Chapter 18: Pt V

Begin.

'Sasuke…'

You were a stuck up pain in the ass, but for some odd reason even to myself. You became my best friend, Sasuke.

You would push me to reach higher every time we went out on missions as team 7… You never treated me like the villagers did before I gained any fame. You would call me dobe even when I headed towards the Black Dragon.

I didn't know jealousy was there… I didn't know.

The day I killed you… was the day I severed my bond to my old self.


"Guhh!" Naruto spat out his own blood, as he tried to keep himself conscious. Erza could only drop to her knees as she kept both hands on the hilt of the blade that was piercing the powerful blonde.

"A quick seal with enough power to at least immobilize a mage as strong as you." Erza said softly as she looked up to meet Naruto's eye who could only stare silently. "For just a second."

"I was no match for you in a battle of power or skill, so I had to use ninja techniques you taught me." Erza said with a smile as picked herself up to stand in front of Naruto, who continued to be quiet as he withstood the agonizing pain his body is going through.

"But I win." Erza said as she brought her hand up to caress his right cheek. Naruto's eyes blurred in and out of focus as he tries to look at Erza's bloody lip as she smiled at him.

"Hundreds of spar later and I beat you, at the cost of your life…" She leaned closer as she whispered that part as her lips leaned closer to his ear.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry you fallen this deep… Naru..." Erza swallowed the lump in her throat as she was unable to finish her sentence. "Naruto… please find peace in the after life…"

Erza could only lean forward before passionately kissing Naruto's bloody lip before turning away and limping away towards her fallen comrades. Naruto could only groan before bringing up his trembling hand. He rested it over the blade piercing his abdomen, as it began to glow green.

Erza noticed this as she turned around to warn him that his weak healing magic was not enough to stop his impending death.

"I'm just nulling the pain… so we can speak." Naruto said as his eyes stared at Erza. "You know, I'm not going to apologize. If I apologize, it would look as if I'm seeking forgiveness."

"I just kinda want to play fair and warn you of Brian. He is old and looks weak, but something is off about him. So don't go rushing in like you always do…" Naruto said with a weak chuckle. "For a smart woman, you tend to act reckless a lot. Guess it's my fault for passing that on."

"You giving me advice now?" Erza asked with dry humor as she forgot their current predicament. Naruto had a sword through his body while bleeding out from his chest.

"Well why not. I just helped that Brian guy out just for the jewels. I wouldn't even be able to properly use it in the open…" Naruto said with another weak chuckle.

"He...he.. We were some rowdy kids… I guess we kind still are." Naruto said with a weak smile as the green light started to dimmer.

"We were a badass team… we defeated S class monsters… took down Dark guilds together… made a beautiful girl…" Naruto leaned his head back. "Damn we were too young to have a kid hehe. Well that what happens when two teenagers who don't know what they are doing make love…"

Erza could only smile sadly as she watched Naruto reminisce with his final words. Memories of the kind and brash man that made her fall in love caused her to begin to tear up as she walked toward Naruto as he began to go into more perverse details.

"Hehe oh how you liked to be pinned do-" Naruto stopped talking as Erza lightly slapped him on his head. Naruto could only smile as remembering all the times she did that to him.

"I'm going to skin that perverted hermit for the way you were raised." Erza was referencing Jiriaya who she has met before. During Naruto's Fairy Tail days, he introduced her to the perverted mage who Naruto described as a mentor from his home village.

"It never works, Many women have tried." Naruto said jokingly before slowly taking a more serious demeanor.

"Don't let the past define you Erza." Naruto said as he looks at the red-haired, armored mage. He was going to continue until he saw a pillar of light shot from the sky, not too far away from them. "He..he I would spew more motivation crap, but seems Nirvana is close to be awakened…"

"..." Erza clenched her fist as she heard Naruto's last words. Nirvana has been successfully activated and her priorities were put aside for her emotions again.

"Erza!" She turned around to see Natsu running towards her, fully conscious thanks to the blue-haired dragonslayer.

"Go and kick Brian's ass." Naruto said with a weak smile, causing Erza to smile.

"Thank you…" Erza said her final words as she ran past Natsu, towards the pillar of light. Natsu looked at Naruto, who began to lift his hand up. Natsu could only smirk as Naruto formed the Fairy Tail hand sign.

Natsu quickly grabbed the wrist of the now awake Laxus, who just regained consciousness thanks to Wendy.

"Come on Laxus! We got to do what Fairy Tail does best!" Natsu yelled as he stared at the pillar of light. "Save the world and kick ass!'

"He..he...he" Naruto said as he brought down the hand that was healing him enough to ease the pain. He smiled as he endured the excruciating pain as he prepared to die. He accomplished everything he wanted. Now he would die in peace.

"So you misguided Titania's self-hatred," Naruto was surprised by the voice as he looked to the left of him as a cloaked man appeared from behind the tree and walked towards him. "To hate you instead."

"And then you give her peace just before you… die, so she would not feel anymore burden." The cloaked man continued to speak out his observations as he closed on Naruto. "You are more compassionate than you seem. Makes me question if the man who slayed Konoha was the same man."

"Actually I do question if a very talented, but inexperienced young mage could truly destroy Konoha, home of some of the strongest mages in all of Fiore…" the cloaked man asked as he brought two fingers up and tapped them on Naruto's forehead. "Alone."


"...Ingenious of you Sarutobi. Give him the acknowledgment he always wanted and he becomes a loyal weapon." Danzo should have said that. That is what Naruto remembered. The conversation he hear from the slightly open door. But a different conversation happened.

"That boy… he was able to come home from that encounter with the black dragon." The elder Danzo said with a slightly impressed. "You have Kakashi Hatake mentoring that boy correct?"

"Yes, I see great potential in his team as well." Sarutobi said with a smile as he stared down at the images of young pink-haired girl and a raven-haired boy.

"I still think that boy would be better off training exclusively under me. I can better hone his special skills he inherited…" Danzo said causing Sarutobi to sigh. Since he was a child, Danzo always wanted Naruto training under his root program.

"And have him give up his humanity?" Sarutobi asked getting a grunt from his former teammate.

"Young Naruto was able to grow strong because he was able to form bonds with his classmates." Danzo was going to retort, but Sarutobi beat him to it. "He was able to stand his ground against the black dragon, was he not."

Naruto was confused as he watched a memory that brought him nothing but pain. From watching the memory of the old man conspire behind his back with the bandaged elder; to watching the old man praise and believe in him, to the bandaged elder.

He then watched as another memory of when he first met master Hades. He remembered meeting Hades at the forest that neighbored Konoha. He ran away and tripped and sobbed on the floor, before he was approached and sympathized by Hades. He remembered the promises of a place where he would be valued and loved… words strong enough to push him into a rage. A rage from the many years of maltreatment from being born from the curse of a witch. Then to seeing people you love betray you.

That never happened. Zancrow held his damaged body down as Hades crouched in front of him, hand with a triple layer seal glowing in front of him. Naruto's past self tried to scream loud, but was muffled by Zancrow's hand. As the sealed died down, Zancrow stepped back to stand next to Azuma and Capricorn as the false memory began to take over.

"These people did this to you…" Naruto watched as Hades repeated the same words from so long ago that blinded him. He was used by the man he thought he trusted. It was one big lie. A lie to keep him in line. A lie to make him a loyal weapon. A lie that took his future with Konoha away from him.

A lie.


Naruto could only let a stray tear fall from his left eye as he looked down to see the cloaked man's left arm using his magic to destroy the weapon binding him to the tree. Before he could bleed out and die. His wound was closed as a purple barrier surrounded him. His open wounds were closed, but he still suffered from the after-effects of losing too much blood and most of his magic reserves.

"Do you hear that?" The cloaked man said as he discreetly used his magic to amplify a single sound specifically for Naruto. He smirked under his cloak as after revealing Naruto's warped mind and blatant manipulation. He was able to acquire an important key.

He walked away as Naruto looked up from his crouched position, hearing the cries of a child. Naruto was confused before noticing the cloaked man gone.

He stood up before walking towards the sound. Which became louder to him for every step he takes. He continued to walk as more memories came to fruition, memories like Hades' expression from Naruto's news, of being a father to be.

'He looked displeased.'

'I did everything he asked, was completely loyal to him. Me loving Erza was my choice, my sign of free will…' Naruto thought to himself as his fatigued body getting closer to the sound until he found a waterfall. 'He…'

Naruto looked around before feeling the earth below him shake. He looked to his right to see a giant contraption walking east. 'Those people who attacked Magnolia, who took my child from me…'

Naruto gritted his teeth before finding a passageway behind the waterfall that leads to a cave. He walked inside to see Hades standing next Capricorn.

"Master…" Naruto whispered as he held his sides. The fatal wounds were closed, but the pain was ever present.

Hades looked up from the cradle to stare at one of his first ever students under the guild, Grimoire Heart.

"Oh, Naruto." Hades said with mild surprise. He watched the battle from one of Ultear's lacrimas and thought Naruto was sure to be dead after that deep wound on his chest and being impaled. After also observing that many of the gathered group has somehow defeated half of Oracion Seis, he decided to come and get the deterrent Brain held over him; Naruto and Titania's offspring.

"What are you doing here Master?" Naruto asked as he noticed the wailing has stopped before he entered. "And who is that?"

"So you lost to Titania." Hades said, completely ignoring Naruto's two questions before walking over to him. Naruto gritted his teeth in anger for being ignored before Hades brought his hand up and held it like a pistol. He pointed it at Naruto's left leg before shooting him.

"Ah!" Naruto screamed in pain before falling to the floor to hold his leg.

"You should not even be standing before me. I watched as Titania impaled you using a basic paralysis seal!" Hades said as he shot Naruto on his right shoulder as he looked up at him. "And then you dare question me?"

Hades stopped as he heard Kushina cry again. He walked back to the cradle as he shushed the child. A child he helped nurture thanks to an understanding he and Brain had after bring her here a year ago.

"That... " Naruto said as he couldn't finish his question as the pain courses through his body.

"This right here is the key to a new world," Hades said before bringing the child up and holding her tight to calm her wailing. "A child born with such immeasurable power…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed the child's red hair. Beautiful red hair that reminded him of Erza's.

"but I don't expect less from your's and Titania's offspring." Naruto's eyes began to water before he fell unconscious thanks to Hades.

End

Another chapter with the culmination of the Oracion Seis Arc. I kept most of it canon with the exception of a different team and emphasis on Naruto and Erza instead. Well please review your thoughts.

Sleeping Dragon is my favorite story but writers blocks kills me.