since I last posted.
Morgan's banner came out, and first ten roll... Xiang yu. I got spooked. :(
But second ten roll I got Morgan!! And about 7 more ten rolls I got my second copy.
Castoria... I ended up rolling regular Artoria before I got her.
"My castoria looks werid"
And Melusine came out not too long ago, and I did end up getting her... and 3 percivils.
All in all, not bad.
I'm broke thou :'(
Hopefully they give us some SQ for aniversary.
Waiting for GSSR, thinking of going for the Kama one, or maybe the one with Okita.
Good luck on your own rolls!
Inspirations:
NeonZangetsu's 'A unlikely Fox'
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Darker than Black