Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.
Chapter 30: Contact (X784)
The darkness that enveloped his room was oddly comforting. Familiar, even. Having been revived from a near-death state, Jellal wondered if that was why he felt so comfortable in the shadows.
Or perhaps, he wondered wryly, it's because I'm evil.
The sun had risen hours ago, but the blue-haired man opted to stay ensconced in his room, isolated from the world. He didn't feel like he deserved the relative freedom he currently enjoyed, nor the warmth that only reminded him of whom he had wronged in his apparent past. He needed to remember so he could atone, and the darkness was where he belonged until then.
Seated on the floor, in the middle of a room bereft of all but the necessities, Jellal tried to recall. He tried to see beyond the dense fog in his mind, beyond the red hair and bittersweet smile of the woman whose name heralded a burst of warmth in his chest that the sun paled in comparison to. But the scarlet dogged his consciousness relentlessly, rendering him equal parts shameful and elated. His desires warred with his guilt and his sensibilities, his impotence heightening his frustration. He wished he could force himself to remember his sordid past, but it remained illusive.
A finger tapped his shoulder. Startled, he instinctively leapt backwards, magic gathering in his hand before he even knew what was happening. The outside world was brightly illuminated, streaming through the door and drenching the figure in front of him in shadows. But there was no malicious intent, and Jellal relaxed as he realised who it was. The magic in his palm dissipated harmlessly, and Jellal wondered if he will ever remember what that spell was.
"Naruto-san, you're back," the blue-haired man mumbled, blinking as he tried to adjust to the brightness.
"You need to stop holing yourself up like this," the blond remarked. "It's not healthy."
"I need to remember. The darkness helps," Jellal defended himself.
"Don't let the guilt take over your life," Naruto advised solemnly. "It does no one any good. I should know, I've been through it myself."
"I'm not. I just need to…atone," the man replied morosely.
The former Fairy Tail member sighed, running his fingers through his messy golden locks. "I understand where you're coming from, but there's no benefit in hiding away in your room to try and recall your past. Your memories won't come back by sheer force of will. I know this place is pretty sparse on things to do, but you could at least go out and appreciate nature or something."
"This is something I need to do," the azure-haired man stated firmly. "But thank you for your concern, Naruto-san."
"I'm really not cut out for this sort of thing," the ninja shook his head in defeat. "Do what you feel you must. If you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, don't hesitate. And don't be hasty if your memories start to return. Get the full picture before you decide on what you must do."
"I will," Jellal offered Naruto a fleeting smile. "Are you staying here today?"
"Unfortunately not. There's only so much strategising I can do here when the enemy is either mobile or well-hidden. And most leads are sketchy at best," the shinobi grunted in displeasure. "But Trinity Raven have tracked down the location of a Book of Zeref, and I'll be joining them in retrieving it today. If all goes well, you'll have three fellow criminals to engage in strange conversations with tonight."
The tattooed man quirked his lips. "I'm looking forward to it."
Naruto turned to leave by the door, more for courtesy than anything else. He paused in his tracks for a moment, before exhaling in resignation and shutting the door behind him soundlessly. Jellal smiled, and settled in a lotus position on the floor once more.
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The first floor of the small inn was relatively empty, but for the three people seated in a dining booth in the corner of the restaurant. They were digging into a hearty breakfast, although some would consider it an early lunch instead. The inn's proprietor had been a little sceptical about having a young woman share a room with two young men, but she decided to let things be. Rhoeas Town didn't get many tourists, and business was sustained more by the restaurant and the food than patrons of the inn. So the middle-aged lady left them well alone, which suited the trio just fine.
Vidaldus was in full knowledge of their employer's teleportation abilities, and knew he would be arriving to join them that day. But he still tensed noticeably when the blond appeared beside him out of nowhere. Fukurō was no different, his head spinning around so fast the rocker got whiplash just looking at the unnatural way his partner's head twisted. He was pretty used to Fukurō's owl head doing that sort of thing, but disguised as a regular human, it looked awfully creepy.
But the formidable leader of their team seemed unfazed, her sense of paranoia from being a criminal wanted by both the light and dark mages seemingly missing. She didn't dive at their boss per se; she was far too graceful for that. But there was no denying the speed at which she shifted Vidaldus out of his place to cuddle up against the blond, who could only withhold another sigh of exasperation. The black-haired musician wasn't sure why the former Wizard Saint even bothered being polite about it. He usually ended up doing so within an hour of exposure to Ikaruga anyway.
"Hey boss," Vidaldus greeted, sliding his plate over from where he had been sitting previously. "Breakfast?"
"Thanks, but I've already eaten. And isn't it a little late for breakfast?" the ninja replied, steadfastly ignoring the voluptuous woman clinging to his arm. "It's nearly noon, last I checked."
"Our contact insisted on a hellish time to meet last night," the guitarist grumbled.
"But it matters not, for we are one step closer to exacting justice on evildoers!" Fukurō declared grandly.
Ikaruga leaned in close to Naruto's ear, dragging a finger down his clothed chest as she whispered huskily into his ear. "Mmm…for our efforts…will Naruto-sama reward this one with what she desires?"
"No," he said bluntly.
The pink-haired woman was undeterred, her hands creeping closer towards his lap. "Naruto-sama's cruelty knows no boundaries. His little dove has been nothing but amenable to his every request, no matter how…demanding they are. Yet, he eschews her overtures with nary a glint of regret in his mesmerising azure orbs. Surely this one deserves more than cool dismissal, hmm?"
Vidaldus wanted to snicker at his employer's pleading eyes seeking help in removing his amorous team leader, but he was feeling a little uncomfortable watching the kimono-clad woman shamelessly seduce Naruto. She was quite heedless of her audience, but Fukurō was an oddball so it was really just a problem for Vidaldus. It was made more difficult for him considering he did possess a certain level of attraction towards the undeniably beautiful woman. It was tempered after the last few Tartaros messengers were ruthlessly decapitated or disemboweled for their ham-fisted attempts to woo her, but it was still there.
And the way she killed her husband for cheating…yeesh, Vidaldus shuddered as horrible memories surfaced. Yet she's trying to encourage the boss to cheat, while simultaneously admiring him for resisting her advances. We're a weird bunch alright.
Successfully extricating himself from Ikaruga's clutches, Naruto cleared his throat. "Can someone please brief me on what we know?"
"The artefact that Naruto-sama seeks is said to be held in a private collector's hands," Ikaruga adopted a more serious countenance, her hands retreating back into her own lap. "He lives in a mansion on the outskirts of this hamlet. To our dismay, this is the only inn around, and it is not within observational distance of the mansion in question."
"However, the enemy of justice has disgruntled servants who have given us important information about the item's whereabouts!" Fukurō continued, hooting loudly.
"Staying in disguise is hell, but at least the food here isn't too bad. The inn lady sure knows her way around the kitchen," Vidaldus muttered, shovelling some bacon into his mouth. "Anyway, apparently it's in his gallery or something, where he displays his collections. It's in the west wing, on the first level."
"Security measures?"
"The evildoer has several hired guards patrolling his den of injustice!" Fukurō exclaimed. "According to our sources, his collection is also protected by runic scripts applied by an adversary of law and order!"
Naruto folded his arms thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like much of a challenge. Any ideas why Tartaros hasn't already made a move on the Book?"
"Sorry, boss, we don't have a clue," the raven-haired musician shrugged.
"Right. Since this sounds like a relatively simple job, I'll infiltrate the mansion alone," Naruto ordered, raising a palm to halt the protests. "A single person is much better for stealth than four. And while I don't doubt your stealth abilities, there's no point for all of us to go if it's that simple. If it's a trap of some sort, I'm the one with the instantaneous teleportation ability."
"Naruto-sama, we are your subordinates. Surely it is our duty to enter the line of fire instead?" Ikaruga demurred.
"You three have done excellent work for me finding this lead in the first place. I pay you guys a pittance for the danger I put you in, and you want me to put you in more?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow in bemusement. "Loyalty doesn't have to extend to risking your lives for me, you know."
"Well boss, we do earn more working for you than we did before, because assassination missions don't make for stable incomes," Vidaldus grinned. "And the benefits are pretty good too."
"We serve you on our own volition, Naruto-sama," the pink-haired swordswoman inclined her head respectfully.
"Naruto-sama will lead us against the vultures of society and restore justice to this world!" Fukurō declared.
The blond shinobi sighed, the corner of his lips upturned. "Thanks for the support, but really, you guys have done enough for now. I have plenty more things for you to do in the future. In the meantime, enjoy your meal. I'll be back soon."
Dematerialising in the blink of an eye, Trinity Raven were left to gawk at the once-filled seat with mixed emotions. Ikaruga pouted in equal parts disappointment and delight, while Fukurō went into another spiel about justice and evil. Vidaldus, having learnt long ago how to tune out his quirky teammates, just shrugged and resumed eating his breakfast instead.
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Perched on a nearby bough, the blond ninja's watchful eyes roved over the mansion he was about to infiltrate. Calling it a mansion was a bit of an understatement though. The entire home was three storeys tall, four wings arranged in a square pattern around a huge fountain in the courtyard. Large white pillars were arranged along the facade of the mansion, the surrounding area enclosed by a tall metal fence. The land that the mansion sat upon as seemingly cut out from the forests that encircled Rhoeas Town, a grassy demesne maintaining a safe distance to the trees.
From the distance, Naruto could just about make out the guards that stood at the gates into the mansion, as well as two sets of patrols marching along either side of the building behind the fence. Pursing his lips, the man considered his options. His mind made up, he flashed through several hand seals, his form wavering until it was no longer visible. With an almost casual stride, he hopped off his observation post and began walking towards the fence on the west side, carefully staying out of the line of sight of the guards and patrols just in case.
He didn't even bother climbing the fence, merely bending at the knees and jumping straight up, over the spikes and onto the soft grass on the other side. He hit the ground gently, his control over wind preventing the sound from ever reaching the ears of the men protecting the place. Peering through one of the large windows that dotted the outside of the building, Naruto was pleased to see he was already outside the gallery. Another set of hand seals caused the air around him to shimmer, protecting him from the gazes of incoming patrols.
Once satisfied he won't be seen working, the azure-eyed man channelled a sliver of chakra to a fingertip, cautiously prodding the glass. Runes surfaced on the windows and walls, swooping and curving lines that glowed an iridescent orange. A crooked smile emerged on the invisible man's lips as he appreciated the use of his favourite colour, before he planted his own seal on top of the runes. Its lines warped and cracked as the shinobi's seal forced its way into the array, spreading across the entirety of the window Naruto was standing in front of.
The ninja then formed a thin extension of his chakra from his index finger, wedging it between the two window panes. Sliding his finger down, he undid the simple latch that kept the windows closed, and curling the chakra into a facsimile of a hook, he pulled it open. Naruto grabbed the windowsill and hopped up, sliding his body along the sill and enter the gallery head first. Using chakra to anchor his body on the ledge precariously, he reached down to tap the floor in a similar manner as he did the window earlier.
No runes emerged at the gentle stimulation with chakra. Disengaging the chakra anchor, Naruto slipped forwards, smoothly touching ground in a roll and righting himself in one graceful motion. Observing his luxurious surroundings, Naruto tried to pick out the Book of Zeref he was after from amongst the hundreds of artefacts. Seeing nothing that stood out, the blond shut his eyes and absorbed some Ethernano. Orange markings emerged around his closed eyelids as he entered Sennin Mōdo, seeking any energies emanating from the items in the private collection.
Muffling a resigned sigh, he opened his now yellow eyes. "There never was a Book of Zeref, was there?"
"No, there wasn't," a woman's voice replied, her voice lit with amusement.
Turning around, Naruto came face to face with a beautiful purple-haired woman, dressed in a white and gold suit. The sleeveless attire was complemented with black arm warmers and dull metal forearm guards with a large socket on top of each one. A white head band held some of her long tresses back, revealing a set of sharp features and full, crimson lips juxtaposed with her alabaster skin. Her dark eyes gleamed as she smirked at the shinobi.
"Your infiltration was very impressive," she complimented.
"Your misinformation even more so," the blond returned the praise.
She blushed lightly, her smile widening. "You flatter me, Uzumaki-san. Surely you expected that this was a trap?"
"Of course," Naruto shrugged. "But I had genuine hope that the bait was real."
She giggled. "I apologise for dashing those hopes then."
"Apology accepted," the former Wizard Saint cracked an uneasy smile. "So, Ultear-san, may I know what Grimoire Heart is doing here? Surely you can't be after the Books of Zeref too?"
"Oh? You know of my allegiances?" Ultear remarked, a delighted laugh escaping her lips.
"It's merely an inference, although you have confirmed it for me," Naruto replied nonchalantly. "Your infiltration of the Magic Council hinted at a large conspiracy, and elaborate plans like that are mostly the purview of the top dark guilds. You are not a member of Tartaros as far as I'm aware, and I killed Oración Seis. So that leaves Grimoire Heart as the most likely possibility."
"My my. You speak of killing Oración Seis with such casualness. Master was right. You are quite the special mage indeed," Ultear commented, a teasing tilt to her voice. "So much about you remains a mystery to us, Uzumaki-san, and it intrigues me."
"I could say the same for Grimoire Heart and you," the azure-eyed man deadpanned.
"I thought it was women who were drawn to mysterious men, not the other way around?" the Grimoire Heart member smirked. "You really know how to flatter me, Uzumaki-san."
"So do you."
The leader of the Seven Kin sighed in regret. "Uzumaki-san, it's been a pleasure chatting with you, but I'm afraid I must cut our conversation short. My purpose in doing all of this is quite simple, really. Master is willing to offer you a place in Grimoire Heart. Will you join us?"
"I would ask about the goals of the guild and what benefits I'm going to enjoy," Naruto said, surreptitiously releasing the seal that suppressed the lacrima within him. "But we both know my eventual answer to your question."
"Then that's too bad," Ultear murmured wistfully. "It would've been nice to have a normal man around the guild."
Raising her arm to chest level, a crystal orb was summoned above the socket in her arm guard. The orb launched forwards in a flash, smashing into Naruto and sending him careening backwards. Ultear conjured up several more orbs, and they joined in the melee, battering the ninja from all directions. A frown of disappointment flashed across the purple-haired mage's features as she watched her opponent break several priceless artefacts while assaulted by her orbs.
As the blond crumpled into a heap against a wall, the former Councilwoman shook her head. "I was expecting more from you there, Uzumaki-san. That was a bit of a letdown. To think I even considered you as a worthy enemy."
"Is that all?"
"What?" Ultear narrowed her eyes.
Naruto stood up slowly, brushing off the dust and debris from his clothes. "I was expecting more from you too, Ultear-san. I let you hit me to see what sort of threat you pose, but that level of power doesn't even hurt when I'm in this mode."
"You..!" she snarled.
In an instant, the gallery was packed with floating orbs. The Grimoire Heart member didn't bother with taunting Naruto, instead letting the orbs fly at him with unerring accuracy. But the former Fairy Tail mage calmly flashed through hand seals, conjuring a veritable tornado around him that blew away all the orbs. Ultear tried to shield her eyes from the dust that was whipped up by the fierce winds, her Arc of Time destroying any object that flew towards her due to the gale. Some of her orbs made it through the storm to hit Naruto, some of the infinite possibilities of penetrating his defence. But they merely cracked against his iron skin like raw eggs, dealing no damage whatsoever.
Then, he moved. The storm followed him like an obedient pet, forcing Ultear to dig in her heels to avoid being drawn into the tornado. Gritting her teeth, she killed the construct with her magic, causing it to reverse to a time before it was created. But her adversary was already within touching distance, a giant broken zanbatō raised and ready to sever her in two. Scampering backwards, she tried to speed up the inevitable ageing of the sword. To her astonishment, the giant cleaver was instead restored to its full glory.
The sudden change in weight distribution made Naruto hesitate, which gave the purple-haired woman an opportunity to attack with more orbs and retreat for some breathing space. The blond batted her orbs away with Kubikiribōchō, shaking his head.
"I researched your magic, you know? You can apparently see infinite possibilities…but so far, none of those orbs of yours have managed to pierce my Sennin Mōdo," Naruto intoned. "So either there's a limit to the possibilities you can see or manipulate, or there exists no possibility for your orbs to kill me in this state."
"Don't be so cocky," she hissed, forming more orbs that hovered around her. "I can do things that you can only dream of!"
Naruto ducked as a gleaming medieval sword flew through the space where his head was, before a wave of sharp crystal shards converged on his form. He formed several hand seals, but the air refused to bend to his will. Raising an eyebrow, the blond released an immovable Kubikiribōchō and grabbed the incoming blade of the sword with his bare hands, his Hiraishin gloves dissolving like faint mist. The sharp edges failed to penetrate his skin as he squeezed down hard, the metal shattering with a liberal application of chakra.
The shards cut numerous holes in his clothes, but they left no marks as they cracked and shattered on his impenetrable skin. The weight of his weapon pouch disappeared, and air suddenly rushed out of his lungs and refused to enter them. The ninja was undeterred however, rushing forward even as his vision blurred and his lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. Ultear launched everything she had at the onrushing shinobi, but they merely bounced off of him. Shards flew towards his eyes, but the man merely lowered his head a little and allowed them to smash against his forehead. The floor gave way under each footstep, but he adjusted them instantly.
The woman tried to retreat as all of her attempts to stop him failed, but he was just too quick. A barrage of blows crashed against her abdomen, Ultear's eyes bulging as her body bent almost in half. She lost control over her air she had frozen around Naruto, allowing him to breathe once again as he smashed an elbow into her jaw, dislocating it and sending her flying back into a wall. She smacked into the unforgiving concrete, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as a powerful fist careened into her bruised stomach.
A large hand grabbed her neck before she could slide to the ground, holding her aloft by her throat. She winced as the powerful fingers dug into her flesh, jarring her dislocated jaw and causing her eyes to swim. Orbs smashed uselessly against Naruto's back, the man's yellow toad eyes boring into hers. He applied more pressure, causing her to cease her assault and instead scrabble at his hand in a desperate attempt for air.
"I'll make you a counter offer instead," the blond said casually. "Tell me all that you know about your guild, and work for me as a spy instead."
Blood and saliva bubbled from her lips as she tried to spit at Naruto's face unsuccessfully. Shaking his head, the blond raised his other hand, a sheath of cutting wind chakra coating the appendage. Before he could stab Ultear however, he was stopped by a powerful force weighing him down. Turning his head, Naruto observed his new opponent. The tall man was dressed in blue and black robes, with a white coat draped over his shoulders. His dark hair was arranged in a ponytail that reached his waist, wearing prominent sideburns and a five o'clock shadow.
"It's been a long time since I've met someone who can resist my Gravity," the man intoned. "But can you fly?"
Naruto let go of Ultear as a wave of air smashed into him, blasting him out of the gallery through the masonry. Naruto winced as he was sent crashing into the ground suddenly, gravity multiplying severalfold. A blue barrier sprung up around his prone body, severing the hold Bluenote had on him. Naruto sprung to his feet, eyes narrowed as he tried to reassess the new threat. Said opponent had his palms facing the barrier, trying to warp the shield but to no avail. The blond's mind worked a mile a minute as he tried to figure out a way to counter gravity, when yet another person appeared.
The goat-like creature, wearing what could loosely be termed as a cropped suit, walked out of the hole in the wall of the mansion. He tapped the Gravity mage on his shoulder, the dark-haired man whirling around with a murderous look on his features. "What do you want, Caprico?"
"We've completed our objectives and Ultear needs treatment," the one named Caprico stated monotonously. "Master has ordered us to leave, Bluenote."
"Fine," Bluenote acquiesced, mastering his expression.
Caprico clapped his hands together, his fellow guild member encapsulated in a bubble before shrinking and vanishing. With another burst of magic, a set of metallic wings materialised on his back. Caprico kept his shaded eyes on Naruto as he took off into the skies, the jetpack taking him far out of Naruto's reach. The cerulean-eyed man sighed as he dropped his dimensional barrier, vanishing from the scene just as guards converged on the location of the commotion.
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The blond appeared in the midst of Trinity Raven, now back in their room in the inn. He was glad they had heeded his advice to stay put; he would've been hamstrung if Grimoire Heart had used them against him. Immediately noticing his scuffed up state, Ikaruga pressed him into a nearby bed despite mild protests, Vidaldus and Fukurō hovering behind protectively.
"Naruto-sama, are you well?" Ikaruga asked worriedly.
"Just a little bruised," the blond smiled gratefully. "Are you guys okay?"
"Nothing happened to us, boss," Vidaldus shook his head. "Were you attacked?"
"Yea, it was a trap. There is no Book of Zeref there," the ninja replied, voice tinged with disappointment.
"Then we must visit our sources and show them true justice!" Fukurō howled.
"None of that, Fukurō," Naruto admonished lightly. "We don't know whether your sources were compromised in a way that leaves them unaware. I don't know much about Grimoire Heart, and certainly not enough to rule out mind control. I've heard of plants that have no idea they are under the control of someone else."
"Grimoire Heart?" the pink-haired swordswoman queried. "You didn't encounter Tartaros?"
"Yea. I didn't expect them at all. They obviously have some source of information, or they wouldn't have been able to bait us like that," Naruto answered tersely as he tried to sit up, brushing off Ikaruga's attempts to force him back down. "Either your contacts are compromised, or they have some way of spying on us. The former is more likely, but I wouldn't rule out the latter."
"I have faith that Naruto-sama will find a way to secure our communications," the leader of Trinity Raven declared confidently.
"I have some ideas, but they can wait," the blond shook his head.
"Are we going back to base, boss?" the black-haired rocker enquired. "Since this place was a bust."
Naruto hopped back to his feet, cracking his neck loudly. "Yea, might as well. There's nothing here for us. Has the room and food been paid for already?"
"I wish Naruto-sama would be more concerned about his health than the coin owed to the proprietors of this inn," Ikaruga sniffed, picking up her nodachi from a corner of the room. "It would certainly make this one feel less distraught."
The blond merely flashed a grin at his subordinate, but before he could do much more, the loud sounds of metal music suddenly blared in his ears. The former Fairy Tail member snarled as he tried to fight off Vidaldus' Rock of Succubus, having been caught completely unaware by it. The man had since shed his disguise, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he strummed his guitar with manic energy.
Ikaruga unsheathed her blade, the metal glinting ominously. Slowly, she pressed the tip of the nodachi against Naruto's chest, and slid the blade between his ribs. The azure-eyed man gritted his teeth as the sword pierced his chest with ease, his mouth filling with blood. The pink-haired woman's green eyes sparkled with vindictive pleasure as she buried the sword to the hilt, laughing with unbridled glee.
"Oh, how it must hurt for Naruto-sama to be betrayed by his Hato-chan!" she cooed, raising a hand to stroke his whiskered cheek. "He straddles the line between light and dark, yet bears the blind trust only those who walk the light possess. Oh, his naivety is truly comical!"
"W-Why?" he croaked, crimson fluid leaking from the corners of his lips.
"We are assassins, my dear Naruto-sama. This is merely another assignment. A part-time mission, if you will," Ikaruga whispered. "The reward is excellent, and the favour of Grimoire Heart is most welcome. But truly, there is but one reason for my acceptance of this mission."
"This one can only endure so much rejection. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," she purred, snagging his bloody lips for a passionate, bruising kiss.
Then Fukurō opened his mouth, and all Naruto could see was darkness.
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Hades stroked his long, white beard thoughtfully as the muscle-bound, owl-head member vomited out the body of Uzumaki Naruto through the narrowest of beaks. The man, drenched in saliva and stomach fluids, was motionless, sprawled across the ground like the corpse that he apparently was. He sensed no magic from the body, and Ultear had not observed any deception using her orb whilst the assassination took place, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Caprico," he rumbled.
The anthropomorphic goat strode over to the body, bending down and pressing two fingers against the carotid artery. A moment passed before the man nodded stiffly at his guild master, retreating into the semicircle that surrounded Trinity Raven. It was meant to be intimidating, but the trio looked unfazed standing in the midst of his Seven Kin of Purgatory.
"Your team has done quite magnificently, to have taken down your leader like that," Hades congratulated the trio. "Ultear was given quite the lesson when she fought him earlier."
"We had the element of surprise, Hades-sama," Ikaruga replied sweetly. "He trusts too easily, verily a mage of the light. Humiliation would have greeted us in the arena of open combat, which we had the misfortune of experiencing years ago."
"Is that so?" the man quirked his lips, leaning his cheek against his fist. "Did you feel any remorse killing him, having worked for the man for years?"
The pink-haired swordswoman scoffed lightly. "He has scorned my advances for as long as I have served him. Our association with him yielded only animosity from Tartaros, and the missions we perform are joyless chores for the dispensable. Money mitigates, but that can be obtained through a myriad means. When Bluenote arrived with your generous offer, it presented Trinity Raven with the perfect opportunity to return to what we were born to accomplish."
"So he couldn't fly after all," Bluenote chimed in, entering the bridge to stand beside Hades' throne.
"It appears so, Bluenote," Hades chuckled. "Their payment?"
Trinity Raven gasped as they were forced to the ground by the sudden increase in gravitational force. Ikaruga hissed as she planted the butt of her nodachi's sheath against the ground, attempting to stand but to no avail. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"The three of you are mercenaries, which means you work for the highest bidder. That a light mage could hire you for years speaks volumes of your willingness to work for money," the helmeted man smirked, leaning back into his throne. "I admire your efficiency, but you have seen the insides of my airship and the faces of my Seven Kin. I don't need loose tongues wagging."
"Can I kill them?" a wild-haired blond panted in excitement.
"You'll char my floor, Zancrow, and I don't think Ultear is in the kind of shape to be doing menial repairs," the aged man denied. "Rustyrose, if you would please. And keep it clean, I don't want too much blood on my ship either."
A lanky man with a silver pompadour sauntered forwards, his gloved hand transforming into an inky black blade. He smiled sadistically, brushing the cold metal against Ikaruga's cheek. "Oh, it is such a pity to have to end the life of a beautiful, thorny rose as vibrantly coloured as this one is. The regret that fills my heart is overwhelming, but the pleasure of stomping on this flower will surely make up for it."
Raising his sword above his head, he swung at Ikaruga's neck gleefully. The woman tried desperately to parry the sword with her own, but was far too slow. But the jet black blade could only crash against the body of a huge zanbatō. Before anyone else could react, metallic chains wrapped around all of the Seven Kin, binding them and absorbing their energies. Rustyrose stared at the man wielding the massive cleaver in incredulity, only to have his focus redirected by the slow clapping from his guild master.
"Bravo. Bravo!" Hades complimented the stoic blond standing protectively over Trinity Raven. "I expected a ruse, but to be able to fool all of us…that takes quite the skill. Tell me, Naruto-san, how did you fake your death? Did she really stab you in the chest?"
"She did, but she avoided my heart," Naruto grunted. "As for the first question, that's none of your business."
"Being the new Poison Dragon Slayer, I presume you must have used a toxin to simulate death," the man stood up from his throne, smiling at Naruto's stoicism. "I surmise that you had hoped Trinity Raven would be paid and released with no harm, and you can wreak havoc once they had disembarked from our airship, yes?"
"The best laid plans," the cerulean-eyed ninja smiled wryly.
"But you made the most of your circumstances, and now you've managed to put us in an awkward situation," the guild master remarked cheerfully. "My Seven Kin are tied up by you, while you have Trinity Raven, I have Bluenote. The odds are stacked against you, Naruto-san. Show me your path out of this. Show me what a man who defeated Ultear, the leader of my Seven Kin, with such ease can do."
Naruto ground his teeth together as he tried to hold back a Kubikiribōchō that grew a mind of its own, its sharp edge suddenly attracted towards Trinity Raven. Storing the massive blade away, Naruto tried to swing the Seven Kin at Bluenote, only for him to brutally nail them to the ground before they could reach him. The Ace of Grimoire Heart charged towards him with eye popping speed, his granular control of gravity keeping everyone else pinned to the ground easily. The blond shinobi, hampered by the chains sprouting from his left hand, quickly entered Sennin Mōdo before parrying the roundhouse punch with his right.
The Uzumaki barely knocked the fist out of its intended path, tilting his head to the side to complete the dodge. He could feel his body resisting his motions, his head being drawn towards the fist like two magnets of opposing poles. Fighting the increased gravity, Naruto threw his left forearm downwards to block the rising knee to his gut, before taking advantage of the increased attraction and smashing his forehead into Bluenote's chest.
The burly mage brushed off the head butt, aiming his right fist at Naruto's temple. The cerulean-eyed man heaved his head backwards, sweating as the fist brushed against the tip of his nose. His hair grew exponentially, follicles wrapping around his adversary's arm and stiffening into sharp spikes. The dark mage roared in pain, Naruto's hair quickly sent flying back into his own face and impeding his vision. Spluttering, Naruto tried to shrink his hair back to normal, but the distraction was enough for Bluenote to plant a devastating punch into his gut.
Even in Sennin Mōdo, Naruto's vision whited out from the pain as he was sent flying, his chains breaking from his loss of control. He smashed into the window frame, shattering the glass behind him and bending the metal. His abdomen throbbed as he scrambled to his feet against the heightened gravity, launching a spiralling blast of wind from both palms. Bluenote dispelled it with a flick of his wrist, only to find Naruto in his face almost immediately. A lightning quick palm smashed into the muscular mage's chest, and to his surprise sent him tumbling back.
Massive ornate swords materialised instantly, before smashing uselessly into a blue, shimmering barrier that sprung up around Naruto and Trinity Raven. Rustyrose looked incensed at the blond, as did most of the Seven Kin who were getting up on their feet. But the battle was interrupted as Hades burst into laughter, his applause once more filling the bridge of the Grimoire Heart airship.
"Marvellous! Fighting off Bluenote while protecting your subordinates and restraining all of my Seven Kin. Simply marvellous!" Hades praised wholeheartedly. "Even if you aren't the ruthless man I initially pegged you to be, that strength of yours is just splendid! Will you reconsider my offer to join me?"
"If I said yes, would you kill Trinity Raven anyway?" the ninja shot back.
"I would," Hades' smile widened.
"Then my answer remains the same."
"What a pity. I could have really used a talented man like you," the bearded man sighed. "But the question still remains. Can you make your way out of this?"
Naruto didn't reply to Hades' challenging words, opting to plant Hiraishin seals on each member of Trinity Raven and formed three clones to perform the reverse Hiraishin as soon as his barrier came down. His yellow orbs were drawn to Ultear's, the woman's eyes glowing with seething hatred. Breaking eye contact, the blond dropped his barrier.
Eyes widened in horror as his Hiraishin seals de-aged and faded before he could activate them, the glow in Ultear's orbs very real. His clones reached desperately towards his subordinates, but restrained by an incredible force of gravity, their movements were slow as molasses compared to the swords that flew like bullets. The blades skewered Trinity Raven in all directions, crimson liquid splattering all over Naruto's clones as they tapped them on the skin and sent them to a safe location.
Naruto bit back a yell in frustration as he dodged the weapons homing in on him, casting a final, venomous glare at a visibly amused Hades before vanishing into thin air.
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Jellal was startled by the audible thump of three heavy objects on the ground. Darting out of his room, he rushed over to a harried looking Naruto, who had several clones running around the safe house gathering supplies. The blue-haired man cringed as he saw the bloody state of his most recent companions, several humongous swords stabbed right through each of them. A red pool of fluids grew beneath them, their bodies limp and boneless.
The amnesiac swallowed as he watched Naruto carefully extract each sword, leaving behind large, jagged wounds several inches wide each. He seemed feverish as tried to treat their grievous wounds, his hair growing excessively long to form makeshift threads for stitches. The blond's hands trembled, slick with brown, congealing blood as he tried to seal their injuries. Jellal reached for his benefactor's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Frenzied cerulean eyes met his.
"Naruto-san…" he muttered. "It's…there's nothing you can do for them anymore."
The usually collected man shook as his gaze fell back on the pale bodies of Trinity Raven. Their eyes were wide and unseeing, faces frozen from their very last moments. Having been treating her personally, Naruto reached for Ikaruga's alabaster cheek, his hand thick with her coagulating life fluids. She wore a beautiful, contented smile on her features, as if satisfied by how her death had come for her.
"I…I killed them…with my own fucking hands…with my fucking stupid plan…" the blond choked out, tears streaming down his tanned cheeks. "She…she told me she loved me…they trusted me…and I couldn't even…keep them fucking alive…!"
He screamed incoherently, punching the floor and cracking the blood soaked floorboards. Not knowing what to do, Jellal stood beside the kneeling man, a sympathetic hand on his shoulder as the azure-eyed man sobbed inconsolably.
He sat on his haunches for an hour, lost in his grief. Finally, as his tears ran dry and the blood on his hands caked into a thick, flaking mess, he slowly rose. Scooping Ikaruga up in his arms, he made for the front door, kicking it open and stumbling out into the afternoon sun. It was bright and sunny, a cheerful mockery of what had happened. Jellal stepped towards the cooling corpse of Vidaldus, ready to help, but a quiet glance and a shake of the head from Naruto halted him.
The sage, eyes rimmed in red, carried each body out of the safe house, and began the arduous process of digging their graves. He didn't bother with spells or techniques, instead using his bare hands to move the dark soil. Jellal watched in morbid fascination as Naruto toiled for hours, methodically moving the earth to fit the bodies of Trinity Raven.
It was dark when he was finally done, three bare mounds of earth covering what had remained of his team. Three round gravestones, once rough chunks of granite collected from the mountain they were on, were carved and smoothed with wind chakra, marking out where each person laid. He stood before their resting place for several minutes in contemplation, before making his way back into the house. He brushed past Jellal without a word, before the sounds of a shower followed.
A long while later, the blond emerged from his shower, hands scrubbed a raw pink. His eyes were no longer tinged red, but looked no less haunted. The cerulean-eyed man offered Jellal a weak, appreciative smile as he noticed the blood-free floor, before collapsing into the single couch in the living room. Jellal joined him silently, eyeing the haggard man in concern.
"Do…do you need anything?" he asked tentatively.
"No. I…just need some time," Naruto croaked hoarsely, shutting his tired eyes.
"Do you need help against whoever did…this?" the azure-haired mage offered.
"Thanks, but you don't even remember who you are. You won't be able to fight at your full potential," the blond replied in the negative. "It's…easier to fight alone, sometimes."
"Will you…take revenge?"
"Revenge?" the whiskered man echoed, chuckling darkly. "I was planning to kill them even before this, so it's not really revenge if I do it now, is it?"
"You told me this morning not to be hasty when making decisions," the tattooed man advised.
"I won't," Naruto sighed in exhaustion.
"Maybe you should go see your girlfriend," Jellal remarked.
A dry smile graced his gaunt features. "She's busy preparing for Fairy Tail's S-class promotion trials. I don't want to disturb her."
"So what are you going to do now?"
The shinobi stood up gingerly, his cobalt orbs icy. "I'm going to give Hades a rude awakening."
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It wasn't the sudden disconnection of the Devil's Heart that woke him up, but the lightest of touches against his chest. Hades' eyes snapped open as a long sword swung down like a guillotine, ready to decapitate him in one swing. But despite the loss of the link to his main source of power, he was more than capable of defending himself, magic bullets blasting off the tips of his fingers. The interloper dodged them with preternatural ease, but the distraction gave the Grimoire Heart guild master enough time to scramble out of bed to face his assassin.
The attacker retaliated with a swing of his blade, a crescent of howling winds blasting off the tip of the nodachi. Hades met the spell with one of his own, a small Amaterasu blast to negate the cutting gale. The assassin reappeared behind him in the blink of an eye, the Grimoire Heart leader twisting as he tried to avoid the falling sword. Even so, he had to bite back a holler of pain as the insanely sharp, magic-imbued sword cut a long, thin gash across his back. Pointing his index finger through the gap between his arm and his torso, he fired off another barrage of Piercing Bullets, forcing the interloper back.
The bearded man prepared an Amaterasu as his enemy weaved through his hail of bullets, slicing through the magic bolts when he couldn't. When his Amaterasu seal appeared beneath the man, he simply vanished, appearing beside Hades. The nodachi swung fast and true, slicing through the magical chains that tried to restrain it. The wind that sheathed the metal extended as Hades tried to retreat, cutting clean through his forearm.
The dark mage howled in pain as his left arm fell to the ground with a loud thud, blood spilling liberally onto the floor of his opulent room. Suddenly, explosions rocked the airship, signalling a momentary stalemate between the two combatants. Loud screams and shouts filled the corridors outside his quarters, and the airship took a sudden nosedive.
"Who are you?" Hades snarled, clutching the stump that was once his arm.
"So quick to forget the man you tried to hire just hours ago," the man mocked. "Do you have dementia, old man? Don't worry, it's quite normal."
"Uzumaki Naruto?! How…!" the older man seethed.
"Does it matter?"
Hades threw himself to the ground as the sword tried to bisect him across his waist from behind. He tried to sweep Naruto's legs from beneath him, and as the blond hopped back, Hades fired a black beam of energy from his palm. The yellow-eyed man leaned backwards, kicking the older mage's wrist and knocking the beam off target, ripping a huge hole in the hull of the airship. A whirling blast of wind erupted from the former Wizard Saint's palm, blasting Hades through the floor of his room and into a deeper section of the ship.
Naruto activated the Hiraishin, avoiding the exploding Amaterasu seals that appeared in the space which he occupied. Ikaruga's sword managed to score another light cut across Hades' shoulder blades, but the man managed to roll away before he was severed in two. The floor beneath Naruto's feet gave way and disappeared, the blond firing a chain from his palm at the ceiling and pulling himself up.
Ultear threw a veritable wall of orbs at the airborne sage, buying some time as she rushed over to her fallen guild master. The leader of the Seven Kin was thus taken by surprise as the Hiraishin took Naruto beside Hades, and by proxy, her. A single tap to her arm completely deprived her of magic, the bane and boon of her existence. Stunned at her sudden loss of power, Ultear fell backwards, her eyes wide in terror.
Gravity dragged the blond away from the two Grimoire Heart members, smashing into the walls of the chamber they were in. A jet of black fire roared as it tried to burn Naruto to a crisp, only to be sucked into a glove and redirected out another. Meredy and Kain dived out of the way of the incoming torrent of flames as Naruto swept his arm in front of him in a wide arc.
Zancrow eventually ended his attack, which had turned the area into a burning hell. The crazed blond looked pleased at his handiwork, about to dive into a spiel before having to dodge a flying zanbatō. In a flash, Naruto was wielding it, Kubikiribōchō swinging towards the fire wielder from behind. The wind-coated sword managed to score a nick on the fire mage's cheek before Fall brought the sword wielder to the ground. Zancrow opened his mouth and howled, a wave of black flames erupting from his throat.
The intruder disappeared in the fiery hell. The maniacal fire mage kept up the attack until Azuma tapped him on the shoulder. His black fire had scorched a hole through the entire airship, leaving nothing behind.
"HAHAHA! In the end, he was nothing in the face of my fire!" the Grimoire Heart member crowed in triumph.
"Hello."
Hades whirled around, lone exposed eye widening as Ikaruga's nodachi was halfway towards cutting his neck. Then Rustyrose was there, a shield of gold blocking the sword. His right hand was in the form of a sword, stabbing towards Naruto in a counterattack. Bluenote's Fall held the sage in place, but the sword pierced nothing Naruto reappeared on the wall, where Bluenote's Gravity had thrown him earlier.
"I can't fight all of you at once, so I shall take my leave now," the former Fairy Tail mage sneered. "I'll see you guys around. Sleep tight."
Then he vanished as multiple attacks smashed into the wall he was perched on, blasting a massive hole in the airship. The Seven Kin gathered their magic, eyes and ears wide open for another sneak attack by Naruto. Only after several minutes passed did they relax, their half-formed spells fading into the smoke that billowed from all parts of the airship.
"What a mage," Hades grunted. "To think he can cause so much damage and escape without a scratch…"
"I…I can't feel…anything…" Ultear mumbled to herself. "My powers…"
"Ultear!" Meredy cried, rushing over to her mother figure.
The Grimoire Heart guild master snorted, lashing out at the immobile woman with a harsh backhand. Ultear was knocked into Meredy's arms, the young pink-haired girl glaring at Hades as she cradled the trembling woman. "Stop fucking around and fix the ship."
"I…I can't. He did…something to me. I don't have magic anymore," she whispered in disbelief.
Before he could berate Ultear any further, a sudden bout of dizziness struck Hades. The aged man lost his footing and collapsed to the ground. He blinked rapidly to try and clear his increasingly blurry vision, but with no effect. He watched with detachment as Zancrow was hailed over from where he stood, a black fire in his palm ready to cauterise the end of his severed arm.
"N-No," he rasped, his voice weakening by the second. "My…chest. T-The rune. B-Burn it off."
Despite sharing questioning glances with each other, they removed his thin sleep shirt to reveal an intricate rune drawn on Hades' torso. The fire wielder was almost delighted as he burned the seal with his black flames, his master's screams lost in the sounds of a crumbling airship. Then, he straightened up, quickly regaining vigour as his connection to the Devil's Heart was restored.
"He poisoned me when he cut me," the Grimoire Heart founder explained. "Bring Ultear to me."
The near unresponsive woman was dragged over to the guild master, Meredy following behind in mild protest. The bearded man scrutinised the purple-haired woman's pale skin, quickly spotting the seal on her upper arm. Eradicating it was easy, having studied it extensively whilst removing it from Bluenote earlier. Ultear shuddered as her magic returned to her, surprise evident in her dark orbs.
"My magic…" she breathed.
"Yes, I returned it back to you. Now fix this bloody ship, and bring it to a time before Trinity Raven came on board," Hades ordered.
The leader of the Seven Kin nodded, her eyes glowing red as the fires faded and the holes in the walls sealed themselves, the ship returning to its pristine state before the actions of Naruto. "May I ask why I needed to bring the ship back to that time?"
"He might have planted some of his teleportation runes on the ship when he was here earlier," the Grimoire Heart leader growled. "That's probably how he managed to sneak on board again."
"So what now?"
"Nothing. We have all the keys to Zeref's seal now. Uzumaki can come later, no matter how much of a menace he may be," the bearded man grimaced. "All we need is Zeref's location, and we can accomplish our goals."
"Master, your wounds?"
Hades turned to Azuma, meeting the tall man's steady gaze. "They'll heal with the help of the Devil's Heart. The arm is a loss, but not enough to cripple me. Now, let's get some fucking sleep."
Author's Notes: How about that for a return to the action and grim nature of La Tormenta, eh?
It's not to compensate for the last chapter by the way; I've had these scenes in mind for quite a long time now. And if you're annoyed that Ikaruga is dead, then I must have done something right with her character :P
I initially planned Naruto's 'death' as a cliffhanger a long time ago, but when I finally reached this chapter, I didn't have enough content to stretch things out and make it work. So there was zero suspense there. But no one would expect Naruto to really die here, so it's probably not such a big deal.
I tried to imagine what Arc of Time can do besides manipulating sad little orbs. When Ultear manipulates objects' ages, she has to take molecules to the time and place they exist in before or after the present moment. So I took that and applied it to air molecules, allowing her to basically manipulate air like the best wind jutsu specialist. Naruto is just a terrible matchup for her, although to be fair, he's a terrible matchup for most mages.
I don't know how much of Bluenote's fight in canon is written with real Newtonian gravity in mind, but I did my best to do so when writing his fights. He can still basically do the same things though. He manipulates gravity, which is an attractive force between two objects with mass. If he's not manipulating the distance, then he's essentially manipulating the mass. That affects force and momentum, which can make him an incredible hand-to-hand combatant. And he can make repel things by making them attracted to things elsewhere.
I didn't go with relativistic gravity because while it would have been an interesting thought experiment to have Bluenote being able to bend space-time, it gave me headaches just thinking about how it's going to work, let alone write a battle with. That, and I've explained techniques like Hiraishin as involving a separate dimension (as opposed to compression of space-time or wormholes), which adds a whole new layer of complexity. I barely understand special relativity, let alone complex stuff like this, so I decided it was better to just ignore it and move on.
Yes, I know, fantasy genre, science not important. Still, I would prefer there to be some logical and/or scientific basis if possible.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. There's been a slow drop off in reviews, which I'm slightly concerned about, but totally expect given that every chapter since the Oración Seis just doesn't compare as well. Also, I did say reviews aren't the be it, end all for me. So I have no idea if most people actually enjoy the stuff I'm putting out, but I hope that's the case. And if you do, thanks for the support!
P.S. I think lots of readers might admire what Mashima-sensei did by connecting all the disparate plot elements of Fairy Tail in chapter 465, but I'm going to be controversial here and state that I think it's crap. The entire plan by the dragons makes no sense from a logical perspective, and like I've ranted about before, the revelation of E.N.D. was completely ruined by that stupid flashback scene of Zeref's. This chapter should have been the moment to reveal it. Now all the suspense and awe is gone due to foreknowledge.
Seriously, that plan by the dragons is DUMB. What if Acnologia decides to destroy the world while you're gone? Then you'll just emerge in a world where everything is already destroyed. So much for a plan to defeat Acnologia. And why not just wait around to gather the Ethernano slowly? It's not like you were in a hurry to defeat him, given that YOU GAVE HIM 4 CENTURIES TO DO ANYTHING HE WANTED. Also, why bother with Dragon Soul Magic when you're going to need even more Ethernano to break said spell? It's not like dragons can't just waltz through the gate; it happened in the Eclipse Arc for crying out loud.
Yea, I think it's stupid, even if it was elaborate and shows that Mashima-sensei has been planning this for a while.