I OWN NOTHING
This idea just kind of got into my head when seeing some cool ads for a pachinko machine, wrap your heads about which one.
Warning: Don't expect much ground-breaking romance here or an award winning drama, I'm a guy who likes to write for fun and this is mindless fun. You've been warned.
XXXXXX
"How did I get… here…?"
Looking around in the middle of a small park, a small child wondered those words himself. He just knew he got up somewhere, walked, and that he wore some rather baggy clothing far too big for himself. He had a tattered black and orange jacket fit for a teen, orange pants that he had to roll several times to not trip on them, and sandals twice the size he needed. He was just a small kid, and very confused.
"Hey." Someone said behind him, making him stiffen, "What're you doing wearing that?"
A little girl had spoken to him. Her hair was a shinier, clearer color than his, meaning she was blonde. Her eyes were wide and innocent. But what surprised him was the white dress she had. It was like every inch of it had to be decorated to fit a princess. Speaking of which, she may as well be. Everything about her screamed royalty, the way she moved and how pretty she was just said she was a princess.
He shrugged, "I don't know. Why're you dressed like that? Playing princess?" his retort made her giggle.
"You're silly, I like you." That got a red tint on his cheeks. "Want to play?"
His eyes lit up, "Wait, for real?" no one wanted to play with him as a kid, no one. Now a girl wanted to, and it quickly made him tense up, "Wait, are you going to prank me?"
Her eyes widened at the hostility of his voice, "Wh- no! No, I want to play, really!" she quickly looked behind before turning to him, "Please, can we play something? My dad may pick me up soon and-"
"Oh, sure." He said bluntly, not even noting her strange behavior.
Her smile nearly split her face, "Yay! Let's… oh… what do you want to play?"
He tilted his head to the side. All he had done in parks was to see kids play with others or their parents. He didn't know many games or what rules were regarding that. What could he and a cute girl play? His eyes scanned her dress, she really did look like a princess. Then he stared at his far too large outfit, the torn jacket looked more like a robe with sleeves way longer than necessary.
Small as his mind may be, he did have some imagination, "I can… be a wizard…" he said, flapping his sleeves before looking at her, pointing a finger at the girl, though it was covered by the sleeve touching the ground, "And you can be the princess I have to recue from…" he looked at a slide, his smile shining, "The evil dragon of steel!"
In a corner of the world, a towering dragon made of steel sneezed, getting his adoptive son to make a remark of how could the dragon sneeze if idiots didn't get sick according to a popular saying. The two got into a fight, but it didn't matter. In their own corner of the world, the boy was climbing the slide towards the princess, her hands waving.
"Help me, help me, brave wizard!" she fake cried, "I may fall into the dragon's maw!"
"I got you." He said, sitting behind her before both looked down the slide, grinning when they went down, "Princess, are you ok?"
She beamed, nodding, "Yes, now…" she looked at the swings, her smile brightening more, "Brave wizard, help me fly home by my side."
He grinned, "We shall fly to the moon!" he said and was about to race to the swings, but halted, "The… moon…" he grabbed his head, looking at the ground in confusion, "A rabbit…"
"Sir Wizard, will you push me?" the girl's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Oh yeah, sorry." He got behind the girl and did as told, shoving her forward. She grabbed the swing and giggled as she took off.
Getting on the one beside her, the boy waited for her to get down before swinging his legs back and forth, following the girl. As she swung her legs back and forth, she couldn't help but smile, "Hey… Today is… my birthday…" her cheeks gained an adorable pink hue, before she exclaimed, "Would you like to come as my first friend? Please, you're the first person I've played with now that I got out of my house! Will you?"
"I'm your friend…?" he asked, actually surprised by her words. She worried he may be displeased, but a huge grin spread on his face, "Sure! I've never had a friend before!"
Giggling, the girl spoke, "So, what's your name, Sir Wizard? Mine's Lucy."
"I'm Naruto." He said with a big smile.
The two kept playing until Lucy said she had to go home for her birthday before her father worried, but not without giving him some directions of how to see her. Unknown to them, though, a pair of eyes caught sight of the girl. In that instant, the onlooker recognized the girl for her features and expensive clothing. The boy, though, he didn't care about, for the girl was like a gold mine on legs.
Unaware of the dangers, and unable to contain the smile on his face as he waved off seeing the girl leave, Naruto felt at ease. Then his eyes turned to his large clothes. Seeing he had nothing else, the boy improvised by tearing the cloth, making it look like he had a ragged robe and very baggy pants. Considering the sandals were too big, he walked barefoot towards the girl's house, feeling like he'd have a good day.
Sometimes a day just started off badly, other days went badly as they progressed but started off nicely, for Lucy. Her day had been perfect otherwise. It was her birthday, and her father had gathered a massive party for her. The entire foundation was at its proverbial peak due to the massive influx of trade flowing through Fiore, so of course the party had been a gigantic affair.
Her father had actually hired mages to show off magic to her, the sights they displayed utterly amazed the young girl and made her heart burn with passion to learn magic too. The party itself was fun, she got to see a lot of pretty gifts, had the day all to herself, and most importantly… she was saving a slice of cake to share with her best friend Naruto.
The blond haired young boy had yet to appear, but there was an odd appeal of having him at her side like, appearing when she felt loneliest or missed his presence the most. She giggled, thinking that was what he'd be as a brave wizard after their little playdate. She still jokingly referred to him as Sir Wizard, although he didn't know a bit of magic, but she did know one thing, that he was the first boy to befriend her.
"You do seem happy, Lucy." Her father said, grooming his facial hair with one hand, "I was worried when the maids said they didn't find you. To play outside on such a day…"
The girl blushed, "I wanted to play with someone. I met a good friend, and I invited him over, can he…?"
Her father nodded, "Ah, your imaginary friends. I supposed he can join in… But in all honesty, you're growing too old to still have those. Besides, as a proper carrier of our family name, you will have plenty of people around in your future."
She felt tempted to say she didn't like the kind of people he was thinking about, but saved it, "He's real nice and played with me like I was a princess and he a brave wizard ready to protect me."
Her father pondered her words, "A bodyguard, huh…?" he chuckled, "Sounds like the kind of man you need around."
This day had been going so well, until one of the mages, a surly looking man with dark skin and a beard yelled out, "Party's over!" And slammed his palms into the floor, a gigantic blast of water shot up like a wave and drenched the party-goers in a surge of water.
Before Lucy realized what had happened she had been trapped inside of a bubble, thankfully it had air inside but as the young girl screamed for help and salvation, it seemed that nothing could be done. The man seemed to skate across the ground, ice flowing from his feet and allowing him free movement, easily dodging guards who were pounded back by jets of water or ice blocks.
The man kept her close via a tether of rope like water.
She saw the party and her mansion disappear rapidly, tears coming to her eyes as she screamed out who she truly wanted to save her, "N… Naruto… HELP!" She hated her weakness, hated having to rely on others and being a burden to them. Part of why she wished to learn magic was so she could protect her loved ones too and stand at their side as an equal, but she was only a kid and didn't know any spells just yet.
The second her tears hit the bubble, a blast of wind slammed into the man carrying her, a thin cut appeared over the bubble before it popped. Her body was caught in one arm, a deceivingly strong limb. Naruto had arrived in his usual style, unsubtle as ever. Her eyes looked completely relieved as the blond haired boy rose his hand up, a sharp kunai held on it as the evil mage got up slowly.
His eyes were soft when they looked at her and he asked, "You okay Princess Lucy?" he chuckled, "Sorry for being late to the party."
She sniffled and nodded cutely at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she whispered back, "Now that you are… I know I am…" The makings of a crush were already forming in the girl's innocent heart, although the innocence of childhood still kept those feelings without anything more serious involved.
The mage growled, "Kid, you have any idea who you've got in your hands?! That girl is my one way ticket to an early retirement! I didn't knock out one of those performers to get out empty-handed!" summoning to large water bubbles, he threw them at the whiskered boy.
In an insane display of physical prowess, Naruto jumped over the bubbles and reared back his foot, "Too slow!" he shouted, kicking the mage right in the face with enough force to send him flat on his ass. "I don't know what jutsus you have, but I am not letting you take the princess away, not when it's her birthday!"
After setting down Lucy he pulled out another kunai, holding both short blades in an inverted grip… but the mage didn't get up, "Uh…" he groaned, seeing stars spinning over his eyes.
Naruto stared dumbfounded at the would-be kidnapper, "Did that… really knocked him out? Am I that strong or is he that weak?" he would have liked to hear it was the former.
"You…" the boy turned to see Lucy's father staring at him with stern eyes, freezing him. The anger in them was like when he went to the park at his village to play, when parents took their kids away to- "Thank you."
With his mind frozen, Naruto could only get out one word, "What?"
The man's eyes remained stone cold, "You are quite unusual, boy, for someone who just protected my daughter."
"Uh thanks, I guess." He ruffled his hair, "But I'm her friend, that's what friends do, right?"
A glint in the man's eyes should have been enough to tell Naruto of his intentions, "Would you be interested in working to keep her safe?"
Innocent as he was, he didn't know better, "Sure! I still have to finish my training at the ninja academy, but-"
"I'll get you proper teachers." The man said, eyeing the kid like a man in an auction, "After all, she could always use a friend like you."
Lucy beamed, "So I get to play with him?"
"Depends." The man said sternly, "Will you keep her safe, even with your life, boy?"
"You bet I will!" was the kid's reply, and from then his and Lucy's lives changes.
XXXXXX
Later, at night, the small boy was given clean pajamas and a queen-sized bed. At the time, such a thing had been a dream. When his eyes rested on it, he didn't waste a second to jump and start bouncing. Lucy watched it all with a soft giggle while her friend laughed loudly. However, the girl's father frowned at the boy's attitude and lack of manners.
"Boy, you will be protecting my daughter, so I expect you to keep your word on it by acting accordingly." The man said sternly.
Naruto stopped his bouncing and sat on the bed, "Oh, alright, sorry, sir."
The man gave him a nod, "And Lucy, while he may be your friend and you may want to play with him, do know I want him to keep you safe first and foremost. Boy, in any situation that she may be in danger, I want you to drop anything and keep your promise. To protect her no matter what."
"You don't have to be so bossy." The girl said with puffed cheeks, walking to Naruto, "Besides, he's my friend, and we can play, can't we?"
The man sighed but nodded, "I do expect you to be in bed in less than thirty minutes, young lady."
"I will." The small girl said. When her father left, she jumped on the bed, giggling joyfully as she bounced along Naruto, "I never thought I could do this with a bed!"
"I know, it's great, right?!" he cheered, joining on the bouncing before bowing midair, "So how may I serve you, Princess?"
Lucy grinned, "Close your eyes for a bit, ok?" Naruto nodded and stopped bouncing, with Lucy doing the same. She waited for him to keep his blue orbs closed and made sure he didn't peak, "Ok… Ta-dah!"
Naruto opened his eyes when feeling a weight on his head, before reaching up to grab the object and look at it, "Wow… it's cool!" he grinned at what he was given, a dark orange military cap with metal horns on the forehead.
Lucy grinned, "I picked it because they looked like cool fox ears." Only the mind of a little girl could make such a connection, "It's a bit big, but it'll probably last a lot. I know you're supposed to give me stuff for my birthday, but I just wanted to do something nice for you… You're my friend, the first friend I've been glad to have at a birthday."
Naruto stopped looking at the cap and turned to the blonde girl, "But why wouldn't you have friends? You're really nice, Lucy."
She nodded, "The friends I have are usually chosen by my dad… They're not… bad, but… they're not like you…" she gave him a small, if sad, smile, "You did play with me and helped me, you're the best friend ever."
He blushed, and returned the smile in earnest, "You're the best friend ever, too, Lucy!"
She beamed, happy to having met him, "Just so you know, I'll become a mage someday… And I'll be able to protect you like you did for me."
He gave her a cheeky grin, "I don't think you could, because I'm going to be so freaking cool and strong there won't be any way you'd need to fight for me."
She giggled and hugged him, "Don't be mean, I'm your princess and can fight."
He chuckled, "Sure, princess."
After some more games, Lucy went to get bathed and properly dressed for bed… while Naruto went to snoring in a split second.
Things are never that easy for the boy, as he soon found himself in a very creepy yet oddly familiar sewer, "Oh… Was it a dream…?" he sounded thoroughly disappointed, rubbing his head, "I mean… Figures, someone like Lucy existing and being my friend just can't happen, r-"
"Wrong." Said a voice, "And hello there, pipsqueak."
The boy looked around, but found no sign of the voice's owner, "H-Hello?"
"See, this is why I try to tell you your plans are stupid at times, even if they work… But here we are."
"Who are you? Are you my conscience?" the boy timidly asked, "I've been good, I think."
"More than good, kid." The voice said, "Too good for your own good, though… Anyway, name's Kurama, but you may call me sensei."
"Wait, what?" the kid asked, trying to find the source of the voice by running in the sewer, "Where are you, then?"
"It doesn't matter where I am… I'm a part of you." Kurama said, "Listen, you saw that girl's father. That man keeps her on a short leash. So, seeing how you care for her, I'll be nice. Think on this, do you want training to be beyond a Kage's level to keep your princess safe?"
Naruto stopped running, "What's the catch?" he asked seriously.
Kurama chuckled, "If there's ever an asshole that shows they don't want to change, don't hold anything back and pound them into bloody pulps. Sounds good?"
Naruto held up a clenched fist, "I promised I'd keep her safe, so count me in, sensei!"
The voice chuckled, "You never change, kid. That's what I like about you… to some degree. Anyway, expect big changes in your life…"
Little Naruto certainly didn't expect the kind of changes that'd have him face down in a dark forest in the middle of the night, wearing a black shinobi outfit and holding a bleeding forehead.
Before him, standing on a tree branch, was a shady figure clad in a similar outfit to conceal their face. A sharp katana rested on their back, and nothing but cold death could be seen in their eyes. That was a real ninja, a cold-hearted fighter.
"How is the boy doing?" Lucy's father asked as he walked into the forest, flanked by a few guards.
He merely stood up, wiped his face off blood, and pulled out his own kunais while the dark clothed figure spoke in a not too deep and not too high tone, making it hard to tell if it was male or female, "Just fine." The shady individual said while pulling out the katana from its sheath, holding it in both hands, "But you paid me to train him, and I expect you to trust me in that."
The man merely groomed his facial hair with one hand, "All I'm seeing is a boy taking a beating. I hired you so he could protect Lucy like a proper ninja would their master."
"And I will…" the little blond grumbled. Reaching into his outfit, he pulled out six kunais, holding them between his fingers and looking ready to fight, "Come on, I ain't falling down that easily!"
He watched the figure disappear in a blur of speed, reappearing right beside him with their sword drawn. With a yelp, Naruto crossed his own weapon like claws over his face, letting them take the strike. Instantly, he regretted his poor choice when the shinobi kicked him in the gut. Seeing the small boy rolling around, the well-dressed man in the forest was about to stop it, but couldn't.
Rather than give up, Naruto used the momentum to spring back to his feet and jump at his opponent, flinging several shuriken and kunais at them. The cold-eyed ninja merely swatted them aside with their sword, "Speed and ferocity won't do you much good without thinking twice."
Merely flicking down their wrist, the shinobi threw his sword at the small blond. Said kid backhanded the blade without caring that he got cut, and acted on instinct. He turned around and threw a kick backwards. The ninja saw the strike and jumped over it and the boy, getting some much needed distance. However, if one looked closely, they could see a deep gash on their shoulder.
"I can still fight." The blue eyed kid said, but the way he breathed and his knees wobbled said otherwise.
The ninja merely nodded, "And you have much to improve." They then turned to their employer, "None of us has been idle, as you can see. He learns far faster than any ninja I've seen. In a couple months he could make it as a Chuunin, perhaps even a Jounin. I actually consider it an honor to teach such a tenacious child in the ways of ninjutsu."
The two ninjas' employer nodded before turning his narrowed eyes to the blond, "Excellent. Naruto, I hope you keep improving. You may have saved Lucy once, but should any harm come to her again, I don't care whether they're guild master mages or even the council, I want you to stop them from harming her."
Said whiskered child nodded, "She's the first friend I've made, of course I will."
The man brought his hand again back to his facial hair, "However, your manners could still use some work. It won't be of much use if you protect her without proper etiquette. I hope you're taking your other classes seriously, otherwise you'd shame not only Lucy but this entire family if you misbehaved."
"S-Sure, I won't let anyone down!" the boy said, showing how eager he was for acceptance.
That eagerness, or rather that desperation for affection would mold him into a different man than he'd have been in another time.
XXXXXX
Time had passed, flowing in different directions thanks to the changes one life went through, even if he didn't know of them.
No Leaf existed, no Elemental Nations were mentioned in books, and no position like a Kage seemed to exist. Yet, there were ninja, and they could teach for a proper price.
To the unassuming passerby, the sight of a grown Naruto was bizarre. Standing tall in his early twenties, and with a lean, handsome whiskered face, he already called the attention. However, his hair was no longer spiky. He had let it grow into a thin ponytail that reached his mid-back. Atop his head rested a familiar and well-kept present given to him by a good-natured princess.
Following his experience as Sir Wizard, bodyguard extraordinaire, Naruto started to like wearing the cap she gave him. He also wore a gray long-sleeved coat which was opened to reveal an orange t-shirt under it, a pair of baggy navy blue pants, and black combat boots. If one looked closely they'd see he walked with confidence, not arrogance. And he managed to go unnoticed due to mages dressing weirder.
Speaking of time, the blond quickly looked at a nearby clock in the train station he had just arrived, "It's nearly tea time." He whispered to himself, turning his head left and then right, "So this is the kind of place she's been looking for, huh? Looking for those keys, though…"
"H-Hey stop!" his ears perked up, and he looked at a couple of men surrounding a woman, "I-I already paid you, so p-"
"Hey, hey, that's no way to thank one for doing such a good job, you know? You could go out on a date with me." Said one of the men, grinning.
"N-No! I already gave you the money you wanted! I-" the woman was silenced when the man closest to her slammed his fist on the wall behind her, cracking it.
"Come on, babe, or do you like your men a bit rougher?" the man, clearly a mage for he had used magic to break the wall, asked with a nasty smirk.
"Guess I have some time to kill." The blond said, cracking his knuckles.
Just as the mage was about to touch the lady, he stopped when his arm fell limp to his side, "Huh?" he gasped, looking at the needles sticking out of his shoulder which paralyzed his nerves with acupuncture.
"I'm not one to mince words, gentlemen." The blond said, walking to them with his hands behind his back, "A lady has to be treated like you would an equal: with respect."
The other men, also mages, growled at the blond while their comrade tried to remove the needles, only to yelp, "Who the fuck are you?!"
The whiskered man gave them a small smile while replying, "I am Naruto Uzumaki. I am a butler to the Heartfilia family, and loyal guard. I take care of the gardens, make tea, lend a friendly ear to those who need it, see to it they sleep in peace, and," he threw his arms to his side to show his hands holding six kunais, three in between each hand's fingers, after they popped out of his sleeves, "I mostly take care of the trash."
As one the mages charged at the blond. Merely letting them get close enough, the whiskered butler watched the first pull out a magic sword, swinging to cut his chest open. Merely sidestepping the charge, the blue eyed man swung his kunais like they were claws. It was an instant, but the instant he seemed to move his arms he just appeared behind the mages, his kunais out of view.
With a tired sigh, the butler grabbed his neck to crack a few joints in place, while the woman that had been harassed whispered in amazement, "How did-" her eyes widened when all the mages fell down, with large gashes on their chests. She covered her mouth with her hands at the sight, it was like a beast had attacked them but not with feral fury, but with finesse.
"They'll live." Naruto said while straightening his street outfit, dusting it with his cap, "You may want to call someone to take care of them, lady. Their manners are far too… poor."
Giving a warm smile, he left while the woman stared, "So handsome…" a blush spread on her cheeks, before she recalled she had to take care of the men that harassed her.
Our hero had other things in mind, "Hmm, casserole sounds lovely today." He mused as he looked at a bunch of ingredients, part of his duties to Lucy was also making her meals that suited her. She was extremely particular about what she ate now that she was getting in shape to become a mage.
Thankfully she understood that she had to eat healthy meals rather than diet and be weak without proper nutrition, it just made his job a little more interesting.
However, someone else had more in mind, "You're really wasting your time. Come on, you can't really let her marry that… guy."
Inwardly smiling, Naruto spoke to himself so silently he was sure no one could hear him, "If it so happens that her father's choice for a groom makes her sad, I'll take matters into my own hands, sensei."
The voice in his head chuckled deeply, "My piece of advice? Castration. Just two perfectly placed needles to pop his tiny balls. Who knows? With your aim you may even go through his tiny-" He was interrupted when Naruto hummed a cheerful song to tune out the details, a melody he had heard a brown haired beauty sing to her partner one time at the market.
"Hmhmh hmhmhm… Just a little wolf inside a girl you say… Whistle round the world…" His humming continued all the way to the Heartfilia Mansion, where he quickly changed into a more proper attire, a tuxedo complete with bow tie. Unfortunately, he had to hide the treasure the girl gave him. But the sadness disappeared when he walked in to find Lucy practicing with her magical keys.
She had taken some of her mother's old spell-keys, the ones she used to use for her summoning magic, and begun practicing with them. Already she was gaining surprising skill with them and showed an apt understanding of their use. More impressively, and what made him smile was her kind heart, she truly loved meeting new spirits and as a result befriended them rather than used them for her own purposes.
Looking at the grown Lucy proved to be more than any lesser man could take. With her mother's curvaceous figure, larger than life attributes, and kind friendly features she was delightful to look at. Not only that but there was a guilty pleasure in seeing how the fabric of her tops struggled to contain her chest. And too many had fallen at the hands of the long-sleeved butler for looking at the girl's behind.
"Thanks, Cancer." She told the large hair-stylist as he finished his latest work with her hair before disappearing, the crab themed man did enjoy his time doing her hair and it almost became a hobby of his.
"Lady Lucy." He called out to her, making her turn around with a bright smile at seeing him approach her.
"Naruto!" She leapt into his arms, laughing as he easily picked her up in one hand, the other hand holding a massive bag of groceries with utmost ease.
Once he set her down, he made his way to the kitchen, "How has your day been, milady?"
She looked to her side, letting him see a large set of clothes consisting of a white sleeveless blouse and a blue skirt, "I have given it enough thought, and there's no way I am going to marry that guy."
Naruto merely adjusted his cap, preventing a flash of red on his eyes to scare Lucy. "If it comes down to it, I can always make sure he never bothers you."
Lucy sighed, "Dad would still try to find some way to get me married in order to increase the fortune."
Putting his hands behind his back, Naruto smiled warmly at the girl, "If you are to go, wait for your meal. You will need all your strength."
She hugged her butler, his chin resting on her head while he returned the hug, "I promise I'll write you a letter as soon as I find a proper place to live. Then you can come and see me and-"
"Bring you anything you need?" he asked with a small smile.
Inside his head, he could hear a certain someone slap their face, "You had one chance and you blew it! Flirt, goddammit! Flirt!"
Professionally ignoring the voice, he asked, "I can always accompany you, so you won't have to worry if-"
She shook her head, "I'll be ok. I've got my mother's keys and I'll make sure to find a way to join that guild. Just promise me you'll be here to keep my father busy. I need your help so he doesn't find me to be that guy's bride. As soon as I can, I'll send you a letter for us to meet again."
"I'm sure I don't need to say this, but…" he held her by her shoulders, "Be careful, not because I care about you or am your friend, but because if they give you trouble I may kick my manners out the window."
"No need to worry, and you can drop your manners. I know dad wanted you to be like that, but I'm fine with you being my friend." She replied.
He smiled back, "I'm afraid I got used to the lessons. Now, cooking was fun since I actually learned how to eat more than ramen. The different kinds of forks and knives, though, are lessons I could've ignored."
"Agreed." She said with a sigh before hugging him, "Don't worry for me. I'll find a great guild and become a mage to make you proud, Sir Wizard."
"And I'll be there by your side when you need me, Princess." He said with a bow.
XXXXXX
"Are there still no news regarding my daughter?" Lucy's father asked in his large office while his ponytailed butler served him tea.
"I'm afraid not, sir." The blond lied the best he could, "Any letters that do arrive from her to me never give any details of her exact address, and she makes sure to avoid anyone that could follow her."
The old man sipped his tea to try to calm his nerves, "If she were in trouble, not only would our name lose value, but she'd never be able to marry a good man. She deserves someone of high status, Naruto. I didn't choose her a man just because of his money, but because our family can move forward. She would live an incredible life, and our monetary trouble would cease to be."
Naruto closed his eyes, "Whatever happens to her, do know I will look after her."
The man sneered, "I just can't believe she'd have drugged you! Using some odorless, tasteless drug to fool you like that…"
Naruto kept his eyes closed, not daring look the man in the eye in case he could figure out that he let Lucy escape, "I'm just as surprised, sir. Then again, she is your daughter. That wit must have come from both you and her mother."
The Heartfilia patriarch sighed deeply, "Such a good woman she was… To think everything that I've built for her and Lucy would mean nothing against such a childish dream, a dream that could cost her very life."
"Make sure to add that in your next letter." Said a certain voice in the butler's head, "How he worries about building money by using her."
"Sir, if anything happens I'll be the first man to contact Lady Lucy and bring her to safety." The blond actually meant he wanted to see her, badly.
His boss had other ideas, though, "No… I've spent enough money, and sending you against a legal guild would make me look like a desperate tyrant. No, I can't have people think I'd risk anyone related to me. I can throw away those that are foolish and worthless, but making you fight a guild to get her back would mean trouble, even with delinquents like those mages."
"You could blame it all on me." Naruto offered, hoping his suggestion would work.
It did work, giving the man an idea, "Naruto… You do know there's a guild she wants to be in, Fairy Tail, right…? Do tell me, are there any rivals that'd be able to deal with them?"
"I'm afraid I don't follow you, sir." He did, but he didn't like how it sounded.
"I want mages capable of dealing with Fairy Tail to bring back my daughter, whether she wants to come or not." The man said, getting up, "I'll contact them immediately, and you won't take any risks. That way, when I marry Lucy, you can keep working for her and show what kind of men work for this family."
Naruto heard a sigh in his head when his boss left, "So… You're going, aren't you?"
The blond loosened his bow tie, "He can consider it my resignation letter."
And so, with his street clothes on, a duffel bag over his shoulders, and his destination clear, Naruto made his way to see Lucy once again. After leaving a letter to his now former boss, using the money he had been saving from working for the Heartfilia family, and getting a decent ride with a scooter, he arrived.
Bizarre was what best described the place of his arrival when he dismounted the bike he bought. Just when he parked the scooter, he looked in the building to see mages fighting left and right over petty things, a brunette drinking heavily, and a white haired barmaid giggling at the sight.
"It's… something…" Kurama told him.
"If she's been living here, I'll forget every lesson about proper conversations if I hear she's been hurt in a bar fight." The blond said, tilting his cap down before making his way in, his other hand slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, "Excuse me, lady…" he spoke to the barmaid, "Have you seen a cute blonde girl a few years younger than me? She has neck length hair, is a spirit mage, and I worry for her."
The barmaid hummed, the topknot ponytail over her forehead tilting to the side as she thought on his question, "I'm afraid you haven't introduced yourself, so I can't say if you're looking for help or trouble."
"My apologies." Those lessons in manners did pay off, as he bowed to the woman, "I am Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a friend of Lucy Heartfilia and I'm worried about her. I think she may be in dang-"
"Danger?" said a large man built like a brick house with a growl, "Only danger I see is a man who isn't man enough to say things without being direct about them! If you're a man, say it out loud and clear!"
Naruto swatted away the large man's hand, "Please don't touch me, and I'm being serious, but I don't want to say more than what's needed. So, have you seen Lucy or not, lady?"
The barmaid crossed her arms under her breasts, giving him a sterner look, "While my brother may have been rude, I'm afraid he has a point. For all I know the danger could be you."
Naruto scratched his cheek, and a bit of his old self surfaced, his blunt side, "If that's your brother I'd hate to meet your father."
"Talking shit?!" the man shouted, rearing back his right arm which turned into that of a monster's, "Get hit!" Everyone in the bar watched the enormous man punch the blond so hard his body split in half… that was until they realized the man had hit a log. When the wood fell on the ground, the entire guild turned to see the butler leaning on the counter, reading the menu.
"If you want a fight, I can give you worse than you could ever think I'm capable of." Naruto said, putting down the menu on the counter, "So let me say this, if I wanted to, I could have knocked you flat. That is not a threat, but a fact. Now, can you believe I don't want any trouble, or will you try to fight me?" here his eyes glowed for a second, "I'll warn you, I don't play nice."
"Are you really strong?" asked a new guild member, this one being a boy with an open vest, a white muffler, and baggy white pants with a wild pink hairdo.
Not even a second glance was needed to know the pink boy wanted to fight, "I can show you how strong if you tell me where Lucy is."
"Hah, is that right?" asked a voice from above, standing over the rails of a balcony on the second floor, showing a blond man with short hair, headphones, and a scar across one eye, and a thick musculature, "Are you implying this guild is so weak even a random punk like you can take us out? Well, I'd be happy to see you do that. That way we could kick out those who can't fight worth shit."
Seeing the mages around him glaring at the bulkier blond, and how even the barmaid frowned at his words, the butler spoke, "How about I take you on, big guy?"
The taller blond smirked, "Are you kidding or are you in a hurry to meet the reaper?"
Naruto swiped his thumb across his nose like he had seen some warriors do in some of Lucy's adventure books, "All I've done is hear you yapping. If you're not going to do more than that, what good are you when a punk like me is messing with your guild?"
The heavy drinking brunette put down a large barrel of booze, smirking, "Damn… I think I like Ponytail now."
Jumping down, the headphones wearing man growled, "What's your hurry? Because if you want a quick death, you've come to the right guy."
"You're still talking." Naruto pointed out, before his body disappeared in a blur of speed, a fist impacting on the counter and smashing the part he had been leaning on.
The taller blond growled, looking around, "Where is he?! Show yourself, you lit-" a tight grip on his ankle stopped him from talking and made him look down to a hand that popped from the ground. In a cloud of dust, the mages saw something they never would have imagined. Their fellow guild member was buried neck deep on the floor with his head sticking out, while the whiskered blond sat on a stool at the counter.
"Can you tell me where Lucy is, or does someone else wants to join him?" he asked the entire guild while turning to face them, tilting his cap up to look at them… and then widening his eyes when sparks flew.
Cursing would have to wait, for when he saw electricity before his eyes Naruto's body reacted and he rolled backwards, landing on the other side of the counter when a bolt of lightning missed him. The currently very furious scarred man was up, grinding his teeth, and looking ready to murder. The young butler replied by casually placing his hands behind his back, using the sleeves' length to hide the needles in his hands.
"You think this is funny, to just look down on me when you don't know what I can do?!" the mage snapped.
Naruto smirked, "Actually, I do. Seeing faces like yours, or even picturing them, when I make some arrogant spoiled brat mad does make my day a whole lot better." With a flash of lightning, the much bigger of the two fighters had appeared before the butler and tried to crush him down with a punch, "Behind you."
Hearing the voice from the guy he was supposed to be punching, the lightning user turned to find where it came from, seeing that before he could even blink the shorter fighter had moved behind him. Whipping his body around to try to face the whiskered young man, the angry mage ground his teeth and tried to punch him again. This time, his entire arm was covered in needles, paralyzing every single nerve.
"How did-" the guild member started, only to find a palm on his limp arm's shoulder.
"May I offer you a drink?" Naruto asked, carrying a tray with drinks in one hand.
The mage tried to backhand him with his own working hand, but once again Naruto was gone, "You little shit, stop running around!"
"Perhaps you're tired." Naruto said beside the man, handing him a towel while bowing politely.
"You think you can take me?!" the mage screamed, trying to once again hit the blond with only one arm but, you guessed it, missing him once again. This kept repeating itself while the angry blond hit nothing but air, not even being capable of finding how the smaller fighter evaded him so easily. It was exactly what Naruto waited for when he saw the scarred man panting long and hard to get air in his lungs.
"Will you tell me where Lucy is, or will you keep menacing the air?" the blond asked with a cheeky grin, tracing the trim of his cap with a finger.
"Why do you want to see that weak bitch?!" the livid mage shouted, trying to once again to hit the butler.
"What… did you call her?" Naruto asked with a dark, deep voice, turning around to face the mage.
"Laxus!" the barmaid shouted, clearly angry at his choice of words, but that anger died and was replaced with awe when the newcomer caught the angry mage's fist.
"You idiot, I'll fry you!" Laxus roared, unleashing a good million volts on Naruto… only to see no result, "What?!"
"Lightning won't work on someone that can cut it." The blond pulled back a fist, highly condensed blue energy swirling around it, "Let me teach you something I've mastered thanks to meeting that girl."
Laxus roared trying to kick the blond, "Stop thinking you're hot shit just because of that bitch!" he was shocked yet again when Naruto swatted aside his leg by backhanding it, stepping close to him.
"This is something I learned to protect my lady, the Spiral Fist… Rasenken!"
The energy in his fist took form, creating an orb of bright blue spiraling energy around the butler's hand. When the whiskered blond punched the lightning mage, no soul expected the results seen before them. As the name implied, the Spiral Fist, or Rasenken, was a punch. When it hit Laxus square on the chest, though, it became an explosion. Raw energy swirled all over the large mage in a far larger orb of destruction.
Every Fairy Tail member watched their comrade fly off and crash through a wall, while the butler merely turned to them with a frown on his face, "Who the Hell's this guy?! He beat Laxus with a single punch!" exclaimed a lion-like mage who looked like a typical playboy.
Naruto flexed his fingers, "If this is how one of your own will talk to Lucy, I've seen enough. I'll find her myself." He took his bag and was ready to go, but found his path blocked by a red haired woman. A long mane of crimson hair, an armored top the likes of a knight's armor, and a blue skirt made an odd contrast to show both feminine charm and strength. Though her body was just as curvaceous as the other girls he's seen.
"I apologize for Laxus, he is a lone wolf." The woman said firmly, "Please, don't let your opinion of this guild be tainted by his opinions. And I can assure you that Lucy is safe and we care for her as a friend."
Naruto tilted up his cap to look at the redhead, "It's not about whether I believe you or not, it's about me finding a dear friend. If you'll excuse me, I'll go look for her, should I not find her I'll come by another time."
"Wait!" the pink haired mage from before said, grinning at him, "Your name's Naruto, right? Fight me!"
Naruto swiftly replied with a, "Not interested." He turned to leave, "I only fought that Laxus guy because he was itching to try to shut me up, and I only hit him because he badmouthed Lucy. So far I have no reason to fight with you, and I shouldn't have been that flashy in my fight."
"Come on, just fight me!" the hot-headed boy shouted, eager to have a go. "I don't know what magic you used, but I want to see more of it!"
Naruto chuckled, "It's not magic, though it may look like it. As for what you saw me do, that's a technique I improvised once when training. You haven't even seen half of what I can do." Then he turned to the red haired woman, "Anyway, do me a favor and tell Lucy that some guy named Naruto is looking for her, lady. I'll be back in an hour or two to see if she has arrived."
"My name is Erza Scarlet." the redhead said before, much to Naruto's surprise, punching the pink haired boy out cold when the battle hungry lad was about to ask for a fight again, "Sorry about Natsu, too."
"Don't worry, Lady Scarlet, I'll take your words and the fact you don't want to fight me as good faith in me." The blond said, walking off and waving over his shoulder, "Take care."
"You too." Erza said, shoving the unconscious Natsu into a chair with no effort. "But do know, we won't hold this against you since Laxus shouldn't have reacted the way he did. Next time you try to pick up a fight, it'll be a different story."
"Dully noted." Naruto said before mounting his scooter and driving off.
As the guild's members watched him leave a small elderly man spoke from the balcony the lightning user had been on, "Naruto, huh? Whatever he used really is no magic. What could he possibly be?"
XXXXXX
"Erza Scarlet, huh?" Naruto asked himself while driving through the streets, "Feels like I've seen someone like her before… with that hair and attitude it's almost like I met her already…"
His sensei chuckled, "You could try to know her well, then."
The blond smiled, "Some other time I may ask her out. I have to find my princess." He was about to speed up, but instead pulled the breaks of his scooter, screeching to a halt.
The reason? Out the corner of his eyes he saw a petite girl with feathery blue hair running in a hurry. It wouldn't have been worrying if it was a jog, but she was bruised. What was even worse, he could see a large man with long, wild spiky black hair chasing after her with a maniacal grin. He could see his intentions even clearer when driving after them and seeing two bloody, beaten up men getting.
"Ah… Ah!" one of them tried to form words, before snapping back to attention when seeing the concern in the whiskered man's face, "We're fine! Don't worry about us, save Levy!"
"Right!" Naruto said, speeding off after the man and the girl, gritting his teeth, "Who are these guys? Are they from a dark guild or do they have some stupid grudge against these Fairy Tail mages?" he had seen the tattoos in the girl and the men, they were from Fairy Tail. It was the guy chasing the girl that worried him greatly.
When he found them, he felt the sight before him was beyond words, "Please, stop…" the girl begged, tears in her eyes while her back was pressed against a wall before sliding down as she curled into a ball.
The far larger mage barked in laughter, "You think I can let some prey like you just slither around like the worm you are?! I'm here to fight you Fairy Tail bastards regardless of what the boss says. If it means taking you out, then I better make your guild understand how weak they are by using you as an example."
The wild haired mage stopped his advances when hearing someone cracking his knuckles, "You know? I like it when I find guys like you. It doesn't matter how far I go, I just can't feel bad for teaching you a lesson."
"Huh… I think I've heard of you…" the large mage said, before grinning, "Now I remember, you're the punk that beat some of our guys at the station. Good, I can kill two birds with one stone once I nail this weakling and her friends for all Fairy Tail to see."
Naruto got off his bike and started running at him, "And you just had to sour my mood!" he roared, extending his hands to his sides to pull out a good dozen needles in each hand.
With lighting fast swings of his hands, the butler had thrown every projectile straight at the wild haired mage's every nerve. He hoped to see him paralyzed, but watched the larger man grin as his entire body turned into solid steel, causing every needle to bounce off! Not only that, but the guy had the skills and power to just open his mouth and chew the needles, swallowing the steel throwing weapons like candy.
"You just made my day a lot better, punk!" the muscular mage cheered, "I get to kill you and eat! So come on, try and give me your best shot! Come on, try and hit me with all you have!" he extended his arms to his side, "I'll give you the chance so long as you think you can win."
He saw the blond pulling back his right fist, where azure energy burst from his hand, making the air ripple, "You asked for it, then." The blond said in a dead serious voice.
"Just try your luck!" the mage said with a massive grin, pulling back his arm as it turned into a large blade.
"Odama…" Naruto started, stomping his foot on the ground as he brought his fist towards his opponent, "Rasenken!"
Instead of hitting the man, Naruto thrust his fist forward and hit the air. The wild haired male watched the air ripple, followed by an explosion of blue energy! Purified chakra exploded from Naruto's fist in the form of a typhoon, knocking the crooked mage high into the sky. After bringing down his arm, the blond turned to the petite blue haired girl, who was awed beyond belief at what she just saw the butler do.
"W... Where did you learn that…?" the man asked after hitting the floor, trying to get back on shaky legs.
Deciding to taunt him, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, his arms in the sleeves, "I could answer you, but I'll give you the chance to try to hit me." He grinned like the cheeky fox he was.
Growling, the steel mage turned his right arm into a large chainsaw which sliced the air as he raced to cut the blond in two. Instantly, just when he was within range, Naruto jumped over the swing and flipped himself over the mage, putting a hand on the steel user's shoulder for support before landing behind him. Howling with rage, the wild haired man tried to hit Naruto again, but it was too late.
His body went limp when he felt countless pinches on his back from needles infused with wind to pierce through his thick skin.
Naruto adjusted his sleeves with a frown, casually observing the mage resting flat on his face, "If the master has hired these guys I better get to Lucy as soon as possible…"
"Lucy?" the girl said in surprise.
"Do you know her?" he asked while walking to her, offering her a hand to help her up.
The petite girl nodded, accepting his hand, "She's my friend… If she's in trouble, I want to help her. But my friends, are-"
"They're pretty roughed up, but they should be fine if you get them to a hospital, miss…"
"Oh, I'm Levy. And thank you." She even bowed to him, "If you're looking for Lucy I can take you to her, but-"
"I'll do that after getting your friends to a hospital." He said, knowing what she was bound to say.
Levy gave him a grateful smile, "Thank you, mister."
He snickered, "Come on, I'm not that old. And the name's Naruto."
Levy's smile turned bashful, "Alright, Naruto. And thank you, really."
XXXXXX
Soon Levy brought Naruto to a decent apartment building where Lucy was supposed to live in after they hospitalized her friends. He did smile when seeing a few places she mentioned in her letters when he got close enough. She didn't give any details that may have given away her location, but he did get what places she talked about when seeing a restaurant with awesome flans.
Upon arriving to the door, Naruto was ready to knock, but his body tensed, "What's wrong?" Levy asked, growing worried, "Did those mages get ahead of us and-"
Naruto didn't give her an answer, he just opened the door which was unlocked. Frowning, he walked in with his fists up, and waited for anything, anything but a yell of, "Surprise!" from a certain pink haired boy now identified as Natsu.
Reacting on instincts, Naruto spun around, grabbed the boy before the pink haired mage could try to do anything, and with a firm grip he had the Fairy Tail mage on the ground face down, "How did you get in here?" Naruto asked, showing in his tone that he wanted a straight answer, "And where's Lucy?"
"D-Dammit, too fast…" Natsu groaned, before yelping when Naruto applied pressure on his hold, "Hey, let me go, I always walk in here!"
Naruto growled, "So you're the one that's always breaking into Lucy's apartment whenever you want to." He got up while also lifting Natsu, letting him go once both were up, "Talk now, where's Lucy?"
Natsu groaned while cracking a few vertebrae into place, "I got no idea. I just came in to get some food and a quick nap."
The blond slapped his own face, "Levy, does he do this often?"
"Enough so that Lucy isn't sure whether to be mad or used about it." The blue haired girl admitted with a meek grin, hoping Naruto wouldn't pummel her fellow guild member.
"It's not that bad, she usually just settles down and doesn't mind." Said a bipedal blue cat eating one of Lucy's flans.
"Can you two be any more shameless?!" Naruto snapped, he was tempted to roll up his sleeves and just… actually, he may as well, "Since I'm here, I guess I ought to kick you out."
Natsu and the cat frowned at that, "Hey, what gives you the right to say such a thing?" the former asked, trying to get on the butler's face but realizing the ponytailed male was half a foot taller.
"What gives you the right to enter Lucy's home without her permission? As for me, I'm her butler and her family's bodyguard." The blond said, stepping towards the pink mage, "That alone gives me plenty of reason to kick out anyone who'd pester her."
Natsu grinned, his right hand erupting with fire, "Sounds like you really want a fight. Well, I ain't going to decline."
"Aye-aye, beat him good, Natsu!" the cat said, perched on the pink boy's back.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he could hear his sensei groaning, "Dammit, it had to be fire, huh? Unlike the buff guys from before, this kid has the advantage. Get close and personal to kick his dumb ass out."
Tracing a finger over the trim of his cap, Naruto smirked, "I won't need to worry much, this place won't even get a scratch when I'm done." He held up his right fist, pure blue energy swirling around it like azure fire, "It's always the ones that bark the most that tend to get beat up the worst."
"Hey! What are all you doing in my… Naruto?!" An upset female voice interrupted the fight before it even got started, as a beautiful young blonde girl wearing a nice summer dress walked in, behind her a massive cow-man was carrying a huge load of groceries. Her eyes took in the sight until she saw her butler smiling now.
Rushing into his arms with a laugh, her summer hat fell to the floor as she embraced the taller male blond, tears coming to her eyes as she inhaled his strong scent after such a long time away from him, "Oh my…" Levy said, feeling admittedly jealous of the show of affection between the two.
"I'm so glad you came to see me! Did Dad send you? Or did you come here on your own? I swear, I've been eating well without you, I'm not on that silly diet nonsense where I don't eat much." Lucy said and asked all in one excited breath, her smile growing widely as she saw Naruto shake his head out.
"Of course not. I came to see you on my own accord, I'd see you even if I was ordered never to talk to you in my life. After all, I'm your exclusive butler, Princess Lucy." He said with a smile, warmly embracing her.
"Wait, you really know each other?" the pink haired boy asked, though frowning at the butler.
"Yeah, I've known him since we were kids." Lucy said before stepping back, "What are you doing here if Dad didn't send you, then?"
"He's sent someone," Naruto said, "and they're not the friendly type." He turned to Levy when he said that.
It took some explanations to get everyone to understand what was going on and why.
When explanations ended, and the cow man put down the groceries and disappeared, Natsu was furious, "Those Phantom Lord bastards will pay!" he slammed his fist into his palm, fire erupting from his hands.
Naruto leaned on the sofa, growling, "I'm afraid I have to agree there. Seeing what they almost did to get to you there's no way I can stay idle, or take you back when your father-"
"No, Naruto, you should head back." Lucy said, looking down, "If this is because of my father, no one should be involved on this."
"He will try to marry you regardless of what you do, and things aren't that easy. He's desperate." Naruto sighed at the end, "I even handed him my resignation letter before things took a turn for the worst."
"I have to talk to him, regardless." The girl looked down, "Fairy Tail shouldn't get into this kind of danger just because of him, because of me. I never thought he'd do this, I figured he'd send you." She turned to her butler and best friend, "Naruto… since you're not my butler anymore, I want to ask this as a friend. Let me talk to my father alone, but keep Phantom Lord from harming anyone because of me."
"He will not change his mind easily." The butler warned her.
"I will change it, no matter what." She said firmly, "You know me, even if I have to renounce to my name… I will fix this. But can I still count on you?"
"You're asking me to fight one of the top guilds in this country, Princess." Naruto said, getting up as a smile spread on his face, "As a friend, you could have asked me to fight the entire world for a piece of candy."
"Wait, this is a fight between our guild and theirs!" Natsu said, "They attacked two of our own and almost did worse to Levy, we can't sit this one out!"
"But a fight between guilds would give the council ammo to use against Fairy Tail." Lucy said, "Besides, I know Naruto. He's strong, far stronger than you could ever imagine. If he fights, Fairy Tail won't be in trouble, and he will win."
"We should still kick their asses, they asked for it!" Natsu growled.
Lucy shook her head, "It's my fault, and this is the only way I can fix it. Naruto, I can't thank you enough, or say how much I'm sorry for asking you to do this, but you're really the only guy I know who could do it."
Naruto grinned, "Putting that much faith in me, I just can't sit this one out either. Don't worry, Princess, I'll hold the fort while you deal with your father."
His princess gave him a warm smile, more than enough motivation for him to win.
XXXXXX
Once he set himself for what would be one crazy battle by grabbing a small chair and sitting in front of Phantom Lord's guild, Naruto waited for someone to notice him from inside the building. Any passerby would look at him weirdly for sitting in the middle of the street with an ankle resting on his knee, his head down, and the slow movement of his chest to indicate he was breathing but not sleeping.
His patience rewarded him when a single member of the guild walked out, and took notice of him, "The Hell are you doing here, you piss stain?" he asked cockily while approaching the blond, "Do you think you can just come here like some beggar and ask for-"
Naruto grinned widely as he got off his chair and approached a recently appeared hole on the ground in which the mage fell, "Sorry about that, I couldn't hear you. You see, I wanted so badly for one of you guys to come here I must have tuned you out while you walked into my trap. Admittedly, I wanted a highly ranked one, but…" here the blond unzipped his pants, "…nature calls."
The cries and protests of the mage currently getting a very unpleasant shower alerted the mages in the guild, and they came out just in time to see Naruto fully zipping up his pants, "Heh, I remember when you did that to the punk at the orphanage who kept stealing your food. Felt a bit nostalgic there?" his sensei observed before chuckling at his answer.
"I feel like I'm trying to win the lottery here." Naruto told the mages while also answering Kurama, "Just me against so many with all the odds against me, yet I still feel lucky."
As he said that, rain started pouring around him, and he could see some very extravagant mages, including the one he stopped from harming Levy any further. They had to be the elite, and he could only guess their leader was inside. But first, he had to get through the pawns to get to the king like in a good game of chess. Knowing that, he took a deep breath and expanded his senses.
"You…" the wild haired man growled, "Good, I wanted to see you to pay you back for running off with that little bitch."
"Funny, I was under the impression that's how you got dates." Naruto said cheekily, tilting down his cap to cover his eyes, before growling too, "But this is where the joke ends. Try and insult Lucy's friend again in front of me, and I'll shove some manners down your throat."
"After him!" one of the grunts yelled, with every single low-ranking mage running at the butler.
However, four stood behind due to knowing there was something up, and they were right. In a split second, every runt in Phantom Lord had tried to avoid the hole in which the first one fell… only to land in even more holes surrounding the blond, all of them filled with different traps. Ever since he was a kid, Naruto was a great prankster, so several holes were linked to the sewers and made so it was not easy to climb out.
Soon it was just Naruto and the five mages that were very likely the elite members, including the wild-haired one that attacked Levy. There was also a towering man with a top hat, some odd man with a monocle, a guy in a red shinobi outfit, and a lovely looking blue haired woman with a personal cloud covering everything around her with rain.
A conveniently timed tumbleweed passed between them in a part of the street unaffected by rain while the blond walked to them, rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and cracked his knuckles, "So…" the whiskered butler started with a nonchalant smile, "Who gets to try to kick my ass first?"
In a split second, the one that could be confused for a shinobi of his village dashed right at him with a katana. Naruto blocked the blade with a kunai and a smirk, even dodging a punch covered in blue fire which put him on his toes. However, his eyes widened when feeling the ground shift beneath his feet and jumped back, flipping his body in the air to avoid rocks shooting from the ground by the monocle wearing man's magic.
Midair he was face to face with the top hat wearing mage whose eyes were covered by a cloth, his right palm up, "Zetsu!" he shouted, creating several explosions in the space around Naruto with air magic!
"And down you go!" the girl said, creating a serpent of boiling hot water to devour and drown the butler.
All four mages were happy with their handiwork and even heard clapping… coming from the blond man on a corner of the streets, "I'm not even going to pretend to be smart, I'm having fun making a fool out of you." Naruto said with a cheeky grin as he leaned on a wall.
The four mages turned to what they thought had been the butler, only to see a log in the boiling water. They turned to the blond once again, only to see him gone and squatting on a rooftop, grinning at them.
"You shall not escape, punk!" the man with the top hat shouted, teleporting behind Naruto and placing his head between his opened palms, "Met-"
"Too slow!" Naruto shouted as he brought up his right foot, kicking the much larger man right in the jaw and sending him flying back.
Upon lowering his foot, he pulled down the trim of his hat to hide his currently yellow eyes. He didn't have time to do much else when the man with the monocle sprung out of the ground with a dozen rocky spikes about to turn him into Swiss cheese. Naruto disappeared in a golden flash, reappearing behind the suited mage and kicking him on the back of the head down an alley.
The other three had also arrived with a chainsaw arm missing him when he leaned back, a katana being kicked out of the user's hand and water tendrils catching nothing but another log in the span of a second. It was then that the best of the best of Phantom Lord could see it when Naruto appeared on top of a chimney with his cheeky grin still in place. He wasn't even taking them seriously; he was playing around.
And this, his sensei knew, "Good, you're getting them angry. Time for part two."
Naruto gave the Phantom Lord mages a two-fingered salute and leapt down into an alley. After regaining consciousness or simply realizing what just happened, the crooked mages followed the butler. But, as any self-respecting Uzumaki, Naruto wouldn't make it easy for them. Mentally laughing at what he had planned in store, he put his hands in his favorite seal and let the mages fall for his trap.
The one with the top hat watched a blur out of the corner of his eye and went after it. A shadow passed behind the man with the monocle, who sunk into the ground to follow it. The fire and steel users ran into different alleys when catching glimpses of an orange hat and a cheeky grin respectively. And last but not least, the blue haired girl saw an unmistakable figure dancing in her rain with an umbrella in hand.
Unfortunately for them, none had any idea that the real blond was just walking into their guild while they chased after his clones, "So, Jose Porla… Guy's got an awful taste in décor."
Then he casually dodged a grim-reaper looking creature made of shadows trying to claw his face off and looked at the one who created it. Jose was what you'd expect when looking for the word villain in a dictionary. He had the evil thing mustache, smug look on his face, and a horrible haircut. Not to mention his fashion sense, which included a pointy hat, made Fairy Tail look subtle, and one of them was practically a stripper.
"You're the one playing with my troops?" Jose scoffed, "I should have used my Shade magic from the start."
Naruto pulled down the brim of his hat to speak calmly, "I've come to terminate your contract with the Heartfilia family and to keep you from harming anything my princess cherishes." He smiled warmly at the man, "Of course, I'll give you a fighting chance. You can let go of whatever grudge you hold or have me force you to eat that contract."
Jose snarled, "You think I'll forgive everything you've done?!" he screamed, "You think I'll let this slide easily after trying to humiliate me and defend that guild just for a single bitch?!"
And thus Naruto stopped smiling, cracked his knuckles, and had his eyes glowing read, "Eating the contract it is, then."
Jose grinned nastily, extending a hand to his side with many of his Shades flying to it, turning into pure darkness, "Dead Wave!" he shouted as he fired his attack.
Naruto clenched his right fist, crimson energy pulsing around his arm. He gave a single step forward and his entire limb exploded with dark red energy taking the form of a gigantic fist the size of a train! It shouldn't take a genius to know who had soiled their pants when seeing a fist the size of a carriage fly right at his face. Jose was sent crashing through a wall and watched his castle tremble from the impact.
But the butler was livid, "Come on, get serious!" he shouted to the mage who struggled to get up.
"That… What was that?!" Jose cried, watching in horror as crimson flames of pure energy licked the whiskered man's arms.
Outside of the guild, each clone had done their job. The man with the top hat had a very swollen face after dozens of kunais nailed his clothes to a wall. On another alley the mage with the monocle was unrecognizable after he fell unconscious on a crater the size of a house. The wild-haired steel user met the exact same fate as when he met the blond the first time along the ninja-like mage.
The blue haired girl, however, was having the time of her life, "Juvia never thought she'd meet someone this kind." She said as she sat at a café with the clone Naruto placed to fight her, who was as confused as his boss would be with the turn of events.
"What're you talking about? You're a pretty capable young lady." He said, sipping some coffee while keeping his umbrella over his and her head to keep water from touching their drinks and meal, "Though, saying you're in love with me just because I decided to compliment you is a bit forward."
She nodded, "Then Juvia shall take things slowly for you." She sounded way too determined for that to be a good thing.
"I appreciate the sentiment." He said with a forced smile, "I'm just a butler… or I'd be had I not quit my job. I'm looking for someone to work for that may treat their family better than my last boss."
Blinking in surprise, she asked, "But your manners are those of a true gentleman, even better than any noble's… Certainly better than those Phantom Lord guys Juvia had to deal with."
Her pouting said she really didn't like the guys, and gave him an idea, "If you'd allow me this suggestion as someone who's served a lady to the best of his skills, I'd say you're too good of a woman to just follow them. Be yourself, Juvia, find a place you're comfortable working at, and, perhaps, we can have tea again to discuss how life has changed for you. Hopefully for the best."
With that he got up, bowed to her and left with the water mage's eyes turning into hearts.
Back at the large castle that was Phantom Lord's guild, Jose was shouting and throwing every single Shade spell he could at the furious original Naruto. All he got was to see two massive chakra arms deflecting the spells. Kurama's chakra was thick enough to stop a legendary sword, tanking Jose's spells was like a walk on the beach for the dark-voiced sensei and his blond pupil, a pupil who had punched Jose's teeth out.
Left hooks, right hooks, upper-cuts, backhanded strikes and even an occasional head-butt in which Naruto would pull off his hat to smash his forehead on Jose's own or the slimy mage's nose, had the master down. Dusting his knees with his cap, Naruto stood up fully over the half-dead mage and walked to his office before coming back with a single piece of paper which he threw at the guild master's feed.
"No more…" Jose's cheeks were swollen like balloons and his nose had taken the shape of a potato.
"Just one more thing." Naruto said as he picked a fork from one of the tables, stabbed the paper with it and held it to Jose's face with a friendly smile, "How would you like it, with or without mustard?"
Kurama decided to be honest, "For a guild claiming they're these Fairy Tail guys' rivals, you easily moped the floor with them. Then again, I thought you how to fully use my power to protect your princess and you haven't stopped training ever since. Guess I should have seen how much of a one-sided fight this was right from the start…"
While Jose started chewing on the paper Naruto stood up and walked out of the guild, "You said that technique could beat a deity, sensei." He reminded the voice in his head, "Then again, if those Fairy Tail mages had fought this guy without their master, they'd have been whipped out easily, and this guy's smart. I guess that's why Lucy's dad hired him."
Kurama agreed, and then his voice told Naruto he had thought a lot about what he said next, "Maybe you should take your princess with you. Not like eloping, unless you want- No, I won't try to tease you. Listen, I can see from a bastard like this Jose that this guild she's in will bring her nothing but trouble. If you want her safe, you and I know you should take care of her, not let others do so."
Naruto was about to reply, until hearing Jose's angry voice, "Dead W-" Jose was ready to attack and turn Naruto into nothingness, he didn't expect to see the blond turn around with a heavily concentrated ball of chakra in front of his right extended palm.
"Bijuu…" Naruto whispered before lifting up his hand, "Dama."
XXXXXX
Everyone in the city could see a large cloud of smoke coming from what used to be one of the greatest guilds they had, even if they didn't like to admit it. Lucy herself had arrived to the station to see the place that Phantom Lord's castle was supposed to be gone from the map. Well, more like out of existence itself if one didn't count the floor where a gaping Jose could be seen frozen in fear and still gaping.
She also found Naruto waiting for her at the station with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back, "I take it things went well, milady."
Lucy smiled back, albeit slightly melancholic, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, Naruto. I really need to stop letting people save m-" she was about to go on about how she shouldn't be saved, but the blue eyed fighter flicked her forehead.
"Hey, let me say something I can say now that I'm no longer working for your family… I don't care about needing a reason to save you, I do it because I want to. That's all there is to it, and…" he pulled out a single red rose from his back, "… I do it because you're you. To you I wasn't some dirty kid that should have been ignored, I was someone you wanted to be with. If you say you're not worth it… I'd say you're wrong."
Rubbing her forehead, she couldn't help but smile and hug her friend and butler, "Thank you…" she slid her hands up to his collar and he put his on her waist.
It was short, it was simple, and it was clean, but it was still amazing to fill her lips on his, "Your dad would kill me if he kn-"
"Just shut up and kiss me."
He did as told, after all, he had to obey his princess.
XXXXXX
And that's my rap!
And that's also it. I just wanted to do this as a one-shot for fun since the idea pestered my head of using the Naruto plot I like the most: him being given kindness by strangers. And I mean real kindness. Whatever happens here, I'll leave it to your imagination, dear readers. I wanted to do a fun one-shot and did what I wanted.
Also, before any of you tells me that I shouldn't have picked Lucy or are about to spam hate comments because you don't like her, here's my reason: to me, she's human. Lucy feels to me like the most human character in all Fairy Tail. She's got issues with her dad, wants to be free of his grip and when the old man dies she does genuinely feels sad for him because he was at least her family.
Of course, Fairy Tail nowadays is pretty much about making some over-powered villain and have Natsu god-mode the plot. Then again, that's me Mr. Pot calling Kettle for a tea party. All joking aside, I feel that I connect with Lucy more than anyone else in Fairy Tail, which sadly isn't hard since barely anyone acts like real people with the exception of the girls.
Actually, the female characters are the ones I feel are better written, but only because the male characters stick to one joke as their character trait. Meanwhile, Natsu as the main character doesn't have much to offer but a few more jokes as his character traits and being, well, the hero.
Erza on the other hand is well-rounded when we see her backstory, why she wants to wear her armor and what her life was like when she had friends... And then Jellal happens and she has to spin around him because somehow having amnesia and feeling regret for laughing while willingly killing a friend... Yeah, I can't say that redeems anyone and it shouldn't, ever.
Rant over.
I hope you had fun despite this cliché formula of a guy kicking ass to make his girl happy. But as a man myself I can't help but enjoy that idea of romance when I really care about the girl and can relate to her as a person... Ok, I got too sappy, so just imagine Naruto and Lucy screwed each other senseless.
Swordslinger out!