Disclaimer: I own nothing
*Important AN at the bottom*
Chapter 14: "Future Foes"
(Year: X779)
"Domo arigato for helping us," Gaara bowed before their host, "We deeply appreciate your generosity in our time of need."
"Hahahaha! Think nothing of it, child!" The old guild master in front of Gaara took a sip of his drink. Before he swallowed, though, he began speaking again, "You're just lucky we have a sky magic user ourselves."
Gaara watched as the water trickled down the old man's white beard and chin. It was something the man seemed to do a lot, but Gaara decided not to judge. Especially considering the circumstances, "Still, we owe you a debt. If you ever need something, we'll help."
"Hmm…" Roubaul stroked his beard covered chin. The snowy facial hair continued up his sideburns to, oddly enough, connect to his thick eyebrows. Gaara didn't know whether his head was shaved or bald because of the man's tribal attire. His shirtless torso showed just how skinny the old man was. An odd red tattoo stood on his forehead right below a feather covered headpiece, "That is a generous offer, young man. Considering your reputation, I might keep that in mind. But is it fine not to consult your friend about that first?"
"Naruto's the kind of guy that pays his debts," Gaara looked over across the small medical room to the bed Naruto was on, "Whatever you ask, I'm sure he'll do his best to fulfill it."
"I see…" Roubal followed Gaara's line of sight, "How are you doing, Wendy?"
"I-I'm fine," Wendy smiled nervously at them. The seven year old girl held her glowing green hands over Naruto's head. Wavy blue hair fell down to her shoulders. A cute blue dress hung to her petite frame, and a red tint covered her face at the sudden attention she was getting. Even Gaara had to admit that this girl was the definition of adorable.
"Really now?" A white furred cat jumped up right on Naruto's chest. The talking animal wore a dress similar to Wendy's and had a bow tied around her long thin tail, "Wendy, you shouldn't push yourself too hard for this idiot. Whatever he did was his own fault. Instead of exhausting yourself over him, you should let him suffer to teach the fool a lesson."
"I-I'm not pushing myself too hard, Carla," Wendy puffed out her cheeks, "H-he wasn't that hard to heal. Despite all the damage he had, he healed really fast."
Gaara quickly jumped in to avoid any questions they couldn't answer, "It might that he's naturally amplifying your magic. He's a sky magic user himself."
"Really?" Wendy's eyes lit up at that announcement.
"Then how did he get so—would you stop staring at me like that!" Carla snapped at Fu who was staring intently at the cat from the corner of the bed.
Fu ignored the animal, "Wow…another talking cat. What are the odds?"
Carla paused, "Another talking cat?"
"Yep! He's at my guild. His name is Happy," Fu grinned at the tiny kitten, "Hey, did you hatch from an egg like he did?"
"She did," Wendy nodded, "You hear that, Carla? You're not the only one of your species after all."
"That's…great…" Carla gained an annoyed look and turned away.
Roubaul decided to get back to the previous topic, "So how did your friend get so hurt anyway? I haven't seen cuts or burns like that in a long time."
"Truth be told, I haven't ever really seen him hurt like that before either. Usually, he can heal himself with his magic, but the guy we fought…" Gaara frowned, "He just hit too hard and too quickly. Fu managed to help free him, and I got us away with my sand."
"Oh yeah! He was lucky I was there…In fact, he's super lucky altogether," Fu let out a chuckle, "My Jackpot magic can be pretty random at times. It'll be on my side when I first cast it, but as time goes by and the more I use it, the more sporadic it gets. With how I used it the second time, I was actually praying that it didn't backfire and increase Hades' attack power."
"We had to take a chance," Gaara noted, "He was holding Naruto as a shield, and we couldn't get over there in time."
"True, but I can't believe he got a nine when he kicked the old man in the balls!" Fu burst out laughing, "Nines are tough. Only numbers harder to get are zeroes and ones."
"So…Someone actually learned that hazardous magic, huh?" Roubaul pursed his lips, "You must be a risk taker, young lady. Jackpot is hard magic to use, and very dangerous to use without someone there to help you. Can't use other magic while that thing is cast."
"Don't worry. I have a cheat for it. I'll show you it…" Fu grinned devilishly, "But only if these two come along."
"Why?"
"Because…" Fu's eyes began to sparkle. She reached out and pulled Wendy and Carla into a hug, "THEY'RE SO KAWAII!"
Gaara and Roubaul stared blankly at her.
"I can't believe it!" Fu cried out as she swung the two young beings around, "They are so adorable that it actually hurts! I love them so much! I want to take them home and dress them up!"
"N-no!" Wendy tried to wiggle free.
"Please don't…" Carla sighed, "Because if you do, I'd have to kill you in your sleep."
"Hey! Azuma! You like tough opponents, right?" Zancrow grinned at his guild mate, "How about a spar?"
Hades smiled as he watched his subordinates from the entrance to the training hall. This was a nice change of pace. While no shirk on his personal training, Zancrow never liked to train with others, especially if it would lead to the chance of his ego getting bruised. Now, though, Zancrow didn't care. He just wanted to get as strong as possible.
"It seems that Uzumaki has influenced Zancrow for the better," Bluenote noted as he walked behind the aging dark mage.
"Indeed," Hades turned to his second-in-command, "Naruto Uzumaki is definitely an interesting character. His power to influence people is amazing. If he actually chose a side other than his own, he would forever change the status quo of this world."
"A strong wind caries him up," Bluenote agreed, "I can't wait to see how high he will fly."
"Oh really? Last time someone besides me flew higher than you, you swore revenge," Hades let out a chuckle, "That was the only reason I got you to go after April Kazen and her book to begin with."
"Yes…" Bluenote glanced to where Zancrow was sparring, "But it was not a negative influence on me. The desire to crush someone else is the greatest motivating tool of all."
"Quite," Hades let his smile fall a bit, "You know, we never did discuss the consequences of you lying to me about what happened that night at Trafalgar."
"Why would we? Everything worked out," Bluenote shrugged, "Besides, the God Slayer of the Sky had already been chosen. If I killed him and took the book, who knows how long it would take for another slayer to be picked."
"I suppose you're right," Hades sighed, "I wouldn't have been able to find a proper subordinate to use that magic. I did just get lucky with Zancrow after all."
"Yes…Lucky…" Bluenote scratched his chin.
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing. I just never really understood why you wanted God Slayers to begin with. Yes, they are powerful, but their magic is the only one available to mankind that can kill that which cannot die," Bluenote mentioned, "Not to mention the long history with the God Slayer of Death…"
"That's why I want them on our side. If they bow to Lord Zeref, then nothing can stop us from unleashing the Ultimate Magic World," Hades gave a wide smile.
"I can't imagine some of them bowing to anyone…" Bluenote shivered, "That one…the water one…she flies at a level above what man should achieve. Even I don't attempt to fly that high."
"Hehehe…" Hades chuckled, "Her entire goal is to do what God Slayers were designed to do. Just like with the God Slayer of the Sky, it might take a while for another God Slayer of Death to appear. So, she probably won't kill Zeref. Instead, she'll have him help them take down the wench that locked the gates. Then, when the new gods have taken their place, our opportunity to unlock the Ultimate Magic World will be at hand. First, though, we must awaken Zeref. That is our role in the plan."
Of course, Hades knew that another Death Slayer could arrive. She had become one after all. But like every story of the God Slayers, two of the same kind could not exist for long. Eventually, one would kill the other.
"Hmm…The timing does seem right," Bluenote acknowledged, "So many God Slayers have appeared in recent years. I even heard that there is a child that appears to be the God Slayer of Lighting. Rumor says that he's apprenticed under that odd rapping fellow."
"Yes, now only the God Slayer of Life is left," Hades nodded, "When he appears, the seven pieces will be in place."
"There is a problem with that," Bluenote mentioned, "Uzumaki wants to kill Zeref. I thought that was why you wanted to kill him back at the town."
Hades roared out in laughter, "Please! That boy has sky magic and a demon to heal him! Not to mention that guild with the dragon slayer nearby. My attack would have never killed him, even if it wasn't weakened by the bug girl. No, it would have only left him catatonic for a few months, and when he awoke, he would be motivated to get stronger. And this actually works out better for me. He'll get to work faster. I can't wait for his strength to grow."
"But…what about his view on Zeref?"
"Oh, that will change. Either by his own will, or by the will of another. And when that happens, we'll have a second Zeref in the making. Isn't that a magnificent thought?"
"Mard Geer does not understand your fascination with that human," A lean, elegant man noted. His long black hair was pulled back into a pony tail. A dark trench coat covered the elegant shirt and white pants below it. He sat sideways on a throne. A bored smirk adorned his face as he traced the scared book his hands.
"You don't understand. He's not human. He's something different…something more…" The woman kneeling before Mard Geer could be described as being half bird. Her feet were shaped like sharp talons while her hands were deadly steel claws. An incredibly revealing purple, skin tight suit showed a perfect hourglass figure. The suit put great emphasis on the woman's large assets in the both rear and front. Despite the dangerous appendages, men would surely drool over the woman, even if they would wonder what exactly was hidden beneath the helmet that stood on her head.
"Yes, yes, a 'jinchūriki.' The power of the human sacrifice. Humans that have demons from another world sealed inside of them," Mard Geer rolled his eyes. He reached over for his wine glass and lifted it up, "Tell me, Kyôka, does this glass magically become wine once the liquid is poured into it?"
Kyôka shook her head, "No, it doesn't, but it does set it as different from other glasses."
"True…" Mard Geer admitted before sipping the wine, "But even if the human stands slightly above the pathetic creatures that are his peers, that doesn't mean that Mard Geer would ever accept the boy into our guild the way you want. Mard Geer has seen what you have brought about the human. He is vicious. He is deadly. Yet he also has pits of compassion and pity. Even if Lamy were to modify him, he would not be above the rest of our servants."
"You say that now, but you haven't seen him in action," Kyôka eagerly explained, "His restraint is calculated. It is only to trick others into believing he's good. He would kill everyone in his path if it wouldn't hinder him later. Not to mention his words. Hatred is laced in them like honey. And his eyes…I haven't seen anything like them since E.N.D.-sama."
"Your blasphemy sickens Mard Geer," Mard Geer sneered at the woman, "Saying such words about a human. Mard Geer should punish you. Make you feel regret."
"Do as you wish, but you will see soon," Kyôka felt a shiver run down her spine, "He can help us return to Zeref-sama."
"Is that affection Mard Geer sees? Longing? Lust?" Mard Geer let out a loud laugh, "He was barely in his teenage years when he held your book in his hands. A mere boy! Psh! You long for such a being?"
"Your words may be true, but I see what will be, not what is," Kyôka grinned, "After all, even Zeref-sama was once a child."
Mard Geer paused. His sneer slowed back into a smirk. Calculating eyes danced, "You are full of good arguments today, Kyôka. Very well. Let us watch this Naruto Uzumaki and see just how much of a demon he is."
Naruto slowly turned his head to look around. He was floating high above the ground. Clouds drifted slowly around him. The Sun beamed down and warmed his back. Freedom coursed through his veins. Reaching, the blonde tried to grasp what was around him, but he felt nothing between his fingers. It was like he was in a void, "I must be dreaming."
"Very close, Naruto."
Naruto perked up at the voice. Stunned, he turned and addressed the person who appeared behind him, "Azura?"
"Hello, my chosen," The beautiful goddess was walking towards him. She seemed to walk as if there was ground beneath her feet. Naruto thought that was odd because he felt no pressure beneath his feet, "You have changed. Especially your eyes."
Naruto reached up to touch his uncovered face. His headband was missing, "Yes. I found the other part of the sky. The storms that rage after the calmness dies."
Azura smiled, "But you have not found the perfect medium yet."
"Is that possible?" Naruto questioned.
"I'd like to think that I have found that medium," Azura shrugged, "But the others have said that I can be a bit full of myself. So, perhaps such a state is impossible goal. After all, every Sky God Slayer has attempted to find the perfect state of the sky. They always tend to favor one state or another, though. I prefer the clear calmness, while you are in a cloudy state with the storms on the horizon."
"So Marissa wasn't lying," Naruto noted, "God Slayers have been around for a long time."
"Indeed," Azura gave the tiniest of smiles, "No power should ever be left unchecked, Naruto. Even the gods know that. So, the original seven gifted humankind with the ability to stop them if they ever got out of hand. Some did. Others…just grew tired of their place."
"How interesting," Kurama's voice sounded out through the clouds, "But we already figured most of that out. So why don't you tell us the juicy parts. Like what did the old man have to do with Earthland? Who is that Kaguya woman? And how are the two worlds connected?"
The clouds shifted and accumulated into what appeared to be a giant cage. From inside the cage of snowy clouds, an image of Kurama appeared. Gone was the threatening demon, though. Instead, he appeared like a giant ball of fluff. The only threatening part of his new look was the glowing red eyes that stared down at the two smaller beings.
"I cannot reveal that you, Kurama-san," Azura bowed her head, "God Slayers must find their own answers. Those are the rules that the original seven set, and those are the rules I must follow."
"How is Kurama here?" Naruto questioned, "This isn't my mindset. It's far too bright."
"Think of it more as a vision, Naruto. One that is greatly influenced by my presence," Azura giggled in her hand, "Now that you're in Earthland, I cannot come to you physically. That is why I haven't visited you yet."
"But you can hop to the Elemental Nations just fine," Kurama huffed, "Why's that?"
"I just said that I cannot answer that Kurama-san," Azura stated respectively, "Naruto must be the one to find the answers."
"But how am I supposed to find the answers?" Naruto questioned, "The only sources I can find on God Slayer magic is Kaa-san's book and Merissa's church, and I'm not joining a church."
"I know, child," Merissa smiled, "That is why I came here. I always did like to cheat the system, so I came here to give you a hint and a warning."
"A warning?" Kurama's eyes narrowed.
Azura nodded, "Yes, troubling times are ahead. It was one of the only reasons I was ever reluctant to choose Naruto as my slayer. You see, the gods are not omniscient. We cannot predict the outcome of every event perfectly, but I was well aware that bringing the jinchūriki to Earthland would cause problems. And now those problems have been made clear. The road in front of you is troubling indeed. The opposition is incredibly strong. I fear that it may be too much for you."
"Excuse me?" Naruto frowned.
Azura sighed, "Naruto, I chose you as my slayer because no one has more passion and desire to be like the sky than you. That is my greatest criteria for my slayers, but I do wish that things could have been different for you. Before April Kazen, you never experienced love or compassion. Even then…her type of love has left you bitter and angry. Especially after learning about her mistake."
Both Naruto and Kurama was silent.
"I could very well see you be consumed by your darkness, and if you do…you might very well end up like another Slayer who fell into darkness," Azura gained a sad look, "The current generation of gods have existed too long…four hundred years too long. And our powers have forever been stunted from the events of the past. We need the new slayers to take action. No matter what. That is why I took the risk. I just hope that this ends as well as it can. Even though your enemies will do everything in their power to break you."
Naruto gained a determined look, "Look, I know I'm not a good person, but I don't view myself as bad either. That is what I am…what I was born and raised to be. Nothing will change that. Even if my enemies are unbelievably strong. I'll just have to become stronger than them."
Azura smiled, "That's what I wanted to here, and why I'm about to give you a hint. April Kazen told you to look in the book for answers. She wasn't lying. Everything you need to know is in that book."
"But I searched everywhere in it," Naruto noted, "There's nothing I overlooked."
"From your perspective, yes, but not from another's perspective," Azura leaned down and looked Naruto straight in the eyes, "April Kazen was cautious. She didn't want just anyone to discover the secrets she knew. So, she made a discreet blood seal on the book. Only someone with her blood can unlock the full secrets of the book."
Naruto's eyes widened, "I see…So I have to find him. Her mistake."
"Indeed, only then you will be able to learn the truth. But for now, train. Grow stronger. Push your limits with both magic and chakra, because I guarantee that you will need it."
"I think you're worrying too much about him," Ultear mentioned as she leaned against the doorframe of the balcony. Jellal stood at the edge of the balcony. His elbows rested on the railing while his hands were folded in thought, "If you don't do anything to him, he won't work to interfere with your plans."
"But he has declared himself the enemy of Zeref," Jellal noted, "If he finds out about my plans to use the R-System, then he will interfere."
"If he finds out," Ultear mentioned, "You have been completely discreet in your planning. No one knows that the Tower of Heaven is still active. Hell, the only survivor that isn't your slave thinks that everyone she knew there is dead."
"Yes, Erza might be fooled, but she wants to believe everything is over," Jellal argued, "But Uzumaki…He's constantly looking for ways to erase Zeref from this world. He's obsessed. One hint, and he'll storm the tower. Destroy everything. Or worse…He might just tell the Magic Council before the Tower is ready and get them to do his dirty work."
Ultear paused, "He definitely is manipulative enough to do that. Okay, so he is a threat to your plans. We'll just keep an eye on him. If he gets even a suspicion about the Tower, we'll take him down. My magic will give me the advantage over his cute friend, and I'm sure you can keep up with him."
"Yes, I think we're about even from a fighting perspective," Jellal paused. He looked across the horizon with a look of deep thought, "And he will grow in power as I do…"
Ultear eyed the man, "What are you thinking?"
"His power…it would definitely be enough for the R-System," Jellal mentioned, "And what irony would it be if the blasphemic God Slayer's powers became a tool for Zeref-sama?"
"I thought you planned for Erza to have that privilege?"
"She can be the backup plan. Besides," Jellal gained a wicked grin, "It would be a lot more interesting if she was alive. By my side for the rest of eternity as Zeref's power brought justice to the world."
Knowing that Jellal was looking away, Ultear rolled her eyes at his thought process. He was definitely obsessive. From what she saw, it was a quality that Jellal and Naruto shared. Once they had something or someone in their sights, they wouldn't be swayed away. The blonde had definitely earned Jellal's ire with his quick tongue and wit. At this rate, Jellal would definitely gain Naruto's attention as well.
Of course, that was the plan. Everything about the Tower of Heave was meant to be a distraction. Something to draw the eyes of the light and to cause as much chaos as possible. That chaos would only be doubled if the God Slayer jinchūriki was involved.
It was an interesting thought, though. Ultear would never question Jellal's power or fighting abilities. He might even be able to beat her under the right circumstances. The outcome of that fight was definitely up for a long debate. The same could be said for a bout between the sky and stars above it. If they went all out against each other, they might kill everyone and everything around them. In fact, considering just how similar they were…
They might just end up killing each other.
Ultear smiled. What a fun thought.
"Thank you for seeing me, Brain," Marissa smiled at her host across the table from her. She took a sip of the cup of tea in front of her. She didn't seem to care that it could be poisoned. The liquid poison could never affect her.
Brain was a rather tall, muscular skin. His darker skin note contrasted his long silver hair. Dark line tattoos ran across his face, chest, and around his guild mark. His long white coat was opened to reveal his muscular torso. Despite the man's intimidating appearance, he quickly began to sweat as Marissa's gaze landed on him, "It's not like I had much of a choice."
"Indeed," The God Slayer of Water smiled at him. Despite its warm appearance, Brian felt a cold chill run down his spine, "I suppose you didn't. I could wipe out your entire guild if I wanted to, after all."
"Excuse me?" A teenager with a spikey blonde mohawk and black sides snapped. He stood on Brain's left and had his arms crossed defiantly. Black shades covered his eyes and stood on top of a rather long nose, "Who do you think you are!?"
"Racer, stop," Brain raised a hand and glared at his subordinate, "I told you to stay quiet. Her words are not lies. She's a superhuman among monsters. If she wanted to, she could probably take on most of the guilds in this country and win."
The young woman on Brain's other side began to sweat. Her white hair stood up in a curl. A white dress of feathers covered her frame while still revealing a lot of skin. Angel gave Brain a frightened look, "No way…"
"Oh my, you flatter me, Brain," Marrisa smiled at the man, "But I can't take on everyone. I believe the Four Gods of Ishgar would provide much of a challenge. Especially that number one spot."
"If they would get off their lazy asses and do some shit," Roshi mentioned as he lazed on a nearby couch.
"True, they aren't the most active of individuals," Marissa noted.
"Cut the small talk, Water Goddess," Brain's eyes narrowed at the woman, "You don't request meetings to have a cup of tea with dark guild members."
"Oh, won't you please indulge me?" Marrisa pleaded, "I wouldn't want to have to kill you all."
Brian tensed up in fear.
"Kidding~" Marissa sang out, "Do forgive me. I was just trying to lighten the mood."
"You can't be serious," Racer glared at his guild master, "Why are you putting up with this?"
Brain watched as Marissa reached out and grabbed a biscuit from her plate, "Do not talk about things you don't understand, Racer."
"The hell I don't! This lady is disrespecting you, us, and the guild!" Racer pulled out a knife from his pocket, "She deserves to die."
"Wait—"
Brain was too late. Racer already spread out his magic. The perception of everyone in the room came to a halt. They all basically froze while Racer remained the same speed. Rushing towards the priestess, Racer raised the knife with the intent to kill.
When he was in front of the woman, his eyes widened in fear. Her eyes had been following him the entire time. With speed that shouldn't be possible under his Slowing Magic, Marissa raised a hand and pointed it at his chest. Black water blasted out of the palm and crashed into him. Racer instantly spat out blood and was sent flying back through a wall in the blink of an eye.
Time started moving again and the rest of the people in the room finally caught up to what just happened. Brain and Roshi eyed the new hole in the wall calmly, but Angel didn't handle it that well. She stepped back and placed her hands over her mouth in fear, "Oh, Kami…"
Marissa calmly finished the bite she had been taking out of her biscuit. She made sure to completely finish chewing and swallowing the food before speaking again, "Water God's Palm."
Brain gulped. His throat stung in a primal need to run.
"Dumbass should think faster instead of running faster," Roshi noted.
"Quite right," Marissa gave Brain a scathing look, "You do realize that I held back. I easily could have killed him. But that would have hurt the deal we're going to make."
"Deal? Why would you want a deal with us?" Brain questioned, "We are everything you preach against."
"Yes, but it is not my place to punish you. Not yet at least," Marissa noted, "I am merely a priestess. Only the gods can bring righteous and karmic punishment to the sinners. Until that day, though, I could use you. So, we're going to make a deal right here and now, and if you refuse, I'll take that as a sign from the gods that I have been given the right to punish you however I see fit," Marissa leaned forward and whispered, "And trust me when I say that I am not a merciful person."
Brain nodded slowly, "Alright…What do you want?"
"See?" Marissa smiled brightly and sat back in her seat, "That wasn't so hard, now was it? Now, as for what I want, it's simple really. I want you to tell me everything you know about that magic you've been researching. Nirvana. The magic that can swap good and evil."
"It's a really simple process really," Fu explained as stood in front of Cait Shelter's unusual neko shaped building with her four companions and the several of the guild's members watching from the sidelines, "I activate my magic like this."
Fu crossed her arms. Her magic pulsed as a green magic circle appeared behind her. Numbers and symbols quickly began to dance around her once more, "When I do that, the area around is influenced by the rules of 'Jackpot' magic."
"How far is the radius?" Wendy questioned.
"Right now? About ten meters," As Fu spoke a visible ring appeared around her. With her at the center, the clear circle spread twenty meters in diameter, "But I'm going to keep trying to spread out my limit."
"That's impressive," Roubaul took a drink of his water. Before he swallowed, he quickly began to speak again, "But if my memory doesn't fail me, there are some steep consequences to using the magic."
"First, swallow before you start talking again. Geeze, why are all the boys around me so weird…" Fu rolled her eyes, "Second, yeah. While I'm casting the spell, I can't move or cast any other type of magic. That leaves me completely vulnerable. There's also the problem that it could backfire really easily. My magic could make my enemies stronger and me weaker if I'm unlucky."
"Then why use it? It seems pretty useless," Carla gained a smug look.
"At first it might, but watch this," Fu looked off to the side. A single bomb beetle flew to the edge of the ring. It quickly began to glow. The number six blared on top of it, and the bug exploded with enough force to cause everyone to take a step back, "See. One bug did that, and it was only a six." Fu let her Jackpot drop, "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Interesting. You made those bugs ahead of time, and used them with your Jackpot to enhance your fighting ability to the absolute limit," Roubaul nodded, "Impressive combination of magic..."
"Yeah…" Fu nodded slowly. Of course, those bugs were made of chakra. She could make as many as her chakra limit permitted. That was the best part of her magic. It completely complimented her style, "Of course, I don't like to use it a lot if I don't have to. I like to think I'm a lucky person, but relying on luck all the time is dangerous. So, I prefer using my bugs and my fighting skills to kick ass instead."
Carla crossed her arms, "What does the number rankings mean? Is seven the highest?"
"Oddly enough, no. Despite being called Jackpot, the magic isn't passed off the number seven," Fu rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "The average number is 5. You get that, then there's no change. Each time the number goes up and down, the attack power is multiplied or divided by 2. Except for 0 and 10. Zero means the attack is completely useless. Ten, though, is the jackpot. The level of attack from 9 to 10 isn't multiplied by 2…it's by 10. And to give you a mental vision of that, if I got a 10 with a single bug bomb, this entire area would be rubble."
"I'm guessing a ten level is rare, though," Gaara mentioned.
"Yep! Never got a ten before," Fu laughed.
The members of Cait Shelter chatted excitedly at the 'awesome' show of magic. Even Carla seemed somewhat impressed, even though she started lecturing people for being too rowdy. As this was happening, Gaara got closer to Fu. He whispered in her ear.
"But if you cast the spell and leave it on an inanimate object, you can move through a dropped radius," Gaara noted.
"Yep that's basically it," Fu nodded, "I first read about the magic from Obaa-chan's library. I kept bugging her until she lent it to me. Kami, she was so surprised that I actually learned how to do it."
Gaara stroked his chin, "Your magic is definitely a lot more potent than mine. My Armor magic is just a defense mechanism to shield me when my sand fails or I have to fight hand-to-hand."
"But at least yours is a lot more practical than mine," Fu shrugged, "Not that it really matters to me. I don't plan to use my magic a lot. Even Lucky Number 7's luck can run out, right? Better to use skill and my natural power in most fights."
"Hmm…" Gaara gave the tiniest of smiles, "Now that is something that I can agree with."
Fu beamed back to him. She was just about to tease him when a loud pop sounded through the area. It was quickly followed by several more giant pops. The sound was so loud, most of the Cait Shelter guild members began to think they were being attacked. They screamed and began to run around in a frenzy. Roubaul quickly tried to calm them down with the youngest members help.
"Hey calm down!" Fu shouted out and caused everyone to freeze, "It's not attack. I would know if it was an attack, trust me. You can't get to the Fairy Tail bar without getting attack at least once."
"Then what it it?!"
"Naruto…" Gaara mumbled as he quickly made his way behind the neko guild hall. He was quickly followed by the others. When they got to the rear of the guild hall, though, they all froze at the sight. Fu and Gaara didn't stop, though. They were used to the sight of dozens of Naruto's running around.
"What the hell are you doing, Number 9?" Fu glared at Naruto, "You should be resting."
"I'm healed enough," Naruto, now wearing his headband, did not look up. He sat in mediation, his arms held out as black wind gently began to dance around his fingers. As he did this, other Naruto's were spread across the wooded area. Some Naruto's were working with what appeared to be rubber balls, others were sparring, and the final ones were reading April Kazen's book.
"So you decided to get in some training, huh?" Gaara nodded to himself as he looked around, "Figured you'd do that after losing."
"There are a lot of strong people out there, Gaara," Naruto stopped his meditating and stood, "And we aren't near strong enough to face them. We became too content crushing weaklings. Now though, we now what the real monsters are like. We have a goal."
"Alright, I'm up for some training," Gaara smirked, "It would be nice to not move around so much."
"I thought you'd say that," Naruto turned to Fu, "What about you, Number 7? Think you'll stick around for some training?"
"Oh, hell yes," Fu grinned, "I think Fairy Tail can survive for a bit longer without me. Time to get stronger and beat the shit out of everyone else my age. They'll never see it coming."
"Great," Naruto glanced off towards the still shocked residents of Cait Shelter. He then whispered, "I'm going to be focusing a lot more on my chakra too. My skills with magic have finally about evened out. Time to push both of them to the limits. I would suggest you two do the same."
"Is that what the balls are for?" Gaara glanced at the training clones.
"Yeah, Kurama told me to pick those up last time we were in a town," Naruto nodded, "He said that he had one ninjustu that he remembered from watching through my birth mother's eyes. Or at least, one that he could teach me. Apparently, it's based of the Bijū Dama."
"Really?!" Fu's eyes lit up, "What is it?"
"The Rasengan."
Strange eyes peered across the throne room. His servants and soldiers watched him intently as he stood from his throne. The man dressed in bright robes began to move across the throne room.
"I know that you are all concerned with what I have been sensing," The man spoke to the people before him, "But do not fret, there is no immediate threat at hand, but I do believe that someone from the other place…Earthland, have been watching us."
"Who, Kami-sama?" One of his servants questioned.
"I do not know for certain," Kami noted, "But I can feel a slight intent to kill. They are planning something, and we must prepare. It is time that we re-open the gate between the worlds once more, and watch to see what the Earthland mages are planning."
"But, Kami-sama," His most loyal servant stood from her kneeling position, "The gate has been closed for almost a year. We no longer need to rely on that world. You have provided us with all the energy we could possibly need. Shouldn't we keep the world closed to stop them from getting to us?"
"That's assuming that they don't have a way to get here themselves, Erza-chan," Kami addressed the crimson haired knight, "After all, there should be no way that they could watch me, yet I felt their eyes watching me many times. That means they're using a power that is not linked to the Anima."
"Then we must make haste!" Surgarboy shouted out, "Those fiends must be planning to take our power source! We have to destroy them before they attack us!"
He was met with cheers of agreement. All the cheers stopped, though, when Kami raised his hand, "No, violence is the last resort. For all we know, this is the work of a small group of villains. Starting a possible war between worlds is foolish if it can be avoided. First, we must watch and listen to see who has been observing us. Then, we can decide what to do."
"And what if they are planning to attack?" The voice of Hughes sounded out.
Kami closed his strange, powerful eyes and sighed. His ringed, metallic eyes then opened. Powerful chakra began to roll off him in waves, "I have already lost my home world to war and greed. I will not lose another. If people from that world plan to come here and ruin everything we have worked so hard to make, then we have no choice. I will eliminate them all with the power I have brought with me. I will destroy them all with a single, massive Shinra Tensei."
"Stay back," The cloaked figure raised his hand as a sign to not move any further.
"But Master…" One of his mages mumbled as he looked at the massive jungle before them. Black plants danced and moved around as if they had sentience. Flowers, ferns, and trees of hundreds of different species formed what seemed an impassible wall of foliage. Despite all the different types of plants, none of them had any color tint to them. They were all darker than starless night sky, "The rumors about this place…People get hurt trying to go in there."
"Do you doubt my power?"
"N-no, of course not! But…"
"Then you know that I'll be fine. Stay here, I'll be back soon," The cloaked figure walked forward. The plants seemed to tense as if they were expecting an attack. This did not happen, though. Instead, the man gently raised his arm and knocked on the nearest tree, "Excuse me, will you please let me in? I only wish to speak with you."
The foliage froze. Each leave was pointed at the cloaked figure. They watched him…judged him. He could feel it. His power, confidence, and maybe even his soul was being examined. After a few seconds, the plants parted and created a path for the man to follow.
Without a word, the man quickly entered the forest despite the shouts of warning from his subordinates. As soon as he entered the wooded area, the path behind closed off. He knew he was alone, but that was fine. It would work better that way. Not deterred in the slightest, the man created a quick pace down the patch created for him.
Each step was met with movement of the plants. The path behind him opened more while the path behind him closed. The leaves continued to point at him. His every move and intent was monitored. If he tried anything unusual, the plants would attack. That was good. It meant that the user of this magic was not a fool.
After a few minutes of trekking through the forest, the man reached a small clearing at the center of the massive jungle. A single teenage boy was there. Incredibly long, messy blonde hair fell from his head. It almost completely covered his face and his back. That was the only covering he had on his torso. The only clothing the young man had were torn brown pants and bandaged covering his arms and legs.
"Thank you for seeing me," The cloaked figure spoke.
The teen raised his head a little. Cold blue eyes could be seen through the curtain of hair over his face. His voice came out quite and raw, as if he had not spoken for quite a long time, "No one has ever knocked before…"
"Then they were fools," The cloaked man looked around at the trees and flowers around him, "You made an impenetrable fortress around yourself. Only something with unbelievable power could force its way in."
"That was the plan. I…don't like people," The blonde teen noted.
"More like they don't like you," The cloaked figure mentioned.
The blonde's head fell once more.
"I know of you, child," The cloaked man reached up to remove his hood, "You are a Dollotron. A puppet given life. Real life. Such a thing can only be accomplished by forbidden magic. Life Make magic to be exact."
Without raising his head, the blonde glance up at his guest. A few amount of wrinkles blotched the man's face. Dark hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Pointed ears, sharp eyes, and a thin mustache running around his mouth made the man look somewhat wicked.
"Yes…" The blonde nodded slowly, "I am the abomination you claim me to be. I was crafted by a type of magic designed to defy the commands of the goddess Nikkal. I have been marked and punished for my sin of existing. Tell me, are you here to finally end it? Are you here to finally kill me?"
"Kill you? Now why would I want to do that?! Look at what you did!" The man gestured around with glee apparent on his face, "You have done magic that has long since been lost. Your power is amazing! I'm stunned, really. When I heard the rumors about a Dollotron with unbelievable power, I thought people were lying, but now…Now I know. So, I came to ask you to join my guild."
"Join your guild?"
"Yes! My name is Jose Porla, master of Phantom Lord!" Jose smiled down at the teen, "Join me, and help make Phantom Lord the strongest guild in Fiore…NO! The world!"
"You wish to be the strongest? Why?"
"Because there are people I want to beat! Fairy Tail! Everyone always goes on and on about how damn great they are! Well screw them! I have a better guild than Makarov! He says it isn't a competition, but then he goes on and on about how amazing his 'children' are!" Jose looked close to be foaming from the mouth.
Slowly, the blonde teen raised his head, "People you want to beat…Bragging about children…Yes, I understand how you feel. There is someone I wish to defeat."
"Really?"
"Yes," The blonde rose to his feet and leisurely walked towards the opposite end of the clearing. The foliage parted to show a large tree. Several newspaper clippings and magazine articles hung from the tree, "I hate him. He has everything I ever wanted…everything that should be mine. And he got it all while I suffered."
The blonde moved his hair away from his back to reveal his markings. Black veins reached out from his spine. At the center of his back was a glowing white Kanji that read 'Fake.' All around the glowing mark were deep scars that all seemed to be shaped in the form of words.
"Monster…Freak…Forsaken…" Jose frowned, "Who did that to you?"
"The people that were supposed to deal with me. They were meant to kill me, but I am not classified as human…or even a real living being. I was kept around as their punching bag," Tear silently began to fall from the blonde teen's face, "I had given up hope, but then a book appeared in front of me. The goddess that cursed me decided to have mercy upon me. She gave me the power to kill them and escape."
"And then you came here to live in solitude," Jose finished.
"Yes…but not completely," The Dollotron glared at the papers that hung from the tree, "I have used my plants to watch what was happening. To learn my true origin. The more I learned, the more I grew to hate him. The man that took what should have been mine. Naruto Uzumaki."
"The Unstoppable Sword?" Jose smirked.
"Yes, but I know that he's strong," The Dollotron raised his arms to show his bandaged limbs. His feet were in the same shape. It was then that Jose notice how tired and weak the boy appeared, "I train every day until my bones crack. Until I sweat blood. Until I can no longer stand, but it's not enough. Even with all the talent I have with my magic, I don't have anyone to help me hone my skill."
"I can do that," Jose smiled and placed a hand on his chest, "I am a Wizard Saint. I have forgotten more about magic than most people know about it. Join me. I'll make you the strongest mage in the world. Far stronger than that independent mage, and when the time comes, we'll crush him and Fairy Tail."
Slowly, the Dollotron nodded, "Alright. You make a good argument…Master. I'll join you if you make me stronger."
"Then, it's a deal!" Jose stuck out his hand, "Tell me, what's your name?"
"My name?" The blonde gave the older man a cold smile before shaking his hand, "Yes…my name. It's something I only really learned recently. It was what my creator…my mother wanted to name, or at least the child she wanted to have before her husband died and I was replaced by that bastard Uzumaki. You may call me Arashi Kazen, God Slayer of Life."
Naruto bowed before Roubaul, "Arigato, Master Roubaul. If you are ever in need of help, just send a message, and we'll come running."
"Oh, I doubt that will happen, but thank you anyway, young man," Roubaul nodded at the blonde jinchūriki, "But are you sure that you're ready to leave? Perhaps you should stay and rest a bit longer?"
"No thank you," Naruto shook his head, "We're going to do some harsh training. I'm already healed, and if I were to stay any longer, we'd have to build a training field. We tend to get destructive when we train."
"Yeah!" Fu cheered, "Let's break some shit!"
She then ran towards a tree and drop kicked it. The result was the plant cracking and coming crashing down towards the guild hall. Before it could hit the building, Gaara's sand grabbed the tree and gently placed it away from the guild hall.
"Damn it," Gaara placed his face in his hand, "This is going to be a long training session."
"I see your point," Roubaul admitted, "Well, feel free to stop by any time. We don't get many visitors around it, and you have been a wave of fresh air for all of us…quite literally in fact. Those were some strong winds you made earlier."
"We'll keep that in mind. Goodbye, Master Roubaul."
"Farewell, Naruto, Gaara, and Fu. May you stay safe on your travels."
With some quick waves, the three jinchūriki turned and began to walk away. Their destination was clear. They would head to Trafalgar and set up a training field. That would give them the isolation and space they would need—
"Please wait!"
The three jinchūriki stopped their trek. They turned to see Wendy running up to them. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She appeared to be standing on shaky and nervous legs. Naruto actually thought she might faint.
"Y-you said t-that you owed us a debt, r-right?" Wendy stuttered out.
"Yes," Naruto nodded, "Is there something you need."
"W-well, need is a strong word…" Wendy pressed her index fingers together, "I don't need it, but I could use it. I mean, it would be useful. If you would help me of course. You're not obliged to do anything after all. But…but I just had to ask."
"What is it?"
Wendy took a deep breath. Different emotions danced across her face in the span of a few seconds. She looked about ready to back out when she suddenly blurted out, "Please train me!"
Everyone's eyes widened. The three jinchūriki shared looks. In outrage, Carla rushed up to her friend and glared up at the human, "Wendy, what are you doing?"
"Carla, he's a sky magic user. A slayer at that!" Wendy looked excited, "Do you know how rare that is? This is my chance to be stronger. He could teach me to be a real Slayer of the Sky."
"But we hardly know these people," Carla glared at Naruto like he was a disgusting spot on the wall, "And that idiot already almost got himself killed."
"He survived, though," Wendy argued, "He fought someone that was obviously monstrously strong and still lived to tell that tale. I know that we haven't known him long, but…When I saw what he could do, I knew that he could make stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone…strong enough to maybe even find Grandeeney…"
Carla looked away uncomfortably. She knew just how strongly Wendy felt about the Sky Dragon. It would be impossible to dissuade her now.
"Look, Wendy was it?" Naruto addressed the younger girl, "I don't think that I'm the best person to teach you. I'm not what you would call…"
"Compassionate?" Gaara suggested.
"Humane?" Fu added her own thought.
"Sane?"
"Capable of holding back?"
"Able to have a normal conversation?"
"Aware of common decency?"
"Alright, we get it," Naruto shook he head, "I'm just not the right person to teach you. My teaching methods would be too extreme for you."
"I…I could handle it," Wendy argued.
"Could you?" Naruto questioned, "You have been raised to use Sky magic, right? That means I won't have to teach about the basics of that. Instead, I have to teach you how to fight. How spread your wings and find your own style with magic. How to never give up."
"That's exactly what I want!" Wendy nodded her head.
"Oh really," Naruto knelt down to Wendy's level, "Because I would train you the same way I was trained at a young age. I will break you then build you back up. Every day, you will train until you can't train anymore. You will cry. You will bleed. You will curse my very existence. I guarantee every morning you will contemplate giving up. You'll wonder what's the point of suffering through what I put you through. At some points, you might even try to kill me because I will never allow you to quit."
Wendy trembled. Her eyes were wide in fear, "I…I…"
"And worse of all, you would lose that goodness that just rolls off of you," Naruto reached up and raised his headband. His blood crimson, demonic eyes stared into her own wide, innocent eyes. Wendy instantly stepped back in terror, "I am not a good person, Wendy. That was beaten out of me long ago. When I'm done with you, you'll view the whole world in a different view. You'll see every stranger as a threat. Things that were once bright and colorful will become dull and bleak. Naïve and weak people will cause you to scoff as you step over their bleeding, broken bodies."
Wendy was now crying. She fell to her knees and began to sob into her arms. Naruto watched as she collapsed in on herself. Carla quickly came to her aid. She hugged her sobbing friend and spat at the blonde, "You're a monster! Leave! We never want to see you again!"
"I figured as much," Naruto stood and lowered his headband. Turning to his friends, he began to walk away again, "Let's go."
Roubaul watched as all this happened. He wasn't angry at Naruto. The boy just told the truth. Roubaul could tell that the boy had only know brutality in his lifetime. That was something that would be pushed onto the student, "This is for the best. Wendy could never—"
"W-would I…become strong, though?" Wendy's words came out as a tiny whisper, but everyone heard them.
"Wendy?!" Carla gave the Dragon Slayer a look of alarm, "What are you doing?"
Naruto stopped walking once again. This time, he didn't turn, "Yes. You would be the strongest of your generation. I would teach you everything I know. Every tactic. Every technique. Every bit of fighting skill. Fully grown men would tremble before you. Weakling would avoid you at all cost. Your enemies would look at you and only see a dragon."
"T-then teach me!" Wendy forced herself to stop crying and look up at the blonde.
Naruto once again raised his headband. His monstrous eyes turned and stared into her soul once again, "If you really mean that, then stand up."
With shaky hands, Wendy slowly worked her way up. Inch by inch, she rose. When she finally made it to her feet, Roubaul thought that she looked far taller than he had ever seen her, "Please…make me strong."
Naruto smiled. He walked to her and gently placed a hand on her head, "Well done. You just learned your fist lesson. To experience heaven, you first must go through hell. You are one of the most promising mages I have ever seen. I'll take that potential and make it into reality."
"Really?!"
"Just call me Naruto-sensei," Naruto ruffled her hair. The process made him think back to a time when his Kaa-san would ruffle his hair with pride.
"Alright!"
Naruto looked back to Gaara and Fu. He once again lowered his head band, "Alright guys, I guess we're staying here for a while."
Both Gaara and Fu nodded.
Naruto turned to Roubaul, "We'll need to clear out a section of forest. Not too far from the guild hall, but far enough away so that we don't destroy every—OOF!"
Naruto tripped over a rock and fell right on his face.
"Naruto-sensei!" Wendy cried out in horror at seeing her new teacher trip, "Are you okay—OOF!"
Wendy also tripped over a rock and fell right on her face.
"Wendy!" Carla quickly ran over to her fallen friend.
Fu looked to Gaara, "You know what? Those two are more alike than at first glance."
Gaara nodded as he watched Naruto get up, apologize, and blame everyone else for his tripping. Wendy quickly copied him, "Yep. They're perfect for each other."
"Spriggan-sama," An aging man with dark rings under his eyes walked out into the courtyard of the large castle. His neck was unusually long, and he appeared to be using a large wooden cane to move around. Like his lord always commanded him, the balding man stopped several steps away from the emperor in order to avoid being caught in a wave of his power. The fluctuations tended to come and go, though. Right now, his black haired master seemed to be in a calmer more controlled state than usual, "I have the information you requested."
"Thank you, Yajeel," Spriggan didn't look towards his minister. Instead, he looked through one of the pillars of the courtyard and towards the horizon, "What did you find out?"
"It took our spies a while, Spriggan-sama, but we believe we found the people you were talking about," Yajeel bowed his head before the emperor, "Nine people that all appeared after you felt that huge surge in energy."
"And these people…what are they like?"
"Most of them seem content with their lives. Some of them do work with dark guilds, but they really don't do anything themselves. They seem happy just to go about life normally, as if it is all new to them," Yajeel noted.
"Then they are better adjusted than I thought they would be," Spriggan smiled, "I always felt bad for them. The sacrifices had to contain Kaguya's divided power and were shunned for it. At least, that's what happened before we shut the gate to the Elemental Nations for good."
"Hmm…Yes, you told me about that once," Yajeel scratched his head in thought, "But it went way over my head. Alternate dimensions. Magic and chakra. Difference in time. Stuff like that isn't my forte, Spriggan-sama."
"Indeed…" Spriggan chuckled lightly, then spoke lightly to himself, "More time has passed there than here. I wonder if that world even remembers Kaguya and myself anymore."
Realizing that he had pretty much been dismissed, Yajeel spoke up before the emperor drifted off in thought, "Umm…Spriggan-sama, my report wasn't finished."
"Oh? I thought you said that they were all well-adjusted?"
"They are for the most part. They aren't acting crazed and psychotic like you said they might," Yajeel mentioned, "But one of them…Well, my Lord, he has a quality that you might be interested in."
"And that is?"
"He's a God Slayer, Spriggan-sama."
The emperor's eyes widened. He glanced over his shoulder at his minister, "God Slayer? Of which element?"
"The Sky. He's actually quite well-known in Fiore. His name is Naruto Uzumaki. They call him the Unstoppable Sword, though."
"I see. Thank you for telling me this, Yajeel. You're dismissed."
Yajeel bowed and then left the courtyard. Now alone, the emperor looked off into the distance once more. His dark robes and midnight hair swung gently in the wind. Dark eyes looked across the horizon, towards the direction of Fiore, the place the jinchūriki were...no, the place that held a person that was both a jinchūriki and a God Slayer.
"Interesting…" The man known as Zeref in another country smiled gently, "Perhaps I should go see this Naruto Uzumaki."
This world was hell. War had always been a terrible problem, but now it was the only possible way of life. So many people were already dead, and the survivors just kept fighting. There was no questioning it. The only options were to fight for the hope of living one more day or give up, get killed, and accept the pleasant arms of death.
More and more people, it seemed like, were accepting the latter option lately.
This was the apocalypse, the final days of this world. Soon, there would be nothing left but rotting corpses and the decaying remains of their civilization. Without a doubt, the world needed a savior. It needed something that could at least give them a passing hope of peace.
That was the purpose of Akatsuki.
At least, that was the purpose now. None of them had signed up to be humanity's saviors. They were selfish, terrible people who committed atrocious crimes, after all. Itachi could not look at anyone in his group and say that he would ever consider them heroes. They would readily admit it too. Yet they were also people who knew they had to do something…anything. Because if they didn't, then the world they had to live on would die.
Itachi's red Sharingan eyes lazily began to spin as he looked at the dark figures across the cave. None of them were really there. They were just chakra projections used to meet when face-to-face interaction was impossible. Nevertheless, he recognized each and every one of them. He might not like a lot of them, but he sure as hell respected them now. After all, they had all managed to spit in death's face more than once, pull of a mission, and drag Akatsuki's hopes behind them.
The Uchiha remembered when he was first recruited. He hated all of them, even his own partner. They probably hated his stoic ass themselves. Now, though, the hate had faded into a required tolerance. The people in this room were necessary for the world, and thus their own, survival. That was all they really cared about, after all. Most of them really didn't care about peace. Peace was boring, unprofitable, unartistic, and against their very nature and beliefs. But if they didn't bring some form of piece, they would die; and despite being crazy bastards, all of them wanted to live.
Except Itachi. He was tired of fighting. Tired of the war…the illness…of giving everything he ever had and not getting anything out of it. The Uchiha thought that he could make a difference by making himself a martyr, but he was wrong. Once the jinchūriki disappeared, everything his sacrifices meant nothing.
That was the real reason why he fought on, why he didn't just let go like so many others had done. Itachi only had one thing left. There was one thing he had to know…
"I thank you all for being patient," Pain spoke out all the members, "I know the search has been a long and harsh one."
"It has, Pain-sama," Kakuzu's irate tone answered, "So much time has been spent and burned away. Time is money, after all."
"Oi! There are more important things than money, yeah? My art is being wasted and unappreciated. Trying to stop deaths with dull explosions…That is not art! Art is a bang, hm!" Deidara snapped out. He was perhaps the only person in their organization that rivaled Kakuzu's impatience in the matter.
"I actually agree with goddamn blowhard," Hidan mentioned, "Jashin-sama will not accept my disobedience for much longer. He demands sacrifices!"
"Fools, the both of you. We are trying to preserve this world. Make it last as long as possible. That is true art. Art must last forever," Sasori droned out.
"Suck it, old man! Your antique style of art pisses me off, yeah!"
"Enough," Konan, the only woman in Akatsuki, glared at them. She rarely spoke up, but they knew not to mess with the woman. She was incredibly dangerous in her own right, "Pain-sama was speaking."
"No, Konan. They are right to be impatient. It had been years, and we have found no clues about what happened to the jinchūriki. I have become frustrated myself," Pain admitted.
"But you have called us here urgently about something," A voice beside Itachi grunted out. Kisame. Perhaps the only person left that Itachi genuinely liked and trusted at least a little bit, "That means you must have found something."
"Indeed! You won't believe it. But there is some form of trail that was present the day the jinchūriki left," Zetsu's two voices sounded out.
Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Really? But I thought some of the best minds in the world tried to find out what happened. They said that the jinchūriki just seemed to disappear into thin air."
"All of them but the Kyūbi you mean," Pain spoke up again, "He ran away from Konoha before disappearing. They tried to find him but his scent disappeared in an abandoned building. Every other jinchūriki was accounted for that day but him. So, we searched everywhere close to that building. We found nothing. No chakra. No seals. No tricks. Like the others, he disappeared into thin air."
"Or so it seems. After all, we have someone here that can disappear into thin air as well," Zetsu spoke again.
All eyes drifted towards Tobi. The masked man used to act eccentric and ignorant, but he had revealed that it was a façade long ago, "Indeed…I think I may have found something. I searched that area many times over the years. I used every skill I possessed, but I couldn't find anything relating to space-time ninjutsu. Last time, though, I got lucky. Just as I was about to leave, I saw the tiniest of scars left by some kind of dimensional tear. Something that wasn't at the other jinchuriki's last known locations. I tried to force it open, but I couldn't. At least not all the way. I could only get the smallest of openings. Something strong seems to be fighting me from opening it."
"Did you see anything through it?"
"I did. Tell me, my comrades. What if I told you that magic really does exist?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. Yes, this was it. Finally, his goal would be complete. He didn't care about bringing the jinchūriki back. He didn't care about threatening the world with a weapon or genjustu in order to stop the fighting. Hell, he didn't even care about peace anymore.
All he wanted now was an answer. Why? Why had all this happened? Why did the jinchūriki have to leave and throw the world in chaos? Why must they all suffer?
There had to be a reason. It couldn't just be random. Some purpose had to come from all this. Someone must have brought about the end of the world, and before he died, Itachi was determined to find out who he was and why he did it…
...And if possible…He would kill the son of a bitch that was responsible for all of this.
Words of blood painted on the wall
Their meanings stand long and tall
Suffering and destruction on the horizon
Caused by a selfish path chosen
Nine lives made better
At the cost of three worlds forever
With all hope dead, fate now shows
The wrath of future foes
Important Notice: Due to personal issues, I'm putting all of my stories on hiatus. I hope to get my problems resolved by the beginning of 2016 and start updating again.
Sincerely, The Struggling Warrior
Thank you all for reading and please remember to...
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