[Mockingbird] Chapter 5- The Aura of a King (Patreon)

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"Naruto Uzumaki is someone we cannot allow to be alive," another voice spoke, it was a male. As he stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to the world.

He appeared to be a very pale-skinned male with green eyes, dark and red clothing, and snowy unkempt hair. He also wore a set of gold armor, with ornate earrings that were so perfect it was as if they were built by the gods themselves

The shadowy female looked at him, observing the male for all he was worth. "Perhaps you are right, hero of charity, but what do you suggest?" She inquired.

The white-haired male answered her, "With your permission, I would like to take several other servants to face him, as his a person we can not allow to take root as your plans commence," he explained.

The woman knew that the man did have a point, as she waved her hands towards him, motioning for him to go off, "Very well, take whoever you would like, it is clear that we have built up more than enough servants for such a cause," she spoke.

As Karna nodded, leaving to go gather his force.

All the while the woman watched him, curious to see who would win a battle between the son of the son god, and Hero from the elemental Nations. Only time would tell, but it seemed her earlier statement was correct on the matter,

Indeed… this would prove to be rather interesting.

Chapter 5- The Aura of a King

Golden eyes awoke wearily and without strength, it felt as if heavy bags were placed over his eyes, as he barely had any room to open them. And yet, he did so anyway, as he felt an intense fire rush over him and his magic circuits like lava being poured directly onto his skin. The wave of destruction washed over him in excess, it was almost too much to handle.

What had happened to put him in such a state? He didn't quite remember.

But, as he thought about it, like a midnight dream the faint memories poured out of him. There had been a servant, right after they had visited the church, right after he'd decided to enter this god-forsaken war. He was big, strong, insurmountable, like a mountain, his master the complete opposite, yet she also seemed formidable. Saber, she had fought him, not quite on equal ground yet on a level he couldn't comprehend to match.

Everything they'd thrown at him had done almost nothing in comparison, and even if they did manage to actually hurt him it was as if time itself bent to his will to rewrite the damage. It wasn't fair, but it was reality, the cold reality of the Holy Grail War. He knew it all too well.

He didn't want anything to happen like that again…

Calm words brought him out of his memories, relieving him from thinking about that dark day again. "Good morning, I'm glad you're finally awake," a girl sounded. He immediately realized it was Rin who had spoken to him.

Instantly, and despite his pain, he rose and jumped from his futon, the same one the Tohsaka mage had been standing over. So much so that the dark-haired girl couldn't help but comment on the matter. "Well, well, you seem to be healing nicely"

"Tohsaka? What's going on? What are you doing here?... What happened?"Shirouu asked, a flurry of questions running through his mind.

"Maybe you should just pick one thing to be surprised about," Rin suggested, asShirouu inspected his wounds, most of which were internal, as the burning heat still resounded around his skin.

"I get it, I must have passed out and you carried me back here," he realized, it was the only explanation he could come up with.

"Very good, I guess you're not nearly as dumb as you look Emiya," Rin complimented, although it was really more of an insult, as she stood up. "Hmm, useful information to know." As the Tohsaka mage began to leave.

"Hey wait," the redhead called out, stopping the girl. "I should have said it earlier, but thanks," he told her.

Rin turned, "Now wait, how could you possibly be thanking me?" she said, eyeing her fellow master.

"Well, you did save my life and get me to safety, remember?" he stated, not skipping a beat.

But that only caused Rin to stare at him more, leaning forward. "You should never thank an enemy, what are you thinking? The Grail War is a fight to the death you know?" she lectured, her hands on her hips.

"But then… why didn't you kill me?" Shirou asked, certainly she had the perfect opportunity to do so, so why didn't she?

At his statement Rin turned away, huffing as she crossed her arms, a slight flush of embarrassment as Shirou emphasized her previous blunder. "I simply didn't feel like it, that's all." And besides, attacking someone in their sleep, that just didn't seem right. It was a mistake, one that most mages wouldn't have made. And perhaps she let down her guard around the boy because he was alot weaker than her, that was all.

But, seemed their conversation would be cut short, as a new figure came into the room. "Shirou, how much longer do you plan to rest? Come, we have more masters to face." Clad in her dark armor, the altered saber showed herself, the door slamming open like a sound of thunder.

They needed to search out more of this Holy Grail War's masters. Allowing any of the servants proper time to prepare would mean it would mean it would be much harder to defeat them even further down the line. She was a Saber, one of the strongest of classes, but even with that fact it could be stated that given enough time even a caster class could match up to her, especially with how utterly atrocious some mages could be. She couldn't help but be reminded of a certain white-haired mage from her time as she thought along those lines.

Last night she had nearly been beaten by Berserker, but she was certain, even with a master such as Shirou she would be able to take the mad beast on and come out victorious. She doubted that the servant's immortality didn't have some sort of limit. Whether it was the high mana cost, the amount of damage one could take, or even the amount of revives he could sustain she was sure there was something she could exploit. Every noble phantasm had some sort of weakness, even the ones that were conceptual, and she was sure she would be the one to be able to exploit it.

And so, she needed her 'master' to be with her, it was just easier that way to ensure she could defeat them. Masters in closer proximity could more easily transfer mana to them, that was a fact, and she was planning on using that to her advantage given she had such an inexperienced master.

It was at this moment she forcefully took hold of her master's hand. "Saber, what are you—?" Shirou tried to voice, as the altered Saber began to drag him out of the room.

As Rin stood there, agape, the servant began to take hold of her master, not regarding their previous interaction in the slightest. As she recovered from her initial shock, "Hey wait! What are you doing!" she said, slightly fuming at the Saber's actions.

As the Altered servant turned towards the twin-tailed girl. "Oh, is there a problem, Tohsaka Mage?" she said, her cold yellow eyes staring right into her soul, her hand at her sword, ready to strike at any moment.

It was at this moment Rin bristled. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that this woman was indeed Arthur Pendragon, the king of all knights who led them all ruthlessly. But now? It was plain to see, this was the sort of woman that could carve up entire armies with her blade. This was the woman who was able to pull the sword from the stone, unite the entire country of Britain, and build Camelot up from her own.

This… this was the aura of a King.

Rin couldn't take such a look, as she turned away, unable to meet the king in her eyes, regardless of such a threat. "Well, I just…" she said, before regaining her composure, she was Rin Tohsaka damm it! She could handle a stare from a servant. She steeled herself, looking straight towards the altered servant.

Even Salter had to give the girl some credit, many of men had faltered under her gaze, unable to take even a single look from her. Perhaps this girl was different? Only time will tell.

"Look, Shirou's magic circuits have been through a lot with the use of your Noble Phantasm. I can't in good conscience let him fight in this war until he is at the very least able to keep himself upright for more than a few minutes," she explained, gesturing to the red-haired boy.

"Tohsaka what do you…Ack!" Shirou tried to say, as the exhaustion from his magic circuits finally washed over him once again, he would have nearly collapsed to the ground had it not been for Saber's hand holding him upright. "Sorry," he said apologetically to his servant.

But Salter paid him no mind, as she was staring at the magus in front of her, as she gave information of that she was already aware. She was an enemy, of that she was sure, so what was even the point of the girl trying to help them? "But even still, what do you suggest?" she inquired, trying to gauge the girl for her motives.

"Servants can conserve mana by doing things that require less action, such as sleeping. Additionally, although they have no need, servants can also eat food as well, conserving their mana even more to the point it will take less mana for their master to sustain them," Rin explained, although she had little doubt that Saber didn't already know this. "Plus, if Shirou gains more nutrients, it will only be that much easier for him to regain the mana he lost during his earlier battle," she told them both.

Salter could certainly see the benefits, but at the same time, it wasn't without its loss. For a servant to go to sleep, to lose even just a few hours of the day could be life or death. An assassin, one with presence concealment could easily slip into their hideout should it prove unprotected and slay her 'master' before she could even react. But sleeping would also mean she could output a greater power should they come into a fight. Both had their benefits and their drawbacks.

As for the second thing she brought up, "Very well, from whence shall we eat?" Saber liked food, that's all she could say.

"I'll go whip us up something then," Shirou tried to suggest, as he attempted to walk out of the room, still clutching onto his chest.

"Oh no you don't!" Rin's voice stopped him in his tracks.

Shirou looked at her inquisitively, "Ummm… Tohsaka-san, what is it?" he asked.

But the girl only scoffed, "Oh please, you can barely walk, as if I would let you work with kitchen equipment in your state. No, you won't be making our meal."

The red-haired boy tried to protest, "Tohsaka, I'm fine…" He told her, Rin wasn't having any of it.

She pointed her finger accusatively, "Nope! You're not going to cook and that's final!" she told him, so much so that Shirou had to relent.

"Okay… but then, who's going to be cooking then?" he asked, surely it wouldn't be Rin herself, would it?

The smile Rin gave him was one of pure mischief, so much so that it sent a chill down his spine, "Well, Emiya, we're going to Ichiraku's of course…" she told him.

"Eh?"

XXX

"Shirou, I don't understand, why do I have to wear such a… unpleasurable outfit?" Saber Alter inquired, tugging at the hem of her shirt's collar. She was wearing a white button-up, long-sleeved dress shirt with a navy blue ribbon. Along with a short slim dress of the same color and black stockings, with a pair of dark boots as well. Something that Rin had given her, and something she utterly detested…

The outfit was too prim, too pristine, too well put out, exuding the aura of innocence. Honestly, who would ever wear such a thing? It just didn't make sense.

"What, you don't like it?" Rin questioned, taking a slight amount of joy at the saber's discomfort, especially considering the idle threat that was once hanging over her head. She smiled, "Look, Saber, people don't just go around in medieval armor these days. You can't just go around in your normal spirit wear without drawing attention. And so, we had to find something for you to wear," she said, as Salter frowned.

"I see, but why can't I just wear the black dress I showed you?" she inquired, fuming a little. It was the dress she wore under her usual blackened armor, and showing it to the two, they had utterly refused her.

Unfortunately, Rin didn't have an answer for the girl, as she had really just wanted Saber to wear the outfit she picked out as a slight amount of payback. Luckily, Shirou spoke up for her, "Ummm… Saber, most people won't go around in a full gothic dress around town. At least with these clothes you won't be standing out so much," he tried to tell her, scratching his head. Not that it really mattered, seeing as how most of the nearby onlookers were already staring at them, namely Saber. He guessed walking around town with someone so mysterious and beautiful would do that for you.

"I see," Salter stated, thinking on the matter. The new age was strange, stranger than her own. Back in her time, you could go around in full armor and not bat an eye. But here, it seemed the very concept of a knight walking among them was out of the question, utterly bizarre.

Deciding to bring up another topic, one that wasn't as hard to wrap her head around. She began to inquire, "So this… 'Ramen chef' we are going to, is he really trustworthy?" The last place Rin had taken them to, the church, the priest, he completely gave off the wrong aura. One laced with deceit and malice, she didn't trust him for a second. And if this chef was anything like him, well, she would have to be careful what exactly her master partook of, lest something terrible happen to her mana supply.

At the topic, both Rin and Shirou perked up, but the brunette girl was the first one to speak, "Hmm, oh, Naruto? He's the best, always going on about how 'his ramen is the greatest in the entire world'" she stated word for word, her hands at her back. "He was even the one to train Shirou in cooking as well, they've known each other for quite some time", she added, Shirou nodding fondly. Although he was a little shocked Rin knew so much about them.

"Tohsaka-san, how did you…?" he tried to ask, but stopped himself.

"I see," the altered Saber said in thought. The two obviously felt a great measure of respect for the man, something she had to take note of. But then there was another thing. "And his food, how good is it?" She asked, that was the real thing she wanted to question.

Shirou began opening his mouth, but before he could speak he was interrupted. "Well, I could answer that, but I won't…" Rin spoke up.

As the Saber class servant began to raise an eyebrow, "Oh? And why is that?" She inquired, staring daggers at the girl.

Luckily, and to her credit, Rin was able to keep her guard, no longer faltering in the slightest. "Ha!" The girl laughed. "That's cause… we're right here," she announced, stopping in her tracks in the middle of the pavement. The rest of the group did the same, as Saber was left to witness just what exactly was their destination.

This 'ichiraku's' was far from what was desired. To start, it was small, immensely so, much smaller than any of the other buildings in the area. It is just a stand, just two stories in nature, with white and blue walls. Not like the grand building she had first imagined upon Shirou's and Rin's description, as this place was rather… unassuming.

If this was the place her master was describing, and if Saber were honest with herself, she didn't exactly know what lay inside the thought made her unsure, like something, something, would change within her if she stepped in.

Rin stepped forward, her soft hands opening up the dividing flaps, a small smile upon his face. "Well, come on," she began to ask. "Aren't you going to go in?" She asked.

XXX

Earlier

(With Naruto)

Last night's discoveries had been… enlightening.

The daunting reality that there were spirits from the past coming together, uniting within this very city, for reasons he had yet to know. It was all very difficult to fathom, here he did, as in all honesty, it wasn't like this was anything he had seen before.

He had been a fool to perceive otherwise, thinking this planet was filled with nothing but powerless, chakra-less civilians.

These 'servants' as Rider had called them were beings of pure energy, 'Mana' almost like… like chakra.

Naruto couldn't help but grip his palms at the thought, as he was left staring at himself in the mirror in his bedroom. Servants? Beings of pure energy that leached off another. In all honestly, they reminded him completely of the Otsutsuki.

His fist tightened, tightening in rage, to the point that even his palms started to redden with his blood.

The very beings that had killed his family, the very beings that destroyed his world. Were these servants just like them? Were they parasites of pure malice with nothing but power to their name? Did they desire to destroy this world too, just like his own?

Well, he wouldn't allow it! He wouldn't allow this world's destruction, he had to…

Absentmindedly, his gaze began to drift off as well as his thoughts. But then, two lone figures caught his eye, the same two people that were still resting upon his bed.

Kiyohime, and Jack, they were servants as well, he knew that. But at the same time, they were just children. Children filled with innocence and joy and the hunger for the same things he once desired. He could see, they desired a family, a father, and it was the very reason that the two were so taken in with him.

He shook his head, no, there was no plausible way that the two could be like them, like the otsutsuki. They weren't beings of destruction, but, quite the opposite, they were just… children.

It was just like Shikamaru once said, they were the 'King,' the next generation, and the ones he had to protect. It didn't matter if they had once died, it didn't matter that they were just spirits.

He wouldn't allow them to die once again!

He was no fool, he knew that these servants weren't all like them, like Kiyo and Jack. He knew that some of these servants could be evil, as well as their masters.

When he had met Jack he knew what she was doing, she was harvesting the energy within her victims as she devoured them. It almost reminded him of the man who was able to absorb another's chakra through skin contact in the Chunin exams so long ago. Yoroi, was it? Only Jack's method was far more gruesome. He would have to work on that, it wouldn't do for her to eat whoever her new parents would be when he found someone fit for them. And, after all, it wasn't like she had anyone to teach her otherwise.

But, what if there were another servant, one who had the same capabilities of absorbing another's life energy, only this time at a much grander scale? Certainly, it seemed like almost every servant was capable of it. It didn't even seem to matter if the servant's will played a part in it, what if their master was able to order them to force them to do so?

That brought another question, what about Jack and Kiyohime's masters? He had sensed the two using sage mode, along with rider as well, and when he had realized that these masters were capable of supplying their servants with their energy, of which Servants burned an immense amount just by their sheer existence. Following this logic, it stood to reason that if a servant should lose their master, they would soon disappear.

Before, he had sensed Kiyohime and Jack's energy levels fluctuate, to the point that at times they would soon disappear if something were not to change. As if they were not gaining any mana whatsoever. The question was, why didn't they disappear? He theorized, that the reason for this was his presence.

In his long years of fighting, gaining knowledge on his own, and other's chakra networks, he'd come to a staggering conclusion, one that wouldn't shock anyone who knew of him. And that was… he had too much chakra.

Immensely so, in fact, his chakra levels were so immense that they even rivaled that of the Tailed beasts in pure capacity. And, much to his embarrassment, despite his countless hours of chakra control training, his chakra control was… less than ideal.

In fact, at every moment, his excess chakra was leaking off of him in ocean waves.

He theorized that this, his presence, was the reason Jack and Kiyo weren't disappearing. That they were using his excess energy that was leaking off his body as fuel to replenish their own.

Of course, this would mean that without his presence, they would sooner or later disappear. By his estimation, it would take about a half or a full day without him being near them for their complete dispersal.

Something, of course, he couldn't allow…

Well, this made things a lot more difficult, if he couldn't find a person, a parent, suitable for taking care of their rapid energy costs their existence would be erased.

He sighed, this was all so complicated…

Instantly, his eyes widened, as he sensed three new presences beginning to enter his estate. A smile began to persist across his face at his familiarity with the two of them.

Well, at least this would get his mind off of things.

XXX

A Few Minutes Later.

"Ah, Rin, Shirou? Well, aren't you two a little early" Naruto said with a friendly smile, greeting the familiar group at the entrance. As Rin stepped forward, a pleasant smile across her face.

"Yeah, well, we decided to come here, Shirou overworked himself way too hard yesterday, and now obviously he can't cook for us," she told him, sending a small glance towards the redhead.

"Oh? Is that so?" Naruto asked, eyeing the boy curiously, so much so that Shirou began to waver slightly. Looking away, scratching the back of his head, as he gave a slightly nervous chuckle. Before the blonde turned his eyes back to the Tohsaka mage, "I hadn't realized you two were so close…" Naruto said, a teasing smirk across his face.

Instantly Rin turned away, a light flush across her cheeks, although whether it was out of anger or embarrassment both didn't know. "Oh it's nothing like that I can assure you, we were walking to school together and I just so happened to meet up with him, nothing more, nothing less," the twin-tailed girl huffed, almost in that of a tsundere-fashion

That only caused Naruto's grin to widen, "Why yes, I'm sure," he teased.

This seemed to cause Rin's face to redden, this time out of frustration and rage, as she was forced to glare at the ever-so-infuriating blonde man in front of her. "Naruto, don't you think it's about time that you took our orders," she grits her teeth, trying to change the subject. As she sat down angrily, a far cry from her usual 'prim and proper' self. Shirou looked at the two, wondering if this was a usual occurrence.

Shrugging, he decided to sit down, Naruto usually had this effect on people. He decided not to question it, he assumed that Rin was also a regular.

As Naruto smiled at the two, "Alright, so, what will it be?" he questioned.

Rin nodded in satisfaction, happy that Naruto had relented in his actions. "I'll have the spicy ramen," she said, naming her favorite.

Naruto nodded, as he turned towards the red-haired boy as well. "The pork Ramen, please," Shirou requested.

Naruto smiled, "Alright… and for you, miss?" He said, seemingly to no one.

A pale arm began reaching the flaps of the entrance, and Naruto was left to witness a strange individual. Pale-skinned, golden-eyed, and with an aura that just radiated royalty, with a hint of darkness as well. So much so that he blinked, the woman was surely an exotic beauty, even among those he had seen before. If he had to put it, she was on par with the beauty of that of Rider, and even his grandmother figure, Tsunade Senju. Hinata would still be a tier higher in his opinion, as she would always have a special place in his heart.

Nevertheless, he looked at her, unmoved, he wasn't a horny teenager anymore, he could keep a straight face when seeing a beautiful woman. "Miss?" he questioned once again. She seemed to be staring at him, unmoving, as she kept her eyes fully on him.

So much so that it was almost crazy, as the girl's master began to call out to her. "Ummm… saber?" Shirou began to question.

Silence was the only thing that echoed between them, so much so that Rin Tohsaka also began to grow a little weary. Until Salter began to speak, her eyes never leaving Naruto Uzumaki for a second."So, this Naruto Uzumaki… how long have you known him?" she began to question the redheaded boy, a heavy gravity beginning to feel the air.

This blonde man, he was dangerous, that much Artoria was assured. It was as if her very instinct were screaming out, begging her to pay attention to this male, to strike him down, stating that he was a threat. A threat? How much she was unsure. Even as her eyes deceived her, even as he seemed to be an almost regular civilian on almost every basic level.

Nonetheless, Naruto cut through the awkwardness with a smile, one that shined as bright as the sun, "Ah, I can answer that, me and Shirou have known each other for a few years now, same with the Tsundere-princess over there," Naruto answered, pointing at the brunette twin-tailed girl in front of him.

At that comment, the tension within the air was cleaved in two. "Hey! I am not a Tsundere!" Rin shouted in indignation, a harsh glare being sent his way.

Naruto smirked, "Sure you aren't, at least now, might want to ease on that TsunTsun and not the Deredere, it'll make you alot more beautiful, tsundere-chan," he teased.

As the Tohsaka mage was left agape, her mouth opened, and then closed, and then opened again. "I-i… Y-you… grrr…." she settled into a growl, her mind not being able to process the man's comment. As a large blush began to spread across her face, "I-idot…" she huffed, not letting herself utter any other word on the matter.

Naruto laughed, sticking his tongue out, as Rin pouted rather cutely, and looked away from the infuriating man. Salter blinked, her presence seemingly forgotten, and even Shirou had a small bead of sweat running along the side of his head.

As the altered saber looked at the two, and sighed, heaving chalked up this guy's mysterious presence to nerves she had accumulated from last night's battle, as she also sat down. She was sure her trepidations would be answered shortly, and besides, given the way this strange blonde male acted, she was sure her senses were wrong. They had to be, it wasn't as if such an ordinary, if a bit strange individual. Yes, she was sure, this Naruto Uzumaki, he had to be a fluke, an anomaly within her senses, there was no way she could be otherwise. But even still, with even the slightest possibility that she was wrong, she would continue to watch the man, awaiting, to see if he were anything but different.

Naruto seemed to take notice of her once again, out of the corner of his eye. He turned to her, leaning against the countertop. in a nonchalant attitude, he asked, "Alright, Miss. Saber' what'll it be?" he questioned, smiling at the gothic girl.

As Artoria-Alter looked over the menu that had been placed before her. "Hmmm…" she hummed, diligently looking over the menu. As Rin and Shirou led up slightly, curious to see what the heroic spirit from the past would choose. "I'm… not sure," she finally answered, as the two semi-face faulted, slightly surprised by her answer. But they chalked it up to her being a servant from the past, and although the grail had informed the woman on modern food.

Artoria had looked over the menu time and time again and yet nothing had stood out to her. Truthfully she didn't have much hope when it came to modern cuisine, as food had always just been fuel for her. A simple pastime, one she enjoyed, but all in all it was meaningless if not for the fact that it allowed her to better manage her country with all that energy. The food she'd tasted was utterly bland. She'd always had either her loyal knights Gawain or Sir. Kay cooked, prepared, and tasted her food as a precaution, so it wasn't like she'd ever tasted anything made by a professional of the craft. Her knights were many things, but a master chef was not one of them.

"There's just so many to choose…" she said, not being familiar with any of the dishes. Not that it really mattered. This was just another meal, nothing more; something to help fill her mana reserves to help given her less-than-adequate master. She supposed she should just pick something random. Yes, that is what she would do... "I suppose I'll go with the–" she tried to say, pointing at the menu before she was interrupted.

"Hey now, wait a sec…!" Naruto said as Salter's eyes shot towards the man questioningly. Nonetheless, Naruto looked at her with a serious expression, so much so that it put even the mighty class Saber-servent on a slight edge."You shouldn't be choosing your first bowl lightly," he told her, in full seriousness.

Meanwhile, Shirou leaned over to the dark-haired girl, "Should we be letting Naruto talk to Saber like this?" he said in a whisper. Don't get him wrong, he liked the guy, but, he knew where this would be going. And to say Naruto Uzumaki was a ramen fanatic was like saying the sky was blue.

Nonetheless, Rin simply shooed him away. "Just let him do his thing, you know how crazy he gets when it comes to his favorite dish," the girl sighed, it wasn't like they could stop him.

Truthfully, she just wanted to get her order done. She hadn't eaten dinner last night, being too busy escorting Shirou and making sure he hadn't died. And, in that time, she had neglected to feed herself. She had used a decent bit of mana in her last fight, and even she needed to refuel every now and then, that's why she had suggested feeding themselves in the first place. Going to Ichiraku Ramen was just a bonus at this point.

And besides, she was sure Naruto wouldn't get Saber riled enough to kill him, at least she hoped so.

As Naruto went into lecture mode. "Ichiraku ramen is special, you got to pick carefully as you'll only get one first bowl." He flashed her a smile as he gave a thumbs up that was oddly reminiscent of a certain green-dressed beast of Konoha. "Trust me, it's not like any ramen you've had before."

This caused Salter to raise an eyebrow, this man, he was clearly a fool, or possibly something else? "Oh, and what if I've never tasted such a dish before," she said, slightly intrigued, this man, if he wasn't a fool, could be interesting.

At her words Naruto looked appalled, "What!" he shouted in horror, as if someone told him that they had just run over his favorite dog. In an instant, Naruto was over the counter, forcefully grabbing onto the altered sabered palms as he looked at her in a panic. "You mean to tell me you've never had ramen before!" He was stunned, how could someone not have tasted the food of the gods once in their lifetime? The thought, it was… it was almost too much to bear.

Off to the side, Shirou whispered, "He's getting like this again."

Rin smirked, "Yeah, I want to see how this plays out," she said, leaning forward in her seat, this was sure to be interesting.

Salter raised another eyebrow, even as Naruto held her hands with her own. This man was certainly bold, she would give him that. "Yes, I haven't, and?" She inquired, what was so special about this 'ramen' he'd been talking about?

And then the most surprising thing happened, Naruto he… he cried. "The fact that you haven't tasted Ramen before. It's just… so sad…" he whaled, comical tears streaming down his eyes. How could someone not have tasted the greatest food in the world? It was utter blasphemy.

The blonde's actions certainly surprised Saber, and her mind could only come to one conclusion about the man. He was… an utter idiot.

To think that a man who would put her senses so on edge would be crying over such a dish. "And why, pray to tell, is it so sad I've never eaten such a simple a simple food before?" She had to ask, this situation was just so utterly baffling.

Her statement only seemed to spur Naruto on more, "Simple food! Simple food!" Naruto repeated in absolute agony, all the while Salter was getting even more confused, and slightly irritated. "Ramen is the greatest food in the world!" he shouted to the heavens themselves, pulling back and getting into a ridiculous pose. His arms were at his hips as he stared at the ceiling like there was a rainbow above him.

"He really gets riled up about this," Shirou said, as Rin nodded.

He really was an idiot.

Before snapping his fingers in realization. "Oh, I know, I'll get you everything, and then you'll see the wonders of ramen!" Naruto realized. "Just you wait!" he said, before rushing off into the back of his store.

All the while, the altered saber was left confused. She looked expectantly at her master, blinking. Shirou only shook his head, "Don't bother, Naruto always gets weird when he's like this," he told her, Rin sighed.

And that settled it within her mind, Naruto Uzumaki really was a fool.

CLANG! BANG! CLANG!

Sounds of pots and pans falling filled their ears.

"Yep, an utterly hopeless fool," Rin couldn't help but gasp. Naruto was always like this, a small smile then appeared on her face… she wouldn't have it any other way.

XXX

A Few Minutes Later

"Alright everyone, eat up!" Naruto yelled in satisfaction, placing several more bowls than they ordered in front of them. Both Rin and Shirou's orders, although it seemed that Naruto neglected to place any in front of the altered saber, not that any of them noticed.

"Umm… I'm not sure I can pay for all of this," Shirou said sheepishly, as Salter looked at her master. If he couldn't provide money for her meals, then what good could he even do?

Naruto merely waved him off. "Oh that, don't worry about it," he told him. "It's my pleasure to serve you the joys of ramen for the first time," he stated, nodding, seeing that the Tohsaka Mage had already started digging in.

But that was before Salter brought something to his attention. "Ummm, Uzumaki-san, it seems you have forgotten mine in your haste," she pointed out, while Rin and Shirou had gotten their food placed in front of them, she had not. She hadn't gotten anything.

Instantly Naruto's expression widened at her realization, before his expression changed, as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, sorry about that, It'll take me a bit of time to prepare your order. I should have it out soon, I promise," he told her, as Salter gained a somewhat irritated twitch across her eyebrows along her otherwise impassive face.

"I see, well, see to it then," she told him, slightly angered that her food would be taking so long.

"Right," Naruto nodded with a smile, as he once again returned to the back of the store, as Shirou began to dig in as well. But, as he did, he couldn't help but feel this strange feeling in the back of his head.

He looked up, seeing exactly where this strange chill was coming from. "Ummm, saber, is something wrong?" Shirou asked, seeing that the altered servant was staring at him. Yet, Salter only continued to stare at Shirou in slight envy, catching a small whiff of the food in the air, even she could tell that it was enticing. And, even Saber had to admit, the food did look good, and the quantity was surely fit for a king. She wanted to try some.

Shirou realized what was happening, as he turned his gaze down, she wasn't exactly staring at him, no, she was staring at his food. Sighing, he realized he hadn't eaten too much of his bowl, as he brought his hands up to the edges, ready to pass it toward her. "Uhh, hey, saber, do you—" the redhead began to ask before he was interrupted.

"Alright, here we are!" Naruto called out to them, as he once again began to enter the room. In his hands were several bowls, ten in total, each filled to the brim and steaming, ready to be placed on the counter. Calling all those that were present to their attention, even Salter began to stare at him, before she realized she had been drooling slightly at the smell. The saber class servant quickly covered it up, realizing that such an action was unbecoming of a king.

As he got ready to place the bowls in front of her, salter's golden eyes watched the set of bowls intently. "Okay, bone apple tea!" he shouted, as Shirou and Rin sighed. Saber didn't even dain to speak on the matter, too enraptured in the exotic and exquisite smells to be caught up in these new-age figures of speeches.

"Uh, Naruto, I'm pretty sure you mean, 'bon appetit,' it's French," Shirou corrected his head in his hands in indignation.

"Umm, Naruto-san…" Salter said, still waiting for her several bowls in anticipation. Her patience was running out, and the food looked and smelled way too good to wait for.

"Huh, it is?" Naruto said, slightly shocked, not paying attention to the Saber-class servant's call in the slightest. "I could have sworn I got it right," he said, lost in thought, still holding onto Salter's set of bowls, those french always said things so weirdly.

"Mister Naruto…"

As Rin finished her bowl, interrupting the two. "Hey Naruto, another," Rin told him, showing her emptied dish to the blonde chef.

Naruto merely raised an eyebrow, "Huh? Oh yeah, of course…" he said, as he got ready, to go to the back of the kitchen, not even realizing that he was still holding Saber's meal in his hands.

"Oh for the love of—!" Salter finally shouted, and, like a black cat, she neared her target so fast and with such precision that nobody noticed until the food in Naruto's hand was gone. She took the ten bowls, reaching into them with her chock sticks, placing the warm noodles in her mouth as she swallowed. And then she swallowed again and before she knew it she had finished her bowl and went on to the next, and then the next, eventually she had run out of bowls, as a satisfied sigh escaped her lips, leaning back into her seat.

"Wow…" Rin said, now staring.

"I've never seen someone eat ramen so fast besides Naruto," Shirou's eyes were wide.

"I have, but never on their first time eating ramen," Naruto replied, but sort of reminded of his late wife Hinata for a second with the gothic girl's sheer speed in eating, the only person he had ever met being capable of out-eating himself.

The altered Saber realized everyone was staring, as she fixed herself to a more formal position, straightening her posture. "I… suppose it wasn't bad," she said, coughing into her hands with a neutral expression as if she hadn't just downed ten bowls of ramen in an instant.

"Not that bad? You nearly ate five pounds worth!" Rin exclaimed.

"That's great!" Naruto shouted.

"What?" Shirou and Rin both questioned.

"This is amazing!" Naruto yelled again. And before they knew it, Naruto neared the servant, and Salter found both her palms wrapped around his. "Another person has found the joy that ramen can bring! Don't worry, I'll go make more!" he said, as he ran to the back of the kitchen with several shouts of 'this is amazing' echoing in his wake.

"Shirou… I'm not sure what's happening?" Salter couldn't help but blink. Naruto Uzumaki was certainly a strange individual, one she actually felt slightly embarrassed at being so on edge about, if a bit of a fool. Nevertheless, he was a good cook, much better than any of the chefs she had within Camelot, and for that, she would commend him. She wouldn't mind eating more of his food— much more of it— maybe she should bring him back to her time period when she inevitably won her wish. Surely the unlimited wish granter would be able to pull off such a feat? Lest she be forced to never have such a delectable dish within her lifetime.

"Don't worry about it," Shirou said, his head in his hands.

"Hey Naruto don't forget my bowls too!" Rin shouted, slightly angry that the blonde had never given her such a response. Nobody noticed the altered Saber's eyes widened, as she rose from her seat in a panic

Naruto was ecstatic, finally, someone within this dimension had realized the greatness that was ramen, the food of the gods! He needed to make more, much more, knocking over a few pots and pans and making such a ruckus that everyone in Fuyuki would be able to hear him move. It seems he stirred awake a few other occupants within the household.

"Papa… why is it so loud?" Kiyohime asked, walking into the kitchen, as she rubbed her eyes against her cheeks to wash the drowsiness away. Jack follows not too far behind, doing much the same as her.

"Not now Hime-chan, Papa's making ramen!" he shouted, not even realizing his slip-up as he was too immersed in his work.

Kiyohime and Jack smiled slightly, still trying to wash away their tiredness as they then both realized they were hungry so they went out to the front to eat as well.

All the while Salter remained standing, shocked by this development that she was sense. Shirou seemed to take notice of this.

"Huh, saber, what's wrong?" the redhead questioned.

"It can't be…" Saber said, surprised, her master only looking more confused. Before she readied herself, "Shirou, two servants are nearby, close, really close, right inside the kitchen." She was surprised that she hadn't sensed them before, had she truly let down her guard that much within this restaurant? Or was it something different, was it Assassin? She had too many questions that needed answers, and not enough time to do so. Even so, the Saber-class servant manifested her sword, being ready to do the same for her armor at a moment's notice.

Rin was the same, realizing the situation and relaying it to her servant, who was preparing for battle as well. Two servants? Did that mean there was an alliance like theirs somewhere? What were they doing here? And how did none of them notice them until they were so close? She trusted Saber's judgment, as she too readied her crystals.

Shirou's thoughts were much less numerous, but with everyone on edge, he felt he needed to do much the same. Although unfortunately, he had neglected to bring a weapon with him that he could reinforce, he opted to use one of the nearby stools for his choice in magecraft.

"They're coming closer," Saber informed, ten meters, eight meters, seven meters, six… five. As they each readied themselves, preparing for their impending battle, sweat marred each of the master's faces, wondering just who could be beyond the halls. Which heroic spirit from days past could it be? Robin hood? Okada Izo? Paracelsus? The possibilities were endless, and they had been expecting as such. But what they weren't expecting… were two children walking past those doors, tiredness masking each of their faces.

"Alright ramen is served…!" Naruto stated, also walking into the front of the ramen stand.

The two groups looked at each other in confusion, Shirou, Saber, and Rin still holding their weapons as the two servants rubbed their eyelids and the blonde chef holding a set of twenty bowls on a set of trays behind them.

Naruto was the first to speak, "Hey, dang it Shirou! Those stools are expensive, put it down!" he shouted in anger.

As Shirou realized what he was doing, "Ah, sorry Naruto."

Rin pointed a finger at the blonde, "Naruto, why didn't you tell me you had control over two servants!" she yelled.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "eh?"

XXX

Elsewhere.

Archer— EMIYA, didn't understand this timeline, not one bit.

As a counter guardian, one who was outfitted with power from Alaya, the collective unconsciousness of humanity, he had seen countless timelines. Been to countless places, and sent on countless missions. Naturally, this sent him to places he was familiar with.

Places like his previous life, places like… here.

But this place wasn't like his original timeline, at least in a few major aspects. Firstly, and most importantly, Artoria–-Saber, wasn't here. She had not been summoned by his previous, naive counterpart, and she wasn't here to claim the grail. And yet, her shadow remained.

Sure, he had heard about altered servants, Servants with their spirit origins having been altered or their interpretations displaced, darkened, and sometimes, corrupted. That was what he could see here. This… Saber, wasn't the Artoria he was used to, not in the slightest. Yet she used the same sword, and held the same armor, albeit darkened. And while she didn't seem to possess the same invisible air that Artoria held, the power she possessed seemed all too familiar to the king of Britain he was all too used to.

But even with the change in servant, that wasn't too out of the ordinary, as it was indeed possible that another servant could have answered the call of being summoned. But then there was another thing, another person, someone he had never even recalled remembering, in any timeline.

Naruto Uzumaki, was an anomaly, someone he did not know of. He was some sort of ramen chef, the one to teach this Shirou how to cook this time around, and he also had some sort of relationship with his master. Not something to take notice of, he could just be some sort of foreigner who had moved to Fuyuki and just so happened to come across both his master and himself.

And yet, there was something about this man, he just seemed too… normal. Too ordinary, too normal, too out of place, a contradiction. It was as if his very instincts themselves were calling for him to pay attention to this man. He didn't know why, and perhaps it was his nature as a Guardian of the counterforce. The thought made him uneasy.

This unease only seemed to increase, especially when his 'children' emerged.

'He has two servants? How is that even possible?!' EMIYA's golden eyes widened, okay, Shirou summoning Artoria's counterpart he could understand But a master being able to sustain multiple servants, even if they seemed weak, was utterly ludicrous. It shouldn't be possible, servants required an enormous amount of mana, and aside from that they required a contract for a master to anchor them to this plain.

For one to have multiple servants it would mean that that person was not ordinary.

He had thought that these servants would be different. He had already met Lancer and battled him, and of course, Shirou had the saber, he was an archer. He had already met the monstrous beast that was berserker. That meant that these servants should be either a rider, caster, or a assassin. Not particularly mana-intensive servants like Berserker or Saber, but he was sure no human mage would be capable of such a feat without outside assistance. That meant one thing…

Naruto Uzumaki needed to be looked over far more closely than he'd first perceived. But first, he needed to get Rin out of here, a master with two servants was a loose cannon, a wild card. He had to–

"Hey there, whatcha doing all the way out here?" A voice registered throughout his ears, as Archer's own eyes widened. Instantly turning, he was met face-to-face with the one man that had previously been plaguing his mind. Not one to be surprised loosely, he instantly traced his usual twin blades, Kanshou and Bakuya, as he slashed towards Naruto Uzumaki.

Each of the swords he thrust did not meet its target, all the while the blonde had that blasted smile on his face. "Hey now, what's with all the need to stab things?" Naruto mocked, as he saw this white-haired figure had been keeping an eye on him from the distance.

As EMIYA analyzed his adversary, 'This man, he completely evaded all of my senses. It's as if he were an assassin, but no, that can't be true. So what is he?' Servants had the distinct ability to sense other servants that were nearby, with the exception of the assassin class's presence concealment of course. But from this man, he sensed nothing, no mana, no servant core, nothing.

That only made this man alot more complicated than he first thought.

Looking back at the once plain-looking ramen shop, still cautious to keep his eyes on the blonde man before him. There he was, still within the quaint little ramen ship, Rin yelling his ear off at the same revelation. 'Just what are you, Naruto Uzumaki?' he couldn't help but question within his mind, sending a firm glare towards the mysterious man.

Nonetheless, this causes the second Naruto to wave his hands placatingly. "Hey hey, what's with the glare? You, relax, I'm not here to fight. And besides, I'm just a clone," he stated, his hands at his sides, not even raising himself into a fighting stance.

A clone? Was this man capable of some sort of cloning magic? He'd never heard of such a thing, as, apart from servants, no mage should be capable of such a feat.

The two seemed to stare at each other for what seemed like hours, although in all actuality it was likely only a few seconds. Amber gold and ocean blue stared each other down, not letting go for a second, as each was trying to gauge the other for any sort of reaction. Any semblance of their being, something that would give the other information on the one before them.

Until, finally, EMIYA looked away, but he still held his two trusted blades in his hands. "Alright, you expect me to believe all you want to do is talk?" he questioned, not buying it for a second.

The Naruto clone grinned, smiling, and nodding. "Yup, you bet!" he yelled before gaining a more serious expression. "Now, tell me… Why is Shirou's energy so similar to yours?"

Instantly, EMIYA's eyes widened in surprise.

XXX

"Why didn't you tell me you were a magus?!" Rin nearly screamed, pointing a very accusatory finger at the blonde man before her.

Which, to the man's credit, he only looked very confused, "Eh, what's a magus?" he questioned, although he then remembered that was what that 'Rider' person hand called their masters. If his sensing abilities were anything to go by, Saber was Shirou's servant, given the fluctuations in his energy perfectly resonated with the gothic girl's, which made this 'archer' guy Rin's servant. It made sense if these two were these so-called 'maguses' then it was obvious. But that still didn't explain why that white-haired person's energy resembled Shirou's.

"What do you mean you don't know what a magus is? Servants can't sustain themselves on their own, so you have to be their master!" She yelled out.

Shirou gained a bit of a worried expression, "Hey Tohsaka, aren't we supposed to keep this sort of stuff a secret?" he tried to placate.

"Papa, what's she talking about?" the small Kiyohime questioned.

"Yeah, Daddy, she's loud, we don't like her," Jack added.

"Papa? Daddy?" Rin questioned in disbelief before she registered the white-haired girl's other words. "Hey! I'm not loud!" she yelled.

Naruto sighed, he realized this would be a rather troublesome turn of events, as his old friend Shikamaru would put it. Before he sensed something, causing his eyes to widen.

"You are loud," Jack reiterated.

Kiyo nodded, "And annoying."

"She hurts my ears."

"I— uh…" Rin said, flabbergasted, trying to comprehend all the information she had discovered. Before her mind rounded on one single thing, she didn't like these two children. "Hey! I'm not gonna let a couple of snot-nosed brats insult me," she barked out.

"Yes, you are!"

"Really annoying!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"Yeah, stay away from our daddy!"

"Papa doesn't like annoying people like you!"

"Tohsaka, maybe we should—"

"Quiet Shirou! I'll have you know Naruto likes me very much."

"No, he doesn't and—"

"Rin, girls, be quiet," Naruto told them, as he gained a serious expression, it was then that the masters all noticed that the altered saber had gained a similar expression, as she formed a fighting stance. "I take it you feel it too?" he questioned, as Salter nodded, staring straight out the exit of the stand.

"Saber? What's happening?" Shirou questioned, confused.

It was only then that Rin's eyes began to widen, "So that's it, how could I be so foolish to not notice it before" she berated herself, as Shirou started to get a little worried.

"What? What is it?" he asked again.

"There's a pressure someone is releasing outside the restaurant, and from the feeling they're giving off they're quite powerful," Naruto explained seriously.

As Salter nodded, "Yes, and they are making no attempt to conceal their identity, they are clearly asking for a fight."

"A trap perhaps?" Rin questioned.

"Maybe, but there's no use staying here and letting them be free to do what they want," Naruto concluded. "Come, why don't we greet them since they've been so kind to announce their entrance," the blonde stated, stepping out of the small ramen stand. Saber and Rin nodded, doing the same as well.

XXX

Outside there were three figures, standing at the crossroads down the street, no people were around, likely scared off by the immeasurable aura they felt, although none of them knew what exactly they were experiencing.

As Naruto caught sight of them all.

The first, to the left, appeared to be a rather handsome man, if he were to call him that, with brown hair and tanned skin. His body was heavily muscled, but not overly so, it was toned, much like his own, showing that he was very much a warrior that was well trained. He wielded the rather strange assortment of weapons that only included a set of twin spears, one red and one gold, wrapped in purple covering. As well as being adorned in a snug dark green body suit with brown leather. But if he were to note the most distinct part of his appearance was the small beauty mark across his cheek, a mole under his eye, as his instincts screamed that this part of him was dangerous. He was certainly a skilled individual.

The second, within the middle of the group, was a rather pale man, who was dressed in gold armor and his staff seemed to resemble the sun if the aura of heat he was emanating was anything to go by, this man was the one he needed to worry about the most as he may be the most skilled of the three/

The last, to the right of all, was a beautiful woman with white hair wearing a rather scandalous outfit. Her eyes were the color of an eerie yellow, with her skin being the same stark as the strands along her scalp, as a strange set of red devil-like hairs pierced from her head. Her attire consisted of that of a corset, and only a corset, showing off both her bust, shapely legs, and navel, as the lining of a red and black red covered her legs. As well as a set of black thigh-high boots along her legs. She wielded the weapon of a silver staff, as a dark mascarade mask hid her face from the world. But, if the smark across her deranged lips were anything to go by, he could tell this woman was bad news

The one in the middle and the one who was giving off the strongest aura stepped forward. "Hello, my name is Karna, son of the sun god, Surya. However, you may call me… lancer," the pale-skinned one spoke, as instantly Rin, Shirou's, and Saber's eyes widened.

'What? How can there be a second Lancer in this war? This makes no sense!' Rin thought within her mind, sharing a line of thinking between her other two companions. The Grail War was supposed to be a fight between seven unique classes, no more, no less. In a conventional war, there weren't any sorts of duplicates, and there could only be a single servant for each of the main classes. However, the longer this war was beginning to go on, the more it was beginning to seem like this was not a conventional grail war.

Nonetheless, the second-lancer class servant continued. "You can already assume why we are here, but just for emphasis…" he paused, looking straight at Naruto, as the two girls seemed to cower behind their father figure's legs to hide from his glare." Naruto Uzumaki, surrender the two children, as well as yourself, it will be much simpler this way," he told them, shocking them all once again.

"What! What could he possibly want Naruto for!" Shirou couldn't help but voice out, as Rin nodded as well. To everyone, Naruto was just a normal, if a bit enigmatic and mysterious, Ramen store owner. There was no conceivable reason as to why exactly they would be after him.

All the while, Naruto kept his eyes on the pale-skinned figure, looking straight into his teal eyes, not looking away for a second. He could tell, compared to Rider or that Sanson guy, the man, Karna, was on a whole nother level. And he could tell why— he had heard it within the man's introduction, 'Karna, son of the sun god' one with divinity coursing through his veins, just like him, just like… Kaguya. The aura this man gave off was almost just like her, even if it did feel a bit weaker, it was still there. He could tell this man was powerful, and would be a hard fight for him to take on.

But even so, he stepped forward. "Can't you see, Shirou?" the blond asked, removing his apron from his back, as he let it go, flying in the wind. "This man brought two servants with him, and he's armed to the teeth," he pointed out, as they all saw his golden armor shining in the sunlight, and his spear was pointed high into the sky. As they looked toward the two other servants, one other wielded a lancer and looked as if he wanted to brutally mutilate saber. The last looked absolutely brimming with insanity.

"There can only be one reason for them being here… a declaration of war" He stated, walking up to the middle of the two groups. He cast one final glance toward his companions, as he left both Kiyo and Jack in their company, he knew they would be safe with them.

As he turned back towards the white and red lancer.

He mentioned that he wanted possession of Kiyo and Jack. He didn't know what exactly this man had planned for them, but for some reason, he knew he couldn't allow it. In his experience with people like Orochimaru or Danzo, usually, when people wanted children, especially ones as 'special' as these, it wasn't good. Bloodlines were always one of the most coveted things within the shinobi villages, who knows how valuable these 'servants' would be.

It was this reasoning that he put two and two together that this man had to be in some sort of alliance with Sanson, as Rider seemed more interested in him than the two children. A superior maybe? He could use this if he could use this group to get information on what exactly they wanted Kiyo and Jack for. That would make preparing for any more attacks a whole lot easier.

Naruto brought his hand up to his mouth, as he lightly bit onto his thumb, not hard, just enough to damage his skin. As he then brought his thumb to his other forearm, gently rubbing his blood along the seal he had placed there, as he channeled chakra into it.

Instantly, they were all left to witness Naruto's form begin to change, his former chef's clothes began to change, disappearing and morphing into a more conventional outfit. He now wore a bright orange sweatshirt with black stripes and a pair of black pants and sandals. However, that was not the most striking thing about this change. He now wore a white cape over his back with red flames licking the bottom.

They read the words, '7th Hokage' at the sight.

But, the biggest change was the man's aura, from the moment he unsealed his clothing a torrent was let loose. The air convulsed, thickening as hard as concrete, and splintered cracks formed along the pavement. As energies they could not comprehend were released.

Naruto knew, that he couldn't allow this man to do whatever he wanted. If he took this man, now; if he gave him such a hard beating him and every one of his superiors or underlings would realize that he was not someone to mess with.

He brought his bandaged hand over his other at his chest, cracking his knuckles. As thunder ranged out over the streets of Fuyuki.

"So… you're the punks I've heard so much about," he said with a grin, letting loose his untold amounts of chakra.

That's when all of them began to realize, that this man, Naruto Uzumaki, was totally different from the rest. He was like a servant, so far incomprehensible above normal humans in power. But no, Saber also realized something about the blonde, something she would have never expected from someone she once saw as a weakling. This aura, this feeling…

This… this was the presence of a King.

End chapter.