Chapter 10
"So, remind me again why I need to wear this?"
"You're my bodyguard. Your normal outfit is too well recognized by now. That's all."
Naruto grunted as he walked in the heavy plate mail outfit that his partner had ordered specifically for him. To make matters worse, she never even told him that she had accepted this job in the first place, nor that she was dragging him along to do nothing but be her silent walking statue.
Further adding insult to injury, it was a target capture mission that she could have easily done on her own, or let him finish in seconds if he was using his shinobi skills. She wouldn't have any of that, as usual.
Hell, in the past two years when they had done jobs together, he always seemed to cave to her demands eventually. Sometimes it was just the way she looked at him with her sensual eyes, or when her lips formed a slight pout. Occasionally, it may just have been the way she was standing while making her demands, perhaps leaning forward slightly in front of him as he was sitting down at a table, or even those few times that she had purposefully leaned against him while-
Okay, that's enough. Stop now.
Oh... right. On a mission. Again.
Very good. You're still whipped, even worse than before.
Well, we have been partners for two years now. I know everything about her, she knows everything about me, we've done tons of missions together...
She just looks like a regular human female to me, so your petty reasoning holds no weight. She is another human that apparently has my container on a leash, which humiliates me to no end, as I have stated before on several occasions. Yet you still don't want to tell her how you feel about her, or how you claim to feel. Even if I don't really care one way or the other about your feelings, I think you're a fool.
I don't want to-
Get attached. I know. Lame excuse. Anything you do with her would be better than having to be aware of you having a grand old time as you look at those magazines an-
Okay, end of conversation right there. I'm not discussing anything of that nature with my own personal demon, thank you very much.
Why not? I'm sure I can offer you some... unique insights.
Thanks, but no thanks. Seriously.
A tapping on the side of the full helm he was wearing caused Naruto to snap awake from his brief lapse in awareness. "Huh?"
He barely heard the muffled sigh from somewhere to his left side. "Talking to your friend again?"
"I wouldn't call him my friend, but yes, he was pretty much ranting at me for a bit."
"Ah. Well, you need to be ready. We're almost at the area for the meeting. Just make sure no one interferes as I make our target submit."
"Yes, boss."
Erza Scarlet simply 'hmm'-ed in response, either agreeing with his response or simply choosing to ignore it as they approached a large guarded archway. The redhead started walking a little faster, moving from beside him to slightly in front of him as she hailed the two men standing by the archway before them.
Both immediately moved their hands to swords attached to their belts as they took a step forward, one of them ordered the two newcomers to halt.
"What business do you have here?"
Erza was dressed in what she considered suitable business attire - a long skirt, pale blouse and a vest that was unbuttoned. Placing one hand on her hip, she stopped walking and waved her hand about in the air.
"Your boss didn't tell you about our meeting? I'm a very influential woman, you know, and when I'm kept waiting things can go very, very badly." As if to drive the point home, Erza jerked a thumb backwards towards where Naruto was lumbering up behind her in his big metal suit. Thankfully, no one would be able to see the grimace that was currently on his face. As intimidating as his suit might appear from the outside, inside he was sweating bullets and struggling to keep from falling over. Normally he would have used his chakra, or magic power, to maintain his balance, but Erza requested that he didn't so as to not draw any extra attention to them.
"M-Madame Esmerelda? P-Please, pardon us for being rude; we heard you were coming but I had no idea... Right this way - please, please, follow me!" One of the guards immediately began bowing slightly in an apologetic manner, then proceeded to turn around as he aggressively waved for Erza to follow him through the archway.
Erza wasted no time in following the man, passing the second guard with her nose held high in the air. Chuckling internally at the look of confusion the second guard was giving her, Naruto decided to make some noise - the metal joints on his suit clinking together as he moved towards the arch.
Stopping in front of the other guard, Naruto tried his best to act intimidating, though it probably didn't look like much. He had stopped growing taller sometime last year around when he turned eighteen, putting his height right at an even six feet, making him one of the taller people in Fairy Tail. Several like Elfman, Gildarts, Bixlow, and Laxus were still taller than him, Gildarts and Elfman by a large margin. The armor added another couple inches to his height, however, making him tower over most people he encountered in public. It also made him stand out like a sore thumb, which was what Erza must have wanted to keep the attention off of her.
The second guard had finally turned around to look at Naruto in his armor, and the blond easily noticed the look of hesitation that the guard gave him through is visor. Mumbling for Naruto to follow, he started moving through the archway.
The room beyond the arch wasn't much, there were a few crates stacked in a corner, and a few empty display cabinets along the wall to his right. There was a wooden door on the wall across from where they entered the room via the arch, where Erza was currently in some hushed discussion with another man. He noticed as she gestured in his direction a few times, and the second man glanced towards him, then went wide-eyed as he did a double-take.
That must have settled whatever troubles Erza was having, as the second man immediately ushered her into the room behind the door, and Naruto heard it click closed behind her. A while ago he may have been worried about letting her out of his sight, but she seemed to be rather confident about what they were up against, so he decided to trust her.
"S-So, um... have you w-worked for Madame Esmerelda long?"
Naruto turned his head slightly, a scratching noise reverberating through his ears as the metal from his helmet rubbed slightly against his pauldrons. "About two years."
"I see. Do you like it? I've... I've heard she's very strict."
Naruto chuckled, and saw the guard look up towards his helmet, blinking owlishly. Madame Esmerelda was actually a cover identity that Erza had been using for the past two years or so for some of the missions she took. Most of the time she went by herself, but occasionally Naruto would remain hidden nearby, just in case. So far he'd never needed to intervene, but she surprised him this time by including him completely in her operation. When he asked her why, she simply deflected the question, and he hadn't tried to ask again since.
"I haven't had any issues with her. She can be strict, but that is to be expected from any boss that wants to maintain a smooth operation."
"Oh... well, um... do you know if she's hiring?"
This time Naruto simply blinked from behind his helmet's mask. Erza had never really told him how she ran her operation, and he had never really pressed her for details. If she needed any help, then he'd be happy to assist her if it was ever requested.
"I have no idea. But you can ask her when she returns in a moment."
The guard seemed to fidget nervously for a moment, before nodding his head slowly and turning his attention back towards the door. It wasn't until the guard looked away that Naruto noticed just how much taller he actually was compared to the guard. Judging from the sound of his voice, plus his height... this guard was likely a young teenager. Why was he a guard for a criminal gang?
Naruto was about to ask how old the guard was, but a few loud shouts and a crashing noise from behind the door distracted him. The first guard from earlier looked startled, and immediately turned to open the door. Noticing the young man next to him reach to grab his sword and move towards the door as well, the blond placed a metal-armored hand on the boy's shoulder, stopping him. The guard turned to look at him again, eyes wide, likely panicked.
"If you want to ask Madame Esmerelda for work, I suggest you leave your sword alone and stand here next to me."
Looking towards the door once again, the young man slowly relaxed and nodded. It was good that he did, for just then the first guard opened the door, only to be sent flying backwards as the man who entered the room before with Erza was sent crashing into him. Both men landed in an unconscious heap in the middle of the room.
Not even a minute later, Erza left the room, her business suit still looking impeccable, only a few strands of her red hair were out of place to show that she had exerted any effort at all. She had a large piece of rope wound tightly in her hand, and as she walked further into the room, a tightly bound and unconscious older man was being dragged along the floor behind her.
"B-Boss? What's... going on?"
The second guard still hadn't moved from next to Naruto, and that was likely the only thing that kept Erza from immediately knocking him out. She shot the guard a look, who visibly flinched, then looked towards Naruto, who simply sent her a small nod.
Erza sighed, handing the rope to Naruto, who slowly reached for and grabbed it.
"Well, someone put a bounty on the head of your boss because he did some things he shouldn't have done. They want him alive, so it's probably the authorities that placed the bounty."
"B-But... oh... geez..." The young man sighed and let his shoulders slump.
Erza had both hands on her hips now, and was staring at the guard intently. "What is your name?"
The guard immediately shot upright, standing rigid. "M-my name? Trevor Rayn, miss!"
Erza nodded slowly, waiting for the young man to continue. When he didn't, Naruto tried to poke the kid with a finger of his metal gauntlet, but pushed a little hard, causing the kid to take a couple steps backward and look at him with surprise.
"Weren't you going to ask her something?"
Erza turned and looked at Naruto, one eyebrow raised quizzically, as Trevor began to stutter through an explanation.
"W-well I was going t-to, but since she was c-coming after the person I worked for, I d-don't... I don't see why she would-"
"Trevor!"
The young teen immediately went rigid again, looking at Erza with wide eyes.
"If you grow up and remain like this you will never get anywhere with your life. If you want something, you must be firm and declare what it is. If you're denied, find another way if you can. If not, move on, and don't dawdle. Now, what do you want?"
"I-I was going to ask you for a job, Madame Esmerelda."
"I see." Erza subtly turned her head to look at Naruto from the corner of her eye. He didn't know if she would notice, but Naruto subtly nodded his helmeted head. Immediately after, Erza reached into the pocket of her vest, and pulled out a piece of paper with something written on it.
"This is my business card. Can you get to this location in Magnolia Town in three days?"
The teen quickly grabbed the paper and looked it over, nodding slowly. "I shouldn't have a problem. I... I just have to let my older sister know. She works two jobs to help care for our sick mother."
Erza's hard facade immediately softened for a brief moment before it returned. "I see. If I don't see you in three days, I will send my partner here to come back here to meet you. Understood?"
"Yes! Thank you!" The teen gave them both a brilliant smile, then promptly turned on his heel and bolted back through the archway. The partners watched him until he disappeared, then Erza turned to Naruto.
"Let's go drop this bounty off at the nearest constable's station, then head home. Sound good?"
Naruto nodded, hoisting the unconscious target over his metal clad shoulder. Between the weight of the armor and the man he was carrying, the added weight felt like he was training with Gai and Lee all over again...
"Good, let's get going then. I'm really hungry too, we should get something to eat."
Naruto sighed as he finished placing the last piece of armor into one of his newest seals that he was able to make work successfully. He didn't think it was anything overly complicated, but many others in Fairy Tail who saw it in action thought it was incredible; even Erza had been wowed.
The scroll had every piece of the armor sealed into a specific location on the rough parchment. When he placed chakra from specific gates of his body into the scroll, it unlocked the armor sealed into that part of the scroll and automatically released it onto his body. It was made to use with his normal Fire Shadow gear, but it had proved useful for this mission as well.
Hearing the crunch of dry leaves underfoot as Erza approached, Naruto locked the scroll with a simple coded seal, then promptly rolled the scroll back up. As he picked up the rolled scroll, he felt a cool, wet cloth press itself against the back of his neck.
Startled, he turned his head slightly, but Erza was just out of his line of sight. Standing up, he began to turn around, but one of her hands held his shoulder so that he kept his back to her. He felt as Erza moved the cool compress around the back of his neck, and over his cheeks, but she still didn't move in front of him. After sitting in that heavy metal suit for hours, the cool water from the cloth felt wonderful against his skin. Eventually she let the cloth rest back against his neck, and slowly snaked her arms around his waist, pressing her chest and face against his sweat-drenched back.
"I'm sorry."
It was barely murmured loud enough for him to hear, with her mouth pressed slightly against his back, but with his shinobi-enhanced hearing, he was able to pick it up. After she said it, Erza turned her head to the side, pressing the her cheek and face against his back. Apparently all the sweat didn't bother her. While they'd sparred plenty over the past two years and had seen each other sweaty and torn up before, this was the most intimate either of them had ever been while in said condition. Not only that, but the fact that she wasn't wearing her typical armor and only had a simple shirt on as she pressed against him definitely wasn't helping the blond keep his focus.
"Sorry for what?"
He felt her chest rumble as she laughed against his back, and she squeezed her arms around his waist. "Don't play dumb, it isn't like you. I know you can be an airhead about some things, but this isn't one of them. You've barely said a word to me since you climbed into that suit like I asked, and the few things you have said have sounded sarcastic. Did it bother you that much?"
Naruto sighed, shaking his head slightly so as to not dislodge the cloth from around his neck. "I think I'm just confused. I only had a vague idea as to how you were handling these bounty missions since I didn't do much more than hide as backup in case you needed it. But you were always successful so I didn't feel the need to ask. Now, all of a sudden, you ask me to get in a big heavy suit of armor and didn't tell me why. I think I had the right to be a little miffed."
He felt as Erza nodded slowly against his back. "You're absolutely right. I was just trying to get in character as Esmerelda. As for the metal suit... I... well..."
Erza trailed off without finishing, which slightly worried Naruto. The last time he had seen or heard her this uncertain about anything was around the time when he first arrived two years ago, at an old party.
"Well what? If you want me to understand, you can't stop there."
"I know... it was just the only thing I could think of on short notice. I wanted you to be there, so I could see you, instead of you hiding somewhere in the background. Your Fire Shadow outfit is too well known, and if you were seen as Fire Shadow with Madame Esmerelda, people would start asking questions and I'd have a hard time coming up with excuses."
"You could have told me from the beginning. I could have found another disguise."
"I know... I know..." Erza squeezed his waist again, and pressed herself harder against his back. As a result, Naruto was finding it increasingly hard to keep his composure. "I know we're partners, and when I was younger... I always thought you were so strong. I wanted to prove myself to you. You've always been wonderful as my partner, but when we first started I felt like I was holding you back. This was supposed to be my way of proving that I was capable of being strong too."
"You didn't need to prove yourself to me. I've always believed in you."
Her grip slowly relaxed on him, as if a great amount of tension was gradually flowing out of her. "I've always prided myself on being strong. I was just being selfish, and I know that I still am by what I asked you to do. That's why I said I was sorry."
"Well, you're forgiven. Just remember, we're partners. If you need me for anything, don't be afraid to ask. Just give me a little more warning next time, okay?"
Once again Naruto felt Erza nod against his back, then she squeezed her arms around his waist one more time before releasing him. He grabbed at the cloth around his neck as he turned around, only to see that Erza had turned away from him this time, and was furiously wiping at one side of her face with her left hand.
"Erza?"
"It's... nothing. I just turned too fast and got something in my eye."
"If you say so. By the way, are you really going to hire that kid from earlier?"
Erza turned her head so that Naruto could see the profile of the right side of her face, she was looking at him through the corner of her eye.
"Well, you did nod at me, so I thought it would be a good idea. You know that small apartment I bought from you when you moved into that workshop you had built in the outskirts?"
"Yeah?"
Erza ran her hands through her hair as she talked, "Well, I converted it into a small kind of office. If he'll accept, it needs to be cleaned up. We've been doing so many missions, and I've been so busy training that I haven't had time to organize everything like I should have."
"So... slave labor?"
Erza turned towards him completely this time, scowling lightly as she punched at his arm. "No, I'm going to pay him."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at her mock-pout. "I know. I was just kidding. I'm your only slave."
What happened next was so quick, Naruto wasn't sure it really happened. Erza moved quickly, pressed her lips against his cheek briefly, then pulled away and started walking towards their destination. It took a few seconds for Naruto to focus and gain his bearings before he started chasing after the redhead.
"H-Hey, Erza?"
"Hmm?" She didn't turn to look back at him, and kept walking, but tilted her head to the side slightly to show that she heard him.
"What was that?"
She did turn her head enough his time to see that her eyebrow was raised sharply. "It was a kiss. Do I need to explain its function to you?"
"Well... no, but I was just curious as to why you gave me one."
Erza turned her head forward again, and did not answer, instead choosing to pick up her pace slightly.
"H-Hey! Erza, come on! You can tell me!"
"If you ever want another one in the future, you'll follow me and stop asking about it."
Blinking for a moment, Naruto chuckled and shook his head, deciding to follow her advice and keep quiet. Another kiss would be something to look forward to. Much to his surprise, Kyuubi decided to keep his silence on the matter, further benefiting his disposition.
Meanwhile, Erza started walking even faster still, determined to keep Naruto behind her so that he wouldn't see her bright red face. It was hard to keep her usual stoic demeanor when her heart was beating a mile a minute, not that she'd ever tell that to anyone.
"Maaaan, it's so boring today. There's nothing to do."
"Aye..."
"Oh, stop it you two. There were still plenty of jobs left on the board, last I looked."
Natsu rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the large tree outside of the guild hall. "Yeah, I know there were. But they're all boring ones that Naruto-nii usually does with one of his clones when he needs extra change. I need something that brings me excitement, something that I can test my new training on!"
Lisanna couldn't stop herself from rubbing her temples as she sighed. His 'new training' mostly consisted of Naruto figuring out new ways of beating Natsu into the dirt while the dragonslayer tried to find ways around it and land a hit on his trainer for a change. Naruto had tried teaching Natsu various techniques the normal way... but unless Natsu was actually fighting something, he didn't really grasp what Naruto was trying to show him.
At least whenever he trained with Naruto, he tended to keep himself out of trouble and not annoy other members with fight requests. For some reason, though, he and Gray never got along, and would fight whenever and wherever, regardless.
"Hey, I know! Lisanna, go have your sister get us one of those S-Ranked missions!"
Lisanna promptly whacked Natsu on the top of his head with her fist.
"Ow!"
"You idiot! You know we'll get in trouble if we take an S-Ranked mission when we aren't approved! We'd have to be invited, and I don't think Mirajane would risk bringing you along. Naruto-niisan and Erza have already told you no, and until he does, Mirajane won't either."
"Awww, but why? I'm a good fighter!"
"Yeah, Natsu really knows how to kick ass! Well... his own ass, anyway."
"Hey!"
Lisanna couldn't help but chuckle at how Happy always managed to distract Natsu, and it was typically unintentional. That thought aside, she had considered telling Natsu on several occasions that Mirajane had taken her on a few S-Ranked missions so far as support, but supposedly they were easier than typical missions of their caliber. Regardless, Natsu was a front line fighter type, and she knew deep down that he really wasn't ready for those kind of missions.
"Yo!"
Startled from her musings and tuning out Happy and Natsu's small bickering session, Lisanna turned to see Naruto giving them a wave with a big smile on his face as he walked down the nearby path, Erza following a couple steps behind him.
"Naruto-niisan! Welcome back!"
Lisanna promptly launched herself and crashed into Naruto, hugging him, while he laughed a little and whirled her around a couple times as she squealed. Setting her back down, he turned to greet Natsu and Happy, the latter perching himself on top of Naruto's head.
Lisanna moved over to Erza, who was watching Naruto and Natsu interact with a serene smile.
"Erza?"
The redhead promptly shifted her focus to the youngest member of the Take Over Trio. "Hmm?"
"How did it go? Did you manage to..." Lisanna's voice trailed off, but she was sure that she got her point across when Erza's gaze returned to Naruto, who currently had Natsu in some sort of strange headlock as Happy cheered them on.
"I... no, not really. It just didn't feel right after... how selfish I've been."
"Huh? But I thought you wanted to before my sister did anyth-"
Erza cut her off by raising her hand. "I did, and still do. But I started thinking, and we had a talk. I didn't want to dump my feelings on him. I'll... I'll tell him for real, later. I gave him a hint, and he didn't get upset, so I think he feels the same way. Now, if you'll excuse me."
The redhead promptly walked past Lisanna and over to Naruto, who now had Natsu under one of his feet on the ground as Happy was laughing like crazy. Erza placed her hand gently on Naruto's back, and said something to him that Lisanna couldn't hear. He smiled and nodded at her, then she walked beyond the group, towards the guild hall.
"Hey! Lemme up, Naruto-nii! You win this round!"
Chuckling, Naruto lifted his foot from Natsu's back, and the pink-haired teen quickly scrambled to his feet.
"So what is our score now?"
"Bah! I stopped keeping track."
"Why? I thought it would be another good lesson for you."
"The score is Naruto sixty-three, Natsu zero. Natsu can't count that high."
The dragonslayer shot Happy a betrayed look as Naruto tried to stifle his own chuckles. Lisanna walked back towards them and was about to defend Natsu when another voice spoke before she could say anything.
"Ah! There you are, Lisanna."
The group all looked towards the voice, one which they all recognized.
"Hey Mirajane. Looking good, as always. Good to see you too, Elfman."
Natsu and Lisanna shot Naruto a look as Mirajane gave Naruto a small smile and blushed cutely. "Such a charmer, Naruto-kun. Thank you." Elfman didn't say anything in reply, settling for giving Naruto a small nod.
Mirajane didn't focus on Naruto for long, however, as she quickly moved her gaze back to her youngest sibling. "Lisanna, we have an S-Ranked mission. I'd like you to come with Elfman and I for support."
"Now?"
Mirajane nodded, and Lisanna turned towards Natsu in an apologetic manner, only to see him staring at Mirajane with stars in his eyes.
"Oh! Can you guys take me too? Please? I'm good fighter! Do you need me to beat anything up?"
An emotion flickered across Mirajane's face for a moment. Lisanna swore she saw her glance at Naruto quickly before shaking her head negatively.
"I'm sorry Natsu. I'm sure Lisanna would like for you to come along as well, but you're not prepared for a mission like this. I'm only asking Lisanna to come because she has healing magic, but I won't let her get anywhere near any fights."
"Ahhh, that sucks." Natsu huffed and walked back towards the tree he was leaning against previously, and sat down near it once again. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back and closed his eyes, a frown on his face.
Elfman, who had been silent the entire time so far, decided to speak up, "Natsu, it's manly to sit out missions that are above your level. This is one of those missions, so don't feel like you're any less of a man."
Natsu grimaced, but didn't say anything further. Happy lifted off from Naruto's head and landed in Natsu's lap, but the dragonslayer remained still.
"Awww, pouting doesn't suit you. We'll be back before you know it, and Happy will be here to keep you company. Don't miss me too much, okay?"
Lisanna quickly moved over to Natsu and gave him a brief kiss on his cheek, to which he opened one eye and grumbled something that likely only Happy and Lisanna heard, as they both smiled. She pulled Happy up into a brief hug before nodding and walking away, then proceeded to give Naruto another quick hug, to which he chuckled and tousled her short hair.
Pushing away from Naruto with a pout, Lisanna ran her hands back through her hair, trying to fix it. "Arg! Naruto-niisan, I've told you not to do that!"
Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, whatever. Be safe out there, okay?"
"Of course!" Lisanna winked and stuck her tongue out at him briefly. "My brother and sister will protect me. There's nothing to worry about!"
Naruto nodded at her as she turned and ran over to Mirajane and Elfman, who both gave Naruto waves of their own as they all began filing out of the area towards where their destination led them.
"Bah, this sucks, Happy. Let's go fishing or something. I need to forget about all this."
"Aye!"
Turning his head, Naruto watched as Natsu climbed to his feet, and began walking towards where Naruto knew his favorite river outside of Magnolia Town was. Almost as an afterthought, Natsu decided to look back over his shoulder and wave goodbye to Naruto, Happy almost immediately doing the same.
Naruto waved back, not that either of them would notice it, and watched them until they passed behind another building and he could no longer see them. Slowly, Naruto turned his head and let his eyes wander up the large tree nearby, staring at a particularly dense spot of leaves.
"It's not like you to hide yourself, old man. Is something going on?"
There was a faint chuckle to be heard, followed by a very short white-haired man jumping out of the tree, only to land at the base of the trunk, then promptly sit down where Natsu once was.
"You were able to sense me. Not bad. I thought I was good at suppressing my powers to a large extent."
Naruto folded his arms over his chest, giving his guild master a small grin. "You are. I'm just better when it comes to detection."
Makarov Dreyar, the Guild Master of Fairy Tail, leaned back against the trunk of the tree and gave Naruto one of his heartier laughs. If it wasn't for his diminutive stature, Makarov was almost a carbon copy of his old Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. In moments like this, the similarities hit him with intense waves of nostalgia.
"You are very good, my young friend, I'll give you that. In the past two years with us, you've done many a good deed. I was just waiting for everyone else to depart so I could talk to you in a more private setting, that's all. Nothing serious."
Shrugging, Naruto walked over towards the tree and leaned his shoulder against the rough bark, but remained standing next to the guild master. Searching through the pockets of his vest, Makarov proceeded to hand Naruto a thick envelope with the Fairy Tail insignia stamped on it.
"This is just a personal request from me, I need you to deliver these notes to a friend of mine in a town on the southeastern end of Fiore."
Naruto grabbed the envelope from Makarov, noting that it was held closed by a simple locking seal. "Sure thing. I just need to go find Erza and let her know I'll be gone for a little bit."
Makarov waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Don't worry about it. She reported in to me and I told her that I'd be borrowing your services for a week or two, if it even takes that long. She was fine with it, apparently she has some other things to take care of before she starts taking missions again."
"Yeah, she wanted me to meet up with a new... uhm, employee of hers in a few days if they can't make it to a meeting spot here in town. Did she tell you about that?"
Makarov glanced up at Naruto with raised eyebrows. "No... but we only chatted in passing, so maybe she'll explain more later. Since she didn't mention it, it's likely she forgot what she asked you to do."
Naruto pursed his lips briefly, then slowly nodded. Standing up straight and moving away from the tree, he pocketed the envelope. "Is there anything else I need to know before I leave?"
Makarov tapped his chin for a second. "I doubt it will take you long to arrive there. This friend I mentioned is well versed in seals. The reason I didn't tell you about him earlier is because he's somewhat of an odd fellow, and will only talk about seals to those who are already familiar with them. I feel confident in your seal abilities now that I've seen them in action, and you should be able to understand what my friend has to say."
"Okay... thanks. Is that why you told Erza I would be gone for a few weeks?"
"Part of the reason. The second bit is a little more serious."
At this, Naruto's demeanor changed immediately, into what Erza had taken to calling 'mission mode'. He strongly resembled a soldier taking orders from a superior, and always gave them an unflinching stare.
"You're aware that Mirajane and her siblings just went on an S-Ranked mission. While I am confident in their abilities, I'm worried that Elfman in particular might try to do... more than he should. Mirajane grabbed the mission for them to stop The Beast. It's been rampaging near towns where I'm sending you. It hasn't attacked yet, but most of the towns in the area fear it will soon, hence the bounty that was placed on it."
"It's just called The Beast? That's it?"
Makarov couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes. That's it. Now - you're aware of Elfman's limitations with his abilities, right?"
Naruto nodded slowly. "For some reason he can't seem to do the full take over like his sisters can. I know it upsets him, but he won't take any advice from anyone."
"Correct. As his take over ability revolves around some of the more... wild monsters that are out there, I fear that he may try to perform his technique on The Beast. While it would be an enormous boost to his powers, he does not have the control that Mirajane does over her Satan Soul, nor what Lisanna can do with her more support-oriented take overs."
"So you want me to be backup?"
Shaking his head, Makarov gave Naruto a steely gaze. "I want you to just observe. Only interfere if it seems like things will get out of control. I don't want my guild members to think that I'm babying them, but on the same note, I don't want to lose any of them to unfortunate circumstances. Hopefully you'll never need to make an appearance."
Sighing, Naruto nodded. He was on good terms with all three of the Take Over Trio, but most members of any guild got upset if they felt someone else was intruding on their mission unnecessarily. Mirajane would probably just shrug it off if he meddled, but Lisanna would be pouting about it for a while before forgiving him, and if she was upset, Natsu and Happy would be as well. Elfman, however...
"Don't worry too much about it. If you have to interfere and it upsets them, I'll take the blame. I'm sending you, after all."
"I gotcha. I just don't want anyone to be blamed for anything."
Chuckling, Makarov slowly climbed back to his feet. "Like I said, don't worry about it. Just get on your way, you'll likely want to be done with my friend before you have to monitor the Trio. They'll likely arrive in a week."
"Got it. See ya, Master."
With a wave, Naruto promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Good luck, kid. Hopefully you won't need it."
Fairy Tail Guild Card
Naruto "Fire Shadow" Uzumaki
Mage Council Classification: AA-Rank. S-Rank unofficially, status update on hold by request of Guild Master Makarov Dreyar
Notes: Naruto Uzumaki is an extremely unique mage in that he is incredibly powerful, yet humble about his abilities. He is always quick to assist any mage that may need help, regardless if they are in Fairy Tail or any other legal guild. Shows no remorse when dealing with members of Dark Guilds, and has collected many bounties. Naruto has many different skill sets, of which I will explain as I hear of his using them. At each of these stages, he shows a large jump in magical power. He is currently part of a long-term mission that I have asked him to have a large part in, to which he reluctantly agreed. This mission is currently under review by the veteran members of the council in Era, pending review. See Guild Archives, Section XXII, Row VI 'Release and Vanquish' for more information.
Stage Zero: At this stage, Naruto relies mostly on his martial combat skills, preferring to use his fists, feet, kunai knives, shuriken, and short sword as his primary weapons. For many of his missions, he does not need to go beyond these skills.
Stage One: Naruto starts using some of his magical powers. While many of the techniques he uses may be weaker than those of a mage who specialize in certain areas, his overall grasp of manipulating different areas of nature is astounding. From fireballs, to dragons made of water, to large gusts of wind, he has quite an arsenal.
Stage Two: At this point, Naruto makes use of the demon he has sealed inside of himself. Kyuubi no Youko, the Guardian of the Ninth Circle of the Abyss... quite often regarded as the King of the Abyss. Naruto seems to be unaware of why we refer to Kyuubi as such, and Kyuubi himself seems to be reluctant to discuss things of such a nature with his 'container', or such is what Naruto claims. Naruto often lets Kyuubi take control of his body at this point, becoming nothing more than a puppet as he lets the Kyuubi work. Naruto is fully conscious and able to take control at any time should he need to, so far he claims Kyuubi has upheld his end of the bargain and never gone beyond the pre-stated rules. While it may sound odd that a human trusts a demon, Naruto seems to trust Kyuubi, even though both of them will be quick to state that they hate each other.
Stage Three: No one has yet seen this stage, though Naruto has stated it will likely place him above all but the most powerful mages in Earthland. Not only that, but he claims to have stages beyond it that he has used in his homeland, but has not had a reason to use here. His second stage is already incredibly powerful, I'm almost afraid to witness what may lay beyond.
Member Since: October 21st, 782 (2 years, 1 month, 1 week, 3 days)
Completed Solo Missions: 552
Completed Team Missions: 169
Completed S-Rank Missions: 23
Completed SS-Rank Missions: 2
Reward to Date: 2,447,983,721 Jewels
A/N: Took a little longer to get this one out. Was arguing with myself if I wanted to continue in the past a bit or start moving forward. Decided to start moving forward, so as was hopefully noticed, 2 years have passed. I plan to get through this in a chapter or two, then move on to canon Fairy Tail. Beyond canon, I have a few chapters planned out with a surprising twist and a big bang conclusion. I also have a sequel planned... so if you're interested you should start reading another manga, which I will likely announce as this one starts closing in on the ending. It does have mages in it, too.
There is a poll posted on my profile page, regarding team names. There are a lot to choose from, so everyone can choose their two top favorites. To be honest, the name will not have much of an impact on the story as a whole, other than perhaps a handful of scenes where the name is acknowledged or referenced. (It may not have appeared yet on my profile page if it hasn't updated on the server.)
Review answers... I'll try to keep them as succinct as possible. There were a LOT of reviews. Thank you to everyone who gave me your thoughts and opinions.
Guild Card Updates - They will happen every two chapters. After every chapter would be overkill, and I decided two chapters was enough as to not make it too infrequent. Otherwise I might also have gotten lazy and not bothered to update it much at all.
Shodai Hokage Death - Sexual Exhaustion? Doubtful, but highly amusing when you add another reviewers comment about him being a master of 'Wood' ninjutsu. I laughed my ass off for a long time. Most likely reason of his death was in a war, just like the Nindaime.
Sage Mode - Probably won't be seen for a few more chapters yet, keep your eyes peeled.
Early Morning Updates - Time doesn't really hold a meaning for me, other than when I have to be at work. Otherwise, I can post at 4am EST, and not bat an eyelash.
Denim88 Beta - Yep, he's awesome. Always less than a 24-hour turnaround too. Couldn't ask for a more reliable beta, really. Got a sharp eye, too.
Mystogan vs MistGun Redux - Yeah, sticking with Mystogan. It's the official version of it in the manga, verified it myself in my bookstore. Thanks to all who told me where to look to find it. Totally forgot that Mystogan had an early cameo.
Kyuubi's Chakra - Yes, Naruto has total control of Kyuubi's chakra. But he lets Kyuubi out to have some fun now and then. Why? You'll have to wait to find out, sorry.
Going Home Conflicts - Naruto will -always- want to go back to the Elemental Nations. As time goes by, however, the urgency dies down a bit, but his resolve to find a way back never disappears.
Erza's Conflicts - She'll want him to what he wants to do... this chapter may have offered a bit of insight into Erza's already growing inner turmoil. She's already fashioned a brave front in 'Esmerelda', and when talking to Trevor vs. talking to Naruto, she suffered from 'do as I say but not as I do'. I wonder how many people noticed that...
No Toads - Yes, why he can't will be explained. Not for a little while yet, but it will be explored with a flashback. As for if he can still use it, the answer is yes, but I can't spoil and say how. Some clever people may have already figured it out after piecing a few of my older comments together.
'Yami' Naruto - Yes.
Showing Registration - I hadn't really thought about it much. Makarov has his own plans which Naruto has agreed to, so I don't think that's really a scene I could implement successfully. Suffice it to say that any appearance by the Fire Shadow in Era would have a lot of people scrambling to find out why he's there.
Elemental Country Time Pass - Originally I was thinking about having Naruto travel into the future, but decided against that, because Time Travel seems to be done a bit more often than the dimensional stuff. I wanted Naruto's driving force for him to be 'find a way home', and that has a little more 'oomph' when he knows it's only a dimension-hop away, without having to worry about all that time paradox stuff.
New Chapter Soon - Heh, Nawaki no Shinobi - I hope that me posting this within a half an hour of your review has you pumping your fist in the air in triumph?