Makarov looked around, the members of the Wizard Saints had gathered around for a meeting regarding the destruction of the Magic Council. He could see Naruto's shadow looming over this meeting. But he was glad that things were happening in this regard. Every other available member was present. They were no longer just ten of them, they were few. A few bad apples have been falling off the wagon. The young ones. They were the ones who always had to be turned towards evil. Perhaps it was the responsibility of the adults to steer them into the right path. The young ones were easily manipulated. When they gained little power, it always seems to go over their heads and they do stupid things. They turn towards the path of darkness.
Makarov was glad that none of his children have gone off the rails. He had his children. He hoped that Naruto stayed grounded as well. Things would certainly become troublesome if he lost his way. Naruto was still human. He had emotions. But Makarov was starting to see a side of the blond that made him afraid. He was glad that he had Erza around him. Perhaps her presence up close in his life will keep him from doing anything ridiculous. Erza would certainly not stand for anything she cannot agree on and she would fight him if she had to. He liked that about her. She would not allow her emotions to get the best of her and stop her from doing what was right.
Makarov turned his eyes towards Naruto who was speaking.
"I have to thank everyone for deciding to come here after I called this meeting. As you have already known, the Magic Council was destroyed by the Dark Guild called Tartaros. I thought it was best as the strongest we handle the issue of the Council's destruction and see where we can go from here," Naruto stated in a calm tone, but it had some steel within it.
"How can we say that you are not working with Tartaros? You once became famous for hunting down dark guilds, are we certain that you never came across them?" Wolfheim asked calmly. "Not to mention, the Council was even after you."
Naruto merely smiled as he turned towards the short hot-tempered old man. He didn't worry about those words from that person. Perhaps he was being serious or just mischievous but it didn't matter anyway. The people here were not children but rational people who explored all possibilities before deciding on what to do.
"I never came across Tartaros during those days. And I didn't have anything to do with the destruction of the Council," Naruto said in a stern tone. He would not show emotions or that he was happy the Council was destroyed. It would only get him in trouble with the other members.
"I doubt Naruto-dono would do something like that with Tartaros," Jura said in thought. "After our last meeting, we had managed to stand on the same page. So the fear that the Council would do something had to have been alleviated." He said.
Naruto smiled towards Jura and then turned towards Draculos. The man was perhaps the most important. His opinion mattered, not just because of his ranking but because he was a man who took his duty seriously. "What is your view regarding this?"
Draculos shook his head. "I don't even know why we are even having this debate," he said sternly. There were much more important issues that they had to handle. The Council was destroyed and they had to do something about. They could not waste time thinking about petty things. If someone suspected Naruto of anything, they could always deal with it later.
"We are debating it because it matters," Wolfheim said sharply.
"Perhaps," Draculos said with a small nod. "But we know that it is Tartaros which is responsible for this. Perhaps we can only look at our selves for failing to protect the Council."
It was not in their job description but as wizards who are the most powerful in Ishgar, they should at least be able to protect the Magic Council. It was their duty as the Wizard Saints. Draculos believed at least that much. But they had failed not once but twice. They simply could not just blame this on Tartaros and Naruto. The others had their roles as well.
"The most important thing now is restoring the Council," Makarov finally spoke. "The Council is needed for protection and to ensure that magic is used fairly and not for evil. We don't know what Tartaros is planning but we must take measures…"
There was no one who could stand up now. There was no one. Makarov wasn't going to involve himself in the process. He was too old and he had other things that he needed to handle. He wouldn't be around to oversee things. But he would remain part of the Wizard Saints. He had his eyes set on the Alvarez Empire. He had to go there to ensure that he stalled or at least returned with some valuable information he could use. Well, that is if those people don't try to kill him.
"I believe that is the reason, you called us here…" Warrod said looking at Naruto.
The blond nodded. "I thought it would be much more effective if we all agreed on reforming the Council. If we can do that, we will be able to create a reasonable and responsible Council that will not be easily destroyed. If we can do this, we will be able to bring order and protect the mages around us as well as the legal guilds."
Draculos looked around before speaking. "I agree with this. I had thought of it as well when the news greeted me," he said firmly. "Then are we all in agreement?"
The others nodded to this. It was good, Naruto smiled. The first step was done. Makarov agreed with this but raised his raised saying he would not be able to be part of the process but if he was called for something, he would be available.
"I will take it upon myself to rebuild the headquarters in a new location. Once done, I will call everyone so that we can begin" Naruto said.
"I will join you in rebuilding," Draculos said. "What of Tartaros?"
"I have begun a search and will be hunting down the dark guild. Once I have everything, I will destroy the demons," Naruto said in a firm tone. "If anyone wishes to offer their assistance, I will take it."
"Naruto-dono alone is enough for this," Jura said.
"Agreed," Wolfheim said. "How long will you take rebuilding the headquarters?"
"We won't take much time," Draculos said. "We need to build something sustainable. We don't want something that can be easily be broken. It is true that the Council is needed but if we do things in haste, we will only end up creating a weaker foundation that will not last long," He said.
Not much was said after this. They spoke a bit more before the meeting was dismissed. Naruto was to meet Draculos in the location of the old headquarters in a couple of days so they could choose a location and then start rebuilding. It was just Makarov and Naruto left in the area after the others left.
"I'm surprised you didn't bring up the threat of the Alvarez Empire," Naruto said to Makarov. "I think that is something we cannot keep to our selves. As the members will form part of the new Magic Council, we should head into the fray, knowing what we are dealing with."
"You can discuss it with Draculos when you meet him. I'm sure you will also have time to share it with the others," Makarov said. He eyed Naruto carefully. "What role do you plan to carry after the Council is formed?"
"Definitely part of it, why do you ask?"
"Be careful you don't give yourself too much power. You are already powerful and much more power will only play on your ego…" Makarov said in a stern tone.
Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ah, I do have something like that. Well, I certainly don't want to end up feeling like I can do anything and everything…" he said. "I'm just thinking of being a member, nothing more. I am aware of my position and what it would do."
"I'm glad you have considered things," Makarov said. "What is going to happen to God Serena?" He doubted Naruto was that merciful that he would forget what the former Wizard Saint did. For certain, Naruto was going to do something.
"I didn't see him when I visited the empire." Naruto said. "I had considered just erasing him from existence. I could do that with my magic without any difficulty. But I guess that isn't the way to go about things. I will send him into my Timeless Void. That is if I come across him anyway. I am not actively pursuing him. For now, I have my eyes set on Tartaros." Naruto was saying this, but he doubted he would do that. He was likely to turn that man into ashes.
Ah, Timeless Void. Makarov remembered the Magic Naruto had come up with to avoid having to kill people – An effective prison that offered people the opportunity to go back to society. "If you need any help, you know where to find Fairy Tail."
Naruto smiled. "I am still a member of the Guild, you know…" he reminded the old man.
Makarov shrugged. "You feel like a visitor these days." He said.
Naruto didn't respond to this. He stared into the sky for a moment before glancing back towards the master of Fairy Tail. "I guess this is it," Naruto said turning away from Makarov.
Makarov watched Naruto leave silently before turning towards his direction.
Aika's Mansion
The place was in smokes, destroyed by magic. Naruto could help but put a deep frown on his lips at the sight. He had worked hard for Aika to regain control of this place and he'd made it a base of operations for his intelligence services. The surveillance lacrimas were watched from this place. The clone he had put here also worked as a guard for Aika. He should have put powerful barriers around the place. But he still had his limits. He could not protect just everyone. He was not omnipresent. At this stage, Naruto wished he was a real god. Perhaps he would even be able to foresee the dangers of this world to prepare for them.
He watched as Aika rushed towards him with a frightened look on her face. Perhaps she could never be that comfortable having known that the Naruto that stayed in the basement of her mansion was just a clone and not the original him. If she didn't see the difference, she wouldn't even bother going to the royal castle to seek his presence.
Naruto held out his hands and allowed the woman to grab him fully and rest her head on his chest. He held her gently without saying anything. She was fine and at this stage, it was all that mattered. This place could be rebuilt. She could spend some money to rebuild it in a new design she would like.
After a few moments, Naruto pulled the woman away from him and turned towards the clone. "What happened?"
The clone shook its head. "It was an attack that came out of nowhere. The Magic was powerful and the target was her…" it said.
Naruto frowned. "Did you see who did it?"
"My priority was ensuring she was safe…." It said. "I took her away to a safe place and by the time I returned, the person was long gone."
Naruto nodded. This was his fault. It was fault. Aika had done nothing to deserve this. He was to blame for this. Someone had attacked her because of him. He didn't doubt that it was someone from the empire. Those people probably did this because they wanted an exchange for Serena; that worthless man who is a mockery to gods. They thought they could save his life. What was obvious was that they were failing to find Zeref's body. It wasn't a bad thing. Naruto could live with that. If time ended before they could find him, then Naruto would get his sacrifice. It was perhaps fitting that they sacrifice to god. A life for a life. A tooth for a tooth.
He wasn't going to the empire and demand to know why they did this. He knew and although he was a little mad about it, he wasn't going to drop anything on them. He hadn't said they couldn't do anything but they were obviously trying to cheat him. He would have to do something about this. It was distasteful though. Irene probably plotted this.
"Why?" Aika asked him.
Naruto shook his head with an apologetic look on his face. "I have handled all your enemies. A person who used magic powerful enough to destroy this place is an enemy of mine. I am sorry for getting you caught in this mess."
"Who?"
"It is someone from the Alvarez Empire," Naruto said calmly. "I will deal with it. On the bright side of things, you get to build this place in your own liking. It will be a good makeover." He offered with a smile.
Aika stared at him for a moment. "That is a good thought but who is going to pay for it all? It is your fault, you will pay for everything."
"You are joking, right?"
Aika turned towards her beloved mansion, or at least what was left of it. She had retained her home. But now everything was lost. She would only have the memories. "Tell that to the smoke."
"Where do you think I am going to get the money to rebuild this place?" It was going to cost millions and millions. He didn't have that kind of money. He'd have to rob a couple of banks to get the money.
"I don't know," Aika said with a shrug.
Naruto sighed before shaking his head. "Have you seen enough?"
"I don't think I will change it. I think I will have it rebuilt as it was. Perhaps it will be for sentimental value," Aika said instead of responding to Naruto's question. "Are we going to the royal castle?"
Naruto nodded. "Would you like to live elsewhere?"
Hisui shook her head. "The royal castle is perhaps the safest place. That is where your beloved Hisui stays after all."
Naruto smiled. "I think someone is jealous," he said.
"Maybe," Aika said. "Things were getting good between you and Hisui, are you sure my presence won't cause a problem. I like Hisui; I don't want to ruin things for her. She really likes you, Naruto. I don't want her to feel like I am trying to steal you away from her. I do value our friendship."
"This is just wrong," Naruto said. "Aika never speaks like this." He turned towards his clone. "Are you sure this is the right person and you were not late?"
"I could have been," The clone said. "Do you think it's an imposter?"
Naruto nodded. "I think so," he said. "You hold her down; I will inspect her body to see if she is the real one."
She hit on his shoulder with an amused look on her face. "I'm trying to be thoughtful and you make fun of me…"
"It just doesn't happen often," Naruto said with a smile. "You have nothing to worry about dear. All is well. If Hisui doesn't want you there, I could take you somewhere safe. You'll be fine regardless of what happens."
"I hope so…" Aika said.
"Hey, why do you have to hope? Do you think I can't protect you? Must I remind you who I am?"
"A perverted god," Aika said with a glare. "You were going to strip me naked just to see me nude. You don't have to inspect my body to see if I am really me. You just needed to ask some questions. And I think you know me well enough to be able to tell from an imposter."
"I'm no pervert," Naruto said. "But let us be fair, would you have complained if I had done so? I would have stripped down as well."
"No but that is beside the point," Aika said firmly. She released a long sigh. "Let us go. I don't want to be around here anymore. Maybe Hisui will offer some words of comfort."
"If she isn't busy with magic," Naruto said. "Or being taken through processes and what is expected of her when she becomes queen." That was just something else that was going to make his life a little more difficult. He was hoping that it would come in the near future when they have dealt with all troubles. If he had to focus on this while dealing with a war, it was going to put a burden on him. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have much of a say on the matter. Toma was going to decide on the timing of everything.
Magnolia
On his way back to the guild headquarters; Makarov came across the first master who appeared to have been waiting for him. It wasn't before long that you wouldn't see more of her in the Guild. She could project herself since she was still just in a coma, but there had been no way to revive her. The Second master had tried everything in his power to try to revive her but he had failed. He had failed to do anything for her and that resulted in Fairy Tail's secret. It was an unintended consequence but it was something that they had to live with.
He smiled at the first master and greeted her nicely. She walked beside him as they went towards the town. "How did things go on your side?" Mavis asked.
Despite what Naruto was saying, she was having troubles with the situation at hand. She wasn't concerned about the destruction of the magic council or what would happen afterwards or who would take over; she was concerned about what was going to happen with the Alvarez Empire. The war was going to happen and that was something that appeared unavoidable at this moment. With the Council gone, it was a matter of when they would launch their attacks. But at least now things were in a way that they could prepare themselves since Zeref had yet to make a comeback from the dead.
Mavis was certain though, the Empire had said something to Naruto that made him have little choice but to bring Zeref back. He didn't seem like the type to who would give into threats but when she spoke to him, she got the idea that he understood his limits quite well. There was much that he could do. But there were still many things that even he could not do and that was something he had to face even in this situation.
"There were no major surprises when we spoke," Makarov said. "Everything looks like it is going to run very slowly." He finished with a frown. He was almost certain that Naruto couldn't have it any other way than this.
"You mean with the revival of the Magic Council?" Mavis asked.
The third guild master nodded. "Well, I didn't expect things to move quicker. We have to do things on our part," he said. Last time had gone to the empire but they still tried to attack. It looked like even with the Council, they would live with the fear that the empire could strike any other day. Was it better for the war to just happen? Makarov didn't think so. But was there a way to handle things without going to war? Makarov didn't know. But he could not just hand over what they wanted.
"What is Naruto's role?" Mavis was truly interested in this part. He was not someone who would just sit back and watch the council being reformed if he could help it. If he got involved, it would be better for his own survival and freedom. Perhaps freedom more so than survival. With the Council going after him, he wouldn't be free, but if he was able to craft a Council that wouldn't be going after, he would be able to live freely.
"He is going to be part of the Council," Makarov said. "It is going to be something that will be discussed amongst other members of the Wizard Saints."
"You're not going to do anything?"
"I have to think about the coming war," Makarov said. "It appears that the reforming on the Council is going to be a slow and long process that will take time. I don't have the time; I need to put my focus on the Guild and how to protect it from the Alvarez Empire."
Mavis wasn't disappointed. Naruto was still a part of Fairy Tail and if he was going to be part of the effort to reform the Magic Council, then the Guild would have someone to represent them in the Council. "I told Naruto about Lumen Histoire," the first master said.
Makarov wasn't overly surprised by this. He had figured she would end up doing it. Well, it was something that the members of Fairy Tail would eventually end up knowing. They were going to war with the Alvarez Empire; he would not simply allow his children to fight without knowing what they were defending. Zeref would come for it, and his children would need to protect their old building to avoid the empire getting its hands on the Fairy Heart.
"What did he say?" Naruto hadn't said anything about it when they spoke. Perhaps he was waiting for him to bring up the subject before saying anything. Either way, they would now have to talk about it and he would have to show it to the blond.
"He just made assurances that the empire would not get its hands on it. But Naruto cannot do everything. He isn't god. We don't know what will happen tomorrow when the empire attacks," Mavis said in a firm tone.
"This is why I want to go there," Makarov said. "Naruto has claimed to have the ability to bring the dead to life; do you think that he could do that with you? Your body is fully intact. If he truly does have that ability, he should be able to do it."
Mavis looked thoughtful for a moment. She had already lived her life. She had lived a long life. She hadn't brought up the subject with Naruto and might possibly not do it. It was likely that if the lacrima containing her body is shattered, she would most certainly die. Perhaps that was right. If she was able to ensure that Zeref was dead, Acnologia was gone; surely she would have protected her guild and could rest in peace.
"That is something that I haven't brought up with him," Mavis said. She paused for a moment before changing the subject to get back to the Empire. "It doesn't look like nothing will stop them this time around," Mavis said in thought. "If they believe that they can defeat Acnologia with Fairy Heart, they are not going to stop. Besides, we have to think that Zeref isn't just going to stop with Acnologia if he manages it. This is why it does not matter what the Empire's reasons are."
Makarov nodded firmly. "It still doesn't help that the empire has numbers on its side. They also have powerful Mages on their side."
"This matter won't just be about Fairy Tail," Mavis said. "They are going to attack any nation they come across in their march. Everyone will have to take part. But we must stop them. Fairy Tail has to stop them because Magnolia will be their ultimate destination."
Makarov agreed to this and said a couple of words to the First Master. She disappeared from him afterwards and left him walking alone. He didn't mind the silence. There was much to think about. The empire wasn't going to listen, but he still had to go. Both Mavis and Naruto appear certain that nothing was going to stop them. Yet, none of them were trying to stop him from going. Naruto had said it once but he didn't try again. Was his action going to be pointless? Makarov shook his head. It would not be pointless. He could achieve something with his visit.
The third master blinked when he arrived at the guild and found that it was just chaos. He smiled. This time, he wasn't going to stop them. He wasn't going to do anything. He would let them enjoy themselves. A time of pain would be upon them soon. It would be cruel to stop them in their fun. He hoped that after the war, they would be able to return and have moments like this. He would certain retire after the war.
If it was like this, it meant that Erza wasn't in the Guild hall. He had hoped he would be able to talk to her about Naruto. He truly did need her to play a role in the blond's life. He didn't want Naruto getting lost in the journey that is life. Makarov glanced towards Mira and called her. She came with his jug of beer. He took a gulp before speaking.
"Did Gildarts return?" He asked.
Mira shook her head. "Was he supposed to come back?" The man wasn't always around in the Guild. He always took those super difficult jobs that made one even stay away from the guild for years.
Makarov nodded. "I called for him." He said. He could surely not think about protecting the Guild without putting the man he had selected as his successor in the picture. Gildarts had to know what was happening so that when he does leave for the Alvarez Empire, he was around to look after everyone in his place.
"He didn't come back," Mira said. "But Mest was looking for you." She said eyeing the guild master carefully.
Makarov jerked up slightly at the mention of the man. He hasn't been in communication with the man. But perhaps it was time that they speak. There was much that was going to happen and he did need his eyes. "Where is he?"
"Upstairs."
Makarov nodded and finished his beer in silence before slowly going upstairs. He found the mage sitting alone and called him towards his office. Makarov settled gracefully and fixed Mest a look before asking. "Your memories are no longer confused, are they?"
Mest shook his head, "No," he said calmly.
"Good," Makarov said. "I have to say that I am happy that you survived the attack to the Council. It would have been sad if we lost you. You are a very important member of this Guild."
Mest smiled. "Thank you master," he said. "I was with the chairman when it occurred and he told me to run for it. There was nothing I could do about the attack. The person who attacked was stronger."
"Apparently," Makarov said. "The Wizard Saints will soon begin the process of reforming the Magic Council. It is going to be a slow process that will likely involve consultations even with former members of the Council. I won't be involved in that process but I want you to keep an eye on things. If there is something that you think I should know, you must tell me."
Mest nodded. "With stronger wizards it is going to be difficult. With the previous Council, I could even manipulate their memories without them noticing anything. I just have to keep an eye on things without doing things this time around."
Makarov shook his head. Manipulating the memories of members of the Council was a bit too much but nothing he was going to say was going to change Mest's mind. He was a problem in this way. Once he sets his mind on doing something, there was no telling him otherwise. "Don't even try it with this group. Don't even try especially with Naruto," Makarov warned in a stern tone.
Mest smiled nervously. "I wouldn't even try," he said. "That man is something else. Before I was able to manipulate Lahar's memories but now I can't do that. There is a magic that protects the memories that is placed on Lahar. I don't know if he is aware of it himself. But I know it is Naruto who placed it since there seems to be similar magic that protects his memories as well. I guess it is understandable since they seem to get along."
"Why would Naruto go that far?" Makarov asked curiously.
"Because Lahar doesn't always agree with the Council. We work for the Council but we sometimes know that what we are asked to do is wrong. This is why sometimes I went as far as to manipulate their memories. Not everything that Naruto does is something that the Council will agree with. I also think that Naruto works with both Jellal and Ultear – former members of the Council. They are doing something that is possibly right, which is why Lahar permits it."
"So, the magic protects Lahar's memories from being read and manipulated by anyone."
Mest nodded.
Makarov seemed to think about it for a moment, but he ended up shrugging his shoulders.
Mercurios, Naruto's Old Apartment
When was the last time that he was in this place? Ah yes, right when he was still dating Mirajane. Ah, those had been some fond memories. It was truly a pity that things didn't work out. Well, there was no joy in thinking about things that didn't work out. Things looked hopeful for now. Naruto could at least afford to smile and rejoice thinking about the beautiful future that was ahead of him. There were many things that could go right for him. It would be something if Erza manages to think of him favourably. It would be sad if she doesn't but he would not be miserable. He had Hisui after all.
At moments like this, Naruto missed just retreating to his mindscape just so he could speak with his partner. Life was certainly not the same without this partner in crime. With Kurama, he had never been alone in his life. There had been times he thought that he was just alone, but he'd always had the Bijuu with him. He had known its chakra, its presence from the day he was conceived in his mother's womb. Being without the Bijuu was certainly sad. But he still understood that it had a mission that it wanted to carry out. The Bijuu had been with him in its mission; it was only fair that he allow it to do its mission as well.
Naruto heard a knock on the door and stood up before walking over to the door. Ultear was standing outside when he opened. He allowed the woman to enter before closing the door behind him. He didn't say anything to her but just went towards his sofa and threw himself before releasing a long sigh.
Ultear stopped just in front of him before sitting across him. "You look miserable," she said.
Naruto's eyes went towards Ultear for a moment before he lifted his head, staring at the ceiling. "Being here reminded me of my younger days." He said in a quiet tone.
Ultear read some emotion she had never felt from Naruto. She was seeing more of him these days. A side of him that was much more human. Before he had always looked like an impenetrable wall that always stood tall regardless of whatever it was faced with. "How were they? You did say once that they were not the most favourable."
Naruto smiled bitterly. "To say unfavourable is an understatement," he said. "My younger days were truly horrible. I hated being alive, but I still wanted to continue living. I didn't know my parents when growing up. I was just an orphan who was hated and ignored. I couldn't walk through the streets without people glaring at me with contempt. They called me a demon. They cursed my existence and told their children not to play with me. I was a sickness that everyone wanted to avoid. I was lonely and miserable. So many times I asked myself, what did i do wrong to be called a demon? Why did the teachers in the academy go that far to ruin my grades, to glare at me with so much hatred and say that I killed their loved ones? I was just an orphan."
Ultear stared at him: she wasn't expecting to hear something like that. It was unthinkable. She couldn't quiet grasp how someone like him could have such a childhood. How did he even come to this when he had such a life? "Why did they hate you?"
Naruto shrugged a bit carelessly. "I didn't know," he said. "For 12 years they hated me, and I didn't know the reason. Do you know what that would feel like? Nobody would even tell me anything. They wouldn't tell me what kind of parents I had; the people who gave birth to me. All I knew was that the people in the village called me the spawn of a demon."
"It must have been difficult for you," she said.
Naruto nodded. "It was. I yearned for recognition. I fought for them to just recognize that I exist. I did pranks, tried to become a village protector just so they could acknowledge my existence. You know, they really did try to act as if I didn't exist. While some people looked at me with contempt, some wouldn't even look at me. They pretended I didn't exist."
It was truly a miracle that he made it out of the situation alive, that he turned out to be the person he was even when faced with that situation. Surely, many people would have lost it. They would have hated those villagers for what they did. Well, the villagers had been proved right when they called him a demon. He had turned out to be a demon, hadn't he? He had killed thousands, he had destroyed things. Yes, they had been right. They were ignorant of the truth, but it was that way to them. The thought just made things a bit bitter for him.
"When did you know why they hated you?"
"Here you have a guild and you wear a guild's mark to show your allegiance. In my world, before you put your 'guild's' mark, you had to go through an academy and qualify to be a soldier for the 'guild.' I failed my graduation exam for the third time when I was twelve years. One of my teachers told me of a way to pass. I had to steal something from the 'Guild' leader's office. I stole it and he told me that he had lied and then told me of the reason I was hated. About two years later, I was told about my parents.
"You see on the night of my birth, a certain powerful beast that was sealed within my mother escaped and went on a rampage in our village. Many people were killed during that night. My father was the village leader. Both my parents died that night. They died sealing the beast within me to protect the village. No one could defeat the beast with just power, it was way too powerful for a human to fight. So they sealed it within me to stop it. In the end, I was left an orphan."
Ultear laughed, it was a cold laughter. "How ironic," she said.
Naruto stared at the woman with a look on his face. He closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "Now that you know why I am miserable… what do you want, Ultear? I didn't think you'd follow me here…"
"The Council," Ultear started staring at Naruto with an unreadable look. "I want to know about your plans regarding the magic council. You are involved in its reforming; I want to know you intentions. You are also here, you must be planning something. I want to know what it is that you are planning."
Naruto tilted his head to the side. Ultear seemed rather forceful. It looked like she would not take no for an answer. But he could still refuse to answer if he didn't want to. He stared at the woman for a moment before smiling. "I'm actually an evil bastard who actually plans to take over the Magic Council and Fiore. You see, I am going to let Fiore and the Alvarez fight so that I can take over both nations."
Ultear stared before putting on an amused look on her face. "That sounds believable," she said. "If I didn't know, I would actually think you'd do it. It doesn't look like something that you could fail to do with your power. If you really wanted to do it, you would, wouldn't you?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes, I could play my cards right and get the others to make me chairman of the Magic Council. With that I can rule over the legal guilds. I would have the weapons and power to do whatever that I want. I could also ensure that after the war, I take over the Alvarez Empire and become its new emperor. Yes, that could very well be done…"
"They why don't you?"
Naruto smiled, "I have no desire," he said. "I have decided that after this fun from the war. I am going to retire from fighting and focus on enjoying my life. There won't be any opponent to challenge me anyway. So I can forget about my power and just be happy. I know what pain is… I know what it means to suffer. Besides, I have already brought a world to its knees; I don't want to go the same path again. It would just take me towards a miserable end of my life. After everything, I want to die happy."
"Is this why you are always telling us to be happy?" Ultear asked.
"Yes," Naruto said. "I also want to be happy. And I will be happy. If you could smile as well, that will also be a bonus."
"Can you make me happy?"
"No one can make you happy if you don't want to be happy, Ultear. Happiness is a thing of the heart. No matter what I say or to do you, if you don't give yourself up for happiness, your heart will never change, you will never be truly happy. The mind-set has to change, but the heart is the key." Naruto said those words in a firm tone. "You must first ask yourself this question, 'do I want to be happy?' If you cannot answer it, then my response to you is meaningless."
Ultear just stared at him.
Naruto smiled. He should have expected this. He'd bothered even telling her about his childhood because he also wanted her to think that things were not simple for him either. Well, everything was her choice. He could not force her to smile. What mattered was whether her heart was smiling or not. He could make a joke and she would laugh because it was fun, but what wasn't happiness.
"Just think about it," Naruto said. "You still have much time to think about things. You're a young woman with a long road ahead of you. Well, if you don't do anything suicidal."
"Who said I was suicidal?"
Naruto shrugged indifferently. "I'm just saying," he said. "Where is Jellal?"
"He is coming to join me before we head out. He just went somewhere with Meredy to check some movements about Tartaros. There was something that they did and they went to check it out," Ultear said.
"When he comes here, stay a bit. I think this place should be enough to accommodate you. You don't have to worry about being detected while in here. I have magic proof barriers within the place," Naruto said calmly. "I will visit when Jellal comes. I have a couple of stops to make."
The Following Day, Just Outside of Magnolia
Gildarts halted in his movements as he sensed Naruto. He turned around and saw the blond slowly walking towards him. It couldn't be a coincident that the blond was walking towards Magnolia in the same time as him, right? When was the last time they saw each other? Gildarts couldn't even recall. It had been quite some time. Then again, he and Naruto didn't have that kind of relationship. There was nothing but mutual respect between the two.
He smiled as the blond neared him. "You looking for me?"
Naruto nodded. Gildarts was someone who was truly powerful. His magic 'Crash' was especially a problematic thing. Naruto was certain that any spell would be rendered useless against the man. If you were going to hit him, it had to be something that the man couldn't see or react to. If he could react, he was just going to crush it. Naruto avoided dealing with such people with troublesome magic.
"I wish to speak to you about something," Naruto said calmly.
Gildarts took a step away from Naruto. "It sounds serious," he said.
Naruto looked amused. It looked like the man was ready to bolt just because he sounded serious. Did this man really avoid such conversations like this? Makarov had said he tried to make this person Guild master and he had run away. Laughable. How do you run away from responsibilities like that? "It is…" Naruto said with a nod.
"Can it wait?" Gildarts said. "I received a word from master; I don't really want to have many issues to deal with. Once I talk to master, we can talk," he said. He was certain that whatever the old man wanted to discuss with him was serious. But he couldn't have just avoided the situation because it. If it involved protecting Fairy Tail, he would be there to deal with anything.
"No," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I have to get my message through. I'm not always around. After here, I have to make another stop somewhere with some troublesome people. I don't know if I will catch you before you disappear again…" With the war coming, Naruto did think that the man would be forced to stay around. It was perhaps the reason that Makarov called him here.
Gildarts sighed. He would have to take this. "What is it?"
"We are busy trying to reform the Magic Council because it was destroyed. There are also members of the Wizard Saints who are no longer in the picture. I want to propose for you to be considered by the new council to join us," Naruto said. "There can be no doubt that you are a powerful mage. You are someone that deserves to wear the prestigious badge."
"That sounds like a big job."
Naruto shrugged. "It isn't," he said. "You don't actually do anything; you just attend meetings every now and then. That is all."
"I will have to turn it down," Gildarts. "I don't think I am fit for it."
Naruto wasn't disappointed. He had expected this kind of response from the man. This just reminded him of his former sensei. That perverted old geezer. Perhaps he should have shed a tear when Mei told him that the Sannin had died watching over his son. Jiraiya had truly been a wonderful person. That was a soul to call from the after-life. Yes, the Sannin had truly honoured him in a way he never thought that he would. But he was still someone who avoided responsibility. He had been twice considered for Hokage, and each time he refused the offer. When his father died, Jiraiya rejected the hat, and when the Sandaime died, the Sannin still rejected the hat and offered to go look for Tsunade instead.
"I figured you'd say something like that," Naruto said with a smile. "Just think about it, Gildarts. I have nothing but respect for your power. Being a Wizard Saint is nothing that requires you to take any responsibility. You can still disappear for years, as long you have an excuse you can give. We just want to make sure that there are ten Saints we can count on in times of trouble."
"Why does it sound like you are not going to stay away from me until I say yes?" Gildarts said.
Naruto just smiled. He turned away from the man and started walking away. "Just think about it."
"You are not going to reach the guild with me?"
"I have to go back to Mercurios," Naruto said. "There are things I must handle."
Minutes Later
When Naruto walked into his apartment, he found the group of three sitting together having pleasant conversations. When was the last time he saw Meredy? The pink haired young woman was a rare frame within the group. She was always running around doing something and he always kept his conversations with Ultear and Jellal. He smiled as he walked towards the three. "Well, isn't this a happy little family you have here?"
Jellal looked at Naruto for a moment before shaking his head. He couldn't say that but there was still something that was much to talk about it. The reason he had even gone as far as to come here with Meredy was because there was an issue that needed to be handled. "We have a situation," Jellal said in a serious tone.
Naruto looked towards Jellal. He wasn't pleased that the man was turning into serious matters at this time. He had been willing to have a light conversation with them. Well, it couldn't be helped. "What is?"
"Tartaros is killing former Magic Council members," Meredy said.
"I see," Naruto said.
"Is that all you can say?" Meredy asked calmly. "The situation is serious. If they are systematically killing all members of the Council, it means that they are after something. We suspect that they really just want something them," she said.
Naruto sat down and fixed Meredy a look and seemed to make her shrink behind Ultear. He smiled, amused by the situation. "Ah, you already have a child, dear," he said to Ultear. "Please tell her daddy, doesn't bite."
Ultear returned the smile. "I can't say that with confidence," she said.
"Your lack of faith in me wounds me," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "Well, this is indeed troubling. I didn't think they would be doing something like this. But this just means that those demons must be crushed. We shall show them no mercy."
"When you say crush, you say completely erase from existence, don't you?" Jellal said.
"Something like that," Naruto said. "I do seem to have a very low opinion of demons. Perhaps it is because there is the thought that they are never up to no good. Then again, even they think of humans as lowly fragile creatures. Well, we can't doubt that they are evil. The demons of Tartaros I mean."
"Are you saying there are other demons out there that are good?"
Naruto shook his head. "I wouldn't know," He said. "But it would not be shocking. If demons have the mind to think then they can fight against nature to do things differently. People learn to do good and evil. When you are born, you don't know what is good or bad. Nobody even expects you to understand what is wrong or right. But you are told, don't do this, do that. Demons in their nature will do bad things, but they know it is bad to humans; they just don't care because they don't see the value in human life. A demon that sees the value of human life will try to live as a human and will do right. Then what have you decided to do?"
"We have drawn up a list of former Magic Council members that we know and we are going to act separately to try to shield them. This will give us the opportunity to defeat their members," Jellal said.
"You could have also used yourselves as baits," Naruto said. "It doesn't matter anyway. As long as you are out there, you are going to do something. Legal guilds will see this and make a move to protect former Council members who are from their Guilds. You might likely come across them, but for now, you don't have to be concerned about the Magic Council…" he looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I might have to teach you teleportation magic," he added.
"Isn't that something that will take time as well?" Jellal asked.
"Most likely," Naruto said. "But you are not going to die tomorrow. It will be useful in the future for when I am no longer around you people. In case you need to escape or go out to help one of you, you'll need to be able to jump from distances to distances. I will work on something that will simplify the process."
"That will be good," Jellal said. "I think we are experienced enough that it shouldn't be impossible for us to learn. It isn't a form of magic anyway, but just a spell. So, it shouldn't cause any problems."
Naruto nodded. "I have assured the Wizard Saints that I will crush Tartaros. They will be looking at me now that things have come to this point. Jellal, you will be with me. You have the firepower to fight alongside me when we go out with a bang. The two of you can do as you like, but I would rather you are not close to me when I go out."
"Why?" Meredy asked curiously.
"Because all eyes will be on me and if it becomes known that you were around when it happened, I will be asked why I didn't do anything to apprehend you," Naruto said. "At this point, I don't need that kind of heat."
"Especially when you are trying to influence how the Council is reformed," Ultear said with a smile. "We can still move around without him…" Ultear said to Meredy.
Naruto nodded. "As long as you are not around me, you can move and do as you like." He said before standing up. "I will call Jellal, and perhaps if things change and there are no eyewitnesses close by, I will call you all. If it gets known, I will think of a reason to get out of the issue. Do you need anything else from me?"
"We need you to move us closer to the locations we need to go."
Naruto sighed. "I really need you to learn teleportation," he said.
Fairy Tail
When Gildarts walked into the Guild hall, his eyes scanned around for a moment before he walked towards Makarov. If possible, he wanted to speak to the old man before disappearing again before Naruto appears before him again. The old man directed him to a private space where they could talk without interruptions. He spoke first before Makarov could say anything.
"I just came across Naruto on my way," he said.
Makarov raised an eye brow. "What did he want?"
"Offered to nominate me for a position within the Wizard Saints," Gildarts said. "You didn't put him up to it, did you?"
Makarov shook his head. "I still failed to get you to become Guild Master," he said with a frown. "I still need you to reconsider this," he said seriously.
"Is this way you called me?"
"No," Makarov said. "There is a situation that has aroused and I need you to be around here. I need you. The Alvarez Empire is going to attack us. I have already shown you the Guild Secret. They know about it and they want its magic power for their own use. We can't let them have it and they are going to war with the whole of Ishgar to get it. But Fairy Tail will be their objective. I don't know when it will start but I will soon head out to the Empire to see if I can't change things. I don't know if I will return or not, but whether I return or not will not change that they will come. I need you to protect the Guild."
Gildarts stared at Makarov for a moment. He had done right coming back. This was indeed a serious matter. "Does Naruto know about this?"
Makarov nodded. "He does, but we cannot depend on him. I know you don't want to be Guild Master, but I need you to step up in my absence."
Royal Castle
Naruto threw himself on his couch and released a long sigh and closed his eyes. He had never been so tired in a long time. He always exhausted himself mentally with trying to understand complex magic, but he had never felt so sick of moving around. He really needed a long rest. There was much to do and he was just one person. The attacks on former Council members were another problem; Naruto really hoped that the Guilds would move quickly before it was too late. If they were able to move quickly, they would be able to handle the situation.
The problem with former Council members was that their details were never known by the public at large. It was likely that only a former member would know where the other member was living. He did wonder what Tartaros was thinking with its actions. He would visit its Guild headquarters and speak to its leader about this. If the demon needed to be spanked, Naruto would do so. He wasn't in a hurry to destroy the guild, but he would make a move soon.
"When are you going to acknowledge our presence?"
Naruto lifted his head and turned towards the side. He saw both Hisui and Aika sitting together. If possible, he would have liked to ignore both and step into blissful sleep. He was returning these days a bit tired. He really needed to get a handle on things. "I thought you would just disappear if I pretended that you weren't there."
"I'm wounded you'd think that," Hisui said walking towards him. She motioned for him to lift his head up a bit more before she settled down. Then allowed him to rest his head on her lap. Naruto smiled and faced Aika.
"I should come home tired just to get this treatment," he said with a smile.
"Home?" Hisui said. "This is the first time I hear you call this place home," she said with a warm smile on her lips.
Naruto was surprised with himself. He hadn't felt that word coming out of his lips. Was there a place that he could call home other than this place? Magnolia had been a pleasant place but he has spent most of his time in this world around this place. Yes, he could rest and do everything here. This was indeed home. He was welcomed here. He was appreciated here and he liked it. He wanted to protect this place because he loved it.
"Well, it is home, dear," Naruto said. "I am going to be living here for the foreseeable future." He turned towards Aika. "We shouldn't speak much about this since Aika is currently homeless."
The woman glared at him. "Don't look at me like that and say it as a joke when it is your fault that I am homeless."
Naruto shrugged carelessly. "Eh," he said. "Have you finished with the living arrangements? It will take some time before your place is finished. Something that will do well will have to be prepared for you."
"She will be living with me in my quarters," Hisui said. "But once things are handled in our part, she will have to move to another place. Perhaps in this place," she said.
Naruto knew Hisui was talking about their marriage. She was certainly looking at something a bit closer. Naruto would not ruin the mood by saying something that would not please her. It was fine if she wanted to be happy. It wasn't like he couldn't make things simple. But the problem with was that there was too much for him to deal with in this situation. He didn't want anything that would confuse things, something that would divide his attention in this difficult time where someone could die.
"That is at least something to work on," Naruto said.
"What happened today?" Aika asked. "It seems that the magical world is rather busy these days."
"I have started with the conversations regarding reforms in the magic Council. This has created the platform for the Wizard Saints to begin talking about the reforms. I will be forced to deal with things in that regard. I am also thinking about filling the empty seats with the Wizard Saints. There is also your problem and that former members of the Council are being hunted down and killed. I made an assurance to my colleagues that I would deal with Tartaros," Naruto said. "But the best part is something I was thinking about the next games we will hold," he said.
"How would that be the best part when you have those problems?" Aika asked curiously. Sometimes she thought that Naruto could be indifferent to the things that normal people would find it troubling. He wasn't a normal person, she knew that. Then again, he certainly knew how to play roles. He was indeed a kind person and no doubt would be able to make things work with Hisui.
"Those are problems," Naruto said. "Troubling things that can be handled. You need to think of things that will excite you in such times. You know, it lightens up the mood and relieves you of the burden that you carry because of the problems. The Magic Games make me smile because you get to see many things. It is exciting and I like it," he explained.
"What have you been thinking about?" Hisui asked. "I'm certain that it is something that will make sure we are able to gather more magic."
Naruto frowned. "You are ruining the surprise by saying something like that. Aren't I capable of thinking about the games without having such thoughts? You know I could think about it just for pure competition and not the whole process of gathering the excess magic for our side jobs."
"But when we talk about the games, that does come up," Hisui said.
Naruto sighed. "I'm not going to share my idea with you. I will talk to people from the Council about it," he said firmly. "There is another idea that I think will help the royal family and the Magic Council. Perhaps it will be good for everyone."
"What is?"
"You create Fiore's Ministry of Magic. I will try to get the Council to back it up. But this ministry will have an academy that is designed to teaching magic to aspiring mages. We will need to have various things that will make up the academy. I think if this is created, it helps both you and the Council. If you have a ministry of magic that is sponsored by the Magic Council, you are able to do research on things that the Council otherwise doesn't permit. With the academy, it is about training capable mages. The Council gains on this because it will get to pick mages who can join Rune Knights. The current Knights are weak, they can't do anything unless people just hand themselves over. The royal family will also be able to get sufficiently trained guards who will guard the castle."
He had thought of this thinking about the shinobi academy at the fact that the Council was easily destroyed because it didn't have powerful mages who work specifically for it and that was a problem. If the Council was going to be able to protect mages and ensure that magic was used fairly, it would need to have wizards who are capable of fighting.
"That is a great idea, Naruto," Hisui said with a smile. "We have always had problems with the Council, but if things happen this way, the royal family will be able to work well with the Council. It also means that Fiore will have a relationship with legal guilds operating within it. It will also be able to contribute to the development of magic."
"Only you will be excited by about this," Aika said with a shake of her head. "I see you are perfect for each other. But Naruto, aren't you are the one who is complaining about too much work?"
"This is after everything is done," Naruto said. "I still want to step away from the fighting and everything. But I will need something to do. What better way than to be involved in helping the next generation of mages?"
"Helping?" Aika snorted. "I think you meant brain washing future wizards to be your agents."
End of chapter
Update 2/4