Jinchuriki Stay/Night
A fanfiction...
Chapter 1: The blonde, the sword and the grail
"ITAI!" Yelled a blond boy as he landed head-first into the pavement...
He looked around... this place, it was alien to him...
"Damn him... before killing him Obito/Tobi must have used his fucking space-time doujutsu... thingy" the boy said as he tried to walk, his limbs felt like they where of lead.
He looked around, he was inside hell maybe... this place, just a few seconds ago was burning like the very pits of that place... he felt weak, maybe it was the lack of air, maybe because he was almost killed... but he continue to walk... for he knew if he stopped... he might never wake up unless someone helped him first.
He could hear the people around him groaning in agony and pain, but he was used to it... he continued to walk, his body seems smaller for some reason... he looks at himself in a broken glass... he had regressed in age, an after effect of the failed dojutsu maybe?
He falls to the ground... his body feels hot, it feels like an iron rod was shoved into his spine... he falls and his vision blurs... chakra is spend... he falls only to feel a strong hand holding him.
He look up and saw him... the man who saved him... and who took him in...
My name is Uzumaki Naruto... I am 16 years old... right now I have found myself in a land I don't belong, to boot apparently I regressed in age, now I look like a 10 year old boy... looks like I been transported beyond time, now I find myself under the care of a man called Emiya Kiritsugu... the man took me under his wing and adopted me... and taught me a bit of jutsus that they called magic after much insistence from me once I learned he was something called a magus.
He said to me I have a powerful magic circuitry (Whatever that means) and that I could be of use to the world, with that we started to train... unfortunately... he died a 5 years later... it was a sad day for he was a good man.
He left for me his state so I could live in it with the promise to be a hero of justice,it had a nice ring to it
I now go to Homurabara school, I hate doing it but apparently in this world you require an education to get good jobs, nothing like my old village where you could get any jobs if you had the skill... or could kill.
I am currently in class 2C, my teacher Fujimura Taiga is funny and does indeed live to her name, however she is also my "legal guardian" (No idea as to WHY) and stops by to mooch off me and my other classmate, Matou Sakura.
Though she shares the name to the girl I loved they have contrasting personalities, she is sweet and caring to the point that she resembles Hinata, however there is something wrong with her... her eyes, they look full of hurt. Something must have happened, she latched on to me when we meet as "kids" or at least with my child-like body I regressed to.
She always comes in the morning and makes breakfast for all of us, I feel bad and I asked her repeatedly not to, that is not necessary, but she says is okay, well in the end I gave up... especially since Tiger over there can't cook for shit, in fact... she has no housewife material in her whole body, she sucks in the kitchen, is lazy like Shikamaru at times and irresponsible as hell... even thought she is a teacher.
At school I noted many things, one of the teachers... his eyes... was one of a killer.
His name is Kuzuki Souichirou, he is a strict homeroom teacher, however he is weird... his eyes are really cold, is a wonder people have not noticed this... those eyes are NOT normal on a teacher... well not in my case... ninja remember?
Anyways, this was a non-eventful day... I was helping around fixing things with the new "jutsu" I learned called "reinforcement".
Is kinda neat, being able to fix things.
Normally I break em, now I am able to understand how they work and their inner mechanism... is a wonderful thing really.
This was a day I stayed up late... a day that changed my life... again. Apparently kami LOVES changing my life drastically.
-Jinchuriki Stay/Night-
School late afternoon
"Damn... I am so tired of cleaning after them. I might be a nice guy but even I got my limits... is kinda problematic not being able to use my jutsus without freaking people out" Naruto commented as he left the archery club dojo after cleaning it.
As he walked out he sensed something... then he heard the unmistakeable sounds of weapons.
He dashed out and saw 2 people fighting... one was a man wearing red with a single black short sword... the other had a long red lance and wearing blue. Both of them fighting fiercely, both clearly bloodied warriors if their attacks where a testament to their skill and strength.
They countered, attacked and counterattacked each other, savagely, precisely...
The man with the red spear charged and broke the sword of the man in red... as he charged Naruto saw his lips move.
"t... o..."
The spearman's lance was rebuffed by two simultaneous attacks and shoved back as he had to parry the attacks least they strike him.
He tsked "A dual wielder uh?"
Archer just reset his stance.
"A mere bowman who thinks he is a swordsman,eh?" the spearman yelled the end part as he charged with renewed viciousness.
A stab... another white sword was broken and lost... only for another to appear nearly instantly.
A slash... the black sword was broken... only for it to be replaced by an identical one moments later.
The exchange continued for a couple seconds more.
It was a deadly dance as the blue spearman attacked and disarmed the red dual wielding man, who for some reason kept getting his weapons back to his hands.
"27... to think I disarmed you 27 times, and you still have more" the spearman said.
"What's the matter? This wait-and-see approach isn't like you... Where did all that spirit go?" the man in red asked.
The Spearman tsked "Trying to provoke me, you sly old man? Fine... I'll ask you a question... what land's heroic spirit are you? I never heard of a bowman who wields 2 swords"
"You on the other hand, are easily identifiable" the red bowman said "They say that only the swiftest of heroes are chosen to be spearmen, and you alone stand heads over shoulders above them...there aren't 3 spearmen of your skill in the world... add in that beast like agility, and that leaves only but one"
"You flatter me, Archer" the man in blue said with a smile
The blue spearman decided that it was enough, he jumped back around a half a yard in distance, his spear was pointing on the ground as an energy begun to envelop him, his weapon begun to glow eerily red and swallowed him, his whole spear was glowing in an angry red energy, he was activating his mightiest attack.
Naruto could tell the man in red would die, the spear irradiated a feeling of 'the one who is struck will surely die' and the stale deathly air around it accentuated that. The man in red would die.
Naruto was so into the fight that he accidentally stepped on a dry branch, the sound wouldn't be heard by normal people, let alone at the distance those warriors where... however they did, and the man in blue reacted.
"WHO IS THERE!?" he shouted as he jumped to chase after the young blonde boy.
Naruto pulled a kunai when he felt the killing intent from the one with the red lance and parried his attack, the one with the lance arched an eyebrow in surprise to this. Naruto didn't stay idle, he twisted his body to deliver a hay-maker with his leg, which the blue spearman blocked with the shaft of his lance.
Naruto still kept at it and delivered a hit on his chin, which he dodged by moving his head back, but to do so he had to let go of his leg and used the opportunity to run away, as it was he could only struggle but not do any significant damage to this guy, he was too strong, too experienced and too skilled for him to fight him without access to his chakra.
Still the man in blue grinned, this young boy from the modern era was able at least to put a half decent fight... he knew he would win in the end... but this guy... he had guts, he had skills... if albeit unpolished... no, not unpolished but rather he was being held back by something, he couldn't tell by what, but his prana fluctuated wildly, as if it trashing against something else.
"LIKE HELL I AM GOING TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TEME!" he yelled as he jumped out of the way of another stab from the crimson spear.
The blue spearman blinked a bit at seeing the tactics of the blond kid... then he broke into laughter.
"AMAZING! A HUMAN WHO CAN FIGHT A SERVANT! HOW AMAZING! HOW FUN!" He yelled as he attacked as Naruto parried and blocked the attacks at breakneck speeds.
Since the hallway was not wide, it limited his attacking options of the blue spearman. He could only stab and not do much fancy tricks, the narrow hallways also impeded his movements somewhat, Naruto however used it to his advantage.
Naruto was riddled with nicks and shallow cuts as he used whatever meager chakra his body could safely handle to stick into the walls for a few seconds and use them as springboards to accelerate a bit more
"Well...is time for this to end don't you think? As good as you are... a human can't beat a servant" he said as he skewered his heart with a god-like speed.
"ARG!" Naruto yelled in pain, then smirked, it shocked the blue spearman.
"Kidding!" he vanished in a cloud of smoke a chair was in his place, a bucket was pierced by his lance. From underneath him Naruto launched his counterattack.
"WHAT!" he yelled as a powerful kick was delivered to his face and send him flying out of the building.
Naruto panted "Man... that was close... but is good... this rush... haven't felt it in a while... I guess I am a fighting junkie" Naruto said as he smirked, his satisfaction died when he stopped for a second to catch his breath and found himself right in front of the blue man. He was not out as Naruto had tought... in fact he only looked midly annoyed, his eyes had a fierce yet playful look.
"Yo. You ran pretty far."
He speaks in a friendly tone.
"Hey... how did you do that trick back then?" the one with the lance asked as he appeared behind him he looked surprised and a tad hurt.
"SHIT! I DIDN'T EVEN SENSE HIM!" Naruto cursed inwardly, he fingered his sleeve to activate the hidden mechanism to pull a kunai without him being none the wiser, he decides for another alternative.
"You gonna have to find out... teme" he said as he threw a smoke bomb and dashed out, he was fast but the man in blue was faster.
"THEN DIE! GAE BULG!" he shouted as he shoved the spear.
Naruto grabbed his kunai and blocked the hit,
This is where things got weird...
The spear returned before the block and 'moved' around his defence, or rather ignored it in favor of it's target, in this case, Naruto's heart.
He felt an immense pain in his heart and looked... he was bleeding by his chest... the spear that was aimed at his feet... somehow found his way to his heart, as impossible as it sounded, as sure as Naruto had blocked, the fact of the matter the spear was now lodged in his heart.
"URG!" Naruto groaned... "H-How...? I... am sure... I... blocked it" Naruto said as he feel to the floor.
"This lance... it can't be dodged, it can't be blocked... it will reverse the casualty, meaning the second I thrust my spear, your heart was pierced. The cause is that "the heart is pierced" and the effect is that "the spear is thrust". Thus, the lance has already hit the heart before it is thrust, and the actual action is merely a formality that occurs due to the piercing of the enemy's heart." he explained as Naruto's vision became blurry.
"Damn it... this is... the second time" Naruto said as he fell down "I been stabbed around there" he said as he coughed blood. and slumped into the wall.
Lancer smirks "You did well... not many humans can say that they kicked a servant out and managed to break 3 of their ribs by doing so" he said as he grabbed his torso. The boy hit hard. "It's a shame someone with such promise is to die so early... no matter... rules are rules" Lancer looked sad. This was not how he was supposed to do things, he was a HERO, not a butcher or an assassin.
Naruto however was still alive... thanks to the regenerative powers of the fox still in him... having absorbed most of the power helped... a lot, however the wound of the lance was something exceptional... it resisted his healing... not stopping it, but making it more troublesome.
He then begun to see the blurry image of a girl kneeling next to him...
Footsteps approach me and stop.
In that brief period.
…More footsteps.
"Follow him Archer. Lancer will probably go back to his master. This won't be worth it unless we at least find out what his Master looks like" a feminine voice said.
"…But it's amazing he isn't dead yet." the feminine voice said once more, I can sense she is looking at me.
"…Stop it. Why does it have to be you?" she said...
I hear the person grit their teeth, then they touch me without hesitation.
I want to apologize... to tell her to leave... that is dangerous... but that lance... whatever it was, it was resisting the fox's healing... I find myself fading into nothingness... "I can't die here... I have to... I have to go back" I yelled in my mind, fighting the sleepiness that was seeping in.
"…Reforge the damaged organ and use it as a substitute, and restore the heart in the process, huh? If I succeed, I'll be accepted to the Clock Tower instantly…"
A pain-filled voice.
With that, my mind stops fading.
""
Feeling returns to my body.
Slowly, bit by bit, like a drop of water going down a leaf, feeling returns to my body.
"-'
I wonder what is this person doing? the person is sweating and places her hand on my chest with all her heart. I notice her hands are incredible hot
It must be so hot that the frozen blood melted and started to flow again.
"Phew."
I sense someone take a deep breath and sit down.
"I'm tired…"
I hear a clang of something falling.
"…Well, I guess it can't be helped. Forgive me, Father. Your daughter is terribly heartless."
And that's it.
The person speaks to mock themselves, and leaves.
I feel my heart pumping blood... with the last of my strength...
"thank you" I say in an inaudible whisper
and then... he saw darkness.
Several minutes later
"DAGH!" Naruto yelled as he woke up.
"What… happened?"
I can't remember because of the sharp headache.
My body is cold, probably from lying on the floor for a long time.
The only certain thing is my ripped uniform, and my own blood on the floor.
"…!"
I get up with a hazy head.
The spot where I was lying looks like a murder scene.
Fancy that... I would laugh it it wasn't me that almost died...
"…Damn, I really…"
…Had my chest pierced?
"…Hah… guh…"
"Damn! This was the only clean one I had left... that bastard... I am going to kill him when I find him" Naruto cursed as he went back home in a foulest of moods... he clutches his chest and did a bunshin, instructing it to clean the place, no need to freak the school
Naruto then felt a presence looking at him and looked directly at the person, though that person was quiet a ways away.
"Impossible... he saw me? A human?" Archer said.
"is something the matter Archer?" a girl said from the shadows.
"maybe nothing..." Archer said, however he was doubting himself.
-Jinchuriki Stay/Night-
Naruto reached to his home and took a quick shower, however he knew something was coming... that lanced guy, he was not going to stop until he was dead, and odds are, he realized he is still alive and is hunting him even now. He got dressed in his old clothing and then he heard the wooden blocks jingle as they hit each other... the house's security system against people with evil/bad intentions towards the owner of the house.
"Is about time you got here... I was worried you might not come... teme" Naruto said without looking as he dodged the spearman coming from the roof of his house.
"Amazing! sensed me even before I appeared... you are quiet something... tell me, just what are you? I never had to kill a person twice in a day..." the lanced guy said "you are an interesting one indeed" he was obviously happy at his survival and at the prospect of another fight
"The name is Emiya Naruto... and I am going to kick your ass, teme!" he said as he charged and attacked with his shurikens, but the launched them but the person blocked them, however...
*CHUCK!*
"W...what?" he said as he saw a large shuriken embedded in his stomach.
"Kage shuriken!" Naruto said with a smirk.
While Lancer might have the ability of "Protection against arrows" (a misnomer as it can be applied to any projectile) Naruto had confused Lancer's senses by hiding the second wave in the 'shadow' of the first wave (2 waves in less split second apart)
"n...not bad at all kid... this is the first time... that a human managed to injure me... let alone like this... apparently I can't screw around with ya" he said smirking, he was thoroughly enjoying this,
"Since you gave me your name... I will give you mine... I am Cu Chulainn, but you can call me Lancer... since that is my role in this game" Lancer said
"Well Lancer... I am gonna kick your ass for killing me back there, no hard feelings is just personal!" he said as he charged
"DIE YOU IDIOT!" Lancer said as he prepared an attack
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" He yelled as he made replicates of himself.
10 replicas of himself appear... Naruto looks a bit winded but he still follows trough with his plan
"WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!" Lancer yelled as he was surrounded.
"EMIYA NARUTO RENDAN!" they yelled as they pummeled Lancer.
However he rolled on the floor and got back up, the attack the boy did was good.
"The attacks... I thought it would be an illusion... but those attacks... all of them were real... it would take a master sorcerer to make something like that... but I detect no mana at all... What the hell are you?" Lancer asks as he glares at the boy, but Naruto retreated and left his bunshins to fight him off.
Naruto was winded so he decided to hide in the storeroom.
"Damn freak, is too bad I am a bit out of shape... I really don't wanna use my high level jutsus right now" Naruto said, true be told he had trouble using his chakra... ever since that day... his chakra flowed thickly, rather than being like water, it felt like syrup or sap... hard to get out... He had been retraining his chakra control ever since, but due to certain obligations he had, he had little time for it... normally he would let a bunshin or 2 to pick up his slack... but it was impossible due for other reasons. He did not notice but there was a magic circle slowly draining his chakra and bits of prana...feeding it to summon something that he had not even begun to realize this.
"Found ya!" Lancer said smirking, he had a lot of bruises and was bleeding from the lip, and eye twitched in pain and a few of his teeth where gone.
"Wow! took you 5 minutes... where they really that much trouble?" Naruto said mocking him.
"YOU bastard! Look at me! You broke my teeth!" Lancer yelled pointing his lance at him
"What can I say... I love being troublesome" Naruto said smirking, as he shrugged unrepentantly.
"DIE!" Lancer yelled.
It was a thrust like lightning.
A spearhead thrust to pierce my heart
Dodging it would be meaningless... even if I could see it, this weapon defies logic...
but...
The lightning that tries to pierce me... is repelled by the moonlight that tries to save me.
Clang... a beautiful sound.
No... the sound before me is heavier than steel. The armor she is wearing is not beautiful at all and as unrefined as the cold night... the sound wasn't beautiful at all
it was actually the sound of steel... a sound I have not heard for a LONG time.
But... it's just that the knight is so beautiful enough to turn it into a charming sound like a bell.
"-I ask of thee... are you my master?" she asked in a voice that lights up the darkness.
"I have come forth in response to your summons, from this time forward, my sword shall be with you and you fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is completed" she continued.
The moonlight still lights up the darkness. As if following the knight's example, the shed again falls silent... time has stopped. The scene lasts less than a second...
but...
I'm sure I'll remember this scene vividly forever...
The face slightly turned, the quiet green eyes, the instant becomes an eternity, the blue outfits symbolizing her sways in the wind
a faint blue light filters in, her golden hair shines in the moonlight
"master?" Naruto said not understanding
"UHM!" the person looked the other way as she started to fight the lancer guy
"Hey get out of there! Let me handle this guy" Naruto said as he jumped over the knight
"TAKE THIS!" Naruto yelled as he kicked Lancer's face and then gashed his arm with a kunai
The knight was surprised...
"Are you my master?" she asked
"Well... since I am the only one around... I guess that means a yes" Naruto said
"I am Saber... I am to be your servant" she said
"Well Saber... let's kick some ass together then" Naruto said as he smirked as he pulled another kunai.
They both charged together wearing Lancer down, Lancer ignored Naruto as he favored over the knightly girl.
"GAE BULG!" He yelled as he thrust his spear towards Saber.
The spear was blocked, however, like with Naruto the spear moved itself to impale her heart...
"SABER!" Naruto yelled in fright at his new companions possible death.
However she managed to dodge it by a hairs breath, her body was punctured by the spear, but thankfully it missed her heart.
"Not bad Saber... I am glad you are safe, rest a while... I will be able to handle him from here" Naruto said while panting... he was reaching his chakra's limit.
The fox told him it would take more time... due to some interference in his synchronization of body and soul, his chakra was erratic and forcible being repressed... not much, but enough to warrant caution, the fox himself did not know what had caused this, perhaps an unintended side-effect of the dojutsu?
"I am sorry, but I must go... my maser is a bit of a coward you see..." he excused himself as he vanished " feel free to follow me if you wish to die though"
"Damn teme... I better not find you cause I am making your ass crass" Naruto said.
He looked at his hand and saw a weird symbol, it looked like a 3 pronged kunai from the yondaime.
"So... can you explain to me what is going on?" Naruto asked to his new impromptu companion, he sat down on the grass to catch his breath.
"My name is saber, and you are my master" Saber said.
"You said master... of what? I don't understand..." Naruto said confused, this was sudden to him
"Look at your hand, that is a command sigil, it proves that you are indeed my master, from here on now I am your sword, your destiny is mine, our contract is now complete" Saber said
"Say... are you okay? You got hit pretty bad out there" Naruto said
Her armor begun to fix itself
"Neat trick" Naruto said impressed
"SO... can you tell me exactly what this all means?" Naruto asked
"I am the servant that you summoned in order to participate in the Grail War, I told you earlier master" Saber said.
"... you still have not explained... what does this all mean?" Naruto said a bit angry.
"I see... you really don't know anything" Saber said "In that case I shall answer you.
"The Grail War" its a battle to the death between seven masters who desire the holy grail... the holy grail is an existence that can grant any wish to whoever obtains it, us servants serve as our masters tools as familiars for the purpose of battling the other masters... and you where chosen...to participate in this ritual as one of the masters" Saber said.
"Holy grail... wishes..." Naruto said thinking a bit.
"Master I sense a new presence coming this way, we will talk later" Saber said.
"Not necessary... they are gonna find a rather nasty surprise out there" Naruto said smirking evilly.
"Eh?" Saber said not understanding.
*BOOOM *
"ARG!" a voice yelled.
"I sensed you trying to spy on me... I don't like it when people don't respect my privacy" Naruto said as he looked at the smoldering body of the red wearing person.
"ARCHER!" a girl's voice shouted.
"A girl?" Naruto said but Saber went over to attack her "wait!" Naruto yelled, however Saber rushed in.
He then appeared in front of her and blocked her with his kunai drawn, thought he could not see it he could feel the weapon itself. his body sunk into the ground as he pushed himself to block or parry Saber's blow... it was powerful, his hands went numb but still forced his blade against the edge of the unknown weapon the knightly girl held.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, MASTER!?" Saber yelled "She's an enemy! If we don't kill her now..."
"No... there is no need to kill" Naruto said as he pushed Saber off with is own strength, partly because Saber jumped back herself.
"If we don't she might..." Saber said.
"...explain to me first, Saber, you said that I am your master... did you not? In that case I won't tolerate you taking any independent action until I have heard an explanation that I am satisfied with" Naruto said with hard eyes on her.
Her weapon did not lower however, still conflicting emotions run trough her mind.
How long were we standing like that?
"…So? When will Saber-san lower her sword?" The figure on the ground suddenly speaks.
"…!"
Saber suddenly returns to concentrating her attention on her sword.
"give up. I have no sword to lower in front of an enemy" Saber said.
"Even if your Master says to lower it? Wow, so even Saber would betray her Master, huh?" the person said.
""
Saber grits her teeth. The jab at her pride was nicely pointed.
But Saber lowers her sword and relaxes.
Saber's hostility disappears, so she must have put away her sword as well.
"I see. Then I can stand up, right?" The one on the ground stands up.
She looks shameless, brushing her rear.
I look at the person, the first thing I notice is her sulky look on her face... then I realize something
…Hey, wait a second.
That sulky person is definitely- WHAAAAAAT…!
"You, you're Tohsaka…!" I said pointing at the girl
"Yes. Good evening, Emiya-kun." Tohsaka Rin replies with a big smile.
"Uh..?"
That gets me.
If she greets me normally like that, everything that happened up to now seems like a dream and… No, my head's about to explode, geez, how easy would things be if it did…!
"Um, no, well, um… so you were using magic right now, so that means…"
"I'm a magus. Well, we're the same, so it's not something I need to hide."
"Guh…"
When she replies clearly like that, it makes me seem stupid for asking.
"Let's talk inside. You don't know anything, right Emiya-kun?"
So saying, she walks toward the entrance.
"Wait, what are you thinking…!"
And then…
She turns, and the smile on her face isn't like the previous one.
"|Are you stupid? I am thinking about a lot of things... that's why I want to talk to you...Emiya-kun, it's good to be surprised by sudden turns of events, but it could sometimes cost you your life if you don't just accept it. Incidentally, do you understand that now is one of those times?"
She glares at me.
"…!"
"It's fine if you understand. So let's go to your place."
Tohsaka goes through the gate.
"…She's really pissed…"
It's only natural.
She had a sword pointed at her until now, and she was almost killed.
"No, but still…"
Is it just my imagination or is she totally unlike how she seems at school?
"Well... look at this... Emiya-kun saved the damsel in distress" Tohsaka said giggling
"Oi oi! Stop that, I ended up making Saber angry... how about you shed some light on this?" Naruto said showing her the mark he has on his hand
"Ah... those are command spells... wait... are you telling me you don't even know about this?" Tohsaka said
"I think that is the reason why I asked" Naruto said annoyed
"You're telling me you are not familiar with the command mantra system... and that you know nothing of the grail war?" Tohsaka said
"well... I heard some from Saber but I don't really know what it is" Naruto said scratching the back of his head
"haaa... that's absurd. I guess you're telling me that you are a complete novice at this then" she said as she walked into the house
"? where are you going?" Naruto asked
"Inside... I'll give you a rough outline of what this war is all about" Tohsaka said
"Master, I sense no malicious intent in her words at the moment. I think it would be best if you would accept her proposal and listen to what she has to say, it would be beneficial for our cause of surviving through this war if you obtained a little of general information on the matter" Saber said
Naruto made some tea for all and put the cups on the table.
"Are you ready? Well then. To begin with I asked if you were one earlier, but... I am one of the official masters of the current grail war, and just like you, I am a magus... thought it seems that you did not know I was one, Emiya-kun" Tohsaka said
"uhmm... you are wrong... I am not a magus, I am a ninja-dattebayo" Naruto said
"EH? Ninja?" Tohsaka said being taken back
"Yeah... so I am used to crap like wars and death... not that I like it... but I can fight, even if I had no servant... your buddy with the white hair should be in a lot of pain due to the explosive tags I put out there" Naruto said
"So that was you?" Tohaska said
"Well... yeah... you expect me to live alone without some security?" Naruto said as he looked at Tohsaka in a funny way
"But... explosives?" she said with a funny face
"Hey... if you got a better way to say "Get the fuck away or die" then tell me" Naruto said.
Tohsaka sighed... she liked Naruto but his way of thinking was... well... barbaric... still she loved his whisker marks so much she even had a little picture of him when he was napping by the bleachers
"Wait... then how did you became a master? Only magus are qualified to be masters" Tohsaka said
"How should I know?" Naruto said as he shrugged.
"Well.. in any case... on to the main subject... the grail war is a battle that revolves around obtaining ownership over the holy grail, a command mantra and a servant are given to those who are chosen as masters, you already heard this much from Saber over there, haven't you?" Tohsaka said
"Yeah... that's the gist of what she said" Naruto said
"Those command mantras can overwrite the will of the servant and force them to do things they might not be willing to do... as well as summoning them to your side, that is why they are called trump cards... in addition, if you didn't have command spells to begun with it would be impossible to control a servant, that is because servants are far too powerful for mere humans to handle" Tohsaka said "Servants... you know, are the spirits of heroes" she said.
"Wait... heroes? Do you mean people from legends?" Naruto asked "man I wished I could have summoned my father the yondaime... now THAT would have kicked ass" Naruto thought.
"That is correct, people who have achieved great enough deeds during their lifetime, will ascend to the "throne of heroes" after their death. The holy grail made it possible to summon those spirits back to this world as one of seven possible classes. Those classes are... Saber, the swordsman, Rider, the mounted warrior, Lancer, the spear-man, Berzerker, the insane warrior, Archer, the bowman, Caster, the magic user, Assassin, the mercenary. The Holy grail assigns each of the summoned heroic spirits to their appropriate class and then allots them to their masters, lastly the masters fight each other and the last man standing gains ownership of the holy grail. That is what this war is all about" Tohsaka said
"There's a place I wanna take you... come with me" Tohsaka said as she urged Naruto to follow.
-Jinchuriki Stay/Night-
They walked the streets at night as they headed to the western side of the city... Naruto noticed quiet a few ambulances on the way.
"Tohsaka, those ambulances..." Naruto said
"Yes... it seems like there is another "gas leak" accident" Tohsaka said
"Oh... Naruto, was it really a good idea to do that?" Tohsaka said pointing behind her with her thumb.
"Eh? But it couldn't be helped... I suck at genjutsu" Naruto said.
"It would attract too much attention if she walked in her armor" Naruto said as Saber stepped in.
"Master... even though I can't change back to my spirit form at the moment... I don't think this kind of treatment is quiet fair" she said blushing a bit from wearing the oversized raincoat.
"Poor thing... it must be hard to have made a contract with such an inexperienced magus" Tohsaka said.
"I am not a mango I am a ninja!" Naruto said
"MAGUS! Not MANGO BAKA!" Tohsaka said, glaring daggers at him.
"Wait... if your servant can make themselves invisible by changing to their spirit form... that means... that feeling I been having... your servant... he is here too right?" Naruto said.
Tohsaka was surprised at what he said.
"Yes... I ordered him to evacuate back to his spirit form before he was struck a finishing blow at the moment he is recuperating his wounds" Tohsaka said
"I see... I am sorry, I'm having you explain this things... and now I am part of yet another war... and I am making you help, despite the fact that we might face each other sometime" Naruto said looking a bit ashamed
"Please... don't misunderstand anything" Tohsaka said "I just don't want to be caught up in a debt, it is completely up to you wherever we fight or not, but if you stand before me as a master the next time we meet... I'll definitely kill you" Tohsaka said
"Kowaii! Tohsaka-san Kowaii!" Naruto said playfully as he chuckled.
"by the way... where are we heading?" Naruto asked
"We are heading to the man who is "supervising" this war, his job is to manage the grail war all by himself. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to meet up with him while we decide what to do from now on" Tohsaka said "We arrived"
They arrived to a huge catholic church, Naruto looked at it and whistled.
"this is... the Kotomine church" Tohsaka said "Don't worry, I've known the priest for a
long time, we won't be in danger"
"Master, I will remain here to defend from attacks from the outside" Saber said "I sense danger in the air, you should, by all means, be also in your guard" Saber said
"Always am" Naruto said as he entered
"Tohsaka... is the priest this supervisor you where talking about?" Naruto asked
"Yeah, Kirei! You're here aren't you? I've brought the seventh master" Tohsaka said
Naruto turned around to as he heard someone say "ah... I see"
"Welcome boy... I am Kotomine Kirei" he introduced himself.
The second they meet... Naruto resisted the urge to kill him... he could see it... in his eyes... the same look Orochimaru and Madara had.. dead... empty.
"soo... you are the supervisor eh?" Naruto said
"That I am, what is your name?" Kotomine asked
"Emiya Naruto" Naruto answered
"Emiya...Naruto." he said a bit taken back, remembering something, he then smiled.
"Huh?"
The weight on my back turns into a chill.
The priest slowly smiles as if he's met someone pleasant.
That smile.
It makes me
It reminds me of him... Orochimaru.
"I have to tell you, no matter if it was a mistake or a fluke... but once you become a master... there is no going back" Kotomine said
"I don't care... I could use this to work out a sweat at last" Naruto said smirking
He then walked out "come on Tohsaka... at least let me walk you home" Naruto said as she blushed lightly
He pulled a tad closer "That man... don't trust him... I can sense it... he is a wolf hidden in sheep's skin" Naruto whispered on her ears shocking her. Naruto was sharp, even she didn't like him.
"Saber... I really don't have any desires... well I have one... but I don't think nothing is waiting for me back there... however this war might bring casualties... I might not be a reliable magus... hell I am ain't a magus at all... but please bear with me and help me protect the people" Naruto said
Saber smiled
"Yes, master" saber accepted and they both shook hands
Naruto's ears twitched... he felt something strange in the air currents...
-Jinchuriki Stay/Night-
A little far away
"So you've finally come out onii-chan. I see you've decided to fight. Well then, let's go Berzerker. I've grown tired of waiting" a young girl with white hair said
"Let's part here Emiya-kun" Toshaka said
"Tohsaka... you should be more truthful to yourself you know" Naruto said as he smirked
"B...baka... what do you mean?" She said as she blushed furiously and glared at him
"Never mind" Naruto said as he walked with Saber at his side.
"You really are a nice person... I like people like you" Naruto said smiling as he walked away.
"W... WHA? Wait a second! Do you understand our situation at all? We're enemies and..." she begun ranting however Naruto disappeared and reappeared in front of her and put a finger on her lips.
"? I understand... this is not the first time I am to fight in something as bloody as this... but you helped me out a lot... It's only normal for me to thank you" Naruto said
She blushed a bit as she combed her hair back with her hand
"I'm done here. Please be careful and TRY not to get killed early in the game ok?" she said.
Naruto pulled a kunai, Rin's eyes grow in shock... was he going to kill her?
"Tohsaka step back!" Naruto called as she stopped walking and jumped back.
"Oh? You managed to detect me? The night is still young" a little girl said.
Naruto blinked.
"Eh? A kid? Why are you out so late at night? Did something happen?" Naruto said, however his instincts indicated killing intent emanating from somewhere
The little girl giggled as she did a curtsy
"Nice to meet you, my name is Illya. You'll understand who I am after I tell you that my full name is Illyasviel von Einzenbern... Won't you?" she said with a smirk.
Naruto however appeared and gently pushed her.
"Now now... kids should be home and asleep" Naruto said
However Tohsaka was horrified and petrified for she knew who that 'brat' was.
"That girl... she is from the Einzbern family, they coveted the grail for a long time... they always send a master to fight in this war every time" Tohaska said
"eh? This girl is a master?" Naruto said.
She smiled "That's right onii-chan, but there is something I have been looking forward to more than obtaining the holy grail. And tha is... to get to kill you onii-chan" she said as her eyes turned cold.
"Big words from a brat" Naruto said as he readied his kunai
"COME! BERZERKER!" she said as a giant appeared. "▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅"
"WOAH! HE'S A BIG ONE AIN'T HE?" Naruto commented as he whistled as he looked up the enormous hero.
"GO BERZERKER! CRUSH THEM ALL!" Illya said.
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅"
"MASTER! STAND BACK!" Saber yelled.
"NO WAY!" Naruto yelled as he smirked and dashed forward and jumped high in the air
"TAKE THIS!" Naruto said as he punctured Berzerker with a kunai that had a few pieces of paper attached.
"SAY BOOM BITCH!" Naruto said as he smirked
*BOOOM *
The paper bombs exploded causing some damage to Berzerker, but it was so minimal that appeared to be nothing more than a few firecrackers to him.
Berserker simply roared once more and charged madly but savagely and surely.
Saber charged with the opening, however Berzerker pulled his sword up and smashed it against Saber's sword... she was overpowered in sheer strength... this guy was the embodiment of power
"In...incredible!... Naruto just did a superb move and made an opening for Saber... but this Berzerker guy... in exchange for the power the wield they loos their sanity... but... the swords-woman in here is no joke... she will use the magical energy contained in her and make use of it and launch a counterattack with superhuman speed" Tohsaka thought
"KURAE! RASENGAN!" Naruto said as he took the opening Saber created when she was blown back, this attack made him loose his stamina... eh was tired, this was the first of his most destructive techniques, but it lacked the power he would normally have... he hope it would be enough.
Naruto shoved a bluish ball of energy into the stomach of Berzerker... his stomach twisted in circular motion and was lunched for a couple of feet away
"SABER! ATTACK!" Naruto called
Saber shook her head to clear her mind, she would ask him about that later... she charged in once more and roared as she prepared to swing her sword.
Tohsaka then asked archer to attack the master... as he was about to do so and Illya realized this, however as the attack was about to reach, Berzerker appeared to protect her blocking Rin's gems, her primary mode of attack.
"GET RID OF HER!" Illya instructed
"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"
As Berzerked moved to grab her a torrent of kunai rained down on him piercing him
"Kage kunai no jutsu!" Naruto said as even more kunai hit him, they didn't do anything more than annoy him however. He looked like a huge hedgehog but the damage was barely superficial.
"TOHSAKA! RUN AWAY!" Naruto barked.
She couldn't... the fear of such a killing machine being after her had shut down her mind.
She knew right there and now that escape was impossible... the mad servant's stats where too high... should she even run, he would kill her, he was insanely fast, faster than what she could move at any rate, faster than a car, and the power of a battle cruiser.
"OI! ARCHER! COME OVER HERE AND TAKE YOUR MASTER!" Naruto yelled
"Don't tell me what to do" He said as he appeared on a building several miles away. He had drawn his bow, he was just selecting the target now
"Chech... you are just like that guy" Naruto said annoyed remembering his old teammate and rival.
"Saber? How are you holding up?" Naruto asked worried
"I am a bit sore... but operational" Saber said as she stood up once more.
"Leave this to me" Naruto said
"NO WAY! I AM YOUR SERVANT! I FIGHT WITH YOU!" She said.
However... at that moment Berzerker choose to attack.. Naruto, devoid of any common sense or self preservation, pushed Saber out of the attack path.
*GASH *
Blood splattered in Sabers face
"eh?" she looked up to see Naruto who had a rather huge gash on his torso
"Are you alright? Saber?" Naruto said with a tender smile.
"M...master?" she looked at him shocked at the realization.
"MASTER!" she yelled "You fool! Why did you do that!" she yelled in sorrow and anger
"In the village... hidden in the leaves... my teacher once told me... those who... don't follow the rules are trash... but... those who abandon their comrades... they are lower than thrash... besides... I am glad... that you are okay" Naruto said as he slumped into Saber
"MASTER!" Saber yelled in shock, she had failed her master.
He fell in a pool of his own blood and passed out
"EMIYA-KUN!" Tohsaka yelled as she dashed to his side.
The little girl looked in shock at what happened, she could not comprehend this, why did the master took a blow meant for the servant? so many thoughts running trough her head.. he grew irritated and left the battlefield. This was a waster of time for her.
-Jinchuriki Stay/Night-
"...!"
Naruto opens his eyes... he recognizes the room.
"What... in the hell?" he says.
He tries to get up, but he feels sick and woobly.
He tastes iron in his mouth
"probably blood" He figures.
Naruto felt hungry for some reason
"I hope I have some ramen stashed away" he thinks
Naruto trudges himself to the kitchen and grabs a cup of ramen and puts water in it and then sets the microwave and puts the ramen in.
Sakura and Fuji-Nee must be at school.
There's no breakfast prepared in the living room, and there's none of Fuji-Nee's loudness.
The quiet living room is like a typical Sunday
"Good morning. I'm afraid I came in without asking you, Emiya-kun." a familiar voice said.
...so much for peace and quiet.
"Ohayoo... Tohsaka-chan" Naruto greets.
"…"
I don't know how to answer her, so first of all I sit down.
And then, I take a deep breath and ask,
"Tohsaka, why…"
"Hold on. Could you apologize first? I can't calm down until I hear an apology for last night." She says as she glares at me.
I don't even have time to ask her why she's here.
Tohsaka is glaring at me like she's really mad.
It seems she's really angry about last night, but what happened last night?
Then I remember... the image of Saber mangled and bloodied over that monster's attack.
"Hold on."
I recall it now.
That's right, why am I so relaxed?
I tried to save Saber and… Berserker blew away my stomach in one blow
"…Ugh."
The nausea in my stomach moves. It feels really sick. It feels really sick, but that's definite proof that I'm alive.
"Do you remember? The stupid thing you did last night? If you do, then please review your actions."
Tohsaka lets out a humph and criticizes me.
…Huh, that's really annoying.
My head, which was frozen by the fact that Tohsaka is here, finally resumes activity again.
"What are you saying? There was nothing else to do at that time! Oh… well, it does look stupid if you just look at the results, but I was going to do it better.
So it wasn't a mistake. It was that I did not take into account of Berserker's strength" I protest, glaring at her.
Tohsaka then sights
"...hmm"
W-what?
why is she sighing?
"Didn't I tell you that Servants will disappear if their Master is killed? So it's crazy to try to protect your Servant. Look, Saber will disappear if you're killed. If you want to save Saber, think of a way to do so from a safe place.
…Geez, don't you understand that protecting your Servant with your life is just meaningless?"
"It's not that I protected her with my life. I tried to save her, and it just happened to work out like that. I didn't think things would end up like that either." Naruto said
I did think I would be killed if I went near that monster, but that's a different matter.
"…I see. You seem to be misunderstanding." Tohsaka said as if she's read my mind, she sulks even more.
"Look Emiya-kun. I'll come out and say it, but I didn't take you to the church to help you win.
I was trying to help you stay alive even if you were left on your own. It seems you didn't understand that part of it."
"Help me stay alive…?" Naruto said as his eyebrow twitches...
This bitch was underestimating me!
"That's right. You shouldn't take risks if you realize that a loss equals your death. You seem to be someone who would walk out at night by yourself even in a situation like this.
If I threatened you, I thought you wouldn't take risks and you might get through this." Tohsaka said
"…? So why are you mad, Tohsaka? It shouldn't bother you if I'm the one that made the mistake." Naruto said
"OF COURSE IT BOTHERS ME! YOU MADE ME WORRY FOR A WHOLE NIGHT... BAKA!" Tohsaka yells while she turns around with a slight blush in her face.
she threw out a temper-fit
It looks to me more like she's holding on to her temper.
…But I see... I'm honestly happy she's worrying about me.
Looking at the situation, it seems Tohsaka was the one who treated my wound.
"I see. I guess you helped me out. Thank you. I am sorry I made you worry" Naruto bows his head to show thanks and apologize.
"I... It's fine... is not like I did it for you... baka" Tohsaka said
Tohsaka looks away. Her gesture is snappy, but it seems she's in a good mood again.
"Then we're done with what happened last night. I'll go into the main topic, but which do you want to talk about? About last night or about something serious?" Tohsaka asks
"…?"
Tohsaka starts a conversation as if it's natural to do so.
Her straight-forwardness surprises me, but thinking about it, she's here because she has something to talk about.
If she didn't have business with me, she would have gone home already.
What is it that Tohsaka, my enemy, wants to discuss in her enemy's territory?
Not that I mind... is nice to have a beautiful flower at home...
Damn... I am sounding like Ero-sennin.
However I am not interested on it... I am alive, that's all there is to it.
Since I don't answer fast Tohsaka looks puzzled
"Hm? Why are you silent? It shouldn't take that much thought."
"Shouldn't it? I feel like you'd get mad if I asked you about either one, so I don't want to hear either. That and I don't care much, I am alive... that's all I need to know" Naruto crosses his arms and offers his honest feelings.
The air turns cold... killing intent fills the room.
"T-Tohska?" Naruto asks nervously "…T-Tohsaka…? You look really dreadful…"
Something like a terrible wrath…?
She smiles sweetly.
OH NO! I RECOGNIZE THAT SMILE...
Yes that tender smile.
The one that fools men into lowering their guards
I know that smile... it was the one Sakura used to hide the fact that she would beat the crap out of me or Sai back home!
"Oh? What do you mean by a dreadful face? I'll ask you just in case, but did I look angry to you?"
I-It felt more like dangerous…! It seems recognizing that expression and blabbing it made the situation worst!
RUN YOU FOOL!
"Um, well… I think I saw a vein in your forehead for a second, though maybe it was my imagination…" I answer the intense smile in bits and pieces.
Crap... what the hell!? RUN!
"Ohhh. So that's how I looked to you? So you must think I'm angry?" Tohsaka says smiling.
"Uh… um, are you angry, Tohsaka…? Don't hurt me... please?" Naruto begs.
"Of course I am! Out of all things, you don't want to hear either! Do you have any idea of the situation you're in, you baka!" Tohsaka roars like a beast.
"Uh, um…"
Naruto want to escape from that coercion, but…
"Don't run! Just sit there, seiza!"
"!" I automatically straighten my back and sit down.
"Um. Tohsaka, why seiza?"
"It's obvious, right! So I can chastise to you! It seems your head's still asleep, so stay like that until you wake up!" Tohsaka said
She is really angry... but I understand were she is coming from, after all I did this kind of stuff all the time were I am from.
"Hmph. First, I'll tell you about the current situation. I'll explain what happened last night."
So, Tohsaka tells me what happened last night.
It seems that Berserker left after I fell unconscious.
She tells me that my body started to heal itself, and that it looked fine after about ten minutes.
And she says she brought me here since I didn't regain my consciousness even when my wound had healed, and that's where we are right now.
"The important thing here is that you survived on your own. I did help you, but it was your own power that healed that wound. Don't mistake that part."
"It seems that way from what you told me" Naruto replies
"Hm! you are not surprised? You almost died!" Tohsaka said shocked at how coldly Naruto was handling this.
"Is not the first time I healed from injuries like that" Naruto said... but it was loud enough for Tohsaka to hear
"What do you mean?" Tohsaka asked
"One day... one day I might tell you... but for now... I rather not" Naruto said
"Then I'll be direct about it. What are you planning to do from now on?" She asks directly the one question that needed not be asked
"…Honestly? I don't know. You say I should fight for the Holy Grail, but I've never been in a fight between magi. But I will tell you this... I will destroy anyone who dares endanger innocent civilians around" Naruto said with a dangerous glint on his eyes.
"Nice... is good to see you are not as spineless as you show yourself... you have some good backbone in you" Tohsaka said.
"So Emiya-kun... what do you say to a temporary alliance? Archer has been wounded by Saber and your explosives I am going to be needing help, not only that but since you are a beginner in magic in exchange of protection I will help you with your magical abilities" Tohsaka said with a cunning smile.
Now this is crucial... true, I have little to no formal training in magic... so this might actually come in handy... the benefits are high... I have only one choice
"Alright, let's cooperate, Tohsaka-chan" Naruto said with a smile. Then it's decided. Let's shake hands. For now, let's stay allies until we beat Berserker."
"Oh… I see. That's how it'll be, huh? I guess it can't be helped, but that's easier to understand." Tohsaka said
I shake her hand.
…I'm a bit perplexed.
The instant I feel Tohsaka's soft hand, I realize she is a girl.
In comparison, my hand covered in scratches from messing around with stuff is ill-suited.
""
The instant I think so, I pull back, embarrassed.
"What? You don't want to cooperate with me after all?" she asks a bit confused at this
"No, it's not that. It's a real help to be able to ally with you. It's not that, so don't worry about it."
She makes a puzzled face
"Ohhhhh" She smirked evily
I don't like that smile.
She made a malicious expression
Naruto glares at her.
"Was that the first time you've held a girl's hand? You seem to have lots of friends, but you're actually shy, Naruto." Tohsaka says so with a smile.
"N-No! It's not that, but… well... you are a rather beautiful girl... isn't this reaction normal?" Naruto asks
I'm just embarrassed because it was Tohsaka… but I can never say such a thing, and certainly I have never touched a girl so strongly before.
She does a double-take and blushes
"Ahh... uhmm..t-thanks" She says while looking stern at him, but she was unable to hide the slight blush forming on her face.
"Then here's a deposit. I'll give you this, so think of it as proof of our alliance."
Tohsaka puts a book on the table.
It looks just like a diary. There's no title and it is wine-red but the color seems to suit Tohsaka.
"It's my father's, but I'll give it to you since I don't need it anymore. It's not something a full Master needs, but I thought you might need it." Tohsaka says.
Tohsaka's eyes tell me to take a look.
"…Then excuse me." Naruto says
He opens it to a random page...
In it most of Saber's stats are displayed in... as well as any other servant's stats that I meet before.
"Handy" Naruto says as he looks at the book.
Tohsaka then begins to explain the classes and their skills in battle...
I tune it out... I don't care much about that... I have an enemy and I must overcome it, anything else is irrelevant.
After all is explained she leaves and goes home.
Because I was almost killed three times in a day.
If someone weak joins a battle, it's natural for him to get hurt.
As compensation for my lack of strength, I almost lost my body…
Then I remember Saber's mangled body.
"Damn it... why... why can't I go full out! I hate this... she got hurt protecting me... what a joke for a shinobi I am..." Naruto thinks
"DAMN IT! I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Naruto yelled to himself
I search around the house...
Why the hell does it has to be so damn big anyways?
"That's weird… she's in that outfit, so you'd think it'd be easy to find her."
There's no sign of the brave armor-clad Saber anywhere around the house.
Tohsaka said Servants can become spirits, but I can't do that.
No, first of all
"They say I'm a Master, but just how am I a Master?"
I don't understand who she is nor how she exists.
This is like a new soldier being given a tank.
"That's right. Even if you give a guy that has only used old guns a brand new weapon, he won't know how to use it."
I complain.
Well, the lucky thing is, this tank has an auto-pilot function. Even if the driver is terrible, the tank will fight on its own.
""
Angry at my thoughts, I hit my head against the wall, the girls back home WERE right... I am an idiot
I apologize to the blond-haired girl in my head. Now, I feel like I have to find her and confirm her safety.
"If I were her... were would I be?" a thought hits him...
"She must be there."
I hurry.
I head to the dojo, separated from the main building.
""
I'm a bit tense.
If she's not here, I will have to admit that she is gone.
"…?"
That makes me realize.
The inconsistency… even though I know nothing about her, I want her to stay...
A wooden-floored room with nothing unnecessary. A dojo built only to train oneself in.
In this silent place, in the faint sunlight...
She is sitting there naturally.
""
A space filled with tranquility.
The sunlight shining in is white, and it makes her and the dojo into one.
I can see nothing amiss in her dignified posture.
Just by sitting there, she stiffens the air in the dojo.
But there's nothing cold about it.
It's because her figure is so pure, it makes me forget even about the cold winter air.
", "
Even the sound of my breath is a nuisance.
The girl, sitting in seiza in the corner of the dojo, is definitely the girl from last night.
The girl who appeared just before I was killed by Lancer, and the girl that mercilessly slashed him with her sword.
Her golden hair, that was reflecting the blue moonlight, is now one with the warm sunlight.
""
That really makes me remember.
This is exactly what I felt when I first saw her.
The girl clad in armor, slashing her sword to silently overwhelm her opponent,
I wasn't surprised by how out-of-world that scene was.
It doesn't matter what she's wearing. It probably wouldn't change even if she was covered in mud.
The girl that moved me deeply is still in front of me.
""
That is why I forget even to breathe and continue to stare at her.
Forgetting about Masters, the Holy Grail War and everything.
In this instant I have completely accepted Saber.
I couldn't tell how long it has been, I was entranced by her ethereal beauty, she opens her eyes as if awakening from sleep.
"-oh" my disappointed voice echoes loudly through the dojo.
Saber stands up, perhaps noticing the sound.
So much for my ninja skills
"…"
I walk towards her, still not knowing what to say.
"You are awake, Naruto" A calm voice.
Her voice, echoing through the dojo as if permeating it, is surprisingly suited to this place.
"Y-Yeah. I just got up, I just can't be kept down you know?."
I answer with a dull head and a smile on the face.
"Naruto? you seem pale, are you feeling ill?" Saber asks.
The golden-haired girl approaches me.
"Uh, n-no…! I'm feeling really good…! good as new!"
I quickly step back to get away from Saber, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Looking away from Saber, who is tilting her head questioningly, I calm down my pounding heart.
"…Calm down. What am I so tense about!"
I take a deep breath.
…But it doesn't seem to die down quickly. In fact, I don't think it ever will.
"…Geez, why has she changed…?"
I complain without meaning to. Saber's clothes have changed dramatically since yesterday.
She's wearing normal clothes, completely unlike her armor. It's rather unexpected and I'm troubled by it.
…She is terribly beautiful. I thought I figured that out yesterday, but it really hits me now.
Perhaps her armor looked so surreal that I didn't notice yesterday.
But if she dresses like a girl, as a healthy guy, I'm troubled.
After all... I haven't been with anyone... and I regressed in age...
I am a freaking teenager again... hormones are back and with a vengeance.
"Naruto"
I tense up the moment our eyes meet
But I didn't look for her so as to not talk to her.
I'm troubled, but I can't stay quiet forever.
"It's Saber, right? This will be the first time we sit down and talk, but"
I make up my mind and talk to her.
And then...
"Naruto... before that, there is something I would like to tell you about last night" Saber said
She interrupts my words with a sullenness that makes her earlier calmness seem like an illusion.
"? All right, what is it?" Naruto asks.
"It is about last night.
You are my Master. It is troubling if you take such an action. Battle is my work, so you must concentrate on your role. If you go and die in vain yourself, there is no way I can protect you."Saber says so clearly.
That makes the tension I was feeling vanish.
"W-What do you mean! You would have been slashed if I didn't do that! Besides is not like I would die from something like that!" Naruto said
"In that case, I would have just died. It was not something you should have been hurt for. I will repeat myself. Please do not take such an action again. There is no need for my Master to protect me, and there is no reason for it either." She speaks plainly.
It must be because she is speaking so practically.
"Wha?! Don't be stupid. You don't need a reason to save a girl…!" I reply unconsciously.
Maybe she was surprised at being yelled at, but she pauses for a moment as if I've done something unexpected. And then, she stares at me with indescribable dignity.
"Uh…"
I back up a bit being stared at.
Her look makes me realize that I've said something really out-of-place, and it embarrasses me.
"A-Anyway, I'm grateful that you brought me home. I'll thank you for that." Naruto said
"You are welcome. It is natural for a Servant to protect her Master, but I am happy to be thanked. You are very polite."
"No. I'm not polite. You did me a favor, is only natural I thank you" Naruto says
More importantly, there's something I need to clarify right now.
It's something I should have asked right after I got home yesterday.
If she is really my Servant,
And if she is really taking part in this war.
"Going back to our conversation, Saber. …Oh, I'll ask formally, but can I call you Saber?" Naruto asks
"Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a Servant, I am your sword. I will follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect you."
Saber says so without the slightest hesitation. There's no room for me to question her about it.
"Become my sword, huh? To win this Holy Grail War?" Naruto asks.
"…? Is that not why you have summoned me?"
"No. I summoned you because"
I can't say it was by pure chance...
No... I can't even say I summoned her.
She appeared when I was in danger and saved me with her own decision... not that I didn't help... it was a fabulous and glorious double team effort.
The result is the situation we are in. I became Saber's Master, and I was dragged into this thing called the Holy Grail War.
Not one bit of it was my intention. I'm just an amateur magus that was dragged into this battle beyond my abilities as one... and worst, my ninjutus are limited due to my chakra control being shot by an unknown force.
"! What of it? …I've already decided that I will fight. I can't complain now. This will allow me to grow even further" Naruto said
I shake my head lightly
That's it.
"Naruto?" Saber asks
"Is nothing Saber... please take care of me" Naruto says
"Hai" Saber says.
Still something seems a bit off...
Wait a minute...
"Saber... by the way, where did you get those clothes?" Naruto asks
They are something Rin has prepared for me. Since I cannot turn into spirit form, she gave me these so that I would not attract attention." Saber replies
"Oh, I see." Naruto says dumbly.
"What about them?" Saber asks
"Well, yeah, um… you look really beautiful on them" Naruto says
Saber is taken back by this and slightly blushes.
Then... I heard a heavy sound...
"Rin? you are back?" Naruto asks without looking behind.
"Oh? you got really sharp scenes there Emiya-kun" Rin said.
"W-whats with the big bag?" Naruto asks.
"I just went to my house to go get my stuff, it's natural since we'll be living here from now on" Tohsaka answers like is the most natural thing in the world
I take a deep breath... and another...
"Wha…! L-Live… you mean you, living in my house…!" Naruto yells.
"That's what cooperation means... what did you think our talk was about earlier?" Tohsaka asked.
"I honestly thought that we would be on our own and meet up every once in a while" Naruto said confused by the turn of events.
She smiles sweetly
She dominates me.
Wow...
This girl is good.
"Where's my room? if you don't have one prepared I'll choose one myself" she states
Still, the unexpected invader mercilessly continues the discussion.
"Ah hold on, that's"Isn't this bad, morally?"
Look, Tohsaka is the idol at my school. Just having her in my house will cause a panic, so having her live here would be crazy and Fuji-Nee would kill me. Or maybe she's planning to drive me insane to reduce the number of Masters…!
Nah... impossible, after all I have to deal with Kyubi all my life... try having a murderous 9 tailed fox demon with the intent of ripping you to shreds anytime you leave an opening for him
"Oh, why don't you prepare a room for her as well? Your Servant takes up space unlike my Archer, so you should give her a place to sleep. Well, I wouldn't mind if you guys shared the same bed."
Sharing the bed… that means sleeping in the same bed, right?
My face turns red... God this woman was impossible... no wonder Shikamaru was always complaining about them.
"Of course I won't! What are you saying while I'm not saying anything! I wouldn't do such a thing, Saber is a girl…!" Naruto says sputtering and backing away from the devilish girl.
"You're missing the point, but oh well. That's what Naruto says, Saber. He says he doesn't like to be in the same room with a girl." Tohsaka says
Is not that I don't want to be in the same room... is just that I don't think I would be able to control myself ... blasted Icha-Icha paradise!
Saber makes a difficult face.
"That is not good, Naruto. Servants are to protect their Masters. The hours of sleep are the most crucial time for protecting you, so I cannot protect you unless I am in the same room."
"I'm in more trouble even if you say that! What are you thinking, are you two really girls! BESIDES I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! I might not be able to match a heroic spirit... but give me some time and I will beat the living hell out of them-dattebayo" Naruto roared
They stare at my blankly
"Oi... what's with the looks?" Naruto asks feeling a bit irritated.
"…Hmm. Servants are Servants, so there's no need to treat them as humans. But I guess it's useless to tell Naruto that."
The weird feeling I had when talking with Tohsaka in the living room returns.
Actually... I've figured out the cause of this feeling.
"…Hold on, Tohsaka. Since when did you start calling me by my name?" Naruto asks.
"Oh, am I? I wasn't really conscious of it, so it must have been a while ago." Tohsaka says
"…It was, I think you've been calling me that for a while."Naruto replies.
"...I see, I'll be careful if you don't like that, but don't you like it?" Tohsaka said
That phrase could be taken in so many wrong ways...
Tohsaka says so plainly, without realizing what I'm feeling.
…Geez, it's just like you said, Issei.
I think Tohsaka Rin is a real devil.
"…Fine. Call me whatever you like. I don't care, whichever you prefer is fine." Naruto says
"Really? Then I'll do that."
"Rin, please do not end the conversation. We have not come up with a solution to the matter of the room for Naruto and I." Saber states
"Oh, of course, of course. But it'll be hard to stay in the same room with Naruto acting like that. There's no point in treating a Servant like a human, but why don't you give up since Naruto doesn't want it?" Tohsaka says.
"That is incorrect. Naruto only said it would trouble him, and he did not say he did not want it." Saber says
"Well then. What do you say, Naruto?" Tohsaka asks with that devious smirk on her face
Issei... I think you pegged her right all along.
"Naruto, I will ask you again. It is a Servant's duty to guard you while you sleep. I believe you understand your position as a Master." Saber states
Uh… even if you glare at me like that, I can't do it.
"…No. I'll prepare a separate room for Saber. Um, I'll try to prepare one as close to mine as possible, so please be happy with that." Naruto says
"You can stop with the glaring... it ain't even close to the ones I am used to" Naruto says staring them back. "You should understand your situation better, Saber" Naruto says
"huh? that's why I am trying to protect my master as a servant" Saber says
"I don't need your protection.. I need your help... I can protect myself just fine... trust me... I been in fights just like this before... no... I should say, mine were worst than this" Naruto said
"…I understand, I will follow my Master's plan. But what will you do when you are attacked by an enemy? Servants such as Assassin will close in without letting their presence become known. In such cases, will you be able to protect yourself until I arrive?"
"Well I'll introduce him to a few of my own tricks... I am a sly person... there is more to me than meets the eye after all" Naruto says... his eyes turned red for an instant, and then returned to their normal color, Tohsaka and Saber blinked, but passed it off as an optical illusion.
"How about next to Naruto's room? You're fine if she's not in your room, right, Emiya-kun?" She pronounces the "Emiya-kun" ostentatiously.
"Tohsaka, that's just sophistry, you know?" Saber says
"It's a sound argument because I'm making it for your sake. Well, which room should I choose?"
Tohsaka walks to the house with her bag, as if telling us the conversation is over. She looks cheerful like a student picking her room on a field trip.
Saber and I stared at Tohska because her actions are so selfish.
Well... I better show her around the house... after all Saber will be staying with me and Tohsaka...
After all this and Saber went to her room, she smiled to herself.
"My master has much steel in him"
with that said, she went to bed
Chapter end.