Deception
'He's become much stronger, as have I.' Kimimaro was able to react to Naruto's attacks, but Naruto was able to match him. 'Last time in underestimated you, but I won't make the same mistake!' Kimimaro protruded many bones from his body and kept up in the attack, forcing Naruto on the defensive.
'He's vicious! But I won't be defeated this time!' Naruto was not the only one having a hard time.
(Erza vs Ikaruga)
Sho, an old friend of Erza's, was on the ground witnessing Erza losing the battle between her and Ikaruga. Ikaruga had light pink hair and a kimono which was quite revealing. Erza had Re-Quipped to different armours already, even to what she claimed was her strongest armour, but Ikaruga destroyed that one with ease too.
(Vidaldus Taka vs Lucy and Juvia)
"Let's go blondie!" Vidaldus used his magic to control Juvia, who now had much paler skin and an gothic attire. Right now, Lucy summoned Taurus and hoped that she could defeat Vidaldus and snap Juvia out of his control.
(With Natsu's group)
Natsu and Happy joined forces with Simon, the only one of Erza's old friends who knew Jellal was manipulating them and had faith in Erza. They were then attacked by Fukuro, a muscular man with an owl head instead of a human face. He had jets attached to his back and armbands with wings attached to them.
"Be careful! This man is a part of Trinity Raven!" Simon utilised his Dark Moment spell, which took the form of black mist until it shrouded the entire room in darkness. Simon could see through it and he planned his attack on Fukuro, only for Natsu to block an attack from Fukuro instead. 'What!?' Simon was shocked.
"He can see through your mist, I could hear and smell him, but it might be better if you undo your mist." Natsu told Simon with a serious demeanour on his face. Simon did so and could only stare at the owl-man.
"How?" Simon simply asked Fukuro.
"I am part owl, seeing in the dark is child's play for me. Hoo!" Fukuro sounded like an owl at the end of his sentence. "I am Fukuro of Trinity Raven! And the Warrior of Justice!"
"Natsu! Be careful, he's from a Dark Guild called Death Head's Caucus, they killed a lot of people and specialise in assassination!" Simon did his research and did not expect to see a member of Trinity Raven here.
"A killer like you is a Warrior of Justice? And you're working for Jellal who didi horrible things to Erza's frieneds and to Erza? You ain't no Warrior of Justice!" Natsu was enraged and went for the first attack. Fukuro jumped out of the way from Natsu.
"It does not matter if a villain like you thinks that. You shall be defeated, like your friend, the Swift Paladin. Hoo!" Fukuro exclaimed with some smugness in his voice.
"Naruto? What did you guys do to him!?" Natsu was now worried for his blonde friend and fellow Dragon Slayer, but only for a brief moment. "Doesn't matter, Naruto ain't that easy to take down."
"You have faith in your friend. Admirable but ultimately pointless." Fukuro used this chance jet past Natsu, landing a blow and sending Simon through the wall.
"Simon!" Natsu was distracted enough for Fukuro to attack him, but Natsu channelled flames through his feet and performed a handstand, dodging Fukuro's tackle and then hit Fukuro head on, sending him flying backwards, only for the owl-man to rebound.
"He's tough if he can take a hit from Natsu of all people." Happy was helping out Simon as they looked on. Fukuro launched missiles from his rocket, leaving him without his rockets but it hardly mattered when the missiles aimed for Natsu, with the Fire Dragon Slayer avoiding them twice. The third time, however, mechanical arms grabbed Natsu and he was captured. His motion sickness came back and Fukuro only made it worse by having his rockets perform loops as if Natsu was on a roller coaster ride.
(With the Magic Council)
Siegrain managed to convince the rest of the council members to use Etherion, a weapon more than capable destroying the island the Tower of Heaven is currently located in. He convinced them by mentioning Zeref and him being revived by the R-System. They decided almost an hour ago, when Jellal commenced his game to the current inhabitants in the Tower of Heaven. They prepared for Etherion to be fire and wipe out the threat, whilst praying for any innocent lives lost.
'Jellal has been acting stranger than usual. No matter, as soon as Etherion is fired, I'll escape this place and retrieve the key.' Ultear did not realise that Jellal had a hidden smirk, but not his usual one. This one was more snake-like, something Hiruzen noticed.
'That smile. You took Siegrain's appearance and managed to fool the others but not me. I'm keeping my eye on you, and I'll make sure no one dies here.' Hiruzen still voted against firing Etherion but unfortunately, he and Yajima were outvoted by the others.
(Back at the Tower of Heaven with Erza)
Erza had stopped wearing any armour and wore pants with a flame design and bandaged around her chest. She had cut down Ikaruga and won her battle, telling Sho to go back to Wally and Milliana.
(With Lucy and Juvia)
Lucy managed to gain Juvia's cooperation by being trapped within Juvia's body when she formed a water twister. Juvia managed to communicate to Lucy and how she did not want to fight her. Lucy summoned Aquarius using Juvia's watery body and the two girls performed a Unison Raid, a power spell that allowed them to combine their power and defeat Vidaldus Taka, who was now bald.
(With Natsu's group)
"You ain't nowhere near as tough as Natsu!" Gray had arrived and saved Natsu, who was swallowed by Fukuro and gave Fukuro the ability to use Fire Magic. However, the flames paled in comparison to Natsu's own and Gray defeated Fukuro, freeing Natsu.
"Attention participants! It seems the game is almost over. You have just under 10 minutes to escape the island before the Magic Council fires their mighty weapon, Etherion. In under 10 minutes, everyone here shall be eradicated!" Jellal announced and made everyone panic.
(Back with Naruto)
"He wants to kill us all!?" Naruto and Kimimaro took a moment to hear the announcement. "Are you really okay with that?" Naruto turned back to Kimimaro, who gave a small smile.
"I'm from a guild of assassins. Unlike many, I understand that I may be killed one day. Whether by someone wanting revenge for me killing their loved one or becoming a target myself." Kimimaro continued attacking.
"And I don't believe you." Naruto knew something was up because he remembered Kakashi telling him about Kimimaro wanting vengeance against him for Zabuza's death. "But I'll beat you and get everyone out of here!" Naruto rushed towards his opponent, who dodged his attack and knocked Naruto backwards with a bone club. Kimimaro's were briefly that of his demonic form's and he smiled when Naruto came rushing back out of the wall and he decided to charge at him in retaliation.
'When you spoke to me using Telepathy, I did not think this was your actual plan. But it is not my place to question you, Lord Jellal.' Kimimaro was briefly distracted by his thoughts, and this gave Naruto a chance to land a water-enhanced kick.
(Back with Erza)
"Jellal!" Erza kicked the doors open had her blade ready. Jellal sat down on his throne and smirked at her.
"You defeated Ikaruga. As expected from someone of your calibre and I can sense that you are more powerful than last time." Jellal stood up and his arms stretched out. "Entertain me till the end! Erza!"
'We will both die together!' Erza resolved that only she and Jellal would die. 'Escape my friends, this will be my atonement. No…. Our atonement.'
'I'm sorry, Erza. I will not be denied.' Jellal had his own hidden thoughts as he clashed with Erza, only using a small fraction of his power, unbeknownst to the red-haired woman. They fought, with Erza see,ingly holding her own and even overpowering Jellal. Their clash was brief, but Erza could not strike down her old friend. She accepted that she should not have run away and would stay with Jellal to the end, both old friends hugged each other.
'I am sorry, Erza.' Jellal simply thought to himself as the Tower of Heaven shook and light began to surround them. The other Fairy Tail wizards were too late, even those who were already by the docks to make their escape.
(Magic Council Chambers)
"Release Etherion!" The council members activated the weapon, which was a satellite the charged up and released a powerful and destructive beam. However, as soon as it was unleashed, the room began to fall apart.
"What!?" Several council members were surprised and realised that Etherion was booby-trapped. Most of them were hit by the rubble and could only watch as Ultear laughed.
"The plan is a success! Lord Zeref shall be re….." Ultear was prevented from speaking further as the left side of her stomach was bitten by a human sized snake. But it was made from dark-purple aura and had red eyes.
(Play Naruto OST-Orochimaru: Fight)
"I'm so sorry. But there's been a change of plans." 'Jellal' spoke and had his right arm stretched out, which is where the aura snake came from. The left side of his face began to crack.
"I should have known it was you. Orochimaru!" Hiruzen glared at Orochimaru, who released Ultear and the young woman fell to her knees, two large teeth marks on her stomach, bleeding.
'O-Orochimaru? Why is he here?' Ultear felt fear once more in her life. 'This wound isn't enough to kill me, but I also feel weak…He poisoned me!' Ultear coughed repeatedly until she regained her bearings. "W-What a-are you d-doing here!?"
"It's good to see you too, my old teacher. Ultear, for someone who specialises in deception, you failed to realise that you were the one being deceived." Orochimaru first greeted Hiruzen and then insulted Ultear. "Jellal is no longer under your control, and he knows about your affiliation with Grimoire Heart." This shocked the council members, but they had to worry about escaping for now.
"Everyone! Get yourselves to safety! I shall handle Orochimaru!" Hiruzen told them all as he rushed towards Orochimaru with speed much greater than an old man is supposed to have. He sent a left hook with fire channelled through it, with Orochimaru matching it with his own left fist, channelled with the same aura as the snake.
(OST End)
The spells collided and caused a shockwave, sending Ultear skidding from the blast. She managed to land on one knee and breathed heavily.
'As I expected. I cannot fight these two, especially in my current condition.' Ultear pulled out her crystal ball and called for help. At this point, the other council members escaped with some aid from the guards.
(Back with Erza and Jellal)
"W-What!?" Erza looked around to see that the Tower of Heaven was in fact a giant Lacrima which absorbed the power of Etherion.
"I'm sorry for the deception, Erza." Jellal released his hug and stood up. This confused Erza, who then stood up and demanded answers.
"What is going on Jellal!? What is your true goal?" Érza summoned her katana and pointed it towards Jellal.
"Does it matter? Does it bring back all the years I made our friends work on this tower? Does it even make up for all the pain I caused to them and every other innocent person?" Jellal had a dark look on his face. 'I would have continued if not for you….Orochimaru.'
(Flashback to X783)
"This is annoying. It seems that we require a sacrifice with a large amount of magic power on top of 2.7 billion Edeas. At least someone with the magic power level of a Wizard Saint. Looks like we need to find some candidates." Jellal ranted to Ultear, who was reading a book.
"I see. The tower is not complete though, it will take some time before it is finished, so we have a bit of time before we find someone." Ultear replied calmly. 'The spell is still in effect, which is good because I don't need him to regain his sense of self just yet.'
"You're right. Guess I'm overthinking it." Jellal placed a hand over his hair and then sighed to himself. "Well, I have a mission from the old farts. Something that only a Wizard Saint such as myself can do."
"Is this to hunt down those cultists? What was the cult called again? Oh yes, the Jashin Cult!" Ultear finally recalled their name. "Be careful now, they are said to be people who crave blood. In fact, according to the reports, their religion demands that they kill regularly."
"Yes, that is right and I am well aware of that." 'I will not have my blood taken from me until Lord Zeref has returned!' Jellal took his leave.
(A few hours later, unknown temple)
'So many skeletons and a lot of them have dried up blood. Not even the Tower of Heaven was this bad back when I was a prisoner.' Jellal walked through a tunnel until he saw the exit. He came out and to his surprise, a priest was on the podium and many sat down, listening to his words. The priest then noticed Jellal's appearance.
"Oh my. My fellow Jashinists, we seem to have a guest!" Everyone turned to see Jellal and took out their weapons. "Young man, are you here to join in the ways of Jashinism? Or do you wish to be our next tribute to Lord Jashin?" The priest took out a scythe and was ready to attack. Jellal motioned his arms around and they were taken out by a powerful light emanating from Jellal.
"D-Damn y-you…..H-Hidan w-will f-find you….." The priest gave his last words before Jellal pierced his head with a light beam from the tip of his left index finger. "Well, that was easy."
"I agree." A voice spoke out suddenly, which made Jellal turn around to see one of his victims stand back up, but she had a much deeper voice than Jellal expected.
"You're not one of them, are you?" Jellal did not expect what happened next. The woman touch her face before peeling it off to reveal Orochimaru's face and the rest of his fake skin peeled off. 'This man…Orochimaru!' Jellal was on the defensive and was ready to use one of his spells to escape.
"Settle down boy. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead." Orochimaru told the blue-haired man with some amusement in his voice.
"Then what are you doing here?" Jellal was still wary of Orochimaru and kept his guard up.
"Well, this little cult was said to someone who could not be killed and they performed so-called blood rituals. Unfortunately, the person I was looking for was not here. They did have some interesting ceremonies though." Orochimaru was jesting but he was also disappointed in not finding the person he was looking for. "But now I've run into you, a talented wizard and one of the Wizard Saints." Orochimaru's grin did not make Jellal feel any easier.
"Well, my mission was to wipe out these cultists and from what I can see, they were just bloodthirsty maniacs." Jellal replied and stared down with Orochimaru.
"I see. Well, seeing as you have time. I would like to talk." 'Hmmm something feels off about him.' Orochimaru's eyes were staring into Jellal's own. He noticed that Jellal's eyes briefly glowed with a symbol. 'He's possessed? I wonder who would do such a thing?'
"My apologies but I'm afraid I have some errands to run." Jellal bowed and excused himself. He was very uncomfortable in front of the former Wizard Saint.
"I see. But I thought you would want to know about who is controlling you." Orochimaru struck a cord, and Jellal turned back around.
"Controlling me? I thin you must be mistaken." Jellal did not realised he was being controlled and was confused, allowing Orochimaru the opportunity bind him with his aura snakes. "This magic is Venom Radiance!"
"You did your research. I am honoured." Orochimaru chuckled and walked towards Jellal, who was struggling to get free. When Orochimaru reached him, Jellal released a shockwave from his body, destroying the snakes. 'He's strong and a lot more skilled than I thought.' Orochimaru moved quickly and his magic enhanced left hand hit Jellal with an open palm, making him scream briefly. 'Release!' Orochimaru thought to himself. What followed was all of Jellal's memories replaying in his mind. From his time as a slave at the Tower of Heaven, to meeting 'Zeref's' will and being enlightened by him. The symbol appeared in Jellal's eyes again, but this time it cracked. When Orochimaru was satisfied, he let go of Jellal and watched as the young man was on his knees, breathing heavily.
"W-What have I done?" Jellal was holding his head with both hands and was horrified at his actions.
"Looks like you did some thing you weren't proud of. But I helped you regain control of your actions, but I did not completely undo the spell." The last sentence made Jellal look up, even though he was still greatly troubled, he had to know what Orochimaru meant.
"What do you mean by 'not completely'?" Jellal began to reign in on his emotions.
"Well, I could have undone the entire spell, but I simply removed the brainwashing. The spell itself also had other effects, increasing all of your darkest and negative thoughts. If I undid the spell completely, the caster may become aware of it. And this way, we can track the caster." Orochimaru confused Jellal even further.
"What do you mean by 'we'? What is in it for you?" Jellal was apprehensive about Orochimaru and his intentions.
"Let's just say I find your predicament interesting. Plus, you are now in my debt for freeing you." Orochimaru smirked as Jellal understood what happens when you are in debt with a man like Orochimaru.
"Fine. But I have a feeling I know who did this to me." Jellal's mind went to that of Ultear, because she was the one who came to him and agreed to his plans or rather the brainwashed version of him.
(End Flashback)
'And my suspicions were right. With Orochimaru and his connections, I found out about Ultear's affiliation with Grimoire Heart. I had to keep her possession spell on me and I can feel my hatred taking over.' Jellal looked at the sky, with Erza still kept in the dark about Jellal's true goal.
(Back with Naruto)
'This is Lacrima…. What is this Jellal guy really planning?' Naruto avoided Kimimaro's bone bullets and looked at his deadly opponent.
"You are strong. Stronger than I imagined, so I will use my full power." Kimimaro's eyes changed to those of his demonic forms.
End. Sorry for the delay. As you can see, I am slowly diverging from canon. I debated on what to do with Orochimaru, either have him as Jellal in the Tower of Heaven or have him be the one with Ultear. He was possessed by Ultear in the series, so I did something different. Next up will be Naruto and Kimimaro's rematch.
I may have some trouble, but I will try my best, I have a few personal things going on and it has been difficult for me. I will try to update the next chapter to this story as soon as possible.
