A/N: SURPRISE~!

*ducks for cover in fear of pitchforks*

Don't worry, a longer chapter is coming, this is just something whet your appetite.

Yes, this is short and I'm sorry for that. I'm also watching the new Witcher show as I write this, so please bear with me.

Double update day, baby! I thought it ironic, given that I updated a story called Killing Monsters only a few hours ago, so here we are.

On another note, I'm sorry for being gone for so long. The years haven't been kind to my head, old injuries have flared up and...to be frank, my memory is starting to go. I'll just randomly forget the most random things, stories, words, even the names of my own nephews. Scary stuff. I may have to get this looked at. Hope it isn't anything serious.

In any case, its a mad, mad world out there now, and I'm now writing with one hand for the time being.

I'd say don't ask, that its better if you don't know, but we all knock that to be bollocks, don't we? Some mook tried to take a hammer to my hand. I'm fine, my arm's just a bit sore. People really are going crazy these days.

Of course, reviews feed my engine of creation, and I appreciate them!

Minor flashback from the last chapter, as well.

As ever, I own no quotes or references.

This is merely fan fiction, after all~!

"You just turned a city upside down."

"Good. Maybe some of the filth will shake itself out."

~?

I Hate Fanatics (Interlude)

With a burning passion.

Think on this for a moment; what do you believe in? A person? Yourself? An ideal, perhaps? Belief is fine. Belief is good. Great, even. We all believe in something. Its who we are; what defines us as as species. Belief, and by its very definition faith, often keep us going when nothing else can. Faith in a higher power. Hope for a better tomorrow. Humanity needs to have something to believe in if they are to survive. For most folk, they cling to their belief in justice, or the gods. For me, its my morals and Arwen; I have to set a good example for the kid, you know?

I say again, there's nothing wrong with belief.

HOWEVER.

There comes a point when belief blinds you; when faith becomes outright zealotry. Hope rots into anger and spite for your fellow man. That kind of fanaticism twists your thoughts, warps your very being into something so obscene that you no longer recognize yourself when you look in the mirror. And the worse part? You don't even care. You lash out at those you deem to be different.Take the fine folk of the Eternal Fire for instance. Belief in something so simple, all warped by a band of zealots. Its almost a pity, really. They could've been something great. And now...they'd fallen to this.

Elves? Burn them. Witchers? Burn them. Mages? Burn them all.

Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn them all.

But on the opposite end of the spectrum, faith can also inspire. It can rally the people and those around. Should you cling to your morals, should you surround yourself with friends and family, should follow what you know to be true and right and just, then you'll never go astray. Not like this lot. Murderers and madmen, the lot of them.

And we all know what fate befalls murderers, do we not?

Fanatics often fall out of favor. Ah, but murderers...

...murderers burn.

(.0.0.0.)

"Well?!" Naruto roared at the crowd. "What is the Eternal Fire, then?!"

Those watching all started muttering.

What did make the Fire special?

A beat of silence followed.

Followed by another.

Another still.

"WELL?!"

Rather than answer, Menge surprised him. He expected an oath, a rash of vicious vitriol. Something. Anything. To defend himself, at the very least. Instead he simply stood there. Gawping. His mouth hung ajaw, gaping, a fish plucked from water. Anger dawned in his eyes. Followed by fear. Terror. Realization. Naruto saw the exact moment when it dawned upon him; Menge's brief instant of clarity. He knew he'd been had. Tricked. Deceived by someone he'd assumed to be little more than a fool. Funny, that fool had turned his very plans on his eyes. The situation was precarious now, the people restless. One word could turn their confusion to anger, and fan that very anger into mindless, frothing fury.

Grinning, Naruto gave it one final push over the edge. "Say, doesn't that make you a heretic, then?"

Wordlessly, Menge turned and fled.

And all hell broke loose.

To his credit, Geralt was ready act where the others weren't. He just wasn't quick enough.

When the first roar went up he was already moving among the mob to try catch Menge before he made his escape. Unfortunately, this action drew attention to the very man he had sought to interrogate. Dozens of angry eyes rounded not on the Witcher, but the struggling man trying to push through them. Someone moved to bar Menge's escape. Another clamped a hand down on his coat, drawing a sputtering protest from the man. Naruto saw the realization dawn in the Witcher's golden eyes, even from this distance. He wouldn't be able to reach him in time. Not before they had their way with him.

"Well, then." the blond beamed over the ruckus, "Seems our work is done, then. We'll just be on our way."

An unlucky guard chose that moment to jab a finger at him. "Arrest that man! ARREST-gurk?!"

Crimson eyes narrowed. "I think not."

Arwen's carving knife sailed through the air to slam home into his throat. Gurgling, the guard clutching at it, to no avail. Blood sluiced through his fingers and he toppled with a wet croak to pitch forward into the crowd. A pall of awful silence fell across the square, broken only Menge's insipid whimpering. Naruto's hand slapped against his forehead even as he heard Geralt curse somewhere behind him.

"Fuck."

Someone shouted and the people -no, the mob!- surged forward against the guards, shouting condemnations. Well, that simplified things now, didn't it?

With a boisterous laugh Naruto leaped off the platform and flung himself into the grand melee below.

There was no thought here, no distraction, only angry folk flinging themselves at zealots, and soon zealots against one another as their "faith" wavered in the face of scrutiny. Menge was there in the midst of it all; caught by the mob now and oh dear that looked rather messy now, didn't it? He heard a shrill scream and glimpsed a bloody red arm in the chaos before someone tried to push him under again. A guardsman tried to grab at his shoulder and he drove a contemptuous backhand into their nose for his foolishness.

Arwen leaped off his back, used him as a springboard and drove a flying knee into a woman's face.

Geralt...well. The old wolf knew how to fight if nothing else. His fists cut a path of pain from the edge of the mob, intent not on escape, but rather Menge's twitching form. Said form currently bore a bloody red stain where its stomach had once been and a dozen other wounds besides. The mob cared not for the man's plight as it churned on through the city. It had a life of its own now, and all of Novigrad would soon suffer its wroth. Perhaps that was a good thing; the city had been festering for some time now thanks to the teachings of the Eternal Fire. Moreover, it provided the perfect distraction for what he intended.

"Forget him!" he howled at Geralt to make himself heard over the chaos. "He's dead, or soon will be!"

Naruto whistled and little Arwen hopped back to his side in a heartbeat, bright eyes alight.

"We leave now?" she asked.

"Yup." Naruto laughed and patted her head. "We leave now."

With a merry whistle, he sauntered after the mob.

Let the games begin.

A/N: Well there we have it, a nice little appetizer while I prepare the main course. With all the madness going outside I've had my hours cut -AGAIN!- so I'll have a few days to work on this and my RWBY stuff, not to mention everything else. Requests are closed for the remainder of the year I'm afraid; I've got stories to finish and promises to keep.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

And of course, enjoy the previews of an oncoming chapter!

(Preview!)

"What now?"

"Now?" Naruto hefted the armor. Now we stir the pot."

"Lets see how the Church of the Eternal Fire fares when the "Wild Hunt" pays them a visit...

"A Gwent Tournament?! Mine, mine, mine!"

"There's no stopping him when he gets like this...

Naruto grinned.

"Well, hello beautiful...

A beat of silence passed between the two of his.

Then she crushed her lips against his.

R&R~! =D