There was something different about Magnolia this time around for Gildarts. Normally, whenever he returned from his jobs, there would be a narrow path surrounded on both sides by two massive walls. At the same time, the church bell from the Cardia Cathedral would bellow across town. This time, however, the scenery had changed as the road towards the guild hall seemed smaller, coupled with a multitude of small houses and shops being littered all around.
"Well, this is new. Didn't know they changed so much while I was out" He wondered out loud, wearily eyeing all the new sights and sniffing out the new smells. As he strolled through the town, he noticed that the townsfolk seemed to be somewhat on edge, with some starting at him with unease. He quietly hummed as he continued observing the sights as he headed for his destination, which was not the guild hall but the nearby park, something which was requested of him by the guild master via a letter.
As Gildarts ventured further inward, he noticed that Magnolia was starting to look more decrepit: some buildings were destroyed, the roads were filled with potholes that didn't exist before and pieces of architecture were all over places where they should not be. Most glaring of all, was the cathedral bell resting on the roof of a house. There was no doubt in his mind that a fight broke out. "Ah, guess some things never change" he chuckled as he continued onward.
Little did he know that this fight was more than a mere childish squabble for the moment he came upon the meeting spot, the ace of Fairy Tail was greeted, not by the visual imagery of a lush green park, but by a massive crater located exactly where the park should've been. It was as if everything had been uprooted and demolished. Standing at the edge of the devastation, was the man who summoned him here in the first place, likely observing the ruins with his own eyes.
"Yeesh, what a mess. Did a fight break out?" Gildarts asked.
Makarov nodded and hummed in agreement. "Unfortunately, yes" he answered reluctantly.
"Lemme guess, Natsu and Gray? Or is it Mirajane and Erza this time around?" Gildarts asked as he shook his head and laughed, "Ah, kids these days."
"I'm afraid you're wrong on both accounts" Makarov corrected, "It's neither of those two. In fact, I never expected the two of them to come to blows."
"And who are those two?"
"Sasuke and Laxus."
Upon hearing those two names, Gildarts blinked. His eyes ran back and forth between the crater and his master. "Laxus and Sasuke?" he asked, having never thought of those two as being particularly the type to do this. His mind wandered around, lost in thoughts as vestiges of the two formed in his head: one walked with an arrogant, almost dismissive glare while the other was as cold and seemingly unfeeling as they come.
"Surprised to hear that?" Makarov asked.
"You got me there, master" Gildarts admitted, nervously scratching his head with a grin, "Never would've pegged those two to be going all out against each. But I guess, given how they are, it was probably inevitable. Guess there's only one room for the dark, brooding, tough guy in the guild."
"I wish it was as petty as that" Makarov sighed, a frown on his face, "I fear that their animosity runs deeper."
Gildarts noticed the worried look on the master's face and instantly changed his tune, "What do you mean, master?"
"It's a long story, so we should find someplace to settle down first."
…..
*48 hours earlier*
"Cheers!"
It was business as usual back at the guild, as the interior was filled with laughter, cheers, and the occasional bickering, almost as if the turmoil that occurred within the last few months or so did not even occur. For Sasuke, at least a week had passed since his discharge and for what it was worth, he could see that everyone else was willing to put those past events behind their rearview.
As usual, he sat at the furthest corner of the guild hall, preferably to distance himself from the noise, and the rest of the guild had grown accustomed to his reclusiveness. At this point, no explanation was needed as they knew that he wasn't doing this out of any malice, and Sasuke for his part, made sure that they knew he appreciated their company, albeit in his own way.
Sasuke glanced around the guild hall, taking a good look at all the characters within it: from Natsu and Gray bickering to fearing for their lives in front of Erza, to Lisanna and Elfman playing with their pet bird while Mirajane grinning next to them. They were quite the lively bunch and he couldn't help but flash a quick smile as he began scribbling around with his notebook.
Yet, such moments of joy amidst the chaos did not last long, as a thunderstorm began looming over Magnolia. The flash of lightning and the cackling of thunder that followed was not something that warranted Sasuke's attention, after all, they were nothing but natural phenomenon. However, the Uchiha couldn't shake off this ominous feeling that he had, as if something bad was coming his way, although he still glued his eye on his journal.
Suddenly, the front door of the guild swung wide open as three figures emerged: An arrogant young lady with glasses, a boy with striking green hair, and one who needed no introduction, as his whole body was wrapped him bandages, making him resemble a preserved, mummified corpse. They were none other than Evergreen, Fried, and Bickslow, the infamous Raijin Tribe of the Fairy Tail better known as the Thunder Legion, devoted followers of one of the strongest S-class wizards in the guild aside from Gildarts himself.
Aside from a few stares, none of the guild members paid much heed to them as they were not an unusual sight. Of course, that didn't stop a few of them from making passing remarks.
"Hey, isn't that Bickslow?" Jet whispered.
"Yeah, I heard Sasuke messed him up good" Droy whispered back.
"That doesn't sound good at all, especially not with Laxus" Levy worriedly mentioned.
"No kidding," Jet said.
Much like team shadow gear, Sasuke had every reason to be wary of them, not especially because they were lackeys of Laxus, someone who wasn't especially fond of him. And after what happened with Bickslow, he suspected that there might be some acts of retribution in play. Even so, he would prefer it if a confrontation could be avoided and he tried to accomplish this by pretending to be as aloof as possible.
Unfortunately for Sasuke, his hope for them to ignore him would turn out to be fruitless as they apparently had their sights set on him and began walking towards where he sat. From that point on, all eyes were now focused on the Thunder Legion strolling their way towards Sasuke, until they were standing right across the table.
It was clear to Sasuke that he could no longer pretend to ignore them and that they were clearly here to settle a debt with him regarding Bickslow. As he closed his book, he exhaled and gently placed it on the table before starting at the trio looming over him.
"Is this about Bickslow?' he bluntly asked, looking at the bandaged mage as he chose to skip any superficial formalities and hoped to bury the hatchet as soon as possible.
"Part of it yes" Evergreen answered.
"However, we are merely messengers here" Fried added, pompously with his hands behind his back and an air of haughty arrogance. Bickslow on the other hand, simply let out a grunt that was muffled from the bandages covering his entire face.
"Laxus" Sasuke let out an exhausted groan, miffed by the never-ending disdain both of them shared with each other, "Listen, whatever happened to Bickslow, it wasn't-"
"There's no need to waste your words on us" Fried calmly cut him off, "Bring your case before Laxus. He wishes to have a word with you."
"Indeed, he will be the judge of this" Evergreen said, "Honestly, I'm surprised we even got to this. To think that someone like you could beat one of us."
The haughtiness of the woman was apparent to see, but as wary as he was of her, it was Fried, that he kept an especially close eye on and it would seem that that sentiment was shared as well, for Fried did not take his eyes off of Sasuke, not even for a second. The stare-down began to attract even more attention from the guild members as they paused whatever it was that they were doing to focus on the commotion in the far corner of the hall.
As the staring contest reached a stalemate, with neither party ushering a single word, the ground itself reverberated from a singular footstep. The roaring thunder bellowed across the dark sky as a silhouette of an imposing figure made its way to the guild. With each step, a gust of wind blew through the guild hall, and many began trembling from the sensation.
"That magic power, it's insane!" Gray said as he paused his feud with Natsu.
"Oh no," Erza gasped as she rose from her seat, "It's happening."
"Don't tell me you're thinking of 'him'" Mirajane said, "You sure about this Erza?"
Erza gulped and nodded, a singular sweat dripping from her forehead. "I'm afraid so, Mira. He's here for Sasuke, no doubt about it."
"Am I the only one who's confused a little here?" Happy raised his hand.
Natsu took a quick sniff as he answered Happy, "She's talking about Laxus, ''cause' I can smell him coming over here."
As Natsu explained to Happy, the presence finally reached the entrance, and everyone turned to look at him. Draped in a long, furry coat with an uncanny, almost tranquil look on his face that quietly was brimming with fury underneath the surface, with lighting flashing behind him, Laxus entered the guild hall. The entire room fell into silence as he walked through them, exuding so much magic power, that many were left quaking in fear and unease. This was a blatant show of power, something he hardly did before; one that indicated that he meant business and was in no mood for any nonsense. Not even the adults of the guild like Macao and Wakaba felt confident enough to intervene.
"Never seen him look so…..intense before" Mirajane mentioned, crossing her arms and folding her hands.
"Yeah, it's almost scary," Elfman said, huddling his bird tightly while Lisanna was hiding behind her older brother.
Even with the absence of chakra, Sasuke could feel a strong presence exuding from Laxus, one that he had hardly felt before. It was clear that this was a subtle display of threat. And it would seem that this animosity between them was about to reach a breaking point. The Uchiha quietly fixed his gaze on the lightning wizard as he sat across the table and slammed his fist. He could feel the barely contained anger just from how heavy and intense Laxus' breathing was.
Of course, Sasuke himself had faced far more powerful forces in his prior life, so the notion of fear did not register in his system. That being said, he knew better than to underestimate Laxus, especially given how he was the first of the new generation to reach S class. As they stared daggers into each other, Laxus shifted his gaze to Bickslow momentarily before looking at Fried and nodded. As if reading his mind, Fried left the table and quickly returned with two cups, one of each being placed next to Sasuke and Laxus respectively.
As Laxus downed the mug of beer, Sasuke pushed his aside and spoke up first, "What do you want? Is this about Bickslow?"
Once he had finished his drink, Laxus slammed the mug on the table and wiped out what remained of the booze from his lips as he smirked and pointed at Sasuke. "You know, there was always something about you that bothered me; your attitude, the way you talk, the way you looked at me. But I didn't think much of it, after all, you were a nobody. But now…."
"I didn't hurt Bickslow on purpose" Sasuke stated his case.
Laxus chuckled at his answer as he whistled, to which Fried took a step forward and stood next to Laxus. "There were some, misunderstandings. Ones that we find, quite regrettable. However, I believe that we now have a clear idea of what we're dealing with here."
"Like I said, there's something about you that pisses me off. But, I can at least admit that you're good at fighting. Heck, I'd say that you're almost better than the rest of those losers behind me. What you did to Bickslow" Laxus gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he said those words, before calming down and exhaling as he continued in a more calm tone, "Survival of the fittest. The strong will always triumph over the weak. You bested Bickslow in a fight and proved yourself. I can respect that."
Sasuke silently watched as Laxus reached out his hand and snatched the mug that was next to the Uchiha, before downing his share of the booze and slamming it on the table as well before speaking to him again. "You've got a blood debt to pay" he stated before looking at Bickslow, "And you're useless in this state."
"Mmmmmpmfmspm" Bickslow spoke indecipherable gibberish through the bandages.
"Is there a point to this?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his gaze on Laxus.
"There is. I'm going to give you one chance to settle your debt without anyone getting hurt" Laxus stated leaning over the table and resting his elbows on them as he continued, "Join the Thunder Legion. Work for me as my bodyguard. Of course, that means you'll have to do everything I tell you to do. I tell you to fight, you'll fight. I order you to dance, you'll dance. I ask you to quack, you'll quack. And then, we're even."
"And if I refuse?" Sasuke insinuated.
The mere idea that he would seek the alternative got a chuckle out of Laxus, though not of the sincere kind. "Oh, you don't wanna find out" he grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"It's a reasonable offer. I would suggest you take it" Fried said, looming over Sasuke as if acting like a mediating presence.
"We could always use an extra pair of eyes. After all, you've got magic from your eye as well, just like the rest of us" Evergreen joined in on the fray, providing her own pitch as she looked at Sasuke suggestively, "Besides, wouldn't want to waste such a handsome face."
Meanwhile, the rest of the guild, including those close to Sasuke continued to monitor the situation. As they listened in on the conversation, a few became agitated the moment they heard Laxus' offer.
"Are they for real?" Mirajane snapped, side-eyeing the Thunder Legion.
"Wait, let's hear them out first" Erza suggested.
Upon hearing their pitch, Sasuke rose from his seat and shifted away from the bench. Based on the description, this offer seemed like it was a means to humiliate him, a victory based on pride as Laxus would turn him into his lapdog. Of course, he would prefer to avoid any sort of violent confrontation at the same time however, but as he gleamed over to look at the rest of the guild members, including Erza, he knew what his answer was going to be.
"My answer is no" he bluntly answered.
Each of the Thunder Legion let out a collective sigh and, with an almost pained expression, moved away to make space for Laxus, who pushed himself off of the table and got up from his seat. Rather than some angry rant, the lightning wizard flashed an almost sadistic grin as he stretched his neck sideways, cracking them.
"Good" he smirked and brought down his fist on the table so hard that it split in half. Before Sasuke could take out his sword and before anyone else could react, he dug his fist into the Uchiha's stomach while time itself seemed to ground to a halt as everyone seemed still. The blow elicited an agonizing expression across his face with saliva flying from his mouth as Laxus blasted him through the roof.
The Uchiha found himself flying through the air, reaching past the clouds as he struggled to gain a sense of balance while spinning uncontrollably. Without so much as a warning, a bolt of yellow lighting flashed in front of him as Laxus materialized and gripped his skull. The veneer of civility had finally cracked as he stared at Sasuke with murderous contempt. "I am so GLAD that you refused!" he exploded as he tightened his grip on Sasuke's head, "Because now, I can finally get my hands on you. You've got a debt to pay and that means I'm going take a piece of you!"
Sasuke struggled to break free from the grip, striking Laxus' face with a barrage of punches and hammer fists to no avail. In his desperation, he took out a kunai from his back pocket and jammed it into the S class wizards' shoulder, Instead of a cry of agony, Laxus instead grinned and laughed off the attempt.
As he dragged Sasuke through the air, the two flew all through Magnolia, running through the bell tower situated within Cardia Cathedral, striking the bell and sending it flying from the tower and onto a nearby rooftop with an audible *gong*. Running out of options, Sasuke grabbed Laxus by the hair with both hands and using his momentum against him, flipped him over so that he would take the brunt of the damage as they crashed through Magnolia station.
With a giant gaping hole in the roof of the station, the two crashed right in the middle of the central plaza as the townsfolk scattered in a panic. Amidst the chaos, Sasuke and Laxus were finally separated as the two stood face to face, ready for their duel.
Laxus was the first to get to his feet, seemingly coming out of the fall relatively unscathed as he took off his blazer and flexed his shoulders. "Don't you dare hold back on me! I wanna see the stone-cold killer who murdered his own brother" he yelled, pointing at Sasuke.
The Uchiha for his part, also rose up albeit with much more difficulty as he brandished the two kunai from his pocket, with his feet wide apart and he readied himself in a combat stance. He knew that Laxus was capable of lightning magic but that was the extent to which he knew about his opponent's arsenal. He would have to approach this carefully and gauge his full abilities slowly. Thus, he allowed Laxus to hit the first offense, putting himself on the defense as he deftly dodged each of Laxus' punches, thanks to his Sharingan. But as he prepared to let out a few hits of his own, Laxus clapped his hands together and released a shockwave that blew Sasuke back, as well as his two kunai.
"Useless without your sword? Pathetic!" Laxus yelled out.
In response to his taunting, Sasuke picked up his kunai, rushed forward, and numbly slid under Laxus' feet, evading his large but predictable swing, and quickly slashed his knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground. Now deprived of his height advantage, Sasuke rolled on the offensive with a flurry of strikes to his face: a three-combo punch to his face, a hook to his stomach, and a large swing with his left hand, which was blocked by Laxus, who was then slowly pushed back by Sasuke using his forearm until his back hit a wall. At that moment, the Uchiha widened his eye and gazed right into Laxus, who screamed and thrashed about his head as if in great pain.
"Nooooo !" he shrieked, "Aaaaaahha hahahaha. Oh, you're funny!" The lighting wizard cackled, initially putting on a faux display of pain to mock Sasuke's attempt at a genjutsu, causing Sasuke to gasp. "Illusions? Get real! Is that all you've got?"
Sasuke could not believe his eye when he heard those words, not even when Laxus pushed him back. "My past.. who told you of it!?" he sputtered.
"The whole clan extermination thing? I heard all about it" Laxus answered.
As he gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow, Sasuke heard a distinct screech as he glanced upward, where he saw Talyn diving straight for him with his sword in hand. Seeing that aid had finally come, he raised his hand up in the air and warned Laxus, "Then you know what I can do. What I'm capable of."
"Show me!" Laxus dared the raven-haired boy as he charged forth, while Sasuke grabbed hold of the sword which was dropped by Talyn, empowered with his own lightning, and thrust it forward. Predictably, Laxus grabbed the sword with his bare hands, blood dripping from his palms as Sasuke's lightning coursed through his body. Even so, he made no pretense that he was in any sort of pain or discomfort this time, instead flashing a wide grin, "Are you kidding me!? You're going to use lightning, against ME?"
Sasuke growled in frustration. Instead of harming Laxus, the lightning from Sasuke's Chidori blade was seemingly being absorbed by Laxus until there was nothing left. Back in his world, being proficient in a certain element did not necessarily mean that one was immune to it, resistant yes, but outright immunity did not exist. The wizards here were completely different in that regard, at least when it came to Natsu and now Laxus, which also meant that half of his arsenal was rendered useless. Even so, he had little time to reorganize his strategy, for Laxus sent him flying upward once more with a powerful backhand, forcing him to burst through the station roof and into the clock tower.
He barely had time to recover and quickly swung his body sideways to his left as a bolt of lightning flashed forward and ran through the tower. In its wake, followed Laxus who tackled Sasuke through the clocktower, spinning round and round as he grabbed his skull and slammed him into the rooftop of the rail station.
Seemingly assured of his dominance, Laxus released his grip on Sasuke's head, who now lay motionless on the floor, and turned his back on him, observing the destruction that they had caused. "Well, that's gonna leave a mark" he quipped, leaving himself vulnerable to an attack from behind.
Little did Laxus know that this was not enough to put Sasuke out of commission, for the Uchiha had already recovered and was looking straight at Laxus' back. What's more, in the ensuing scuffle, Sasuke quickly slipped an explosive tag onto his opponent's back, one whose existence Laxus was seemingly unaware of. Weaving his hands together, Sasuke initiated the signs and detonated the explosive paper, resulting in an explosion that rocked the foundation of the bell tower and the surrounding rooftop.
But as the smoke slowly cleared, his instincts and experience told him that this would not be enough to stop someone of the caliber of Laxus. And much to his dismay, his hunch was proven right when Laxus emerged from the smoke with nothing but a few bruises to show for it. "Fighting dirty, huh? I like that" he commended, much to Sasuke's disapproval.
Seeing no other option, Sasuke took out a smoke bomb from his pocket and tossed it at Laxus, surrounding him in a cloud of smoke. Meanwhile, he opted to create two clones of himself as they rushed towards him to buy him time.
What the shadow clones did not expect, however, was Laxus' being able to inexplicably detect them even with such an obscured field of view. The lightning wizard sniffed the area around him as his eyes darted back and forth, before destroying one of the clones that was planning a sneak attack on him with a lightning-enhanced punch before intercepting the remaining clone by grabbing him by the throat and slamming him to the ground.
But the clones had still played their part in being the perfect distraction, for Laxus suddenly found himself wrapped head to toe in thin layers of wire, ones almost invisible to the naked eye. This was the first time in the fight that Laxus was taken by surprise and one for which he had no contingency again as he struggled to break free.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu"
Hearing Sasuke shout, the smoke eventually cleared up and Laxus saw red-hot flames trickling from the wires which the one-eyed boy held as it eventually enveloped him. The burning sensation caused immense agony in Laxus as he screamed in pain, and this time, he was not pretending to be suffering either. That being said, Laxus endured the fiery onslaught long enough to break free of the wires, enhance his body in lightning, and fly straight towards Sasuke, barreling through the inferno until he grabbed him by the throat, slammed him into the ground before taking his left arm and slinging him halfway across the other end of the rooftop.
As the Uchiha tumbled around the roof, Laxus growled with a furious gaze, smoke emanating from his body as the result of being engulfed by the fire with scorch marks all over his body and his clothes tattered. "My turn" he stated as he ripped off his shirt and yelled, "Lightning seeker!".
A small ball of lightning blitzed across the rooftop, one which the Uchiha narrowly dodged and made his way to Laxus, only for the Lightning mage to command the ball of lighting to return to him and blindside Sasuke, who gritted in pain as electricity circulated across his body. The ordeal was brief but it gave Laxus enough time to dash over to Sasuke and land a singular powerful punch, one which was blocked by the Uchiha in the nick of time.
"You thought you could leave your home, wash your hands off of your crimes, and come here with a clean slate?" Laxus sneered as he dug his fist in deeper while Sasuke desperately tried to hold it back, "No, no, no, no, no! That's not how it works here, not while I'm around. You're a killer and I'm going to personally expose you for who you really are!"
With a furious scowl, Laxus summoned lightning from the sky it struck both of them, dead center. For Laxus, the lightning traveling through his body was as harmless as a trickle of water passing through. Sasuke, unfortunately, was not as fortunate as he found himself being locked into place, the electricity ripping apart his body, flesh by flesh until a singular, power punch sent him flying back.
But this was no ordinary punch, for the strike itself was directly straight at his heart, and once contact was made, he could feel a powerful shockwave emanating from the collision. As he flew from the impact, he could feel his life force slowly draining away from him, time seemingly having slowed down. His body grew numb, enough that the fall did not register any sort of pain and on top of that, he found himself unable to move. Sasuke could no longer feel his heart beating as breathing became impossible. The suffocating sensation took over as the world around him grew darker and darker. This was a sensation that he had felt many times across his life, the sensation when everything felt like it was coming to an end; the sensation of death. Was this it? Was this the extent to which he could live his life here? Was a duel to the death by Laxus how his life was going to end?
"Sasuke, you must get up!"
He could hear the voice of the Sage, urging him on. Trying to push him to fight through with it, but it was pointless, for his body had betrayed him. Eventually, darkness enveloped his entire view until nothing but an empty void stood before him –
"No, you don't get to die. Not until I say so!"
In an instant, the light immediately returned as Sasuke found himself being pulled back into the world of the living. A massive pulse of electricity was released at the center of where his heart lay as Laxus placed his hand on his chest, resuscitating him back to life. He gasped for air as he clutched his chest, still reeling from the excruciating pain of being struck by Laxus, whose attack felt akin to a sledgehammer stuck across his body.
"Get up! This fight ain't over!" he bellowed in raging fury.
Slowly but surely, Sasuke pushed his body off the concrete roof, his breath slow and heavy. In front of him, was an opponent like no other, at least in this world. He had faced many powerful foes here, many of whom he defeated, and some whom he knew were leagues above him like Gildarts and Irene. And Laxus felt comfortably placed in the latter half. As he looked into those eyes, eyes that burned with burning rage, the mastery over lightning, and the sheer strength he possessed: it was like going back to the past, to a time when he faced a certain opponent, one whose abilities and rage were uncannily similar to that of Laxus.
And thus, Sasuke couldn't help but see a vision of the Fourth Raikage standing side by side with Laxus. Their uncanny similarities were too close to not consider this a brutal twist of fate. As if the universe itself has decreed his punishment by sending in a counterpart of a foe who once nearly took his life. And this time, there would be no Susanoo to protect him. But he was far from helpless, even in his current, for it simply meant that he had to adjust his battle tactics accordingly.
Laxus made the first move as his body took the form of lightning itself and zapped across the area until he had closed the distance as he materialized in front of Sasuke. Once he was within striking distance, the Lightning mage summoned a giant orb of lightning in his hands and plunged it to the ground. Sasuke narrowly evaded the attack as he flipped sideways and substituted his original position with a block of wood.
While he was in the air, Sasuke unpacked a scroll from his hands and unraveled it, revealing a seal that was undone by the touch of his hand. The scroll vanished in an instant and in its place was a large straight-edged Fūma shuriken, one which Sasuke tossed straight towards Laxus as it spun like a spinning blade.
The trajectory of the shuriken was predictable enough that Laxus simply turned sideways to dodge, seemingly making Sasuke's effort futile. But the truth of the matter was that Sasuke never intended for the object to hit Laxus upfront. Once on the ground, he bared his teeth, revealing another set of nearly invisible wired strings clamped down and another one held in his right hand. Laxus raised his brow as his eyes followed the trail of the string, only to realize too late that they were connected to the flying blade which split into two sections the moment Sasuke pulled them back. Each half of the blade pierced into Laxus' right triceps and thigh, rendering him immobile as he yelped from the stabbing sensation.
In that momentary show of weakness, Sasuke leaped in the air and landed a heavy left hook that left his foe spitting out saliva. But as he went for a follow-up attack, Laxus quickly recovered and tackled him, dragging them both upward as they ascended through the sky, all the while, pieces of the metal blade that were still jammed into his limbs began falling off. In an attempt to break free from his vicing grip, Sasuke pushed back as he began wailing on Laxus's face with a barrage of punches while they began to descend to the earth, with each blow seemingly having no effect on him as he greeted them with a smile, unfazed by Sasuke's offense until he ultimately blocked one of his strikes and tossed him over as the Uchiha rolled through the grass.
Now having fought their way from Magnolia station to Southgate Park, the scenery had changed yet the intensity of the battle remained the same as the two warriors locked eyes and circled each other, neither one making the first move.
"Not bad, not bad. You might actually be a fun challenge" Laxus sneered.
But Sasuke was not amused, nor did he seem to reciprocate the backhanded compliment. "Till now, you haven't even mentioned Bickslow. Does he matter so little to you? Was he just an excuse."
"What did you say?"
"He went to fight on your orders. But it seems like you can't even be bothered to avenge him" Sasuke pointed at Laxus.
The accusations did not go well with Laxus, seemingly ringing hollow in the face of his target, "The last thing I need is some moral advice from someone who turned his back on everyone they ever met!"
The last sentence from Laxus left Sasuke with a glance to the side, almost as if he agreed with his statement, at least internally on the hypocrisy of preaching about using people for one's own gain. He hated to admit but Laxus was correct about that one assessment. Even so, that didn't change his own behavior and outlook toward his subordinates.
"Let's finish this! Lightning Breakdown Fist!" Laxus roared as he reeled his right hand, electricity cackling all around it before thrusting it with full force, as a spectral hand composed entirely of lightning bolted straight for Sasuke.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Sasuke retaliated with a technique of his own, building up chakra on his chest before expelling an enormous dragon-shaped fire.
The lightning-shaped fist and the fire-shaped dragon collided with one another in an elemental wrestling match, neither one giving an inch as they both pushed against each other. The collision of these two elements resulted in a singularity, whereby the ground below slowly began to disintegrate, uprooting the nearby playgrounds and the large tree next to them, until the discharge erected a hole where the park once presided under a powerful explosion that was visible throughout the entire town. The after-effects of the explosion itself sent shockwaves all around Magnolia, breaking glass and blowing away any small object in sight while the citizens braced for its fury. As for the two combatants, both were sent flying away until they crashed onto the far ends of the crater.
Sasuke, however, did not have the luxury to stand around and process the destruction that he had caused for in front of him was an angry and rage-fueled warrior charging straight for him. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Jutsu!" he shouted and peppered the sky with small balls of fire, each directed toward Laxus. As the flames neared, they materialized into many shuriken, some of which pinned into Laxus' hands and shoulders.
But Laxus was not fazed by such an onslaught as he flashed and stepped his way right to Sasuke's face. With an almost dreadful scowl, he raised his hand and struck Sasuke, leaving the Uchiha with little time to evade and thus having to block the attack. The punch sent him flying back as lightning zapped through his body. The S-class mage, however, was persistent and refused to give Sasuke any breathing room as they unleashed a flurry of punches. With each strike, a jolt of electricity coursed through his body, delivering a piercing sensation as he bit his lip, and with each blow, his defenses began to wear down until one mighty blow pummeled him to the ground.
Now helpless and in a vulnerable state, victory, it seems had now been assured for Laxus, who then grabbed Sasuke by the throat and lifted him up. The Uchiha gaggled and garbled, as he feebly attempted to break free from his iron grip but found very strength reaming to help him do so. With Sasuke at the palm of his hand, Laxus brought the Uchiha closer to his face, having little reason to fear his illusions as he looked him right in the eye.
"This version of you is pathetic" he proclaimed, scanning Sasuke's body from top to bottom as he growled, "I wanted to see the so-called monster, the Kin slayer but instead, you insult me by holding back like this. Maybe I need to take something important from you to bring out that killer inside of you. I think I'll start with Erza."
In that instant, Sasuke's body froze, but not out of fear; rather, it was as if something inside of him snapped. A button that had been invertedly pressed, like a key that had opened a lock. A surge of power suddenly burst forth, fueling his body, yet even that was insignificant to what was happening in his mind. Rage…. uncontrollable rage bubbled up from within and burst forth as Sasuke gripped his hand around Laxus' fingers tightly before bending them backward, hard enough that the S class Wizard had to release his grip and reel back as he screamed in pain. But as he looked at his bend fingers, a powerful punch connected with his jaw and sent him spinning in the air, all the way to the other side of the crater.
Had it not been for the broken fingers, Laxus would have paid much more attention to the fact that the punch was hard enough to knock his tooth off, forcing him to spit it out. As he held his bent fingers, his eyes were focused on Sasuke, who glared at him with a cold, steely gaze and bore his fangs. Rather than a cause for concern, this turn of events brought great pleasure to Laxus as he popped his fingers back in place and began to laugh. "Ahahahaha, there he is! There's the Kin slayer, the one who murdered his own brother" he proclaimed, extending his hands in a mocking gesture, "Then it looks like I don't have to hold back anymore!"
His proclamation of cutting loose was more than just an empty threat, for Laxus began to release an unsurmountable amount of lightning magic from his body as he roared. His eyes glowed in yellow and his body was wrapped in a golden aura bursting forth like a pillar of light. That mattered little to Sasuke, who had now dropped all pretense of holding back and had discarded any and all sense of self-preservation. He curled his fists into the ball and clenched it tightly, his fangs even more pronounced as his body was gripped with an intensity like never before. If he wanted the old Sasuke, then he was going to get it. He was going to get the avenger.
In the heat of battle, adrenaline coursed through both combatants: one drunk on bloodlust, the other fueled by wrath as they both charged forth, ready to end the battle in a singular strike as they both roared out a battle cry. As they neared each other, both of them extended their striking hands forward, fully intent on finishing the other.
But before the final clash could even happen, an enormous hand dropped itself right in front of them, blocking their path and forcing both Sasuke and Laxus to stop in their tracks. The two panted in exhaustion as the earth began to tremble, shaking with every beat while the two blankly looked to their side, to where the hand originated from as a towering giant stomped its way toward them. As the dust cleared, so too did the identity of the giant; none other than a furious Makarov.
"Both of you, cease this at once!" Makarov barked, displeased by the carnage that they had wrought. The two of them complied and lowered their guard. "Sasuke! Laxus! What is the meaning of this!?"
"Doing the job you should have, old man!" Laxus retorted as the hand shrunk and Makarov's gigantic stature with it, "Do you really think someone like him has a place here?"
"That is for me to decide" Makarov stated.
"Oh yeah, and what're you going to do when he turns his back on the guild, just like how he's turned his back on everyone else before. He said it himself, didn't he? He betrayed everyone he's ever met." Laxus argued.
On hearing this, the old man was taken aback as he stammered a singular"What?"
"Oh, I know everything now. I know it all. Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who killed his own brother, a wanted criminal on the run" Laxus declared as he pointed his uninjured finger at Sasuke, who quietly glared back.
For a moment, Makarov was silent and so too was Sasuke, until the master decided to speak up once more, "Both of you, head to the infirmary and then, meet me in my office."
On hearing his orders, Laxus smirked and turned his back on the both of them as he began to walk away. "Hmph, that's fine by me."
As he watched his assailant leave, the adrenaline in his body also began to fade away as the after-effects of all the hits he had taken from Laxus slowly began to register in his body with greater clarity. The pain was so agonizing that Sasuke dropped to his knees as he clutched his ribs while coughing out blood. All the while, he looked over to his right and noticed the rest of the guild mates, including the likes of Natsu, Gray, Mirajane, and Erza looking on with worry, the latter of whom immediately ran over to him.
"Are you alright, my boy?" Makarov asked but at that moment, Sasuke could barely make out what he was saying. His vision became blurrier and blurrier until the ordeal was too much to bear and he passed out.
"Sasuke!' Erza shouted as she rushed over to his side, with Makarov providing aid.
Once the full details of the incident had been relayed to him by both eyewitnesses within the guild as well as Sasuke's own testimony, Makarov was remarkably lenient with the one-eyed boy, even apologizing on behalf of his grandson. Of course, that still left the other matter of the injuries he accumulated thanks to the fight and the overall bill to repay for the property damage they both inflicted.
After he was dismissed, the Uchiha opted to wait next to the office door as it was now Laxus' turn to enter, and from what he could hear, his blonde nemesis was getting quite an earful from the old man. Even so, there was nothing cathartic to be had from that as he stared at the sling wrapped around his arm with a scrounge on his face. "This is just great" he groaned, having just recovered from an earlier fight when he was possessed only to get into another scuffle and reinjure himself. Getting chewed out by the old lady, Porlyusica was not a pleasant experience.
Eventually, the door to Makarov's office creaked open, and out came Laxus, covered in bandages and with a splint attached to his two fingers that were bent by Sasuke. The moment he saw Sasuke standing nearby, they both locked eyes and froze in place, neither one moving an inch nor uttering a single word.
"Relax, I'm not here to fight...for now" Laxus reassured him, but Sasuke refused to buy into his claims and kept his guard up, lest he somehow ending flying through the roof again.
The Uchiha warily kept a close watch over his rival as he strolled toward him. "So, what did he tell you?" he asked.
"A three-month suspension from taking jobs and a warning that my S rank will be revoked if I tried that again" Laxus hesitantly answered.
"He's not going to kick you out of the guild?"
"Why? Bet you want me to, right?" he taunted before quickly switching to a more dour expression as he continued with a blunt reply, "He can't or to be more precise, he won't. I even asked him to kick me out of the guild once, but he didn't."
Sasuke didn't say it outright, but from the way he rolled his eye and groaned, he was clearly disappointed over Makarov's decision. "Guess blood runs thicker than water," he thought to himself, mulling over the Guild Master's rather soft-handed approach to his grandson. Perhaps, even the most benevolent people have flaws of their own.
"I can tell you're not happy about that" Laxus picked up on Sasuke's thoughts and continued prodding, "You won't be getting rid of me that easily."
"Evidently" the Uchiha snarled back as he scanned Laxus top to bottom and sized him up, "And if that's the case, then answer me this: What are you really after? What's your deal with me? Does my past bother you that much?"
The Lightning mage took a long pause before letting out a chuckle as he answered Sasuke with a sigh, "Alright fine, I guess I owe you that much. Someday, when that old man croaks or retires, I'm going to run this guild, that's the law here, MY birthright. And when that day comes, I'm going to change this place, who gets to stay, and who's out. And at the top of my list for who's going to go out, it's you. Gramps might be too nice to kick you out, but me? No way! A criminal on the run has no place in the guild I'm creating."
Slowly but surely, it all started to make sense. On top of their mutual dislike for one another, the reveal of his past was the final push Laxus needed to fully antagonize Sasuke and treat him as an enemy. He couldn't really blame him for feeling that way, after all, even he would've done the same thing too, especially at the height of his worst impulses.
"Those idiots at the guild are too soft to see the truth behind it all, but not me" Laxus continued explaining, poking his finger at Sasuke's chest, "You already admitted to being a backstabbing psycho who took out his own brother, so there's no telling what you'd do there. For all I know, you might already be thinking of selling this guild out."
As Laxus laid on the accusation, a feeling of annoyance began to build over Sasuke as he quietly listened. "Don't think this is over. Someday, you and I are going to fight again, and when it happens, it'll be in front of an audience. I'm going to expose you for the fraud that you are and when you're kicked out of the guild, I'll be the first to slam the door on your way out."
That final declaration of threat and a challenge to him stuck in Sasuke's mind. It had become clear that Laxus was not going to let this grudge go easily. His paranoia and hate getting the better of him. "Fine, I'll be waiting" Sasuke readily accepted the challenge.
"Good. Get strong and don't hold back next time" Laxus acknowledged Sasuke's answer and turned around, intending to depart with a few final parting words, "You're off the hook for now but don't get too excited. Be seeing ya."
As he bid his 'farewell', Sasuke could not help but silently fume in frustration.
"Quite the obstinate one, is he not?"
As Hagoromo chimed in, Sasuke decided to pick his ears and gauge for some words of wisdom from the Sage. "I never intended to make a mortal enemy in this world but here we are. What you make of him?"
"He seeks acknowledgment."
"From Makarov?"
"His grandfather as well as the acknowledgment of others. His desire to mold the guild to his vision indicates that he seeks to step out of his grandfather's shadow and become his own man. Even if his method of doing so, is far more extreme."
Upon retrospection of his rant, Sasuke could decipher his words and reinterpret them within a different format. It also recontextualized the blonde wizard's hostility towards him and opened up a different perspective. "So, he wants to step out of his old man's shadow and the first step is to take charge and do things his way. And I just happen to be caught up in that crossfire by being a threat that he needs to take out. Correct?"
"Unfortunately, it would seem so" Hagoromo begrudgingly admitted before setting up Sasuke with a warning, "And I fear that given his strength and power, he is not one to be trifled with. Had he chosen to, I fear that you would have perished in that battle against him."
"Don't need to point out the obvious" Sasuke grumbled, hesitantly acknowledging that fact, for even he realized that Laxus was far more dangerous than he could have predicted. He did not know what would've happened had Makarov not intervened, but he was all the more grateful that the old man did, for both of their sakes. "Looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me" he admitted, staring into his uninjured arm.
"Perhaps, I could be of assistance on this matter"
"You mean like, training me? I thought you wanted to stay out of my business" Sasuke smirked, clearly amused by the offer.
"At this moment, I can no longer stand by and simply watch. It has become clear to me that this world is rife with danger beyond our comprehension. I merely wish to ensure that you have the best chance of survival. Of course, I cannot teach you the ways of battle or any special techniques. Mastery over my eyes and the elements came naturally, without any training or martial arts and thus, I cannot impart any knowledge on that front. However, I can teach you the ways of Ninshu."
"Ninshu?"
"Yes, to master one's body and mind, to ensure harmony over the chakra flowing through your body. Ninshu is more of a way of life, one through which we reach a mutual understanding through bonds."
"And how is that going to help me get stronger?"
"I merely ask that you give this a chance. Even if you do not agree with the teachings of Ninshu, perhaps you could gain a new perspective still."
Initially, Sasuke was about to ask how long hours of meditation and philosophy were going to help him get stronger. But after a quick pause, he decided to humor the old spirit. "Fine, let's see if it works then"
He agreed.
"So, all this happened over Laxus and Sasuke having bad blood against each" Gildarts reiterated the summary of the story that had been relayed to him just now.
"To be more precise, it's Laxus discovering Sasuke's past that escalated this" Makarov corrected, taking a sip of canned coffee before letting out a sigh, "Then again, neither of them ever liked each other to begin with. Perhaps it is my fault for not taking such matters more seriously."
Gildarts took a sip of his own caffeine before speaking up, "They're two of the older ones in the litter, not to mention their attitudes are a little different but also similar, so something like this was probably bound to happen. Speaking of the past, you've never really told me about Sasuke's."
Upon hearing Gildarts point it out, the guild master started at his coffee and grunted, "I suppose you could be trusted enough to tell you this. Come, walk with me."
As the ace of Fairy Tail accompanied the master of the guild in taking a casual stroll across Magnolia, Makarov began to relay the story that Sasuke had told him: from the short summary of his clan, the tensions between them and the village they resided in, the coup, the massacre and ultimate his journey of revenge. It was quite a lot for Gildarts to take in, not to mention all the morbid for a child to have to go through all of it.
"What a mess, guess that explains why he's always so grouchy," Gildarts said, his eyes lowered as his mind pondered on the boy, though only for a moment as his mind wandered back to the time when he faced that woman. "The boy was a failed experiment that somehow defied his fate" the words of that powerful mage rang in the back of his mind. "A failed experiment" he whispered, wondering if there was any sort of connection to Sasuke's story and his supposed quest for revenge.
"Gildarts, there is something I want to ask of you," Makarov said, tossing the coffee can into a nearby bin.
"What is it, master?"
The old man rubbed his beard and looked up at the sky as he made his inquiries known, "I know you spent a considerable amount of time with Natsu, but you've also known Sasuke for quite a while now as well. Now that you know of his past, what do you make of all of this?"
"Worried that he'll betray us like Laxus said he will?" Gildarts prodded with a chuckle.
"No, it's the opposite. I do not fear him betraying us, but I do fear for him. There is a darkness within that boy" Makarov explained, "During that fight, I caught a glimpse of it: the moment I looked into his eye, I saw within him, the boy who sought vengeance against his brother and slayed him."
"Is that why you didn't put him on the list for S Class this year?"
"Part of it yes. I've always had my suspicions and it is clear that he has his own goals in mind. Should he ever be nominated for S Class, I wanted to be sure that he was ready for it, heart and mind, that he wanted to become S Class for only the right reasons."
Sadness clouded over Gildarts as his expression turned dour. "Family killing each other. That's nasty business and bound to screw up anyone caught up in it. Still, based on his story, he wasn't born a murderer, that stuff was forced on the poor kid. When the three of us took on that job back in Hargia, he was the first to go out of his way to protect everyone. I think deep down, there's good a kid in there and he's doing his darndest to make sure it stays that way."
Makarov's own face turned blank as he listened to Gildart's input. "I supposed you're right" he admitted, "Still, the thought of my children being put under such peril burdens my soul and gives me grief. If there was a way to quell his darkness, I would've taken it."
"Always looking out for us all, huh master?" Gildarts expression softened as he smiled, "I think you and I both know the truth" that there's no magic cure for something like this. He'll always be struggling with this darkness that he has, a never-ending fight. The best we can do is just be there for him and guide him on the right path."
"Such is the way of the world. Flawed and imperfect, yet filled wonder and goodness in equal measure" Makarov sighed.
As the two continued chatting, Gildarts looked around the area and realized where they were, on the canal close to where his house resided "By the way, why'd you bring me to my place?"
"I was told that you and Sasuke live close to each other. I was thinking of visiting him" Makarov explained.
Gildarts eased up once he heard his explanation and quickly connected the dots based on their conversation. "Is that so? Then I'll lead the way" He smiled.
The walk to Sasuke's house was brief, and just as they had been told by Erza, it was a modest dwelling, similar in size to Gildarts' own home. A small garden rested nearby with a few patches of flowers resting near the door. As Gildarts knocked, Makarov inspected the flowers and found them to be quite well maintained, and in various qualities as well. "Moondrop, Pink Cat, Charm Blue, and Cherry Grass. Quite the collection" he murmured as his eye shifted to the garden, which was filled almost exclusively with tomatoes, "I wonder if Porlyusica had a hand in this."
The speakeasy peephole slid open as Sasuke's eye emerged. From the other side, he could see Gildarts standing in the front with Makarov being carried by the larger man. "Do you need something?" he asked.
"Heard about what happened to you with Laxus. Just wanted to check in on you and see if you're alright kid" Gildarts answered with a goofy grin, 'You got time for that, right?"
Upon hearing his answer, Sasuke slid close the peephole and groaned before letting out a sigh, "Fine, just give me a minute."
From the outside, the two could hear a series of locks being liberated. "Yeah, that's my little grouch." Gildart compliment.
As the door finally opened, Sasuke held the doorknob and stood at the sidelines to let them in, while still wearing a sling over his injured arm. "Come on in. I'll brew you some tea" he said in the most monotone voice, as if exhaustion and boredom had come over him.
"We'd greatly appreciate that," Makarov said with a warm smile.
The Uchiha gave an affirming nod towards the old man before staring at Gildarts with a blank face. "And Gildarts, try not to touch anything."
The top wizard was initially confused as to why he would be apprehensive over him touching his stuff until the memories of their earlier meeting came to mind; memories of a time when he accidentally demolished half of his house. "Oops! I'll try to keep that mind" he gave a nervous grin and scratched the back of his head.
"Please do" Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh, one that quickly curved into an amused smile. These seniors were just as quirky as the younger members of the guild but he didn't mind it that much, with the exception of the near-complete destruction of his house by Gildarts, since it made them charming in their own way. Soon enough, he shut the door and began making preparations in the kitchen, for whatever bit of amusement these seniors would get out of him.
While Sasuke kept himself occupied in the kitchen, brewing some tea, the two seniors got themselves acquainted with Sasuke's dwelling. It wasn't much of a surprise for Gildarts, who had visited him on occasions but for Makarov, there was a glint in his eyes over how neat and clean the room was. The bed was folded neatly, each book was placed in an even order, there was no sense of asymmetry.
"What are you thinking?" Gildarts asked.
"Hmm, it seems the boy has a sense of discipline, a far cry from someone like Natsu." Makarov hummed as he continued inspecting the room. It was then that he chanced upon the picture frames that were placed near the bed. As he went in to see what it was about, he squinted his eyes as they sparked with clarity.
"Gotta hand it to Reedus, he knows his stuff" Gildarts complimented the lifelike drawings, having no doubt as to who had the artistic talents to pull something like that. "Well, I'll be…..guess that must be parents. And look who that is on the other frame…. Little miss Erza."
As Gildarts spoke away, a strange feeling came over Makarov. The knowledge of their demise did not dimmish the impact that Sasuke's family must have had on him, for him to continue remembering them fondly. Sadness overcame him in at that moment, even if he hid it well. As a parent and a grandfather, the loss of either was unfathomable to him, now how strained their relationship with him were. "A shadow of tragedy follows many of the children here."
"That's true. But that don't mean that they're all alone. That's why the guild exists, right?" Gildarts answered back.
As Makarov looked at the other picture, a sense of hope also swelled within him. He had known since the beginning that Erza and Sasuke came to this guild together and their bond was beyond that of mere friends, rather closer to that of kin. It was clear that Erza was the one who filled in the void left by his family and no matter how deep his darkness was, Makarov felt reassured to see him try to move past it.
"Here's some tea"
Their thoughts were interrupted as Sasuke approached them, a single hand on the tray, seemingly able to balance the objects while his other hand was still contained within a sling.
"Oh, of course. Well done, Sasuke" Makarov stammered and retained his composure.
Sasuke's eye blinked as he raised his brow, "What's gotten into you, old man?"
"Him? He's just getting sentimental thinking about the past" Gildarts teased as he approached Sasuke and patted him on the shoulder, "You did good kid."
"Is something wrong here?" A confused Sasuke asked, especially because Gildarts had spoken those words of praise to him a long time ago, though this time, it felt unwarranted.
"Don't mind us, Sasuke. We're all just old fools" Makarov said, "As for the tea, I supposed we should enjoy it before it gets cold?"
"Do what you want" Sasuke rolled his eye and casually place the tray on the table.
His nonchalant remark simply earned him their amusement as they began chatting away.
AN: Writing this chapter has been really fun, especially the ones with Laxus. I've always envisioned him and Sasuke coming to blows as early as chapter 10, I believe. By the way, this isn't the only fight he's going to have with Laxus, I fully plan on expanding on this rivalry. In a way, I guess Laxus, to me, is the best opponent and rival for Sasuke, at least for the pre canon timeline. He's higher up in the power level (the third strongest in the guild at the moment) that he can be a serious threat to Sasuke but not so strong that he's completely out of Sasuke's league at his current level (like Gildarts or Irene). In a way, whenever I write him here, I always think of him like a mid-level boss fight. The one that shows up after an increased difficult and the player has gotten stronger.
Goffy123: Itachi's death had a huge impact on his psyche and played a big part in his motivation from the second half of Shippuden. The moment he died, he became an empty shell, just staring blankly at the wall, not even caring that he was taken by Tobi. He even lost the light in his eyes. Once he learned the truth about Itachi's betrayal, he did not take it well at all, because it meant that everything he did and worked for was a lie. Itachi never betrayed Konoha, did everything to protect him and he spent years trying to kill him for it. One of the most iconic scenes/panels in Shippuden is Sasuke standing on a rocky beach, tears in his eyes as he awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. He doesn't feel ashamed about killing Danzo though. I even made it clear in the earlier chapter when he saw Danzo in his memories and reacted with visible disgust.
As for the whole criminal thing, you have to understand something called Fourth Wall Myopia. What it means is that how we see the story and how the characters in that story see things are very different. For Sasuke, his crimes may not be as bad as the other villains in the manga but from the perspective of those who were affected by him, they're just as bad. When the people of the Hidden Clouds talk about Sasuke, they don't know or understand what he's been through. All they see is a guy who kidnapped B, while wearing Akatsuki cloaks and an Uchiha crest. And from what they know, the Akatsuki have kidnapped and killed Jinchuriki. When Sasuke arrived at the Kage summit, they don't know that he's only after Danzo, so they only assume the worst. Only Gaara, who somewhat knows what Sasuke has been through tries to reason with him. Sasuke himself is aware of his infamy and in the final arc of Shippuden, even tries to use his terrible reputation as a wanted criminal to bring his vision of peace by making every one hate him.
From our perspective, Sasuke's crimes aren't as bad, but for Sasuke, who's coming to terms with his deeds and his actions, they're a major source of guilt and a reason why he seeks atonement. He's hurt those close to him and cared for him, everything he worked for was a sham because his brother was never the evil villain, he painted himself as, and so, in his eyes, everything he did was for nothing. People have spent the entire manga manipulating him, lying to him or use him for their own gains, he's never actually had a true goal of his own. His "dreams" of vengeance were imparted on him by Itachi (who wanted to die by his hands), enabled by Orochimaru (who wanted to take over his body) and corrupted even more by Tobi (who wanted to use him like an attack dog). He did betray his friends by trying to work with the person who killed the Third Hokage and conduct numerous experiments on humans. His friends only wanted what was best for him, they literally risked life and limb to rescue him. There was even a point when he was actually recovering from the trauma of losing his parents and his clan, even saw team 7 as people who he cared deeply for (Another iconic scene is of him saving Naruto from Haku) but his meeting with Itachi, who beat the crap out of him and fed into his insecurities kinda ruined that.
It's only after meeting Itachi again that he reaches clarity and starts to claw his way back to sanity and it's only after his final fight with Naruto that he truly let's go of the past and move forward with his life. It's big part of his stories past Shippuden, from his adventures in Shinden all the way to Boruto. Same here in this fanfic too.
Observing the Stars: Lisanna does not know that Sasuke was the one who helped bring her back. In fact, none of the guild members do. She's just being nice to him in general since she's a kind girl. As for Edolas, that's still a long way to go and it really won't impact the main story. I do find Road to Ninja Sasuke hilarious though and I always think about what would happen if the two Sasuke's met.
Dxhologram: For Sasuke, I believe it's going to be an eternal struggle, fighting with his guilt. But I think there's a lot of possibilities because of how friendly and welcoming the guild members are towards each other. They're basically like a house full of weirdos and outcasts, and so Sasuke isn't really out of place there. That's what I like the most about the Fairy Tail guild.
Gen2324: I do plan on making a few filler chapters, that focus exclusively on Sasuke and his daily interactions with the guild without any big plots around.
Shiroyahsa Rises: I do think even if he hadn't told them the truth, they would still be accepting of him, especially Erza. In a way, Sasuke revealing the truth was more about Sasuke opening up and willing to be a bit more honest.
Aka Daka: Just imagine if Road to Ninja Sasuke and Shippuden Sasuke met.
Yojimbo3796: Yeah, I think that's the part a lot of people miss in Sasuke's story. Even if Itachi rigged the fight and died on his terms, the weight of killing his brother, his only family left would leave a heavy toll on him. He basically became an empty shell with a dead look in his eyes after Itachi died. It was only after Tobi clawed his way into his mind that he found a new reason to go on living. Kakashi even warned him that the price of vengeance was not worth it.
Character interactions are the bread and butter for this story and I intend to make more. There's at least going to be a few interactions with team Shadow Gear, some characters outside of the guild and a few ocs. Of course, Laxus will be one of the big ones moving forward. So, I hope you look forward to it : )
Hatred and Love: Yup, we're definitely past the point where Laxus has already fallen out with his grandfather.
Dildo-Man: Don't worry, I've already planned out a roadmap for this series. And the concept for the final arc before the main story begins has already been done. The only thing left is how to get there. And hopefully, it's going to for more than 60 chapters at best (At least for this pre- main story saga, if you can call it that.)
Protector for all: Sasuke definitely sees Lisanna like a younger sister for sure. I think she's just a nice character in general.
Seeking the Miraculous Dream: Yeah, the casting of the Amaterasu has always felt inconsistent post Shippuden, although I guess one could chalk it up to Sasuke's greater experience, it still kinda renders his left eye useless without the Rinnegan.
Black luster: Don't worry, I won't abandon this story, at least not before the canon manga timeline.
Stand Up Be Strong: He can express love, especially when it comes to Sarada. She's the only person he ever genuinely smiles for and it's sweet. There was also that arc with Sakura where he shows more of his tender side (even if the arc was cheesy as him fighting dinosaurs).