Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail
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By Any Means: Heart of Shadows
Chapter 1: The Storm on the Horizon
Opening: Heart of Sword by T.M. Revolution
0o0o0 Random Bar in Onibus 0o0o0
A tall figure was slumped in a chair, legs planted on a tabletop, his unfocused gaze piercing the ceiling as he listened to his three underlings' report.
"-completed with no injuries. All targets were taken care of," the green haired man who was speaking gave a bow as he finished.
Silence descended upon the emptied bar, the three standing figures staring at their leader. After a few minutes of the silence, the seated figure sighed. "...I'm bored," he drawled out, before lowering his gaze and glaring at his subordinates, eyes flashing like lightning. "I think it's high time we show those weaklings what real strength is."
The only female of the group stepped forward, her hands clapping together lightly. "What a wonderful idea, Lord Laxus," she fawned, eyes fluttering behind her glasses. She immediately stepped back with a glare though, as the purple cat sitting on the table near Laxus started hissing at her.
The third figure started laughing at his comrade's plight, before small wooden totems started flying around him in random patterns. "I can't wait to let loose with my babies," he chuckled, his tongue extending and revealing a Fairy Tail guild emblem.
Laxus merely gazed at his followers, known as the Raijinshu to others, before abruptly standing up. Briefly looking at the purple cat, who was looking back at him, the tall blond started cracking his knuckles. "We've got some planning to do…" he sneered, before stalking out of the wrecked bar, ignoring the bodies that littered the place.
0o0o0 2 Months Later 0o0o0
Naruto crossed his arms, blocking the kick Kakashi sent at him, before grabbing said limb and trying to flip the older man. Kakashi was prepared though, and swung his other leg up in a kick toward the blond's face. Quickly releasing him, Naruto jumped back, taking the moment it took Kakashi to straighten his position to analyze their spar so far.
"Neither of us are going all out, but still… the fact that he's keeping up with me without any effort is annoying." Naruto frowned. "I knew he was strong, but just how strong?" he wondered, internally cursing at the fact that he couldn't recruit Kakashi. While the man could be insufferable, his knowledge and skills were still very desirable.
Kakashi, noticing the blond's attention wavering, quickly disappeared into the ground with the Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu. Travelling through the earth, he quickly popped up behind Naruto, landing a punch to his left kidney, before sweeping his legs and dropping an elbow into his face. The older man didn't relax though, immediately turning around and keeping his senses extended as the Naruto behind him poofed out of existence in a cloud of smoke.
Seeing no movement, Kakashi slowly turned in place, before he spoke up, trying to draw the blond out. "I know I was the one to suggest these spars, but is this really all you can offer? Anko puts up more a fight than you."
"Hey! Anko is a very scary lady, and besides, she's been at this for longer than I've been alive! Of course she can put up a better fight than me," Naruto's voice rang out from several different directions, the trees helping him throw his voice and stay hidden. "She's also your wife, and knows all your weak points… In fact…" Kakashi felt a shiver run down his spine as Naruto's voice became contemplative. "Maybe I should ask her what your face looks like. Maybe even get her to take a picture. I'm pretty sure some people would pay big bucks for that kind of thing."
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
A massive fireball engulfed part of the forest, detonating and setting several other trees around the clearing on fire. Kakashi's eyes were smiling, but a small vein was pulsing in his forehead. He couldn't let the blond leave the clearing alive. Anko would help him, no questions asked. This spar was now a matter of life and death.
"Sage dammit, can't you take a joke?!" The blond yelled, only to dive out of the way of another fireball. "Oh, it's on!" Naruto yelled charging forward, Kakashi racing to meet him.
0o0o0 Inside the Guild 0o0o0
The mini-earthquakes had become something of a normal occurrence by now. Various mages merely kept a hand on their drinks and rode it out, knowing they'd eventually stop. There was one group, though, that was talking about the earthquakes rather than ignoring them.
"100 jewels says blondie threatened Kakashi's books," Anko said, slapping the money down on the table she was sitting at.
Sakura snorted. "He did that one last week. I'll put 100 jewels on him threatening to take a picture of Kakashi without his mask."
Erza nodded, before pausing and lying her own 100 jewels on the table. "I think he threatened to get Anko on his case for something."
Lucy just looked around incredulously. "Are we seriously betting on what exactly Naruto did to piss off Kakashi in their regular spar?"
Mira arrived at that moment, several drinks on a tray. "Of course," she answered the blonde, placing the drinks down. "After all, they won't let any of us watch, so we have to do something in the meantime." Here Mirajane smiled beatifically. "And besides, all girls love gossip."
She was answered by serious nods from everyone else at the table as Lucy dropped her head into her hands. "Why is everyone I know so weird…" she mumbled.
Anko slung her arm around the younger girl's shoulders and tried to cheer her up. "Ah, don't worry blondie! You're pretty weird yourself."
"I don't want to hear that from the weirdest one of all!" she shot back, eyes tearing up.
"LUCY!" A loud, obnoxious voice yelled out as the doors to the guild were thrown open. Before they even hit the walls, a pink missile flew toward the table the girls were seated at. Sakura sighed, before standing and lifting her fist. Just before the blur could make contact with the table, she swung down, deflecting her sibling into the ground.
"Natsu, what have I told you about being a nuisance to others?" the older girl said staring down at her adopted brother who was clutching his head.
"...Don't?" he guessed, looking up with a pout. Immediately though, he changed focus to the blonde sitting next to his sister. "Lucy! I got a mission, let's go!" In the time it took her to blink, the young man was already up and grabbing her hand, before beginning to sprint out the guild.
"Dammit Natsu!" the blonde yelled, her body flailing along behind the pink haired mage as they quickly disappeared from the guild.
Sakura just sighed, before grabbing her mug and draining it in seconds and holding it out to Mira. "Another, please."
"Certainly," the mage turned bartender said, as she stood to go get her friend a refill, returning quickly.
"So Red, how's Whiskers doing?" Anko asked, focusing on Erza.
"He seems to be doing okay. Thankfully he and Kakashi have come to an… agreement, so that they're not constantly avoiding each other whenever they're both here at the guild. They still can't stand being around each other for more than a few minutes at a time, though."
Anko snorted. "Men, they get pissed off easy, but let 'em hit each other for a while and they'll get over it soon enough."
"They've probably given each other enough head trauma to forget why they were at odds in the first place," Sakura offered, remembering her hands on experience with her shishou.
Erza nodded along, agreeing. After all, while Natsu and Gray end up fighting, they always seem to get along afterwards. Raising her drink to her mouth, Erza tried to formulate exactly what she wanted to say next, before deciding to just come out with it. "So, I said he was doing okay, but he does seem to be heading out rather frequently. He claims that it has something to do with work, but then refuses to tell me just exactly what kind of work it is." Seeing Anko's look, she continued on. "Not that I'm pressuring him into telling me about everything he does, it's just… I worry for him…" she trailed off, quiet at the end.
This side of Erza being exposed was new for most of the girls. The redhead has always lived up to the name Titania, the Queen of the Fairies. Seeing her quietly worrying over someone else's well being was… different. "But not in a bad way," Mirajane contemplated with a light giggle. "It makes her seem more girly."
"If it's about his job," Anko began, "Kakashi has done a little digging, just to make sure Whiskers wasn't getting in over his head." Seeing the looks she was getting from Sakura and Mira, the older woman blushed. "W-what? We worry about him too!"
Coughing into her hand, the purplenette continued. "It seems like Whiskers is currently employed by a bodyguard company called Atlas. We're not sure what his position is, exactly, but he does seem to be fairly high placed."
Unknowingly, the tension in Erza's shoulders relaxed. While she had faith in her boyfriend, it didn't hurt to have confirmation. And bodyguarding was a reputable profession. Although she could see why he might not have mentioned it to her before. Guarding high value clients could be dangerous. Although, that did beg the question…
"Is Atlas a guild?"
Anko shook her head. "No, it's a bodyguard company. Seems to have been formed by one Kazama Arashi, an elemental with a small fortune and a dislike of guilds. He never felt comfortable trusting guilds, and he wanted a way to help out his people, so he set up Atlas." The woman shrugged. "All in all, he's pretty clean."
The girls were silent for a moment, before realizing that there was another visitor, this one sitting on the table. Seeing their eyes on him, the pug raised his paw. "Yo. You wanna feel how soft my paw pads are?"
"PAKKUN!"
The squeal behind him came to late; before he could try and escape, Mirajane scooped him up into her arms, rubbing her face into the bandana on his head. "Must you always do this?" the pug asked in a deadpan.
Mirajane just nodded, not relinquishing her hold.
Snickering, Anko got his attention. "Whatcha need, Puggles?"
Sighing, Pakkun deftly escaped, causing Mira to pout. "Kakashi sent me. He and the blond brat need a pickup. They're too exhausted to make their way back on their own."
"Alright, time to go pick up those idiots. Pinkie, you mind coming? They'll probably need some healing," Anko explained as she stood up.
Draining the last of her drink, Sakura stood up as well. "I suppose. Who knows what those two would do if someone didn't treat them properly. See you later, Mira, Erza."
Leaving the two mages, they begin walking out the guild, Pakkun leading the way. Just before they get out of earshot, they hear the master yelling.
"All right you lot, listen up! It's almost time for the Harvest Festival! And you know what that means!"
0o0o0 The Next Day 0o0o0
"HA! Full House… I win again," Naruto said as he slapped his cards down onto the table. The assorted mages groaned as they slumped over, their souls trying to leave their bodies. Counting his winnings, the blond didn't look up as he asked a question. "So, that makes it what… 57 wins for me, 0 for Fairy Tail?"
Lucy, who had been watching on from the side, was staring blankly. "It isn't possible…" she thought to herself. "There's no way someone has that much good luck… And look at all that money. I could pay my rent 3 times over with it…"
As Naruto's cackling echoed through the guild, Erza, Sakura, and Tenten shook their heads. The three were seated at the bar, deep in conversation. "So… has he always been this lucky?" the redhead asked.
"Supposedly," Sakura began. "I hadn't known him that long back then, but everything I've heard from Sasuke points to it. From managing to escape from his parents to painting village monuments in broad daylight, he apparently has the devil's luck." Sakura eyes clouded as she remembered someone else with the "devil's" luck. "I just wish shishou would stop stealing my wallet…" she muttered to herself.
Seeing Sakura withdraw into herself, Tenten took over. "It's really weird, I mean, his luck can affect anything. Watch." Seeing she had the redhead's attention, Tenten casually withdrew a kunai and chucked it at the blond as he was still gloating over his winnings. Erza's eyes widened as her mouth opened to shout a warning, but before she could, a mug sailed through the air and intercepted the weapon, before dumping its contents on the blond. Baffled, Erza looked to where the mug had come from, only to see Macao on the floor, having just tripped after grabbing his drink from the table next to him.
"What- I don't… How?"
Tenten just nodded. "Exactly."
The three girls sat in silence, two pondering the laws of the universe and one lamenting her guardian's gambling habits. Finally, Sakura managed to shake herself out of funk. "Anyways, how are things going with Naruto, Erza?"
"Things are going fine between us," the redhead said, raising a questioning brow.
"Oh come on, give us the details," Tenten clarified, slinging an arm around Erza's armored shoulders. "What kind of kisser is he, how many times have you done it, who's on top-"
Erza's face blushed brighter and brighter as Tenten went on, before Sakura's empty mug bounced off the brunette's head, distracting her.
"What I meant," the pinkette said, throwing Tenten an exasperated glare, "is between guild missions and Naruto's trips to check in on his 'business...' Sakura made air quotes around business, before leaning in. "...have you been able to spend time alone together?"
Calming herself, Erza met the other woman's gaze. "Yes, we've been on a couple of… dates, so far."
"And?" Tenten prompted when it looked like Erza wasn't going to say anymore.
"And what?"
"How were they?" Sakura asked, pushing the brunette to the side. "Where did you go? What did you do? That kind of stuff," the pinkette supplied.
"Oh. They were nice. We went shopping for armor and weapons, and he's taken me to that new bakery that sells the most delicious strawberry cake." Stars appeared in the redhead's eyes as she remembered how good the cake was.
"Well, what about-"
"Erza-chan, look, look!" Naruto cut in as he ran over, arms stuffed with jewels, leaving Sakura to roll her eyes as she was interrupted. "Suckers, the lot of them. So, where do you want to go to dinner? It's on me."
Erza looked at the money in her boyfriend's arms, then up at his face, then over at the despondent mages he'd thoroughly trounced. "Naruto…" she began, looking at his smiling face, "...did you just offer to take me out to dinner with money you fleeced from my fellow guild members?"
Cocking his head to the side, the blond hesitated for a moment. "...Maybe?"
Sighing, Erza smiled. "Well, maybe this will teach them not to be so loose with their money." Her expression brightened as she began to think of the delicious cake from before. "I suppose I could stand stopping by the bakery for a snack, if that's okay with you?" she asked, standing up and looking at Naruto.
The blond used one arm to salute his girlfriend before spinning around and beginning to walk. "Right, all you can eat strawberry cake it is. And then off to a ramen stand."
As the two walked away, all the various mages grumbled as they had the same thought. "They're perfect for each other."
As the couple exited, no one seemed to notice the purple cat that trailed after them.
0o0o0 Border of Fiore and Bosco 0o0o0
"Fitzgerald, do you really believe what those guys said?" pondered a man wearing extremely high quality clothes as a platoon of ~30 Boscoan soldiers marched through the mountains that separated Fiore and Bosco.
"I've got to admit, it is odd for that damn shinobi to just show up out of nowhere and claim he is still alive." Fitzgerald spat to the side at the mention of that filth. "But I hope she was telling the truth." A mad glint flickered in the man's eyes.
"The fucking Hags even held a memorial service for the bastard. Wouldn't be the first time they said we killed someone only to have them pop up later," one of the soldiers growled out, fists clenching.
The first man waved his hand dismissively, as his horse pranced ahead. "Dealing with them will be a trifling matter. Once we deal with him, real or not, they have agreed to remove the stain of the Hagoromo from our country." Glancing up, the fallen noble noted the end of the mountain range was in sight. "Fitzgerald," he called out, "where exactly were we told to go again?"
"Mage guild Fairy Tail, Magnolia Town."
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Ending: A 70CM Square Window - MasakoX cover
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Thanks to Tom, The Storm Master 567, and Flem5 for joining the discord!
Discord: discord . gg / F9DYmHg