A/N: Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to BlazingAzureCrow. They're a massive inspiration!
No, to the one user who asked, this story is not a parody. Not my Grail is, however.
Is it so wrong for this story to have a few moments of levity?
AND BLOODY HELL THAT PREVIEW CHANT WAS A JOKE!
It wasn't meant to be taken seriously!
I've already said that Naruto has more than one Reality Marble; the second being one of pure hell; in other words, the torment he endured facing Kaguya for all those years alone. I didn't realize the chant would ruffle so many feathers.
There.
Its gone now.
For crying out loud...
Now, onto all your questions!
Q: What route are we following here?
A: SHHH! 'Tis a secret!
Q: I expect Naruto's riding high after that little victory, no?
A: This chapter is predominately told from his perspective, so yes. Now, he may be the master on the field of battle, but he certainly isn't the master when it comes to women. Not that he's whipped by any measure...he just doesn't know how to handle them. He simply isn't as experienced in th
Q: Just what is Gilgamesh up to? Forgive the pun, but I have a bad feeling about this...
A: I'm not going to rush it. If you think THIS version of Naruto can stomp Gilgamesh, you'd be surprised. He has a hard counter to a number of Naruto's tricks, but in the same vein, Naruto's got more than a few of his own tricks, not to mention numbers if he gets down to it. Numbers that can be countered by the Gate of Babylon and Enkidu. But would his techniques? Given that, should any battle occur between these two...well, I think only one would walk away from it.
Q: So if Lancer hit the REAL Naruto with Gae Bolg, would he die?
A: Perhaps. We all know how stubborn he can be, and toss in his healing factor...but then, there's the matter of Lancer's curse...
Q: Please tell me you didn't kill Illya?!
A: This chapter answers that question.
Ah, but I have plans for her!
Q: That laugh...oh god. Was Archer summoned by Luvia?!
A: In a word? Yes. Expect her and Rin to clash and clash hard.
Q: Can characters from the other Fate series show up in this? For example, Mashu, Frankenstein, and the like?
A: Kind of a slippery slope there. Theoretically it should be possible for Naruto summon a faux servant as he's Caster Class, but that would entail getting ahold of the Greater Grail as well as having access to one of the major ley lines in Fuyuki. I'll have to see what others think. Let me know in your reviews!
Q: Why is Naruto so cross with Shirou in your preview? If anything, I thought they'd get along?
A: Maybe canon Naruto would agree with Shirou's mindset. Our Naruto? This one's seen some shit. THIS Shirou hasn't. Yet. He only has his ideals, while Naruto had to sacrifice his ideals, his friends, alongside his LIFE just to win in his time. Hence their intense clash of ideologies. If one of them isn't careful, they might just come to blows. If anything, I dare say that "Caster" and "Archer" would get along. I'm not saying Naruto would step aside for EMIYA and let him kill Shirou, but he understands why the latter wants Shirou dead so badly.
Additionally, we get to see Shirou summon Saber...
...or rather, a Saber.
Call it a happy accident.
Did ya really expect me to follow canon?
Remember, this story is more serious than my other works. There are consequences for every move. For every action, an equal and opposite reaction. There will be pain. There will be sorrow. People will die. But there will also be joy, moments of levity, and so on. If you want something silly and funny as well as drama free, try "Not My Grail."
There, that being said...
Now...
...onto the next chapter of A Ninja's War!
Bunch of NarutoxRin moments coming up real soon!
AnAs well as a surprise I've been planning for quite some time.
After all, if Naruto's the Caster class, the least I can do is have some fun with it.
And if said fun just so-happens to entertain you guys and gals...well, who am I to refuse?
Mind you, this chapter starts out light but dear lord does it change quickly...
So to those who wanted to see Shirou...
YOU'RE BLOODY GETTING HIM!
...and someone else.
"What is a king without their people?"
"Fine, you got me. What?"
"A tryant."
~?
An Unsightly Servant
Shirou Emiya had just summoned death.
Through a series of events that even now he didn't completely understand, he'd stumbled upon it; travesty through sheer happenstance. A magic circle in his shed. Of course it had always been there; carved into the floor during the last grail war. Shirou of course, had no way of knowing any of this when he uncovered it. And he had found it. Not through any sense of danger or risk on his part but mere chance. Blind bloody luck had brought him here while he was cleaning. Ludicrous as might sound, this was indeed the case. In another reality his flight from Lancer would have inevitably drawn him here, to his destiny. But not in this one. Neither plight nor peril had brought him to this moment, and they certainly hadn't bestowed the strange marks now etched onto the back of his hand. He had no way of knowing what he'd just been dragged into.
In this world, the Grail had been altered.
Changed, by the summoning of a new Caster.
A slight variation in what should have been the same story.
A constant in many worlds, this time however, something changed.
Be it a whim from the Throne of Heroes or the will of the as-of-yet unborn Angra Mainyu, Saber did indeed respond to his accidental summons. With the catalyst of Avalon bound within his chest, she had no choice. Shirou couldn't summon another Servant if he'd tried. The King of Knights was an immutable pillar that would always be present in every scenario. And today she heeded his call, in all her mighty glory. It was not the Saber one might have expected.
What was once pure was twisted.
Noble ideals were trampled.
Hope withered.
"Ack!"
Could light be black?
She arrived in a flare of what could only be called such; indeed, the raw force behind her sudden arrival hurled Shirou from the shed as though he weighed no more than a doll. He crashed to the ground with a grunt, only narrowly managing to shield his face as his body skidded wildly across the ground. Ears ringing, skin tingling from the blast, he was only distantly aware of the aftermath. His back crashed against a fence, his body curled reflexively inward against the impact before the rest of his senses finally reasserted themselves
"Ouch, what the hell...?"
Clank.
She emerged.
A warrior beyond compare.
Stepped from darkness, into the light.
Pale of face with haunting golden eyes, with hair the color of straw. A maiden clad in darkness, bearing a corrupted sword at her side. Nebulous streamers of shadows clung to the blade, obscuring its true identity from the eyes of those who would pry. With her came heavy armor forged from midnight itself, dark as pitch and thrice as somber. She was, in a word, made for war. Still, something about her felt...wrong. Twisted. Corrupted. The very air itself seemed to shudder around her, not quite in fear, but with sorrow...
This woman was darkness incarnate.
And she was looking at him.
She was not pleased.
"You." a bitter laugh escaped her, followed by the strangely flat yet musical voice-her voice!-plucking at his ears. A note of despair entered her words, pitching them towards despair. "Of course it would be you. Why have the fae seen fit to curse me so? Have I not suffered enough?"
"Eh?" Shirou managed eloquently.
The woman tensed.
Those eerie gold eyes blazed and for a moment, he wondered if she would attack him.
...no, its nothing." After a moment tyrant sighed wearily, shaking her head. "Clearly, I have responded to your summons."
Shirou wondered about that. Truly, he did. It didn't help that he had absolute no idea what was going on here.
"Oi, wait a second! Look, whoever you are, I'm really not sure what this is all about-
"Enough!" the blond snarled at him. "I grow tired of this meaningless drivel."
With a grunt, she planted her tainted blade in the soil between them.
"Servant Saber." she declared. "Point me at the enemy, Master."
Golden orbs narrowed to stern slits of wrath.
"I will destroy them."
(...Leagues Away in the Einzbern Castle...)
"More tea, Naruto-Onii-chan?"
Caster stifled a small sigh in the back of his throat and narrowly resisted the urge to bring a Rasenshuriken down upon the one who'd just called him that. Naruto-Onii-chan?! Just what kind of fantasy was she concocting, oi?! A younger incarnation would've protested immediately upon being called such a thing. He'd been called all manner of names and titles when he walked among the living: hero, demon, friend, monster, partner, lover even towards the end of his life, but...Onii-chan? He honestly couldn't recall ever hearing that one before. If so, he'd forgotten. The closest he'd come to that was when a-then young Kononhamaru calling him Naruto-nii. That was something entirely different. No, it didn't bother him.
It didn't bother him.
It didn't bother him at all.
It didn't bo-IT BOTHERED HIM A LOT!
"You're up to something aren't you, Illya." he deadpanned.
Somehow, the homunculus projected a peaceful aura as she reclined in her chair. Naruto was vaguely reminded of a queen-no, not a queen for Rin's unique brand of haughtiness firmly claimed that title-rather, a princess regarding him from her gilded throne. A dainty hand raised her own teacup to her lips, from whence she took the faintest of sips. Setting the saucer down with infinite gentleness, the strange-not-child favored him with a small smile. She'd worn that very same smile when she'd requested this audience with them.
In her own mansion, no less!
"Hmm? Why, whatever do you mean, Onii-chan?"
Despite Naruto's utmost efforts, his right eye twitched.
"See?" Frowning, he thrust a finger at her. "That. Why the hell are you doing that?"
"Me?" Illya tilted her head. "I'm not doing anything, Onii-chan."
"Yes, yes you are." Retracting his arm, the blond glowered at his ally. "You're doing it right now."
"Am I?"
Fine.
She wanted to play coy?
Best to get this out of the way, then.
Closing his eyes, Caster flipped his switch.
His features settling into a blank mask, the blond pushed down against the table and stood. Towered over her. It was almost painfully easy to shut everything off. To turn cruel. He channeled the faintest amount of energy to his eyes, revealing their true nature. Then he ceased masking his chakra signature. It wasn't an overt change, you'd have to possess a modicum of sensing capabilities to even remotely understand what just transpired. Rin certainly did, judging by the slight widening of her eyes. To her, his once warm prana likely felt as though it had plunged into arctic water. In a word? Cold. Perhaps Illya recognized the change; because her own smile faded to a mere sliver. Ah. Was she afraid? Good. This was the monster who'd torn down the White Zetsu army, the creature who'd dragged Kaguya to the underworld kicking and screaming.
It was the face of a young man who'd thrown everything away to win.
His bonds.
His companions.
Even his own life.
"I'm not your brother, Illya." the words were sharper than any blade, meant to cut through her deceit like a hot knife to butter. "I only spared ya' to win this war."
Illya flinched.
He expected anger.
Disbelief at the very least.
Irritation, at having her ruse torn down.
Illyasviel von Einzbern was full of surprises.
"B-But that would make me so sad, Onii-chan...
Urk.
Naruto's heart bucked in his chest.
'I just took critical damage!'
Innocent red red eyes brimmed with tears, regarding him without so much as a sliver of deceit. She was sorrow personified. No, more than that. This was the face of a child-despite not being a child-who'd reached out for comfort, only to be backhanded by his reply. He may as well have struck her face. That would have stung less. Her words held no magic. Not a drop of prana. Yet somehow-somehow!-she unmanned him with a single look. In that moment it didn't matter how powerful he'd become; nor how he hardened his soul. Old habits were still hard to shake. He was forced to admit his defeat on this matter. She'd bested him, without raising a hand or declaring a single command.
His body sat back down without thinking.
Damn.
He just couldn't do it.
He couldn't be cruel to her.
"Yikes." he managed, slumping in his seat. "You could win the Holy Grail War with that look...
"Huh?" Illya blinked, dabbing tears from her eyes with a sleeve. "What look?"
Did she really not understand what she'd just done?!
Staaaaaaaaare.
Oh, dear.
He didn't have to look to know his Master was glaring.
No, Naruto's mind railed. No, that's not it at all, Rin. She's dangerous. This one is dangerous!
In every sense of the bloody word!
Especially that smile!
It was too good!
Too pure!
It was a child's smile, hopeful, yet infinitely miserable all the same. Utterly devoid of any ill intentions towards them. Caster's deep-rooted instincts howled otherwise. Lies! Trickery! Only a fool would trust that smile! No way in hell! Suspicious! Very suspicious! He'd seen that same look many a time on many a woman long before he'd ever encountered the wee slip of a girl known as Illyasviel von Einzbern, and he knew that damn smile promised mischief or madness. Likely both. Given her untenable position in this little arrangement of theirs, Naruto suspected the former. Even if she was an ally. Regardless, he'd lost this bout.
By the log, he was determined to win the next one!
"What are you, a lolicon?" Rin deadpanned, reminding him of his own imminent peril. "Caster, I'm disappointed in you. Why did I have to summon such an unsightly Servant...
Naruto bristled.
"Don't give me that look, Rin." he sighed, palming his forehead. "You know you're the only girl for me. 'Till death do us part, remember?"
In hindsight, perhaps he'd been a tad too free with his choice of words there.
Somewhere in the back of Rin's brilliant mind, something clicked.
The noise that emerged could scarcely be called a squeak.
"Ha?"
The Tohsaka heiress had never given his oath much thought until now, but yes...now that she thought about it, Caster had mentioned the latter when he'd sworn his services to her. Wait. Aqua orbs widened to the size of dinner plates. "Til death do us part?" What had he meant by that?! On paper his words made perfect sense as an oath of allegiance, but in her panic, her mind leaped to the most outrageous conclusion as was often its wont. J-J-J-Just what kind of proposal was that anyway!? They barely even knew one another! Of course, Caster was dashing in his own bumbling way and he'd already saved her life three times at the risk of his own and oh dear god...
Naruto, for his part was more than content to watch the blackette squirm.
Even if that hadn't been his initial intention.
Hmm.
Blushing was a good look for her-chair?!
Caster nimbly ducked just as Rin's seat sailed toward him at blistering speeds. Instinct compelled him to move more than anything else, not for fear of losing his head. He did not, after all, enjoy having furniture thrown at him. Deprived of its target, the piece of furniture rocketed through a window instead blasting a hole in the reinforced glass before careening to the grass below. Distantly, Naruto heard Illya mutter something about people putting holes in her house but he paid it little heed. His attention was decidedly elsewhere. Rather, he was focused on the embarrassed magus before him.
"W-W-W-Where did that line come from, Caster?!"
"For crying out loud it was a compliment, Rin-chan! Why ya throwin' things?!"
The string of syllables that followed could barely be called Japanese.
"Stupididiotnarutoshutupihateyou!'
From his constant vigil near the entrance to the foyer, Berserker made a noise eerily similar to laughter.
Naruto groaned. Why did it feel like the whole world was against him these days? Blasted girls!
...ugh, both of you! I give up. Someone fill this damn thing already. I'm parched."
Reluctantly, he offered his teacup.
Impossibly, Illya brightened.
"Right away. Stella!"
"Yes, mistress."
One of Illya's two maids made herself known then, quietly intruding past a fuming Rin with a teapot. This one was...hmm. Leysritt? No, that was the one with shorter hair and larger...assets. This one...hmm. He couldn't remember. Something starting with an S, if he recalled correctly. Sarah? Sapphire? Sel? No. Ah! Sella. Yes, that was it. Slim of stature with the same striking ruby eyes of her mistress, her hair was white as snow, of such length that she nearly whipped him in the face with it when she poured his tea. He suspected that was deliberate on her part. She would've been pretty, if she wasn't so intent on scowling at Rin-no, she was definitely glaring at him.
Ah.
He'd almost forgotten.
So this was what hate felt like.
For a moment there, he honestly a prank.
Disrespect he could tolerate, but to treat Rin poorly?
Inexcusable.
T'was a strange thing indeed, to come into the lair of an enemy only to be waited on hand and foot by said enemy's maids.
Morseo when said maids wanted you dead.
Then that very maid went and pressed the wrong button.
"Be grateful, swine." Sella hissed in his ear as he drank. "I'd rather serve you swill."
Rin nearly slung a Gandr at her on the spot.
"Why, you-
Naruto's reaction beat her to it by a mile.
"PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!" Feigning surprise, Caster turned his head and spat the contents of his cup in Stella's direction. The maid yelped in disbelief as she suddenly found herself doused from head to toe in the semi-sweet liquid, leaving her outfit soaked through and through. Her outfit rendered nearly transparent by the unexpected deluge, she frantically attempted to cover herself with her hands, which only made things worse. Naruto saw the mounting anger in her eyes and tried to restrain a snicker of his own. He failed horribly. Well. Stella was certainly going to murder him for this. Or try to.
"I'm so sorry." he offered a decidedly false smile. "Had to sneeze."
The slow reddening of Stella's face was a sight to behold.
"I...you...you...!"
"Ara, why are you so flustered?"
"Tohsaka Rin!"
Rin watched-with no small amount of amusement-as a fierce flush inexorably crept up the albino's pale neck and stole across her once stern visage. Within moments her face was red as a rose, nearly the same shad of her own ruby-red eyes. Her expression was just icing on the cake. The once-unflinchable maiden stood in complete disarray, her head swiveling back and forth as she panicked like a small child, unable to decide who to lay the blame on. Caster for his blatant defiance? Or Rin, for her laughter. Illya for her part, seemed content to let this small drama unfold, though she too wore a slight flush of her own.
Inevitably, poor Stella finally made her decision.
"You...you perverted brute! I'll kill you!"
"I'd like to see you try-ack?!"
For all his foresight Naruto wasn't expecting the mad maid to actually pounce on him.
To her credit, neither did Rin.
"Deathtowsine!"
With that garbled sentence and a bloodcurdling shriek Stella slammed into Caster, sending the two of them tumbling to the floor. Straddling him, the homunculus wrapped both hands around his throat and squeezed with all her might. Throughout it all, Naruto didn't bat an eyelash. It would've been terrifying...if he wasn't so far beyond her ken. In another life, her fury would've been terrifying. As a mortal, he would've had the life choked out of him before he could hope to muster even the faintest resistance. Now? As it stood, Stella would have had better luck strangling a log. Still, as entertaining as her fury might be, this was an exceedingly awkward position and he really should do something about it-
In the end, he needn't have bothered.
"Sella," Illya chastised the older woman with a hint of steel shining through her smile, "That is no way to treat our guests. Get off him and apologize."
Her guardian jerked back, aghast.
"But my lady-
"Apologize."
The elder maid nearly balked at the command, but complied with a bow regardless.
...as you command, mistress." she demurred. "My...apologies. Excuse me."
Naruto grinned. "Ah, no worries. You're forgiven."
"I'll kill him," she growled, stomping off. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I swear by all the gods above and below I am going to kill him...
Caster stifled another sigh.
Life was a strange thing, indeed.
He'd been the one to form this alliance, after all.
He just hadn't expected the Einzbern to take to it so...aptly.
Much less the "Onii-chan" bit.
Still, if Illya truly wanted to poison him or somesuch, she was going to be sorely disappointed. His Immunity skill rendered even the most potent toxins moot. If she sought to subvert his allegiance-and she might well be!-she'd be in for another shock. He'd already sworn his staff and sword to Rin for the duration of this war. Not only that, but his life. He had given Tohsaka his word. His Nindo. His oath. He would be her Servant until death or victory parted them. It wasn't a whim, rather a fact. He could no longer change his mind even if he wanted to. Which he didn't. It was a power that transcended even that of the Command Spells; even if some spell shattered his mind and his sanity were lost, his body would never betray Rin.
If there was only one certainty to be had in this brave new world, it was this.
Every choice had a consequence.
Every action, an equal and opposite reaction.
If you saved someone, you allowed someone else to die. Conversely, saving that one life might spare countless others. The opposite was also true. You couldn't save everyone. To believe so was sheer folly. He'd made the mistake firsthand; slinging about the grandiose claim that he wouldn't let any of his friends die during the war. Then came Neji. And the others. Sasuke. Kakashi-sensei. Sakura. One by one they fell, until no one remained by his side. Did he regret his actions? Certainly. But undo them? No. Never. For all he'd suffered, he knew he could never bring himself to change the way he'd lived his life. He just wanted to make things right. This war-this wish-was his one and only chance to redeem himself; to go back to that horrible moment where it all went wrong Would he be able to save everyone? Certainly not. But could he save most of them?
Naruto didn't know.
There was no way of knowing.
You just had to accept reality and move on.
In a sense Caster also realized that he'd been saved as well; he understood on a fundamental level that this body-a form that shouldn't exist-wasn't his own. His physical state was sustained by Rin's Prana, nothing more. Yet he retained full access to his techniques and a few new ones he'd thought up besides. By all rights he should be relieved. He'd received a reprieve from death, a stay on his sentence when he'd been plucked out of that inky blackness. He would kill her enemies for her, and he would have his wish. But a child...rather, someone in the form of a child? No. He couldn't. Even after all he'd done, after what he'd become, a slim vestige of humanity held him back.
Which brought him to his present predicament.
This.
In sparing Illya's life, he'd forced their hand.
He'd be working with others again?
Could he bring himself to do it?
To risk losing comrades?
Would he?
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way," Rin began, claiming herself a secondary seat across the table, "Shall we commence our strategy meeting?"
Right, that was why they were here in the first place, wasn't it?
"As you wish." Illya inclined her head in a demure nod. Then she clapped her hands. "Berserker!"
The earth rattled mightily as her Servant simply walked towards and through the nearest wall to join them.
Much to the Einzbern's consternation.
"Berserker! The door! Use the door next time!"
...!" the giant grunted in wordless apology.
"Fine, fine, just don't do it again...
"Why is he here?" Rin posited.
"Berserker goes everywhere I go." the homunculi informed them sweetly, preening. "Is that a problem?"
Naruto recognized the unspoken jab a mile away even as Rin scooted closer to him; positioning herself just so in case of an attack. Hmm. Seemed there was still some bad blood between beauty and the beast. Not that he blamed her. Berserker had nearly cut Rin down during their duel in the park, and certainly would have if not for his timely intervention. Hell, that massive hunk of sharpened stone would cleave even him in half if its owner ever managed to land a solid hit. If the information he'd gleaned from the Throne of Heroes spoke true, then this was Heracles himself. Not someone to be trifled with.
Of course she'd be uncomfortable around him.
"But he's a Berserker." Rin was pointing out with a touch of exasperation as he came back to himself. "Can he even understand us while under Mad Enhancement?"
"He understands more than you think." Illya reassured her. "You have nothing to worry about. Unless you're afraid?"
A dark cloud settled over Tohsaka's head.
"Why you little?! I should've had Caster cut your thr-
CRUNCH!
The sharpened edge of Naruto's staff slammed into the floor with monstrous force, physically splitting the stone in twine. The act caused both girls to jump in their respective seats. Having finally regained their attention, the sarcastic Servant rose from his seat and claimed another, this one firmly between the two of them. Another tap of his staff followed, repairing the wound he'd left in the pavement. In a single impossible movement he reached around the table to pick up Illya, chair and all, and place her next to Rin.
Only then did his ice blue eyes turn to them.
"That's enough, the both of you." he growled. "We're allies, remember, Rin? Act like it. And Illya, threats are unbecoming of you."
Illya's expression turned sheepish.
"Sorry, Onii-chan...
"Well, so long as you understand...
"Good, good." nodding, he banished his weapon and crossed both arms before his chest. "Now, lets continue. What kind of defenses do we have? Who is our first target? Do we know the identities of our enemies?" Putting the matter of strategy aside, he'd the strangest feeling that Berserker that if he hadn't intervened, Berserker would have done something. He couldn't explain why.
Heracles.
Was that man truly a mindless brute?
Naruto chose to hold his tongue in that aspect.
Without his Reality Marble or any of his tricks, he would've been ground to paste in a contest of sheer strength. As it stood, Berserker had managed to injure him during that bout; he was just good at hiding his wounds. Even now his recently fractured ribs throbbed quietly. This creature could kill him if he ever let his guard down. The same could be said of him. Should he ever recover his sanity, he might become even more lethal. Even his Creation of All Things wouldn't be able to save him if that monster got his hands on him. Maybe it would've been safer to slay him after all. If his morals hadn't intervened, they wouldn't be having this conversation in the first palce. Perhaps sensing his gaze, the giant's mismatching eyes swiveled to find his.
Naruto inclined his head, and to his amusement, Heracles did the same.
In that moment, man and beast shared an understanding.
An accord between two warriors.
Well met.
"That aside, we should prepare." Rin interjected, counting off her hand. Even with this alliance," she nearly choked on the word, "Our enemies in this war are Archer, Rider, Assassin, Saber." she paused, letting the weight of her words sink in against their newfound alliance. "Saber's obviously the most dangerous excluding our own servants, so I believe we should target their master first."
Illya perked up.
"I agree. That aside, you forgot to mention Lancer-
'Aha!'
"Ah, that guy?" Naruto perked up at the mention of the latter, spurred by the short-lived memory of his clone's encounter. "I already met him. Got real close and personal with his Noble Phantasm. Red Spear that goes straight for your heart and fucks with casualty. Gae Bolg, I think it was. Pretty sure he's the Irish version of Heracles over there. Cú Chulainn, basically. Not someone I'd like to fight alone."
Heracles grunted.
The girls' heads snapped toward him.
"Weh?/Ha?"
"Its just as I said." Naruto reiterated. "Did I stutter?"
"When did you fight him?" Rin frowned. "You were with me the entire time."
"That's easy."
It would've been so easy to simply tell rather than show, but for some reason he was feeling impish.
Rising from his seat, he crossed his hands and channeled a bit of chakra.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
To her credit, Illya detected the sudden swell of energy well before Caster spoke up. To Rin's eyes twin plumes of smoke echoed Naruto's words. When it cleared, a pair of identical copies stood on either side of the blond, flanking him. The original crossed both arms before his chest, content to watch. Ah, surprise. He never grew tired of that. Tohsaka's reaction was so pronounced as to be consider comical. Poor Illya seemed to be holding herself together in any case, though the slight twitch of her mouth suggested she too hadn't expected this outcome.
"T-T-Two of them?!"
"Caster, how on earth did you...?!"
"Its a...skill of mine. I can create more if I want, Master." he dropped the hint with a sly smile. "Might tax your reserves though, if I use it in conjunction with Creation of All Things."
"Creation of All Things?"
Naruto cursed himself for his slip of the tongue.
Unbeknownst to him, Illya's eyes lit up.
Caster scarcely noticed.
Damnit.
He hadn't wanted to reveal that yet!
A ninja prided themselves on secrecy and stealth; though he'd been summoned as Caster, the blond was loathe to reveal his techniques or mysteries to the outside world. Shadow Clones were an exception, if only because he felt certain no one could replicate the technique to his level without perishing in the process. But Creation of All Things was a recent skill, one he'd acquired towards the end of his life. Granted, if used properly, it held a great potential for good, but the wrong hands it could be an absolute terror. One look at Rin told him she wouldn't be satisfied with his silence now.
No escape there.
"You use jewel magic, right?
Rin blinked.
"Yes," she relented reluctantly, "But I don't see how that's prevalent to what you-
"Watch."
Blue eyes flickered into violet and the Tohsaka heiress winced slightly as Caster pulled more Prana from her circuits than usual.
Clink.
Not a heartbeat later, she found a flawless sapphire in her lap.
Rin's mouth went dry at the unspoken insinuation.
Just how many could he make?!
Dozens?
Hundreds?
Thousands?
No, he'd said it would tax her reserves.
If he meant what she thought, however...this war was hers.
She possessed a Servant who'd just revealed himself to be capable of duplication on a obscene scale; a man who wielded multiple Noble Phantasms and a Reality Marble. A warrior with multiple skills, capable of going toe-to-toe with Berserker and winning. Someone who could create endless amounts of jewels for her, exponentially increasing her stock for the duration of the war. And all without fear of exhausting her own funds! She nearly giggled outright at the thought. Truly, it seemed that this war belonged to her. She would have to tread careful where Saber was concerned-because who knew what kind of monster had been summoned this time around-but if she played her cards right...the thought left her giddy with excitement.
Ha.
Haha.
Hahaha!
"Oi, Master." Naruto drawled. "That's a scary face you've got there...
"Why, whatever do you mean, Caster? I'm just happy." Still wearing that sickly sweet smile and dark aura like a fell shroud, she turned to face Caster, noting for the first time the faintest look of concern in the eyes of her Servant. "I retract my earlier statement. You're a marvelous Servant. I foresee great things from you. Provided we work together, of course."
Naruto felt a cold chill come over him.
To think, he'd thought Illya was dangerous.
Tohsaka Rin made the Einzbern pale by comparison.
Ah, he truly did have a conniving little magus for a Master...
"Hey, if you're gonna use me for my body at least take me on a second date." he sighed.
"Duly noted." Rin chirped. "Rest assured, I'll make very, very good use of you in the next few days...
"Urk."
Perhaps realizing the the conversation was turning away from her, Illya coughed quietly.
"I'll thank you to remember that I'm here, too." she reminded them.
Naruto quietly thanked the gods above and below.
"Right! Strategy. Let's do that."
Time blurred by as the three of them made their plans for the war to come. Battle lines were drawn. Bounded fields erected. Strengths and weaknesses ruthlessly taken apart. Plans dissected, put back together, only to be torn apart once again when someone pointed out their flaws. Noble Phantasms such as Heracles God Hand and Naruto's "Clones" were discussed loudly and at great length. Debates given, counterpoints offered. Hours fell to cutting words and insistent arguments, and all the while the horizon steadily brightened until at last...
"You've gotta be kidding me. Morning already?"
...dawn came before any of them realized it.
As fellows Servants, Naruto and Heracles had no conventional need for rest. They could simply return to spiritual form to recover. The same could not be said for their Masters. While neither Illya nor Rin had succumbed to sleep as of yet, one could clearly see it was only a matter of time before they crashed. Naruto himself had half a mind to take his stubborn Master home right then and there, but...
"I'd to discuss a personal matter with Caster." Illya declared suddenly. "Alone."
Caster had a fair idea of what that matter might be.
Rin snapped back to wakefulness with a snarl.
"If you think for one second that I'm going to leave you alone with my...
"It's fine, Rin." the blond interjected with a raised hand. "I can handle myself. After all, Berserker isn't going to leave this room either, is he?"
...!" Heracles conceded the point with a wordless rumble.
"Just wait outside." Naruto urged. "I'll send a clone with you."
...very well." she relented, shoulders slumping. "But!" her eyes burned with inner fire, "You have one minute! Nothing more!"
"I'm fairy certain that's all we'll need." Illya agreed, surprisingly mature. "Thank you."
Rin's only response was to slam the door as hard as she could.
And just like that, Illya von Einzbern had her wish.
At first, neither dared to break the silence.
Naruto didn't much blame her.
Rin, he could understand.
Not so Illya.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what the child wanted from him. Even after she'd revealed her true age to them, he still had troubling believing it. Just what was wrong with her body that she'd age so slowly? If he hadn't possessed these eyes, he wouldn't believe it. When he looked at her with them he sensed no ill-intent. Only...adoration? For better or worse, it appeared that her newfound affection for him was genuine. Why? Because he'd bested Berserker? Because he'd spared her life? Because he'd declared that life to have worth? Or did she simply intend to use him with the intent of turning on him at the last instant? He was well prepared in any case of such treachery, but he wasn't willing to unleash those mysteries unless absolutely certain. Ah, this was just too troublesome!
"So?" he posited warily, careful to keep one eye on Berserker at all times, "What is it you want from me, exactly, Einzbern."
"Please, Onii-chan. Just call me Illya."
Harsh blue eyes narrowed coldly.
...that wasn't an answer."
The homunculus huffed and puffed out her cheeks at that remark.
"Moh, don't be rude!"
He had an inkling of what she wanted, but again, he refused to speak it unless absolutely certain. He could, in theory repair an inefficiencies in her body given the nature of his Mark if asked, but would he? For a stranger he barely knew, yet allied with regardless? Once, in the past, he would've jumped at the chance to do some good. But now...
In the end, he decided to take the road less traveled.
"I'll only ask you one more time." Naruto warned. "Speak now or forever hold your peace. What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?"
Surprisingly, Illya answered him readily.
A tiny hand took hold of the hem of his robe.
"Your skill...Creation of All Things. Can you create anything with it?"
'Well. This is unexpected. What are you after?'
Caster arched an eyebrow.
"In theory, yes. Why?"
"O-Oh. Good."
Illya deflated visibly at his reply, tension draining out of her like water from a broken sieve.
Caster tensed regardless, expecting a ludicrous demand to follow.
Perhaps sensing his Master's discomfort, Berserker shifted.
Even then her request nearly floored Naruto outright.
Her words, little more than a whisper emerged:
...can you create a new body for me?"
A/N: We get more action next chapter!
Yes, I just did that!
And I'm probably going to catch some flak over it, but screw it.
So let's explain, for those who don't understand:
It stands to reason that Naruto could repair the damage done to Illya's body and extend her life. His Mark possesses incredible power, after all. Toss in the Rinnegan and its quite doable. Yes, I am aware that Illya was meant to be the host of the grail. Well, that'll just have to be passed on to someone else. And I know just who it'll be.
I think we can all agree on who that is, neh?
Wonder what this might cause...
On another note, there will be alliances in this story of course. Expect the unexpected! I aim to take this story down a different route than most, but the question is which? Hmm. We'll bump into ol' Shirou next chapter, and there'll be a clash of ideologies between him and Naruto for obvious reasons. As well as a few more surprises. I feel I should also state that Shirou DOES summon Saber by this point, albeit offscreen.
I won't name the other Servants, ah, for the night is dark and full of spoilers...
Expect chaos and incredible battles to ensue!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the good ol' potential previews!
They're rough atm, so don't think too much of them!
Please bear in mind that they're just POTENTIAL outcomes.
Nothing's solid yet, so as always there's plenty of room for change. No flak please~!
They're just scenarios that COULD happen.
There are a lot for a REASON, ya know.
Tell me which ones you like!
Enjoy~!
We've also got a few deaths coming up soon!
(Previews)
"You are an aberration. You must be dealt with."
"Ho? Ruler class, you say?"
A dark grin spread across Gilgamesh's face.
"Let us see if you are worthy of that title, wench!"
Caster regarded the circle he'd traced with trepidation.
It would be so easy to attempt the ritual.
He had more than enough power.
They truly needed another ally.
But a thorn of doubt held him back. The idea of having someone beholden to him was appalling; even in his current state, he had no desire to shackle another being to him against his will. That aside, he had no idea what he might summon. In theory it should be Assassin, the last remaining Servant in the war. Or it might be another Caster. The thought made him shudder. He had access to materials he never would've thought of using, his power was at its utmost limits, swelled by Rin's prana.
Yet something made him hesitate.
"Do I dare...?"
Illya shrank back in fear.
"W-What are you?"
...Avenger."
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
Archer looked up.
Saw the boot.
Too late.
"Shit!"
"Why lure us to this place? Not just to fight, no you're protecting something...someone."
"...and if I am?"
Luvia sneered.
"Then grovel! Submit yourself to me and I might spare her, Caster!"
...I will never submit. My soul is sworn to her. You can stick me full of arrows, you can stab me with unlimited blades, but I won't turn on her. I have my honor. Something your Archer knows nothing about. Ain't that right, EMIYA?" Grunting, he forced himself to his feet. "That's right. I know who you are. C'mon then, mister ex-hero." he beckoned, swaying on his feet. "You might kill me, but I'll make you work for it! I'll kick yer arse so hard that even that stupid Shirou's gonna feel it!"
Luvia grimaced.
"So be it. Archer, by the power of my Command Seal, I order you to...
CRUNCH.
She swayed as something struck her from behind.
"What...why am I..."
In disbelief, she looked down to see a hand protruding from her chest.
Startled, to see blood.
Her blood.
"I...you...but that's...that's cheating...
It wasn't Caster's hand.
Nor was this Archer.
It belonged to...!
Naruto twitched.
"For something like that...you'd trample them?!"
Ignoring his wound, he stood.
"Stand aside?" bloodied hair shaded his eyes, hiding them from view. They did nothing to conceal his snarl. "Surrender? To you? For a stupid wish like that? Fuck that! Fuck this! FUCK YOU!"
"Caster, what-
With a snarl, Caster flung down his staff and raised his remaining arm, fingers splayed toward the enemy. Golden light swarmed him, taking on the shape of a beast. Rin didn't wait to see what kind. Sensing the sudden buildup of Prana, she dove to the ground, dragging Illya with her. Not a moment too soon. The subsequent shockwave sent even Berserker stumbling; forcing the wounded titan to drop to a knee. Though the great giant shielded them from the backlash, he couldn't block the sound of Naruto's spell. Nor could he fully contain the sight. Rin saw the gathering vortex and something in her went cold as she beheld the spiraling sphere of energy. Not a Rasengan. Or a Rasenshuriken.
This was worse.
Violet energy swirled out, congealing in a towering sphere before his hand.
A keening gale rose at his call.
"SABER!" Caster-Naruto!-roared over the storm, his words laced with inimitable fury. "You call yourself a king?! Let's see you try and stop this one then, your majesty!"
Perhaps she sensed the danger.
Regardless, the tyrant stood her ground.
With a roar, he leveled the teeming mass of energy at Arturia.
"Arthur! After all you said to me you're not going to try to dodge this, are you?!"
A dark excited look bloomed in those frigid golden eyes.
She hefted her burning blade.
...come, then."
"I knew it! BIJUDAMA!"
"EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"
R&R~!
=D