Anti-Mage

by LoserFinn

Naruto Uzumaki, an S-Ranked Bounty Hunter, is brought to the Ten Wizard Saints to replace the vacant seat of Jellal Fernandes. However, before he is allowed the honor, he is contacted by Fairy Tail to fulfill a must-needed job at the request of Makarov Dreyar. How will Fairy Tail's demise form a unsuspecting path for the mage? What is his purpose? Starts just before Time Skip.

2. Chapter 2

Hey Everybody! Thanks for the reviews and pairings votes. Nothing is finalized as of yet, so don't worry if you feel you haven't gotten your opinion in yet.

So far, Wendy is out of the pairing. By the time Fairy Tail returns, she'll still be physically 12. That's a line that I'm not going to cross. They can have a relationship, but it won't be a romantic one. Everyone else is still fair game.

Leaders in the Review:

Erza, Mira, Ultear, and Irene have the most so far!

Lucy, Kagura and Minerva are close seconds…

Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to the time skip.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2: Fairy Tail's Fall

"What…?" Naruto uttered. His one lone sapphire orb widened in shock as he struggled to hold onto the Communication Lacrima in his hand.

It had been three days since the attack of Grimoire Heart on Tenroujima. The blonde Bounty Hunter had kept quiet about the whole ordeal at Fairy Tail on the low. It was his job to look after the hardheaded fools, and if they heard of their comrades in danger… he didn't know if he could control their radical impulses.

They went about their daily routine of drinking and lazing around with the occasional team leaving on jobs. Macao was pretty lackluster through it all, casting aside the complaints and reports until Makarov's return. To him, 'Master' was a temporary title that didn't really mean much for the amount of time he had with it.

He'd contacted the Wizard Saints discreetly, stepping away from his duties more than once to take the call. Yet, after two days and several unanswered calls, Naruto continued to receive the silent treatment.

He had small conversations with the guild members and the barmaid, Kinana, to pass the time. Gray Fullbuster assured him everything would be taken care of, but with the mysterious staging of the attack and the radio silence, it became increasingly worrying.

That was until he had gotten the call today, from God Serena himself…

The blonde closed one of the guild doors behind him, trying to wrap his head around the breaking news. "Tenroujima… was destroyed?" He asked, losing a bit of color in his tan features.

"I'm afraid so. Fairy Tail's core members, including Makarov and Gildarts, were all killed." God Serena said solemnly. Considering his usual playfulness, the Number One Saint seemed to think highly enough of the Number Five to grieve somewhat.

'All of them?!' The blonde palmed his forehead. Who could have enough power to wipe out Fiore's Number One Guild?

The orange haired man hummed, removing another Lacrima from his pocket and setting it in front of the screen. It spurred to life, displaying a recording from what looked like a Rune Knight.

"ROOAARR!" Naruto's heart dropped at the terrifying thunder of a large creature descending from the skies. The animal was mastodonic, and had an entire upper body covered in black, round scales. Which, in turn, were decorated by spiraling, blue markings. Its lower body, specifically its chin, chest, stomach, inner tail, thighs, and arms, were gray in color, and appeared to be rather smooth. The creature's eyes were white and beady, and its head was round and blunt with four, large, elongated plates extended backward.

"This Dragon eradicated the entire island in a single blast, instantly disintegrating everyone and everything in its path." The Dragon reared its head back before blasting an unknown element of unfathomable power. From the angle of the recording, it was evident that the entirety of Tenroujima was decimated in the wretched impact.

Fairy Tail was strong, but… He doubted anyone could survive that…

The energy blasted in waves, blinding the Lacrima vision for a few seconds. "We've come to identify this mythical being as Acnologia, the Dragon of Apocalypse." The Dragon, Acnologia, seemingly admired its work for a shallow minute, completely ignoring the masses of Council ships surrounding the island. Then, with a swish of its massive feathery reptilian wings, the 'Dragon of Apocalypse' disappeared above the clouds.

"Acnologia?" The blonde questioned. "I thought Dragons were extinct?"

Serena ran one of his hands down the side of his face. "We all did…" He sighed, "Acnologia, however, was a beast of Legend said to have wiped out an entire country in a single attack." The Wizard Saint added menacingly. "We'd only been able to identify it as such due to the teal markings in its scales. No other Dragon in our known History has had colors even remotely as unique." Naruto sat down in a chair within the storage room.

A Dragon capable of destroying a whole nation… It was terrifying. The fact that it's been alive for all this time, was even worse.

"We assume the large gathering of Dragonslayers and their combined magical power somehow summoned Acnologia." Serena answered with the Council's theory. It's the only plausible thing that they could come up with.

Dragons were a highly intelligent race. There was absolutely no way this, Acnologia, would have attacked out of pure animalistic instinct—Naruto assumed this was factored into the process.

"In all of Fairy Tail's battles before, none of the Dragonslayers had been using their power at the same exact time or same location. However, on Tenroujima, Fairy Tail's members' powers were heightened. This led us to believe that because the conjunction of Dragonslayer magic was so incredibly potent on the Island, that Acnologia must have been able to sense it from wherever it was it came from."

The blonde nodded his head in understanding. It made sense, a dragon despising the Dragon Slaying magic was hardly unbelievable. "And the Dragonslayers couldn't use their magic to defeat it?" He asked, unsure of the condition Fairy Tail was in when the Dragon of Apocalypse arrived.

God Serena chuckled humorlessly. "After the grueling battle with Grimoire Heart, they had nothing to spare." He held up his palm in explanation. "Even if they did, I doubt it would change anything at all."

"I see." Naruto's head lowered. "What do you want me to do then?"

If Makarov wasn't coming back, his business with Fairy Tail was over. He'd more than likely return to his previous assignments or be placed with another Guild for the Council's S-Rank jobs.

So much for 2.1 Million Jewels…

The Second Generation Dragonslayer frowned. "That question is one of the reasons why it took so long to contact you." His frown was replaced by a skillfully hidden smirk. "From now until further notice…"

"…you, Naruto Uzumaki, will become a part of the legal guild, Fairy Tail, as its newest mage!" His solemn mood was replaced by his usual dramatic one.

"What?!"

He was being forced to become a Guild mage?! And Fairy Tail of all places?! Even if he felt terrible for their circumstances, there was no way he'd do such a thing.

The blonde shook his head. "Was that a joke?" He said stoically, tilting his chin upwards in refusal.

God Serena laughed as he gazed at the teenager's suddenly unforgiving features. "It wasn't my choice, to be honest." He denied all involvement, "The other three though, were quite insistent on keeping you where you are."

"Why aren't they there to tell me this then?" He questioned skeptically. "Where are they?"

The orange haired man stuck his hands up in a placating motion. "It's not that they're trying to avoid the conversation, they just don't have time. Right now, they have to help deal with the current fallout that was caused by Fairy Tail's demise. It was my responsibility to warn you of this." His eyes shone mirthlessly at the harsh glint in Uzumaki's eyes.

Naruto scowled. "I refuse. It's an unfortunate time for Fairy Tail. I won't stay around as some sort of compromise for their Guild's loss." It wasn't his problem. Plus, he needed to get back down to business. If he couldn't get his payment, then there'd be no time to waste loitering around Magnolia.

"You don't have a choice." He held his hand up before the boy interrupted. "This is a direct order from the Council." God Serena said forcibly.

'A Direct Order…' Naruto's eyes narrowed. If he went against the council, they'd terminate his contract and leave him to his own devices. Of course, for someone like him, it wouldn't be a problem per se.

"I don't have a choice?" The sapphire eyed Uzumaki asked for clarification.

"No." The Number One Saint smiled exaggeratingly. "It's not such a bad deal when you think about it."

The Uzumaki was unimpressed. "It's a waste of time. I get absolutely nothing out of joining a guild." He could spend his time doing far greater things. Fairy Tail, or any guild for that matter, would be a waste of his talents.

God Serena laughed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh c'mon Naruto, I thought you were smarter than this…" A predatory smirk inches at the corner of his lips. "You'd really think we'd force you to join anything without some sort of incentive?" They'd always adhered to his wants in the past, it wasn't any different now. In order to gain, you had to give… It's simple cause and effect.

"Well, I'm only fourteen. I don't really have a say, to be honest." The blonde replied simply.

The orange haired man pinched his features in amusement. "Being fourteen has nothing to do with it. You're either powerful or you're not. When you accepted the rank, being a child was irrelevant." He summarized carefully.

Naruto stared into the Lacrima, mulling over what the Wizard Saints wanted with overseeing this endeavor. "What would I get out of this then?" The blonde would be lying if he said his curiosity didn't get the better of him.

"Money, of course." The Saint responded without pause.

The sapphire eyed boy crossed his arms over his chest. "In what way? Without Fairy Tail's key mages, they won't last."

"That's quite true. I'm sure you understand the situation, but I'll explain it anyway." Serena pulled out another Vision Lacrima. "Since I could remember, the Magic Council has always wanted control over Fairy Tail. They've sought to diminish the Fairies' antics and set a conduct of mandatory regulations in order to keep Makarov's goons under control." A live feed of Org and the new Council adamantly debating displayed for the blonde to see.

Serena continued, "Well, in a sick sense of justice, Org did get what he wanted. Fairy Tail's rowdiness is officially snuffed out. It seems they weren't careful about what they wished for…." Org had stood up, bringing up several reports and snapshots of Acnologia to the fellow council members. "Anyways, Fairy Tail's job revenue brings in about 23% of all profit for the Magic World. With their S-Rank and A-Rank mages' deaths, Economic downfall within the Council and Fiore's magic system is inevitable." The man said seriously, knowing of the danger the public was in.

"We've already been navigating Phantom Lord's demise since the Guild's dispersion. We saw a similar situation with them, but Fairy Tail was able to cover the slack by taking in some of their former members. In the end, there was no damage to be dealt." Business reports from Org were shown upon the Lacrima. Tremendous dips in economic standing were evident… The legal guilds were facing a recession! "Without mages like Erza Scarlet, Laxus Dreyar, Mystogan or Gildarts Clive… the price dividend needed to make up the exponential loss will steer clients away. With inflation, they'll take their business to the only Guilds who have affordable prices…" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Dark Guilds will be their only option…"

The Saints weren't forcing him into Fairy Tail because they wanted to, they were doing so because he was needed to fill the void of power…

"This is where you would come in." Serena smiled. "We'd divide the jobs amongst the best mages of Fiore. This means, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Quatro Cerebeus, etc… They'll receive Fairy Tail's abundance of jobs, while you would take on their High Ranking missions. If we can distribute Fairy Tail's workload, we'll be in an advantageous scenario... Dark Guild's are strained for action once more and the Council's continuous commercialism avoids the fallout. It's a win-win for all."

Naruto gave no indication that he was going to go along with the Council's wishes or not.

"This is where the incentive comes in." The Second Generation Dragonslayer chimed, getting the boy's attention. "Fairy Tail lists about seven to eight S-Rank Missions every six months. And, in order to reach financial stability for the Council and for Fairy Tail to remain a part of the Guild system, we'd have you run those jobs with nearly full-pay." An enraptured glint shone on the boy's face. God Serena couldn't help but snicker at Naruto Uzumaki's obvious wants.

"Fairy Tail has a Guild commision, which means their mages pay a certain percentage of Jewels to the Guild for its upkeep. Its mages pay a 8.6% rate, however, we will halve yours to 4.3%." The blue-eyed Wizard Saint said, giving the boy a deal he couldn't refuse.

Naruto couldn't hide his surprise. Even in the Independent Mage business with the council, his Bounties had a commision of 11%! Makarov's mages probably paid the lowest commision in Fiore… and they'd accommodate him by only making him pay half that. He'd be making double, perhaps even triple what he did for Bounty Hunting!

"So I'd be taking Fairy Tail's High Ranking jobs? Wouldn't their members suffer from losing their work?" Naruto questioned. His rate was so low that Fairy Tail would be losing a devastating amount of money.

And right after the tragedy of their comrades…

Serena seemed to realize his train of thought. "Fairy Tail needs an S-Class member now more than ever. Even if they receive less benefits out of it, they don't have a choice." He sighed heavily. "The upcoming news for them will not be easy to hear. That guild's foundation was built upon friendship and family, I have no doubt they'll be pushed into a depressive state. To them, it will seem like they have lost everything."

God Serena's face flared without mercy. "But, if they wish for Fairy Tail to remain, they must show the same willingness as the Council to keep them alive. They can grieve, we will not rob them of that… However, they will have to move on rather quickly or get swallowed up by the Guilds around them." He waved his hand in a dismissing motion, dissolving the Council's debate. "We're already being more than generous by granting them someone who can take their S-Rank jobs."

It was sounding like Fairy Tail was the only one who wouldn't benefit from the plan. They'd receive nothing besides a teenage Bounty Hunter to absolve them of their debt. Little time to grieve, little time to adapt… they were going straight into the deep end. They'd have to fill the void left vacant by some of the strongest mages in all of Fiore.

It was a massive pair of shoes that a normal everyday mage couldn't even hope of fitting into without preparation.

"Until we are assured this plan will work, Naruto, you will remain with Fairy Tail. Are you fine with this arrangement?" The Number One Wizard Saint asked his subordinate. It wasn't really a question the blonde could say no to.

Even if the Council needed him more than he needed them, a serious opportunity had opened up to the blonde. He couldn't refuse. "I am, yes." He said sharply.

"Good." God Serena nodded his head in acceptance. "I look forward to your success."

…now, he'd still have to wait… but, eventually he'd get Uzumaki into the Ten Wizard Saints. All it took was patience and finesse… his time would come soon enough.

"Wait." Before the Saint closed the Lacrima communication, Naruto interrupted. "What do I tell Fairy Tail?" He asked the Dragonslayer.

He wouldn't know the words to say. Telling someone, 'I'm sorry for your loss', was so empty-handed and overused. Naruto didn't want to bring the terrible news to them under any circumstances.

"Nothing. We've already sent a Rune Knight unit, they will handle it." He informed the blonde swordsman. "Anything else?"

Naruto let out a silent breath of relief. "No."

God Serena waved curtly, smiling dramatically. "I'll be seeing you then." With one last exaggerated chuckle, the orange man disappeared from the screen.

The Communication Lacrima blackened, leaving Naruto to himself within the Fairy Tail storage room. He didn't want to be involved when the time came for the remaining Fairies to learn of the truth. The upcoming times would be painful and disheartening for even the strongest-willed hearts.

He'd be behind the scenes helping keep Fairy Tail afloat with the constant influx of S-Rank jobs. They'd be weak and vulnerable, but alive. With the catastrophe stricken by the Dragon of Apocalypse, a budding generation would bloom to replace the vacancy of Fairy Tail's Strongest Mages.

A New Age was coming…

Lamia Scale.

Quatro Cereberus.

Blue Pegasus.

Mermaid Heel.

What Guild would rise to replace the Number One…?

A Couple Hours Later

Naruto sat at the bar envious of the wayward drunken Fairies around him. He'd never been wasted in his life, yet he always wanted to try and see what it felt like. Wasn't a time like this a perfect opportunity to drink one's woes away. Then again, he'd let the mages keep their booze. When the time came for the Rune Knights to arrive, they were going to need it far more than any local bar in Magnolia.

So, he currently sipped on a Club Soda, tasting the bubbling liquid in small quantities. Kinana continued to run rounds, collecting bills and empty mugs from her fellow guildmates.

The blonde sat quietly as he usually did, observing the idiots that he would soon become a part of.

Macao Conbolt, the soon to be Official Fourth Guild Master. He drank with a light blush on his face as purple flames from his fingertips were held under his beer.

Wakaba Mine smoked relentlessly, to be honest, it always seemed like he had a cigar in his mouth.

Max Alors. Warren Rocko. Loud, Energetic, Friends.

Bisca Mulan. Alzack Connel. Dating? Soon to be, maybe? They couldn't be more obvious…

Reedus Jonah. Fat.

Nab Lasaro. Indecisive.

Vijeeter Ecor. Always Dancing.

Laki Olietta. Woman.

These people wouldn't be able to continue to the legacy of Fairy Tail. Compared to Fairy Tail's Strongest Team, these were the fodder of the Guild.

They were weak.

How could one be a part of the prestigious Fairy Tail and be so pitiful as a mage? God Serena was right. These people needed someone to solve their problems.

The man had said that he'd be a mage of Fairy Tail until things settled. How long would that take? A month? A year?

Would the Guild even last? They would be piled with Missions that some of them wouldn't be able to complete at their current level. Fairy Tail would eventually be overtaken by stronger Guilds with stronger members if nothing changed.

No longer would they have the strength of Makrov Dreyar or Gildarts Clive. It was destined for Fairy Tail to change and in order to do so, they'd have to evolve.

But… Naruto couldn't see anything of worth in these people. Friendship, Comradery, Emotion— it'd all come crashing down with the announcement of Makarov's death.

The Large Standing doors of the Fairy Tail's Guild swung open. A dark warmth peered through the windows, encompassing its mages with the ethereal glow of the sunset. An overbearing happiness shrouded the Fairies— it had been a week, surely their Master and some new S-Ranked mages would come through the door.

However, it was not to be. Instead, the confused members of Fairy Tail were greeted to the sight of a battalion of Rune Knights, headed by a Captain with long, tied up black-hair who introduced himself as Lahar.

Instantly, they were all on guard as uneasiness shredded the recently relaxed and happy Guild. Naruto rotated on his stool and crossed his arms over his chest. Kinana, who stood across the batten, gazed puzzlingly with the rest of them.

Lahar, crossed his hands in front of him. A deep sadness was visibly plastered on his pale features. "The Magic Council, 4th Custody Enforcement Unit is in need of Macao Conbolt to present himself." He stood firm in his pride.

Macao pushed his way to the front, pondering the appearance of The Magic Council. Had they come to arrest another member? They'd done it before in the past, multiple times, in fact. "I'm Macao Conbolt…" He exuded a strong presence in order to size up the Rune Knight's motives.

"I see." Lahar's eyes moved to the acting Master. He sighed a heavy breath, the Knights behind him stood tense.

The warmth within the Guild began to disperse. Many of their members' stomachs clouded in apprehension.

Lahar looked at Macao in the eyes, raising his voice so that all the Guild members could hear him. "We regret to inform you that Tenroujima was destroyed." A collective gasp resounded throughout the mages. "There's no easy way to say this…"

A deafening silence reigned as Lahad found the right words to say.

"I'm afraid all of the members on Tenroujima perished in its destruction…" He concluded with a depressive tone.

Naruto could practically feel the shock thundering in waves. Many mages of the Guild looked at each other, heartbroken and in denial.

Macao's mouth shot open, an angered expression betraying his drunken face. "What the hell did you just say?!" He held his fist up, glowing in purple flame.

Lahar took the threat without pause, raising a Vision Lacrima for the man to see. It was the same recording Naruto had seen. "The evidence is all here." He stated mercilessly.

Sure enough, the image was enhanced, showing Fairy Tail's core members linked by their hands in front of Acnologia. "A Dragon had shown itself to destroy Fairy Tail's Dragonslayers." The recording finished with the decimation of Tenroujima. "We searched for survivors in the aftermath… We found nothing."

Tears brimmed at the corner of Wakaba's eyes. "No. It can't be true…" He uttered as the cigar from his mouth fell to the floor beneath him. "They always come back…"

Tears and wails of despair echoed in the blonde's ears. The pain etched the warmth of the sunset, leaving the Fairy Tail Guild bathed in the darkness of the night.

Fairy Tail's luck finally came to an end.

Lahar went on to relate the same tragedy as was told to him by God Serena. Acnologia. Grimoire Heart. The Magic Council's involvement. The Captain told it all in extreme detail, hoping that they'd be able to accept the retelling as truthful.

It was clear that none of them wanted to listen. Who would? No one would ever admit that their friends or family were gone until they confirmed it themselves. They were in denial after all… acceptance wasn't an option in their current state of mind.

The cries of the Fairies were difficult to hear. Naruto winced at the agonizing sobs. No one ever gets used to that sound…

Max gripped his forehead, tears freely streaming down his face. "There's no way…" He whispered.

Team Shadow Gear's remaining members sobbed uncontrollably. "We want more proof than that! I'd never give up on Levy over a single video!" Jet roared with bloodshot eyes.

"Unless we see bodies, they're not dead!" Bisca shouted at the Captain.

Lahar sighed, seeing the mages' denial. Acnologia leveled the island… the possibilities of any intact remains was impossible. 'Doranbolt said they wouldn't listen to me, seems he was right.' He concluded.

The 4th Captain coughed, getting the Fairies attention. "One of the other Captains has offered to direct you towards Tenroujima to help the ongoing search-and-rescue squad." Their heads shot to the man. "His ship is waiting down by the harbor."

"Let's go then!" Macao bellowed, pointing to three of his members. "Warren, Jet, Wakaba, you're with me."

Without a second thought, Macao ran past the Rune Knights with the chosen mages. The black haired Council mage watched the acting Master run out the Guild's doors, immediately darting towards the docks of Magnolia.

Without turning his head towards the sprint mages, Lahar bowed. "We'll be taken our leave then. The council offers our condolences. Even though our institutions were often at odds, we are truly saddened for the friends you lost." His men saluted the Fairies before spinning routinely on their heels. The Knights huffed in sync, marching out of the Guild professionally.

Once the Guild doors closed, the tearful mourning returned in full blast. For once, the usually hectic Guild was deathly still. Some cried out while others consoled, some drank violently, and some stared onwards at nothing. No matter who it was, they all felt a tremendous hole in their hearts.

Kinana had small trails of tears leaking from her eyes as she stood sniveling over the loss of the people who saved her. Master Makarov freed her, gave her a family, and now he was gone. Without her memories or someone who knew of her problem, she would be left alone once more.

"Hey, Kinana." Naruto said, gaining the girl's attention. He wafted his hand towards himself, motioning her to come closer.

She wiped the tears with her hand, putting on a brave facade for their guest. "What can I get you, Naruto." She asked politely, although it came out hoarsely with the pain stricken in the back of her throat.

"Your Guild is going to need some new, strong and fresh faces if they come back empty handed." He said without remorse.

"Please don't say that. They're still searching, anything can happen." She hiccuped, tears threatening to brim at the corner of her eyes.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm just saying. Without S-Rank mages, Fairy Tail will struggle immensely."

"There's still a chance, I know they'll find something." She instantly replied.

"Right."

"Is there anything else?"

The icy eyed teenager eyed the Fairy Tail insignia on the wall behind her. "How does someone join Fairy Tail?" He sounded curious, much to the girl's surprise. "Do you test Magical Skill, or maybe physical and/or mental prowess?" Naruto interrogated the girl.

"Um, no. Master was insistent on giving everyone a chance to prove themselves. Anyone could join, no tests or anything." Kinana responded a bit confused.

Naruto appeared skeptical. "Anyone?"

"Yes. Mirajane would stamp them with our emblem and they'd be official."

'What a naive process,' Naruto thought. If anyone could join, there was destined to be a few bad apples somewhere within the batch. But, Makarov probably kept a watchful eye over the people who joined his Guild. His 'children' did say he was a good judge of character.

To Kinana, it definitely seemed like Makarov was a kind person who'd let everybody into his Guild's embrace— which he was. But, there had to be more criteria than that, it couldn't have been that simple.

That's probably how they ended up with all of this fodder in the first place…

"Ok then." Naruto stood to his feet, walking towards the side-door of the bar. "I'd like to join Fairy Tail."

"Wh-what… Are you serious?" The purple haired girl cried out, inching away as the taller blonde walked closer to her.

"I guess I am… like I said, you'll need some fresh faces." He winked—or blinked— with one visible eye. "If Makarov returns home with the Search-and-Rescue, then I'll leave. No harm done."

"But, why?" She uttered.

"…I won't lie. You're Guild has a ton of High Ranking jobs. Jobs that I don't get to see a lot of." He confessed, seeing no reason to deceive her. "If they don't come back, you'll need me for those missions. Without any S-Ranks to take them, Fairy Tail will lose everything. I get paid, this guild gets a share of it, life continues on… does that make sense?" Naruto summarized.

Kinana hesitated. "I…I don't know. I'll have to ask someone."

"That's fine." He began to undress, taking his shirt off and setting it in on the counter. His eyes locked onto hers before her gaze drifted downwards.

She nearly gasped at a long, jagged scar that was driven across his heart. It was stained a dimming-red, and ran cleanly over the right side of his chest. It looked incredibly painful to have experienced; It had to have been a direct wound to his heart…

"Could I get the stamp before you ask around?" He stared emotionlessly at her as she righted herself, trying to act as if she hadn't seen it.

She shuffled sideways into the backroom. "Yes, I'm sorry." The woman came back out with the supplies in hand, setting them down on the counter beside her.

"Where would you like it?"

Naruto paused for a second before spinning around, revealing his back to her. The same exact scar was mirrored along the path from the front. "On my right shoulder blade." He replied, pointing his thumb.

"And what color?"

"Violet."

The barmaid did as told, clamping the stamp down in the correct coloring. She ambled towards the blonde, gripping the shoulder gently as she applied the emblem.

Kinana took a step back, inspecting the mark. It looked great. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Naruto." She grinned sadly.

It was supposed to be a happy moment, but currently, she couldn't muster the strength for it to be genuine.

He nodded in thanks, retrieving his shirt and putting it back on almost immediately. Naruto retreated from behind the bar, returning back to his stool across from the barmaid.

Unsurprisingly, with the current air of emotion, no one noticed his quick initiation into their Guild. That was just fine with him. Sooner or later they'd find out, it didn't really matter all that much to him.

It was insensitive. Naruto didn't do this for them. If he was absolutely truthful with himself, somewhere inside him was repulsed by taking advantage of the situation. But for now, he was ecstatic for the payday that would be hitting his already largely funded bank account.

Fifteen Minutes Later

While Naruto awaited to be approved, he studied their S-Rank Mission board. There were a few interesting one's, and some others that seemed downright ridiculous.

There was one meant for Erza Scarlet and Lucy Heartfilia to be butt-booty ass naked for a photoshoot. Naruto nodded his head, it would be interesting to see, but pretty unlikely to happen anytime soon given the circumstances.

He'd probably start off with easier ones and progress from there. So, Monster Removals and High Target Bodyguarding to eventually 10-Year Missions.

Finally, Kinana had told them that he was ready to go. Someone inside the Guild, Bisca Mulan, said it was alright. He doubted the woman was actually listening to what the barmaid was saying, but it worked out for him in the end.

As he walked out the front doors of his new Guild, Naruto spotted the Captain and his knights waiting off to the side. "Are you Naruto Uzumaki by any chance?" Lahar asked, eyeing his features as if to identify him.

"Yessir." He answered, standing in front of the strict Captain.

From behind the long-blacked haired soldier, one of his men handed him a small case. "Lord Sequen sends his regards. In light of Makarov's death, he offered to pay the job on behalf of Fairy Tail." Lahar extended the money towards the blonde.

Naruto grasped the case, clicking the latch on the front open, taking a glance inside. "2.1 Million?" He glanced upwards at the Captain.

"Yes. All of it and more." His eyes turned towards the Fairy Tail Guild. "Consider this incentive from the Council."

Naruto accepted it with grace. The Council mage saluted the teenager before barking orders at his knights, sending them towards the docks.

"Good luck, Naruto Uzumaki. The Great Wizards are expecting much from you…"

The blonde watched him leave, jogging in a resolute pace behind his men. His focus then turned towards the eastern mountains, where his first S-Rank would take place. With a gathering breath, he began his stroll towards Clover Town.

A long path awaited him now…

Four Years Later

It had been four years since Naruto had Fairy Tail's insignia stamped on him. Ever since that fateful day in which the Fairies lost their friends to the frightening power of Acnologia, the blonde hadn't stepped foot in the guild. Of course, taking high-ranking jobs, one after another, had drifted him further and further away from the Fairies.

The abysmal income the current Master, Macao Conbolt, was producing couldn't cover the Guild's surging taxes. They should've lost their guild within the first six months of the Tenroujima, but the local government and the Magic Council pitied their situation, allowing lowered tax rates and garnered debts.

The Bounty Hunter was bringing in a staggering 53% of the Guild's profits. Which, compared to the Guild's previous 21% from Fairy Tail's S-Ranked members, conveyed the vast amount in which they depended on his income.

Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus began to take more of the jobs that were supposed to be split evenly amongst the economic alliance. It wasn't of malicious intent, nor the ignorance of Fairy Tail's grievances… the Fairies just couldn't keep up. It had become clear to customers that Fairy Tail wasn't the go-to anymore. There were far more willing and reliable constituents from other local guilds.

Even with the rates of Jewels he'd been signing off to the Guild, it wasn't enough. The truth behind it all was that none of the members had the will to work. With no one willing to work, the Fairies saw fewer customers willing to put their faith in second-hand mages trying to fill the shoes of their fallen comrades. And without the constant job revenue, Fairy Tail lost a variety of requests.

Day-by-day, Fairy Tail's loyal subjects grew smaller and smaller with the absence of work. Many of them moved onwards, quitting the business altogether, or seeking more than Macao had to offer.

After three years, it had finally come as a collective decision for Fairy Tail to move elsewhere. They were no longer able to keep themselves open with their lackluster job success rate, and even less impressive mages to carry them out.

Fairy Tail had hit a crossroad… one that they'd never come upon before. Their reputation, their livelihoods… it was crashing down around them at an unprecedented pace, with no one to pick up the slack.

The Guild was beginning to be swept under the rug, making room for the new frontrunners. Fiore's Number One Guild had been replaced, slowly yet inevitably. Without Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, and all of its core members, the once infamous Guild would dissipate into the history books as a successful story turned tragic overnight.

An upcoming local Guild, Twilight Ogre, bought the Headquarters from Macao, sending his members packing. The group found a small tavern on the hillside of Magnolia, branching towards the lower cliffs of the mountain range. A humble abode for a proud guild seeking shelter for the few of them that remained.

However, Naruto didn't get to see the change, nor did he feel the need to. His vision was focused on completing S-Rank missions in a continuous degree. Since he'd left, the blonde completed nearly 31 S-Ranks, three times the rate of any mage in Fiore, including Jura Neekis, the Fifth-Seated Wizard Saint.

Currently, he was headed West towards one of Fiore's newer Guilds rising with the tide of change. The Master of the Guild wanted a dark mage who had stolen a magic Lacrima from their Guild's outpost. Feeling a bit nostalgic, Naruto had collected the bounty as requested.

It was easy pickings. The mage was nowhere near his increasing level of power, and the blonde displayed this fact by pulverizing the poor fool into unconsciousness. Add to the fact that the stolen Lacrima was that of a Leather-Make magic, was baffling to him. If Leather-Make was to be compared to all other types of Magic-Make types, this piece of shit would definitely be near the bottom.

Out of all the magic Lacrima you could implant within yourself, this one was by far the most brain dead decision. Maybe he was looking at this from the wrong angle though… Perhaps he was a merchant looking to make jackets at an unmatched pace, or sell to textile companies looking for raw material… well, in the end, even if it was supposed to be used for profitable manners, it didn't help the idiot ward off Naruto at all.

The fact that the Master even cared for the magic to be returned with S-Ranked pay was even more mind blowing… Whatever, as long as he got paid, he didn't care for the reasoning.

The half-day's journey to his destination was rather uneventful. Every once in awhile, a passerby would gasp in fright at the groaning dark-mage hung over his shoulder, or the occasional traveling merchant steering clear of his wayward path. Nonetheless, he'd finally completed the somewhat exhausting trek.

The building was identified by a large banner, covered in lines and sporting slim edges that bore the guild's symbol. It was held up by a horizontal staff secured through a chain to a metal ring, adorned by fang-like protrusions, which topped the high pole sustaining the emblem.

The Guild's headquarters itself appeared to be a very large complex consisted of several structures joined together, with some of them even sitting on top of the others. Thus, it generated an imposing, elongated structure vaguely reminiscent of an odd pyramid adorned by a multitude of facades, windows and pillars, as well as by some pointed towers protruding upwards from its upper part. Topping the whole structure is a massive statue portraying the animal which is the guild's namesake. Scarce scrubs of trees are found in the building's vicinity and additional structures are located not far from it, being seemingly numerous and elaborate like those composing the headquarters.

Upon the entrance of the building, Naruto was met by four mages bearing the emblem of their Guild. "Hey there." One of the bland-looking guards held their hand out, stopping the one-eyed blonde from proceeding. "Job Request, Job Completion, or Mage Entrance Exam?" He fished out a clipboard, staring at the blonde in front of him.

Naruto reached into his pouch, pulling out the job sheet from their Master.

"Completion… S-Rank Retrieval…" One of the other guild members grabbed the request out of his hand, offering it to the mage flipping through a couple pages on the clipboard. "Oh… here it is. Could I have your 6-digit MID number, sir?" He looked up expectantly, readying his pen.

The seventeen year-old adjusted the body on his back, feeling the dark mage twist in pain. "081096." He replied simply.

The Guard quickly wrote down the number at the bottom of the job form before handing it back to Naruto. "Right, you're all good." He stepped aside to let the blonde pass, "Once you're through the doors, you'll take the first left into the payment corridor, they'll lead you to the Master." He directed.

The blonde walked into the beautifully constructed Guild, observing the polished marble and vintage Cathedral arches as he took the first left.

A clerk's desk was situated against the left side of the room. Two women wore similar outfits to the men outside the Guild's entrance. Behind them, jobs were labeled from A-D by increasing Jewel reward. Stapling one of the papers onto the B-Section, the light brown haired women took notice of his approach.

She shuffled up to the clerk's desk, straightening her uniform. "Hello. How may I help you?" The woman greeted politely.

"I completed a job from your Master." Naruto grasped the Bounty sheet in his pouch. "Is this the place to get paid?"

The woman gasped at seeing the dark mage being dragged behind him. Dried blood caked the man's face, and his upper-body was savagely thrashed with dozens of lacerations and cuts. To her fear, the teenager looked completely uninterested in the man groaning in sorrow.

Trying to collect herself, she extended her hand outwards for the Job Completion form. "Yessir. However, before we can pay the full amount, we'll have to confirm the bounty's identity and the job's fulfillment with the Master." She said professionally, even with some uneasiness slipping through her tone.

His eyes swerved to the man on his shoulder. "Where do you want him?" He said lamely.

"You can place him right here." The other clerk, a woman with a deep black bob-cut raised her hand, pointing towards an outstretched open-counter space. The woman who greeted the blonde, handed the Bounty form over to her partner, keeping a steady eye on the hunking form of the oceanic eyed boy.

Without hesitation, Naruto gripped the mage by the remaining threads of his collar, slapping him, rather uncouthly, onto the Pale-Walnut stained desk. The thief mumbled an almost unhearable, 'fuck you', as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

Snatching a cloth to her left, the mage tucked the folded corner of it into a bucket of water. Taking a couple seconds to wring the overflow of water, she then gently seized the side of his temple, leaning in a bit to clean the blood from his face.

The man winced at the touch, before easing voluntarily at the tender clamoring of the washcloth. Naruto stood above the man, placing his hands into his pockets as the woman went to work. More than a couple times, she glanced up at the handsome teenager, almost as if double checking to see if someone with his features had the capability of being so brutal.

Finally washing most of the gore from his face, she took a couple vigilant gazes at the photo of the dark mage, and then back to him. She smacked her lips, "Axel Weber…brown hair… brown eyes… C-Rank Mage… jeez, this is as vanilla as it gets… yep, it's him. Now to confirm the Lacrima…" The black haired lady took a scanning Lacrima from the workstation beside her. Hovering it over his midsection, the scanner immediately flashed red and chimed loudly in its discovery.

"Alright, everythings seems to be here." She stood to her full height, grabbing a dry rag and rubbing her hands to remove the blood with a grimace. "He's going to need a doctor, and maybe some—" She paused, seeing the dry look upon Naruto's face.

"Right, sorry… Mara will get your payment." The woman gave Mara a pointed glance, smiling nervously at the teenager while doing so.

Naruto got the hint, noticing the woman was uncomfortable with the whole debacle. Although, for some reason, the people of this Guild were all taking the whole experience rather well. They'd probably avoid him from here on out…

"Okay, so our Master paid 700,000 upfront. Once you meet with him and he gives his approval, then you'll get the remaining 500,000. Is that okay with you?" She asked him, clasping her hands together etiquettely.

Naruto shook his hand, "That's fine." He pulled a box of cigarettes out in the same motion. "Will it be in cash or cheque?" While pulling one of his darts out of the carton, he fetched his lighter from his violet waistband.

"Um…Cash…" Mara glanced at the teenager, unsure of asking whether he was legally able to smoke or not. "I should let you know, our Master doesn't allow smoking in the Guild." She said, tilting her head apologetically. Unknown to Naruto, it was better for her sake if he didn't in front of their Master.

The blonde perked an eyebrow, pausing shortly after raising the lighter to his cigarette. "Really?" He questioned, almost annoyed. The clerk nodded back, a bead of sweat dripping from her temple. "Guess I can wait a few minutes…" He clicked the box closed, lowering it to his waist.

"Thank you, sir." She bobbed her head in appreciation. "Let's get to counting then." Moving onwards, Mara reached downwards. Pulling out a few stacks of thousand dollar bills, she began to count under the watchful eye of the Fairy Tail Ace.

In the Guild's Interior

The Master of the Guild sat on a marble-like throne, looking towards his kneeling second-in-command. His eastern-styles kimono whistled in the breeze of his open-ended, modern styled room. Surrounding by a large tenure of modern craftsmanship and artwork were many glass panels that bathed the room with the warmth of the setting sun.

He was an elderly man distinguished by his massive, extremely muscular physique, untarnished despite his advanced age. The man had long light hair which was tidily gathered on the back of his head and tied in a braid. He scored a thick beard and mustache which was linked to his hair by his sideburns. He had marked facial features and a long, massive and mildly rounded nose. His sunken eyes, topped by light and bushy eyebrows, were very distinctive, being almost completely white, as if they lacked pupils, and had a black underlining around his lower eyelid; something which gave him an otherworldly look.

"You've done well." His praise was offset by his stoic utter, seemingly disgusted at having to do so. "He has a strong oriental name."

The kneeling figure raised her head, looking towards the burly form of her Master. "He'll make a fine addition to the Guild. Alongside our newest recruits, I doubt your Guild will be matched in the years to come." She spoke with an outwardly calm and archaic tone.

She was a slim young woman of average height distinguished by her Eastern look: her long, straight and glossy purple hair, reaching down to her lower back, while mostly left loose, being parted in the middle of her forehead and sporting two bangs framing her face and going down below her shoulders, her hair is also tied into a pair of bun-shaped Dango loops at both sides of her head, and a braid is present some inches below each of such loops. Her facial make up is reminiscent of that worn by a Japanese "Geisha", with her lips being covered in glossy dark lipstick, and her slanted dark eyes, possessing long eyelashes, being topped by a pair of elongated, diagonal dark spots, seemingly acting as or covering her eyebrows. Her pale figure is considerably curvaceous.

Her strapless, blue dress rippled, finally standing to her feet. "He should be here any moment… Should I stay?" She asked emotionlessly, resigning to listen to his command.

"No." Her Master ordered, shooing her away like an insect. He blatantly ignored her presence, keeping his gaze towards the large granite doors of the room.

The girl bristled at his dismissal, snarking a minuscule scoff before bowing towards his throne. "Understood." She strutted towards the exit, closing the hatch behind her indignantly.

Leaving the Master to his waiting-game, she walked down the hallway adjacent to the one that'd intersect with his Interior Throne room. Her eyes narrowed at two figures making their way around the corner towards her position.

She halted, deciding to wait for their potential new-recruit to arrive. A simple greeting would suffice, nothing overly peculiar in which he'd feel unwelcome or too welcome. Wouldn't want him to feel wary about their offer now, especially after all of the research she'd done to get to this point.

Merely a dozen yards away from her, the woman finally got to see the blond Individual Mage she'd rustled through the archives for. A once-in-a-generational talent, a boy who'd made S-Rank at twelve-years-old, the youngest in History. His skill and prestige went entirely under-the-radar for some apparent reason unknown to them all. His background and origin were completely unknown, along with his Magic. He was such a mysterious character, now barely edging past seventeen, and still bearing the fruits of unprecedented potential.

It was like he'd been dropped from the sky on his twelfth birthday…

Gazing at him up and down, his face struck a similar resemblance to one of their newest, yet strongest recruits. However, the resemblances stopped there. He was tall and broad-shouldered, nearing their own Master, at a towering 185cm. Being over six feet at his growing age was a terrifying statistic. Golden blonde hair flowed naturally in a spiky fashion, accentuating his character perfectly. A bandanna held up the dangling wafts of hair threatening to spill over his forehead, and covered his left eye fully. His uncovered right eye was an icy half-lidded cerulean orb serene with a quiet confidence. Naruto's skin was unblemished, carading his beauty with a clean-shaven and youthful demeanor. On his left ear, was a nearly midnight-purple diamond-like earring, dangling an inch below his lobe.

His attire was rather militaristic, focused upon darker coloring, which made up his tight cotton-nylon blended, black shirt, cut off at the shoulders and his abdomen. His abs undulated with each poised step, highlighting the steadfast and solidity of his upper body. Upon his left shoulder, was a midnight-colored pauldron, reaching to about mid-bicep. Long black tactical pants adjourned his lengthy build, and were taped around the ankle by violet combat tape. Naruto had a matching pair of black shinobi-like sandals dressed on his feet, displaying an identical set of dark colored nails. And of course, running parallel to his spine, the blonde's weapon of choice, the Broadsword.

All in all, Naruto Uzumaki was a dangerous, yet roguishly handsome looking specimen. She had to force down the need to bite at her lip as she pushed herself off the wall.

His eyes locked onto her, seemingly ignoring her guildmates' mandatory instructive measures of each and every historical piece in their building. His lone visible eyebrow quirked, no doubt confused by her presence.

"Oh, My Lady!" Maya… Mala… bowed to her abruptly after finally taking in her appearance. She fought down the scowl at the woman's lack of awareness in favor of smiling gingerly.

"I've been dying to greet our guest properly. Sorry for the bother." The glossy haired woman raised a delicate gloved hand to her chest, while extending her other towards the blonde. "Welcome to Sabertooth, Uzumaki-san. Thank you for completing my Father's request so diligently, it is very much appreciated." She winked at him nearly seductively.

The teenager glanced at the offered limb, wiggling a cigarette around the side of his mouth. "Well, I should thank you. I basically got paid a motherload to beat the holy hell out of a nobody." He shook the hand, letting the girl turn his hand over to show her womanly dominance. "Although, I'm kinda surprised that you know my name." His hand returned to his pocket.

Placing one of her hands onto her hip, the girl dismissed his passive tone with a shake of her head. "We always know who's coming into our Guild. The Guards aren't just for show, you know." She skated past the topic of his identity cleanly, or at least she thought.

Naruto seemed to let it go easily enough. "That's great." He said, whether it was sarcastic or not, she didn't know. "Well, I'll be going. It was nice meeting you." The Bounty Hunter continued walking without the clerk, brushing past the woman's shoulder.

"That's hardly a proper introduction?" She swung her head to the side with a mildly amused grin. "You haven't even asked for my name yet?"

Unobstructed by the woman's goad, Naruto raised his right hand out of his pocket, waving at the slightly older mage. "Why would I ask for the name of someone I already know?" He disappeared around the corner, with the pads of his boots being the only sound she could hear.

'What?' Her eyes widened. 'He knows my name?' She stomped around the corner, aiming to question the blonde's knowledge. However, remembering her Father's wish to be left alone with the Individual Mage, she chose against such an action.

She was left staring at the wall in front of her, feeling slightly upset at being so easily dismissed like an underling. Naruto Uzumaki didn't even seem remotely interested in her presence, nor her provocation. Her guildmates stood at attention when she even glanced in their direction… him though… he didn't bother to fulfill a simple courtesy.

Was it disrespectful? Maybe he found out about her fishing through his files? Or, did he just truly give absolutely zero shits about the whole ordeal? She was an elegant Lady, who wielded a sharp-witted tongue and prodded information from people quite easily. He left before she could even say anything! It was definitely done on purpose, but for what reason, she had no clue.

"My Lady?" Minerva Orland was snapped from her stupor. "Should I go after him?" The woman clerk whose name escaped her, asked with an undertone of fear.

"No." She noticed he'd navigated the hallways towards her Father's interior without fault. "It seems like he already knows where he's going." Her head tilted in confusion.

Just another thing to add to the list titled: Naruto Uzumaki in the category of Unknown…

10 Minutes Later

Naruto strode from the entrance of Sabertooth, finally lighting the cigarette in his mouth.

Imagine his surprise when the burly elderly man practically summoned him just to extend his 'generous' offer. It was comical, almost…

What could he truly offer him? Right now, with the ceaseless enthrallment of S-Rank jobs, he'd never be out of work. His pockets would be full, he'd continue to get exponentially stronger, and he was practically running his own Guild already.

Fairy Tail's members, besides Macao and Kinana, hardly bothered him. They left him to his own devices knowing that he was providing them a sum they couldn't match. He was living pretty decently right now… there was no need for him to jump ship.

Plus, he doubted God Serena and the Gods of Ishgar would take kindly to him making such a high-risk business decision on his own….

Jiemma Orland was an interesting character, to say the least. Obviously, the man expected him to lay down hand-and-foot to become one of his wizards, just because the fool had some success with recruiting recently. Supposedly, everyone still thought he was an independent mage. Which, now that he thought about it, seemed like a good alternative title to 'Fairy Tail Mage'.

Sabertooth was destined to be a powerhouse if the man's tale had an inkling of truth to it. Because of his recent siege in leadership, the once mid-tier Guild was landing High Ranking mages, one after another. It was understandable, Sabertooth had a massive HQ, with incredible assets and selling points.

At the current moment, his claim of 11 A-Rank, and 3 S-Rank mages didn't seem so farfetched.

Jiemma drew in young, yet strong, mages who were looking to grow powerful. With many like-minded individuals, they all came swarming from coast-to-coast to have a chance at being a part of the change.

However, only the best of the best could join. Anything below a High Ranking B-Mage trying to join would be sent back the way they came. It was obvious the man had no room for weakness, and that pitch was evident in the way the man spoke.

Arrogant, Self-Centered, High-Tempered, it was incredibly easy to depict from a single glance at the odd looking man. If he was half as powerful and honored as he declared, then Jiemma would have been a Wizard Saint by now.

Naruto had confirmed his doubts by silently sensing the man's magic container…

Why would he serve someone weaker than him?

Without second thought, he politely declined with a 'not interested' and beelined for the door. The man gave a scathing last remark, 'You'll be back. They always do…' Right… Maybe a placating child with no other options, but not him.

Fuck it, he could make his own Guild and become his own Master before he'd stoop to that level.

On the way out, he saw the Master's daughter trying to wave him down. If the troubled look, that she tried to hide so well, was any indication that she felt disturbed by his last comment, then he wasn't surprised by her need to seek him out.

To be honest, he had no clue what her name was. He didn't really care at all. It just was amusing how easily he could get into someone's head with such little effort.

Well, she was attractive, her measurements were stunning, she seemed pretty strong for a female, and she was around his age… But, she had the whole scary, bipolar attitude that he'd seen on a number of dark mages, so that was a complete turn off. He'd pass for now…

"Heading out so soon? We have sleeping chambers, you'd be more than welcome to stay the night." She strutted sexually, swaying with a bit more force than necessary.

The etherly glow of the Moon lit the darkened side of the summit with a passionate embrace, caressing the stone structures behind them.

Naruto blew out a puff of smoke, "I'm good." He kept marching steadily down the mountainside, clamoring with the man made stone steps.

Unshaken by his response, she followed alongside him. "I'm guessing the talks didn't go well then." She assumed with a bitter tone.

"They were fine. Being tied down to a guild isn't really my thing." He inhaled, his dart crackled at the tip. "I enjoy what I do now."

"That's too bad, we'll be a top-five Guild by next year. Wouldn't you want to be a part of that?"

"No."

Minerva scoffed, "Fine then. You'll come to see the errors of your ways."

The blonde turned his head to the side, giving the girl an unimpressed look. "Doubt it."

Shaking her head, the glossy haired woman chose not the retort. Instead, she silently peered at him critically. "How did you know my name earlier?" She observed his facial reaction. "Have we met before?" She interrogated the Bounty Hunter.

"It's a secret." He responded, inhaling a large waft of smoke.

Her brow furrowed at his redundancy. "Secret why?"

He raised his hand innocently, shaking his finger with a frown. "Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret then." He said rather childishly.

Minerva's placid expression spoke volumes to her thoughts. 'Is this really an S-Rank mage?' She asked herself in puzzlement.

"I won't lie, you're a strange one, Uzumaki-san." The blonde ignored her, continuing to puff on his cigarette, hands hidden in the pockets of his combat pants.

At the moment, the Spatial Magic used was questioning whether she should just beat the answers out of him or not. Given that he was an Independent Mage, no one would see fault in her gaining some information. However, given that he had a long-running streak of S-Rank jobs through the Council, they probably would see it as an attack against them by roughing up one of their better mages.

She was relatively confident she'd come out on top, but at the same time, he could be fooling with her. If she attacked him, and word got out, then Sabertooth's standing would take a massive hit with the Council. And, everything they had built up to that point would have been for nothing…

All because the handsome blonde knew something she didn't… It was foolish to think in such a way.

"I'll be going now." He broke her from her train of thought.

She nodded. "I look forward to seeing you again." The woman extended her gloved hand outwards. "Perhaps you'll learn some manners next time we meet."

Chuckling in amusement, Naruto shook her hand. As he did so, he released his magic all into his palm, completely overpowering the woman's senses. Much like he did with Fairy Tail when he first arrived, Naruto sized up the power within her.

…and, exactly like all the other times he'd done so, his presence immediately vanished, leaving no trace of his exerted magic.

Minerva jumped backwards, raising her hands into a fighting position. Her Spatial Magic encoated her fists in the plethora of tamed Ethernano.

'What the hell was that?' Her heart leapt unceremoniously at the raw power he'd unleashed for the briefest of seconds. The tips of her fingers shook in disdain, frightened at the overwhelming aura that he'd discharged.

She displayed a poised and calm confidence upon her pale features. "What did you do?" The voluptuous mage scowled, attempting to hide the fear he'd struck in her soul. For that split second, she felt completely helpless. Something in which she hadn't felt since the agony of training, and the torment of her Father's magical abuse.

"Oh, sorry about that." The blonde bobbed his head apologetically. "My magic gets a bit testy at times… I don't really have the best control over it." He laughed anxiously.

His magic? What kind of magic was able to spill such a profuse potency? There was absolutely no way that was an unintentional action.

"An S-Rank without control over his magic?" Her magic purred in her palms, itching to be released upon the Bounty Hunter. "Do you take me for a fool, Uzumaki-san?" Her face narrowed in a concealed rage.

"Not really." He admitted, shaking his head from side-to-side.

"Not really…?" She paused. "That's basically saying maybe…" It wasn't a yes or no… but to her, it was as good as yes!

"Maybe." He smirked. "Can I go now?"

Ok, now it was clear. He was toying with her.

The glossy haired woman's scowl erupted into a predatory smirk. "Not yet." Her feet shifted slowly, inching backwards to launch herself at him. "I have one more question to ask." She whispered, excited at the prospect of battling the blonde.

Damn the consequences! There was only so much disrespect she was willing to take!

The blonde pointed at her hands, seemingly registering himself defenseless. "Could you put those away first?" He chuckled.

Ignoring him, Minerva takes a large step forward, closing the gap between the two. "Actually… I'll save the questions for after this… etiquette lesson I'm going to teach to you." She uttered threateningly, surging her Spatial Magic.

Without hesitation, she whipped her entire body at the blonde, who continued to stare at her in mirth. An enraged glare betrayed her usually serene expression as she launched her right hand towards his head, attempting to scorch the smirk off his face.

"Woah there! I thought I was your esteemed guest? What happened to that courteous hospitality?" His grin widened teasingly, shimmying the cigarette to the side of mouth.

Even as she closed in upon his face, the sapphire eyed boy never raised a defense or conjured a magic circle. He kept completely still, as if he was fine with her boiling his features to muck.

"HAAA!" Her hand phased through the blonde's head. With her momentum, her entire body followed in a similar fashion…

Minerva just plunged through the blonde's body as if he wasn't there…

Her temper immediately shifted to confusion as she caught herself with her extended hand, flipping herself upright. She spun her head towards the Bounty Hunter, who continued to stand with an infuriating smile.

"What th—" Oh… How could she have been so foolish? He hadn't used any magic at the point of her attack, it was as if his entire body was elementally intangible. No wonder the blonde was unbothered by her threats…

"A thought projection?" She seethed, grinding her teeth at not recognizing it sooner.

The muscular teenager turned around to face her. "Nice shot, I nearly felt it." His eyes gleamed sarcastically.

Her eyes darted around their surroundings, wondering if the independent mage was still around. Was he a thought projection this entire time?! No, no, that couldn't have happened. He'd been paid in cash, and since that wouldn't be a part of an ethereal form, then he'd have to be present to receive the payment.

It really wasn't a matter of how, more like a matter of when? If he was here not even a half an hour ago physically… When did he make the switch?

The blonde shook his head, inhaling deeply as he did so. "I think this is my queue to go." Her eyes darted to his impossibly icy blue ones. "See you some other time." His thought projection fizzled as it began to display itself.

"Wait!" She held her hand upwards.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately for Naruto), he disappeared into the quiet cliffside outside of Sabertooth's HQ. His form split into small, royal blue particles as they drifted in the sky and a small trail of ash kindled from the magically created cigarette, dissolving onto the stone Alude.

Her gloved hand returned to her side, frowning at the absence of the blonde mage.

Perhaps, she had been a bit too overbearing…

5 Miles Outside of Crocus

The Bounty Hunter shook his head absently, smirking at the memory of the Sabertooth Master's daughter attacking him for dodging her questionnaire. Much like her elderly father, the slightly older girl was a bit temperamental and somewhat less prideful.

He'd only left a thought projection because he'd caught a whiff of her snooping around after his meeting with Jiemma Orland. He'd received his pay in full, and wasn't really in the mood to stick around. But, the girl was interesting enough to be garnered that courtesy.

Plus, he wanted to see if his asspull for her name worked, and to his satisfaction, it did.

For now, he was heading towards Crocus, looking for a certain individual he'd gained some whereabouts on. It was originally why he accepted the Sabertooth Bounty job. Their Guild was in the same direction, being just outside of the Capital city, so he'd basically be getting paid to travel leisurely.

Naruto had been in and out of bars since he was fifteen, picking up on tidbits of drunken rumors or sightings. To be honest, he wasn't trying his absolute hardest to search for this certain person, it was more like he'd kept an open ear while he'd conquered the dozens of S-Rank jobs labeled to his name.

Beer was great. The blonde had gotten his first taste of the liquid and found it stimulating, so it wasn't a hassle to stop in on a bar during his travels around Fiore. Hard Liquor was decent as well, not really his taste, but it was good every once in a while.

Anyways, a little over a week ago in Shirotsume, he'd overheard a conversation about an Independent Guild that was going town to town obliterating Dark Mages at an alarming rate. Supposedly it was a group of three individuals, two women and a man, called Crime Sorciere.

That was interesting within itself, but Naruto had been more engrossed with a certain name that had come up in conversation…

Meredy… a woman who'd been involved with Ultear Milkovich and the Seven Kin of Grimoire Heart…

They were said to be traveling North towards the Capital, although if that was true or not, Naruto had no idea. But, for a specific reason he was unwilling to share with anyone, he'd see if the rumors of a drunkard held strong.

Of course, he could've just left this alone and continued onwards with his insane grind of High Ranking jobs… But, he was curious as to what this Group's objective was, and to why they had a former S-Rank criminal within their ranks. He was close to Crocus, so it wouldn't hurt to sense for some high-tier magical signatures.

If it was hopeless, he'd return to his unending circuit, continuing to keep his ear to ground for mentions of Crime Sorciere.

Expanding his magic sensing outwards, a blanket of his personal Ethernano blanketed the entirety of Crocus and beyond, covering a diameter of 10 Miles around the Capital. He monitored each section of the city carefully, observing all ranges of capacities, including skillful one's that were able to hide their magical trace.

At first, he'd thought he'd found something around the lower part of the Crocus palace, where a collective group of six mages did nothing to hide their staggering strength. However, as Naruto thought about it more, it was obviously the signatures of the Garou Knights, or the King's personal executioners.

So, ignoring the feels of impressive magic from those legal 'Bounty Hunters', he moved onwards to another staggering Magical signature. This time though, it didn't come from something alive… it was that of an inanimate object, something extremely large in size, that held onto some overwhelming amount of raw Ethernano.

Naruto shook his head, it was probably a magical tool at King Fiore's disposal in case of emergency. That or some sort of underground project headed by the Ministry of Defense. It didn't matter at the moment, however he'd file such a thing away for a later time.

Then, Naruto searched out of the city, picking up small particles of Ethernano in the grasps of Nature. That was until he spotted three beaming signatures, close together, attempting to conceal their capacity. Which, they did a rather fine job of, but not enough for him to ignore it. He could tell just by observing their magic, that the energy within their bodies was akin to a boiling pot of water, excreting an invisible steam.

Unable to depict their magic type from such a grand distance, Naruto's sensing ceased. His head immediately turned towards the direction in which he felt the three individuals.

It may be a shot in the dark, but three highly-trained mages traveling together near Crocus was not a chance he'd be passing up. Coincidences weren't a realistic occurence in their world, after all…

Without a second's hesitation, Naruto rocketed from a standing position at blinding speeds, ricocheting the uneven shards of rock settled on the mountainside.

With Crime Sorciere

It had been a couple years since Jellal had been freed from prison by Meredy and Ultear. In a sense of guilt, Ultear had pledged her life to righting the crimes of her past. Although in similar states of mind, her companions agreed to atone for their atrocities alongside her.

Thus, Crime Sorciere was formed for their immeasurable motivation to eradicate the darkness of Zeref and the crimes of Dark Guilds. They were in need of a greater purpose, and their Guild provided them a means to follow this drive for justice and atonement.

Dry logs crackled in the bright vermillion flames, highlighting the tired faces of the three mages. They'd been traveling for a few days now without much rest, going from one place to the next, doing what they could to dispel dark mages for those who needed it.

A boar was held over the fire, twirling slowly as it was cooked through. Jellal held the suspended stick with his right hand, adjusting the beast occasionally.

"How are you two feeling?" The Heavenly Body Magic user glanced at his companions, who he'd now come to call his friends.

Meredy smiled tiredly, leaning backwards against the rock she sat at. "I'm alright, just a bit hungry."

The Time Arc Magic user sat upwards, narrowing her eyes across the flames. "I'm fine... Are you feeling okay?" Ultear asked genuinely, tilting her head at the tattooed face of Jellal.

Spinning the boar to an uncooked side, the dark greened eyed man nodded. "I'll be fine once we reach Harpuia." He admitted, slowly sitting down with a grunt after tending to their meal.

Ultear frowned shortly. "There's no need to worry about them. Back when Fairy Tail had their battle with Oracion Seis, Natsu…" She paused as her frown deepened sadly. "Natsu defeated them in a matter of minutes. We'll have plenty of time to rest afterwards." The woman reassured herself along with her friends.

"Ha." Jellal hiccuped humorlessly, "I hope so…"

At the Same Time

The sapphire eyed Uzumaki skirt to a stop a short distance away from the three mages. He hid on an adjacent cliffside that hung a few meters above the ledge of his targets. Moving slowly, Naruto crouched low, wedging himself between a few boulders.

He barely peaked his head over the bridge of rocks, wanting to keep himself hidden. The golden embers of a campfire shone on the mountainside, basking the three figures as clearly as the moon did…

…Naruto's eyes narrowed at the one facing him…

A man that broke out of prison quite some time ago… Former fraudulent Wizard Saint, Jellal Fernandes, with his unnatural royal blue locks, and pointed-roman tattoo on the right side of his face.

There was no mistake. Except for his now longer, scraggly hair, it was the man who had the entire council dancing to his tune.

His attire consisted of a dark coat with heart-like designs running down the sleeves and sides of the coat. Beneath his jacket, Jellal wore plated armor, which covered his abdomen. Off to his side, a dark cloak hung over a slab of stone.

Sitting across the fire from the dark mage, was a woman whose face was hidden from him. She was laid down with her back up against an overturned boulder, wrapped in a cloak similar to the blue haired man.

However, out of the corner of his eye, bright pink flashed into his vision. The blonde turned his head towards the last figure… a woman, wearing a red dress, sitting similar to the mage before. Her bubblegum colored hair cascaded down her shoulders, complementing a large pair of black earmuffs.

…It seems that the rumors of the drunkard from Shirotsume were right… It was the S-Class wanted dark mage, Meredy, a former member of Grimoire Heart, and now a part of the mysterious Crime Sorciere.

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Crime Sorciere was said to be made up of two women and a man. Well… here was Jellal, a male, Meredy and the unknown woman, two females. Considering Jellal and Meredy were wanted felons by the magic council, it wouldn't be such a shot in the dark to say that the final woman was one as well.

So, this new dark-mage opposed Guild, was made up of dark mages?

Irony aside, what was their purpose in being here together? S-Ranked dark mages collectively fighting under a single banner wasn't the best of signs.

He'd observe a bit longer, perhaps Naruto would even make an appearance for a more direct approach.

Back With Crime Sorciere

Taking the broiled boar off its spike, Jellal reached for a knife within the pocket of his cloak. He laid the meal out in front of him, cutting the beast into three separate pieces, discreetly making his portion smaller than his companions.

He whipped out some plating gear stashed within a small bag, removing some eating utensils and thin metal trays. Jellal carefully laid the meat upon the sheets, and stood to his feet, carrying their dinner to Ultear and Meredy respectively.

"Thanks." Ultear extended her arms around the warmth of her cloak, a mist of hot breath intermixing with the chill of the night.

"Thank you, Jellal." The Maguility Sense magic user smiled, sitting upwards to place the tray in her lap.

"Sorry that it took so long." He paused, flashing an apologetic smile. "Haven't really got used to the whole outdoor living yet." The former Wizard Saint chuckled lowly.

The dark purple haired mage chuckled, shoveling a piece of her food into her mouth. "I don't think anyone gets used to living like this." She gushed. "Ahh, What I wouldn't do for a shower right now." Nodding alongside her mother figure, Meredy giggled into her hand.

Jellal looked on fondly, smiling at the woman's light-heartedness amidst the usual shallows of their woes. The same woman who'd controlled him—brainwashed him— was now eating a shared meal and even sharing a laugh.

When they'd broken him out of prison and told him of the truth behind his change, he expected himself to rage, or to even end her life for the trouble she caused. Yet, for some reason, he loathed the thought of seeking vengeance once more.

Seeing the guilt in her eyes, he knew that he would never be able to go through with it. The dullness of her violet eyes was one he himself had seen before in the mirror… The look of absolute self-loathing.

Why didn't he kill her? Was it because he had forgiven her, or was it because he didn't want to take anymore lives?

No. It would have been too easy. Too easy to just off her and be done with it. Jellal accepted his sins, even if he didn't commit them in a right mindset, it was still him. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, he owed Ultear… She could've left him to rot in a cell to protect herself, yet she still stood before him and didn't beg for any forgiveness.

Whether she knew or not, at that moment she'd granted him a second chance by freeing him. A chance to prove to the world, to the council, to Erza, that he could be different.

And for that, he needed Ultear's help in a joint dream of seeking justice against the wrongful forces of evil that plagued their lives.

And for Erza, who believed that he could be better.

The blue haired man's eyes widened at a magical Lacrima sensor linked to his core flash in his cloak's pocket… Their barrier had been bypassed!

"Meredy, Ultear." The two women faced him with confusion as he stood to his feet abruptly. "Someone's here." He stated bluntly, looking around them with a sharpened gaze.

The two mages' meals clanked to the side of them, tossing meat scraps to the cold cliffside. They scrambled to their feet, shrugging off their cloaks and armed themselves with their magic.

Footsteps echoed against the even bluff, loudening with each passing second.

A tall blonde teenager walked out of the shadow of the mountain, and into the bright light of the campfire. A cigarette hung loosely from the side of his mouth, kindling at the tip from his inhales.

"Hey there." The deceivingly calm tone disrupted the cracking of wood in the fire. "Got room for one more?" He grinned, completely relaxed as far as body language went.

The blonde breath hitched shortly, taking in the face of Ultear Milkovich. She was a part of this Crime Sorciere too?! She'd been off the grid for years… inadvertently, he'd found her again…

Jellal stepped forward, eyes narrowed in skepticism. "Sure, why not?" He motioned the blonde to follow them to an empty spot, ignoring the pointed glances of his fellow mages.

Taking in the sight of the large blade on the young man's back, he could only conclude that he was some sort of mage, bandit or a part of another Guild that focused on Treasure Hunting and the such. He couldn't be sure, but Jellal assumed the teenager had companions nearby, maybe outside his barrier's sensing range, waiting to ambush them.

Of course, that would be foolish given who they were. But, the person in front of them seemed a cut above a simple bandit or average wizard. This was reinforced by the fact that the blonde either had absolutely zero magic, or hid it so well that it was vacant from his senses.

Taking a peek at his comrades, he was starting to believe that they were feeling similar vibes. They were dealing with a potentially dangerous person.

He didn't need the teenager to know that though. For now, they'd act innocent and ignorant of it all.

Unless the man knew who they were… it wasn't rare to know of them or their infamous crimes in the magic world. Any wizard worth their salt would know who he was approaching.

If this was true, then they would have to deal with this swordsman accordingly…

The bandanna youth spied the eating utensils sprawled upon the cliffside, along with pieces of cooked meat. "Sorry if I scared you." His eyes returned to the 'leader', Jellal. "I got some snacks if it's any constellation." He reached slowly into his pouch, removing small bags of bread and dried pork.

"Oh no, we're fine, thank you though."

Ultear took in the boy's appearance, squinting her eyes as she studied his frame. She could've sworn she knew this person from somewhere… and that earring… it reminded her of her mother's ice…

"Alright then." He restashed the food, sitting down an uneven rock while placing his Broadsword to the side. "What are you three doing out here in the Mountains? It's usually dangerous at this time of night." The one eyed teenager looked at Ultear for a couple seconds, watching her as she sat across the fire from him. Merudy was to his right, and Jellal to his left.

"Ah, well we don't have a lot of money." The pink eyed mage chimed in. "You see, we're a treasure hunting guild and we haven't had the best of luck lately. We're headed west with a new quest that will hopefully pay well." She expertly responded with their false alimony.

"Treasure Hunters?" His eyebrow curled upwards.

Meredy smiled embarrassingly, "Yeah…"

"Hmm." The blonde folded his arms over his chest. "That's too bad. I guess you wouldn't know anything about this new Guild, Crime Sorciere, then."

A minuscule frown raised on Ultear's beautiful features. "Crime Sorciere?" He nodded. "We've only heard bits and pieces. They don't sound like much really." She closed her eyes.

Why would the man have brought up their Guild…? And right in front of them. Did he, by chance, know that it was them? She would definitely understand if this person knew who they were, but to know their Guild— it just wasn't possible to correlate them.

They, S-Class criminals, would never be assumed to have been associated with a Guild that battles Dark Guilds.

Something wasn't right here.

"Is that why you're out here too?" Jellal interrupted, gaining the kid's attention. "To find this Guild?"

The blonde inclined his head. "Yeah. Some merchant I passed a couple days back said they were out here somewhere." He laughed humorlessly, huffing downcastedly. "I'm starting to think that the idiot was just fucking with me."

Ultear glanced sideways at her partners, who peered back. They were of the same suspicion at first. Maybe this guy just happened to stumble upon them coincidentally, looking for them, yet not knowing he'd actually found what he was looking for.

Then again, it could all be a ruse to lower their guard and make them confess to their involvement. That, or he was someone connected to the law, waiting to strike them down once he confirmed their identities.

They silently agreed to stay vigilant.

"Why Crime Sorciere though?" Ultear questioned, staring into the strangely familiar eyes. "There's plenty of Guilds looking for mages. Sabertooth is nearby, and Scarmiglione I think."

The blonde sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "To be honest, I'm not very strong. I don't have much magical prowess, but I've got some skill with a sword." He tipped his head towards the blade. "I've heard some rumors about those Guilds having new recruits complete a thorough exam process just to become minor affiliates. I'd rather join a new Guild in its beginning stages so that I have time to progress with my magic."

That much was true. Sabertooth was a bitch-in-a-half to get into, so it wouldn't be the best place for any start up.

"I don't know, you look pretty strong to me. I'm sure you'd be able to do it." Meredy complimented, observing how fit the teenager was. He may not have had great magical skill, but his physical strength seemed to be way above average.

He blushed lightly at the woman's kind words. "Thank you. Being fit would give me a chance, but that's not really what I was looking for." His tone gained a tint of admiration. "Them being new was only half the reason…"

"Crime Sorciere had come through my hometown, Shirotsume only a couple weeks ago. They ridded our town of this nasty gang that had taken influence over the town's exports." His face narrowed bitterly. "After Duke Everlue was imprisoned, all of his assets in the city collapsed, and the nearby Dark Guild, Ghoul Spirit, had taken over. Even though they were destroyed by Laxus Dreyar a few years ago, they reformed after hearing of The Thunder God Tribe's demise. They surged prices, highering the rent of storefronts and homes, acclimating all the magical items to snuff out any rebellion, and forbidding anyone from leaving to hire help from the Magic system."

Naruto recounted the story from the drunkard in Shirotsume Town. It was in fact, a true story, and recently happened. Although, at first he wasn't going to tell such a sob story, but after seeing Ultear, he called off his original plan…

His face contorted in remembrance. "I was so angry at the world, at my friends, and at my family for taking it all lying down. I trained everyday to beat them, to show our townsfolk that we didn't have to obey the laws of scum like them. But then, after a whole year, Crime Sorciere rolled stomped them out in a single afternoon, sending their beaten bodies to rot in prison— They had become our saviours, those mages gave me courage to never let it happen again, to my town or any other. So I left in search of their Guild, to thank them, and provide my services in the honor of Shirotsume, fighting injustice to the best of my ability. That's why I won't settle for anything less." He smiled dreamily, gazing at his palm as he scrunched his fist in determination.

As he recounted his 'story', the three mages smiled at the teenager's motivation. It warmed their hearts to see their efforts were reaching the lives they were trying to save. To see the effort of their atonement live in the flesh— it was nearly tear jerking.

The way the aspiring youth spoke, they could feel his genuine enthusiasm for wanting to join Crime Sorciere. It was admirable, however, it wasn't a realistic goal at the moment.

The danger they were put in on a daily basis would get him killed right off the bat. Plus, getting an innocent involved in their situation wasn't ideal. Dragging a poor boy, who'd done nothing wrong, into a group of former dark mages would make him guilty by association.

"It seems that you've got it all figured out then." Jellal looked at the teenager considerately, respecting his views on their Guild.

He laughed, gaining another blush. "Haha, yeah, I didn't mean to go off like that. I'm just super passionate about finding them."

Meredy giggled. He was so cute, despite being over six feet tall and beyond handsome. "I'm sure you'll succeed then." Ultear nodded alongside the Maguilty Sense mage, grinning softly.

Rising to his feet, the blonde grabbed his Broadsword, placing it into its sheath on his back. "I've got to get going. I want to get to town before morning comes!" He turned towards the mountain trail, waving behind him as he started to leave. "Good luck with that Treasure!" He took off a decent speed into the night, gradually distancing himself from the fire.

They all smiled, watching the teenager leap under the moonlight, bathing his blonde hair in an heavenly silver light.

Naruto's smile immediately redacted, his face resuming his usual neutral stance. His eyes glanced backwards at the campfire in the distance, sensing and remembering Ultear's signature. He almost couldn't recognize her magical trace from before. It used to be so violent and continuously swaying like the unrelenting tides of a storm.

Now, her imprint was calmer, more reassured, and glistened icilly like the steadfast power of an iceberg.

Had he known she was there, Naruto would've kept his distance. It wasn't time yet—he could tell. She didn't know who he was… that much hadn't changed.

She was healing mentally, much like Ultear's companions around her. They cared for her it seemed…

He wouldn't interfere.

'Goodbye for now, Ultear.' He plummeted from the cliffside, racing towards his next destination…

Fairy Tail Guild

"What?" Macao questioned uneasily, staring at Kinana holding the Job Request Booklet.

The book was opened to the S-Ranked section, listing a multitude of missions completed by the Guild's unofficial Ace.

Holding it up to the Fifth Master, the former partner of Cobra spoke nervously. "Naruto has completed more than three-fourths of the available S-Ranked missions. At this rate, there won't be any left by next summer…" Macao gripped his forehead stressfully.

Their jobs were plummeting at an unforeseen rate, he knew that. He was trying, and yet they continued to lose more and more as the days passed by. At this rate, even with Naruto's chained loyalty, he would eventually leave their Guild once the jobs ran dry.

Then, Fairy Tail would cease to exist. They'd be disbanded without him. There was nothing he could do! Other Guilds in Fiore were picking up fresh High Ranking missions because of their prestige, Naruto was getting them either personally, or from missions that didn't have expiration dates.

He couldn't let that happen. Even if he didn't want to be Master, he owed it to his son and the remaining members of Fairy Tail to do whatever it took to keep the memories of their fallen comrades alive! Whatever it took, he would do it!

Even if it meant paying Twilight Ogre for jobs! Even if it meant losing some of his dignity for his Guild to remain open-doored— he'd do it…

"Damn it." He brought his hands to his face, leaning his elbows against the bar.

He would find a solution.

Fairy Tail always did.

End

Thanks so much for the support! I've been so busy this past month, so I'm happy to finally get this out.

Continue to bomb the reviews with pairings. I HAVE A POLL UP ON MY PAGE! YOU CAN VOTE UP TO 5 TIMES WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTERS!

Next Chapter, Macao comes up with the solution to Naruto's shortage of missions. What do you think he has in store?

What does God Serena want with Naruto? What is Naruto's connection with Ultear? Did Merudy know Naruto was lying?

Give me your best guesses in the reviews.

Peace