CH2: Moving Forward
Person/Human talking
Person/Human thinking
Demon talking
Demon thinking
Technique name
I honestly feel that I should say this since I think it will clear up a lot of things. When I first started this story, it was meant to be more of a joke story but somewhere along the line when I decided to make it more serious it ended up with two contrasting writing styles. The first half was always more of a joke while the second was more serious. With that said, I hope this further explains my reasoning for doing this rewrite.
To my old readers, rest assured Tobi will still be a thing and will remain just as awesome.
SwiftEagle, Guest, and anybody else who noticed the slip up in the office scene: In my defense I was tired as hell so I apologize for that.
Same Guest as the one above: If you want to point out plot holes, check out the updated reasoning on my profile where I point out the most common ones that appeared in the older version.
To the readers who still respected my decision to remove the Sharingan even though you would rather have Naruto keep it, thank you for keeping an open mind about this. Not everyone is exactly mature enough to accept the decision and for that I'm grateful. Also thank you to the readers who remembered that Naruto is still a literal god with the power he already has...
Fairy Tail Guildhall
The Fairy Tail mages were quieter than church mice in the wake of the Strauss sibling's somber return.
It had started like any other ordinary day. They drank, they laughed, they fought, it was the home they all came to know and love as Fairy Tail.
Until Mirajane and Elfman both returned short of one member. One of their strongest S-Class mage's arms were broken while her brother looked like he had seen much better days.
The current state of their returning members had entirely overshadowed the arrival of the newcomer following behind them.
No one had ever seen Mirajane look the way she did. Her harsh, inspiring confidence was nowhere in sight while her tomboyish personality had all but crumbled to pieces. All that remained was the husk of a once bright girl. The way she carried herself resembled a prisoner taking his final march to the executioner's scaffold, broken and resigned to their end.
Elfman on the other hand had lost any semblance of machismo and gallantry he once prided himself on. If anything, it appeared as if he had reverted back into his more timid and fragile personality from when he was a child. Every stare sent visible shivers through his hulking physique while the only thing his gaze could focus on were the floorboards of the guild.
Lastly, there was the absence of their third team member, adored sister, and friend to everyone. Lisanna Strauss, the most kind and compassionate individual, was nowhere in sight.
Many of the wizards assured one another that she probably went straight home or that she may have missed the train back to Magnolia.
However, there existed one person who feared the worst had occurred.
A loud crash sounded out across the hushed and murmuring hall. The attention of the wizards were drawn to a single table that had been split in half. The two pieces fell to opposite sides with a loud clatter while splinters decorated the floor like confetti.
The cause was a young knight named Erza who sported a dark expression of silent rage. The audible squeaking of her metal gauntlets from being clenched so tightly could be heard by everyone as she got up from her seat and headed to the door. The dull thumps of her footsteps continued to resound through the soundless building until they finally left through the door fading from hearing and memory.
To others she may have appeared angry, but that anger was directed elsewhere. She had seen the same look on Mirajane's face countless times before. After all, it was the same look she had every day when she first came to the guild. It was a crumbling mask that she had put on every morning when she woke up after arriving in Fairy Tail. It was a colorless and deteriorating item she would spend countless hours on trying to patch its holes so that no one would be able to see the scared 11-year old girl beneath it. After bearing its weight for nearly eight years, Erza recognized a mask better than anyone else.
"E-Erza?"
Natsu hesitantly called out the name of the person he both feared and respected but it was to no avail.
No one stopped her as she stormed out of the guildhall just as no one noticed the lone stream of tears that fell from her left eye.
Natsu glanced towards Gray, another boy who looked to be the same age with raven hair. Gray's current attire consisted of... well... nothing really. The youth was only wearing a pair of boxers at the moment.
"Gray, what's wrong with Erza?"
Gray's eyes lingered on the door for a short while longer as he sighed in response. "I don't know Natsu... There's something she's not telling us."
"Natsu..."
The dragon slayer of fire looked downwards on his lap where his best friend Happy wore an expression of worry. The feline's constant grins and cheerful demeanors were practically his trademark, but they just weren't there today.
Natsu smiled and rubbed Happy's head the way Lisanna taught him to when the Exceed felt depressed. "What's up, buddy?"
"Where's Lisanna? She didn't come back with the others."
Natsu's reassuring smile cracked. She was fine, and he was most likely overthinking things.
"She's probably at home waiting for us to get there." he answered with a grin.
His thousand-watt smile was practically contagious as it managed to significantly raise Happy's spirit.
"Aye!"
At that moment the door to the master's office opened. Everyone's gazes immediately shifted towards the room's exit where the Strauss siblings both walked out before descending down the stairwell to the main floor.
If it were even possible, Mirajane appeared in an even worse state than before. Her eyes were bloodshot from what looked to be hours of crying while her expression was absolutely disconsolate.
Oblivious to her current state, Natsu decided to speak to her despite the others silently urging him not to. Gray had noticed as well and reached a hand out to Natsu but he was too late.
"Hey Mira, how'd the job go? Did Lisanna just go home?"
"We all promised to go fishing together!" Happy chirped.
Elfman stepped forward and placed a large hand on Natsu's shoulder confusing the dragon slayer.
"Elfman?"
Natsu was the last person the guilt-ridden giant wanted to speak to at the moment as a large lump formed in his throat.
"Natsu I'm sorry... Lisanna is... She's—"
"Lisanna's dead, Natsu."
Whatever chatter and whispers remained died with those three words alone. The youngest generation of wizards stared at Mirajane's collected, unmoving visage that had answered Natsu.
The snow-haired girl's sapphire eyes were a murky blue that looked like they belonged on a dead fish instead of a human. Her calm demeanor was an obvious lie revealed by the quivering of her lips as she bit down on them.
The veteran wizards said nothing else as they lowered their heads in grief. The kids had yet to learn just how dangerous their occupation was, but to lose someone like Lisanna? It was gut-wrenching. It was like a painful knot being hatefully twisted around inside of them.
They would never be able to comprehend how Natsu felt.
As soon as the words were spoken, Gray had practically bolted from his chair and to Natsu's side but he was too late.
"What did you just say...?"
Everyone stood paralyzed as Natsu's tone was the coldest anyone had ever heard him speak. His fists balled themselves so tightly that his nails turned white from the pressure while exposing a bulging vein on the side of his temple. As he took a sharp breath of air, the surrounding wizards could have sworn they saw embers come from his mouth.
Happy's reaction was even worse. The blue cat looked catatonic as if his small heart was being ripped out of his chest. "No... you're lying..." Small tears emerged from the corners of his eyes before slowly rolling down his cheeks. "Lisanna's not dead! She's not!"
Natsu went straight for Mirajane. Seeing this, Gray quickly took action and used his two arms to grab Natsu from behind and hold him back.
"You were supposed to protect her! You said that you could handle the quest without me! Let go of me, Gray!"
Natsu's screams of outrage tore through the hall while Gray struggled to keep his hold on Natsu. Mirajane's frame trembled with each shout and accusation directed towards her. Her strength to stand here continued to corrode as she could practically feel her composure crumble apart.
Happy sat on the barren floor of the guild oblivious to his surroundings. The winged cat repeatedly murmured to himself that it couldn't possibly be true and that Lisanna was still alive. His heartbroken ramblings was almost a chant as he tried to cast a spell to change the reality before him. He wasn't trying to convince Mira and Elfman that they were mistaken. If anything he was trying to convince himself.
"That's enough, Natsu!"
Standing by the second floor's banister, Makarov Dreyar had watched on with a stern gaze before jumping down from the upper railing to the ground floor. The old mage had seen enough and would take on his child's fury himself if necessary. Besides her siblings, Natsu had been the closest person to Lisanna since they were kids. Makarov had watched the two grow up together for years and it pained his aged heart to see Natsu like this. If Natsu bottled up these feelings they would only hurt someone else, or worse, the boy himself.
Watching the scene unfold from above, Naruto shook his head from side to side, his expression one of bitter understanding and regret. It was painfully apparent that Lisanna had existed as a bright sun in the lives of many of these good people just as Naruto's parents had been in his. Casting a scanning gaze over the crowd below, Naruto opted to study the rest of Fairy Tail's members.
In the far back corner, he found a group of three close to his age comprised one of girl and two boys. The blue-haired girl was silently crying to herself while being comforted by her teammates.
His keen eyes picked out a particular girl near the counter.
She had long, flowing chestnut hair, brown capri pants, and a bikini top on as her preferred style of dress. He safely assumed that she was quite the drinker for her age judging by the large barrels of what he could only assume contained alcohol set next to her. However, she was as sober as can be. Her expression was one of anguish as the intensity of the negative emotions he felt from her was greater than the others.
Before she left, Naruto had also noticed the scarlet-haired mage leave the guildhall with feelings equally as intense as the brunette.
However, there were only two who really stuck out.
"That pink-haired brat's releasing a lot of negative emotions right now, Naruto. Shouldn't you step in?"
Natsu was his name. The shinobi had heard his name murmured numerous times since his arrival and he wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon. His eyes darted towards Mirajane, the second source.
The amount of pain, heartbreak, and guilt she gave off only continued to grow and he could practically feel how close she was to breaking.
"Yeah, I know. I—"
"It wasn't her fault!"
Before Naruto could respond, a loud shout momentarily overpowered Natsu's multiple ones. Naruto and a few others winced at the sheer volume of the masculine voice that belonged to to no one other than Elfman. Everyone's eyes fell on the gentle giant who looked more fragile than glass, a single flick being all it would take to shatter him.
The son of Igneel's shouts of anger were halted by the Beast Soul mage, a shamefaced and penitent expression marking his self-deprecating countenance.
"Please, Natsu... I..." the gentle giant rasped. "I'm the one you should be blaming not Mira... I tried to use takeover on the beast and lost control... I'm the one who killed Lisanna..."
What happened next was a blur to everyone close by, yet for those involved it happened all too slowly. A harsh elbow logged itself into Gray's side, knocking all the air out of his chest like a deflated balloon as his hold on Natsu loosened. Makarov had been prepared to accept Natsu's blows in order to quell the raging storm in the boy's heart, yet even he didn't anticipate the amount of strength that had bubbled to the surface as he was shoved aside into a table knocking it over with a clattering bang.
The dragon slayer was already upon Elfman in the next second with a fiery fist raised and a blaze burning in his eyes as an agonized roar of hurt and sadness bellowed from his gut.
Makarov's eyes widened as he had already used his Giant Magic to enlarge his hand and reach forwards in an attempt to block Natsu's attack. However, it was far from enough. There was not a single chance that he would make it in time to shield Elfman.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could've sworn he saw a blur of black and red whiz past his field of view, appearing from above and moving in a direct line towards Natsu.
From Natsu's perspective, it was like having an out-of-body experience. He knew it was his body, but as soon as he heard Elfman speak it was like his arms moved on its own. His legs propelled him forward with absolute ferocity running through them. Gasoline pumped through his veins like blood fueling the burning fire in his chest. His fist was only mere inches away from hitting Elfman while his ears blocked out the cries of everyone yelling for him to stop.
Expecting to hit and potentially break Elfman's jaw, his fist would never reach its target.
A loud crack echoed across the hall, a sound created through the clash of two humans.
Now in between Natsu and Elfman, Naruto had the fire mage's burning right hand firmly captured within his left before completely snuffing out the flames. His black, red-lined cloak slowly fluttered back down due to its inability to keep up with the speed its owner moved with. The shinobi's calm stare was neither angry nor irritated, but was instead sympathetic.
As Makarov landed on the main floor, he stared on in shock at the fact that Naruto's speed had managed to beat him there by miles. He knew for a fact that the blond jumped after he did but to witness a display of speed that even he as guild master could not see? It was unimaginable.
As Natsu tried to push Naruto out of the way, the shinobi didn't bother giving an inch and spoke up. "If you want someone to take your anger out on, then you can take it out on me."
"Who the hell are you?" Natsu spoke with eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"My name's Naruto Uzumaki. I saved Mirajane but I wasn't fast enough to save her sister. If I showed up sooner, I could have saved her too."
The jinchuriki calmly released his grip on Natsu who had come to his senses. A smaller fire still burned in his eyes as he stood resolute against the whiskered blond.
"Move. This is between me and him."
"You should be more careful." Naruto spoke ignoring the younger boy's demand. "You almost hurt your friend with that stunt."
Before Natsu could question him, he followed Naruto's gaze before his eyes widened. With the edge of a table burrowed into his back while leaving a colorful bruise, Gray was hunched over a sleeping Happy as he silently pushed the table off of him and gingerly moved the feline into his cradled arms. When Natsu had shoved Makarov aside, the ice wizard had dove in to protect the cat from the pushed over table caused by the master's fall. The edge of the table left a heavy indent in the place where Gray had dropped it as he walked back over to Natsu, an unreadable expression marking his features.
The ice wizard did not need to speak to pass his message to Natsu. If he been just a tiny bit slower, Natsu may have lost more than just Lisanna.
Fortunately Happy was already unconscious due to the massive shock he received making it easier for Gray to swiftly save him.
Natsu's facial features slowly turned pale while his entire body started to tremble, the realization of just how close he was to losing someone else sinking in.
Gray slowly approached the trembling dragon slayer before carefully giving Happy back to Natsu, the Exceed's peaceful snores soothing his partner's nerves.
Wordlessly, Natsu rigidly turned around before leaving the guild. Everyone's eyes followed his departing back until he finally exited through the doors.
As if nothing happened, Naruto turned around and walked towards Mirajane while ignoring them, the countless wary gazes being directed towards his back. She hadn't even noticed Natsu almost attacking Elfman. Her eyes were shadowed by her hair while her quivering had yet to cease.
Each step he took drew him closer until he finally stood directly in front of her. Elfman's sideways gaze were focused solely on him just like the others but he paid them no mind. The shinobi placed a hand on her shoulder before lowering his mouth to the side of her ear.
"Your sister must have been a wonderful person to be cared for by everyone here." he gently whispered.
Her shivering calmed for only a brief moment but the jinchuriki could tell she had heard.
Straightening up, he noticed by her expression that she was back in reality. Her tear-stained complexion still remained as torn as it had been but she looked better. His resolute cerulean eyes were locked with her sapphire orbs, silently telling her that it would be okay.
He offered one last smile before turning to leave. On his way out, he stopped by the taciturn yet observant Gray and held his hand outwardly.
The Ice Make mage was still holding the area bruised by the table after it was knocked over. Noticing Naruto's hand, he met its owners gaze before nodding with a thin smile.
"Thanks."
"Mm."
In the heat of it all, no one else besides Makarov would ever think about just how fast he had moved to save Happy and block Natsu at the same time. With no more distractions, Naruto left out of respect for a family that had just lost a dear member.
The East Forest
Sitting against a sturdy tree, Naruto rolled up the sleeve of his red jacket beneath his cloak. Channeling his chakra towards the limb, a seal appeared on his wrist. He placed two fingers on the marking and, almost instantaneously, two scrolls burst into existence in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto blinked confusedly remembering only receiving one from his father. The one from his father had been a simple green scroll that he could have found from nearly any ninja tool supply shop in Konoha. The mysterious second one was pure white with black rods on each end.
Unfurling the second one, Naruto was greeted with a message.
"Dear Naruto, if you are reading this then that means you have safely arrived to Earthland. I am glad that I was able to be of use."
"This is..."
"This writing belongs to the old man!"
Naruto could hear the surprise evident in even Kurama's voice as he continued to read the letter.
"Although only a short while has passed since we said our goodbyes, I wanted to impart a few words to you, so please indulge this old fool. When I look at you Uzumaki Naruto, I see a child who has become the man he is today without the presence of family. Watching you reunite with your parents for one last time brought a nostalgic warmth that I hadn't felt in ages. Your father has passed on his knowledge while your mother has passed on her love. I believe that it is only suitable to present you with a farewell gift as well."
Looking towards the bottom left corner of the parchment, Naruto noticed a seal that could be released. Placing his thumb on the mark, a new object appeared in a puff of smoke.
As he held the delicate object in his hand, Naruto couldn't stop the warm smile that spread across his features.
The Sage of Six Path's final gift was a picture in a frame. It was a picture of his family. Minato and Kushina were smiling brightly to the camera dressed in their civilian attire while holding an infant him together in their arms. The picture looked like it had been taken near Konoha's river beneath the shade of a tree. His mother was wearing a light green sundress while his father wore a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of long blue pants.
It was beautiful, almost like a portrait that had been painted as a photograph.
"When it comes to giving gifts, the old man's in a league of his own." Kurama chuckled in reminiscence.
"Yeah, he really is." Naruto laughed.
As Naruto held the Sage's gift within his hands, he heard the loud cracking sound of a tree collapsing in the distance. An audible crash boomed throughout the forest while the squawks of birds flying away accompanied it.
Carefully making sure to return the picture and scroll to the seal on his wrist, Naruto climbed up to his feet before patting himself down.
"Kurama, can you tell what was that?"
"It's nothing hostile if that's what you're wondering." The tailed beast yawned. "I'm going to go back to sleep. If you need help, don't ask me."
"You've been sleeping a lot lately." Naruto idly noted while running through the forest.
"Why wouldn't I? I finally have a living space that's not flooded with water and in a metal sewer."
"Oh, I see- Wait what?! What do you mean by that?!"
Kurama made an audible "ahh" sound as if realizing he had forgotten something important.
"Since the seal's no longer there to hold me back, I can alter the area I live in as much as I want. You should see what I've done with the dumpster that you used to have."
"Just... Just go to sleep, damn you."
With the inner conversation serving as a distraction from boredom, the shinobi arrived to his destination in mere moments.
As he emerged from the forest line, he was greeted to the sight of the same crimson-haired swordswoman from before cleaving through what looked like her fourth tree in a single swing. The blade met hardly any resistance judging by how the top of the trunk cleanly slid off revealing a perfect cut.
The woman wore a silver breastplate with a bronze cross-shape design marking the front. Her attire also featured a navy, blue skirt and a pair of brown boots that rose up halfway in length to her calves. Lastly, her most prominent feature was without a doubt her stunning red hair that matched his mother in intensity.
"Hey, uh, can I please ask you to stop butchering those trees? You're scaring off the... well... everything."
Although he wasn't exactly the best, he was still a shinobi that excelled in moving very, very, lightly. He could tell that the mage hadn't even heard him walk up to her exposed back if what happened next wasn't already an indicator.
Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Erza whirled around directing the tip of her blade to the stranger's throat in one fluid motion. She hadn't even heard or sense him arrive until he spoke.
Her hazel brown eyes met ocean blue that reflected neither fear or worry. "Um, hi?"
Erza's eyes lit up in recognition as she remembered where she had seen him from before. He was the stranger that had arrived with Mirajane and Elfman. Her eyes widened even further as she watched Naruto roll up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal a black Fairy Tail guild stamp. It didn't even take her longer than a second to withdraw her sword.
"Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a new member, nice to meet you."
"Erza Scarlet." was her simple reply. "And I apologize for almost hurting you."
Naruto waved off her apology with a reassuring smile. "It's fine, I'm used to it."
Erza gave a strange look and said nothing else as Naruto decided to observe his surroundings in closer detail. She internally sighed as the feeling in her chest hadn't subsided. Her expression reflected the turmoil in her heart that she had hoped to quell by releasing her frustrations through venting.
Looking down, she checked to see that her sword was still in good condition before moving on to the next batch of trees.
"So I guess that's a no?"
Erza glanced behind her to see that Naruto's attention was focused back on her. His expression unyielding along with his request. "Pardon?
"I asked you to stop chopping down some trees, but you look like you don't plan on listening."
"Do you think you can stop me?" she questioned through narrowed eyes. This man's head was held up far too high if he was underestimating her this much.
"I don't see why not. After all unlike those trees, I'll actually put up a fight."
Within seconds, two new broadswords materialized in a golden light and flew into the grip of their owner.
"I am not in a pleasant mood, so the responsibility of what happens next lies solely with you."
Kicking off the ground, Erza launched towards Naruto twisting her body in midair to slash twice, once with each blade.
The jinchuriki leaped backwards creating a large divide between them while his hand reflexively moved towards his tool pouch. His eyes suddenly widened upon realizing he didn't have a ninja tool pouch anymore.
"Ohh, shit..."
His hands frantically searched through his pockets, sleeves, and nearly any other spot that he could think of in search for a weapon, but it was to no avail. Erza had already noticed this and took full advantage. The knight continued her charge towards the shinobi reaching him in a matter of seconds with both blades raised.
"Hah!"
The two broadswords moved towards him without any sign of stopping. Thinking quick, the jinchuriki moved his palm from the side in order to hit and redirect the tip of the blade away from his person but what happened instead shocked both of them.
As soon as his palm made contact with the side of the blade, his thrust completely destroyed Erza's weapons into fragments. The scarlet warrior's eyes widened as she watched the bits and pieces of her weapons scatter into the air. Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped back to gain some distance away.
Her eyes focused on the new recruit intently, scanning over him in search for any signs of magical enhancement or hidden weapons. If anything, the fact that he looked like he had no idea what happened either only served to annoy her even more.
The shinobi's grin widened much to her chagrin as he finally noticed something.
Looking down into his own palm, Naruto saw it. A pointed blade resembling the tip of a kunai protruded from the palm of his hand while the base of it was still hidden inside his palm.
"I wonder..."
Closing his eyes, he visualized both the kunai's blade and handle before slowly withdrawing it out of his body. Feeling something tangible in his left hand, he opened his eyes to see a slightly glowing, golden kunai now in his hand.
It was without a doubt the pointed end of her mother's Adamantine Chakra Chains without the links at the end.
"Seriously? Does this mean I can create an endless amount of kunai?"
Deciding to put his theory to the test, Naruto repeated the process of visualizing another ninja tool feeling the same pull from before. He watched as a second kunai materialized in his other hand before he retracted it back into his body.
"Oh that is so freaking cool."
Giving the first kunai a couple of test swings, his contagious smile reflected his satisfaction with its overall quality. "Now that I have a weapon, come at me whenever."
Erza glared at the easy-going blond, her body already gathering the magic necessary for what followed after. "Don't be so arrogant. Requip!"
Naruto's eyes blinked in surprise while his mouth had an "whoa" shape. Erza was finally giving him a display of "magic" firsthand. Her body was enveloped in a heavenly, light that clung to her form like a second skin. Ripples in the air formed around her hands before in a flash of light it was over.
The standard armor plate that she donned before had undergone a total transformation. Two wings of steel emerged from her back while a matching, winged headband sat upon her head like a crown. Her breastplate had extended into a skirt mail with fur edges, but what really made the armor intimidating was the continuously circling blades behind it.
"Heaven's Wheel Armor." she confidently spoke.
Counting a total of fifteen swords, Naruto ventured to guess that this new armor provided a lot more benefits in terms of numbers when compared to her previous one. Readjusting the grip on his dagger into a reverse-grip hold, he fearlessly charged forward towards his opponent's trump card.
"Go!"
Erza pointed the sword in her right hand towards Naruto, and as if they possessed a mind of their own, the floating swords behind her all pointed their tips at him before soaring towards him at breakneck speeds.
"Let's see if I've still got it."
Calling on his chakra, he felt the energy rush through his veins like a river towards his hands before they enveloped the chakra chain dagger like a sheathe.
"Like Asuma said, grind the two sides together in order to create a fine point..."
Slowly but surely, the wind chakra coating his kunai gained form as a glowing, ethereal blue blade that extended to the size of a short sword. With one hand, Naruto swung the blade with both precision and timing as he cut through the swords like butter as soon as they reached him. One by one, each of the fifteen blades were cut down into pieces as he grew closer and closer to Erza's position.
Materializing more swords behind her, Erza rushed towards her opponent who had to quickly evade in order to match the different timings of intercepting a blade and Erza at the same time. The moment he jumped allowed him to cut down the sword first before blocking Erza's twin slash.
The strength the knight had put into her attack launched Naruto backwards into the forest with Erza moving quickly in pursuit.
As they moved through the trees at a breakneck pace, she watched in surprise as Naruto maneuvered through the forest with the dexterity of a monkey. It was clear that he didn't possess the ability to fly like she did, but his alternative was rather... odd.
By timing his jumps, Naruto would leap from branch to branch while simultaneously performing flips in order to dodge an oncoming blade or slash it down while he was still airborne.
"Damn it, I won't be able to hit him at this rate. Let's see you get through this!"
Summoned by a golden light, thirty blades materialized behind Erza, ready to command by her and her alone. Using her telekinesis, she manipulated the winged-shaped broadswords to rotate at blinding speeds. It didn't take long until none of the individual swords could be discerned from the large bladed ring.
"Circle Sword!"
She sent the whirling wheel of blades that was nearly fifteen feet in diameter towards its designated enemy. A confident smile graced her attractive features as a sense of victory grasped at her fingertips.
"There's no way to dodge as they will only chase after you, Uzumaki. It's my win!"
Expecting the new member stop and raise his arms in surrender, her predictions were blown out of the water. Refusing to budge a single inch, Naruto performed one final jump that took him out of the forest and onto Magnolia's river bank. The clean river behind him glimmered with the sun's light slightly blinding Erza's vision but she would clearly see what happened next.
Turning to face the storm of swords, he held out his blade of blue energy to the side while an amused grin spread across his lips.
"Sorry Erza, but there's one thing you should probably know." His tone was nonchalant and calm, as if there weren't thirty sharpened swords aiming to slice him all at once. "Even if you brought out one-thousand, none of these dull swords could ever beat the sharpest knife."
Switching into a reverse-grip with the extended point facing downwards, Naruto literally vanished from his spot.
From her position, Erza's eyes were locked on the departing back of her Circle Sword formation. The very next moment Naruto disappeared, the ring of swords exploded into a whirlwind of shards and scraps of metal that were blown away by gusts of wind.
"It's my win."
Her eyes widened as they slowly looked downwards finally noticing the buzzing blade held at her throat. She hadn't even noticed Naruto's presence right next to her until he spoke. It wouldn't even take a second for him to kill her if he wanted.
"I-I concede." she said swallowing her pride.
And just like that, he was back to normal. The blue, humming knife at her throat vanished into particles of light while a hearty smack on the back of her armor caused her to cutely yelp in surprise.
Erza quickly covered her mouth while an embarrassed heat burned in her cheeks. She turned to glare at the blond who didn't even notice her as he was currently stretching.
"Well, that was fun. Feeling better now?"
Erza blinked once. Wait...
"Did you... did you challenge me just to satisfy your boredom?" she asked in disbelief.
Naruto apologetically smiled while chuckling. "No, that wasn't my reason entirely. I was actually hoping for a chance to ask you a couple things."
Erza blankly stared at Naruto, silently contemplating whether or not she should be angry that he had utterly defeated her out of a sense of boredom or compliant to his request.
She suddenly realized something. He beat her... He had beat an S-Class mage like it was an every day chore!
"Forgive me for asking, but where exactly did you come from again?"
Naruto tilted his head in confusion at the rather abrupt change of subject. "Uh, I was walking through a forest when I found Mira—"
"No! I meant your previous affiliation. Do not take this the wrong way, but I'm one of the strongest members of Fairy Tail, yet you defeated me without suffering a scratch. This begs the question as to who and where you originally worked for." Erza explained with a slight glare.
Ah, shit.
This question was bound to come up eventually but at the moment even he didn't have an answer.
"I guess you could call me something of a freelance mercenary?" Naruto nervously chuckled.
"Mercenary?" Erza stared incredulously. "You mean to tell me that you've never joined a guild until now of all times?"
"More or less. I would usually just complete requests here and there." he shrugged.
Erza could only stare dumbfounded at the blond. She had no idea whether to be flattered that he had joined Fairy Tail alone or shocked at the fact that he was practically the same age having ONLY joined Fairy Tail.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and accepted his answers with a sigh.
"I believe you had questions..."
"Would you tell me about Lisanna?"
Erza's eyes snapped open prepared to berate him for his rude prying only to suddenly stop. It wasn't childlike curiosity or an insensitive desire of personal information that drove the question. His hopeful eyes only sought understanding.
Her gaze softened understanding his position. Lisanna had a strong presence in the lives of everyone and it was only natural that he wished to understand just how much.
Erza moved to sit down on the grassy hillside by the river. She pulled her legs towards her chest. If she wasn't obligated to give a serious response, she would have chuckled at the irony that she was sitting in the exact same place that she used to go to every day when she felt like crying after she joined. She didn't feel like crying for herself this time.
"Lisanna was a kind soul." Erza smiled in sad reminiscence.
Following her example, Naruto sat next to Erza on the grassy hill silently listening.
"She didn't like fighting among ourselves and often took it upon herself to soothe ruffled feathers and preserve the peace. She loved everyone and took care of us like a mother even though she was the youngest out of all of us." She slightly chuckled. "And this happened quite often with Natsu the most. She paid him the most attention always making sure he was on his best behavior and respectful towards others."
"Were they close?"
Erza's gentle gaze watched the steady river as it continued to flow through Magnolia at a mellow pace. She sometimes envied nature's simple habits, always moving forward without ever stopping.
"She was Natsu's first friend and Happy's mother."
Naruto frowned, his eyes shadowed by his hair as Erza continued to recall past memories while memories of his own resurfaced. .
"It seems like it was so long ago when they first found Happy's egg and raised him in a small home they built."
"I see..."
Erza turned to give Naruto an inquisitive stare, the shinobi remembering that she had departed early.
"After you left, Natsu almost attacked Elfman after learning that he was the one who accidentally killed her."
Erza's expression mirrored her utter disbelief and doubt. "Elfman did it...? Is he okay?"
"Physically, yes. I managed to stop Natsu and send him away. Emotionally...?" Naruto paused, remembering the state of the older brother before he left. "I really don't know..."
An uncomfortable silence fell. Erza couldn't possibly imagine how Elfman felt, knowing that he had to live with the fact that he killed his sister.
"How did you know?"
Erza's was brought out of her inner turmoil by Naruto's sudden question.
"How did you know what happened to Lisanna even though you weren't there?"
Erza's eyes reflected a heart-pained sadness. The reason that she knew was the same reason that she was in the forest in the first place.
"Mira and I are rivals. We know each other sometimes even better than we know ourselves. When... when she first came into the guild, I could tell immediately that something was wrong. Her magic was just so... weak."
Naruto's cerulean orbs gradually widened. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's exactly like I said. I couldn't even feel the magic that she used to have and with Lisanna missing, it wasn't difficult to figure out." Erza downheartedly answered. "Even from here I can only feel a dying spark instead of the fire it used to be. Mira will no longer be a mage."
The reason for Erza's distress finally dawned upon the shinobi. She wasn't just mourning for the loss of a family member. She was also mourning the loss of a rival. The scarlet mage probably couldn't find a way to help her friend and rival which is why she had decided to take it out on the forest.
Naruto gazed at the white clouds as they rolled along the clear sky, one cloud in particular resembling the head of a young boy. What if it were him? If Sasuke had decided to quit being a shinobi instead of pursue revenge, what would have changed? Would he have come to stand where he is today if he wasn't chasing after him? Would have grown stronger without the shadow that he desperately tried to escape from?
"No, I won't let her."
"W-What?" Erza stuttered, gaze flickering over towards Naruto while wholly believing that she had misheard him.
"I don't know what it's like to have a brother or a sister, but if it were me I wouldn't let Mirajane run away and give up."
Erza stared wide-eyed in disbelief, the boy before her seemed different in contrast to his less than serious attitude from before.
"N-Naruto, what are you talking about? What do you intend to do?"
Although she could feel her own worries and doubts claw at the edges of her mind, Erza's plagued thoughts were soothed by the genuine smile spread across Naruto's features as he chuckled warmly.
"I'm going to be a friend. Any problems with that?"
Erza intended to rebuke him, arguing that Mira would not let anyone get close to her in the state she was in now, yet the knight stopped herself. Erza had spent years under the oppression of monsters, and experienced the wickedness humans were capable of firsthand at a very young age. As a result, Erza had sharpened that sense during her growth in magic, and was often able to distinguish the true nature of others. She could tell when someone was hiding their depravity beneath a false face, no matter how well it was constructed.
It was due to this sixth sense of hers that she felt that she could trust Fairy Tail's newest addition. There was something different about the way he carried himself compared to the others around their age, but there was no denying that she could only feel sincere honesty emanating from his words. Maybe, just maybe, he could help Mira through this ordeal.
"No... None at all." Erza sighed with a thankful smile.
"Even if she tries to lock me out, I'll keep trying so count on it." Naruto chuckled.
Erza stared incredulously at the whiskered teen's face. The fact that someone this interesting could fly under the radar for years astounded her to no end. She lightly chuckled once more before standing to her feet and dusting off her skirt.
"For a mercenary, I must say that you are rather strange."
The shinobi returned the smile in full with a confident grin of his own.
"To be honest, I was never really good at my job."
Hours Later Somewhere Deep in the East Forest
The sun still clung to the afternoon sky but it was slowly starting to descend. The clearing in the forest was tranquil and quiet except for the consistent sound of metal scraping rock. Sitting cross-legged in front of a small hut made of straw and sticks, a boy with pink hair held a knife using it to carve and engrave the a tombstone. Next to the boy, a blue cat quietly slept using his leg as a pillow.
After he had left the guildhall, Natsu had ventured up into the Magnolia's forest carrying Happy along with him until he finally reached his— no their— home. On his way up, he gathered a fairy large rock and picked up a knife from his home.
Using his magic, he cut the rock cleanly before setting out to work.
Carved on to the rock were the words, "Lisanna Strauss: Best Friend and Beloved Mother."
Above the script, the insignia of Fairy Tail had been meticulously engraved to create a magnificent image.
Carefully moving Happy to avoid disturbing him, Natsu softly smiled watching his partner's sleeping face.
Although he would deny Lisanna's presumptions that he was Happy's father, he would never say that the three of them weren't a family.
Setting the stone into a pre-dug hole, Natsu Dragneel refilled the crevices to hold the stone in place before standing up. It was an uncharacteristically beautiful aesthetic work of art for someone like him, but if it was for her he would do anything. His onyx eyes looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in ages. The pain in his chest hadn't gone away yet and neither had his anger.
Angry at who he didn't know. Mirajane for bringing in Lisanna on that mission or Elfman for foolishly denying his help.
He often wondered what his life would have been like if Lisanna hadn't come into his life. That day he came home carrying what he believed was a dragon egg at the time, was also the very same day he met Lisanna Strauss.
Back then he didn't have the first clue on how to raise an egg, yet Lisanna was the only one who readily volunteered herself to help. They built the hut behind him as their first home. It wouldn't fit either of them now, but it was still their first home together and its memories wouldn't die with Lisanna.
Every day whether it be rainy or sunny they would carry Happy's egg and set him down in the freshly collected straw. They would wrap him in layers of blankets making sure he was warm before deciding to read stories. Lisanna would be the one to read while Natsu listened along with the egg.
He still vividly remembered his favorite story that Lisanna read.
Long ago, a kingdom's king and queen sought to marry off their daughter into a foreign land in order to gain more power. The princess chose to reject her fate and had run away from her castle. She crossed over rivers and traversed through forests for two days and two nights with barely any provisions. As she collapsed due to hunger and weakness, she arrived at death's door awaiting his cold embrace. That is until she was saved by a wandering dragon on the outskirts of her land. The dragon found her unconscious and carried her back to his den where nourished her back to health and took care of her.
When the princess awakened, she was greeted with the sight of a massive, crimson dragon. Rather than scream in fright, her hazel eyes met the dragon's red ones and asked, "Are you the one who saved me?"
The dragon replied, "I am. Do you not fear me?"
The princess smiled and shook her head. "A dragon that saves a human isn't evil."
For years the dragon had wandered through hundreds of lands. In each one he had saved a human life: man, woman, or even child.
And nearly every time he had been met with fear or betrayal. Nevertheless he refused to give up his search for proof, proof that humans and dragons could coexist.
"Even if I were to crack open your skull, would you not fear me then?"
The princess shook her head once more. "Even if I were to die, my soul would not rest until it has repaid your kindness."
For the first time in decades, the dragon stared at the young woman perplexed. "What is your name?"
"My name is ..."
The book that Lisanna read was aged and had parts that were worn and torn away, but the ending remained intact.
After the dragon and the princess's faithful meeting, they flew away and created a prosperous kingdom of their own that would stand for centuries.
Perhaps it was a bit childish of him, but Natsu had always put himself in the role of the dragon and Lisanna in the role of the princess. She was the first and only one who ever truly reached out to him despite his less than desirable behavior. They came from completely different worlds, but together they created many things. They had fun playing around and going on adventures despite being the other's only company.
"It's a very beautiful stone, Natsu. I'm sure Lisanna would have been grateful."
Natsu didn't even bother to turn around. He had already known who it was due to his keen sense of smell. Glancing over his shoulder, his hollow onyx eyes met oceanic cerulean. The same oceanic cerulean that he had met for the first time a couple hours ago.
Naruto emerged from the forest and continued to walk forward until he stood side by side with Natsu. His gaze fell on the handmade tombstone with both respect and piety.
"How did you find me?" Natsu despondently asked, eyes still focused on Lisanna's grave.
"I have my ways." Naruto shrugged. "I asked around and I figured you'd be here."
It wasn't the total truth but it wasn't a total lie either. Kurama's ability to sense negative emotions helped greatly.
The two stood in silence listening to the chirping birds in the background along with the occasional breeze of wind that swept through the trees.
"Do you hate me?" Naruto suddenly asked.
Natsu was quiet, his body refusing to move from its current spot.
"No..." was his hushed answer.
Naruto carefully observed Natsu from the corners of his eyes, gauging his reactions.
"Do you hate Mirajane?"
"No..."
He wasn't lying so far.
Naruto sighed before asking one third and final time.
"Do you hate Elfman?"
As Natsu gazed upon the grave that would serve as Lisanna's resting place, he could only see her smiling and gentle face. His fists clenched themselves tightly while a tight lump formed in his throat. The corners of his eyes stung while he could feel his voice starting to choke up.
"No, I don't..."
The jinchuriki softly smiled as he pulled out a bouquet of flowers before laying them down in front of Lisanna's grave. The flowers were diverse in color. Just like how Lisanna's presence brought color into everyone's lives.
"Do you know what it feels like? Having someone close to you die?"
Naruto glanced towards Natsu who had asked the question. The dragon slayer's eyes had finally begun to show an emotion other than anger as tears started to cascade down his cheeks. The passionate inferno that raged in his heart had died into weak embers and ash. He closed his eyes shut and choked back his sobs, forcing himself to remain standing.
Naruto's gaze softened as he looked at the grave in remembrance. The image of the grave he made for Jiraiya rising to the surface. After his teacher had passed away, he felt nothing but hollowness and anger that would have consumed him if not for the people around him.
He would never get the chance to make Neji's grave.
"I do."
Natsu collapsed to his knees and punched his fist into the ground, his sobs visibly causing his body to tremble in grief and sorrow.
"It's not fair..."
"It never is."
"Does the pain ever go away?"
Naruto wryly smiled. He stuck his hands into his pockets before shifting his gaze onto the orange sky. It was a breathtaking sight that reminded him of the people that lived on through death in his past. The Third Hokage, Zabuza and Haku, Jiraiya, Neji, and his parents.
"No, it doesn't."
Naruto crouched down and placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, his eyes drifting towards Lisanna's name.
"That's why it's so important that you never forget them. Remember who you've lost..." Naruto spoke, his eyes drifting to Happy. "Remember what you still have, and lastly..."
He ruffled Natsu's head, prompting him to meet his strong gaze.
"Remember their hopes and dreams so that you can become strong enough to protect all of them. Become so strong that you'll never have to lose someone you love again. Even if they aren't with us anymore, they'll live on in our hearts, so keep living for them."
Natsu looked downwards one last time before regaining the strength to stand up. He wiped his eyes dry and sniffled. "I'll do it then..." he quietly murmured.
The son of Igneel scooped Happy into his arms before turning to face Naruto, his expression one of determination and fortitude. "I'll get strong enough to protect everyone at Fairy Tail."
Naruto chuckled and smiled. "I'll be right next to you when you do. For now, please go back to the guild. They'll want you there for her funeral."
Natsu nodded, slightly shifting Happy in his arms before deciding to ask his question. "Are you coming too? Even if you just joined, your a member of our family now."
The blond lightly laughed in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry about me. I'm just going to stay with Lisanna for a bit."
He waved goodbye until Natsu was no longer in sight. He turned to face the grave once more before sitting down cross-legged. A comfortable air of silence and tranquility formed around him as he admired Natsu's handcrafted work.
"I really wish I got to meet you, Lisanna. You have a wonderful family here." the shinobi spoke with a melancholy smile. "They're a rather quirky and interesting bunch... they like to fight, they can be pretty crazy, but I can see why you loved them so much."
Most people would consider him crazy for talking to graves, but to Naruto it was like having a conversation with a real person. Even if they couldn't speak to him, he would treat them like they could.
"You won't have anything to worry about, Lisanna... I'll watch over them for you and I'll make sure to not let Mirajane give up from this. That's an Uzumaki promise."
Naruto stood up and dusted off his pants. He gave once last glance to the grave before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
In less than a week, the Hero of the Leaf, Winner of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Descendant of the Sage of Six Paths, and the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails found himself attached to a group of people with hearts nearly matching his own in size.
I feel like I should probably mention this given my history with reviews. I have NOT changed the pairing. I'll be working on the next one so hopefully I can get it out in less than two weeks.