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Chapter 10: "Silver Tongue"
(Year: X779)
Era was a well-known city in Earthland. It was a bustling place that almost always seemed to have something happening. The wealth of the city was easy to see with the large buildings with intricate designs, high class stores, and clean streets. Even with that, though, there was something more the city was known for. It was in this city that the Magic Council had their headquarters established.
At the center of the bustling city was a large rocky mountain with several winding paths to the top. It was on this miniature mountain that the Magic Council had their headquarters. Of course, the term headquarters didn't really describe it. To Naruto and Gaara, the headquarters seemed to be more of a castle. The clean white bricks towered up to large blue cone rooftops. If the jinchūriki weren't aware of the building's purpose, they would have assumed the castle was made for a royalty instead of politicians.
'Kurama, how's Gaara doing?' Naruto questioned the Bijū in his mind.
'Shukaku's brat is fine, Kit.' Kurama drawled lazily. 'The damn tanuki won't shut up and leave me alone, so the brat's probably taking a nap like he always does.'
'Damn, I was hoping to review the strategy one more time.' Naruto frowned as he looked down at the chains that covered his hands. The Magic Council had separated the duo as soon as they got to the headquarters. It was obviously an intimidation tactic to cause fear and stress. To an extent, it worked. Naruto hoped that Gaara didn't say anything stupidly blunt that would get him into trouble.
With two humanoid frog guards on either side of him, Naruto stood in one of the many halls of the Magic Council's headquarters. He was apparently supposed to be waiting for the Council to get ready for him, but the blonde thought that they were just making him wait to show him who was in charge. Not that it mattered to Naruto. Waiting didn't bother him at all.
"You look so bored. Not that I blame you, this place can get pretty damn boring at times." An amused voice sounded from down the hall.
"S-Siegrian-sama!" One of the frog guards croaked out as he looked down the hall.
Naruto followed the guard's line of sight and saw who he was looking at. At the end of the hall was a young man that was around Naruto's age. He had shaggy short blue hair. An odd blue tattoo covered his right eye. His frame was covered with an elegant yet simple blue robe.
"So, you're the famous Unstoppable Sword," Siegrain smirked at the blonde. "You certainly look the part. It looks like you would put up a fierce offense."
"Yes, that is what people often call me," Naruto admitted. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Siegrain-san."
"Hey!" One of the frog guards snapped at the blonde. "Show some respect to Siegrain-sama! He's a member of the Magic Council!"
Naruto was honestly surprised by this news, "He is? But he's my age."
"I get that a lot," Siegrain chuckled. "But I think the old farts need some young blood to keep them on their toes."
"Well, that's not something I can argue against," Naruto shrugged. "Is there a reason you're speaking with me alone, Siegrain-sama?"
"Oh Kami, don't act so formal," Siegrain rolled his eyes. "I get enough of that in the chamber room. Just call me Siegrain, Naruto."
"As long as it won't get me arrested," Naruto shrugged in an uncaring manner. "Although, I have to question what the difference between being arrested and escorted to the Magic Council really is considering these chains."
Siegrain eyed the cuff that covered Naruto's wrists, "Yes, those Anti-Magic cuffs do seem a bit excessive considering the situation. But you know how the old fools are. They like to flaunt their power over people."
"For some reason, I feel that you aren't that different from them in that aspect." Naruto stated which caused his guards to gasp. "And I did notice your attempt to avoid my question, Siegrain."
"Well, aren't you the observant one," Siegrain seemed very amused. "Truth be told, that's the whole reason I wanted to speak to you. I thought it would quell my boredom, and I was right."
"So the Council didn't send you to get a feel of what I'm like?" Naruto inquired.
"Please, they wouldn't think to do that. To them, we're wet behind the ear babies," Siegrain scoffed. "I think they're either ignorant of the fact that we're the ones that are going to replace them, or they're aware of it and terrified by the thought."
"That's a shame," Naruto thought back to his sensei. "It's the job of the older generation to prepare us for the future, and yet most of them seem to try to avoid it at all costs because of egos and fear of change."
"You're preaching to the choir," Siegrain smiled as he turned and began to walk away. "Well, thank you for this talk, Naruto. It was a breath of fresh air for me."
"Well that might be because we're so much alike," Naruto's voice caused Siegrain to pause in his walk.
"Oh? And what makes you say that?" Siegrain questioned.
"I can see it in your face," Naruto mentioned. "You didn't come to speak with me out of boredom. It was a play to get a read on me. You wanted to see how dangerous I am. You wanted to get a glimpse on what I'm really like. You wanted to see how hard it would be to kill me."
Siegrain's amused smile faded.
"Thing is, you gave me more information than I gave you by approaching me. I know now that you're a scheming person. You constantly look to see if people can be used or if they're a threat. Your place on the Council at a young age means that you're incredibly strong too," Naruto stated. "So I know that you're both smart and strong. That's a big enough threat as it is, but it's the look in your eyes that speaks the loudest. Madness dances at the edges of a sea of darkness. You walk on the edge of falling into your own darkness. No matter mask you use, you can't hide that from me. The eyes are a window to the soul"
Siegrain's face twisted into a deep scowl. He no longer seemed to be enjoying Naruto's company. "And what about you? You cover your eyes completely. What are you trying to hide? What's in your soul that makes you shamed enough to cover it with a headband."
Naruto paused for a moment then let out a deep chuckle. This caused the guards by his side to flinch, "Hide? Shame? You misunderstand what the headband is for, Siegrain." Naruto gave a wide smile. His sharp bicuspids and whisker marks make him look almost demonic. "I don't hide my eyes because I'm afraid or ashamed. I hide my eyes so other people don't drop dead at my feet, because if that kept happening, I would get annoyed at having to walk over so many corpses."
Gaara blinked at the young woman around his age. She had long dark raven that flowed down her back. The woman was rather beautiful with her porcelain skin, pouty lips, and eyes filled with a sense of mischief. A blue dress flowed down her body and showed a rather developed body for a fifteen year old woman. Oddly enough, she was carrying around a glass orb. "Hello…"
"Hello to you too, Sabaku no Gaara, the Unbreakable Shield," Ultear smiled at the redhead. "I have to say, you fit your name. You look like nothing could affect you."
Gaara just stared at her.
"I once heard that no one has ever seen you injured before," Ultear mentioned as she circled the jinchūriki. "You have an automatic defense, right? That sand you carry on your back protects you automatically. That's very impressive. I've never heard of such a strong sand user before."
"Thank you," Gaara nodded respectfully. "I pride myself in that ability. But as for the no injury part, people just normally don't see me after my spars with Naruto. He made train without my sand so I could learn hand-to-hand combat. Usually, after that I'm a walking bruise."
"I see…" Ultear tucked that little bit of info away in her mind. "So you don't completely rely on the sand?"
"It's my preferred way of fighting, but I can survive without it." Gaara nodded. "Surely you understand."
"Yes, I think I do…" Ultear trailed off as she thought of her secondary magic that she learned out of spite.
"Hmm…by the way, who are you? You know me obviously, but I have no idea who you are." Gaara questioned.
"Oh, I'm just an innocent maiden smitten by a dashing and handsome mage." Ultear batted her eyelashes at him.
Gaara's face remained emotionless, "No you're not. You're a fighter that much is blatantly obvious."
"Didn't fall for that did you?" Ultear giggled as she played with the glass orb in her hands. "Fine. My name is Ultear. I am a member of the Magic Council."
"I see…" Gaara didn't let his confusion show. He had no idea someone so young could have such authority. "So perhaps you can tell me why my friend and I were escorted here?"
"I think you probably already know," Ultear smirked. "After all, you have created a lot of hype around independent mages, and it is the Magic Council's job to regulate guild and mage activity."
"Is it against the law for us to be independent mages?" Gaara questioned.
"No, but it is highly irregular. And you do set a dangerous precedent. If more people start trying to do what you do, we'll have a hard job regulating guilds if they refuse to join guilds." Ultear argued.
"Other people can try, but it's a hard life being an independent mage," Gaara shrugged. "It's hard to get work and earn money without the help of a guild."
"Very true, so tell me…" Ultear leaned in close to Gaara's face. A smirk graced her soft lip. Gaara had to fight against his sand instinctively going to protect him from the invasion of privacy. "How is it that you support yourselves without the ability to earn money? Do you steal it?"
The answer was yes. "No."
"Did you inherit a fortune?"
April did leave Naruto a bit of money, but not a lot. "No."
"Then how? Do you have a secret benefactor?"
That was complicated. Makarov did give them a little money for their info, but it wasn't a lot. "No, we just don't spend a lot. We hunt our own food and often sleep outside."
"I see…" Ultear backed up. It was then that Gaara noticed that the orb was now floating around them. Suddenly, the orb cracked into several pieces but immediately reconstructed into one orb. "You know what, I like you, Gaara-kun."
"Oh really?" Gaara's mind was quickly thinking about the magic used on the orb. It seemed to construct and deconstruct at the will of Ultear. If she could do that to other objects, then he might in trouble if he fought her. Who knows what would happen to his sand against such an ability.
"Yeah, you're impossible to read. I can't tell if you're lying or not, and I'm very good at reading people," Ultear took several steps back. She placed a hand on her hip, tilted her head, and gave him a sultry look. "A man of few words with a completely calm presence. You radiate confidence, but not in a suffocating manner. It seems that every man I'm around just loves to get the first word in and be the center of attention. Even that friend of yours is that way. The predator on the hunt. But you…you're the sleeping bear, so full and content. Perfectly fine with being left alone, but the moment someone challenges, you bare your fangs."
"And your point is?"
"You're different. Interesting…My kind of man." Ultear winked.
"You're just trying to tease me. You don't really give a damn about me." Gaara stated without flinching.
"Now that's where you're wrong…" Ultear chuckled as she walked away. "You remind me of a close bubble blowing friend of mine…"
Gaara watched as her form faded away revealing that she was a thought projection. This interaction troubled Gaara for several reasons. The implications on her words about him bothered him. She knew something about him, but that wasn't the first thing that was on Gaara's mind. No, what was really caught his attention was the look on her face and eyes. It was a look that Gaara saw many times in the mirror as he was growing up. It was the look of an abandoned child.
"Naruto Uzumaki and Sabaku no Gaara," The chairman of the Magic Council addressed the independent mages. The various members of the Council all sat above the two jinchūriki in comfortable seats and stands that towered over the podiums of the two teenagers, "Do you know why you are here?"
"No idea," Naruto lied smoothly.
"You have caused quiet the stir in the magical community," The chairman, Crawford Seam, noted. He was a rather large man with a long shaggy beard, pointed nose, and curved magician's hat, "The Sword and the Shield. Two independent mages that have been tearing down dark guilds for two years."
"That does sound like us," Naruto admitted, "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Actually, we do, young man," Another man spoke. The man with long, white hair and beard was the holder of the second seat on the Magic Council. His name was Org, and oddly enough he had a tiny owl ornament on his head, "You see, you're setting a bad example."
"Bad example?" Naruto made sure to stay polite. As of right now, they seemed pleased by his respectful manner. It would be best to keep it for now, "I don't know what you mean. We haven't broken any laws."
"That may be true, but what you're doing is setting a dangerous president," Org peered down at the blond, "Mages may start to believe that they can go without joining a guild. If they do that, then it will be very hard to monitor magical activity and keep everything peaceful."
"With all due respect, that probably won't be a problem," Naruto stated, "Even if mages do try to live as independent mages, they won't be able to make any money and support themselves. After all, guilds help mages find work."
"And what about you? What do you do for money?" An elderly council woman questioned.
"We really don't need much," Naruto shrugged, "Most of the time we sleep outside and hunt for our food. Sometimes, we do find work, but it's rare. When it does happen, though, we usually spend it right away. It's pretty much a hermit's life, and not a lot of people could handle it."
It seemed that the Magic Council didn't have a retort for that. They did have another argument, though, "What about your attacking of dark guilds! What gives you the authority to do that?!"
Naruto gained a surprised look, "Authority? We were just trying to do the right thing and stop them from hurting people."
"It is our job to handle the affairs of the mages, not yours. We handle the dark guilds," Another council member spoke out.
"Oh?" Naruto decided to let the respectful tone drop a bit, "Then why have two teenagers done more to fight dark guilds in two years than you ever have?"
The entire council gained a gob smacked look.
"Now see here!" Org spoke out, "Things are far more complicated than just going around beating down doors of small dark guilds that just sit around talking big. In your little world, you might think that you're make an impact, but it's nothing compared to what the Magic Council does every day!"
'Sure, I completely believe that…' Naruto thought at the obviously defensive statement, "I suppose so. Perhaps we're just brats with delusions of grandeur, eh Gaara?"
Silence.
"Gaara?"
"Zzz…" Gaara's head was lulled to the side as he took deep, steady breaths.
"Such disrespect! Sleeping before the council!" A council member cried out.
"Wake up, moron," Naruto raised his foot up and lightly kicked Gaara in the head.
"Hmm…Ah...What?" Gaara's eyes snapped open, "Oh right…Sorry, I got bored."
"Obviously," Naruto shook his head.
The Magic Council erupted into murmurs and mutters. Most of them were all outraged by the obvious disregard for them and their authority. Two people seemed very amused by this, though. One was Ultear. The other was an elderly man that had once been a part of Fairy Tail. Oddly enough, Siegrain seemed just as annoyed as the other members of the council, only for different reasons.
"Speaking of disrespect…" Siegrain spoke up, "Uzumaki-san has had his eyes covered the entire time that he has been in here. Should he not look us in the eyes as he explains himself?"
Many of the council members were surprised by Siegrain's words. From what they've seen from his short time in the council, he cared little about respect. From the look on his face, it might be because he had some sort of issue with Uzumaki.
"That is true…" Org nodded slowly, "Tell us, Uzumaki, do you have some sort of injury that impairs your eyes?"
"No."
"Then lift your headband, Uzumaki-san," Siegrain said with a smile, "Unless you have something to hide."
"Of course," Naruto lifted his cuffed hands up to his headband and slowly lifted it up. Siegrain was hopeful that this would reveal something incriminating or suspicious. That was not the case, though. All they saw were ocean blue eyes. Naruto gave them a bright smile, "Sorry, I do that in order to train my other senses."
"I see…" Crawford, oddly enough, seemed a bit surprised. It was almost like he was expecting something different as well. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he restrained himself, "Moving on…"
"We're not gone yet? That sucks," Gaara noted. This seemed to piss off the council members even more, "What exactly do you want from us, anyway? You dragged us all the way to Era, after all. Why not just take us to the Fiore Branch? It would have been easier and faster."
"Gaara, please let me do the talking," Naruto glared at his friend.
Gaara just shrugged, "Hey, you're the one that woke me up."
"And I regret it…" Naruto noted, "Look, err…honorable council members, we are curious about why you would do all this. If you really just wanted us to stop fighting the dark guilds, why not just give us a warning?"
"It's complicated,"
"Oh?" Naruto raised his eyebrow, "It doesn't seem that way. What exactly do you want to accomplish? After all, it would be suspicious if the Sword and Shield suddenly stopped doing random good deeds after they were borderline arrested by the Magic Council."
The Magic Council was silent.
"Well, tell us what you want from us exactly?" Naruto questioned.
"We want you to join the Rune Knights," Ultear spoke up. Some of the others glared at her, "What? We would have to get to it eventually."
"I see…" Naruto and Gaara already expected that the Magic Council would want them under their thumbs.
"We refuse," Gaara spoke up, "We have no interest in joining your forces."
"That is to be expected…" Siegrain drawled out, "But you see, having independent mages out there fighting dark guilds…It's dangerous for us. What if you get hurt? We'll be held responsible for letting children fight against enemies that are far above them. In fact, to avoid that, we might have to create new laws in order to protect you from injury by, oh I don't know…placing you in jail…"
"Or we could just join a guild," Gaara shrugged, "There is one that we have in mind. Right, Naruto?"
"Yes, the guild of master," Naruto's smile made him look like a fox, "Fairy Tail."
Almost every member of the council paled at that comment. It was well-known that the Magic Council wasn't a fan of Fairy Tail. Naruto really couldn't blame them. The guild could be annoying and destructive, but he still appreciated the livelihood and friendly atmosphere of the guild. Nevertheless, he knew that Magic Council would prefer that Naruto and Gaara remained independent mages instead of drawing more fame and attention to Fairy Tail.
"Of course, if we were left alone, we wouldn't join Fairy Tail," Naruto suggested brightly, "But if you really want us to stop being independent mages…"
"We would prefer you join our forces," Crawford stated. For some reason, he seemed very eager for that, a lot more than the other members. Naruto wondered what possible motive he could have for that.
"Like we said, not gonna happen," Gaara rolled his eyes.
"Then perhaps we might have to bring up some suspicious activity in your past," Crawford noted.
Both Naruto and Gaara shared a look. What did he mean by that?
"Over two years ago, Trafalgar was attacked by cultists of Zeref. They were all stopped and killed. Oddly enough, their wounds were identically to the patterns left from your sky magic attacks, Naruto," Org spoke up, "Not to mention that your master lied to us about you. According to Trafalgar's advertisements, you were under April Kazen's tutelage for two years. Right about the time there was a massive power surge of energy right by Trafalgar."
Naruto was silent.
"Also, young Gaara here appeared with you right after you went to stop a terrifying sand demon in the desert," Crawford drawled, "It's all very strange. It's almost like those incidents are related."
Naruto and Gaara shared another look. It was clear that the Magic Council was trying to blackmail them.
"Now, what do you say about our proposal?"
The duo broke eye contact with an understanding. They didn't want to make an enemy of the Magic Council, but their hands were forced. It was time to show them who was really in charge through real intimidation. They would no longer be able to play the dumb children card, but that was a fair trade for their freedom.
"You bring up good arguments," Naruto let his smile drop, "Of course, to bring up the Trafalgar incident, you would have to admit that under your watch, dozens of people were murdered and raped. Plus, there's the addition that famous Sky Mistress died in that fight. That's not good press right there."
"B-but that doesn't change the fact that you appeared—"
"That I became Kazen-sensei's apprentice around the same time of some sudden surge of energy? You do realize that I was ten when that happened?" Naruto let out a chuckle, "It seems rather coincidental to me."
Everyone was silent.
"As for Gaara, are you really suggesting that he's connected to a demon that was reported to be as large as a mountain?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Now that just sounds completely ridiculous, especially because Gaara started to help me take down guilds right after we met. Why would someone connected to a demon do that?"
"B-but…"
"But if you really insist on using these obviously terrible blackmail threats, or even something else that is obviously made up, then perhaps I should mention some of the ridiculous things I've heard while dealing with dark guilds. Obviously, none of them could possibly be true, but if rumors were started, the Magic Council might lose a little…" Naruto paused. His eyes swept across the room. He made sure to give each member of the Council a long look. For a few brief seconds, some of them thought that his eyes flashed red, "Face."
This time, everyone in the Magic Council looked pale and shaken.
"Now, would you kindly let us go on our way so nothing drastic has to happen," Naruto gave them all one last bright smile, "After all, sometimes the best change is no change at all."
"You play a dangerous game, Naruto-kun," Yajima was a rather short man with thick gray eyebrows and a black hat with three points pointing backward. His eyes were squinted and a small mustache stood below his nose, "But I have to admit, you play to win."
As soon as they were released, Naruto and Gaara made their way out of the chamber room. They were quickly followed by Yajima. Both of the jinchūriki were reluctant to talk, but Yajima took them to secluded part of the building and placed magic around them that would distort their conversation to any eavesdroppers. They would just hear Yajima reminisce about his youth in Fairy Tail
"Thank you, Yajima-san," Naruto, with his headband lowered once more, smiled at the man. With the meeting now over, he let his henge drop, and his eyes turned back to their normal red. He was glad that the Anti-Magic cuffs didn't affect his chakra, "That was my intent."
"Perhaps you went too far with that last tactic, Naruto," Gaara suggested, "We never confirmed what the Face thing was or if it even existed. All we heard was one whisper about the name."
"But it worked didn't it?" Naruto let out a laugh.
"So you don't have any knowledge about Face…" Yajima let out a sigh, "That's good. Please tell me you have no interest in it."
"We don't," Gaara stated automatically, "Not unless it has to do with freedom, finding people, or destroying Zeref."
"It doesn't. It's a cursed weapon that really shouldn't exist. It's to be used only when there are no other option, and still, the result would hurt you too just as much it would the rest of this world," Yajima stated.
Naruto gave a shrug, "Then we don't really give a damn about it."
"That's good," Yajima then let out a smile, "I have to thank you by the way. Today was the most fun I had in a long time. This place is boring a hell."
"Then why stay here?" Gaara questioned.
"Someone needs to speak up for Fairy Tail," Yajima let out a sigh, "Not that Makky seems to appreciate it all that much. He just lets them go on destroying shit. Can't blame him too much, though. If the youngsters are anything like we were, then nothing can control them."
"So Fairy Tail has always been crazy," Naruto noted. He then bowed his head, "Thank you for looking after the guild of my master. You have my gratitude."
"Oh, I don't want thanks. I do it because I love my old guild. Although, I do wish that I could have more free time for myself," Yajima sighed, "I always dreamed of opening a restaurant and serving the gift of ramen to people."
Naruto perked up at that.
Gaara face palmed "Oh, Kami…"
"Ramen? The food of the gods?" Naruto questioned.
Yajima's eyes widened, "Yes, that ramen. Are you a lover of ramen?"
"Are you kidding?" Gaara rolled his eyes, "He won't shut up about the stuff."
"Hahahahaha! Finally! Someone that understands the beauty of ramen!" Yajima was delighted.
"I should be saying that," Naruto shook his head, "I thought only I appreciated ramen the way it deserves. But here I find someone that not only loves to eat the food of the gods, but also knows how to cook it."
"Cook? Please! I craft the best goddam ramen in the world," Yajima puffed out his chest in pride, "Ramen crafting is an art form! It takes a precise hand, a keen mind, and a stern heart! Only the best of the best can truly create art worthy of being called ramen!"
Naruto looked at the shorter man in awe, "Yajima-sama…" He dropped to his knees and bowed before the old mage, "Teach me your ways, sensei."
"Oh for the love of…" Gaara felt like ramming his face into the wall, "Naruto, you already had a sensei."
"I can have more than one sensei," Naruto didn't raise his head, "We should always be students, especially when it comes to ramen."
"You are wise beyond your years, Naruto-chan," Yajima stroked his chin, "Unfortunately, I have to time to teach you the ways of crafting true ramen. Perhaps when I finally retire from this hell hole."
Naruto raised his head, "That's too bad."
"Besides," Yajima reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, "You have your own business to attend to."
"Huh?"
"Makky asked me to keep an eye out for some people you were interested in," Yajima explained, "The Steam Bull Han, a man that transforms into a giant turtle, and a young man that uses acid and acts like a slug."
Gaara blinked, "You found them?"
"I got whiff of one of them," Yajima handed Naruto the paper, "The turtle guy, he's back in Fiore. This shows his last location, so I would start there. I have no idea why you're interested in him, but be warned. He's pretty dangerous himself from what I heard, but the woman he's traveling with is a monster."
Both of the young mages blinked. Who could be dangerous enough to be considered a monster when there was a jinchūriki right next to her?
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Xion, and she's like you, Naruto. She's a God Slayer mage."
Siegrain frowned deeply from his position at the window. He watched as the two independent mages left the building and started towards the city. At the other side of the window was Ultear, but she seemed to be in a much lighter mood.
"Is something the matter, Siegrain-sama?" Ultear questioned.
"Those two…they're a threat to our plans," Siegrain mentioned.
"Oh? Really?" Ultear tilted her head to the side, "What makes you say that?"
"They have power, popularity, and cunning minds," Siegrain stated, "They manipulate the rules around them to satisfy their own goals."
"That sounds just like us, Siegrain-sama," Ultear noted as she hid a giggle with her hand.
"That's why they're so dangerous," Siegrain crossed his arms.
"Might I suggest, instead of immediately making them enemies, perhaps we should try to recruit them?" Ultear suggested, "They could make useful allies."
"I already attempted that," Siegrain gained an enraged look, "That Uzumaki refuses to be under anyone's thumb, though. He would never take my orders. Plus…he stands against Zeref. That much is obvious."
Ultear was well aware of that. Of course, she knew a lot of things about the two jinchūriki, more than Siegrain could even dream. Master Hades had an interest in the jinchūriki like Utakata and how exactly they appeared in Earthland. As such, he wanted her to keep an eye on Naruto, Gaara, and the other jinchūriki that popped up, "I see…That is a problem. Perhaps they will change, though. After all, we have a few more years before our plans for the R-system are ready."
"I doubt it, but we can still wait a bit to deal with them," Siegrain turned and began to walk away, "After that meeting, now is definitely not the time to mess with them. But I'm certain that we'll have to fight them at some point. And at that time, I'll make sure make Uzumaki pay for the humiliation he gave me."
Ultear could only smile as she watched Siegrain walked away. She quite liked those two mages. It took a lot to make Siegrain…no, Jellal lose his cool like that. They certainly knew how to shake things up. Ultear could only hope that eventually those two would change their mind about fighting dark guilds. While she didn't care if they messed with Jellal's pathetic plans, if they got in the way of Grimoire Heart's goals, then Master Hades might have to rip the demons from out of their bodies.
Omake: New Record
"Hey! Naruto's back!"
"Gaara's with him!"
"The Sword and the Shield have come home!"
Gaara cleaned the inside of his ear and mumbled, "Since when is this home?"
"Aha! Naruto!" A pink haired boy about a year younger than the jinchūriki. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck and a wide grin covered his face, "You returned just in time! I'm a lot stronger now! Fight me!"
Natsu Dragneel charged at Naruto with a flaming fist. Naruto dodged the blow and got the younger teen in a guillotine choke lock. As they fell to the ground, Naruto stated, "Yo, nice to see you, Fire Dragon. You have gotten faster, but you still need work."
"Gack! Blah! Ah!" Natsu clawed at the arm around his throat and rapidly tapped the ground in submission.
"Nii-san!" A small blue haired girl ran up to the wrestling blond and beamed, "Welcome back!"
"Oh, hey Levy," Naruto spoke nonchalantly as if he wasn't choking the life out of Natsu, "Did you get shorter?"
Levy's head drooped, "You're supposed to ask if I got taller…"
"So, yes?"
"NO!" Levy stomped her foot, "You're always so annoying, Nii-san! Why do I put up with you?"
"Because I was the one that showed you this guild and showed you the basics of your magic?"
"That's a good reason…" Levy sighed. She then glanced at the blue in the face Natsu, "Um, Nii-san, I think you're killing him."
"Good. It builds character," Naruto looked down at Natsu, "Will you leave me alone for the rest of my visit?"
Natsu nodded rapidly.
"Alright," Naruto released Natsu and got up.
"Natsu! Are you okay?" A small white haired girl with a bowl cut ran up to the downed dragon slayer.
"Hmm?" Gaara looked to the small girl, "Did you get new members?"
"Yep!" Levy gestured to a table with two more white haired children, "The girl by Natsu is Lisanna. The boy is Elfman, and the oldest is Mirajane."
"Very interesting," It was obvious that Naruto didn't care, "Is Master Dreyar around? He requested that we come see him."
"Hey!" Mirajane slammed her hands on her table. She was a long haired girl with black, leather clothing that showed her developing frame, "Don't ignore me, bastard! I'm a goddam lady! Come and introduce yourself!"
Naruto sighed, "Another crazy…Fine, I'm Naruto, and that's Gaara."
"Whatever," Gaara crossed his arms.
"Hmm…" Mirajane eyed them for a second, "Really, I don't see the big deal. The way Erza and Fu go on and on about you—"
"Shut up, Janey!" Fu rushed forward and drop kicked the girl away.
"Nee-chan!" Elfman looked in horror as his older sister went flying away.
Fu laughed and got up from the ground, "Hey guys, what's up!?"
Gaara blinked, "What was that about?"
"Nothing!" Fu blushed and looked away from Gaara's stare. "She…uh…she owes me money! That's it!"
"Really? Because it almost sounded like—"
"Bitch!" Mirajane roared as she rushed forward and tackled Fu to the ground, "Sneak attacks are dirty! Don't get your pink panties in a bunch just because I walk about what you giggle about in the corner!"
"I do not giggle…Wait! How do you know what color my panties are!?"
"Lucky guess!" Mirajane mocked Fu's belief in luck.
"Enough!" Erza stepped forward and glared at the two girls fighting, "Can't you see that you're distracting Naruto and Gaara? They are here to see the master, not to watch you fight."
"Stay out of this, flat chest!" Mirajane glared at the red haired girl.
"What did you call me, thunder thighs?" Erza snapped.
"You heard her, Erza," Fu elbowed Mira in the face, "Stay out of this! We wouldn't want you getting hurt!"
"Don't think be so weak, moss head!" Erza jumped into the fight, "I can take both of you easily!"
"Bring it on, fox lover!"
"Try not to die, Blood Mary!"
Naruto and Gaara just watches as the three girls fought, "Does this happen often?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Gray stated from a nearby table.
"Gray, put on some pants," Cana orders from across the table.
"Oh crap! Where did I put them?!"
"Seriously? Am I the only normal one here?" Cana lifted up a large barrel of booze and began to chug it.
"Is that alcohol?" Naruto questioned.
"Yep," Levy nodded.
"But she's underage…"
"Never stopped her before," Levy sighed.
Gaara looked around. Lisanna was helping the nearly unconscious Natsu. Elfman was trying futilely to stop the three-way fight. Gray was desperately looking for his pants. Cana was drinking several times more than her body should handle, and…
"Is that a blue cat with angel wings?" Gaara pointed to the flying cat that floated above Lisanna's head.
"Yep," Levy nodded, "That's Happy."
"…Okay, I'm out." Gaara turned around and began to walk out of the building, "Too crazy for me."
"Dang, and I thought that he would actually stick around this time," Levy sighed.
"Well, he lasted like three minutes," Naruto shrugged. "That's a new record for him at least."
Thank you all for reading and please remember to…
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