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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 8: Fifth Mantra! The Right Path is never the Easier Path!

Jotaro leaned tiredly by the lone chair in the room, his attention directed at the desk as he settled the last document for today's work.

Paperwork for today was done despite having made plans to get it done a while after this moment meant to be spent sleeping.

But his mind was too worked up to actually find some rest. Kariya's words had stuck around after the conclusion of that messy assault.

No one was genuinely injured during the attack, with the lone exception of Caster now requiring some rest to allow her energy to fix her minor wounds by her hands.

All in all, it was a successful win for his position within this deadly competition. Maybe things weren't meant to be difficult this early on.

Sure, there was a noticeable roster of people seeking his ultimate demise, but for now none actually came close to genuinely harm him.

The episode by the docks was a singular event that reminded him that things could change without a warning, but ever since he started paying more attention to his surrounding and sharpened his reaction time to fit with the high-paced battles that were going to ensue from now on, Jotaro couldn't help but feel like this War wasn't just a conflict.

Something… something about it just didn't sit well with him. It was still absurd to consider how nobody had managed to win this kind of long-term competition.

Mysteries that would've to wait considering the unpleasant lack of information over some of the elements about the competition.

Maybe, just maybe, this was all a scam. A trick created to fool any greed Magus that desired to take over the world.

And for some reason, this possibility felt incredibly feasible considering the kind of people that was part of this Holy Grail War.

Still, while his night was restless, he managed to achieve blissful peace when, much to his surprise and immense relief, his Servant decided to fall asleep.

He would've expected for Xuanzang to keep awake so that she could maintain a vigilant watch over the young girl currently resting her head by her lap.

Sakura Matou, one of the children saved by the Matou Family, was soundlessly sleeping. Her tiny body was covered with several sheets as they didn't have the time to recover any of her clothes by her former 'house'.

Which is why Joseph and the loud nuisance known as Shinji were quick to go for a shopping spree to buy some clothes for both children. It was impressive for a boy like Sakura's brother to be an extrovert in spite of the toxic environment he had been forced to grow by, but at least he didn't keep any visible malicious intent from his drunkard father.

Byakuya Matou was arrested shortly after they had left the manor, with Joseph himself having tipped the police about the mysterious passing of Shinji's mother. For the time being, the scumbag was going to be kept in jail until a proper trial could be created out of the proof that was appearing slowly but steadily.

Surprisingly enough the situation made it to the local news, with a couple of the reporters going as far as making theories over the mysterious disappearances of both Sakura, Shinji, and the decrepit Zouken.

An attempt to kill everyone and then himself?

The public loved the sensationalism born from the journalists, and thus the rumors of Byakuya being a murderer further incensed the police to find all the proof they needed to end the investigation and seal the violent drunkard's fate for a lifelong sentence spent in prison.

Jotaro was glad that justice here in Fuyuki Town worked swiftly and efficiently, but he was still curious to see if the authorities were tied with Magi or not. It just sounded so odd that the law enforcement failed to catch these situations every since the 'deadly tradition' started.

Maybe there was indeed a connection, and maybe this is why nobody ever had the chance of questioning the 'strange events' that tended to happen in the city every few decades.

Just as he continued with this musing, with his eyelids finally dropping low at the lack of a reason to stay awake, his attention was sharply taken away from the desk by a sudden loud noise coming from the door leading to the bathroom.

His head turned quickly, and Jotaro's alerted look ended up finding a tense-looking child with her hand still by the doorhandle.

Sakura looked… uneasy. Now displaying some shivering over her entire body and blanket she was using to cover herself, the girl slowly turned to glance right up to the marine biologist.

'Did she… go to the bathroom without me noticing?'

The thought painted up surprised, but not as much as he felt when she took a couple of steps towards him. He kept quiet, curious to see what the girl was trying to accomplish.

She stopped, her blank stare now exuding just a glint of embarrassment, and then she spoke.

"I'm sorry."

At first Jotaro failed to register the simple apology. The child's voice was incredibly soft, and while there was nothing making sound or creating some sound barrier between him and the girl, he still had some trouble in getting it right the first time around.

"What?"

Her stare slowly lowered to the floor.

"I'm… sorry."

This time her tone was louder, just enough to reach the man's ears and get him to frown at the apology.

In his mind, there was nothing that the girl had done to him to warrant such a behavior.

'Did she mess up something in the bathroom?'

Sakura was quite young, maybe she was never taught how to use the toilet. It wouldn't be a surprise considering the disgusting state that the Matou family had forced her into for a full year now.

Jotaro blinked. "Why are you apologizing?"

He decided to not be too direct. The child looked frightened enough already, and he knew that a tiny bit of tact was needed to avoid an unending situation of trying to get an answer out of her.

The girl looked slightly surprised at the question, but her stare remained directed at the floor, like a child being scolded by their parents.

"I… I went to the bathroom without asking," She replied softly. "Aren't you going to be mad because of it?"

…

"No," He replied calmly, allowing for more confusing silence to surround their odd conversation.

"No?"

He sighed. "I didn't stutter."

Sakura blinked once, ultimately giving a slow nod at that confirmation.

"Then it's… the kind lady going to be mad?"

Now, the interaction was turning annoying.

"No."

…

Now her confusion was perfectly represented by the particularly cute frown on her face.

"Why… no?"

"Why should we be mad you needed to go to the bathroom?" The adult inquired back, failing to hold back part of the irritation created by this senseless situation.

Sakura quickly noticed this, and swiftly shut her lips up instead of providing a proper answer.

Biting down a groan at that unneeded reluctance, Jotaro waited patiently for the girl to drop the little uneasiness. But instead of keeping waiting any longer and hope for his chances to resume the discussion to increase, the man paused in minor realization as he took notice of a worrying detail.

The plum-haired child was still shivering, despite her panic having subsided well enough for the trembling to stop, she was still doing it.

A concerned thought erupted at the sight and the question was blurted out without him thinking too much about it.

"Are you feeling cold?"

A blink, and then… she finally looked up from the floor.

"A little," She replied curtly. "I'm… sorry."

He was half-tempted to say that there was no need to be sorry. Again. But then Jotaro realized that if he rebuked her on that point, there was a risk of the child closing up again to him.

And so, holding himself from pointing that out, the man merely patted at his right leg.

"Come closer."

The request sounded stern, but there was a hint of softness that was added just to not make it sound like an order.

Sakura looked perplexed at the two words. Her uncertainty played much with her indecision for a little while, but she ended up complying.

Once she approached him close enough, the marine biologist leaned forward a little bit so that his arms had the best chance of lifting her up from the floor and allowing her by his lap. He could tell that his suspicions were correct from the way she felt so cold to his own body.

The girl tensed up suddenly, caught off-guard by the sudden physical interaction, but doing nothing that could've complicated the little plan conceived by Jotaro's tired mind.

Since he was dealing with a kid, maybe he should approach the matter on a simpler and less 'threatening' way. Sakura's wide eyes swiftly turned to match in front of her as the man carefully turned the chair back in front of the desk.

With her sight stuck in the shock-induced look over the furniture's smooth surface, Jotaro reached for one of the empty papers that he would use on a normal instance to make calculations about his reports.

The girl's attention was quick to turn at the simple piece of paper.

"Do you know how to read Kanji?"

Silence was his answer, either because the child was still digesting the swift series of events that saw her now sitting by his lap or because she didn't know how to do it.

Sighing, he started to write on the paper and he decided to test something he had once heard his wife talking about when mentioning how the two were supposed to raise little Jolyne. Education was important, and Jotaro wholeheartedly wanted only the best for his young daughter.

Children tended to be interested when something they were aware about was mentioned through new manners. Like writing one's name on a paper and letting the girl inquire about the result before her eyes.

The pen started to leave ink on the paper as he quietly wrote a single kanji on the paper. Sakura watched the action with a mix of interest and confusion, her eyes gaining a higher emotional degree compared to before.

Once the man was done with the writing, he moved the pen away and he waited for a reaction from the kid.

桜

"What is… that?" In a single moment of pure curiosity, Sakura's monotonous tone cracked in a more child-like tune.

Jotaro blinked, hoping that he wasn't wrong about this despite the noticeable step forward.

"That's the kanji for your name, Sakura," The marine biologist replied calmly. "Do you know what it means?"

She hummed, seemingly gaining more interest over the sight. "It's… the cherry tree? The one with the pink leaves?"

"That's correct," He commented positively. "I suppose it was your uncle, Kariya, that told you about this."

A nod, her humming increasing as she thought about this.

"He said that my name represented me. That I was as pretty as the leaves of the cherry tree."

"I can see that. I can tell he was telling the truth," Jotaro admitted flatly, quickly gaining a sudden look from Sakura as the girl turned around in his lap to stare up at him.

"R-Really?"

He nodded, staring down and locking gaze with the child for a while. In the end Sakura offered a nod, and Jotaro was half-sure the girl flashed a smile before returning her attention on the paper.

"What… is your name, sir?"

A blink, then two and… he answered the question by writing down the Kanji for his name.

承太郎

"Uh?" She huffed, her slight annoyance bringing more life out of the previously reserved girl. "What… does that mean?"

A small smile appeared on his face, and his left hand unconsciously reached for the top of her head. A pat, then two. She didn't shy away from the touch.

"That's my name. Jotaro."

Sakura nodded, keeping quiet for a couple of seconds as she leaned back and allowed her shoulders to reach his shoulder, a hum building up at the suave head-patting she was being subjected to.

…

"Jo-ta-ro," She spelled softly, pondering over the name.

He sighed happily, glad that this kid wasn't as obnoxious as her older brother.

"How about we draw something?" The marine biologist proposed. "Do you know what a starfish is?"

The girl shook her head. "What is it?"

And in that very moment, Jotaro felt like there was a chance of bringing some good culture to a young child. The kind of culture he had long learned to love and turn in his own work.

But while he was distracted in that simple activity with little Sakura, a certain Servant had been awake to see the entire interaction unfold.

With a smirk settled on her beautiful face, Caster started to make plan to finally give the poor girl a loving family in the form of her Master's own.

And with that, she was sure that her Master was going to learn how to properly become a parent too!

"This is unacceptable!"

A loud slam echoed through the large workshop as Kirei continued to watch silently the furious man that was Tokiomi Tohsaka.

While the head of the renowned clan was known for his self-restraint, the news that had just reached them ended up stirring an unpleasant mood out of the elegant aristocrat.

The fate of the Matou family itself wasn't something that truly mattered to Tokiomi, nor did the fact that Berserker was now destroyed. In fact, this last detail was taken in with glee from the dark-haired Magus.

The real issue was connected to a tiny change of hand between the now-dead rival family and the Master of Caster. Little Sakura was now under the care of one Jotaro Kujo.

Up until now, the presence of the 'foolish researcher' has been regarded by the Master of Archer as nothing more but a simple nuisance that his Servant could've easily dealt with.

Not a lie, but also an incorrect statement to regard Gilgamesh as his puppet to lead around. Especially when the King of Uruk was unrestrained in his lording over Tokiomi's plans and own orders.

Kirei was also aware that Jotaro Kujo and his Servant were far more troublesome than just a couple of rookies, even beyond the simple information the Holy See had over the marine biologist's family.

The fact that the 'foolish' man managed to destroy something that has been regarded by the head of the Tohsaka clan as 'a group of people that were far too entrenched to be eradicated', mostly because of the guarantees set by Zouken through his favors within Clocktower's society blocking any political power play against the Matou Clan, was a clear alarm for Tokiomi to take and analyze in proper quiet.

Sadly enough, said logical development wasn't followed at all. The emotional outburst the young priest was forced to listen to together with his father was the telling sign that Tokiomi didn't learn from his mistakes.

In a conflict as complicated as the Holy Grail War, it was best to keep any close bonds away from the reach of other competitors.

Just like the man had done by sending Aoi and little Rin to live by the woman's parents until things were War was over.

But now that a 'sore spot' was revealed by the newest guardian Sakura now had, Tokiomi had little to hold back the growing hatred he was feeling towards Jotaro Kujo.

"Surely there has to be a mean for us to press charge against him," The Tohsaka inquired at Risei, his tone still keeping part of the outburst that preceded this conversation. "He stole my daughter-"

"One that you've freely given up by allowing Zouken to adopt her as the Matou heiress," The older priest rebuked. "What happens to her after that point is concern only to the Matou Clan… or 'was' considering the recent events."

"And that is while ignoring what Zouken turned out to be," Kirei added with a blank voice. "He was a monster, one that you decided to leave a child under its care for a full year."

"I really hope you have an explanation to offer to Aoi once she learn about this," The older representative mentioned. "Because I know she will not bow her head once the truth comes out."

The dark-haired Magus gritted his teeth at the dual assault, unable to formulate a response to what was indeed going to be a troublesome conversation with his wife. The only reason Aoi had been accepting of parting with their youngest daughter was because it was normal for Magus families to offer children that aren't meant to become heirs to the clan to be sent to other families.

But the very moment she discovered that Sakura wasn't learning any magecraft and about the inhumane conditions the little girl was subjected for twelve months…

He truly dreaded that encounter.

"Still, stole a child capable of magecraft," Tokiomi resumed vehemently. "And we both know that neither the Church nor Clocktower will care whatever deed he committed in the past. He still threatens our livelihood if he delves further into-"

"The world of supernatural? The Mystery of Magecraft?" Risei interjected dryly, almost ridiculing the obvious obsessiveness born from that simple development. "What you might be ignoring, Tokiomi, is that the Joestar Family is already part of the Moonlit World. It has been since the first fall of Dio Brando at the hands of Jonathan Joestar."

"But Dio wasn't an Apostle," Kirei commented with a hint of curiosity. "Does it still count as connection to our world?"

Instead of providing a quick answer, the overseer of the Holy Grail War merely smirked.

"I don't recall ever saying that it was Dio that tied the Joestar Family to us all," He pointed out mirthfully. "In fact, I think what you're both forgetting is… that the Joestar Family was once a Magus Family centuries ago."

…

"Surely you jest, Risei," Tokiomi rebutted sternly. "I'm quite sure that every single Magus family born in England still hold considerable influence and influence in Clocktower. Why would they cease to make use of Magecraft?"

"I suppose it's because the case itself is controversial for Clocktower," The priest explained with a nod. "The decision itself to turn to a more 'non-magical' path of life was one made out of family's interests. Joel Joestar was the one that decided to take a drastic route to secure his house's full survival, well away from the deadly politics of the Clocktower."

"And why wasn't this information given earlier, Risei?"

"That's because I wasn't aware of it until a day ago, Tokiomi-san."

Kirei noticed the little barb over the honorific, realizing that his father was growing impatient with how childish the Master of Archer was being in that very moment.

Maybe he had been incorrect earlier on. Tokiomi was indeed leaving an irritating disposition over both blank-looking church members despite their best efforts to not be influenced by this impatience.

"So this Jotaro Kujo… you think he was able to summon a Servant through this connection? It's preposterous but-"

"No, I think there is much more to it than we currently now," Risei admitted with a nod. "My contacts are digging as much as possible without getting noticed. The registry of the Joestar family was divided and scattered in various sections of the Holy See's own archives. It will take a long time before we get all of it revealed to us."

The archives in Rome were massive, but the ones spread all over Italy? The combined effort should've taken month if the request had been one with normal priority.

But since Kirei's father had mustered a couple of favors to speed up this operation, it wouldn't be unreasonable to believe that 'enough' was going to get unveiled well before the end of the competition.

In the end, this situation didn't truly leave much of an impression on Kirei himself. As of now, Jotaro Kujo wasn't an enemy of his despite how much hatred Tokiomi now harbored for the man.

In his eyes, the 'simple man' lived by ethics and ideals that sounded as idyllic as reachable in due time.

Sure, the process of finding his own peace wasn't going to wrap up with how 'short' this War was going to be, but the foundation of a serious effort were going to be laid down in these important days.

Experimenting by the kitchen broadened a route he had once thought about pursuing, but never did out of the humbleness of the work. It didn't fit with the 'elevated' nature of his lifestyle, not as the son of someone as influential as Risei.

But now that his father showed support for this attempt, Kirei didn't have much of a reason to not give his best in this good chance of finding happiness beyond inflicting pain to others.

Cooking was drawing a strange emotion out of him, especially with the comments regaled to him by either his father, Assassin herself, or even Gilgamesh himself. It was… pleasant, but at the same time fleeting.

It pushed him to seek deeper, to delve further over what seems to be the tip of a monumental iceberg that just waited for him to unravel.

Time was still on his side if he managed to survive this competition. And maybe… he could ask for a leave for Italy once he was done with his job here in Fuyuki.

Maybe see if he could actually live with his own demons while taking care of his daughter. A life without causing violence… maybe some violence could be condoned if he decided to try some extra-spicy recipes.

"But enough with this… ranting," Tokiomi stated with a calmer voice. "I'm sorry for having subjected you both to… my frustrations. This war is taking an unexpected turn after another."

"It's understandable to feel irritated by plans failing to realize," Risei replied with a polite nod. "But please, in future occasions, I wish to remind you that we're not minions to your wish. We agree to it, and we will support it- but never as subordinate of yours. This is an alliance of equals."

It was a stern chiding, one that the Tohsaka couldn't help but merely nod at as he knew that it was just the truth being reminded to him.

The alliance was built on his simple wish of bringing prosperity for both the Church and his family. The moment he showed interest in ruining the Church, it was going to be the moment the alliance is off. and hostilities were to be established between the Clan and the Holy See.

Once this conversation was over, both Kirei and Risei walked out of Tokiomi's workshop, their way mostly the same until the former took a different turn to his father's route.

"Have fun cooking," The older priest wished happily, ignoring that his son wasn't actually aiming at that just yet.

He still had some important work to do before genuinely delving back in his 'self-studies'.

Once he was away from any eavesdroppers, he sighed and stopped in his steps.

"Assassin."

The violet-haired woman with dark-black skin appeared beside him, bowing at him for a while before standing up.

"I suppose you're done with the task I've given you."

She nodded. "We got eyes on Rider and Lancer, both with their respective Masters."

"What about Caster?"

"We know where they are, but we decided against getting close enough to spy on their actions. They are in a place that doesn't allow us to spy well from afar."

A minor pity, but one that wouldn't matter to him since his priority was elsewhere.

"And… Kiritsugu Emiya?"

"The castle is a fortress with numerous detection fields by its walls. But nothing that prevented us from installing some eyes over the paths that lead to the city."

So he will have the means to know if Kiritsugu is wandering around in the city or not. It wasn't the best situation since Kirei had pondered over knowing what was happening within that large building, but his interest lied on making sure he had eyes over the Magus Killer's actions while he was out of his lair.

Initially, his plan was to see what kind of man Kiritsugu Emiya was. To see if he could really relate to the plight the man suffered on his own.

But then, he ended up finding enlightenment through a simple conversation with both Jotaro Kujo and his Servant. Both had acted against the basic rules of not offering advice to an enemy, going as far as give him a chance to become a better man.

With this development, his early plan was shelved away as he considered it superfluous and risky… instead contemplating over the aftermath of a proper encounter between Jotaro and Kiritsugu.

Both had different upbringings, both faced loss in different ways, but the two Masters were also fathers of small families.

It was almost poetic, and the match up just resonated better in his mind than his first idea did. It was enough to prompt him to drop all activities and set up a careful plot with Assassin.

Creating a large chessboard for him to manipulate without risking himself and his Servant… that was the truest potential of Assassin. One that would've surely been wasted if they had been subordinated to Tokiomi's whims and foolish plans.

"What about… the other task?"

The Servant nodded again. "It took us a while to get in contact with people that could've been contracted without exposing our identities, but we managed to get the pictures you asked."

He blinked, reaching for the thin folder presented by the Servant.

Kirei didn't say anything else, merely opening the container to pull out a handful of photos. All of those had a single individual standing out to the others caught in the frame, and that individual was the priest's own curiosity for now.

Shoulder-length white hair, a calm yellow color shining through her eyes...

Caren looked… fragile. Not outright sickly as her mother had been, but enough to urge interest in Kirei about her lack of a genuine uneasiness over the bandages by her legs.

A blank stare was on her face, almost a moment away in becoming a scowl as the little girl merely stared at the 'focus' of the situation. Sometimes it was a group of children, sometimes it was her grandparents sharing a conversation with elevated members of the Roman noble class.

It was a curious sight that got him not only perplexed, but his mind started to switch her form with another child. This one was a simple boy trying to understand how things worked with children as he stared from afar, or even when his father, Risei, was busy discussing with other Church representatives.

Could it be that he had somehow pushed his daughter into his own route?

He would've expected for Claudia's parents to be more present in her life. They had been when their daughter was going through the painful months that preceded her passing.

Maybe the emotional pain had left them blind before the obvious.

Caren was being partly neglected because of this. While the child was taken care about properly in a sustainable way, she was still being left emotionally detached from the rest of those around her.

…

This had to be solved once he was done with the Holy Grail War, maybe by using these very pictures to force the staunch nobles to let go of his daughter.

It would be suicidal to go now and risk antagonizing the Church by dropping his duties for this occasion. Time was still on his side, but it didn't mean that he wasn't furious about this development.

Kirei 'let go' of Caren with the hopes of sparing her from him, but he wasn't going to allow her to become just like he was. Twisted, corrupted… aimless.

Sighing, he glanced at Assassin with a quizzical look.

"I suppose you will also join me to the kitchen," The man muttered politely. "I wouldn't mind some company today."

The Servant tensed up a little bit at his words.

Was it surprise? It was quite curious to see one of the most renowned killers become so flustered before a humble offer of food-tasting.

She merely nodded, ignoring her Master's look as they both proceeded to walk towards the kitchen for a couple of hours spent cooking and testing the recipes.

Meanwhile Gilgamesh looked at the two retreat from his little perch by the glass ceiling of the large room the Master-Servant Duo had been speaking to. In his mind, this was slowly becoming far more entertaining than anything he could've done with his own intervention.

AN

I'm kind of sad there's not many fanarts of Chibi Caren. There are a couple with other characters in their kid form, but none where she is actually alone and cute. Also, to help with imagination, Caren Hortensia is currently as old as Sakura.

Lastly, little thought over those that questioned how Sakura got her worms purged: I remind you all that Star Platinum is a Stand, a Manifestation of an individual's fighting spirit, and thus has a resemblance to its user soul. What Jotaro can do with it is similar to Kirei's Spiritual Healing, opening a 'wound' between the Circuits and the Worms, and tearing away harmlessly the worms from committing any harm to their host.