Alright, been like years now since I updated this fic - and I think a certain Kurama would like nothing but me updating this story.
To anyone who still remembers this fic and reads it - I do not know how you managed to keep up with this but thanks. Here it is and I hope you all like it.
It is a short chapter, see if anyone is still interested - if not, I'll be paying less attention to it.
But if people still pay attention to it and like it - and leave reviews - I'll be on the next chapter in no time.
Enjoy.
Magnolia
Night
A few days had passed by since the S-rank mission on Galuna Island, with the rainstorm still wailing over Fiore, Magnolia being in the middle of it. The storm was so strong and bothersome that it paralyzed the normal life of the town, with barely any people coming outside for the past few days.
Well except Naruto who was seen walking through the streets, just arriving on foot with he intends to first drop by at the guild hall.
"Jeez, this storm's been going on for days," Naruto said, wearing a brown cloak over himself.
Turning to the corner, he was delighted. The guild hall was still showing lights burning from the inside, meaning that there were still some people inside of it, even when it was near closing time.
"Lucky me."
Inside the guild hall were only a few souls that sat at the counter, with one of them being the brunette Cana herself who was, as usual, under the influence but had her head straightened a bit.
"Come on, give me another!" Cana said waving around her empty mug. "I got money to throw."
"It's not the money that's the problem, Cana. we've run out." Lisanna replied while closing up the bar, "You've drank everything out."
"What? Impossible! How about one-"
"Out."
"Wine?"
"Out."
"But-"
"Even that is out, sorry." Lisanna said while apologizing, "We are expecting new deliveries from our brewer tomorrow morning, but for now I have to ask you to leave."
Groaning, Cana fell with her face flat to the counter. She gave up when she found out her bar dried up for the night - an occurrence that often happened with her guilt in it. She turned around and noticed the weather wasn't helping her situation either.
"Great, just when I don't have a coat." Cana sighed, turning back to her friend, "Can I bunk the night here?"
"Well…"
"...No…"
"Laxus up there and sleeping." Lisanna told her, giving her an awkward look, "I doubt you want to share a room with him."
More bad luck and Cana declined, "No thanks, I rather sleep outside in the rain."
"No need for that!"
The two girls turned towards the exit, and seeing that it was Naruto who had just entered, wearing a raincoat, he walked up to the counter and greeted them.
"Evening, Naruto."
"Good evening, Lisanna, Cana," Naruto said, his hair soaked wet by water, not bothered by it he then looked around, "Is Master Makarov around?"
"Sorry Naruto, you just missed him." Lisanna told to him, "He went on to visit Porlyusica if you wanted to know."
"Oh alright, just needed to drop something off." Naruto said while pulling out an envelope, and dropping it on the counter, "My payments to the guild. Enough for this month."
Taking the envelope, the young Strauss checked inside and saw it was money, and not some small amount of it either.
"This will cover it?"
"Given it is from you? Of course." Lisanna replied with a smile, "Master will be delighted."
"Good, because I am going off to sleep," Naruto said turning then to his brunette friend, "Need help?"
Cana turned to him, "Help with what?"
"Bringing you home, of course." Naruto said to her with a smile, "I can drop you off at Fairy Hills-"
"Yeah, no I cant." Cana abruptly told him, awkwardly hinting while looking into her glass, "I am down a payment…or three."
Hearing that got Naruto to turn to Lisanna, who herself was just as baffled as him.
"Okay, so what now?"
"I know a friend where I can bunk for the night." Cana suggested out of nowhere, giving a quick solution, "You can drop me off there, it is just next to the river."
Then thunder erupted that was loud enough for the three inside the guild to hear, hinting to them it could get worse.
"Whatever your idea is, Cana, do it." Lisanna said while she grabbed her raincoat and was close to closing shop, "My sister is waiting for me, dinner must be ready by now."
"That settles it, let's go." Cana said standing up from her seat, turning to Naruto, and smiling with a faint blush on her face, "Let's go, I'm ready."
"You sure? You drank like-"
"I'm fine!" Cana shrugged it off, "I'm not that drunk!"
…
Later
The thunder erupted again with rain pouring down the street of Magnolia still.
*Blurgh!*
Cana threw up in an alleyway, in an empty dumpster can. With her hair being held up by Naruto who was sharing his raincoat with her, the alcohol started to mess up her stomach which caused it to come out early.
"Just let it all out."
Cana gasped and breathed as she didn't feel good anymore, "Oh man…"
"Please tell me you didn't drink on an empty stomach again, did you?"
"..."
"Cana…"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, just get up," Naruto said while helping her, she got back fully under Naruto's coat as they continued to walk. "Tomorrow you will be eating something, under my watch."
"I know…I appreciate it."
The two proceeded to cross the bridge that was near the place where Cana said her friend's place was. Hoping that it wasn't far off anymore now that the rain wasn't calming down any moment.
Then they stopped in front of a two-story apartment house with red walls and a dark-brown sloping roof that overlooked the canals.
"We're here." Cana said, kneeling down and then reaching for something in the outside plants, it was a key, "She hides one here."
"Alright, but why?"
"She's out of town, and she surely does not mind having a friend sleeping over." Cana replied, unlocking the door and warning, "But be quiet, the landlady who owns this place is a bit of a hardass."
"Alright."
The two entered the building, with them entering the home of Cana's friend, it was the blond who did not know the friend of the drunken girl was also a friend of his.
And was going to find a surprise the next morning when she returned.
The next day
With the weather going better, it would only be overshadowed by what was discovered at the Fairy Tail guildhall…or what was added to it, with giant iron pillars having been added to the building - courtesy of Phantom Lord.
Whilst nobody was hurt, it came as a harsh shock to every one of the guild members and even the citizens of Magnolia who were used to the antics of their local bunch but weren't to this kind of actions from others.
Phantom Lord, a guild from another town has a long rivalry with Fairy Tail - one that wasn't of the good-spirited nature that was common among some guilds, but one that was of spite. Normally these kinds of malice acts were kept to a minimum to keep the Magic Council and the authorities out of their necks given that they forbid these actions, but this act was unprecedented.
With the act of Phantom Lord, now everyone was of course looking at Fairy Tail for its response - but it was Makarov who was holding back despite some of its members, like the hothead Natsu, who were out for retaliation.
Now everyone was just scared, rightly so with even the guild members going to their homes, with many intending to go in groups, but Lucy herself with her luggage was seen walking back to her own home after a whole day of tension that was brewing up and ready to explode.
While walking with the small Plue, she just was walking past the canals while talking to herself.
"Well this is a pretty big mess we're in right now, isn't it, Plue?"
Plue only acknowledges her words with a single nodd, just when one of the boats sailed past them, one of the fishermen commented.
"Watch out blondie, you are a step away from swimming."
Not hearing that, Lucy kept herself a distance away from the canal as she kept talking to herself.
"I had no idea Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail had such a rivalry between them, honestly I thought about joining them before I met Natsu."
The small Plue just kept on walking and wobbling, until it then stopped in front of Lucy, causing her to then stop.
"Huh? Something wrong?"
Plue pointed out at the apartment building, and what caused the blonde mage to spot was the lights were on - someone was in her apartment.
"WHO'S IN MY HOME!?"
Lucy's apartment
Inside the small but comfortable apartment was a small dinner being made, with two main dishes of fish having been prepared and guests had come over.
"The fish smells good, not going to lie." Happy said hovering over the table with his tongue out he tried to get closer, "May I-"
*SMACK!*
Slammed across the face, the small flying cat landed against the wall, falling in defeat.
"Ouch…"
"Keep your paws away from the food, Happy."
That warning came from Erza, sitting with Gray and Natsu at the table, with Gray patiently waiting and Natsu grumbling to himself, they weren't the only ones however in the apartment.
*Cough!* *Cough!*
"Again, my apologies for coming in unannounced," Erza said turning around, "We didn't know you two were here."
In the huge bed of Lucy lay Cana, whose absence was noticed by everyone in the guild today, but who instead lay here on the bed and was covered with the blankets while being treated by Naruto.
"No need to apologize, it's okay." Cana tried to wave it off but instead began coughing again, "Damn it-"
"Lay back down, Cana." Naruto told her, pushing her lightly back as he held his palm against her face, he nodded, "Just what I thought - Alcohol Poisoning."
"Well, well, well, too much drinking for you, Cana?" Gray joked a bit, "Maybe you need to notch it down a bit."
Cana glared daggers at the Ice mage and was about to say something-
*SMACK!*
"Ahh!" Gray felt the full palm of an angry hand across his face, having come from Erza.
"Shame on you, Gray. There is no need to joke about someone's health." Erza tutored him before she turned to the sick brunette, "But on a serious note, Cana. It is perhaps for the better if you watch out next time."
"It is not that serious, Erza, just bad luck for her," Naruto said while getting a wet towel out of a bucket with warm water. Folding it and then planting it over her forehead. "With the bad weather of the last few days, she got herself a fever and poisoning at the same time. She needs to sick it out, so no drinks for her."
Cana heard that and tried, "Come on, not even a little-"
"Sorry, but no."
Naruto grabbed the sides of the sheet and put it back over Cana's shoulders, even making close eye contact with the flushed brunette drinker, who was glad that her red cheeks indicated that she was unwell and not something else.
"Just rest and stay in bed for a couple of days, alright?" Naruto's eye smiled at her, pulling a small can of water to give it to her, "Here, water, it's good for you."
Cana accepted it and drank some water, and the moment a doorknob was heard, Lucy was seen entering her own house.
"Evening, Lucy." Erza raises her cup of tea, "Very nice place you have."
"WHY ARE YOU HERE!"
"Shhhh, be quiet."
"But-"
"Cana's sick." Happy expressed, telling her, "Jeez, you also like to scream in hospitals or something-"
"Watch it," Lucy said while walking over to her bed and seeing her fellow blond taking care of the brunette who she noticed was in a bad state. "What happened?"
"She's just sick, and needs to rest out," Naruto began explaining to her, "Since yesterday in the late evening she's been puking, so I assume alcohol poisoning and a fever above it."
"Oh, so that's why we didn't see you in the guild hall today," Lucy figured it out, correcting her slightly, "well, what's left of it…"
Cana heard that and asked. "Left of it?"
After a short explanation and dinner being served, it was now silent as everyone inside Lucy's apartment was now asleep and sleeping, it was official that for safety reasons all Fairy Tail members were to stay in groups for now. With the possibility of Phantom Lord members still in their town and possibly seeking further actions, this was stressed out by Mirajane and also their master.
With Gray, Natsu, and Happy sleeping on the floor, Cana was still sleeping in the bed while Lucy slept next to her in her sleeping bag, leaving just Naruto and Erza who were not among them.
Instead, they were standing outside the building and nearby the canals, both strong individuals within the guild were going over the details of what had happened today.
"I assumed that it wasn't something that anybody in our guild could've done to the building." Naruto concluded, "So Phantom Lord wants to start something like a fight."
Erza nodded, "Yeah, and some of us want to take the fight back to them."
"Natsu I assume is the first one…"
"And Droy, Jet, Gray I can assume also would like to join in. Cana herself would not think twice wanting some payback." Erza named up a few, shaking her head, "Master Makarov told them all to stand down for now, but honestly, I can understand them."
"So can I, but I can see Master Makarov's' point of view also why not to retaliate." Naruto brought up, "We're dealing with another strong guild, so this might end up in a big confrontation."
"Don't you mean a war?"
"I don't easily use that word, Erza…"
That last response came a bit harsh, causing a small silence to come between the two as if it were a taboo word.
"...Sorry…"
"War is an easy word to be thrown around, and there we got to be careful." Naruto mentioned while he continued talking, "And so does Master Makarov, he knows he cannot go start a fight with another guild over property damage."
"Some of us grew up in that building…"
"And we can rebuild it back up over time, but rebuilding lives is a different thing." Countering that, the blond turned his face to Erza, "So long we do not retaliate, Phantom's got to answer for this stunt, but the moment one of our members gets touched…."
Hearing where this was going, Erza then asked curiously. "...What then?"
"Then Phantom Lord's medical bills will be skyrocketing, I can assure you that." Naruto promised as he then began walking back inside, "Let's go to sleep, shall we?"
"Yeah…" Erza agreed as they both started to walk back inside the building.
With the two seen entering back into the apartment, a couple of shadows moved around as they now had missed their opportunity to hit them.
Going now for a different target…
Oak Town
A long distance away from Magnolia lay the normal town of Oak Town which was also home to another guild, that of Fairy Tail's rival - Phantom Lord. Where currently a feast was being thrown - a feast over their victory over Fairy Tail.
A victory in the sense it was petty, but it was enough for the majority of the members to be happy, with some even going as far as to mock them constantly as if it was them who had done the dirty work-
"So Gajeel, I heard you made a mess out of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Ah man, I wish I could've seen the looks on their faces, crying and weeping and-"
*SMASH!*
One of the loudmouths got hit with an iron pillar to the face, knocking a few teeth out while the bald man fell to the ground unconscious.
Done by the actual perpetrator who was responsible for the whole affair, Gajeel Redfox, a piercing-ridden man with black hair and a muscular body who now was eating anything that was iron, propping his mouth full of it.
At the mere sight of one of their own getting beaten, the other members of Phantom Lord laughed with little regard, with Gajeel's iron arm turning back into a fist, he spared no simple words.
"How many times do I have to tell ya, I don't like to be bothered while I'm eating!" Gajeel stood up and made things clear. "And besides, those Fairy Tail clowns can't challenge us. We're way more powerful than they could ever hope to be."
"As much as I'd love to agree with that, I have to say - don't be hasty now…"
The comment being made came from the second floor of the large guild room, with everybody turning their heads upwards, where a man stood in the dark while addressing his people.
"Tomorrow they will fall for our ploy, and we will show them our true strength…"
Next Morning
In Magnolia, the images of the previous day were still fresh on their minds, with many having hoped that it would be a one-time thing. However, what they discovered in Southgate Park was something that warranted more shock.
On a tree were three Fairy Tail members who were hanging there, with their arms nailed against the tree, left beaten up, and their clothes torn apart, it was Jet and Droy with Levy seen in the middle who had something drawn in ink on her stomach.
The symbol of the Phantom Lord.
The first one to have arrived was Naruto, staring at the unconscious beaten bodies of Droy and Jet, it was an infuriating sight to see.
But Levy, sweet helpful Levy? That was something even he could only verbalize in silence.
"...bastards fucked up."
"LEVY!"
"Jet! Droy!"
Hearing Lucy and Gray in the background, it was safe to assume the others had arrived, and an angry growl that could be none other than Natsu was enough to know he was here…
"Master…"
Naruto then sensed the guild master arriving, Master Makarov used his cane to walk up while the crowd dispersed out of his way, every step he made was another drop of anger that was boiling up.
"I can take out headquarters being reduced to rubble…but I will NOT let harm come to my children without taking revenge!"
*CRACK!*
The staff of Makarov cracked into pieces under his angered strength, even causing others around him to be afraid. Not finished, Makarov finally stated.
"We have no choice but to go to war!"