Ultear seemed to ponder her statement for a moment. That just made Naruto even more curious as the wait for the answer began to drag on. He sat as patiently as possible though and was eventually rewarded with a small smile. "The council, they see something interesting in you."
Naruto looked at her, expecting more. She didn't say anything though which forced Naruto to ask, "Um, so is that it?"
Shaking her head, the woman then decided to continue. "There was more behind that statement than what I just said, so let me elaborate. You are an interesting person, Naruto. Never has someone blatantly disrespected them in their presence, let alone twice. You seem to hold no fear towards them and their position despite having no solid information on how powerful they are. Some people would say that's ignorance but I believe it's more than that. We also have no information on you, not even your name. The council is always on the lookout for people of great power like yourself and for you to have avoided detection for so long is quite the accomplishment. Thus, the council is interested in you."
As the woman spoke, Naruto could feel his ego inflating, but at the same time realise his theory was turning into fact. They were openly admitting he was super strong, but at the same time they saw him as an unknown variable.
Ignoring his mind for the moment though, he refocused on Ultear. "They wish to test your strength to gauge just how powerful you are in relations to the other Ten Saints. They want to know what someone so young can do that can force a former Wizard of the Ten Saints to the brink of his powers like you did with Jose Porla. I especially am interested in this, as I find you so very intriguing."
Focusing just enough on Ultear's almost predatory expression to give her the justified response, Naruto retreated into his own thoughts again. 'So, if I can read this right, they aren't just cautious of me, they are bordering on scared. That definitely sounds like something older people in power would do. Ultear-san however... what's her deal?'
Leaning back slightly from the woman, Naruto almost shivered from the thin eyed, hungry look she was giving him as she leant in. He didn't even know if she knew she was doing it. It made her look incredibly sexy, but it also begged Naruto to wonder about her. 'She says the council is scared of me. Why isn't she scared then, or at the very least cautious? Right now she looks like she could eat me up. There's gotta be something more to her than simply being a council member.'
Clearing his throat, Naruto watched in fascination as Ultear gracefully slid back into her reserved state, looking for all the world like she wasn't about to jump on him and tear the answers she wanted right out of him. As she looked at him expectantly, Naruto considered what he should ask. "Well... why did you tell me all this? I mean, there was no need for me to know all the reasons behind it right?"
Raising an eyebrow and licking her lips slightly, Ultear chuckled softly. "You are sharper than you let on. That's a good trait to have if you are ever formally included in the Ten Saints. No, there wasn't a need to tell you this, but I did because I wanted you to know the councils motives. I wanted you to know why they were going test you. I wanted you to be aware of them."
Naruto's eyes thinned slightly. "Really... won't you get in trouble for this though?"
Sitting up straighter, an almost haughty look crossed her lidded eyes. "Why would I get in trouble for something like this? I am a member of the council! I may do as I wish so long as it doesn't directly influence anything the council has or is going to decide. My telling you this has no effect on them."
Naruto regarded the woman for a moment. Something was not quite right with her explanation but for some reason, Naruto could not pin point the problem. "So what does that mean for you? What will you get out of this? It's rare that someone simply gives out information just 'because'."
Ultear's eyes took on a calculating look as she gazed upon the blond. It passed shortly and was replaced by a warm smile. "Why, because you interest me, Uzumaki Naruto. I merely wish to get to know you and have you as an ally considering how powerful you are. You never do know when you would need a friend to call on, and I would most love to have you as that friend. I do hope you remember me as a friend to call on if you are ever in a spot of bother too."
That instantly took away a lot of the built up resistance to the woman that had risen. Despite his caution of her, she wanted to be his friend, someone who she could call on in a time of need. It didn't matter who it was, if they wished to befriend the blond, he accepted them with open arms. Feeling an unbidden smile tug at his lips, he let his gaze soften slightly. "Well, if you're looking for a friend to count on, you can definitely count on me. No matter who they are, if my friends need help, I'd go to hell and back for them."
Her smile widened more at Naruto's deceleration and she nodded happily. "That is wonderful to hear!"
Standing, she bowed her head slightly. "I look forward to working with you in the future then. For now though, let's get you back to the council building. You must receive a badge of recognition for being inducted into the Ten Saints."
Letting a true smile break through, Naruto jumped up grinning like a loon. "Hell yeah! Show me the goods!"
Laughing, the mysterious woman then began walking from him, looking over her shoulder ever so slightly as he began to follow.
XxXxXxX
Naruto tugged at the fabric the badge was now attached to, located just beneath his collar and a little to the right. It was a beautiful little piece of work, amazingly well crafted and incredibly rare. It was a perfect circle with a royal blue background. Over the top of that was an embossed silver cross, the 'X' meeting perfectly in the center. What looked like the leaves of a clover poked out from the center piece, one leaf for each quadrant the badge was split into. A ring of silver encompassed them, separating them from the interlinked diamonds that circled the edge of the piece. All in all it was stunning, a true piece of skilled workmanship.
Letting it go, Naruto stood up a little straighter in front of the council, a smile tugging the edges of his mouth repeatedly. Ultear stepped back after fixing the badge as the Spokesperson and one or two other council members watched on from behind them. The actual giving of the badge didn't require all council members present as the title had already been given. Most had already left to go do councillor things, but the few that remained clapped softly as Naruto's eyes thinned in joy.
Taking Ultear's place, the Spokesperson stepped forward and locked eyes with the shorter blond. "I do hope you understand the prestigious position you have been given. May you honour the title well."
Raising a hand, Naruto saluted the old man heartily. "You can count on me!"
Not a facial muscle twitched despite Naruto's unorthodox acceptance and Guran stepped back. "Very well. You will hear from us in the coming weeks. Until then, I wish you safe travels."
Naruto saw Ultear's smile widen fractionally when the tall man vaguely hinted at what was to come. Ignoring it, Naruto nodded. "Take it easy till then old man."
This managed to produce a widening of the eyes from the senior mage, but anything else he felt about the lack of respect was kept in check. Nodding once, the man said no more and simply turned and slipped away. The other members disappeared as well, leaving behind only Ultear, Naruto and Makarov. A guide seemed to materialise from somewhere too but that went by without comment.
Looking down at the Master, Naruto finally let his blinding grin breakthrough while he pointed animatedly at the badge. "Look at this! Look at it! Old man, isn't it awesome! I totally can't believe this!"
Sweat dropping at the boisterous blond, Makarov waved a hand at him, trying to calm him. "Yes, yes, yes, I can see that Naruto. Well done, but we really must leave now if we want to reach home by nightfall."
Realising the afternoon was indeed late, the boy looked to his newest, if most mysterious friend and scratched his head. Smiling widely, he chuckled. "Well, I'll see you around I hope? Don't be a stranger ok? You should come out to Fairy Tail sometime!"
Ultear smiled and nodded slightly. "I will if time permits Naruto. Keep yourself out of trouble in the meantime, ok?"
Naruto shrugged. "Eh, I can't promise anything, but I'll try."
Laughing into a hand, the woman bowed her head slightly and turned as she took her leave. Watching her slide away, Naruto felt a nagging itch along his jaw line. Scratching it, he looked down and saw Makarov looking up at him, a most perverse smile on his face. "You sure work fast don't you?"
Naruto poked a thumb at himself and closed his eyes proudly. "I'm just awesome. Don't hate me for it."
Hearing a bark of laughter, Naruto looked down and saw Makarov shaking his head in amusement. "My boy, I actually think I'm rather envious of you."
Walking through the door, Naruto stepped into pace beside the old man. A memory flickered in the blond's eye as they made their way to the carriage and he looked down. "So, what did they wanna talk to you about?"
XxXxXxX
Naruto considered his current predicament as he tried to hold off the growing number of rather loud bodies that were piling up on his chest. Having walked into the makeshift guild, everyone within eyeshot saw his badge and promptly jumped him for details. The word spread fast and within moments, Naruto had over twenty mages dog piling him into the ground.
Mirajane was one of the first to see the badge but unfortunately didn't get a chance to say anything to the blond before he disappeared under the human pile. Once the numbers started slowing, she walked over cautiously and called out over the rabble on top of the teen. "You ok under there Naruto?"
A muffled voice replied. "That you, Mira-chan?"
The barmaid giggled. "That it is. Would you be a dear and come out? I have something to give you."
Hearing another muffled reply, Mirajane stepped back as the mound of bodies shifted. Slowly, people began popping up from the top of the mound, all looking very surprised as they were pushed to the surface. Eventually from the middle of the eruption popped Naruto. Not caring where he trod, Naruto walked down the tangled pile of limbs and bodies and came to a stop in front of the short woman. "What is it?"
Smiling, she shook her head. "Close your eyes."
The boy raised an eyebrow, but complied never the less. He waited a moment before something soft and warm pressed against his cheek. A light flush reached his cheeks as he realised what was happening. The wolf whistles and cat calls that accompanied the sensation only furthered his feeling of manliness. A grin quickly followed when a pair of arms slipped around his middle and replaced the kiss with a tight hug. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking into the deep blue eyes of his favourite waitress as she stunned him with a dazzling smile. Dipping her head into his chest, she let out a squeal of excitement and hugged him tighter. "I cannot believe that you managed to actually get a position amongst the Ten Wizard Saints! For someone so young it's just unheard of! I cannot comprehend it! I... I'm totally lost for words!"
Placing his hands on his hips like the hero he felt he was, Naruto just pointed his nose to the sky and laughed out loud. "Don't even try and comprehend the unmatched majesty of Uzumaki Naruto! Your brain will explode from the awesomeness."
The statement brought a round of laughter from the guild as everyone doubled up at his bragging. Grinning mischievously, Naruto's eyes twinkled as he watched everyone break down. Hearing a call louder than the rest, the blond saw Natsu struggling to pull himself free of the body pile that once rested on his chest. Realising the object of his desire was watching him, Natsu literally blew up, sending mages flying across the room. "NARUTO! NO EXCUSE, FIGHT ME NOW!"
Laughing as the teen held up a challenging fist, Naruto sighed half-heartedly but conceded nevertheless. "Well sure, why not? A good spar would make for an interesting end to the day."
The guild quietened for a split second before the whole room exploded into noise as the mages all began shouting excitedly at the prospect. Naruto began walking towards the exit before a mighty feminine voice roared above the rest. "NARUTO!"
Instantly everyone quietened as the strongest female in all of Fairy Tail walked forward, an uncharacteristic glint in her eyes. Everyone watched her mutedly as she walked up to Naruto. Stopping barely a foot from him, she looked up into his eyes and placed her hands on her hips. They then began a staring contest that seemed to freeze the guild in time. Eventually though, Erza broke it when she smirked excitedly. "Naruto, once done with Natsu, I request that you fight with me also."
If the guild had been loud when Natsu called for a fight, it was now deafening. Naruto's grin and nod of acceptance only further raised the volume as sudden surprise betting rounds began to take form. Naruto also saw a few other guild members sizing him up such as Elfman, Gray and Cana even, so he held up a hand and tried to call out over the noise. "Tomorrow! Wait until tomorrow!"
While he didn't think they actually heard him, they could atleast understand the gesture and nodded. An excited hand then grabbed his new shirt and began dragging him towards the door. Laughing as Natsu looked back at him eagerly, Naruto began to run as he followed the mage.
XxXxXxX
Finding himself at Southgate Park again, Naruto looked up at the tree that Levy, Jet and Droy had been attached to. The scar marks on the bark has all but been removed so no one had any prompts to remember that horrible day. Letting his vision slowly pan down, he looked at the large group that now surrounded him and Naruto. They were all cheering loudly in the growing shadows of twilight, each person's face lit up in excitement. Turning to look back at Natsu, Naruto was happy to see him squatting down stretching his legs out. Following suit, Naruto gently eased his muscles into limber and shook himself out as he readied for the mage.
Once finally ready, Natsu looked over and grinned. "Alright! I'm totally gonna kick your ass so get ready for it! Oh and this time, don't go sticking your fingers up my butt!"
A number of loud barks of laughter filled the air as a few mages remembered Natsu telling them of his first loss to the blond ninja. Erza had decided to ref the match and was watching on keenly. Checking both participants, she nodded before bringing her hand down in a sharp chop. "Begin!"
Naruto didn't have to wait for anything as Natsu instantly commenced the attack. Again he attacked recklessly, wild and powerful punches flying in from all conceivable angles, desperately looking for a break in Naruto's defence. There was none to be found however and Naruto grinned as he pushed back.
Sliding through a hammer fist from the dragon slayer, Naruto found himself nose to nose with the teen and grinned as he saw Natsu's eyes widen. Gripping his overcoat, Naruto pivoted on the balls of his feet and flung Natsu over his shoulder directly at the big tree. The fiery mage easily righted himself as expected though, his feet touching down solidly on the bark before pushing off powerfully. He cried out in excitement as he flew towards Naruto, his fist raised and encased in a large flame.
Chuckling as the boy shot towards him, Naruto merely took several steps back and watched on in amusement as the mage literally buried himself deep into the ground. When the dust cleared, Naruto chuckled when he saw Natsu's legs kicking around as he tried to pull his head from the solid dirt. Walking over, Naruto grabbed one leg and easily pulled the teen from the earth. Laughing as he spat out a few rocks, Naruto gave him a helpful shake to remove any stubborn clumps of dirt. Lifting him up to see his eyes, Naruto smirked. "Ready to give up?"
Natsu just grinned widely and exploded into flame in response. "Not even! I'm just getting warmed up!"
An unsuspected kick then smashed into Naruto's head sending him careening away into the rapidly scattering crowd. Bouncing a few times, Naruto managed to anchor a hand into the ground and pulled himself to a stop. Rubbing his cheek as a bruise rapidly formed, Naruto chuckled as he eyed the still flaming mage. It hadn't been long since that first fight, but he could definitely tell Natsu had grown stronger since then.
Standing up, Naruto ignored his aching cheek and smirked. Attacking Natsu this time, Naruto forced the boy to defend, pushing him just hard enough so that he was struggling to move fast enough to dodge and block the strikes. Despite the hectic pace, Natsu managed to hold off Naruto for nearly a full twenty seconds before a palm thrust to his sternum sent him tumbling backwards in a cloud of dust.
Knowing the boy still had more to give, Naruto jumped high in the air and extended his feet as he aimed to land on him. The height of the jump was enough that Natsu could escape, but still fast enough that he would be pushed to make it in time. Grinning as he saw the flame mage widened his eyes in shock, Naruto pulled his toes back as he came in for the stomp. Seeing Natsu roll just out of range in time, Naruto landed lightly and pirouetted gracefully, extending a kick that just managed to catch the teen to the soft part of his stomach. Totally unsuspecting the kick as he jumped to his feet, Natsu coughed loudly as all the air was forced from his lungs, sending him rolling backward clutching his chest as he tried to breath.
Jogging over, Naruto knelt beside the boy as the crowd around them began to cheer wildly. Grinning as Natsu wheezed helplessly, Naruto took his hands and placed them on his pink head. "Here, lay like this with your arms up. It opens up your airways. Trust me."
Happy floated over from the crowd and landed beside his friend, patting his face in comfort. "It's ok Natsu, I know you can't talk right now so I'll say I give up for you. You didn't look as pathetic as I expected though! You managed to last a little while before Naruto destroyed you."
Chuckling as the unintentionally abrasive cat 'consoled' his friend, Naruto shook his head when Natsu wheezed out something that sounded like an attempt at an angry shout. "Oi, focus on breathing, not fighting."
Nodding slightly as he tried to regain his breath, Naruto stood up and looked to Erza. She grinned at him, raising a hand. "Naruto wins. Now..." Stepping forward, the female mage eyed him almost hungrily. "Someone please remove Natsu and everyone stand back. I wish to be able to have as much fun as possible."
The crowd quietened a little as Elfman and Gray came forward and shifted Natsu out of danger. Whispers began filtering through the mages as they all excitedly waited for the match to begin. Hearing a loud call, Naruto looked over and sighed. It seemed Cana had decided to start up a betting pool, again, and already had several mages throwing down wads of money with more running up every second.
Walking to their starting positions, Erza then called out to mages despite never taking her eyes of Naruto's. "Who will ref our match?"
"I will, if only to make sure you don't destroy anything."
Looking over in mild surprise, Erza's face softened and she chuckled. "A fine idea Master. This means I can let lose a little more though."
Sweat dropping, Makarov scratched his cheek. "Uh, just make sure you don't go too overboard ok?"
Cracking her knuckles, Erza dropped down into an easy split, actually lifting one leg off the ground to achieve a greater stretch. "I shall try Master."
Some slightly impure thoughts began to enter Naruto's mind when he saw the mage's impressive flexibility, but he banished them until later. Thinking about something like that now would just end up with those legs wrapped around his neck as they choked him into unconsciousness. Waiting for the mage to finish, Naruto looked around as the crowd began calling out, some encouraging him while others supported Erza. Despite the differences in opinion though, one thing was certain and that was that this fight was going to be impressive.
Standing, Erza smirked and began to glow as her magic took over her body. Her first lot of clothing disappeared for a moment before a new set of fabrics wrapped around her. The light faded revealing Erza now standing in cheetah printed armour.
The bra, shoulder plates, knee pads and even the fluffy ears now attached to her head had the distinctive print on them. Blue arm warmers covered her forearms, a loop around each middle finger to stop them sliding around. A pair of bikini length leather short shorts covered her modesty, a strange knee length cape hanging from her belt. Mid shin length metal shoes covered her feet, but the armour itself looks segmented and light. From the top of them rose blue stockings that were coloured the same as her arm warmers, stopping mid way up her thighs. A single short range sword was clasped in her right hand, the actual guard being a deep red.
Pointing the sword at Naruto, Erza smirked. "I'll let you know the properties of this requip as foreknowledge. I don't wish to hurt you too much after all."
Naruto chuckled and tilted his head to the side. "How kind of you."
Smirking wider, she placed her free hand on her hip. "This is my Flight Armour. I realised you have quite some speed behind you after witnessing how easily you toyed with Natsu. Stories I heard from Levy also reinforce this. It's a shame they have been ordered bed rest as they would have enjoyed this fight. Because of this though, I wish to test just how fast you really are."
Smiling passively, Naruto withdrew a scroll. Channelling chakra into his hand, he swiped it over the matrix on the paper and in a puff a kunai appeared. Tucking the scroll away, he twirled the tool around for a second before holding it out in a reverse grip.
Raising an eyebrow, Erza pointed at the kunai. "It is an interesting trick to store your tools in such an object, but it is rather cumbersome. Surely there must be a faster way to requip?"
Naruto looked down at the kunai and shrugged. "There was one girl from my home that could do all kinds of crazy things with weapons and scrolls that I could never figure out. I never really tried to though."
Nodding, Erza hummed. "Indeed. Perhaps tomorrow then we could work on something that would increase your requip speed."
Grinning, Naruto nodded happily. "Yeah, I'm keen!"
Smiling back, Erza lowered her center of gravity. "Until then though, you'll find that as a disadvantage in this fight!""
Naruto's smile just widened. "Guess I'll have to rely on everything else I can do then."
Looking to the Master, they both nodded. Sighing worriedly at what was to come, Makarov gave them each one last stern look. "Alright, I want this fight kept to this park. Do NOT destroy anything, or I will be forced to punish you both. Are we clear?"
Glancing over at Erza, the blond was rather surprised to find the woman actually begin to sweat slightly before swallowing a lump that seemed to appear in her throat. "Y-yes, Master."
Whistling quietly to himself, Naruto was quite sure he didn't want to find out what this punishment was if it was enough to scare even Erza into submission. Nodding at the old man, Naruto reassured him. "No worries, it'll stay right here."
Nodding once, Makarov grinned. "Good. With that out of the road, you may now begin!"
Turning to look back at Erza, the blonds eyes widened as he saw Erza suddenly in his face, screaming out as she brought a leg in high for a debilitating head kick. Ducking on instinct, the blond could swear he felt his hair pulled with how close she'd come to ending the fight. Kicking a leg out from his crouch, Naruto watched as Erza just barely avoided the attack by falling into a cartwheel, making sure to try her luck again with another kick. Rolling sideways, Naruto felt the ground he'd just been sitting on crunch as the powerful attack broke through the crust.
Lashing out, Naruto used the slight distraction to flip up onto his fingers and handspring back to a safe distance. Now able to take a breather, Naruto swallowed a small, awe inspired gasp as he watched the woman straighten up confidently. The surrounding crowd were going ballistic and Naruto couldn't blame them. Standing up himself, Naruto could not believe that whole exchange had taken all of one second.
Placing a hand on her hip, Erza hummed approvingly. "Well done, you have proven to be as fast as I expected. Not many people can say they've dodged my first attack."
Chuckling, Naruto took a breath and exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I can see why. That really took me by surprise."
Closing his eyes for a moment, Naruto centered himself and brought his raging adrenalin under control. Finding his calm, he opened his eyes and smirked. "Alright, let's try that again, shall we?"
Erza just smirked before both fighters disappeared from sight.
Brief clangs and solid thumps began sounding out across the area as both the ninja and mage flashed from one end of the park to the other in a series of collisions. Everyone watching were screaming their lungs out as they struggled to follow the intense fight happening right before their eyes. Many also jumped back as they felt a gust of wind pass mere inches from them as the two fighters flickered past them.
With Naruto, he had already managed to nick Erza a couple of times with his kunai, his current speed being ever so slightly better than hers. The woman was putting up a fantastic fight however as the speed she wielded her sword with was enough to make even the greatest samurai jealous. Charging in again, Naruto watched as Erza grabbed the sword in a double grip and lifted it above her head.
Crossing his fingers at the last moment, Erza's eyes widened in surprise as she swung down into a cloud, two identical Naruto's dashing out and around behind her. Pivoting on her leading foot, the red head swung out only to find a pair of hands wrap themselves firmly around her wrist. Flowing with the movement easily though, Erza lifted her feet off the ground and placed them into the blonds face before kicking off powerfully. He grimaced in pain before exploding into a puff of smoke as the woman flew away, her back facing the ground.
Realising the real Naruto was still around, Erza tried to alter her flight path but it was too late. A set of arms wrapped around her middle from below and she felt an enormous tug on her body as she was rapidly pulled to a stop. Her momentum was redirected into the ground and the woman managed to bring her arms over her head just in time as she smashed into the ground. Groaning as the earth gave way under her block, she felt the arms let go of her waist and then felt vibrations through the earth as Naruto jumped away.
Flipping her body over to rest her knees on the ground, Erza pulled her torso from the earth and looked up at the smirking blond. Running her fingers through her hair, she quickly removed the larger pieces of dirt before frowning at her opponent. "You do realise that move you pulled before wasn't very fair."
The teen just laughed annoyingly before winking at her. "My dear Erza-chan, I'm a ninja. I don't play fair. I've been trained not to."
Erza seemed to frown angrily for a moment, but then a thoughtful look crossed her face and she smiled. "Alright, I'll stop holding back then."
Naruto's grin dropped slightly. "That was holding back?"
Erza didn't say anything and charged. Readying himself for the woman, Naruto watched as her blinding speed carried her up to striking range within a second. What Naruto didn't expect was for the woman to flash yellow for a second and suddenly lash out with a mace.
Not at all ready to dodge something that wide, Naruto crossed his arms and grunted as the solid lump of iron blew him backwards. Focusing on his chakra, Naruto pushed it into the ground and skidded to a stop far sooner than expected. Erza didn't predict this however and collided with the blond as she chased after him. Exhaling with an 'oof', the two rolled across the ground before sliding to a stop. Finding Erza sitting on his chest, the red head gripped Naruto's wrists and pushed them into the ground, glowing for a second and suddenly gaining several hundred kilos with a new outfit. Effectively pinning his arms to the ground, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. Raising both feet high, he flooded his legs with chakra and kicked down at the ground.
Human sized pieces of earth jumped into the air as Naruto easily broke into the earth. His body sunk as fissures underneath him upset the dirt and buckled the landscape. Hearing a surprised cry from Erza, Naruto bucked his hips up and overbalanced the girl. Grabbing at a foot that passed his vision, Naruto rolled over and lashed out before dragging Erza back under him. Finding her face down, he placed his hands into the small of her back and pushed off solidly, hearing her gasp as he flew backwards.
Landing lightly, Naruto looked over at the hole cautiously. The speed she displayed when she requiped was nothing short of incredible. It was tough to change hand held weapons that fast mid battle, let alone a whole outfit. Seeing Erza pull herself from the dirt, Naruto grinned. "You holding up ok? You nearly got me with that last one."
Looking up at him through her fringe, Erza smirked. "Oh yes, I'm doing fine. In fact, I'm having a great time!"
Glowing as she charged, Erza swung in with a pair of massive broad swords. Ducking low to escape the scissor like action, Naruto dived forward to tackle the girl. She glowed briefly before reverting to her cheetah outfit and avoided the attack just in time. Naruto looked to the side as time seemed to slow down, the blond now totally at the mages mercy.
'Oh crap.'
Again, the woman flashed gold before what felt like a plank slapped into his back with a mighty crack. Crying out in pain, Naruto bounced off the ground before a kick into his stomach sent him sliding away. Ignoring his gut, Naruto gingerly stood up and lifted his shirt to have a look at his skin. A brilliant red mark in stark contrast to his pale skin crossed his back, the mages behind him bursting out into laughter when they saw it. Looking back over at Erza, Naruto whined at her, "Do you have any idea how much that hurt? That was like an open handed slap of death!"
Flicking her hair over her shoulder, Erza smirked. "Just be happy I didn't decide to cut you in half."
Lowering his shirt, Naruto winced again as he touched the angry mark. Blinking away a tear at the corner of his eye, Naruto growled. It didn't matter if it would fade in another minute or so. That hurt. Crossing his fingers, Naruto glared at the confident woman. "Fine, take this then! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!"
Suddenly, thirty clones surrounded Erza and the girl lowered her center, cautiously watching the blonds around her. Sensing an attack, she whirled around and raised a sword, only to see Naruto with his fingers crossed and an evil smirk plastered onto his face. "Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique)!"
The explosion of smoke followed by Naruto's buxom, not to mention naked alter ego was the very last thing on Erza's mind as he attacked. Shocked into place, Erza's eyes widened as the blond girl landed on her and instantly wrapped her arms and legs around the mages waist. The mass of breast that was firmly pressed into Erza's face didn't really help her thought process either. Thus, the rapid thumps of approaching feet didn't even compute until she found herself high in the air via a powerful punch.
Eyes still wide, Erza looked around in panic as Naruto's closed in from all sides. They all were grinning widely as they raised their fists in preparation for the attack. Unable to really do anything, Erza clenched her eyes shut and awaited the impact. Instead of a round of bone jarring punches though, the woman felt a gentle hand wrap around her waist and right her as she fell to the ground. Landing lightly, it was then Erza realised the knife positioned carefully under her chin.
Slowly looking over her shoulder, Erza saw Naruto's grinning face staring back at her. Sighing in defeat, Erza smiled and hung her head. "I yield."
Having watched the last few seconds of the fight in relative silence, the mages of Fairy Tail suddenly exploded into life, a massive cheer going off as well as a thunderous laugh at the way the guilds top female had been defeated.
Removing his kunai, Naruto wriggled his eyebrows and quickly sealed it back into the scroll. Stepping back, Naruto looked down as Erza turned and extended a hand. "Good fight, Naruto. I look forward to another sometime!"
Taking the outstretched hand, the blond shook solidly and nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait!"
Dropping the hand, Erza then took on a thoughtful look. "That attack with your female self though..."
Chuckling awkwardly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah was a distraction technique I came up with when I was younger. I hope you aren't too cranky about that."
Placing a hand to her chin, Erza instead replayed the move in her mind. "On the contrary, that was a very effective diversion. I may have to add it to my arsenal."
Pausing for a second, it took Naruto a moment to realise what she just said. "Um, really?"
Looking up at him with a straight face, Erza nodded once. "Such an effective attack would be of most use."
Sniffing up something wet in his nose, Naruto leant in and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if you ever want to make sure it's effective enough, I'll gladly be your guinea pig. It takes more than just jumping on someone to fully unleash it's distractive power."
Smiling Erza nodded. "Alright, I'll take you up on the offer. We shall begin training tomorrow."
Naruto couldn't believe his luck. Just as the guild reached them, Naruto took off in a spurt of blood singing, "Life is GOOD!"
XxXxXxX
Naruto sat back at the guild with several mages at the table around him, tissues stuffed up his nose as blood continued to leak out occasionally. The giddy smile on his face frustrated everyone though, because every time they'd ask him about it, he'd just shake his head and say, "Training."
Natsu had quickly recovered and was now sitting as close to Naruto as he could possibly muster, hounding him for another fight. "So, you should fight me again! Like, tomorrow! It's too dark now, so what do you say?"
Gray seemed to take offence to this as he was just as eager to try his luck against the formidable blond. "Shut up for one second, you annoying lizard! You've already been thrashed, so go sit down in the corner like a good little reptile and atleast wait a week before coming back to bother us all!"
Spinning around to face the ice mage, Natsu habitually rose to the challenge, flames seeming to explode behind his eyes in a rather painful looking way. "Ha! Sit down yourself, we all know you'd get smashed by Naruto is half the time it took for him to beat me! I'm just taking your place so people have something interesting to watch!"
The temperature around the mage dropped to freezing in a second, his clothes also beginning to drop to the floor. "Come on candle wax, keep pushing it."
An opposing heat quickly rose to fight the cold snap. "Watch where you tread, bastard."
They were just about to fall down into another scrap when Elfman stepped in, his massive hands clamping down on their heads and lifting them into the air. "While it is always manly to have a fight, I suggest you wait for the moment. Natsu, you had your go so wait your turn. Gray, you may want to wait until after I fought Naruto anyway so you have a slightly worn out opponent."
Glaring at the giant, they lashed out and sent him flying across the room with duel calls of, "SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Ignoring all this, Macao and Wakaba were sitting opposite of Naruto, trying to glean details about what made him so starry eyed. "Come of Naruto, we heard something about you being Erza's new test dummy for something, so what is it? Most people scream in fear when asked."
Naruto shook his head and smiled happily. "Nah, I offered. It's a good position."
Wakaba's eyebrows raised, his thin eyes showing off a slip of rare pupil. "Do you have a death wish or something? No one offers to be Erza's training buddy. Except Natsu, but he's too dumb to work out it hurts."
The group ignored the angry call as Gray tackled Natsu into the ground, taking up where the left off before Elfman interrupted.
Leaning back, Naruto laughed and looked to the sky in thought. "No, this time it'll definitely be good. I have a hunch."
"So you won't tell us any more details?"
Naruto smiled and shrugged. "What's to tell?"
Groaning as the blond looped his answers again, Macao and Wakaba looked at each other. "We gotta find out what this is! Any ideas though?"
Turning to look through the crowd, the blue haired man tried to spot anyone who could possibly help. "Hmmm... he won't tell any of us males, so we'll need a girl to extract the information... Levy's not here, Erza... that kind of defeats the purpose. Lucy, she's more scared of Erza than anyone I think. Who, who, who... Ah-ha!"
Grabbing his friends shoulder, Macao dragged Wakaba to his feet and pulled him along. "My friend, I just had an idea."
Running over to Mirajane, Macao stopped before the beauty and looked down at her while giving her his most charming smile. Looking up with a raised eyebrow, Mirajane could smell something fishy. "What do you want?"
Laughing awkwardly, Macao scratched his head. "Awww don't be like that Mira! I actually wanted to ask a favour. You see, Naruto has this 'training' session with Erza coming up, and we all know that's suicide. He won't tell us any details though so we were wondering if you might be able to find out what it is?"
Closing her eyes, the ivory haired girl shook her head. "Nope! If Naruto doesn't wanna share, who am I to interrupt?"
Visibly deflating, Macao sighed. "So you won't ask?"
Giggling, the girl turned away. "Nope! I gotta run now, work's never done!"
Looking at the floor dejectedly, Macao felt Wakaba place a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Well, good idea but it didn't work. Is there anyone else?"
Scanning the crowd, Wakaba frowned as he tried to see any potential candidates. Seeing a keg being lifted up high in the corner of the room, he grinned. "I think I just solved your problem."
Pulling his friend over, the sight of a leggy brunette came into view as she sunk a barrel of rum. Opening an eye as she heard them call out to her, she raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, what's up?"
Dropping down into a spare seat beside Cana, Macao and Wakaba cut straight to the chase. "Well, we actually want to ask a favour. Naruto agreed to help out Erza with training and won't stop laughing about it! So either something really interesting is gonna happen or he's lost his mind. He won't tell us what though, so we were wondering if you could find out for us."
Pausing mid sip, Cana considered the question. She had also overheard something about that and was rather curious herself. This however, presented an opportunity for extortion that she couldn't pass up. "What's in it for me?"
Macao thumped his hand on the barrel she was holding. "A day's worth of booze and a massage at the local spa house."
Cana stood up sharply. "Bitchin'. Let's do this."
Striding over towards her blond target, Cana left the two men in her wake as she dropped into the seat beside Naruto. Leaning back as casually as she could manage, she looked over at her companion and smiled. "Sup."
Naruto looked back. "Not much."
She nodded. "Cool, cool. So Naruto, I hear you got a thing coming up with Erza. Like a training session or something."
Naruto nodded, a happy smile sliding back onto his face. "Sure do. It's gonna be awesome."
Raising an eyebrow, the brunette pressured him. "You do realise most people would run screaming from her if they were asked to do something like that?"
Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I can handle myself well enough and anyway, I offered to help."
Eyes widening, Cana leaned in. This was less about the booze and more about her own curiosity now. "Really? What on earth made you do that?"
Naruto's grin took a more goofy edge. "Oh, she wants to try learn a diversionary technique I created. I said I'd help her get it right."
Frowning, Cana leant in. "Yeah, but what?"
Naruto looked at the woman with a smirk. "Just a simple distraction technique. If you wanna come though, ask Erza. You could probably learn it too!"
Missing the perverse giggle, Cana looked around for Erza. Spotting the red head over at the bar, Cana narrowed her eyes.
She was currently at crossroads. On one hand, she was very interested in just what this diversionary technique was that Naruto was planning to teach Erza but on the other hand, training with Erza was just asking to be laid up in bed for two or three days. Rolling the thought about in her mind for a few seconds, Cana nodded as she came to a decision. She could just come and watch. There's no way she'd get hurt if she was outside of the zone of destruction.
Standing, she walked over to Erza and took a seat beside the powerful mage. Looking up, the red head gave her a smile. "Hello Cana, how are you? Good to see you away from the alcohol."
Cana nodded. "Yeah, I thought I might give it a break for a moment. Anyway, I just finished talking with Naruto and he told me you and him were going for some training tomorrow?"
Surprisingly, a blush sprung to Erza's cheeks and she looked a little self-conscious. "Y-yes. He has offered to help me with a powerful defensive technique."
That slight stutter had Cana hook, line and sinker. She had to know what was going on. Leaning in, the brunette lowered her voice. "So, can you tell me what it is? Naruto asked if I wanted to come along too."
Erza's blush deepened and she looked down at the drink before her. "Really now? Well, I cannot see a reason for you to not come." She then cast an appraising gaze over Cana and her blush spread. "In fact, you may even be more suited to it than myself."
Leaning back in surprise, Cana whistled quietly to herself. Whatever this was, it must have been right up her alley for even Erza to admit she had a better chance of doing whatever it was. Her mind was pretty much made up for her when she heard that statement. Nodding, she pushed herself to her feet. "Thanks Erza. Where will you be training tomorrow? I'll swing past."
Staring at her drink, Erza nodded. "O-ok. I look forward to t-training with you. I hope - believe it will be somewhere secluded."
Raising a questioning eyebrow, Cana just shrugged. "Ok, I'll go ask Naruto."
Turning, Cana slid through the mages milling around as she headed for Naruto. Tapping the bench in front of him, she drew his attention. "Alright boy, I'll bite. Erza seems to think I'd be suited for whatever this is so where are you gonna hold this?"
The tissues stuffed up Naruto's nose began bleeding red again as he grinned up at her happily. "Oh yeah, you'd more than be suited for it. It's pretty specific training though, so I'll tell you where it is tomorrow so no one butts in."
Frowning curiously, Cana had no choice but to accept it. Sighing, she stood up straight and turned back to where Macao and Wakaba were sitting. "Fine, but it better be worth it or you'll regret taking me away from my drink."
Sweating slightly, Naruto waved a hand at her. "No problem! Uh, you may want to bring a flask then, just in case."
Smirking at him, the tall brunette left Naruto to himself. Running a finger along his collar, Naruto swallowed. Tomorrow was going to be awesome, no two ways about it. How awesome it was though, all depended on whether or not Cana decided to bash his head in for the so called 'training'. Thinking over it again though, Naruto shook his head and resolved himself. Erza asked for it and Cana wanted in. He was completely innocent here. Smiling happily, the blond leant back onto to find himself pulled off his chair and into Natsu and Gray's fight.
Several sets of shoes stomped into him before the blond growled angrily and grabbed a foot in each hand. Standing, Naruto twirled a full three hundred and sixty degrees before releasing the teens and sending them flying across the room with a scream and a crash. Stretching his shirt out, Naruto looked at it and sighed when he saw the result. It was already dirty after the afternoon's fights, but now it was more a smeared brown than cream.
Hearing a giggle, the blond looked up and saw Mirajane walking towards him. "Oh my, did you get dragged into one of Natsu and Gray's fights?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, you could tell?"
She nodded and pointed at his face. "The footprint on your forehead kinda gave it away."
Crossing his eyes upwards in an effort to see the mark, Naruto raised a sleeve and rubbed it away. Lowering it with a sigh, he looked at his clothes in annoyance. "This sucks. These are like brand new and they already need a massive wash! I only just got them today, damnit."
Frowning, Mirajane placed a finger to her lips. "That's true, but you still only have one other set of clothes don't you! How have you managed all this time with only them?"
Naruto shrugged. "I'm resourceful. Wouldn't be much of a ninja if a few dirty clothes made me squirm."
The barmaid nodded. "Indeed, it would be pretty weak. That aside, would you like some new clothes? Only having one set must get annoying, even for a ninja like yourself."
Crossing his arms, Naruto nodded. "Yeah... it doesn't really bother me too much, but I have like no money to buy anything. I've been living off your good will since I arrived here!"
Smiling brightly, Mirajane tipped her head to the side. "Oh, that's no bother! We've been keeping a tab for you since you arrived. It's obviously been severely discounted since you're new here, but once you start taking a few jobs you'll be able to pay us back."
Blinking with wide eyes several times, Naruto then narrowed one eye slightly. "...Really?"
Mirajane nodded. "Yup! Just be happy you weren't picked up by any other guild because I've heard they charge even their mages full priced meals."
Sighing morosely as the information sunk in, Naruto dropped his head. "Of course it was. Why didn't I think of that?"
Laughing happily, Mirajane patted his arm. "Not to worry, you can make the jewels up in only a job or two. The tab isn't very high."
Atleast that was some good news. Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself staring at his dirty shirt again. Looking back up at the barmaid, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So... if I were to get these clothes, does that mean they'd go on my tab?"
Mira crinkled her nose cutely as she had a think. "Well... usually yes, but after your promotion to one of the Ten Wizard Saints, consider this a present from your's truly."
She winked at him and giggled as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, thanks Mira-chan. When do you think we could go looking then? Cause I have no idea where any decent clothing stores are."
Walking up beside him, the girl gently swung her hips out and bumped her side off of Naruto's. "Oh, if you're kind enough to create a few Naruko's to keep things going here, we could go right now! It's late night shopping so we'd have hours of fun ahead of us!"
Something in the way she said 'fun' elicited a shiver that ran down his spine. Despite the feeling, Naruto just nodded and in a poof created three females all ready to man the stations. Grinning happily at the blond, Mirajane headed back towards the bar.
"Oh!"
Twirling around, she lifted up onto her toes and kissed Naruto on the cheek again. Dropping back down, she gave him a wink. "Just because."
Watching her walk away properly this time, Naruto ignored the few raunchy calls from a few males behind him and smirked. It seemed she was feeling pretty liberal with the kisses today. Not that he was going to complain and who knew, a shopping trip might even get him another one or two if he behaved.
XxXxXxX
A/N – and... cut. That's a nifty place to stop I think.
I hope everyone liked the surprise fight mid chapter. It caught me by surprise too.
I also ask everyone again, drop everything you are doing and go read and review Guardian by Eilwynn! Please, this magnificent story isn't getting the publicity it deserves.
I'll leave you all to it then cause I've gone and caught a wonderful cold and am blowing quite the array of colours from my nose. Enjoy the mental pictures.
Lanky Nathan
