Ignoring the surprised and furious cries of the knights, Naruto zeroed in on where Ultear and Meredy seemed to be. He was gonna catch them whether they liked it or not. Arcing over a low lying hill, the blond picked up several other small signs the mages had past this way and smirked. If they just thought they could take his trust and stamp all over it they were in for something else.
They seemed to be heading in a northerly direction so Naruto couldn't help but think they may have some knowledge of what was happening to him. It was unlikely Ultear knew much since she had been in captivity before the Kyuubi started playing up, but maybe Meredy knew something. Deciding that was a good place to start at, Naruto's mouth thinned to a tight line as he pushed himself along faster.
Shooting across the trees, Naruto could almost smell them when something registered in his mind. Wind was pushed out before the ninja and he snapped to a standstill, eyes looking out over the hills to the south-east. Narrowing his eyes as he focused on it more, he realised something from the Elemental Nations had appeared.
Of all the times for the package to arrive. Crossing his fingers, Naruto mumbled, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)" and materialised an identical replica of himself. It too was shrouded within the Kyuubi Cloak and a set of dark red eyes stared back at him.
Ears pricked again though as something else jumped through the wormhole and Naruto raised an eyebrow. It seems like they had sent him what he asked for. Good thing too, his equipment pouch was feeling pretty light. So sharing a nod with his clone, he watched as it jetted off across the sky.
Now to find Ultear.
XxXxXxX
Dashing along, Ultear and Meredy shared a glance as they felt two identical power sources separate from one another. Each nodded slightly and pushed even harder in their attempt to escape. No words were needed to be exchanged to know that that powerful, evil something after them wouldn't bode them any good whatsoever.
It had only just appeared on their radar fifteen or so minutes ago, but it did so with an overwhelming presence. For a split second Ultear had thought it was Zeref, but quickly squashed that thought as the power this figure was giving off was so much rawer and uncontrolled. For some reason it had appeared right where they had left Naruto and the taller female couldn't help but silently wonder if the blond teen was safe. Not that it really mattered.
The most unnerving part though was it was tracking them with almost no problem despite them clamping down on their own magical power as much as possible.
"Ultear… its coming."
"Hush." Silencing Meredy with a single word, Ultear focused on jumping the upcoming rock. It didn't matter what it was or how it found them, all they had to do was make the rendezvous point and they'd be ok. Problem was that it was still a long way off.
A single bead of sweat rolled down the raven haired girl's cheek as the foreboding presence rapidly approached. It would catch up in barely five minutes at its current pace. There was one option, but it was risky. The possibility of being caught by that though called for a drastic measure.
Drawing alongside her smaller companion, Ultear caught her attention. "Alright, what we're going to do is create a Thought Projection and have them run off in a westerly direction. We'll hide in the next outcrop and wait until whatever this thing is has chased them far enough away for us to escape."
A worried look entered Meredy's eyes though as the plan was laid out and she couldn't help but chew on her lower lip nervously. "B-but… Ultear, you know I'm not very good at Thought Projections' yet. What if I can't maintain it long enough?"
Resisting the urge to shout at the girl, Ultear swallowed her anger and forced a small smile to her face. "You'll be fine. I'm here with you so you can do it."
Buffered by the support, a small fire of determination entered the rosy haired girl's eyes and she nodded. "Ok, I can do it. For you!"
Merely accepting her resolve with a hum, Ultear's eyes surveyed the landscape. Spotting a suitable cave quickly, she grabbed Meredy and dragged her down into it. Concentrating, the mage generated a picture perfect replica of herself just outside the shallow cave. Grabbing Meredy's hands, she then looked deep into her eyes. "Ok, now remember the lessons. Focus on where you want yourself to be. Let the magic flow from you to fill that place. Now, let it take your form. Let your mind form it. Good…"
Looking outside, Ultear watched as a flickering Meredy slowly came into being. "That's it, now stabilise it with your mental strength. Remember, it is your mind that holds its form."
Sweat beads began rolling down her face but Meredy resolutely pushed on. Having your mind in two places simultaneously was an awkward sensation but that's just something she'd have to get used to.
"Good, now fill it with a bit more magic than what we were using to cover our signatures better. Clamp down on what you have and follow me."
Nodding, the girl stared at the floor and saw in her mind's eye Ultear take off in front of her at a rapid pace. Willing herself to follow, she began running behind her mentor.
Ultear meanwhile was watching the spot where that signature was coming from, nervously hoping their gamble would pay off. It didn't seem to be just yet, but it was still a little bit away. Ignoring the tickle of a sweat drop rolling off her nose, Ultear held her bated breath, closed her eyes and began willing whatever it was away. 'Come on, come on, come on… follow us, follow out thoughts you monster.'
It didn't seem to though and fingers began gripping fabric tightly as whatever it was bared down on them. Just when it felt like it was upon them, it banked sharply and shot off in the direction of their Thought Projections.
Dark eyes tracked its rapid progress and a breath Ultear didn't realise she'd been holding let itself out in a relieved whoosh. Hearing Meredy echo her sigh, the older lady quickly rounded on the girl. "We're not safe yet. It's still too close. I'll let you know when we can leave. Till then though, keep running."
Meredy nodded and didn't say anything but Ultear noticed the fists clamped down on her cape shivering slightly in effort. Shuffling closer, she held the girl and began whispering to her comfortingly. "Come on, you can do this. It's not too much further. Just hold it long enough to let us be able to run to the check point. Remember your training, you have this."
Wincing, Meredy nodded again but Ultear's heart dropped as she felt the magic fluctuate. Groaning softly, Meredy twitched and Ultear looked over in the direction her doppelganger was running. They had made good distance, but would it be enough…
Letting out a loud gasp, Meredy fell forward onto her hands, panting loudly and watching as drops of sweat wet the dirt under her. "I'm sorry… Ultear… I couldn't hold it."
Gritting her teeth, the mage ignored the failure and sent her twin a boost of power to hopefully gain them a few more minutes. Unfortunately, something red flashed before her mind's eye faster than she could comprehend and just before her form was dissipated, a bone chilling howl filled her mind as the mental connection was cut off. A soft, distant boom then reached their ears and Ultear all but dragged her companion out of the hole. It seemed whatever it was just had a bit of a tantrum.
"No restraint, full power and run!"
Magical power filled the duo and in a shot they took off towards the north. Not barely a kilometre into their dash though and a gravelly voice filled their ears from all around them. "You nearly had me there. Good try, but not good enough."
Skidding to a stop, both girls' eyes widened as they felt the distant energy simply disappear. A crunch before them roused their attention and both gasped softly as their gaze took in the bubbling humanoid before them.
A thick, red, frothing layer of something encased the male as he stood up, blazing red eyes locking with their own. Pale red hair swayed gently under his own power, indeed his whole person seemed to be tinged the colour. Thick, whisker like marks covered both his cheeks and sharp teeth protruded from his lips as they pulled back in a half smile, half snarl.
The strangest part of it all though was the highly recognisable clothing it was wearing. In fact, it looked exactly like what Naruto had been wearing…
Taking a deep breath as realisation washed over her, Ultear took a step back in shock. "Impossible… Naruto?"
Rolling his eyes, the transformed blond shook his head. "It seriously took you that long to recognise me? I thought you'd have picked up on it faster. After all, you're a master of hiding your true self under the undesirable, right?"
Ignoring the personal stab, Ultear pulled Meredy behind her and narrowed her eyes. "So it is you… how though? You didn't have an evil bone in your body! This though… this feels like death."
Laughing harshly, Naruto placed his hands on his hips. "You're a lucky one then. Most people throw up under the pressure."
Ultear swallowed nervously and nodded slightly. "I can imagine that happening."
The smirk on her opponents face then faded to be left with a determined scowl and he pointed a clawed finger at her chest. "So, will you be coming with me quietly, or will I have to beat more sense into you? I'll say it again, I wasn't lying when I said I'll come down on you harder. In this form it makes it harder to hold back too, so you might want to choose your answer carefully. I wouldn't want to accidentally break your pretty face."
Forcing herself to resist the urge to step back, Ultear tried to find her voice. "Wh- what happened to you? What is this power?"
Naruto let out another bark of laughter. "What makes you think I'll tell you that? You just ran all over my trust I had in you. I might forgive you, but if you ever want to hear anything about me ever again, you have a lot of trust building to make up for. You will not trick me twice."
Breath hitching ever so slightly, Ultear couldn't help but recoil slightly as the words hit her right in the chest. That wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to know more about him! In the next life… that's when… not now though, so get your thoughts together girl.
Forcing a frown onto her face, Ultear pulled Meredy to her side. "You won't be able to do much if you pass out again."
The quiet girl raised her arm threateningly, a soft glow forming around her wrist. "Say the word Ultear…"
The demon-boy raised an unamused eyebrow and waved his hand around flippantly. "Go on, do it. I dare you. Things will be a little different this time though."
Realising his bribe, Ultear reached out to snatch Meredy's arm but the girl had fallen to his words. A bolt of pink light shot out from her arm to touch Naruto's own and the second the link was activated, the small mage dropped to the floor and promptly emptied her stomach contents over the ground. Coughing violently, she moaned as Ultear worriedly dropped to her side. "What did you do?"
Shrugging, Naruto looked down in disregard. "What can I say? I told you it'd be different."
Wincing, Meredy however remained steadfast and looked up to her partner. "Don't worry about me. I… I can handle this. Knock me out now."
Frowning, Ultear shook her head. "Not with you like this."
Hearing the sharp chink of metal being pulled free, both females looked up to see Naruto now playing with a single, diamond shaped knife. "That's ok, I can knock you out for her if you'd like?"
Laughing sickly, Meredy shook her head. "How are you meant to do that? If you do that, you pass out and we win."
Smirking, Naruto then gripped the knife in reverse and began dragging it softly across the skin of his palm. "Like this, we have a game of pain tolerance. From what I've seen though, I'm pretty sure I'll win."
Widening her eyes as he balanced the tip in the center of his palm, the small mage widened her eyes. "You wouldn't!"
Shrugging, Naruto applied pressure. "And you're wrong."
Letting out an ear-splitting scream, Meredy suddenly bucked in pain and gripped her hand as the phantom pain of a knife ripped clean through bone, tendon and muscle.
"MEREDY!"
Grabbing her crying friend, Ultear looked over to see Naruto casually pulling the knife from his hand, blood spraying freely everywhere. The part that really got her though was it was all healing incredibly rapidly. Several seconds was all it took for not a single mark to remain on the once injured limb. Looking back down as Meredy let out a choking sob, she watched the pink band fade on the girl's wrist and let out a sigh of relief as she relaxed. With Meredy now stable, Ultear turned to face Naruto and screamed at him, "What the hell are you doing? This is nothing like what you are! What is this evil power?"
Within Naruto's mind, the words cut through the red haze like the knife in his hands and he froze. What had he been doing? Torturing a young girl? Playing mind games with two clearly weaker opponents? The part that scared Naruto the most though was that he hadn't even realised the slow contamination of his mind. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back the evil and sighed as he felt the darker thoughts fade away. He still wasn't as in control as he had momentarily believed.
He couldn't show any form of weakness to the women though because if they detected any hesitation they'd be all over it in a flash. So holding his gaze steady, Naruto shrugged unapologetically. "I warned you didn't I? This power is none of your current concern, though I do have a question for Meredy. If she answers I might let you know a little more."
Turning her gaze down to the young girl, Ultear watched as Meredy pulled herself to her feet. Her legs may have been shaking but now that the pain was just a memory she was able to confront the dangerous blond teen. Locking eyes with him, Meredy did a good job of not letting the oppressive atmosphere get to her. "What do you want?"
Finally getting somewhere, Naruto frowned as he wondered how to word the question. "You both work for a Dark Guild I assume, correct?"
Nodding once, the girl acknowledged the statement wordlessly. Having that confirmed, Naruto continued. "In that case, can you tell me if your Guild has been trying to summon anything?"
The brief flicker of Meredy's eyes to Ultear had Naruto narrowing his own. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I'm not privy to that knowledge as it only circulates amongst the higher mages of our Guild."
The intensity of those red eyes seemed to increase however and Meredy found herself wanting to buckle under the deadly gaze. "You're lying. First reason, a Guild like yours wouldn't just send a single, under powered lackey to help rescue someone like Ultear. Second reason… you have a tell. Ultear is that tell. You rely on her and I noticed your hesitation. Now tell me, what are you summoning?"
Meredy's eyes widened in fear as Naruto seemed to grow in size and power, the gravelly voice nearly doubling in volume as a spectral image of a massive fox hung over him. Snarling teeth and vicious, rage filled eyes glared down at her and before she knew it her mouth was open and screaming in terror.
A body tackled her to the ground and the horrific image that held her hostage abruptly dissipated. Nearly hyperventilating, Meredy's wide eyes looked around in shock for a moment before she realised Ultear was covering her face protectively. The woman seemed to be screaming at Naruto again though and she tried to focus on the words through the fog in her mind.
"… do to her? She just started screaming! And your voice! What is wrong with you? Are you a demon?"
An equally angry male voice replied though in answer to the demands. His voice thankfully had dropped that absolutely awful tone too. "You want to know? If your guild is responsible, then what she just experienced is just a fraction of the horrors that could be unleashed! This is YOUR FAULT!"
Pulling her head from beneath Ultear's bosom, Meredy looked up in shock as Naruto's accusation sunk in. Ultear seemed to falter for a moment too before collecting herself. "I - Impossible! We weren't summoning anything like you! We were only collecting the keys!"
Pouncing on the slip of information, Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What for?"
Realising her mistake, Ultear's breathing hitched. Deciding enough had already been exposed though, she growled and held Meredy closer. "To resurrect Zeref! I need him to come back to create utopia!"
Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed despairingly. "Again with the dead guy! Why can't you just do this yourself? Stop looking for a damn crutch!"
Growling defiantly, Ultear countered with, "Can it be considered a crutch when it is the only way to succeed? Without Zeref, nothing will work!"
Eyes flashing, Naruto dashed forward faster than either mage could track and he suddenly had Ultear snatched up in his grip, his fingers curled tightly around the collar of her shirt. "There is always another way! If you'd just open your eyes, you'd realise a form of your utopia is right here! Look at you protecting Meredy! If there is one person in this world you'd die for, then your perfect world is possible with work!"
Throwing her back to the ground, the teen then stomped back several steps and took five deep breaths as he calmed himself. Ultear meanwhile stared up at him, partially in shock at how fast he'd attacked her and partially in disbelief at the fact his words made some form of sense.
Meredy though was fully focused on Ultear, her eyes daring to flicker in hope that her mentor really would throw her own life away for her. While she had always been there for her, the lady had always seemed distant. Now though, with the pressure laid on by that incomprehensible boy, a different side of her was apparently showing. This must have been the reason Ultear left him alive back then.
Finally having pushed back the rising rage again, Naruto opened his eyes calmly and looked down at the two frozen women. This wasn't what he had wanted exactly, but at least it looked like his point had gotten across. Frowning, he considered helping them up for a moment but then refrained. They didn't deserve that help. So crossing his arms, Naruto stared down at them evenly. "Think it over Ultear. You too Meredy. Now, come back with me. If you do, I'll speak up in your favour when your date with the council comes up."
Looking down at the girl still pulled to her chest, Ultear mulled over the words. She definitely didn't want to go back to prison so that wasn't an option. What Naruto didn't realise though was that she would be able to fix all this with Zeref's help. He wouldn't be angry at her, hell; he may even be something more to her than a friend if the lady allowed herself to dream. Meredy wouldn't be the emotionless drone she was and so many other things could be fixed.
Yet despite all this, she couldn't help but feel like Meredy's breath on her chest felt more and more real with Naruto's words. To have someone you cared for, could that really turn into a utopia? What if Naruto came…
No. This wasn't the future or the past she wanted, no matter who was with her currently. Once everything was fixed, then she could relax. For now, achieving her goal was the foremost objective. Feeling a familiar presence nearing as she made her mind up, confidence began to build up in her chest again. This wasn't it, there was so much more to be completed before Naruto's words held true meaning.
Smirking, Ultear shook her head slowly. "You have a way with words my strange boy. You nearly convinced me that there was something else I could do. You'd be quite the council member if you ever got onto the board, you know that? Most of those useless old goats stumble over their opinions like an infant trips over their own shadow. For now though, I'll have to respectfully decline your offer to return. There's still far too much for me to do."
Despite Naruto's eyes beginning to glow again, Ultear's confidence held strong as a dark shadow crept across a mountain behind the boy. Being too focused on the mages before him, Naruto apparently missed the sensation that filled the area. "If you continue down this path, two things could happen. The first, you ruin your own life chasing a rainbow that doesn't exist. The second, you release this demon I speak of and the entire world dies. Is it really worth the risk?"
Nodding once, Ultear's eyes then burned with a determination that Naruto had only seen in her once before. "Most definitely. If I can achieve this, everything will be alright. I know it will."
"ULTEAR, MEREDY! Get on the ship, you have already babbled on enough while talking to this creature."
While Naruto spun around in surprise, the two mages before him rolled into a kneeling position before the tall man. Heads bowed in respect, they nodded once. "As you command, Master Hades."
Taking in the imposing sight, Naruto struggled to make heads or tails of the elderly man. Standing at close to Elfman's height, a very long and regal white beard trailed down the front of his body, the curls and waves making the hair bounce almost with a mind of its own. Sitting upon his head was an extremely odd helmet, the center part that covered his head a deep black with an equally black fin sticking up from it. Reddish metal then protruded from the frontal rim, framing his face protectively as the armour thinned down into twin points that sat just above his collar. Then sticking out from above his ears were two gun-metal gray horns protruding up proudly into the air. For what Naruto could see of his face though was fairly nondescript, the only real attention grabber being the single black eye patch that covered his right eye.
Below that was an absolutely massive cape that billowed out from his shoulders, the sizeable plates covering his upper arms and filling the mantle out in a way that made him look twice as board across his chest. That in turn was covered by a long sleeved red jumper that ran down his arms to meet the elbow length gauntlets.
The jumper was tucked into a thick gold belt that upheld a pair of long fitted pants, the beige colour covering most of the leg except for a deep maroon flame that rose up from the bottom of the leg. A simple set of boots protruded from beneath the pant legs, the deep red only a few shades darker than the bottom of his slacks.
Backing up slightly as the man glared at him, Naruto couldn't help the sinking feeling that began forming in his gut. Whoever this guy was seemed to be incredibly powerful if his senses were correct.
"What did I just say? Hurry up you two."
Hearing the mages behind him grunt in agreement, Naruto spun around to see them flicker briefly before completely disappearing from sight. Staring at the spot, Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked again. There hadn't been any movement, no sign of attack or escape, nothing. They had simply vanished.
"Hey boy, you seem surprised. What's the problem?"
Spinning back around to address the tall man, Naruto pointed back at the now vacant spot. "Them disappearing, that's what! How did you do that? Where did you take them?"
The old man simply pointed up. "They have gone back home. I was wondering what was taking them so long. I can understand now that I see you."
Frowning, Naruto looked straight up. To his surprise, a massive airship hung about a hundred feet above them in the air. Looking back down, the blond tried to ignore the imposing ship and focused instead on the man. "I was taking Ultear back to the council. She needs to make up for what she did."
Laughing gruffly, the tall mage raised his visible eyebrow. "Well now, aren't you just a poster boy for justice? I'm sorry though, she's far too valuable to me to simply let her return. I am surprised you want to take her back for that reason though… that energy billowing out from you gave me a completely different idea."
Something didn't seem right with his interest in the Kyuubi cloak and the blond instantly readied himself for attack. "How so?"
Laughing again, the man waved a hand at him. "Don't worry, I'll let you know if I'm going to attack. In any case, it's just so malicious and angry. You know, we could use a guy like you in your guild. What do you say, want to join Grimoire Heart?"
'So that's her guild.' Shaking his head in defiance, Naruto held out his palm. "Sorry, but I'm already with a legitimate guild. Besides, I wouldn't wanna join a dark guild like yours anyway."
The man seemed a bit shocked at first when he saw the stamp, but then he wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "That guild? What a shame. You could have been so much more with the right training."
Naruto blinked several times indignantly. How dare this old fart come out and claim something like that? Raising a threatening fist, Naruto let a bit more of the fox's chakra into his voice. "We haven't even fought you useless fossil! How would you know anything about me?"
"Oh, that's scary!" Completely unaffected by the wave of foul energy that washed over him, the man looked Naruto over appraisingly. "You might have a bit more to you than I first estimated. My apologies."
Snarling, Naruto didn't reply and instead lashed out, a vine of bubbling red chakra in the shape of a giant claw directed straight at the guild master. Nodding approvingly, he simply held out a hand and deflected the attack with a swipe of purple magic. There was a loud crack at the point of impact and the claw dissipated. The tall mage was left with not a scratch on him but was shaking out his numb hand. "Wow, that had some kick to it. It's been a while since I've felt something like that. What is your name boy?"
Having released a bit of his anger, Naruto was able to think more clearly and pushed the chakra back. To his everlasting relief, it finally sunk back behind the seal and the blond sighed as the dark impulses subsided from within his mind. Ignoring the curious stare on him, Naruto took several breaths and calmed himself back down to what was normal.
Once done, Naruto looked him evenly in the eye and issued him a silent challenge. "Uzumaki Naruto. My turn now. Will you stop trying to resurrect Zeref?"
Grumbling to himself, the mage placed a hand to his forehead. "Damn those girls. I didn't expect Ultear to say so much. No, we won't stop. Why do you ask?"
Frowning, Naruto wondered just how much the master had heard. Tipping toward caution, Naruto proceeded. "If you do, you may just summon something completely out of your league in terms of power. Then, I can guarantee not you or even your precious Zeref could stop this disaster."
Listening to his words, cogs ticked over within Hades mind. Eventually smiling, he pointed at the smaller male. "That thing in you would be released huh? I had no idea I was forcefully pulling it from you."
As every word slipped from the old man's mouth, Naruto's eyes grew bigger and bigger. How the devil did this guy know anything about the Kyuubi? Trying to steady his trembling breath, Naruto swallowed and asked, "How did you know about that?"
Throwing his head back, Hades laughed loudly. "I didn't, but you just confirmed it! And so easily too. You really need to learn to keep your cards closer to your chest. You really are so protective of it, whatever it is! I knew something was off about you when I felt that power. Fairy Tail wouldn't accept someone like you if that was the feeling you always gave off. Your little explanation on the 'disaster' blatantly hinted towards your knowledge of it. You are terrified of that power, aren't you?"
Cursing himself violently for allowing the wily old mage to so easily work out his secret, Naruto grit his teeth and lashed out a hand. "And with good reason! You have no idea just what this thing in me could do! This world might never recover if it breaks free!"
"Hmmm…" Stroking his beard thoughtfully, the Master looked Naruto over before shaking his head. "Nope, I'm sorry but we're gonna keep on collecting those keys Ultear spoke of. What is happening here with you is far too interesting to not follow on with."
"NO!"
Dashing forward in a burst of incredible speed, Naruto launched a fist at the old mages head. Just before it connected though, the man managed to pull his head to the side enough that Naruto's fist sailed by harmlessly. Not done yet though, the blond began spinning and brought his other hand through in a backwards swing. A gloved hand snatched up just in time to catch the incoming attack and with a small shockwave blocked the powerful arm. Fingers then clamped down tight on the arm and Hades grinned. "You are full of surprises! Such speed, and strength!"
Growling, Naruto forced his chakra into a swirling mass around his fists and pumped as much wind into the mix as possible. The resulting whirlwind began shredding the metal glove rapidly and it quickly released its hold. Lashing out with a solid kick, Hades wasn't surprised when Naruto blocked it but it gave him enough time to jump back from the deadly teen.
Ignoring the blood beginning to drip through the slices in the armour, the old man frowned. "You shouldn't try to fight me as you are now. You'll just lose."
Clenching his fists, Naruto glared at the man. "We won't know till I try."
"No… no we won't…" Thinking it over for a moment, Hades then nodded. "Fine, I like your spirit boy. If you really are that desperate to stop us, try follow us, but only if you can defeat my man. If not, well you'll be good food for the worms. ZANCROW!"
An insane laughter instantly filled the air and Naruto looked up to see what appeared to be a human sized ball of golden hair falling towards them. As it got closer though, he realised it wasn't all just hair, but in fact a strange male. Landing beside his Master with a resounding crunch, the newcomer kneeled as he spoke. "What was it you needed, Master Hades? Did you want me to kill this boy?"
Not looking down at him, the old mage began to flicker. "Not outright. More test his worth to chase us. If he does die in the process though, I suppose that's just an unfortunate circumstance of battle."
Grinning widely, another insane giggle slipped from the boy's mouth. "You got it Master! I'll make it one hell of a test for him!"
"Good." Hades then addressed Naruto as he faded. "I wish you luck. I think you'll need it."
Gritting his teeth in anger as the old man vanished from view, Naruto glared up at the ship as it began to turn slowly and move away. "I don't need your luck. Watch your back fossil, I'll be coming for Ultear."
"Oi, what you muttering about over there, blondie?"
Turning his gaze back down to the eccentric teen, Naruto had a look at this Zancrow person.
Long, spiked blond hair ran down to the middle of his back and Naruto couldn't help but think that's what his own hair would look like if he let it grow. His bare chest had a large emblem imprinted onto the right pectoral in the form of a half moon overlapping an extremely stylised 'x'. His left shoulder was covered by a black guard and a royal blue sash hung down from that to attach to his waist. Below that then was a very odd, blue and yellow skirt armour that came down to his shins. It was the first time Naruto had ever really seen a male wear one of those but the fact he did wear it only increased how psycho he looked.
The bit that Naruto found most strange though was his blood red pupils. They actually reminded him greatly of Pein's eyes as they had several rings surrounding one another in an outward ripple pattern. If his constant run in with people with weird eyes had anything to say about it, it would say this mage was gonna be a handful.
Putting the escaping ship out of his mind for the moment, Naruto zoned in on his opponent. "Nothing much, just thinking about how long it'll take me to catch up to that flying blimp of yours once I'm done with you."
That seemed to irritate the mage though and his grin promptly flipped upside down. "You takin' me lightly, weakling?"
Realising this, Naruto grinned internally. An angry opponent was a predictable opponent. Time to rile him up. "No, I wasn't thinking about taking you at all actually. How about you just roll over and play dead? That'll save us both time, effort and in your case pain that we really don't need to waste."
Black flames suddenly exploded from the mages hands and his eyes flashed furiously as his teeth grinded over each other. "Mind your mouth Fairy Tail maggot otherwise I might just melt it shut."
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly at the threat and placed his hands on his hips. This was too easy. "It does sound scary, but if you can't touch me then it doesn't matter. Besides, I gotta save my energy for when I kick your Masters ass from one side of Fiore to the other. Mind making this quick?"
Calling Zancrow weak was one thing, but disregarding the name of his Master was totally unforgivable. Howling in rage, the now blinded teen exploded towards Naruto in a rocket of black heat.
'Got you.'
Swinging through, Zancrow let out a cry as he smashed Naruto square in the face. Blood spewed everywhere as his face literally caved in under the force of the punch and Zancrow let out a high pitched laugh. "So much big talk only to get killed on the first hit! What a pussy!"
"Learn to aim, candle stick."
For some reason then, all the blood, bone and skin fragments dissolved into what looked like chunks of wood and a decimated stump was blown away in place on Naruto. Unable to comprehend the change, it left him wide open to a boring blue orb that drilled straight into the middle of his back.
"Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!"
Crying out in pain and surprise, Zancrow was blasted straight into the ground at point blank range. Fissures shot out from where he hit, the earth giving way beneath the solid body. Dust and rocks were kicked up into the air as the wind swirled around them.
Landing lightly a few feet away, Naruto looked at his handiwork. The guy was so easy to taunt it was almost no fun. That Hades wouldn't just call down any old foot soldier to verse him though, so Naruto highly doubted the attack did anything more than wind the strange mage. Hearing a few rocks shift from within the shallow hole, Naruto waved his hand and sent a measure of wind chakra through the air to clear visibility.
As predicted, Zancrow was pulling himself up through the dirt fairly easily. There was a bright red, bleeding gash hollowed out into his back but the mage was somehow ignoring it like it didn't exist. Shaking himself off, red eyes locked with blue and he grinned again. "Well strap me naked to a bladed chair! You aren't half bad, for a maggot at least. Guess I'll have to take this half seriously after all. You're lucky you know? It's not every day someone gets to see the true potential of a God Slayer!"
"God Slayer?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "You mean a Dragon Slayer."
Letting out a bark of laughter, the mage shook his head. "Bah, you could only wish I was a lowly Dragon Slayer! God Slayer magic is a world beyond that pathetic blip."
Raising his arms with his palms out, black flames burst into life. "Enjoy your first taste of it! Explosive Flame!"
Thrusting his hand out, the ball of fire shot towards Naruto, expanding all the while. Laughing excitedly, Zancrow thrust with his other hand and sent another ball straight after the first. Frowning as the dangerous attack neared him, Naruto flickered from sight as he used Shunshin (Body Flicker) to escape. Reappearing out of harm's way, he had to quickly use to again as several more balls of fire hurtled towards him.
Thus began a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Naruto flickering across the area while Zancrow hooted loudly and tried his best to incinerate the ninja. Finally seeing Naruto pause for breath, the mage smirked and sent several smaller and faster balls at his opponent. Making contact, he heard a scream from within the burning mass and he cackled loudly. "Got you! Flame God's Cloud!"
Swiping at the air, a wide stream of flames shot out and filled the whole area before the mage, igniting everything it touched and covering the earth with an unnatural blackish light. "How do you like it? Doesn't it just burn so much more painfully than regular fire? Embrace it!"
A powerful hand suddenly clamped down on the back of his head though and Naruto's clam voice whispered into the suddenly stunned mage's ear. "From what that clone told me, it's not all that spectacular. I've felt worse. Now, DOWN."
Planting his feet solidly beside Zancrow's, Naruto pushed downwards and smashed his face straight into a solid rock. This time he knew he did some damage because the ninja felt something give way in his face before the force destroyed the rock. Not finished yet though, he pulled his head free before unleashing a gut wrenching uppercut straight into his stomach. Spit, blood and a little bit of bile spewed from Zancrow's mouth as the force of the punch wrecked havoc on his insides. Gasping softly, the mage flinched a moment before falling limp over the hand in his abdomen. Holding him out, Naruto raised an eyebrow as his rasping breath reached his ears.
"So this is a God Slayer? Natsu put up more of a fight than you did."
Dropping the mage, Naruto ignored the burning woodlands around him to look up at the sky. Shielding his vision from the dancing light around him, he tried to spy the airship. Apparently it was a bit faster than he first thought as the sky was now suspiciously empty. Growling softly to himself, Naruto tried to start walking when his foot snagged on something. Looking down, he realised Zancrow was still awake and had latched onto his pant leg.
His broken face was still grinning up at him and Naruto suppressed a wince when he saw the angle his nose was facing. "You think I'll just lie down quietly for you? Wrong move blondie."
And in an instant, vicious black flames exploded to life all over Naruto's body. Flesh quickly began peeling off in strips under the black heat and as he screamed in agony, Naruto reactively called to every ounce of wind chakra within his oceanic reserves.
The virtual hurricane of wind tore through the flames as if they were a match head, dispelling them and all the flames around the fighters. It didn't stop there though as the force of the gale stripped the earth clean of rocks, trees and life as it blew them all away. Zancrow held onto the pants leg desperately, but the weakened fabric tore easily and the mage was sent flying as the wind picked him up and dashed him away.
Not noticing the teen's untimely departure, Naruto gasped in pain and dropped to his knees as his burnt and charred body began repairing itself. That clone must have been dispelled early because the intensity of that fire was just horrific. Holding his quivering hands up before his eyes, Naruto watched as the red raw flesh fell away in thin strips as new skin grew up from beneath it. Thanking his lucky stars for this spectacular healing ability, Naruto dropped to his backside and began catching his breath. Never again did he want to endure that.
Wiping his brow, the blond finally looked down and couldn't help but sweat drop when he noticed the barren land around him. 'Did I really do all that?'
It explained the sudden tiredness he experienced and the teen wouldn't put it past himself to do something like that. Sighing, he rubbed his recently regenerated hair and pulled himself to his feet. Looking down at himself, Naruto scowled as he watched the remains of his favourite jacket fell from his shoulders in ashy tatters. "Damn it! Now what am I gonna do for… oh wait."
It was then he realised he had left his scroll back at the hospital but had forgotten to grab it on the way out. Good thing too otherwise he'd have nothing left to wear. Kneeling down he sifted through the fabric's remains and pulled out his Saints badge. Thankfully his headband was mostly untouched as the standard issue came with an everything resistant fabric. Granted it was looking a bit smoky, but it held up well enough within the unearthly fires it had been subjected to.
Looking back to the sky, Naruto clicked his tongue in irritation at the delay. He wasn't about to go and hunt down Grimoire Heart half naked either, so the first plan of attack was to go get changed and then sift through what information he had on Hades. He just hopes those knights still didn't realise he was the red demon.
XxXxXxX
Landing just outside the hospital, the sounds of hurried work and urgent shouts reached Naruto's ears. Swallowing his nerves, the blond made sure the fabric around his hips were suitably covering everything before walking from the trees.
It took a moment before anyone noticed him, but when a guard did, he rushed over and dropped to a knee before him. "Wizard Saint Uzumaki! We had been searching for you when we realised the records listed you as a guest here! Where have you been?"
Not at all used to this kind of respect, Naruto reached out and pulled the man to his feet. "Oi, enough of that, it makes me feel weird. As for me… uh, shouldn't I tell your superior?"
Unsure of how to speak to the teen now that he didn't want to be formally addressed, the guard hesitantly nodded. "Uh, yes I believe that would be a good idea. I was going to take you anyway; I just wanted to make sure you were alright first."
Giving the man a smile, Naruto nodded. "Well thanks! I'm fine. I'll just grab some clothes first before that. Don't really wanna strut about naked all day."
Now realising his state of undress, the guard nodded. "Of course. If you would come with me I shall fetch you some clothing."
Shaking his head, Naruto waved him away. "It's all good, I brought some. I'll meet you at the main tent?"
The guard bowed slightly in acceptance. "Very well. I shall see you there soon."
Watching him turn crisply and walk away, Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile. It was little things like this that could help brighten an otherwise crappy day.
Turning his eyes over to the destroyed hospital, Naruto wrinkled his nose at the mess. It looked like the administration building was mostly untouched, but the main side wall was all but ruined. It was a good thing he couldn't be pinned with this things destruction.
Walking over, the blond tentatively stepped across the loose debris. Making it into the dusty hallway, Naruto wandered down to the admin section. Hopefully they had placed his scroll in the storage section, otherwise he had a lot of digging ahead of him.
The main desk had a thumping great slab of wall resting over it and a number of Rune Knights were spotted around it, trying to work out how best to move the heavy object. Walking through them, Naruto ignored their stares and pointed at it. "I'll move that if I can sift through what's under it first. I left something here."
Stepping forward, the leader nodded. "Of course. Try to be careful though, there could be valuable information under it."
Realising this was the guard who had first confronted him while he was shrouded in the Kyuubi cloak, Naruto silently thanked him for not recognising him. "Yeah, I got this. Step back."
Obeying, the guards gave him space as Naruto gripped the wall fragment. Heaving, the blond grunted in effort as the massive piece of plaster and timber was lifted into the air. Turning to the side, Naruto let it go and it smashed into the ground with considerable force. "Whew."
Wiping his brow, Naruto turned and paused at all the shocked gazes he was receiving. "What?"
Swallowing, the lead guard spoke for the group. "Uh, we were expecting you to move it with magic, not just physical strength."
"Oh." Grinning, Naruto shrugged. "I can't use magic like that. Anyway, let me get searching."
Looking over the crushed desk, Naruto sweat dropped as the first thing he saw was the lazy attendant Diest snoozing comfortably in the small cave. Grabbing him, the teen tossed him out with a snort into the surprised arms of the guards. Taking up the man's seat, Naruto looked under the desk. "Ok, where are you… no… no… no… what the hell is that? No… no… yes!"
Snatching up his scroll gleefully, Naruto held it up high above his head. "Found it!"
Jumping from the desk, he nodded to the guard. "Ok, I'm done. I'll leave you to it!"
Ignoring their reply, Naruto broke into a run and disappeared into a private room. Locking the door, Naruto dropped the scroll on the single bed inside and unsealed his clothing. He had another jacket available, but if his first one was so easily ruined he didn't want to risk the second one. So grabbing a plain black shirt with the Uzumaki symbol embroided into the back, he slipped it on with pride. Those mages were pretty useful when it came to simple tasks like this.
Thanking Lucy mentally for taking him to that sewing shop after their hectic shopping spree, he grabbed a set of long, deep red pants and pulled them up. Tying off the far too long strap around his waist, he let the ends hang as he grabbed a simple set of black sneakers. Nothing too expensive since it'd probably just get ruined again.
Sealing everything else, Naruto finally pinned his badge to his chest and strapped his Konoha headband around its deserved position. Noticing a mirror, the blond gave himself a wink and a grin. Not a bad looking outfit after all.
Slipping the scroll into one of the many pockets that lined his leg, Naruto opened the door and then ran to the main tent. Skidding to a stop, he found the first guard that had met him waiting patiently for him. Nodding at his arrival, he opened the tent flap and led the blond in. "Amike Durand, reporting with Temporary Wizard Saint Uzumaki Naruto. I have brought him in to speak with the officer in charge as he undoubtedly has information regarding the situation."
Absently listening as the guard said all the right things to get them through, Naruto looked around. It was a plain white tent with nothing interesting on any of the walls. Thankfully they were let through quickly and Naruto was pointed at a seat before a rather official looking character. Badges and other forms of acknowledgement hung from both shoulders and his helmet sat proudly beside him on the desk. Not having to do anything, the recently identified Amike spoke up for him. "Sir, I have brought in Uzumaki Naruto. He has information relevant to the situation."
Nodding, the head guard waved him out. "Very well, I'll speak with him. You may leave."
"Sir." Bowing slightly, the guard then left. Turning his attention back to Naruto, the head guard steeped his fingers before him. "So, Uzumaki Naruto hey? Where have you been hiding this whole time?"
'Straight into the questions aye?' Guessing he was gonna have to deal with this for a bit, Naruto resigned himself to the interrogation. "Well, you know I came to visit Ultear. I was with her and while in that prison cell we were attacked."
"Explain."
Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed. "I was getting to that. The blue barrier cut off and I thought it was because they were letting Ultear out for some exercise. Instead, this girl Meredy attacked us and broke her out. I tried to stop them but they knocked me out with this weird link magic thing."
Frowning as he spoke, the head guard thought it all over. "So where have you been? We couldn't find a trace of you even after a thorough search. Do you also have any information in regards to a bubbling red individual that was spotted around here shortly after the jail break?"
If this man had even half the intuition Hades did he'd be something to watch out for. So playing his cards close to his chest as the old Guild Master cautioned, Naruto shook his head. "I did feel something but I had already recovered and was currently chasing after Ultear and Meredy."
The look in the guards eye wasn't a convinced one, but he let it go easily enough. "Fine. So what happened then? I take it you don't just strip and walk into areas like this for kicks."
So the old bloke had a form of humour did he? Leaning back, Naruto shrugged. "You never know, I don't tell everyone about my private life." The guard smirked slightly and Naruto grinned back. "But seriously, what happened was I ended up in a fight with Hades and this guy called Zancrow from Grimoire Heart. They came to pick up Ultear and Meredy and I just happened to be trying to stop them."
Eyes widening, the old guard instantly dropped any form of joking and crossed his arms on the desk. "So they had a part to play in this did they? I suppose that question is obvious considering who they sent. Did you learn anything else about them that we should know about?"
Nodding slowly, Naruto grunted. "Yeah, they said they're trying to collect some keys to resurrect that Zeref guy."
Eyes widening further, the old guard leant in close. "Did they describe their appearance like that to you?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, all I know is 'keys' and 'Zeref'."
Sighing, the man leant back and began massaging his temples gently. "Of all the things in this world to deal with now." Looking back up, the guard pointed to Naruto. "So what will you be doing now?"
The teen shrugged. "I'll be chasing after them. I already told Ultear I'll be bringing her back to face the council and I won't stop until she says sorry."
Nodding, the guard leant back and hummed approvingly. "Very well, I won't hold you up much longer then. Though before you go, would you be able to tell me why you were so naked exactly?"
Growling, Naruto pointed back at the forest. "It's that guy Zancrow's fault! He burnt them all off with his stupid God Slayer magic."
"God Slayer…" Grabbing a pen and a fresh piece of paper, the head guard nodded. "Thank you very much for all your information. You can go now while I follow up on the information you have left us."
Pushing his chair out, Naruto stood up. "Sure thing old man."
"Oh and Uzumaki." Pausing, the teen looked back to the guard. "Try stay safe."
Grinning, Naruto placed his hands on his hips. "I'll be fine! Don't you worry about that."
Nodding, the guard grunted and dropped his head down to begin writing his report.
XxXxXxX
Standing outside the camp, Naruto sighed as he looked to the sky. Best head back to where he fought Zancrow and look for any clues as to where that ship was flying. 'If there were any left he', reminded himself. Still, he had a general bearing on their direction of travel so that was a good place to start. Raising into the air, Naruto ignored the mages and Rune Knights beneath him as they called out to him and laying flat, shot off towards the clearly bare patch of land in the distance.
It didn't take anywhere near as long to reach the destination now that he knew where he was going and within a few minutes, he alighted on the ground and looked around. Everything had pretty well been scoured clean from his last reflex attack so there wasn't much to go by.
Looking to the air, Naruto frowned as he judged the angle they were apparently taking. It seemed to be moving north again unless it had veered off course after he lost sight of it. Scratching his head, Naruto guessed the way to go was try search out Ultear's energy signature and go from there. So sitting himself down comfortably, the blond began drawing in natural energy from around him.
"SURPRISE, MAGGOT!"
Eyes flashing open just in time, Naruto barely managed to roll out of the way of a black fireball that impacted with his prior seating position with a mighty boom. Any natural energy he may have gathered instantly dispersed as he glared at the tenacious mage that had staggered onto the battle field. The bleeding he had had all but stopped, but crusty brown trails of the hardened fluid still caked his face. "Once I'm done with you I'll have me a nice shower to wash your blood off with!"
Growling, Naruto held out a hand. "And here I thought you were done. Whatever, lets finish this."
Eyes flashing in insane glee, the mage reared an arm back. "I couldn't agree more! Flame God's Cloud!"
A bright blue ball of tightly spinning chakra exploded into life within Naruto's hand and the ninja frowned. That wide area attack was a dangerous one. Crouching, the blond jumped into the air with a burst of wind chakra and sailed high over the flames. Falling forward, Naruto pumped more energy into his feet and began shooting down towards the apparently ignorant mage. Rapidly picking up pace, Naruto steeled his face as he bored down on him.
All of a sudden, Zancrow looked up and screamed in laughter. "HA! I totally predicted it! Dodge this maggot! Flame God's Breath!"
A veritable wall of churning black flames shot into the sky, right into Naruto. Unable to dodge, the teen grit his teeth and amped up the power in the Rasengan. Colliding with the flames a split second later, the only sound audible over the deafening boom was Zancrow's high pitched laughter filling the air. "I got you! I totally got you! Dodge that you slippery little bastard! Ha HA!"
An orange streak suddenly caught the mage's eye though as it streaked into the flames at an absolutely blistering pace. Shrugging disinterestedly, Zancrow turned his gaze back to his beautiful flames and grinned widely. "That's it, burn him, burn him to ashes! You'll never… what?"
Blinking, Zancrow's smile slowly faded as he noticed his flames begin to shrink. Frowning as they actually started disappearing, he took a step back in shock. "What the hell is happening?"
The black fires continued to disappear until all that was left were two blond teens floating in the sky, the one in the orange jacket supporting the one in the black shirt. The bit that stunned Zancrow however was what was floating in their hands. "I… Impossible! That is just impossible!"
An absolutely blistering ball of his fire was crammed into a space the size of a small balloon. The center of it was nearly transparent while it then increased in intensity until it was a blackest of the black around the borders of it. How a three dimensional object managed that he had no idea, but whatever it was sounded absolutely deadly. The raging explosions and booms coming from it almost made it seem like the teen was holding a miniature sun within his hands.
Naruto meanwhile was studying the ball in his hands. Despite it being excruciatingly hot, no damage was actually being done to his person. "Well isn't this just something…"
Looking down at the clearly shaking mage, Naruto smirked and called out. "Nice try! How about I see how well you hold up to your own flames?"
Eyes shooting open in fear, Zancrow stepped back. "No! Don't you dare bring that fire eating thing near me! You hear?"
Crouching, Naruto burst down towards him. "I didn't say you had any voice in the matter!"
Sweating bullets, Zancrow spun around and scrabbled desperately in an effort to escape the impending attack. Naruto was much, much faster however and before he made it ten steps, his voice reached the mages ears from barely a foot behind him. "Eat this. Flame God's RASENGAN!"
Pushing the ball deep into the teens back, Naruto let go and instantly reversed his direction. Escaping just in time, Naruto shielded his eyes as the ball expanded to the size of the Fairy Tail guild, all the while maintaining its tightly packed form. Zancrow screamed incessantly from within the writhing mass of fire and chakra as his body was shredded and burnt up all at once. Finally pausing in size, the ball fluctuated once before compressing back down half a size and then exploded with an almighty BOOM.
Naruto and his clone were thrown backwards across the landscape as the fires raged with their fury for a split second. Then as suddenly as it appeared, they burnt themselves out and disappeared into nothingness. Hitting the ground and rolling several times, Naruto kicked his toes into the ground and skidded over several hundred feet to a stop. Breathing deeply, he looked up daringly and saw the charred form of Zancrow falling from the sky. A smoke trail followed him and Naruto let out a breath. That mage was ridiculously durable to even have a body after that.
Sitting down, Naruto then turned to face his clone. They looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh. The adrenalin running through them continued to fuel their laughter for a few more minutes until they finally calmed down enough to talk. Panting, the clone raised one shaky arm and wiped its brow. "Holy crap! That was intense, dattebayo!"
Nodding, Naruto let out another breath and dropped to his back. "You can say that again! Who would have guessed the Rasengan was able to absorb that as well?"
Laughing, the clone nodded. "I know right? I mean, that ball and how it looked and the heat and everything and just WOW!"
Laughing alongside his mirror image, Naruto let out a sigh. "Yeah… so crazy." Sitting up, he then held his hand out. "So I assume you got the scroll?"
Sticking its tongue out, the clone scratched its head sheepishly. "Well, I kinda threw it into the bushes when I saw you disappear into those flames. I didn't want it getting burnt if we did, ya know?"
Naruto bobbed his head about approvingly. "Yeah, I would have done the same thing too."
Rolling its eyes, the clone grinned. "No dur, I'm you."
Chuckling, Naruto shook his head and crossed his fingers. "Shut up. Anyway, let's start looking."
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
XxXxXxX
A/N – and DAMN that is that.
That last fight scene totally wrote itself and I am loving the way it came out. You are all super lucky you're getting this too because I fly out of state in exactly 3 hours for a week. If I'd had writers block, you wouldn't be seeing anything until like the 30th! With that in mind, I have proofed it, but there may be one or two things I missed, in which case I WILL be coming back once done with my competition to edit everything and make it right.
I also just wanna say that with this chapter I will actually reach the 3000 review mark. I cannot even begin to thank you all enough for helping me get this far. Never had I imagined that my story would hit such a milestone. You may all say it's because I write such a good story, but I say it's because I have such amazing readers that take the time out to leave me a message.
So seriously, thank you all so much for sticking with this story for as long as you have! It honestly means so much to me =D I write for you guys!
Anyway, until next time my faithful followers,
Lanky Nathan.
