Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.

Chapter 22: Consequence (X784)

Brown eyes snapped open as the low rumble of thunder signalled the imminent arrival of rain. Dark clouds obscured the crescent moon, leaving the large bedroom draped in inky blackness. The soft clink of metallic links was her first and only warning, as cool steel slithered over her silk pyjamas with serpentine grace. Her limbs were dragged apart roughly, and as her head jerked up to spot her assailant, another chain coiled itself around her neck, pulling her head into her soft pillow. The chains voraciously consumed the first whiskers of magic she called up, rendering her powerless. A calloused hand clamped her mouth shut, pre-empting her cry for help.

Lightning flashed ominously, illuminating the room for a brief moment. Her heart thudded rapidly in her chest as storm grey eyes and a roguish grin filled her vision. The vibrant shade of the trespasser's unkempt hair was unmistakable, having haunted her dreams since that day. The fight drained out of her almost as fast as it had arisen, the fear swallowing any bravery she might have mustered up against him. Seeing the resistance leave her, the man hovering over her vulnerable body pouted, his hand moving to stroke her cheek instead.

"Erza-chan, it's no fun if you don't fight back~" Naruto jibed.

"I thought you were under arrest by the Magic Council," Erza swallowed deeply, trying to maintain her nerve.

Naruto chortled, running his fingers through her dishevelled crimson locks. "It was child's play to escape. Nothing can stop me from getting what I want…not even myself."

"Why are you here?" Erza demanded with faux courage.

"Ooh, I love that bravado! It makes my hair stand on end!" Naruto shivered visibly in delight.

Erza consciously avoided biting her lower lip, staring directly into the crazed eyes of her tormentor. "Answer my question."

"Well, because you tickle my libido so, my darlin' Erza-chan~~" Naruto crooned. "How could I let myself rot in those nasty jails at Era, when I can be here with the one I love the most?"

"You don't love me. I'm just a plaything that you want to use to fulfil your sick, twisted fetishes," Erza hissed, as a sudden white glow enveloped her frame. But before she could equip any of her armours to escape her bindings, the chains around her body constricted with crushing force, snuffing out the wielding process in an instant. Naruto wagged his finger as he clicked his tongue at his captive, completely unruffled by the redhead's attempt to escape her predicament.

"Ah, ah, ah. Playing rough is a no-no until I say so, Erza-chan~" the blond taunted, a fiendish grin stretching across his features. With a languid flick of the wrist, a single chain slid between Erza's thighs, causing her to gasp involuntarily. "But I always thought that with how cloistered you seem, you only like vanilla stuff. Well, as they like to say, it's always the quiet ones, hmm?"

"L-Let me g-go!" Erza gritted her teeth as she fought her rising arousal with great fortitude.

Naruto giggled, leaning down against his hapless victim as his hands stroked her writhing body with a gentle touch that cut an uncomfortable contrast with the chains that bound the crimson-haired warrior. "You are such a…vivacious creature, Erza-chan. How utterly delectable. You make me positively ravenous~"

She glared at the man who delighted himself by caressing her in a revolting way; revolting not for what it was, but for the sensations it was eliciting from her disobedient body. She hated how he could destroy her emotional walls with his words, how he could wreck her composure with his every move, and how he could force himself onto her despite all her strength, her skills and her ability. She hated being held against her will, of being a slave to him and to her desires. But most of all, it scared her. It scared her because no matter how repugnant, Naruto's actions were making her body more pliable to his ministrations as spikes of pleasure tore at her crumbling resistance.

"Ahhh, what an intense gaze you have, Erza-chan. You're so beautiful when you're angry," the man purred as he clamped a powerful hand behind her head, and smashed her lips in a bruising kiss. Instinctively, she snapped her teeth at his lips, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth immediately after. Rearing back slightly, Naruto touched his bleeding bottom lip, before licking the crimson fluid off his finger with a flourish.

"You play so rough, Erza-chan. But that is a part of your allure, I suppose," Naruto complained playfully, as he grabbed a breast roughly. He traced her jawline with his tongue, chuckling as she flinched lightly. "You know, I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of beauty. I've known a plethora of lovely women, from the waifish to the svelte, from the ordinary to the exotic. But none of those luscious ladies have ever made me…salivate…the way you do."

Erza moaned tearfully as the chains between her legs vibrated against her core almost violently, her senses driven haywire as she teetered on the edge. The blond shinobi's hot breath washed over her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. She whimpered as he tweaked her nipple through her thin nightgown, squirming as he nipped at her alabaster skin, leaving angry red marks along the crook of her shoulders. A final, last-gasp attempt to fight proved futile, as he knocked her feeble fist aside.

"Oh, Erza-chan, why won't you accept our nascent love?" Naruto pouted exaggeratedly. "What more do I have to do to prise open your heart, hmm?"

Abruptly, he pulled away from her, his rattling chains falling inert. Blood pounded in Erza's ears as her aroused body demanded for the return of his touch, his warmth. Naruto chuckled darkly as he ran his fingers lightly down her toned stomach; the digits drawing a blazing trail towards her core. "How does that make you feel, Erza-chan? To be so close, and then denied…all you have to do is just submit to me. Just say you want me, and I'll give you what your body wants. You don't even have to beg~"

"N-Never," Erza stated resolutely, her voice scratchy.

"Mmm…" the blond man leaned in, his smile dripping with mischief. His grey orbs were twinkling with amusement, looking inordinately pleased despite her refusal to cave in. "Well done! That's the right answer, Erza-chan. If you broke just from this, then you're worthless to me. Now, let me give you a little reward~~"

His hand slid down.

She howled.

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Erza burst to wakefulness, panting heavily as she shot up into an upright position. Mirroring her dream, nature played its sorrowful symphony, the loud tapping of torrential rain against her window punctuated by the rumble of thunder. The darkness that suffused her room was no comfort for her anxious heart; a heart that only grew used to the fear, but never overcoming it. Her blankets were in disarray, twisted and twirled by her tossing and turning in bed.

Despite the downpour, the soft shuffle of a shoe against the floor was almost deafening to her hyperactive senses. A sword materialised in her hand in the blink of an eye, her arm already in mid-swing at the intruder. As her blade scythed through the air, a bolt of lightning flashed across her window, illuminating the interior of her cavernous room. Her warm brown eyes widened as she stopped her attack just as the tip of her sword caressed the exposed throat of the trespasser. Unbidden, a tiny tremble shook her body.

"Naruto-san," Erza choked out, licking her dry lips as she repeated the very same words from her dream. "I thought you were under arrest by the Magic Council."

The blond man smiled lethargically, looking gaunter than the swordswoman had ever seen him. "I was. But even if I was in agreement with the sentence meted out in that sham of a trial, I couldn't let them execute me without coming here first."

The relief was palpable, as the carmine-haired mage dismissed her sword. As she prepared to bend at the waist in apology, a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. Naruto shook his head slowly. "Don't do that, Erza. You are well entitled to attack someone sneaking around in your room. You have nothing to apologise for."

"I…very well," the young woman smiled weakly. "May I know what brings you here then, Naruto-san? Should you not be visiting Mira instead?"

"This takes precedence. I never managed to talk to you about what I did on Nirvana," Naruto replied softly. Involuntarily, Erza flinched, the memories fresh in her mind. The blond man sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I won't tiptoe around the subject. I was never too good at subtlety in speech anyway. I violated you, Erza. And I won't be able to live with myself if I don't receive punishment by your hands. I refuse to let the Magic Council execute me until I've done penance for my actions."

"You don't have to apologise. Your actions were not yours. I have already forgiven you," Erza declared. "No, that's not right. I have not forgiven you, because there is nothing to forgive. You are not the evil that was foisted on you by Nirvana. You have done nothing wrong."

"Please, Erza. If I had not gone off on my own, if I had placed more trust in the Alliance that I helped assemble, none of this would have happened," Naruto retorted. "And even if you want to pretend that I have done nothing wrong, you can't pretend that it never happened. And I have a responsibility to do something to atone."

"You don't-"

"No, I do, Erza. I will not let you trivialise this. Look at yourself. You're having nightmares, haven't you? And I've noticed you've been clutching at your blankets," Naruto pointed out, to which the crimson-haired mage released her death grip on the cloth. "Consciously, you may think there's nothing wrong, and nothing to forgive. But subconsciously, my presence is a threat, a menace."

"You're no menace, Naruto-san," Erza refuted stoutly. "I refuse to issue any punishment."

"Then do it for me," the shinobi whispered, his voice nearly drowned out by a clap of thunder. "I need…I need to know that I've done something…anything to atone for my mistakes. Forgiving me so easily…is like asking me to shed my honour."

Erza's brown orbs met Naruto's fatigued, cerulean ones. A sudden realisation struck Erza then. Guilt was a concept close to her heart; she had endured the guilt of letting down her friends, of letting down her guild, of many more things besides. But her experience with remorse seemed like a drop of ocean compared to the emotional burden that weighed down so heavily on Naruto's shoulders. While she had to deal with the trauma of Naruto's actions, Naruto had to deal with the guilt.

"I…I don't need anything from you, Naruto-san," she shook her head. "Perhaps…you can go find Lisanna. Fix your other mistakes, your regrets. That can be your punishment."

"I can't…I won't accept that. I know this is extremely selfish of me. But how can I not seek penance, when you look so haunted by what I did?" Naruto muttered. Sitting down on her bed, he grasped her shoulders in a gentle grip, pleading eyes gazing deeply into hers. "If nothing else, at least find someone to talk to. Find someone who can help you. Don't keep everything to yourself like you always do. Porlyusica is discreet, and she's a healer. Go talk to her. I can wait until you have something for me."

Erza bit her lip, nervousness bubbling in her stomach. She found herself unable to pull away from his intense stare, from his loose grip on her lithe frame. She swallowed as her body rekindled the smouldering desire that had ebbed away with the lull of conversation. His close proximity induced a spine-tingling fear that sent her senses haywire, but the warmth that radiated from him soothed the irrational feelings that spiked with his every breath. It was this tumultuous dichotomy of emotions that pushed her over the precipice; that made her vocalise her inner desires, desires she barely even knew existed within her.

"Make love to me," Erza blurted out, almost impulsively.

"W-What?" Naruto stuttered, letting go of her as if scalded.

"I…I know how you can help me and do penance for your deeds," Erza whispered, leaning forwards. Her silk pyjama top fell askew, revealing a tantalising sliver of skin. "Replace those memories for me. Erase my fear of you. Show me real pleasure."

"H-How will this help? I'll only make things worse!" Naruto floundered like a fish out of water, his composure slipping away faster than the Hiraishin. "I'll be taking advantage of you in the worst of ways! Erza, please seek professional help. I…I can't do this. Not without consequences that you'll regret."

"Then let me regret them later. This is what I want from you," Erza pressed a finger to his lips. "You owe me."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Naruto searched Erza's eyes. Her warm orbs, so often brimming with the unyielding conviction in Fairy Tail's ideals, the concern for her fellow guild mates, or even her undying passion for sweets, no longer reflected the surety that befitted a woman of her confidence and strength. The lightly dilated pupils flicked from side to side constantly, mirroring her vulnerable, almost frightened countenance. They seemed to be crying out for protection, for acceptance, for love. And deep within, a tiny spark of desire crackled. At that moment, Naruto knew that his next words could make or break the dysfunctional swordswoman. The cloak of responsibility settled upon his shoulders with the weight of a thousand elephants, a choking quandary he could not skirt around.

Erza removed her finger from his lips, leaning even closer as she placed a hand on his lap. Her husky voice quavered almost unnoticeably, as half-lidded eyes fluttered. "You owe me."

How did things get so complicated so quickly?

He relented.

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Erza was roused gently from her peaceful slumber by the warm rays that doused her room with the sun's cheer. The balmy weather that greeted her was a far cry from the cold, dreary night before. A picturesque vista beyond her window accompanied the beautiful morning, bringing a beatific smile to her lips. For once, her heart was at ease, her morning no longer dogged by her desolation, her guilt and her fears. Noting her solitary presence in her bed, she surmised that the man she had to thank for her catharsis had already left. But the soft sound of cloth brushing against skin alerted Erza to his presence, still within her room.

Rising, her blanket slipped off her body, pooling at her hips. Heedless of her nudity, her eyes scanned her quarters, zeroing in on the blond whom she had shared the night with. Her motions were easily noticed by his eagle eyes, tuned to be constantly vigilant. He was dressed only in his pants, and in the process of untangling his shirt; a familiar sight for Erza given the severity of Gray's stripping problems. A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as he addressed the crimson-haired woman quietly. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Erza returned the salutations, as Naruto slipped his shirt on. "You are leaving already?"

Naruto looked startled for a moment, but relaxed as he replied her query. "I have other responsibilities that I won't shirk anymore. And staying any longer is dangerous for Fairy Tail. Without a doubt, the Magic Council will be coming around to interrogate everyone here in the next day or so. I've brought enough problems to the guild. An inquisition is not high on the list of things I want to put Fairy Tail through."

"You know that whatever happens, there will always be people in the guild who will stand on your side," Erza stated matter-of-factly, before her voice took on a more cautious tone. "Mira…Mira even got into an altercation with Gray when he badmouthed you during our debrief."

At the mention of Mirajane, Naruto stiffened. Quickly, he pulled his mask on, deliberately hiding his features and muffling his voice. "But most people are not that forgiving. I don't want Mira to feel alienated in Fairy Tail. It's everything to her."

"You're everything to her…" Erza muttered, turning ashen as the implications of last night hit her. As her widened brown eyes met Naruto's azure orbs, she swallowed thickly before bowing her head down. "I'm…I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking last night, and everything just came together, and-!"

A finger pressed against her chin, lifting her jaw gently and cutting her babble off. Her eyes met his once again, as the blond man's thumb gently brushed away the tear coalescing at the edge of her left eye. His mask shifted lightly as he smiled, attempting to bring a little levity to balance out the sudden downturn in atmosphere. "You don't have to apologise for anything. I'm the one that cheated on her, not you. And it's not like she can bring up the question of my fidelity with me when I'm a hunted man now, right?"

"But I-"

"Am a good friend of mine, who has done nothing wrong," Naruto interrupted her objections firmly as he planted his hand on her shoulder, issuing an ultimatum. "If you think of yourself as my comrade-in-arms and my friend, then please stop blaming yourself for everything, including what happened between us."

At Naruto's heartfelt behest, Erza couldn't say no. "I…I understand. I will keep this between us to my deathbed."

"I suppose that's the best I'm going to get out of you," the masked ninja sighed audibly, running a hand through his spiky locks. He winked at the crimson-haired mage cheekily. "Thank you for not reporting this erstwhile boyfriend's cavorting ways to Mira. I would hate to have to write my own obituary so soon."

Erza couldn't help but laugh softly at Naruto's outlandish words, her ambivalent feelings over the situation suppressed for the moment. "Gildarts would be proud of you."

"No doubt he would, that womaniser," Naruto chuckled, before rummaging in his pants pocket. He retrieved a set of ornate, golden keys from within, pressing them into the hands of a bemused Erza. "I have no use for these, but give them to Lucy after the Magic Council is done questioning everyone. She's not the most subtle person around, and I don't want the Council to get any misconceptions about her relationship with Oración Seis or me."

"These are Celestial Spirit keys?" Erza murmured, studying the items carefully.

"Yes, but from a…less than reputable source that I vanquished not so long ago," Naruto laughed mirthlessly. "At least one of the Spirits deserves a better mistress, and I think Lucy will take good care of them. She'll need the power to protect Fairy Tail, and it's the least I can offer after that fiasco of a mission."

"Shall I tell her it's from you?" the swordswoman queried honestly.

"I won't ask you to lie to her, but I doubt she'll be too keen to accept the keys if she knew where they came from," Naruto shook his head.

"Then I will do what is expedient," she nodded. "Will we see you again?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I…" Naruto replied cryptically, before twitching suddenly. "…I have to go. Urgently. Take care of yourself, Erza, and do stop by Porlyusica's soon, okay?"

"Speak for yourself, Naruto," the Requip mage quipped. "Don't die and abandon us trying to fight the world on your own."

"I'll be careful," the shinobi answered, as he threw his coat on.

"Good. Because if Mira doesn't want you anymore, I'm taking you as my boyfriend," Erza declared, the corner of her lips quirking up as Naruto stumbled at her repartee. "Don't be a stranger when you return, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Naruto mumbled in shock, as he coiled his chakra. "See you when I see you."

With a final parting glance at an Erza smiling almost eerily at him, Naruto let the Hiraishin take him through the space-time continuum, his thoughts in an inexorable mess from the swordwoman's words. It's a good thing if Erza is getting over her insecurities…right?

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A three-pronged kunai spun lazily around a sharp talon, a mesmeric blur of dark steel that belied the barbarism that the weapon symbolised. The helmeted woman strolled towards her victims slowly, her smile filled with malevolence. With a theatrical air, she addressed the trio lying on the ground in agony. "You know, maybe if you didn't speak in such an antiquated way, your so-called master might be more interested in you. He must have been bored out of his mind. Maybe that's why all you got out of your deal with him is a bleak future, about to be cut very short by yours truly. Does it grate? To know that he's not the hero you thought he was, the messiah that will save you and the world?"

"Honestly, Kyōka, you talk too much," a scarred man dressed in armour remarked blandly, wholly unconcerned about the lives that his partner was about to take. "Just kill them and be done with it already. I've got better things to do than to stand around watching you bully our targets."

"And you are far too casual and friendly with them," Kyōka replied peevishly. "You have your methods and I have mine. Don't get in my way, Silver, or you'll find yourself just like them."

The man named Silver smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Woah, woah, okay! Don't get a conniption."

Satisfied, the leotard-clad Kyōka turned her attention back upon the subject of their mission, sneering at their crumpled forms. "Now I can't even muster up the motivation to torture the three of you for information."

"H-He…He'll come," the pink-haired target panted, bullish. "Y-You're imbeciles f-for challenging h-him."

"Let him come!" Kyōka roared, her power bursting from her pores. "I'll like to see him face the might of Tartaros! Maybe we can wait until he makes his glamorous arrival, and let you watch as I carve him into little pieces! Maybe then my message can get into that vapid mind of yours. He can't save you. No one can."

"Y-You'll s-see. H-He'll compose the r-requiem of your e-end," the kimono-clad woman smiled shakily, despite the pain wracking her body.

"You must be truly besotted to believe so completely in him," Kyōka shook her head, holding the kunai in a throwing position. "Now, please die for me!"

The demon swung her arm with aplomb, the three-pronged kunai flying straight and true on its way to meet its target's soft, exposed throat. But before it could even travel half the distance, a blond man materialised out of nowhere, his hand already wrapped around the strange weapon. Despite his precarious position in mid-air, he somehow contorted his body to launch the knife back at Kyōka. Stunned by the man's abrupt appearance, the scantily dressed demon was barely able to veer out of the way. The side prong of the knife still made purchase on the smooth skin of her cheek as she jerked aside, drawing a thin line of crimson ichor.

In the blink of an eye, the man was hovering right behind Kyōka, a ball of whirling energies in his palm. Wide-eyed, Kyōka ducked as the cerulean sphere grazed the top of her helmet, its hellish screech rising to the crescendo as it rattled her skull. Before the blond could continue his assault, a blast of ice forced him to teleport to a little paper tag he had surreptitiously dropped moments ago. Taken out of jeopardy momentarily, the Kyūkimon member was about to taunt her opponent when she was forced to endure a torrent of pulverising winds. As the cutting air skimmed across her body, it nipped at her clothes and exposed skin, slowly tearing her body down.

Pinned down by the raging winds, she was saved only by the intervention of Silver, as a mass of formless ice circled her in a protective shell, the front of the defensive structure in the rough shape of a wedge. The powerful winds were suddenly rendered useless, split on the edge of the icy structure and curving away from Kyōka. Said woman was speckled with blood, teeth gritted in a nasty snarl. Before she could take action however, Silver had reacted, a fountain of ice erupting beneath the blond man. The masked individual leapt backwards into the midst of Kyōka's fallen victims. Before Silver could push his counterattack, a blue barrier sprung up between the Tartaros members and the blond, ending the short fracas.

The ice surrounding Kyōka exploded outwards, the woman dashing forwards with a roar. Her splayed talons scratched uselessly at the translucent wall, but she didn't relent, intent on killing the man that had so humiliated her. Sighing, Silver subjugated his mission partner with a cocoon of ice, as he slowly approached the barrier. The enemy had already turned his eyes towards the three collapsed mages on the ground, crouching beside the pink-haired woman in concern.

"Damn, you must be clairvoyant or something, to arrive just in time to save them. You must be their leader, huh? You know, Ikaruga was pretty adamant you'd turn up out of nowhere. Guess she was right," Silver said rather cheerfully. "What should we be calling you, eh? Uzumaki Naruto? Maelstrom? You have any preferences?"

"Naruto is fine," the blond replied laconically, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Then, he placed a single finger on his subordinate's arm, and almost immediately she stopped trembling in pain. Then, the azure-eyed shinobi proceeded to do the same for the rest, silencing even Kyōka as he countered her curse through some unknown means. Several doppelgängers appeared in plumes of smoke, one to each mage as the clones helped them up. The original stood in the middle, looking rather remorseful. "I'm sorry for blowing your covers. I didn't expect them to catch on so quick."

"Then Naruto-sama must surely offer recompense to Trinity Raven, for the punishing tribulations he hath brought down upon us. Employment etiquette demands thusly," Ikaruga simpered to the clone beside her, as she struggled to sit upright. "May I suggest a night of rhapsodic lovemaking?"

"As much as I appreciate an effusive welcome, at least have some semblance of decency in a public setting, Hato-chan," Naruto replied as his clones rolled their eyes, resigned to Ikaruga's coquettish attitude.

"Enough of this!" Kyōka hissed, struggling against her icy confines. "How did you counter my Curse?! No human should be able to do that!"

Naruto cast his eyes on the bird-toed demon, scoffing as he addressed one of the core members of Tartaros. "Your so-called Curse is nothing more than magic that was corrupted and twisted beyond the grasp of most mages. Your particular brand of magic involves inserting a sliver of energy into your enemies and wresting control of their senses. All I needed to do was to flush out your magic with my own."

"Ho! It seems a simple human figured out your technique. And pretty quickly at that," Silver remarked cheekily, receiving a virulent glare from Kyōka. "Man, you're all sorts of good. I'm not going to be putting bets on our master beating you, that's for sure."

The ninja quirked an eyebrow upwards. "Should I be worried?"

"Well, our master is clearly on some sort of crusade against you, but that was even before we found out about your infiltration and subsequent hiring of Trinity Raven to traipse around the countryside disrupting our plans," Silver shrugged carelessly. "For some reason, he seems really embittered by you. Your name is anathema in Tartaros, at least when the boss is about."

"I've never heard anything like that when I was sleuthing around," Naruto frowned, eyes flickering over to Kyōka once in a while.

Silver grinned charmingly, scratching the rough stubble along his strong jaw. "Well, we tend to keep the cannon fodder out of the loop. You were nowhere near the core leadership, and Trinity Raven isn't in contact with anyone much higher up the food chain. I mean, how often did you see the master anyway? He's too busy with his various hare-brained schemes. It's probably his mid-life crisis starting a few years too early."

"Enough fraternising with the enemy, Silver!" Kyōka growled, writhing about in her frozen prison. "You're being too casual about giving away vital information!"

"Oh, do shut up. It's not like it's anything he can benefit from. And even if he didn't know the boss wants to murder him, he'll find out eventually," Silver scoffed, releasing Kyōka from her confines. He glanced briefly at his incensed partner, then at the lascivious woman clinging to Naruto's clone. "Women, huh? But man, to get the infamous Ikaruga drooling all over you like that…are you some sort of sex god incarnate? She's probably killed a dozen Tartaros messengers just because their hands got a bit too close."

"She's not wrong, you know," Naruto observed clinically. "One might think you're colluding with me to topple Tartaros with the way you're dragging out this conversation. But I think what you're trying to do is to distract me while you figure out how to tear down my barrier."

The armoured demon looked faintly surprised, before bursting into heartfelt laughter. "Man, oh man. You are a monster, alright. Should I tell you what I've figured out so far then?"

"By all means."

"It's a pretty powerful barrier, that's for sure. Even if I had more time, I don't think I can break it down. I've sent feelers underground, and it's rock solid even from below," Silver extolled, before smirking victoriously. "But you haven't moved an inch, which tells me that it's static. You have to take down the barrier to leave this place. So it's a waiting game, to see who blinks first. Kyōka and I outnumber you, and we don't have any wounded to deal with."

"Very astute of you, but I'm afraid your confidence is unfounded," Naruto replied matter-of-factly. "It's been an enlightening conversation. Thank you, and goodbye."

As the barrier flickered and vanished, Silver launched a titanic wave of ice barrelling towards the ninja and his comrades. But they were no longer there, replaced by a large blast of smoke. The tsunami of ice only served to mow down the forest in its way, leaving a wintry hell in its wake. Ignoring Kyōka's histrionics and his own handiwork, the mercurial demon's lips twisted into an unreadable smile.

Uzumaki Naruto, eh? Maybe you'll be the one to…

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Eyes snapping open, Ikaruga rose as quickly as her protesting muscles allowed her to. Sensing no danger, she relaxed, casting a quick glance around the sparse room draped in the dwindling twilight. It was occupied by a simple wooden table and chair, a cupboard and three futon, one of which she had been resting in. Vidaldus and Fukurō were in the other two, one snoring loudly while the other making soft hooting noises as they convalesced. Their equipment sat in a corner, while their clothes were nowhere to be found. She was dressed in a thin white yukata, the slightly open front offering a glimpse of her cleavage and the domineering scar that stretched across her torso.

The pink-haired swordswoman slipped out of the traditional bed, ignoring her katana as she stepped out of the dusky room. Finding herself in a quaint but empty common room, with only a lone couch sitting forlornly in the centre, she headed for the door, heedless of her underdressed state. To her wonder, the house was perched on a small cliff that protruded from a forested mountain, far from human civilisation. The man she sought was standing at the edge, staring out at the darkening horizon.

"Naruto-sama," Ikaruga greeted quietly, as she strolled to his side, stopping a step behind to his right. "May I enquire as to where you have sequestered us?"

"It's a little safe house I built some years ago. It was the only safe location big enough to house all of us," the blond shinobi answered, glancing back at his subordinate. "But more importantly, how do you feel?"

"Disappointed that Naruto-sama did not go further than undressing this one," the Trinity Raven leader sniffed. "Oh, the woe that betides me!"

"Hedonist," Naruto smiled faintly, returning his gaze to the sky. "I might have to start chanting mantras to ward off your advances from now on."

"Oh? Naruto-sama speaks as if opportunities for seduction are in abundance, or shall be," Ikaruga remarked, tightening her yukata as a cool breeze swept by. "Is this related to blowing our covers?"

"Yes," the former Wizard Saint murmured, his words nearly lost in the wind. "My actions have finally caught up with me. I am no longer a mage that straddles the lines of light and dark, but a bona fide criminal. My apprentice had once suggested somewhat jokingly that I should form a guild with the three of you. Now that you can no longer return to the service of Tartaros, and I to Fairy Tail or the Magic Council, it seems like there's no better time to do so."

Ikaruga glided forwards, slipping her arms around the man's waist. She laid her head on his tall back, noting his sudden tension and resigned relaxation. "Maelstrom's deeds across the nation are ubiquitous, and the infidels on the Magic Council are powerless to smear your reputation. Render those moribund thoughts obsolete, and cast off the yoke of self-deprecation. Naruto-sama need not relegate himself to the dregs of society, for he is merely in exile should he open his eyes to gaze upon the truth."

"For a woman who throws herself at me with such verve, you seem awfully unwilling for me to join you," Naruto mumbled.

"Naruto-sama will rise as a phoenix from this nadir, but Trinity Raven only belongs to the shadows cast by him," the pink-haired woman replied softly. "Naruto-sama is a man of greatness, whether he wishes to acknowledge it or not. This one did not fall for a man who is content to wait for his death knell to ring. No. This one wishes to bask in Naruto-sama's magnificence at his zenith, for what is a life shared with a man forever at his lowest ebb, unwilling to face life's vicissitudes? Should he then wish to form an intimate nexus with his little dove, he is of course welcome to."

Naruto patted the arms locked tightly around his abdomen. "Don't look down on yourself, Ikaruga. There's nothing demeaning about being in a guild with the three of you. Trinity Raven deserves to walk by my side, heads held high and proud. And I owe so much. Your work has paid me plenty of dividends, but for all the talk about providing protection, all I've done is to bring enemies on your heads."

"So we are an obligation, not a choice?" Ikaruga whispered, releasing Naruto from her embrace.

Naruto spun around, a deep frown furrowing his brow. "Never. I want to form a guild with you because I can't think of a better team to watch my back. But I'm not the man you think I can be. Will you still join me?"

"And what does Naruto-sama think he is, if not a mysterious, handsome hero with questionable ethics?" the swordswoman purred, pressing her voluptuous chest against his.

"I'm no hero. I'm just a man who wants to do right," the blond murmured, his eyes shadowed.

Ikaruga tittered. "But you do not deny that you are mysterious, handsome and with questionable ethics. Then it is enough for this one."

"Aren't you supposed to be a villain? Why are you even encouraging me to be a hero?" Naruto teased.

The woman's hand snaked behind Naruto's head, grabbing several locks of hair as she pulled him into a passionate kiss, her lips launching a violent assault on his. As a dazed Naruto reared back, spluttering, she only smiled enigmatically, staring avidly into the ninja's cobalt orbs. "Maybe I seek to unravel the mystery that is Naruto-sama. Maybe Naruto-sama, as a man of great fidelity, is a challenge this one cannot resist. Maybe opposites attract. Or maybe your little dove's reasons are too profound for Naruto-sama to comprehend."

"You…are impossible," the blond man gasped.

"For all men but Naruto-sama," she moaned huskily.

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Mystogan's lips were pressed into a taut line as he sat in a loose ring formed by his five staves, swirling magical energies wafting off his body. Above his head, a dark, turgid storm brewed, turning the skies murky. The masked mage gritted his teeth as the localised storm bulged ominously, threatening to grow rampantly. Harnessing all the power he had at his disposal, the blue-haired man forced the storm to regress minutely, before sagging tiredly. Falling onto his back, the Edolas native glared at the whirling portal defiantly, a litany of curses tumbling forth from his lips.

Suddenly, a veritable ocean of energy collided with his staves, providing much needed power as his counter spell gained some traction against the Anima, shrinking it until the inter-dimensional portal was half the size. Scrambling up to his feet, Mystogan couldn't help but grin behind his cloth mask as his mentor stepped into view, dressed in a simple black t-shirt and pants, but without his usual mask, cuirass and coat. While Mystogan could tell that Naruto was still weighed down by many things, his casual appearance gave him a far more relaxed appearance.

"I don't remember teaching you all those swear words. What have you been learning outside my tutelage?" the blond quipped.

"You look better, sensei," the apprentice replied, ignoring the playful greeting. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad for your help with this Anima."

Naruto sighed, staring at the portal hovering in the sky almost innocuously. "After making my jailbreak, I've been trying to clean up my own mess. It's about time I paid more attention to your situation. I know you think this is your burden to bear, but as your teacher, this falls within my remit too."

"And what exactly do you plan to do, sensei? Without stopping my…father and the Anima machine in Edolas, we can only stop Animas as and when they appear," the blue-haired mage folded his arms. "And you were the one who said it will be too dangerous to go to Edolas without proper planning. Unless you actually have a plan?"

"I've eschewed a permanent solution for long enough. The Animas are getting larger and harder to close, aren't they?" Naruto commented. "And there's more in Edolas for me to do than just stopping your father."

Mystogan knitted his brow, before he realised the ninja's intentions. "You want to rescue Lisanna as well. But you won't even know where to find her. There's no Ethernano in Edolas either, so you can't use your Sennin Mōdo to pinpoint her location. Heck, you can't even use Hiraishin there, without Ethernano to stabilise the time-space openings! Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'll be encumbered, not completely useless, Mystogan," Naruto retorted dryly. "And I do have a plan in mind. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"And what exactly does your plan entail, sensei?" the Jellal lookalike grunted.

Naruto pointed upwards at the Anima. "We can reverse Anima. That should take all the magic-wielding individuals from Edolas to Earthland, which will include Lisanna. We won't even have to search for her to bring her back. Once back on Earthland, I can easily find her via Sennin Mōdo. If we destroy the Anima machine after that, it becomes a permanent solution. But there are some…caveats."

"I can't return to Earthland," Mystogan inhaled deeply.

The blond man smiled melancholically. "Yes. It is pivotal that no one in Edolas can recreate the Anima, but destroying it and all its blueprints will mean you will never see Earthland again. And you're the only person suitable for this job."

"That's a big ask," the azure-haired mage grunted.

Naruto nodded sympathetically. "I understand. I had planned to oust your father from the throne and install you as the new king, to avoid a repeat of this. But I won't force you. This was never your responsibility, even as the prince of Edolas."

"No…no, it is. It's not like I'll be missed," the young man remarked spuriously, unable to meet his mentor's eyes. "I've been a recluse much of my time here anyway. Returning home after ten years will be nice."

Naruto strode forwards, brushing aside Mystogan's hurried protests as he grabbed the younger man by his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. The masked mage squirmed, but Naruto held firm, and eventually Mystogan gave in, hesitantly wrapping his own arms around the taller man. Naruto sighed, patting his tutee on the back comfortingly. "Like I said, you don't have to shoulder this burden. Fiore…Magnolia Town…this is your home now. If you don't want to leave, you don't have to. You never have to."

The blue-haired mage shut his eyes, burying his face into Naruto's shoulder. He took several deep, calming breaths, steeling his heart for his own decision. Breaking out of the hug, Mystogan offered Naruto a shaky smile. "I-I must. I left Edolas a decade ago to stop my father. I won't be doing myself justice if I didn't return to finish the job."

"Then take some time to say goodbye. Wendy misses you greatly," Naruto said softly. "The plan can wait."

"Thank you, Naruto-sensei," Mystogan bowed, scurrying off to bid a final farewell.

Once the Sleep Magic mage was out of sight, Naruto turned to face an empty spot nearby. "The two of you can drop the barrier now."

The air shimmered as a veil of invisibility was pulled, revealing a determined Mirajane and a sheepish Cana. Naruto sighed. "What are the two of you doing here?"

"Tracking you down, of course. What else do you think we are gonna do when we hear that you got yourself in jail? Sit around?" Cana answered, sounding scandalised. "You're lucky I convinced Mira that I can find you, otherwise she would have smashed her way into the prisons just for you."

"And now you're going to rescue Lisanna without me. I thought you made a promise that we will find her together?" Mira scowled.

Naruto gave a guilty start, swallowing as his eyes tried desperately to avoid her fierce aquamarine orbs. "I…I didn't want to implicate Fairy Tail. Yajima-dono is no longer on the Magic Council, and cannot shield the guild anymore. Whoever found with me will definitely be labelled a dark mage. I can't do that to anyone."

"Don't you dare peddle that bullshit to us, Naruto-nii! You're always talking about 'protecting us' and 'keeping us safe'. We're grown-ups, and we can make our own damn decisions!" Cana harangued. "If I want to help my brother save his sister-in-law, then to hell with the stupid Magic Council, and to hell with my idiotic brother's objections! You're not shaking us off that easily!"

"And I'm not going to let you renege on your promise. You're not wheedling your way out of this," Mira threatened. "We're going to Edolas to save Lisanna with Mystogan and you, and that's final."

Naruto opened his mouth, before wisely shutting it. Shaking his head, Naruto acquiesced. "Very well. We'll go to Edolas together. More manpower isn't unwelcome."

As Cana cheered, before proceeding to rail on Naruto, Mira couldn't help but wonder why the blond man looked so remorseful when their eyes met.

Author's Notes: Hey guys! I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Real life is a poor excuse, but it's all I got.

Anyway, I thought I might address some things from chapter 21 first.

The character from that last scene was Zeref, not Sasuke. And Zeref is NOT Sasuke either. Naruto is already broken enough without Kurama. Imagine if the Sharingan existed in Fairy Tail. Über will be an understatement.

Also, I was surprised when a few people PMed me about how Gray seemed overboard, wishing for Naruto to die. Well, in the context of the conversation, he's really just making a smart-ass remark. Like any modern teenager with a foul mouth and no speech filter, he says that he wish Naruto died, but he doesn't mean it literally. He doesn't really want to see anyone die, but at the same time, he doesn't care if Naruto dies.

For those worried about the melodrama, things will get fixed eventually. Remember, we still have a few major arcs left to go! I'm a sucker for (mostly) good endings. Life has highs and lows. People can have bad periods in their lives lasting months, even years. From Naruto leaving Fairy Tail to becoming a fugitive, maybe less than 2 months have passed. You can't expect the bad blood to just disappear in an instant.

I gotta apologise for the bombastic-word spam too! I note down interesting words for use in my story whenever I randomly see or think of one, and I got overeager using them. I'll try to avoid that particular pitfall in the future ;)

As for this chapter...I debated with myself for a long time over the inclusion of the first scene. It seems superfluous in the grand scheme of things, but in the end I kept it in. It gives the main Naruto/Erza scene more coherence. And before any angry feminists come at me about how I'm justifying rape in the story...you definitely have grounds for that.

I am in no way condoning any of these despicable actions. In this era of scrutiny over every word ever used in public space, I feel it prudent to clarify my stance, lest I get some really angry reviews and PMs (and I shall expect some anyway). I've put up a lengthy explanation of the Erza scenes on my profile, so visit it if you want to know how things came to be.

But enough about Erza; the main heroine of La Tormenta is still Mira...just about! She'll feature a lot more in coming chapters.

Anyway, I wish canon released Mira's flashback earlier. Her past is so similar to Naruto's (reviled as a demon) that it would have been interesting to build their relationship from that. Unfortunately, going back to revise my earlier chapters would likely introduce a lot of problems with continuity (damn you, butterfly effect!), so maybe a story for another time?

Also, I want to give big mentions to some readers for being so darn clever, but that'll be bad for subtlety. Sorry guys (you know who you are), maybe next time ;)

In other news, Naruto has ended. I have plenty of negative opinions about the last fifty chapters or more. But in the end, it has given us so much in terms of characters, the world, and plenty of entertainment over the years. So thanks, Kishimoto-sensei.