Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. Anything I write in this story is purely from my thoughts

Chapter 9

Days were perfect as they spent their time in the town. Every day, the pair of wizards from Fairy Tail watched as the builders progressed through their construction. They were able to create a highway where magic mobiles and carriages could pass. In addition to that, some of the builders built a hiking trail for those who were more daring or adventurous.

Attacks came from the more daring of the assassins. Naruto and Lucy were able to neutralize them quickly and efficiently. It was here that Naruto was able to meet his partner's Celestial Spirits. He has got to say, he was impressed to see someone use this kind of magic before.

Lucy always made it a point to give him a smug look every time she took out one of the bad guys. She didn't know why the blonde was always excited to see different kinds of magic. Maybe he was really not from around here. Well, at least he was impressing the blonde who she knew was a lot stronger than her. It was weird though. She felt warm when Naruto gave her a compliment. I mean she did get compliments before, but somehow this was different.

As for Naruto's project for the town, the two sampled the local delicacies. Every day, they tried different kinds of foods from the available restaurants. Although, Naruto was bummed out that they didn't serve ramen, he still enjoyed the cooking. As a child, he never got to experience this time of cooking. He did grow up alone in his apartment after all. Don't get me wrong, playing Russian roulette with the cup ramen he would take to school was fun and exciting, but he still got jealous about how the other kids would brag about how their mother's cooking was better than the other's

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Lucy asked noticing that the blonde was staring at his food.

"Wha-What?" Naruto jumped as he heard his partner call out his name.

"You okay?" Lucy reiterated. "You're zoning out there."

"Ah ah, I'm okay!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "It's just the food here is amazing! Too bad they don't sell ramen."

"Right?" Lucy answered buying the other's lie. She sensed that wasn't it, but she didn't want to pry if he didn't feel like sharing. "I understand why the tourists keep coming back. It's not just because of the ambiance. "Speaking of ramen, did you have to buy so much instant ramen?"

"Yes!" Naruto declared with much passion that Lucy thought shouldn't be there. "They don't sell much ramen here! My hands are tied!"

"Hey! That diner in Hargeon Town had ramen in it!" Lucy reminded the blonde.

"It was a cheap knock off!" Naruto dramatically said. "It doesn't taste anywhere near as good as the ramen from back home!"

Lucy sighed. "You love your ramen, don't you?"

"You know it!" Naruto nodded.

The owner walked over to the table after coming from the kitchen. "I can't thank you again for doing this. This means a lot to our fair town."

"It's no problem at all," Lucy answered. "After all, we did promise to return the town to its former glory. Think of this as a stepping stone.

"Thank you very much," The owner bowed in gratitude, then straightened herself after. "We do apologize though. We don't have everything. To be honest, you are the first one's to look for ramen."

"It's alright," Lucy said. "It's a change of pace for you, right Naruto?"

"Ah, uh, yeah!" The ramen lover managed.

"If it's all the same to you, we could try adding ramen to our menu once we get back on our feet," The owner said.

"That would be awesome!" Naruto said.

With one more bow of gratitude to their only two customers, he took his leave and left the two with their food.

"I can't get over how great this food is~~," Lucy chirped as she took another bite of her food. "It's too bad we have to leave so soon."

"Awww," Naruto complained. "Do we really have to go home?"

Lucy chuckled. "Sadly, we have to. We have an apartment to return to. Besides the food's probably spoiled now…"

"We better get the most of that hot springs and the food then," Naruto suggested.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice," Lucy answered.

HARGEON PORT

"Excuse me," A white-haired wizard held out a rolled piece of brown paper in front of a busy fisherman. "I'd like to ask if you could take me to this destination?"

The fisherman looked up and narrowed his eyes at the request, "No way kid. I'm not getting near that place."

He returned to untangling the net on his boat.

"Why not?" The white-haired wizard asked like she was a child refused to be given a candy by her parents.

"Look kid," The fisherman turned to face the girl she was talking to. "I don't… Holy ****! You're the Mirajane Strauss. I can't believe I'm in the presence of the Mirajane Strauss."

"Well, yes," Mira gave out an awkward smile. "It is me in the flesh."

"Oh gosh! What do I do? I don't have my copy of Sorcerer Weekly with me!" The fisherman complained. "Of all the times that I didn't bring it. The Mirajane is here in my presence. Could you wait for me here so I could get them?"

"As much I'd like to," She lied. She had to admit she didn't like the attention she got from the fans given that a majority of them were married men who were twice her age or more. "I have a job to do and some guild mates I have to bring back." She said holding the flier back up.

The fisherman frowned. "Look kid. I don't know why you want to go there, but I'm not risking my life to go there even if you were the one who was asking. There are still a lot of fish in the sea that I have to catch if you know what I mean."

"I see," Mira tried for a smile despite her disappointment. "Thank you for the time anyway."

"That's the hundred and fourth one in the past two weeks," Mirajane told herself as she left again. "I can't believe after two weeks I still can't find someone willing to take me there. Is the assassin problem really that bad?"

She looked over to the horizon. "Please be okay guys."

END OF THE HIGHWAY, LAST DAY OF THE JOB

*Yawn*

Lucy let out a huge yawn as she watched the builders do their job. She was amazed by how fast they worked on the highway. Magic did do some wonderous things, especially this. Not to mention, there were the hordes of Narutos that were working on the bridge. She still couldn't wrap around the blonde's spell that made solid copies of himself.

Naruto walked up to her carrying a stack of lumber and asked, "What's wrong, Lucy? Something kept you up at night?"

"Idiot! Don't you remember what happened last night?" Lucy asked annoyed.

With the mention of a certain even that happened the night before, Naruto's face turned blood red getting flustered at the memory.

What happened you ask? Well…

*FLASHBACK*

Naruto exited the bathroom after a long shower. He was shirtless, only wearing pair of orange shorts and pair of slippers on his feet.

"Man, I will miss this once we get home," He said to no one in particular.

"Hmmm?" Naruto hummed as he noticed his partner writing something on the hotel room's study.

"Hey Lucy!" He walked up to his partner startling her. "What you writing?"

"Kyah!" Lucy jumped at the blonde's greeting. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "S-sorry, I can't help it!"

Then, he gained a curious look and asked. "Anyway, what are you working on?"

Lucy grabbed the papers and hid them behind her back. "I-it's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Naruto said coming from Lucy's back snatching the papers from her hands.

"No—" Lucy tried to steal back her paper from the taller blonder, but he held her away at arm's length.

Naruto read aloud a line from the piece of paper. "Hmmm, that character is so cool. He almost sounds like me."

Lucy blushed furiously as Naruto narrated what was written. In a desperate attempt to retrieve her belongings, Lucy pushed Naruto's arm away and jumped for the papers that Naruto held. "Give me that!"

The other blonde responded by holding the papers above his head. "Hey! Easy! You'll—"

Naruto didn't finish his sentence. Lucy jumped for the paper, but she didn't control her momentum and ran into her partner knocking him flat on his back. Gravity caused the girl to fall down to the ground face first onto Naruto.

There was a knock on the door.

"Hey Guys! Want to hit the dessert ba—"

Noah walked into the room only to catch Naruto and Lucy's lips pressed upon each other with both of their eyes open in surprise. And, due to the girl's struggling, the knot on her robe came undone revealing her supple breasts and her inner thighs pressing onto Naruto's skin.

Kaiza and Moriko walked in the room seconds. "Noah! What did I tell you about—"

Both of there mouths hang open at what they were seeing. The mother immediately moved hide her eyes from the scene that would destroy his innocence. Kaiza even had steam pumping out of his nostrils.

"S-sorry for intruding!" Moriko stammered and grabbed her son followed by the door and slammed it shot.

Kaiza raised his hand showing Naruto a thumbs up and ran after his wife and son.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" Lucy sputtered immediately scrambling to get back on her feet.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

Naruto blushed furiously at the thought of the last night's events. Technically, that wasn't his first kiss. He shuddered at the thought of the guy who stole his first kiss. Curse that idiot who caused it. To be fair to that shinobi though, it was Naruto's fault for getting up on Sasuke's desk and the guy just leaned back on his back rest not knowing he was there.

That thought aside though, this was his first kiss in his second life in a new world. Why does his first kisses always happen due to accidents? Is Kami messing with him or something? Who knows…?

Anyhow, last night's incidents returned to him.

As if to rub in salt to the wound, Tazuna walked by greeting the two. "Hey you too! Hope you aren't too sore from last night!"

The blushes on the two Fairy Tail Wizards deepened.

"I told you. It was not what you think!"

"It's not what you think, y'know!"

Naruto and Lucy yelled at the same time.

"Ah, young love!" Tazuna let out a hearty laugh and gave a sly smile. "It's okay I understand."

The two sent each other a passing glance. I don't know how it was possible, but their already deep blushes further intensified.

"We are not in love!"

"We are not in love, y'know!"

Once again, their words escaped their mouths at the same time. This only caused the builder laugh even more.

Tazuna gave them a knowing look, "Hmmm…After what happened last night, that's still what you say. Oh, give it time…"

"But—"

"Hey, Tazuna!" One of the other builders called out interrupting Lucy's protests. "Where's that lumber you're carrying."

"Be right there!" Tazuna yelled in response, then winked at the Fairy Tail Wizards. "I'll catch you two later. Got to get back to work"

LATER

A thick mist began flowing through the area out of nowhere.

"Mist? At this time of the year?" One of the workers wondered aloud.

'They're back,' Naruto thought as his eyes narrowed at the forming haze.

"Everybody down!" He ordered fearing for the worst.

"Naruto!" Lucy came in running looking for his partner. "It's them isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so," Naruto answered. "Get ready…"

The shinobi's hands began form the seals to blow away the fog, but he wasn't able to continue. He immediately dropped everything that he was doing and rushed to Lucy's location. Apparently, ice was forming in between Lucy and the builders. A black-haired wizard peeled out of the mirror of ice with a weapon drawn ready to cut down the Celestial Wizard.

A kunai clashed with the wizard's weapon neither of them giving an inch.

"Your senses are pretty sharp…" The wizard told the blonde.

Naruto smirked at his opponent's words, "You…Let me guess you're a boy…"

"Me?" The wizard frowned. Are you blind or are you simply an idiot?"

"Sorry, it's just you remind me of someone…" Naruto answered.

"You seem do be acting like you have the luxury to play like this," A familiar voice said through the mist. "Let's see. Can you fight her while protecting them?"

Naruto tried listening as hard as he could, but there was no sound. And then, out of nowhere the sound of screaming was heard through the mist.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed.

He raised his knee kicking and breaking the sheet of ice. The girl he was blocking returned to the sheet even before Naruto's knee could impact on her creation. She just disappeared into thin air. The only evidence of her presence here was the chunks of ice scattered.

He rushed to the source of the scream only to the find blood oozing from one of the builders and Kaiza kneeling over him trying to stop the bleeding.

"H-he just came out of nowhere," Kaiza said.

"Lucy, over here!" Naruto called out to her partner.

"I-I was almost," Lucy froze on the spot still not recovering from shock of almost being attacked from behind. She didn't even sense her presence. If not for Naruto… She didn't want to think of what would happen.

"Lucy!" Naruto called again. This time he went back to his partner.

"Are you okay?" She shook her free of her shock.

"N-naruto?" Lucy said recognizing who was in front of her. "I-I'm alright...thanks to you…"

The shinobi took her hand and led her to where the builders were. Normally, she would be embarrassed by this, but now wasn't the right time to do so.

"Stick together!" Naruto ordered. "Guard each other's backs!"

"Y-yes…" The builders managed despite their fear.

"He then looked to the mist and shouted, "Is hiding all you are good at?!"

The assassin's voice blared from nowhere in particular from within the mist. "I have to admit, those red eyes of yours really are amazing. You were able to match my movements perfectly. I won't be stupid enough as to show myself now."

Naruto grit his teeth. This wasn't good. He was going to pick them off one by one. If this goes on, there would be no one left to build the bridge.

"Naruto, behind you!" Kurama voice rang through his head as his senses flared up detecting where the next attack was coming from.

"I know!" Naruto rushed to cracking ice that was forming out of nowhere.

His fists impacted on the ice breaking it even before the ice wizard could form out of the ice. To his dismay, Lucy's scream pierced through the mist.

"Not again…" Naruto muttered under his breath as he disappeared in a flash.

Naruto appeared just as Lucy narrowly avoided the large blade from chopping her head off. He made for a grab at the assassin, but he retreated back and disappeared as the mist thickened around him.

"You can't fight and protect everyone!" He taunted.

"Just watch me!" Naruto challenged.

"He's right, Naruto…" Lucy looked down.

With his back still turned to her, he said, "Don't worry Lucy. I won't allow anyone to die." He turned to his partner. "I will protect everyone with my life."

NARUTO'S MINDSCAPE

"Oh, I've always wanted to say that!" Naruto cheered dancing around the meadows that made up his inner mind.

"Uh, Naruto...This is not a good time for that," Gyuki reminded him of the situation they were in.

"Besides, didn't you already say that in the war?" Isobu added.

"Your Jinchūriki really is something, huh Kurama," Chomei chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Kurama rolled his eyes.

With a loud sigh, his massive claw flicked Naruto to get his attention. "Are you done now?"

"Yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that…"

"Good, Now go! I've pinpointed his location,"

BACK IN THE REAL WORLD

His eyes opened after he was thrust back into the real world by his tailed beast. With the brand-new information in his mind, he made his move. Even in the gradually thickening mist he could tell where his two opponents are.

"How did you—"

The assassin was surprised as he was flung from his hiding spot on the bridge. Without missing a beat, Naruto inhaled sharply and blew a stream of air towards the assassin. Lucky for him, he was able to control the water to create a wall of water surrounding him to protect him from the attack.

"Nice try—"

Naruto really wasn't giving them time to breathe. This time the ice wizard was thrown towards the much larger assassin. The girl slammed into his chest making him skid back a few inches.

"Sorry, Sandayu-sama," The girl apologized.

"It's okay, Yuki. We didn't know he could locate us in the mist," The assassin, Sandayu, said his eyes not leaving the blonde. "It's best if we take out the wizards first before we complete the job."

"Understood, Master," Yuki nodded.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"

Lucy chanted as she slashed a golden key in the air making an imaginary cross shape. A golden circle appeared in front of her and an extremely tall and muscular humanoid with features reminiscent of a bull shimmered into existence in a golden light. His body was covered in a black and white pattern like a Holstein Cattle with his head more massive than the lower one. His head is bovine in shape, with small elongated ears jutting outward from the sides of his head and a pair of horns. He had dark eyes and a flat nose that bore a large golden ring. On his muscular chest were six teats, two on his pectorals and four on his upper abdominals. On his hind area, there was a tail sprouting from his back, ending in a small dark tuft.

He was bare for the most part, only wearing a pair of swimming briefs held up by a red studded belt with a circular, thin, golden metal buckle with tow curved protrusions jutting upward. He wore simple dark boots with lighter upper edges consisting of three lines circling his neck and a red belt circling his neck wherein a golden cowbell was attached. His forearms were wrapped in bandages, and brown fingerless gloves covered his hands. Finally, crossing his chest diagonally and passing over his right shoulder is a large plain dark belt closed by a simple buckle that attaches a massive axe attached to his back.

'Thank you, Naruto…' Lucy thought. 'I can fight knowing that you always have my back…'

"Luuuuucy-san! Your body always makes me mooooove!" The bull spirit mooed as soon as he shimmered into existence ruining the moment.

"We can talk about that later!" Lucy ordered. "Get them!"

"With pleasuuuure!" Taurus roared as he charged towards the assassin duo.

He raised his weapon as he dashed towards his opponents. He slammed it with all his might hearing a loud crack on the impact. Fortunately for the girl, she was able to raise up a defense of solid ice to block the strike.

The girl was not at all fazed by the bull man's attack despite him cracking her normally durable defense. "Master," She said. "I will take care of the girl."

"That I will," Sandayu answered hefting his blade ready to slice his opponent into pieces.

LUCY VS YUKI

"I will finish you off for the sake of Sandayu-sama," Yuki declared as she formed ice shards around her.

"You will not get past me! I will protect them!" Lucy declared with the same ferocity as she gripped the axe shaped key in her hand. "Taurus! Work with me!"

The ice wizard flung the ice shards towards the blonde. The cow spirit slid in front of her master easily breaking each with his trusty axe.

Taurus looked over at the Celestial Wizard checking if she was okay. And indeed, she was. He turned back to his opponent and once again raised his blade.

"Taurus, don't let up!" Lucy cheered.

He swung his blade in a downward slash. Ice, once again formed at her to defend from the heavy blade, but she didn't expect the cow to adjust his grip and changed his attack to a horizontal sweep. Shards of ice formed at her side in attempt to block the attack again, but she wasn't prepared enough for this one. The ice broke and the blade narrowly missed her as she summersaulted backwards to avoid being cut in half.

"Who's defending now?" Lucy taunted.

The girl only gritted her teeth. She didn't want to risk getting riled up, lest she gets riled up and make rash decisions. This is a fight she cannot lose.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Lucy pressed further. "Taurus, finish her!"

"Mooo!" Taurus roared/mooed.

"It's not as easy as you think," Yuki slammed a fist on his open palm and ice formed around her fists in the form of a blade.

She dashed forward meeting the cows charge and thrust her bade forward. The cow an who was several sizes bigger than the girl was nimble enough to avoid the ice blade and slashed the massive axe in retaliation.

The smaller girl jumped on the axe and flipped over the cow spirt and stabbed ice blade on the backside of the cow causing him to howl in pain.

"Tauruuus! Nooo!" Lucy wailed running to her spirit's aid.

"Stay back, Luuuucy!" Taurus stopped her. "I'm fine!"

The said bull man swung backwards rotating his upper body to hit the girl that was behind his person…no, that's not right Cow? …nah! Let's stick with person.

He twisted his body to reach the girl that was behind him, but she managed to slide under the blade avoiding the axe. She jumped this time avoiding a whip that snapped at her coming from the celestial wizard.

Taurus turned. He saw the girl in the air. He saw this as an opportunity and cocked his fist back ready for an attack. Lucy, seeing the same opportunity, retracted the whip as fast as she could and sent the sent her whip back into another attack.

'Shit!' Yuki cursed as both attacks converged on her.

As Yuki was in the air, she raised her feet to avoid the whip, but she couldn't avoid the bull man's fist. In an attempt to block the attack, she crossed her arms in front of her and gathered ice as a second layer of protection from the heavy strike.

CRACK

The fist collided with her arm and cracked the coating that wasn't fully formed around her back. She was sent flying backwards and her back impacted on the bridge's wall cracking the concrete behind her.

She fell down to her knees and coughed out a wad of blood.

"Yes! It hit!" Lucy pumped her fist into the air. "Nice job Taurus!"

"Does that mean you'll give me a smooooch?" Taurus said slightly nudging the Celestial Wizard with his hips.

"Nope!" Lucy shot down the request.

"Come on! Just one smooooch!" Taurus was relentless with his begging for a kiss. He continued nudging the blonde until he disappeared in a golden flash.

"Oh, I guess the time's up," Lucy said. "Take care then Taurus. You deserve it!"

*cough*

Lucy turned to the source of the sound and saw that the girl was now on her feet and struggling to get to her feet. She gripped another one of her keys ready to summon her next spirit.

"Stop," Yuki said. "It's okay…I won't fight anymore…"

"Eh?" Lucy said in confusion at her opponent's words. Was she hearing things? Was this a trick for her to let her guard down? She couldn't be sure. She lowered her hands, but she kept the key in her arm just in case.

"What did you say?" she clarified.

"I said I won't fight anymore…" Yuki said

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"Because I am allowing you to finish me off,"

A/N: Hey! I do hope you guys are fine. Just a heads up for this Author's Note…I think I have to take a break from writing for a while for the sake of mental health… Don't get me wrong. I love writing. It's just that low self esteem + badmouthing guest reviews is not a good combination. It's just every day, I live in fear that I would get notified on my email about a review with all flames. Makes me feel like I'm shit.

So, yeah…I'll see you later!