Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Fairy Tail and any other manga/anime that appears in this fanfic. If I did, there would be more kick-ass Kunoichi throughout the Naruto story.

Chapter 11: A Storm Approaches…

"Oryaaahh!"

Naruto avoided Elfman's straight punch, throwing himself backwards against the ground. The huge black furred arm of his 'student' sailed through the empty space he had been previously occupying with much greater speed than Elfman used to display, an indication of his growth under Naruto's tutelage.

"Not bad," he spoke. Slapping his hands to the ground, Naruto stopped his fall and struck with a vicious reverse cartwheel kick right on Elfman's chin. Elfman's momentum was broken, leaving him disoriented and suspended in midair; one of the worst possible positions to be in when facing someone of Naruto's caliber. "But not good enough!" A second kick slammed into Elfman's gut and propelled him away a good three meters, spittle and blood droplets forced out of his mouth and in the air.

With a crash, the disciple barreled into the vegetation that surrounded their training grounds, leaving skid marks that tore at his clothing. Gritting his teeth, Elfman focused and managed to half-hop, half-backflip unto his feet with the help of a 'Beast Leg: Black Bull' spell. "I'm not done yet, Naruto-sensei!" He roared.

Naruto hopped unto his feet as well, readying himself for the next wave. "Show me then! Come on, lets see your fruits of training!"

Wasting no time at all, Elfman clasped his hands together in the Monkey seal and concentrated. The seal helped him in his meditation and when he gathered magic energy for his spells but, overall, was unnecessary. Whilst it did help him focus better, it didn't mean that he couldn't do so without it; deception gave people edges in fights and he refused to make all of his skills known to his enemies. "Take-Over Ultimate Technique: Partial Beast God!"

A large magic circle burst into existence in front of him, rolling off yellow tinted energy in waves that, had Makarov been there, would have shocked the Guild Master. Anyone sensitive to the energy levels being released would be flabbergasted if they compared it to Elfman's previous magic capacity. It wasn't just 'a bit bigger'; it was almost like he was a completely different person! His new magic levels had swelled beyond what even he had expected; at the moment, his capacity rivaled that of his eldest sister in her Take-Over form, something that very few people could boast of within the Guild.

"Rrrrraaaaarrrgghh!" As Elfman's shout grew deeper and more bestial, his body was also undergoing several changes. His upper torso was expanding rapidly, growing bulkier as the transformation continued. His legs were steadily bulking up, taking on the appearance of a feline. Judging by the large paws that were forming in place of his feet, it seemed like those of big cats. His spiky hair thickened and surge outwards, forming a mane around his head. His skin tone lightened substantially and red fur began to grow to cover his torso.

Within a half-minute, the transformation was complete. Elfman stood at his original height, albeit a few inches taller than before, and his new form revealed in the aftermath. Its body structure was that of the beast Elfman had gotten from their disastrous first job request but there were a few stark differences. For one, his feet were made from that of his Weretiger; that is, they retained their feline look. His body was almost completely covered up in scales, a feature of his recently successful Lizardman Take-Over, whilst his arms were composed of stone. His eyes glowed in the dust clouds. All in all, he cut quite the imposing figure.

Naruto sighed, his hair fluttering in the breeze. 'He still needs to work on the speed of his transformation…sixteen seconds might be acceptable in Earthland, but there is always the possibility of meeting someone with serious speed.' "Not bad Elfman! That is, if I was a tortoise!" He called out haughtily, testing Elfman's anger. A low growl rumbled from the transformed mage, earning a hidden smirk from Naruto. "Now that you're done, let's see your hand-to-hand skills." He relaxed his stance and reached into his weapon pouch, nostalgia growing stronger as his fingers brushed against the pages of a book.

He paused briefly before pulling it out, revealing it to be the latest edition of his Bingo Book collection. It was something he had started compiling about half a year before he left the Elemental Nations; with so many memories of several different Shinobi in his head, he tended to forget a number of jutsu. To prevent this, he collected Bingo Books to gain more insight on those that constituted his body as well as review the jutsu he couldn't recall.

Elfman, who had been charging towards his sensei, skidded to a stop as he saw Naruto engrossed in a book with himself wide open. Without another thought, he leaped towards him and cocked his left arm back for an elbow slam. Whereas before he would have tried to rouse Naruto back to taking him seriously, he now learned to take any advantage given to him by his opponents. It wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to win (according to Naruto).

Of course, it would be unrealistic for Elfman to assume that Naruto was done for. After the first three months, Elfman had come to the realization that Naruto was never caught off guard in combat; all the times he had sparred with the blond, the only times he landed an attack was when Naruto let him do it. It was still hard for Elfman to see just how Naruto kept his composure and always manage to block, parry or counter each move he dished out.

As expected, Naruto's right hand, the one which was not holding the book, grabbed the incoming limb with the swiftness of a cobra. Due to Elfman's new bulky figure, he was only capable of throwing his left leg towards Naruto in the hopes of at least nicking him.

No such luck.

This time, Naruto's right leg was lifted and blocked the larger feline leg. With his hand still clasped around Elfman's elbow, he attacked. 'Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor).' Blue lightning surged through his body, filling him with more strength and power than he usually had. The lightning streaked from his fingers through Elfman, zapping him with more than enough volts to send him spasming violently.

A finger flick to his chest ended the young Straus' pain, though it sent him careening towards the opposite end of the training area. As Naruto turned the page of his book, he mentally reviewed Elfman's improvements. 'He's gotten at least twice as fast as he was before, something that will greatly benefit his agility if he keeps practicing.' A roar reached his ears and he continuously sidestepped to avoid the barrage of Elfman's fists. 'As expected, since he focused most on the force of his punches, his brute strength has increased and is quickly approaching the 'superhuman' level.' He ducked underneath a clawed hand and nonchalantly struck Elfman in the face. 'Pain tolerance is his most defining aspect; he can take damage on the level of an experienced Chunin, possibly that of a Jonin should he put his mind to it. Overall, he's coming along nicely as a close combat fighter. However…'

Like a switch being flipped, Elfman transformed back to his base form in a shower of light, signifying the end of his spell. He sank to the floor, taking deep pants to relieve his exhaustion. "Haah…haah…that was…much better…than the first few times…" he grounded out, pulling himself to a sitting position.

Naruto nodded in agreement as he flipped the pages once again. "Yes, your new spell has become much smoother than the first few times you tried it. Are you feeling any effects from it?"

Elfman shook his head. "No, I'm feeling alright; there aren't any pains like the last time." Deep within, Elfman was ecstatic with the progress of his new spell. As its name suggested, it was a fusion of all the monsters that he had used his magic on, a perfect blend of human intelligence, animal grace and demonic strength.

"That's good to hear." Snapping his book shut, Naruto crossed his arms and turned to face his student with a frown. "However, there are some weaknesses that need to be addressed. First of all, the duration which you can maintain the spell is only ten minutes, something we need to work on improving. As a spell that affects your body, the best thing to do would be to increase your stamina and understanding of the spell to fight longer battles as well as reduce the amount of magic energy you use whilst in that form."

Elfman retrieved a notebook from somewhere in his clothes, which remarkably remained intact throughout the ordeal, and began to jot down the points Naruto had raised. "Yes, please go on."

"Secondly, the beasts you selected for the spell contradict with each other; for example, 'The Beast' is all about brute force whilst your Weretiger is more designed for speed. Your form, whilst ideally feasible, is just not applicable in battle against nimble opponents. Fortunately for you, I have a solution…which I'll tell you tomorrow." The groan he heard made him chuckle softly.

"Oh come on! The S-Class trials start tomorrow; you'll be super busy once it starts! Real men take any opportunity given to them!"

"Ara, ara. Someone seems lively today. Next item of the day: a review of your dodging skills." He eye-smiled. 'Baa-chan, I've never been more glad to find out your inner sadistic side…Elfman and Lisanna will surely benefit from this, though I'm sure they'll be damning me to hell through it. Oh well.'

That day, Elfman gained a healthy respect for all types of sport balls…the damage they could do in the hands of a skilled fighter was nothing to sniff at.

-Time skip: Uzumaki Residence-

Setsuna hummed a tuneless song to herself as she stirred the cooking pot. Tonight, she was making dinner for them both, something that she had reluctantly conceded to Naruto. Instead of her attending to all the house chores, as she had wanted since she was his servant, Naruto had drawn up a schedule that split them between the both of them, with rotating shifts as well. They had discussed it for a period of time, with Naruto convincing her that just because she was his servant didn't mean he was going to dump all his responsibilities on her.

Eventually accepting the proposal, Setsuna had settled into their current routine fairly well. Setting the heat to a simmer, she perked up at the sound of the doors opening. Anticipation bubbled within her, a light blush settling on her face. Would he like her surprise? Kurame had insisted he would be all over her if she did it, but she was so nervous! It was so out of character for her that she had briefly considered abandoning her plan but her desire, for once, had spurned her forwards. "I'm home!"

She patted her cheeks, getting some control over herself. "Welcome home!" Now was the moment of truth! Kaa-san had showed her how to get his attention and she was going to go through with it! In her seal, Kurame settled into one of the chairs in the room she was in and grabbed some popcorn to prepare for the upcoming show. Lying by her side was also a dildo, which she had crafted in the likeness of her future mate's organ, just in case things got a little hot and heavy and she ended up getting horny. "You can do it, Setsuna-chan! Show those mage hussies that you are Alpha female!"

Naruto ambled into the kitchen, about to ask what Setsuna was making for dinner, only to stop and stare at the Uchiha. Or rather, her choice of clothing; a simple apron, which did nothing to hide her womanly figure. On the contrary, they seemed to enhance them; it didn't help that it was in the evening, when males are more sexually active than in the day. "Ano…what message are you trying to send?" He questioned, slowly nearing his friend.

She almost turned cherry-red as Kurame began feeding her more lines to say. "Naruto-sama…please grant this Uchiha's wish." Leaning against the table, she lifted her left leg and laid it on the surface, making it pretty clear what she wanted him to do to her. She arched her back, enhancing her bust, which was straining against the apron and looked like it would burst out soon. "Please take my virginity once again…" She finished with that damnable seductive look she had mastered from her Bijuu, a look that very few people could completely resist.

Stopping right before her, Naruto wondered why she was being so bold today. She wasn't going through her period, otherwise he would have caught the scent of blood, and she was immune to possession, one of the many perks of having Kurame sealed in her. "Setsuna," he began to trace patterns on her thighs, stimulating her with his clawed digits. "Is something bothering you? You know you can always tell me what bothers you."

Her breath hitched when he run his fingers dangerously close to her inner thigh. "I…" she faltered when he knelt down and removed his mask. His tongue stretched out and made contact with her smooth skin, making her jerk in surprise. 'Oh, Kami-sama!' She swallowed and shuddered again as his tongue trailed a path over her lower body, his cool muscle sending tingles through her hot body.

"I…I want Naruto-sama," she gasped out whiles steadying herself with her arms, the heat within her pooling at her loins and chest. "Ooohhh!" She moaned breathily as his hands joined in his ministrations, palming her firm and sexy ass. Unknown to most people, Kurame had a sensitive behind and that trait had passed down to Setsuna due to the circumstances of her sealing. "Na-Naruto-sama…"

"I see. What a cruel master I have been, to not see your distress. Allow this cruel master to relieve you of your stress…" Lifting the front of the apron, Naruto could see the dampness of Setsuna's virgin white panties. Deciding to tease her a bit more, he placed several kisses along her loins yet not on her womanhood, which made her all the more wanton with lust. She tried bucking her hips, desperate for Naruto to dive into her core, but a sudden growl from her lover stopped her.

Whimpers broke from her as she forced herself to stay still whilst Naruto lavished attention on her body. A gasp flew from her mouth, unbidden, as Naruto grabbed her underwear with his teeth and slowly pulled them off. In doing so, he saw Setsuna's smoothly shaven crotch and languidly began to pump his fingers into her pussy. Spitting her underwear out of his mouth, he rose from his position and shifted the apron top aside to reveal her large breasts, which bobbed with every jerk she made.

Despite being large, possibly the largest of their generation in the Guild if Naruto had to estimate, they did not sag; they stood, perky and unaffected by gravity like proud mountains. Her nipples were inverted as well, inviting Naruto's mouth to feast upon them.

Lunging towards her breasts, he greedily sucked on her left boob whilst his left hand grabbed her right one. His tongue rolled over her mound, coaxing her nipple out with ease. He was getting aroused by this but held himself back for a little longer; Setsuna's pleasure came first. For the next twenty minutes, Naruto worked Setsuna's body to the brink of orgasming, slowly granting her little climaxes that only served to stoke her craving for the real thing. "Naruto-sama…please! Fill me with your cock! I can't take this much longer!"

With the explicit announcement, Naruto pulled down his pants to reveal his tool. At the age of thirteen, going on fourteen in the next two weeks, he was at a respectable length of 4 and a half inches. He rubbed his cock at the entrance of her pussy, growing stiffer with arousal. "Where do you want it?" He growled, his lust deepening his voice.

"Both of them! Make me yours once more!" She cried out, tears glistening in her eyes as he continued rubbing against her. She was so close! She needed him in her!

"As you wish, my Black Raven." Positioning himself, he ensnared her lips with his own and thrust into her, breaking through her hymen in one shot. He could feel her stiffen momentarily in pain, a few tears running down her face as she dealt with it. He stayed as still as possible, giving her the time she needed to adjust herself to the sensation. His hands weren't idle; they rubbed her breasts, giving her as much pleasure as he could to stave her mind off the pain.

After a minute, Setsuna wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in deeper. Taking it as his cue to continue, Naruto fully laid himself on her, the sensation of her hardened nipples running across his clothed chest driving him crazy. He withdrew half of his length out and thrust it back in, taking some pride in the moans Setsuna made. And why shouldn't he? He was the only one she would consider as a mate, and he was the only one who had ever been intimate with her. All her previous masters had lacked something that drew her in, that made her feel as special as Naruto did.

His thrusting continued, growing faster and harder with each passing minute. "Fuck! You're so tight!" He moaned as he pounded her with more intensity.

Setsuna whimpered more and more as she felt the climax she sought approaching. "Naruto-sama! I'm going to cum!"

He grunted, his thrusts growing more erratic as he also neared his climax. "Fuck, me too!"

Setsuna came first, her body arching as she let out a soundless scream of pleasure, her biggest (and first, if you wanna get technical about it) orgasm blowing her mind away. Her pussy contracted around Naruto's cock, trying to milk his cum into her womb.

Naruto was able to continue for another five minutes before he also climaxed, his cum pouring into Setsuna I great spurts. They remained in their position for a while longer, basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, when Setsuna remembered her dish. Tired from their fuck session yet determined to check on the food status, she lifted her head and peered into the pot.

She breathed a relieved sigh as she saw that the stew hadn't been ruined; it was possibly overcooked, but nowhere near ruined. She squeaked as she felt Naruto's member twitch and pull out, only to begin rubbing at her back entrance. Turning to face him, his smile and smoldering eyes made her pull him in even more with her legs, the heat within her beginning to grow once more. "Ready for round two, Setsuna?"

In the end, they didn't have any dinner. Did they mind? Not one bit.

-The Next Day, Fairy Tail-

Mirajane raised a brow at her new rival. Setsuna seemed to glow in the room and she had a satisfied air about her that made her curious. After observing her for a few more minutes, she shook her head and looked back at the Master, who was standing on the second floor and looking towards the members. "Alright, you brats! Those who were chosen to enter the S-Class trials will be announced! For those that didn't make it, I encourage you to use it as a drive to do better next year!"

Coughing to get their attention, Makarov removed a slip of parchment from his sleeves and opened it. "The contestants are as follows: Erza Scarlet!" The crowd let out a huge cheer as the armored mage stepped forward, determination shining from her eyes. She marched up towards the second floor, joining Makarov at his position. When she met Mirajane's eye, she let a smug expression appear on her face.

"Mirajane Strauss!" As quick as it came, the smug look was wiped off and replaced with an irritated one whilst Mirajane just sauntered towards the second floor. As she reached the stairs, she turned to look back towards Setsuna. "See you at the top, Setsuna." She grinned before heading towards her fellow contestant.

"Laxus Dreyar!" Many people fell silent in shock; Laxus was here? The crowd turned about, searching for the 'prodigal son' when a disembodied voice was heard.

"What's the matter? You guys all look like you didn't expect me to advance in rank." A bolt of lightning blasted through the Guild, landing on the second floor with quickness that caught Setsuna's eye. When the bolt dissipated, Laxus was revealed. He was a very tall and muscular teen with blue-grey eyes. His hair was slicked back, its numerous spiky strands pointing backwards, though some of it fell down on his forehead. He had a distinctive lightning bolt-shaped scar on his right eye, and much like his grandfather, sported dark lines circling his eyes, with each of them possessing a single, prominent eyelash jutting outwards. He donned an orange tunic with spots reminiscent of a leopard's on the shoulders and sides, with dark-lined sleeves reaching down below his elbows, and fur on the lower edges. He sported a bright red cape, tied on the front with a garish knot, which bore a large, lighter Fairy Tail symbol on the back, and loose, baggy dark pants tucked inside light metal greaves. Around his waist was a simple belt to which he attached the device linked to his Magic Headphones. He also had a small chain tied around his right wrist.

Naruto watched him wrap an arm around Mirajane with self-satisfied smile and narrowed his eyes. Mirajane was upset, that was as plain as day but Laxus wasn't paying attention to that.

"Setsuna Uchiha!" More cheering was made as the Uchiha heiress climbed up the stairs, her regal air making her movements appear even more graceful than ever.

"Cana Alberona!" Cana gulped and rose from her seat unsteadily. As she passed by Naruto, he gave her a thumbs-up, lifting her spirits a little.

"And the last candidate: Naruto Uzumaki!" A second later, Naruto was on the second floor, appearing in a gust of wind between Laxus and Mirajane.

Dragging Mirajane out of Laxus' embrace, Naruto narrowed his eyes at the grandson of Makarov. From his earlier display, it was safe to assume that he used Lightning Magic, though Naruto made a note to watch out for any other Magic Laxus had up his sleeve. "Hey Mira. Is he bothering you?" He asked, intentionally wrapping her in a protective embrace with her back towards him.

He had seen the way Laxus looked at Mirajane; he looked at her like she was his to have, like she was 'destined' to be with him. At the moment, Naruto wanted to see what Laxus could do and what better way to do so than to goad him into attacking?

Mirajane was a second away from shoving Naruto away before an idea made itself known in her head. She leaned into his embrace, shooting a pleased look right at Laxus, who watched her in surprise. "Yeah, but don't worry about it, Naruto-kun." The emphasis and intimate way she spoke his name let all those who heard be on guard. Laxus was dangerously obsessed with Mirajane, something that most people didn't understand how it happened. Was he a masochist or something?

Laxus scowled at their interaction. Just who did this newbie punk think he was? "Who the hell are you and what're you doing with my girl?"

Naruto bristled at that, something the girls were quick to catch unto. "If you didn't hear the Master announce my name, then I'd hate to see your sorry ass when you turn senile. And for the record…," K.I began to emanate from the shorter blond in the form of a dark aura and slammed into Laxus with the force of a raging bull. "Mira-chan isn't some kind of property; she belongs to no one."

Lightning began to crackle around Laxus' right arm. "Why you little…" he growled.

"Enough, you two." Makarov chided. "Save the antagonizing for the first trial: the trial of battle prowess!"

-Era-

The Magic Council was the ruling body of the world of Magic. It possessed almost utmost control over the Magic world, acting as a leading government of sorts. The Council ruled all of the legal Guilds scattered throughout the lands, overseeing them and keeping them in check, and they were also responsible for the events caused by Mages. They possessed the right to punish Mages who break the law and to confiscate magical artifacts that could potentially cause large-scale damage.

The Magic Council is composed of ten members at a time, or, to be more accurate, nine "seats", going from 2nd to 10th. The 1st seat was occupied by the Chairman, effectively the leader of the entire Council, who took the final decisions on every matter.

At the moment, all members had gathered for one purpose: the assessment of Fairy Tail's rising star, Uzumaki Naruto. The report they had received from Makarov had raised more than an eyebrow; a boy, no older than 13, had magic that was capable of taming wild beasts into docile creatures? Even legendary dragons?

There had been a furious debate regarding the boy; were they going to remove him from the Guild and conscript him into the Royal Army or should he be left in the hands of Makarov? After three days of nonstop bickering, the Chairman finally voiced his decision.

They would wait for the boy to grow within the Fairy Tail Guild before any further action was taken. If he was deemed sufficiently matured, they would act to bring him into their grasp.

At the moment, the Council members were convened around a large circular table, complete with chairs for them to sit on. A huge video Lacrima was levitating in the center of the table, giving all the members a perfect view of it. With the Lacrima, as well as permission from Makarov, the Council members would be able to watch the first two trials from their headquarters. The first member, starting from the right in a clockwise fashion, was a tall old man with a large gray beard and mustache. He had pointy ears and had a habit of only opening on eye. He wore many layers of robes, like the other Magic Council members did. On his head, a small bat-like creature could be seen. His name was Org, the Sage of the Magic Council. "So, the S-Class trials are finally underway. Now we'll see this boy Makarov kept tooting about." He stated gruffly.

"Indeed; it will be interesting to see for skilled he is." The speaker, who sat beside Org, was a short old man with brown hair and mustache. His tufts of hair resembled ears and what appeared to be a light-yellow tail gave him a cat-like appearance. Like all the others, he wore many layers of robes. His name was Michello.

Another member snorted. "I doubt that anything the teenager will display is of any importance. For all we know, his "magic" could be the weakest of those Fairies." His voice was noticeably younger than that of the others, like that of someone going through the final stages of puberty. He was young, around the age of sixteen, and his most prominent features were his blue hair and strange reddish marking/tattoo under and above his right eye. He was dressed in elegant yet simple robes; consisting of a long white tunic with black stripes across the edges and on the upper part of the arms, a decorated collar, large straps connected to decorated buckles closing the inducement on the front over a dark shirt, and matching pants and shoes. He also sported a ring on his right hand's middle finger (telling people to fuck off with style) and the medallion attesting his status as a member of the Ten Wizard Saints around his neck, hidden by his jacket's collar. His name was Siegrain.

A female giggled, a large crystal lacrima being rolled between her hands. "Ara, ara. Siegrain-sama, it's not nice to underestimate someone, especially one praised by the Guild Master." She was even younger than Siegrain, most likely around the age of fourteen. She was pale-skinned with dark purple hair and brown eyes. Her outfit was a simple white yet revealing dress, sporting a stripped pattern. Her name was Ultear Milkovich.

The person sitting next to her was a tall elderly woman. She wore a cloak like her fellow Council members and had on a purple turtle-neck. Her most noticeable trait was her long nose, which gave her more of a witch-like appearance. She had sandy blond hair, which she had tied up into a large ponytail. She was Belno. "I agree with Siegrain; apart from that Lost Magic of his, why should we expect anything extraordinary from the adolescent?"

The next Council member was a small old man with thick flesh-colored eyebrows and a small toothbrush mustache that reached halfway to his mouth. He wore a brown long sleeve shirt with black vertical stripes and a black three-spiked hat. "Come now, Belno. Makarov may be old, but his standards are nothing to scoff at."

The last of the gathered members was a tall middle-aged man, who wore small, round, dark shaded glasses. He wore a white and blue Magic Council cloak, always with the hood up. He had large thin lips and tan skin, with black hair and huge sideburns that almost hit his lips. On his chin were small chin hairs. He also had small eyebrows that pointed down, making him look angry and serious all the time. "The first trial is about to begin, Yajima. It should be quite the display; I heard that Makarov's grandkid will be in the exam."

Ultear made an exaggerated sigh, her hands still playing with her Lacrima. "I wonder what he looks like. Makarov-san gave us no description of Uzumaki-san." A mischievous smile flashed on her face. "Maybe he'll be a cutie…"

Org arched a brow. "Wouldn't it be obvious? They're starting with the trial of battle might; each pair of contestants will fight at a given time with their names being called out. Unless he cracks under the pressure and withdraws, I don't see how we are going to miss him."

-Fairy Tail Exam Grounds-

"Alright everyone," Makarov called out, catching the attention of every participating contestant. They were currently in a warded tent, away from the stands in which the other Fairy Tail members were cheering and placing bets. "We're going to be starting in the next five minutes. In this trial, your objective is to defeat your opponent and show your combat prowess." His eyes shifted to Laxus as he spoke his next words. "No serious maiming is allowed; no life-threatening attacks should be used. Bones can be broken, but attacks that seriously affect the health and career of contestants are strictly forbidden."

Naruto frowned. There went his plan of ending Laxus' career via broken spine; Gaara got to do it to those he didn't like when he was a Genin so why couldn't he do it?! 'The price to pay for joining a legal Guild, I guess.'

A cough from Makarov snapped him back to attention. "The first pair to duke it out will be Erza Scarlet and Setsuna Uchiha." Both girls looked at each other, the former doing so with eagerness and competitive determination while the latter just analyzed her target with a blank face. "When the bell chimes, the expected individuals should make their way to the stage. Good luck to you all." With his piece said, Makarov left them in silence.

Laxus smirked and crossed his arms. "Heh, this'll be a cinch. I'll blast them all away with my power, right Mira?" He turned, expecting to see her drifting closer to him, only to snarl as he saw that damn boy from before talking to her and that brunette weakling. "Hey, bastard! Quit acting so chummy with her!"

Mirajane blinked in surprise as Naruto stopped talking and glared at Laxus. With his perpetual mask hiding his lower face, she couldn't see his full expression but she could tell that he was annoyed. "Are you a jealous child or just retarded? If Mira-chan wants to talk to me, who are you to tell me to stay away from her?"

Laxus flushed an angry red, his fist clenching in anger as Mirajane gave him a disappointed look. What had happened during the time he had been away training the Thunder God Tribe? Sure there had been some friction between them after their last fight, but he thought things would've gone on as they would have!

Was it because of that new guy? Did he seduce Mira away from him, her boyfriend? The more he thought about it, the more likely his theory became and he leveled a hate-filled glare at Naruto. 'I swear I'll get rid of you someday, Uzumaki. Mira belongs to me! Not you! Me!'

-Exam Grounds-

On the stage, which was a large spread of land and served as the battlefield, Setsuna stared at her armor-clad friend with a smile. "Isn't this an unlucky match-up for you, Erza-san?"

Erza said nothing, but her eyes twitched slightly. She had barely won a few of their bouts and the times she won were formed by a combination of luck, surprise tactics and Setsuna's lack of enthusiasm. Oh, she had improved alright but her growth was not so drastic that she could defeat her friend. "Perhaps we should start the match and find out just how it plays out."

"Yes…perhaps we should."

The proctor for the match, who was ironically the Strauss male, decided to not waste any time. "Battle between Setsuna Uchiha and Erza Scarlet…begin!"

A/N: This seems like a good place to stop; swordfights have never been my thing and starting Naruto's match right off the bat was unappealing to me.

Unfortunately, my muse is being a bitch; I was doing so well writing the next chapter for Primordial Transcendent when my rhythm just got cut. I don't know how that happened, but it made writing the rest of it a pain. As such, I turned to this to work on. Don't worry, I'll update my other stories before I work on this fic's next chapter.

Just to let you know, Gildarts appears in the next chapter as well as the Thunder God Tribe. You also get to see Naruto's secret second student next time as well. Hopefully what I decided to give her will make sense and appeal to you guys; I mean, he had only six months to work on them before the S-Class business came up.

Elfman's growing strength does not mean that he will be winning more of his fights; he just has a higher physical chance of beating his enemies. Mentally? Still needs more than a few lessons to properly get to that badass level I want him to be.

Can anyone help me out with swordplay scenes? Any ideas, tips or advice will be much appreciated.

After much consideration, I have decided to go SoulReaperCrew's way. That is, canon WILL start by chapter fourteen. However, the start of canon and Lucy's first job request will be different; it is somewhat expected.

Maelstrombankai.