While the desire to get back was high, Naruto still took the trip home more leisurely than he otherwise would. He was still feeling a bit stiff in himself so a casual jog was just what the doctor ordered. Granted, that casual jog was beyond a standard humans sprint, but still.
The time it gave Naruto was enough that his mind had a bit of time to wander through things. The first question in his mind related directly to Ultear and whatever was going to happen to her. What old man Yajima said might have just been speculation, but the idea of Ultear cooped up in some tiny little cell wasn't what Naruto wanted for her. He wondered if he might be able to put his Wizard Saint title to some use and maybe help her out. It wasn't too pressing however seeming she probably hadn't even woken up yet.
Next on Naruto's mind was Erza. The blond had a sneaking suspicion that she was directly involved with everyone there as well as the events that led up to it. If the brief glimpse she gave him into her past was anything to go by, Simon as well as that cat girl Millianna must have been atleast mildly close friends with her. Jellal though... Naruto hazard a guess that Jellal meant more to her than she let on. That pained anguish in her eyes when she asked the ninja to kill him spoke all the words she didn't. Perhaps after all this was over, she might tell him a little more. It wasn't his place to ask, but at the same time he was really curious.
As his thoughts drifted, Naruto then began to think over that scroll Tsunade-baachan had sent him. It really was fantastic to hear from them, it was just super annoying he couldn't reply. The fact that they had already tried to reverse summon him stuck in his mind though. Usually he could feel the pull before he was actually transported to wherever they wanted him. This time though... nothing. That could only mean that the apparent distance that they were trying to summon him over was absolutely huge. It was no wonder that the biggest thing the blond had been able to call on was a baby toad. Actually...
Naruto nodded as a bit of a plan began to form in his mind. Even if the best he could summon right now was a baby toad, maybe that would still be enough to get a message back. It couldn't be too big, just enough to say he was alright.
Grinning, Naruto did a little jump and clicked his heels together. It was a good plan, simple and (hopefully) effective. He might even be able to get a few more tools sent over. Now that would be cool.
Having trusted his feet it carry him where he needed, Naruto took note of his surroundings and realised he was now close to Magnolia. Maybe another ten minutes at this pace and he'd be at the guild's doorstep.
Ten minutes did seem like a long time though.
Grinning, Naruto couldn't help but jump into the air and cut down some serious time on his travel. The excitement of seeing how Erza and Natsu did was a bit too much for the blond to handle at the moment. Letting his hands reach out to the side, Naruto weaved a path towards the guild, chuckling as he heard the shocked voices from below. Shaking his head, Naruto couldn't work out why more ninja hadn't tried mastering the art of flight. It was so awesome!
Dipping in low, Naruto pulled himself up to a stop just before the entrance and grinned. A curly head of brown hair had caught Naruto's eye. Cana was sitting off by herself drinking her usual barrel of rum or whatever it was. Sliding in through the door, Naruto stuck to the walls and crept around behind her. Reaching out with his fingers, he stifled a chuckle before running them up and down her exposed sides rapidly.
"Coochi coochi coo!"
Booze instantly exploded from Cana's nose and mouth, her half drowned shriek drawing most of the guilds attention as the woman desperately tried to escape the merciless torture while at the same time clear her airways of fluid. After a few seconds, Naruto let go and jumped back and held his sides as he let his laughter burst forth.
The confused and more than slightly pissed off brunette turned her watering eyes around to spy the trouble maker clutching his sides as he laughed at her misfortune. Growling, Cana did her best to wipe her eyes down before clenching her fists. "Oh you are going to pay for that!"
Reaching into her satchel, the woman drew out several cards before launching them at the blond. "Sexy Lady Card!"
The projectiles sped across the distance and exploded into a cloud of smoke when they were within several feet of Naruto.
Suddenly, Naruto's laughter was cut off as a body latched onto his own with a set of warm water balloons pushing into his face for some reason. Backing up, the teen felt another body latch onto his right side, followed by another on his left. Not quite knowing what was going on, Naruto felt more and more weight pile up on him until he collapsed under it. Now that everything had shifted, Naruto could finally see what Cana had set upon him. A beautiful female face along with several other female parts stared at him momentarily before Naruto realised just what happened. Finding his hands crushed under multiple bodies, the blond could do nothing about the instant rise of his blood pressure.
From outside the pile of beautiful female bodies, Cana burst out laughing as the entire hill exploded internally, torrents of blood squirting out between the gaps of silky feminine limbs. "How do you like that huh? That's double payback for making me spill all that booze, as well as dragging me out to that stupid thing with Erza!"
After a moment, the girls all went up in a puff of smoke revealing Naruto sitting on the ground looking rather pale from blood loss. He had an extremely dopy look on his face however and a glazed look over his eyes. Turning his head to look at Cana, he managed a grin. "Yeah, I like that a lot. You been working on the training hey?"
Smirking, the brunette sank back into her chair and rested her head on her hand. "A little. You were my first test. I think I should count that as a full success."
Grinning stupidly, Naruto pulled himself up into a cross legged position. "Yeah, that was a good loss. I like losing to something like that."
Shakily pulling himself to his feet, Naruto staggered over to Cana amidst loud laughter from the guild and slumped into the chair opposite. Dropping his head to the table, the blond let his impressive regeneration abilities raise his blood count to safer levels again.
Quite happy with her victory, Cana pulled another barrel from somewhere and popped its cork before taking a celebratory swig. Wiping her mouth down, she turned her gaze back to the blond. "So where ya been huh? I haven't seen you around."
Still not quite ready to move yet, Naruto spoke into the table. "The council needed me to do some mission for them. All done now so I'm home."
Smiling, Cana took another mouthful before dropping the barrel. Her smile also fell slightly with it as she remembered something. "Did that coffin have something to do with it?"
Feeling a bit better, Naruto gently pushed himself up. "Yeah... Erza knew him. It's not really my place to say though so I'll let her tell you everything. I just helped get him home. Where is Erza anyway?"
Nodding softly as Naruto spoke, Cana sighed. "Well that's sad when you lose someone like that. I dunno if I'd have the guts to ask Erza what happened though, even if she was here. She's still off at the amusement resort her, Natsu, Gray and Lucy went to."
The blond blinked at that new piece of information. "They're where?"
Cana raised the barrel and swallowed another satisfactory mouthful. Smacking her lips, she looked over. "You left just before they did. They somehow got their paws on a few nights stay at the Akane Resort." Grouching slightly to herself, Cana took another calming mouthful. "Lucky bastards. Do you have any idea how much it is to stay there? I wish I could have gone."
Naruto grinned. "How much is it huh? I bet I could cover it!"
Pausing mid sip, the brunette cast an interested eye over toward him. "How so?"
Naruto grinned. "Let's just say I got paid well for that council mission."
Dropping the barrel, Cana rested an arm on the table. She then pointed two fingers at Naruto's eyes, then back at her own. "Ok kid, this is my serious face. Take a good look at it. See how serious it is right now? It'd this serious because if you can honestly get me into that place for a night to two I will love you forever, I swear on it. If not, there will be hell to pay for you raising my hopes so high."
Naruto set his face just like Cana's. "Serious face right back at you. You wish you could be as serious as me right now. Cause we could totally go."
Raising an eyebrow, Cana slowly lifted the barrel to her mouth and took a speculative sip. "Hmmm... alright, how much you got to play with?"
While carefree, Naruto knew what a woman could do when faced with a large amount of money. Chuckling, he patted his pocket. "That's a secret, but enough, comfortably enough. I got it on a cheque though so I'll have to set up a bank account or something."
Nodding slowly, Cana pushed herself up. "Alright then. I'm gonna go back home and start getting ready. You are going to go talk with Mirajane and set up that account."
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked up at the tall woman. "Why can't you help me?"
Chuckling, the mage turned. "There's a reason Mira manages all the jobs. She is an absolute wiz when it comes to money. Meet you back here once you're done."
Watching her leave, Naruto turned his attention to a number of other mages that had surrounded his table, namely Wakaba, Macao and a couple of other guys. They were all standing over him smiling rather strangely.
His eyes thinning, Naruto looked them all over cautiously. "What do you all want..."
Nonchalantly scratching his blue moustache, Macao looked down at the blond. "Oh, we couldn't help but overhear that you may have a couple of tickets to Akane."
Snorting, Naruto instantly figured them out. "No. Reason one. Not enough money for that many people. Reason two. You're not female. You can't hang off my arm and make me look even more awesome than usual the way someone like Cana could."
Seriously affronted by the abrupt denial, the group of men spluttered indignantly for a bit before Wakaba managed to find his tongue. "W-what makes you think Cana would be on your arm in the first place?"
Grinning, Naruto walked through them. "It's called money and two little tickets to paradise for a day or two. That's how I know."
Growling, the men watched as Naruto breezed through them. Staring at his shrinking back, Macao leaned into Wakaba and whispered into his ear. "What do you recon, we jump him and force him to take us?"
Taking a deep breath of the ever present pipe in his lips, the dirty blond shook his head. "Nah, that would take way too much effort. You can try if you want."
Shaking his head, Macao began leading the way back to their tables. "There's no chance in hell I'd bother to do something like that alone. Come on, let's just get another mug of booze."
XxXxXxX
Leaning on the bench, Naruto watched as Mirajane cheerfully served a civilian a meal. Waiting until she was done, Naruto raised a hand. "Yo!"
As her eyes lay on him, Mirajane squealed excitedly and dashed over before taking him up in a warm hug. "Naruto! How are you, did your mission go well?"
Encircling the girl with his own arms, Naruto nodded. "Nice to see you too! Yeah, it went ok. I guess you know about Erza's friend?"
Letting go, the woman stood back with a sad smile. "Yeah, I was the one they came to when they wanted to find Erza. It's such a shame."
Nodding, Naruto smiled a little. "Yeah, it's never nice. Where is he if you don't mind me asking?"
Mira shrugged. "They didn't let too many people see the casket. Once they found out Erza wasn't here, they simply left after saying they'll be back once Erza returns. How they'll know that though I will have no idea."
Naruto didn't bother questioning that. Let the council people do what they wanted. Less fuss that way. Having worked out where Simon was though, the blond then decided to switch to a happier subject. "Cana just told me she's actually out at an amusement park right now though."
Grateful for the topic swap, Mirajane nodded. "Yup! They left a few days ago. I'm glad for her because she really needs the break. I wish I could have gone though..."
Smirking, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess it's just your lucky day. I got a nice little bonus so I was wondering if you'd like to come? Cana's decided she'll come too."
The waitress seemed to deflate slightly at hearing that. "Cana? My, isn't she lucky. I wish I could come too, but I've got way too much work on here at the moment."
The blond groaned. "No, that sucks! Come anyway. I can make up a couple of Naruko's and have them work here while you come!"
Smiling sadly, Mirajane shook her head. "Normally that wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the guild really needs money so I must stay to manage the funds and jobs."
Pouting, Naruto crossed his arms. "I wish you could come too. You deserve a break." The blond then blinked as his original mission resurfaced in his mind. "Actually, Cana did say that you could help me with opening a bank account though. Apparently you're the best with money!"
The girl nodded. "Oh, I'm not too bad I suppose. I was just about to take my break any how so we can go and do that now if you needed?"
Nodding happily, Naruto held out a hand. "Please do my lady. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated."
Giggling, Mira reached out daintily and took the hand. "My Naruto, I didn't know you knew how to use words like that!"
Taking offence to that, Naruto snorted indignantly. "What do you mean? I'm know big words like that!"
Giggling again, Mirajane crinkled her nose and pinched his cheek gently. "No, you just seem too cute to be using words like that."
Not really knowing if she was still taking a shot at him or not, Naruto looked down at her suspiciously as she led the way out of the guild.
XxXxXxX
The actual opening of the account was relatively painless when it came down to it. Naruto expected paper work on paper work to be completed but apparently Mira was a frequent customer and had done this a few times before. The fact a Wizard Saint wanted to open an account with that particular branch also seemed to make things roll along a lot smoother too.
When it was time to hand over the cheque though, Mirajane's eyes widened significantly at the amount. Pulling Naruto aside, she began whispering furiously into his ear. "Naruto, what is this? Five Million Jewels? That is staggering! Where did you get it all?"
Grinning, Naruto shrugged. "Eh, the council seemed to like what I did for them."
Blinking several times, the girl looked back down at the slip of paper. "They never pay anyone this kind of amount."
Not really knowing what to say, Naruto just pointed back at the expectant attendant. "Um, so does that mean I can't bank it now?"
Coming back from her surprise, Mira giggled bashfully and turned. "Oh, no you can. Here, let me do this part."
She then handed over the cheque and Naruto resisted the urge to laugh as the man's eyes swelled in side. He looked from the piece of paper to Naruto and back again several times before swallowing nervously. Pushing across a pen, he nodded. "I-if you would just sign this Mr. Uzumaki... I have to go get the manager."
Naruto scratched down something that looked like a signature as the man left. What he didn't expect then was for the paper to sign brightly and apparently copy the signature to the bench top beneath. That then faded into the wood and Naruto was left wondering what just happened. He looked over at his companion and pointed. "So... what was that for?"
Raising a finger, Mirajane launched into an explanation. "Essentially what just happened was they copied your signature into their database. From there, it will be sent via information Lacrima to all the banks around the world so you will have full access to your money wherever you go."
Naruto nodded slowly. "Sooo..."
Sighing patiently, Mira patted his hand. "You can get your money from anywhere you want."
"Ah! That explains it." While always cautious with his money, Naruto never really used the banks back in the Elemental Nations simply because he didn't really have enough to justify opening an account. That and they always tried to rip him off whenever he went in there.
Hearing a door open, a well dressed man in his mid thirties was revealed before walking over to Naruto excitedly. Extending a hand as he neared, Naruto had to squint slightly as his teeth glinted. "Mr. Uzumaki! What a pleasure it is doing business with you! I'm the store manager, Jake Steels. I have just been informed of your incredible deposit and wish to offer you this opportunity to..."
The words kind of drifted to the back of Naruto's head as he watched the man's lips absently. As this went on, Mira could see Naruto entering into his empty box and essentially switching off from the world. Chuckling to herself, the girl shook her head and took over and saved Naruto from any further boredom. "Here Mr. Steels, let me talk with you about that. Naruto has trusted me with starting his account, haven't you Naruto?"
"Eh?" Blinking, Naruto realised he was being spoken to. Looking at the expectant faces, Naruto pursed his lips as he hoped he guessed the right answer. "...yes."
Internally fist pumping as the two people before him smiled widely, Naruto knew he answered correctly. Following the two as they walked away to a room, Naruto found himself a seat and dropped into it. Jake smiled widely at Naruto as he made himself comfortable before turning his attention back to Mirajane.
From there, the time seemed to magically slow down to the point where every second seemed to take ten to pass. It was nearly identical to what happened back in the days of the ninja academy so Naruto began to wonder if there was a conspiracy going on or something. Sighing, the once comfy seat now felt like it had sticks poking out of it. Struggling to get relaxed, Naruto groaned and looked at the clock. This was gonna take a while.
XxXxXxX
Walking back to the guild, Naruto moaned as he twisted his back around and felt his spine pop back into place. Stretching his hands high above his head, a few more ligaments realigned and the blond sighed. Turning to look at his smaller companion, Naruto shook his head disbelievingly. "How you willingly walk into a time capsule like that I'll never know. I swear even boring itself was bored!"
Rolling her eyes, Mirajane looked up at the teen. "It wasn't that bad. We were barely in there for thirty minutes!"
Naruto shook his head. "Lies. That had to be atleast two hours."
Shrugging, the girl stepped through the guild entrance. "Whatever you believe Naruto."
Just then a deeper female voice called out to Naruto and the blond turned. Smiling as he saw Cana running towards him, he waved. "Hey Cana! All ready?"
Drawing up beside the pair, Cana nodded. "All set." She motioned to a backpack over her shoulders and grinned. "Bet you didn't think a girl could pack light did ya?"
Naruto shrugged. "With what I had to do, girls didn't have the option of taking forever to pack."
Turning back to Mirajane, he took the girl up in a surprise hug and lifted her easily off her feet. She giggled in his arms as he squeezed her a bit before setting her down. "I still think it sucks you can't come."
Sighing unhappily, Mira nodded. "Yeah, but work comes first I suppose."
Grinning cheekily, Cana decided to interrupt and draped herself over Naruto's shoulder. "Maybe next time Mira. I'll do my best to keep Naruto company for you until we get back."
Looking up at the brunette, Mira smiled pleasantly as her form seemed to darken slightly. Naruto realised what was happening and wisely decided to step back. "Oh, you needn't do that for me. Naruto and I keep well enough company that you don't have to strain yourself to help keep it alive. You just do whatever you have planned and Naruto will do his."
Having clued on a bit better than Erza did when placed in the same position, Cana began sweating slightly as she looked down at the cheery waitress. "Uh, sure thing! Yeah, Naruto's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Isn't that right?"
Turning to look at the blond, her eyes begged for help. Not really trusting himself here, Naruto just nodded.
"Well that's fine then!" The shadows seemed to lessen around the girl and she smiled up at them both pleasantly. "Off you go then! You don't wanna waste too much time here."
Nodding, Cana backed away with a wave as Mira returned the gesture. "Well, see you in a day or two!"
Resisting the urge to then drag Naruto away, the brunette walked as quickly as politely possible away from the curvy barmaid.
XxXxXxX
A while later, Cana and Naruto were flying through the air as they rushed toward the fabled resort. Cana was still getting over the fact Naruto could fly and as such was clinging onto him via a death grip. If the blond didn't know how to reinforce himself with chakra, he'd have been suffocated by now. Trying to get her mind off the height they were travelling at for the moment, Naruto looked over his shoulder at the girl. "So, you're a bit scared of Mira-chan huh?"
Shuddering, Cana shook away old memories. "And with good reason too. You never saw her when she was younger."
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto waited for her to continue. "She was like crazy strong and at the same time insane. She regularly picked fights with Erza just for the hell of it."
Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "Mirajane? That same one? No way."
Cana nodded vehemently. "Nah, I swear! You saw that darkness around her before? That was a tiny bit of her former ability... though I don't actually know why it's coming back."
Naruto pondered the happy girl for a moment. "So... what was her magic exactly?"
Cana shook her head at this. "If she hasn't told you then I really shouldn't."
The blond mentally slapped himself. Of course he shouldn't ask Cana. That'd be like some random asking Kakashi to reveal all Naruto's secrets. "Yeah... I should have known that. Still, it's a weird feeling magic! My stomach starts feeling funny."
Raising her eyebrows, Cana shuffled around on Naruto's back. "Really? That's an unusual reaction to – oh look! I can see it!"
Turning his gaze upward, Naruto followed the elegant finger as it pointed into the distance. As his eyes rested upon the massive structure, stars began shining brightly in the blond teens eyes as he saw what looked like the most incredible place on earth come into view.
Cylindrical towers stood up everywhere from an old style castle, their peaked roofs pointing up to the sky. Windows covered them all indicating that they were most probably the hotel rooms that the patrons stayed in. The main body of the place itself faced towards the ocean, a magnificent beach spread out before it for all to use. Picturesque scenery surrounded the resort, a sizeable mountain behind the park donning the name 'Akane Resort'.
As Naruto got closer, he began to make out a face on the largest dome, right in the middle of the park and situated over the main bulk of the castle. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto couldn't help but wonder who decided that a happy duck was to be the face that everyone thought of when they considered the place. Within the mouth of the duck again was the name 'Akane Resort', just in case you couldn't see the enormous sign behind on the mountain.
Outside of that though was what really drew the blond's attention. Weaving in and around the massive towers were tracks on tracks on tracks of rides, each holding a tiny little buggy of screaming people as it circled the park. Behind that was an enormous Ferris Wheel, easily twenty times bigger than anything Naruto had seen before. The tiny little things that came to Konoha from time to time had absolutely nothing on this beast as it stretched some hundred feet into the air.
Sucking in a stray strand of drool, Naruto could only begin to imagine the number of other things the place must have held if those enormous constructions were visible from so far away. Grinning widely, Naruto quickly wrapped an arm around each of Cana's legs. Before the girl could even begin to voice her complaints, Naruto doubled his speed and shot towards the park with a terrified scream from his passenger.
XxXxXxX
"Woooooooow..."
Now standing within the room he had rented, Naruto looked around in awe. It was easily three times the size of his apartment back home and thirty times better furnished. A skin coloured cream covered the walls with a darker maroon coating the ceiling. A quarter of a pillar was visible in each corner of the room, each one covered with a soothing criss-cross pattern that faded into the walls. A massive doorway stood proudly off to the side, the canary yellow curtains drawn back to reveal a spacious balcony overlooking the pristine ocean.
Two beds sat opposite the doorway, each covered in an expensive velvet quilt embroided with silk and gold thread. Pictures decorated every wall, some of magnificent landscapes and mountain scenery, others of underwater caverns and yet others of the sky, captured at different times during the day and night. The occasional pot plant either hung from the wall or sat inconspicuously off to the side to help add a little greenery to the overall appearance.
Towards the back of the room was a table and chairs, the eating place separated from the kitchen via a small dividing wall. Opposite the quaint kitchen was a door that led off toward the bathroom and shower, the washing machine hiding in there somewhere too.
Finally finishing off the room was an enormous, ceiling to floor mirror that was held by an incredibly ornate wooden border. Intricate swirls and twists threaded their way through the wood in a way that only a master craftsman could hope to accomplish.
A thump behind the blond drew him from his wide eyed staring. Turning, he saw Cana drop her backpack onto one of the beds and grin up at him. "I call shots on this one."
Chuckling, Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he turned to face her fully. "Look, I'm kinda sorry you had to do this..."
Cutting him off with a wave of the hand, Cana began digging around in her bag. "Bah, it's not like you could help that all the double rooms have been booked."
Chuckling again, Naruto lowered his hand and looked around at the room again. Time must have passed pretty quickly when he heard Cana laugh behind him. "You really that impressed by this place? I mean, yeah it's super fancy, but it's not even one of the super luxurious rooms!"
Shrugging, a small smile tugged at Naruto's mouth. "Yeah, maybe but my place doesn't even compare to this. I might as well be standing in a palace right now."
Raising an eyebrow as she continued to dig around in her bag, Cana watched as the teen seemed to fade into memories for a moment. Deciding that enough was enough, the girl strode forward before flicking him right in the middle of the forehead. "Ouch! What was that for?"
Grinning at him, Cana placed her hands on the curves of her hips. "You looked like you were about to fade away on me there so I had to come save you. For now though, who cares what you live like back home? Here, you pretty much ARE royalty. You're a Wizard of the Ten Saints for crying out loud! Forget about home, if only for a day or two and enjoy this place. YOU bought this, not me. I'm just a trophy girl for all I care now. You better enjoy yourself mister or else."
Seeing the teasing glint in the brunette's eyes, Naruto smirked and tried to flick her back. "Fade away? You wish! There ain't no way I'd let you have this whole place to yourself!"
Laughing, Cana slung an arm around her companion. "That's what I wanted to hear! Now stop gawking at the room and go do something! I'm off to find Gray and hopefully coax him into a drinking battle. I'll catch you later for that 'date' you owe me."
Excessively sighing, Naruto pushed Cana off his person. "I bring you out here, rent you a room and you still want that date?"
Winking, Cana shook her chest a little. "What you don't wanna see the dress I especially brought along for the date?"
Distracted momentarily by the impressive amounts of breast swinging before him, Naruto shook his head. "Ok, I take that back. You have yourself a deal."
Cocking her eyebrow teasingly, Cana turned and wandered toward the door. "That's what I thought. I'll catch you later."
Walking through it, she pulled it closed after her with a soft click. Watching it for another few seconds, Naruto sighed and shook his head. That girl was shameless and he liked it. Grinning at the thought of the not-date they had planned, Naruto rubbed his hands together in excitement.
That came later though. For now, he had some important business he had to attend to.
XxXxXxX
Wandering into the main gaming room, Naruto looked around in awe. The roof stretched high above his head and the whole place had this kind of sparkly hint in the air all around. Multiple gambling tables filled the room, joyous cries emitting from some as people won big while moans of disappointment sounded out from others as their holiday was cut short.
Despite all the splendour around him, Naruto shut his eyes tight and shook his head. 'No looking around, gotta find Erza.'
It was her energy signature that had led him here in the first place, so that was the only reason he came here. Looking around for the striking redhead, Naruto squinted as he tried to spot her. Try as he might though, he couldn't see her usual armour plated torso anywhere. Slowly walking down the main isle, Naruto tried to pick up on the woman's signature. It was so much harder when he wasn't using Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) but Naruto wasn't one to give up. Desperately sorting through the plethora of beacons, Naruto eventually stumbled across the one he was looking for.
Following it, the blond was surprised to find himself looking at the back of an extremely well dressed young lady. A beautiful midnight blue, ankle length dress covered her body, her neck and back exposed to the world via a crossing number of threads that revealed skin all the way down to the small of her back. A pair of elegant, elbow length white gloves covered her hands which gave her a very graceful air. Her hair was done up in a tasteful top knot, her fringe left to frame the sides of her face. It was the striking red he had been searching for so with a grin, Naruto reached out and tapped her shoulder. "Hey Erza!"
Turning, the girl looked up in surprise at who it was. "Naruto! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Happy only just told me you had arrived."
Chuckling at the confrontation he had with the excitable cat, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I ran into him. He left pretty quickly to tell everyone as soon as he saw me."
Nodding, Erza smiled gently. "Yes, he has a habit of doing that. So how have you found this place so far?"
Grinning widely, Naruto stared waving his arms around. "It is huge! And so awesome! Rides are everywhere and there's even more food than I can eat! There are nicely dressed people who are actually easy to talk to as well and talk about all the pretty girls... wait, getting sidetracked here." Shaking his head, Naruto refocused. "The reason I came down to find you was because I actually need to talk with you in private."
Frowning as Naruto's demeanour turned serious, Erza nodded. "Is it anything that is happening right now?"
The blond shook his head. "No, but you'll still wanna hear about it like, now."
Erza nodded again. "Very well. I just had to make sure everyone was ok."
She then began walking past Naruto and led him away from the group and into a quiet room down the back. Looking around, Naruto blinked as he realised every booth had duel seats that were covered in a soft velvet red. A table separated them but the blond didn't think too many people would be sitting opposite one another in here. Walking down the back to one of the empty areas, Erza slid into one of the seats and motioned for Naruto to join her. Dropping into the soft couch, Naruto had to fight the urge to grin as he bounced about for a second.
Feeling Erza looking at him, Naruto turned and saw her staring at him with that usual seriousness. Now that he was here though, Naruto sighed and scratched his head as he tried to think of a way to break it to her. "So, the reason I actually called you out here was about your friend, Simon."
Instantly stiffening as the name was said, Erza furrowed her eyebrows but remained silent. "Well... I got him to the council safely before I had to go off and sort out some other stuff. They went and put him in a coffin for you and prepped him and everything for the burial. They took him to Fairy Tail to look for you, but when they found out you weren't there, they took him somewhere else to wait for you to get back."
Nodding sadly, Erza looked down at her gloved hands. "That... is most generous of the council, especially after what he did."
Naruto tried smiling for her. "Well, I know atleast one of the council guys was sympathetic towards him. Maybe he did it for you?"
Nodding again, Erza didn't look up. "I must find out who did that for me and thank them personally."
The blond nodded. "Yeah, I bet he'd like that. Anyway, this brings me to what I wanted to ask."
Now looking up, Erza's hurt eyes stared into Naruto's own. "And that is?"
Scratching his head, Naruto scowled as he tried to word it right. "Well, I wanted to know if you'll go back now. I know you can if you wanna, but at the same time I dunno if you'd wanna spend the rest of the time off you have here. The council has him in good hands so he certainly won't go bad or anything..."
Frowning as he heard that last statement, Naruto shook his head. "But yeah, Mira-chan said you deserve this break, but at the same time no one could blame you if you wanted to go back and bury him right away. If you really needed, I could have you back at Fairy Tail within the hour."
Blinking at Naruto's faith in his own speed, Erza studied him for a moment before relaxing slightly. "Well, this is a difficult decision... I believe the others who knew him should have a say in this also."
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked over his shoulder. "Others? You mean that Millianne cat-girl?"
Giggling softly, Erza nodded. "It's Millianna. And yes, her and two others who were extremely close to me and Simon are here. I believe they deserve the chance to hear this and then we can decide as a group what to do."
Nodding, Naruto grinned encouragingly. "Yeah, that sounds smart! I'm glad you know what you're doing now cause I'd have no idea."
Smiling warmly at the blond teen, Erza tipped her head to the side. "Well, I thank you for letting me know this so quickly." She then reached out and gently took up Naruto in a brief hug. Though surprised by the action, the blond just smiled and hugged her back. Drawing away, Erza then sighed. "I suppose I must go find Millianna and the others now. As for you, you could go and find Lucy and let her help you find some more suitable clothing for the environment."
Frowning, Naruto looked down at himself. "What's wrong with this?"
Raising an eyebrow, Erza reached out and pinched the orange fabric. "While it may be suitable for everyday use, it really isn't the type of clothing you'd wear to a formal room. Didn't you notice everyone looking at you?"
Blinking absently, Naruto shook his head. "Nup."
Rolling her eyes, Erza placed a delicate hand to her forehead. "I should have guessed. No, you need something a bit more proper for this type of setting."
Huffing, Naruto crossed his arms. "But it'll just get ruined like my last new set of clothes."
Gently pushing Naruto out of the booth, Erza stood up behind him. "No they won't, because this time you won't be fighting in them. Now off you go and find Lucy. She'll be able to help you buy something more fitting and at a pretty good price too I'd imagine."
Continuing to huff, Naruto looked away. "Alright fine, but only because you asked."
Giggling, Erza reached out and fondly ruffled his hair. "Thank you Naruto. I shall talk with you soon."
And with that, the beautiful redhead gracefully walked out of the room.
XxXxXxX
Stomping along with his hands in his pockets, Naruto hunted about for Lucy as requested by Erza. He may have agreed to do this, but it didn't mean he had to like it. If anything, he was more worried about the time it could take to find something. If Lucy was anything like Mira-chan, then Naruto better settle himself in for the long haul.
Following his crappy sensing abilities directions, Naruto wandered through a number of rooms looking for his blond target before giving up and just deciding to follow his nose. Sniffing at the air, Naruto found himself being directed back the way he came. Wandering along with his nose in the air, Naruto pretty much closed his eyes and followed the scent as he drifted through a few more rooms before coming to a stop in a small bar.
Looking around, Naruto spotted the vibrant blond as she animatedly chatted away with the bartender, accentuating her tale via wide arm movements. Wandering up, Naruto dropped into the seat beside her and poked her. Squealing, the girl turned to look at the offender. Once realising who it was, she gave a little cry of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Naruto! When did you get here?"
Grinning as she pressed her face against his, Naruto shrugged. "Awww, not that long ago. Cana came with me too. I'm surprised you didn't know. We ran into Happy at the reception counter."
Hearing this, the girl rolled her eyes and huffed. "He probably forgot I existed." Moving on from that, she then fixed Naruto with a smile. "So you and Cana are here huh? What for? You have a date or something?"
Backing away from her seedy grin, Naruto chuckled. "No, nothing like that. She just wanted to come along so I thought why not. Besides, she said she'd be my trophy girl for bringing her along so I can't think of anything much more awesome than striding down the main walkway with her on my arm!"
Giggling, Lucy propped her cheek up in one palm. "Yeah, she is really beautiful hey. I wish I had her eyes..."
Crinkling his nose, Naruto looked at the girl. "What for? Your eyes suit you just right!"
Looking up at her fellow blond, the girl smiled. "Well thank you. I'm glad you like them."
She then shifted both arms to the table top, completely unaware of the generous amount of cleavage that spilled forth from her low cut top. Desperately trying not to blatantly look, Naruto wished he had a set of sun glasses so he could perve more discreetly. "Uh, well Erza said I ain't dressed right and that you could help me buy something nice. I gotta warn you though, if you take as long as Mira-chan, I'm ditching you at the first shop."
Snorting, Lucy shook her head. "Please, I'm a well versed girl. I know how much guys like you hate clothes shopping so I promise it won't take too much time."
Nodding, Naruto fixed her with a glare. "Alright, I trust you with this. Don't make me lose my faith in you."
Sweat dropping at the unusual and misplaced seriousness, Lucy held her hands up disarmingly and nodded. "Sure, sure! You have nothing to worry about with me. Alright, let's go!"
Jumping to her feet, the young blond female raised a determined fist as Naruto watched her curiously. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto stuffed his hands in his pockets as Lucy began looking around through the few exits to the room. "So where are we going?"
Grinning, Lucy reached out and grabbed Naruto's sleeve before dragging him through one of the doors. "My shopping senses are telling me that this way is good!"
Blinking in confusion, Naruto just let himself be pulled away. Shopping senses?
XxXxXxX
Standing with his arms held out, Naruto struggled to hold in tears as Lucy fussed over him for the hundredth time. Modesty was counted as nothing when it came to shopping as every single, possible square inch of his body had been thoroughly measured and noted. Places he didn't even know existed apparently had measurements and as such, the blond believed his female tormenter and the clerk with her now had a better knowledge of his own body than he did.
After all that had been finished, Naruto had been subjected to multiple clothing changes. Any escape he attempted early on had been thwarted by the ruthless duo as they dragged him back for more clothing changes. Towards the end of it, the blond wondered why he didn't just create ten clones and have them all dress up with him. That would have cut down time significantly. As it was though, Naruto hoped this was the last one of the day.
Most everything else they had tried on him had been stiff, fitted measurements. It might have felt alright when his arms hung by his sides like a pair of wooden boards, but as soon as he tried to move, the fabric bunched up and generally restricted a great amount of movement. No, the blond was adamant that he got something that atleast had some form of elasticity.
Eventually, the girls had stumbled over a stylish, evening blue shirt that gave the illusion of being fitted while having the range of a normal shirt. A deep orange, clip on tie stuck to the front of his shirt that Naruto demanded be included with the package. All things considered, it didn't look as bad as it could have. So that, coupled with a pair of black slacks and simple shoes seemed to finish off the blonds attire rather nicely.
Looking over himself, Naruto frowned as he twisted to look behind himself. "Not enough orange."
Rolling her eyes, Lucy gave him a lopsided grin. "Well, you can either deal with it, or we can keep looking for you if you want?"
Realising the danger, Naruto quickly threw up his hands and plastered a false grin on his face. "No, no, this is just fine then! I love it, honest!"
Grinning, Lucy grossed her arms. "That's what I thought. Alright then, time to pay up!"
Looking over at his beloved jacket and pants, Naruto sighed and resignedly pulled his ever present scroll from his pants pocket. Sealing them within, he then tucked the scroll into a pocket inside his shirt. "Alright, how much do I owe?"
Ringing up the amount, the clerk smiled happily at the now rather handsome blond. "That will be twenty five thousand jewels. You're young lady friend certainly has a knack for spotting bargains!"
Nodding absently, Naruto pulled out his envelope that contained a bit of his money. He still wasn't all that flash with withdrawing money so Mirajane had taken the liberty to withdraw a considerable amount for his trip. Fishing around through the notes, Naruto pulled out the correct amount and passed it over.
Tucking it away, Naruto sighed in relief. "It's finally over..."
Feeling a delicate set of fingers intertwine with his own, Naruto looked down to see Lucy beaming up at him. "What are you talking about? Now we gotta go find you some casual clothes!"
Terror rising up in his chest, Naruto struggled to escape, but the prospect of more shopping strengthened the normally weak girl. Clamping her hand down around Naruto's, she took off like a bullet towards the next shop, Naruto flailing along helplessly behind her.
XxXxXxX
Dropping onto his bed, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he finally got away from that shopping demon. Outside of this she was the gentlest creature in the whole guild, but stick her in a shop and she grew fangs, claws and the strength of ten men.
Rolling over, Naruto looked at the sizeable quantity of bags now strewn around. After that first shop, he had been forced to buy swimmers, several sets of casual clothing, even more sets of shoes and to top it all off, a rubber inner tube for when he went to the beach. He couldn't quite understand her reasoning for that since he could walk on water, but the girl was adamant that he needed it.
Looking back up at the ceiling, Naruto released a slow breath and watched as the evening sun reflected off the water and painted the roof in an ever changing mixture of reds, golds, oranges and yellows. Hearing the door open, Naruto looked down his body to see Cana wandering in with a couple of bags in hand. When she spied Naruto's haul however, she whistled. "Damn boy, I wasn't expecting you to go so hard first day." Having a look in one of the bags, she raised an eyebrow. "And all clothing?"
Shaking his head, Naruto mumbled something before speaking up. "Not by choice. Lucy took me around and used me as a life sized dress up doll."
Chuckling, Cana dropped her own stuff onto her bed. "I wish I could have watched. I bet it would have been hilarious."
Naruto crossed his arms with a huff. "Maybe because you didn't have to endure it! What if you were me huh?"
Shrugging, Cana began sorting through her buys. "Eh, I'm a girl. Not your stereotypical one but still a girl. I'd have probably enjoyed it a whole lot more than you did."
Frowning, Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Well it still sucked."
Rolling her eyes, the brunette wandered over and dropped down beside Naruto. "Well, it's all over now isn't it? And you even got some classy clothes to boot. So stop grumping and come down for dinner."
Now that he thought about it, the blond was kinda hungry. Pulling himself up, Naruto stretched and looked down at his state of dress. He was still in those first set of clothes Lucy had thrust into his arms. It was good enough. Turning to look at the bags around him, Naruto just raised an eyebrow before kicking them all off onto the floor. Turning back, the blond was then confronted by a rather surprising sight.
Cana was facing away from him as she held a pretty emerald green dress up. The thing that got Naruto however was that she had discarded her usual bikini top and let everything hang free. Now, seeming she was facing away from him he couldn't see anything specific, but the swell of her bust that was visible around her trim back was more than enough to get Naruto's blood pumping.
"So you gonna just look or are you gonna start getting ready too?"
Despite having been caught out, Naruto didn't look away. "Well, I'm kinda already ready. So yeah, I think I'll just keep watching. You think I'd pass up an opportunity like this?"
Chuckling, Cana slipped the dress over her head. Pulling it down, she then began wrestling with her pants beneath before slipping them out from under the knee length outfit. Stepping out, she turned to look back and Naruto and raised an eyebrow when she saw him watching on avidly. "You're just a little perve, aren't you?"
Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "You had just as much part in this as I did. You could have gone into the bathroom and changed but nooo, you decide to change right in front of me. I claim innocence."
Shrugging, Cana threw her pants onto the bed and fluffed her generous amount of hair out with her hands. "Whatever stud. So you gonna accompany me down to the eating area or has a girl gotta walk herself there?"
Rolling his eyes, Naruto stood up. "Needy woman. Yes, I suppose I can."
Chuckling, Cana pulled her heeled shoes on and offered her arm to the blond. "Guess it's time I pay up and make you look awesome."
Grinning, Naruto took the presented limb. "That's what I like to hear." He then frowned and looked at her curiously. "Hang on... are you taller than me in heels?"
Shrugging, Cana opened the door for them. "Perhaps. What does it matter?"
Grinning, Naruto crossed his fingers. "Nothing."
He suddenly went up in a puff of smoke and Cana was left to wave away the excess cloud as she coughed. Once she could see Naruto though, she had to look up at the now taller male. "Interesting way to use a transformation."
Chuckling, Naruto just let her walk out first. "It'd look weird otherwise. Just think though, now you have a big strong arm to hang off in case you slip."
Rolling her eyes, the brunette smirked. "You wish."
Quirking an eyebrow as he pulled the door closed, Naruto grinned. "Maybe I do."
XxXxXxX
Having met up with the other Fairy Tail members, Naruto and Cana had instantly been swallowed up into the mayhem. Funnily enough though, Natsu wasn't there to raise the bar of destructiveness and noise to the next level. Wandering up beside Gray, Naruto nudged the scruffy teen. "So where's Natsu? I'd have thought you 'n' him would be brawling on the floor when we arrived."
Laughing sharply, Gray raised an eyebrow. "That loser? No, he went and ate some of that Lacrima back when he was fighting Jellal. Apparently he didn't realise that eating solid energy would have adverse effects on one's body."
Pursing his lips, Naruto thought back to the fight. "Was that why he was covered in scales and stuff?"
Gray shrugged. "I dunno. I wasn't there during that part. Ask Erza about that."
Nodding, Naruto went to say something but was cut off as a body literally slammed into his side with considerable force. Struggling to keep his feet, Naruto flapped his arms around for a second before realising someone was nuzzling his cheek.
"Kitty-kitty! You came back for me!"
Struggling to see exactly who it was attached to him, Naruto tried to pull the female body off him with little success. Hearing a laugh, Naruto turned to see Erza watching on in amusement. "I see Millianna found you."
The face against his finally pulled back to reveal the innocent face of the cat obsessed teen. Squealing in delight, she wrapped both arms and legs around him as she buried her face into his chest. "I've missed you kitty! I really, really have! Don't leave me again!"
"Uh..." Not quite sure what to do, Naruto looked over at the group helplessly.
"Boy, you might as well just let her be. That girl has a dandy affection to anything resembling cats and those whisker marks of yours are right up her alley, get it?"
Raising an eyebrow at the odd voice, Naruto turned to come face to face with one of the most peculiar individuals he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. His entire body was completely made out of rectangles and squares, his clothing stuck fast to his body like it was tattooed on. Even his dark shades were stuck fast over his eyes. What he was wearing however was a purple suit with a red tie and white undershirt, looking all the world like a mobster boss. The only part of his attire that wasn't a cube of some form was his white, waist length scarf and purple mobster hat.
Blinking several times, Naruto opened his mouth to say hello but instead found himself saying, "How are you even alive?"
Raising one rectangular finger, the man pushed his glasses up his nose and smirked. "I'm a well rounded man. My magic has a flair to it that helps keep me trendy, get it?"
Naruto's eyes thinned as the man flashed him a set of shiny teeth. "Well, I wouldn't really call you rounded..."
Chuckling, Erza walked up behind the man and placed a familiar hand on his shoulder. "I see you have already met Millianna. Naruto, I would like to introduce you to my dear friend, Wally."
Tipping his hat toward the blond, the newly dubbed Wally extended a hand. Shuffling an arm around the girl still firmly attached to his side, Naruto reached out and took it. "Nice to meet you."
Still grinning, Wally pulled his hand back. "Likewise. Now how about we all go get ourselves some dandy food?"
Ignoring the speech quirk, Naruto nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. Watching as Erza walked away beside the odd man, Naruto heard Millianna begin purring into his ear. Trying to turn and look at the girl, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So, are you going to just stay there all night?"
Giggling, the girl nodded. "Yup! You're my most favourite! I love you!"
Sighing, Naruto heard another chuckle beside him as he began walking after the group. "You're lucky in a way. I knew a number of guys who'd love to have her attention lathered on them like that."
Turning to face the new person, Naruto was relieved to see a relatively normal, well tanned individual. Scruffy blond hair stuck up from his head everywhere, much like Naruto's own, only longer and (if possibly) a little bit more gravity defying. A single earring hung down from his left ear, the thin silver chain dangling all the way down to his shoulder. The only other defining mark on the teen was a single, stylised 'S' tattooed onto the left side of his chin. Grinning, Naruto stretched out his still free arm. "It's nice to meet someone normal. Naruto."
Chuckling, the blond man took the hand. "Shou. It's nice to meet you too." His face then seemed to drop a bit and he looked away. "Uh, about the Tower of Heaven too... I'm really sorry about Jellal. I heard about what you had to deal with."
Frowning, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's to be sorry about?"
Sighing, the teen rubbed his arm. "Well, half the reason everything went so crazy was because me, Wally and Millianna helped build the thing. We might have been tricked, but that doesn't make our wrongs right."
Smiling brightly, Naruto reached out and clapped the despondent blond on his shoulder. "Bah, not to worry! That's in the past and you seem cool now, so why should that effect what I think of you?"
Looking up in surprise, Shou furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure?"
Grinning, Naruto nodded. "Yup! Everything's alright."
Allowing a small smile to reach his mouth, Shou nodded. "Well... thank you."
Ignoring the softly mewing girl who had moved from nuzzling his chest up to his neck, Naruto gave him Gai-sensei's patented 'good guy' pose. "Don't mention it! How about we go get some food now huh? I'm starving!"
Nodding a little more animatedly, Shou grinned. "Yeah, I am pretty hungry."
Wrapping an arm around his new friend's shoulders, Naruto pulled him in and gently head butted him. "Awesome! Off to the banquet!"
XxXxXxX
Naruto found himself back in that quiet room at the end of the gaming hall with his stomach grumbling loudly. Just as he got his first mouthful, Erza pulled him up and away with her group of close friends. Millianna had once again pounced on him and now was stuck with her rubbing her hair into his nose.
Sighing, Naruto considered voicing his complaints but knew he was probably here because of what he spoke with Erza earlier about. Watching as the woman drew their attention; Erza let out a little sigh and began. "The reason I brought you all out here was because of what I explained to you earlier. Naruto was kind enough to offer us all a flight back to the guild if need be, so now after a few hours to think I would like to hear your thoughts."
Naruto didn't specifically remember promising everyone here a trip back to the guild but he kept his mouth shut.
Shou was the first to speak up, the troubled boy looking to the ground uncertainly. "Well... I still don't know what I want to do. Simon deserves to be buried, but at the same time I know he'd want us to enjoy our time together."
Wally nodded and he spoke up. "Exactly. Simon was a fantastic friend and a dandy example of a man, so he deserves a proper send off. I would like to stay here a while longer though and celebrate his life with you all. Simon would want us to remember him fondly, so I'd prefer to stay, get it?"
Erza nodded as Millianna then spoke up from her perch on Naruto's side. "Yeah... I love Simon and I know he loved us, so I wanna stay and have all this fun for him. That way, when we go back to see him off properly, we can tell him all the stories about what happened here!" The girl's eyes began watering as fond memories surfaced. Naruto noticed and wrapped a comforting arm around the girl, to which she instantly leaned into. "I miss him so much but I want to pretend, just this last time, that he is here having fun with us all."
Hearing a sniff, Naruto looked over to see the other three members all wiping their eyes gently. While immune to most forms of emotion, Naruto couldn't help but feel his eyes start watering a little in the emotional atmosphere. He'd usually say something about now to try lighten the mood, but the blond knew that right now, they needed to sort this out. Forcefully sucking the wetness back behind his eyes, Naruto just watched as the group all sniffled together for a few minutes longer. After a while, everyone looked up at Erza let out a soft laugh. "Look at us. What a mess we have made." Wiping her eyes, the girl tried her best to hide the redness. "I guess we'll stay there then for the remainder of the time. I only ask that you all enjoy yourselves as much as possible for Simon's sake."
A small cry of approval sounded out from the group before they all leaned in for a group hug. Naruto unexpectedly found himself dragged in by Millianna too, the girl still not too willing to let go of him. So stuck amongst the circle of bodies, all Naruto could do was look down at them all. They were lucky they all had such good friends to rely on.
He just hoped they gathered themselves soon 'cause his stomach was literally eating its way into his spine.
XxXxXxX
A/N – I could have gone on, but there seemed like a nice place to stop. There wasn't much more to write anyway because I won't be detailing the rest of their stay there deeply. I'll touch on it next chapter, but only briefly. The date with Cana and Erza will get a little bit of love though so don't worry about that. It might be good for an omake or two. Anyway, I hope you all liked the little interlude.
Omake
Hearing Lucy's happy cry, two of the three males ran over to inspect the book. Frowning, Natsu turned his nose up at it. "That's worth two million jewels? My ass it is. Still, let's burn it and get out."
Reaching out for it, Natsu found his hand slapped away. "Don't you dare! This book is written by Kemu-Zaleon! He's like the greatest writer/magician ever to have lived! I'm a massive fan!"
Cradling the book to her breast, Lucy took on a love struck face as she poured out her wanton desire for the book. "I've read all his works, but this one must be an unfinished masterpiece!"
Shrugging, Natsu raised a finger, igniting it. "Well, whatever, let's burn it!"
Diving away from the flame, Lucy held the book protectively. "Don't you dare! This is like one of the wonders of the world! To destroy this is like... is like destroying your scarf!"
Eyes widening, Natsu grabbed the fabric around his neck protectively and snorted. "That doesn't even compare! Leave my scarf out of this!"
"So that's what you were after hey?"
Pausing, the group looked around in surprise. A moment later, out of the floor exploded a very short, very fat man. He was obviously very wealthy if his fine designer clothing had anything to say about it. His perfectly styled hair didn't move a fraction as he landed, the man raising a finger to twirl the hair beneath his nose. "I was beginning to wonder what you stupid mages were looking for, but it turns out it was just that crappy book. I don't really understand why you want that though, it sucked."
Gears within Lucy's mind began turning as she saw a possibly way out of this. "So, if you say it sucks so badly, does that mean we can have it?"
Stamping his foot, the owner of the Everlue estate shook his head. "HELL NO! I don't care if it sucks! What's mine is mine and I ain't letting some second rate mage take my possessions!"
Pouting, Lucy held the book closer. "Cheapskate. Just let me have it already."
Ticking his tongue out, Everlue sneered at the blond. "You wish. Get out of my house Ugly."
Instantly collapsing under the hurtful comment, Lucy was reduced to a quivering pile as she desperately tried to reassure herself that she wasn't ugly. Not really caring one way or another, Natsu just raised a palm and let it explode into flame. "Just give it up and let me burn it Lucy!"
Gathering herself, the girl swung a kick at the advancing mage. "No! I'll never let it go!"
Growling, Natsu levelled her with a serious gaze. "Lucy, this is a job!"
Pausing, the blond girl then slid to the floor and opened the book. "Let me read it then."
The men all around her face faulted before Everlue jumped back to his feet absolutely livid with anger. "NO! How dare you barge into my house and then try and read my precious books! Fla –"
His rant was subsequently cut off when a book flew out of nowhere and nailed him right in the nose. Holding the now red area, Everlue looked around furiously. "WHO THREW THAT?"
Jumping forward, Naruto held up a fist. "I did damnit! You suck! You're taste in porn sucks! Your taste in books in general sucks! How can one person suck so hard? It's like you're trying to suck for the whole world!"
Snorting in disgust, Everlue wrinkled up his nose. "How dare you say something like that! What's wrong with my porn?"
Holding up a book, Naruto tapped the cover. "This! All the girls in here are worse than ugly! Given the choice, I'd MUCH rather perve on Lucy naked all day than anything in here!"
Ignoring the girls cry of "Leave me out of it!", Everlue spat towards Naruto. "And I'm disgusted by that blond girl's mere presence! It's all a matter of opinion."
Opening the book to a particularly harsh looking female, Naruto tapped the page. "She has a snout."
Sniffing, Everlue looked away. "And I just say she has high cheek bones."
Shuddering, Naruto then tossed the book to Natsu. "Here, set this on fire and eat it."
"NO!"
Ignoring the cry, Naruto threw the book into the air. Within seconds it was well alight and within a few seconds more, nestled within Natsu's stomach.
Turning to look back at the portly man, Naruto saw that he was now visibly shaking in anger. "You... you filthy little maggot! HOW DARE YOU!"
Ignoring the man, Naruto turned as he heard Natsu make a noise. "Oi, where'd Lucy go?"
Looking around, Naruto frowned. "I dunno, she was here a second ago..." Shrugging, the blond then looked at his companion. "If you're right to finish up things here, I'll go find her. Who knows what she's doing."
Laughing, Natsu nodded as he started stretching. "Yeah, get out of here. I got this guy sorted."
Grinning, Naruto then nodded and ran out of an open side door.
XxXxXxX
Following his nose, Naruto came to a rainwater drain. Wondering what Lucy could possibly be doing in there, Naruto looked around and spied her face down with Everlue sticking out of the stone wall, his hands firmly wrapped around her slender arms.
"Come on then little girl, tell me the books secrets! Tell me or your arms go snap!"
Despite withering in pain, Naruto had to hand it to her when she turned around and stuck her tongue out defiantly. Grinning, the blond decided enough was enough.
Jumping to the wall, Naruto began charging down it towards the oblivious Everlue. Reaching him within a matter of strides, Naruto reared back a foot and brought it through powerfully, connecting with the fat man's face solidly. Blood and a few teeth squirted into the air as Everlue was sent spiralling back into the far end of the room. Hitting it solidly, the man then slumped down it, completely knocked out.
Dropping down beside Lucy, Naruto knelt down and checked her over. "You alright?"
Nodding, Lucy winced as she tested her wrists. "Yeah, a bit sore but I'll be ok soon enough."
Naruto grinned when he heard that. "Good. A pug like that man shouldn't be holding you like that, only me."
"N-Naruto!"
Chuckling, the cheeky blond just winked at her. "Kidding, I'm kidding! But seriously, that should have been me."
Glaring up at the teen, Lucy pulled herself to her feet. "I'll be ignoring you now."
Not listening in the slightest, Naruto leant over her shoulder to look at the book. "So why'd you run away? You find a secret in there or something?"
Sighing, Lucy nodded. "Yes, I think I found something. We can't destroy it now because it directly relates to the client I believe."
Turning to look at the boy, Lucy found him playing with Happy. Bristling, Lucy stamped her foot. "You could atleast have the decency to listen to my answer when you ask me a question!"
Suddenly, Naruto dived at her and tackled her into the ground right as a human sized ball shot right over the top of her. "What the hell was that?"
'Hmmm, soft.' As Naruto tackled the girl to the ground, her body had shifted and he landed with his face right in the middle of her breasts. Reluctant to pull his face from there just yet, Naruto waited until he heard another rumble that signified the ball returning. Sighing, the blond then pulled his face out and looked up at the unimpressed girl. "That was Everlue. He turned into some ball and tried to body check you."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Well thank you so much for protecting me. What would I ever do without you?"
Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto helped Lucy up. "Well, if I wasn't here you'd probably be dead right now."
Suddenly grabbing her again, Naruto flipped into the air as his passenger screamed out in fright. Sticking to the roof, Naruto looked down to see that he had narrowly avoided the Everlue ball again. Growling, Naruto dropped to the floor as the man exploded from the roof right beside them. It was time to finish him off.
XxXxXxX
Yeah, I was going to finish the omake this chapter, but I am SO dog tired I just can't be bothered. Check the ending next update.
Lanky Nathan
