Author's notes now at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.
Chapter 17: Reunion (X784)
About a decade had past since Naruto last found himself lying in a bed for patients. He supposed he ought to feel grateful that he even received treatment. He doubted he was the most welcomed person around, even if he could feel familiar and friendly presences by his bed at the moment. Once he was pretty sure there weren't any hostiles hovering over his bed, ready to smother him to death, he stopped feigning sleep and opened his eyes. A smirking fox was the first face to greet him. Kurama, lying on his chest, gave him a lazy wave and casual salutations.
"Yo."
Naruto rolled his eyes at the nonchalant greeting. "That's all you can come up with?"
"Well, you aren't my partner anymore. Why do I have to make an effort when greeting you?" the fox drawled. "The only reason why I'm here is 'cause the pretty chicks are. Damn, but you are one popular son of a bitch, Naruto."
The blond man snorted amusedly, before tilting his head sideways to gaze out of the windows at the dark, twinkling night sky. "How long was I out?"
"About two days I think. That little girl is pretty darn good, although she says she couldn't get all the poison out," Kurama replied, shifting slightly atop the sheets covering Naruto. "The fractured jaw and ribs were done up rather easily, but even so, she says you ought to take it easy for a while."
Naruto was about to spit out a wry retort, before he stowed his tongue. No big Kurama, no insane healing rates. Just a superhuman constitution… "We'll see. There are more important things afoot than my health right now. Although I suppose that's not what they will think, eh?"
Kurama flashed him a look of exasperation, as fox and man turned their heads to Naruto's right, where three girls were asleep in side-by-side seats facing his bed. Cana's limbs were sprawled in all directions as she snored loudly, the heavy drinker half an inch from sliding off her chair and falling painfully on her butt. Mirajane was more reserved in her sleeping posture, her head drooped down and hands clasped in her lap. Finally, little Wendy Marvell was curled up in the fetal position on her seat, the diminutive girl looking uncomfortable sleeping on the hard chair.
"They've been here long?" Naruto queried.
Kurama nodded, before stretching the appendages that were tucked under his body for a while. "They stayed over the past two nights. You couldn't pry them away from your bed with a crowbar."
A warm smile spread across Naruto's face. Even if he were still wearing a mask over his features, Kurama would have noticed his contented expression. "Tch. You know, you don't have to act tough all the time. You definitely miss Fairy Tail like hell."
"Doesn't mean that I should be here. The hole that I dug is too big. And there's too much at stake now," Naruto shook his head gently. "Oración Seis is probably out for my blood. I just gave them a big middle finger by escaping the four of them at Clover, and getting Wendy away from Brain. I have no clue where Grimoire Heart is and what they're doing, and Tartaros has been getting quieter and quieter ever since I turned Trinity Raven. They are definitely up to something, and with my luck when it comes to trouble, it might just involve me."
"So what? It's not like they've never seen danger before," Kurama riposted.
"But all three of the Balam Alliance? If they make a concerted effort at my life, with all their subordinate guilds, no amount of determination and conviction is going to pull Fairy Tail through a battle of that proportion," Naruto pointed out dryly. "As much faith as I have in the strength of Fairy Tail, I'm realistic about the odds they'll face. It's not pretty."
"Fine. Suit yourself. But make Mira cry again, and you'll be sorry," Kurama threatened, baring his teeth.
"Wish you were that protective of me back when you were my partner," Naruto grumbled, scratching behind Kurama's ears absentmindedly. It was a habit the fox thoroughly enjoyed, as evidenced by the panting and tail thumping. "What's the response from everyone else like?"
"You mean when the old man, the little girl and you suddenly popped out of nowhere in front of Mira, one after the other?" Kurama clarified, tongue lolling out of his jaw. "Well, Erza was around, so she kept everyone off your back while you got your sorry, bleeding ass carried here by Cana and Mira. Natsu's been glaring holes at the door, and Elfman's not too happy his neechan is cooped up here with you. There were all sorts of responses, but nothing really positive but from girls and Makarov. Kami, but you are one popular dude, despite being such a douche."
"I seem to recall you mentioning that, yes," the blond mage remarked wryly.
The snappy reply Kurama had on his tongue was banished when Naruto's fingers hit a sweet spot, and the canine melted into a puddle of bliss. The lull lasted only as long as Cana's sleep, however, as the woman was finally introduced to the floor by gravity. With a loud thud, the Card Magic user found herself rubbing her sore bum, while blinking wearily at Mira and Wendy, both of whom were jolted awake by Cana's fall. She smiled blearily at her fellow visitors, before a soft thumping noise drew her attention. Twisting her head to the source of the sound, she found a crimson fox in a half-comatose state of nirvana, and Naruto gazing at her undignified form with unconcealed amusement.
"I'll leave you two to it," Mirajane yawned, a sweet smile blossoming on her lips as she guided a sleepy Wendy out of the medical room of the guild hall. Kurama retrieved his wits when Naruto slacked off a little in his ministrations, and slunk away after Mira, no doubt to get some quality cuddling. That left Cana and Naruto in the ward, along with an awkward silence draped over the two.
"So…you're awake," Cana began lamely, scratching her cheek anxiously as she stood up.
"And I'm sorry," Naruto apologised contritely. "For not telling you everything. For hiding things that you and everyone else had a right to know."
"You were doing it to protect us, right?" Cana commented airily, as if the betrayal of trust didn't matter much to her. "You were being more of a dick to Mira anyway. I'm cool."
Naruto sighed, knowing that the headstrong girl was just putting up airs. "You don't have to pretend for me. I know as well as anyone that some of the things I did were quite despicable. I suppose Mira told you some things to try and ease the hatred or something?"
"She didn't need to," Cana huffed indignantly. "I still trust you, even if you have been an ass. You just have this stupidly convoluted way of thinking. You never meant any real harm to us. You always mean well."
"That's a lot of faith to put into a man who has been lying to you for the last decade," Naruto stated candidly.
"Enough of your cheap excuses. You don't get to run away from your duty to Fairy Tail, to Mira, and to me," Cana crossed her arms stiffly. "If you think you can just escape and go gallivanting around the world without taking responsibility for your actions, you are sorely mistaken."
"I would never think like that," Naruto frowned.
"Well, you better not. You owe all of us for the stunts you pulled," Cana grunted, appearing appeased. "Now, that little girl, Wendy. She told us you joined Cait Shelter. What's that all about?"
"Oración Seis," Naruto answered grimly, eliciting a startled gasp from Cana. "Will you believe me when I say I have reasons for joining Cait Shelter and not returning immediately to Fairy Tail?"
"I know why you don't want to come back yet. Mira told me," the buxom brunette said. "But Oración Seis? Cait Shelter? What on earth do they have in common?"
"More than most know," the ninja sighed miserably. "I…I don't want to lie anymore, but I don't want to spread this if I can avoid it. The truth…is not always pleasant, and I don't think we need that sort of emotional turmoil hanging over our heads when Oración Seis is still at large."
"This involves Wendy, doesn't it?" Cana demanded.
Naruto nodded hesitantly. "Sharp of you. I don't want her to be troubled, and I don't want anyone else to feel conflicted because they know the truth but can't inform her."
"You don't always have to be the hero carrying the burden by yourself, you know," Cana muttered. "We're not stupid or weak. We can handle ourselves."
"It's not that I don't trust others with the truth," Naruto murmured, gazing down at his open palm. "Every world has its seedy underside, including this one. I've seen the filth, waded in it, and…it's impossible to come out clean afterwards. I'd never willingly let anyone else dirty their hands the way I did."
"And you think we don't feel the same way for you? Mira told me everything," Cana shot back. "How messed up you've been all these years. Heck, even before you came to Fairy Tail. Do you think we'll be happy just sitting around and letting you do crap for our sakes? If you don't like the idea of seeing us get our hands dirty, how do you think it makes us feel when we see you breaking down because you've been doing all these things for us?"
Naruto protested defensively. "I can cope-"
"And we won't feel any less guilty about it then?" Cana interrupted hotly. "You can be so stupid at times, you know?"
"I…" Naruto started, only to falter.
"Ten years ago, I got myself a big brother who kept me safe, who taught me cool tricks, who chased all the boys away, all the while thinking he's managed to hide that particular fact from his little sister," Cana said, tears brimming in her soft brown orbs. "If I have to fight Oración Seis and the whole world to get my brother back, so he can mess up my hair and drink me under the table and tuck me in even though that's bloody embarrassing, I will."
"Cana…" Naruto whispered, smiling softly. "Thank you."
The brown-haired woman let out a choked sob as she dived at Naruto, arms wrapped tightly around the man's waist. Naruto stroked her hair softly, barely able to keep his tears from flowing either. Brother and sister stayed that way for a while, neither willing to let go and allow the bridged gap between them to widen again. Even as Cana's tears ebbed and abated, she refused to budge, enjoying the feeling of Naruto running his fingers through her tresses. It was something she grew out of years ago, citing embarrassment. But now, she immersed herself in the familial warmth of having her older brother by her side, treating her like a kid once more.
And all seemed right with the world.
8888888888888888
"I think you're enjoying this 'enforced bed rest' thing a bit too much," Makarov quipped, as he hopped into the visitor chair beside Naruto's bed. "You are clearly too tenacious to still be indisposed."
The blond man paused in his motions, before shrugging and closing his open mouth around the spoon that Mirajane was feeding him with. Mirajane giggled at Makarov's envious expression, before making a show of it, blowing ever so gently across the surface of another spoonful of stew before feeding it to Naruto. The blond joined in on the act, exaggerating the taste with a loud, satisfied sigh and a burp for good measure. Grumbling under his breath, Makarov folded his arms petulantly as Naruto burst out into laughter, before patting the diminutive man on his balding head.
"There, there," Naruto teased, his tone patronising. "You'll find your destined one eventually."
Smacking away the blond ninja's hand, Makarov glared at his former guild member with little heat. Naruto chuckled again, as Mira put the empty dishes aside. The ivory-haired woman, seated facing Naruto, shifted so that she was now leaning against her lover's body, legs curled up beside his. Naruto found it quite natural to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling the woman closer. Mirajane leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks. It was the very picture of loving domesticity, but all three mages in the room knew that plenty of obstacles still stood in the way of a proper, fulfilling relationship.
"So, brat, what's the story behind Wendy?" Makarov began, leaning back into the wooden chair. "She's fitting in well, but she's one of Roubaul's. So are you now, actually."
"It'll be good for her to make friends here. From the way things are going, this is most likely her next guild," Naruto remarked cryptically, before shaking his head. "How much do you think you need to know, old man? Because there's a lot more than meets the eye, and plenty of it is better off revealed at a later time."
"You are such a frustrating person to work with, you know?" Makarov huffed, drawing his pipe and packing it with tobacco. "Even more aggravating than Natsu's collateral damage sometimes."
"This isn't about my paranoia, Makarov," Naruto stated seriously, his use of the guild master's name causing Makarov to cock an eyebrow. "I told Cana this already, when we had our chat. Some of this information could impact negatively on Wendy if we let it slip carelessly."
"How much worse can it get? She's clearly a target for Oración Seis," Makarov remarked, lighting the fragrant leaves and taking a puff.
Mirajane gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth. "A target for Oración Seis? Is that why you brought her to Fairy Tail?"
"Perceptive old man," Naruto groused, before nodding. "Yea. They were kidnapping her, and I made the connection only just in time I think. Any later, and I might not have made it out of Clover, let alone rescue her."
"So you know why she's being targeted then?" Makarov enquired.
Naruto nodded sharply. "I only had a theory, but Brain, their leader, confirmed it when I rescued Wendy. According to Racer, Oración Seis wanted Jellal's body for his knowledge. If they can extract that information from a corpse, they could have gone ahead with their plan without trying to capture Wendy. Wendy can probably revive him, which is why they were taking her. They need him alive and awake."
"But he's dead, isn't he? How can you resurrect a person?" Mirajane pointed out. "I don't think Wendy's that powerful, even if she's a dragon slayer."
"She told you guys that?" Naruto queried rhetorically. "Oh well, not like it matters. It could be that Jellal is only in a coma. There was never any confirmation that he actually died in the wake of the whole Tower of Heaven thing. Whatever the case may be, Oración Seis thinks Wendy can heal Jellal, and that's all we need to know."
"What is it their goal then?" Mirajane questioned.
Makarov screwed the pipe in the corner of his mouth, shaking his head slowly. "Nirvana, the ancient magic that can flip a person's intentions from good to bad and vice versa. They plan on using it to sow chaos in Fiore. At least, that's our conjecture from what little information we have on them."
"I wish I could have infiltrated them, but six is too small a group to join without suspicion," Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Their subordinate guilds know little. They are only made aware of certain things when they need to complete tasks for their higher-ups. It's incredibly frustrating. Grimoire Heart is the same, only because they are impossible to find. I would praise them for their elusiveness if I weren't so irked by my failure."
"You didn't fail at all. Don't think like that," Mirajane admonished Naruto mildly. "I'd rather you stay a legal, law-abiding Wizard Saint than sneak around and having to do the dirty work of dark guilds just to get information on them."
"Even if Mira has the right idea about your future endeavours, the lack of information is rather troubling when the fate of the world is in the balance," Makarov commented. "We can only react to their actions, and that's going to ask for a lot of faith in the people we send to fight them. Their response to every move by Oración Seis must be impeccable."
"Which is why I wanted a preemptive attack on Oración Seis before they had the chance to initiate whatever plot they have," Naruto said. "But that's a bust now."
"How so?" his fellow Wizard Saint asked.
"Goldmine was ambushed by a Celestial Spirit, which has excellent mimicry abilities and possibly information gathering abilities too," Naruto explained. "I think it's safe to assume that Oración Seis knows of the plan that we hashed out at the meeting. It could be quite disastrous if everything went as planned though, given they wanted Wendy and we would be putting her in the line of fire. That's a silver lining I suppose."
"But that's still a big problem," Makarov cursed. "Do you have any ideas?"
"I'm as stumped for answers as you are," Naruto professed, shaking his head. "The alliance is set, and changing the parameters of the mission will be difficult now. And besides denying Oración Seis what they want, I think we should also make the effort to destroy Nirvana once and for all."
"That's easier said than done," the older man scoffed.
"That's true. We also don't have a way to track them down now. If Brain is as smart as his name suggests, he won't be sticking around Worth Woodsea," Naruto sighed in frustration. Mirajane took his loose hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, earning a small smile from her boyfriend. "I didn't tag anyone from Oración Seis, and now that they know that I know they're after Wendy, they have the upper hand too."
"How does that work?" Mirajane questioned curiously.
"They know that most likely, we'll be splitting our focus between protecting Wendy from their clutches, and attacking them. That's one advantage. They can use Wendy as a distraction, by trying to kidnap her, but in actuality, they are getting Jellal revived by another healer capable of doing so," Naruto postulated sombrely. "They can play all sorts of mind games with us if they wish to do so. They can adjust their plans according to what information we have on them, and we wouldn't be any wiser. Whoever sees the entire picture better has better odds of attaining victory."
"I never saw things that way before," Mirajane said, a tad awed. "But will they see things the way you do?"
"I'd rather overestimate their tactical nous than assume that they are brawn over brains," Naruto stated, frowning. "It all sounds like I'm letting my imagination run wild, but now that Brain knows I'm good enough to figure out his tactics, he'll be far more careful. I can't even be sure I got the whole scenario right at this point. The attack on me seemed unnecessary, since they kidnapped Wendy when I was far away in Clover. Was he out to get me? Was it all a distraction like he implied? Was Brain really looking for information like I first assumed, but sent four of them just in case a fight broke out?"
"I think you're reading too much into this," Makarov piped up, dubious.
"Maybe. But what we can do is to try and spring a surprise on them," Naruto said slowly. "Brain will make preparations for what he expects us to do. We'll just do something so incredulous he'll never expect it."
"If he's as intelligent as you imply, won't he be wary of such a tactic?" Mirajane chimed in.
"I suppose. I don't know enough about him to predict his movements and thought processes, but he already knows snippets of me from my Maelstrom persona and the two fights I've had with his guild," Naruto grunted. "This situation is turning into my worst nightmare."
"We can always wing it," Makarov muttered unconvincingly. "But that's full of risks."
"Risk is only risk when you don't know how to manipulate it to your advantage," Naruto remarked. "But in this case, I don't think there's a lot of room of error to play a game of brinkmanship, and those odds don't look good in the first place either."
"That doesn't leave us with a lot of options, does it?" Makarov heaved a sigh. "I'm terrible at chess, so someone will have to pick up the strategic slack here."
"I've been mulling over a plan, but it's going to sound somewhat ghastly," Naruto mumbled, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Does this involve a very cruel yet logical way of doing Oración Seis in? Because at this point, even I'm willing to adjust my moral compass a little," Makarov admitted shamefacedly.
"Wendy is key to all this. She's an excellent support mage, and she's a helpful little girl, so she'll definitely want to partake in the fight," Naruto said. "Instead of keeping her somewhere we think is safe, we let her come with us. Exposed and in the open, she'll look like an excellent target, luring Oración Seis straight to us."
"That's horrible!" Mirajane pinched the man's thigh. It didn't hurt him physically, but her disapproving tone made the man shrink a little. "How can you suggest we let a little girl be bait for one of the Balam Alliance?"
"It's the only idea I could come up with to engage Oración Seis on our terms," Naruto muttered. "And we'll all be there to protect her."
"That's still way too risky for Wendy," Mirajane chided peevishly.
"No, they won't hurt her. They need her for healing Jellal," Naruto countered, shaking his head. "How about this? As a backup plan, in case Wendy does get captured, I place a Hiraishin marker on her. That way she'll only be a nanosecond away from my side."
"That doesn't solve the issue completely. What if you are involved in battle and can't teleport her to your side safely?" Makarov prodded. "And what if she's forced to heal Jellal before you get her back?"
"No worries, I can have a semi-permanent clone positioned somewhere safe. Hiraishin has no range limitations, only size and complexity issues in Earthland," Naruto smiled, before his cerulean eyes lit up. "That's it! I can give Wendy a modified Hiraishin tag like Mira's necklace, and let her put it on Jellal's body if she gets kidnapped. When she uses her magic to try and heal Jellal, I'll be informed and I can take the two of them out of Oración Seis' clutches. That will deny them their healer and the key to Nirvana."
"That's…that's quite ingenious," Makarov conceded, scratching his chin. "Using their target as the lynchpin in our plan…especially when they'll expect you to be key in the fight instead."
"I still don't approve of this," Mirajane huffed, crossing her arms under her sizeable bust. "It's not fair to Wendy, to ask her to run straight into the line of fire. Surely there's a better plan?"
"I'll try and think of something, but no guarantees," Naruto assured, before muttering. "She won't be harmed if she's needed for healing Jellal anyway…"
"Oh hush, you. Stop trying to justify your cold and heartless plans," Mirajane pinched his leg once more, eliciting a wince. "Try and think about other people's feelings when you push and manipulate people around like pawns on a chess board, okay?"
"Or we could wing it and hope for the best? Erza ought to be able to keep everyone in line so we can do a loose briefing or something," Naruto offered feebly.
"Well, I'm glad someone has the mental strength and ability to become the moral authority for our wayward deviant here," Makarov grinned, as Mirajane shot her boyfriend an exasperated glare. "But I'm going out to quell the noise. Natsu's getting feisty over your convalescence here. I think Wendy also wants to speak to you about something."
"That's fine, I need to talk to her about Jellal as well," Naruto acquiesced, before turning to Mirajane. "Mira…if you explain the plan to Wendy and she accepts it, will you be more…agreeable to it?"
"What?" Mirajane blinked in puzzlement, having not expected that.
"Well, she's a mage in her own right, and I think making decisions for her with regards to her safety is tantamount to disrespecting her skills," Naruto said solemnly, making sure not to let any hint of anxiety show. "If she believes in her strength and ability to hold her wits together under the duress of kidnap and potential torture, I think we should have the same faith in her. Don't you agree?"
"I…uh…" Mirajane stuttered, unable to form a suitable response to that.
Makarov cackled, hopping off his chair as he trotted towards the door. "I thought you might have ended up like every other poor married sucker, but it seems your glib tongue is going to buy you some reprieve, maybe even your own rights! Sit tight, I'm off to get Wendy."
8888888888888888
As the Wizard Saint departed from the medical ward, Mirajane punched her blond lover in the shoulder. "That wasn't fair."
"Sorry, but I learnt that playing fair just gave your enemies an advantage," Naruto shrugged, a wry smile on his lips. "And I learnt that smooth talking makes loose tongues wag even more. All that experience chatting up men really adds to my persuasiveness."
"I'm sorry, but I think I must have heard wrongly," Mirajane pinched herself this time. "But did you say chatting up men?"
"I use Transformation, and pretend to be a hot blonde chick with scanty clothes and loose loins," Naruto answered nonchalantly. "The cleavage usually keeps them way too distracted to wonder why a hot chick will be chatting them up in the first place. For some, I even throw in a show where she dumps a well-dressed, rich-looking man, to boost their egos and make them talk even more. Occasionally, I play hard to get. Those dark guild types love getting their jollies off accosting girls who are less…willing to entertain them."
Mirajane looked a little green. "I…I didn't think you'd go that far for information."
"Knowledge is power," Naruto replied blithely. "My master built his spy network on brothels. The bed is far better than alcohol for extracting vital information. But prostitution is non-existent in Fiore, so bars and taverns are my next best option."
"His spy network? Then how…"
"Oh, no, he doesn't pose as a prostitute. He enjoys their services," Naruto laughed, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "I was only twelve when we went around the world to train. He could always be found visiting brothels and bars, or peeking on ladies in the hot springs. I would then find him and criticise him for his perversions loudly, and get him beaten up. I never understood his methods until long after he died. But even so, I think he secretly enjoyed having me disturb his…research, as he calls it. He was the closest thing to a father for me."
"What happened to him?" Mirajane asked inquisitively.
"He died trying to get information on an organisation after my life. Killed by his old students whom he thought were dead, no less," Naruto murmured. "Even when he was about to croak, he still managed to send back vital intelligence."
"I'm sorry," the ivory-haired woman whispered sympathetically.
"He passed away as a hero. I think he would have been glad to die in such an apt manner for a spymaster, even if it wasn't in a blaze of glory. He didn't die meaninglessly either. There's nothing to be sorry for," Naruto smiled wistfully. "We live hard and die early. We learn to respect sacrifices and move on. That's just how it was for us. In any case, he was fifty-three years old before dying. That's mighty impressive when average life expectancy for ninja is probably closer to thirty-five."
"I want to know more about your past, but the more you reveal, the more ghoulish it all seems," Mirajane mumbled. "I don't want to dig up more unpleasant memories."
"It's fine with me. I have to face and accept my past eventually," the blond shinobi said softly. "If it gets too unpleasant, I'll always have you here to cheer me up."
"When did you get so comfortable with this relationship thing, anyway?" Mirajane asked, seeing the chance to move away from the dreary subject. "I distinctly recall you being quite disconcerted by the idea just a couple of days ago. Have you been…practicing somewhere? Are you cheating on me?"
"Where do you keep getting such ludicrous id…I mean, no, of course not!" Naruto grumbled, before self-preservation instincts kicked in, and he quickly denied the claims. His voice was then filled with parts nostalgia and apprehensiveness. "I just tried to channel the suave characters in my master's books. To be honest, I'm scared stiff that I might end up doing something stupid or too bold and ruin things between us."
"That's not going to happen," Mirajane declared firmly. "If you do something stupid, I'll just have to knock sense back into you. I deal with knuckleheads like Natsu and Gray all the time. You aren't getting rid of me so easily, Naruto."
"And if I get too bold?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
Mirajane's face flushed crimson, before she quickly looked away, staring pointedly out the window. "W-We'll see if I-I'm ready then."
Before Naruto could coax and pry further, a soft voice squeaked out. "A-Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not at all," Naruto smiled warmly at the petite girl poking her head through the door. "Come on in, Wendy."
A look of relief crossed the thoughtful girl's face as she cautiously closed the door, before promptly tripping over nothing on the way to Naruto's bedside. She thanked Mirajane profusely as the woman rushed over to help her up, and sat down meekly in the visitor's chair. "Erm…Makarov-sama said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Yea. If you don't mind, can you tell me what happened when Brain tried to kidnap you?" Naruto asked benignly.
"W-Well, I was with Carla on the way back to Cait Shelter from a job when they approached us," Wendy recounted nervously. "We…we weren't strong enough to fight them, and the white-haired man threatened to kill Carla. So I let the tall man tie me up and take me away. Is Carla alright?"
"I don't know, actually," Naruto replied shamefacedly. "You were the priority and the rest…well, I'm still in bed. Don't worry, Carla's a smart cat. She'll be fine, probably worrying about you back at Cait Shelter."
"I hope so," Wendy mumbled unsurely.
"Now, Wendy, do you know why I went for that guild masters' meeting?" Naruto queried.
The girl nodded. "I heard from Master that it was about dark guilds."
"Yes, well, it's about Oración Seis in particular. Those two men that tried to take you, they are from that guild," Naruto elaborated. "The thing is, they are trying to get you to heal a certain someone for them, because that person has some information that they want."
"M-Me?" Wendy recoiled in horror.
"It's because you're a fine mage and a brilliant healer," Naruto complimented, patting the petite dragon slayer's head affectionately. "I don't know how much they know about you, so I am not clear about the methods they will use to try and…persuade you to heal the man. What I wanted to inform you about is the identity of the man they want you to heal."
"I-Is that important for me to know?" Wendy enquired. "I won't heal him, I promise."
"You might, if you didn't know this following piece of information," Naruto said sternly. "He is Jellal Fernandes."
"J-Jellal?" Wendy echoed, before looking downcast. "I…I heard of all the bad things he did, but I don't want to believe it…he was so nice to me…"
"Don't worry, Wendy, the Jellal you know is different from the Jellal who did all those bad things," Naruto assured, to Wendy's confusion.
"But they have the same name, and I've seen pictures of him before."
"I know the Jellal you know very well. They are not the same person. Think…think of him as a twin brother," Naruto explained. "I just wanted you to know so you won't feel extra pressured to heal him, thinking that he's the friend you knew from before."
"Okay. T-Then…do you think I can see him again?" Wendy asked hopefully.
Naruto patted the girl on the head once more. "Sorry, but I think he may be a bit busy right now. When we've dealt with Oración Seis and he's back in the area, I'll arrange something, okay? I think he'll be glad to meet his friend again."
"T-Thank you!" Wendy bowed deeply.
"Don't sweat it. I've had a hand in keeping you two apart, and the guilt is gnawing away at my conscience," Naruto smiled regretfully, before turning to Mirajane. "Mira, could you?"
"You mean explain your wilfully dangerous plan to Wendy? Fine," Mirajane harrumphed, before smiling disarmingly at a befuddled Wendy. "Well, Oración Seis has become a threat to Fiore, and the legal guilds have basically come together to try and stop them. Naruto has a plan for the upcoming battle with Oración Seis, which involves putting you in a potentially lethal situation. Do you still wish to help out? Because right now, you're a target and it's definitely not safe for you to be fighting."
"I…I'll do what I can to help!" Wendy declared.
"You don't have to do this you know. Naruto is more than capable of coming out with a better, safer plan, aren't you?" Mirajane growled, her sickly sweet smile making Naruto grin nervously.
"I don't want to be a burden. I…I want to help, and if Naruto-san thinks I can, then I will do my best!" the raven-haired girl asserted, her determination clear.
"Oh bother. Naruto, you can explain to her the rest, I'm not going to tell the girl how she's going to charge headlong into danger," Mirajane growled.
Naruto prayed Makarov had advice to deal with irritated girlfriends for him, as he flicked his wrist. A large puff of smoke followed, and when the white cloud dispersed, Naruto had a small table on the bed, arching over his legs. On the table were a brush, a pot of ink, and various blank paper tags. Two pairs of curious eyes followed his hands as he bit the inside of his cheek in thought, before dipping brush in ink and writing on a piece of paper with long, elegant strokes. When he was done, he held the corner of the tag for a moment, and a blue film of energy enveloped the tag. The black script glowed brightly for a moment.
"Done," Naruto announced, before handing the tag over to Wendy. "If, and I emphasise, only if you get captured and asked to heal Jellal, then do you place this tag on his body and channel some magic into the tag. It'll tell me that you have used the tag, and I can then teleport you and Jellal's body away from Oración Seis. Don't go and let yourself get kidnapped just to help us gain the upper hand."
"Wendy received the simple tag with reverence, before tucking it away carefully. Naruto asked for Wendy's hand, and she proffered it. Tapping the back of her left hand, a similar script sprouted from where Naruto's index finger touched her skin, leaving a light, barely visible mark. "That's for me to teleport you away. It's not permanent, so don't worry about having to see it there for the rest of your life or something. That should allow me to get you to safety in time."
"Thank you," Wendy stared at the design on her hand in awe.
"Well, that's all I have. When my little doctor tells me I'm ready to leave the bed, I'll go back to Cait Shelter and check on Carla," Naruto smiled. "You should stay here until we have to go fight Oración Seis in a few days' time. It'll be safer for you, plus you can hang out with your new friends as well."
"Okay. Rest well, Naruto-san!" Wendy bowed once more, before scurrying out of the ward.
8888888888888888
As the door clicked shut, the blond man was suddenly knocked onto his back by a pair of slim, petite hands. A sea of ivory locks cascaded around his head, the ninja doing his best not to be bothered by the mild tickling sensation of hair brushing against his bare skin. Mirajane straddled Naruto's muscled abdomen, her hands planted on his chest and her legs clamping down on his hips in a vice. She stayed silent like that for a while, trying to muster the words to say. Naruto didn't speak either, feeling very exposed in his prone position, but oddly tranquil.
"You're going to risk your life again," Mirajane said dully.
Naruto saw no reason to deny the accusation. "Yes."
"It's difficult for me, you know?" Mirajane murmured tearfully, her hands scrunching fistfuls of Naruto's shirt. "You don't turn up for days, and then appear in front of me on death's doorstep. I've…I've never seen you so hurt before. It scares me, Naruto. I'm scared."
Naruto reached up, his thumb softly brushing away an errant tear. "You know I can't just stop, Mira. You know that I have to do this."
"No you don't!" she practically shouted, as salty droplets followed the curve of her cheeks, dangling on her chin. "You don't…."
"This world has given me many things. I found a sister. I found friends. I found a home. I found solace. I found you," Naruto smiled gently. "I'm just doing my best to protect this happiness as much as I can. This responsibility…all this fighting…is not just what I need to do, or what I should do, but what I want to do. I'm just trying to defend all that I love and care for."
"It only sunk in when Wendy seemed so eager to help save the world. Just like you," Mirajane sniffled, struggling to stem her tears. "Why? Why do you always have to be the hero? Why can't someone else do it?"
"If I weren't the hero, I couldn't possibly have caught the eye of the fair maiden," the blond mage answered drolly, eliciting a choked giggle from Mirajane. "Mira…I'm sorry I can't give you more. You deserve so much more from me. But I can't…I can't just shove this responsibility aside and wait for someone else to pick up the slack. Every time I've hung back…I've regretted those moments ever since."
"So there's nothing I can do to hold you back?" the ivory-haired woman whispered.
"Not really, no," Naruto mumbled apologetically.
"Then promise me. Promise me you won't ever sacrifice your life," Mirajane requested. "Not now, not ever."
"Even when your life is in peril? I won't have any hesitations about jumping in the way of a fatal attack if it meant I can save you," Naruto reasoned.
"Fine," Mirajane ceded, as a teary smile graced her features. "Only me. You can only sacrifice your life for me. Understood?"
"I understand," Naruto promised.
"Good," Mirajane declared, leaning downwards to kiss Naruto.
8888888888888888
A deathly silence replaced the perpetual cacophony in the Fairy Tail guild hall as the door to the medical room opened. The tense, almost caustic atmosphere worsened as Mirajane stepped into view beside Uzumaki Naruto, looking inordinately pleased. Their clasped hands only poured on the tension. The huge discrepancy between the guild's usual rambunctiousness and its current oppressive mood made the ivory-haired woman blanch. But stubbornly, she refused to let go of Naruto's hand, even as the man tried to unweave their entwined fingers. She shot him a withering glare for even considering such an action.
Erza, either unwilling or unable to read the atmosphere, strode forwards. "Naruto-san. You have recovered?"
"I have, Erza. Where's the old man?" Naruto asked pleasantly, opting to ignore the palpable enmity.
"At home, nursing a hangover from yesterday I presume," the Requip user answered, her voice full of reproach. "You will be joining our team to fight Oración Seis, yes?"
"I suppose you are leading the Fairy Tail contingent?" Naruto guessed.
"I have selected Natsu, Gray and Lucy for our upcoming battle," Erza confirmed. "We have worked together on various occasions since Lucy's arrival at the guild, and it's a strong team capable of meeting the heavy demands for this alliance."
At last, someone couldn't take it anymore. Naruto was surprised Natsu managed to hold it in for that long. The dragon slayer roared in frustration as his fiery temper erupted. The pink-haired mage stomped towards the trio of S-class mages, his intent rather clear. He swiped away Gray and Elfman's lacklustre attempts to stop him, the two men obviously thinking of doing something similar, and only the twin menaces of Mirajane and Erza kept them from doing something that stupid. Natsu had no such compunctions however, even as Erza moved to cut him off.
A gloved hand pressed against Erza's arm, keeping her from standing in Natsu's way. The crimson-haired knight flashed a confused glance at Naruto, who shook his head. Deferring to the man, she didn't interfere as Naruto stepped forward to meet Natsu fearlessly. The fire mage, lips curled in a toothy snarl, stood toe to toe with Naruto, glaring upwards at the slightly taller man. The blond man's unperturbed expression only drove Natsu's anger to new heights. It spoke a lot about his growing maturity that he held back from just brawling with the Cait Shelter man.
"Bastard. Who gave you permission to come back here?" Natsu growled.
"No one. But I don't need your permission to come and visit my girlfriend now, do I?" Naruto replied coolly.
Elfman was ready to join Natsu after that comment, and only the concerted efforts of Lucy and Gray managed to hold the hulking man back. Smoke leaked from the corners of Natsu's mouth as he grabbed Naruto's shirt, the missing cuirass giving him plenty of cloth to hold. The shirt started to smoke as well, as temperatures rose, literally. Tugging hard, Natsu yanked Naruto down until their noses were less than an inch apart, Natsu letting him and everyone know of his displeasure.
"Mira's not your girlfriend. You're definitely manipulating her, lying to her," the dragon slayer hissed. "Just like you did to everyone in Fairy Tail."
"I don't deny that I lied. But Mira is with me of her own free will," Naruto stated politely, as if there wasn't a volatile fire mage threatening him. "Please respect her decision."
Natsu growled gutturally, and turned his attention to the aforementioned woman as he pointed at her with fury in his orbs. "You! What the hell are you doing with this bastard? He hid Lisanna from you, from us! Is he using some secret spell to control you, huh? Is that it?"
The pink-haired man sneered as he focused his ire back onto his current nemesis. "You manipulative, sick bastard. First you hide Lisanna somewhere, then you turn Mira into your slave! What's next, huh? You gonna turn Erza too? Or Lucy? Or is Levy your next target, huh?"
"Natsu!" Erza yelled fiercely. "Cut this out at once."
"No, it's okay, Erza," Naruto held a palm out to stop Erza. "I can handle this."
"Really? Let's see you handle this!" Natsu howled.
Natsu cocked his other fist back, and ignited both hands as he pulled Naruto into his roundhouse punch. Everyone shifted from their positions, ready to intervene on behalf of either party. But the fight never materialised as Natsu's flames were snuffed out instantly. His clenched fist trembled as it tried to force its way past what appeared to be a transparent barrier blocking it from making contact with Naruto's head. As the dragon slayer let go of Naruto's shirt to land an uppercut to his chin, the blond touched his open palm to Natsu's chest. A violent gust propelled Natsu backward forcefully, smashing him past various flabbergasted guild members, through tables and benches, and finally embedding him in the wall.
Before Natsu could get out of the hole, Naruto raised his hand in his direction. Lucy squealed as her skirt was blown up by the intense gale that burst forth from the ninja's palm, hammering into Natsu and keeping him pinned to the wall. Everyone ducked and held their hands above their heads to protect themselves from the loose items that were sent flying by the powerful winds. Naruto walked slowly towards Natsu, amplifying the pressure to keep the pink-haired mage from even twitching a finger. No matter how Natsu tried to spark up a flame, the wind would blow it out. Naruto stood over the pink-haired man, his eyes clouded with nostalgia.
Gray and Elfman charged recklessly at Naruto's back. Chains sprung out of the ground, and before they knew it, they were trussed up and having their magic drained away too fast for them to use their magic and get free. With three of their best fighters immobilised by one man without a sweat, the rest of the guild wisely backed off from further confrontation. Naruto chuckled forlornly as he gazed at Natsu's struggling form, the man's eyes filled with anger and a bull-headed obstinacy that was extremely familiar. The winds died down with a soft whoosh, but before Natsu could retaliate, he was quickly secured like Gray and Elfman.
"You know, I was once like you. Tenacious, obstinate and always ready to fight for what's right," Naruto reminisced. "I think if the war never happened, I would probably still be like you."
"I'm nothing like you!" Natsu bristled, trying to squirm out of his bindings to no avail. "You're sick! A monster! Fairy Tail cares for each other! We're a family!"
"Yes, Fairy Tail is a tightly knitted family," Naruto agreed, unfazed by the insults thrown in his face. "And I suppose I've failed to demonstrate any sort of care and concern for my fellow guild members. Perhaps you will feel more vindicated had Makarov excommunicated me instead of letting me quit?"
"You'd still be running away from the beat down I've been dying to give you!" the pink-haired mage hollered.
"You can call it an escape if you like. I have no qualms admitting that it was not very honourable of me to walk away like that," Naruto shrugged uncaringly. "But right now, something demands yours and everyone's attention more than me. I've hurt Fairy Tail, and there's very little I can do to make amends, but there are more important things to be concerned about currently."
"How can you call Lisanna's life and everyone's pain unimportant, you bastard?" Natsu seethed.
"I never said they were unimportant, I said they were less important," Naruto corrected. "Nevertheless, Oración Seis should be the top of your priorities, not your desire for justice against my wrongdoings."
"Screw them! I don't care!" Natsu yelled. "I'm gonna pound you into the dirt, you snake!"
"You best watch your next words carefully, Natsu. You don't care that Oración Seis could be wreaking havoc across Fiore?" Naruto reprimanded. "You would ignore the potential chaos that Oración Seis will bring to this world, if only so you can repay me for what I've done? Is that it? All your talk about family, and you can't even put aside your grudges to deal with something that threatens the lives of your family?"
"You…" the dragon slayer scowled.
"Take your time to think through things carefully before you do anything else, Natsu," Naruto warned with a serious countenance. "You can settle your vendetta with me, and satisfy your loved ones. But if they die in the aftermath of Oración Seis taking over the world, will you regret it?"
"I'll just beat all of you up!" Natsu shouted adamantly.
"It seems nothing I said got through to you. I'm not sure what I expected from this conversation anyway," Naruto lamented, as his chains slithered away back into the ground, freeing the trio of mages.
He strode towards the entrance of the guild hall, as Fairy Tail members rushed over to help their fellow mages up. Natsu brushed off everyone as he flipped to his feet, feeling more drained that he had ever felt, even when fighting against Gajeel. Mirajane took a step towards Naruto, but a gentle shake of his head stopped her from reaching out to her lover. Erza was no longer able to endure the animosity towards a man she was growing to respect, glaring daggers at everyone as she stood between Naruto and the rest of the guild.
Wendy felt conflicted, her eyes flitting between her guild member and her new friends. She squeaked, startled, as Naruto addressed her out of the blue. "Stay with them. I'll go make sure Carla is all right, and we'll meet you guys at Cait Shelter. The guild is along the way to our gathering spot anyway."
"O-Okay," Wendy nodded, feeling thankful someone made the decision for her.
"Natsu," Naruto spoke, singling out the pink-haired mage who was currently struggling against Erza's iron headlock. His wretched tone brought everyone's actions to a halt, such was the rawness of the emotion conveyed. "I hope…I hope you'll never see the day when you have to bury the ones you love, who died because you can't focus on what's important."
A deathly silence fell over the guild as the blond man trudged out of the hall, his foreboding words sending a cold chill down many a spine.
Author's Notes: Thought it seemed better this way, given that I can now comment on the chapter without giving away spoilers, and you can get on with the story right away.
Of course, I gotta thank everyone for your kind support. Really appreciate it ;)
Apologies if the jump from action to talking is a bit abrupt (and underwhelming!). I ended the last chapter on a mini-cliffhanger as planned, but I didn't know how to bridge that interlude between the two chapters properly. I sometimes let some scenes go because I can't seem to write them in without changing the feel of the chapter. I do make sure to explain it somehow though, like in the Kurama conversation.
I know the story needs more Cana and Kurama, so I gave them some well-deserved screen time. Some Naruto/Mira fluff is never amiss, and I wanted to do a casual Makarov/Naruto conversation, but it didn't fit the tone. Mystogan will get his spotlight later. I wanted to do a Oración Seis scene too, but I can't seem to write proper bad guy conversations for some reason. And the chapter was just going on and on.
That last remark Naruto makes is obviously alluding to something. You can make your own guesses as to what it's referring to. It's clearly not compliant to recent manga developments (not sure where the anime is now). I won't do any flashbacks though, because they tend to annoy me. Not the actual flashback itself, but the way they are presented, especially with the character's 'current' thoughts interspersed between each flashback. Really, just do a full chapter/arc, like a Kakashi Gaiden. So much neater. (Then again, Kishimoto-sensei himself is doing a helluva lot of flashbacks lately...)
Do you guys care about translations? I know some authors have translations for their non-English words at the end of every chapter, or even a jutsu list. In fact, I have a list of Japanese names (kanji+romaji) for Naruto's techniques, and the translations for guild/character/location names; stuff I put some thought into, for my own ease of mind. I swear I spend more time thinking up unimportant names than writing, or things like why Ikaruga is called Hato-chan...I guess it's because I'm annoyed when authors borrow names from other manga/anime for the OCs in their stories...
ANYWAY! I can't really be bothered to do the same like other hard-working authors, so...don't ask for them? :P
Seriously though, if you really want to know, feel free to ask. Or use Google Translate, except for techniques that I don't explicitly name in the story, but I have a name for anyway. Guh.
Must. Stop. Obsessing. With. NAMES.
Until next time!
P.S. I got so annoyed by recent manga developments I felt it necessary to rant about it. It's over at my profile, if you fancy a read. I mentioned some things about La Tormenta too, if you're interested.
P.P.S. I've written down a list of the better story ideas I have, that I may pick up after La Tormenta is finished (looking a bit too far ahead, eh?). It's mainly to consolidate the stuff floating around in my head, and to get help picking out holes in the concepts. I haven't decided which story to do after La Tormenta, but rest assured, I'm going to finish this baby up before I even try for another story.
If any of my readers feels compelled to write these ideas into a proper story, I welcome you to do so!