Uchiha Iori headed toward the command tent, deep in thought.
Had the Iwagakure Ninja made another move? Was the Battle of Kannabi Bridge about to begin? Should I get involved?
As Iori pondered, the corners of his mouth suddenly lifted. Thinking of Madara Uchiha actually makes me excited. How much strength does the legendary Battlefield Rose have left?
The thought of meeting and fighting a legend of the Ninja World really gets my blood pumping.
"Iori, you're here." Jiraiya was busy inside the tent. His face was weary, and the bad news he had just received made him look even more haggard.
"We've received word from the village. The front in the Land of Wind has suffered heavy losses. Orochimaru was badly injured, and Tsunade has lost her ability to fight. Both our front and the front in the Land of Water need to send out powerful fighters as reinforcements."
Jiraiya paced slowly around the table. The sudden withdrawal of troops had thrown his plans into disarray.
"The village wants you to lead a team to the battlefield in the Land of Wind and deal with the threat of the One-Tail. You need to leave as soon as possible. But I think you should make the trip alone."
Uchiha Iori frowned and hesitated. "Just me?"
Jiraiya sat down with a sigh and tapped the table. "You know that we only gained some ground after you took out the Jinchuriki."
"If you leave the front, we'll be at a disadvantage again. If we send more jonin away, there'll definitely be gaps in our defenses."
"The main problem on the front in the Land of Wind is that Orochimaru and Tsunade are out of action. They need someone to fill the gap in top-tier combat strength."
"You're the only one we can send."
"All right, I understand. I'll get ready to leave." Iori nodded and turned to go.
"I'm counting on you to look after Orochimaru and Tsunade." Jiraiya called after him, his voice earnest.
If the front line could spare him, he would have preferred to go help them himself. But for now, he had to entrust his friends to Iori.
"Leave it to me." Iori gave him a thumbs-up, wearing a smug, self-satisfied expression.
After leaving the tent, Iori went to say goodbye to his friends and give them a few things to help keep them alive.
He sealed the various magecraft techniques he had recently learned into amulets and handed them out generously.
Gekko Nobuhiko, Uzuki Kaori, Kurama Takumi, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, Kakashi Hatake, Shibi Aburame, Maruboshi Kosuke, and the others all got one.
The Magic Amulets were products of Iori and Medea's research into converting magecraft into chakra-based techniques.
Using Sealing Jutsu, they inscribed the foundations of magecraft as tattoos or talismans. The wearer could activate them with chakra and use the techniques.
Iori gave Uzuki Kaori a Projection of Miyamoto Iori's twin swords and told her to trigger the sensing rune if her life was in danger.
Once Iori sensed it, the rune would activate the one-time sword technique sealed inside: Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal - Winged Pair.
After providing his friends with some extra protection, Iori quickly left the front.
He traveled from the Land of Grass toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.
Night
After setting up defensive measures, Uchiha Iori settled down to sleep. Hall of Heroes, activate.
As usual, the Hall of Heroes was brightly lit. Everyone drank and chatted, enjoying their afterlife.
After the gathering broke up, Emiya Shirou stopped Iori.
"Would you be interested in taking a trip?" Emiya Shirou grabbed Iori by the shoulder, his voice tinged with urgency.
"You're qualified now to have your name recorded in the Throne of Heroes. Why not claim a place while you can?"
"As long as you're alive, your record can keep being updated. Artoria's is the same."
"Why the rush? Wasn't I supposed to wait until Alaya was born in our world before I qualified?"
Iori frowned and asked in confusion. He had earned a bit of renown, but compared with everyone in the Hall of Heroes, he was still insignificant.
"There's something I need to ask you to do. I can't go to that timeline; it would cause the future to converge."
Emiya Shirou made his request with his head lowered and his voice heavy, his grip tightening on Iori's shoulder.
"Only the living can go there with their memories intact. Only Heroic Spirits can be summoned as Servants. You're the only one I can ask."
Iori had never seen Emiya Shirou wear an expression like that.
It was as if there were a chance to atone for the mistakes he had made in the past, even if only in a dream.
"Tell me what it is first. I need to understand the situation before I can answer."
Even though they were friends, Iori didn't agree without hesitation. He wanted to hear the specifics.
"You've seen my memories, so you know Matou Sakura, right?" Emiya Shirou released Iori and sat down on the floor, his expression complicated.
"Of course I do. What's going on? Is that timeline about her?"
Iori knew the purple-haired girl well. She was one of the Fate series' most heartbreaking characters.
"That timeline is set at the end of 1993. But unlike in the true history, Sakura was only just sent to the Matou House."
Emiya Shirou sounded excited. Even though it wasn't his world, he still hoped his friend could be saved.
"She might receive a Command Spell. And since Matou Kariya hasn't returned, Berserker hasn't been summoned yet."
"I see. With my relevant memories and resistance to mental debuffs, I really am the best choice."
Iori sat down too. The Sharingan's mental fortification meant he wasn't afraid of curses that caused madness.
"But what happens after that? I'll just be fighting in a Holy Grail War, then I'll come back seven days later. What about her? Will the Tohsaka House still treat her well?"
"Besides, Konoha still needs my strength. I can't spend seven days somewhere else."
Iori wanted to help. The King of Heroes' Gate of Babylon had been incredibly tempting during the Fourth Holy Grail War, but the timing was terrible. The Ninja World was still at war.
Emiya Shirou shook his head and explained, "This is the Hall of Heroes. Time has never been a problem. When you return, it'll be the same second you left."
The Hall of Heroes existed beyond the concept of time, which was why it had an endless number of Heroic Spirits.
"As for Sakura, we can entrust her to the Edelfelt House. They're her grandmother's family, and with Sakura's talent, they'll treat her well."
"I understand. So how do I get there? What will happen to my body?"
Once Iori understood that it wouldn't interfere with the arrangements in the outside world, he agreed. He wanted to collect Noble Phantasms, and he also owed Shirou a favor.
A hint of relief appeared on Emiya Shirou's face. "Accept the call, then answer it. Your spirit will go there. As for your body, it'll just seem like you had a dream."
He entered Iori's information into the Hall of Heroes, then said,
"I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me!"
Holy Grail War
Seven magi summon copies of seven Heroic Spirits, called Servants. The seven groups fight each other, and the last one standing can claim the omnipotent wish-granting machine: the Holy Grail.