White Wing arrival
The Ala Alba departed the ship, tired, upset and feeling a bit empty. Nodoka had to be supported by Haruna and Yue while Setsuna comforted Konoka, and Ayaka and Asuna were dumbfounded as the person they admired most was gone. Ako, Natsumi and Akira were lost in their thoughts. Chisame was grumbling about stupid noble brats. Kazumi and Chacharmaru walked down in silence. Finally Sakura looked back.
Naruto sat there looking blankly at Excalibur the very sword that protected him and his friend and now...he felt like he failed it by letting one of them die "Naruto?" Sakura said softly placing a hand on his shoulder making him look up with sorrow glazed eyes "Please tell me that I didn't do this" Naruto said unsure of his own voice "No you didn't Negi did it himself. He sacrificed himself to save the rest of us." Sakura said also unsure about her delicate voice. Soon the two departed the ship "I should be the one to tell them about what happened" Naruto said.
Soon a group of White Dragon knights escorted the group to the palace of Queen Arika. The group look miserable to Hector the leader "I take it something bad happened?" Hector asked as the group stopped. "Ne-Negi died" Asuna said covering her eyes to make sure the knight couldn't see the crystal tears storming down her cheeks. "I see" Hector said "This way" he continued. Once they reached the throne room Arika and Nagi looked happy, joining them was Merlin, Morgana and Nimueh. "It is good to see you all again" Nagi said "Where is Negi?" Arika asked. "Your Highness I suggest you sit down" Naruto said "What is it brave sir knight?" Arika asked "Negi's life was traded for our lives in an attack" Naruto said once again unsure of his now raspy voice. "My son is dead?" Arika asked as Nagi pulled her into a hug before she cried hard "NEGI!" She cried over and over as Nagi soothed her "It's alright love, it's alright" Naruto walked off with his head down. "I suggest we give him some time" Setsuna said noticing his twin sister was about to go after him.
Naruto found a room in the keep to be alone in and stood in the circle of light that was being casted by the sun. He looked at Excalibur "Maybe if I didn't have this sword things would be different" Naruto said throwing it on the ground and listened to it scrapping along the stone floor. "A sad thing when something this beautiful gets discarded like yesterday's trash" A deep voice said "Jiraiya?" Naruto asked looking at his sensei picking up Excalibur "You'll be wanting this back because the same thing happened to your father" Jiraiya said "What do you mean?" Naruto asked "Your father thought that a princess he promised to protect died" Jiraiya said "It turned out she was okay and the last I heard of her she formed a pactio with Negi last time he was here" Jiraiya continue only to look at the sad Naruto in front of him.
Naruto let the words sink in...his own father Minato had doubts about being a guardian knight. Naruto looked over to see Jiraiya moving his head side to side as almost he was looking for something "What are you doing?" Naruto asked "I'm looking for my godson, because I'm only seeing a boy who looks like him upset about something he had no control over and will probably do nothing about it" Jiraiya said smugly. "What do you mean do nothing about it you perverted sage! I intend to hunt Fate down and bring him to justice" Naruto said a little angry "You bring him to justice? Right now you couldn't even bring a gift wrapped criminal in a jail cell to justice" Jiraiya taunted "Jiraiya-sama that is enough" Setsuna said entering "So because I'm grieving for a friend means that I can't do anything huh? You think that it makes me weaker? THINK AGAIN You pervy toad sage of a man" Naruto said making Jiraiya smile "Welcome back Naruto" Jiraiya smiled handing him Excalibur "Thank you" Naruto said placing Excalibur in its scabbard "Now I think a certain young woman wants your company" Jiraiya said leaving winking at him "Get out of here you perv" Naruto laughed.
Setsuna smiled as she entered the sunlight circle on the floor "I'm sorry I shouldn't have gone that deep into guilt and sorrow" Naruto said placing his hand on his beloved's cheek before softly caressing it with his thumb "Naruto I understand I would be to if I was in your position" Setsuna said placing her hand on Naruto's. Soon Naruto placed a hand on Setsuna's hip and took her hand in his other hand "Naruto?" she asked as Naruto moved the hand that was not being held onto his shoulder before returning to his stance. Setsuna smiled knowing what to do. Soon the couple were performing a slow dance in the keep.
Soon a small group saw the couple dancing. "They look perfect together" Asuna whispered next to her parents "I agree" Jiraiya said as Kushina looked on in awe "Kaa-san?" Haruka asked "Yes dear?" she replied "Are you okay?" "Of course dear" Kushina answered. "I remember doing that with Minato at my side" Kushina said "I did the same with Tsunade" "Arika and my first dance was in this very keep with fireworks in the background" Nagi said. "Hm that was a special night wasn't it?" Arika asked observing the couple dance. "She seems like a princess" Konoka said with tears of joy clouding her vision of her friends dancing. Naruto and Setsuna kept dancing and smiling to each other without noticing the others observing them. It seemed the dancing couple was making all of the despair from Negi's death fade into the background. As soon as they stopped clapping was heard.
To say the two young teens were shocked was an understatement "That was wonderful" Kushina said "Kaa-san?" Naruto asked looking mighty embarrassed "Yes I agree you two looked wonderful together" Arika said smiling. "Yes I agree" Konoka said "Negi would approve of you two" Asuna said. "I think so too" Naruto said before remembering something "Wait here" Naruto said bolting out of the keep "Where he's going?" Jiraiya asked.
"AYAKA!" Naruto shouted "I'm in here" Ayaka said from a bed chamber "Come on we need to go to the keep" Naruto said opening the door to reveal Ayaka removing her clothes "SORRY!" Naruto said shutting quickly "huh, so what's up?" Ayaka said pulling on a purple tank top with a ribbon going up the centre "Mum's here" Naruto said "Okay I'll be there soon, I just need to change skirts" she said picking up a long flowing purple skirt with pink embroidery along the hem of the skirt. "Okay let's do this" Ayaka said smiling.
In the keep Naruto and Ayaka walked in making Kushina gasped "Ayaka?" she asked "Hey mum" Ayaka said as tears slid down their faces "Oh my beautiful Ayaka" Kushina cried holding her daughter "I thought I wouldn't see you again after Danzo tried to attack me" "Wait, Danzo?" Sakura asked "Yes that one eyed lowlife tried to kill Kushina and Ayaka luckily Han Haruno and Takehito Yukihiro arrived in the nick of time. Then afterwards Ayaka was taken by Takehiro to Earth to live to protect you two" Jiraiya said "Danzo" Naruto growled darkly "Naruto ease up" Sakura said "I'm going to make him pay!" Naruto said "No you won't because if you go after Danzo it will start a civil war!" Jiraiya barked "Or it could do nothing and the village will thank me!" Naruto said "Calm down, I'm sure whatever Danzo will do the daimyo and Tsunade will stop him after all, the stunt he pulled as Hokage minor almost embarrassed us" Sakura said "I agree" Jiraiya said. "Very well then we shall no longer think about the old decrypted fool" Kushina said. "What we need to do now is get Naruto prepared for Fate" Sakura said "I agree we need you to harness light dark and wood elements" Morgana said "Alright since there is a forest nearby I suggest we try and harness the wood element" Nagi said.
Out in the forest Naruto stood in the middle "JUTSICE TECHNIQUE: FOREST BLADE!" Naruto shouted as his blade became wooden "Okay now what?" Naruto asked looking at the wood blade. "Here, I come Naruto!" Sakura said running at him. The wooden blade disappeared "Huh, what happened?" Naruto asked as all of a sudden blades of wood exploded out of the tree trunks "WHOA!" Sakura cried dodging the blades. "Oh that happened" Naruto said "Never expected that" Setsuna said looking at the trees. "So the attack is charged in Excalibur's blade and then channelled to nearby trees" Ayaka said. "Very good Naruto" Merlin said walking out into the forest "Soon you will have mastered them all" Morgana said smiling. "Soon Negi will be avenged" Naruto said. "But first some friends need to be found" Merlin said "Where?" Naruto asked "Not far, maybe a couple of hours" Merlin smiled "Who's left?" Konoka asked "Makie and Yuna how could've you forgotten about them?" Asuan asked "Does Makie have pink hair?" Arika asked "How did you know?" Setsuna asked "Because I see her regularly working at a cafe in Ostia's city centre. She brews fabulous teas" the queen said "And as for Yuna I spotted at a bar not far away" Nagi said "We'll get them tomorrow" Naruto said.
That night as filled with joy and merriment, the group was nearly back together all except their teacher and friend "Today was not the best day we have had" Naruto started standing out of his chair with a mug of drink "Today we lost a good friend, a romantic partner, a family member" Naruto said "But let not this sorrow our futures so tonight we remember who could be here, hail our fallen comrade" Naruto finished and then in unison whose gathered said "Hail!" before taking a mouthful of drink "Now let's not get filled with gloomy thoughts let us have a good time" Arika announced which was met with thunderous cheer.
Nodoka was sitting at a table looking at her empty mug with tears on her cheeks "Sorrow doesn't suit you bookworm" Naruto said handing her another mug "I feel so lost" Nodoka said sniffling and wiping her tears away with her hand. "Everyone feels lost when they lose someone special to them" Naruto said "I thought that maybe it was a nightmare" Nodoka said as more tears cascaded down her cheeks "I'm sorry if I'm spoiling the mood" Nodoka said "Don't be everyone here won't mind if you grieve and by the way I heard this ale" Naruto started as Nodoka took a gulp and fell down "Will make you fall on your butt" he finished smiling looking down "I have to agree with that" Nodoka said getting a hand up.
After leaving Nodoka Naruto felt something he didn't noticed until now "What is that?" Naruto asked looking outside the window "The Black Phantom of Ostia. He comes and goes as he pleases. No one knows for sure when he got here or how long he's been here" Hector said "How do you know it's a phantom?" Naruto asked "Because every time we shot something at him, the projectile went through him" Hector said serious. "Would you excuse me Sir Hector?" Naruto said "Sure" Hector replied taking a swig of his ale.
"The Black Phantom?" Sakura asked absorbing the information given to her by Naruto "And get this anything goes right through him, sound like anybody we know?" Naruto "Madara" Sakura answered "Exactly" Naruto said "But if Madara's here why hasn't he come for you and the Kyuubi?" Sakura asked "I don't know nor do I know if he's working for Fate, or if Fate's working for him" Naruto said.