Two Years Later

"Why me?" A busty and beautiful blonde girl said out loud to herself. She is Lucy Heartfilia, current Fairy Tail wizard. Sitting next to her is the now older Natsu Dragneel, also given the title of 'Salamander' and considered one of Fairy Tail's most promising wizards. Natsu was currently motion sick due to travelling withing a carriage with three others. One is a female white cat that wore a dress, and one is a male blue cat that had a green bag tied around his neck and placed around his back. These are Carla and Happy respectively.

"It can't be helped Miss Lucy!" A familiar voice said. The voice came from all grown up Wendy Marvell, who developed into a beautiful young woman much like Lucy herself, even having a curvaceous figure and large breasts like Lucy, but with fairer skin. She is now an official member of Fairy Tail and is happy to be with her friends from the guild. However, she still thinks of a certain blonde boy to this day.

(Unknown Location)

"Captain! Pirates our right on our tail!" A crew member of the trading ship shouted at their captain, warning him of oncoming danger.

"Our ship isn't armed! Our only option is to outrun them!" He ordered all the men and women onboard.

"The blasted seadogs think they can outrun us lads!" A tall, bearded man spoke. "We will plunder everything they have and take all the women they have onboard!" The mean all cheered but a simple yawn from above.

"Yeah, that ain't happening bud." The voice from above was revealed to be none other than Naruto himself. He changed his attire and was a little taller. He wore black cargo pants, a white t-shirt with a short-sleeved black jacket over it. It had the Heart Kreuz symbol on the back and short sleeves. He wore black boots that went above his ankles. He had a black belt around his waist and attached to it was scabbard to his katana, to which the hilt was black with the patterns being silver. He also had pouches attached to his belt, presumably possessing equipment and money in them. His blonde hair was still the same as before and he wore black fingerless gloves.

"And who the hell are you!?" The captain demanded from Naruto, who only yawned again. Naruto was on their ship for a while, having took a nap and was a little groggy. He rubbed his left eye with his left hand and touched the hilt of his katana with his right hand. The pirates went for the attack, but Naruto grabbed his katana and unleashed his attack. The ship was cut down instantly and the pirates were defeated.

"Captain! Their ship was struck down!" The trader ship's crew witnessed the pirate ship sink into the ocean depths. They cheered but then the quartermaster saw something move in the water and head towards them.

"C-CAPTAIN! Something's heading our way!" The quartermaster was afraid, as was everyone else. Suddenly, someone jumped out of the water and landed on their ship. It was none other than Naruto. He shook his body and accidentally splashed some nearby crew members.

"Oh. Sorry about that. And sorry about coming onto your ship without asking." Naruto told them nonchalantly.

"Uhhh. That's not a problem. Was that you who took down that pirate ship?" The captain pointed towards it and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. I was supposed to get a boat to Fiore. But I took the wrong one and fell asleep in what I thought was the cargo bay. Then I woke up to find out they were pirates, so I cut down their ship when they tried to attack me." Naruto told them and the looked over to the sunken ship. "Got a net?" Naruto asked them and they could only nod, not expecting a young man like him to cut down a large ship like that.

(A few hours later)

Naruto had captured the pirates, which turned out to good for him because the captain of the pirates had a small bounty on his head. He handed them over to the local authorities and collected the reward after thanking the crew of the trading ship for dropping him off nearby. Suddenly, Naruto's stomach growled.

'I guess I better get some food in me.' Naruto began to search for a nearby to town to find something to eat. He found a sign which pointed a few miles to the west. 'Hargeon Town? Never been here before. Let's hope they have a good place to eat.' Naruto made his way towards Hargeon Town, hoping to satiate his hunger. '8-Island? Let's give this place a go.' He entered the restaurant and took his seat, grabbing a menu.

"Welcome to 8-Island. Are you ready to order?" A hand was now on the table and Naruto looked up to see a beautiful red-haired woman, wearing the orange uniform of the restaurant which revealed a generous portion of her breasts and she looked quite seductive. In fact, she looked more like a maid than a waitress.

'W-Whoa!' Naruto blushed at seeing a beautiful woman but managed to return to his normal self and smiled at the woman, though internally he was a little nervous. "Yes. I would like everything on the menu please." The woman smiled and wrote it down on her notepad. She left, and Naruto could not help but stare at her derriere until he shook himself out of it. 'I'm not a pervert! What would Wendy thin….Why do I keep thinking about her?' Naruto began to think about one of Mifune's final lessons.

(Flashback)

"Your skill has improved. At your current pace, you will surpass me as I am now." Mifune looked pleased at Naruto's progress. Mifune and Naruto were eating after an intense training session.

"Thanks. I knew the basics and worked my way from there, but you've shown me that honing sword skills not only makes me a better swordsman, but I've gained better control of my magic too." Naruto was happy with his progress. 'That and my Darkness Magic is back to the level it was before they drained me of my magic.'

"Indeed. I am glad to see that you are devoted to your training." Mifune passed Naruto some tea, who gladly accepted it. "Of course, you must remember to rest and train your mind."

"Got it!" Naruto understood that fighting recklessly would not do him good and that even if he could before, now he does not have that luxury. Mifune nodded at his enthusiasm, but Naruto had a few questions. "Hey, Sensei?"

"What is it Naruto?" Mifune replied to his current apprentice.

"I've been wondering but why do you live alone?" Naruto asked his teacher, who could only stare at his food. Naruto realise that he may have been insensitive towards his teacher and apologised. "I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything if….."

"No. It's alright Naruto." Mifune interrupted him. "You have told me about yourself. It is only fair that I tell you why I live in solitude. After we finish eating." Mifune and Naruto finished their meal and moved into another room.

"Now to answer your question, I chose to live alone because I wanted to train my body and soul. There is more than one path, but I have dedicated myself to the sword and its teachings. Of course, I do visit some old friends from time to time and the local town nearby." Mifune smiled.

"I see. So at least you have friends you can count on. But don't you have a family?" Naruto didn't realise he hit a sore spot until Mifune's smile went away. "N-No! That's…..I mean…..Sorry." Naruto was dejected now and apologised for his mistake.

"It is alright. Truth be told, I have no blood-related family. My parents have long since passed before I reached adulthood and my wife died young. We never had children, but I found my old squad to be my family." Mifune regained his smile thinking of his old squad.

"Oh, I am sorry to bring up old wounds." Naruto told him with sincerity, but he had a burning question. "Your wife….What was she like?" Naruto asked the old samurai, who looked up at the ceiling.

"She was stern but kind. She was disciplined and elegant. We met as children, and we fell in love later. She was a member of my old squadron and fought alongside me in many battles. Her presence brough me great peace and I always felt at ease with her around." Mifune told him complete honesty. "But that was a long time ago. I have long since moved on and devoted myself to the sword."

'Is that what it means to gain true strength? Will this help me become stronger to find my dad's killer and to find Grimoire Heart?' Naruto was deep in his thoughts now, but Mifune could tell that he was thinking about obtaining more strength.

"There are many paths to strength Naruto. We must choose our own paths. However, you are young man that has experienced much, but still young. Find your own path, find someone who will give you strength." The last sentence struck Naruto.

'Find someone who will give me strength?' Naruto then remembered Wendy. His friends, Lee, Choji and Shino were dead, and Grimoire Heart betrayed him, but due to recent events, he almost forgot one of the few people who has yet to betray him. He smiled and Mifune could tell that there was hope for the blonde.

"I can see that you have found someone. Good, I hope that I will be invited to your wedding one day." Mifune joked a little and made Naruto blush in embarrassment.

"It's not like that!"

(End of Flashback)

'Why am I thinking about that moment?' Naruto waited about a good 20 minutes before the waitress came back with his food. "Thank you." Naruto was polite and joined his hands, before digging in. 'This lady… her ki is that of a warrior.' Naruto thought briefly but returned to his food. He took his time and enjoyed each bite. He was enjoying his meal so much that he did not hear or see someone kick the doors open.

"Listen up! We the Red Giant Four are here!" They all wore different robes, but it was the largest man who said this. They all posed flamboyantly, disturbing the guests and staff members.

"Oh? Would you like a table for 4?" The same redheaded waitress from before spoke, trying to sound as nice as possible.

"Oooh, you're a hottie!" The leader gave her a lecherous grin, something the redhead did not take notice of this and gave a smile. "Sorry, but we don't want a table! We want all your money, and you can come with me cutie!" The leader went to grab her arm, but he was punched face first by the red-haired woman.

"B-Boss!" The other three yelled out in shock to see their leader take a punch. They took out weapons and Naruto felt them charge up their magic.

Naruto glanced at the red-haired waitress and then felt her magic power. 'She's got a lot of magic and….is she glowing!?' Naruto saw her covered in light and noticed her basically becoming naked if it was not for the light covering her body. 'Hell of a transformation sequence.' He blushed a little because if something wrong occurred now, her naked body would be exposed to the inhabitants of the diner, but he was more focused on what she would do to the thugs. Luckily, her transformation is now complete.

"I suggest you all surrender." Her hair was let down, she now sported armour with the Heart Kreuz symbol and wore a blue combat skirt.

"Y-You! You're Titania! The queen of the fairies!" The leader who was punched by the woman earlier pointed at her and was now fearful. "W-What is a Fairy Tail wizard like you doing here!?"

'H-Huh!? Fairy Tail wizard!? It can't be that easy…..can it?' Naruto's current goal was to find and reunite with Laxus and possibly Wendy, who joined Fairy Tail after he parted ways with them.

The one now known as Titania then cut down the troublemakers instantly. This surprised Naruto a little.

'She uses a sword too? I definitely need to ask for a spar later.' Naruto had fought plenty of swordsmen in the past and being taught by Mifune showed him that he still had much to learn. 'Hmm….. The food is quite good, I've got to meet the chef.'

"That's quite enough Erza." A tiny old man with a long face and small moustache above his lip spoke. He also wore a chef's uniform and hat. He looked at Titania, whose name is in actuality, Erza.

"My apologies, Councilman Yajima. But I sensed their intentions to cause trouble and their boss creeped me out." Erza bowed at the old man, who could only sigh.

"This is true. At least you didn't trash the restaurant…again." Yajima was relieved to at least find his restaurant in one piece. Naruto finished his meal and took out a bag of gold coins and placed it on the table.

"Excuse me. I have left you the money on the table, but I just wanted to have a word with you, Miss Erza." Naruto tried to sound respectful as possible, despite it not sounding like what he would say, but he did need to speak with Erza.

"If it's a fight you want, then I will gladly oblige." Erza thought that Naruto could possibly be an enemy, she was a little distrusting after dealing those people earlier and finally taking notice of his sword. Naruto simply put up his arms, his hands gesturing that he meant no harm.

"I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk. I overheard those thugs mentioning that you are a wizard in Fairy Tail. I'm Naruto Namikaze, nice to meet you." When Naruto mentioned his name, Erza's eyes widened in shock before she grew angry and swung her sword at him. Naruto reacted and took out his katana, blocking Erza's sword strike.

'His reaction speed…He's good.' Erza was now gauging Naruto, who tried to diffuse the situation.

"Okay. I get that you don't a reason to believe but if we talk it ou….." Naruto began to talk.

"Shut up!" Erza interrupted him, not caring about what he had to say. She pushed Naruto, who decided to take the fight outside by jumping out the window, which made Erza follow her.

"Hey! Windows aren't cheap!" Yajima knew what Erza was like and he recognised the name Naruto. He took out a crystal Lacrima. "Hello, Makky. Erza's causing problems and you might want to hurry up from the meeting. There's a boy she's fighting, and you will not believe what he claimed his name was."

(Play Fairy Tail OST-Salamander)

Back with Naruto and Erza, Naruto kept blocking Erza's strikes, who decided to change into another armour, this time she was much quicker in transforming. Her hair was now in pigtails and her armour was a little more revealing, with the armour's appearance being inspired by flames. She even possessed a sword which channelled flames.

'I see. Re-Quip. I've met people who use the same magic as you, but they weren't even half as good.' Naruto smirked, this time his sword had dark aura around it.

'Darkness Magic? Unfortunately for you, I have fought an expert in that type of magic.' Erza sent two flame slashes at Naruto, who blocked it with his sword. He then moved to the side as Erza followed up with sword thrust after unleashing that fiery cross-slash. Erza then channelled flames to her open left palm to send a fire blast at Naruto.

'Too slow!' Naruto tilted his head back, however it left him open for Erza to attack. He smirked and blocked her attack, using sword releasing a shockwave to disrupt Erza's fire blast.

"What!?" Erza was then kicked back by Naruto, who then placed his katana back into its sheath.

(OST End)

"You are good, but you can't beat me. Not as you are now." Naruto sounded serious, however, this only made Erza change into another armour, this time with hundreds of blades floating around her. She Re-Quipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armour, considered one of her signatures. 'That's a lot of swords….' Naruto grabbed the handle of his katana and bent his knees. He focused and was covered in dark aura. Before they could launch their attacks, a shiny object from above appeared and then a giant fist emerged, smashing the ground and unleashing a large amount of magical power.

'The hell…..This magic power…..reminds me of them.' Naruto was thinking about Hades and Orochimaru.

"That's enough! Erza, get rid of your swords now!" It was Makarov, who was already making his way to check up on Yajima and see how Erza was doing. Of course, he was contacted by his old friend and sped up as soon as he heard Erza might cause damage to the town. Makarov returned his arm back to normal size and surprised Naruto with how small he was.

'That magic power was from this tiny old man? And he grew his arm…Reminds me of Choji.' Naruto felt sad when he thought about Choji and his other friends who were killed by Grimoire Heart. He shook his head, thinking about the fact that Erza called him master, meaning this old man could be the Guild Master of Fairy Tail.

"And you will be coming with me. I have a few questions for you and you will answer them." Makarov sounded serious.

"Yeah. Sure, I had to speak with you anyway, if you are the Guild Master of Fairy Tail." Naruto told him honestly.

"I am indeed. I am Makarov Dreyar, Third Guild Master of Fairy Tail and one of the Wizard Saints. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Makarov formally greeted the blonde, who stil felt uneasy due to Erza glaring at him.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

End. Sorry for the huge delay, but I barely have had time to write lately. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter.

Keep in mind, Naruto wasn't taking the fight seriously, but he was not underestimating Erza, he could tell that she is a warrior. I am trying not to rush Naruto and Wendy's relationship, but I also wanted to show that they do have feeling from each other, not romantic love just yet but a deep sense of caring.