I Own Nothing
Magnolia X784….
A tall man stood in front of the S-class board on the second floor of the Fairy Tail Guild. From his shoulders a red hooded coat hung over an orange shirt and black pants tucked into brown boots. Said boots thumped against the ground as he waited for someone. After a few minutes he ran his hand through the shaggy blonde hair on his head. "Come on, Master." The man shook his head in annoyance as he waited. A few minutes late and he would not have been irritated but the old Master was over half an hour late and beginning to try his patience. Just has he was about to call it a day and head home and enjoy a quiet night of homemade ramen and a bit of Bellish Sake in hope of forgetting the past that is when the Master walked in.
"Naruto, thank you for coming." The Master spoke with a bit of a dull droll. The man was dressed simply in orange pants and shirt, with a wooden staff in one hand.
"Master Makarov, why am I here?" He could smell the ale on his breath and he knew that the Master has spent the better part of the time he was waiting drinking down in the main Guild Hall. "And why where you drinking when you made me wait and you set the time?" to this the elderly man just sputtered and quickly changed the subject.
"A job, one that I want you to take." Makarov reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Naruto. "It may take a while to complete but it should be no problem for you."
"Why can't one of the big names do this?" Naruto asked. "Use that ego of theirs to bring better reputation to the guild."
"Well…" the Master started.
"Let me guess, Laxus is unreliable, Mystogan is out of communication, and Erza is punishing Natsu and Gray and destroying things." Naruto looked at the job request with a dull sigh. "And don't even get me started on Guildarts."
"You are an S-class wizard of Fairy Tail." The Master interjected.
"Only because you were tired of there being a Wizard in the guild who avoids doing massive amounts of damage."
"No, despite what you think Naruto, you are well deserving of the position."
"Yea, the weakest S-class wizards amongst a Citadel of Monsters." Naruto slipped the request into his pocket and started heading to the door only to be stopped. He knew that he couldn't refuse a direct request from the master, if anything he would just pester Naruto until he took the job just to be left alone.
"You are far from weak Naruto." Makarov jumped up on to the table and extended his hand to grab the younger man's shoulder. "Knowing when to hold back is different from being weak.'
"Unlike other members of this guild who can push themselves to new heights…" Naruto was cut off by the master giving his shoulder a tight squeeze.
"One day you are going to face something that will make you face your past, you will only have two options…" Makarov looked Naruto in the eye.
"Face my sins and become stronger or don't and let darkness consume me." Naruto lifted the hand from his shoulder. "I have long move past my darkness, but there is still a looming shadow that follows me around." 'And the gallons of blood on my hands.' With that Naruto walked to the door and opened it. He turned to the leader of his guild and with a nod he headed down stairs towards the front door.
"Than step up and use the gifts that you have." Makarov whispered to himself. "That boy has more strength than he knows."
"Master Makarov?" the door opened again and a woman's face popped up. "Is Naruto going on a job?"
"Yes, one just came in from the North and it seemed like a good one for him." Makarov sighed.
"He can take care of himself after all." Mirajane stepped into the room and sat down across from her Guild master. Her maroon dress hugged her figure that displayed her body very well. "I've seen his magic at work, he is very powerful."
"Mira, that is a fraction of what he can really do." Makarov shivered a little remembering what he could do if he ever started using that magic again.
Naruto opened the door to his house and let out a sigh. Why had the Master decided that he needed to take this job? He always liked doing the jobs that required minimal stress, he made a good living doing A-class level jobs. Now that he had been promoted to S-class, everyone was expecting him to start leveling mountains and taking out dark guilds left and right. Naruto let out a small sigh as he pressed the door shut.
"Naruto!" a small red blur collided with Naruto's chest. The blur was a fox that was now crawling his way to Naruto's shoulder. "Are we going on a Job?" The fox was curled around his neck with a large smile on her face. The fox's deep red fur was the cause for her name, Kushina, after Naruto's mother, around her neck was a forest green bandana with a small communication lacryma attached as a clasp. Naruto had gotten it for her just in case they got separated, he had a similar one around his neck.
"I'm sorry, but this is one job where I want you to stay here." Naruto reached up and pulled the fox off him and put her on the couch.
"But we always go on jobs together." Kushina looked downtrodden at this news. She jumped off the end of the couch only to be caught by a golden cloud. Unlike Natsu's cat, Happy, that could use Aero magic, Kushina's little bit of magic was nimbus magic, she could summon clouds and use them to fly around. She floated up to be level with Naruto head, she looked him right in the eye trying to figure out a good argument.
"This is a could take a lot longer and is a lot more dangerous job than anything that we have gone on in the past." Naruto walked over to the closet and pulled out a simple black bag out of the two that were there. "I'll ask Mira or Cana to look after you while I'm gone." He opened the bag and made sure that everything was in order, with a small nod he lifted the pack onto his back.
"But I want to come with." Kushina pouted.
"No, this isn't a joking matter." Naruto said. "I have a bad feeling about this job and I want you to be safe. The Master requested that I do this job personally and that idea frightens me."
"Take someone with you then." Kushina stated.
"No, that master gave me this job." Naruto picked up her bed with one hand and gently pushed the fox out the door. "Besides you know I work best alone." The rest of the way to the guild hall Kushina tried one argument after another but Naruto just remained quiet.
"Naruto, come on talk to me." Kushina floated in front of her friend. Naruto just patted her on the head and kept walking. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice Kushina jumping up and down on his head.
As they walked into the guild hall, they got a few looks from newer members but to the members of the guild that had known Naruto and Kushina this sight was quite common. Naruto looked around the hall trying to find one of the girls that Kushina could stay with.
"Naruto, I thought you were going on a job." Mira spoke from behind the bar. She was cleaning beer mugs while talking to Cana.
"I'm on my way out of town now." Naruto reached up and grabbed Kushina's tail that resulted in a yelp. "I need one to ask one of you to take care of Kushina while I'm gone."
"Really? You normally take her with you on jobs." Mira placed one mug down and picked up another.
"This job may be too dangerous and I just want to make sure she is safe." Naruto placed Kushina's bed down on the counter. "And she has a tendency to get into trouble." Naruto placed the fox in her bed and she glared at Naruto.
"I can watch her for you." Mira reached across the bar and patted the fox on the head. "She can help around the Guild Hall."
"Well, I should be back in a few weeks." Naruto turned and walked out of the guild hall with a raised hand in a wave. As the door closed behind him a sigh escaped his lips. Naruto jumped straight up and a blood red chain shot out of his hand and grabbed the edge of the building across from him. Once on the rooftops he quickly made his way to the edge of Magnolia.
After he reached the edge of town Naruto landed on the ground and pulled a key from his pocket and walked to a small shed. Once the door was open he pulled a sheet off a magicycle, the bike was pure black with an orange stripe running down the center. He placed the SE-plug on his right arm and revved the engine coaxing it to life and warming the engine up. Once everything was ready the magicyle took off down the path.
Two Months later…
It was around noon that Naruto's lacryma started glowing and started calling his name. Pulling the small jewel up to eye level he was met by the worried face of Mirajane.
"Mira, what's the matter?" Naruto seemingly snapped out of the major hangover. His mission was complete and the citizens had thrown a huge party to Celebrate and against his protests he was dragged into it. "Why didn't you have Kushina contact me?"
"She is out getting more bandages and medicine from the Town."
"Bandages?" Naruto sat up in his small bed against the protests of head.
"We have a problem." Mira stated. "Is your job done?"
"Yea, is everyone ok?"
"We were attacked." Mira face fell into a sad frown. "Levy, Jet, and Droy were attacked by Phantom Lord."
"So what has the master made the call for?"
"War." That word froze Naruto's blood in his veins.
"Where is everyone?"
"They headed to Oak Town with the Master to deal with Jose." Naruto raised a hand to his face in frustration. Guild Wars…no War, will never end well for anyone, even if Phantom Lord did make the first strike Fairy Tail isn't in the highest standings with the Magic Council. "How soon can you be back?"
"Two days. Maybe less if I push the SE Plug to the limit and only stop for a few quick naps and food." Naruto stood up and grabbed his things. "I'm leaving now."
"Naruto…" Before Mira could finish Naruto cut the connection and headed towards his magicycle and floored it out of town.
Day and a half Later…
Naruto drove through the streets of Magnolia at high speed as he saw a large building walking across the lake that Magnolia rested upon. It stopped well short of the edge of the lake and a large cannon barrels extended out of and opening.
"FUCK." Naruto pumped more magic into the Magicycle and sped up. As he got closer and closer it was clear that there was very little that he could do to stop it.
'Naruto' a voice inside Naruto's head spoke up for the first time in more than five years. 'You can save them.' Time around him seemed to slow.
'No, I don't have the power to do that anymore.' Naruto pushed more speed out of his cycle.
'It's a Jupiter Cannon.' The voice pointed out. "That blast will level the Hall and most of the town.'
"I FUCKING KNOW THAT." Naruto shouted without realizing. 'But I don't want to be the Demon again.'
'You were never a demon despite what they have named you.' The voice stated. 'Fight for something and push all things from your mind.'
'But if they find out who I was… all the blood'
'How many times have we fought together and come out of top?' The Voice.
'More times that I like to admit.
'Than maybe it is time to create a new name here in your home not some forgotten Battlefield.'
'Maybe you are right' Naruto looked up and he had a clear shot leading up to the guild hall. He Lowered he head and began to call upon the magic that he may have tried to block from his mind but rested deep in his bone. The magic began to roll off him and the cycle sped up bring him closer and closer to where he needed to be. He was only a block or so away when he heard Erza yelling at everyone to run.
"TAKE OVER" Naruto slammed on the front brakes of his cycle and catapulted himself forward. "KITSUNE SOUL!" with that a giant black magic circle formed in front of Naruto, once his body came in contact with it a blinding light flashed.
For the first time in five years he felt the magic begin to shape his body into the mixture of human and Kitsune. Man and Beast. A blue Fire seeped off him as he continued towards the Jupiter Cannon. He could see Erza requip into her Adamantine Armor with a determined look in her eyes.
'She isn't about to do what I think she is, is she?'
'Yes' Naruto answered and but a bit of his Kitsune-bi under him and jumped down and landed behind Erza Just as the Blast was about to hit her Shield. He could hear the panicked screams of his fellow guild members behind him trying to warn Erza of his sudden appearance. He placed a clawed hand on her Armored Shoulder. "Keep Focus."
"What?!"
"KEEP FOCUS!" It was then that the Blast hit the defensive shield array and came to a sudden holt. He began to pump as much magical energy that he could into the armor. He and Erza stood there but they slowly began to lose ground. It was clear that the Jupiter Canon that Phantom Lord had fired was more powerful than the last blast he saw and Erza' Armor began to chip away in increasingly larger pieces. "CHAIN MAGIC: 10 Layered SHIELD" With his spare hand raised blood red chained flowed from his claws and began to build a layer of magic behind the crumbling shield spell.
'Naruto?' Erza thought to herself as she saw the chains begin to form from behind her. She shook all those thoughts from her mind and kept focus on the problem in front of her. But it was too late while Naruto's intervention did help it was not enough to save her spell from failing and being thrown back. Her Adamantine Armor was torn to pieces and it left Naruto alone to take the blunt of the blast. The blast lasted another few seconds before it faded. Looking up Naruto was amazed that the blast has taken three layers from his shield.
The rest of the Fairy Tail Guild gave a loud cheer as they slowly came to the realization that they were still alive. They all looked at Erza and the figure who had stopped the blast. The figure stood somewhere in between six and six and a half feet tall. His lower body wrapped in a battered pair of hakama pants, other than the pair of leather bracers on each arm it was the only spec of clothing that the figure wore. A deep crimson fur covered most of his arms leading to dangerous looking claws on each hand, his chest left bare to expose the collection of scars over the rippled muscle. They finally got around to seeing the head of the man and noticed a fox head staring back at with a mess of blonde hair that seemed to stand up in every direction.
"N..Naruto…" a weak voice came from not far from the figure. Erza was still awake and Naruto walked over to his fallen comrade, to help preserve his magical power and to show to his guild mates that he wasn't a threat to Erza he released his take-over spell. Natsu came dashing forward to check on Erza. One he saw that Erza had ally by her side and made a call to his friend the blue Cat and they took off towards the Standing Guild Hall.
"Yes?"
"Thank…"She slumped to one side before she could finish the sentence.
"MAKAROV AND ERZA HAVE FALLEN!" A voice came from the castle in front of them. "I WILL ONLY ASK THIS ONCE. HAND OVER LUCY HEARTFILLIA!"
"WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" Naruto stood before the opening of the canon and yelled back.
"THAN HOW ABOUT ANOTHER BLAST OF JUPITER CANON!"
"He's gonna fire it again?" a voice that Naruto recognized as Makao asked with a hint if fear in his voice.
"IN FIFTEEN SHORT MINIUTES ANOTHER BLAST OF JUPITER CANON WILL DESTROY YOU FAIRY TAIL SCUM!"
"Gray, Elfman. We are storming this Castle and destroying the Jupiter Canon." 'Jose isn't a Wizards Saint for nothing. He has a backup plan; I just don't know what.'
"Naruto, what the hell is going on?" Gray looked at the man that stood before him. The Naruto that he had known for the last five years had been an easy going, kinda lazy, guy that would never so much as got involved in the daily scuffles at the guild hall. But this man… no, this soldier before him had ice in his veins, and it horrified him.
"Not now, Gray."
"Why…" he stopped cold before the sentence left his mouth.
"We are at War." Naruto turned and began walking towards the enemy. "Now you can stand here and get killed or follow orders and win this before the canon has a chance to recharge and kill everyone." Naruto looked back over his shoulder towards the two men standing there. "That goes for the rest of you as well." He shot a glare at Elfman, the man gave a short nod. As he reached the edge of the cliff and a loud voice rang out at the fourteen-minute mark. In a black flash, the normal red coat and shirt was replaced by a single battle-worn pauldron connected to a black cape, a strap of leather reached across he chest to hold the armor in place. The blood red tunic replaced his shirt, a strap of leather stretched across his chest leading to a weapons belt holding a single black hilted Kukri knife. A single symbol could be seen stitched onto the cape as it blew in the wind, a nine under a curved knife.
'Welcome Back, My General.' The Voice whispered.