A/N:

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the long wait on this update—I've got exams coming up, so I couldn't write as much as I wanted to this time. This chapter is shorter than usual, but I hope you still enjoy it!

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so don't forget to leave a review. Your feedback keeps me motivated, even during hectic times like these! Thanks for sticking with Black Dawn.

Happy reading!

Edit:- Hopefully all the issue is fixed

Chapter 7:- Living Room Discussion

Xx—Emiya Residence—xX

As the group made their way to the Emiya household's living room, Rin Tohsaka hesitated, her senses on edge. Something about Naruto Uzumaki felt off. Her Servant, Archer, leaned in closer, her presence an anchor against Rin's growing unease.

"Be cautious of that boy," Archer whispered, her tone clipped and authoritative. Her sharp eyes, like shards of silver, followed Naruto's every movement. "He's dangerous."

Rin frowned, glancing at Archer. "Dangerous? Uzumaki-kun? He's just a prankster. You've seen him at school—he barely takes anything seriously."

Archer's lips pressed into a thin line. "That's a façade, Rin. You saw the kunai he threw earlier during that… 'demonstration.'" Her gaze turned cold, her words cutting. "It wasn't just fast—it was deliberate. Precise. His stance, his reflexes… They weren't the actions of a child. He moves like a warrior."

Rin's steps faltered, and she instinctively adjusted her grip on the gem she always carried for emergencies. "You're saying… Uzumaki-kun has combat training? Enough to rival a Servant?"

"Not exactly," Archer replied, her voice soft yet weighted with unease. "He doesn't feel like an ordinary human, but he isn't a Servant either. His aura… It's something in between. Be wary."

Rin's brows knitted together as she stole a glance at Naruto. The boy was walking ahead, chatting animatedly with Shirou and Sakura, his laughter ringing through the corridor. It was disarming, that carefree demeanor.

But Archer's warning settled in the pit of her stomach like a stone.

Their hushed conversation was interrupted when Naruto suddenly glanced over his shoulder, his cerulean eyes sharp despite the playful grin that spread across his face.

"You know," he chirped, "it's pretty rude to talk about someone behind their back."

Rin stiffened, her cheeks burning as she tried to mask her surprise. "We weren't—"

Naruto waved her off with a casual hand. "Relax," he said, his grin widening. "Let's sit down and chat properly. It's easier to plot against me when we're all in the same room, right?"

Rin huffed, refusing to dignify that with a response, but she felt Archer's scrutiny deepen.

As they entered the living room, Naruto gestured broadly for everyone to sit. "Welcome to Casa Emiya!" he announced with exaggerated cheer. "Make yourselves comfortable. Drinks are in the fridge, and the TV remote is mine."

"Naruto-nii!" Shirou protested, shaking her head but unable to suppress a small smile.

Naruto flopped onto the couch with a grin, resting his arms behind his head. "Alright, let's get down to business."

Rin, who had been about to sit, paused mid-motion. She straightened, crossing her arms. "To be blunt, Emiya-chan," she began, her eyes fixed on Shirou, "you've been chosen as a—"

Shirou raised her hand, her expression calm but firm. "I already know about the Holy Grail War."

The room fell silent for a moment. Rin blinked, then frowned. "You already know?"

Shirou nodded. "My first question is: why is it starting so early this time?"

Rin sighed, her fingers brushing her temple as if warding off an impending headache. "Honestly? I don't know. What I do know is that six Masters have already summoned their Servants. Only the seventh remains."

Naruto leaned back further, balancing his chair on two legs. "I can help with that. The last Master is sitting with us right now."

All eyes turned toward him, confusion rippling through the group.

"You mean… you're the seventh Master, Naruto-nii?" Shirou asked, tilting her head.

Naruto snorted, waving a hand. "Me? Nah. It's not me." He grinned mischievously and pointed to Sakura. "It's Sakura."

The room froze. Sakura's face turned pale as her wide eyes darted between the others. "W-What?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Me? That's impossible!"

Naruto's grin didn't waver. "Think about it, Sakura-chan. You've felt it, haven't you? The strange dreams. The weird pressure. The whispers you couldn't understand."

Sakura clutched her arms, her mind racing as she recalled those exact sensations—the sleepless nights, the vague unease she couldn't shake.

Rin groaned, sitting heavily on the couch. "This is bad. Very bad. Two Masters in this household? With Saber already summoned, her strength will only increase if Sakura summons her own Servant."

"Calm down, Rin," Archer said smoothly, though her narrowed eyes never left Sakura. "This isn't the time to panic. We need to assess the situation first."

Sakura looked at Shirou, her voice trembling. "But… what does this mean? What happens now?"

"It means," Rin began, her tone sharp, "that you're officially a participant in the Holy Grail War. And as of now, you're in more danger than ever."

Naruto clapped his hands suddenly, breaking the heavy tension. "Alright! We know who the seventh Master is. Now let's move on to the juicy stuff."

Rin shot him a glare, but before she could speak, he turned toward Saber with an almost predatory grin. "Saber-chan, I've got a story you might find interesting."

Saber's posture stiffened, her cold blue eyes narrowing.

"Naruto…" Shirou warned, but he ignored her.

"Shirou's dad fought in the Fourth Grail War," he began, his tone light but carrying a weight that silenced the room. "And guess what? Saber here was his Servant back then."

Saber's fists clenched, her face impassive, though her aura seemed to darken. Rin turned to Saber, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Is that true?"

Saber's jaw tightened, and after a moment, she gave a small nod.

"Whoa, plot twist!" Naruto laughed, though the sound lacked humor. "But that's not even the best part. Kiritsugu—Shirou's dad—won the Fourth War. And then he used his Command Seal to make Saber destroy the Grail."

The room erupted.

"He what?!" Rin exclaimed, shooting to her feet.

"That's not possible!" Sakura gasped.

Saber, for her part, remained seated, though her entire body trembled with barely suppressed rage. "That man," she hissed, her voice low and venomous, "betrayed everything we fought for. We were so close to achieving our wish, and he…"

Naruto's playful demeanor slipped entirely, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. "The Grail isn't what you think it is, Rin. It's corrupted. It doesn't grant wishes—it twists them. Kiritsugu knew that. That's why he destroyed it."

Rin stared at him, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "So… you're saying the Grail War is pointless?"

"Not pointless," Naruto replied, his voice grave. "But fighting for the Grail itself? Yeah, that's a fool's game. The real fight is stopping it from falling into the wrong hands."

Archer leaned back, her arms crossed. "And who decides whose hands are 'wrong'?" she asked, her voice skeptical.

Naruto's gaze turned sharp. "You'll know when you meet them. Trust me."

The tension in the room hung heavy, the silence almost unbearable. Rin's arms were crossed tightly as she sat back in her chair, her gaze focused on the floor. Saber stood rigid, her eyes staring into the distance, lost in thought. Shirou seemed torn, glancing between the two of them with a conflicted expression, while Sakura, quiet as always, seemed ready to shrink into herself. Even Archer, normally unshakable, looked uncharacteristically tense, her silver eyes narrowed in thought.

Naruto sighed dramatically, breaking the silence. "Man, this is depressing. You'd think we were at a funeral or something!" he said with a half-hearted grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Rin shot him an exasperated glare. "Because you just told us the entire war is built on a corrupted lie! What did you expect? A party?"

Naruto grinned, leaning back in his chair. "A little less brooding, maybe? I mean, come on! If the Grail wasn't corrupted, what would you wish for? Let's focus on the fun 'what if' stuff instead of doom and gloom."

Rin frowned, clearly unimpressed. "That's hardly—"

"Rin-chan," Naruto interrupted with mock seriousness, "this is important. If you had one wish, what would it be?"

She huffed, leaning back with an air of nonchalance. "Honestly, I haven't thought about it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You haven't? Not even a little?"

Rin shook her head, dismissing the question with a wave. "The wish itself isn't the point. Winning the Grail War is what matters—to prove that the Tohsaka lineage is as strong as it's always been. The rest? Secondary."

Naruto studied her for a moment, then smirked. "So your wish is to show off, huh?"

Rin bristled. "It's not showing off! It's about upholding my family's reputation as one of the great mage lineages. That's a responsibility, not some frivolous whim."

"Whatever you say," Naruto replied teasingly.

He turned to Shirou next, his expression softening. "Alright, Shirou-chan, your turn. If the Grail wasn't corrupted, what would you wish for?"

Shirou blinked, startled by the sudden attention. She looked down, frowning in thought. "I… I don't know," she admitted softly, her voice quiet but sincere. "I haven't really thought about it. Maybe… to save people? To make sure no one else has to suffer the way I did."

Naruto leaned forward, his expression softening as he studied her. "That's a good wish. Wanting to protect people, stop others from going through the same pain... That's what drives you, right?"

Shirou nodded, the weight of her words settling in the room. "I don't want anyone else to lose what I lost… to feel like they're powerless when everything is falling apart."

Naruto's smile was gentle, but there was an understanding in his eyes. "I get that. I've been there. You're not alone in this."

For a moment, Shirou's eyes softened, and for the first time in a long while, she felt the burden of her past lighten, if only just a little.

Before Naruto could respond, Saber's voice cut through the moment, her tone sharp and unwavering. "My wish would remain the same as it has always been: to save my kingdom and undo my mistakes as a king."

The room shifted as all eyes turned to Saber. Her words, simple yet heavy, drew everyone's attention. Naruto, who had been about to speak, stopped himself, his expression becoming more serious as he looked at Saber.

"Saber-chan," he said, his tone blunt, "your wish is stupid."

The room froze, all eyes snapping to him in shock. Saber's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes flashing with fury. "What did you say?"

"I said your wish is stupid," Naruto repeated, his voice unwavering. "You want to rewrite the past? Fix your kingdom? That's not how life works."

Saber's face flushed with anger as she rose from her seat, her presence commanding and unyielding. "How dare you. You know nothing of what I endured—the lives I failed to save, the burden I carried as king. My wish is to atone for those failures."

Naruto stood as well, refusing to back down. His tone was heavy with something deeper than anger. "I get it. You think it's your responsibility to fix everything. But let me ask you this—if you change the past, who's gonna pay for it in the future?"

Saber's glare intensified, but she didn't answer. She was too consumed by the storm of thoughts inside her own mind.

"Let me guess," Naruto continued, his sarcasm sharp. "You think you'll magically make everything perfect, right? No pain, no suffering, just sunshine and rainbows? Hate to break it to you, Saber-chan, but even if you fix one thing, something else will go wrong. That's how the world works."

Her grip on her invisible sword tightened, her voice trembling with emotion. "I have no choice. My kingdom—my people—they deserved better than the ruin my reign brought upon them. If the Grail can give me the power to undo that, I will take it."

Naruto snorted, crossing his arms. "And what about the people who lived and died in that timeline? You'd just erase them without a second thought? Sounds real noble, King Arthur."

Saber flinched, the sting of his words cutting deeper than she expected. Naruto's gaze softened only slightly, but his voice remained firm. "You're not the first to think like this. Gilgamesh tore your ideals apart, didn't he? And Iskandar? He said you weren't even worthy of being a king. That must've stung."

Saber's breath caught, her proud expression faltering.

"Yeah," Naruto said, his tone taking on an unexpected warmth, "I know about them. And here's the thing: they weren't entirely wrong. A king's job isn't to rewrite history—it's to inspire people to do better in the present. You can't carry the weight of every failure alone. That's not leadership, Saber-chan. That's self-pity."

Saber's head lowered, her fists trembling as she tried to hold back the emotion threatening to break through. "You have no right to judge me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You don't understand the sacrifices I made for my people."

Naruto took a step closer, his expression uncharacteristically somber. "You're right. I don't. But I know what it's like to blame yourself for things you can't control. I've been there. And I learned the hard way that trying to fix the past doesn't fix you. It just makes the wounds deeper."

The weight of his words seemed to pull the air from the room. Saber's shoulders slumped, her defiance crumbling beneath the force of his sincerity. She looked away, conflicted, torn between her desire to change the past and the reality of Naruto's harsh truths.

"Look," Naruto continued, his voice softening, "I'm not saying you don't have the right to wish for something better. But don't let the mistakes of the past stop you from living in the present. Your kingdom may be gone, but the people around you right now? They're alive. They need you."

Saber stood still, her face unreadable as she processed his words. The silence lingered for a moment before she spoke, her voice quieter, more steady than before. "Perhaps… you are right. Perhaps I've been clinging too tightly to a dream that can never be."

Naruto offered a faint smile. "Took you long enough to admit it, Saber-chan. But hey, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here. Just don't expect me to be nice about it."

Saber's lips quirked into a reluctant smile. "You are insufferable."

Naruto's laugh filled the room, lifting the tension that had settled over them. There was still a heaviness in the air, but now it felt more manageable. The others seemed to relax too, their expressions softening as the mood lightened.

Naruto then turned to Sakura, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, her face calm. "What about you, Sakura-chan? If the Grail wasn't corrupted, what would you wish for?"

Sakura blinked, caught off guard by the question. She hesitated, then shrugged with a gentle smile. "I don't think I'd wish for anything," she replied simply.

The room fell silent, all eyes on her in surprise.

"Nothing?" Rin asked, disbelief evident in her tone. "Come on, Sakura. You're telling me there's nothing you'd change?"

Sakura's smile deepened, serene and unshaken. "No. Not really. For the first time in my life, I feel… free. I'm not tied to my family anymore. I don't have to live under Zouken's shadow. I can just be me."

Naruto's grin softened into something more genuine. "That's good to hear, Sakura-chan. Sounds like you've already got everything you need."

Sakura nodded, her expression warm with quiet contentment. "I used to think I'd give anything to escape my past. But now that I'm free, I don't want to dwell on it anymore. I just want to live, one day at a time."

Her words brought a peaceful stillness to the room. Even Rin seemed to soften at her honesty, and Saber, who had been so rigid just moments ago, stood in quiet contemplation.

Naruto clapped his hands together, his grin returning with a hint of mischief. "Alright! Since we're all feeling nice and philosophical now, how about some snacks?"

Rin groaned, rubbing her face in exasperation. "You're impossible."

"And yet," Naruto said, chuckling, "here we are."

A/N:

Hey, everyone! Sorry about the repeated text in the last chapter—it's been fixed now. As for Naruto getting a Servant, I've decided not to complicate things further by adding one to the mix. For Sakura's Servant, I'm leaving it open-ended for now, so feel free to share your suggestions or thoughts about who (or what) it should be in your reviews!

Also, I'm considering including a lemon scene with Sakura in the next chapter. If that's something you'd like to see, let me know in the reviews! Thanks again for your patience and support—it means a lot to me.

Looking forward to your feedback!