Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 6: "Last Message"

(Year: X777)

Naruto decided that he enjoyed trains. They were very convenient in order to get to your destination, and they conserved energy. Thus, the now thirteen year old had a lot of free time to kill. When this happened, Naruto would train, read, or watch the sky.

Of course, Naruto couldn't do any training on the train. That was something he found rather humorous and ironic. He couldn't train on the train because his Sky God Slayer magic would tear his compartment apart.

Thus, Naruto was left with his other two pastimes. It was a beautiful day, but when Naruto watched the sky, he tended to think about confusing things. He did not want to do that now, at least with the difficult situation was coming up. So, the whiskered teen was left with reading, and, like it had always been the past couple of months, the god slayer only had two things he wanted to read.

He had long since lost count of how many times he read through April's book of notes. Even before her death, he spent hours upon hours peering into that book. Before, it was to learn more about Sky God Slayer magic. Now, though, he continued to look for any secret he could find in that book.

Yet, there was nothing there.

April said before her death to look in the book, but Naruto had yet to find out what she wanted him to find. He tried everything he could think of. Magic, special ink, and even trying to decode the pages did nothing. This didn't stop him from trying to figure out what secret this book held, but he needed a clue to figure out what to do.

Putting that book in his Requip space, Naruto pulled out his other reading material. The boy was sure that he read through April's will more times than even the book. Granted, it took a lot less time, but Naruto did read each part of the will carefully after retrieving it from April's study.

His teacher left him everything. The house, her money, and all her books were all his now. Naruto was grateful he had so much left to remember her. Although he didn't plan to stay there a lot, he was also grateful to have a home to go to.

Besides this, though, April left him instructions to follow. Some of them were simple such as taking care of her garden and to make sure to eat right. Other things were far more complicated. Naruto never knew that April had so many different friends that she wanted to know about her passing. The boy had to deal with a lot of people crying.

Naruto was not good with crying people.

There were other things as well. They were complicated things that Naruto wasn't sure that he wanted to do. Nevertheless, Naruto knew he would have to try and complete all of them at some point…except for one…

Unfortunately, Naruto was not allowed to start on doing the tasks left to him by April right after her death. It turned out that Magic Council was interested in one of the few times that the cult of Zeref failed to complete their kidnapping attempts. They investigated the incident heavily and interrogated the citizens including Naruto.

The whiskered boy was glad that none of the people told the Council representatives and Rune Knights about his involvement. It would be bad if they were suddenly aware that April Kazen had an apprentice god slayer that murdered all the cultists. Luckily, he was quickly overlooked as a simple boy and even made an effort to hide his hair, whisker marks, and red eyes from the authorities so they couldn't identify him later. It was quite simple to hide his features when Naruto used a henge and acted like a simple mourning boy.

Naruto did note that the Rune Knights searched April's home. Luckily, Naruto already took everything of importance out of the building. Thus, after their search turned up nothing, the knights left the town all together. The people of Trafalgar was left to rebuild…or to leave the area all together. The teen wasn't sure which they do considering all the people that died there.

He didn't care what they did, though. As soon as the knights left, so did Naruto. He went to follow April's instructions. The whiskered teen traveled across Fiore. Nothing very notable happened in those few months. Most of the time was spent informing old frineds of Aprils death, returning borrowed books and items, and even repaying old favors.

As he traveled, Naruto continued to hone his magic. It was strange how natural it was now, and he felt the need to use it. Luckily, there was no shortage of Dark Guilds. He could beat up on them however much he wanted. In order to avoid drawing too much attention, he made sure to keep them alive, though. The teen even felt nice enough to contact some authorities anonymously so they could arrest the dark mages.

This wasn't just done for amusement and training, though. Naruto was also searching for information. He was looking for anything on the cult of Zeref, Bluenote, or even the Black Mage Zeref himself. Nothing turned up for the two later subjects, but there were whispers about the cult.

The Tower of Heaven was something Naruto heard a lot. It was something the cultists were building. They were using slaves in order to build it too. So that was why they were trying to abduct people from Trafalgar. It made sense, but that did not mean that Naruto liked the idea. As a strong believer of freedom, Naruto was appalled by the idea of slavery. It disgusted him. So, while he really didn't give a damn about the people, Naruto decided that the Tower of Heaven had to go.

Just as he got close to finding it, though, Naruto found out something strange. Someone beat him to the punch. The cult of Zeref and the Tower of Heaven seemed to hit a snag when the slaves revolted. It seems that the desire for freedom caused them to lash out on their own just like Naruto did almost three years ago.

So…that was something Naruto could cross off his to do list. In fact, a lot of things were already crossed off. He was almost done with April's last requests, or at least the ones that Naruto felt he could do. There was only one more thing he needed to do. One more message that he had to give.

Feeling the train come to a stop, Naruto put April's will away. It seems that he arrived to his destination. Exiting the train, Naruto stepped out into the famous city of Magnolia. He had saved this for last. After this, he was done.

It was time to meet Fairy Tail.


"Did you hear what Fairy Tail did?"

"Yeah, they're a wild bunch, huh? They keep causing property damage and stepping on the Council's toes."

"At least they keep things interesting."

Walking through the bustling city, Naruto kept his ears open. People often gave away information to him without even realizing it. After all, Naruto had honed senses that were far above a normal humans. He could hear that conversation from far down the street.

This wasn't news to him, though. Everyone knew that Fairy Tail had a habit of being destructive. People always complained about it, and Naruto could kind of see why. If someone destroyed April's home, Naruto would either beat that person within an inch of his or her life…or kill them. It depends if Naruto thought if he could get away with it. It wouldn't be smart to go on a rampage that got him labeled a dark mage.

On the other hand, it was just stuff that people were complaining about. They didn't seem to have the ties to the objects like Naruto did. They just liked their money and stuff. So, Naruto didn't really sympathize with them. Without memories, stuff meant nothing other than monetary value. It wasn't like Fairy Tail was hurting people physically after all.

"Hey…What's with that kid?"

"Why he's dressed like that? How does he even see?"

"Is he a wizard? He looks weird enough to be one."

That was something Naruto heard a lot. When he started traveling again, Naruto began to wear ANBU armor over his chest and forearms again. They were over his long sleeved navy shirt. Over his black pants were the various pouches and holsters on his belt and legs. This way he wouldn't have to uses containment seals or his Requip space for his kunai and shuriken.

Unlike most shinobi, Naruto didn't wear sandals. He preferred something that would protect his toes a little bit. Getting your toe cut off in battle tended to be distracting. Naruto knew that because he used that trick all the time back in his days in Root. Thus, he went with steel toed boots. No need to lose a toe after all…

What confused most people was the headband, though. The metal of the headband had the Uzumaki spiral on it. The black cloth of the headband was pulled down enough to cover most of Naruto's eyes. He could still see a bit, but no one could see his eyes without being completely below the teen. This way, no one would freak out over his demonic eyes. Of course, he could just squint, but that was annoying…

Crash! Crack!

…Of course, there were down sides to the headband thing too. Sometimes, Naruto accidentally bumped into stuff. That was another reason the boots were good. They prevented a lot of stubbed toes.

"What!?" The fruit stand owner gasped. "You broke my stand! All my fruit is ruined!"

"My apologies." Naruto did a respectful bow.

"I don't want your apologies! I want you to pay for all this!" The stand owner cried.

"Unfortunately, I will not do that." Naruto came up from his bow.

"The hell you won't!" The stand owner exclaimed.

"I need my money to buy things later." Naruto argued.

"And I need money to support my family!" The stand owner was getting red in the face.

"Well, maybe you should think about that next time before you put your stand in the middle of the busy street." Naruto suggest.

"I'm at the side of the road just like every other stand!" The man looked like he was about to pop a vein.

"Then how come I hit this stand and none of the other ones?" Naruto questioned. "This stand must have been further out than the others. It was a tripping hazard. You're luckily I'm not injured."

"Please! Your foot hit my table's leg and caused it to explode!" The man shouted. "You must be using magic to make your body stronger!"

"You are incorrect. My foot is just stronger than your stand was." Naruto shrugged. "Once again, I apologize. Good day."

"No! Don't go anywhere! Hey, someone call the cops or something!" The stand owner turned away for a split second to address the other people. He turned back to where Naruto was. "I'll make you pay one way or…Where'd he go?"

Naruto was gone.

"Damn it!"


"Gildarts-ojjisan!" Fu exclaimed as the man walked into the guild hall. The mint haired girl wore a bright yellow shirt with a smiley face on the front and blue shorts.

"Damn it, brat! I'm not that old!" Gildarts grumbled.

When the ace of Fairy Tail walked into the guild hall, everyone cheered and greeted him. This was a common occurrence when the orange haired man returned. He was often away on missions, so it was a rare occasion to see him. Everyone was glad to see him, but the children of the guild were especially excited to see their goal and role model.

"You look pretty damn old to me…" Gray, a youth around Fu's age noted. He had spiky black hair, blue eyes, and had the odd tendency to randomly strip off his clothes.

"Gray…" Cana sighed. This card mage girl had brown hair and eyes. "Your shirt is gone."

"Not again!" Gray began to frantically search for his missing shirt.

"Hey, Gildarts-ojjisan!" Fu bounced up to the man. "How was your job?"

"Pretty sucky…" Gildarts sighed. "I looked in that desert for that demon everyone's talking about, but I couldn't find it. I think it's smart enough not to challenge people that are a threat to it…But let's forget about that. What happened while I was gone?"

"We got a new guild member! She's about my age and is pretty tough!"

"Really?" Gildarts grinned at the mint haired girl. "Tougher than you?"

"She wishes!" Fu puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, Erza! Get over here!"

"Huh…Oh, right…" The red haired girl lifted her head a bit from her table. Oddly enough, she seemed to wear armor over her white blouse and blue skirt. Her brown eyes showed caution at the strange man.

"Erza, this is the old man! Old man, this is Erza Scarlet!" Fu gestered to both of them.

Gildarts bopped Fu gently on the head. "Not old, and it's nice to meet you, Erza."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Erza bowed her head. "I have heard a lot about you."

"Eh? A brat with actual respect? That's rare!" Gildarts laughed.

"She's kind of new." Fu stated. "That's why she hasn't shown a lot of her weirdness yet. My guess is that she's the strict type of person, though."

"Oh? We might need one of those to keep us all in line." Gildarts ruffled Erza's hair, much to her annoyance.

"Y-yes!" Erza glared at him. "You cause far too much destruction! The town even had to be modified so you could get through it without any destruction, right?"

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Yeah! It sure as hell cost less than repairing all the buidings I destroy!" Gildarts broke out laughing.

"Is that what that large pathway was for? I was wondering why the whole city shifted when I got close to this place."

"Yeah, kid. It confuses a lot of tourists and newbies like you…" Gildarts blinked. "Wait…Is there another new kid besides Erza?"

"Nope." Fu shook her head.

Gildarts stepped to the side and looked to the person that was behind him. It was a strange blond haired boy wearing a headband that covered his eyes almost completely.

"Hello." He greeted.

"Hiya!" Fu waved over to the new boy. "Are you here to join the guild?"

"…I have to speak with Master Dreyar. I have a message to him and the rest of the guild from April Kazen."

"April?" Gildarts tilted his head. "Wait…You're her brat! The kid she decided to train!"

"I am. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Wow. Does that means April's back in town?" Gildarts smiled at the thought of meeting his old friend again.

"No…I should probably explain this to everyone at once. It will be better that way." Naruto mentioned.

"Alright." Gildarts looked to the bar. Makarov wasn't there. "Hey Macao, is the Master in his office?"

"Yeah, I'll go get him." A man with slicked back dark blue hair got up and headed to the back of the guild hall.

"Thank you. This won't take…" Naruto paused when he saw the two girls who was with them staring. "Is there a problem?"

"You're wearing armor…" Erza noted. She never saw another child around her age wear armor.

"I am." Naruto nodded. "Is that a problem?"

"No…it's just strange, or so I've heard." Erza frowned and looked away.

"Hmm…And you? Is there something wrong?" Naruto questioned.

Fu paused and listened to a voice in her head. 'Be careful, Fu-girl. That boy is a jinchūriki like you. He contains the Kyūbi.'

Fu smiled. "Of course not, Number 9. My name is Fu."

'Kit, she contains one of my weaker siblings.' Kurama mentioned.

'Which one?'

'Meh…It doesn't really matter, but she has Chōmei in her. The annoying bug always going on and on about luck. The only reason he does that, though, is because he's so weak he has to rely on luck.' Kurama chuckled.

'But Chōmei has seven tails, right? That's pretty powerful.'

'Not compared to me.'

"I see…" Naruto stated cautiously. "It's a pleasure, Number 7."

This left the rest of the guild stumped. Why where they calling each other by numbers? How odd…


"So you're April's apprentice, huh?" Makarov Dreyar was a very short thin man. In order to even be able to look Naruto in the eyes on even level, the master has to sit on the bar. He was very visibly going bald and growing old. Despite this, he was still one of the most powerful mages in the country. Even April, Bluenote, and Gildarts probably wouldn't win in a one-on-one fight.

"I am, Master Dreyar." Naruto bowed respectfully.

"Master…Dreyar…Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Makarov burst out laughing. "A brat with actual respect!? And from April!? That's hilarious!"

"Well…to be fair, April was pretty polite to everyone but you and me…" Gildarts rubbed the back of his head.

"For good reason!" Makarov held up his beer and cheered. He was copied by the rest of the guild. He took a big swig of the alcohol. "Ahh…Now, tell me…How is that brat of mine doing?"

"I…" Naruto had told this to so many people before. Nevertheless, it never got easier to admit that someone you loved so dearly was gone. "I…"

"You okay, gaki?" Makarov raised an eyebrow. "Cat got your tongue?"

"…Kaa…April-sensei has sent me here with a message." Naruto felt his throat go dry.

"Oh? Is she finally moving back here?!" Makarov smiled.

"No…No, she's…" Naruto took a deep breath. "She's dead."

Silence.

Everyone was staring at him. Their looks were that of shock and disbelief at how he could even consider thinking about saying that sentence. The oldest members were frozen in shock. Makarov even dropped his mug. It shattered on the floor with a crash.

"You…" Gildarts grabbed Naruto's shoulder and glared down at him. "How dare you even joke about that…"

"I'm not joking. I buried my sensei myself. She's gone." Naruto turned to the large man. The teen had his hands behind his back.

"April's…dead?" Macao looked extremely pale.

"That…That shouldn't be possible." The blond man beside Macao looked ready to drop to the floor.

"I apologize for having to deliver this last message of hers." Naruto spoke to the guild. "She wanted you to know that she never stopped loving this guild."

"How could you…" Gildarts was ready to snap the boy in half. Either this was a cruel joke, or the kid was treating April's death like it was nothing. The cloaked man paused, however. Unlike the rest of the guild besides Makarov, the ace of Fairy Tail could see the boy's hands, even if it was just a little bit.

Naruto's hands were trembling as he stood before them. His face was blank, and his eyes were hidden; but the boy could not hold back the grief completely.

"…I'm sorry…Naruto, was it? That you had to deliver such a terrible message." Makarov eyed the boy in pity. "Now tell me….Who would dare to kill one of my brats?"

Naruto rarely felt fear. He faced Kurama on a daily basis and trained with April after all. When Makarov's voice growled that sentence out in absolute anger, the teen couldn't fight back the shiver that went up his spine. This was not the man to pick a fight with. "It all happened when the cult of Zeref attacked the town near our home."

Erza had to fight back a gasp. She clenched the beside her table in anger.

"But they were not the ones to kill her." Naruto stated. "No, the man that took April from this world was Bluenote Stinger."

"Bluenote Stinger…" Gildarts gave Makarov a side glance. "That's the man that…"

"Yes." Makarov sighed. "It would be hard for anyone to find him. He has a good ability to stay hidden."

"Hey!" Macao jumped to his feet. "If April really died like that…Why wasn't there an announcement or something?"

"I believe that the Magic Council wished to conceal the incident. They don't like people knowing that they are not all powerful." Naruto shrugged. "Besides…I think they fear anything that involves Zeref to the point that they will do anything to make it disappear. Even to the point of ignoring the facts."

"Damn it…April deserves better than that." Gildarts growled. "To be pushed aside and forgotten by the Magic Council."

"My sensei will never be forgotten. I will not let that happen." Naruto frowned at them.

"…Yeah…" Makarov looked around the guild hall. He noted the somber mood now. The master of Fairy Tail didn't want to make this worse right now, so he leaned forward and whispered. "Naruto, I think we should discuss the rest in private."

Naruto nodded. That would definitely be best…


"So…" Makarov sighed as he sat at his desk. "I'm guessing that there's more to this?"

"Yes." Naruto nodded.

"Hey, brat…" Gildarts eyed the boy as the older man leaned against the wall. "Why did you wait so long to come here and tell us? You did say that this happened a long time ago."

"I had to follow April's will. She left instructions for me." Naruto explained. "I had to tell everyone that cared about this. I…kind of procrastinated with this last message. I spent a lot of time avoiding coming here…"

"Hey…" Macao was sitting on a couch nearby. "It's alright, kid."

"Yeah…" Wakaba Mine blew out smoke from his cigarette. "It must have been hard on you."

Makarov allowed the most veteran mages in the guild to come to this meeting. They were the ones that knew April the best, and they deserved to know everything that happened. Naruto did not protest. He heard good things about them from April.

"No…It was my weakness and stubbornness." Naruto sighed. "I spent a lot of time investigating into those people who attack the town. I was close to finding a way to track the cultists down…but it turns out that they created their own downfall."

"Yes…Erza told us about that…" Makarov nodded. "Don't be surprised if she comes to talk with you."

Naruto nodded.

"What were you even doing trying to track them down?" Gildarts questioned. "Did you want revenge?"

"Yes. I planned to brutally kill all of them." Naruto stated without hesitation.

"Damn…Don't talk like that, kid." Macao shuddered at the coldness.

"Kid, even if you did track them down, I doubt you could have done anything to them." Wakaba mentioned.

"No, I think that you could back up your words…" Makarov stared at the boy. He examined him closely. The master of Fairy Tail sensed great power from him. It was a familiar power. "I see…You learned from April's research, huh? You learned Sky God Slayer Magic."

"I did." Naruto lifted his hand and revealed the swirling black wind surrounding it.

"You did, but not even April…" Gildarts's jaw dropped at the sight.

"I see…" Makarov frowned at the boy. "And is that they way April would have wanted you to use the power she taught you? To kill and to ruin lives?"

"No, she wouldn't." Naruto admitted. "But I don't care. This is my life, and I get to choose how I live it. That is my right."

"True…" Makarov nodded. "But I don't think you're the type to forget your teacher's instructions."

"You're right…I will never forget her words." Naruto frowned in though. He would never forget Apirl's last physical words to him, or the letter that she left him in her will. "That is why I am even here. She wanted me to join the guild."

"I see…Then, I'll go ahead and ask you," Makarov smiled at the boy. "Do you want to join Fairy Tail?"

"…No." Naruto shook his head.

"What?" Gildarts blinked. "But I thought…"

"April did want me to join the guild. It was one of her last wishes, but I can't do it. I will not fit in here." Naruto shook his head. "I have a complicated past, and I'm sure that I'll have an even more complicated future. I will be forced to do things that no legal mage should do. If I stay here, I will only drag Fairy Tail's name through the mud. I cannot not do that to the guild that Kaa-san loved so much."

None of the older men in the room missed what Naruto called April. They decided not to comment on it.

"You're not going to join a dark guild, are you?" Macao asked in caution.

"No." Naruto shook his head. "I will not join that scum. I will be an independent mage. I will work in the gray area in order to accomplish my goals."

"And those are?" Gildarts questioned.

"I have two dreams in my life. One…I will obtain absolute freedom to the point that I can be compared to the sky. The second…" Naruto lifted up his headband. "I will destroy everyone and everything related to Zeref."

They all stared in shock at his demonic eyes.

"Thank you for listening to me, Master Dreyar." Naruto lowered his headband and turned away from them. "Though I may not be a wizard of this guild, I shall always be its ally because it is the precious guild that Kaa-san loved so much."

With that, Naruto walked out of the office and back to the guild.


"You okay, Gray?" Cana questioned.

"Eh?" The stopped staring off into space and turned to her. "Yeah…I'm fine."

"Oh…You just look distracted."

"I guess…" Gray looked away. He could sympathize with that Naruto kid. Losing your teacher like that…It didn't feel good. Despite the blond's cool headed appearance, Gray was sure the guy was hurting on the inside.

"Well…" Cana looked over to Erza and Fu. They were both looking off into space as well. "You're not the only one."

The guild was unusually quiet. That was understandable. It wasn't often that they lost a member like this. Even the kids felt sad, though they never got to meet the woman. They heard stories, of course, but they would have liked to meet her at least once.

It was then that the door to the back opened. Everyone turned to see Naruto enter the guild hall. He passed by all of them and head towards the door. The boy didn't stop to look at them for even a passing glance.

"Hey…" Cana said to the boy as he grew close to their table. "Do you want to join us? I can read your fortune."

"No, I don't." Naruto walked by their table and kept going. "Goodbye."

"Hey!" Cana glared at the boy.

He did not stop.

"HEY!" Cana grabbed an empty bottle and threw it at the boy.

The bottle flew at the back of his head. At the last possible second, Naruto turned around and caught the bottle like it was nothing. He then placed it on a nearby table. "What?"

"Wha? How did you catch that while you're blindfolded?" Cana questioned.

"I am a trained shinobi. I am a master of stealth and grace. Even if I can't see completely, my battle skill will not allow a sneak attack to get to me." Naruto turned and began to walk away.

Crash!

Naurto tripped over a chair and destroyed it.

"…Although I do tend to trip over stuff when I am not in danger…" Naruto mentioned. He pushed himself up and bowed to the room. "I apologize for breaking your chair. Next time, you should not put it in my way."

"Don't act like it's our fault!" Cana exclaimed.

"My apologies again." Naruto came up from his bow and turned to leave once again. He made it out the door before he felt someone grabbed him.

"Wait." Erza spoke to him.

"Yes?" Naruto questioned. The other children came with her. They all stood outside the guild as the doors closed behind them.

"…" Erza stared at him as she released his arm. "Are you not going to join the guild?"

"No. I have goals that I need to accomplish. Being a part of this guild will only limit the freedom and time I have to accomplish those goals." Naruto answered.

"And those goals… Do they have to do with the cult of Zeref?" Erza questioned.

"They do." Naruto nodded.

"…Don't let revenge cloud your mind." Erza warned. "I don't want to see more people fall into madness because of Zeref."

"Do not worry. I will not let myself fall too far into the darkness." Naruto mentioned with a nod.

"…You sure you don't want to stay?" Gray questioned. "From what I've seen, you seem to be weird enough to fit in, and I'm sure that it would help you after…what happened."

Naruto got the feeling that these children were speaking from personal experience in these matters. April did say that Fairy Tail was a guild that accepted people even if they had darker pasts and personal issues. That was probably why April wanted him to join the guild. It would be good for him. Even Naruto knew that.

For the briefest of moments, Naruto considered joining the guild. It was one of April's last requests after all, and these children…they had pain themselves. They could understand Naruto a little. He quickly dismissed the thought, however. This was not the choice he decided on. His path was not one bathed in light.

"No." Naruto shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I am not looking for the opportunity to find peace. I am not looking to heal or to find comrades. All I want…is to fulfill my responsibilities."

"Responsibilities, huh?" Fu blinked at that. "Well…that sounds like something I can respect, Number 9."

"It actually sounded pretty manly…" Cana snorted.

"Still…Be careful." Erza warned. "I don't think that the path your choosing is one filled with honor and nobility. It is not the path an armor wearing knight should walk."

"It isn't." Naruto shook his head. "But I'm not a knight. I'm a shinobi. I work best from the shadows where no one can find me."

"…remember to smile more…" April's rang through his head.

Naruto gave them a smile. It was a charming smile that instantly made the other children feel better. It was also completely fake, though. "Thank you for your concerns, though. If you'll excuse me, I'll be off. I have a lot I need to do."

Naruto gave them a small bow and began to walk off.

"Hey, wait!" Fu called out.

Naruto paused.

"Have you met…any of the other numbers?" Fu questioned. "I just...I wonder what they're like.

"I have not." Naruto called back. "But I plan to."

With that he was off.

"Numbers?" Cana questioned the mint haired girl. "What does that mean?"

"It's an inside joke." Fu shrugged.

"You just met him half an hour ago! How do you have an inside joke?!"


As he began his trek out of Magnolia, Naruto peered down at the letter in his hands. April had written it for him in case her illness took her early. His heart ached at that though. He never got the chance to keep his promise and heal her of her illness. Even if he had his Sky God Slayer magic now, it was useless to heal a dead person.

Promise of a lifetime…What a joke…

'I'm sorry, Kaa-san.' Naruto thought. 'I'm probably such a disappointment already. I have broken two promises already. I never got to heal you, and I refused to join your guild…'

Sick of the ache in his chest, Naruto began to read the letter. It always made him feel better.

Dear Naruto,

If you're reading this, then that means I have passed away. I don't want that to happen and to leave you alone, but sometimes life isn't fair enough to let us spend enough time with the people we love. So, I just want to say that I love you so much. You're the son I never had. Please remember that.

In my will, I have left you everything I own. My only request is that you follow the instructions I left in it for you. Especially the part about joining Fairy Tail. The guild will be good for you. You need it.

Unfortunately, I know that you probably won't do as I ask. You most likely will do what you want, and I accept that. Only you will know what will make you happy in life. I just ask you to be careful with your choices. Remember that there are always reasons why things are forbidden.

I know that your life has never been an easy one. I tried my best to make it better for you, but I doubt that things will get any easier for you. Remain strong and hold fast, Naruto. Remember what I taught you and continue to hone your skills. I'm sure that you're the one that is meant to be Azura's god slayer.

Also remember to enjoy life, though. Life isn't just about training and fighting. Life is about the people we care for and the dreams we work to fulfill. Don't lose sight of what you care about. If you always keep your sight on that, then you will always keep on the right path even if you stumble a bit.

Don't forget that, and…remember to smile more. You look so much better when you smile. Eat for both fitness and pleasure. Ramen is the food of the gods after all. And remember what you are responsible for. Finish what you start and always be able to live with the consequences of your actions.

Goodbye, Naruto. I love you so much.

April Kazen

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto paused in his reading. He quickly put the letter back in his Requip space. Turning, the teen greeted the man who addressed him. "Master Dreyar…Why are you here?"

"I wished to speak with you before you left." Makarov approached the young man.

"I told you that I will not join your guild." Naruto mentioned.

"I know, and I respect your choice." Makarov nodded. "But I needed to talk to you a bit more before you left."

"Eh…What is it?" Naruto questioned.

"April lost her family when she was very young." Makarov explained with tears in his eyes. "Her father was a dear friend of mine, and I was her godfather, so I ended up raising her. She's a daughter to me in every way that matters. Thus, in a way, you are like a grandchild to me."

"I'm not going to start calling you Ojii-san." Naruto stated firmly.

"I figured you wouldn't." Makarov barked out a laugh. "But I do care what happens to you. I know you said that you would always be an ally to my guild, so in return, I offer you this. My offer to join the guild will always be open. If you ever change your mind, I will be here waiting."

"…Thank you. That means a lot." Naruto nodded.

"Also, can you indulge an old man and send a letter to two from time to time?" Makarov mentioned as he wiped the tears that were running down his face. "I would like to get to know my new grandson a bit more. Even if you do have those strange eyes."

"Sure." Naruto nodded. He turned to the horizon. The sun was now setting. The red orange glow washed over the two mages and the city behind them. "I'm sure that's what Kaa-san would have wanted me to do that."

"And you know I have to ask this…" Makarov eyed the teen. "What do you plan to do now? You aren't near strong enough to fight Bluenote or any dark guild related to Zeref."

"I know." Naruto nodded. "That's why I'm going to hone my skills. One day, I will actually have the power to slay gods. That's a promise. But until that day…there are a few things that I'm responsible for that I need to take care of."

"And that is?"

Naruto paused and looked up to the sky. "I have found one of my kin here. They are here because of me. I should find the other seven and make sure they don't bring an end to this world. That is my responsibility."

"As…So you are like Fu." Makarov nodded. "That explains the eyes. I have kept my ears open for the other jinchūriki that she mentioned. I think a few of them joined the guilds my old teammates started."

"Yes…But those ones are under control. It is the chaotic ones that I need to be concerned about." Naruto mentioned. "And recently…I have been hearing rumors about a desert demon killing civilians and weaker mages. It also seems smart enough to avoid those that pose an actual threat."

"Ah yes…Gildarts went to look for that demon." Makarov stroked his chin. "I don't think he showed himself. Do you think it's a jinchūriki?"

"Maybe…or maybe he's a demon of Zeref." Naruto stated. "Either way…I think I'll pay that demon a visit and find out just how strong it is."

"Are you sure? Either you're strong enough that he'll avoid you, or you're weak enough to be his prey." Makarov mentioned.

"I'm strong enough to beat the demon." Naruto said this with certaintiy.

"Then how do you plan to draw it out?"

"By using a talent I share with the demon sealed within me." Naruto gave him a charming smile that Makarov could tell was fake. "The ability to piss people off without even trying."


Thank you all for reading and please remember to…

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